No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

The area of research for this thesis concerns the role played by microorganisms in the process of organic breakdown of waste effluent. Although considerable research has been done since the early 1950's, little consideration has been given to the role of the microorganisms in this type of waste water purification.

Memoria para optar al título de Ingeniero Civil Mecánico / Cold Spray es un proceso de manufactura aditiva en estado sólido, consistente en la deposición de material particulado en un substrato a altas velocidades. La gran ventaja de este proceso con respecto a otros procesos de Thermal Spray es que requiere de temperaturas de deposición bajo el punto de fusión, evitando problemas de difusión de gases y cambios microestructurales que limiten el rango de utilización de este proceso, además de disminuir la cantidad de calor necesario para realizar la adhesión. El objetivo principal de este trabajo de título fue estudiar la deformación por impacto de partículas de níquel y titanio en el proceso de Cold Spray a través de simulaciones numéricas. Los objetivos específicos fueron establecer una relación entre velocidad de impacto, temperatura y ángulo de impacto, con la adhesión de partículas con un substrato; analizar el impacto de las partículas con substratos de un mismo o diferente material; y determinar variables que permitan una deposición efectiva. Se realizaron simulaciones de impacto de una partícula esférica de 20 [µm] y un substrato, utilizando níquel y titanio. Se usaron como variables, las propiedades de los materiales, la temperatura, velocidad y ángulo antes del impacto, para obtener los esfuerzos, deformación y temperatura durante el impacto. Como recurso para realizar este trabajo de título, se trabajó con el software Abaqus/Explicit, con su módulo de análisis Abaqus/Explicit con un mallado Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian, para evitar la deformación excesiva. En total, se realizaron 40 simulaciones de impacto, analizados con 2 métodos distintos; el primero investigó la presencia de ASI (Adiabatic Shear Instability), no implicando la adhesión de la partícula con el substrato. El otro método logró obtener diferencias visibles a distintas velocidades (alrededor de los 500 y 600 [m/s] en los casos de níquel sobre níquel y titanio sobre titanio, y entre 600 y 700 [m/s] en los casos de níquel sobre titanio y titanio sobre níquel). A distintas temperaturas, aumentó la energía de adhesión a mayores temperaturas, y a distintos ángulos de impacto (disminuyendo la adhesión con un mayor ángulo de impacto). Si bien, las velocidades críticas logradas para níquel y titanio resultaron menores que las estimadas por la literatura [15] [28] [29], los resultados de la literatura estudiaron la presencia de ASI, lo cual no implica adhesión. Por lo tanto, existe la posibilidad de que los resultados obtenidos en este trabajo de título sean ciertos, sólo necesitarían demostración experimental para confirmar las velocidades críticas.

Cold Spray is a solid-state additive manufacturing process that uses metallic feedstock powders to create layers on a substrate through plastic deformation. This process can be used for the repair of mechanical parts in the aerospace industry as well as for structural applications. Aluminum alloy powders, including Al 6061, 7075, 2024, and 5056, are typically used in this process as feedstock material. Since this process takes place all in the solid state, the properties and microstructure of the initial feedstock powder directly influence the properties of the final consolidated Cold Spray part. Given this, it is important to fully understand the internal powder microstructure, specifically the secondary phases as a function of thermal treatment. This work focuses on the understanding of the internal microstructure of Al 6061, 7075, 2024, and 5056 through the use of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry. Thermodynamic models were used to predict the phase stability in these powders and were calibrated using the experimental results to give a more complete understanding of the phase transformations during thermal processing.

La demande de capteurs de gaz performants simples, petits, et de faible coût est d'un grand intérêt si l'on prend en considération les problèmes de santé et d'environnement. C'est pourquoi nous avons décidé de développer la fabrication de couches minces d'oxydes métalliques semiconducteurs, qui présentent une bonne affinité vis-à-vis de beaucoup de gaz polluants, mais, qui, cependant, présentent un problème de sensibilité croisée et, qui, aussi, doivent fonctionner à températures élevées. Ces couches minces (SnO2, SnO2 dopé cuivre, WO3, In2O3, In2O3 dopé étain, ZnO) ont été déposées sur des plaquettes d'alumine recouverte partiellement de platine à l'aide d'une nouvelle technique de déposition: le Spray électrostatique, qui permet une grande flexibilité des paramètres de déposition (température, débit, vitesse du flux,…..). La Microscopie Electronique en Balayage et en Transmission ont révélé une nano structure homogène dont la morphologie présente la porosité désirée. Les analyses par Dispersion et Diffraction de Rayons X, ainsi que la spectroscopie Raman ont montré que ces couches minces ont obtenu la cristallinité désirée, ainsi qu'une bonne pureté, pour l'emploi en capteurs de gaz. Nous avons alors évalué les performances des couches minces pour la détection de différents gaz polluants de nature réductrice ou oxydante: H2S, SO2, NO2. De toutes les compositions étudiées, c'est l'oxyde d'étain dopé de 1% de cuivre (Cu-SnO2) qui s'est montré le plus sensible pour la détection de H2S, à basse température, sans présenter de sensibilité croisée aux deux autres gaz. Les couches minces d'oxyde de tungstène (WO3) présentent la meilleure sensibilité pour NO2, à 150°C, de toutes les compositions. Malheureusement, la réponse à NO2 interfère avec la réponse à H2S. Pour lever cette ambiguïté, on peut utiliser des couches minces d'oxyde de zinc (ZnO), qui présente une très grande sensibilité à NO2, par rapport à SO2 et H2S. Enfin, nous avons trouvé que toutes les compositions de couches minces étaient pratiquement insensibles à SO2. Sur la base de ces résultats, nous pouvons proposer la conception d'une matrice miniaturisée de capteurs permettant de détecter et de quantifier un mélange des gaz H2S/NO2 / The demand of simple, small, low cost and performing gas sensors for the detection of pollutant gases is of great interest taking into consideration the health and environmental problems. For this purpose we decided to develop thin films of metal oxide semiconductors which present a good affinity to many pollutant gases, but, which, however present a problem of cross-sensitivity and, additionally, which must work at elevated temperatures. These thin films (SnO2, Cu-doped SnO2, WO3, In2O3, Sn-doped In2O3 and ZnO) have been deposited on Pt- partially coated alumina using a novel innovative technique, i.e., Electrostatic Spray Deposition allowing easy deposition parameter (temperature, flow rate, time etc.) variation. Homogeneous, nano-structured films with desired porous morphology have been obtained as revealed by Scanning Electron Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy techniques. The microstructure studied using Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis, X-ray Diffraction respectively Raman spectroscopy methods showed that we have successfully obtained the desired crystallinity and a good purity of the films for gas sensor use. The sensing performance of the films to different oxidizing and reducing pollutant gases (H2S, SO2 and NO2) has been yet evaluated. From all the studied films, the 1% Cu-doped SnO2 ones proves to be the most sensitive for the detection of H2S at low operating temperatures and furthermore present no cross-sensitivity for the two other gases. WO3 films presents the highest sensitivity to NO2 at 150°C compared with all the other composition films, but unfortunately the NO2 response interferes with the H2S response. To avoid this ambiguity, we can use ZnO films, which present a very high sensitivity to NO2 compared to SO2 and H2S response. Additionally, all the films were almost insensitive to SO2. On the base of these results we can propose the conception of a competitive miniaturized sensor array dedicated to detect and to quantify a H2S/NO2 mixture

The effect of field margin management on crop yield and weed biomass in the crop edge (headland) was investigated. Treatment did not have any significant effect on cereal yields, and taking a one metre strip out of crop production to establish a sterile, natural regeneration or sown strip, did not significantly reduce yields compared to cropping to the field edge. Conservation headlands generally contained greater amounts of weed biomass than fully sprayed headlands, but grain yields were not significantly reduced. Soil compaction affected yield in one of the field experiments, but not the other, where soil density values were fairly uniform. No relationship was found between fertiliser application and yield. In a survey of cereal headlands, distance from the field boundary was the most important factor affecting yield. Where yield increased with distance from the field boundary, there was a strong linear relationship with log distance (P < 0.001). Weed dry matter was related to distance, and there was a significant relationship between weed dry matter and grain yield in the first year of the survey (p < 0.001), but not in the second. Communities of herbaceous field margin species were established, and the effects of nitrogen fertiliser and sublethal glyphosate application were examined over two years. Cover abundance of grasses was greater than that of dicotyledonous species throughout. Bromus sterilis was the most abundant species in 1995, but by 1996 it had been replaced by Arrhenatherum elatius. Increasing fertiliser rate had a negative effect on total vegetation cover in 1995, due to individual plants lodging. During 1996, fertiliser application increased the cover abundance of the dominant perennial species A. e/atius (p < 0.001), and also the annuals B. sterilis and Galium aparine (p < 0.05). Sublethal doses of glyphosate significantly reduced total cover abundance (P < 0.001), and had a greater effect on grasses compared to dicotyledonous species. Measurement of spray drift into a hedgerow showed that positioning the end of the tractormounted spray boom 2m or 6m away from the crop edge reduced drift into the hedgebottom compared with spraying up to the crop edge (P < 0.001).

The objective of the thesis is to understand the particle/substrate interaction of micron-sized High Purity (HP) aluminum (Al) powder particles with varying surface oxide/hydroxide layers, during single particle impact and determine the critical impact velocity (CIV). Advancements in analytical techniques enable in-situ supersonic impact of individual metallic micro-particles on substrates with micro-scale and nanosecond-level resolution. This novel capability allowed direct observation and measurement of a material-dependent threshold velocity, above which the particle underwent impact-induced material ejection and adhered to the substrate, (critical impact velocity). The data was then compared to empirical, as well as predicted values of the CIV from published data that were based upon theoretical iso-entropic fluid dynamics models. A major emphasis of this research was to perform, in-depth characterization of the Al powder in the as-received, gas atomized state and subsequent to controlled temperature and humidity exposure (designed to form a prescribed oxide and/or hydroxide surface layer) and finally after single particle impact. Analytical techniques including XPS, ICP, IGF, TEM and SEM were performed to determine the species of oxide and/or hydroxide, bulk chemical composition, oxygen content and thickness of the surface oxide/hydroxide layer. Finally, bulk samples of material were produced by the cold spray process, from powder representing select test groups and subsequently characterized to determine tensile and hardness properties, chemistry, microstructure and conductivity. A fundamental understanding of the role of surface oxidization in relationship to particle deformation during impact and the bonding mechanism will be applicable toward the development of optimized parameters for the cold spray (CS) process. Results from this study will aid in the development of industrial practices for producing, packaging and storing Al powders.

"Performance based methodologies are becoming increasingly common in fire safety due to the inability of prescriptive codes to account for every architectural feature. Fire Sprinkler suppression systems have long been used to provide property protection and enhance life safety. However, very few methodologies exist to account for the impact of sprinkler sprays on fire scenarios. Current methods are extremely complicated and difficult to use as an engineering tool for performance based design. Twenty four full scale fire tests were conducted at Tyco Fire Suppression & Building Products Global Technology Center to determine a simple method for accounting for the impact of a single residential sprinkler on fire induced doorway flows. It was found that a spraying sprinkler reduced the mass flows at the doorway while maintaining two stratified layers away from the sprinkler spray. The mass flow reduction was consistent and could be predicted through the use of a simple buoyancy based equation. The current study suggests that the buoyancy equation can be altered through the use of a constant cooling coefficient (equal to 0.84 for a Tyco LFII (TY2234) sprinkler) based on the test results reported in this paper. This study is a proof of concept and the results suggest the methodology can be applicable to similar situations."