Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde versucht, Gesetzmäßigkeiten zwischen Kenngrößen aus dem Formstofflabor und einer praxisnahen kleintechnischen Formanlage abzuleiten. Der Zweck besteht darin, einen Fehler bei der Formherstellung (insbesondere Ballenabrisse) zu vermeiden. Dazu wurden zahlreiche Untersuchungen sowohl im Formstofflabor als auch an der Versuchsanlage vorgenommen. Dies gleicht in ihrer Funktionsweise betrieblichen Formanlagen mit unterschiedlichen Verdichtungsmöglichkeiten. Bei den Untersuchungen wurden Formstoffzusammensetzungen variiert, konstruktive Änderungen an der Formmaschine vorgenommen und die Formballen mit unterschiedlichen Formschrägen versehen. Zur Beurteilung der Gebrauchstauglichkeit einer Grünsandform müssen die Beanspruchbarkeiten größer als die entstehenden Beanspruchungen oder zumindest gleich sein. Dazu wurde eine neue Methode zur Bestimmung der Ballenabrissneigung unter Einsatz eines variablen Gießereimodells entwickelt. Durch eine zielgerichtete Kombination der an der Formherstellung beteiligten Komponenten: Formstoff, Formmaschine und Formprozess ließen sich qualitätsgerechte Formen herstellen und die Ergebnisse erfolgreich auf die betriebliche Praxis übertragen.

L'imagerie préclinique dans le domaine de la cancérologie est en plein essor. Elle permet grâce à des modèles animaux représentatifs de cancers humains de comprendre les mécanismes de développement des pathologies et d'évaluer l'efficacité thérapeutique d'un nouveau traitement. Le principal objectif de ce travail a été de développer deux modèles orthotopiques de cancer (pancréas et colon) et d'évaluer des traitements de références ainsi qu'une nouvelle stratégie thérapeutique par plasma froid fibré appelée Plasma Gun. Les 2 modèles de cancers développés ont montré une bonne représentativité vis-à-vis des cancers humains, avec l'apparition de métastases à distance et la présence de zones hypoxiques. Le 5-fluorouracile pour le modèle orthotopique de carcinome colorectal HCT116-luc et la gemcitabine pour le modèle d'adénocarcinome pancréatique MIA PaCa2-luc ont induit à faible dose des effets discrets pouvant être mis en évidence grâce aux modalités d'imageries mises en oeuvre. Après validation de nos démarches expérimentales une nouvelle stratégie thérapeutique, le Plasma Gun, a été évaluée et a montré des effets significatifs sur l'inhibition de la croissance tumorale. Le second objectif de ma thèse a été de mettre en oeuvre des outils pour l'induction et la caractérisation des métastases osseuses ainsi que pour l'imagerie haute résolution de la vascularisation. D'une part, les métastases osseuses obtenues par injection de cellules PC3M-luc en intracardiaque ont été évaluées et quantifiées grâce à différentes modalités d'imagerie (bioluminescence, scintigraphie et scanner X). D'autre part, la réalisation d'une imagerie haute résolution de la vascularisation a été possible grâce à la technique de casting qui permet de recréer la structure 3D de l'architecture vasculaire suite à l'injection d'une résine dans la circulation. Les développements réalisés lors de cette thèse ont ainsi permis d'apporter des outils pour l'évaluation préclinique de nouvelles thérapies anticancéreuses.

This dissertation investigates the effect of electromagnetic braking and gas injection on the fluid flow in a continuous casting slab mold numerically and makes verifications on basis of a small Liquid Metal Model for Continuous Casting of steel (mini-LIMMCAST). Numerical calculations were performed by means of the software package CFX with an implemented RANS-SST turbulence model. The non-isotropic nature of the MHD turbulence was taken into account by specific modifications of the turbulence model. The numerical results were validated by flow measurements at the mini-LIMMCAST facility. Numerical simulations disclose the damping effect on the flow closely depending on the wall conductance ratio. In addition, specific modifications of the turbulence model play a crucial role in reconstructing the peculiar phenomenon of an excitation of nonsteady, nonisotropic, large-scale flow perturbations caused by the application of the DC magnetic field.

Aluminium matrix composites are among the most promising candidate materials for light weight and high strength applications such as transportation and armour. In a previous study 6061 aluminum matrix composites reinforced with plain weave carbon fiber preform (AS4 Hexcel) were successfully fabricated by squeeze casting using the laminate fabrication technique. This research aims at optimizing the fabrication process in order to achieve improved strength and mechanical properties. It focuses on the liquid infiltration squeeze casting method. Good mechanical bonding between fiber and aluminium is achieved thanks to improved infiltration and impregnation of the fabric by liquid aluminium. Oxidation products at fiber/aluminium interface and porosity are reduced. As a result, composites are produced with overall improved mechanical properties. The flexural strength is increased by up to 19.9% and 15.4% compared to the laminate approach and the reference 6061 aluminium alloy squeeze cast under identical conditions, respectively. Similarly, overall hardness is improved. However, the impact strength is reduced by 7.76% and 25.78% when compared to casts fabricated by the laminate method and the reference aluminium alloy, respectively. The thesis constitutes a good basis for further research on fiber and particle reinforced aluminium matrix composites with the goal of further improving fracture toughness, particularly for gradient materials used in armour applications.

In this dissertation we describe the event processing autonomic computing reference architecture (EPACRA), an innovative reference architecture that solves many important problems related to adaptive root cause analysis and diagnosis (RCAD). Along with the research progress for defining EPACRA, we also identified a set of autonomic computing architecture patterns and proposed a new information seeking model called net-casting model. EPACRA is important because today, root cause analysis and diagnosis (RCAD) in enterprise systems is still largely performed manually by experienced system administrators. The goal of this research is to characterize, simplify, improve, and automate RCAD processes to ease selected tasks for system administrators and end-users. Research on RCAD processes involves three domains: (1) autonomic computing architecture patterns, (2) information seeking models, and (3) complex event processing (CEP) technologies. These domains as well as existing technologies and standards contribute to the synthesized knowledge of this dissertation. To minimize human involvement in RCAD, we investigated architecture patterns to be utilized in RCAD processes. We identified a set of autonomic computing architecture patterns and analyzed the interactions among the feedback loops in these individual architecture patterns and how the autonomic elements interact with each other. By illustrating the architecture patterns, we recognized ambiguity in the aggregator-escalator-peer pattern. This problem has been solved by adding a new architecture pattern, namely the chain-of-monitors pattern, to the lattice of autonomic computing architecture patterns. To facilitate the autonomic information seeking process, we developed the net-casting information seeking model. After identifying the commonalities among three traditional information seeking models, we defined the net-casting model as a five stage process and then tailored it to describe our automated RCAD process. One of the main contributions of this dissertation is an innovative autonomic computing reference architecture called event processing autonomic computing reference architecture (EPACRA). This reference architecture is based on (1) complex event processing (CEP) concepts, (2) autonomic computing architecture patterns, (3) real use-case workflows, and (4) our net-casting information seeking model. This reference architecture can be leveraged to relieve the system administrator’s burden of routinely performing RCAD tasks in a heterogeneous environment. EPACRA can be viewed as a variant of the IBM ACRA model—extended with CEP to deal with large event clouds in real-time environments. In the middle layer of the reference model, EPACRA introduces an innovative design referred to as use-case-unit—a use case is the scenario of an RCAD process initiated by a symptom—event processing network (EPN) for RCAD. Each use-case-unit EPN reflects our automation approach, including identification of events from the use cases and classifying those events into event types. Apart from defining individual event processing agents (EPAs) to process the different types of events, dynamically constructing use-case unit EPNs is also an innovative approach which may lead to fully autonomic RCAD systems in the future. Finally, this dissertation presents a case study for EPACRA. As a case study we use a prototype of a Web application intrusion detection tool to demonstrate the autonomic mechanisms of our RCAD process. Specifically, this tool recognizes two types of malicious attacks on web application systems and then takes actions to prevent intrusion attempts. This case study validates both our chain-of-monitors autonomic architecture pattern and our net-casting model. It also validates our use-case-unit EPN approach as an innovative approach to realizing RCAD workflows. Hopefully, this research platform will be beneficial for other RCAD projects and researchers with similar interests and goals.

In recent years, bulk amorphous alloys and nanocrystalline materials have been synthesized in a number of ferrous and non-ferrous based alloys systems, which have gained some applications due to their unique physico-chemical and mechanical properties. In the last decade, Zr-based alloys with a wide supercooled liquid region and excellent glass forming ability have been discovered. These systems have promising application fields due to their mechanical properties / high tensile strength, high fracture toughness, high corrosion resistance and good machinability. In this study, the aim is to model, synthesize and characterize the Zr-based bulk amorphous alloys. Initially, theoretical study on the basis of the semi-empirical rules well known in literature and the electronic theory of alloys in pseudopotential approximation has been provided in order to predict the potential impurity elements that would lead to an increase in the GFA of the selected Zr-Ni, Zr-Fe, Zr-Co and Zr-Al based binary systems. Furthermore, thermodynamic and structural parameters were calculated for mentioned binary and their ternary systems. According to the theoretical study, Zr67Ni33 binary system was selected and its multicomponent alloys were formed by adding its potential impurity elements / Mo, W and Al. Centrifugal casting method was used to produce alloy systems. Structural characterizations were performed by DSC, XRD, SEM and EDS methods. In the near-surface regions of Zr60Ni25Mo10W5 and Zr50Ni20Al15Mo10W5 alloys, amorphous structure has been observed. Experimental studies have shown that Zr-Ni based systems with impurity elements Mo, W and Al, not widely used in literature, might be good candidates for obtaining high GFA.

The aim of this study is to synthesize and characterize new bulk amorphous alloys in the Ni- based systems. Theoretical studies on the basis of semi-empirical rules and the electronic theory of alloys in pseudopotential approximation has been provided in order to predict the impurity elements that will lead to an increase in the glass forming ability of Ni-based alloy systems. Glass forming ability of ten different compositions of alloys of Ni-Nb, Ni-Fe, Ni-B, Ni-Hf and Ni-Cr was simulated by using FORTRAN programs based on pseudopotential theory. In addition to the binary alloys, ternary alloys, which were formed by addition of 1 at% of third element to these systems, were also simulated. Since ordering energy is an indicator of glass forming ability, theoretical studies allowed to predict the effect of various third elements on the formation of amorphous phase. Furthermore, ordering energies were also used to calculate other parameters important for glass forming ability. In the second part of the study, on the basis of theoretical results, a series of casting experiments were done. Different compositions of Ni-Nb, Ni-Nb-Sn and Ni-Nb-Al alloys were cast in the centrifugal casting machine. Alloys were melted in alumina crucibles and cast into the copper moulds. Characterizations of cast alloys were done by the use of Metallography, SEM, XRD and DSC. Fully amorphous Ni52Nb41Al7 alloy was synthesized in bulk form with 0.8 mm thickness.

The aim of this study, which was carried out in two main parts, is to investigate the glass forming ability of Fe-based systems. The first part involves the theoretical modeling to cover the requirement of a predictive model to identify the Fe-based alloy families that have high glass forming ability in the frame of atomistic and thermodynamic approach. The second part involves the experimental investigations to prove the results of the conducted theoretical modeling studies. For this purpose, in the first part, theoretical investigations were performed to identify the third alloying elements that will lead to an increase in the glass forming ability on the base of electronic theory of alloys in pseudopotential approximation for selected Fe- based systems, Fe - (B, Zr, Nb, C, W). In the experimental part, in the frame of the theoretical investigation results, one of the theoretically modeled binary system, and the third alloying elements that were predicted to lead an increase in the glass forming ability of the selected binary system, were determined. As a first step, designated compositions were synthesized by using low grade conventional Fe-B alloy as a raw material by using centrifugal casting technique and copper mold casting method. To compare the results, same compositions were also cast from the high purity elements by using the same technique and method. For the characterization of these cast specimens, DSC, XRD, SEM, EDS and metallographic examination techniques were used. Amorphous structure was successfully obtained in the thin sections of the wedge-cast samples for Fe-B-Nb and Fe-B-W ternary systems.

Thesis (MSc (Mathematical Sciences))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / A novel implementation exploiting modern hardware is explored and found to be a significant improvement over current methods used. A 50 times performance increase in the computation time of DRRs is achieved over the conventional ray casting approach and image registration is performed in under a minute.

L’hydrogène constitue un vecteur d’énergie très important. En effet, il est abondant à l’état combiné et sa combustion est très énergétique et non polluante. En revanche, le mode de stockage le plus sécurisant de ce gaz explosif c’est dans les métaux sous forme d’hydrure. Parmi ces métaux, le magnésium est l’un des plus prometteurs car il possède une capacité massique de stockage élevée (7,6%), un faible coût et une abondance naturelle. Cependant ses cinétiques de sorption sont lentes et son hydrure MgH2 est très stable et mauvais conducteur. L’objectif de ce travail de thèse est de contribuer à la résolution des points faibles du magnésium, en lui ajoutant des fibres de carbone comme renfort soit par broyage énergétique pour assurer une bonne intimité entre les deux, soit par coulage en bande, une technique qui permet d’orienter les fibres, pour un maximum de conductivité thermique. Nous étions donc intéressés à l’étude des cinétiques d’absorption/désorption où une amélioration a été observée après l’ajout du carbone par broyage. Une étude de la conductivité thermique était encore intéressante où le matériau préparé par coulage en bande, comme prévu, a présenté un très bon résultat. D’autre part, nous avons effectué des tests d’hydrolyse pour la production délocalisée d’hydrogène. Ayant comme problème la formation d’une couche imperméable de Mg(OH)2 en surface qui bloque la réaction, différents paramètres ont été modifiés (pH, T°, taille des particules, US) et cela a donné un impact positif sur le rendement en hydrogène et la cinétique de la réaction. Finalement, deux procédés de déformation plastique sévère i) le laminage et ii) l’ECAP ont été appliqués sur du TiH2 et du MgH2. Ces deux techniques ont présenté un pouvoir de déstabilisation des hydrures et donc une diminution de la température de déshydruration. Ils ont encore montré un comportement différent du broyage mécanique de point de vue microcontrainte et orientation des plans cristallins. / Hydrogen is a very important energy carrier. Indeed, it is abundant in the combined state and its combustion, very energetic, is non-polluting. However, the safest storage mode of this explosive gas is in the metal hydride form. Among metals, magnesium is one of the most promising one because its high mass capacity storage (7. 6%), low cost and natural abundance. However its kinetics of sorption are slow and its hydride MgH2 is very stable and has a poor thermal conductivity. The objective of this thesis is to resolve most of the weaknesses of magnesium by adding carbon fibers as reinforcement using the ball milling process, a way to ensure a good contact between the two, either by tape casting, a technique to help in the fibers’ orientation, for a maximum of thermal conductivity. We were therefore interested in the study of absorption / desorption kinetics, where an improvement was observed after the addition of carbon by grinding. A study of the thermal conductivity was also interesting, and the material prepared by tape casting, as expected, gave a very good result. On the other hand, we performed some hydrolysis’ tests to produce hydrogen. Having the problem of Mg(OH)2 formation on the surface, that blocks the reaction; different parameters were modified (e. G. PH, T°, particle size, U. S. ), which showed a positive impact on the hydrogen yield and reaction kinetics. Finally, two severe plastic deformation methods: i) cold rolling and ii) ECAP were applied to the TiH2 and MgH2 samples. Both techniques showed a destabilizing power of hydrides and therefore a decrease in the temperature of dehydrogenation. They even showed different behaviors than the mechanical grinding from microstrain and planes orientation point of view.