The thesis describes design solutions the inlet port of the modern combustion engine. The thesis describes basic properties of the inlet port and the types of flow. It is focused the experimental measure of the real inlet port engine Husaberg. The results of the experimental measure are compared with results of the simulation in software CFD. Moreover, it describes creation of 3D parametric model in software Pro/Engineer based on the real geometry exquired from software ATOS. At the end of the work are compared with results of the simulation origin geometry inlet port with origin inlet valve with different changes shapes of valve.

This thesis deals with proposal of assembly line modification for production of electromagnetically controlled pneumatic valves. The beginning of this thesis is dedicated to the theoretical study the most common Poka-Yoke systems, which are used for mistake avoiding in assembly process. There is described analytical analysis FMEA, which is used for detection of weak place in process. The next chapter is focused on description of valves manufactured on this assembly line. Main part of thesis is dedicated to proposal for process modification and design solution with choosing of appropriate sensors for some operations. There are created documents as a flow-chart for control algorithm, FMEA and process flow-chart for proposal according to automotive standard and estimated budget with counted payback period for whole project in last part.

This diploma thesis deals with grinding of parts of valves. In the first part is theoretically described valve and its manufacturing. Another part focuses on the analysis of existing grinding technology. In last part of this diploma thesis is written about choosing of suitable places for rationalization, design of rationalization and technical-economic evaluation of performed rationalization.

The aim of the paper was to proposed new manufacturing technology. In the beginning, the diploma thesis deals with the technological aspects of manufacturing hydraulic valve. Subsequently is described the usage of manufacturing technology. The existing production process is analysed in detail. Better efficiency was achieved by using hard turning instead grinding technology. Economic evaluation is described in the end of thesis, where is efficiency of hard turning technology supported by calculations.

My diploma thesis describes upgrade of flowbench serving as test rig for regulation valves characteristic measurement. At the beggining, there is an introduction to the water regulation valves theory followed by current machine condition description. Next chapter defines needed improvements and at the end follows proposition of improvements and necessary component definition and final realization. Final chapter summarizes complete project.

My diploma thesis describes upgrade of flowbench serving as test rig for regulation valves characteristic measurement. At the beggining, there is an introduction to the water regulation valves theory followed by current machine condition description. Next chapter defines needed improvements and at the end follows proposition of improvements and necessary component definition and final realization. Final chapter summarizes complete project.

Microfluidics covers the science of manipulating small quantities of fluids using microscale devices with great potential in analysis, multiplexing, automation and high-throughput screening. Compared to conventional systems, microfluidics benefits from miniaturization resulting in shortened time of experiments, decreased sample and reagent consumptions as well as reduced overall costs. For microfluidic devices where further weight and cost reduction is additionally required, stimuli-responsive hydrogels are particularly interesting materials since they can convert an environmental stimulus directly to mechanical work without any extra power source. Hydrogels are used as chemostats, micropumps, and chemo-mechanical valves in microfluidics. Existing studies about hydrogels for flow control reported on hydrogels responsive to only one stimulus, including temperature, pH value, and solvent. Combining temperature and pH stimuli within one material is an interesting approach, which allows internal as well as external flow control and broadens potential applications. Among the variety of temperature- and pH-responsive monomers, N-isopropylacrylamide (NiPAAm) and acrylic acid (AA) are considered as ideal building blocks to obtain a hydrogel with pronounced stimuli response. There are different architectures for realizing a temperature- and pH-responsive hydrogel with NiPAAm and AA (e.g. copolymer gels, interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs), semi-IPNs, or graft copolymer gels). Each approach has its inherent benefits and disadvantages. Grafted hydrogels with a temperature-responsive backbone and pH-responsive graft chains are a promising architecture overcoming drawbacks of copolymer gels (loss of thermoresponsive behavior due to the comonomer), interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs, difficult fabrication of structured particles via soft lithography), and semi-IPNs (leakage of penetrating polymer). However, studies about multi-responsive grafted hydrogels for flow control in microfluidics are comparatively rare and further research is needed to emphasize their real potential. For this reason, the overall aim of this work was the synthesis of temperature- and pH-responsive grafted hydrogels based on NiPAAm and AA for flow control in microfluidics. This required the synthesis of a pH-responsive macromonomer by RAFT polymerization. As a suitable chain transfer agent with a carboxylic acid group for an end-group functionalization, 2-(dodecyl-thiocarbonothioylthio)-2-methylpropionic (DTP) acid was employed. The approach towards the synthesis of the pH-responsive macromonomer based on two key steps: (i) attaching a functional group, which retains during RAFT polymerization, and (ii) conducting the RAFT polymerization to synthesize the pH-responsive macromonomer. In total, four functionalizations for the macromonomer were investigated, including allyl, unconjugated vinyl, acrylamide, and styrene. End-group analysis and solubility tests revealed that macromonomers with a styrene functionalization are suitable for the synthesis of graft copolymer gels. A series of grafted net-PNiPAAm-g-PAA-styrene hydrogels with a PNiPAAm backbone and PAA-styrene graft chains (Mn = 4200 g/mol, Mw/Mn = 1.6) were prepared and characterized. The main goal was to identify suitable stimuli for an application as a chemo-mechanical valve and to show reversibility of the swelling and shrinking process. Importantly, the temperature sensitivity should be retained, while a pH response needs to be introduced. Equilibrium swelling studies quantified with the response ratio revealed that a grafting density of PAA-styrene between 0.25 and 1 mol-% provides a suitable response towards temperature, pH, salt, and solvent. Furthermore, the swelling and shrinking process is highly reproducible over four consecutive cycles for all four stimuli. In order to evaluate the swelling kinetics of grafted net-PNiPAAm-g-PAA-styrene hydrogels, the collective diffusion model extended by a volume specific surface was applied. The determined cooperative diffusion coefficients of net-PNiPAAm-g-PAA-styrene indicated faster response time with increasing PAA-styrene content. Remarkably, net-PNiPAAm-g-PAA-styrene containing 1 mol-% PAA-styrene exhibited an accelerated swelling rate by a factor of 9 compared to pure net-PNiPAAm. Rheological analysis of net-PNiPAAm-g-PAA-styrene showed that an increasing graft density leads to decreasing mechanical stability. The photopolymerization experiments showed that the gelation time linearly increases with the grafting density. Grafted net-PNiPAAm-g-PAA-styrene hydrogels were tested in two fluidic setups for flow control. A straightforward fluidic platform was developed consisting of a fluid reservoir, an inlet channel, an actuator chamber and an outlet channel. The actuator chamber was filled with crushed hydrogel particles. Accordingly, the fluid flow was directed by the active resistance of the hydrogel particles in the actuator chamber (i.e. swelling degree) and allowed flow control by the local environmental conditions. Flow rate studies showed that the fluid flow throttles when the inlet channel was provided with a solution in which the hydrogel swells (pH 9 buffer solution at room temperature). In contrast, the hydrogel-based valve opens immediately when a solution was used in which the hydrogel collapses. The advantageous properties of net-PNiPAAm-g-PAA-styrene were highlighted by using pH, salt and solvent stimulus in one experiment. Remarkably, the opening and closing function was reversible over six consecutive cycles. As part of a collaboration project with the chair of polymeric microsystems within the Cluster of Excellence Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (A. Richter and P. Frank), membrane assures hydraulic coupling in a chemo-fluidic membrane transistor (CFMT) and grafted net-PNiPAAm-g-PAA-styrene hydrogels were combined to emphasize the potential of both systems. Flow rate studies showed that 4 different stimuli can be used to control the opening and closing state of the CFMT. Multiple opening and closing cycles revealed no considerable changes in the valve function emphasizing a high potential for an application in microfluidics.

The master’s thesis is focused on the proposal of working part of the hydraulic circuit for the hydraulic press with a press force 400 kN. The thesis contains justifiable structural design of the linear hydraulic motor, which includes material choices, necessary calculations and simulations of material strength characteristics and the choice of the individual components. The thesis also includes a proposal of “heel valve” including the choice of individual components and basic function calculation of the hydraulic circuit of the hydraulic press.

This thesis is solving issues concerning deburring of hydraulic valve blocks with industrial robot. Thesis is focused on deburring of inside space of hydraulic valve blocks, although deburring of outer edges is marginally mentioned due to determining of approximate deburring time of all edges on the valve block. Search of deburring methods and tools suitable for deburring of inside and outside edges is made on the basis of valve blocks´ analysis. Paths of tools chosen for deburring of valve block B1 are programmed in CAM program. CAD program ProEngineer is used to create simplified model of robotic workplace and its layout. According to customer´s requirements, deburring method, which allows creating universal robotic workplace for deburring of hydraulic valve blocks, was chosen. Approximate deburring time of all edges on B1 block was set on the basis of tools´ paths and these were checked in the simplified model of robotic workplace in PowerMill Robot Interface. Deburring procedure, estimating of approximate deburring time of B1 block and layout of robotic workplace are main results of this thesis.

This report is a bachelor thesis at Karlstad University in collaboration with Invencon AB and Ranotor AB. The goal was to analyze a rotating valve leading water vapor through an inlet and five outlets. The quantifiable results that were addressed in this project are the mass flow through the outlets and the forces affecting the valve and its shaft (primarily radial forces). The tools used for this project are PTC Creo and ANSA for modelling and mesh as well as ANSYS-CFX and Matlab for computational help. The results show that the specified rotational speed of 4600 rpm doesn’t work for this model. The rotational speed was chosen because of an interest in this specific operating condition. A 3 mm radial gap between the rotating valve and the valve housing proved to cause a leakage in the form of pressure loss inside the valve. The boundary conditions that were laid out for this project are not valid for this operating condition. Since the difference in pressure is large (100 down to 1 bar) the flow is choked. A large difference in pressure also makes it important to adjust the total area of the outlets, since the pressure drop affects the density of the vapor. The forces on the rotating valve that were calculated (using ANSYS-CFX) create a foundation for choosing bearings for the valve. If the construction is modified, and/or the rotating valve will operate at a different rotational speed these forces will be subject to change. / Denna rapport är ett examensarbete på Karlstads Universitet i samband med Invencon AB och Ranotor AB. Målet var att analysera en roterande ventil som leder trycksatt vattenånga via ett inlopp och ut genom fem olika utlopp. De kvantifierbara resultaten som söktes var massflödet ut ur utloppen och krafterna som påverkar ventilen och axeln (främst radiellt). Verktyg som har använts för att analysera ventilen är PTC Creo och ANSA för modellering och mesh, samt ANSYS-CFX och Matlab för beräkningshjälp. Resultaten tyder på att det valda varvtalet, 4600 rpm, inte fungerar så bra. Varvtalet valdes pågrund av att man var intresserad av driftsfallet. Ett 3 mm radiellt avstånd mellan ventil ochventilhus visade sig även ge läckage i form av tryckfall inuti ventilen. Randvillkoren som är specificerade är inte giltiga vid detta driftsfall. Eftersom tryckförhållandet är så högt (100 till 1 bar) så är flödet chokat. Stor tryckskillnad gör det viktigt att anpassa arean på utloppen, då tryckfall påverkar densiteten. Krafterna på den roterande ventilen som beräknades (i ANSYS-CFX) är ett underlag vid val av lager för ventilen. Om konstruktionen modifieras, och/eller ventilen kommer att användas vid ett annat varvtal så kommer dessa krafter att ändras.