Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC) have been a growing concern within power system operators and researchers as they have been widely reported to lead to power system related issues and material damage to system components like power transformers. In power transformers, GIC impacts are evidenced by part-wave saturation, resulting in transformers experiencing increased presence of odd and even harmonics. The three-phase three-limb (3p3L) transformer has been found to be the most tolerant to high dc values compared to other core types. The research was based on a hypothesis which reads “transformer laboratory testing results can be used as a guide towards developing suitable Finite Element Matrix (FEM) models to be used for conducting GIC/DC experiments”. This study thus investigates the response of a 15 kVA 3p3L laboratory transformer to dc current, emulating the effects of GICs. GIC and dc current are the same under steady state conditions, and hence mentioned interchangeably. Laboratory tests conducted identified two critical saturation points when the transformer is exposed to dc. The early saturation point was identified to be at around 1.8 A/phase of dc (18% of rated current), while the deep saturation point was at around 15 to 20 A/phase of dc (about 72% of rated current). Further analysis showed that holes drilled on the transformer can lower the transformer knee-point by about 26%, depending on the size and location of the holes. The holes hence end up affecting the operating point of the transformer due to losses occurring around the holes. A transformer FEM model was developed following the laboratory exercise, where it was concluded that a 2D model leads to grossly erroneous results, distorting the magnetizing current by about 60% compared to the laboratory results. A solid 3D model improved performance by about 30% as it took the transformer's topological structure into consideration. The 3D model was then refined further to include joints and laminations. It was discovered that laminations on the transformer need to be introduced as stacks of the core, with each core step split into two, allocating a 4% air gap space between stacks. Refinement of the T-joints proved that the joints have a relatively high influence on the transformer behaviour, with their detailed refinement improving the transformer behaviour by about 60%. The final FEM model was used for dc experiments. The results of such experiments showed close resemblance to the laboratory results, with saturation points identified in FEM lying within 10% of the laboratory identified saturation points. Overall, the various investigation methods explored showed that the hypothesis was satisfactorily proven true. Laboratory results functioned as a guide in developing the model, offering a reference case.

Actuellement, les technologies sont de plus en plus performantes. Elles progressent de jour en jour et la miniaturisation des composants est de plus en plus présente. Dans ce contexte, les structures innovantes dites intelligentes sont de plus en plus utilisées et leurs dimensions diminuent très vite. Les matériaux piézo-électriques ou électro-magnéto-élastiques ont la capacité de changer de forme lorsqu'ils sont soumis à un champ électrique ou magnétique. Ces matériaux diélectriques peuvent servir comme corps actif dans les capteurs, les transducteurs, les oscillateurs ou encore d'autres éléments actifs. D'un côté, ces matériaux actifs de très petites tailles sont utilisés dans les petits appareils et d'un autre côté, ils utilisent une forte tension électrique afin de provoquer un déplacement maximal et/ou une force d'arrêt. Les structures actives intelligentes sont exposées à différents défauts, tels que le décollement ou le délaminage. Ces défauts peuvent apparaître lors de la fabrication du matériau ou lors de sa mise en service. Les risques de rupture sont alors accrus et la durée de vie utile de la structure est par conséquent fortement diminuée. La rupture par délaminage peut être de plusieurs types : l'apparition d'une fissure dans la couche adhésive ou dans la résine, une fissure provoquée par un décollement à l'interface entre la résine et le renfort. La défaillance qu'elle soit de nature électrique ou mécanique, provoquée par un claquage électrique ou une fissure qui se propage est un problème primordial qui a une influence importante sur la performance et la fiabilité de ces matériaux. Ce travail vise à développer un modèle de fissuration en considérant des conditions aux limites physiques et des chargements externes combinés, à la fois électriques et mécaniques. Si on se réfère au cours de mécanique de la rupture linéaire, la présence d'une fissure provoque des singularités en termes de contraintes en pointe de fissure. Egalement, il est connu que le champ électrique au niveau du front de la fissure est plus grand que sa valeur critique et ceci peut être une cause de rupture diélectrique pour les matériaux céramiques piézoélectriques. La première étape de ce travail concerne la modélisation des zones de pré-fracture dans un matériel piézoélectrique dans le but de formuler un modèle sans les singularités évoquées précédemment. Les zones de chargement mécanique limite et de saturation électrique ont été introduites en pointe de fissure et les conditions des perméabilités limitées ont été introduites à la surface de la fissure. Le modèle de fissuration présenté avec deux zones de pré-fracture permet d'éliminer toutes les singularités au voisinage de la fissure. Dans les zones de pré-fracture, une distribution non homogène des déplacements électriques saturés est considérée. Les résultats contiennent les solutions analytiques et numériques de ce problème. Dans la solution numérique, le code ABAQUS a été utilisé. Dans un deuxième temps, le problème d’une série périodique de fissures est considéré pour un matériau magnéto-électro-élastique. Comme un cas limite, une seule fissure avec la condition de la perméabilité limitée est aussi étudiée. Le problème est résolu de manière exacte et des calculs numériques illustrant l'influence de différentes caractéristiques sur les paramètres de fissuration sont présentés sous forme graphique ou dans des tableaux. Egalement, l'influence de la fraction volumique piézo-électrique dans les matériaux magnéto-électro-élastiques sur les paramètres électro-magnétiques dans la région fissurée est étudiée. Enfin, l'attention est focalisée sur l'application de la zone de pré-fracture en pointe de fissure dans les matériaux magnéto-électro-élastiques. La même façon que précédemment, les zones de chargement mécanique limite et de saturation électrique ont été adoptées. Aussi, une zone analogue à une zone de saturation électrique pour le champ magnétique a été introduite. (...) / Nowadays, technologies are improving day by day and at the same high speed smart structures decrease in size. Piezoelectric or magneto-electro-elastic materials have the ability to change its shape under electric or magnetic field. These dielectrics can serve as working bodies at various sensors, transducers, oscillators, modulators and other active elements. On the one hand these active materials are used in small devices and have very small dimensions; on the other hand they use high electrical voltage in order to receive a maximal displacement and/or blocking force. The active smart structure is predisposed to different defects, like debonding and delamination. These situations may take a place during the manufacture (imperfect bounding) and service life of the active smart structure. Delamination failure can be of several types, such as: fracture within the adhesive or resin, fracture within the reinforcement and debonding of the resinfrom the reinforcement. Electric or mechanical failure, such as electrical breakdown or destruction of cracks is an important problem in performance and reliability of these materials. This work aims to develop the model of crack with physical boundary conditions under combined external loads. Consideration of any crack in the course of linear fracture mechanics initiates (creates) singularities in stresses at the crack tips. As known, the electric field, ahead of crack tip, is bigger than its critical value and this can be a cause of dielectric breakdown in piezoceramics. The first task of the work concerns the modelling of pre-fracture zones in piezoelectric material in order to formulate the model without the mentioned singularities. The mechanical yielding and electric saturation zones have been introduced ahead of crack tips and the limited permeable conditions on crack surfaces have been used. The present model of crack with two pre-fracture zones eliminates all singularities on crack continuation. In pre-fracture zones, a non homogeneous distribution of saturated electric displacement is considered. Results contain analytical and numerical solutions of the problem. In the numerical solution ABAQUS code was used. As the second task the problem for a periodic set of the limited electrically and magnetically permeable cracks is considered for magneto-electro-elastic material. As a limiting case, a single limited permeable crack is studied as well. The problem is solved exactly and some numerical calculations which illustrate the influence of various characteristics on fracture parameters are presented in graphical and tabular form. The influence of the piezoelectric volume fraction in magneto-electro-elastic material on electro-magnetic parameters in the crack regions is studied. As the third task, the attention is focused on application of pre-fracture zone ahead of crack in magneto-electro-elastic materials. Similarly to the previous problem, the mechanical yielding and electric saturation zones have been adopted. Also, analogue of electric saturation zone for magnetic field was considered. The present model of crack with three pre-fracture zones eliminates singularities in mechanical, electric and magnetic fields on crack continuation. The problem is solved exactly. Some numerical calculations which illustrate the influence of various characteristics on fracture parameters are presented in graphical and tabular form.

The asymmetrical arrangement of cellular structure allows for an accurate functional adaptation at all levels of hierarchy, which derives excellent features for the development of new materials. The main objective of introducing a hierarchy into cellular structures is to improve the mechanical behaviour of the material while maintaining its elastic properties. A part of this work is devoted to the literature review related to the lightened cellular polymeric materials with hierarchical cellular structure. The rest is focused on the preparation of PLA based polymer structures using 3D printing, followed by a saturation in CO2 and a foaming in a silicon oil at elevated temperature. Samples were prepared from natural and white PLA filaments. Based on a series of experiments, optimal conditions for the saturation and foaming process were identified. Through 3D printing and foaming, a one-, two- and three-level hierarchy was introduced into the beam-shaped samples and the effect of the internal cell arrangement on the strain response of the material was examined by the means of a mechanical three-point bending test. Increasing the level of the hierarchy led to an increase in material resistance, which resulted in high values of strength and strain energy (toughness) based on the samples density. The best results were achieved by samples with “sandwich” structure with three levels of hierarchy and 30% filling. Despite the shorter plateau, there was a significant increase in strength and strain energy compared to gradient structures. At the same time, the contribution of the polymer structures prepared in this field of research was demonstrated by comparison with the theoretical model.

This thesis works with measuring possibilities of blood oxygen saturation, analysis methods used and their calibration. It also deals with design of the block diagram of pulse oximeter for measuring blood oxygen saturation.

The subject of my thesis was traffic-engineering solution to the crossroads of the streets Osvobození - Podřevnická in several options. For these options were designed needed construction adjustment next was selected one option and after taht was carried out capacity assessment of the crossroads in accordance with relevant technical regulations. To verify the capacity assessment was carried out simulations using the proposed variants Aimsun.

Little is known about ‘uninformative live-streaming’, a new genre of online streaming media that has become a new trend in China. In these real-time streams, streamers would not interact and communicate with viewers and not perform in front of cameras. The content is about uninterrupted trivial everyday activities, such as sleeping and studying for several hours. This thesis aims to obtain a comprehensive understanding of this media and to explore what motivates users to continuously watch it. This research employed qualitative methods of online observation and semi-structured in-depth interviews to collect empirical data, through the cases of study-stream and sleep-stream. The concept of media life by Mark Deuze provides a general theoretical context of mediatized lifeworld. Based on Uses and Gratifications Theory and Compensatory Internet Use Theory, I described and explained the prominent features of uninformative live-streaming and examined the user motivation for it. The research results show that this authentic, less-interactive, and non-narrative live-streaming creates an undisturbed media environment, in which users can escape media distraction and media overload. The prominent user motivations for uninformative live streams are self-discipline and self-management, and compensation for the real-life deficiency of ‘non-social companion’. These findings offer new insight into user motivation and help to expand and improve related theories.

Rainfall-runoff modeling in the United States has made extensive use of the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) curve number method for computing infiltration losses from rainfall. Even though the method is well established and may be applied to a wide range of environments, it often results in highly erroneous runoff estimates for shallow water table environments. Flat topography, wetlands, and fine sands are characteristics that make places like Florida very different from the environments where the SCS method was originally developed. The SCS method arose from experiments with soils that are dominated by infiltration excess (Hortonian mechanism), where runoff occurs after rainfall intensity exceeds the infiltration capacity of the soil. In contrast, Florida is likely dominated by saturation excess runoff (Dunne mechanism), where the soil storage capacity between a shallow water table and the ground surface is filled, and all remaining rainfall becomes runoff. The sandy soils of Florida have very high infiltration capacities, and thus infiltration excess is less likely than saturation excess. As a consequence of the saturation-excess mechanism, wetlands expand in the wet season as the soil moisture storage around the perimeter is filled. A modified form of the SCS method is proposed with the objective that it is more suitable than the current method in flatly sloped, humid environments. Initial conditions, such as the pre-storm soil moisture profile and depth to water table, are critical when predicting runoff in these areas. Air encapsulation is addressed because its presence causes the soil storage capacity to be filled significantly faster than in its absence. Equations are presented that provide an estimate of the average depth to water table and average soil storage capacity in a catchment. Two Florida catchments and one runoff test bed were selected for testing the new methodology. The runoff test bed demonstrated the saturation-excess mechanism while the catchments provided larger-scale testing of the method. Though more data is needed to fully assess the performance of the method, the approach offers a more plausible mechanism for runoff estimation in shallow water table environments with sandy soils.

Introduction In last decade increasing demand for clinical F-18 Fludeoxyglucose requires a greater F-18 fluoride production. From the other side increasing price of enriched O-18 water compel us to find the most effective way of F-18 activity production. One of the possible way, how to optimize and increase yield of F-18, is to increasing target current with retaining the same or less volume of enriched water. Optimization of F-18 production on IBA Large Volume cylindrical target is presented. Material and Methods Irradiations of [18O]H2O by 18MeV proton beams with intensities 40–55 μA were performed on CYCLON 18/9, IBA cyclotron and on LV cylindrical IBA target. Irradiated enriched water was transported to the hot cell using RDS (Radioactive Delivery System) system and was measured in Curriementor 4 Isotope Calibrator made by PTW. At the beginning it was necessary to satisfy several requirements: i) target and water cooling. Using a simple two dimensional equation we can roughly estimate the equilibrium temperature inside the target [1]: Δt = HT/Ak where: Δt = the temperature rise in the target chamber over cooling water temperature H = is the heat load T = thickness of metal wall A = area of metal in contact with target water k = thermal conductivity In our case with heat load 720 W (40 μA×18 MeV) is Δt = 78 oC. From the curve of boiling point of water as a function of pressure [2], we can observe t = 212 °C at 20 bar or 243 °C at 35 bar, respectively, which corresponds to max. heat load up to 90–95 µA of target current. ii) pressure and filling water volume. Filling water volume was from 2 to 2.15 ml to guarantee stop all beam in water. Also during experiments for safety reasons the operating pressure was limited to 35 bar as the window rupture pressure is > 50 bar for used 0.05 mm Havar foil. In this case increasing target volume with increasing current was provided with longer tube. Results and Conclusion The saturated yields of F-18 for 40 µA to 55 µA target currents are given in TABLE 1. No systematic decrease in yields with increasing target current was observed and yields were in line with the 230 ± 10 mCi/µA measured at acceptance test of target. The [18F]FDG yields from productions using the TRACERlab-Mx module are shown in FIGURE 1. All presented productions of F-18 were prepared with LV target with 55 µA. No decrease in the yield was observed with increasing beam current. It has been demonstrated that it is possible to produce routinely 250 GBq/2hr (6.8 Ci/2hr) of 18F-Fluoride using LV cylindrical target (operating conditions: 55 µA, 18 MeV, 98% enriched water). As the next step we want to test dual beam – 2×55 µA with two LV targets and expected activity about 500 GBq of 18F-Fluoride in 2 hours is expected.

Synchrocyclotrons and laser based particle accelerators, developed with the goal to enable more compact particle therapy facilities, may bring highly pulsed radiation field to external beam radiation therapy. In addition, such highly pulsed fields may be desirable due to their potential clinical benefits regarding better healthy tissue sparing or improved gating for moving tumors. However, they pose new challenges for dosimetry, the corner stone of any application of ionizing radiation. These challenges affect both clinical and radiation protection dosimetry. Air-filled ionization chambers, which dominate clinical dosimetry, face the problem of increased signal loss due to volume recombination when a highly pulsed field liberates a large amount of charge in a short time in the chamber. While well established descriptions exist for this volume recombination for the moderately pulsed fields in current use (Boag's formulas), the assumptions on which those descriptions are based will most likely not hold in the prospective, highly pulsed fields of future accelerators. Furthermore, ambient dose rate meters used in radiation protection dosimetry as survey meters or fixed installations are generally only tested for continuous fields, casting doubt on their suitability to measure pulsed fields. This thesis investigated both these aspects of dosimetry - clinical as well as radiation protection - to enable the medical application of highly pulsed radiation fields. For a comprehensive understanding, experimental investigations were coupled with theoretical considerations and developments. Pulsed fields, varying in both dose-per-pulse and pulse duration over a wide range, were generated with the ELBE research accelerator, providing a 20 MeV pulsed electron beam. Ionization chambers for clinical dosimetry were investigated using this electron beam directly, with an aluminium Faraday cup providing the reference measurement. Whereas the dose rate meters were irradiated in the photon field generated from stopping the electron beam in the Faraday cup. In those measurements, the reference was calculated from the ionization chamber, then serving a an electron beam monitor, cross-calibrated to the photon field with thermoluminescent dosimeters. Three dose rate meters based on different operating principles were investigated, covering a large portion of the operating principles used in radiation protection: the ionization chamber based RamION, the proportional counter LB 1236-H10 and the scintillation detector AD-b. Regarding clinical dosimetry, measurements of two prominent ionization chamber geometries, plane-parallel (Advanced Markus chamber) and thimble type (PinPoint chamber), were performed. In addition to common air-filled chambers, chambers filled with pure nitrogen and two non-polar liquids, tetramethylsilane and isooctane, were investigated. In conjunction with the experiments, a numerical solution of the charge liberation, transport, and recombination processes in the ionization chamber was developed to calculate the volume recombination independent of the assumptions necessary to derive Boag's formulas. Most importantly, the influence of the liberated charges in the ionization chamber on the electric field, which is neglected in Boag's formulas, is included in the developed calculation. Out of the three investigated dose rate meters only the RamION could be identified as an instrument truly capable of measuring a pulsed field. The AD-b performed below expectations (principally, a scintillator is not limited in detecting pulsed radiation), which was attributed to the signal processing, emphasizing the problem of a typical black-box signal processing in commercial instruments. The LB 1236-H10, on the other hand, performed as expected of a counting detector. While this supports the recent effort to formalize these expectations and standardize testing for counting dosimeters in DIN IEC/TS 62743, it also highlights the insufficiency of counting detectors for highly pulsed fields in general and shows the need for additional normative work to establish requirements for dose rate meters not based on a counting signal (such as the RamION), for which no framework currently exists. With these results recognized by the German radiation protection commission (SSK) the first steps towards such a framework are taken. The investigation of the ionization chambers used in radiation therapy showed severe discrepancies between Boag's formulas and the experimentally observed volume recombination. Boag's formulas describe volume recombination truly correctly only in the two liquid-filled chambers. All the gas-filled chambers required the use of effective parameters, resulting in values for those parameters with little to no relation to their original meaning. Even this approach, however, failed in the case of the Advanced Markus chamber for collection voltages ≥ 300 V and beyond a dose-per-pulse of about 100 mGy. The developed numerical model enabled a much better calculation of volume recombination and allowed the identification of the root of the differences to Boag's formulas as the influence of the liberated charges on the electric field. Increased positive space charge due to increased dose-per-pulse slows the collection and reduces the fraction of fast, free electrons, which are unaffected by volume recombination. The resultant increase in the fraction of charge undergoing volume recombination, in addition to the increase in the total amount of charge, results in an increase in volume recombination with dose-per-pulse that is impossible to describe with Boag's formulas. It is particularly relevant in the case of high electric fields and small electrode distances, where the free electron fraction is large. In addition, the numerical calculation allows for arbitrary pulse durations, while Boag's formulas apply only to very short pulses. In general, the numerical calculation worked well for plane-parallel chambers, including those filled with the very diverse media of liquids, nitrogen and air. Despite its increased complexity, the thimble geometry could be implemented as well, although, in the case of the PinPoint chamber, some discrepancies to the experimental data remained, probably due to the required geometrical approximations. A possible future development of the numerical calculation would be an improved description of the voltage dependence of the volume recombination. At the moment it requires characterizing a chamber at each desired collection voltage, which could be eliminated by an improved modeling of the volume recombination's dependence on collection voltage. Nevertheless, the developed numerical calculation presents a marked improvement over Boag's formulas to describe the dose-per-pulse dependence and pulse duration dependence of volume recombination in ionization chambers, in principle enabling the application of ionization chambers in the absolute dosimetry of highly pulsed fields.

The FeCo-V alloy, commercially referred to as Hiperco, is known for its great soft magnetic properties. However, the high cost of production has limited the usage of this alloy to small-scale applications, where the small volume and high magnetic performance are critical. Additive manufacturing (AM) has the potential to solve the production problems that exist in Hiperco manufacturing. The present research has focused on selective laser melting (SLM) based AM processing of Hiperco. The goal was to perform a detailed examination of SLM processed Hiperco and determine how the process parameters affect the microstructure, mechanical and magnetic properties. While a systematic set of SLM process parameters were employed, the results indicate that the energy density was quite similar for this set of process parameters, resulting in similar properties. Overall, the saturation magnetization (Ms) values were very good, but the coercivity (Hc) values were very high, in the case of all as SLM processed conditions. Additionally, a large variation in porosity was observed in the as SLM processed samples, as a function of process parameters. Interestingly, long-term heat-treatments of these samples in an Ar+H2 atmosphere resulted in substantial decreases in the Hc values. These results are presented and discussed.