The integrity of graphite components is critical for their fitness for purpose. Since graphite is a quasi-brittle material the dominant mechanism for loss of integrity is cracking, most specifically the interaction and coalescence of micro-cracks into a critically sized flaw. Including mechanistic understanding at the length scale of local features (meso-scale) can help capture the dependence on microstructure of graphites macro-scale integrity. Lattice models are a branch of discrete, local approach models consisting of nodes connected into a lattice through discrete elements, including springs and beams. Element properties allow the construction of a micro-mechanically based material constitutive law, which will generate the expected non-linear quasi-brittle response. This research focuses on the development of the Site-Bond lattice model, which is constructed from a regular tessellation of truncated octahedral cells. The aim of this research is to explore the Site-Bond model with a view to increasing understanding of deformation and fracture behaviour of nuclear graphite at the length scale of micro-structural features. The methodology (choice of element, appropriate meso length-scale, calibration of bond stiffness constants, microstructure mapping) and results, which include studies on fracture energy and damage evolution, are presented through a portfolio of published work.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-03-01Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:08:50Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 avila_rp_me_botib.pdf: 756948 bytes, checksum: 1b6fa59ffd51fb229b44fcfa0d2e4ed5 (MD5) / O caranguejo-uçá, Ucides cordatus, tem fundamental importância para os manguezais, seu ambiente natural, realizando a decomposição de matéria orgânica, e também sendo um importante biomonitor de áreas críticas. Sua comercialização é considerada a atividade econômica mais importante relacionada a manguezais, e essencial para o sustento das comunidades ribeirinhas. Desde 1997, têm sido observados eventos de mortandade das populações dessa espécie, com redução de até 85% das coletas. Em tais eventos, os caranguejos doentes apresentavam sintomas comuns, entre eles, uma considerável dificuldade de locomoção, e consequentemente, dificuldade de retornar às suas tocas. Por essa razão, esta enfermidade foi chamada de Doença a do Caranguejo Letárgico (DCL). Em 2005, comprovou-se que o agente causador da DCL é o fungo patogênico Exophiala cf psycrophila, um fungo do Filo Ascomycota... / The mangrove crab, Ucides cordatus, plays a crucial role in a variety of ecosystem processes in its environment, such as nutrient cycling, and it is a biomonitor of critical areas. Moreover, it is an important component in the economy of several underprivileged communities that depend on it for their subsistence. Beginning in 1997, massive mortalities of U. cordatus have been report by crabcollectors, such as 85% reduction in collection rates in some regions. Crabs in areas of high mortality share several common symptoms, such as lethargy, poor motor control and inability to return to the upright position when turned upside down. Hence, this pathology is called Lethargic Crab Disease (LCD). Finally, in 2005, there were several evidences showing that LCD is caused by a fungus of Phylum Ascomycota, Exophiala cf psycrophila. The DCL fungus is not easily found among the periods in which the mortalities occur, been detected only into the mangrove crab U. cordatus, all asymptomatic. There is also no evidence of the presence of this fungus in the soil or plant samples of the mangrove. As a result, the initial hypothesis is that the disease spreads among the estuaries through dispersal of the fungus by the sea. Based on the epidemiology of the LCDdisease,we construct amathematical model using a system of partial differential equations, considering diffusion and advection processes, to describe the dispersion of the disease through the mangrove complexes. The aim of this work is to find travelling waves solutions for the developed model, that connect two equilibrium points. For this, we analyse the characteristic polynomial fromthe jacobianmatrix evaluated at one of equilibrium points, the disease-free equilibrium, and present results about the necessary conditions for the existence of travelling wave solution, numerical simulations and finally, estimate the minimum value... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

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An autonomous system has been widely applied for various civil/military research because of its versatile capability of understanding high-level intent and direction of a surrounding environment and targets of interest. However, as autonomous systems can be out of control to cause serious loss, injury, or death in the worst case, the verification of their functionalities has got increasing attention. For that reason, this study is focused on the verification of a heterogeneous multi-agent autonomous system. The thesis first presents an overview of formal methods, especially focuses on model checking for autonomous systems verification. Then, six case studies are presented to verify the decision making behaviours of multi-agent system using two basic scenarios: surveillance and convoy. The initial system considered in the surveillance mission consists of a ground control system and a micro aerial vehicle. Their decision-making behaviours are represented by means of Kripke model and computational tree logic is used to specify the properties of this system. For automatic verification, MCMAS (Model Checker for Multi-Agent Systems) is adopted due to its novel capability to accommodate the multi-agent system. After that, the initial system is extended to include a substitute micro aerial vehicle. These initial case studies are then further extended based on SEAS DTC exemplar 2 dealing with behaviours of convoy protection. This case study includes now a ground control system, an unmanned aerial vehicle, and an unmanned ground vehicle. The MCMAS successfully verifies the targeting behaviours of the team-level unmanned systems. Reversely, these verification results help retrospectively improve the design of decision-making algorithms by considering additional agents and behaviours during four steps of scenario modification. Consequently, the last scenario deals with the system composed of a ground control system, two unmanned aerial vehicles, and four unmanned ground vehicles with fault-tolerant and communications relay capabilities. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the feasibility of model checking algorithms as a verification tool of a multi-agent system in an initial design stage. Moreover, this research can be an important first step of the certification of multi-agent autonomous systems for the domains of robotics, aerospace and aeronautics.

There is a growing body of literature reporting the application of hybrid simulations to inform decision making. However, guidance for the design of such models, where the output depends upon more than one modelling paradigm, is limited. The benefits of realising this guidance include facilitating efficiencies in the general modelling process and reduction in project risk (both across measures of time, cost and quality). Focussing on the least well researched modelling combination of agent-based simulation with system dynamics, a combination potentially suited to modelling complex adaptive systems, the research contribution presented here looks to address this shortfall. Within a modelling process, conceptual modelling is linked to model specification via the design transition. Using standards for systems engineering to formally define this transition, a critical review of the published literature reveals that it is frequently documented. However, coverage is inconsistent and consequently it is difficult to draw general conclusions and establish best practice. Therefore, methods for extracting this information, whilst covering a diverse range of application domains, are investigated. A general framework is proposed to consistently represent the content of conceptual models; characterising the key elements of the content and interfaces between them. Integrating this content in an architectural design, design classes are then defined. Building on this analysis, a decision process is introduced that can be used to determine the utility of these design classes. This research is benchmarked against reported design studies considering system dynamics and discrete-event simulation and demonstrated in a case study where each design archetype is implemented. Finally, the potential for future research to extend this guidance to other modelling combinations is discussed. / ©Cranfield University, 2014

This thesis explores the use of lossless data compression in the memory hierarchy of contemporary computer systems. Data compression may realise performance benefits by increasing the capacity of a level in the memory hierarchy and by improving the bandwidth between two levels in the memory hierarchy. Lossless data compression is already widely used in parts ofthe memory hierarchy. However, most of these applications are characterised by targeting inexpensive and relatively low performance devices such as magnetic disk and tape devices. The consequences of this are that the benefits of data compression are not realised to their full potential. This research aims to understand how the benefits of data compression can be realised for levels of the memory hierarchy which have a greater impact on system performance and system cost. This thesis presents a review of data compression in the memory hierarchy and argues that main memory compression has the greatest potential to improve system performance. The review also identifies three key issues relating to the use of data compression in the memory hierarchy. Quantitative investigations are presented to address these issues for main memory data compression. The first investigation is into memory data, and shows that memory data from a range of Unix applications typically compresses to half its original size. The second investigation develops three memory compression architectures, taking into account the results of the previous investigation. Furthermore, the management of compressed data is addressed and management methods are developed which achieve storage efficiencies in excess of 90% and typically complete allocation and de allocation operations with only a few memory accesses. The experimental work then culminates in a performance investigation. This shows that when memory resources are strecthed, hardware based memory compression can improve system performance by up to an order of magnitude. Furthermore, software based memory compression can improve system performance by up to a factor of 2. Finally, the performance models and quantitative results contained in this thesis enable us to identify under what conditions memory compression offers performance benefits. This may help designers incorporate memory compression into future computer systems.

The behaviour of sands during loading has been studied in great detail. However, little work has been devoted to understanding the response of sands in unloading. Drained triaxial tests indicate that, contrary to the expected elastic behaviour, sand often exhibit contractive behaviour when unloaded. Undrained cyclic simple shear tests show that the increase in pore water pressure generated during the unloading cycle often exceeds that generated during loading. The tendency to contract upon unloading is important in engineering practice as an increase in pore water pressure during earthquake loading could result in liquefaction. This research contributes to filling the gap in our understanding of soil behaviour in unloading and subsequent reloading. The approach followed includes both theoretical investigation and numerical implementation of experimental observations of stress dilatancy in unload-reload loops. The theoretical investigation is done at the micromechanical level. The numerical approach is developed from observations from drained triaxial compression tests. The numerical implementation of yield in unloading uses NorSand — a hardening plasticity model based on the critical state theory, and extends upon previous understanding. The proposed model is calibrated to Erksak sand and then used to predict the load-unload-reload behaviour of Fraser River sand. The trends predicted from the theoretical and numerical approaches match the experimental observations closely. Shear strength is not highly affected by unload-reload loops. Conversely, volumetric changes as a result of unloading-reloading are dramatic. Volumetric strains in unloading depend on the last value of stress ratio (q/p’) in the previous loading. It appears that major changes in particles arrangement occur once peak stress ratio is exceeded. The developed unload-reload model requires three additional input parameters, which were correlated to the monotonic parameters, to represent hardening in unloading and reloading and the effect of induced fabric changes on stress dilatancy. The calibrated model gave accurate predictions for the results of triaxial tests with load-unload-reload cycles on Fraser River sand. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Civil Engineering, Department of / Graduate

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BACKGROUND Consanguinity - or marriage between close blood relatives, in particular first cousins - is widely practised and even socially encouraged in many countries. However, in the face of fertility transition where the number of cousins eligible to marry declines, how might such constraints on consanguinity develop in the future? OBJECTIVE Numerous studies have stated that the practice cannot continue at present levels and in its present form in the face of fertility transition. However, the future impact of fertility transition on availability of cousins to marry has not yet been quantified. METHODS We perform a simulation exercise using past and projected net reproduction rates (NRRs) derived from the UN. We calculate the average number of cousins of the opposite sex as a function of the average number of children, the average probability of an individual having at least one eligible paternal cousin of the opposite sex, and conclude with an examination of constraints on consanguineous marriage in selected countries under different fertility assumptions. RESULTS Current and projected fertility levels in Middle Eastern countries will create challenging constraints on the custom once today's birth cohorts reach marriageable age. CONCLUSIONS Either consanguinity prevalence will diminish significantly, or the institution will be forced to adapt by becoming more coercive in the face of reduced choice or at the expense of other social preferences (such as for an older groom wedding a younger bride). Fertility decline affects prospects for social change not only through its well-known consequences for mothers but also through shaping marriage conditions for the next generation.