The purpose of this research is to make an investigation into the crashworthiness modelling of Sheet Moulding Compound (SMC) composite materials, and to study the response of SMC composite structures under dynamic loading. The primary research objectives are thus to review classical and advanced material failure models, and to perform numerical simulation of the crash of composite structures using already available material models. Additionally, a new material model is to be developed for implementation into a commercially available finite element package. In parallel with the numerical simulation of the crasrung of an SMC composite structure, experimentation is performed which is used as a source of validation and comparison with the simulation. For this purpose a testing regime is introduced, which may be mirrored in simulation. As any material model requires initial experimental inputs, the purpose of experimentation is twofold, with testing required both for the quantification of the required model inputs and the basic material characterisation before simulation may begin, as well as for the proposed validation and comparison after the simulation has been carried out. Thus the design of the testing methodology, as well as the design, selection and fabrication of the testing equipment and the composite specimens and demonstrators, as well the actual testing itself, are necessary secondary requirements of the project. Once the testing regime has been facilitated and carried out, numerical simulation validation using already available composite material models may then be carried out at various levels. The results are then analysed and validated with the resultant justification of a new model being developed. The critical viewpoint to be delivered throughout is the need for theoretical formulations for material modelling to be extensively researched and validated in terms of their implementabilty and practicality, a key analysis seemingly missing in most technical write-ups. Such analyses are performed and discussed here, rughlighting the volume of additional work that is encompassed by such a study. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Semi-solid manufacturing is a near net shape forming process that takes advantage of an alloy's thixotropic behaviour. However, in order to obtain the desired thixotropic properties from an alloy in the semi -solid state, the microstructure of the as-cast feedstock metal needs to display a fine grained, equiaxed primary phase prior to reheating for the forming operation. Various methods are currently in use to obtain the required microstructure of which the MagnetoHydroDynamic (MHD) process is predominant. Two fundamental factors, namely shear rate and cooling rate, influence the formation of the fine grained, equiaxed primary phase during the MHD process. The aim of this research was to produce semi solid billets and in so doing, determine how the influence of the combination of the two fundamental factors contribute towards the final formation of the primary phase and to determine an optimal level ofthese factors' settings to deliver the desired microstructure. An MHD apparatus was constructed and the Taguchi method was used to design an experiment to investigate the influence ofthe fundamental factors involved in casting semi solid feedstock of aluminium A356.2. The issues ofthe formation of a fine eutectic phase and solidification shrinkage were also investigated. An experimental method was designed to investigate the significance ofthe fundamental factors' influence towards the appearance of the primary phase; the latter was evaluated using an image analysis system. The shear rate was controlled by varying the line frequency and the base frequency supplied to the electromagnetic stirrer and the cooling rate was controlled by initiation of a fixed, fast cooling rate at a certain melt temperature (TJ Results showed that a fine grained, equiaxed primary phase, with an average grain size of 55 /lm, was achieved after casting, prior to reheating for forming. The contribution of the base frequency and the line frequency were 8 % and 3.5 % respectively and the contribution ofTi was 86.5 % towards the outcome ofthe result. The cooling rate changed from approximately 0.3 QC/sec to 4.5 QC/sec at Ti. A fine textured eutectic phase was achieved with the fast cooling rate. The solidification shrinkage was accounted for by incorporating a riser on the mould. The feedstock produced in this research was compared, on a microstructural basis, to commercially available Semi Solid Metal (SSM) feedstock from Pechiney and SAG. The research feedstock had a larger, average primary grain size, however, it was more discrete and round grained than the commercial alloys which were finer and more rosette grained. Upon reheating to the semi solid state, ready for forming, the final, evolved grain sizes and shapes were almost identical between the research and commercial feedstock, despite the initial differences in grain sizes and shapes. However, the commercial alloys showed primary grains with trapped eutectic whereas in the research alloy, the primary grains were largely free of trapped eutectic. / Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.

This thesis investigates the performance of Swedish listed family-controlled firms using re-turn on assets (ROA) and Tobin’s Q as performance measures. Results show that found-ing-family firms perform 6.1 % better than other firms for ROA. Firm-specific knowledge of the founder-CEO is the main cause of the enhanced performance. The results are not robust to residual testing which suggests caution when drawing conclusions from these re-sults. The main contribution of this thesis is an empirical analysis of family insider repre-sentation and the relation to ROA and Tobin’s Q in a sample consisting entirely of Swedish firms.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1993. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-82).

Thesis (Master of Fine Arts in Integrated Design)--University of Baltimore, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 4).

Thesis (M.Comp. Sc.)--Dept. of Computer Science, Concordia University, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 119-128) and index. Available also on the Internet.

abstract: Virtue was a concept of paramount importance in the American founders' republican thought. Without virtue, there could be no liberty, no order, no devotion to the common good, and no republican government. This dissertation examines the concept of virtue at the American founding, particularly virtue in the political thought of Mercy Otis Warren (1728-1814). The most important female intellectual of the Revolutionary generation, Warren wrote passionately about liberty and the beauty of republican ideals. Most important to this study, she consistently advocated the central place of virtue in a free and well-ordered republic. I argue that Warren incorporates three distinct philosophical threads - classical, bourgeois-marketplace, and Christian ideals - in her conception of virtue. I first analyze how Warren uses each of these three threads of virtue throughout her writings. I then examine how she synthesizes these individual threads into a single, cohesive conception of virtue. I argue that Warren consistently merges these ideals into a conception of virtue that she employs to address three pressing political problems of her day: How to motivate reluctant colonists to seek independence; how to check various forms of corruption spreading among the people; and how to counter corruption arising from commercial growth in the new nation. Modern political theorists often argue that these three threads, especially the classical republican and Christian ideals of virtue, are irreconcilable. My analysis shows that to divorce virtue from Christianity in Warren's conception is to rob it of its corrective vigor within republican government. I argue that what Machiavelli and Rousseau wrote out of republican virtue Warren writes back in. In Warren's political thought, virtue serves as the foundation for a stable enduring political system, provides the necessary informal ordering principle for the emerging republic, and offers the means by which the new nation could achieve its millennial destiny. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Political Science 2011

A Ergonomia busca em sua essência adaptar o trabalho ao homem, usando de diversas ferramentas para atingir este objetivo, entre elas a análise ambiental. As características do ambiente como ruído, temperatura e iluminação podem influenciar o trabalho de um funcionário, e por isso necessitam ser avaliadas para verificar o seu efeito sobre a saúde dos trabalhadores e sua capacidade de trabalho. O estresse térmico, causado por calor, é a condição onde tanto o sistema fisiológico quanto o sistema psicológico são afetados pela temperatura do ambiente em que se encontra, quando esta temperatura encontra-se em níveis extremos, e pode causar efeitos como: hipertermia, tontura, desidratação, dor de cabeça, entre outros. A proposta desta pesquisa foi avaliar o efeito quantitativo que os sintomas de estresse térmico podem causar na produtividade de operadores em uma fundição. Foram empregadas duas normalizações para analisar o estresse térmico: ISO 7243 (1989), a qual apresenta a metodologia do Índice de Bulbo Úmido Termômetro de Globo (IBUTG), e ISO 7933 (2004), a qual apresenta a Taxa Requerida de Suor. Após a coleta de dados ambientais e pessoais em seis pontos diferentes do layout da fábrica, realizou análises de correlação e regressão linear entre os índices de estresse térmico e a produtividade para verificar a relação entre as mesmas. Os resultados demonstraram que a produtividade é inversamente proporcional ao nível de estresse térmico, e que o índice que apresenta a melhor correlação com a produtividade é o IBUTG, com coeficiente de determinação 94,05%, o que significa que 94,05% da variação encontrada para o tempo de vazamento de peças, indicador de produtividade, é justificada pela variação do índice IBUTG, indicador de estresse térmico. Os demais índices apresentaram correlações de 82,16% e 78,26%, e a regressão linear proporcionou em todos os métodos determinar uma equação para prever a produtividade em função da variação do estresse térmico. / Ergonomics seeks in essence to adapt the work to the individual, using various tools to achieve this goal, including environmental analysis. The characteristics of the environment such as noise, temperature and lighting can influence the work of an employee, and therefore need to be evaluated to assess its effect on the health of workers and their working ability. The thermal stress caused by heat is the condition where both the physiological system as the psychological system are affected by the environment in which it is , when this temperature is in extreme levels, and can cause effects such as: hyperthermia, dizziness, dehydration, headache, among others. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the quantitative effect that the symptoms of heat stress can cause on the productivity of operators in a foundry. Two normalizations were used to analyze the thermal stress: ISO 7243 (1989), which presents the methodology of the Index Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) and ISO 7933 (2004), which presents the Required Sweat Rate method. After collecting environmental and personal data in six different points of the foundry, it was conducted analyzes of correlation and linear regression between the index of thermal stress and productivity to verify the relation between them. The results showed that productivity is inversely proportional to the level of heat stress, and that the index that has the best correlation with productivity is the WBGT, with a determination coefficient 94.05% , ie 94.05% of the variation found for the time of casting parts, productivity indicator is justified by the variation of WBGT index. The other indices had correlations of 82.16 % and 78.26%, and the linear regression provided in all methods determine an equation to predict productivity as a function of the variation of heat stress.

A Ergonomia busca em sua essência adaptar o trabalho ao homem, usando de diversas ferramentas para atingir este objetivo, entre elas a análise ambiental. As características do ambiente como ruído, temperatura e iluminação podem influenciar o trabalho de um funcionário, e por isso necessitam ser avaliadas para verificar o seu efeito sobre a saúde dos trabalhadores e sua capacidade de trabalho. O estresse térmico, causado por calor, é a condição onde tanto o sistema fisiológico quanto o sistema psicológico são afetados pela temperatura do ambiente em que se encontra, quando esta temperatura encontra-se em níveis extremos, e pode causar efeitos como: hipertermia, tontura, desidratação, dor de cabeça, entre outros. A proposta desta pesquisa foi avaliar o efeito quantitativo que os sintomas de estresse térmico podem causar na produtividade de operadores em uma fundição. Foram empregadas duas normalizações para analisar o estresse térmico: ISO 7243 (1989), a qual apresenta a metodologia do Índice de Bulbo Úmido Termômetro de Globo (IBUTG), e ISO 7933 (2004), a qual apresenta a Taxa Requerida de Suor. Após a coleta de dados ambientais e pessoais em seis pontos diferentes do layout da fábrica, realizou análises de correlação e regressão linear entre os índices de estresse térmico e a produtividade para verificar a relação entre as mesmas. Os resultados demonstraram que a produtividade é inversamente proporcional ao nível de estresse térmico, e que o índice que apresenta a melhor correlação com a produtividade é o IBUTG, com coeficiente de determinação 94,05%, o que significa que 94,05% da variação encontrada para o tempo de vazamento de peças, indicador de produtividade, é justificada pela variação do índice IBUTG, indicador de estresse térmico. Os demais índices apresentaram correlações de 82,16% e 78,26%, e a regressão linear proporcionou em todos os métodos determinar uma equação para prever a produtividade em função da variação do estresse térmico. / Ergonomics seeks in essence to adapt the work to the individual, using various tools to achieve this goal, including environmental analysis. The characteristics of the environment such as noise, temperature and lighting can influence the work of an employee, and therefore need to be evaluated to assess its effect on the health of workers and their working ability. The thermal stress caused by heat is the condition where both the physiological system as the psychological system are affected by the environment in which it is , when this temperature is in extreme levels, and can cause effects such as: hyperthermia, dizziness, dehydration, headache, among others. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the quantitative effect that the symptoms of heat stress can cause on the productivity of operators in a foundry. Two normalizations were used to analyze the thermal stress: ISO 7243 (1989), which presents the methodology of the Index Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) and ISO 7933 (2004), which presents the Required Sweat Rate method. After collecting environmental and personal data in six different points of the foundry, it was conducted analyzes of correlation and linear regression between the index of thermal stress and productivity to verify the relation between them. The results showed that productivity is inversely proportional to the level of heat stress, and that the index that has the best correlation with productivity is the WBGT, with a determination coefficient 94.05% , ie 94.05% of the variation found for the time of casting parts, productivity indicator is justified by the variation of WBGT index. The other indices had correlations of 82.16 % and 78.26%, and the linear regression provided in all methods determine an equation to predict productivity as a function of the variation of heat stress.

Submitted by Erika Demachki (erikademachki@gmail.com) on 2015-05-25T11:22:09Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Mauro Alves Pires - 2014.pdf: 5423191 bytes, checksum: 1e78881a682557378b0293c1bacc8979 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Erika Demachki (erikademachki@gmail.com) on 2015-05-25T11:24:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Mauro Alves Pires - 2014.pdf: 5423191 bytes, checksum: 1e78881a682557378b0293c1bacc8979 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-25T11:24:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Mauro Alves Pires - 2014.pdf: 5423191 bytes, checksum: 1e78881a682557378b0293c1bacc8979 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-15 / This research investigates the images that institute, make cohesive and legitimize the professional education in Goiás on the first half of the twentieth century. It is focused on the establishment of the modern institutional imaginary concerning the public professional education. In it, the past is interpreted, the future is planned and the especific politics of the educational field are legitimized by the modern set of ideas. This imaginary produces representations and practices led by rationality and disciplinary action on bodies and on the educational building and are reinforced by rites and institutional images. The space temporal cut of this research goes from the foundation of the Escola de Aprendizes Artifices in Goiás city (1910), analyzing the period of its transference throughout the change of the capital to Goiânia to the foundation of the Escola Técnica Federal de Goiás (1964). / Esta pesquisa investiga as imagens instituintes que tornam coesas e legitimam a educação profissional em Goiás na primeira metade do século XX. Tem como foco a constituição do imaginário institucional da modernidade sob a educação profissional pública. Nela, os ideários da modernidade interpretam o passado, planejam o futuro e se legitimam em políticas específicas no campo educacional. O imaginário instituinte produz representações e práticas marcadas pela racionalidade e disciplinarização em corpos e no edifício escolar e são reforçadas por ritos e imagens institucionais. O recorte do espaço temporal da pesquisa vai da criação da Escola de Aprendizes Artífices na cidade de Goiás (1910), analisando o período desde sua transferência durante a mudança da capital para Goiânia até a criação da Escola Técnica Federal de Goiás (1964).