HotHumiBox är en försöksutrustning som finns på Linnéuniversitetet och som ska ge bättre kunskap och förståelse om hur fukt och temperatur varierar i en provkropp monterad mellan två kammare där klimatet kan styras var för sig. Syftet med examensarbetet är att undersöka om HotHumiBoxen fungerar väl och huruvida den kan börja användas i undervisningen i olika kurser inom institutionen för byggteknik på Linnéuniversitetet, bl.a. i samband med demonstrationslaborationer vid föreläsningar om fukt. För att genomföra arbetet har mätningar med tre olika klimat utförts på ett provelement som motsvarar en yttervägg som kan finnas i nybyggda typhus. Resultatet av mätningar utförda med HotHumiBoxen presenteras i form av tabeller och diagram och jämförs slutligen med beräkningar av fukt- och temperaturtillstånd. Jämförelsen mellan mätningar och beräkningar visar att givarna som styr klimatet i båda kamrarna visar mycket bra resultat. Däremot visar majoriteten av givarna i provelementet antingen lite för höga eller för låga värden för att resultatet ska anses som tillfredställande. För att få en bekräftelse på att HotHumiBoxen fungerar väl rekommenderas därför att ytterligare mätningar görs. / HotHumiBox is an experimental equipment that is available at Linnaeus University and is supposed to provide better knowledge and understanding about the way moisture and temperature varies in a building element installed between two chambers in which the climate can be controlled separately. The purpose of this work is to investigate whether the HotHumiBox works well and whether it can be used at various courses at the Department of Building Technology at Linnaeus University, such as demonstration laboratory experiments at lectures on moisture. Measurements with three different climates were performed on a building element that corresponds to a wall that could be installed in modern houses. The results of the HotHumiBox measurements are being presented in tables and diagrams and are being compared with moisture and temperature calculations. The comparison between measurements and calculations shows that the sensors which control the climate in both chambers show very good results. On the other hand, the majority of the sensors in the test element show either too high or too low values for the result to be considered as satisfactory. Therefore, it is recommended that some more tests and measurements are done before it can be concluded that the HotHumiBox work well.

<p>In this thesis the oxidation of monoterpenes by O3 and NO2 and factors that influenced the oxidation were studied. In the environment both ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are present as oxidising gases, which causes sampling artefacts when using Tenax TA as an adsorbent to sample organic compounds in the air. A scrubber was developed to remove O3 and NO2 prior to the sampling tube, and artefacts during sampling were minimised when using the scrubber. The main organic compounds sampled in this thesis were two monoterpenes, alfa-pinene and delta-3-carene, due to their presence in both indoor and outdoor air. The recovery of the monoterpenes through the scrubber varied between 75-97% at relative humidities of 15-75%.</p><p>The reactions of alfa-pinene and delta-3-carene with O 3, NO2 and nitric oxide (NO) at different relative humidities (RHs) and reaction times were studied in a dark reaction chamber. The experiments were planned and performed according to an experimental design were the factors influencing the reaction (O3, NO2, NO, RH and reaction times) were varied between high and low levels. In the experiments up to 13% of the monoterpenes reacted when O3, NO2, and reaction time were at high levels, and NO, and RH were at low levels. In the evaluation eight and seven factors (including both single and interaction factors) were found to influence the amount of alfa-pinene and delta-3-carene reacted, respectively. The three most influencing factors for both of the monoterpenes were the O 3 level, the reaction time, and the RH. Increased O3 level and reaction time increased the amount of monoterpene reacted, and increased RH decreased the amount reacted.</p><p>A theoretical model of the reactions occurring in the reaction chamber was created. The amount of monoterpene reacted at different initial settings of O3, NO2, and NO were calculated, as well as the influence of different reaction pathways, and the concentrations of O3 and NO2, and NO at specific reaction times. The results of the theoretical model were that the reactivity of the gas mixture towards alfa-pinene and delta-3-carene was underestimated. But, the calculated concentrations of O3, NO2, and NO in the theoretical model were found to correspond to a high degree with experimental results performed under similar conditions. The possible associations between organic compounds in indoor air, building variables and the presence of sick building syndrome were studied using principal component analysis. The most complex model was able to separate 71% of the “sick” buildings from the “healthy” buildings. The most important variables that separated the “sick” buildings from the “healthy” buildings were a more frequent occurrence or a higher concentration of compounds with shorter retention times in the “sick” buildings.</p><p>The outcome of this thesis could be summarised as follows;</p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p>-</p><p>-</p>

This paper deals with the determination of the capillary pore-size distribution (CPSD) and equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of untreated and thermally modified (TM) Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] by means of the pressure plate technique (PPT). Desorption experiments were conducted at very high values of relative humidity (RH) in the range between 99.2% and 100%. The thermal modification of spruce results in an alteration of the CPSD, owing to the formation of intercellular cracks in the middle lamella, as a result of cell-wall compression. The desorption curves for both untreated and TM spruce show an extremely upward bend at 99.97% RH. This step reflects an EMC of 38.1% for untreated spruce and 33.8% for TM spruce. None of the samples shrunk during the PPT measurements. Following desorption experiments at 97.4% RH, all samples shrunk. This step reflects an EMC of 27.9% for untreated spruce and 21.7% for TM spruce.

This diploma thesis solves the problems of hydrothermal processes in walls of wooden houses and associated issues. A chosen were two apartment buildings, where they underwent exmerimental measurement of indor air, in order to determine the boundary conditions commonly boundary building evelope. Was followed by hygrothermal analysis of four commonly used constructions of wooden buildings in the Czech Republic, using various numerical methods. The quantity of information obtained from various numerical methods were analyzed individually. The final part of the thesis is devoted to experimental measurements of diffusion properties of materials. Namely foil vapor barrier, in terms of its influence on the perforation vapor diffusion resistance factor. Information obtained from the experiments were applied to re numerical analysis for walls with a foil vapor barrier. Followed by comparing both cases, in terms of changes hygrothermal behavior of structures with influence of perforation of the vapor barrier.

Au cours de ce travail, dans une première approche descendante, nous avons étudié la réalisation de cellules solaires multicouches évaporées à base de matériaux organiques : le pentacène et le PTCDI-C5. Nous nous sommes servis de cela pour bâtir des cellules simple jonction bicouches et les caractériser. Ces cellules ont servi de modèle de référence à notre étude et démontrent des capacités en accord avec la littérature. Nous avons ensuite produit et caractérisé des cellules multijonctions en bicouches. Une rapide étude sur le comportement d’une couche d’argent d’épaisseur nanométrique a servi à déposer la couche de recombinaison de ces cellules. Nous nous sommes ensuite attelés à la réalisation de monocouches auto-assemblées sur silicium dans le but de développer des couches actives donneur-accepteur et de pouvoir les empiler par l’approche ascendante. Après avoir étudié les groupements d’accroche silanes et acides phosphoniques, nous avons investigué la réalisation de SAM de (3-Triméthoxysilylpropyl) diéthylènetriamine (DETAS) sur silicium en tant que couche d’accroche pour les molécules actives. Nous avons mis en évidence la présence de liaisons hydrogènes aidant à l’organisation de la SAM grâce à des analyses ATR-FTIR. Nous nous sommes servis de cette SAM comme couche d’accroche pour la greffe d’une molécule photo-active le pérylène tétracarboxylique dianhydride (PTCDA). Les techniques de caractérisation par AFM, ellipsométrie et spectroscopie Raman nous ont servi à caractériser notre surface après la greffe de PTCDA / During this study, in a first top-down approach, we investigated evaporated multilayer organic solar cells built from pentacene and PTCDI-C5. We studied spectral response from these materials as well as their vacuum deposition characteristics. We used that knowledge to build simple junction and bi-layer solar cells. Those cells were the reference that allowed us to build and characterised multijonctions bi-layer solar cells with a nanostructured silver layer as recombination layer. A simple study of that silver layer was also conducted. We then switched to self-assembled monolayers on silicon in order to build donor-acceptor active layers that could be stacked, in a bottom-up approach. First, we compared silane and phosphonic acid grafting groups with an 18 carbon long alkane chain. Then we studied (3- trimethoxysilylpropyl) diethylentrimaine (DETAS) on silicon with extra care on relative humidity as a grafting parameter. We also investigated DETAS SAM to highlight hydrogen bonding within the monolayer using ATR-FTIR. DETAS SAM were then used as an anchor molecule for a photoactive molecule perylene tetracarboxylicdianhydrid (PTCDA). Characterisation technics used were AFM, ellipsometry, and Raman spectroscopy

The wettability and phase change phenomena of water are ubiquitous on biological and artificial surfaces. Properties like water repellency, self-cleaning, coalescence induced condensation jumping, anti-frosting, and dew harvesting arise on surfaces with particular structures and chemistry and are of particular interest for energy and water saving. This thesis collects different studies of wettability and phase change on natural and artificial surfaces: growth and self-ejection of condensation droplets on micro and nanostructured surfaces we fabricated, their applications, the Sliding on Frost of condensation droplets observed on the Cotinus Coggygria leaf, the dew harvesting property of the Old Man of the Andes Cactus enhanced by distance coalescence through microgrooves and finally, a theoretical study of viruses viability in sessile droplets. The first chapter introduces the theoretical framework of wettability and phase changes on surfaces. In the second chapter, we present the self-ejection of condensation droplets from hydrophobic nanostructured microstructures. We modelled analytically the droplets jumping and fabricated surfaces to verify the predictions. The fabricated geometry was inspired by the modelling and the available fabrication techniques. We tested the surfaces in condensation conditions. Using a high frame rate camera coupled with a long working distance microscopy objective, we investigated the growth and ejection transient. We then compared the experimental self-ejection velocity for various structures geometry with our analytical models. In Chapter 3, we investigated the applications of the fabricated surfaces reported in Chapter 2. In Chapter 4, we explore the condensation frosting on the leaf of Cotinus Coggygria, native of our woods and with interesting hydrophobic properties. Covered by wax nanotubules, it exhibits coalescence-induced condensation jumpings that may be a useful cleaning tool. Furthermore, the frost is delayed but not only for the jumping. Surprisingly, at temperatures some degrees below zero, we observed what we called ‘droplet Sliding on Frost bridges’, that further delays frosting. We described the feasibility of this sliding in terms of dynamic contact angles of the surface and contact angles of supercooled water on ice. By capturing high temporal and spatial resolution videos we investigated the sliding on frost and droplet recalescence (fast dendrite growth that partially solidify the liquid). The responsible for the failure of sliding for temperatures from about -8 ° C down appears to be the advancing angle of water on ice that increases with the subcooling rather than the recalescence that blocks the drop in place. These results add a piece to the fundamental research on the supercooled water-ice-vapour interfaces. As it often happens, biological surfaces offer a starting point for the study of fundamental mechanisms and the development of artificial surfaces with optimized properties. In the Chapter 5, the multifunctional roles of hairs and spines in Old Man of the Andes Cactus (Oreocereus trolli) are studied. We study the morphology of the appendages, the hairs wettability, mechanical properties of both, and the dew formation on spines. The longitudinal microgrooves on the spines cause a particular phenomenon of distant coalescence (DC), in which smaller droplets flow totally or partially into larger ones through the microgrooves, with consequent accumulation of water in a few large drops. An earlier study has shown artificial micro-grooved surfaces that exhibit DC are more efficient than flat ones at collecting and sliding dew, and thus these cactus spines could act as soil dew conveyors. The agreement between our analytical model and experimental data verifies that the flow is driven by the Laplace pressure difference between the drops. This allowed us to obtain a general criterion for predicting the total or partial emptying of the smaller drops as a function of the dynamic contact angles of a surface. Based on this criterion, an hydrophilic material with small contact angle hysteresis would allow a greater number of complete drops emptying. The COVID-19 pandemic has raised the problem of contagion from airborne and deposited droplets. In the last chapter, we report the state of the art of experiments on the viability of viruses in deposited droplets. Up to date, it has been experimentally highlighted that the relative viability of some viruses (RV) depends on the material chemistry, temperature, and interestingly, on relative humidity (RH) with a U-shaped trend. One of the current hypotheses is that the cumulative dose of salt concentration (CD) affects RV. We model the RV of viruses in sessile droplets by inserting a RV-CD relation in a model of droplet evaporation. By considering a saline water droplet (one salt) as the simplest approximation of real solutions, we analytically simulate the time evolution of salt concentration, vapor pressure, and droplet volume varying contact angles, droplet sizes, and RH in the range 0–100%. The results elucidate some previously not yet well-understood dynamics, demonstrating how three main regimes—directly implicated in nontrivial experimental trends of virus RV—can be recognized as the function of RH. The proposed approach could suggest a chart of a virus fate by predicting its survival time at a given temperature as a function of RH and contact angle. We found a good agreement with experimental data for various enveloped viruses and predicted in particular for the Phi6 virus, a surrogate of coronavirus, the characteristic U-shaped dependence of RV on RH. Given the generality of the model, once experimental data are available that link the vulnerability of a certain virus (such as SARS-CoV-2) to the concentrations of salts or other substances in terms of CD, it is envisioned that this approach could be employed for antivirus strategies and protocols for the prediction/reduction of human health risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses.

Little is understood about off-host behavior and ecology of immature Amblyomma maculatum Koch (Gulf Coast tick). A more complete understanding of this tick is essential to protect human and animal health. My research focused on seasonality and distribution of immatures in Mississippi, potential suitability of some insect and human hosts to larvae, and aspects of nymphal questing behavior. A single larva was collected (third off-host collection reported) when sampling A. maculatum habitat using a novel device. Collection of this larva in November expands the stage’s known seasonality and confirmed a prediction concerning seasonality of larval A. maculatum. Low frequency of immatures (8.3%) confirmed that they’re incredibly difficult to collect off-host. Nymphal collections peaked in March, and known seasonality was extended for both nymphs and adults. I examined known records, elucidating seasonality and distribution of A. maculatum in Mississippi. Either multiple generations per year or diapause are responsible for observed bi-modal distribution of immature collections. Additionally, I compiled the most extensive host record of immature A. maculatum in Mississippi and investigated seasonality patterns using USDA plant hardiness zones. I compiled the most complete record of ticks found on arthropods. Amblyomma americanum and A. maculatum were both confirmed to crawl onto arthropods, giving support to occasional, unintentional dispersal by phoresy. There was no conclusive evidence that larval A. maculatum feed on arthropods, however data supported feeding by larval A. americanum. These results have interesting implications regarding evolution of pathogens/endosymbionts. I provided the first evidence that larval A. maculatum can attach to humans. Rickettsia parkeri, a human pathogen transmitted by this species has recently been shown to be capable of transovarial transmission. Therefore, larval A. maculatum may provide another avenue of transmission. I have demonstrated that A. maculatum are difficult to collect off-host in part because they prefer to quest low to the ground. In choice studies, 5-cm-tall stems were most likely to be occupied by nymphs released into an array of stems. Low vapor pressure deficit encouraged questing, while higher VPD and warmer temperature increased questing height. These results may have implications in understanding host-seeking behavior in other tick species as well.

The transmission of electric power over long distances has historically posed challenges. However, the advent of high-voltage engineering has not only addressed distance barriers and power losses in electricity transmission and distribution, but it has also significantly improved the efficiency and transmission capacity of power grids. However, the use of high-voltage techniques has presented new challenges in identifying suitable insulator materials capable of withstanding high electrical stresses associated with elevated voltages. A significant issue arising from these extreme electrical stresses is the occurrence of partial discharges (PDs). Those are electrical sparks or pulses in the magnitude order of pico- or nano-coulombs (pC or nC) emitted from high voltage conductors due to the presence of impurities, contaminants or defects in their insulation system. PDs pose a serious threat to the insulation material due to their aggressive nature in breaking down weak points or links inside the insulation system leading to short-circuit and system failure. Means of offline or conventional testing of power assets against partial discharges has proven to be extremely precise but it is often an unavailable option since it requires a total power shutdown. In this paper, the performance of existing online PD detection techniques is tested and evaluated in terms of performance against conventional PD monitoring methods. Five non-intrusive detectors including an infrared camera (IR-camera), an ultrasonic sensor , a temperature and relative humidity sensor (TRH-sensor), high-frequency current transformer (HFCT sensor) and transient earth voltage antenna (TEV-antenna) were tested in a laboratory experiment for detection of PDs emitted by artificially-created defects inside a medium-voltage cable termination. The results showed varying sensitivity levels among the sensors, with the HFCT sensor demonstrating the highest sensitivity to all types and magnitudes of PDs. The IR-camera and ultrasonic sensor also showed potential, while the TRH-sensor exhibited poor sensitivity. The TEV-antenna had limited reliability. The findings of this study are that the HFCT system proved to be highly reliable for online PD monitoring, followed by the IR-camera and ultrasonic sensor, while the TEV-antenna and TRH-sensor showed lower reliability. In future work, further research on testing the HFCT system on-site can be conducted along with performing longer thermographic detection tests using the IR-camera to further investigate their potential in online PD detection. / Överföring av elektrisk kraft över långa avstånd har historiskt sett varit utmanande. Införandet av högspänningsteknik har inte bara övervunnit avståndsbarriärer och effektförluster vid överföring och distribution av elkraft, utan det har också avsevärt förbättrat kraftnätens effektivitet och överföringskapacitet. Användningen av högspänningsteknik har dock också inneburit nya utmaningar såsom utveckling av lämpliga isoleringsmaterial som tål höga elektriska påfrestningar vid höga spänningar. Ett betydande problem som härrör från dessa extrema elektriska spänningar är förekomsten av partiella urladdningar. Dessa urladdningar identifieras vara elektriska gnistor eller pulser i storleksordningen pico- eller nanocoulombs (pC eller nC) som emitteras från högspänningsledare på grund av närvaron av föroreningar eller defekter i närliggande isoleringssystem. PD:er utgör ett allvarligt hot mot isoleringsmaterialet på grund av deras aggressiva natur för att bryta ner svaga punkter eller länkar i isoleringssystemet, vilket kan leda till kortslutningar och systemfel. Konventionella metoder för att testa nätkomponenter mot partiella urladdningar har visat sig vara extremt noggranna, men detta är ofta inte ett tillgängligt alternativ eftersom det kräver ett totalt strömavbrott för att utföras. I denna studie testades och utvärderades prestandan hos befintliga metoder för online-detektering av partiell urladdning i förhållande till konventionella övervakningsmetoder. Fem icke-invasiva detektorer, inklusive en infraröd kamera, en ultraljudssensor, en temperatur- och relativ fuktighetssensor, en högfrekvent strömtransformator och en transient jordspänningsantenn, testades i ett laboratorieexperiment för att upptäcka partiella urladdningar orsakade av artificiellt skapade defekter i en mellanspänningskabelavslutning. Resultaten visade varierande känslighetsnivåer bland sensorerna, där högfrekventa strömtransformatorn visade den högsta känsligheten för alla typer och storlekar av partiella urladdningar. Den infraröda kameran och ultraljudssensorn visade också potential, medan temperatur- och relativ fuktighetssensorn visade låg känslighet. Den transienta jordspänningsantennen hade begränsad tillförlitlighet. Slutsatsen av denna studie är att den högfrekventa strömtransformatorn visade sig vara mycket tillförlitlig för online-övervakning av partiella urladdningar, följt av den infraröda kameran och ultraljudssensorn, medan den transienta jordspänningsantennen, temperatur- och fuktighetssensorn visade lägre tillförlitlighet. I framtida forskning kan ytterligare undersökningar av det högfrekventa strömtransformatorsystemet utföras på plats, tillsammans med längre termografiska detekteringstester med hjälp av den infraröda kameran för att ytterligare undersöka deras potential för onlinedetektering av partiella urladdningar.

Diploma thesis focuses on effect of the bypass factor on design and geometry of the evaporator for the cooling unit of data centre. Effect of the bypass factor on individual design parameters is solved in detail. All dependendecies are captured by using graphs in which s placed a cement on that parameter. In part C, mathematical and physical solutions are demonstrated calculations and processes leading to the design of the exchanger. In the end, evaluation of the calculations is done and there is also showed possible improvements for the practise.