In this work, nickel-gold multi-segmented magnetic nanowires were grown by electrodeposition in anodized alumina templates. The templates were fabricated by a two step anodization process of aluminum disks in an aqueous solution of oxalic acid. In this process, ordered pores grew in an alumina oxide layer at the exposed aluminum area. Each disk was electropolished before the anodization process and the features at its surface were characterized to assess the effect on the pore ordering. Nickel Watts and gold cyanide electrolyte baths were prepared to electrodeposit pure nickel and gold in the templates. Both solutions response to a range of externally applied voltages was characterized and a threshold voltage above which deposition occurs is reported. Single nanowires were isolated by chemically dissolving the template and dispersed in ethanol. Devices were fabricated with these isolated nanowires in which gold contacts were deposited to measure the resistance. A current pulse setup was implemented in a magnetoresistance system allowing to send current pulses with amplitude as low as 2nA and 50μs width. Magneto resistance measurement were carried out on the single nanowires devices and the effect of current pulses was studied. It was found that distinct resistance states can be achieved by applying a determined current pulse at a constant applied field and that the initial state can be recovered by removing excess charge from the nanowire. Finally, the effect of annealing the nanowires in an air atmosphere at 150°C for 24 hours is studied showing that the nickel sections oxidize and the gold sections remain unchanged.

The time-resolved electrical conductivity of a short-pulse generated plasma filament in air was studied. Close-coupled metal electrodes were used to discharge the stored energy of a high-voltage capacitor and the resulting microsecond-scale electrical discharge was measured using fast current sensors. Significant differences in the time dependence of the current were seen with the two electrode geometries used. Using sharp-tipped electrodes additional peaks in the time-resolved conductivity were seen, relative to the single peak seen with spherical electrodes. We attribute these additional features to secondary electron collisional ionization brought about by field enhancement at the tips. Additional discrepancies in the currents measured leaving the high-voltage electrode and that returning to ground were also observed. Implications for potential laser-induced discharge applications will be discussed.

Transformers are essential for modern power distribution system. They are efficient and enable the voltages to be transformed up for transportation of electricity and back down for consumer use. The reliability of the transformer is affected by faults and fatigue of the copper. The bigger faults a transformer is subjected to, the shorter life time it will have due to damage to the winding and other parts of the transformer. This thesis investigates if it is possible to characterise the noise made from the windings during a short circuit fault or lightning strike, to see if it can be replicated and if transformers can be diagnosed with the help from the noise. Faults creates forces on the windings, these forces can be so great that the windings collide with each other and in worst case breaks. The sound sources that are interesting are the thermal expansion due to the current, the radial forces and the axial forces acting on the coil. Simulations were made in Comsol multiphysics to see how the currents and forces behaved in a winding. A simplified microphone circuit was built and tested to see if it could detect the noise made from the collisions in the coil. Two microphone types and amplifier circuits were tested to see which ones was most suited for the experiments. The microphone circuit was used to record the sound made from the coils when being compressed. An experiment with a capacitor bank sending a large current pulse through different coils and the noise made from the coil was recorded with a microphone circuit connected to an oscilloscope. The currents are recorded by a computer using the program Picoscope. The capacitor bank was charged to different voltages to get different current amplitudes. A microphone circuit was built and tested so it could detect the sound from the collision. Sound occured with a current pulse with an amplitude of 2 kA, and permanent deformation occured when the amplitude of the current pulse was 4.5 kA. The frequency content of the impact was within the audible spectrum. Possibly even higher frequencies than 20 kHz was present during the fault. The microphone had a bandwidth between 20-20000 Hz, which limits the frequencies that is picked up by the microphone. / Transformatorer är viktiga för det morderna elsystemet. Transformatorer är effektiva och tillåter spänningen att transformeras upp för transport vilket minimerar förlusterna i lendningarna och sedan ned igen för kunder. Tillförlitligheten av transformatorer blir påverkad av fel, felen kan orsaka utslitning av kopparen i lindningarna. Ju större fel som transformatorn blir utsatt för, ju kortare livstid får transformatorn på grund av skada på lindningarna eller andra delar av transformatorn. Denna avhandling undersöker om det är möjligt att karaterisera ljudet från transformator lindningar under ett kortslutningsfel eller blixtnedslag. Felströmmarna skapar krafter på lindningarna, dessa krafter kan vara så stora att lindningarna kolliderar med varandra och i värsta fall går lindningarna sönder. Några intressanta ljudkällor är termisk expansion av kopparen från strömmarna, den radiella kraften på spolen och den axiella kraften på spolen. Simuleringar gjordes i Comsol Multiphysics för att se hur strömmar och krafterna beter sig i transformator lindningarna. En mikrofonkrets byggdes och testades för att se om den kunde detektera ljudet från kollisionerna i spolen. Två olika mikrofontyper och två olika förstärkartyper testades för att se vilka som passade bäst för experimenten. Mikrofonkretsen användes för att spela in ljudet från spolarna. Experimenten gjordes med med hjälp av en kondensatorbank som genererar en strömpuls genom de olika lindningarna/spolarna och ljudet från spolarnas kompression var inspelade av mikrofonkretsen som var inkopplad till ett oscilloskop. Strömpulsen var sparad på datorn med programmet Picoscope. Kondensatorbanken var uppladdad med olika spänningar för att få strömpulser med olika amplituder. Experimenten gjordes på fyra olika spolar, en två varvs spole, en 19 varvs spole, en 40 varvs tätlindad spole och en deformerad 19 varvs spole, för att se om det var skillnad mellan kollisionerna. Ljud uppstod vid en strömpuls med amplituden 2 kA och permanent deformation uppstod vid 4.5 kA. Frekvensinnehållet från kollisionen befann sig inom det hörbara spektrumet. Det fanns möjligen frekvenser över 20 kHz, men mikrofonen hade en bandbredd mellan 20-20000 Hz vilket begränsar de upptagna frekvenserna.

Ce travail vise à identifier l’impact potentiel des impulsions périodiques de courant sur laperformance et la durée de vie des accumulateurs graphite/LiFePO4. Il apparait que,contrairement aux résultats connus pour les accumulateurs Plomb-acide et à ceux annoncéspar certains auteurs de la littérature pour les accumulateurs Li-ion, l’application d’impulsionspériodiques de courant ne présente pas d’intérêt dans une logique d’amélioration de laperformance et/ou de la durée de vie des accumulateurs Li-ion. De surcroit, certains typesd’impulsions ont été identifiés pour entrainer des effets préjudiciables à ces derniers. En seréférant à une application de véhicule industriel hybride électrique, nous avons évalué sur descritères techniques et économiques l’intérêt d’implémenter un système de stockage d’énergiecombiné, c'est-à-dire mutualisant l’usage d’une batterie Li-ion et desupercondensateurs/condensateurs. Il apparait que les stratégies consistant à agir sur lescomposantes hautes fréquences du signal pour ajouter/retirer des impulsions du profil vu parla batterie ne permettent pas d’accéder à des allongements de durée de vie qui pourraientcompenser le surcoût actuel lié à l’implémentation de ces systèmes. En outre, il apparait quele meilleur levier d’optimisation du bilan technique et économique associé au système destockage d’énergie est son dimensionnement. En effet, même si les systèmes de stockaged’énergie combinés utilisant les supercondensateurs permettent d’atteindre des réductions duratio coût/durée de vie considérables, la prise en compte globale des critères de coût, de duréede vie, de masse et d’encombrement s’avère plus favorable à la solution constituée d’unebatterie seule, de taille optimisée vis-à-vis de son application. / This work aims to identify the possible impact of periodic current pulses on both performanceand lifetime of graphite/LiFePO4 secondary batteries. Contrary to the well-known results onlead-acid batteries and to results announced in previously published works, periodic pulses donot bring any benefit to the performance and the lifetime of Li-ion batteries. Moreover,certain pulse types have been identified to be detrimental to Li-ion batteries. Using the hybridelectric vehicle application as a reference, we evaluated both the technical and economicalaspects of implementing combined energy storage systems composed with Li-ion batteriesand supercapacitors/capacitors. We found that the control strategies acting on high frequencyharmonics of the current signal to adding/retrieving pulses to the Li-ion battery profile doesnot prolong its life enough to compensate the extra cost of such system implementation.Furthermore, it seems that the best way to optimize the technico-economic balance of theenergy storage system is the sizing. Even if combined energy storage systems using Li-ionbatteries and supercapacitors enable to considerably increase the lifetime/cost ratio, a generalconsideration of the criteria cost, life, mass and volume is more favorable to a solution whereone single Li-ion battery is optimally sized for its application.