O presente trabalho trata do estudo, análise, construção e teste de uma nova configuração para um atuador planar. O dispositivo, que apresenta uma movimentação sobre o plano com dois graus de liberdade a partir de um único dispositivo de tração, é formado por um carro, também chamado de primário, que apresenta dois enrolamentos trifásicos independentes, ortogonais entre si, montados em um núcleo ranhurado de material compósito magneticamente macio de grão isolado; e por um estator, também chamado de secundário, formado por uma chapa de alumínio plana montada sobre um núcleo ferromagnético igualmente plano, formando a área de trabalho ou de movimentação do primário. Através de um acionamento trifásico, os enrolamentos produzem campos magnéticos viajantes, fazendo com que correntes elétricas induzidas apareçam nos materiais eletricamente condutores do secundário. A interação entre os campos magnéticos e as correntes induzidas proporciona o aparecimento de uma força planar de propulsão na direção do campo magnético viajante, responsável pelo deslocamento do primário sobre a área de trabalho, definida pelo secundário. O atuador apresenta uma distribuição espacial da densidade de fluxo magnético em toda a sua estrutura. Este trabalho preocupa-se em analisar analítica, numérica e experimentalmente os fenômenos eletromagnéticos envolvidos, tanto em regime estático como dinâmico. O emprego de duas configurações para o secundário, utilizados separadamente, é investigado: no caso 1 é montado um núcleo de material ferromagnético sobre o qual é colocada uma chapa de alumínio; já no caso 2, é retirado o alumínio do conjunto, mantendo-se o mesmo material ferromagnético, a saber, aço maciço 1020. Uma análise estática e dinâmica, a partir do método dos elementos finitos tornou possível a verificação da densidade de fluxo magnético no entreferro e da distribuição da densidade de corrente elétrica induzidas nos materiais do secundário em função da excitação trifásica dos enrolamentos do primário, bem como a obtenção dos seus efeitos sobre a força planar de propulsão, considerando as duas configurações propostas para o estator. Além disso, pode-se comparar esses resultados, direta ou indiretamente, como os resultados analíticos e experimentais obtidos. Esses resultados apontam que existem diferenças significativas na utilização das duas configurações, indicando que o caso 1, quando utilizado de maneira adequada no sistema, produz uma melhor resposta de força em função da excitação elétrica. / The present work presents the study, analysis, implementation and test of a new type of planar actuator, the induction planar actuator with orthogonal windings. The device, which presents movement over the plan with two degrees of freedom from a unique traction device, is formed by a car, also called primary, which presents two three-phase independent winding, orthogonal among each other, assembled on a slotted core made of grain insulated soft magnetic composite material and by a stator, also called secondary, formed by an aluminum plate assembled over a plan ferromagnetic core equally plan, forming a work area or of primary movement. Through the three-phase operation drive, the windings produce traveling magnetic fields, having the electric induced current to appear at the electrically conductor materials of the secondary. The interaction between the magnetic fields and the induced currents provides the appearance of a planar traction force towards the traveling magnetic field, responsible for the displacement of the primary over the work area, defined by the secondary. The actuator presents magnetic flow density spatial distribution in all its structure. This paper is concerned about analyzing analytically, numerically and experimentally the phenomena involved as in steady as dynamic state. The employment of two settings to the secondary used separately is argued: in case 1 a ferromagnetic core is assembled over which is placed an aluminum plate; in case 2 the aluminum is taken off the setting, maintaining the same ferromagnetic material (steel 1020). Dynamic and statics analysis, from the finite elements method, made the verification of the magnetic flux density possible in the air gap and the distribution of the electric current density induced on the material of the secondary due to the three-phase excitation of the winding of the primary, as well as the obtainment of its effects over the planar traction force, regarding the two settings proposed for the stator. Besides, it’s possible to compare these results, direct or indirectly as analytical and experimental results obtained. These results point the there are meaningful differences at both settings, indicating that case 1, when used adequately in the system, produces better force response due to the electric excitation.

Die Zellform ist wichtig für die Ausübung der Zellfunktion und spielt darüberhinaus eine essenzielle Rolle bei der Entwicklung eines Zellhaufens zu einem mehrzelligen Organismus. Dabei wird die Zellform neben biochemischen auch von biophysikalischen Prozessen beeinflusst: Zellkräfte sind ebenso beteiligt wie räumliche Einschränkung. Der Umfang der Wechselwirkung zwischen Umgebung, Zellform und Zellfunktion ist jedoch im Detail oft unverstanden. Ziel dieser Arbeit war daher, eine umfassende Charakterisierung von Zellen in räumlicher Einschränkung durchzuführen, um Aussagen zur Beeinflussung von Zellmorphologie und der Kraftentwicklung zu gewinnen. In dieser Arbeit wurde die Reaktion humaner Primärzellen (HUVECs) auf laterale Einschränkung untersucht. Die Zellen wurden dafür sowohl auf Glas- als auch auf Hydrogel-Substraten kultiviert, die mittels Mikrokontaktdruck von Fibronektin mit Streifenmustern im Breitenbereich von 5μm bis 80μm strukturiert worden waren. Die Zellen wurden nach der Phase der initialen Adhäsion (> 1 h) hinsichtlich ihrer allgemeinen Morphologie, des Erscheinungsbildes ihres Aktinskeletts und ihres Zellzugkraftverhaltens quantitativ beschrieben. Zusätzlich erfolgten Lebendzellmessungen, um die Dynamik des Aktinskeletts und der Zellzugkräfte zu charakterisieren. Die laterale Einschränkung führte zur strukturellen und funktionellen Adaption der Zellen. Da die Zelllänge nur geringfügig von der Streifenbreite abhing, kam es durch die seitliche Einschränkung zu einer Flächenabnahme bei gleichzeitiger Erhöhung des Zellseitenverhältnisses, wovon auch der Zellkern betroffen war. Die Ausrichtung der Aktinfasern korrelierte stark mit der Zellelongation und Zellen auf schmalen Streifen zeigten ein geringer vernetztes Aktinskelett. Messungen der Aktindynamik ergaben einen einwärts gerichteten Transport von Stressfasern. Weiterhin wurde eine Abnahme der Zugkräfte mit zunehmender Einschränkung gemessen, während gleichzeitig eine Polarisierung der Zugkräfte stattfand. Das beobachtete Verhalten der struktur- und funktionsbezogenen Zellparameter konnte gut durch die laterale Einschränkung erklärt werden, sodass die vorliegende Arbeit zu einem besseren Verständnis der Zellanpassung an räumliche Einschränkung beitragen konnte. / Proper cell shape is a precondition for the proper performance of specialized cells and changes of cell shape are paramount for the development from a cell cluster to an adult organism. Cell shape can be regulated biochemically and also biophysically, e. g., by involvement of cellular force generation and spatial confinement. However, the understanding of the interaction between exterior space, cellular form, and function is incomplete. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to thoroughly characterize cells in spatial confinement in order to better understand how cell morphology and force generation can be linked. During the course of this work, the adaptation of human primary cells (HUVECs) to lateral constraints was investigated. Cells were seeded on both glass and hydrogel substrates which had been micropatterned with fibronectin by microcontact printing. The structures were composed of stripes with varying width (5–80 μm). After initial adhesion had taken place (> 1 h), cell morphology, actin cytoskeleton architecture, and cell traction forces were quantified. In addition, measurements were performed on live cells in order to better understand the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton and the cell traction forces. Laterally confined cells showed both structural and functional changes. Because cell length was only weakly dependent on stripe width, cells in strong lateral confinement were highly elongated and had decreased spread areas, which also affected the nucleus. The orientation of actin fibers was strongly linked to cell elongation. In cells on narrow stripes, a reduced actin cytoskeleton was observed, i.e., with a lower degree of interconnectivity. Time resolved analysis revealed an inward transport of actin fibers. Furthermore, cell force generation was shown to be impaired on narrow stripes, most likely due to decreased cell spread area. At the same time, force polarization strongly increased in cells in strong lateral confinement. This study demonstrated how various cellular parameters, both linked to cell structure and function, are influenced by lateral confinement and by each other, thereby contributing to a better understanding of cell adaptation to spatial constraint.

Les forces mécaniques, générées par la cellule jouent un rôle crucial dans l'adhésion cellulaire, qui est un processus commun à un grand nombre de lignées cellulaires. Afin de mesurer la champ des forces pendant l'adhérence cellulaire, nous utilisons la microscopie de force de traction, où la cellule adhère à la surface plane d'un substrat souple dans le plan. Les forces sont calculées à partir du champ de déplacement mesuré à l'intérieur du substrat sous la cellule. Nous avons construit le microscope, dans lequel nous utilisons des billes sphériques en polystyrène pour mesurer le champ de déplacement. Les positions des marqueurs sont obtenues en analysant I' image interférentielle des particules. Avec cette technique, nous atteignons une précision nanométrique sur le champ de déplacement des particules, ce qui nous permet d'améliorer la résolution en force de ce type de microscope. Les premières mesures ont été effectuées avec la lignée de cellules cancéreuses SW 480. / Mechanical forces, generated by the cell plays crucial role in cell adhesion - common process for different cell lines. ln order to measure the force map during cellular adhesion, we use Traction Force Microscopy (TFM), where cell adheres to the soft substrate in 20 plane, and the forces are calculated from measured displacement field inside the substrate underneath the cell. We built the microscope, where instead of using fluorescent markers, we use spherical polystyrene beads in order to measure the displacement field. Positions of the markers are obtained by analyzing the interference pattern caused by the beads in bright-field light. With this technique, we reach nanometer accuracy of the microsphere position determination, that, respectively, influence accuracy of the calculated force field. With the microscope first measurements were performed with cancer cell line SW 480.

Economic utilization of geothermal networks under agricultural surfaces needs large agricultural areas. In order to exploit the cultivated land more effectively, this paper proposes a novel locally vibrating plough system that employs a hydraulic actuator direct on the plough blade instead of the state of the art external vibration units. Starting with a description of geothermal networks under agricultural surfaces and the construction technology in details, the contribution shows different concepts, the development and test of the most promising solution for imprinting local vibrations at the cutting edge with the goal of traction force reduction. A virtual demonstrator, the test rig set-up and the control concepts are described. Both of the closed-loop simulation and experimental position control of the entire vibration system demonstrate that the novel design has impressive performance improvement. Finally, the integration of the vibration system into a prototype tool is shown and the reduction of the traction force is proven by experiments carried out with a tractor on a testing field.