As advances in solid rocket technology push rocket motors to more extreme operating speeds and temperatures, it becomes increasingly important to have well-designed material systems capable of surviving these harsh conditions. One common component in these systems is the use of a fiber- and particle-reinforced EPDM insulation layer between the motor casing and the solid fuel to shield the casing from the temperatures of the burning fuel and from the high velocity of gas particles traveling within the motor. This work studies several insulation materials to determine which exhibits the highest shear strength after being charred. Double-notch shear test specimens of three materials, ARI-2718, ARI-2719, and ARI-2750, were charred and tested to measure the failure strength of each charred material. The ARI-2750 showed the highest shear strength when loaded along the material orientation, but the ARI-2719 was strongest when transversely loaded. The strength measurements for ARI-2750 were highly sensitive to loading direction, unlike ARI-2718 and ARI-2719. Extensive scanning electron microscopy to identify correlations between shear strength and microstructure revealed that the amount of fiber orientation and amount of residual matrix material may have significant impacts on charred shear strength in these materials. / Master of Science

Par sa vision tragique du monde, René Char semble, à première vue, bien éloigné des penseurs utopistes, moins intéressé par les lendemains qui chantent que par les dangers imminents qui guettent l’humanité. Dans un grand nombre de ses poèmes, il s'attaque aux naïfs qui se persuadent que c'est le bien qui adviendra, valorise les pessimistes dans la mesure où « ils voient de leur vivant l'objet de leur appréhension se réaliser ». Son œuvre semble parfois rejoindre les actes d'accusation faisant de l'utopie l'antichambre du goulag et des camps, la rendant responsable de la dégénérescence des états dits socialistes en systèmes totalitaires. À plusieurs reprises, Char indique qu’entre l’ethos (qui recommande d’arrimer la poésie et la pensée au réel) et l’utopos (qui s’élabore à l’écart de la réalité du monde) il ne peut surgir qu’une incompatibilité essentielle. Mais s'en tenir là serait ignorer que tout une part de sa poésie demeure également marquée par le « principe espérance ». Si ses recueils du début des années 1930 sont traversés par le désir d’un « monde en tout renouvelé de l’attractif », certains de ses écrits plus tardifs sont également ponctués d’« images-souhaits » de la conscience désirante, d’évocations de lieux rêvés : « ville imperforée » ou « pays d’à côté », « citadelle idéale » ou « perfection à la fois territoriale et inspirée du bien commun ». Bien que Char se soit de nombreuses fois attaqué aux utopies du futur, il convient de se demander si on ne peut trouver à l'intérieur même de sa critique une invitation à penser l'utopie autrement. / By virtue of his tragic vision of the world, René Char initially appears to be far from a utopian. He is less interested in “enchanting dawns” than in the imminent dangers that await humanity. In many poems he attacks the naïve who believe that good will triumph, and values instead the pessimists “who see in their very lifetime the realization of what they most feared.” For this reason, Char has been placed alongside those who view utopia as the foyer of gulags and concentration camps, and hold utopianism responsible for the degeneration of so-called “socialist” states into totalitarian ones. Char suggests several times that between ethos (which encourages the adherence of poetry and thought to reality) and utopos (which distances us from the reality of the world) only an essential incompatibility can arise. To leave the question of utopia at this, however, is to ignore how a whole dimension of Char’s poetry is equally inspired by the “principle of hope.” His poetry from the early 1930s flows from a desire for “a world in every respect renewed by the attractive.” His later works are equally filled with “wish-images” of desiring consciousness, evocations of dreamed places – be it an “imperforate city,” a “country at the margins,” an “ideal citadel” or, indeed, “perfection, both earthly and inspired by the common good.” While Char has on several occasions taken it upon himself to attack future-oriented utopias, it is necessary to ask whether, from within this very criticism, we may find instead an invitation to think utopia otherwise

Studying calcium carbonate (otoliths) and calcium phosphate (fins, scales, bones) hard structure chemistry has numerous applications in the fisheries field for both freshwater and marine environments. The overall thesis objectives were: 1.) to provide an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to understanding the incorporation of trace elements and isotopes into biomineralized hard structures, and 2.) to apply this multidisciplinary perspective in the examination of element marking, stock discrimination, and migration in teleost fish species found within the Canadian Polar North. Varying physiological mechanisms within fishes control the uptake of essential and non-essential trace elements and isotopes during biomineralization processes. Essential life elements such as zinc and magnesium are controlled by their own uptake regulation systems whereas non-essential elements such as strontium and barium are controlled primarily by calcium uptake at the gills driven by internal calcium homeostasis. Secondarily, environmental trace elements compete with calcium and with each other for uptake at the gills. The ability of certain hard structures such as bones, fins, and scales to remobilise calcium and associated calcium-like elements, plays a role in the prolonged high concentrations of strontium that were observed in otolith marking of Greenland Halibut, Reinhardtius hippoglossoides. High doses of strontium chloride resulted in a prolonged expulsion of excess strontium. Strong associations of Dolly Varden Char, Salvelinus malma malma, with groundwater allowed discrimination of populations among studied river systems using otolith strontium and barium, and strontium isotopes. Calculation of otolith strontium freshwater baselines allowed for a quantitative method to examine migration histories of Arctic Char, S. alpinus, in Canada and western Greenland. Migration seaward was related to ease of access to estuary and marine habitats. Easy access to estuaries resulted in migration at a young age and small size whereas longer rivers resulted in a delay of migration to older ages and larger sizes. Understanding the role of fish physiology in association with calcium homeostasis provided a stronger basis for understanding the incorporation and presence of trace elements and isotopes found within biomineralized hard structures. These studies underscore the utility of microchemical studies for elucidating biological phenomena, thus linking the aspects of biology, physiology, and geology. / February 2017

Pyrolysis of biomass consists of heating solid biomass inthe absence of air to produce solid, liquid and gaseous fuels.In the first part of this thesis rapid pyrolysis of wood(birch) and some agricultural residues (olive waste, sugarcanebagasse and wheat straw in untreated and in pelletized form) athigh temperature (800ºC–1000ºC) is studied ina free fall reactor at pilot scale. These conditions are ofinterest for gasification in fluidized beds. Of main interestare the gas and char yields and compositions as well as thereactivity of the produced char in gasification. A higher temperature and smaller particles increase theheating rate resulting in a decreased char yield. The crackingof the hydrocarbons with an increase of the hydrogen content inthe gaseous product is favoured by a higher temperature and byusing smaller particles. Wood gives more volatiles and lesschar than straw and olive waste. The higher ash content inagricultural residues favours the charring reactions. Charsfrom olive waste and straw are more reactive in gasificationthan chars from birch because of the higher ash content. Thecomposition of the biomass influences the product distribution.Birch and bagasse give more volatiles and less char thanquebracho, straw and olive waste. Longer residence time inrapid pyrolysis increase the time for contact between tar andchar which makes the char less reactive. The secondary charproduced from tar not only covers the primary char but alsoprobably encapsulates the ash and hinders the catalytic effectof the ash. High char reactivity is favoured by conditionswherethe volatiles are rapidly removed from the particle, i.e.high heating rate, high temperature and small particles. The second part of this thesis deals with slow pyrolysis inpresence of steam for preparation of active carbon. Theinfluence of the type of biomass, the type of reactor and thetreatment conditions, mainly temperature and activation time,on the properties and the yield of active carbons are studied.The precursors used in the experiments are birch (wood) anddifferent types of agricultural residues such as sugarcanebagasse, olive waste, miscanthus pellets and straw in untreatedand pelletized form. The results from the pyrolysis of biomass in presence ofsteam are compared with those obtained in inert atmosphere ofnitrogen. The steam contributes to the formation of solidresidues with high surface area and good adsorption capacity.The yield of liquid products increases significantly at theexpense of the gaseous and solid products. Large amount ofsteam result in liquid products consisting predominantly ofwater-soluble polar compounds. In comparison to the stationary fixed bed reactor, therotary reactor increases the production of energy-rich gases atthe expense of liquid products. The raw materials have strong effect on the yields and theproperties of the pyrolysis products. At equal time oftreatment an increase of the temperature results in a decreaseof the yield of solid residue and improvement of the adsorptioncapacity until the highest surface area is reached. Furtherincrease of the temperature decreases the yield of solidproduct without any improvement in the adsorption capacity. Therate of steam flow influences the product distribution. Theyield of liquid products increases while the gas yielddecreases when the steam flow is increased. <b>Keywords</b>: rapid pyrolysis, pyrolysis, wood, agriculturalresidues,biomass, char, tar, gas, char reactivity,gasification, steam, active carbon

<p>Pyrolysis of biomass consists of heating solid biomass inthe absence of air to produce solid, liquid and gaseous fuels.In the first part of this thesis rapid pyrolysis of wood(birch) and some agricultural residues (olive waste, sugarcanebagasse and wheat straw in untreated and in pelletized form) athigh temperature (800ºC–1000ºC) is studied ina free fall reactor at pilot scale. These conditions are ofinterest for gasification in fluidized beds. Of main interestare the gas and char yields and compositions as well as thereactivity of the produced char in gasification.</p><p>A higher temperature and smaller particles increase theheating rate resulting in a decreased char yield. The crackingof the hydrocarbons with an increase of the hydrogen content inthe gaseous product is favoured by a higher temperature and byusing smaller particles. Wood gives more volatiles and lesschar than straw and olive waste. The higher ash content inagricultural residues favours the charring reactions. Charsfrom olive waste and straw are more reactive in gasificationthan chars from birch because of the higher ash content. Thecomposition of the biomass influences the product distribution.Birch and bagasse give more volatiles and less char thanquebracho, straw and olive waste. Longer residence time inrapid pyrolysis increase the time for contact between tar andchar which makes the char less reactive. The secondary charproduced from tar not only covers the primary char but alsoprobably encapsulates the ash and hinders the catalytic effectof the ash. High char reactivity is favoured by conditionswherethe volatiles are rapidly removed from the particle, i.e.high heating rate, high temperature and small particles.</p><p>The second part of this thesis deals with slow pyrolysis inpresence of steam for preparation of active carbon. Theinfluence of the type of biomass, the type of reactor and thetreatment conditions, mainly temperature and activation time,on the properties and the yield of active carbons are studied.The precursors used in the experiments are birch (wood) anddifferent types of agricultural residues such as sugarcanebagasse, olive waste, miscanthus pellets and straw in untreatedand pelletized form.</p><p>The results from the pyrolysis of biomass in presence ofsteam are compared with those obtained in inert atmosphere ofnitrogen. The steam contributes to the formation of solidresidues with high surface area and good adsorption capacity.The yield of liquid products increases significantly at theexpense of the gaseous and solid products. Large amount ofsteam result in liquid products consisting predominantly ofwater-soluble polar compounds.</p><p>In comparison to the stationary fixed bed reactor, therotary reactor increases the production of energy-rich gases atthe expense of liquid products.</p><p>The raw materials have strong effect on the yields and theproperties of the pyrolysis products. At equal time oftreatment an increase of the temperature results in a decreaseof the yield of solid residue and improvement of the adsorptioncapacity until the highest surface area is reached. Furtherincrease of the temperature decreases the yield of solidproduct without any improvement in the adsorption capacity. Therate of steam flow influences the product distribution. Theyield of liquid products increases while the gas yielddecreases when the steam flow is increased.</p><p><b>Keywords</b>: rapid pyrolysis, pyrolysis, wood, agriculturalresidues,biomass, char, tar, gas, char reactivity,gasification, steam, active carbon</p>

No description available.

The Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) is a top predator in northern lakes and accumulates persistent lipophilic contaminants. Toxaphene, a major organochlorine contaminant in Arctic charr, is known to be acutely toxic to fish but the effects of dietary exposure have not been examined. Furthermore, lake-resident Arctic charr are frequently infected with larvae of the cestode, Diphyllobothrium dendriticum. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of toxaphene exposure on Arctic charr growth, nutritional quality, physiology, and susceptibility to infections of D. dendriticum. A preliminary experiment found no effect of toxaphene on charr visceral organ and fat weights, plasma Vitamin A and E and plasma cortisol, although dominance hierarchies within groups may have masked treatment effects. For the main experiment, hatchery-reared Arctic charr were subjected to one of four treatments: (i) a single oral dose of corn oil (control); (ii) a single oral dose of 10 mug/g wet weight toxaphene dissolved in corn oil; (iii) exposure to 15 larval D. dendriticum; and (iv) a combination of both. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

La conversion thermochimique à haute température (>700°C) de la biomasse en double lit fluidisé circulant est une voie alternative aux énergies fossiles (pétrole, charbon) pour la production d’un gaz de synthèse à haute valeur énergétique, utilisable dans de nombreuses applications. L’objectif de cette thèse est de développer des méthodologies et des outils théoriques et expérimentaux permettant d’accéder aux cinétiques des transformations élémentaires (pyrolyse de la biomasse, gazéification et combustion du char, craquage et reformage des goudrons) présentes dans le procédé de gazéification de la biomasse en double lit fluidisé circulant. Dans un premier temps, un mini-réacteur à lit fluidisé fonctionnant entre 300 et 1000°C avec une alimentation en gaz parfaitement contrôlée (N2, O2, H2, H2O et goudrons) a été conçu et mis au point au Laboratoire de Génie Chimique de Toulouse. Un système d’échantillonnage et d’analyse de la phase gaz permet de quantifier en continu les fractions molaires des gaz incondensables et des goudrons produits. Une étude hydrodynamique et thermique a permis de déterminer les points de fonctionnement du réacteur pour chaque transformation élémentaire étudiée. Dans un second temps, les études de gazéification et de combustion du char ont été réalisées dans le mini-réacteur à lit fluidisé. L’influence de nombreux paramètres opératoires (température, pression partielle des différents constituants) a permis de comprendre la formation des différents produits et de modéliser les cinétiques de transformation du solide. Dans le cas de la combustion du char, un mécanisme réactionnel a également été établi et la cinétique obtenue en lit fluidisé a été comparée à celle déterminée par analyse thermogravimétrique. Enfin, une étude sur le reformage d’un goudron modèle (toluène) en lit fluidisé a mis en évidence l’effet de l’atmosphère réactionnelle sur le mécanisme de dégradation du toluène sur l’olivine et le char. / The thermochemical conversion of biomass at high temperature (>700°C) in Fast Internally Circulating Fluidized Bed (FICFB) is a promising alternative route to fossil fuels (oil, coal) to produce syngas which can be used in several applications. The aim of the present work is to develop methodologies as well as theoretical and experimental tools for determining the intrinsic kinetic of biomass transformations (biomass pyrolysis, char gasification and combustion, cracking and reforming of tars). Firstly, a fluidized bed reactor has been designed and built at the Laboratory of Chemical Engineering (LGC). This reactor can operate for temperatures between 20 and 1000°C with a well-defined gas supply (N2, O2, H2, H2O and tars). A sampling and analysis gas system enables the continuous quantification of the non-condensable gases and tars molar fractions. A hydrodynamic and thermal study enabled the determination of the operating conditions for each experimental study. Secondly, the char gasification and combustion was performed in the fluidized bed reactor. The influence of the operating conditions (temperature and compounds partial pressure) led to the modelling of the different solid transformation kinetics. Besides, in the case of char combustion, a reaction scheme was proposed and the kinetic obtained in the fluidized bed was compared to that obtained in a thermogravimetric analyzer. Finally, a study on the tar reforming in a fluidized bed reactor highlighted the effect of the reactive atmosphere on the reaction scheme of toluene conversion over olivine and char.

Ce travail porte sur la modélisation de gazéification de la biomasse dans un réacteur solaire à lit fixe. Nous avons développé et validé différents modules pour la résolution des problèmes physiques associés à de tels gazéifieurs (volumes finis, équilibre thermodynamique, facteur de forme, radiosité, évolution du maillage, etc.). Le réacteur est ensuite modélisé et confronté à des mesures expérimentales pour sa validation. Ces résultats nous laissent supposer que, pour les conditions opératoires rencontrées dans ce réacteur, l’évolution de la vitesse de chauffage et du taux de centre sont des facteurs d’influence importants de la cinétique pour le bois de hêtre. Une étude du réacteur en supposant que la réaction atteint l’équilibre thermodynamique est ensuite conduite et montre que cette approche doit être employée avec précaution pour le domaine de température étudié. Une étude paramétrique concernant la mise en place d’un échangeur air-air entre le gaz de sortie et le gaz d’entrée est proposée. Elle nous montre que l’ajout d’un gaz inerte peut être intéressant d’un point de vue énergétique dans de telles conditions. Enfin, un absorbeur solaire adapté au gazéifieur est ensuite modélisé et validé afin de pouvoir évaluer la sensibilité du système complet. / This work focuses on the modeling of biomass gasification in a solar fixed bed reactor. We developed and validated different modules to compute physical problems associated with such gasifier (finite volume, thermodynamic equilibrium, view factor, radiosity, evolution of the mesh, etc.). The reactor is then modeled, and results are compared to experimental measurements for its validation. These results suggest that for the operating conditions encountered in this reactor, the evolution of the heating rate and the ash concentration may influence the kinetics of the beech wood gasification. A study of the reactor by assuming thermodynamic equilibrium is conducted and shows that this approach should be used with caution for the studied temperature range. Parametric study of an air-air exchanger between the output and input gas is proposed. It shows that the addition of an inert gas can be interesting from an energy point of view in such conditions. Finally, a solar absorber suited to the reactor is modeled and validated in order to assess the sensitivity of the complete system.

The sorption characteristics of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] onto bone char and bio-char were evaluated as a function of pH, initial Cr(VI) concentration, and dosages of bone char and bio-char. Batch tests were conducted by using synthetic wastewater in this study. The effects of various initial Cr(VI) concentrations between 5 mg/L and 1000 mg/L were evaluated using bone char as a sorbent. A Cr(VI) removal efficiency of 100 % was achieved at pH 1 with 2 g of bone char in 50 mL of solution at 3 hours of reaction time using initial Cr(VI) concentration of 10 mg/L. About 100 % of Cr(VI) was removed at pH 2 with initial Cr(VI) concentrations of 10 mg/L using 4 g of bio-char in 200 mL of solution at 5 hours of reaction time. The initial Cr(VI) concentrations were varied between 10 mg/L and 500 mg/L when bio-char was used as the sorbent. The maximum sorption capacities of bone char and bio-char were determined to 6.46 mg Cr(VI)/g, and 1.717 mg Cr(VI)/g, respectively. Equilibrium, kinetics, and isotherms of the sorption process were also investigated. The sorption kinetics of Cr(VI) onto bone char and bio-char followed the second order kinetic model suggesting that the sorption reaction rate depends on two parameters, which might be the sorbate concentration and sorbent dosage. The Langmuir isotherm model was the best one for the description of sorption of Cr(VI) onto bone char and bio-char.