Nanoindentation is a method of contacting a material whose mechanical properties are unknown with another material whose properties are known. Nanoindentation has the advantage of being able to probe a material’s microstructure while being sensitive enough to detect variations in mechanical properties. However, nanoindentation has some limitations as a testing technique due to the specific formation and structure of some biomaterials. The main objective of this research is to identify any factors that influence the nanoindentation measurement of wood cell walls (a typical biomaterial). The function of the embedding media in describing the properties of wood cells is poorly understood. This research demonstrated that Spurr’s resin, when diffused into wood cell wall during the embedding process, enhanced both the Young’s modulus and hardness of the cell walls. A substitute sample preparation method was developed to avoid this resin penetration into cell wall and was determined to be both effective and easy to perform. The nanoindentation procedure involves the application of a monitor and an analysis of the load-displacement behavior and the response in the material. It can be anticipated that various ways of loading, including the maximum force, the loading time, and others, will cause a variety of mechanical properties. Thus, our second aim was to study the effect of load function on nanoindentation measurement in wood. It was discovered that a fast loading rate contributed to greater contact depth and lower hardness. Increasing the holding time decreased measured values for both Young’s modulus and hardness. However, no significant difference of Young’s modulus and hardness among three loading functions with different unloading rates. The final part of the research was to study the effect of moisture content on the micromechanical properties of wood material. Several nanoindentations were performed on the wood cell wall while varying the moisture content of wood. Results indicated that both the Young’s modulus and hardness decreased significantly with an increase of moisture content. A rheology model was developed to describe the nanoindentation behaviors of wood cell walls at different moisture contents. Five parameters were extracted from Burger’s model, and the relationships among those five parameters were quantified.

This study evaluated the applicability of remote sensing instrumentation for site- specific management of abiotic and biotic stress on cotton grown under a center pivot. Three different irrigation regimes (100%, 75%, and 50% ETc) were imposed on a cotton field to 1) monitor canopy temperatures of cotton with infrared thermometers (IRTs) in order to pinpoint areas of biotic and abiotic stress, 2) compare aerial infrared photography to IRTs mounted on center pivots to correlate areas of biotic and abiotic stress, and 3) relate yield to canopy temperatures. Pivot-mounted IRTs and IR camera were able to differentiate water stress between the irrigation regimes, however, only the IR camera was effectively able to distinguish between biotic (cotton root rot) and abiotic (drought) stress with the assistance of groundtruthing. The 50% ETc regime had significantly higher canopy temperatures, which were reflected in significantly lower lint yields when compared to the 75% and 100% ETc regimes. Deficit irrigation up to 75% ETc had no impact on yield, indicating that water savings were possible without yield depletion.

<p>Elevated temperatures accompanying climate warming are expected to have adverse effects on sensitive lichen species. This premise was examined by measuring the sensitivity of different lichen species to elevated temperatures in the laboratory and in the field. Laboratory studies involved the exposure of nine hydrated lichen species (Xanthoparmelia austro-africana, X. hyporhytida, Xanthoparmelia sp., Xanthomaculina hottentotta, Teloschistes capensis, Ramalina sp., Flavopuntelia caperata, Lasallia papulosa, Parmotrema austrosinensis) collected from sites of different aridity and mean annual temperature for 2 hourly intervals to temperatures ranging from 24&ordm / C to 48&ordm / C in a forced daft oven and measuring their respiration rates and maximum quantum yield of PSII. Field studies involved simultaneous hourly measurements of ground surface air temperatures and Lichen effective quantum yield of PSII of hydrated lichen species populations under ambient and artificially modified environmental conditions.</p>

Many failures of external walls made of porous buildingmaterials are caused by excessive moisture content,particularly after driving rain and under long duration ofmoist conditions. Lack of sufficient protection againstexposure conditions is one of the reasons for external wallsprematurely demonstrating failures, i.e. properties andperformance above/below critical levels. Silicon-based waterrepellants are increasingly used in order to improve theperformance of both old and new buildings. Water repellants areexpected to prolong the service life and improve the durabilityof wall components by preventing or minimising water ingressinto the structure and thus delaying the deteriorating effectsof the atmosphere. To date, various kinds of water repellantshave been developed. However, only limited research has beencarried out, particularly on the long-term field exposuretesting. Existing research is mainly focused on the performanceof surface treatments of concrete structures and the protectionof historical buildings built of stone, brick and wood, and isprimarily based on short-term laboratory testing. The aim ofthis research work is to study the long-term performance,degradation processes and ageing characteristics of renderedautoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) with and without waterrepellants. Investigations are carried out by physical andchemical analysis of fresh samples, samples naturally weatheredby long-term field exposure and samples artificially aged byshort-term accelerated laboratory tests. Two differentapplication of water repellants are employed: impregnation ofrendering surface with an aqueous product and as additive inpowder form mixed into the fresh rendering mortar. Continuousmoisture and temperature monitoring of naturally exposed testsamples are also included in the study. Wetcorr sensors andresistance-type nail electrodes are used to measure the surfacemoisture and the moisture content in the material,respectively. This thesis describes the experimental set-upand presents the results from site monitoring and laboratorytests of unexposed, naturally and artificially exposed samples(freeze-thaw and UV+water). The results from the continuousmoisture measurements are compared with the results obtainedfrom the full-scale test cabin built within the EUREKA-projectE 2116 DurAAC. The test cabin has the same basic measurementinstruments for continuous monitoring of moisture andtemperature. An attempt has been made to develop methods forlong-term performance assessment of water repellants to be usedin service life prediction. The combination of data obtainedfrom the field measurements with data obtained from thelaboratory tests and analysis may also meet practical needs ofthe end-users.

Graduation date: 1992

As part of the production of certain solid-dosage pharmaceuticals, granulated ingredients are dried in a batch fluidized bed dryer. Currently, the determination of the completion of the drying process is accomplished through measurements of product or outlet air temperatures. No quantitative measurement of hydrodynamic behaviour is employed. Changes in bed hydrodynamics caused by variations in fluidization velocity may lead to increased particle attrition. In addition, excessive desiccation of the granules caused by inaccurate determination of the drying endpoint may lead to an increase in the thermal and mechanical stresses within the granules. The activity of future high-potency or peptide based drug products may be influenced by these effects. Therefore, the quantification of hydrodynamic changes may be a key factor in the tighter control of both fluidization velocity and product moisture, which are critical for maintaining product quality. <p>High-frequency measurements of pressure fluctuations in a batch fluidized bed dryer containing pharmaceutical granulate have been used to provide a global, non-intrusive indication of the hydrodynamic changes occurring throughout the drying process. A chaotic attractor comparison statistical test known as the S-statistic, has been applied to quantify these changes in drying and a related unit operation, fluidized bed granulation. The S-statistic showed a sensitivity to moisture which is not seen with frequency and amplitude analysis. In addition, the S-statistic has been shown to be useful in identifying an undesirable bed state associated with the onset of entrainment in a bed instrumented for the collection of both pressure fluctuation and entrainment data. Thus, the use of the S-statistic analysis of pressure fluctuations may be utilized as a low-cost method for determining product moisture or changes hydrodynamic state during fluidized bed drying. <p>Electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) has also been applied in this study to image the flow structure within a batch fluidized bed used for the drying of pharmaceutical granulate. This represents the first time that ECT has been applied to a bed of wet granulate material. This was accomplished through the use of a novel dynamic correction technique which accounts for the significant reduction in electrical permittivity occurring as moisture is lost during the drying process. The correction has been independently verified using x-ray tomography. <p>Investigation of the ECT images taken in the drying bed indicates centralized bubbling behaviour for approximately the first 5 minutes of drying. This behaviour is a result of the high liquid loading of the particles at high moisture. Between moisture contents of 18-wt% and 10-wt%, the tomograms show an annular pattern of bubbling behaviour with a gradual decrease in the cross-sectional area involved in bubbling behaviour. The dynamic analysis of this voidage data with the S-statistic showed that a statistically significant change occurs during this period near the walls of the vessel, while the centre exhibits less variation in dynamic behaviour. The changes identified by the S-statistic analysis of voidage fluctuations near the wall were similar to those seen in the pressure fluctuation measurements. This indicates that the source of the changes identified by both these measurement techniques is a result of the reduction in the fraction of the bed cross-section involved in bubbling behaviour. At bed moisture contents below 5-wt%, rapid divergence was seen in the S-statistic applied to both ECT and pressure fluctuation measurements. This indicates that a rapid change in dynamics occurs near the end of the drying process. This is possibly caused by the entrainment of fines at this time, or the build-up of electrostatic charge. <p>The use of the complimentary pressure fluctuation and ECT measurement techniques have identified changes occurring as a result of the reduction of moisture during the drying process. Both the localized changes in the voidage fluctuations provided by the ECT imaging and the global changes shown by the pressure fluctuation measurements indicate significant changes in the dynamic behaviour caused by the reduction of moisture during the drying process. These measurement techniques could be utilized to provide an on-line indication of changes in hydrodynamic regime. This information may be invaluable for the future optimization of the batch drying process and accurate determination of the drying endpoint.

Los volantes de inercia superan a las baterías eléctricas por su capacidad de absorber y ceder energía en poco tiempo y, si se fabrican con materiales compuestos, también por su reducido peso. La tesis presenta un estudio sobre los rotores de materiales compuestos aplicados a los acumuladores cinéticos para hacerlos más asequibles a usos industriales baratos. Para ello se proponen dos objetivos: obtener un sistema analítico de cálculo, y mejorar el diseño de rotores de bajo coste.Se desarrolla un sistema analítico de cálculo muy completo, tanto en las cargas como en las tensiones. Se consideran todas las cargas necesarias para el diseño mecánico del rotor: la fuerza centrífuga, la fuerza de aceleración y las tensiones residuales, térmica y de hidratación; y se determinan todas las componentes, normales y cortantes, de la tensión para cada punto del rotor.El cálculo en condiciones de tensión plana, utilizado por la mayoría de autores, se amplía con el cálculo en deformación axial constante, que es una variante mejorada de la deformación plana. Se comprueba que sus resultados son mejores que los de tensión plana cuando se comparan con los obtenidos en modelos de elementos finitos. Paralelamente, como aportación nueva de la tesis, se deducen las funciones de la variación de la tensión axial y de la tensión cortante radial-axial a lo largo del eje longitudinal del rotor. A partir de estos resultados se desarrolla un sistema general de cálculo que, además de unificar los sistemas de tensión plana y deformación axial constante, permite determinar todas las tensiones en cualquier posición radial-axial del rotor.Este sistema unificado de cálculo se amplia con tres particularidades: una aplicación de cálculo para resolver rotores multicapa, las ecuaciones especiales para los materiales singulares no resolubles con las ecuaciones generales, y el cálculo de capas con fibras orientadas axialmente aplicadas para refuerzo en configuraciones especiales.Con el objeto de mejorar las prestaciones del rotor se estudian dos procedimientos para crear tensiones de pretensado: generando tensiones durante el bobinado y utilizando las tensiones residuales térmicas. En el primero se elabora un sistema analítico de cálculo para determinar las tensiones residuales de bobinado y se complementa con una simulación mediante elementos finitos basada en submodelos incrementales. Ambos cálculos son capaces de simular el material no curado aplicando las propiedades viscoelásticas de los ensayos experimentales de otros autores. En el segundo se presenta un sistema nuevo, denominado pretensado térmico, basado en el curado por etapas, que genera tensiones residuales parecidas a las de bobinado pero con menos problemas de fabricación.El diseño de volantes se aplica a tres configuraciones básicas: rotores híbridos multicapa con materiales de rigidez progresiva, rotores de un solo material con anillos de elastómero y rotores con pretensado térmico.Sus prestaciones se valoran con tres variables: la masa, el volumen y el coste del material; de las cuales el coste es la principal y se utiliza para la optimización de la geometría.En cada configuración se determina la energía máxima para distintas relaciones de radios del rotor y se compara con el rotor de un sólo material. Se utilizan los materiales básicos usados en la fabricación de rotores: la fibra de carbono con matriz epoxi, la fibra de vidrio con matriz epoxi, el aluminio y el acero. Los dos materiales compuestos ofrecen mejores resultados que los metales, pero disminuyen sensiblemente en rotores con espesor de pared grande. En estos casos, la energía por unidad de coste mejora aplicando los anillos elásticos y el pretensado térmico. / Flywheels are better than electric batteries in that they absorb and yield energy in shorter time and, if made out of composite materials, also in that they weight less. This thesis presents a study of composite material rotors applied to kinetic accumulators in order to make them usable for low cost general industrial uses. Two objectives are proposed: a) to develop an analytical system for computation and b) to design alternatives in order to improve the performance on low-cost rotors.The analytical system is intended to be very complete, considering all relevant types of external loads and stress components. For the former, centrifugal, acceleration forces and residual, thermal and moisture stresses are included. For the latter, five normal and shear components are computed at each point of the rotor.The usual plane stress condition is expanded with the consideration of constant axial strain, along the lines of the plane strain hypothesis but with greater accuracy. It is shown that the current theory results fit the ones from finite elements much better than those from plain stress. As a new contribution, the functions for the axial stress and the radial-axial stress along the axis of the rotor are developed. From these results, a general system that unifies the plane stress and constant axial strain can compute the stress state at any position.In addition, the unified system includes three novel aspects: an extension of computation for multi-layer rotors, special equations for some materials in which behaviour present singularities and the computation of layers with fibers along the axial direction, which can be useful as a reinforcement for some configurations.Two procedures that can create beneficial residual stresses are studied: generating stresses during the filament winding and using the thermal stresses. For the first, analytical expressions are developed and validated and complemented with especially developed finite elements based on incremental submodels. In both cases the material is characterized by viscoelastic properties taken from the literature. For the second, a new procedure called thermal prestress is based on the accumulation of partial curing processes (by stages), which is able to create residual stresses similar to those of winding but involving simpler manufacturing.Three basic configurations are studied for the design: hybrid rotors with progressive stiffness along the radius, single material rotors with elastomer thin rings and rotors manufactured with thermal prestress, evaluating the performance as a function of the mass, volume and cost of the material. The latter is defined as the most important, and it is used as a reference for the geometry optimization.The maximum energy stored on each of the configurations is compared with that of a single material rotor, using the most common ones: glass and carbon fiber both with epoxy matrix, aluminium and steel. Results show that glass/epoxy has the highest storing capability per unit cost, although the number is greatly reduced when the thickness increases. If this rotor has a thin layer of carbon/epoxy, the capability does not increase, although it does with distributed elastomeric layers. There is also an increase with fabrication based on the thermal prestress technique.

Introduction: Several problems arise when HMEs are used while giving aerosolized medication including increased airway resistance (Raw) or the need to open the ventilator circuit. Recently, heat and moisture exchangers designed to allow aerosol delivery (HME-AD) have been developed to solve this problem, but no tests have been performed to confirm their effectiveness. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of HME-ADs on aerosol deposition and Raw. Methods: An in-vitro lung model consisting of an 8.0 mm ID endotracheal tube (ETT) connected to a standard ventilator circuit and ventilator was connected to a rubber test lung via cascade humidifier set to deliver 37˚C and 100% relative humidity. The ventilator settings were as follows: Vt 450 ml, RR 20/min, PIF 50 L/min, PEEP 5 cm H2O, and I:E ratio 1:2. HME-ADs used in this study include Circuvent HME/HCH bypass (Smiths-Medical, Keene, NH), Gibeck Humid-Flo HME (Hudson RCI, Arlington Heights, IL), and Airlife BHME (Carefusion, San Diego, CA). As a control, albuterol sulfate (2.5 mg/3mL) was delivered with a vibrating mesh nebulizer (Aeroneb Solo, Aerogen Inc) placed at the wye without any HME-AD in the circuit. Then, the aerosol and HME configurations of each HME-AD were tested by measuring pre-post Raw and aerosol deposition at the end of each run. Each condition was repeated in triplicate (n=3). Aerosol deposition between the aerosol and HME configurations of each HME-AD was compared with a series of student t-tests. Then, differences both in aerosol deposition and in airway resistance among the HME-ADs were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Significance was determined as p<0.05. Results: Raw increased after each albuterol treatment with every HME-AD. In the aerosol configuration, the Circuvent and Humid-Flo delivered significantly less aerosol compared to the control (p=.004 and p=.002, respectively), while there was no significant difference on aerosol delivery between the Airlife and the control (p=.084). The Airlife gave the highest aerosol deposition which was not significantly different than control (p=.084). When aerosol delivery between the HME and aerosol configurations in each HME-AD was compared, aerosol deposition with the Humid-Flo was not significantly different (p=.078) but both the Airlife and the Circuvent showed a statistically significant reduction in aerosol deposition with the HME configuration (p=.002 and p=.005). Conclusions: Aerosol delivery and Raw with each HME-AD differ in simulated mechanically ventilated patients. Further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of these devices over time and with different aerosol generating devices.

This paper aims to derive qualitative model for energy requirements for wood chipping process. There is relationship shown between energy requirements and properties of biomass, which is quite variable material. Relationship between comminution machinery and energy necessary for the process is highlighted. Derivation of the model is focused on chipping but in general it’s possible, to make it available both for different types of biomass (f. ex. agricultural residues) or for different type of comminution machinery (f. ex. hammermills) just by using different material properties adjusted to machinery mechanics. Properties used in derivation are mend to be easy to measure. Model is mend to be used as a base for quantitative model that, thanks to measurements performed on real comminution machinery and using wood with known properties, could give answers for two important questions: Would hypothetical changes in desired size of output material increase total system efficiency, taking into consideration lowest efficiency of combustion process (i. ex. higher amounts of unburned fuel)? How to optimise comminution as an operation in biofuel supply chain, with respect to energy used for the process?

Energy price are on the way up to a high level that will not diminish in the future make us to focus more on the sustainable development for a better solution of residential houses. Passive house or low energy housing are one of the solution to make residential more environment friendly, in same time it´s a financial security using less energy, and saving money. The last 10 years in Germany and all around Europe the concept of passive house been developed, and people aim to know more about these concept that leading the market more attractive for passive houses. A passive house is a well designed building highly insulated and air tight with mechanical ventilated system for the whole building envelope that minimizes the use of energy for heating [1]. The housing company Mimer has chosen to invest in low energy consumption in every new housing project.  These future plan projects are decided to use less than 75 kwh per square meter annually in purchased energy [2]. This thesis is about new constructed passive houses, and focuses on the evaluations of the temperature, and moisture condition for attic, external walls and joist. Reason for doing this investigation is to see if passive houses fulfill the building codes regarding moisture, and temperature changes, and to find in early stage suspicious changes that could affect badly on the building envelop. The aim of this study is -         Moisture risk analyses of the attic, external walls and joist -         Studying temperature analysis   With highly insulated walls the risk for moistures extra sensitive than normal building construction.  Also during summer time the comfort inside may be surprised by high indoor temperature and one solution for that could be using sun shading.