lavare lente | a place for slow washing | alexandria, virginia the proposal is for a slow laundering facility for alexandria, virginia. the building is intended to be slow and deliberate in its construction and inhabitation. without conventional machines, the architecture and the individual must take on increased roles in the process of washing. ideas about how slowness relates to memory, drawing and construction, and about how we might ground ourselves in a manageably paced lifestyle are at the root of the thesis. / Master of Architecture

The purpose of this study is to make a survey of the liability of municipal corporations in Texas for the construction, repair, and maintenance of their streets and sidewalks, and for injuries sustained by the traveling public through defects in same.

L’optimisation du dimensionnement des structures passe par une meilleure connaissance de leur mode d’endommagement. Cette étude se focalise donc sur la caractérisation de l’endommagement du contact aube/disque des moteurs aéronautique. Cet assemblage mécanique est soumis a une combinaison d’un effort normal (force centrifuge) et tangentiel (dynamique de l’aube). La portée du disque en Ti-6Al-4V subi donc un chargement complexe de type fretting fatigue. Ce type de sollicitation entraine, entre autre dégradation, de la fissuration dont la modélisation expérimentale et numérique est rendue difficile par les limitations des moyens et des connaissances actuelles. Le premier objectif de ce travail de thèse est de développer un moyen d’essai et une instrumentation associée afin d’étudier de façon qualitative et quantitative la fissuration d’un contact Ti-6Al-4V/Ti-6Al-4V. Le second but est d’utiliser les données issues de ce moyen expérimental afin de proposer un modèle de prédiction des durées de vie de cet assemblage. Un montage inédit de fretting fatigue double vérin mono-contact a été mis en place avec une instrumentation nouvelle pour ce type d’essai : suivi de fissuration par suivi de potentiel et par émission acoustique. Une attention particulière a été apportée aux calibrations et aux méthodologies expérimentales. Ce banc d’essai permet notamment de simuler des efforts de fretting applique en phase ou alors de telle manière a simuler un vrai cycle de vol. Cet outil a permis de décrire quantitativement les premières courbes de Wohler en fretting à amorçage (Effort de fretting vs Nombre de cycles à amorçage) pour deux configurations de contact (cylindre/plan et plan/plan). Les impacts des différents paramètres de fretting sur l’amorcage ont pu être quantifies. Les paramètres influant sont : la configuration du contact, les niveaux des efforts appliques et leur mode de combinaison (cycles en phase ou cycles de type vol). De plus des courbes de cinétique de propagation des fissures ont pu être extraites des différents essais, montrant un fort impact du fretting sur les vitesses de propagation des fissures. Une analyse qualitative via l’émission acoustique a montré un mécanisme d’amorçage et de propagation en 3 étapes suivant la perte d’influence du contact. Un modèle de prédiction de l’amorçage et de simulation de la propagation des fissures a été mis en place. Bien que limite dans la prise en compte des effets gradients (approches non locales), ce modèle se montre très performant surtout dans sa capacité à utiliser les données expérimentales dans l’identification des lois d’amorçage ou de propagation. Ce travail a donc permis d’importantes avancées dans la compréhension des mécanismes de fissuration et dans leur modélisation ouvrant ainsi la porte vers une prédiction fiable de l’endommagement des contacts aube/disque. / Optimization of structures design requires a better understanding of their damage process. This study focuses on the characterisation of the blade/disk contact damaging process on aircraft engines. That mechanical structure is subjected to a normal load (centrifugal forces) combined with a tangential force (blade dynamic). Thus the Ti-6Al-4V disk seat sees a complex fretting fatigue loading. This type of solicitation can generate a series of degradations like cracking. Experimental and numerical simulation of this damaging is very difficult considering the present state of arts. The first aim of this work is to develop a new experimental set-up with the appropriate instrumentation in order to conduct a qualitative and a quantitative analysis of the cracking in a Ti-6Al-4V/Ti6-Al-4V contact. The second goal is to build a life prediction numerical model that would be able to use the data obtain with the new experimental tests. The new dual-actuator fretting-fatigue set-up is now operational. It allows to run single contact test under different loading combinations: fretting and fatigue loads can be applied in phase or in a way to simulate the real ‘in flight’ conditions. New instrumentations have been added in order to follow the crack initiation and propagation: potential-drop technique and acoustic emission. Thanks to this new test procedure, the first fretting Wöhler curve to crack nucleation have been described (fretting load vs number of cycles to crack nucleation) for two contact geometries (cylinder on flat and flat on flat). The separate influences of fatigue and fretting parameters have been determined. The mains parameters are: the contact characteristics, the stress level and the force combination modes (‘in phase’ cycles or ‘in-flight’ cycles). Moreover, the very first crack propagation kinetics have been drowned. Also, a major influence of the fretting on the crack propagation has been exposed. The qualitative analysis conducted with the acoustic emission has revealed a three steps crack propagation process. The crack propagation process evolves with the decrease of the contact influence. A model has been developed in order to predict crack initiation and propagation lives. Even if the model suffers from a major limitation due to the difficult considerations of the stress gradient effects, it has shown very good results through its ability to directly include experimental data. This work has led to major breakthroughs in the understanding of the cracking mechanisms and their simulation. This forms solid foundations for future predictions of the blade/disk interface durability.

L’industrie produit de grandes quantités d’effluents aqueux qu’il convient de traiter. Des traitements alternatifs aux procédés biologiques doivent être développés pour certains effluents toxiques et/ou non biodégradables. L’oxydation en voie humide catalytique repose sur l’action de l’oxygène sur les polluants en phase aqueuse à haute température et haute pression. Préalablement à cette étude, des catalyseurs au Ru ou Pt supportés sur ZrO2 ou TiO2très actifs et très stables pour l’OVHC de polluants modèles et de quelques effluents réels ont été développés. Ce travail a examiné ces catalyseurs sur d’autres effluents réels : un effluent provenant d’une unité de production de membranes contenant du glycérol et du DMF, uneffluent de sauce de couchage provenant de l’industrie papetière et un concentrât de lixiviatde décharge. Les catalyseurs se sont révélés très actifs et stables pour la minéralisation du glycérol, mais une forte lixiviation a été observée lors de l’OVHC du DMF du fait de la présence d’amines. L’oxydation de l’effluent de sauce de couchage permet de minéraliser la charge organique, facilitant le recyclage de la charge minérale, avec une amélioration accrue de la biodégradabilité du surnageant en présence des catalyseurs. Enfin, l’ajout de catalyseurs lors de l’OVH du concentrât de lixiviat de décharge permet d’améliorer sa minéralisation et d’éliminer totalement les ions ammonium / Industries produce huge volumes of effluents which need to be treated before disposal.Alternative treatments to the more classical biological techniques are required in the case oftoxic and/or non biodegradable effluents. The wet air oxidation (WAO) and catalytic wet airoxidation (CWAO) are based on the reaction of an oxidant (oxygen) with the pollutants in aqueous phase at high temperature and pressure. Ru or Pt catalysts supported on zirconium and titanium oxides were previously shown to be highly active and stable in the CWAO of awide range of model compounds and real complex effluents. These catalysts were evaluated in the CWAO of problematic effluents: one containing glycerol and DMF, one paper coatingslip effluent and one concentrated landfill leachate. The catalysts showed high activity and stability in the CWAO of glycerol, while the metal leached upon DMF CWAO due to the presence of amines. WAO leads to the partial mineralization of the organic load in paper coating slip, allowing an easy separation recycling of mineral pigments, with an improved biodegradability of the supernatant with the use of a catalyst. The use of a catalyst upon landfill leachate WAO leads higher COT conversion and complete ammonia elimination

La spectroscopie électronique basée sur l'effet tunnel donne accès à la densité d'états des électrons (DoS) dans les matériaux conducteurs, et renseigne ainsi en détail sur leurs propriétés électroniques. <br />Au cours de cette thèse, nous avons développé un microscope permettant d'effectuer la spectroscopie tunnel résolue spatialement (10 nm) de nanocircuits individuels, avec une résolution en énergie inégalée (10 µeV). Cet appareil combine les fonctions de Microscopie par Force Atomique (mode AFM) et de spectroscopie Tunnel locale (mode STM), et fonctionne à 30 mK. Dans le mode AFM, la topographie de l'échantillon est imagée grâce à un diapason en quartz piézoélectrique, ce qui permet de repérer les circuits. La spectroscopie tunnel peut ensuite être faite sur les zones conductrices. <br />Avec ce microscope, nous avons mesuré la DoS locale dans une structure hybride Supraconducteur-métal Normal-Supraconducteur (S-N-S). Dans un tel circuit, les propriétés électroniques de N et de S sont modifiées par l'effet de proximité supraconducteur. Notamment, pour des fils N courts, nous avons pu observer -comme prédit- la présence d'un gap dans sa DoS, indépendant de la position dans la structure : le “minigap”. De plus, en modulant la phase supraconductrice entre les deux S, nous avons mesuré la modification de ce gap, et sa disparition lorsque la différence de phase vaut π. <br />Nos résultats expérimentaux pour la DoS, ainsi que ses dépendances en phase, en position, et en longueur de N sont en accord quantitatif avec les prédictions de la théorie quasiclassique de la supraconductivité. Certaines de ces prédictions sont observées pour la première fois.

In the present work, deformation behavior, texture and microstructure evolution of commercially pure titanium (CP Ti) are investigated by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) after compression tests at elevated temperatures. By analysing work hardening rate vs. flow stress, the deformation behaviour can be divided into three groups, viz. three-stage work hardening, two-stage work hardening and flow softening. A new deformation condition map is presented, dividing the deformation behavior of CP Ti into three distinct zones which can be separated by two distinct values of the Zener-Hollomon parameter. The deformed microstructures reveal that dynamic recovery is the dominant deformation mechanism for CP Ti during hot working. It is the first time that the Schmid factor and pole figures are used to analyse how the individual slip systems activate and how their activities evolve under various deformation conditions. Two constitutive equations are proposed in this work, one is for single peak dynamic recrystallization (DRX), the other is specially for CP Ti deformed during hot working. After the hot compression tests, some stress-strain curves show a single peak, leading to the motivation of setting up a DRX model. However, the examinations of EBSD maps and metallography evidently show that the deformation mechanism is dynamic recovery rather than DRX. Then, the second model is set up. The influence of the deformation conditions on grain size, texture and deformation twinning is systematically investigated. The results show that {10-12} twinning only occurs at the early stage of deformation. As the strain increases, the {10-12} twinning is suppressed while {10- 11} twinning appears. Three peaks are found in the misorientation frequency-distribution corresponding to basal fiber texture, {10-11} and {10-12} twinning, respectively. A logZ-value of 13 is found to be critical for both the onset of {10-11} compressive twinning and the break point for the subgrain size. The presence of {10-11} twinning is the key factor for effectively reducing the deformed grain size. The percentage of low angle grain boundaries decreases with increasing Z-parameter, falling into a region separated by two parallel lines with a common slope and 10% displacement. After deformation, three texture components can be found, one close to the compression direction, CD, one 10~30° to CD and another 45° to CD. / QC 20100819

In this thesis, superconducting nanostructures for quantum detection of electromagnetic radiation are studied. In this regard, electrodynamics of topological excitations in 1D superconducting nanowires and 2D superconducting nanostrips is investigated. Topological excitations in superconducting nanowires and nanostrips lead to crucial deviation from the bulk properties. In 1D superconductors, topological excitations are phase slippages of the order parameter in which the magnitude of the order parameter locally drops to zero and the phase jumps by integer multiple of 2\pi. We investigate the effect of high-frequency field on 1D superconducting nanowires and derive the complex conductivity. Our study reveals that the rate of the quantum phase slips (QPSs) is exponentially enhanced under high-frequency irradiation. Based on this finding, we propose an energy-resolving terahertz radiation detector using superconducting nanowires. In superconducting nanostrips, topological fluctuations are the magnetic vortices. The motion of magnetic vortices result in dissipative processes that limit the efficiency of devices using superconducting nanostrips. It will be shown that in a multi-layer structure, the potential barrier for vortices to penetrate inside the structure is elevated. This results in significant reduction in dissipative process. In superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs), vortex motion results in dark counts and reduction of the critical current which results in low efficiency in these detectors. Based on this finding, we show that a multi-layer SNSPD is capable of approaching characteristics of an ideal single photon detector in terms of the dark count and quantum efficiency. It is shown that in a multi-layer SNSPD the photon coupling efficiency is dramatically enhanced due to the increase in the optical path of the incident photon.

The ability to predict fatigue crack growth rates is essential in safety critical systems. The discovery of fatigue crack closure in 1970 caused a flourish of research in attempts to simulate this behaviour, which crucially affects crack growth rates. Historically, crack tip plasticity models have been based on one-dimensional rays of plasticity emanating from the crack tip, either co-linear with the crack (for the case of plane stress), or at a chosen angle in the plane of analysis (for plane strain). In this thesis, one such model for plane stress, developed to predict fatigue crack closure, has been refined. It is applied to a study of the relationship between the apparent stress intensity range (easily calculated using linear elastic fracture mechanics), and the true stress intensity range, which includes the effects of plasticity induced fatigue crack closure. Results are presented for all load cases for a finite crack in an infinite plane, and a method is demonstrated which allows the calculation of the true stress intensity range for a growing crack, based only on the apparent stress intensity range for a static crack. Although the yield criterion is satisfied along the plastic ray, these one-dimensional plasticity models violate the yield criterion in the area immediately surrounding the plasticity ray. An area plasticity model is therefore required in order to model the plasticity more accurately. This thesis develops such a model by distributing dislocations over an area. Use of the model reveals that current methods for incremental plasticity algorithms using distributed dislocations produce an over-constrained system, due to misleading assumptions concerning the normality condition. A method is presented which allows the system an extra degree of freedom; this requires the introduction of a parameter, derived using the Prandtl-Reuss flow rule, which relates the magnitude of slip on complementary shear planes. The method is applied to two problems, confirming its validity.

After decades of routine operation, the hydropower industry faces new challenges. Large-scale integration of other renewable sources of generation in the power system accentuates the role of hydropower as a regulating resource. At the same time, an extensive reinvestment programme has commenced where many old components and apparatus are being refurbished or replaced. Introduction of new technical solutions in existing power plants requires good systems knowledge and careful consideration. Important tools for research, development and analysis are suitable mathematical models, numerical simulation methods and laboratory equipment. This doctoral thesis is devoted to studies of the electromechanical interaction between hydropower units and the power system. The work encompasses development of mathematical models, empirical methods for system identification, as well as numerical and experimental studies of hydropower generator and power system interaction. Two generator modelling approaches are explored: one based on electromagnetic field theory and the finite element method, and one based on equivalent electric circuits. The finite element model is adapted for single-machine infinite-bus simulations by the addition of a network equivalent, a mechanical equation and a voltage regulator. Transient simulations using both finite element and equivalent circuit models indicate that the finite element model typically overestimates the synchronising and damping properties of the machine. Identification of model parameters is performed both numerically and experimentally. A complete set of equivalent circuit parameters is identified through finite element simulation of standard empirical test methods. Another machine model is identified experimentally through frequency response analysis. An extension to the well-known standstill frequency response (SSFR) test is explored, which involves measurement and analysis of damper winding quantities. The test is found to produce models that are suitable for transient power system analysis. Both experimental and numerical studies show that low resistance of the damper winding interpole connections are vital to achieve high attenuation of rotor angle oscillations. Hydropower generator and power system interaction is also studied experimentally during a full-scale startup test of the Nordic power system, where multiple synchronised data acquisition devices are used for measurement of both electrical and mechanical quantities. Observation of a subsynchronous power oscillation leads to an investigation of the torsional stability of hydropower units. In accordance with previous studies, hydropower units are found to be mechanically resilient to subsynchronous power oscillations. However, like any other generating unit, they are dependent on sufficient electrical and mechanical damping. Two experimentally obtained hydraulic damping coefficients for a large Francis turbine runner are presented in the thesis.

Ce travail de thèse concerne les écoulements de fluides à seuil de contrainte autour d‘un obstacle cylindrique en milieu confiné avec une configuration d‘écoulement de Poiseuille.Expérimentalement, un banc d‘essai permettant d‘obtenir un écoulement en continu dans un circuit fermé a été mis en place. Les régimes d‘écoulement rampant, recirculant et instationnaire périodique ont été étudiés. De nouveaux résultats ont été obtenus avec un fluide newtonien et des solutions de Carbopol, polymère permettant de réaliser des fluides à seuil modèles utilisés en recherche et développement et dans l‘industrie. Une caméra rapide et un éclairage plan laser a servi pour l‘établissement d‘images qui ont ensuite été traitées par PIV. Les champs de vitesses cinématiques, les morphologies d‘écoulement et les paramètres critiques de transitions de régimes ont été déterminés.Numériquement, un modèle viscoplastique basé sur la loi de Herschel-Bulkley régularisée a été utilisé. Des résultats comme les morphologies d‘écoulement, la localisation des zones rigides, les champs de vitesses ont été obtenus. Ceci a permis de comparer les différences entre les effets liés à la nature des gels de Carbopol et la modélisation viscoplastiques. Une étude spécifique sur le glissement à l‘interface fluide-structure a également été réalisée avec l‘utilisation d‘un modèle de lubrification élasto-hydrodynamique. / The flow of yield stress fluids around a circular cylinder in a confined geometry has been investigated with a Poiseuille flow configuration.Experimentally, a test set-up was built which provides a continuous flow in a closed loop. We studied creeping, recirculating and vortex shedding flow regimes. New results has been realised with a Newtonian fluid and Carbopol solutions, models for yield stress behaviour in laboratory experiments and in industry. A high speed camera and a laser sheet have been used to perform images which are treated by PIV. Kinematic fields, flow morphologies and critical transition parameters have been determined.Numerically, a viscoplastic model based on the regularised Herschel-Bulkley law has been used. Results as flow morphologies, rigid areas and local flow parameters fields have been performed. That allowed us to compare the intrinsic effects of Carbopol solutions and the viscoplastic numerical model. A specific study on the wall slip has also been considered with an elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication model.