Abstract Plant fibres are an important part of modern daily life. The most obvious consumer products manufactured from them are paper, cardboard and the fibreboards used in the construction and furniture industries. Plants producing a woody stem are the most widely used raw materials for these fibre products but fibres originating from other plants, i.e. non-wood fibres, are used too. One of the most promising potential non-wood fibre resource categories is that of grasses, of which the cereals are the most important plants grown worldwide. A huge amount of straw is generated as an agricultural by-product annually, but the amount used as an industrial raw material is low because it contains components that are detrimental either to processability or to product quality. The purpose of pulp fractionation is to divide pulp into fractions with distinct properties. Industrially feasible fractionation methods are pressure screening, hydrocyclone fractionation and flotation. In pressure screening, separation is based on a mechanical barrier and particles are fractionated according to their dimensions, while a hydrocyclone fractionates particles according to their density and specific surface area and flotation fractionates particles according to their surface chemistry. These methods are traditionally used for removing impurities from pulp but numerous reports on pulp fractionation can also be found. Previous fractionation experiments were performed using wood-based pulps, whereas no previous studies are available concerning the fractionation of pulps manufactured using grasses. The aim of the present work was to determine whether it is possible to fractionate wheat straw pulp by methods that are feasible on an industrial scale. The experimental part was concerned with wheat straw pulp fractionation by pressure screening, hydrocyclone fractionation and flotation. The results show that all these fractionation methods were able to divide the wheat straw pulp into fractions with different cell properties and cell types, e.g. distinct cell lengths, cell wall thicknesses or surface chemistries. Likewise, fractionation can be used to remove detrimental components or to optimize pulp properties according to their end use or to optimize pulp processing sequences. Due to the uniform structure of grasses, it is likely that the results can be generalized to other grasses than that employed here. / Tiivistelmä Kasvisoluja sisältävät tuotteet ovat laajalti mukana ihmisten jokapäiväisessä elämässä. Kaikista näkyvimpiä tuotteita ovat paperi- ja kartonkituotteet sekä rakennus- ja huonekaluteollisuuden käyttämät kuitulevyt. Perinteisesti kasvikuidut näihin tuotteisiin on saatu puuvartisista kasveista, mutta raaka-aineena käytetään muitakin kasveja, niin kutsuttuja non-wood kasveja. Yksi potentiaalinen kasviryhmä teollisuuden raaka-aineeksi ovat heinäkasvit. Muun muassa tärkeimmät viljakasvit ovat heinäkasveja, ja maatalouden sivutuotteina syntyy korsimateriaalia maailmanlaajuisesti huomattava määrä. Heinäkasvien teollinen hyödyntäminen on kuitenkin vähäistä sillä ne sisältävät komponentteja, jotka haittaavat materiaalin prosessointia tai ovat lopputuotteen ominaisuuksia heikentäviä. Kuitususpension fraktioinnin tarkoituksena on jakaa suspensio kahteen tai useampaan jakeeseen, joiden kuituominaisuudet tai solukoostumus ovat erilaiset. Teollisesti käytettävissä olevia fraktiointilaitteita ovat painelajitin, hydrosykloni ja flotaatio: painelajittimessa erottuminen perustuu mekaaniseen esteeseen ja partikkelit erottuvat pääasiassa partikkelin dimensioiden perusteella, hydrosyklonissa erottuminen tapahtuu partikkelien tiheyden ja ominaispinta-alan mukaan kun taas flotaatiolla voidaan erottaa pintakemialtaan erilaisia partikkeleita. Näitä laitteita on perinteisesti käytetty epäpuhtauksien poistamiseen kuitususpensiosta, mutta laitteiden käyttöä puusta valmistettujen massojen fraktiointiin on tutkittu laajasti. Heinäkasveista valmistettujen massojen fraktiointiin näitä menetelmiä ei ole sovellettu. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää vehnämassan sisältämien solujen fraktiointia teollisuuden käyttöön soveltuvilla menetelmillä. Työn kokeellisessa osassa fraktiointiin vehnäsellua painelajittimella, hydrosyklonilla ja flotaatiolla. Työn tulokset osoittavat, että kaikki tutkitut fraktiointimenetelmät pystyvät jakamaan vehnämassan jakeisiin, joilla on erilaiset solujen ominaisuudet sekä solukoostumukset. Fraktioinnin avulla on mahdollista tuottaa jakeita, joiden kuitupituudet, seinämäpaksuudet sekä pintakemia eroavat. Näin ollen massasta voidaan poistaa jokin haitallinen solujae, tai vaihtoehtoisesti fraktiointia voidaan käyttää optimoitaessa massan ominaisuuksia lopputuotteen ominaisuuksien parantamiseksi, tai optimoitaessa massan prosessointia. Koska heinäkasvit ovat rakenteeltaan samanlaisia, ovat tulokset hyvin todennäköisesti yleistettävissä muidenkin heinäkasvien fraktiointiin.

SALT HRS (Southern African Large Telescope High Resolution Échelle Spectrograph) is a high-resolution, high-efficiency spectrograph for the 11m SALT telescope in Sutherland, South Africa. The initial optical design work was performed at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Revisions to the concept, the mechanical design, manufacture, assembly and testing have been handled by the Centre for Advanced Instrumentation, at Durham University in the United Kingdom. SALT HRS is a fibre-fed echelle grating spectrograph with four operational modes: low-, medium- and high-resolution and high-stability modes, having spectral resolutions of R ≈16000, 37000, 67000 and 67000 respectively over a wavelength range of 370-890nm. The instrument is of a dual channel, ‘white pupil’ design, in which the primary mirror acts to collimate light onto a single R4 echelle grating, and also to focus dispersed light to an intermediate focus. A dichroic beam-splitter separates the dispersed light into two separate spectral channels. Spherical pupil mirrors transfer the separated beams via a fold mirror to two wavelength-specific volume-phase holographic gratings (VPHGs) used as cross-dispersers. Cross-dispersed spectra are then imaged by two fully dioptric camera systems onto optimized CCD detectors. This thesis presents the results of the laboratory testing and specification of several critical sub-systems of SALT HRS, as well as the development of key software tools for the design verification and operation at the telescope. In Chapter 1 we first review the technical development of high-resolution spectroscopy and its specific implementation in SALT HRS. In Chapter 2 we develop a comprehensive throughput model of the entire system based on a combination of as-built performance and specific throughput measurements in the laboratory. This is used to make some specific predictions for the on-sky performance of SALT HRS and the magnitude limits for science targets. We also present a graphical exposure time calculator based on these measurements which can be used by an astronomer to plan their observations with SALT HRS. Chapter 3 contains a detailed treatise on the optical fibre system of SALT HRS. Considerations for the use of optical fibres in astronomy are provided, as are details of an optional double scrambler, and the various instrument fibre modes. Extensive measurements of focal ratio degradation (FRD) are also presented, with testing of input beam speed; wavelength; fibre bending; variable pupil mirror illumination; and vacuum tank pressure dependency. The systems for fibre management are reviewed, as is the fibre bundle assembly process. Testing of two further sub-systems is described in Chapter 4. Firstly the long-term stability of the mirror mounting mechanisms is determined. The advantages of cross-dispersion of echelle spectra using volume-phase holographic gratings are then discussed, and the results of diffraction efficiency measurements are given for both red and blue channel gratings. Modern CCD technologies are examined in Chapter 5, and the blue detector is experimentally characterized using photon transfer and quantum efficiency curves. It is also used for an investigation into cosmic ray events in CCDs. Results from shielding the detector using lead are described, as is an attempt to distinguish the source of the events based on their morphology. Finally, Chapter 6 deals with the handling of data produced by SALT HRS. Methods of wavelength calibration of the spectra are discussed, including the use of Thorium-Argon lamps and an iodine absorption cell. The implementation of a Python based quick-look data reduction pipeline is reviewed, with a description of the processes performed. A summary of the thesis is given in Chapter 7.

This doctoral thesis deals with present trend to turn up the bit rate of the optical fibres making use of wavelenght multiplex systems. There are new theoretical and practical problems caused by the new technologies. Except the known modal dispersion there exist problems caused by chromatical and polarization mode dispersion. In the opening of the thesis the known effects, which influence the payload signal, are introduced. The polarization mode dispersion has the main attention. Within the scope of this thesis there has been programmed the statistical calculator which can analyses the measured values of differential group delay by Monte Carlo calculation. Next meaningful output is the designating application of the optical routes. It is possible to mathematicaly unambiguously define the polarization mode dispersion by Jones, Stokes and Poynting vectors. This complicated calculations are mechanized and in the simulation application make possible to simulate the signification of the PMD influence at different input parameters. The thesis includes the study of the PMD modulation format impact with the results of simulations and confrontation with other scientists results. The significant output are the final practical results examinations, which can be implemented thanks to the possibility of using the FTB-5500B measuring device.

Syftet med detta arbete är att undersöka vilken rättighetsupplåtelse olika bredbandsutbyggare föredrar att använda för att ordna markåtkomst för bredband via fiber. Mer specifikt undersöks i arbetet om valet av rättighetsupplåtelse skiljer mellan olika typer av bredbandsutbyggare och/eller i områden inom och utanför detaljplan. Med tanke på att bredbandsutbyggnad framför allt behöver ske utanför tätort för att det slutliga bredbandsmålet ska nås år 2025, undersöks särskilt hur bredbandsutbyggare tycker att markåtkomst i område för allmän väg fungerar. Detta då lokalisering av fiberkablar i allmän väg är ett särskilt viktigt alternativ utanför tätort. Vidare undersöks vilka huvudsakliga problem bredbandsutbyggare upplever i samband med markåtkomst. För att uppfylla syftet har kommunägda- och kommersiella bolag samt fiberföreningar intervjuats. Totalt har åtta intervjuer utförts. Alla med personer som är ansvariga för fiberutbyggnad från respektive bolag/förening. Urval har skett utifrån ledningsägare i tre kommuner, alla belägna i Stockholms län. Utöver detta har rättsfall analyserats för att illustrera delar av den problematik som föreligger vid markåtkomst för bredband via fiber. Resultatet från intervjuerna visar att markavtal, som är en nyttjanderättsform, är det alternativ som föredras av alla tre typer av bredbandsutbyggare. Detta gäller både i områden inom och utanför detaljplan. Vidare är både kommunägda- och kommersiella aktörer samt fiberföreningar restriktiva i användningen av ledningsrätt, främst för att underlätta för framtida relationer och med respekt för markägare men också på grund av hög kostnad och lång tid för upplåtelse. Intervjuerna visar att bredbandsutbyggare tenderar att värdera en relation med markägare högre än att markåtkomst ska ske på ett snabbt sätt. Någon större skillnad i val av markåtkomst mellan olika typer av aktörer eller i områden inom eller utanför detaljplan kunde ej urskiljas. Studien indikerar att det snarare handlar om den enskilde markägarens inställning till att upplåta mark. De upplevda problemen kring markåtkomst för bredband uppstår främst då fiberetablering i område för allmän väg sker, detta har framför allt att göra med samarbetssvårigheter med den statliga väghållaren. Ett annat förekommande problem i samband med markåtkomst är gemensamt ägd mark, sådan mark gör att processen med att ordna markåtkomst ofta drar ut på tiden. / This study aims to investigate what legal right different broadband developers prefer to use to get access to the land they want to establish fiber. More specifically, it investigates if the type of developer or the area's planning influences the choice of land access. For the final broadband goal to be reached in 2025, broadband expansion needs to occur mainly outside urban areas. According to this, special consideration has been given to how broadband developers experience land access in areas for public roads. This is because locating fiber cables in public roads is an essential alternative outside urban areas. To fulfill the purpose, municipal-owned and commercial companies and fiber associations have been interviewed. A total of eight persons responsible for fiber expansion from the respective company/association have been conducted. The selection has been made by asking different actors in three municipalities located in Stockholm County.Moreover, court cases have been analyzed to create a picture of the different problems that can arise when getting land access for this purpose. The interviews show that usufruct agreements are exclusively the alternative used in the first place, both within and outside the detailed plan. The results from the interviews show that usufruct agreements are used by all the different types of broadband developers. Furthermore, the actors in this study are restrictive in the use of utility easement. This in order to facilitate future relationships and to show respect for landowners. The usufruct agreements thus appear to be a better alternative from the perspective of active actors. The relationship with the landowners tends to have a higher value than the time aspect to get land access.Moreover, no distinction between whether the choice of land access between different types of broadband developers or the area's planning could be distinguished in the study. It has somewhat to do with the landowner's attitude to leasing land. The perceived problems regarding land access for broadband arise mainly when fiber establishments in public roads are made, and this has to do with the Swedish Transport Administration's cooperation. Another problem arises when access to land on joint-owned land is required, this often leads to an extended process in time.

Wireline telecommunications infrastructure in the customer access network or CAN is undergoing a veritable technological and commercial revolution. The paired-copper CAN is being modernised with optical fibre deployed ever closer to customers, culminating soon with fibre-to-the-home networks or some variant thereof. Although bandwidth ceases to be a scarce commodity, the underlying natural monopoly will most likely be strengthened. National competition policy desires open access to multiple service providers yet commercial pressure calls for closure. This has been the recent experience with the hybrid fibre coaxial networks delivering pay television and Internet access. This research asks the question: What are the factors that prevent open access to the broadband services of next generation wireline infrastructure? How can these obstacles be overcome? A particular focus is given to non-price considerations which come to the fore due to the unique strategic and technological characteristics of optical fibre in the access network. The methodological approach involves data gathering via three case studies - that of the Telstra/Foxtel pay television network, the TransACT broadband network and fibre-to-the-home networks in general. Although the ultimate focus is on the research question above, these cases are discussed in a holistic way with consideration of a number of contextual factors. The research also examines the relationship between the concepts of 'open access' and 'network neutrality', visiting the concept of 'common carriage' in doing so. Several findings are reached that illuminate the field of telecommunications access regulation as applied to infrastructure capable of delivering truly next generation broadband services. Since 1993, our politicians have only paid lip service to the importance of competition and have deferred to the demands of the dominant builder of telecommunications infrastructure. From the viewpoints of end-users and access seekers, the access regime is found to be incapable of dealing with the technical and commercial bottlenecks arising from optical fibre in the CAN. It is concluded that communication between users should be recognised as the prime purpose of telecommunications and that the regulatory regime should not reward discriminatory practices detracting from the development of a networked information economy. It is also concluded that dominant players should never be rewarded with access holidays which could otherwise entrench market dominance through the creation of new bottlenecks. Access regulation is ill-equipped to cope with optical fibre in the CAN until it also recognizes the strategic potential of such infrastructure.

En aéronautique, l’élaboration via des pré-imprégnés n’est pas toujours adaptées àla fabrication de nouvelles pièces de formes complexes ou de grandes dimensions. Desprocédés directs existent, dénommés Liquid Composites Molding (LCM), tels que leResin Transfer Moulding (RTM) ou les procédés d’infusion de résine, comme le LiquidResin Infusion (LRI) et le Resin Film Infusion (RFI). Actuellement, environ 5 à 10%des pièces composites sont fabriqués par ces procédés directs. Avec le procédé RTM,les tolérances dimensionnelles et la porosité peuvent être maîtrisées et on peut atteindredes pièces haute qualité, mais son industrialisation est complexe et les modèlesmécaniques doivent être améliorés pour réaliser des simulations représentatives. Parcontre, les procédés d’infusion peuvent être utilisés dans des conditions plus flexibles,par exemple, dans des moules ouverts à sac vide en nylon ou silicone, à faible coût. Parconséquent, les procédés de LRI et RFI sont particulièrement adaptés pour les petites etmoyennes entreprises car les investissements sont plus faibles par rapport à d’autresprocédés de fabrication.Les procédés par infusion de résine LRI ou RFI sont basés sur l’écoulement d’unerésine liquide (pour RFI, après le cycle de température, la résine solide obtenir son étatliquide) à travers l’épaisseur d’un renfort fibreux sec dénommé préforme.L’optimisation du procédé est difficile à réaliser car le volume de la préforme changefortement pendant le procédé car elle est soumise à une pression extérieure et qu’il n’ya pas de contre-moule. Pour optimiser les paramètres de fabrication des matériauxcomposites par infusion de résine, il est nécessaire de mettre en oeuvre un modèlenumérique. Récemment, une modélisation de l'écoulement d’un fluide isotherme dansun milieu poreux compressible a été développée par P. Celle [1]. Avec ce modèlenumérique, nous avons simulé des cas test en 2D pour des géométries industriellesclassiques. Pour valider ce modèle numérique, des essais d’infusion d’une plaque par leprocédé LRI dans des conditions industrielles ont été réalisés. D’une part, la simulationnumérique permet de calculer le temps de remplissage, l’épaisseur de la préforme et lamasse de la résine durant l’infusion. D’autre part, nous avons suivi de procédéexpérimentalement par des micro-thermocouples, la fibre optique et la projection defranges. Un des points clefs de l’approche expérimentale est que l’écoulement de larésine et le comportement de la préforme dépendent intrinsèquement de paramètres quiévoluent pendant l’infusion de la résine, tels que la variation de l’épaisseur, le temps deremplissage et le taux volumique de fibres, via la perméabilité. Enfin, une comparaisonentre les résultats expérimentaux et la simulation numérique permet de valider lemodèle numérique. Cette confrontation des résultats permettra de mettre en lumière lesdifficultés et les limites de ce modèle numérique, afin d’améliorer les futurs modèles.De plus, ces deux approches constituent un bon moyen d’étudier et d’approfondir nosconnaissances sur les procédés d’infusion de résine, tout en développant un outil desimulation indispensable à la conception de pièces composites avancées. / Weight saving is still a key issue for aerospace industry. For instance 50% in weightof the B787 and A350 aircraft structures is made of CFRP, so it is necessary to makelighter thick and complex parts. Direct processes called Liquid Composite Molding(LCM), such as Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) or Resin Infusion Process (LRI, RFI).At the present time, around 5 to 10% of the parts are manufactured by direct processesand the current trend is clearly to go ahead. In RTM process, the dimensional tolerancesand porosity fraction can be kept under control and high quality parts produced, but itsindustrialisation is complex and refined models are still needed to perform simulations.On the contrary, the resin infusion process can be utilized in flexible conditions, such asin low cost open moulds with vacuum bags in nylon or silicone. This type of processonly requires low resin pressure and the tooling is less expensive than RTM rigidmoulds. Therefore LRI and RFI processes are particularity suitable for small andmedium size companies because the investments are rather low compared to othermanufacturing process.Liquid Resin Infusion (LRI) processes are promising manufacturing routes toproduce large, thick or complex structural parts. They are based on the resin flowinduced across its thickness by pressure applied onto a preform / resin stacking.However, both thickness and fibre volume fraction of the final piece are not wellcontrolled since they result from complex mechanisms which drive the transientmechanical equilibria leading to the final geometrical configuration. In order tooptimize both design and manufacturing parameters, but also to monitor the LRIprocess, an isothermal numerical model has been developed by P. Celle [1], whichdescribes the mechanical interaction between the deformations of the porous mediumand the resin flow during infusion. With this numerical model, we have investigated theLRI process with classical industrial piece shapes. To validate the numerical model andto improve the knowledge of the LRI process, the researcher work details a comparisonbetween numerical simulations and an experimental study of a plate infusion testcarried out by LRI process under industrial conditions. From the numerical prediction,the filling time, the resin mass and the thickness of the preform can be determined. Onanother hand, the resin flow and the preform response can be monitored bymicro-thermocouples, optical fibre sensor and fringe projection during the filling stage.One key issue of this research work is to highlight the major process parameterschanges during the resin infusion stage, such as the preform and resin temperature, thevariations of both thickness and fiber volume fraction of the preform. Moreover, thesetwo approaches are both good ways to explore and improve our knowledge on the resininfusion processes, and finally, to develop simulation tools for the design of advancedcomposite parts.

Monitoring optical line for a long term monitoring and evaluating both transfer quality and running reliability of optical line links' physical layer (optical cable routes) fiber optical transfer systems. Monitoring indicates any kind of security erosion of transmission medium incited by either "natural" climatic and mechanical environmental effects, indeliberated cable violation (building operation) or by intended intervention into transfer path.

Master's thesis is focused on designing optical converter for EMC measurement transfering signal through noisy enviroment. First part contains analysis of electromagnetic interference and its coupling and measurement, especially types of probes for interference maesurement. Next part passing through designing of optoelectric and electrooptic converter with digital intensity modulation. Last part is about realization of optical converter.

The aim of this master’s thesis is familiar with the problems of optical fibers and possi- bilities creating functional optical structures in optical fibers. first section focuses on the optical fibers and their properties. Another chapter deals with the functional structures of optical fiber and their production. Next section is devoted to the analysis of combinations of these functional structures and their potential applications in sensors. Subsequently, a combined structure is proposed, which is later produced, measured and evaluated for possible use in the sensors

Modern fiber-optic networks leverage massive parallelization of communications channels in the spectral domain, as well as low-noise recovery of optical signals, to achieve high rates of information transfer. However, quantum information imposes additional constraints on optical transport networks – the no-cloning theorem forbids use of signal regeneration and many network protocols are premised on operations like Bell state measurements that prize spectral indistinguishability. Consequently, a key challenge for quantum networks is identifying a path to high-rate and high-fidelity quantum state transport.<div><br></div><div>To bridge this gap between the capabilities of classical and quantum networks, we developed techniques that harness spectral multiplexing of quantum channels, as well as that support frequency encoding. In relation to the former, we demonstrated reconfigurable connectivity over arbitrary subgraphs in a multi-user quantum network. In particular, through flexible provisioning of the pair source bandwidth, we adjusted the rate at which entanglement was distributed over any user-to-user link. To facilitate networking protocols compatible with both spectral multiplexing and frequency encoding, we synthesized a Bell state analyzer based on mixing outcomes that populate different spectral modes, in contrast to conventional approaches that are based on mixing outcomes that populate different spatial paths. This advance breaks the tradeoff between the fidelity of remote entanglement and the spectral distinguishability of photons participating in a joint measurement.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Finally, we take steps toward field deployment by developing photonic integrated circuits to migrate the aforementioned functionality to a chip-scale platform while also achieving the low loss transmission and high-fidelity operation needed for practical quantum networks.<br></div>