This thesis presents the results of a research program characterizing a soil simulant called Fillite, which is composed of alumino-silicate hollow microspheres harvested from the pulverized fuel ash of coal-fired power plants. Fillite is available in large quantities at a reasonable cost and it is chemically inert. Fillite has been selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center to simulate high-sinkage/high-slip environment in a large test bed such as the ones encountered by the Spirit rover on Mars in 2009 when it became entrapped in a pocket of soft, loose regolith on Mars. The terms high-sinkage and high-slip used here describe the interaction of soils with typical rover wheels. High-sinkage refers to a wheel sinking with little to no applied force while high-slip refers to a spinning wheel with minimal traction. Standard material properties (density, specific gravity, compression index, Young's modulus, and Poisson's ratio) of Fillite were determined from a series of laboratory tests conducted in general accordance with ASTM standards. Tests were also performed to determine some less standard material properties of Fillite such as the small strain shear wave velocity, maximum shear modulus, and several pressure-sinkage parameters for use in pressure-sinkage models. The experiments include an extensive series of triaxial compression tests, bender element tests, and normal and shear bevameter tests. The unit weight of Fillite on Earth ranges between 3.9 and 4.8 kN/m3, which is similar to that of Martian regolith (about 3.7 - 5.6 kN/m3) on Mars and close to the range of the unit weight of lunar regolith (about 1.4 - 2.9 kN/m3) on the Moon. The data presented here support that Fillite has many physical and mechanical properties that are similar to what is known about Martian regolith. These properties are also comparable to lunar regolith. Fillite is quite dilatant; its peak and critical angles of internal friction are smaller than those of most other simulants. Smaller shear strength, coupled with much smaller bulk unit weight as compared to other simulants, results in smaller bearing and shearing resistances allowing for better simulation of the intended high-sinkage, high-slip behavior for rover mobility studies. The results of the normal bevameter tests were used to determine parameters for two models available in the literature - the Bekker model and the New Model of Mobility (N2M) model. These parameters were then used to predict the sinkage of a Spirit rover wheel if the rover were to be used on Fillite. The predicted sinkage of a Spirit rover wheel in Fillite was 84% of the wheel diameter, which was within the observed sinkage of 50 to 90% of the wheel diameter of the Spirit rover on Mars. Shear bevameter tests were also performed on Fillite to assess the shear stresses and shear deformations imparted by wheels under torsional loads. The results compared well to the estimated shear stresses and deformations of Martian soil caused by the wheels of the Spirit rover. When compared to other simulants (e.g. GRC-1), the pressure-sinkage and shear stress-shear deformation behaviors of Fillite confirm that Fillite is more suitable for high-sinkage and high-slip rover studies than other typical simulants derived from natural terrestrial soils and rocks.

The topic of this thesis is discrete event simulation. The thesis introduces basic principles of discrete event simulation and Add-in SIMULANT for MS EXCEL 2007, which was created as a part of this thesis. Description of algorithms used in SIMULANT add-in and user guide are included in this thesis.

No description available.

Microwave heating of food has increased rapidly as a food processing technique. This increases the concern that chemicals could migrate from food packaging to food. The specific effect of microwave heating in contrast to conventional heating on overall and specific migration from common plastic food storage boxes was studied in this work. The purpose was especially to determine the interaction effects of different plastics in contact with different types of foods during microwave heating. The study focused on polycarbonate (PC), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), polypropylene homo-polymer (PP), co-polymer (PP-C) and random co-polymer (PP-R) packages. The migration determinations were evaluated at controlled times and temperatures, using a MAE device. The migrants were analyzed by GC-MS and HPLC. ESI-MS was evaluated as a new tool for migration determinations. Food/food simulant absorption and changes in degree of crystallinity during heating were also followed. Significant degradation of antioxidants Irgafos 168 and Irganox 1010 in PP packages occurred during microwave heating of the packages in food simulants containing ethanol, resulting in the formation of antioxidant degradation products. Degradation of PC by Fries chain rearrangement reaction leading to formation of 9,9-dimethylxanthene, and transesterification of PET leading to formation of diethyl terephthalate, were also observed after microwave heating the packages in ethanol and 90/10 isooctane/ethanol. These reactions were not observed during conventional heating of the packages at the same temperature, or after microwave heating of the packages in liquid food (coconut milk). The microwave heating also significantly increased the migration of cyclic oligomers from PET into ethanol and isooctane at 80 °C. Migration of compounds into coconut milk was slightly lower than calculated amounts using the EU mathematical model to predict migration of additives into foodstuffs. The results thus show that the use of ethanol as a fat food simulant during microwave heating can lead to a significant overestimation of migration as well as degradation of polymer or the incorporated additives. Some other detected migrants were dimethylbenzaldehyde, 4-ethoxy-ethyl benzoate, benzophenone, m-tert-butyl phenol and 1-methylnaphthalene. All identified migrants with associated specific migration limit (SML) values migrated in significantly lower amounts than the SML values during 1 h of microwave heating at 80 °C. The antioxidant diffusion coefficients in PP and PP co-polymers showed larger relative differences than the corresponding degrees of crystallinity in the same polymers and PP-R showed by far the fastest migration of antioxidants. / Mikrovågsuppvärmning av mat har ökat markant under de senaste åren. Detta ökar risken för att ämnen i plast migrerar från matförpackningar till mat. Den specifika effekten av mikrovågsvärmning i kontrast till konventionell värmning på total och specifik migrering från vanliga matförvaringslådor av plast studerades i denna avhandling. Syftet var i huvudsak att bestämma interaktionseffekter mellan olika typer av plaster och olika typer av mat under mikrovågsvärmning. Studien fokuserades på förpackningar av polykarbonat (PC), polyetentereftalat (PET), polypropylen homopolymer (PP), copolymer (PP-C) och random copolymer (PP-R). Migreringstesterna utfördes under kontrollerade tider och temperaturer genom att använda MAE. Migranterna analyserades med hjälp av GC-MS och HPLC. ESI-MS-analys utvärderades också som ny analysmetod för migreringstester. Absorption av mat- och matsimulanter samt förändringar i kristallinitetsgrad följdes också. Signifikant nedbrytning av antioxidanterna Irgafos 168 och Irganox 1010 i PP-förpackningar inträffade under mikrovågsvärmning av förpackningarna i etanol-innehållande matsimulanter, vilket resulterade i bildning av nedbrytningsprodukter från antioxidanterna. Nedbrytning av PC genom en Fries omfördelningsreaktion, vilket orsakade bildning av 9,9-dimetylxanten, samt transesterifikation av PET, vilket orsakade bildning av dietyltereftalat, observerades också efter mikrovågsvärmning av förpackningarna i etanol och 90/10 isooktan/etanol. Dessa reaktioner observerades ej efter konventionell värmning av förpackningarna under samma temperatur och ej heller efter mikrovågsvärmning av förpackningarna i riktig mat (kokosmjölk). Mikrovågsvärmningen ökade också betydelsefullt migrering av cykliska oligomerer från PET till etanol och isooktan under 80 °C. Specifika ämnens migrering till kokosmjölk var alla något lägre än migreringsvärden beräknade m. h. a. EU's officiella matematiska modell för förutsägelse av migrering från matförpackningar till mat. Dessa resultat visar att användandet av etanol som matsimulant för fet mat under mikrovågsvärmning kan leda till betydande överestimering av migrering, samt nedbrytning av polymer och additiv i polymeren. Andra detekterade migranter var till exempel dimetylbenzaldehyd, 4-etoxy-etylbenzoat, benzofenon, m-tertbutylfenol och 1-metylnaftalen. Alla identifierade migranter med tillhörande ‘specific migration limit’ (SML)-värden migrerade i betydelsefullt mindre mängder än ämnenas tillhörande SML-värden under 1 h mikrovågsvärmning under 80°C. Diffusionskoefficienterna för antioxidanterna i PP-förpackningarna visade större relativa skillnader än förpackningarnas motsvarande kristallinitetsgrader och migrering av antioxidanter var snabbast från PP-R. / <p>QC 20120530</p>

In the last several decades the number of the fatalities related to criminally inflicted cranial gunshot wounds has increased (Aarabi et al.; Jena et al., 2014; Mota et al., 2003). Back-spattered bloodstain patterns are often important in investigations of cranial gunshot fatalities, particularly when there is a doubt whether the death is suicide or homicide. Back-spatter is the projection of blood and tissue back toward the firearm. However, the mechanism of creation of the backspatter is not understood well. There are several hypotheses, which describe the formation of the backspatter. However, as it is difficult to study the internal mechanics of formation of the backspatter in animal experiments as the head is opaque and sample properties vary from animal to animal. Performing ballistic experiments on human cadavers is rarely not possible for ethical reasons. An alternative is to build a realistic physical 3D model of the human head, which can be used for reconstruction of crime scenes and BPA training purposes. This requires a simulant material for each layer of the human head. In order to build a realistic model of human head, it is necessary to understand the effect of the each layer of the human head to the generation of the back-spatter. Simulant materials offer the possibility of safe, well‐controlled experiments. Suitable simulants must be biologically inert, be stable over some reasonable shelf‐life, and respond to ballistic penetration in the same way as the responding human tissues. Traditionally 10-20% (w/w) gelatine have been used as a simulant for human soft tissues in ballistic experiments. However, 10-20% of gelatine has never been validated as a brain simulant. Moreover, due to the viscoelastic nature of the brain it is not possible to find the exact mechanical properties of the brain at ballistic strain rates. Therefore, in this study several experiments were designed to obtain qualitative and quantitative data using high speed cameras to compare different concentrations of gelatine and new composite material with the bovine and ovine brains. Factors such as the form of the fragmentation, velocity of the ejected material, expansion rate, stopping distance, absorption of kinetic energy and effect of the suction as well as ejection of the air from the wound cavity and its involvement in the generation of the backspatter have been investigated. Furthermore, in this study a new composite material has been developed, which is able to create more realistic form of the fragmentation and expansion rate compared to the all different percentage of the gelatine. The results of this study suggested that none of the concentrations the gelatine used in this study were capable of recreating the form of the damage to the one observed from bovine and ovine brain. The elastic response of the brain tissue is much lower that observed in gelatine samples. None of the simulants reproduced the stopping distance or form of the damage seen in bovine brain. Suction and ejection of the air as a result of creation of the temporary cavity has a direct relation to the elasticity of the material. For example, by reducing the percentage of the gelatine the velocity of the air drawn into the cavity increases however, the reverse scenario can be seen for the ejection of the air. This study showed that elastic response of the brain tissue was not enough to eject the brain and biological materials out of the cranium. However, the intracranial pressure raises as the projectile passes through the head. This pressure has the potential of ejecting the brain and biological material backward and create back-spatter. Finally, the results of this study suggested that for each specific type of experiment, a unique simulant must be designed to meet the requirements for that particular experiment.

The intent of this thesis is to explore the pressure-sinkage relationship for simulated lunar regolith (simulant). The simulants used in this experiment emulate the lunar highlands (LHS-1) and the lunar mare (LMS-1). The ultimate ability of a terrain or regolith to support a load without shear failure is vital to the planning and construction of permanent infrastructure. This relationship can be measured by applying a normal load to the regolith until shear failure, from which allowable and ultimate bearing capacity can be deduced. An understanding of the pressure-sinkage of lighter loads on the higher ‘fluffy' layer of regolith is of great importance to low mass projects. The experimental hardware consisted of a test bed filled with simulated lunar regolith. The focus was to create a mechanism to apply a known load to a simulant surface normal to a square box filled with a regolith simulant. A known mass of each simulant was placed into the bearing capacity box and gently agitated to encourage natural settling and the density was measured. The simulant was only packed as much as was caused by gravity and settling. Normal loads of increasing weight were put into the box, putting pressure on the simulant. It was determined that widely accepted models for pressure-sinkage reasonably anticipate sinkage in both LHS-1 and LMS-1, though this study recommends improvements to the experimental design.

Understanding the effects of various wheel parameters on tractive performance is not completely understood. In order to properly quantify the individual effects of wheel parameters on the mobility of rigid and flexible wheels in soft soil, tests were performed, in cooperation with NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA-GRC), using the terramechanics rig at the Virginia Tech Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Lab (AVDL). To conduct such a study, four different wheels were evaluated under similar normal loads, slip ratios, and soil density. The first wheel represents the baseline, against which all the others were benchmarked. The remaining three wheels included the following parameter changes: 1) same diameter as the baseline but wider, 2) same width as the baseline but smaller in diameter, and 3) same width and diameter as the baseline but with a longer contact length. For each test the normal load, drawbar pull, and driving torque were measured and recorded for further analysis. To measure the effect of the changes in the wheels' parameters on the contact patch under different loads, a pressure pad was embedded below the surface of the Lunar simulant to measure the contact patch shape, size, and pressure distribution. Analysis of the experimental results showed that the drawbar pull was more significantly affected by the wheel diameter than by the contact width, and that same trend followed suit for the driving torque. Overall, the greater contact patch area resulted in a higher drawbar pull and torque. / Master of Science

No description available.

No description available.

Developing methods to detect, adsorb, and decompose chemical warfare agents (CWAs) is of critical importance to protecting military and civilian populations alike. The sorption of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a CWA simulant, into trisilanolphenyl-POSS (TPP) films has previously been characterized with reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and uptake coefficient determinations [1]. In our study, the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is used to study the sorption phenomena of DMMP into highly ordered Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films of TPP. In a saturated environment, DMMP sorbs into the TPP films, binding to TPP in a 1:1 molar ratio. Although previous work indicated these DMMP-saturated films were stable for several weeks, DMMP is found to slowly desorb from the TPP films at room temperature and pressure. Upon application of vacuum to the DMMP-saturated films, DMMP follows first-order desorption kinetics and readily desorbs from the film, returning the TPP film to its original state. [1] Ferguson-McPherson, M.; Low, E.; Esker, A.; Morris, J. J. Phys. Chem. B. 2005, 109, 18914. / Master of Science