Orientador: Paulo Sérgio Graziano Magalhães / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T14:06:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Queiros_LeonardoRibeiro_D.pdf: 4578111 bytes, checksum: 0b1dc312c1395c35b3ba9234c98be18d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: O objetivo principal desse trabalho consistiu em desenvolver um dispositivo de controle que permitisse aplicação em taxa variável e em tempo real de fitorreguladores na cultura do algodoeiro. Assume-se a hipótese que "utilizando um dispositivo de controle com sistema hidráulico e controle eletrônico, é possível, em tempo real, variar a taxa de aplicação de fitorreguladores no algodão, baseado nas informações obtidas nos sensores de ultrassom, que detectam a altura das plantas também em tempo real; no algoritmo de crescimento da planta e na dosagem do fitorregulador estabelecido pelo usuário do sistema". O dispositivo proposto é composto de três sistemas: Hidráulico, Ultrassom e Controle. O sistema Hidráulico consiste do comando de pulverização e circuito eletrônico para aquisição de dados e atuação nos componentes desse comando. O sistema de Ultrassom é um circuito eletrônico composto por um conjunto de sensores ultrassom que realizam a medição da altura de plantas de algodão. O sistema de Controle é o núcleo do dispositivo, pois é o responsável por gerenciar as informações dos sistemas Hidráulico e de Ultrassom e, com um algoritmo de controle Proporcional-Integral-Derivativo (PID) retroalimentado pelo sensor de pressão e regras de aplicação de fitorregulador, é capaz de variar a dose em tempo real controlando as válvulas do comando de pulverização. Os circuitos eletrônicos foram desenvolvidos com base na arquitetura microcontrolada PIC18F452 e comunicação sem fio por meio de módulos de rádio frequência que implementam o protocolo ZigBee. Para o desenvolvimento das interfaces de validação dos três sistemas adotou-se tecnologias de software livre como a linguagem de programação Java, ambiente de desenvolvimento Netbeans e sistema operacional Linux. Para validação do Dispositivo proposto, foi utilizado um mapa de uma área de 7.3 ha com o registro georeferenciado de alturas de plantas de algodão e regras de aplicação de fitorregulador, considerando as velocidades de pulverização 2,5 m.s-1 e 5 m.s-1. Independentemente das velocidades simuladas, houve potencial economia de aplicação de regulador de crescimento Também foram realizadas validações para verificar se o dispositivo proposto manteria a pressão desejada simulando o entupimento de bico de forma lenta e rápida. Os resultados mostram que em ambas as situações a pressão é mantida próxima do valor desejado. Com os resultados obtidos, conclui-se que o dispositivo proposto atende ao objetivo de sua proposição / Abstract: The main objective of this project was to develop a prototype device control capable to accomplish the application of plant growth regulator at variable rate in real time in cotton crop. We assume the hypothesis that "by using a control device with hydraulic and electronic control, it's possible to vary the application of plant growth regulator in cotton crop, based on the information obtained from the ultrasound tranducers to detect the height of the plants in real time; the plant growth algorithm and plant growth regulator dosage established by the system user". In the devise proposed there are three systems: Hydraulic, Ultrasound and Control. The Hydraulic system is compound by the sprayer command and electronic circuit for data acquisition and actuation in the components used in the sprayer command. The Ultrasound system is a electronic circuit composed by a set of ultrasound sensors that measure the cotton plants height. The Control system is the core of the Device, because it's responsible by the information management in the hydraulic and ultrasound systems and, with a control algorithm Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) retrofitted by the pressure sensor and application rules of plant growth regulator, it?s capable of varying the dose in real time by controlling the valves of the spray command. The electronic circuits were developed based on the PIC18F452 microcontrolled architecture and wireless communication by radio frequency modules that implement the ZigBee protocol. In the development of the three systems validation interfaces we have adopted the technology of the open source tools as Java, IDE Netbeans and Linux operational system. To validate the device, we have used 7,3 ha of heights cotton plants previously mapped and rules application of plant growth regulator, considering the sprayers velocity 2,5 m.s-1 e 5 m.s-1. Regardless the speed simulates, there were a potential economy of regulator growth application. Validations were also performed to verify if the device could keep the desired pressure. We have simulated the nozzle obstruction in a fast way and in a slow way. The results show that both situations the pressure is kept near the desired value. With these results the device reach the objective of this proposition / Doutorado / Maquinas Agricolas / Doutor em Engenharia Agrícola

Orientador: Kamal Abdel Radi Ismail / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T00:17:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Matsuo_CarolinaAkemiSepulveda_M.pdf: 9560878 bytes, checksum: cc02ac79665887e2f83f47e4a06e3d8c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Os Veículos Aéreos Não Tripulados (VANT's) possuem uma variedade de aplicações, seja monitoramento de incêndios florestais, linhas de energia, tráfego, aglomerações humanas, como também ser usado de alvo aéreo em aplicações militares. Mesmo que ainda seja um pouco restrita à aplicação civil por falta de regulamentação, tais veículos estão sendo desenvolvidos e estudados em âmbito acadêmico. A particularidade deste trabalho é o desenvolvimento de um Veículo Aéreo Não Tripulado para o uso em pulverização aeroagrícola visando reduzir os riscos de operação de vôo tripulado agrícola. Dessa maneira, é apresentada a metodologia usada para desenvolver o projeto, descrevendo o procedimento utilizado para determinar a razão peso-potência e carga alar, e as características geométricas do VANT. Os cálculos da aerodinâmica, desempenho e da estabilidade longitudinal estática do veículo são feitos analiticamente, sendo que na etapa de projeto aerodinâmico, é feita a otimização do aerofólio NACA 4415, e calculado os parâmetros aerodinâmicos do veículo completo. Além disso, por ser não tripulado, é feita a seleção do Sistema de Controle de Vôo de forma a atender os requisitos da missão. Nos cálculos do projeto são usadas as normas técnicas de homologação como a RBHA (Requisitos Brasileiros de Homologação de Aeronaves) a qual remetem às principais normas internacionais: FAR (Federal Aircraft Regulation), dos Estados Unidos da América, e a norma JAR (Joint Airworthiness Regulation). Por ser utilizado na pulverização de defensivos agrícolas é apresentada a tecnologia de aplicação dos mesmos utilizados em aeronaves tripuladas, e feito a escolha do sistema de pulverização para o veículo / Abstract: The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) have a variety of applications, wether monitoring of forest fires, power lines, traffic, crowds, but also can be used for aerial target military applications. Even though it is still somewhat restrict to civil application because of lack of regulation, such vehicles are being developed and studied in the academic sphere. The particularity of this work is the development of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for use in aerial spraying to reduce the risks of manned agricultural operation. Thus, It is presented the methodology used to determine the thrust to weight ratio and wing loading, and geometric characteristics of the UAV. Analytical calculus of aerodynamic and vehicle performance are made, and in the step aerodynamic design is made the optimization of the airfoil NACA 4415 and calculated the aerodynamic parameters of the whole vehicle. Moreover, being unmanned, it is made the selection of the Flight Control System to attend mission requirements. Technical standards for approval are used to design calculations as the RBHA (Brazilian Requirements for Approval of Aircraft) wich refer to the main international standards: FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) of United States of America, and JAR (Joint Airworthiness Regulation).Whereas is used in the spraying of pesticides, it is presented the technology of application used in manned aircraft, and the choice of the spray system for vehicle / Mestrado / Termica e Fluidos / Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica

Concreto projetado é aquele pneumaticamente transportado e projetado a alta velocidade, sobre uma superficie, sendo auto-compactado. Assim, denota-se que suas propriedades são dependentes do processo de projeção utilizado. Desta forma, para se estudar o material, é importante ter-se o conhecimento do seu processo de produção (se por via seca ou úmida, equipamentos e mão-de-obra utilizados, etc.) e das propriedades especificas do concreto projetado (como a reflexão, o desplacamento e a liberação de poeira ou névoa) e as respectivas formas de controle. Foi executado o estudo experimental do concreto projetado via seca, onde foi possivel caracterizar algumas diferenças de comportamento em relação ao concreto convencional. Entre elas está o fato de que a maior compactação e resistência mecânica é obtida com o teor ótimo da mistura e não com a menor relação água/cimento. Constatou-se o fato da projeção do concreto no teto fornecer um material de melhor qualidade que aquele projetado na parede. Finalmente, para a obtenção de um material boa qualidade, é fundamental o controle rigoroso do teor de aditivo acelerador, a utilização de bicos afunilados, pressão de ar comprimido adequada, pré-umidificação com injeção de água sob pressão e seguir as recomendações para o controle da qualidade do processo de projeção como um todo. / Shotcrete is concrete pneumatically conveyed and projected at high speed onto a surface, compacting itself. Thus its properties depend on the shooting process. It is important to know the shooting process (wet ou dry-mix process, equipaments and working crew, etc.), the specific properties of shotcrete (rebound, sloughing and dust generation) and respective mean of controlo An experimental study was made using dry-mix shotcrete, where it was possible to point out some differences of the plain concrete analysis. One of these is the high compaction and stregth achieved with the optimum waterIdry materiaIs ratio and not the minimum water/cement ratio. Shotcrete, gunned in overhead, generates a better material compared to the vertical walls. Finally, to obtain a good quality material, it\'s very important to make a rigorous control of the accelerator admixture contento AIso, it is recommended to use a funnelshaped nozzle, adequate compressed air pressure, hidromix with high water pressure and to follow the recommendations on alI shotcreting process quality control.

The main aim of this project is to model the effects of varied injection parameters on the gas dynamics and droplet dynamics of the HVSFS and SP- HVOFS processes for improving the droplet breakup and evaporation to enhance the nanoparticles heating and deposition efficiency. Thermal spraying processes are widely used to generate thermal-, corrosion-, and wear-resistant layers over the machine parts, to increase the durability of the equipment under severe environmental conditions. The liquid feedstock is used to achieve nanostructured coatings. It is used either in the form of a suspension or a solution precursor. The suspension is a mixture of solid nanoparticles suspended in a liquid medium consisting, for instance, of water, ethanol, or isopropanol. This dispersion mechanism in a liquid carrier provides adequate flowability to the nanoparticles, which cannot be handled by conventional gas- based feeding systems, whereas the solution precursor is mixed at the molecular level; hence, more uniform phase composition and properties are expected in the sprayed coatings as compared to the suspension and conventional powder spraying. Firstly, experiments are conducted to analyse the effects of different precursor concentrations, solvent types and injection nozzles on the size and morphology of synthesized nanoparticles. The results indicate that the particle size increased with increasing precursor concentration due to the variations in the physical properties of the mixture solution. The higher precursor concentrations had an adverse effect on the droplet atomization and evaporation process that led to bigger size particle formation. The use of aqueous solvent has some limits and with higher precursor concentration the surface tension increases that resulted in the reduction of droplets’ disintegration, and thus bigger size precursor droplets generate larger nanoparticles. A mixture of aqueous-organic solvents and pure organic precursors are preferred to improve the process efficiency of the nanoparticles size and morphology. Furthermore, the nanoparticles size can be controlled by using liquid feedstock atomization before injecting into the HVOF torch. A new effervescent injection nozzle is designed and compared to different types of existing injection nozzles, to see the variations in the droplet disintegration, and its effects on the performance of the HVOF torch processes. It is detected that the atomization would result in smaller size particles with homogeneous morphology. In a numerical study, different droplet injection types are analysed to see their effects on the gas and droplet dynamics inside the HVOF torch. The group-type injection (GTI) and effervescent-type atomization (ETI) are used effectively to overcome the heat losses and delays in the droplet evaporation. These approaches reduce the thermal and kinetic energy losses in the suspension-fed-HVOF torch, thereby improving the coating formation. The effects of using multicomponent water-ethanol mixture injection in the HVOF torch are also modelled, and its impact on the droplet breakup and evaporation are studied. The organic solvents have a low heat of vaporization and surface tension, and can effectively be used in the HVOF spraying process over the water-based solvents. Furthermore, nanoparticles are suspended in the liquid feedstock and injected into the HVOF torch. The effect of increasing nanoparticles’ concentration in the feedstock and its consequence on the gas dynamics, droplet breakup and evaporation are analysed. The augmentation in the nanoparticles loading in the suspension droplets can decrease the droplet breakup and evaporation rate because the required heat of vaporization increases significantly. Moreover, the size of injection droplet affects the droplet fragmentation process; bigger sized droplets observed a delay in their evaporation that resulted in coating porosity. The results suggest that smaller droplet sizes are preferred in coating applications involving a higher concentration of nanoparticles with high melting point. Further, the gas flow rates (GFRs) are regulated to control the droplet dispersion, atomization and evaporation inside the solution precursor fed-HVOF torch. The size of the droplet diameter is decreased by an increment in the GFR, as higher combustion rates increase the combustion flame enthalpy and kinetic energy. Moreover, the increase in the oxygen/fuel flow rates dilutes the injected precursor. It reduces ZrO2 concentration in the process and decreases the rate of particle collision; as a result, non-agglomerated nanoparticles can be obtained.

L’impact énergétique de la tribologie sur la vie économique et industrielle est important ; diminuer le frottement et l’usure des pièces mécaniques est un véritable enjeu pour des secteurs industriels très divers. Cette étude s’inscrit dans le cadre de la prévention de l’usure d’éléments mécaniques pouvant être soumis à des conditions sévères d’utilisation telles que les hautes températures. La réalisation de revêtements protecteurs céramique-métal est alors particulièrement indiquée afin d’apporter respectivement la résistance à la corrosion induite par les hautes températures avec un alliage adapté, et la résistance à l’usure grâce à la dureté des céramiques. D’autre part, le développement des recherches dans le domaine nanométrique a montré l’intérêt de la diminution de l’échelle sur l’amélioration des propriétés tribologique globales des revêtements. La projection thermique regroupe alors les procédés les plus adaptés à la réalisation de tels revêtements. Dans ce travail, des revêtements multi-composants (céramique-métal) et multi-échelles (micrométrique-nanométrique) sont développés par projection plasma afin de répondre à la problématique de résistance tribologique à haute température. La réalisation des dépôts est mise en œuvre à l’aide d’une torche tri-cathodes (TriplexPro-200) avantageuse pour sa stabilité et les larges possibilités laissées par sa fenêtre opératoire étendue. Les spécificités de cette torche seront étudiées afin d’adapter au mieux le procédé à la réalisation complexe de dépôts à composante multi-échelle. Une démarche innovante de projection hybride associant projection de poudres micrométriques et de suspensions de poudres nanométriques sera alors développée. Les étapes ayant amenées à la réalisation de ces revêtements sont détaillées dans ce travail puis les caractéristiques et le comportement tribologique des dépôts sont finalement étudiés. / Nowadays, tribology has a high energetic impact on economic and industrial areas. Thus, reducing wear and friction of mechanical parts has become a real stakes for various industries. This study is focused on the wear prevention of mechanical parts subjected to severe operating conditions like high temperatures.The realization of protective ceramic-metal coatings is thus particularly appropriated to improve corrosion resistance induced by the high temperatures, with a suitable alloy, and the wear resistance, thanks to the ceramics hardness. Furthermore, researches development in the nanoscale field have shown the interest of scale reduction on the improvement of coatings tribological properties. Thermal spraying is then the most appropriate process for the realization of such coatings.In this work, multi-components (ceramic-metal) and multi-scales (micrometric-nanometric) coatings are developed by plasma spraying in order to give an answer to the high temperature tribological resistance issue. Coatings are realized using a three-cathodes plasma gun (TriplexPro-200) which provides a more stable plasma jet and offers wide possibilities by an extended operating window. First, the special features of this kind of plasma gun will be studied in order to adjust the process to the complex realization of multi-scale coatings. An innovative approach using a hybrid spraying process was thus developed, combining conventional micrometric powder spraying and suspension of nanoscale powders spraying. In a second time, the steps leading to the production of such coatings will be detailed, and finally, their main properties and their tribological behavior will be studied.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Due to the large number and complexity of factors influencing the study of efficiency and efficacy of pesticide application technology, it becomes difficult to develop multivariate methods, to define indicators of interdisciplinary and integrative manner, to control phytosanitary crops. This work conducted with the objective to develop a Decision Support System in Precision Application Technology (SISD-TAP). Which can form simple, practical and effective, providing alternatives and / or scenarios: Normalized (application volume Producer DPRD, Q1), Efficient Biologically (application volume biologically Efficient (DBE, Q2) and Climate / Target (application volume critical DCR, Q3) to the farmer for management control of pests and diseases in your crops. Based on criteria of sustainability and leveraging the vast amounts of information from various surveys and tactical models developed over more than five decades of research in the area of pest management and application technology. The SISD-TAP (Alpha version), allows the analysis of factors associated with cultivation, agro climate, pests, machines and equipment, technology implementation and environmental aspects socioeconomic, to decide on: (1) When is the best time of the application, (2) What are your operational parameters, (3) the efficiency of application requirements and (4) Which will be the implementation costs and environmental hazards expected. Directed with the purpose to enable the optimization of pest control, and promote the adoption of modern management of agribusiness (precision farming and/or management specific sites), with the use of innovative agricultural mechanization (for example systems intelligent sensors and robotics) in order to improve in production. / Devido ao grande número e à complexidade dos fatores que influenciam o estudo da eficiência e eficácia da tecnologia de aplicação de fitossanitários, torna-se realmente difícil desenvolver métodos multifatoriais para a definição de indicadores de forma interdisciplinar e integradora do controle fitossanitário. Nesse sentido, este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de desenvolver um Sistema de Apoio a Decisões em Tecnologia de Aplicação de Precisão (SISD-TAP) que possa, de forma simples, prática e efetiva, prover o produtor agrícola de alternativas e/ou cenários: Normalizado (Volume de aplicação produtor DPrd, Q1), Biologicamente Eficiente (Volume de aplicação Biologicamente Eficiente DBE, Q2) e Clima/Alvo (Volume de aplicação Crítica DCR, Q3), para a gestão do controle das pragas e doenças dos sistemas usados. Assim, este trabalho é baseado em critérios de sustentabilidade e aproveita a vasta quantidade de informação das diversas pesquisas e modelos táticos desenvolvidos ao longo de mais de cinco décadas de estudos, na área de manejo de pragas e tecnologia de aplicação O SISD-TAP (versão Alpha) permite a análise dos fatores associados ao cultivo, ao clima, às pragas, às máquinas e aos equipamentos, à tecnologia de aplicação e aos aspectos socioeconômicos e ambientais para decidir sobre: (1) Qual é o melhor momento da aplicação, (2) Quais seus parâmetros operacionais, (3) Qual a eficiência de aplicação requerida e (4) Quais serão os custos de aplicação. O sistema foi projetado para possibilitar a otimização do controle das pragas, além de promover a adoção de uma gestão moderna do agronegócio (agricultura de precisão e/ou gestão de sítios específicos) e utilização de tecnologias inovadoras da mecanização agrícola (por exemplo, sistemas inteligentes, sensores e robótica), visando à melhoria na produção e sustentabilidade das empresas agrícolas.

Lors de ce travail nous avons étudié la synthèse de nitrure de silicium en utilisant des décharges magnétron Ar/NH3 et Ar/H2/N2. Nous nous sommes intéressés particulièrement à la caractérisation de la décharge. Le paramètre de diagnostic le plus utilisé pour caractériser une décharge magnétron est la mesure de la tension de décharge, mais ces mesures ne donnent qu’une vue partielle du processus de pulvérisation même si le régime de pulvérisation peut être défini :métallique ou réactif. En effet, aucune information chimique ne peut être extraite des courbes de tension: d’autres techniques d’analyse sont donc indispensables. Nous avons utilisé la spectroscopie des photoélectrons X (XPS) pour analyser la chimie de la surface de la cible et la spectroscopie d’émission optique (OES) pour analyser la phase gazeuse.<p>La combinaison des mesures de tension et XPS a permis de mettre en évidence l’empoisonnement de la surface de la cible, consécutif à la formation d’une couche de nitrure de silicium lors de la pulvérisation dans un mélange Ar/NH3. Dans le cas du mélange Ar/H2/N2, les mesures de tension ne permettent pas avec certitude de confirmer un empoisonnement de la cible, néanmoins les mesures XPS mettent en évidence, comme pour le mélange Ar/NH3, la présence d’une couche de nitrure de silicium. Les mesures OES ont permis de détecter les mêmes espèces dans les deux types de mélange gazeux, seule l’espèce NH n’a pas été détectée dans le mélange Ar/H2/N2. Parmi les espèces détectées, certaines sont directement pulvérisées de la cible; il a été possible de relier l’intensité de celles-ci avec l’état de surface de la cible dans le cas du plasma Ar/NH3.<p>Nous avons également étudié l’instabilité du processus de pulvérisation en combinant des mesures de tension, OES et XPS. Avec une vitesse de pompage de 230 l/s, nous avons observé une très faible hystérèse de la tension pour les deux types de mélange gazeux. Dans le cas du plasma Ar/NH3, nous avons pu mettre en évidence que la bande de l’espèce NH peut être utilisée comme paramètre de contrôle de la décharge. Finalement, nous avons caractérisé les films obtenus par XPS et spectroscopie infrarouge. La stoechiométrie des films déposés va dépendre de la quantité d’ammoniac ou d’azote injecté dans la décharge, les films déposés avec NH3 sont contaminés par quelques pourcents d’oxygène alors que ceux déposés avec le mélange Ar/H2/N2 en sont dépourvus. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Afin de pallier les faiblesses des composites face à l’oxydation à très haute température (> 2000 °C) dans le domaine aérospatial, une solution est de les protéger par un revêtement. La solution proposée au cours de cette étude consiste à mettre en forme ce revêtement par projection plasma. Après une étude bibliographique, une composition adaptée à la protection anti-oxydation a été retenue. Celle-ci est constituée d’un matériau ultra-réfractaire le ZrB2, auquel du SiC est ajouté. Un additif a également été sélectionné, l’oxyde de terre-rare Y2O3. Ces revêtements ont été développés via le procédé de projection plasma sur des substrats en composites. Une attention particulière a été portée sur la réalisation de dépôts aux microstructures variées, afin de pouvoir évaluer l’influence de celle-ci sur les propriétés à très haute température. En effet, les revêtements ainsi réalisés ont pu être testés dans des conditions très sévères, à des températures supérieures à 2200 °C sous un flux gazeux comportant des espèces dissociées (O, OH…). Les résultats ont permis de discriminer les microstructures et les compositions les plus prometteuses au vu des applications visées. / In order to overcome composite weakness against oxidation at very high temperature (> 2000 °C), a solution would be to coat them, which can be done potentially by plasma spraying. After a bibliographic study, a specific composition has been chosen: ZrB2-SiC. A potential additive, Y2O3, also has been selected. These coatings were developed by plasma spraying directly on composite substrates. A particular attention was given to the microstructure of the coatings, different kinds were prepared in order to look for its influence on the high temperature properties. Indeed, these coatings were tested under temperature higher than 2200 °C and a very oxidative and corrosive atmosphere. Results allowed distinguishing the most promising compositions and microstructure considering applications in the aerospace field.

Sacrificial metallic coatings have been used in the past, for protecting steel in industrial and urban developments. It has been suggested that thermally sprayed aluminium coatings, immersed in marine environments, are also capable of protecting steel by providing galvanic protection. Researchers have also speculated that the growth of inert oxide products, on top of the coating as well as inside pores and cracks, could enhance even further its protective “shielding” properties. In addition, the self-healing abilities of the coatings, in case of mechanically induce damage, are still a matter of debate. This research project takes a critical look at these assumptions, focusing on the electrochemical response of aluminium metal sprayed (AMS) coatings immersed in 0.6 M NaCl and 0.6 M Na2SO4 solutions, in order to investigate how the presence of chlorides can alter the corrosion behaviour of these coatings. For such, a thin aluminium protective coating was deposited over two different panels (aluminium 1050 and low carbon steel), by the steel making company Fairfield-Mabey, using electric arc thermal spraying (TS). Subsequently, the coated panels were sectioned into smaller specimens, and with the aid of a SEM/EDS, and XRD, observations and analysis were conducted in their surfaces and cross sections, in order to determine the morphology, quality of deposition, and chemical composition of the coatings. Internal porosity/oxide growth after immersion, was studied using 3-D X-ray tomography scanning. Furthermore, the electrochemical behaviour of the coatings (intact and scribed) was also investigated, initially by analyzing the evolution of the open circuit potential in time, when immersed in chloride rich and chloride free environments. Additionally, the anodic polarization behaviour of the substrate and coatings were simultaneously analyzed, by connecting a zero resistance ammeter (ZRA) with the W.E. terminal of a potentiostat. To conclude, EIS and Rp vs. time plots were made in order to corroborate the data obtained from other tests. Results show that although the coating can generate superficial and internal corrosion products, these oxides are not isolating in nature nor will enhance its protective properties. On the other hand, the corrosion potential behaviour of the coatings revealed that AMS coatings have a more active than the substrate; regardless of the environment in which they were immersed or their substrate. Nevertheless, it was also observed that AMS coatings deposited onto steel will corrode faster than their substrates, and for that matter capable of offering corrosion protection, exclusively if chlorides are present in the solution.

Background: Malaria causes over 400,000 estimated deaths annually worldwide, with about 90% in sub-Saharan Africa. Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) are two vector-control interventions proven to reduce malaria transmission, but their use together compared to separate has shown mixed results. Methodology: We used a mathematical model to examine the impact of LLINs and IRS on malaria transmission. Time-series analyses and basic reproductive numbers (R0) were developed using MATLAB. We also assessed IRS timing and performed a sensitivity analysis on R0. Results: Modelling scenarios combining LLINs with IRS were similar to those with LLINs alone. Shorter IRS impulses had greater reductions in mosquito populations. The LLIN feeding-inhibition rate was a key parameter with a negative correlation to R0. Discussion/Conclusion: We developed an understanding of the effect of vector-control strategies on malaria transmission. IRS, when paired with LLINs, showed only small improvements in reducing malaria transmission compared to LLINs alone. These results can assist vector-control programmes.