During the operation of a gas turbine, ingested contaminants present in the air form deposits on the surfaces of the turbine blades. These deposits grow over time, resulting in an increasingly rough surface. This gradual increase in roughness results in several negative consequences, among which is an increase in the rate of heat transfer to the blade which shortens blade life. This thesis presents research in which deposits were evolved on three different turbine blade coupons and their evolution was studied. A trend in roughness change over time was discovered. Also, an attempt was made to find the effect of the deposits on the heat transfer characteristics of a coupon surface. The deposits were formed using the BYU Turbine Accelerated Deposition Facility (TADF), which was used to simulate three months of deposition within a two hour test time. All three coupons underwent four cycles in the TADF: eight total hours of combustor testing—or one simulated year of deposition—with topological measurements being made on the coupon surface after every two hours (three simulated months) of testing. The data produced by the topological measurements were used with a CNC mill to machine scaled-up plastic models of the rough surfaces: four surfaces per model representing three, six, nine, and twelve simulated months of deposition. The models were placed in a wind tunnel where, following a period of thermal soaking at room temperature, they were suddenly exposed to a heated air stream. The thermal histories of the model were recorded with an infrared camera and were used to derive the heat transfer coefficient of each surface using the method developed by Shultz and Jones. The heat transfer coefficients are reported in the form of Stanton numbers to allow for the difference in thermal properties between the conditions and properties of the wind tunnel and its components and those of a real gas turbine. The Stanton numbers for the various surfaces were plotted versus the simulated gas turbine operational time. Additionally, several roughness correlations were used to predict the Stanton number for each surface, producing a probable Stanton number history for the coupon. The measured nondimensional heat transfer coefficients did not reach the magnitudes predicted by the correlations. This is most likely due to unexpected flow conditions inside the wind tunnel. Recommendations for future research are presented.

Seed germination is pivotal in the life cycle of native plants in a restorative context because initiation of the metabolic processes critical to establishment is key to survival in such a competitive environment. Dormancy characteristics of some native plants including the subject species, Astragalus utahensis, have evolved mechanisms to control germination in order to maintain a seed bank and ensure germination at the right time under optimal conditions. In vitro germination studies confirm beneficial interactions between Alternaria and Aspergillus fungi and Astragalus utahensis seed. Inoculated seed trials (1.0 x 106 spores/mL) exhibited a highly significant difference in percent germination between the uninoculated control at 5.0 % germination and seeds inoculated with Alternaria and Aspergillus germinating at 95 % and 55 %, respectively. Germination trials conducted in the greenhouse revealed a beneficial relationship between fungal spore inoculation and seed germination. Control seeds germinated in soil at a rate of 16.0 %; three times as high as exhibited in vitro. Seed inoculated with either Alternaria or Aspergillus seeds germinated in soil at the same rate of 50.0 %. A seed germination trial conducted in the field demonstrated a beneficial response with Aspergillus inoculation. Fall plantings on two sites near Fountain Green and Nephi, Utah confirm this beneficial response to Aspergillus spore inoculation. These field trials indicated a highly significant response with the germination of scarified control seed at 14.7 % and the Aspergillus and Alternaria treated seed germinating at 29.3 and 19.3 %, respectively. Greenhouse germination trials with spore-inoculated seed indicated a 100% survival rate. Astragalus utahensis seeds germinated at an accelerated rate when inoculated with Aspergillus and Alternaria spores in-vitro. The beneficial germination response of fungal inoculated seeds indicates the efficacy of these treatments in dormancy contravention in hard-seeded species.

Vegetable oil is an important commodity; however, the majority of commercially available vegetable oils have a fairly short shelf life, which limits their usefulness for long term food storage, disaster relief, space travel, food aid programs, and military rations. Vegetable oils with high oleic acid and reduced linolenic acid contents, especially with added antioxidant combinations, were previously found to have significantly longer oil stability index (OSI) values than traditional vegetable oils. This study used accelerated shelf life testing to estimate the ambient shelf life of high oleic sunflower oil (HOSUN) and high oleic canola oil (HOCAN), each containing 1,000 ppm ascorbyl palmitate, 200 ppm tertiary butyl hydroquinone, and 200 ppm mixed tocopherols. Oils were stored in the dark in low density polyethylene (LDPE), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles at 30, 40, 50, and 60°C. Control samples were stored in the dark in glass bottles at -50°C. Testing included peroxide values, qualitative headspace volatile analysis, descriptive sensory analysis, and consumer sensory acceptance. The estimated shelf life was calculated from the change in overall acceptance score over time using the Q10 method. The stabilized HOCAN in PET bottles was estimated to have a shelf life at ambient temperature of 6.8 years, while oil stored in LDPE bottles had an estimated shelf life of only 2.7 years. The estimated shelf life of HOSUN at room temperature in PET is 2.6 years and in LDPE is 0.88 years.

This study compared the workload and value of work done outside of class reported by 3512 undergraduate students at Brigham Young University completing 16-week semester and 8-week term University Core (General Education and Religion) classes. Based on the results of this analysis, significant differences in workloads were found when comparing them by occasion (semester versus term). Significant differences were also found in workload and value of homework based on the autonomy of the instructors. On average, the workload difference by occasion equates to approximately 54 minutes more per week in a 3-credit semester course when compared to a term course. While term workloads are lighter than semester workloads in general, both could be called "University Core lite," in that none of the courses exceeded the expected workloads of two hours outside of class per hour in class. The value of homework reported by occasion was overall not significantly different between semester and term. When comparing the reported workload based on the autonomy of the instructor to make changes to a course, statistically significant differences were found. Regardless of occasion, workload tended to decrease when the instructor had greater autonomy in designing the course. The difference in the value of homework reported by autonomy was also found to be significant. The pattern for this factor was reversed in comparison to workload. Students reported greater value in the homework done outside of class in courses when the instructor had greater autonomy. Overall, based on calculated workloads coupled with changes instructors made to their term courses, the impact to the course in terms of workloads was greatest for reading- and writing-intensive courses. Each of which reported a substantial decline in workloads when taught in term format. Math and physics courses came closest to meeting the expected workloads and remained constant between semester and terms. These and other implications are discussed, and recommendations are made regarding the types of courses that are best suited to being taught in a time-compressed format.

Tooling reliability is critical to welding success in friction stir welding, but tooling fatigue is not well understood because it occurs in conditions that are often unique to friction stir welding. A fatigue study was conducted on a commonly used tooling material, H13 tool steel, using constant stress loading at temperatures between 300°C and 600°C, and the results are presented. A model is proposed accounting for temperature and stress effects on fatigue life, utilizing a two-region Arrhenius temperature model. A transition in temperature effect on fatigue life is identified. Implications of the temperature effect for friction stir welding suggest that tooling fatigue life dramatically decreases above 500°C and accelerated testing should be conducted below 500°C.

Biodiesel is a renewable and biodegradable fuel that has the possibility to replace conventional diesel fuel and reduce the environmental pollution. Despite its environmental benefits, it has been shown to cause damage to the vehicle engines, due to its oxidative properties. Different metals, such as copper, zinc and aluminium are present in the vehicle fuel system and have been shown to catalyse the oxidation of biodiesel. Several studies have been performed to investigate the interaction between these metals and fuel. However, some reports concluded contradicting results when it comes to the oxidation of biodiesel in contact with aluminium alloys. This project aimed therefore to investigate and create a simple method for comparing the catalytic effect on oxidation for metals, and use this method to evaluate the degradation rate of biodiesel in contact with aluminium alloys. Different heating methods and coating materials were tested using the biodiesel RME to develop the testing procedure. When a test procedure was established, three filter houses made from cast aluminium alloy and three aluminium ingots with different amount of copper were immersed in RME and the stability was evaluated. The results showed that using an oven at 80 °C to investigate the stability provided the most repeatable results, and the spray paint Auto K billack spray Universal appeared to be compatible to use with RME. The inner untreated surface of the fuel filter houses did not seem to increase the oxidation rate of biodiesel. Aluminium alloys with higher copper content degraded RME more than aluminium alloys with little/no copper, if the surface had been treated mechanically, but not to a large extent. This concludes that aluminium alloys may reduce the stability of biodiesel if it contains much copper and if the surface of the alloy has been treated. However, the detected reduction on oxidation stability could depend on other factors, and therefore it is recommended to conduct further experiments on test the aluminium alloys. / Biodiesel är ett förnybart och biologiskt nedbrytbart bränsle som har möjligheten att ersätta konventionell diesel och minska föroreningen av miljön. Trots dess fördelar så har det visats att bränslet skadar motorerna i fordon, vilket beror på dess oxidativa egenskaper. Olika metaller, såsom koppar, zink och aluminium förekommer i fordons bränslesystem, och dessa har påvisats katalysera oxidationen av biodiesel. Flera studier har genomförts där interaktionen mellan de tidigare nämnda metallerna och biodiesel har undersökts. En del av dessa studier har fått motsägelsefulla resultat när det kommer till interaktionen mellan aluminium legeringar ochbiodiesel. Detta projekt har därför haft som syfte att ta fram en enkelt metod att jämföra metallers katalystiska effekt på biodieslets oxidations stabilitet, samt använda denna metod för att bedöma nedbrytningen av biodiesel i kontakt med aluminium legeringar. Olika uppvärmningsmetoder och täckningsmaterial undersöktes med hjälp av biodiesel gjord på rapsolja, RME, för att ta fram mätmetoden. När ett tillvägagångssätt hade fastlagts, så sänktes bitar av tre olika bränslefilterhus tillverkade av aluminium legeringar, och tre olika aluminium tackor med olika kopparhalter i RME och bränslets stabilitet mättes. Användning av ugn vid 80 °C för att testa biodieslets oxidations stabilitet gav de mest upprepbara resultaten, och sprejfärgen Auto K billack spray Universal var mest kompatibel att använda som täckningsmaterial. Den inre, obehandlade ytan av bränslefilterhusen visade sig inte påverka oxidations stabiliteten på biodieslet. Aluminijm legeringar med en högre koppar halt bröt ned RME lite mer än aluminium legeringar med lite/ingen koppas, men endast om ytan hade blivit mekaniskt behandlad. Detta ger slutsatsen att aluminium legeringar kan minska biodieslets stabilitet om det innehåller mycket koppar och om legeringens yta har blivit behandlad. Däremot så kan den reduktionen av oxidations stabiliteten bero på andra faktorer och det rekommenderas därför att genomföra fler experiment med aluminum legeringar och biodiesel.

Biodiesel is a renewable and biodegradable fuel that has the possibility to replace conventional diesel fuel and reduce the environmental pollution. Despite its environmental benefits, it has been shown to cause damage to the vehicle engines, due to its oxidative properties. Different metals, such as copper, zinc and aluminium are present in the vehicle fuel system and have been shown to catalyse the oxidation of biodiesel. Several studies have been performed to investigate the interaction between these metals and fuel. However, some reports concluded contradicting results when it comes to the oxidation of biodiesel in contact with aluminium alloys. This project aimed therefore to investigate and create a simple method for comparing the catalytic effect on oxidation for metals, and use this method to evaluate the degradation rate of biodiesel in contact with aluminium alloys. Different heating methods and coating materials were tested using the biodiesel RME to develop the testing procedure. When a test procedure was established, three filter houses made from cast aluminium alloy and three aluminium ingots with different amount of copper were immersed in RME and the stability was evaluated. The results showed that using an oven at 80 °C to investigate the stability provided the most repeatable results, and the spray paint Auto K billack spray Universal appeared to be compatible to use with RME. The inner untreated surface of the fuel filter houses did not seem to increase the oxidation rate of biodiesel. Aluminium alloys with higher copper content degraded RME more than aluminium alloys with little/no copper, if the surface had been treated mechanically, but not to a large extent. This concludes that aluminium alloys may reduce the stability of biodiesel if it contains much copper and if the surface of the alloy has been treated. However, the detected reduction on oxidation stability could depend on other factors, and therefore it is recommended to conduct further experiments on test the aluminium alloys. / Biodiesel är ett förnybart och biologiskt nedbrytbart bränsle som har möjligheten att ersätta konventionell diesel och minska föroreningen av miljön. Trots dess fördelar så har det visats att bränslet skadar motorerna i fordon, vilket beror på dess oxidativa egenskaper. Olika metaller, såsom koppar, zink och aluminium förekommer i fordons bränslesystem, och dessa har påvisats katalysera oxidationen av biodiesel. Flera studier har genomförts där interaktionen mellan de tidigare nämnda metallerna och biodiesel har undersökts. En del av dessa studier har fått motsägelsefulla resultat när det kommer till interaktionen mellan aluminium legeringar ochbiodiesel. Detta projekt har därför haft som syfte att ta fram en enkelt metod att jämföra metallers katalystiska effekt på biodieslets oxidations stabilitet, samt använda denna metod för att bedöma nedbrytningen av biodiesel i kontakt med aluminium legeringar. Olika uppvärmningsmetoder och täckningsmaterial undersöktes med hjälp av biodiesel gjord på rapsolja, RME, för att ta fram mätmetoden. När ett tillvägagångssätt hade fastlagts, så sänktes bitar av tre olika bränslefilterhus tillverkade av aluminium legeringar, och tre olika aluminium tackor med olika kopparhalter i RME och bränslets stabilitet mättes. Användning av ugn vid 80 °C för att testa biodieslets oxidations stabilitet gav de mest upprepbara resultaten, och sprejfärgen Auto K billack spray Universal var mest kompatibel att använda som täckningsmaterial. Den inre, obehandlade ytan av bränslefilterhusen visade sig inte påverka oxidations stabiliteten på biodieslet. Aluminijm legeringar med en högre koppar halt bröt ned RME lite mer än aluminium legeringar med lite/ingen koppas, men endast om ytan hade blivit mekaniskt behandlad. Detta ger slutsatsen att aluminium legeringar kan minska biodieslets stabilitet om det innehåller mycket koppar och om legeringens yta har blivit behandlad. Däremot så kan den reduktionen av oxidations stabiliteten bero på andra faktorer och det rekommenderas därför att genomföra fler experiment med aluminum legeringar och biodiesel.

Solar Photovoltaics (PV) is one of the most promising renewable energy technologies for mitigating the effect of climate change. Reliability of PV modules directly impacts the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), which is a metric for cost competitiveness of any energy technology. Further reduction in LCOE of PV through assured long term reliability is necessary in order to facilitate widespread use of solar energy without the need for subsidies. This dissertation is focused on frameworks for assessing reliability of bypass diodes in PV modules. Bypass diodes are critical components in PV modules that provide protection against shading. Failure of bypass diode in short circuit results in reducing the PV module power by one third, while diode failure in open circuit leaves the module susceptible for extreme hotspot heating and potentially fire hazard. PV modules, along with the bypass diodes are expected to last at least 25 years in field. The various failure mechanisms in bypass diodes such as thermal runaway, high temperature forward bias operation and thermal cycling are discussed. Operation of bypass diode under shading is modeled and method for calculating the module I-V curve under any shading scenario is presented. Frameworks for estimating the diode temperature in field deployed modules based on Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) data are developed. Model for predicting the susceptibility of bypass diodes for thermal runaway is presented. Diode wear out due to High Temperature Forward Bias (HTFB) operation and Thermal Cycling (TC) is studied under custom designed accelerated tests. Overall, this dissertation is an effort towards estimating the lifetime of bypass diodes in field deployed modules, and therefore, reducing the uncertainty in long term reliability of PV modules.

This thesis reports on the research outcome of corrosion mechanism and corrosion rate of mild steel in different environments (saline, alkaline solutions and concrete media) using potentiodynamic polarization technique. The study also included the effect of corrosion on bond strength between reinforcing steel and concrete using pull-out test. Corrosion of mild steel and 316L stainless steel with different surface conditions in 1, 3 and 5% saline (NaCl + Distilled water) was investigated. Specimens ground with 200 and 600 grit silicon carbide grinding paper as well as 1¿m surface finish (polished with 1¿m diamond paste) were tested. In case of mild steel specimens, reduction in surface roughness caused increase in corrosion rate, while in 316L stainless steel corrosion rate decreased as the surface roughness improved. Metallographic examination of corroded specimens confirmed breakdown of passive region due to pitting corrosion. Corrosion of mild steel was also investigated in alkaline solution (saturated calcium hydroxide, pH =12.5) contaminated with 1, 3 and 5% saline. A series of corrosion experiments were also conducted to examine the efficiency of various concentrations of calcium nitrite (CN) on corrosion behaviour of both as-received and polished mild steel in alkaline solution containing 3% saline after 1 hour and 28 days of exposure. Corrosion rate was higher for the as-received than polished mild steel surface under the same testing conditions in NaCl alkaline solution with and without nitrites due to the effect of surface roughness. Morphology investigation of mild steel specimens in alkaline solution ii containing chlorides and nitrites showed localized pits even at nitrite concentration equal to chloride concentration. Corrosion of steel bars embedded in concrete having compressive strengths of 20, 30 and 46MPa was also investigated. The effect of 2 and 4% CN by weight of cement on corrosion behaviour of steel bar in low and high concrete strengths specimens were also studied. All reinforced concrete specimens were immersed in 3% saline solution for three different periods of 1, 7 and 15 days. In order to accelerate the chemical reactions, an external current of 0.4A was applied. Corrosion rate was measured by retrieving electrochemical information from polarization tests. Pull-out tests of reinforced concrete specimens were then conducted to assess the corroded steel/concrete bond characteristics. Experimental results showed that corrosion rate of steel bars and bond strength were dependent on concrete strength, amount of CN and acceleration corrosion period. As concrete strength increased from 20 to 46MPa, corrosion rate of embedded steel decreased. First day of corrosion acceleration showed a slight increase in steel/concrete bond strength, whereas severe corrosion due to 7 and 15 days corrosion acceleration significantly reduced steel/concrete bond strength. Addition of only 2% CN did not give corrosion protection for steel reinforcement in concrete with 20MPa strength at long time of exposure. However, the combination of good quality concrete and addition of CN appear to be a desirable approach to reduce the effect of chloride induced corrosion of steel reinforcement. At less time of exposure, specimens without CN showed higher bond strength in both concrete mixes than those with CN. After 7 days of corrosion acceleration, the higher concentration of CN gave higher bond strength in both concrete mixes. The same trend was observed at 15 days of corrosion acceleration except for the specimen with 20MPa compressive strength and 2% CN which recorded the highest deterioration in bond strength.

A large amount of research has been conducted to investigate the influence of incorporating geosynthetics in highway pavements in laboratory-scale and full-scale experiments, and performance improvement has been well documented. In most cases, geosynthetics have been found to improve rutting resistance or reduce vertical pressure on the subgrade. Airfield pavements are typically thicker than highway pavements and are subjected to higher wheel loads and tire pressures. Thus, the benefit of geosynthetics within airfield pavements may not be as pronounced as that observed in relatively thin highway pavements. Prior to the writing of this dissertation, few documented studies focused on the performance of geosynthetic inclusion in airfield pavements and existing Department of Defense (DOD) guidance for geosynthetic inclusion had not been updated for several decades. The primary objectives of this dissertation were to update the DOD geosynthetic design methodology, to interpret results of laboratory-scale and full-scale experiments conducted specifically to evaluate geosynthetic performance in airfield pavements, and to determine if a competitive market exists for geosynthetic inclusion in airfield pavements. The main body of this dissertation is a compilation of four complementary articles that build upon the primary components of the main objectives. Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 present an introduction and a literature review, respectively. Updates to the DOD design methodology are presented in Chapter 3, results of laboratory-scale and full-scale evaluations are presented in Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, respectively, and potential implications of geosynthetic inclusion in airfield pavements are presented in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 presents overall conclusions and recommendations. Overall, it was found that, while some geosynthetics can be beneficial in airfield pavements, more rutting than would typically be allowed on an operational airfield was required to realize a meaningful performance benefit. In cases where geosynthetics were included in an airfield pavement, it was found that an extension of service life rather than a reduction in aggregate thickness was more optimal in assigning a geosynthetic value. Finally, the results of this dissertation indicated that geosynthetic inclusion in airfield pavements did not yield the same benefit level as that documented in the literature for highway pavements.