The Two Element in Series (TEIS) and Two Zone models stand out as powerful tools that enable deeper understanding of compressor stage designs after they have been tested. The insights gained from these investigations have aided in improving new stage designs. Up to now, it has only been possible to use the TEIS and Two Zone models for analysis of test data due to the inability to predict the four required input parameters for untested machines. Empirical models for the TEIS and Two Zone model input parameters, ETAa5, ETAb5, Chi5, and DELTA5p, for two different types of vaned diffusers, channel and cascade, are proposed. These models were developed with frozen impeller modeling. This is the first time that modeling the TEIS and Two Zone input parameters has been attempted for vaned diffusers and impeller-diffuser coupling was not considered in this initial investigation. The centrifugal compressor experimental data used in the model building was obtained from Concepts NREC, an industry sponsor. Each dataset provided was evaluated for quality and reliability and only the data deemed reliable were used in the model building databases. The empirical models presented are built solely on this higher quality data. Seven models are proposed for use in predicting the TEIS and Two Zone model input parameters ETAa5, ETAb5, Chi5, and DELTA5p. Models for ETAa5, ETAb5, and DELTA5p are specific to the type of vane present in the diffuser, while the model for Chi5 is common to both diffuser types. These are the first models ever built for the TEIS and Two Zone model inputs applied to channel and cascade diffusers and become a benchmark for future studies. The work with these models is not complete, however. The databases are not of a size that data could be withheld from empirical model building for the express purpose of validation. Instead the model performance is evaluated by applying all of the models, simultaneously, to the database from which they were built. The determination of the effectiveness of the combined modeling is based on the average error across the entire speedline. The models proved to be effective and a contributing step to employing such models for use in future compressor design.

An exact quantum Monte Carlo algorithm for interacting particles in the spatial continuum is extended to exploit the massive parallelism offered by graphics processing units. Its efficacy is tested on the Calogero-Sutherland model describing a system of bosons interacting in one spatial dimension via an inverse square law. Due to the long range nature of the interactions, this model has proved difficult to simulate via conventional path integral Monte Carlo methods running on conventional processors. Using Graphics Processing Units, optimal speedup factors of up to 640 times are obtained for N = 126 particles. The known results for the ground state energy are confirmed and, for the first time, the effects of thermal fluctuations at finite temperature are explored.

The laterally-loaded pile has long been a topic of research interest. Several models of the soil surrounding a pile have been developed for simulation of lateral pile behavior, ranging from simple spring and dashpot models to sophisticated three-dimensional finite-element models. However, results from the available pile-soil models are not accurate due to inherent approximations or constraints. For the springs and dashpots representation, the real and imaginary stiffness are calculated by idealizing the soil domain as a series of plane-strain slices leading to unrealistic pile behavior at low frequencies while the three-dimensional finite-element analysis is very computationally demanding. Therefore, this dissertation research seeks to contribute toward procedures that are computationally cost-effective while accuracy of the computed response is maintained identical or close to that of the three-dimensional finite-element solution. Based on the fact that purely-elastic soil displacement variations in azimuthal direction are known, the surrounding soil can be formulated in terms of an equivalent one-dimensional model leading to a significant reduction of computational cost. The pile with conventional soil-slice model will be explored first. Next, models with shear stresses between soil slices, including and neglecting the soil vertical displacement, are investigated. Excellent agreement of results from the proposed models with three-dimensional finite-element solutions can be achieved with only small additional computational cost. / text

Foram medidas funções de excitação para a fusão completa dos sistemas 16O+46,50Ti em energias abaixo e em torno da barreira Coulombiana. A seção de choque de fusão foi obtida utilizando-se os métodos da espectroscopia em linha e fora da linha através da soma das seções de choque dos canais de decaimento do núcleo composto formado, observados experimen- talmente. As vantagens e limitações do método são discutidas em detalhes. As funções de excitação da fusão dos sistemas citados foram analisados utilizando-se modelos semiclássicos de penetração de barreira. Através desta análise determinamos o raio e a altura da barreira de fusão para estes sistemas. Os valores obtidos concordam com valores da literatura na mesma região de massa. A seção de choque de fusão calculada pelo modelo de penetração de barreira unidimensional utilizando potenciais que descrevem a interação entre íons pesados, é subestimada em energias abaixo da barreira Coulombiana. A introdução da vibração de ponto zero da superfície dos núcleos interagentes, apesar de produzir um aumento da seção de choque em energias sub- Coulombianas, não consegue reproduzir os dados de maneira satisfatória, pois prevê uma diferença isotópica nas funções de excitação que não e observada experimentalmente. As previsões do modelo estatístico para o decaimento do núcleo composto (programa CASCA- DE) apresentam uma concordância satisfatória para os canais de decaimento mais intensos. / Excitation functions for complete fusion of the systems 16O + 46,50Ti, with energies near and below the Coulomb barrier, were measured. With the use of the in-beam and out of beam spectroscopy, the formation of the compound nucleus was experimentally detected. The fusi- on cross section was then attained by the sum of all observed compound nucleus decay chan- nels. The limitation and advantages of measurements methods are discussed. Theoretical analysis of the experimental results using the semi-classical barrier penetration model allowed us to obtain the fusion barrier height and radius for the studied systems. These values are in good agreement with others reported for this mass range. Using the unidimensionaL barrier penetration model with different nuclear potentials, descri- bing the heavy ion interactions gave theoretical fusion cross section values systematically smaller than our measured values in the energy region below the Coulomb barrier. The introduction of the nuclear surface zero point vibrations enhances the theoreticaL fusion cross sections in the sub-Coulomb region, but simultaneously introduces an isotopic difference in the fusion excitation functions that is not observed experimentally. The statistical model predictions for the compound nucleus decay (calculated by the CASCADE program) show reasonable agreement for the more intense decay channels.

Foram medidas funções de excitação para a fusão completa dos sistemas 16O+46,50Ti em energias abaixo e em torno da barreira Coulombiana. A seção de choque de fusão foi obtida utilizando-se os métodos da espectroscopia em linha e fora da linha através da soma das seções de choque dos canais de decaimento do núcleo composto formado, observados experimen- talmente. As vantagens e limitações do método são discutidas em detalhes. As funções de excitação da fusão dos sistemas citados foram analisados utilizando-se modelos semiclássicos de penetração de barreira. Através desta análise determinamos o raio e a altura da barreira de fusão para estes sistemas. Os valores obtidos concordam com valores da literatura na mesma região de massa. A seção de choque de fusão calculada pelo modelo de penetração de barreira unidimensional utilizando potenciais que descrevem a interação entre íons pesados, é subestimada em energias abaixo da barreira Coulombiana. A introdução da vibração de ponto zero da superfície dos núcleos interagentes, apesar de produzir um aumento da seção de choque em energias sub- Coulombianas, não consegue reproduzir os dados de maneira satisfatória, pois prevê uma diferença isotópica nas funções de excitação que não e observada experimentalmente. As previsões do modelo estatístico para o decaimento do núcleo composto (programa CASCA- DE) apresentam uma concordância satisfatória para os canais de decaimento mais intensos. / Excitation functions for complete fusion of the systems 16O + 46,50Ti, with energies near and below the Coulomb barrier, were measured. With the use of the in-beam and out of beam spectroscopy, the formation of the compound nucleus was experimentally detected. The fusi- on cross section was then attained by the sum of all observed compound nucleus decay chan- nels. The limitation and advantages of measurements methods are discussed. Theoretical analysis of the experimental results using the semi-classical barrier penetration model allowed us to obtain the fusion barrier height and radius for the studied systems. These values are in good agreement with others reported for this mass range. Using the unidimensionaL barrier penetration model with different nuclear potentials, descri- bing the heavy ion interactions gave theoretical fusion cross section values systematically smaller than our measured values in the energy region below the Coulomb barrier. The introduction of the nuclear surface zero point vibrations enhances the theoreticaL fusion cross sections in the sub-Coulomb region, but simultaneously introduces an isotopic difference in the fusion excitation functions that is not observed experimentally. The statistical model predictions for the compound nucleus decay (calculated by the CASCADE program) show reasonable agreement for the more intense decay channels.