Hydrates, wax, and other fluids forms in cold subsea pipelines which restrict flow of petroleum products during operation. This thesis analyses the global buckling behaviour of subsea pipelines with Direct Electric Heating cables (DEH) through a combination of analytical and FEM simulations. A subsea pipeline with an attached DEH cable has limited impact on the pipelines initial global buckling behaviour. The DEH cable holds back and reduces the buckle size. Strap distance and cable rotational location has very limited impact on buckling behaviour. Analytical and FEM model has in places low convergence, this is likely due to limitations in the models. / Hydrater, vax, och andra fluider formas i kalla undervattensrörledningar som begränsar flödet av petroleumprodukter i drift. Detta examensarbete analyserar global buckling av undervattensrörledningar med Direct Electric Heating (DEH) kabel med en kombination av analytisk och FEM simuleringar. En undervattensrörledning med tillhörande DEH kabel har begränsad påverkan på en rörlednings initiala globala bucklingsbeteende. DEH kabeln håller tillbaka och reducerar bucklingsstorleken. Avstånd mellan remmar och kabelns läge har mycket begränsad påverkan på bucklingsbeteendet. Den analytiska och FEM‐modellen har i vissa fall låg konvergens, troligen på grund av begränsningar i modellerna.

By using the rotor dynamic capabilities of Simcenter Nastran Rotordynamics, an eigenvalue analysis of 3D-finite element models of the Jeffcott rotor and the overhung rotor were conducted and compared to the results with beam-based, lumped parameter models. The first two critical speeds of the Jeffcott rotor were estimated with variations of 3.9 and 6.4%. The first three critical speeds of the overhung rotor were estimated with 8.5, 6.7 and 6.5% variations, respectively. The Jeffcott rotor was also analysed with different element configurations: Solid elements, axisymmetric Fourier elements, beam/solids and all beam elements. The Fourier elements were the most appropriate option for axisymmetric rotors regarding computational time and accuracy. Tilting pad journal bearings were simulated and validated against data from Vattenfall's facilities in Älvkarleby, where a vertical rotor is connected to two four-pad tilting pad journal bearings. The bearing formulation was defined in a Fortran based subroutine, which acquires the rotor's speed and position to supply a bearing load vector in Simcenter Nastran's transient solver. The experimental rig was also modelled to include the rotor/stator interaction. The force and displacement orbits at the bearings were replicated adequately concerning experimental data, where a maximum deviation of 20.8% and 9.8% were observed for the forces in x and y-directions.  A 3D-finite element model and a beam based finite element model were compared for an actual hydropower unit, which aimed to investigate the mode extraction procedure and how high mass, elastic rotor components influence the system's dynamics. Consistent rotor modes were identified at frequencies within 15% deviation, where the maximum deviation occurred in the upper range frequency pairs. Convergence between the models was observed for the static, lower range frequencies when considering a rigid generator rotor in the 3D finite element model. The outcome is consistent with the model assumptions and underlines that the beam based model cannot capture specific contributions from elastic rotor components. 3D-finite element analysis is a viable option when considering non-axisymmetric and complex rotors. High mass, non-rigid components must be analysed  in this manner as their dynamic contributions may not be captured with other approaches. Intricate and non-rigid supporting structures are also suitable for 3D modelling to properly reflect the stator-rotor interaction. It is a delicate matter to pinpoint when these conditions occur, and modelling decisions must be therefore be substantiated by simulations and experimental validation.

<p dir="ltr">Inkjet printing allows for rapid prototyping and design iteration that traditional printing methods do not. The use of inkjet printing for electronic devices has seen increased use in recent years owing to its high precision and ability to quickly test new devices. However, nearly all of this work has been done on smooth substrates with surface roughnesses on the nano scale. To further explore the capabilities of inkjet printing on rough surfaces, electrically conductive ink was printed onto a variety of solids-loaded polymer composite substrates using varied filler particle sizes with surface roughnesses on the micron scale. This work examines the necessary parameters required to print on these rough surfaces and characterizes the electrical properties of deposited ink. Electrical conductivity was demonstrated on surfaces across five distinct substrates using varied particle sizes. Further, two functional devices in the form of a heater and a strain gauge were printed and tested on these substrates. These devices showed comparable performance to commercially available devices. These findings offer improved ability to use inkjet technology on a variety of substrates and have implications in multiple fields. This demonstration of basic conductivity and advanced functionality shows the potential to continue development of complex devices and integrate them into new substrates. The optimization of printing algorithms on these rough surfaces also has significant potential to improve printability on rough surfaces and further expand capabilities.</p>

<p>Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) made of low-thermal-conductivity ceramic topcoat, metallic bond coat and metallic substrate, have been extensively used in gas turbine engines for thermal protection. Recently, additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing techniques have emerged as promising manufacturing techniques to fabricate engine components. The motivation of the thesis is that currently, application of TBCs on AM’ed metallic substrate is still in its infancy, which hinders the realization of its full potential.</p> <p>The goal of this thesis is to understand the processing-structure-property relationship in thermal barrier coating deposited on AM’ed superalloys.</p> <p>The APS method is used to deposit 7YSZ as the topcoat and NiCrAlY as the bond coat on TruForm 718 substrates fabricated using the direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) method. For comparison, another TBC system with the same topcoat and bond coat is deposited using APS on wrought 718 substrates. For thermomechanical property characterizations, thermal cycling, thermal shock (TS) and jet engine thermal shock (JETS) tests are performed for both TBC systems to evaluate thermal durability. Microhardness and elastic modulus at each layer and respective interfaces are also evaluated for both systems. Additionally, the microstructure and elemental composition are thoroughly studied to understand the cause for better performance of one system over the other.</p> <p>Both TBC systems showed similar performance during the thermal cycling and JETS test but TBC systems with AM substrates showed enhanced thermal durability especially in the case of the more aggressive thermal shock test. The TBC sample with AM substrate failed after 105 thermal shock cycles whereas the one with wrought substrate endured a maximum of 85 cycles after which it suffered topcoat delamination. The AM substrates also demonstrated an overall higher microhardness and elastic modulus except for post thermal cycling condition where it slightly underperformed. This study successfully demonstrated the use of AM built substrates for an improved TBC system and validated the enhanced thermal durability and mechanical properties of such a system.</p> <p>A modified YSZ TBC architecture with an intermediate Ti3C2 MXene layer is proposed to improve the interfacial adhesion at the topcoat/bond coat interface to improve the thermal durability of YSZ</p> <p>12</p> <p>TBC systems. First principles calculations are conducted to study the interfacial adhesion energy in the modified and conventional YSZ TBC systems. The results show enhanced adhesion at the bond coat/MXene interface. At the topcoat/MXene interface, the adhesion energy is similar to the adhesion energy between the topcoat and bond coat in a conventional YSZ TBC system.</p> <p>An alternative route is proposed for the fabrication of YSZ TBC on nickel base superalloy substrates by using the SPS technology. SPS offers a one-step fabrication process with faster production time and reduced production cost since all the layers of the TBC system are fabricated simultaneously. Two different TBC systems are processed using the same heating protocol. The first system is a conventional TBC system with 8YSZ topcoat, NiCoCrAlY bond coat and nickel base superalloy substrate. The second system is similar to the first but with an addition of Ti3C2 MXene layer between the topcoat and the bond coat. Based on the first principles study, addition of Ti3C2 layer enhances the adhesion strength of the topcoat/bond coat interface, an area which is highly susceptible to spallation. Further tests such as thermal cycling and thermal shock along with the evaluation of mechanical properties would be carried out for these samples in future studies to support our hypothesis.</p>

The wPCC project (wind powered car carrier) is carried out by Wallenius Marine, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and SSPA Sweden. By developing a car carrier mainly propelled by the wind, the emissions are estimated to be reduced by up to 90 %. This thesis deals with the structural aspects of the design. Specifically, the interface between the sail rigs and hull is considered. Different rig foundation concepts should be developed and compared to each other. The objective is to focus on characteristics such as stress levels, relevant failure mechanisms and cargo capacity. Scantling of merchant vessels is to a large extent governed by rules issued by classification societies such as DNV-GL and Lloyd’s Register. While traditional car carriers are covered to a great extent in terms of scantling loads and structural requirements, there exists a regulatory gap for vessels powered by the wind. Four different concepts for the rig foundations are developed. They are all using transverse and longitudinal bulkheads for transferring loads from the rigs to adjacent hull structure. The foundation concepts are then evaluated by creating a finite element model representing the midship section of the ship. The model includes three rig foundations and generally follows the preliminary scantlings of the wPCC. For reference, a model without rigs is also created. The bow and stern of the vessel are excluded in the model and some other model simplifications are also made. The accuracy of stress levels is thus not sufficient for final sizing of the conceptual solutions but the qualitative differences should be valid. The focus of the study is thus how the four concepts compare with respect to each other. The main strength of the chosen approach is that it allows for comparison of multiple concepts. Had a more advanced approach been chosen, the results would likely prove to be of a higher accuracy but then at the expense of modeling effort and time. The transverse strength is deemed being critical for multiple deck car carriers such as the wPCC. Racking, the transverse shearing of the ship, is a common problem which is covered in detail by class guidelines. These loads, based on rule calculations, are therefore included in the analysis. The rig loads are in turn based on assumptions regarding parameters such as the wing geometry and rig weight. The results of the finite element models are evaluated at several critical areas, chosen as to represent different aspects of the structural response. Results from buckling analyses as well as characteristics such as cargo capacity are also recorded as to broaden the comparison. The different results represent criteria which the evaluation process is based on. Each criterion is given a weight to account for its importance. The Pugh method is then applied, yielding a score for each of the evaluated concepts. The total score consequently depends on the chosen weights. Regardless, the study clearly presents which concepts that are interesting and which should be discarded. Interestingly, the best performing concept turns out to be highly unconventional compared to supporting structures used in traditional shipbuilding. For the future, the rig loads as well as additional load cases should be addressed. Failure mechanisms such as fatigue will likely pose a problem, and at some stage a thorough, full scale finite element model should be created in order to accurately predict the response of the entire hull structure. However, the author believes that the presented study serves as a draft in identifying key aspects to consider when introducing wind propulsion in commercial shipping. / wPCC-projektet (wind powered car carrier) bedrivs gemensamt av Wallenius Marine, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan och SSPA Sweden. Genom att utveckla ett vinddrivet biltransportfartyg beräknas utsläppen minska med upp till 90 %. Detta examensarbete avhandlar delar av fartygsstrukturen med fokus på hållfasthet. Mer specifikt undersöks gränssnittet mellan segelriggarna och skrovet. Olika koncept för riggfundament utvecklas och jämförs med fokus på karaktäristika så som spänningar, brottmekanismer och lastkapacitet. Dimensionering av kommersiella fartyg styrs till stor del av regler utfärdade av klassällskap som DNV-GL och Lloyd’s Register. Medan traditionella biltransportfartyg omfattas av ett antal krav på dimensionerande laster och strukturkrav saknas det ordentliga regelverk för vinddrivna fartyg. Fyra olika koncept för riggfundamenten utvecklas. Samtliga använder sig av transversella och longitudinella skott för lastöverföring från riggarna till omgivande skrovstruktur. Koncepten utvärderas sedan genom att skapa en finita element-modell som representerar midskeppssektionen av fartyget. Modellen inkluderar tre riggfundament och följer till stor del preliminära ritningar av wPCC-fartyget. Som referens skapas även en modell utan riggar. Fören och aktern exkluderas i modellen utöver ett antal andra förenklingar. Precisionen på spänningsnivåer är därmed inte tillräcklig för att bestämma slutgiltiga dimensioner på koncepten men de kvalitativa skillnaderna koncepten emellan bör vara välgrundade. Studiens fokus är därför hur de fyra koncepten jämförs mot varandra. Den främsta fördelen med det valda tillvägagångssättet är att det möjliggör jämförandet av flera koncept. Om ett mer avancerat tillvägagångssätt använts skulle sannolikt resultaten vara mer precisa, men då till en högre kostnad i form av modelleringsarbete och tidsåtgång. Tvärskeppsstyrkan bedöms vara kritisk för biltransportfartyg med flera däck som wPCC-fartyget. Så kallad racking, transversell skjuvning av fartyget, är ett vanligt problem som avhandlas i detalj av klassregler. Rackinglaster baserade på klassregler inkluderas därför i analysen. Rigglasterna är i sin tur baserade på antaganden om parametrar som vinggeometri och riggvikt. Resultaten från finita element-modellerna utvärderas vid ett flertal kritiska områden valda för att representera olika aspekter av hur strukturen svarar på belastningarna. Resultat från bucklingsanalyser såväl som karaktäristika så som lastförmåga inkluderas också för att bredda jämförelserna. De olika resultaten representerar kriterier som utvärderingsprocessen baseras på. Varje kriterium ges en vikt för att ta hänsyn till dess betydelse. Pugh-metoden används sedan, vilket ger en poängsumma för varje koncept. Varje poängsumma beror därmed på valda vikter. Oavsett visar studien tydligt vilka koncept som är av intresse och vilka som kan förkastas. Intressant nog visar studien att konceptet med högst poäng är högst okonventionellt jämfört med bärande strukturer som används inom traditionell skeppsbyggnad. Inför framtiden bör riggbelastningarna såväl som ytterligare lastfall beaktas. Brottmekanismer som utmattning kommer sannolikt att utgöra problem och vid något tillfälle bör en stor, fullskalig finita element-modell skapas för att med högre precision förutse hur hela skrovstrukturen svarar på belastningarna. Författaren bedömer oavsett att denna studie fungerar som ett utkast till att identifiera nyckelaspekter vid introduktion av vind som framdrivning för kommersiell sjöfart.

<p dir="ltr">The continuous advancements in material science and manufacturing engineering have revolutionized the material design and fabrication techniques therefore drastically accelerating the development of complex structured materials. These novel materials, such as micro/nano-structures, composites, porous media, and metamaterials, have found important applications in the most diverse fields including, but not limited to, micro/nano-electromechanical devices, aerospace structures, and even biological implants. Experimental and theoretical investigations have uncovered that as a result of structural and architectural complexity, many of the above-mentioned material classes exhibit non-negligible nonlocal effects (where the response of a point within the solid is affected by a collection of other distant points), that are distributed across dissimilar material scales.</p><p dir="ltr">The recognition that nonlocality can arise within various physical systems leads to a challenging scenario in solid mechanics, where the occurrence and interaction of nonlocal elastic effects need to be taken into account. Despite the rapidly growing popularity of nonlocal elasticity, existing modeling approaches primarily been concerned with the most simplified form of nonlocality (such as low-dimensional, isotropic, and homogeneous nonlocal problems), which are often inadequate to identify the nonlocal phenomena characterizing real-world problems. Further limitations of existing approaches also include the inability to achieve a mathematically well-posed theoretical and physically consistent framework for nonlocal elasticity, as well as the absence of numerical approaches to achieving efficient and accurate nonlocal simulations. </p><p dir="ltr">The above discussion identifies the significance of developing theoretical and numerical methodologies capable of capturing the effect of nonlocal elastic behavior. In order to address these technical limitations, this dissertation develops an advanced continuum mechanics-based approach to nonlocal elasticity by using fractional calculus - the calculus of integrals and derivatives of arbitrary real or even complex order. Owing to the differ-integral definition, fractional operators automatically possess unusual characteristics such as memory effects, nonlocality, and multiscale capabilities, that make fractional operators mathematically advantageous and also physically interpretable to develop advanced nonlocal elasticity theories. In an effort to leverage the unique nonlocal features and the mathematical properties of fractional operators, this dissertation develops a generalized theoretical framework for fractional-order nonlocal elasticity by implementing force-flux-based fractional-order nonlocal constitutive relations. In contrast to the class of existing nonlocal approaches, the proposed fractional-order approach exhibits significant modeling advantages in both mathematical and physical perspectives: on the one hand, the mathematical framework only involves nonlocal formulations in stress-strain constitutive relationships, hence allowing extensions (by incorporating advanced fractional operator definitions) to model more complex physical processes, such as, for example, anisotropic and heterogeneous nonlocal effects. On the other hand, the nonlocal effects characterized by force-flux fractional-order formulations can be physically interpreted as long-range elastic spring forces. These advantages grant the fractional-order nonlocal elasticity theory the ability not only to capture complex nonlocal effects, but more remarkably, to bridge gaps between mathematical formulations and nonlocal physics in real-world problems.</p><p>An efficient nonlocal multimesh finite element method is then developed to solve partial integro-differential governing equations in the fractional-order nonlocal elasticity to further enable nonlocal simulations as well as practical applications. The most remarkable consequence of this numerical method is the mesh-decoupling technique. By separating the numerical discretization and approximation between the weak-form integral and nonlocal integral, this approach surpasses the limitations of existing nonlocal algorithms and achieves both accurate and efficient finite element solutions. Several applications are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed fractional-order nonlocal theory and the associated multimesh finite element method in simulating nonlocal problems. By considering problems with increasing complexity ranging from one-dimensional to three-dimensional problems, from isotropic to anisotropic problems, and from homogeneous to heterogeneous nonlocality, these applications have demonstrated the effectiveness and robustness of the theory and numerical approach, and further highlighted their potential to effectively model a wider range of nonlocal problems encountered in real-world applications.</p>

An increasingly important research area within the field of cardiac modelling is the development and study of methods of model-based parameter estimation from clinical measurements of cardiac function. This provides a powerful approach for the quantification of cardiac function, with the potential to ultimately lead to the improved stratification and treatment of individuals with pathological myocardial mechanics. In particular, the diastolic function (i.e., blood filling) of left ventricle (LV) is affected by its capacity for relaxation, or the decay in residual active tension (AT) whose inhibition limits the relaxation of the LV chamber, which in turn affects its compliance (or its reciprocal, stiffness). The clinical determination of these two factors, corresponding to the diastolic residual AT and passive constitutive parameters (stiffness) in the cardiac mechanical model, is thus essential for assessing LV diastolic function. However these parameters are difficult to be assessed in vivo, and the traditional criterion to diagnose diastolic dysfunction is subject to many limitations and controversies. In this context, the objective of this study is to develop model-based applicable methodologies to estimate in vivo, from 4D imaging measurements and LV cavity pressure recordings, these clinically relevant parameters (passive stiffness and active diastolic residual tension) in computational cardiac mechanical models, which enable the quantification of key clinical indices characterising cardiac diastolic dysfunction. Firstly, a sequential data assimilation framework has been developed, covering various types of existing Kalman filters, outlined in chapter 3. Based on these developments, chapter 4 demonstrates that the novel reduced-order unscented Kalman filter can accurately retrieve the homogeneous and regionally varying constitutive parameters from the synthetic noisy motion measurements. This work has been published in Xi et al. 2011a. Secondly, this thesis has investigated the development of methods that can be applied to clinical practise, which has, in turn, introduced additional difficulties and opportunities. This thesis has presented the first study, to our best knowledge, in literature estimating human constitutive parameters using clinical data, and demonstrated, for the first time, that while an end-diastolic MR measurement does not constrain the mechanical parameters uniquely, it does provide a potentially robust indicator of myocardial stiffness. This work has been published in Xi et al. 2011b. However, an unresolved issue in patients with diastolic dysfunction is that the estimation of myocardial stiffness cannot be decoupled from diastolic residual AT because of the impaired ventricular relaxation during diastole. To further address this problem, chapter 6 presents the first study to estimate diastolic parameters of the left ventricle (LV) from cine and tagged MRI measurements and LV cavity pressure recordings, separating the passive myocardial constitutive properties and diastolic residual AT. We apply this framework to three clinical cases, and the results show that the estimated constitutive parameters and residual active tension appear to be a promising candidate to delineate healthy and pathological cases. This work has been published in Xi et al. 2012a. Nevertheless, the need to invasively acquire LV pressure measurement limits the wide application of this approach. Chapter 7 addresses this issue by analysing the feasibility of using two kinds of non-invasively available pressure measurements for the purpose of inverse parameter estimation. The work has been submitted for publication in Xi et al. 2012b.

The response of submerged structures subject to loading by underwater blast waves is governed by complex interactions between the moving or deforming structure and the surrounding fluid and these phenomena need to be thoroughly understood in order to design structural components against underwater blast. This thesis has addressed the response of simple structural systems to blast loading in shallow or deep water environment. Analytical models have been developed to examine the one-dimensional response of both water-backed and air-backed submerged rigid plates, supported by linear springs and loaded by underwater shock waves. Cavitation phenomena as well as the effect of initial static fluid pressure are explicitly included in the models and their predictions were found in excellent agreement with detailed FE simulations. Then, a novel experimental apparatus has been developed, to reproduce controlled blast loading in initially pressurised liquids. It consists of a transparent water shock tube and allows observing the structural response as well as the propagation of cavitation fronts initiated by fluid-structure interaction in a blast event. This experimental technique was then employed to explore the one-dimensional response of monolithic plates, sandwich panels and double-walled structures subject to loading by underwater shock waves. The performed experiments provide great visual insight into the cavitation process and the experimental measurements were found to be in good agreement with analytical predictions and dynamic FE results. Finally, underwater blast loading of circular elastic plates has been investigated by theoretically modelling the main phenomena of dynamic plate deformation and fluid-structure interaction. In addition, underwater shock experiments have been performed on circular composite plates and the obtained measurements were found in good correlation with the corresponding analytical predictions. The validated analytical models were then used to determine the optimal designs of circular elastic plates which maximise the resistance to underwater blast.

Human dental tissues are fascinating nano-structured hierarchical materials that combine organic and mineral phases in an intricate and ingenious way to obtain remarkable combinations of mechanical strength, thermal endurance, wear resistance and chemical stability. Attempts to imitate and emulate this performance have been made since time immemorial, in order to provide replacement (e.g. in dental prosthodontics) or to develop artificial materials with similar characteristics (e.g. light armour). The key objectives of the present project are to understand the structure-property relationships that underlie the integrity of natural materials, human dental tissues in particular, and the multi-scale architecture of mineralized tissues and its evolution under thermal treatment and mechanical loading. The final objective is to derive ideas for designing and manufacturing novel artificial materials serving biomimetic purposes. The objectives are achieved using the combination of a range of characterization techniques, with particular attention paid to the synchrotron X-ray scattering (Small- and Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering, SAXS and WAXS) and imaging techniques (Micro Computed Tomography), as well as microscopy techniques such as Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Mechanical properties were characterized by nanoindentation and photoelasticity; and thermal analysis was carried out via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Experimental observations were critically examined and matched by advanced numerical simulation of the tissue under thermal-mechanical loading. SAXS and WAXS provided the initial basis for elucidating the structure-property relationships in human dentine and enamel through in situ experimentation. Four principal types of experiment were used to examine the thermal and mechanical behaviour of the hierarchical structure of human dental tissue and contributed to the Chapters of this thesis: (i) In situ elastic strain evolution under loading within the hydroxyapatite (HAp) in both dentine and enamel. An improved multi-scale Eshelby inclusion model was proposed taking into account the two-level hierarchical structure, and was validated against the experimental strain evaluation data. The achieved agreement indicates that the multi-scale model accurately reflects the structural arrangement of human dental tissue and its response to applied forces. (ii) The morphology of the dentine-enamel junction (DEJ) was examined by a range of techniques, including X-ray imaging and diffraction. The transition of mechanical properties across the DEJ was evaluated by the high resolution mapping and in situ compression measurement, followed by a brief description of the thermal behaviour of DEJ. The results show that DEJ is a narrow band of material with graded structure and mechanical properties, rather than a discrete interface. (iii) Further investigation regarding the thermo-mechanical structure-property relationships in human dental tissues was carried out by nanoindentation mapping of the nano-mechanical properties in ex situ thermally treated dental tissues. (iv) In order to understand the details of the thermal behaviour, in situ heat treatment was carried out on both human dental tissues and synthetic HAp crystallites. For the first time the in situ ultrastructural alteration of natural and synthetic HAp crystallites was captured in these experiments. The results presented in this thesis contribute to the fundamental understanding of the structure-property integrity mechanisms of natural materials, human dental tissues in particular. These results were reported in several first author publications in peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, and a book chapter.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis we set out to design an algorithm for solving the all-pairs fixed-radius nearest neighbours search problem for a massively parallel heterogeneous system. The all-pairs search problem is stated as follows: Given a set of N points in d-dimensional space, find all pairs of points within a horizon distance of one another. This search is required by any nonlocal or meshless numerical modelling method to construct the neighbour list of each mesh point in the problem domain. Therefore, this work is applicable to a wide variety of fields, ranging from molecular dynamics to pattern recognition and geographical information systems. Here we focus on nonlocal solid mechanics methods. The basic method of solving the all-pairs search is to calculate, for each mesh point, the distance to each other mesh point and compare with the horizon value to determine if the points are neighbours. This can be a very computationally intensive procedure, especially if the neighbourhood needs to be updated at every time step to account for changes in material configuration. The problem also becomes more complex if the analysis is done in parallel. Furthermore, GPU computing has become very popular in the last decade. Most of the fastest supercomputers in the world today employ GPU processors as accelerators to CPU processors. It is also believed that the next-generation exascale supercomputers will be heterogeneous. Therefore the focus is on how to develop a neighbour searching algorithm that will take advantage of next-generation hardware. In this thesis we propose a CPU - multi GPU algorithm, which is an extension of the fixed-grid method, for the fixed-radius nearest neighbours search on massively parallel systems. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie tesis het ons die ontwerp van ’n algoritme vir die oplossing van die alle-pare vaste-radius naaste bure soektog probleem vir groot skaal parallele heterogene stelsels aangepak. Die alle-pare soektog probleem is as volg gestel: Gegewe ’n stel van N punte in d-dimensionele ruimte, vind al die pare van punte wat binne ’n horison afstand van mekaar af is. Die soektog word deur enige nie-lokale of roosterlose numeriese metode benodig om die bure-lys van alle rooster-punte in die probleem te kry. Daarom is hierdie werk van toepassing op ’n wye verskeidenheid van velde, wat wissel van molekulêre dinamika tot patroon herkenning en geografiese inligtingstelsels. Hier is ons fokus op nie-lokale soliede meganika metodes. Die basiese metode vir die oplossing van die alle-pare soektog is om vir elke rooster-punt, die afstand na elke ander rooster-punt te bereken en te vergelyk met die horison lente, om dus so te bepaal of die punte bure is. Dit kan ’n baie berekenings intensiewe proses wees, veral as die probleem by elke stap opgedateer moet word om die veranderinge in die materiaal konfigurasie daar te stel. Die probleem word ook baie meer kompleks as die analise in parallel gedoen word. Verder het GVE’s (Grafiese verwerkings eenhede) baie gewild geword in die afgelope dekade. Die meeste van die vinnigste superrekenaars in die wêreld vandag gebruik GVE’s as versnellers te same met SVE’s (Sentrale verwerkings eenhede). Dit is ook van mening dat die volgende generasie exa-skaal superrekenaars GVE’s sal implementeer. Daarom is die fokus op hoe om ’n bure-lys soektog algoritme te ontwikkel wat gebruik sal maak van die volgende generasie hardeware. In hierdie tesis stel ons ’n SVE - veelvoudige GVE algoritme voor, wat ’n verlenging van die vaste-rooster metode is, vir die vaste-radius naaste bure soektog op groot skaal parallele stelsels.