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Designing auditory interfaces is a challenge for current human-systems developers. This is largely due to a lack of theoretical guidance for directing how best to use sounds in today's visually-rich graphical user interfaces. This dissertation provided a framework for guiding the design of audio interfaces to enhance human-systems performance. This doctoral research involved reviewing the literature on conveying temporal and spatial information using audio, using this knowledge to build three theoretical models to aid the design of auditory interfaces, and empirically validating select components of the models. The three models included an audio integration model that outlines an end-to-end process for adding sounds to interactive interfaces, a temporal audio model that provides a framework for guiding the timing for integration of these sounds to meet human performance objectives, and a spatial audio model that provides a framework for adding spatialization cues to interface sounds. Each model is coupled with a set of design guidelines theorized from the literature, thus combined, the developed models put forward a structured process for integrating sounds in interactive interfaces. The developed models were subjected to a three phase validation process that included review by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to assess the face validity of the developed models and two empirical studies. For the SME review, which assessed the utility of the developed models and identified opportunities for improvement, a panel of three audio experts was selected to respond to a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) validation questionnaire. Based on the SWOT analysis, the main strengths of the models included that they provide a systematic approach to auditory display design and that they integrate a wide variety of knowledge sources in a concise manner. The main weaknesses of the models included the lack of a structured process for amending the models with new principles, some branches were not considered parallel or completely distinct, and lack of guidance on selecting interface sounds. The main opportunity identified by the experts was the ability of the models to provide a seminal body of knowledge that can be used for building and validating auditory display designs. The main threats identified by the experts were that users may not know where to start and end with each model, the models may not provide comprehensive coverage of all uses of auditory displays, and the models may act as a restrictive influence on designers or they may be used inappropriately. Based on the SWOT analysis results, several changes were made to the models prior to the empirical studies. Two empirical evaluation studies were conducted to test the theorized design principles derived from the revised models. The first study focused on assessing the utility of audio cues to train a temporal pacing task and the second study combined both temporal (i.e., pace) and spatial audio information, with a focus on examining integration issues. In the pace study, there were four different auditory conditions used for training pace: 1) a metronome, 2) non-spatial auditory earcons, 3) a spatialized auditory earcon, and 4) no audio cues for pace training. Sixty-eight people participated in the study. A pre- post between subjects experimental design was used, with eight training trials. The measure used for assessing pace performance was the average deviation from a predetermined desired pace. The results demonstrated that a metronome was not effective in training participants to maintain a desired pace, while, spatial and non-spatial earcons were effective strategies for pace training. Moreover, an examination of post-training performance as compared to pre-training suggested some transfer of learning. Design guidelines were extracted for integrating auditory cues for pace training tasks in virtual environments. In the second empirical study, combined temporal (pacing) and spatial (location of entities within the environment) information were presented. There were three different spatialization conditions used: 1) high fidelity using subjective selection of a "best-fit" head related transfer function, 2) low fidelity using a generalized head-related transfer function, and 3) no spatialization. A pre- post between subjects experimental design was used, with eight training trials. The performance measures were average deviation from desired pace and time and accuracy to complete the task. The results of the second study demonstrated that temporal, non-spatial auditory cues were effective in influencing pace while other cues were present. On the other hand, spatialized auditory cues did not result in significantly faster task completion. Based on these results, a set of design guidelines was proposed that can be used to direct the integration of spatial and temporal auditory cues for supporting training tasks in virtual environments. Taken together, the developed models and the associated guidelines provided a theoretical foundation from which to direct user-centered design of auditory interfaces.

This thesis has investigated the techno-economic feasibility of upgrading the sludge from a chemical pulp mill to hydrochar via hydrothermal carbonization (HTC). The intended use of the hydrochar was to replace fossil coal within metallurgical applications in the iron and steel industry. Process models were developed in order to obtain mass and energy balances of the HTC process for different technical configurations. The balances were used to evaluate the economic performance, in terms of hydrochar production cost as well as different profitability parameters. Two main scenarios were investigated: Scenario-1: HTC process integrated with the pulp millScenario-2: Stand alone HTC process.To see the effect of having one or two HTC reactors, two cases were developed for each scenario, where the first case used only mixed sludge from the pulp mill as feedstock for the HTC process (case 1, one reactor), while the second case used both mixed sludge and bark as feedstock (case 2, two reactors). In scenario 1, the effects on the pulp mill’s mass and energy balances of integrating the HTC process were investigated. The results showed only very small impacts on the pulp mill, due to that the HTC process is significantly smaller than the mill. The total amount of steam to the steam turbine increased by 0.8 % and 0.9 %, for case 1 and 2, respectively. In combination with the removed sludge, which is otherwise combusted in the mill’s socalled power boiler, this entailed a total increase of the wood fuel consumption in the boiler by 3.2 % and 3.6 %, respectively. By implementing a second HTC reactor, the production cost of hydrochar could in the integrated scenario (scenario 1) be decreased from 4 600 SEK/ton (case 1) to 3 700 SEK/ton (case 2). The corresponding production costs in the stand alone scenario (scenario 2) amounted to 5 400 SEK/ton (case 1) and 4 200 SEK/ton (case 2), respectively. Both integration with the pulp mill and increasing the HTC production scale were thus found to be strategies that can lead to decreased hydrochar production cost. However, even the lowest production cost noted in this report is significantly higher than the corresponding price of coal. This indicates that other measures are required in order for hydrochar to become cost competitive to fossil coal in the metallurgical industry. Examples are the possibility to use even lower-cost feedstocks, as well as policy tools targeting, e.g., the CO2 emissions from using fossil materials and energy carriers in the iron and steel industry. Based on the results from the investment calculation, it is concluded that the HTC process integrated with a pulp mill is preferable compared to a stand alone HTC process. The reason why integrated HTC is preferred is that it gives higher NPV and correspondingly lower payback time, as well as lower hydrochar production costs. / Denna examensarbete har undersökt den tekno-ekonomiska genomförbarheten av att uppgradera slammet från ett kemisk massabruk till hydrokol via hydrotermisk karbonisering (HTC). Den avsedda användningen av hydrokol var att ersätta fossilt kol inom metallurgiska tillämp- ningar i järn och stålindustri. Processmodeller utvecklades för att erhålla mass- och energibalanser för HTC-processen. Balanserna användes för att utvärdera de ekonomiska prestanda, i form av produktionskostnad för hydrokol samt olika lönsamhetsparametrar. Följande två huvudscenarier undersöktes: Scenario-1: HTC-processen integrerad med massabruket Scenario-2: Fristående HTC-process. För att se effekten av att ha en eller två HTC-reaktorer utvecklades två fall för varje scenario, där det första fallet endast använde blandat slam från massabruket som råvara för HTC-processen (fall 1, en reaktor), medan det andra fallet använde både blandat slam och bark som råmaterial (fall 2, två reaktorer). I scenario 1 undersöktes effekterna på massabrukets mass- och energibalanser av att integrera HTC-processen. Resultaten visade endast mycket små effekter på massabruket, på grund av att HTC-processen är betydligt mindre än bruket. Den totala mängden ånga till ångturbinen ökade med 0.8 % och 0.9 % för fall 1 respektive 2. I kombination med bortfall av slammet, som annars förbränns i brukets barkpanna, innebar detta en total ökning av förbrukningen av trädbränsle i pannan med 3.2 % respektive 3.6 %. Genom att implementera en andra HTC-reaktor skulle produktionskostnaden för hydrokol i det integrerade scenariot (scenario 1) kunna sänkas från 4 600 SEK/ton (fall 1) till 3 700 SEK/ton (fall 2). Motsvarande produktionskostnader i det fristående scenariot (scenario 2) uppgick till 5 400 SEK/ton (fall 1) respektive 4 200 SEK/ton (fall 2). Både integration med massabruk och ökning av produktionskapaciteten av HTC visade sig därför vara strategier som kan leda till minskade produktionskostnader för hydrokol . Men även den lägsta produktionskostnaden som noteras i denna rapport är betydligt högre än motsvarande pris på kol. Detta tyder på att det krävs andra åtgärder för att hydrokol ska bli konkurrenskraftigt ur kostnadssynpunkt gentemot fossilt kol i den metallurgiska industrin. Exempel är möjligheten att använda ännu billigare råvaror, såväl som policyverktyg som riktar in sig på t.ex. CO2-utsläppen från användning av fossila material och energibärare inom järn- och stålindustrin. Baserat på resultaten från investeringskalkylen dras slutsatsen att HTC-processen integrerad med ett massabruk är att föredra jämfört med en fristående HTC-process. Anledningen till att integrerad HTC föredras är att det ger högre netto nuvärde (NPV) och motsvarande lägre återbetalningstid, samt lägre produktionskostnader för hydrokol.

In this thesis, integrated active filter auxiliary power modules (AFAPMs) is presented in electrified vehicle applications. A topological evaluation is conducted particularly for the auxiliary power module (APM) applications in the electrified vehicles. Several primary and secondary base topologies are compared in terms of VA rating and performance. Multiple input/output topology configurations are compared with different connection configurations and control schemes. The MOSFET loss analysis is given. Based on the MOSFET loss analysis, the modular full bridge current doubler with input-series-output-parallel configuration presents better performance in terms of the switch efficiency and cost analysis. Bulk capacitor banks occupy large volume and impact the reliability in the traction inverter and HV battery charger in the vehicle applications. A capacitor-less design is relatively urgent for the next generation electrified vehicle. Active filter (AF) is one potential solution to reduce the corresponding dc-link capacitance. However, additional components are required which increases the system complicity and decreases its reliability. Hence, it would be great to integrate the AF into the LV battery charger for the vehicle applications. Based on the power switch requirements, the AFAPM is evaluated for traction inverter and HV battery charger, respectively. The evaluation result shows that the AFAPM for the HV battery charger system is a feasible and attractive solution. Furthermore, a simple and effective dual-mode dual-voltage charging system operating principle is proposed. The integrated AFAPM converter charges the LV battery when the vehicle is running and operates as an AF when the vehicle is connected to the grid and the HV battery is charging. Hence, the low-frequency second-order harmonic current is alleviated without a bulk capacitor bank or an extra AF circuit in the HV battery charger. For magnetic design, there is a trend toward integration and planarization. Two planar transformers are built for two different AFAPM prototypes. A minimized leakage inductance method is presented and implemented on a 20:1 center-tapped planar transformer. Three different integrated AFAPM converters are proposed. By applying these AFAPM converters, the required extra components to form the AF for the HV battery charger are reduced and thus the cost, size and weight for the dual-voltage charging system in the electrified vehicle applications can be reduced. Two prototypes are built. The experiments show promising results confirming the effectiveness of the proposed converters. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The basic Power Electronics Building Block (PEBB) configurations are identified and conceptual PEBB modules are constructed and tested. Using the INCA (Inductance Calculator) parasitic extraction and the Saber circuit simulation software, the microscopic relationships between the parasitics of the packaging layout and their circuit electrical effects are cross-examined. The PEBB module with advanced packaging techniques is characterized in comparison with the wire-bond module. The soft-switching techniques are evaluated for PEBB applications. The Zero-Current-Transition (ZCT) is proved better because the parasitics in the power current flow path are absorbed into the resonant soft-switching operation. This makes the PEBBs insensitive to system integration. Based on the building block concept, the discrete and large signal average models are developed for simulation, design, and analysis of large-scale PEBB-based systems. New average models are developed for half-bridge PEBB module and Space Vector Modulation (SVM). These models keep the exact information of the discontinuous SVM and the common mode component of the three-phase system. They can be used to construct the computer models of a power electronics system the same as the modularized hardware and perform time domain simulations with very fast speed. Further more, even though the system is modeled based on modularized concept on the ABC coordinates, it can be used to perform small signal analysis on the DQ coordinates as well. Based on the developed models, the system-level interactions in integrated systems are investigated. Three interaction scenarios are presented: (1) the zero-sequence circulation current in paralleled three-phase rectifiers caused by the interleaved discontinuous SVM, (2) the load and source interactions caused by unbalanced load and small signal impedance overlap, and (3) the combined common mode noise caused by both front-end PWM rectifiers and load inverters. The interaction phenomena and mitigation methods are demonstrated through hardware testbed system. The concept of dc bus conditioning is proposed. The bus conditioner is a bi-directional dc/dc converter programmed as a current controlled current source, which shunts the large signal ac current, which otherwise goes to the dc bus, into an isolated energy storage component. In addition to alleviate the source and load interactions, it increases the load impedance/decreases the bus impedance and provides more stability margins to the distribution system. The dc bus conditioner concept and its functions are demonstrated through system simulation and preliminary hardware experiment. / Ph. D.

The goal of this dissertation is to present a systematic approach to integrating the multidisciplinary design process in power electronics through the integration of existing CAD tools, multidisciplinary modeling and system optimization. Two major benefits are expected from the utilization of the proposed integrated design methodology. Firstly, it will significantly speed up the design process and will eliminate errors resulting from repeated manual data entry and information exchange. Secondly, the integrated design optimization will result in better utilization of materials and components. In order to understand the basic relationship between electrical and thermal phenomena, the self-heating effect of a simple copper conductor is modeled analytically. Based on these models, a guideline for copper trace design is proposed. The next step towards developing an integrated design methodology is to create threedimensional solid-body-based models that characterize the electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. The electrical model of an integrated power electronics module (IPEM), including parasitic parameters, is developed and experimentally verified with impedance measurements. Together with the thermal model, it lays the foundation for the integrated electrical and thermal analysis and design. The software integration framework is presented along with the software tools chosen for this study, which include Saber for electrical circuit simulation, Maxwell Q3D Extractor for parameter extraction, and I-DEAS for geometry and thermal modeling. Each of these software tools is controlled via its own macro language files. iSIGHT is then used to interface with these tools in order to achieve software integration. The DC-DC IPEM layout design is investigated and improved upon by using the integrated design methodology. Several examples of parametric study are presented. The first example shows the tradeoff between electrical and thermal performance for different ceramic layer thicknesses of module substrate. The next example looks at the commonmode noise problem that exists in different direct-bonded copper (DBC) layouts. / Ph. D.

The thesis addresses electronic power distribution systems for the residential applications. Presented are both, renewable energy ac-nanogrid system along with the vehicle-to-grid technology implementation, and envisioned structure and operation of dc-nanogrid addressing all system components chosen as an inherent part of the future electrical architecture. The large-scale model is built and tested in the laboratory environment covering a few operational modes of the ac-nanogrid, while later in the thesis is shown how dc bus signaling technique could be contemplated for the energy management of the renewable energy sources and their maximal utilization. Thesis however puts more focus on the dc-nanogrid system to explore its benefits and advantages for the electrical systems of the future homes that can easily impact not only residential, but also microgrid, grid and intergrid levels. Thus, presented is low frequency terminal behavioral modeling of the system components in dc-nanogrid motivated by the fact that system engineers working on the system-level design rarely have access to all the information required to model converters and system components, other than specification and data given in the datasheets. Using terminal behavioral modeling, converters are measured on-line and their low frequency dynamics is identified by the means of the four transfer functions characteristically used in two port network models. This approach could significantly improve system-level design and simulations. In addition to previously mentioned, thesis addresses terminal behavioral modeling of dc-dc converters with non-linear static behavior showing hybrid behavioral models based on the Hammerstein approach. / Master of Science

Recent advances in technology have enabled the development of truly autonomous ground vehicles capable of performing complex navigation tasks. As a result, the demand for practical unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) systems has increased dramatically in recent years. Central to these developments is maturation of emerging mobile robotic intelligent and autonomous capability. While the progress UGV technology has been substantial, there are many challenges that still face unmanned vehicle system developers. Foremost is the improvement of perception hardware and intelligent software that supports the evolution of UGV capability. The development of a Next-generation Experimentation Robotic Vehicle (NERV) serves to provide a small UGV baseline platform supporting experimentation focused on progression of the state-of-the-art in unmanned systems. Supporting research and user feedback highlight the needs that provide justification for an advanced small UGV research platform. Primarily, such a vehicle must be based upon open and technology independent system architecture while exhibiting improved mobility over relatively structured terrain. To this end, a theoretical kinematic model is presented for a novel two-body multi degree-of-freedom, four-wheel drive, small UGV platform. The efficacy of the theoretical kinematic model was validated through computer simulation and experimentation on a full-scale proof-of-concept mobile robotic platform. The kinematic model provides the foundation for autonomous multi-body control. Further, a modular system level design based upon the concepts of the Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) is offered as an open architecture model providing a scalable system integration solution. Together these elements provide a blueprint for the development of a small UGV capable of supporting the needs of a wide range of leading-edge intelligent system research initiatives. / Master of Science

ITC/USA 2015 Conference Proceedings / The Fifty-First Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 26-29, 2015 / Bally's Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV / The initial efforts that resulted in the migration of range application traffic to an IP infrastructure largely focused on the challenge of obtaining reliable transport for range application streams including telemetry and digital video via IP packet-based network technology. With the emergence of architectural elements that support robust Quality of Service, multicast routing, and redundant operation, these problems have largely been resolved, and a large number of ranges are now successfully utilizing IP-based network topology to implement their backbone transport infrastructure. The attention now turns to the need to provide supplemental features that provide enhanced functionality in addition to raw stream transport. These features include: *Stream monitoring and native test capability, usually called Service Assurance *Extended support for Ancillary Data / Metadata *Archive and Media Asset Management integration into the workflow *Temporal alignment of application streams This paper will describe a number of methods to implement these features utilizing an approach that leverages the features offered by IP-based technology, emphasizes the use of standards-based COTS implementations, and supports interworking between features.

The Higher Education (HE) sector of a country is a key area indicating the progress of cultural, political and social growth and development. Public and social demands as well as technological developments add new challenges for this sector. Consequently, higher education institutions have changed and a more flexible IT infrastructure is required to enable them to adapt efficiently to competitive business challenges. Enterprise application integration (EAI) is a technology that effectively integrates intra- and inter-organizational systems. Firstly a systematic review of the EAI literature was conducted. From this review, it was apparent that there are no theoretical models for EAI adoption and evaluation for higher education. Hence, this research contributes a conceptual model that includes influential factors derived from the literature and combines them with the proposed classification of influential factors for HE to produce an EAI conceptual model for the HE domain. To validate this proposed model empirical research was conducted. Then, the model was tested using a qualitative case study approach by means of three case studies that were conducted at different universities. Exploratory, explanatory and interpretive data analysis phases were implemented to find what is the current EAI process of HE and how these institutions currently work. In addition, these phases were employed to identify the EAI adoption factors in HE. As a result of this analysis the conceptual model was modified because of complementary factors that emerged. Therefore, the main contribution of this research is a comprehensive and novel model for EAI adoption in higher education area. The adoption EAI factors were identified by extracting a number of parameters from the empirical data. Several important factors that influence and assist the adoption of EAI in HE were identified. Hence, an additional contribution is the classification of factors in EAI adoption into technical and social factors which provides a better understanding of these factors. A further contribution is the derivation of a new classification of the EAI external and internal pressure factors. The development of a consistent model for the adoption and evaluation of EAI in HE is based on these factors.