Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:26:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / A avaliação dos sistemas de fornecimento de energia para o futuro é da maior importância para se obter informações sobre o potencial de impacto ambiental dos vários estágios do ciclo de vida das tecnologias inovadoras, determinando as vantagens competitivas sobre as tecnologias convencionais e para o desenvolvimento de cenários futuros. Este trabalho apresenta e caracteriza os tipos de pilhas combustíveis de média e baixa temperatura mais pesquisadas e comercializadas nos últimos anos. Realiza-se também a apresentação da avaliação do impacto ambiental dos principais materiais utilizados nas pilhas a combustível, considerando as fases de fabricação, operação e disposição final após o término da vida útil. São apresentados vários dados de LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) efetuados para alguns tipos de pilhas. O trabalho efetuou uma contribuição ao estudo da avaliação de impacto ambiental das pilhas a combustível de média e baixa temperatura utilizando a metodologia Delphi. Foi construído um questionário e um banco de dados para formação do conjunto de respondentes que participaram da pesquisa. Eles receberam o questionário na primeira rodada e o responderam. Depois receberam novamente o questionário em conjunto com as respostas obtidas na primeira etapa, para nova rodada de respostas. Ao final o estudo verifica se ocorreu aumento de consenso e a influência dos respondentes mais qualificados sobre os menos qualificados. Os resultados mostraram que os respondentes acreditam numa redução do impacto ambiental das pilhas. O mais surpreendente é que os respondentes acreditam que os catalisadores do grupo PGM Podem ser substituídos. / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Metal additive manufacturing is an important tool for the creation of cost effective and environmentally friendly components for the future of the aerospace industry. Newly developed methods such as Direct Energy Deposition, Laser Beam Wire (DEDLB/w) have the potential to quickly and effciently manufacture aircraft engine components of high quality when utilising the correct set of process parameters. Establishing these parameters is a challenging task as product defects can be diffcult to detect and localise during the DEDLB/w process. This thesis explores the possibility of detecting crack type defects during the additive manufacturing of Nickel-Based Superalloy components using in process acoustic emission inspection and hierarchical clustering to evaluate DEDLB/w process parameter sets. After observing numerous material depositions made using DEDLB/w, crack-like signals were observed and clustered using features derived from Acoustic Emission (AE) data. The results were then evaluated and validated using X-Ray and X-Ray Computed Tomography (µCT) inspection. Crack-like acoustic emissions were recorded from depositions in which cracks were later found using X-rayand µCT inspection, and these emissions were successfully clustered over multiple depositions using statistical analysis and agglomerative clustering.

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The assessment of the direct and indirect requirements for energy is known as embodied energy analysis. For buildings, the direct energy includes that used primarily on site, while the indirect energy includes primarily the energy required for the manufacture of building materials. This thesis is concerned with the completeness and reliability of embodied energy analysis methods. Previous methods tend to address either one of these issues, but not both at the same time. Industry-based methods are incomplete. National statistical methods, while comprehensive, are a ‘black box’ and are subject to errors. A new hybrid embodied energy analysis method is derived to optimise the benefits of previous methods while minimising their flaws. In industry-based studies, known as ‘process analyses’, the energy embodied in a product is traced laboriously upstream by examining the inputs to each preceding process towards raw materials. Process analyses can be significantly incomplete, due to increasing complexity. The other major embodied energy analysis method, ‘input-output analysis’, comprises the use of national statistics. While the input-output framework is comprehensive, many inherent assumptions make the results unreliable. Hybrid analysis methods involve the combination of the two major embodied energy analysis methods discussed above, either based on process analysis or input-output analysis. The intention in both hybrid analysis methods is to reduce errors associated with the two major methods on which they are based. However, the problems inherent to each of the original methods tend to remain, to some degree, in the associated hybrid versions. Process-based hybrid analyses tend to be incomplete, due to the exclusions associated with the process analysis framework. However, input-output-based hybrid analyses tend to be unreliable because the substitution of process analysis data into the input-output framework causes unwanted indirect effects. A key deficiency in previous input-output-based hybrid analysis methods is that the input-output model is a ‘black box’, since important flows of goods and services with respect to the embodied energy of a sector cannot be readily identified. A new input-output-based hybrid analysis method was therefore developed, requiring the decomposition of the input-output model into mutually exclusive components (ie, ‘direct energy paths’). A direct energy path represents a discrete energy requirement, possibly occurring one or more transactions upstream from the process under consideration. For example, the energy required directly to manufacture the steel used in the construction of a building would represent a direct energy path of one non-energy transaction in length. A direct energy path comprises a ‘product quantity’ (for example, the total tonnes of cement used) and a ‘direct energy intensity’ (for example, the energy required directly for cement manufacture, per tonne). The input-output model was decomposed into direct energy paths for the ‘residential building construction’ sector. It was shown that 592 direct energy paths were required to describe 90% of the overall total energy intensity for ‘residential building construction’. By extracting direct energy paths using yet smaller threshold values, they were shown to be mutually exclusive. Consequently, the modification of direct energy paths using process analysis data does not cause unwanted indirect effects. A non-standard individual residential building was then selected to demonstrate the benefits of the new input-output-based hybrid analysis method in cases where the products of a sector may not be similar. Particular direct energy paths were modified with case specific process analysis data. Product quantities and direct energy intensities were derived and used to modify some of the direct energy paths. The intention of this demonstration was to determine whether 90% of the total embodied energy calculated for the building could comprise the process analysis data normally collected for the building. However, it was found that only 51% of the total comprised normally collected process analysis. The integration of process analysis data with 90% of the direct energy paths by value was unsuccessful because: • typically only one of the direct energy path components was modified using process analysis data (ie, either the product quantity or the direct energy intensity); • of the complexity of the paths derived for ‘residential building construction’; and • of the lack of reliable and consistent process analysis data from industry, for both product quantities and direct energy intensities. While the input-output model used was the best available for Australia, many errors were likely to be carried through to the direct energy paths for ‘residential building construction’. Consequently, both the value and relative importance of the direct energy paths for ‘residential building construction’ were generally found to be a poor model for the demonstration building. This was expected. Nevertheless, in the absence of better data from industry, the input-output data is likely to remain the most appropriate for completing the framework of embodied energy analyses of many types of products—even in non-standard cases. ‘Residential building construction’ was one of the 22 most complex Australian economic sectors (ie, comprising those requiring between 592 and 3215 direct energy paths to describe 90% of their total energy intensities). Consequently, for the other 87 non-energy sectors of the Australian economy, the input-output-based hybrid analysis method is likely to produce more reliable results than those calculated for the demonstration building using the direct energy paths for ‘residential building construction’. For more complex sectors than ‘residential building construction’, the new input-output-based hybrid analysis method derived here allows available process analysis data to be integrated with the input-output data in a comprehensive framework. The proportion of the result comprising the more reliable process analysis data can be calculated and used as a measure of the reliability of the result for that product or part of the product being analysed (for example, a building material or component). To ensure that future applications of the new input-output-based hybrid analysis method produce reliable results, new sources of process analysis data are required, including for such processes as services (for example, ‘banking’) and processes involving the transformation of basic materials into complex products (for example, steel and copper into an electric motor). However, even considering the limitations of the demonstration described above, the new input-output-based hybrid analysis method developed achieved the aim of the thesis: to develop a new embodied energy analysis method that allows reliable process analysis data to be integrated into the comprehensive, yet unreliable, input-output framework. Plain language summary Embodied energy analysis comprises the assessment of the direct and indirect energy requirements associated with a process. For example, the construction of a building requires the manufacture of steel structural members, and thus indirectly requires the energy used directly and indirectly in their manufacture. Embodied energy is an important measure of ecological sustainability because energy is used in virtually every human activity and many of these activities are interrelated. This thesis is concerned with the relationship between the completeness of embodied energy analysis methods and their reliability. However, previous industry-based methods, while reliable, are incomplete. Previous national statistical methods, while comprehensive, are a ‘black box’ subject to errors. A new method is derived, involving the decomposition of the comprehensive national statistical model into components that can be modified discretely using the more reliable industry data, and is demonstrated for an individual building. The demonstration failed to integrate enough industry data into the national statistical model, due to the unexpected complexity of the national statistical data and the lack of available industry data regarding energy and non-energy product requirements. These unique findings highlight the flaws in previous methods. Reliable process analysis and input-output data are required, particularly for those processes that were unable to be examined in the demonstration of the new embodied energy analysis method. This includes the energy requirements of services sectors, such as banking, and processes involving the transformation of basic materials into complex products, such as refrigerators. The application of the new method to less complex products, such as individual building materials or components, is likely to be more successful than to the residential building demonstration.

Dissertation (DTech(Electrical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2012 / The confluence of the limited resources of fossil fuels (e.g. coal, oil and natural gas), environmental degradations leading to climate change, security of supplies and fossil fuels high costs have demanded a tremendous efforts on humanity to seek for a sustainable and unlimited natural energy sources. Amongst these renewable energy sources stands out solar energy because of its ubiquitousness. Solar energy is converted to DC electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic (PV) power systems installed in commercial and industrial buildings are a good example of distributed power generation. Here the energy consumption and production match and thus electricity taken from the grid during daytime peak hours can be reduced. This is beneficial as the transmission losses in the grid are avoided and also transmission need is reduced. The cost effectiveness of a solar energy system has hindered its wide adoption and deployment in terms of the initial capital cost even though it has a zero energy cost and very minimal operating and maintenance costs. Different governments have instituted many financial incentives for fast adoption of PV systems for both residential and commercial applications. However, all these incentives are not sustainable in the longer term forecast. For PV system to attain grid parity requires more than unsustainable approach of many governments providing time limited subsidies. The technical solution to the problem is to reduce the overall system cost through technical innovations. One such method is the adoption of transformerless inverter technology as the grid interface system. Transformerless inverter topology provides galvanic isolation through innovative inverter topology and switching strategies that eliminates problems created by not employing the service of transformer.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a quickly rising method of manufacturing due to its ability to increase design freedom. This allows the manufacturing of components not possible by traditional subtractive manufacturing. AM can greatly reduce lead time and material waste, therefore decreasing the cost and environmental impact. The adoption of AM in the aerospace industry requires strict control and predictability of the material deposition to ensure safe flights.  The method of AM for this thesis is Laser Metal Deposition with wire (LMD-w). Using wire as a feedstock introduces a potential problem, the material transfer from the wire to the substrate. This requires all process parameters to be in balance to produce a stable deposition. The first sign of unbalanced process parameters are the material transfer stabilities; stubbing and dripping. Stubbing occurs when the energy to melt the wire is too low and the wire melts slower than required. Dripping occurs when too much energy is applied and the wire melts earlier than required.  These two reduce the predictability and stability that is required for robust manufacturing.  Therefore, the use of thermal simulations to predict the material transfer stability for LMD-w using Waspaloy as the deposition material has been studied.  It has been shown that it is possible to predict the material transfer stability using thermal simulations and criterions based on preexisting experimental data. The criterion for stubbing checks if the completed simulation result produces a wire that ends below the melt pool. For dripping two criterions shows good results, the dilution ratio is a good predictor if the tool elevation remains constant. If there is a change in tool elevation the dimensionless slenderness number is a better predictor.  Using these predictive criterions it is possible to qualitatively map the process window and better understand the influence of tool elevation and the cross-section of the deposited material. / Additiv tillverkning (AT) är en kraftigt växande tillverkningsmetod på grund av sin flexibilitet kring design och möjligheten att skapa komponenter som inte är tillverkningsbara med traditionell avverkande bearbetning.  AT kan kraftigt minska tid- och materialåtgång och på så sett minskas kostnader och miljöpåverkan. Införandet av AT i flyg- och rymdindustrin kräver strikt kontroll och förutsägbarhet av processen för att försäkra sig om säkra flygningar.  Lasermetalldeponering av tråd är den AT metod som hanteras i denna uppsats. Användandet av tråd som tillsatsmaterial skapar ett potentiellt problem, materialöverföringen från tråden till substratet. Detta kräver att alla processparametrar är i balans för att få en jämn materialöverföring. Är processen inte balanserad syns detta genom materialöverföringsstabiliteterna stubbning och droppning. Stubbning uppkommer då energin som tillförs på tråden är för låg och droppning uppkommer då energin som tillförs är för hög jämfört med vad som krävs för en stabil process. Dessa två fenomen minskar möjligheterna för en kontrollerbar och stabil tillverkning.  På grund av detta har användandet utav termiska simuleringar för att prediktera materialöverföringsstabiliteten för lasermetalldeponering av tråd med Waspaloy som deponeringsmaterial undersökts. Det har visat sig vara möjligt att prediktera materialöverföringsstabiliteten med användning av termiska simuleringar och kriterier baserat på tidigare experimentell data. Kriteriet för stubbning kontrolleras om en slutförd simulering resulterar i en tråd som når under smältan.  För droppning finns två fungerande kriterier, förhållandet mellan svetshöjd och penetrationsdjup om verktygshöjden är konstant, sker förändringar i verktygshöjden är det dimensionslös ”slenderness” talet ett bättre kriterium.  Genom att använda dessa kriterier är det möjligt att kvalitativt kartlägga processfönstret och skapa en bättre förståelse för förhållandet mellan verktygshöjden och den deponerade tvärsnittsarean.

<p dir="ltr">Powder Sprays such as Direct Energy Deposition and Cold Spray are rapidly growing and promising manufacturing methods in the Additive Manufacturing field, as they allow easy and localized delivery of powder to be fused to a substrate and consecutive layers. The relatively small size of nozzles allows for these methods to be mounted on CNC machines and Robotic Arms for the creation of complex shapes. However, these manufacturing methods are inherently stochastic, and therefore differences in powder size, shape, trajectory, and velocity can drastically affect whether they will deposit on a substrate. This variation results in an inherent reduction of deposition efficiency, leading to waste and the need for powder collection or recycling systems. The design of the nozzles can drastically affect the variation of powder trajectory and velocity on a holistic level, and thus understanding the gas-powder flow of these nozzles in respect to the features of said nozzles is crucial. This paper proposes and examines how changes in the nozzle geometry affect gas-powder flow and powder focusing for Direct Energy Deposition and Cold Spray. In addition, a new Pulsed Cold Spray nozzle design is proposed that will control the amount of gas and powder used by the nozzle via solenoid actuation. By making these changes to the nozzle, it is possible to improve deposition efficiency and reduce powder/gas waste in these processes, while also allowing for improved coating density. Furthermore, the research done in this thesis will also focus on novel applications to powder spray manufacturing methods, focusing on polymer metallization and part identification.</p>