Solid Oxide Fuel Cells are fuel cells that operate at high temperatures usually in the range of 600oC to 1000oC and employ solid ceramics as the electrolyte. In Solid Oxide Fuel Cells oxygen ions (O2- ) are the ionic charge carriers. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells are known for their higher electrical efficiency of about 50-60% [1] compared to other types of fuel cells and are considered very suitable in stationary power generation applications. It is very important to study the effects of different parameters on the performance of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and for this purpose the experimental or numerical simulation method can be adopted as the research method of choice. Numerical simulation involves constructing a mathematical model of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and use of specifically designed software programs that allows the user to manipulate the model to evaluate the system performance under various configurations and in real time. A model is only usable when it is validated with experimental results. Once it is validated, numerical simulation can give accurate, consistent and efficient results. Modeling allows testing and development of new materials, fuels, geometries, operating conditions without disrupting the existing system configuration. In addition, it is possible to measure internal variables which are experimentally difficult or impossible to measure and study the effects of different operating parameters on power generated, efficiency, current density, maximum temperatures reached, stresses caused by temperature gradients and effects of thermal expansion for electrolytes, electrodes and interconnects. iv Since Solid Oxide Fuel Cell simulation involves a large number of parameters and complicated equations, mostly Partial Differential Equations, the situation calls for a sophisticated simulation technique and hence a Finite Element Method (FEM) multiphysics approach will be employed. This can provide three-dimensional localized information inside the fuel cell. For this thesis, COMSOL Multiphysics® version 4.2a will be used for simulation purposes because it has a Batteries & Fuel Cells module, the ability to incorporate custom Partial Differential Equations and the ability to integrate with and utilize the capabilities of other tools like MATLAB ® , Pro/Engineer® , SolidWorks® . Fuel Cells can be modeled at the system or stack or cell or the electrode level. This thesis will study Solid Oxide Fuel Cell modeling at the cell level. Once the model can be validated against experimental data for the cell level, then modeling at higher levels can be accomplished in the future. Here the research focus is on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells that use hydrogen as the fuel. The study focuses on solid oxide fuel cells that use 3-layered, 4-layered and 6-layered electrolytes using pure YSZ or pure SCSZ or a combination of layers of YSZ and SCSZ. A major part of this research will be to compare SOFC performance of the different configurations of these electrolytes. The cathode and anode material used are (La0.6Sr0.4)0.95-0.99Co0.2Fe0.8O3 and Ni-YSZ respectively

Transcatheter aortic heart valve replacement (TAVR) is a procedure to replace a failing aortic valve and is becoming the new standard of care for patients that are not candidates for open-heart surgery [2]. However, this minimally invasive technique has shown to cause ischemic brain lesions, or “silent infarcts”, in 90% of TAVR patients, which can increase the patient’s risk for stroke by two to four times in future years [3]. Claret Medical Inc., a medical device company, has developed a cerebral protection system that filters and captures embolic debris released during endovascular procedures, such as TAVR. This thesis utilized CT scans from Claret Medical to create a physical construct of the aortic arch to experimentally validate a theoretical computer model through flow visualization. The hypothesis was that the empirical model can accurately mimic the fluid dynamic properties of the aortic arch in order validate an in silico model using the finite elements program COMSOL MultiPhysics® Modeling Software. The physical model was created from a patient CT scan of the aortic arch using additive manufacturing (3D printing) and polymer casting, resulting in the shape of the aortic arch within a transparent, silicone material. Fluid was pumped through the model to visualize and quantify the velocity of the fluid within the aortic arch. COMSOL MultiPhysics® was used to model the aortic arch and obtain velocity measurements, which were statistically compared to the velocity measurements from the physical model. There was no significant difference between the values of the physical model and the computer model, confirming the hypothesis. Overall, this study successfully used CT scans to create an anatomically accurate physical model that was validated by a computer model using a novel technique of flow visualization. As TAVR and similar procedures continue to develop, the need for experimental evaluation and visualization of devices will continue to grow, making this project relevant to many companies in the medical device industry.

No description available.

Wireless and mobile communications are already playing an important role in our lives, and this will can only grow more and more due to the predominant importance and use of modern smartphones, tablets and any kind of connected devices. With this is mind, the spectrum for wireless and mobile communications is becoming incredibly overcrowded, leading to increasing requirements for RF front-end filters. This progress has encouraged an impressive need for developing low-cost, high performance, mass-producible, small footprint, and highly integrated front-end solutions for microwave and millimeter-wave systems and applications including emerging 5G and future wireless platforms. In this context, high quality factor resonators are usually typical basic building blocks of many high performance passive and active circuits, and its design has become even more challenging in the last decade. As a result, Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) technology has attracted scientific community and industry attention as a very good candidate for developing such desired high-Q planar microwave devices. Recently, SIW is demonstrating to be a successful approach for implementing microwave and mm-wave filters with high Q-factor, easy integration with other planar circuits, and for mass-production manufacturing processes in many technologies (i.e. Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) technologies among them). Its enormous similarity with waveguides is probably one of the main reasons why the development of SIW-based components and circuits is rapidly growing among the research community. Other potential features that, combined with the former advantages, could be of huge interest in a wide range of wireless and mobile applications are a lively set of research subjects, such as compactness, advanced filtering responses, and recently frequency-agility capabilities. These key features have been recently introduced in the design of microwave filters for the next-generation wireless systems. Taking into account the above-mentioned background, the work carried out during the course of this PhD Thesis has been directed towards a further study of SIW technology to propose, analyze and develop an innovative and original resonator topology. The proposed topology is based on the extension of the classical coaxial waveguide resonator to SIW technology, and must take advantage of the characteristics of SIW devices to allow the design of improved and innovative microwave resonator filters for advanced wireless systems. This PhD Thesis includes the latest improvements made on this topic, from the working principles of the basic coaxial SIW block, until different applications for the design of compact quasi-elliptic and reconfigurable microwave filters. The results are promising and demonstrate the validity of the proposed topology for the design of high-Q microwave filters, as well as its potential application to implement complex designs. The general knowledge gained from these cases of study can be considered a good base for further developing this technology, which can help to improve its EM performance, and also contribute to a more general use in the market. / Las comunicaciones inalámbricas y móviles juegan un papel importante en nuestras vidas, y esto sólo puede ir a más debido a su enorme importancia y al uso de los modernos teléfonos inteligentes (del inglés, smartphones), tabletas y toda clase de dispositivos inalámbricos. Con todo esto en mente, el espectro electromagnético para comunicaciones inalámbricas y móviles se está saturando cada día más, lo que conlleva un constante aumento de los requisitos para los filtros de radio-frecuencia usados en las cabeceras de dichos sistemas. Este progreso ha llevado a un creciente interés en desarrollar componentes de microondas de bajo coste, alto rendimiento, pequeño tamaño, que permitan implementar soluciones altamente integradas para sistemas de alta frecuencia (i.e. microondas y ondas milimétrica) y sus aplicaciones, incluyendo entre ellas la emergente conexión 5G y las futuras plataformas inalámbricas. En este contexto, los resonadores de elevado factor de calidad constituyen generalmente los bloques básicos para el diseño de muchos circuitos pasivos (entre ellos filtros) y activos de alto rendimiento. Su diseño se ha convertido por tanto en un reto aún mayor en la última década. Como resultado de ello, la tecnología de guía de ondas integradas en substrato (Substrate Integrated Waveguide, SIW) ha atraído la atención de la comunidad científica e industrial, al revelarse como una buena aproximación para el desarrollo de dispositivos planares de microondas con excelentes prestaciones eléctricas, y en particular para la implementación de filtros de microondas y onda milimétrica de bajas pérdidas y elevada integración con circuitos en tecnología planar. Además, su flexibilidad se caracteriza también por su adecuación a diferentes procesos de fabricación y producción en masa, en tecnologías tales como los circuitos impresos (Printed Circuit Board, PCB) o la tecnología de materiales cerámicos multi-capa co-sinterizados a baja temperatura (Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics, LTCC) entre otras. Su enorme similitud con las ya largamente estudiadas guías de onda es, probablemente, una de las principales razones por las cuales el desarrollo de dicho circuitos está creciendo rápidamente entre la comunidad de investigadores. Cabe mencionar como, además de las anteriores ventajas, otras características de la tecnología SIW que podrían ser de gran interés en una amplia gama de aplicaciones inalámbricas y móviles son la miniaturización, la posibilidad de implementar respuestas avanzadas de filtrado y, recientemente, las capacidades de sintonía en frecuencia de los componentes de microondas. De este modo, el trabajo desarrollado a lo largo de esta Tesis Doctoral se ha orientado hacia el planteamiento, análisis y desarrollo de una topología de resonador innovadora y original. Dicha topología se basa en una extensión de las cavidades coaxiales en guía de onda metálica a una implementación integrada en substrato inspirada en la tecnología SIW. Esta Tesis Doctoral recapitula los últimos avances que se han producido sobre este tema, empezando desde la descripción de los principios fundamentales de funcionamiento de las estructuras, hasta la demostración de varias aplicaciones concretas útiles para el diseño de filtros de microondas muy compactos, con respuestas filtrantes avanzadas y reconfigurables. Los resultados que se van a mostrar a continuación son prometedores, y demuestran la validez de la topología propuesta. El conocimiento general obtenido de los diferentes prototipos fabricados y caracterizados experimentalmente puede considerarse una buena base para seguir desarrollando esta tecnología, lo que puede ayudar a mejorar su rendimiento electromagnético, así como a contribuir a un uso más extendido de estos dispositivos en el mercado. / Les comunicacions sense fils i mòbils juguen un paper important en les nostres vides, i això només pot anar a més a causa de la gran importància i l'ús dels moderns telèfons intel·ligents (de l'anglès, smartphones), tablets i tota classe de dispositius sense fil. Tenint en compte tot açò, l'espectre electromagnètic per a comunicacions sense fils i mòbils s'està saturant cada dia més, el que comporta un constant augment dels requisits per als filtres de radiofreqüència usats en les capçaleres d'aquests sistemes. Aquest progrés ha portat a un creixent interès en desenvolupar components de microones de baix cost, alt rendiment, volum reduït, que permeten implementar solucions altament integrades per a sistemes d'alta freqüència (ie. microones i ones mil·limètriques) i les seves aplicacions, incloent l'emergent connexió 5G i les futures plataformes sense fils. En aquest context, els ressonadors d'elevat factor de qualitat constitueixen generalment els blocs bàsics per al disseny de molts circuits passius (entre ells filtres) i actius d'alt rendiment. El seu disseny s'ha convertit per tant en un repte encara més gran en l'última dècada. Com a resultat d'això, la tecnologia de guia d'ones integrades en substrat (Substrate Integrated Waveguide, SIW) ha atret l'atenció de la comunitat científica i industrial, al revelar-se com una bona aproximació per al desenvolupament de dispositius planars de microones amb excel·lents prestacions elèctriques , i en particular per a la implementació de filtres de microones i ones mil·limètriques de baixes pèrdues i elevada integració amb circuits en tecnologia planar. A més, la seua flexibilitat es caracteritza també per la seua adequació a diferents processos de fabricació i producció en massa, en tecnologies com ara els circuits impresos (Printed Circuit Board, PCB) o la tecnologia de materials ceràmics multicapa co-sinteritzats a baixa temperatura (Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramics, LTCC) entre d'altres. La seua enorme similitud amb les ja llargament estudiades guies d'ona és, probablement, una de les principals raons per les quals el desenvolupament d'aquests circuits està creixent ràpidament entre la comunitat d'investigadors. Cal destacar com, a més de les anteriors avantatges, altres característiques de la tecnologia SIW que podrien ser de gran interès en una àmplia gamma d'aplicacions sense fils i mòbils són la miniaturització, la possibilitat d'implementar respostes avançades de filtrat i, recentment, les capacitats de sintonia en freqüència dels components de microones. Aquestes característiques clau s'han introduït recentment en el disseny de filtres microones per als sistemes sense fils de pròxima generació, convertint-se en objecte prioritari d'estudi per part de la comunitat científica. D'aquesta manera, el treball desenvolupat al llarg d'aquesta tesi doctoral s'ha orientat cap al plantejament, anàlisi i desenvolupament d'una topologia de ressonador innovadora i original. Aquesta topologia es basa en una extensió de les cavitats coaxials en guia d'ona metàl·lica a una implementació integrada a substrat inspirada en la tecnologia SIW. Aquesta tesi doctoral recapitula els últims avanços que s'han produït sobre aquest tema, començant des de la descripció dels principis fonamentals de funcionament de les estructures, fins a la demostració de diverses aplicacions concretes útils per al disseny de filtres i microones molt compactes, amb respostes de filtrat avançades i reconfigurables. Els resultats que es mostraran a continuació són prometedors, i demostren la validesa de la topologia proposada. El coneixement general obtingut dels diferents prototips fabricats i caracteritzats experimentalment es pot considerar com una bona base per seguir desenvolupant aquesta tecnologia, el que pot ajudar a millorar el seu rendiment electromagnètic, així com a contribuir a un ús més estès d'aquests dispositius en el mer / Sirci, S. (2017). Substrate Integrated Coaxial Filters with Fixed and Tunable Responses [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/78838

The aim of the work is to create a coherent overview of the silicon monocrystaline solar cell in terms of the physical principle of the structure and sequence of technological operations necessary for its production. The effect of individual manufacturing steps is discussed in relation to the requirement of decreasing recombination, optical and ohmic losses of the monocrystalline solar cell. Due to a theoretical assumption, one-dimensional model of solar cell was created in a PC1D software that was later optimized to achieve the highest possible efficiency. Using the available technologies, final model of the solar cell is manufactured in Solartec company and in the end of the work compared with the output of simulation.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) depend on mechanical deformation to sense their environment, enhance electrical circuitry, or store data. Nonlinear forces arising from multiphysics phenomena at the micro- and nanoscale -- van der Waals forces, electrostatic fields, dielectric charging, capillary forces, surface roughness, asperity interactions -- lead to challenging problems for analysis, simulation, and measurement of the deforming device elements. Herein, a foundation for the study of mechanical deformation is provided through computational and experimental studies of MEMS microcantilever capacitive switches. Numerical techniques are built to capture deformation equilibria expediently. A compact analytical model is developed from principle multiphysics governing operation. Experimental measurements support the phenomena predicted by the analytical model, and finite element method (FEM) simulations confirm device-specific performance. Altogether, the static multistability and quasistatic performance of the electrostatically-actuated switches are confirmed across analysis, simulation, and experimentation. <p><br></p> <p>The nonlinear multiphysics forces present in the devices are critical to the switching behavior exploited for novel applications, but are also a culprit in a common failure mode when the attractive forces overcome the restorative and repulsive forces to result in two elements sticking together. Quasistatic operation is functional for switching between multistable states during normal conditions, but is insufficient under such stiction-failure. Exploration of dynamic methods for stiction release is often the only option for many system configurations. But how and when is release achieved? To investigate the fundamental mechanism of dynamic release, an atomic force microscopy (AFM) system -- a microcantilever with a motion-controlled base and a single-asperity probe tip, measured and actuated via lasers -- is configured to replicate elements of a stiction-failed MEMS device. Through this surrogate, observable dynamic signatures of microcantilever deflection indicate the onset of detachment between the probe and a sample.</p>

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / In this study, a novel model for manipulating cancer blood cells based on multi-stage micro channels under varied low field concepts is proposed. Steering Device approach was followed to manipulate the cancer cells based on their various differential potentials across their membranes. The proposed approach considers the size and the surface potential as well as the iso electronic structure of the cells. These research objectives emphasize the separation of the cells in the blood stream, and differentiates various blood cells and tumors for further analysis within the microfluidic channels. The dimensions of the channel sets the required electric field for manipulating the cancer cells within the channels using low electrode voltage function. The outcomes of this research may introduce a new diagnostic approach of finding the minimum residual disease (MRD) scans, early detection and analysis scans. This thesis provides a mathematical model, detailing the theory of the cell sorting device, manipulating the blood cancer cells and design of the device structure are also detailed, leading to the optimum research parameters and process. A Computer Aided Design (CAD) was used to model the multi-cell sorting lab-on-chip device, details of hardware and software were used in the simulation of the device various stages. Reverse engineering to configure the potentials for sorting mechanism needs is discussed. The thesis work also presents a comparative study of this sorting mechanism and the other commercially available devices. The practical model of the proposed research is laid out for future consideration.

Fuel cell systems are becoming more commonplace as a power generation method and are being researched, developed, and explored for commercial use, including portable fuel cells that appear in laptops, phones, and of course, chargers. This thesis examines a model constructed on inspiration from the myFC PowerTrekk, a portable fuel cell charger, using COMSOL Multiphysics, a finite element analysis software. As an educational tool and in the form of zero-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional models, an investigation was completed into the geometric construction, air conditions and compositions, and product materials with a best case scenario completed that summarizes the results identified. On the basis of the results of this research, it can be concluded that polyoximetylen and high-density polyethylene were considered as possible materials for the majority of the product, though a more thorough investigation is needed. Air flow of above 10 m/s, air water vapour mass fraction below 50% and initial temperature between 308K and 298K was considered in this best scenario. Suggestions on future expansions to this project are also given in the conclusion.

Les problèmes qui se posent aujourd'hui en mécanique numérique et domaines connexes sont complexes, et impliquent de plus en plus souvent plusieurs physiques à différentes échelles de temps et d’espace. Leur traitement numérique est en général long et difficile, d’où l’intérêt d’avoir accès à des méthodes et outils facilitant l’intégration de nouveaux modèles physiques dans des outils de simulation. Ce travail se pose dans la problématique du développement de codes de calcul numérique. L’approche proposée couvre la démarche de développement du modèle numérique depuis la formulation variationnelle jusqu’à l’outil de simulation. L’approche est appliquée à la méthode des éléments finis. Nous avons développé des concepts génériques afin d’automatiser la méthode des éléments finis. Nous nous sommes appuyés sur l'analyse tensorielle dans le contexte de la méthode des éléments finis. Le formalisme mathématique est basé sur l’algèbre tensorielle appliquée à la description de la discrétisation des formes variationnelles. Ce caractère générique est conservé grâce à l'approche logicielle choisie pour l’implantation; orientée objet en Java. Nous proposons donc un cadre orienté objet, basé sur des concepts symboliques, capables de gérer de manière symbolique les développements assistés des contributions élémentaires pour la méthode éléments finis. Ces contributions sont ensuite automatiquement programmées dans un code de calcul. L'intérêt de cette approche est la généricité de la description qui peut être étendue naturellement à tout autre modèle de discrétisation (spatiale ou temporelle). Dans ce travail, les concepts sont validés dans le cadre de problèmes linéaires simples (élasticité, chaleur,...), dans le cadre du traitement de formulations variationnelles mixtes (thermomécanique, Navier-Stokes,…) et dans un cadre Lagrangien (élasticité en grandes transformations, hyperélasticité,…). / The problems occurring today in computational mechanics and related domains are complex, and may involve several physics at different time and space scales. The numerical treatment of complex problems is in general tough and time consuming. In this context, the interest to develop methods and tools to accelerate the integration of new formulations into simulation tools is obvious. This work arises on the issue of the development of computational tool. The proposed approach covers the development process of numerical models from the variational statement to the simulation tool. The approach is applied to the finite element method. We have developed generic concepts to automate the development of the finite element method. To achieve this goal, we relied on tensor analysis applied in the context of the finite element method. The mathematical formalism is based on the tensor algebra to describe the discretization of a variational formulation. The generic character of the approach is preserved through the object-oriented approach in Java. We propose a framework based on object-oriented concepts capable of handling symbolic developments of elemental contributions for finite element codes. The advantage of this approach is the generic description that can be extended naturally to any discretization model in space or time. This concept is fully validated for simple linear problems (elasticity, heat convection, ...), for the treatment of mixed variational formulations (thermo-mechanical, Navier-Stokes for incompressible flows...) and Lagrangian frameworks (elasticity in larges transformations, hyperelasticity, ...).

Cette thèse aborde la problématique de la modélisation multiphysique en génie électrique, avec une application à l’étude des vibrations d’origine électromagnétique des cages de développantes. Cette étude comporte quatre parties : la construction de la densité de courant, le calcul des forces locales, le transfert de solutions entre maillages et la résolution des problèmes couplés. Un premier enjeu est de correctement représenter les courants, cette opération est effectuée en deux étapes : la construction de la densité de courant et l’annulation de la divergence. Si des structures complexes sont utilisées, l’imposition du courant ne peut pas toujours être réalisée à l’aide de méthodes analytiques. Une méthode basée sur une résolution électrocinétique ainsi qu’une méthode purement géométrique sont testées. Cette dernière donne des résultats plus proches de la densité de courant réelle. Parmi les nombreuses méthodes de calcul de forces, les méthodes des travaux virtuels et des forces de Laplace, considérées par la littérature comme les plus adaptées au calcul des forces locales, ont été étudiées. Nos travaux ont montré que bien que les forces de Laplace sont particulièrement précises, elles ne sont pas valables si la perméabilité n’est plus homogène. Ainsi, la méthode des travaux virtuels, applicable de manière universelle, est préférée. Afin de modéliser des problèmes multi-physiques complexes à l’aide de plusieurs codes de calculs dédiés, des méthodes de transferts entre maillages non conformes ont été développées. Les procédures d’interpolations, les méthodes localement conservatives et les projections orthogonales sont comparées. Les méthodes d’interpolations sont réputées rapides mais très diffusives tandis que les méthodes de projections sont considérées comme les plus précises. La méthode localement conservative peut être vue comme produisant des résultats comparables aux méthodes de projections, mais évite l’assemblage et la résolution de systèmes linéaires. La modélisation des problèmes multi-physiques est abordée à l’aide des méthodes de transferts de solutions. Pour une classe de problème donnée, l’assemblage d’un schéma de couplage n’est pas unique. Des tests sur des cas analytiques sont réalisés afin de déterminer, pour plusieurs types de couplages, les stratégies les plus appropriées.Ces travaux ont permis une application à la modélisation magnéto-mécanique des cages de développantes est présentée. / The modeling of multi-phycics problems in electrical engineering is presented, with an application to the numerical computation of vibrations within the end windings of large turbo-generators. This study is divided into four parts: the impositions of current density, the computation of local forces, the transfer of data between disconnected meshes, and the computation of multi-physics problems using weak coupling, Firstly, the representation of current density within numerical models is presented. The process is decomposed into two stages: the construction of the initial current density, and the determination of a divergence-free field. The representation of complex geometries makes the use of analytical methods impossible. A method based on an electrokinetical problem is used and a fully geometrical method are tested. The geometrical method produces results closer to the real current density than the electrokinetical problem. Methods to compute forces are numerous, and this study focuses on the virtual work principle and the Laplace force considering the recommendations of the literature. Laplace force is highly accurate but is applicable only if the permeability is uniform. The virtual work principle is finally preferred as it appears as the most general way to compute local forces. Mesh-to-mesh data transfer methods are developed to compute multi-physics models using multiples meshes adapted to the subproblems and multiple computational software. The interpolation method, a locally conservative projection, and an orthogonal projection are compared. Interpolation method is said to be fast but highly diffusive, and the orthogonal projections are highly accurate. The locally conservative method produces results similar to the orthogonal projection but avoid the assembly of linear systems. The numerical computation of multi-physical problems using multiple meshes and projections is then presented. However for a given class of problems, there is not an unique coupling scheme possible. Analytical tests are used to determine, for different class of problems, the most accurate scheme. Finally, numerical computations applied to the structure of end-windings is presented.