A new hybrid approach to model high Reynolds number wall-bounded turbulent flows is developed based on coupling the two-level simulation (TLS) approach in the inner region with conventional large eddy simulation (LES) away from the wall. This new approach is significantly different from previous near-wall approaches for LES. In this hybrid TLS-LES approach, a very fine small-scale (SS) mesh is embedded inside the coarse LES mesh in the near-wall region. The SS equations capture fine-scale temporal and spatial variations in all three cartesian directions for all three velocity components near the wall. The TLS-LES equations are derived based on defining a new scale separation operator. The TLS-LES equations in the transition region are obtained by blending the TLS large-scale and LES equations. A new incompressible parallel flow solver is developed that accurately and reliably predicts turbulent flows using TLS-LES. The solver uses a primitive variable formulation based on an artificial compressibility approach and a dual time stepping method. The advective terms are discretized using fourth-order energy conservative finite differences. The SS equations are also integrated in parallel, which reduces the overall cost of the TLS-LES approach. The TLS-LES approach is validated and investigated for canonical channel flows, channel flow with adverse pressure gradient and asymmetric plane diffuser flow. The results suggest that the TLS-LES approach yields very reasonable predictions of most of the crucial flow features in spite of using relatively coarse grids.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:48:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 JohnGBG_DISSERT.pdf: 5632038 bytes, checksum: eabbd6743af14f648742650469c3d48f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-07-02 / A numerical study on the behavior of tied-back retaining walls in sand, using the finite element method (FEM) is presented. The analyses were performed using the software Plaxis 2D, and were focused on the development of horizontal displacements, horizontal stresses, shear forces and bending moments in the structure during the construction process. Emphasis was placed on the evaluation of wall embedment, tie-back horizontal spacing, wall thickness, and free anchor length on wall behavior. A representative soil profile of a specific region at the City of Natal, Brazil, was used in the numerical analyses. New facilities built on this region often include retaining structures of the same type studied herein. Soil behavior was modeled using the Mohr-Coulomb constitutive model, whereas the structural elements were modeled using the linear elastic model. Shear strength parameters of the soil layers were obtained from direct shear test results conducted with samples collected at the studied site. Deformation parameters were obtained from empirical correlations from SPT test results carried out on the studied site. The results of the numerical analyses revealed that the effect of wall embedment on the investigated parameters is virtually negligible. Conversely, the tie-back horizontal spacing plays an important role on the investigated parameters. The results also demonstrated that the wall thickness significantly affects the wall horizontal displacements, and the shear forces and bending moments within the retaining structure. However, wall thickness was not found to influence horizontal stresses in the structure / O presente trabalho apresenta um estudo num?rico atrav?s do m?todo dos elementos finitos (MEF) utilizando-se o aplicativo computacional Plaxis 2D, com o objetivo de verificar aspectos do comportamento de estruturas de conten??o atirantadas em areia. As an?lises foram dirigidas ao desenvolvimento dos deslocamentos horizontais, das tens?es horizontais e dos esfor?os internos (esfor?o cortante e momento fletor) durante o processo construtivo da estrutura. As simula??es num?ricas inclu?ram avalia??es da influ?ncia do comprimento da ficha, do espa?amento horizontal entre os tirantes, da espessura da parede e do comprimento do trecho livre. O perfil de solo utilizado nas simula??es num?ricas ? representativo de uma determinada regi?o da Cidade de Natal RN, na qual s?o constru?das com frequ?ncia conten??es do tipo analisado no presente trabalho. Utilizou-se o modelo constitutivo de Mohr-Coulomb para simular o comportamento do solo e o modelo el?stico linear para simular o comportamento dos elementos estruturais. Os par?metros de resist?ncia do solo foram determinados por meio de ensaios de cisalhamento direto e os par?metros de deformabilidade foram estimados atrav?s de correla??es emp?ricas obtidas de resultados de ensaios SPT executados na regi?o em estudo. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que varia??es no comprimento da ficha praticamente n?o influenciam o comportamento da estrutura, no ?mbito dos par?metros avaliados, ao passo que o espa?amento horizontal entre os tirantes apresenta forte influ?ncia sobre essas grandezas. Verificou-se tamb?m que a espessura da parede apresenta consider?vel influ?ncia sobre os deslocamentos horizontais e sobre os esfor?os internos e pouca influ?ncia sobre as tens?es horizontais

Fallende Hardwarepreise sowie eine zunehmende Offenheit gegenüber neuartigen Interaktionsmodalitäten haben in den vergangen Jahren den Einsatz von wandgroßen interaktiven Displays möglich gemacht, und in der Folge ist ihre Anwendung, unter anderem in den Bereichen Visualisierung, Bildung, und der Unterstützung von Meetings, erfolgreich demonstriert worden. Aufgrund ihrer Größe sind Wanddisplays für die Interaktion mit mehreren Benutzern prädestiniert. Gleichzeitig kann angenommen werden, dass Zugang zu persönlichen Daten und Einstellungen — mithin personalisierte Interaktion — weiterhin essentieller Bestandteil der meisten Anwendungsfälle sein wird. Aktuelle Benutzerschnittstellen im Desktop- und Mobilbereich steuern Zugriffe über ein initiales Login. Die Annahme, dass es nur einen Benutzer pro Bildschirm gibt, zieht sich durch das gesamte System, und ermöglicht unter anderem den Zugriff auf persönliche Daten und Kommunikation sowie persönliche Einstellungen. Gibt es hingegen mehrere Benutzer an einem großen Bildschirm, müssen hierfür Alternativen gefunden werden. Die daraus folgende Forschungsfrage dieser Dissertation lautet: Wie können wir im Kontext von Mehrbenutzerinteraktion mit wandgroßen Displays personalisierte Schnittstellen zur Verfügung stellen? Die Dissertation befasst sich sowohl mit personalisierter Interaktion in der Nähe (mit Touch als Eingabemodalität) als auch in etwas weiterer Entfernung (unter Nutzung zusätzlicher mobiler Geräte). Grundlage für personalisierte Mehrbenutzerinteraktion sind technische Lösungen für die Zuordnung von Benutzern zu einzelnen Interaktionen. Hierzu werden zwei Alternativen untersucht: In der ersten werden Nutzer via Kamera verfolgt, und in der zweiten werden Mobilgeräte anhand von Ultraschallsignalen geortet. Darauf aufbauend werden Interaktionstechniken vorgestellt, die personalisierte Interaktion unterstützen. Diese nutzen zusätzliche Mobilgeräte, die den Zugriff auf persönliche Daten sowie Interaktion in einigem Abstand von der Displaywand ermöglichen. Einen weiteren Teil der Arbeit bildet die Untersuchung der praktischen Auswirkungen der Ausgabe- und Interaktionsmodalitäten für personalisierte Interaktion. Hierzu wird eine qualitative Studie vorgestellt, die Nutzerverhalten anhand des kooperativen Mehrbenutzerspiels Miners analysiert. Der abschließende Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit dem Analyseprozess selber: Es wird das Analysetoolkit für Wandinteraktionen GIAnT vorgestellt, das Nutzerbewegungen, Interaktionen, und Blickrichtungen visualisiert und dadurch die Untersuchung der Interaktionen stark vereinfacht. / An increasing openness for more diverse interaction modalities as well as falling hardware prices have made very large interactive vertical displays more feasible, and consequently, applications in settings such as visualization, education, and meeting support have been demonstrated successfully. Their size makes wall displays inherently usable for multi-user interaction. At the same time, we can assume that access to personal data and settings, and thus personalized interaction, will still be essential in most use-cases. In most current desktop and mobile user interfaces, access is regulated via an initial login and the complete user interface is then personalized to this user: Access to personal data, configurations and communications all assume a single user per screen. In the case of multiple people using one screen, this is not a feasible solution and we must find alternatives. Therefore, this thesis addresses the research question: How can we provide personalized interfaces in the context of multi-user interaction with wall displays? The scope spans personalized interaction both close to the wall (using touch as input modality) and further away (using mobile devices). Technical solutions that identify users at each interaction can replace logins and enable personalized interaction for multiple users at once. This thesis explores two alternative means of user identification: Tracking using RGB+depth-based cameras and leveraging ultrasound positioning of the users' mobile devices. Building on this, techniques that support personalized interaction using personal mobile devices are proposed. In the first contribution on interaction, HyDAP, we examine pointing from the perspective of moving users, and in the second, SleeD, we propose using an arm-worn device to facilitate access to private data and personalized interface elements. Additionally, the work contributes insights on practical implications of personalized interaction at wall displays: We present a qualitative study that analyses interaction using a multi-user cooperative game as application case, finding awareness and occlusion issues. The final contribution is a corresponding analysis toolkit that visualizes users' movements, touch interactions and gaze points when interacting with wall displays and thus allows fine-grained investigation of the interactions.

Vacuum glazing is a vital development in the move to more energy efficient buildings. In vacuum glazing, an evacuated cavity supresses gaseous conduction and convection to provide high thermal resistance. A high vacuum pressure (less than 0.1 Pa) is required and must be maintained by a hermetic seal around the periphery, currently formed with either indium (i.e. low temperature sealing method) or solder glass (i.e. high temperature sealing method). This thesis reports the results of an experimental and theoretical investigation into the development of new low temperature (less than 200°C) and novel high temperature (up to 450°C) glass edge seals. A new low temperature composite edge seal was developed in which double and triple vacuum glazings each of dimensions 300x300mm were fabricated with measured vacuum pressures of 4.6x10-2Pa and 4.8x10-2Pa achieved respectively. A three dimensional finite element model of the fabricated design of composite edge sealed triple vacuum glazing was developed.

Mind-Mapping ist eine effiziente und universelle Kreativitätstechnik, die es ermöglicht, in einer Gruppe ein komplexes Thema aufzuschlüsseln. Dabei wird eine Assoziation verschiedener Schlüsselwörter, Notizen und Grafiken zu einem zentralen Begriff vorgenommen und dadurch eine Möglichkeit zur schrittweisen kompakten Visualisierung eines Themengebietes geschaffen. Große interaktive Display Walls erlauben durch ihre Fläche und ihre interaktiven Möglichkeiten das kollaborative Erstellen von Mind-Maps, so dass jeder Nutzer individuell Teile kreieren und der gemeinsamen Mind-Map beifügen kann. In dieser Ausarbeitung werden geeignete Interaktionskonzepte zur Erstellung von Mind-Maps an interaktiven Display Walls vorgestellt. Dabei liegt der Fokus auf den Möglichkeiten der Erkennung der Nutzerposition vor der Display Wall, um jedem Benutzer eine persönliche Linse und damit Zugriff auf persönliche Werkzeuge zu ermöglichen, sowie der Interaktion mittels Stift und Touch zum Zwecke der Erstellung und Platzierung von Mind-Map Elementen. Dafür werden zunächst verwandte Arbeiten aus den Bereichen: Mind-Maps, Kollaboration und Interaktion mit interaktiven Display Walls und Magische Linsen analysiert. Basierend auf einem Grundverständnis dieser drei Domänen wurden Konzepte zur kollaborativen Erstellung von Mind-Maps an interaktiven Display Walls mit persönlichen Linsen präsentiert. Ausgewählte Konzepte wurden dabei in einer prototypischen Implementierung umgesetzt und boten erste aussichtsreiche Einblicke, wie das Mind-Mapping der Zukunft erfolgen könnte. Dabei wurde insbesondere der Nutzen einer persönlichen Linse, als individuelle Visualisierungs- und Interaktions-Schnittstelle erkannt. / Mind-mapping is an effective and universal creativity technique, which allows to break down complex topics in a group activity. Therefore keywords, notes or images are being associated to a superordinate topic, in order to gradually create a compact visualization of a topic. Large interactive display walls allow the collaborative creation of mind-maps due to their size and options for interaction so that the users can individually create parts and integrate them into the collective mind-map. As part of this thesis, suitable concepts for the creation of mind-maps on interactive display walls are being presented. In this context, the emphasis is lying on the possibilities of using the position of the user in front the display wall, in order to offer every user a personal lens and thus access to personal tools, as well as the interaction with pen and touch in order to create and move mind-map-elements. Therefore related work of the topic areas: mind-maps, collaboration and interaction at interactive display walls and Magic Lenses will be analysed at first. Based on a fundamental understanding of these three domains, concepts for the collaborative creation of mind-maps on interactive display walls using personal lenses are being presented. Selected concepts were prototypically implemented and offered first promising insights on how the mind-mapping of the future could be done. In the process the particular benefit of a personal lens as an individual visualization- and interaction-interface has been recognized.

Les colonnes à cloison et la distillation réactive présentent de nombreux avantages. Si ces deux concepts sont couplés, cela conduit à un procédé intensifié appelé : colonne à cloison réactive. Ce nouveau procédé intensifié constitue le principal objet d’étude de cette thèse. Dans une première partie, une procédure de design d’une colonne à cloison basée sur le modèle FUGK a été proposée. Dans cette procédure les aspects technologiques et hydrodynamiques sont abordés. Ces paramètres de design obtenus sont ensuite utilisés pour réaliser une simulation rigoureuse et une optimisation de cette colonne en utilisant le logiciel ProSim. Afin de tester cette procédure, des mélanges idéaux et non idéaux ont été utilisés. Il a été montré que cette procédure de design aboutit rapidement aux paramètres de pré design qui permettent d’initialiser de manière satisfaisante la simulation rigoureuse. Dans un second temps, un pilote d’une hauteur de 4m a été conçu, monté et testé au laboratoire. Des résultats expérimentaux ont été obtenus qui valident la procédure sur des mélanges non réactifs en termes de profils de composition et de température ainsi que sur les compositions et les débits de sortie du procédé. Enfin, dans une dernière partie, cette procédure a été adaptée à des mélanges réactifs en combinant les approches de R. Thery et al (2005) et celle de Triantafyllou et al (1992). Ces ultimes développements ont été testés sur la production d’acétate de méthyl par estérification du méthanol par l’acide acétique à la fois d’un de vue expérimental et théorique. / Divided wall column and reactive distillation have many advantages. If a divided wall column and a reactive distillation are integrated, they leads to a higher integrated process is a reactive divided wall column. However reactive divided wall column has still a new research area. First of all, the thesis proposed a procedure for design of divided wall column, which based on the FUGK model. Both technological and hydrodynamic aspects in the divided wall column are considered in the procedure. Design parameters are then provided to the rigorous simulation and optimization in the ProSimplus software. In order to test this procedure, both ideal and non-ideal ternary mixtures are chosen to be separated in a divided wall column. The results show that the procedure can determine parameters quickly in the case studies and can give a good initialization for rigorous simulation. Secondly, a pilot plant has been design, built and operated in our laboratory (LGC, Toulouse, France, 2013). The pilot plant will provide necessary experimental evidence to validate the previous procedure. Ternary mixture and four-component mixture of alcohols have been used in our pilot plant in steady state conditions. The results show that the composition of products, composition and temperature profile along the column are in very good agreement with simulation results. Finally, a conceptual design method for reactive divided wall column is presented. The pre-design method of R. Thery et al., (2005) and a modified shortcut method for reactive divided wall column that is based on the classical shortcut adapted to a non-reactive divided wall column by C. Triantafyllou and R. Smith (1992) are applied. To verify, simulation and experiment are considered. The methodology has been illustrated for the synthesis of Methyl Acetate from Methanol and Acetic Acid.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:51:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 3002168 bytes, checksum: 936461b9e52c3ed25ff8924c9843452e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-10-29 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Basidiospores of the ectomycorrhizal fungus P. microcarpus are characterized by impermeable, hydrophobic cell walls. These features are possibly related to the low germination percentages of these propagules and make it difficult the isolation of monokaryons and the use of these spores as inoculants. Sodium hypochlorite can be used as a permeabilizing agent of the cell wall of fungal spores. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of permeabilization treatments with commercial bleach on the cell wall ultrastructure and hydrophobicity, and on the viability and germination of P. microcarpus basidiospores. For this, fungal basidiospores, from fruiting bodies associated with Eucalyptus spp., were collected and permeabilized using different concentrations of bleach and times of exposure. After permeabilization, the basidiospores were analyzed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Surface hydrophobicity, viability, and germination of these propagules were also analyzed. The percentage of permeabilized basidiospores of P. microcarpus was proportional to the increases in bleach concentration and the exposure time. Basidiospores from different fruiting bodies differed significantly in their susceptibility to the permeabilization treatments with bleach and in the decrease of cell surface hydrophobicity after permeabilization. Changes in the ultrastructure of permeabilized basidiospores were observed at bleach concentrations of 15 and 50 %, with an exposure time of 40 s. For one basidiocarp, after permeabilization with bleach at 5 % for 40 s, 80% of the permeabilized basidiospores were viable. The plating of basidiospores permeabilized with 10% bleach for 40 s resulted in the production of colonies of P. microcarpus. The colonies appeared after 15 days of incubation of the permeabilized basidiospores in the presence of the host plant, E. citriodora. The germination percentage obtained, 0,001 %, was similar to those reported for non-permeabilized basidiospores. This work is the first report on the ultrastructure of the cell wall of basidiospores of P. microcarpus and contributes to the understanding of the recalcitrance of these propagules to germination. / Basidiósporos do fungo ectomicorrízico P. microcarpus apresentam parede celular impermeável e hidrofóbica. Essas características estão possivelmente relacionadas às baixas porcentagens de germinação desses propágulos, dificultando a obtenção de monocários e a utilização desses esporos em inoculantes. O hipoclorito de sódio pode ser usado como agente permeabilizador da parede celular de esporos fúngicos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar os efeitos do tratamento de permeabilização com água sanitária sobre a ultraestrutura e hidrofobicidade da parede celular, a viabilidade e a capacidade de germinação de basidiósporos de P. microcarpus. Para isso, basidiósporos fúngicos, oriundos de corpos de frutificações associados a plantas de Eucalyptus spp., foram coletados e permeabilizados utilizando-se diferentes concentrações de água sanitária e tempos de exposição ao composto. Após a permeabilização, os basidiósporos foram analisados por microscopia eletrônica de varredura e de transmissão. A hidrofobicidade superficial, a viabilidade e a germinação desses propágulos também foram analisadas. A porcentagem de basidiósporos de P. microcarpus permeabilizados foi proporcional ao aumento na concentração de água sanitária e ao tempo de exposição. Basidiósporos oriundos de diferentes basidiocarpos diferiram de forma significativa na susceptibilidade ao tratamento de permeabilização com água sanitária e na redução da hidrofobicidade da superfície celular após esse tratamento. Alterações da ultraestrutura dos basidiósporos permeabilizados foram observadas nas concentrações de 15 e 50 % de água sanitária pelo tempo de exposição de 40 s. Para um dos basidiocarpos avaliados e após a permeabilização com água sanitária a 5 % por 40 s, 80 % dos esporos permeabilizados encontravam-se viáveis. O inóculo dos basidiósporos permeabilizados com água sanitária a 10 % por 40 s resultou na produção de algumas colônias de P. microcarpus. As colônias apareceram após 15 dias de incubação dos basidiósporos permeabilizados na presença da planta hospedeira, Eucalyptus citriodora. A porcentagem de germinação obtida, 0,001%, foi semelhante àquelas relatadas na literatura para basidiósporos não-permeabilizados. Este trabalho é o primeiro relato sobre a ultraestrutura da parede celular dos basidiósporos de P. microcarpus e contribui para a compreensão da recalcitrância desses propágulos à germinação.

Magister Scientiae - MSc / The spectroscopic, SEM and Raman measurements on carbon nanotubes under the exact conditions of which OES analysis were made showed that at a pressure of 400 Torr and a flow rate of 200 sccm, the quality and quantity of single-walled carbon nanotubes was the highest. / South Africa

No description available.

In gas-solid fluidized beds, the generation of electrostatic charges due to continuous contacts between fluidizing particles, and the particles and the fluidization vessel wall, is unavoidable. Industrial operations, such as the production of polyethylene, are susceptible to significant operational challenges caused by electrostatics including reactor wall fouling, a problem known as “sheeting”. The formation of particle sheets can require shutdown periods for clean-up which results in significant economic losses. To gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of electrostatic charging in gas-solid fluidized beds, in an attempt to eliminate or minimize this problem, a pilot-scale pressurized gas-solid fluidization system was designed and built, housing an online electrostatic charge measurement technique consisting of two Faraday cups. The system permits the study of the degree of particle wall fouling at pressures and temperatures up to 2600 kPa and 100°C, respectively, and gas velocities up to 1 m/s (covering a range including turbulent flow regime). The system also allowed, for the first time, the measurement of the fluidizing particles’ mass, net charge and size distribution in various regions of the bed, especially those related to the wall coating under the industrially relevant operating conditions of high pressures and gas velocities. Experimental trials were carried out using polyethylene resin received from commercial reactors to investigate the influence of pressure and gas velocity on the bed hydrodynamics and in turn, the degree of bed electrification. Mechanisms for particle charging, migration and adherence to the column wall were proposed. The size distribution of the gas bubbles shifted towards smaller bubbles as the operating pressure was raised. Thus, higher pressures lead to greater mixing within the bulk of the bed and resulted in a higher degree of particle wall fouling. Moreover, the extent of wall fouling increased linearly with the increase in gas velocity and as the bed transitioned to turbulent regime, due to the increase in particle-wall contacts. Bipolar charging was observed especially within the wall coating with smaller particles being negatively charged. Overall, particle-wall contacts generated negatively charged particles resulting in a net negative charge in the bed, whereas particle-particle contacts generated positively and negatively charged particles resulting in no net charge when entrainment was negligible. The formation of the wall layer and its extent was influenced by the gravitational and drag forces balancing the image force and Coulomb forces (created by the net charge of the bed and the metallic column wall as the attraction between oppositely charged particles).