The space environment presents various challenges when designing systems and selecting materials for applications beyond Earth’s atmosphere. For mission success, these challenges must be considered. One of the detrimental aspects of the space en- vironment is Atomic Oxygen, AO. Only present in harmful quantities in Lower Earth Orbit, LEO, AO causes significant damage to materials by breaking molecular bonds. California Polytechnic State University’s, Cal Poly’s, space environments laboratory features an apparatus capable of simulating this environment. Very thin or short samples were tested to observe the mass loss due to erosion of the sample material. Recent modifications to the system allow it to expose surfaces of three dimensional objects to AO rather than only those two dimensional objects. Simulating this effect on taller samples makes available the opportunity to test coupons that are then used in additional testing to measure the effect of that erosion on other properties. Challenges in adapting the AO system are explored and addressed, as well as some possible use cases for future work. As a use case, bending moment specimens were exposed to AO prior to testing in four point bending. Multiple regression models were constructed to determine variables contributing to slope changes between specimen pairs’ linear-elastic regions of force-displacement graphs. Results show that AO exposed specimens had significantly gentler slopes in the linear elastic region of the force-displacement curve, meaning that AO exposure reduced structural rigidity of the coupons.

Cílem práce bylo vyvinout vložku se speciálními mechanickými vlastnostmi pro satelitní strukturu ze sendvičových panelů. Problém byl analyzován a byla navržena inovativní konstrukce vložky založená na existující aplikaci, přičemž byla brána v potaz proveditelnost výroby. Návrh byl ověřen pomocí metody konečných prvků. Práce se také zabývá technologickým návrhem výroby vložky. Nakonec byla představena metodologie zkoušky pro ověření návrhu vložky.

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Saab Kockums har på länge tillämpat kompositmaterial i uppbyggande av deras nya fartyg. Detta medför många fördelar kopplat till stealth teknik men samtidigt utgör vissa andra utmaningar gällande installationer ombord. Arbetet utfördes därför med syfte att undersöka möjligheten för användning av lastskenor för standardiserat montage på dessa fartyg. Vidare skulle det utvecklas en standardlösning för montaget där användarvänlighet står som fokus.   Arbetet inleds med en undersökning av produkter från marknaden där också utvecklingspotential identifierades. Fokus med undersökningen var att hitta den optimala utseende för montaget. Dessa punkter användes därefter för att generera idéer för samtliga delar. Den bästa idéen filtreras fram genom poängsättning kopplat till utsatta kravställningen. För infästning av konstruktion bestämdes det med hjälp av olika litteraturstudier tillsammans med dragprovsdata som tillhandahålls av Kockums. Litteraturstudien omfattades studie på egenskaper hos sandwichkonstruktioner samt dragproven på olika lastfallen som utfördes på andra rapporter. Sist verifierades konceptet utifrån olika aspekter baserat på olika sätt. Hållfasthetmässigt är baserade på FEM/manuella beräkningar, tillverkning är baserade på intervju och monteringen baserad på 3D-utskrift.   En konstruktion på montaget erhölls som resultatet av arbetet där den klarade samtliga krav som ställdes. Konstruktionen består av förmonterade skena som har ett homogen utseende tillsammans med vinkelbeslag för montering av eventuella bäddar eller dämpare. Konstruktionen fästs på skottet med M8 blindnitsmuttrar för områden utan stötkrav och M10 muttrar tillsammans med laminatsförstärkning för områden med stötkrav. Som bevisat är det möjligt att tillverka dessa med några enkla steg av standardprofiler från marknaden. Det är även enkelt att montera ombord på fartygen. / Saab Kockums has long time used composite materials in the construction of their new ships. This brings many advantages linked to stealth technology, but at the same time poses some other challenges regarding installations on board. This thesis was therefore performed with the aim of investigating the possibility of using cargo rails for standardized assembly on these ships. Furthermore, a developed standard solution for assembly where ease of use is the focus for this study.  The work begins with an analysis of products from the market and potential development is identified. The focus of the investigation was to find the optimal design for the montage. These potentials were then used to generate ideas for parts in the design. The best idea is filtered through scoring linked to the set of requirements. For attachment of the construction, it was determined with the help of various literature studies along with tensile test data provided by Kockums. The literature study included studies on properties of sandwich constructions as well as tensile tests on different load cases that were carried out on other reports. Finally, the concept is verified based on different aspects. The durability is based on FEM/manual calculations, the manufacturing is based on interview and finally the assembly is based on 3D printing.  A construction of the assembly was obtained as the result of the work and met all the requirements that were set. The construction consists of pre-assembled cargo rails that have a homogeneous appearance together with angle fittings for mounting any foundations or dampers. The structure shall be attached to the bulkhead with M8 blind rivet nuts for areas without impact requirements and M10 nuts together with laminate reinforcement for areas with impact requirements. As proven, it is possible to manufacture these in a few simple steps from standard profiles from the market and easily fit on board the ships.

Dans ce travail de thèse, une méthode d’identification inverse des propriétés mécaniques du matériau viscoélastique (module de cisaillement et facteur de perte) fonctionnalisé dans une structure sandwich à trois couches symétriques est proposée. L’objectif de ce travail est de pouvoir identifier les propriétés mécaniques in situ. A travers un modèle éléments finis basé sur le modèle Zig-Zag de Rao, notre modèle assure la détermination des paramètres modaux de la poutre sandwich. L'approche inverse consiste en une procédure itérative qui détermine les formes de mode étant donné les paramètres matériaux puis calcule les propriétés viscoélastiques à partir des modes en utilisant un quotient de Rayleigh jusqu'à ce que la convergence sur les propriétés du matériau soit satisfaite. Les paramètres d’entrée du modèle inverse sont les fréquences de résonance et facteurs de perte de la poutre sandwich obtenues expérimentalement. En conséquence, la dépendance en fréquence des propriétés du matériau viscoélastique de la poutre sandwich est déterminée par une démarche automatisée. La méthode a été comparée avec succès aux formules de Ross-Kerwin-Ungar ; à une approche d'optimisation standard et à la littérature. A partir des résultats, nous avons pu déduire les lois de comportement du cœur viscoélastique suivant des modèles rhéologique tels que le modèle de Maxwell généralisé, d’ADF, de GHM et du Zéner fractionnaire. Ce dispositif expérimental couplé à la méthode d’indentification a permis l’investigation des paramètres modaux de la poutre à différentes températures pour étudier l’effet de la température sur les lois rhéologiques. Pour étudier la robustesse de notre méthode, nous avons procédé des essais de reproductibilité, de reproductibilité sur une population d’échantillon. L’efficacité de notre méthode étant été prouvée, une étude de sensibilité a été menée sur les caractéristiques géométriques de notre structure et les paramètres d’entrée. Les résultats obtenus montrent le fort impact de certains paramètres sur l’identification / In this work, a inverse identification method of the mechanical properties of the viscoelastic material (shear modulus and loss factor) functionalized in a sandwich structure with three symmetrical layers is proposed. The objective of this work is to be able to identify the mechanical properties in situ. Through a finite element model based on Rao's Zig-Zag model, our model ensures the modal parameter determination of the sandwich beam. The inverse approach consists of an iterative procedure that determines the mode shapes given the material parameters and then calculates the viscoelastic properties from the modes using a Rayleigh quotient until convergence on the properties of the material is satisfied. The input parameters of the inverse model are the resonance frequencies and loss factors of the sandwich beam obtained experimentally. As a result, the frequency dependence of the viscoelastic properties of the sandwich beam is determined by an automated way. The method has been successfully compared to Ross-Kerwin-Ungar formulas; a standard optimization approach and the literature. From the results, we have been able to deduce the constitutive laws of the viscoelastic heart according to rheological models such as the generalized Maxwell model, ADF, GHM and fractional Zener. This experimental device coupled to the method of identification allowed the investigation of modal parameters of the beam at different temperatures to study the effect of the temperature on the rheological laws. To study the robustness of our method, we carried out tests repeatability, reproducibility on a sample population. Since the effectiveness of our method has been proven, a sensitivity study has been carried out on the geometrical characteristics of our structure and the input parameters. The results obtained show the strong impact of certain parameters on identification

This research aimed to develop new composite membranes using a polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) and metal organic frameworks (MOFs) for use in gas separations. PIM-1 was successfully synthesised using the high temperature method (40 min, 160 oC) and the resulting polymer was cast into membranes. PIM-1 membranes were chemically modified by reacting hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) with the nitrile group of PIM-1 to form HMDA-modified PIM-1 membranes. Surfaces of PIM-1 membranes were also modified by basic hydrolysis to form amide-modified PIM-1 membranes. These polymer materials were characterized by different techniques (GPC, NMR, ATR-IR, TGA, Elemental analysis and nitrogen sorption analysis). In addition, eight MOF materials [MIL-101(Cr), ED-g-MIL-101(Cr), TEPA-g-MIL-101(Cr), MIL-101(Cr)-NH2, MIL-101(Al)-NH2, UiO-66(Zr), UiO-66-NH2 and UiO-66(COOH)2] were successfully synthesized. They were chosen due to having high surface areas and large porosity. These MOF compounds were characterized using PXRD, SEM, TGA, and low pressure N2.Successful PIM-1/MOF MMMs were fabricated utilising PIM-1 and the MOFs outlined above with various loadings. The highest MOF loading achieved was 28.6 wt. %, apart from MIL-101(Cr)-NH2, for which it was 23.1 wt. %, and MIL-101(Al)-NH2, for which it was 19.8 wt. %. The morphology of MMMs was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), proving the dispersion of MOF fillers. Novel PIM-1 supported MOF membranes were successfully prepared by depositing ZIF-8 and HKUST-1 layers on the surfaces of unmodified and modified PIM-1 membranes. These materials were characterized using PXRD, SEM, ATR-IR and SEM-EDX. Gas permeation properties of the MOF/PIM-1 MMMs and PIM-1 supported MOF membranes were determined using a time lag method. Most MMMs tested showed an increase in the permeability and stable selectivity as the MOF amount was increased. However, this was not true for MIL-101(Al)-NH2, where the permeability and selectivity decreased. In contrast, PIM-1 supported ZIF-8 and HKUST-1 membranes caused a sharp decrease in the permeability and increase in the selectivity.

Durant le vol d'un aéronef, la collision avec un oiseau est un risque important que les autorités de certification imposent de prendre en compte. Dans le cas du choc sur pointe avant, la protection du fond pressurisé est assurée par un bouclier. La compréhension du comportement d'une telle structure sandwich sous impact est essentielle pour permettre l'amélioration des boucliers existants. Ces travaux ont pour buts de comprendre l'influence des différents paramètres de conception du bouclier sur son comportement et sur la protection de la cible, et de mettre en place une méthodologie pour réaliser une telle étude. Pour cela, un modèle éléments finis générique est créé pour être utilisé dans l'étude paramétrique. Une méthode de mesure de la déformée est proposée pour permettre la comparaison rapide d'un grand nombre de cas et la compréhension du comportement de chaque bouclier. Elle s'appuie sur la décomposition de la déformée en trois modes : Indentation, Flexion et Écrasement. Une étude de criblage est ensuite réalisée pour classer les paramètres de définition par ordre d'influence. L'étude paramétrique est réalisée sur les six paramètres les plus influents. Un plan d'expérience de type carré Latin est choisi et sept grandeurs différentes sont suivies. Le cadre des processus gaussiens est utilisé pour créer des modèles réduits, qui sont utilisés pour étudier l'évolution du comportement du bouclier sur l'ensemble du domaine à l'aide d'analyses de sensibilité. Les effets de chaque paramètre sont identifiés et expliqués. Enfin, une méthode pour l'utilisation de ces modèles réduits dans le cadre d'optimisations est proposée. / During an aircraft flight, the possible collision with a bird is a major threat, and the certification authorities require to take ît into account. In the case of a nose strike, the pressurized bulkhead is protected by a shield. Understanding the behaviour under impact of such a sandwich structure is essential. This work has two main goals: understanding the design parameters influence on the shield behaviour, and propose a methodology to conduct this study. Firstly, a generic finite element model is created to be used in a parametric study. A tool to measure the shield deformation is proposed to make it possible to easily compare the behaviour of different shields and to help understanding the behaviour of a shield. This tool is based on the projection ofthe shield deformation on a basis comprising three modes: Indentation, Bendîng and Crushing. A screening study is then conducted to rank the design parameters with respect to their influence. A parametric study is then conducted on the six first parameters. A Latin hyper-square is used for the design of experiment and seven different quantifies are studied. The Gaussian processes framework is used to create surrogates models. Global sensitivity analyses are then conducted to study the variation of the shield behaviour in the whole design space. The effects of each parameterare measured and explained. Finally, a method to minimize the shield mass, using the surrogate models to enforce minimal target protection criteria, is presented.

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the effects of adding natural fiber (kenaf fiber, retted kenaf fiber, and sugarcane fiber) into polymer materials. The effects are obtained by considering three main parts. 1. Performance in thermoplastic composites. The effect of fiber retting on polymer composite crystallization and mechanical performance was investigated. PHBV/PBAT in 80/20 blend ratio was modified using 5% by weight kenaf fiber. Dynamic mechanical analysis of the composites was done to investigate the glass transition and the modulus at sub-ambient and ambient temperatures. ESEM was conducted to analyze fiber topography which revealed smoother surfaces on the pectinase retted fibers. 2. Performance in thermoset composites. The effect of the incorporation of natural fibers of kenaf and of sugarcane combined with the polyester resin matrix is investigated. A comparison of mechanical properties of kenaf polyester composite, sugarcane polyester composite and pure polyester in tensile, bending, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMA) and moisture test on performance is measured.. 3. Performance in sandwich composites. The comparison of the performance characteristics and mechanical properties of natural fiber composites panels with soft and rigid foam cores are evaluated. A thorough test of the mechanical behavior of composites sandwich materials in tensile, bending and DCB is presented here.

Clusters/nanoparticles are aggregates of a “small” number of building blocks, atoms or molecules, ranging from two up to millions of atoms. Two main groups of clusters have been studied using photoelectron spectroscopy based on synchrotron radiation. They are dry/wet alkali-halide clusters, including pure water clusters, and metal-based nanoparticles. For the dry alkali halide clusters, analysis of the data and theoretical modeling has allowed us insights into the local electronic properties at nanoscale: a change of polarizability of ions in the alkali-halide clusters due to the varying environment has been suggested. The study of the wet salt clusters shows that the alkali-halides are already solvated at the nanoscale reached by water clusters doped with salt vapor. The photoelectron angular distribution of water cluster shows lower anisotropy parameters as compared to the separate monomers. A model based on intracluster scattering has been built to partly explain the reduction. In the last part of the thesis, metal-based multi-component nanoparticles have been produced by self-assembly processes using reactive magnetron sputtering. Depending on the specific metal element, oxidation processes have been applied before or after the aggregation. Clearly radial distributions such as core-shell and “sandwich-like” structures have unambiguously determined by photoelectron spectroscopy.