In this thesis, mechanical and electronic properties of a (4,4) SiC nanotube under different tensile strain were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The HOMO-LUMO gap of nanotube will significantly decrease linearly with the increase of axial strain. Two different slopes are found before and after an 11% strain in the profile of HOMO-LUMO gap versus strain. The partial density of states, bond order and electronic deformation density were discussed for demonstrating the strain effect on the electronic properties of SiC nanotube under axial strain. The adsorption mechanism of CO on SiC nanotubes with different axial strains as well as the charge distributions after the adsorption were also discussed.

The aerodynamic steering forces and moments on a wind tunnel model of an axisymmetric bluff body are altered by induced segmented attachment of the separated flow over an azimuthal Coanda surface. The model is suspended in the wind tunnel by eight thin wires for minimal support interference within the wake. Each wire is instrumented with a miniature strain gage sensor for direct dynamic force measurements. Control is effected by an array of synthetic jet actuators that emanate from narrow, azimuthally-segmented slots, within a backward facing step. The aerodynamic effects are characterized using hot-wire anemometry and PIV measurements. In the first set of experiments, the array of synthetic jets is distributed around the perimeter of the circular tail end which is extended into a Coanda surface. The fluidic actuation results in segmented vectoring of the separated base flow along the rear Coanda surface and induces asymmetric aerodynamic forces and moments that can effect steering during flight. Transitory modulation of the actuation waveform of multiple actuators around the tail leads to the generation of significant dynamic side forces of controlled magnitude and direction with the potential utility for flight stabilization and fast maneuvering. In a second set of experiments the array of the synthetic jets is placed upstream of a mid-body axisymmetric cavity. A single jet induces a quasi-steady, nearly-matched force couple at the upstream and downstream ends of the cavity. Furthermore, transitory activation of multiple jets can be used to control the onset and sequencing of the couple forces and therefore the resultant force and moment.

The aerodynamic forces and moments on an axisymmetric body of revolution are controlled in a low-speed wind tunnel by induced local flow attachment. Control is effected by an array of aft-facing synthetic jets emanating from narrow, azimuthally segmented slots embedded within an axisymmetric backward facing step. The actuation results in a localized, segmented vectoring of the separated base flow along a rear Coanda surface and induced asymmetric aerodynamic forces and moments. The observed effects are investigated in both quasi-steady and transient states, with emphasis on parametric dependence. It is shown that the magnitude of the effected forces can be substantially increased by slight variations of the Coanda surface geometry. Force and velocity measurements are used to elucidate the mechanisms by which the synthetic jets produce asymmetric aerodynamic forces and moments, demonstrating a novel method to steer axisymmetric bodies during flight.

<p>The anaerobic treatment of waste water has been studied with an emphasis on the Up- flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor. A model to describe the processes occurring in a UASB reactor was developed and an experimental study of the anaerobic wastewater treatment systems in Nicaragua was also performed.</p><p>Experimental work was carried out in order to link the study to the wastewater treatment situation in Nicaragua, a developing country. In order to assess the performance of the treatment plants, the methanogenic activity of sludge from seven anaerobic wastewater treatment plants was first addressed. Due to a lack of Standards for the measurement of methanogenic activity, a laboratory method was developed based on the methods found in the literature. An additional aim of this study was to find adequate inoculum for the wastewater treatment plant in a brewery using an anaerobic reactor. Physic-chemical characteristics of the sludge were also determined to provide a basis for decisions regarding the agricultural employment of the sludge from the treatment plants.</p><p>A one-dimensional model describing the physical and biological processes occurring in an Up-flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket reactor has been developed. These processes are advection, dispersion and reaction in the granule, including mass transport at the interface and diffusion within the particle. The advection-dispersion equation is used to describe these phenomena in the reactor. Dispersion is mainly caused by the gas bubbles rising up through the reactor and the granules in the ascending flow. The extent of the dispersion is expressed by the dimensionless Peclet (Pe) number. It is assumed that the biological degradation takes place at the surface and within the granules. The processes occurring in the granules formed by the microorganisms are described in detail; they include diffusion in the stagnant film around the granule, diffusion within the particle, and a degradation reaction. From these processes, the reaction term is analytically determined. The granules were modelled as spherical porous biocatalysts of different sizes. The biochemical degradation reactions were assumed to follow Monod type kinetics of the first order. For the numerical solution of the model, a standard program was used (Within MATLAB). The model was applied to some experimental data taken from the literature.</p><p>An important characteristic of the model is that it can simultaneously take into account reactions in granules of different sizes. At present, the parameters of the model are calculated using data from the literature; but experimental measurements of the main parameters are planned. The impact of the different parameters was studied by numerical simulation and its validity was tested using experimental data reported in the literature. The model could be a useful tool in the performance optimization of UASB reactors by predicting the influences of different operational parameters.</p>

L'alternateur à griffes est utilisé comme générateur d'électricité dans les véhicules. Il<br />a pour rôle d'alimenter en courant continu tous les récepteurs reliés au réseau de bord, et<br />plus particulièrement de charger la batterie. Les travaux de cette thèse ont pour but<br />d'augmenter le courant fourni par l'alternateur, d'augmenter son rendement et de réduire<br />son bruit acoustique d'origine magnétique. L'application de la méthode des pertes<br />séparées a permis d'étudier la répartition des pertes en fonction de la vitesse de rotation et<br />du courant débité. En s'appuyant sur des simulations éléments finis, les principales<br />causes des pertes Joule statoriques et des pertes fer totales sont déterminées, aussi bien<br />les pertes fer statoriques dues à la composante axiale du flux. Des solutions sont<br />proposées dans le but d'augmenter le courant fourni ainsi que le rendement et de réduire<br />le bruit acoustique d'origine magnétique, toutes ces solutions ont fait l'objet d'une<br />validation expérimentale sur prototypes. Pour finir, une méthode fondée sur des<br />optimisations mono objectif est proposée dans le but d'augmenter le débit et de réduire<br />les ondulations de couple sources du bruit acoustique d'origine magnétique.

Das Bestreben nach immer kompakteren und leistungsfähigeren Antrieben verhilft der Zahnkupplung derzeit zu neuer Popularität. Sie ist in der Lage, vergleichsweise große Axial- und Winkelbewegungen auszuführen und Radialverlagerungen (Reihenschaltung) aufzunehmen. Insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit beweglich aufgehängten Getrieben gewinnt die Kenntnis über das Betriebs- und Rückstellverhalten im Betrieb zunehmend an Bedeutung. / The trend towards more and more compact and more efficient transmissions helps the gear coupling to get new popularity. It is able to perform relatively large axial and angular motions and to absorb radial displacements. Especially in connection with movably supported gear units the knowledge about its restoring behaviour in operation becomes increasingly significant. Therefore the question was initiated in order to develop a method for the determination of axial restoring forces of driver gearings which are capable of displacements.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Institute of Paper Chemistry, 1969. / Bibliography: leaves 89-91.

In this work, the time varying stresses in a Howden axial flow fan are obtained by finite element analyses. Dynamic substructuring is used to obtain accurate values of the stresses in the threads of the blade shaft, the component which connects the blade with the hub. Three different global models are used to compare the influence of neglecting the fan shaft and the stiffness influence of the centrifugal force. The relative displacements, which are obtained from the global models, have been used as boundary condition in the detailed models. The detailed models are used to obtain the Von Mises stresses in the root of the threads of the blade shaft. Finally the results of the three global models are compared with experimental measured data provided by Howden. The experimental data results in the highest Von Mises stresses. The model with the fan shaft and the stiffness influence of the centrifugal force gives values for the Von Mises stresses which are approximately twenty percent lower. The model without the fan shaft results in the lowest stresses which are approximately forty percent lower than the stresses obtained using the measured data.

The semicircular canals detect head rotations and trigger compensatory movements that stabilize gaze and help maintain visual fixation. Mammals with large eyes and high visual acuity presumably require more precise gaze stabilization mechanisms because they experience degradation of spatial resolution at a lower threshold of uncompensated motion. Because semicircular canal radius of curvature is a primary determinant of canal sensitivity, species with large canal radii are expected to be capable of more precise gaze stabilization than species with small canal radii. Here the relationship between semicircular canal radius of curvature, eye size, and visual acuity is examined in a large sample of therian mammals. These results demonstrate that eye size and visual acuity both explain a significant proportion of the variance in mean canal radius of curvature after statistically controlling for the effects of body mass and phylogeny. These findings suggest that interspecific variation in semicircular canal radius of curvature is partly the result of selection for improved gaze stabilization in species with large eyes and acute vision. / text

The goal for this thesis was to apply electrospun biomimetic coatings on implantable glucose biosensors and test their efficacy as mass-transport limiting and tissue engineering membranes, with special focus on achieving reliable and long sensing life-time for biosensors when implanted in the body. The 3D structure of electrospun membranes provides the unique combination of extensively interconnected pores, large pore volumes and mechanical strength, which are anticipated to improving sensor sensitivity. Their structure also mimics the 3D architecture of natural extracellular matrix (ECM), which is exploited to engineer tissue responses to implants. A versatile vertical electrospinning setup was built in our workshop and used to electrospin single polymer - Selectophore™ polyurethane (PU) and two polymer (coaxial) – PU and gelatin (Ge) fibre membranes. Extensive studies involving optimization of electrospinning parameters (namely solvents, polymer solution concentration, applied electric potential, polymer solution feed flow rate, distance between spinneret and collector) were carried out to obtain electrospun membranes having tailorable fibre diameters, pore sizes and thickness. The morphology (scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy), fibre diameter (SEM), porosity (bubble point and gravimetry methods), hydrophilicity (contact angle), solute diffusion (biodialyzer) and uniaxial mechanical properties (tensile tester) were used to characterize certain shortlisted electrospun membranes. Static and dynamic collector configurations for electrospinning fibres directly on sensor surface were optimized of which the dynamic collections system helped achieve snugly fit membranes of uniform thickness on the entire surface of the sensor. The biocompatibility and the in vivo functional efficacy of electrospun membranes off and on glucose biosensors were evaluated in rat subcutaneous implantation model. Linear increase in thickness of electrospun membranes with increasing electrospinning time was observed. Further, the smaller the fibre diameter, smaller was the pore size and higher was the fibre density (predicted), the hydrophilicity and the mechanical strength. Very thin membranes showed zero-order (Fickian diffusion exponent ‘n’ ~ 1) permeability for glucose transport. Increasing membrane thickness lowered ‘n’ value through non-Fickian towards Fickian (‘n’ = 0.5) diffusion. Thin electrospun PU membranes (~10 μm thick) did not affect, while thicknesses between 20 and 140 μm all decreased sensitivity of glucose biosensor by about 20%. PU core - Ge shell coaxial fibre membranes caused decrease in ex vivo sensitivity by up to 40%. The membranes with sub-micron to micron sized pore sizes functioned as mass-transport limiting membranes; but were not permeable to host cells when implanted in the body. However, PU-Ge coaxial fibre membranes, having <2 μm pore sizes, were infiltrated with fibroblasts and deposition of collagen in their pores. Such tissue response prevented the formation of dense fibrous capsule around the implants, which helped improve the in vivo sensor sensitivity. To conclude, this study demonstrated that electrospun membrane having tailorable fibre diameters, porosity and thickness, while having mechanical strength similar to the natural soft tissues can be spun directly on sensor surfaces. The membranes can function as mass-transport limiting membranes, while causing minimal or no effect on sensor sensitivity. With the added bioactive Ge surfaces, evidence from this study indicates that reliable long-term in vivo sensor function can be achieved.