Field flow fractionation of particles in rotating coiled column has been investigated in recent year. In contrast to the classical mode of field flow fractionation in narrow channels, the use of rotating coiled columns offers the possibility of large sample loading. In this thesis, the potential for new cell separation methods based on the use of flow fractionation in fluctuating g-fields generated in rotating coil columns is examined. The effects of operational conditions (flow rate and rotational speed – Chapter 3 and Chapter 5); cell properties (cell flexibility – Chapter 4); and column shapes (different inner diameters and coil geometries – Chapter 6) on the flow behaviour of a model system of red blood cells (RBCs) from different species, which differ markedly in size, shape & density, flowing in a single phase of buffered saline have been characterised. Operational Conditions: For a particular rotational speed, there was a minimum flow rate which caused all the cells to be retained in the column and a maximum flow rate at which all cells were eluted. Both the minimum and maximum flow rate were increased when a higher rotational speed was applied. Differences in the behaviour of sheep & hen RBCs have been used to develop a separation method using a continuously increasing flow gradient. This separation could be speeded up by using a step flow gradient. The effects of cell load and rotational direction on the behaviour of RBCs in the column was also studied in this thesis. Cell Properties: The minimum flow rate was found to correlate with cell diameter/cell volume of the RBCs as expected for a sedimentation related process and was partially described by a theoretic equation developed for particles by Fedotov and colleagues (Fedotov et al. 2005). However cell dependent departures from this equation were found which appear to indicate that cell specific surface properties may also be involved for cells (Chapter 3). By contrast the maximum flow rate showed no correlation with cell diameter/cell volume. An effect of cell deformability on the flow separation behaviour of the cells has been demonstrated. Chemical fixation of sheep RBCs with glutaraldehyde rendered the normally deformable RBCs rigid and non-deformable and resulted in the fixed sheep RBCs eluting significantly earlier than unfixed sheep RBCs. This difference was great enough that a mixture of deformable (unfixed) and non-deformable (fixed) sheep RBCs could be separated. Fixed cells tended to show cell aggregation, which could be reduced by the addition of surfactant. Column Geometry: An effect of column shapes on the flow separation behaviour of cells has been demonstrated showing that the optimisation of column design is an important feature of this mode of cell separation. For columns with the same cross sectional area, a “horizontal” rectangular column provided better separation than a circular column and a “vertical” rectangular column gave the least efficient separation. A possible explanation for this behaviour is suggested the thinner sedimentation layer and less secondary flow. Differences in the behaviour of various species of RBCs in the “horizontal” rectangular column have been used to study the efficiency of separation of a mixture of sheep and hen RBCs, and a mixture of rabbit and hen RBCs. This work shows similarities and differences with other reports on cell/particle separations in rotating coiled columns in single phases and also in aqueous two phases systems (ATPS) and these are discussed. Fedotov P.S., Kronrod V.A. & Kasatonova O.N. (2005). Simulation of the motion of solid particles in the carries liquid flow in a rotating coiled column. J. Anal. Chem., 60, 4, 310-316.

Cybernetics is the science of effective organization, i.e. the science that describes the general principles of growth, learning and adaptation in complex, dynamical systems. Stafford Beer regards his viable system model as a design for effective formal organization. He also declares that since his model is explicitly based upon the principles of cybernetics, it facilitates consideration of what is and is not possible within formal organizations and provides guidance in creating efficient structures. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate and test Stafford Beer's ideas on the viable system model via the simulation of certain business activities. A methodology for getting access to the cybernetic body of knowledge is given as well as examples of cybernetic laws relevant to managerial and business practice. An important part of the work is devoted to the explanation and discussion of Stafford Beer's viable system model, and the importance it represents as a cybernetic method for the design of organizational structures. Simulation models incorporating the major activities of a business firm are represented and used as case studies to investigate how basic industrial organizations based on Beer's viable system model work under operational conditions.

To assist in the development of mechanical structures which are subjected to dynamic loads, structural dynamic testing, using a test rig loaded by servo-hydraulic actuators to reproduce operational measured responses in the laboratory, may form an essential element of the development process. The input loads acting on the structure under operational conditions can in most cases not be measured directly, and instead the structural dynamic responses to these loads are recorded. The input forcing functions then need to be determined to effect a simulation of the operational conditions. With this work, a time domain based testing system has been developed to enable the reproduction of service-acquired dynamic responses on any actual full scale structure in the laboratory, taking into account the full multiple axis dynamics of the system. The system is able to determine the input forcing functions in such a way that, when applied to the teststructure, an accurate reproduction of the in-service measured responses are reproduced on the computer controlled laboratory test rig. The test structure is instrumented with suitable transducers which are used to record the structural dynamic response under operational conditions. The test structure is thereafter installed in a servo-hydraulic actuator test rig in the laboratory. The test rig is excited with synthetic random inputs while simultaneously recording the responses to these inputs. Using the experimental input-output data, a dynamic model of the test system is found by using parametric dynamic system identification techniques. By using the service aquired vibration responses together with the dynamic model, the system inputs may be determined. A series of iterations around this first approximation finally provides a high degree of accuracy in the simulation. To prove the integrity of the developed system, it has been applied to a number of case studies using a variety of different engineering structures, and very accurate results were achieved. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 1993. / tm2015 / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / PhD / Unrestricted

Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) is a platform technology that is able to realize versatile engineering functions and recover valuable resources in an energy-efficient manner. One of the potential applications of BES is to remove and recover nutrients simultaneously from nutrient-rich wastewater, such as digested manure from livestock. A four-chamber BES was developed and used in this study to explore the potential to remove and recover hexavalent Chromium from synthetic wastewater, and ammonia and phosphate from digested manure. The BES was able to achieve 99.6% removal of Chromium by membrane adsorption in 5 days but failed to recover in the concentration chamber. Nutrients were removed from the waste stream and recovered in the recirculated catholyte by the electrical field generated from the waste. The BES was demonstrated to achieve substantial COD removal, nutrients removal and recovery. On average, the removal efficiencies were about 50% for COD, 85% for NH4-N and 40% for PO4-P, and the concentration of NH4-N recovered in the catholyte was 670 mg/L after 5 cycles under an applied voltage of 0.8 V. PO4-P was not recovered in solution, probably because it has precipitated under the alkaline condition together with Mg2+ and Ca2+ concentrated in the catholyte. It was also demonstrated that nutrients removal and recovery depended on the current generation and were mostly completed at high current. To sum up, the BES was proven to be an effective and sustainable approach to remove and recover nutrients from digested manure. / Master of Science

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-20T13:32:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ficha_de_caroline_borges_biotecnologia.pdf: 7018 bytes, checksum: b335f912cae89a687603fa35c4e44d7d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-10-16 / Xanthan yield and physical and chemical characteristics can be improved by modification in culture conditions, as well as, by post-fermentation treatments in order to obtain a xanthan with the required characteristics. The aim of this work was to study the operational conditions in xanthan production by Xanthomonas arborícola pv pruni strains 106 and 115 to be used in oilwell drilling fluids. The influence of thermal treatment applied to the fermentation broth was evaluated in the xanthan produced by strain 106 in a range of pH and stirrer speed. The thermal treatment decreased the yield between 5.8 and 14%, nevertheless, was observed increase of aqueous solution and fermentation broth viscosities. The aggregation of xanthan molecules caused by thermal treatment and determined by increase of molar mass was dependent on the sodium content. As a result, a correlation between molar mass and xanthan solution viscosity can be observed. The fermentation broth sterilization was adopted for experiment in which a pre-selection of production medium in orbital shaker was performed for subsequent pH, production medium and stirrer speed study in fermentor by strains 106 and 115. Xanthan production and viscosity was dependent on the strain of X. arborícola pv pruni and on the operational condition used. The production medium B showed the best balance of yield and viscosity results, in orbital shaker, as well as in fermentor. The best results for both strains were obtained at pH 7, 600 rpm and 66 h of fermentation. The two strains showed potential for xanthan production. In an evaluation study of, physical and chemical characteristics, the xanthan produced by strain 115 was compared to the characteristics of the commercial xanthans, Roeper and Kelzan. The former is for application in food, pharmeceutical products and cosmetics and the latter for application in oilwell drilling fluids. The results were within the literature specified patterns, except by the low piruvate content of xanthan produced by strain 115, low monovalent salt content of Roeper sample and high divalent salt content of both commercial samples. The xanthans produced by X. arborícola pv pruni were evaluated as viscosifying fluid for use in oilwell drilling, in comparison to Duo Vis, Kelzan and Xanvis commercial brands. As a whole, the results obtained in this study show that the commercial polymers are more efficient when used in aqueous solution, since these polymers contain high salt concentrations. Xanthans produced by patovar pruni, Xc 106 600 and Xc 115 600, as having low salt concentration, they show potential for application in oilwell drilling fluid, when a salt solution was used, similar to the conditions of marine exploration. / O rendimento e as características físicas e químicas da xantana podem ser melhorados através das modificações nas condições de cultivo, assim como, por tratamentos empregados após a fermentação, para a obtenção de uma xantana com características desejadas para o fim que se propõe. O trabalho objetivou estudar as condições operacionais de produção de xantana por Xanthomonas arboricola pv pruni cepas 106 e 115 para aplicação em fluidos de perfuração de poços de petróleo. A influência do tratamento térmico aplicado no caldo fermentado foi avaliada na xantana produzida pela cepa 106 em diferentes condições de pH e velocidade de agitação. O tratamento térmico reduziu o rendimento entre 5,8 e 14%, entretanto, foi observado o aumento da viscosidade da solução aquosa e do caldo fermentado. A agregação de moléculas de xantana provocada pelo tratamento térmico, e comprovada pelo aumento da massa molar foi dependente da concentração de sódio. Como resultado pode ser observada relação entre a massa molar e a viscosidade da solução de xantana. A esterilização do caldo fermentado foi adotada para o experimento posterior, em que foi realizada uma pré-seleção de meios de produção, em agitador incubador, para posterior estudo de pH, meio de produção e velocidade de agitação em fermentador pelas cepas 106 e 115. A produção e a viscosidade das xantanas sintetizadas foram dependentes da cepa de X. arboricola pv pruni e das condições operacionais. O meio de produção B apresentou o melhor equilíbrio entre produção e viscosidade, em agitador incubador, assim como no fermentador. Os melhores resultados para ambas as cepas foram obtidos em pH 7, 600 rpm e 66 h de fermentação. As duas cepas apresentaram potencial para serem utilizadas na produção de xantana. No estudo da avaliação das características físicas e químicas, a xantana produzida pela cepa 115 foi comparada as características das xantanas comerciais, Roeper e Kelzan. A primeira, para aplicação em alimentos, produtos farmacêuticos e cosméticos e a segunda, para aplicação em fluido de perfuração de poços de petróleo. Os resultados apresentaram-se dentro dos padrões especificados pela literatura, exceto pelo baixo conteúdo de piruvato da xantana produzida pela cepa 115, baixo conteúdo de sais monovalentes da amostra Roeper e alto conteúdo de sais divalentes das duas amostras comerciais. As xantanas produzidas por X. arboricola pv pruni foram avaliadas como viscosificante de fluido para aplicação na perfuração de poços de petróleo, comparando-as com amostras comerciais: Duo Vis, Kelzan e Xanvis. De uma forma geral, os resultados obtidos neste estudo mostram que os polímeros comerciais apresentaram maior eficiência quando preparados em solução aquosa, pois estes polímeros continham alta concentração de sais. Já as xantanas produzidas pelo patovar pruni, Xc 106 600 e Xc 115 600, por apresentarem baixa concentração de sais, apresentaram potencial para aplicação em fluido de perfuração de poços de petróleo, quando preparados em solução salina, condição semelhante a utilizada na exploração marítima.

Les approches de surveillance de l’intégrité des structures ont été proposées pour permettre un contrôle continu de l’état des structures en intégrant à celle-ci des capteurs intelligents. En effet, ce contrôle continu doit être effectué pour s’assurer du bon fonctionnement de celles-ci car la présence d’un défaut dans la structure peut aboutir à un accident catastrophique. Cependant, la variation des conditions environnementales et opérationnelles (CEO) dans lesquelles la structure évolue, impacte sévèrement les signaux collectés ce qui induit parfois une mauvaise interprétation de la présence du défaut dans la structure. Dans ce travail de thèse, l’application des méthodes d’apprentissage statistiques classiques a été envisagée dans le cas des structures tubulaires. Ici, les effets des paramètres de mesures sur la robustesse de ces méthodes ont été investiguées. Ensuite, deux approches ont été proposées pour remédier aux effets des CEO. La première approche suppose que la base de données des signaux de référence est suffisamment riche en variation des CEO. Dans ce cas, une estimation parcimonieuse du signal mesuré est calculée. Puis, l’erreur d’estimation est utilisée comme indicateur de défaut. Tandis que la deuxième approche est utilisée dans le cas où la base de données des signaux des références contient une variation limitée des CEO mais on suppose que celles-ci varient lentement. Dans ce cas, une mise à jour du modèle de l’état sain est effectuée en appliquant l’analyse en composante principale (PCA) par fenêtre mobile. Dans les deux approches, la localisation du défaut a été assurée en utilisant une fenêtre glissante sur le signal provenant de l’état endommagé. / To ensure better working conditions of civil and engineering structures, inspections must be made on a regular basis. However, these inspections could be labor-intensive and cost-consuming. In this context, structural health monitoring (SHM) systems using permanently attached transducers were proposed to ensure continuous damage diagnostic of these structures. In SHM, damage detection is generally based on comparison between the healthy state signals and the current signals. Nevertheless, the environmental and operational conditions will have an effect on the healthy state signals. If these effects are not taken into account they would result in false indication of damage (false alarm). In this thesis, classical machine learning methods used for damage detection have been applied in the case of pipelines. The effects of some measurements parameters on the robustness of these methods have been investigated. Afterthat, two approaches were proposed for damage diagnostic depending on the database of reference signals. If this database contains large variation of these EOCs, a sparse estimation of the current signal is calculated. Then, the estimation error is used as an indication of the presence of damage. Otherwise, if this database is acquired at limited range of EOCs, moving window PCA can be applied to update the model of the healthy state provided that the EOCs show slow and continuous variation. In both approaches, damage localization was ensured using a sliding window over the damaged pipe signal.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-17T14:53:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Newton_ Teixeira _do_ Nascimento Junior.pdf: 3217306 bytes, checksum: c4c1a1e0f923de4227056ce0050d06f8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-05 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / This paper presents a computational method to monitor the operating state of steady electric power transformers in a real time and perspectives of operation over time trends and their operation. The methodology consists of two main steps. The first step is building composed of a block of fuzzy inference s block that can monitor real-time values of transformer s electrical parameters of the transformer (current, voltage between phases, power, oil temperature, winding temperature), to analyze and map these inputs into a single output that reflects what has been defined as operational status of the transformer. We defined five regions of transformer s operation by which a processor can work: emergency, urgent, warning, stable and great. The second step analyze the trend of increase / decrease of operating state obtained from the fuzzy block in a given period, as one day, a month, one year and / or several years. This trend can be characterized in various ways, such as increasing, decreasing very constant. Statistical methods are employed for this analysis. The methodology was evaluated on a database of a large company of generation and transmission of electric energy from the Brazilian electricity sector. The results were satisfactory in that the development of operation of such equipment was qualitatively mapped and their tendencies well characterized. Conceptually, the analytical model presented can be extended to multiple processing units, electric and other functions for up to a full network of interest, allowing subsidize the operation of this and can indicate the need for any future system reinforcements. / Este trabalho apresenta uma metodologia computacional para monitorar o estado operacional em regime permanente de transformadores de potência elétrica ao longo do tempo e suas respectivas tendências de operação. A metodologia é composta de duas etapas principais. Na primeira etapa é construído um bloco de inferência fuzzy capaz de monitorar em tempo real os valores de variáveis elétricas do transformador (corrente, tensão entre fases, potência, temperatura do óleo e temperatura dos enrolamentos), analisar e mapear estas entradas em uma única saída que reflete o que foi definido como estado operacional do transformador. Foram definidas cinco regiões de operação pelas quais um transformador pode trabalhar: emergência, urgência, advertência, estável e ótimo. A segunda etapa trata de analisar a tendência crescimento/decrescimento desse estado operativo obtido do bloco fuzzy em um determinado período, tal como um dia, um mês, um ano e/ou vários anos. Essa tendência pode ser caracterizada de várias formas, tais como crescente, muito decrescente, constante. Métodos estatísticos são empregados para realizar essa análise. A metodologia foi avaliada com uma base de dados de uma grande empresa geradora e transmissora de energia do setor elétrico brasileiro. Os resultados alcançados foram satisfatórios, na medida em que a evolução de operação desses equipamentos foi qualitativamente mapeada e suas tendências bem caracterizadas. Conceitualmente, o modelo de análise apresentado pode ser estendido para várias unidades transformadoras, para outras funções elétricas e até para uma rede de interesse completa, permitindo subsidiar a operação desta e dar indicativos de necessidade de reforços futuros no sistema.

Objective of master’s thesis theoretical part is especially to illustrate influence of operation conditions, such as solar radiation, temperature or pollution of photovoltaic generator active area, on load and power characteristics of photovoltaic generator, or more precisely on photovoltaic conversion efficiency. Possible variants of increasing effectivity of using photovoltaic generator are explored, such as solar radiation concentration, photovoltaic generator active area cooling or aplication of optimalization circuit. Pivotal part of master‘s thesis is focused on experimental device practical realisation, concretely type MSQ36-10 photovoltaic generator with oriented concentrators of solar radiation. Practical realisation includes design of master‘s thesis experimental part construction with subsequent design of photovoltaic generator motion cycle necessary for adequate simulation of configuration variants solved using single testing photovoltaic generator. Description of own experimental device construction with list of measuring places used in task takes up. It is used automatic monitoring system working as independent measurement task for required values measuring and consecutive data collecting. It is done in two phases. First phase is measurement of all required values, in second phase measurement with attached optimalization circuit is made. Optimalization circuit sets best working point of photovoltaic generator according to actual working conditions. Master‘s thesis intention is experimental verification of solar radiation concentrators application convenience, orientation of photovoltaic generator or its mutual combination, namely using type MSQ36-10 photovoltaic generator. Objective is evaluation of reached energetic gain for all experimental device layouts in variable operating conditions.

Le contrôle de santé structural ou Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) des matériaux constitue une démarche fondamentale pour la maîtrise de la durabilité et de la fiabilité des structures en service. Au-delà des enjeux industriels et humains qui ne cessent de s’accroître en termes de sécurité et de fiabilité, le contrôle de santé doit faire face à des exigences de plus en plus élaborées. Les nouvelles stratégies de contrôle de santé doivent non seulement détecter et identifier l’endommagement mais aussi quantifier les différents phénomènes qui en sont responsables. Pour atteindre cet objectif, il est nécessaire d’accéder à une meilleure connaissance des processus d’endommagement. Par ailleurs, ceux-ci surviennent fréquemment sous l’effet de sollicitations mécaniques et environnementales. Ainsi, il est indispensable, d’une part, d’élaborer des méthodes de traitement des signaux permettant d’estimer les effets des conditions environnementales et opérationnelles, dans un contexte de l’analyse des événements précurseurs des mécanismes d’endommagement, et, d’autre part, de définir les descripteurs d’endommagement les plus adaptés à cette analyse. Cette étude propose donc des méthodes de traitement du signal permettant d’atteindre cet objectif, dans un premier temps, pour l’estimation des effets externes sur les ondes multidiffusées dans un contexte de contrôle de santé actif et, dans un second temps, pour l’extraction d’un indicateur d’endommagement à partir de l’analyse des signaux d’émission acoustique dans un contexte de contrôle de santé passif. Dans la première partie de ce travail, quatre méthodes de traitement du signal sont proposées. Celles-ci permettent de prendre en compte les variations des conditions environnementales dans la structure, qui dans le cadre de cette thèse, se sont limitées au cas particulier du changement de la température. En effet, les variations de température ont pour effet de modifier les propriétés mécaniques du matériau et par conséquent la vitesse de propagation des ondes ultrasonores. Ce phénomène entraîne alors une dilatation temporelle des signaux acoustiques qu’il convient d’estimer afin de suivre les variations de température. Quatre estimateurs de coefficients de dilatation sont alors étudiés : Il s’agit de l’intercorrélation à fenêtre glissante, utilisée comme méthode de référence, la méthode du stretching, l’estimateur à variance minimale et la transformée exponentielle. Les deux premières méthodes ont été déjà validées dans la littérature alors que les deux dernières ont été développées spécifiquement dans le cadre de cette étude. Par la suite, une évaluation statistique de la qualité des estimations est menée grâce à des simulations de Monte-Carlo utilisant des signaux de synthèse. Ces signaux sont basés sur un modèle de signal multidiffusé prenant en compte l’influence de la température. Une estimation sommaire de la complexité algorithmique des méthodes de traitement du signal complète également cette phase d’évaluation. Enfin, la validation expérimentale des méthodes d’estimation est réalisée sur deux types de matériaux : Tout d’abord, dans une plaque d’aluminium, milieu homogène dont les caractéristiques sont connues, puis, dans un second temps dans un milieu fortement hétérogène prenant la forme d’une plaque composite en verre/epoxy. Dans ces expériences, les plaques sont soumises à différentes températures dans un environnement thermique contrôlé. Les estimations de température sont alors confrontées à un modèle analytique décrivant le comportement du matériau. La seconde partie de ce travail concerne la caractérisation in situ des mécanismes d’endommagement par émission acoustique dans des matériaux hétérogènes. Les sources d’émission acoustique génèrent des signaux non stationnaires... / Structural health monitoring (SHM) of materials is a fundamental measure to master thedurability and the reliability of structures in service. Beyond the industrial and human issuesever increasing in terms of safety and reliability, health monitoring must cope with demandsincreasingly sophisticated. New health monitoring strategies must not only detect and identifydamage but also quantify the various phenomena involved in it. To achieve this objective, itis necessary to reach a better understanding of the damage process. Moreover, they frequentlyoccur as a result of mechanical and environmental stresses. Thus, it is essential, first, to developsignal processing methods for estimating the effects of environmental and operational conditions,in the context of the analysis of precursor events of damage mechanisms, and on theother hand, to define the damage descriptors that are the most suitable to this analysis. Thisstudy proposes signal processing methods to achieve this goal. At first, to the estimation ofexternal effects on the scattered waves in an active health control context, in a second step, tothe extraction of a damage indicator from the signals analysis of acoustic emission in a passivehealth monitoring context.In the first part of this work, four signal processing methods are proposed. These allow takinginto account the variation of environmental conditions in the structure, which in this thesis,were limited to the particular case of temperature change. Indeed, temperature changes have theeffect of altering the mechanical properties of the material and therefore the propagation velocityof ultrasonic waves. This phenomenon then causes a dilation of the acoustic signals that shouldbe estimated in order to monitor changes in temperature. Four estimators of dilation coefficientsare then studied: the intercorrelation sliding window, used as reference method, the stretchingmethod, the minimum variance estimator and the exponential transform. The first two methodshave already been validated in the literature while the latter two were developed specificallyin the context of this study. Thereafter, a statistical evaluation of the quality of estimates isconducted through Monte Carlo simulations using synthetic signals. These signals are basedon a scattered signal model taking into account the influence of temperature. A raw estimateof the computational complexity of signal processing methods also completes this evaluationphase. Finally, the experimental validation of estimation methods is performed on two types ofmaterial: First, in an aluminum plate, homogeneous medium whose characteristics are known,then, in a second step in a highly heterogeneous environment in the form of a compositeglass/epoxy plate. In these experiments, the plates are subjected to different temperatures in acontrolled thermal environment. The temperature estimates are then faced with an analyticalmodel describing the material behavior.The second part of this work concerns in situ characterization of damage mechanisms byacoustic emission in heterogeneous materials. Acoustic emission sources generate non-stationarysignals. The Hilbert-Huang transform is thus proposed for the discrimination of signals representativeof four typical sources of acoustic emission in composites: matrix cracking, debondingfiber/matrix, fiber breakage and delamination. A new time-frequency descriptor is then definedfrom the Hilbert-Huang transform and is introduced into an online classification algorithm. Amethod of unsupervised classification, based on the k-means method, is then used to discriminatethe sources of acoustic emission and the data segmentation quality is evaluated. Thesignals are recorded from blank samples, using piezoelectric sensors stuck to the surface of thematerial and sensitive samples (sensors integrated within the material)...