Compiling comprehensive understanding of all the available natural resources is an important task which should be carried out as it holds a crucial role for the next generation’s lives. In particular, groundwater is considered as one of the vital resources in providing essential drinking water. Krycklan catchment is a well-monitored catchment in Sweden that is characterized with almost 30% of the world’s forest cover and it has a range of data sets stored from 1920. A numerical model with several observational constrains is used in this study to investigate the groundwater flow circulation. The numerical model is developed with Visual MODFLOW Flex 6.1 software to investigate the temporal effects of the climate condition on the groundwater flow of the Krycklan catchment through a transient-state condition. Daily precipitation and daily evapotranspiration data along with stream data are used to represent the climatic boundary conditions. The impact of climatic condition on groundwater flow was investigated using two different metrices: groundwater level, and groundwater flow travel time reaching the stream network. The results clearly indicated the variability in groundwater level due to the impact of climatic condition in which the winter and summer months have the highest and lowest groundwater levels, respectively. In addition, the particles tracing results show that physical characteristics of the stream channel substantially influence the shallow groundwater travel time.

The aromatic amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine have been extensively used for different label-free protein studies. These investigations extract information on protein conformations and interactions from the emitted fluorescence's intensity, wavelength, and/or polarization. Like most fluorescent organic compounds, these amino acids also undergo transitions into dark meta-stable states, including triplet and photo-radical states. These transitions are notably sensitive to the surrounding environment, offering an additional set of parameters that reflect the protein's interactions, folding states, and immediate surroundings. Transient State (TRAST) monitoring has been developed to quantify fluorophore transition dynamics by recording the average fluorescence intensity in response to a modulated excitation. In this work, we performed TRAST experiments to investigate tyrosine autofluorescence and used it to detect conformational changes in calmodulin, a calcium-binding protein containing two tyrosine residues. A photophysical model for tyrosine was established, and it was revealed how tyrosine's dark state transitions changed with excitation intensity, solvent pH, and redox conditions. The TRAST experiments demonstrated that tyrosine's dark state transitions could serve as valuable information sources for label-free analyses of protein conformations and interactions. / De aromatiska aminosyrorna tryptofan, tyrosin och fenylalanin har använts i stor utsträckning för olika inmärkningsfria proteinstudier. Dessa undersökningar extraherar information om proteinkonformationer och interaktioner från den emitterade fluorescens intensiteten, dess våglängd och/eller polarisering. Liksom de flesta fluorescerande organiska föreningar genomgår dessa aminosyror också övergångar till mörka metastabila tillstånd, inklusive triplett- och fotoradikaltillstånd. Dessa övergångar är särskilt känsliga för den omgivande miljön, och erbjuder en extra uppsättning parametrar som återspeglar proteinets interaktioner, vikningstillstånd och omedelbara omgivningar. Transient State (TRAST) monitorering har utvecklats för att kvantifiera fluoroforövergångsdynamik genom att registrera den genomsnittliga fluorescensintensiteten som svar på en modulerad excitation. I detta arbete utförde vi TRAST-experiment för att undersöka tyrosinautofluorescens och använde den för att detektera konformationsförändringar i calmodulin, ett kalciumbindande protein som innehåller två tyrosiner. En fotofysikalisk modell för tyrosin etablerades, och hur tyrosins mörka tillståndsövergångar förändrades med excitationsintensitet, lösningsmedels pH och redoxförhållanden kunde faststållas. TRAST- experimenten visade att tyrosins mörka tillståndsövergångar kan fungera som värdefulla informationskällor för inmärkningsfria analyser av proteinkonformationer och interaktioner.

Ce travail traite une investigation systématique des performances du procédé membranaire cyclique par séparation gazeuse. Premièrement, l'état de l'art du procédé membranaire cyclique, les problèmes techniques et la modélisation du transfert à travers la membrane ont été exposés. Deuxièmement, les études théoriques et expérimentales existantes sur le procédé cyclique sont passées en revue. Selon la durée de pression haute et sa fraction dans un cycle, ce genre d'opération est divisé en deux classes: classes courte et longue. D'après cette classification, une analyse systématique de l'intérêt potentiel de la classe courte par rapport aux performances d'une opération en régime permanent a été accomplie par des simulations et optimisations numériques. Par ailleurs, afin d'améliorer la performance, l'usage du MMM dans un tel procédé a été discuté. En parallèle à l'étude sur la classe courte, une nouvelle conception du procédé cyclique de classe longue a été proposée. Les avantages spectaculaires par rapport aux procédés membranaires classiques ont été mis en évidence à l'aide de nos simulations et optimisations. Finalement, une validation expérimentale a été effectuée afin de fournir un support solide à cette nouvelle conception / This study deals with a systematic investigation of the performance of cyclic membrane gas separation processes. First, a state of the art of membrane separation processes, including material challenges and mass transfer modeling issues is proposed. In a second step, a review of the different theoretical and experimental studies performed on cyclic processes is reported. With respect to the length of the high pressure stage and its fraction in one cycle, these operations are classified into short and long classes. Based on this classification, a systematic analysis of the potential interest of short class compared to steady-state operation performances has been achieved by means of numerical simulation and optimization. In order to improve the performance, the use of MMM in such a process has been further discussed. In parallel with the short class study, a design of novel long class has been proposed. Spectacular advantages with respect to classical membrane-based processes have been highlighted by means of our simulation and optimization studies. Finally, an experimental verification has been performed in order to provide a solid support to this novel process

In the thesis work we investigate four problems connected with dynamical processes in condensed medium, using different techniques of equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. Biology is rich in dynamical events ranging from processes involving single molecule [1] to collective phenomena [2]. In cell biology, translocation and transport processes of biological molecules constitute an important class of dynamical phenomena occurring in condensed phase. Examples include protein transport through membrane channels, gene transfer between bacteria, injection of DNA from virus head to the host cell, protein transport thorough the nuclear pores etc. We present a theoretical description of the problem of protein transport across the nuclear pore complex [3]. These nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) [4] are very selective filters that monitor the transport between the cytoplasm and the nucleoplasm. Two models have been suggested for the plug of the NPC. The first suggests that the plug is a reversible hydrogel while the other suggests that it is a polymer brush. In the thesis, we propose a model for the transport of a protein through the plug, which is treated as elastic continuum, which is general enough to cover both the models. The protein stretches the plug and creates a local deformation, which together with the protein is referred to as the bubble. The relevant coordinate describing the transport is the center of the bubble. We write down an expression for the energy of the system, which is used to analyze the motion. It shows that the bubble executes a random walk, within the gel. We find that for faster relaxation of the gel, the diffusion of the bubble is greater. Further, on adopting the same kind of free energy for the brush too, one finds that though the energy cost for the entry of the particle is small but the diffusion coefficient is much lower and hence, explanation of the rapid diffusion of the particle across the nuclear pore complex is easier within the gel model. In chemical physics, processes occurring in condensed phases like liquid or solid often involve barrier crossing. Simplest possible description of rate for such barrier crossing phenomena is given by the transition state theory [5]. One can go one step further by introducing the effect of the environment by incorporating phenomenological friction as is done in Kramer’s theory [6]. The “method of reactive flux” [7, 8] in chemical physics allows one to calculate the time dependent rate constant for a process involving large barrier by expressing the rate as an ensemble average of an infinite number of trajectories starting at the barrier top and ending on the product side at a specified later time. We compute the time dependent transmission coefficient using this method for a structureless particle surmounting a one dimensional inverted parabolic barrier. The work shows an elegant way of combining the traditional system plus reservoir model [9] and the method of reactive flux [7] and the normal mode analysis approach by Pollak [10] to calculate the time dependent transmission coefficient [11]. As expected our formula for the time dependent rate constant becomes equal to the transition state rate constant when one takes the zero time limit. Similarly Kramers rate constant is obtained by taking infinite time limit. Finally we conclude by noting that the method of analyzing the coupled Hamiltonian, introduced by Pollak is very powerful and it enables us to obtain analytical expressions for the time dependent reaction rate in case of Ohmic dissipation, even in underdamped case. The theory of first passage time [12] is one of the most important topics of research in chemical physics. As a model problem we consider a particle executing Brownian motion in full phase space with an absorbing boundary condition at a point in the position space we derive a very general expression of the survival probability and the first passage time distribution, irrespective of the statistical nature of the dynamics. Also using the prescription adopted elsewhere [13] we define a bound to the actual survival probability and an approximate first passage time distribution which are expressed in terms of the position-position, velocity-velocity and position-velocity variances. Knowledge of these variances enables one to compute the survival probability and consequently the first passage distribution function. We compute both the quantities for gaussian Markovian process and also for non-Markovian dynamics. Our analysis shows that the survival probability decays exponentially at the long time, irrespective of the nature of the dynamics with an exponent equal to the transition state rate constant [14]. Although the field of equilibrium thermodynamics and equilibrium statistical mechanics are well explored, there existed almost no theory for systems arbitrarily far from equilibrium until the advent of fluctuation theorems (FTs)[15] in mid 90�s. In general, these fluctuation theorems have provided a general prescription on energy exchanges that take place between a system and its surroundings under general nonequilibrium conditions and explain how macroscopic irreversibility appears naturally in systems that obey time reversible microscopic dynamics. Based on a Hamiltonian description we present a rigorous derivation [16] of the transient state work fluctuation theorem and the Jarzynski equality [17] for a classical harmonic oscillator linearly coupled to a harmonic heat bath, which is dragged by an external agent. Coupling with the bath makes the dynamics dissipative. Since we do not assume anything about the spectral nature of the harmonic bath the derivation is valid for a general non-Ohmic bath.

Many human diseases including cancer have been associated with altered cellular metabolism and a changed oxygen consumption in cells. Fluorophores are sensitive to their local environment due to their long life times in transient dark states. A recent study successfully utilized this sensitivity to image differences in oxygen concentrations in cells using transient state (TRAST) microscopy together with fluorescent labels [1]. A natural continuation of this study is to investigate the possibilities of using this method with natural fluorophores already present in cells and thereby avoid articial labeling. Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is an auto fluorescent coenzyme that is naturally present in cells and involved in cellular metabolism. This project is an exploratory pilot study for cellular measurements with the aim to investigate if FAD can be used to probe oxygen concentrations in aqueous solution using transient state monitoring and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). This thesis includes the results from FCS and TRAST experiments on FAD in aqueous solutions with different oxygen concentrations as well as different ascorbic acid concentrations. The performed experiments showed that FAD monitored with TRAST is sensitive to differences in oxygen concentrations for the aqueous solutions used in this study.

Les processus biogéochimiques benthiques liés à la dégradation de la matière organique sont étudiés depuis 30 ans. Beaucoup de travaux ont mesuré soit un grand nombre de paramètres sur quelques carottes, soit un nombre restreint de paramètres sur de nombreuses carottes. Dans le Golfe de Gascogne, 29 paramètres diagénétiques sont étudiés à de multiples stations depuis 1997 et dans le Bassin d’Arcachon depuis 2005. Ainsi la banque de données biogéochimiques benthiques constituée est actuellement la plus importante à notre connaissance. Les similarités et divergences entre l’environnement côtier de la lagune mésotidale d’Arcachon et la marge continentale du Golfe de Gascogne ont pu être discutées. Une étude de l’hétérogénéité spatiale à l’échelle de l’échantillonnage a permis de préciser la méthodologie d’échantillonnage dans le Bassin d’Arcachon et de discuter de la représentativité saisonnière des données de la banque de données du Golfe de Gascogne. Les carottes de la banque de données ne peuvent pas être réellement interprétées en terme de variabilité saisonnière, alors qu’une saisonnalité des apports a bien été mise en évidence par l’étude des particules en suspension dans la colonne d’eau. L’oxygène dissous est très sensible à la variabilité de ces apports et l’étude de sa distribution à l’aide de la banque de données du Golfe de Gascogne, ainsi que des teneurs en carbone organique particulaire (COP) montre que les flux de matière organique labile représentent la plus grande partie du carbone exporté au fond et que, pour une zone géographique peu étendue comme le Golfe de Gascogne, l’efficacité d’enfouissement du COP varie de 50% à 10%. La banque de données a également permis l’étude de la géochimie benthique du manganèse, ce qui a donné l’occasion de proposer une méthode de calcul du taux d’accumulation sédimentaire basée sur la géochimie de cet élément à l’état stationnaire. Enfin, des carottes longues réalisées dans les deux environnements ont permis de caractériser les processus diagénétiques anoxiques profonds dans un environnement à l’état stationnaire (le Golfe de Gascogne) et un autre à l’état transitoire (le Bassin d’Arcachon). / Benthic biogeochemical processes due to organic matter degradation have been studied for 30 years. Many works have investigated either multiple parameters on a few cores, or a couple of parameters on numerous cores. In the Bay of Biscay, 29 diagenetic parameters have been investigated at numerous stations since 1997, and in Arcachon Bay since 2005. Thereby, our benthic biogeochemical database is currently the most important to our knowledge. Similarities and differences between the coastal mesotidal lagoon of the Arcachon Bay and the continental margin of the Bay of Biscay have been discussed. Study of sampling-scale spatial heterogeneity has clarified the sampling methodology in the Arcachon Bay and allowed to consider the question of data seasonal signal in the Bay of Biscay database. The cores of the database cannot really be interpreted in terms of seasonal variability, while a seasonal signal has been demonstrated by the study of suspended particles in the water column. Dissolved oxygen is very sensitive to the variability of these inputs. Oxygen distributions and particulate organic carbon (POC) contents from Bay of Biscay database shows that labile organic matter flux represents most of the carbon exported to the bottom. The burial efficiency of POC varies from 50% to 10% for a narrow geographical area like the Bay of Biscay. The database has also allowed the study of benthic geochemistry of manganese, which has provided a method for the determination of mass accumulation rate based on the steady state. Finally, piston cores have been used to characterize the deep anoxic diagenetic processes in a steady state (Bay of Biscay) and a transition state (Arcachon Bay) environment.

Tradicionalmente, la detección de faltas en máquinas eléctricas se basa en el uso de la Transformada Rápida de Fourier ya que la mayoría de las faltas pueden ser diagnosticadas con ella con seguridad si las máquinas operan en condiciones de régimen estacionario durante un intervalo de tiempo razonable. Sin embargo, para aplicaciones en las que las máquinas operan en condiciones de carga y velocidad fluctuantes (condiciones no estacionarias) como por ejemplo los aerogeneradores, el uso de la Transformada Rápida de Fourier debe ser reemplazado por otras técnicas. La presente tesis desarrolla una nueva metodología para el diagnóstico de máquinas de inducción de rotor de jaula y rotor bobinado operando en condiciones no estacionarias, basada en el análisis de las componentes de falta de las corrientes en el plano deslizamiento frecuencia. La técnica es aplicada al diagnóstico de asimetrías estatóricas, rotóricas y también para la falta de excentricidad mixta. El diagnóstico de las máquinas eléctricas en el dominio deslizamiento-frecuencia confiere un carácter universal a la metodología ya que puede diagnosticar máquinas eléctricas independientemente de sus características, del modo en el que la velocidad de la máquina varía y de su modo de funcionamiento (motor o generador). El desarrollo de la metodología conlleva las siguientes etapas: (i) Caracterización de las evoluciones de las componentes de falta de asimetría estatórica, rotórica y excentricidad mixta para las máquinas de inducción de rotores de jaula y bobinados en función de la velocidad (deslizamiento) y la frecuencia de alimentación de la red a la que está conectada la máquina. (ii) Debido a la importancia del procesado de la señal, se realiza una introducción a los conceptos básicos del procesado de señal antes de centrarse en las técnicas actuales de procesado de señal para el diagnóstico de máquinas eléctricas. (iii) La extracción de las componentes de falta se lleva a cabo a través de tres técnicas de filtrado diferentes: filtros basados en la Transformada Discreta Wavelet, en la Transformada Wavelet Packet y con una nueva técnica de filtrado propuesta en esta tesis, el Filtrado Espectral. Las dos primeras técnicas de filtrado extraen las componentes de falta en el dominio del tiempo mientras que la nueva técnica de filtrado realiza la extracción en el dominio de la frecuencia. (iv) La extracción de las componentes de falta, en algunos casos, conlleva el desplazamiento de la frecuencia de las componentes de falta. El desplazamiento de la frecuencia se realiza a través de dos técnicas: el Teorema del Desplazamiento de la Frecuencia y la Transformada Hilbert. (v) A diferencia de otras técnicas ya desarrolladas, la metodología propuesta no se basa exclusivamente en el cálculo de la energía de la componente de falta sino que también estudia la evolución de la frecuencia instantánea de ellas, calculándola a través de dos técnicas diferentes (la Transformada Hilbert y el operador Teager-Kaiser), frente al deslizamiento. La representación de la frecuencia instantánea frente al deslizamiento elimina la posibilidad de diagnósticos falsos positivos mejorando la precisión y la calidad del diagnóstico. Además, la representación de la frecuencia instantánea frente al deslizamiento permite realizar diagnósticos cualitativos que son rápidos y requieren bajos requisitos computacionales. (vi) Finalmente, debido a la importancia de la automatización de los procesos industriales y para evitar la posible divergencia presente en el diagnóstico cualitativo, tres parámetros objetivos de diagnóstico son desarrollados: el parámetro de la energía, el coeficiente de similitud y los parámetros de regresión. El parámetro de la energía cuantifica la severidad de la falta según su valor y es calculado en el dominio del tiempo y en el dominio de la frecuencia (consecuencia de la extracción de las componentes de falta en el dominio de la frecuencia). El coeficiente de similitud y los parámetros de regresión son parámetros objetivos que permiten descartar diagnósticos falsos positivos aumentando la robustez de la metodología propuesta. La metodología de diagnóstico propuesta se valida experimentalmente para las faltas de asimetría estatórica y rotórica y para el fallo de excentricidad mixta en máquinas de inducción de rotor de jaula y rotor bobinado alimentadas desde la red eléctrica y desde convertidores de frecuencia en condiciones no estacionarias estocásticas. / Vedreño Santos, FJ. (2013). Diagnosis of electric induction machines in non-stationary regimes working in randomly changing conditions [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/34177 / TESIS

This master´s thesis deals with the indication and localization of earth faults in overhead lines. Earth fault is the most frequently occurring type of fault in medium voltage overhead lines – it covers approx. 95% of all faults and is very difficult to indicate and localize them correctly and in time with currently available methods on the market. Therefore is very important to study earth fault and its indication, localization. The thesis consists of a theoretical and a practical part. The theoretical part deals with faults in overhead networks with different type of neutral grounding, mainly with one phase to the ground fault in the compensated, ungrounded, solidly grounded and via resistance grounded networks. Most of the theoretical part is dedicated to one phase to the ground fault in the compensated and ungrounded networks, where this type fault is called the earth fault. In the compensated and ungrounded networks is described in details behavior – voltage and current relations during both steady state and transient state earth fault. The theoretical part is further dedicated to detection methods of earth faults and their preconditions for use. There is described also in details the complete procedure of earth fault detection, which includes indication, unhealthy feeder determination and exact position or line section localization. End of the theoretical part is then focused on determination of accuracy requirements for measurement of basic quantities and computation of other parameters. The practical part deals with a work at medium distribution network model, which includes familiarization with the model, detailed verification of its functionality and behavior during the earth fault, obtaining faults records and algorithmization of methods: method of qu – diagram and method of first half - period, which are able to detect unhealthy feeder. This part of the thesis was put together based on a demand of company Mega, corp., which wanted to verify function of both above mentioned and by them not yet tested methods.