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Metal alloy honeycomb structures were fabricated using a paste extrusion technique and characterized for potential application as interconnects in solid oxide fuel cells. Thermal expansion characteristics of Fe-Cr, Fe-Ni, Ni-Cr, Fe-Ni-Cr, and similar alloys containing an oxide dispersion were determined and compared with the thermal expansion behavior of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). A method was developed to calculate thermal expansion mismatch between two materials under a variety of heating and cooling conditions. It was shown that Fe 20 wt% Cr and Fe 47.5 wt% Ni alloys have low expansion mismatch with YSZ under a wide range of heating and cooling conditions. Oxidation experiments showed that Fe-Cr alloys have superior oxidation resistance in air at 700℃compared with Fe-Ni-Cr alloys with similar chromium contents. The inclusion of oxide dispersions (Y₂O₃ and CaO) into an alloy honeycomb was shown to improve oxidation resistance without affecting thermal expansion behavior. The honeycomb extrusion process provides a method by which experimental alloys can be produced and characterized rapidly to develop an alloy suitable for use as an interconnect in a solid oxide fuel cell.

Microscale bi-material lattices with near zero thermal expansion are designed to create a thermally stable optical surface for applications in a space telescope. To facilitate the design, the thermal expansion of a unit cell with spacers is derived analytically and validated via finite element studies. Predicting the lattice behaviour also requires knowledge of the constituent properties. To this end, molecular dynamics simulations are performed to determine the thermal expansion and recrystallization behaviour of aluminum and titanium thin films, and nanoindentation experiments are conducted to extract their elastic-plastic properties. Unit cell configurations giving near zero thermal expansion are obtained through iterative analysis. The resulting designs are analyzed and validated via finite element simulations and shown to exhibit long term stability.

Microscale bi-material lattices with near zero thermal expansion are designed to create a thermally stable optical surface for applications in a space telescope. To facilitate the design, the thermal expansion of a unit cell with spacers is derived analytically and validated via finite element studies. Predicting the lattice behaviour also requires knowledge of the constituent properties. To this end, molecular dynamics simulations are performed to determine the thermal expansion and recrystallization behaviour of aluminum and titanium thin films, and nanoindentation experiments are conducted to extract their elastic-plastic properties. Unit cell configurations giving near zero thermal expansion are obtained through iterative analysis. The resulting designs are analyzed and validated via finite element simulations and shown to exhibit long term stability.

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In this thesis, we aim to investigate the thermoresponsive behaviour, especially negative thermal expansion (NTE), in metal dicarboxylate metal organic frameworks (MOFs) using X-ray diffraction techniques. Four materials with the UiO-66 topology [Zr6O4(OH)4(bdc)12], [Zr6O6(bdc)12], [Zr6O6(bpdc)12] and [Zr6O6(2,6-ndc)12] (bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate, bpdc = 4,4’-biphenyldicarboxylate and 2,6-ndc = 2,6-napthalenedicarboxylate) were investigated, all of which contain a zero-dimensional inorganic cluster. All four members show NTE behaviour over the observed temperature ranges as a result of the twisting motion of the carboxylate groups of the organic linkers. This twisting motion introduces a concerted rocking motion within the inorganic cluster which causes an apparent decrease in the size of the cluster and hence overall volume contraction. Alteration of the structure of the organic linker has an effect on the magnitude of the expansivity coefficient which is believed to be related to the existence of specific vibrational modes of that particular organic linker. Four members of the MIL-53 family [Al(OH)(bdc)], [AlF(bdc)], [Cr(OH)(bdc)] and [VO(bdc)] were studied. All four materials show elements of NTE behaviour related to a “wine rack” thermo-mechanical mechanism which is determined by the connectivity of the framework. The thermoresponsive behaviour in these materials is dominated by the changes in the plane of the pore opening. These changes result from a combination of three distinct types of motion of the bdc linker including the rotation of the bdc linker about the chain of the inorganic octahedra, the “knee cap” bending mode of the carboxylate groups about the O-O vector and possibly the transverse vibrations within the bdc linker. The latter motion was not evident in this work due to the limitations of the structure refinements. The former two motions appear to be correlated and depend on the rigidity of the metal-centred octahedra which is determined by the constituent metal cation and anion types. The rigidity of the octahedra is also found to play an important role in determining whether the material undergoes a “breathing” phase transition at low temperature. [Sc2(bdc)3] shows NTE behaviour over the observed temperature range which is partially driven by a “wine rack” thermo-mechanical mechanism, but with an opposite framework compression direction when compared to the MIL-53 types MOFs. This is due to the presence of an additional bdc connecting linker in the plane of the pore opening. This extra connection inverses the compression direction and also impedes the structural changes in the plane of the pore opening. The contraction of the chain of inorganic octahedra is the main contributor to the overall unit cell contraction and is caused by the twisting motion of the carboxylate groups of the bdc linker while the magnitude of this contraction is determined by the flexibility of the chain of inorganic octahedra.

The purpose of the thesis is to create a model for an analysis of a steam conditioning valve whose function is to reduce the temperature of the steam using a spray water system. First of all, simulation of the fluid flow and heat transfer is done using CFD analysis. Then the results are used for thermal stress calculation.

Analytic and computational micromechanics techniques based on the composite cylinders method and the finite element method, respectively, have been used to determine the effective coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of carbon nanotube-epoxy nanocomposites containing aligned nanotubes. Both techniques have been used in a parametric study of the influence of interphase stiffness and interphase CTE on the effective CTE of the nanocomposites.  For both the axial and transverse CTE of aligned nanotube nanocomposites with and without interphase regions, the computational and analytic micromechanics techniques were shown to give similar results.  The Mori-Tanka method has been used to account for the effect of randomly oriented fibers.   Analytic and computational micromechanics techniques have also been used to assess the effects of clustering and clustering with interphase on the effective CTE components.  Clustering is observed to have a minimal impact on the effective axial CTE of the nanocomposite and a 3-10%.  However, there is a combined effect with clustering and one of the interphase layers. / Master of Science

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