The supposed thesis considers problem of heating of composite material for outdoor application. Basement of thesis is analysis of submitted sample of composite material. Measured values of composite material were compared and evaluated and than acceptable samples were choosen for next application. Part of thesis is creation of measuring software for analysis of sample. Other part of thesis is realization of equipment of control unit for heating of composite material. Control unit makes it possible to regulate heating and to set up parameters from computer.

L'étanchéité composite géomembrane(GM)-géosynthétique bentonitique (GSB) mise en place dans les barrières de fond d'installations de stockage de déchets non dangereux (ISDnD) peut être sujette à des transferts advectifs liés à l'existence de défauts dans la GM. Les lixiviats peuvent percoler dans le GSB, pénétrer dans le sol et les nappes phréatiques sous-jacentes ce qui peut nuire à l'environnement. Il est donc important de comprendre les mécanismes de transferts dans les étanchéités composites GM-GSB et de les quantifier afin de connaitre, maitriser et minimiser l'impact des transferts advectifs à travers la barrière vers l'environnement. Cependant, l'inaccessibilité de la GM rend difficile l'estimation réelle des fuites à travers l'étanchéité composite. La présente thèse évalue via une démarche expérimentale et numérique les transferts advectifs à travers les étanchéités composites et contribue à améliorer la compréhension des mécanismes de transfert en fonction des sollicitations extérieures. Le but est de bien cerner la problématique des transferts advectifs à travers les étanchéités composites GM-GSB, combler les vides des précédentes études et mettre en évidence les principaux paramètres à prendre en compte (contrainte de confinement, hétérogénéité du GSB, qualité de contact à l'interface GM-GSB, altération chimique et physique des GSB durant leur durée de service sur site). Leur influence sur l'étanchéité de l'ensemble et sur l'évolution des caractéristiques des matériaux utilisés est étudiée. L'approche expérimentale a consisté à acquérir des données sur la rétention d'eau et à introduire la notion des surfaces d'états des GSB sous le confinement généré par les déchets. Il a été démontré que le confinement réduit le gonflement du GSB lors de son hydratation ce qui permet de diminuer sa conductivité hydraulique à saturation. Ce résultat renforce les recommandations appelant à confiner rapidement les GSB après leur mise en place afin qu'ils acquièrent rapidement toutes leurs capacités d'étanchéité. Cette étude expérimentale a été complétée par une quantification numérique des transferts à travers les étanchéités composites en prenant en compte le caractère hétérogène du GSB. Cette étude numérique de prédiction des fuites a fourni de précieux renseignements sur la réduction des débits de fuite qui s'est avérée dépendante des courbes de rétention respectives du géotextile et de la bentonite. En effet, en plus de contenir la bentonite et de promouvoir la résistance aux efforts de traction, le géotextile contribue à la réduction des débits de fuite grâce sa faible perméabilité une fois désaturé. Des expérimentations de mesure du débits de fuites et de quantification de la transmissivité d'interface pour différentes combinaisons d'étanchéités composites GM-GSB ont permis de conclure que ni les sollicitations extérieures conduisant à l'altération chimique, physique et hydraulique des GSB, conduisant à augmenter la conductivité hydraulique du GSB de 4 à 5 ordres de grandeurs, ni la qualité de la GM (en lien avec la rugosité, rigidité, épaisseur) n'affectent significativement les transferts dans les étanchéités composites GM-GSB en régime permanent. Un effet est décelé sur le régime transitoire. Une approche synthétique est enfin donnée et permet une analyse globale des transferts dans les étanchéités composites GM-GSB afin de prévoir au mieux l'impact des transferts dans les barrières vers l'environnement. Il a été confirmé que le gonflement de la bentonite intervient dans la réduction du débit de fuite à travers les étanchéités composites indépendamment de la forme granulométrique de la bentonite. Par ailleurs, il a été conclu que la phase transitoire durant laquelle une réduction des débits de fuites à travers la barrière d'étanchéité composite est observée, doit être prise en compte dans les calculs de fuites pour une prédiction réaliste et rigoureuse des fuites à travers la barrière. / Geomembrane (GM)-geosynthetic clay liner placed in bottom landfill barriers could be faced to advective transfers caused by the appearance of GM defects. Leachate could percolate naturally through the GCL; penetrate the soil and the ground water which could result in environmental damage. It's therefore important to understand leakage transfer mechanism though GM-GCL composite liners and quantify them in order to be aware, to master and to minimize advective transfer impact through the barrier to the environment. However, the GM is not accessible in bottom land fill liner which makes it harder to correctly estimate leakage through the composite liner. The present work used to evaluate advective transfer through GM-GCL composite liner via an experimental and numerical approach. This work used also to ameliorate the comprehension of leakage transfer mechanisms as a function of external solicitations compared to the literature. The purpose of this study was thus to properly identify advective transfer problem through composite liner by highlighting the main parameters affecting advective transfers through composite liners (confining stress, heterogeneity of the GCL composition, contact quality at the GM-GCL interface, chemical and physical alteration during its service life). Those parameters influence the whole barrier performances and material characteristics evolution were studied. Experimental program was dealing with acquiring water retention data of GCL by introducing state surface concept under the confining stress generated by the waste. It has been found that confining stress used to reduce GCL swelling facilities while hydrated and consequently lead to the decrease of the saturated hydraulic conductivity. This result emphasizes on landfill conception recommendations based on rapidly covering the GCL in in order to acquiring its watertightness capabilities. This experimental study was reinforced by a numerical computation study dealing with water transfer through composite liner due to a GM defect and a hydraulic head with considering the heterogeneity of the GCL. This numerical study highlighted new phenomena regulating flow rate through composite liners consisting of geotextile deaturation due to high suction performed by the bentonite as part of the GCL. Indeed, in addition to containing the bentonite and providing tensile shear stresses, the geotextile contribute to reduce the flow rate through composite liner thanks to its high hydraulic conductivity while desaturated. Interface transmissivity tests were also carried for different composite liners combinations. Measurements concluded that neither external solicitations resulting from chemical and physical alteration conducting to the increase of the hydraulic conductivity of the GCL nor the quality of the GM (in relation with its roughness, rigidity and thickness) significantly affect advective transfer through composite liners at the steady state. However an effect was highlighted during transient state. A synthetic approach was thus given to summarize composite liners transfers mechanism and anticipate environmental impact of its leakage. It was later confirmed that the bentonite swelling contributes also to flow rate reduction through composite liner regardless of the bentonite nature and granulometry. In addition, it has been concluded that the transient state within which flow rate reduction though has been observed must be taken into consideration to realistically predict flow rate leakage through composite liners.

The present dissertation research examined the effects of applying the enhanced hands-on intervention to reveal and correct student misunderstandings of the concepts in engineering dynamics, especially particle dynamics. We involved 36 student volunteers for three different research topics. The student participants were divided into two groups in each research topic: enhanced hands-on intervention and pure textbook groups. An interview and intervention was conducted with each participant individually. The author introduced the “Think-Aloud” method with two kinds of interventions mentioned above. The participants were required to speak out their thought process loud as they worked on the two sets of assessment questions with intervention between them, and the entire process was audio and video recorded. The audio records were transcribed into text files and segmented with meaningful codes. In all of the codes, the relationship between misconceptions found and potential reasons for these misconceptions were revealed. The effects were assessed by qualitative and quantitative research methods. Statistical analysis of the coding results verified the efficacy of the coding process. The qualitative research focused on the reasoning progress of the participants and the quantitative research focused on the score increase rates and normalized learning gains of the participants in both intervention groups. It was found that the groups who utilized the enhanced hands-on intervention achieved a better performance than those who accepted only textbook interventions in score increase rates, normalized learning gains, and code reduction rates, for all three research topics. In addition, the enhanced hands-on intervention showed a higher effectiveness than the textbook intervention for lower-level concepts, but it was harder to correct those misconceptions related to applications with higher abstraction of the concept itself. From the results of the normalized learning gains, the enhanced hands-on intervention benefitted the top students more than the struggled students. The research results suggested that the enhanced hands-on intervention should be added to the current engineering curricula in order to help students to improve their academic performance.

This dissertation addresses the modeling, identification, and control of an automated planing vessel. To provide motion models for trajectory generation and to enable model-based control design for trajectory tracking, several experimentally identified models are compared over a wide range of speed and planing conditions for the Virginia Tech Ribcraft Unmanned Surface Vehicle. The modeling and identification objective is to determine a model which is sufficiently rich to enable effective model-based control design and trajectory optimization, sufficiently simple to allow parameter identification, and sufficiently general to describe a variety of hull forms and actuator configurations. Beginning with a 6 degree of freedom nonlinear dynamic model, several linear steering and speed models are obtained as well as a thruster model. The Ribcraft USV tracks trajectories generated with the selected maneuvering models by using a back- stepping trajectory controller. A PD cascade trajectory control law is also developed and the performance of the two controllers is compared using aggressive trajectories. The backstepping control law compares favorably to the PD cascade controller. The backstepping control law is then further modified to account for nonlinear sternward dynamics and for a constant or slowly varying fluid flow. / Ph. D.

Thermoplastic welding utilizes a fiber laser to join samples that are clamped together. Laser energy is transferred through the natural sample to the interface with the opaque sample where heat energy creates a weld through conduction and radiation heat transfer modes. The overall goal of this research is to understand the effect of heat source loading on PA6 and PA66 thermoplastic materials from laser through transmission welding that is used to join natural and opaque materials. The welding process is studied through a combination of finite element simulation, experimentation, and design of experiment modeling. The results of temperature profile and melt properties of the material are compared with weld strength and quality to provide welds used in a range of applications from the automotive industry to hermetically sealed medical components. Research of heat source models is used to determine the best representation of the laser energy for laser through transmission welding of thermoplastic materials. The comprehensive objective is to find the best fit of laser parameters to PA6 and PA66 material samples to predict weld quality in the through transmission laser welding process. Results of the research include temperature profile behavior for surface exposure and single pass weld tests, and thermal conductivity verification of PA6 and PA66 through experimentation. Finite element simulations of the experiments provide analysis of temperature dependent properties and time dependent analysis of the laser heat source loading. The Gaussian surface model with penetration variable is determined to be the best representation of the laser through transmission welding of thermoplastic material after completing heat source literature review and analysis. Finally, surface response methods were used to find the most influential parameters in laser through transmission welding, which were the number of laser passes and laser power for PA6 and PA66 materials.

Investigations of human biology and disease have been hindered by the use of animal models. The information obtained from such studies often results in clinically irrelevant results and drug trial failures. Additionally, several governing bodies have been formulating legislation to move away from animal models and toward more ethical and efficient testing platforms for drug discovery and cosmetic research. As an answer to these issues, "body-on-a-chip" systems have been a rapidly developing field which easily recapitulates in vivo functionality, providing a more relevant, repeatable, and ethical testing platform to better predict biology. These systems can be used as human-based testing platforms to evaluate human physiology, disease progression, and drug responsiveness for specific cell types and multi-organ systems. Diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have significant research challenges, specifically with translating research findings into treatment plans. The complexity of the neuromuscular reflex arc, the biological system affected by these diseases, is difficult to study with traditional molecular techniques, namely because the many components of this disease system interact with each other using complex pathways. This work pushes the existing platform to a more complete human model of neuromuscular disease with the incorporation of gamma motoneurons, development of the first human induced pluripotent cell (iPSC) derived intrafusal fibers, and proposals to incorporate nociceptive neurons all on a functionally interrogative platform. The incorporation of these components will allow for a more complete, clinically relevant model to study neuromuscular disorders and for preclinical dug discovery.

A labscale hybrid rocket motor test stand has been developed for research at Cal Poly. The primary focus of research using this rig has been the development of regenerative cooling techniques using nitrous oxide as coolant and oxidizer, as well as validation of technologies relating to the annular aerospike nozzle. In order to prevent undesirable deflection of the cantilevered spike, a structural stiffening web, referred to as “The Spider,” is proposed. The Spider resembles a three-spoked wheel, with the aerospike held by the inner hub and the chamber walls abutting the outer radius. The Spider, placed upstream of the nozzle, is subject to thermal loads due to radiation and convection from the gases, and conduction from the outer annulus, as well as mechanical loads from thermal expansion and gas flow. Simulation tools are developed in three phases to produce an accurate model of the spatio-temporal distribution of these loads. A prototype of the Spider instrumented with thermocouple probes is designed, manufactured, and subjected to a series of hotfire tests. Results from three experimental runs are gathered and compared to simulated results. Good agreement is shown for the most part between the two datasets, with a single noticeable discrepancy for one measured temperature location. The high fidelity in the mean rate of temperature change for all stations indicates that the convective heat load is accurately modeled. The simulation results, confirmed by experiment, indicate that in order for the Spider to survive in the steady-state during an actual burn, an active cooling strategy is necessary. Two actively cooled concept designs are presented and discussed, and future avenues of research are suggested.

No description available.

Advances in scientific data management, discovery, dissemination, and sharing are changing the manner in which scientific studies are being conducted and repurposed. Data-intensive scientific practices increasingly require data management related services not available in existing digital libraries. Complicating the issue are the diversity of functional requirements and content in scientific domains as well as scientists' lack of expertise in information and library sciences. Researchers that utilize simulation and experimentation systems need digital libraries to maintain datasets, input configurations, results, analyses, and related documents. A digital library may be integrated with simulation infrastructures to provide automated support for research components, e.g., simulation interfaces to models, data warehouses, simulation applications, computational resources, and storage systems. Managing and provisioning simulation content allows streamlined experimentation, collaboration, discovery, and content reuse within a simulation community. Formal definitions of this class of digital libraries provide a foundation for producing a software toolkit and the semi-automated generation of digital library instances. We present a generic, component-based SIMulation-supporting Digital Library (SimDL) framework. The framework is formally described and provides a deployable set of domain-free services, schema-based domain knowledge representations, and extensible lower and higher level service abstractions. Services in SimDL are specialized for semi-structured simulation content and large-scale data producing infrastructures, as exemplified in data storage, indexing, and retrieval service implementations. Contributions to the scientific community include previously unavailable simulation-specific services, e.g., incentivizing public contributions, semi-automated content curating, and memoizing simulation-generated data products. The practicality of SimDL is demonstrated through several case studies in computational epidemiology and network science as well as performance evaluations. / Ph. D.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2002. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.