Orientador: Carol H. Collins / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-08T05:15:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Auler_LuciaMariaLaboissieredeAlencar_D.pdf: 1289805 bytes, checksum: c5c314fa95e1f395031bfe5e731325d3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: Uma nova fase estacionária foi desenvolvida utilizando a sílica como suporte, para aplicação em Cromatografia por Troca Iônica na separação de ânions. A preparação desse suporte cromatográfico envolveu a modificação da sílica com cloropropiltrimetoxissilano seguido pela reação com a piridina para produzir 0,5 mmol g de grupos propilpiridínio carregados positivamente sobre a superfície da sílica. Esses grupos atuam como sítios de troca aniônica durante a separação cromatográfica. A nova fase foi caracterizada por análise elementar, espectroscopia na região do infravermelho, ressonância magnética de C e Si no estado sólido e por cromatografia. A capacidade de troca da sílica modificada foi determinada pela concentração de íons cloreto trocáveis, por meio da análise por ativação neutrônica . O estudo da estabilidade química do suporte cromatográfico, nas mesmas condições da separação, demonstra que a fase, mesmo sem nenhuma proteção, é estável até 12000 volumes de coluna. A avaliação dos parâmetros cromatográficos das separações realizadas em um sistema com detecção por condutividade, sem supressão mostra que a sílica com o grupo propilpiridínio quimicamente ligado é uma fase estacionária bastante promissora para a separação de ânions em amostras contendo baixos teores dessas espécies / Abstract: A new stationary phase based on silica was developed for application in Ion Exchange Chromatography for anion separation. The preparation of the new phase involved silanization of chromatographic silica particles with chloropropyl-trimethoxysilane to yield chloropropyl silica. The modified silica was then reacted with pyridine to produce positively charged propylpyridinium groups on the surface, which are the anion exchange sites. The new phase was characterized by elemental analysis and infrared and solid state C and Si NMR spectroscopies. The exchange capacity of the modified silica was investigated by determining its exchangeable chloride content using neutron activation analysis. The stability of this phase, tested under the same conditions as for the separation, shows that this phase, although without protection, is stable to 12000 column volumes. Chromatographic parameters evaluated using unsuppressed conductivity detection indicate that the chloropropylpyridiniun silica is promising for separation and quantification of anions in samples with low concentrations of these species / Doutorado / Quimica Analitica / Doutor em Ciências

Orientador: Isabel Cristina Sales Fontes Jardim / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T06:33:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maldaner_Liane_D.pdf: 4323260 bytes, checksum: 773bada382fd206c910361612918f566 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Novas fases estacionárias (FE) fluoradas foram preparadas a partir da imobilização do poli(metil-3,3,3-trifluorpropilsiloxano) (PMTFS) em partículas de sílica Kromasil de 5 mm, por tratamento termico (TT) ou por radiação micro-ondas (RM). As condições de imobilização otimizadas através do emprego de planejamento de experimentos foram, 200 °C por 12 horas para o TT e 126 °C (760 W) por 50 minutos para a RM. A caracterização físico-quimica permitiu concluir que o polímero ficou fisicamente adsorvido e também quimicamente ligado a superfície do suporte cromatografico, em ambos os procedimentos de imobilização, resultando em porcentagens de carbono de 9 % e 10 % para as FE obtidas por TT e por RM, respectivamente. A caracterização cromatográfica mostrou que as FE desenvolvidas apresentaram eficiências > 70.000 N m, características hidrofóbicas, seletividade estérica e metilênica e uma pequena interação entre os compostos básicos e os grupos silanóis residuais. Esta redução das interações indesejáveis pode estar associada com a presença dos átomos de fluor que promovem diferentes interações com os compostos básicos e, dessa forma, reduzem estes efeitos. As FE fluoradas foram seletivas para a separação de isômeros de posição e de fármacos, sendo uma alternativa atrativa as FE tradicionais / Abstract: New fluorinated stationary phases (SP) were prepared through thermal or microwave immobilization of poly(methyl-3,3,3-trifluoropropylsiloxane) (PMTFS) onto 5 mm Kromasil silica particles. The immobilization conditions were optimized employing experimental design and resulted in 200 °C for 12 hours for thermal treatment and 126 °C (760 W) for 50 minutes for microwave irradiation. Physical-chemical characterization showed that the polymer was both physically adsorbed and chemically bonded to the chromatographic support, in both immobilization procedures, resulting in a percent carbon load of 9 % and 10 % for the SP immobilized by thermal treatment and by microwave irradiation, respectively. Chromatographic characterization showed that the SP developed presented efficiencies > 70 000 N m, hydrophobic characteristics, steric and methylene selectivity and small interactions between the basic compounds and the residual silanol groups. This reduction of the undesirable interactions can be associated to the presence of the fluorine atoms that promote different interactions with the basic compounds and thus reduce these effects. The fluorinated SP were selective for the separation of positional isomers and pharmaceuticals and are an attractive alternative to the classical reversed stationary phases / Doutorado / Quimica Analitica / Doutor em Ciências

Orientador: Carla Beatriz Grespan Bottoli / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T10:14:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gorzalka_ThaisProenca_M.pdf: 829922 bytes, checksum: f9029b9c9c8227216344c808efc2ffdd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Este trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver um material baseado em polibutadieno (PBD) e sílica e avaliar seu desempenho como fase estacionária em cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência no modo fase reversa (CLAE-FR) e como sorvente para extração em fase sólida (SPE). O preparo do material consistiu na deposição do PBD na superfície da sílica seguida de imobilização por tratamento térmico na presença de peróxido de dicumila (PDC). Para a aplicação como fase estacionária, algumas variáveis de preparo foram otimizadas, como a pressão de enchimento das colunas cromatográficas (5000 psi), porcentagem de carga de polibutadieno (10 % m/m), porcentagem de peróxido de dicumila (2,5 % m/m PDC/PBD), tempo, temperatura e atmosfera de tratamento térmico (1 h a 120 °C seguida de 4 h a 160 °C, atmosfera oxidante). A fase estacionária preparada nas condições otimizadas proporcionou colunas com eficiência de 81 000 pratos por metro para o acenafteno. Valores típicos de colunas quimicamente ligadas são de 100 000 pratos por metro. No teste de estabilidade, realizado sob condições drásticas, a fase estacionária preparada na presença de peróxido de dicumila se mostrou mais estável que a fase estacionária preparada na ausência do peróxido. Também foi observado que o PBD se altera no frasco de estocagem independente dos cuidados tomados para evitar o contato com o ar durante seu manuseio. Esta alteração resultou em redução da eficiência das colunas, dificuldade de reprodutibilidade no preparo das fases e uma maior atividade silanofílica ao longo do tempo. Para a aplicação do material como sorvente para extração em fase sólida os cartuchos foram avaliados na extração de agrotóxicos em uma amostra de vinho. Pôde-se concluir que o sorvente baseado em polibutadieno é um material promissor, sendo comparável aos cartuchos C18 disponíveis comercialmente, apresentando boas eficiências de extração (95 - 119 %) / Abstract: This study aimed to develop a material based on polybutadiene (PBD) and silica and to evaluate its performance as a stationary phase in Reversed-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC) and as sorbent for Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE). The preparation of the material consisted of the deposition of PBD onto the surface of porous silica, followed by immobilization by thermal treatment in the presence of dicumyl peroxide (DCP). For application as a stationary phase some variables were optimized, such as packing pressure (5000 psi), polybutadiene load (10 % m/m), dicumyl peroxide load (2.5% m/m DCP/PBD), temperature, time and atmosphere of thermal treatment (1 h at 120 °C followed by 4 h at 160 °C, in an oxidizing atmosphere). The stationary phase prepared under these conditions yielded a column with efficiency of 81 000 plates per meter for acenaphthene. Tipical values for chemical-bonded stationary phases are about 100 000 plates per meter. A chemical stability test, carried out under drastic conditions, showed that the stationary phase prepared in presence of dicumyl peroxide was more stable than a stationary phase prepared in the absence of peroxide. It was also observed that PBD is altered during storage, independent of the care taken to avoid contact with air during its handling. This change resulted in reduced efficiency of the columns, difficulty in reproducing preparations and higher silanophilic activity over the time. For application of the material as a sorbent in solid-phase extraction, the prepared cartridges were evaluated for extraction of pesticides from a sample of wine. It can be conclude that a sorbent based on polybutadiene is a promising material, and is comparable to a commercially available C18 cartridge showing good efficiencies of extraction (95 - 119 %) / Mestrado / Quimica Analitica / Mestre em Química

Orientador: Carol Hollingworth Collins / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T03:41:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SilvaJunior_EliasSeveroda_D.pdf: 2576422 bytes, checksum: 19c90c90e1e49e747a75a6260bb45eba (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Neste trabalho foram feitos estudos das condições de preparo de fases estacionárias para uso em Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Eficiência em Fase Reversa (CLAE-FR) da mistura de poli(metiloctadecilsiloxano) (PMODS) e poli(dimetilsiloxano) (PDMS), sorvidos e imobilizados por tratamento térmico (em atmosfera inerte) na superfície de sílica Kromasil (esférica, 5 µm) metalizada com titânia ou zircônia. As fases estacionárias foram avaliadas por testes químicos, físicos, cromatográficos e de estabilidade em fases móveis em condições agressivas. As melhores condições de preparo das fases estacionárias foram: sorção de 22 % de PMODS e 33 % de PDMS sobre sílica metalizada, mantendo períodos de 4 e 10 dias em repouso, respectivamente, após adição de cada polímero e depois imobilizados a 120 °C durante 16 horas. As fases estacionárias preparadas nas melhores condições apresentaram eficiências superiores a 45000 e 10000 pratos m-1, respectivamente, para os compostos naftaleno e N,N-dimetilanilina, além de picos simétricos para a maioria dos compostos. O estudo de caracterização através das misturas testes de Tanaka, Engelhardt, Neue e SRM 870 indicou a presença de silanóis residuais, mas os resultados dos parâmetros avaliados foram satisfatórias, principalmente comparados às fases PMODS e algumas comerciais. Quanto aos testes de estabilidade em meio básico as fases estacionárias mantiveram-se estáveis durante 550 e 800 volumes de coluna, respectivamente, SiTi(PMODS + PDMS) e SiZr(PMODS + PDMS), usando o acenafteno. Já no teste ácido as fases estacionárias mantiveram-se estáveis por 900 e 800 volumes de coluna, respectivamente, para SiTi(PMODS + PDMS), e SiZr(PMODS + PDMS). As fases estacionárias SiTi(PMODS + PDMS), e SiZr(PMODS + PDMS), sorvidas e imobilizadas por tratamento térmico, apresentam potencialidade na separação de diferentes classes de compostos, tais como, agrotóxicos e fármacos / Abstract: In this work the conditions for the preparation of stationary phases for use in reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with a mixture of poly(methyloctadecilsiloxane) (PMODS) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) sorbed and immobilized by thermal treatment (in an inert atmosphere) on metalized (titanium and zirconium) Kromasil silica (spherical, 5 µm) were studied. The stationary phases were evaluatied by chemical, physical and chromatographic tests and for stability in mobile phases having agressive conditions. The best conditions for preparation of the stationary phases were: sorption of 22 % PMODS and 33 % PDMS onto the metalized silica, storing for 14 days and then immobilizing at 120 °C for 16 hours. The stationary phases from these conditions showed higher efficiencies of 45000 and 10000 plates m-1 for naphthalene and N,N-dimethylaniline and symmetrical peaks for most compounds. Characterization studies using Tanaka¿s, Engelhardt¿s, Neue¿s and the SRM 870 test-mixtures indicated the presence of residual silanols, but evaluation parameters were still reasonable, compared to PMODS phases and to commercials phases. In the adverses stability tests the stationary phase was for stable 550 and 800 column volumes, respectively, for SiTi(PMODS + PDMS) and SiZr(PMODS + PDMS), in the basic test, showing a decrease of efficiency (60 %) for N,N-dimethylaniline. In the acid test the stationary phases maintained efficiency for 900 and 800 column volumes, respectively, for SiTi(PMODS + PDMS) and SiZr(PMODS + PDMS). The stationary phases SiTi(PMODS + PDMS) and SiZr(PMODS + PDMS) sorbed and immobilized by thermal treatment, showed potential for the separation of different compounds classes, such as, pesticides and pharmaceuticals / Doutorado / Quimica Analitica / Doutor em Ciências

Orientador: Carla Beatriz Grespan Bottoli / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Química / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-19T12:28:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Aguiar_ValeskaSoares_M.pdf: 8050447 bytes, checksum: b6132fb136ec04b91b3bdb6e10fbeaf4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: A Eletrocromatografia Capilar (CEC) é uma técnica de separação que combina a seletividade cromatográfica da Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Eficiência (HPLC) com a alta eficiência da Eletroforese Capilar (CE). A coluna capilar usada na separação é preenchida com uma fase estacionária, que pode ser do tipo particulada ou monolítica. Neste trabalho, monolitos poliméricos orgânicos foram preparados por polimerização in situ a partir dos monômeros octadecilmetacrilato (precursor e seletor hidrofóbico), etilenodimetacrilato (agente de entrecruzamento) e ácido 2-acriloilamido-2- metilpropanossulfóxido (monômero ionizável), além de diferentes tipos de solventes porogênicos, como álcool isoamílico, amílico, cicloexanol e 1,4- butanodiol, na presença e na ausência de água. Na primeira etapa do trabalho, variaram-se a natureza e a proporção entre os solventes porogênicos e, na segunda, o mesmo ocorreu com a proporção entre o conjunto de monômeros e de solventes porogênicos. As fases estacionárias foram caracterizadas por técnicas físicas como a microscopia eletrônica de varredura e a porosimetria; e as colunas moldadas com o material monolítico foram avaliadas pela técnica de CEC. As colunas apresentaram eficiência na faixa de 3000 a 50000 pratos m. A análise das isotermas de adsorção e dessorção de nitrogênio e das curvas de distribuição de poros permitiu afirmar que o material monolítico sintetizado é essencialmente micro e mesoporoso. Os macroporos para fluxo de fase móvel foram nitidamente observados em imagens de microscopia eletrônica de varredura. Assim, as fases monolíticas apresentaram três tipos de poros: micro, meso e macroporos. Na segunda parte do trabalho, avaliou-se a repetibilidade de preparo das fases monolíticas e notou-se grande falta de repetibilidade em termos de eficiência de separação. As fases monolíticas apresentaram alto caráter apolar e seletividade metilênica adequada para separação de analitos apolares e aromáticos, como alquilbenzenos, alquilparabenos e hidrocarbonetos policíclicos aromáticos / Abstract: Capillary Electrochromatography (CEC) is a separation technique that matches the chromatographic selectivity of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with the high efficiency of Capillary Electrophoresis (CE). The capillary column used in the separation is filled with a stationary phase, which can be particulate or monolithic. In this work, organic polymeric monoliths were prepared through in situ polymerization from the monomers octadecyl methacrylate (precursor and hydrophobic selector), ethylene dimethacrylate (cross-linking agent) and 2-acryloylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (ionizable component), using different types of porogenic solvents, such as isoamyl alcohol, amyl alcohol, cyclohexanol and 1,4-butanediol, in the presence or absence of water. In the first step, the nature and proportion between the porogenic solvents were varied and, in the second, the same occurred with the proportion between the set of monomers and porogenic solvents. The stationary phases were characterized by physical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy and porosimetry; and the columns prepared with the monolithic material were evaluated through the CEC technique. The columns presented efficiencies in the range of 3000 to 50000 plates m. Analysis of the nitrogen adsorption and desorption isotherms and the pore distribution curves enable affirming that the synthesized monolithic material is essentially micro- and mesoporous. The macropores for the flow of the mobile phase were clearly observed in images of scanning electron microscopy. So, the monolithic phases have three types of pores: micro-, meso- and macropores. In the second part of this work, the repeatability of synthesis of the monolithic phases was evaluated and a lack of repeatability related to separation efficiency was noted. The monolithic phases had high apolar character and adequate methylenic selectivity for separation of apolar and aromatic analytes, such as alkylbenzenes, alkylparabens and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons / Mestrado / Quimica Analitica / Mestre em Química

This study explored the development of a stationary robotic strawberry harvester that was combined with a movable bench system as part of the development of an industrially production system for a strawberry in a plant factory. At first the difficulty of approaching target fruit was investigated using table-top plants cultured in a greenhouse. Then the maximum force needed to separate fruit from the peduncle was measured. Based on these results, an end-effector was designed with three unique functions; (1) suction cup was vibrated to minimize the influence of the adjoining fruits at the time of approach; (2) compressed air was blown toward the adjoining fruits to force them away from the target fruit; (3) peduncle was removed with the motion of tilting and pulling the target fruit. Next, an optical system to equip the machine with the ability to detect and determine the position and coloration of strawberry fruit was constructed. The position of the fruit was detected from below with a stereo-camera. The coloration measurement unit was set against the bed of the movable bench system at fruit level to capture images of target fruit. Considering the spectral reflectance characteristics of strawberry fruit, the coloration measurement unit was equipped with red, green, and white LEDs. Finally the stationary robot was tested in an experimental harvesting system in which the robot was combined with a movable bench unit. In the experiment system, the stationary robot enabled highly stable harvesting operation. / Kyoto University (京都大学) / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(農学) / 乙第12528号 / 論農博第2747号 / 新制||農||988(附属図書館) / 学位論文||H23||N4584(農学部図書室) / 28350 / (主査)教授 近藤 直, 教授 清水 浩, 准教授 飯田 訓久 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当

Countercurrent chromatography (CCC) is an advanced liquid-liquid extraction technique that purifies chemical components from complex mixtures. The Brunel CCC' is a J-type centrifuge based upon this technique. This machine can process 5g quantities of sample every 5 hours [Sutherland 1998]. To process 1 tonne of sample per year would require 200 Brunel CCCs, which is not practical as an industrial process. A practical alternative is to use one machine with 200 times the processing capability. To construct such a machine requires a greater understanding of the stationary phase retention inside a coil (column) and the column efficiency (mass transfer between the mobile and stationary phases). This thesis contains research into stationary phase retention. A hypothesis that all J-type centrifuges act as constant pressure drop pumps is proposed. This hypothesis combined with the Hagan-Poiseuille equation for laminar flow produces a theoretical basis for plotting the stationary phase retention against the square root of the mobile phase flow rate as proposed by Du et al [1999]. Supporting experimental evidence is presented showing that the mobile phase flows in a laminar manner and that the pressure drop across a coil is constant for a given set of operating conditions. It is shown that the pressure drop is the same in both normal and reverse phase modes if specific conditions are met. The pressure drop is shown to be independent of tubing bore for helical coils provided that the same helical pitch is used. The experimental results also show how the pressure drop varies with the phase system and rotational speed. Hopefully this is a significant advance in predicting the stationary phase retention of industrial scale J-type centrifuges.

The method development process in liquid chromatography (LC) involves optimization of a variety of method parameters including stationary phase chemistry, column temperature, initial and final mobile phase compositions, and gradient time when gradient mobile phases are used. Here, a general simulation program to predict the results (i.e., retention time, peak width and peak shape) of LC separations, with the ability to study various complex chromatographic conditions is described. The simulation program is based on the Craig distribution model where the column is divided into discrete distance (Δz) and time (Δt) segments in a grid and is based on parameterization with either the linear solvent strength or Neue-Kuss models for chromatographic retention. This algorithm is relatively simple to understand and produces results that agree well with closed form theory when available. The set of simulation programs allows for the use of any eluent composition profile (linear and nonlinear), any column temperature, any stationary phase composition (constant or non-constant), and any composition and shape of the injected sample profile. The latter addition to our program is particularly useful in characterizing the solvent mismatch effect in comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC), in which there is a mismatch between the first dimension (1D) effluent and second dimension (2D) initial mobile phase composition. This solvent mismatch causes peak distortion and broadening. The use of simulations can provide a better understanding of this phenomenon and a guide for the method development for 2D-LC. Another development that is proposed to have a great impact on the enhancement of 2D-LC methods is the use of continuous stationary phase gradients. When using rapid mobile phase gradients in the second dimension separation with diode array detection (DAD), refractive index changes cause large backgrounds such as an injection ridge (from solvent mismatch) and sloping baselines which can be problematic for achieving accurate quantitation. Use of a stationary phase gradient may enable the use of an isocratic mobile phase in the 2D, thus minimizing these background signals. Finally, our simulator can be used as an educational tool. Unlike commercially available simulators, our program can capture the evolution of the chromatogram in the form of movies and/or snapshots of the analyte distribution over time and/or distance to facilitate a better understanding of the separation process under complicated circumstances. We plan to make this simulation program publically available to all chromatographers and educators to aid in more efficient method development and chromatographic training.

Concept drift refers to a problem that is caused by a change in the data distribution in data mining. This leads to reduction in the accuracy of the current model that is used to examine the underlying data distribution of the concept to be discovered. A number of techniques have been introduced to address this issue, in a supervised learning (or classification) setting. In a classification setting, the target concept (or class) to be learned is known. One of these techniques is called “Ensemble learning”, which refers to using multiple trained classifiers in order to get better predictions by using some voting scheme. In a traditional ensemble, the underlying base classifiers are all of the same type. Recent research extends the idea of ensemble learning to the idea of using committees, where a committee consists of diverse classifiers. This is the main difference between the regular ensemble classifiers and the committee learning algorithms. Committees are able to use diverse learning methods simultaneously and dynamically take advantage of the most accurate classifiers as the data change. In addition, some committees are able to replace their members when they perform poorly. This thesis presents two new algorithms that address concept drifts. The first algorithm has been designed to systematically introduce gradual and sudden concept drift scenarios into datasets. In order to save time and avoid memory consumption, the Concept Drift Introducer (CDI) algorithm divides the number of drift scenarios into phases. The main advantage of using phases is that it allows us to produce a highly scalable concept drift detector that evaluates each phase, instead of evaluating each individual drift scenario. We further designed a novel algorithm to handle concept drift. Our Dynamic Committee for Concept Drift (DCCD) algorithm uses a voted committee of hypotheses that vote on the best base classifier, based on its predictive accuracy. The novelty of DCCD lies in the fact that we employ diverse heterogeneous classifiers in one committee in an attempt to maximize diversity. DCCD detects concept drifts by using the accuracy and by weighing the committee members by adding one point to the most accurate member. The total loss in accuracy for each member is calculated at the end of each point of measurement, or phase. The performance of the committee members are evaluated to decide whether a member needs to be replaced or not. Moreover, DCCD detects the worst member in the committee and then eliminates this member by using a weighting mechanism. Our experimental evaluation centers on evaluating the performance of DCCD on various datasets of different sizes, with different levels of gradual and sudden concept drift. We further compare our algorithm to another state-of-the-art algorithm, namely the MultiScheme approach. The experiments indicate the effectiveness of our DCCD method under a number of diverse circumstances. The DCCD algorithm generally generates high performance results, especially when the number of concept drifts is large in a dataset. For the size of the datasets used, our results showed that DCCD produced a steady improvement in performance when applied to small datasets. Further, in large and medium datasets, our DCCD method has a comparable, and often slightly higher, performance than the MultiScheme technique. The experimental results also show that the DCCD algorithm limits the loss in accuracy over time, regardless of the size of the dataset.

This dissertation investigates the effectiveness of a two stage fault identification methodology for rotating machines operating under non-stationary conditions with the use of a single vibration transducer. The proposed methodology transforms the machine vibration signal into a discrepancy signal by means of smart feature selection and statistical models. The discrepancy signal indicates the angular position and relative magnitude of irregular signal patterns which are assumed to be indicative of gear faults. The discrepancy signal is also independent of healthy vibration components, such as the meshing frequency, and effects of fluctuating operating conditions. The use of the discrepancy signal significantly reduces the complexity of fault detection and diagnosis. The first stage of the methodology involves extracting smart instantaneous operating condition specific features, while the second stage requires extracting smart instantaneous fault sensitive features. The instantaneous operating condition features are extracted from the coefficients of the low frequency region of the STFT of the vibration signal, since they are sensitive to operating condition changes and robust to the presence of faults. Then the sequence of operating conditions are classified using a hidden Markov model (HMM). The instantaneous fault features are then extracted from the coefficients in the wavelet packet transform (WPT) around the natural frequencies of the gearbox. These features are the converse to the operating condition features,since they are sensitive to the presence of faults and robust to the fluctuating operating conditions. The instantaneous fault features are sent to a set of Gaussian mixture models (GMMs), one GMM for each identified operating condition which enables the instantaneous fault features to be evaluated with respect to their operating condition. The GMMs generate a discrepancy signal, in the angular domain, from which gear faults may be detected and diagnosed by means of simple analysis techniques. The proposed methodology is validated using experimental data from an accelerated life test of a gearbox operated under fluctuating load and speed conditions. / Dissertation (MEng)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / Unrestricted