Polymer extrusion is an energy intensive process whereby the simultaneous action of viscous shear and thermal conduction are used to convert solid polymer to a melt which can be formed into a shape. To optimise efficiency, a homogeneous melt is required with minimum consumption of process energy. In this work, in-process monitoring techniques have been used to characterise the thermal dynamics of the single screw extrusion process with real-time quantification of energy consumption. Thermocouple grid sensors were used to measure radial melt temperatures across the melt flow at the entrance to the extruder die. Moreover, an infrared sensor flush mounted at the end of the extruder barrel was used to measure non-invasive melt temperature profiles across the width of the screw channel in the metering section of the extruder screw. Both techniques were found to provide useful information concerning the thermal dynamics of the extrusion process; in particular this application of infrared thermometry could prove useful for industrial extrusion process monitoring applications. Extruder screw geometry and extrusion variables should ideally be tailored to suit the properties of individual polymers but in practise this is rarely achieved due the lack of understanding. Here, LDPE, LLDPE, three grades of HDPE, PS, PP and PET were extruded using three geometries of extruder screws at several set temperatures and screw rotation speeds. Extrusion data showed that polymer rheology had a significant effect on the thermal efficiency on the extrusion process. In particular, melt viscosity was found to have a significant effect on specific energy consumption and thermal homogeneity of the melt. Extruder screw geometry, set extrusion temperature and screw rotation speed were also found to have a direct effect on energy consumption and melt consistency. Single flighted extruder screws exhibited poorer temperature homogeneity and larger fluctuations than a barrier flighted screw with a spiral mixer. These results highlighted the importance of careful selection of processing conditions and extruder screw geometry on melt homogeneity and process efficiency. Extruder scale was found to have a significant influence on thermal characteristics due to changes in surface area of the screw, barrel and heaters which consequently affect the effectiveness of the melting process and extrusion process energy demand. In this thesis, the thermal and energy characteristics of two single screw extruders were compared to examine the effect of extruder scale and processing conditions on measured melt temperature and energy consumption. Extrusion thermal dynamics were shown to be highly dependent upon extruder scale whilst specific energy consumption compared more favourably, enabling prediction of a process window from lab to industrial scale within which energy efficiency can be optimised. Overall, this detailed experimental study has helped to improve understanding of the single screw extrusion process, in terms of thermal stability and energy consumption. It is hoped that the findings will allow those working in this field to make more informed decisions regarding set conditions, screw geometry and extruder scale, in order to improve the efficiency of the extrusion process. / Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

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yes / Maintaining appropriate levels of disc-pad interface temperature is critical for the overall operating effectiveness of disc brakes and implicitly the safety of the vehicle. Measurement and prediction of the distribution and magnitude of brake friction interface temperatures are difficult. A thermocouple method with an exposed hot junction configuration is used for interface temperature measurement in this study. Factors influencing the magnitude and distribution of interface temperature are discussed. It is found that there is a strong correlation between the contact area ratio and the interface maximum temperature. Using a designed experiment approach, the factors affecting the interface temperature, including the number of braking applications, sliding speed, braking load and type of friction material were studied. It was found that the number of braking applications affects the interface temperature the most. The real contact area between the disc and pad, i.e. pad regions where the bulk of the kinetic energy is dissipated via friction, has significant effect on the braking interface temperature. For understanding the effect of real contact area on local interface temperatures and friction coefficient, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is conducted. It is found that the maximum temperature at the friction interface does not increase linearly with decreasing contact area ratio. This finding is potentially significant in optimising the design and formulation of friction materials for stable friction and wear performance.

No / Polymer extrusion is an energy intensive process, which is often run at less than optimal conditions. The extrusion process consists of gradual melting of solid polymer by thermal conduction and viscous shearing between a rotating screw and a barrel; as such it is highly dependent upon the frictional, thermal and rheological properties of the polymer. Extruder screw geometry and extrusion variables should ideally be tailored to suit the properties of individual polymers, but in practice this is rarely achieved due to the lack of understanding of the process. Here, in-process monitoring techniques have been used to characterise the thermal dynamics of the extrusion process. Novel thermocouple grid sensors have been used to measure melt temperature fields within flowing polymer melts at the entrance to an extruder die in conjunction with infra-red thermometers and real-time quantification of energy consumption. A commercial grade of polyethylene has been examined using three extruder screw geometries at different extrusion operating conditions to understand the process efficiency. Extruder screw geometry, screw rotation speed and set temperature were found to have a significant effect on the thermal homogeneity of the melt and process energy consumed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thesis (MScEng (Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Regulators and designers of nuclear reactors regard knowledge of the pebble fuel temperature as important, due to the role that it plays in maintaining structural integrity and the production of neutrons. By using special fuel assemblies fitted with measuring equipment it is possible to measure the fuel temperature in stationary fuel reactors. This, however, is not possible in the pebble bed modular reactor due to its dynamic core. Designers of the pebble bed modular reactor have reserved special inspection channel borings inside the center reflector for fuel temperature measurement. By means of optical fibers and interferometry, the temperature can be measured inside such a channel. Currently the only way to control the fuel surface and core temperature is by measuring the gas inlet and outlet temperatures. This thesis attempts to determine the pebble temperature by measuring the temperature in a reflector channel. This is done by constructing an electrically heated pebble bed experimental setup simulating a cutout section of a pebble bed modular reactor core. An additional computational fluid dynamics simulation of the experimental setup was also performed. This thesis also attempts to determine if there is a measureable temperature peak that can indicate where a pebble was in contact with the reflector surface. This could then be used in future studies to determine the pebble fuel velocity as it moves down the reactor core. The computational fluid dynamics results were validated by experimental measurements. In the computational fluid dynamics model and experimental setup, it was found that there was indeed a measureable temperature difference on the temperature gradient along the reflector wall. The heat being conducted away from the pebble through the contact area can explain this. These differences were only observed when the channel was moved closer to the pebbles and it is therefore advised that some redesigning of the channel should be done if the in-core temperature is to be accurately interpreted by the designers at PBMR (Pty) Ltd. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Reguleerders en ontwerpers van kern reaktore beskou die kennis van die korrel brandstof temperatuur as belangrik. Dit is weens die rol wat die brandstof temperatuur speel met die behoud van strukturele integriteit en die produksie van neutrone binne-in die reaktor. Met behulp van spesiale brandstof montasies toegerus met die meetings instrumentasie, is dit moontlik om die brandstof temperatuur in stilstaande brandstof reaktore te meet. Dit is egter nie moontlik in die korrel bed modulêre reaktor nie, as gevolg van sy dinamiese kern. Ontwerpers van die korrel bed modulêre reaktor het spesiale kanale in die binnekant van die middel reflektor vir brandstof temperatuur meeting gereseveer. Deur middel van optiese vesel en interferometrie, kan die temperatuur binne so 'n kanaal gemeet word. Tans is die enigste manier om die brandstof-oppervlak temperatuur te berekern, net moontlik deur gebruik te maak van die gemete gas inlaat-en uitlaat temperature van die reaktor. Hierdie tesis poog om vas te stel of die korrel brandstof temperatuur deur die meet van die oppervlak temperatuur in 'n reflektor-kanaal bepaal kan word. Dit word gedoen deur 'n elektriese verhitte korrel bed eksperimentele opstelling te bou wat 'n gedeelte van 'n korrel bed modulêre reaktor simuleer. 'n Bykomende numeriese simulasie van die eksperimentele opstelling was ook uitgevoer. Hierdie werk het ook probeer om vas te stel of daar 'n meetbare temperatuur piek op die temperatuur profiel aandui kan word waar 'n korrel in kontak is met die reflektor se oppervlak. Dit kan dan in toekomstige studies gebruik word om te bepaal wat die korrel brandstof spoed was soos dit in die reaktor beweeg. Die numerise simulasie uitslae was deur eksperimentele metings bevestig. In die numerise simulasie model en die eksperimentele opstelling, is daar gevind dat daar inderdaad 'n meetbare temperatuur verskil op die temperatuurgradiënt teen die reflektor oppervlak is. Dit kan verduidelik word as gevolg van die hitte wat weg van die korrel gelei word deur middel van die kontak area. Hierdie verskille was slegs waargeneem wanneer die kanaal nader aan die korrels geskuif is en dit word as n aanbeveling aan PBMR (Pty) Ltd gemaak om sommige herontwerpe aan die kanaal te doen indien die in-kerntemperatuur gemeet wil word en akkuraat geinterpreteer wil word.

The development of state-of-the-art AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) has shown much promise for advancing future RF and microwave communication systems. These revolutionary devices demonstrate great potential and superior performance and many commercial companies have demonstrated excellent reliability results based on multiple temperature accelerated stress testing. However, a physical understanding of the various reliability limiting mechanisms is lacking and the role and relative contribution of the various intrinsic material factors, such as physical stress and strain has not been clearly explained in the literature. Part of issues that impact device reliability are the mechanical stresses induced in the devices as well as the self-heating that also limit device performance. Thus, quantification of stress and temperature in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs is of great importance. To address some of the needs for metrology to quantify stress in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs, micro-Raman spectroscopy and micro-photoluminescence (micro-PL) were utilized to quantify the residual stress in these devices. Through the use of micro-Raman and micro-PL optical characterization methods, mapping of the vertical and lateral stress distributions in the device channels was performed. Results show that stress can be influenced by the substrate material as well as patterned structures including metal electrodes and passivation layers. Previously developed and reported micro-Raman thermometry methods require an extensive calibration process for each device investigated. To improve the implementation of micro-Raman thermometry, a method was developed which offers both experimental simplicity and high accuracy in temperature results utilizing a universal calibration method that can be applied to a broad range of GaN based devices. This eliminates the need for performing calibration on different devices. By utilizing this technique, it was revealed that under identical power dissipation levels, the bias conditions (combination of Vgs and Vds) alter the heat generation profile across the conductive channel and thus influence the degree of device peak temperature. The role of stress in the degradation of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs was also explored. A combined analysis using micro-Raman spectroscopy, coupled electro-thermo-mechanical simulation, and electrical step stress tests was conducted to investigate the link between performance degradation and the evolution of total stress in devices. It was found that in addition to stresses arising from the inverse piezoelectric effect, the substrate induced residual stress and the operational themo-elastic stress in the AlGaN layer play a major role in determining the onset of mechanically driven device degradation. Overall, these experiments were the first to suggest that a critical level of stress may exist at which point device degradation will start to occur. The optical characterization methods developed in this study show the ability to reveal unprecedented relationships between temperature/stress and device performance/reliability. They can be used as effective tools for facilitating improvement of the reliability of future AlGaN/GaN HEMTs.

Optical fibre sensors are employed in the measurements of a number of different physical properties or for event detection in safety and security systems. In those environments which suffer from electromagnetic disturbance, in harsh environments where electronics cannot survive and in applications in favour of distributed detection, fibre-optic sensors have found natural areas of use. In some cases they have replaced conventional electronic sensors due to better performance and long-term reliability, but in others they have had less success mainly due to the higher costs which are often involved in fibre-optic sensor systems. Intensity modulated fibre-optic sensors normally require only low-cost monitoring systems principally based on light emitting diodes and photodiodes. The sensor principle itself is very elemental when based on coupling between fibres, and coupling based intensity modulated sensors have been utilised over a long period of time, mainly within displacement and vibration sensing. For distributed sensing based on intensity modulation, optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) systems with customised sensor cables have been used in the detection of heat, water leakage and hydrocarbon fluid spills. In this thesis, new concepts for intensity modulated fibre-optic sensors based on coupling between fibres are presented, analysed, simulated and experimentally verified. From a low-cost and standard component perspective, alternative designs are proposed and analysed using modulation function simulations and measurements, in order to find an improved performance. Further, the development and installation of a temperature sensor system for industrial process monitoring is presented, involving aspects with regards to design, calibration, multiplexing and fibre network installation. The OTDR is applied as an efficient technique for multiplexing several coupling based sensors, and sensor network installation with blown fibre in microducts is proposed as a flexible and cost-efficient alternative to traditional cabling. As a solution to alignment issues in coupling based sensors, a new displacement sensor configuration based on a fibre to a multicore fibre coupling and an image sensor readout system is proposed. With this concept a high-performance sensor setup with relaxed alignment demands and a large measurement range is realised. The sensor system performance is analysed theoretically with complete system simulations, and an experimental setup is made based on standard fibre and image acquisition components. Simulations of possible error contributions show that the experimental performance limitation is mainly related to differences between the modelled and the real coupled power distribution. An improved power model is suggested and evaluated experimentally, showing that the experimental performance can be improved down towards the theoretical limit of 1 μm. The potential of using filled side-hole fibres and polarisation analysis for point and distributed detection of temperature limits is investigated as a complement to existing fibre-optic heat detection systems. The behaviour and change in birefringence at the liquid/solid phase transition temperature for the filler substance is shown and experimentally determined for side-hole fibres filled with water solutions and a metal alloy, and the results are supported by simulations. A point sensor for on/off temperature detection based on this principle is suggested. Further the principles of distributed detection by measurements of the change in beat length are demonstrated using polarisation OTDR (POTDR) techniques. It is shown that high-resolution techniques are required for the fibres studied, and side-hole fibres designed with lower birefringence are suggested for future studies in relation to the distributed application. / Fiberoptiska sensorer används för mätning av ett antal olika fysikaliska parametrar eller för händelsedetektering i larm- och säkerhetssystem. I miljöer med elektromagnetiska störningar, i andra besvärliga miljöer där elektronik inte fungerar samt i tillämpningar där distribuerade sensorer är att föredra, har fiberoptiska lösningar funnit naturliga applikationer. I vissa fall har de ersatt konventionella elektroniska sensorer på grund av bättre prestanda och tillförlitlighet, medan de i andra sammanhang har haft mindre framgång huvudsakligen på grund av den i många fall högre kostnaden för fiberoptiska sensorsystem. Intensitetsmodulerade fiberoptiska sensorer kräver normalt endast billiga utläsningssystem huvudsakligen baserade på lysdioder och fotodioder. Principen för sådana sensorer baserade på koppling mellan fibrer är mycket enkel, och denna typ av sensorer har haft tillämpningar under en lång tid, främst inom mätning av positionsförändring och vibrationer. För distribuerade intensitetsmodulerade sensorer har system baserade på optisk tidsdomän-reflektometer (OTDR) och skräddarsydda sensorkablar funnit tillämpningar i detektion av värme/brand, vattenläckage och kolvätebaserade vätskor. I denna avhandling presenteras, simuleras, testas och utvärderas praktiskt några nya koncept för kopplingsbaserade intensitetsmodulerade fiberoptiska sensorer. Från ett lågkostnads- och standardkomponentperspektiv föreslås och analyseras alternativa lösningar för förbättrad prestanda. Utveckling och installation av en temperatursensor för en industriell tillämpning, innehållande aspekter på sensormultiplexering och nätverksbyggande, behandlas. OTDR-teknik används som en effektiv metod för multiplexering av flera kopplingsbaserade sensorer, och installation av sensornätverk genom användning av blåsfiberteknik och mikrodukter föreslås som ett flexibelt och kostnadseffektivt alternativ till traditionell kabelinstallation. Som en lösning på förekommande upplinjeringsproblem för kopplingsbaserade sensorer, föreslås en ny sensorkonfiguration baserad på koppling mellan en fiber och en multikärnefiber/fiberarray och med ett bildsensorsystem för detektering. Med detta koncept kan ett högpresterande, upplinjeringsfritt sensorsystem med ett stort mätområde åstadkommas. Sensorsystemets prestanda har analyserats teoretiskt med kompletta systemsimuleringar, och en experimentell uppställning baserad på standardfiber och en kamera av standardtyp har gjorts. Simuleringar av möjliga felbidrag visar att systemets experimentella prestanda främst begränsas av skillnader mellan den modellerade och den verkliga optiska effektfördelningen. En förbättrad modell för effektfördelningen föreslås och utvärderas experimentellt. Det visas att prestanda är möjlig att förbättra ner mot den teoretiska gräns på 1 μm som erhållits vid systemsimuleringar. Möjligheterna att använda fyllda hålfibrer och polarisationskänslig mätning för detektering av temperaturgränser studeras i syfte att komplettera befintliga fiberoptiska värmedetektorsystem. Förändringen i fiberns dubbelbrytning vid övergångstemperaturen mellan vätske- och fast fas för ämnet i hålen visas och bestäms experimentellt för hålfibrer fyllda med vattenlösningar respektive en metallegering, och resultaten understöds också av simuleringar. En punktsensor för temperaturdetektering baserad på denna princip föreslås. Vidare visas principerna för distribuerad detektering genom registrering av förändringen i dubbelbrytning med polarisations-OTDR (POTDR). Det visas att OTDR-teknik med hög spatial upplösning behövs för övervakning av de studerade fibrerna, och hålfibrer utformade med lägre dubbelbrytning föreslås för framtida studier av tillämpningen.

Le travail présenté dans cette thèse est une contribution pour progresser vers des mesures thermiques plus quantitatives. Il s'agit de mesurer la température par la technique RIF de l'émission verte. Les travaux réalisés dans ce mémoire s'articulent en trois étapes. Au départ nous avons mesuré la température d'échauffement d'un cristal massif Sr0.3Cd0.7F2 codopés Er3+/Yb3+ d'épaisseur 0.3 mm. L'échauffement induit par l'excitation des ions Yb3+ à 974.4 nm a été mesurée à une distance (d) au bord de cristal, par l'émission verte des ions Er3+ excité par le laser rouge (652 nm) au bord du cristal. La seconde étape a eu pour but la mesure de la température d'échauffement du même cristal précédent, mais en dimension microscopique. Ces microparticules fluorescentes ont été fixées à l'extrémité d'une sonde thermique de Wollaston. L'échauffement des microparticules se fait par une excitation laser rouge à 652 nm ou par effet Joule en parcourant un courant électrique dans la sonde thermorésistive. La troisième étape a eu pour principal objectif la mesure de la température à l'échelle micrométrique en utilisant un microscope à force atomique (AFM) sur lequel est montée une sonde thermorésistive munie à son extrémité d'une microparticule fluorescente de Sr0.3Cd0.7F2 codopée Er3+/Yb3+ de 15 µm utilisée comme capteur de température. La technique est basée sur la variation de l'intensité de la fluorescence de la microparticule en contact avec une surface chaude. Cette nouvelle technique nous a permis d'obtenir une image cartographique de la température d'un microsystème, composé de lignes chauffantes submicroniques, chauffé par effet Joule. / The work presented in this thesis is a contribution to progress towards more quantitative thermal measurements. This is to measure the temperature by RIF technique green emission. The work in this thesis is divided into three stages. Initially we measured the temperature rise of a massive crystal Sr0.3Cd0.7F2 codoped Er3 + / Yb3 + 0.3 mm thick. The heat induced by the excitation of Yb3 + ions to 974.4 nm was measured at a distance (d) at the edge of crystal, the green emission of the Er3 + ions excited by red laser (652 nm) at the edge of the crystal.The second step was designed to measure the temperature of the heating of the same previous crystal, but in microscopic dimensions. These fluorescent microparticles were attached to the end of a thermal probe Wollaston. The temperature rise of the microparticles is by a red laser excitation at 652 nm or by Joule effect through an electric current in the probe thermorésistive.The third step was the main aim of measuring the temperature using a micrometric scale atomic force microscope (AFM) on which is mounted at its end provided with one of a fluorescent microparticle thermorésistive probe Sr0.3Cd0.7F2 codoped Er 3 + / Yb 3 + 15 microns used as a temperature sensor. The technique is based on the change in fluorescence intensity of the microparticle in contact with a hot surface. This new technique allowed us to obtain a map image of the temperature of a microsystem consisting of submicron heating lines, heated by Joule effect.

This thesis is treating the modelling of a thermocouple (tc) to compensate forheat transfers due to convection, radiation and conduction when performingtemperature measurements in an SI-engine. An experiment plan was developedwhich covered experiments in an stc-rig and on a 4-cylinder SI-engine. The measurementsin the stc-rig was mainly to develop the model, while the measurementsin the engine lab was mainly to examine the characteristics of the engineand evaluate the modelled tc.Measurements with an exposed thin tip tc in the stc-rig showed a symmetricaltemperature profile in the pipe. By examining how the 1.5 mm tc behaved inthis environment with known gas temperature profile, the obtained knowledgecould be applied to cross-sectional measurements in the SI-engine. It was foundthat the temperature profile in the engine deviated from the temperature profilemeasured in the stc-rig. The temperature was higher near the top of the pipethan in the center and lower part. In the horizontal direction, the temperaturewas found to be constant.Conclusions drawn from measurements in the engine lab points to that the crosssectionaltemperature and mass flow profiles have a strong connection with theengine’s operation point. The cross-sectional profiles, along with respective profileover time, is crucial when estimating the energy content of an exhaust gaspulse.The inverted sensor model with optimized parameters could estimate the meanvalue of the measured gas temperature during stationary runs within 6 degC.