Corrosion is the most important mechanical integrity issues the petrochemical industry has to deal with. While significant research has been dedicated to studying corrosion, it is still the leading cause of pipeline failure in the oil and gas industry. Not only is it the main contributor to maintenance costs, but also it accounts for about 15-20% of releases from the petrochemical industry and 80% of pipeline leaks. Enormous costs are directed towards fixing corrosion in facilities across the globe every year. Corrosion has caused some of the worst incidents in the history of the industry and is still causing more incidents every year. This shows that the problem is still not clearly understood, and that the methods that are being used to control it are not sufficient. A number of methods to detect corrosion exist; however, each one of them has shortcomings that make them inapplicable in some conditions, or generally, not accurate enough. This work focuses on studying a new method to detect corrosion under insulation. This method needs to overcome at least some of the shortcomings shown by the commercial methods currently used. The main method considered in this project is X-ray computed tomography. The results from this work show that X-ray computed tomography is a promising technique for corrosion under insulation detection. Not only does it detect corrosion with high resolution, but it also does not require the insulation to be removed. It also detects both internal and external corrosion simultaneously. The second part of this research is focused on studying the behavior of erosion/corrosion through CFD. This would allow for determining the erosion/corrosion rate and when it would take place before it starts happening. Here, the operating conditions that led to erosion/corrosion (from the literature) are used on FLUENT to predict the flow hydrodynamic factors. The relationship between these factors and the rate of erosion/corrosion is studied. The results from this work show that along with the turbulence and wall shear stress, the dynamic pressure imposed by the flow on the walls also has a great effect on the erosion/corrosion rate.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 209-211). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-107).

The metal strung harp indigenous to Ireland and Scotland from the Medieval period to the end of the 18th century was widely admired throughout its time period, and is now an important part of the cultural and musical heritage of both of these countries. This type of harp, known as the 'Irish harp', cláirseach, or clàrsach, currently has 18 known surviving instruments, including two sets of fragments. All of these harps are now too fragile to be played, therefore musicians and audiences wishing to explore the performance practice and repertory associated with them must rely on faithful replicas. The extensive knowledge and understanding of the construction of the surviving harps that is crucial to building these replica instruments is currently very limited, however. Although harps of this type enjoyed a long period of use dating back to the Medieval period, most surviving instruments post-date the beginning of the 17th century. Two harps belonging to the National Museum of Scotland, the 'Queen Mary' and 'Lamont', generally dated to circa the 15th century, are understood to be two of the oldest extant examples, making a study of their construction of particular interest. This dissertation presents the results of a comprehensive study of the construction of these two harps. A methodology was developed to address the issue of their uniqueness and fragility by combining the techniques used for non- and minimally destructive analysis of archeological artefacts with non-invasive medical diagnostic imaging. This study has utilized CT-scanning to provide three-dimensional radiography of each harp; XRF and SEM-EDX analysis to identify woods, metals, and pigments; photography and microscopy to record the decorative work, visible damage, repairs, and modifications; and a visual examination to assess the current state of each harp and to identify areas of interest for further analysis. The CT scanning was conducted at the Clinical Research Imaging Centre of Queen's Medical Research Institute, and the remainder of the analysis was conducted at the National Museums Scotland Collections Centre. Staff at both centres kindly facilitated the acquisition of the data for this study. Part I of this dissertation discusses the stringing of the instruments, presenting materials analysis of wire fragments, analysis of the effect of damage to the frames on the length and number of strings, and proposed reconstructions of the 'as-built' string lengths. Possible solutions for the pitch and gamut of each harp are also discussed. The construction of the harps is discussed where it is relevant to understanding the stringing. Part II presents a general discussion of the construction of each harp, including materials, decorative work, modifications, and signs of wear. This section also discusses evidence that may help establish dates of construction and timelines of modifications. Diagrams showing the dimensions of each harp are also presented. The implications of the results of this study for current understanding of these harps are discussed in detail and the methodology employed is discussed in terms of its applicability to future research of other surviving instruments.

In the advanced polymer composites reinforced by 3D woven fibre architectures, tows areinterlaced into through-thickness direction to overcome the problems encountered in theapplications of traditional 2D laminates, such as poor interlaminar toughness anddelamination resistance. The understanding of the influence of fibre architectures on thefatigue performance of 3D woven composites is essential in providing guide for the designof fibre architecture. This PhD project is an in-depth study into the fatigue damagemechanisms of 3D woven composites reinforced by two kinds of fibre architectures,namely, 3D modified layer-to-layer (MLL) and 3D angle-interlocked (AI). 3D X-raycomputed tomography (CT) has been used as the main tool to non-destructively evaluateand quantify the evolution of fatigue damage, with an attempt to link macro behaviour withlocal micro (damage) microstructure. Part I is focused on a post-failure study on both typesof materials to identify their respective failure mechanism, using the combination of 2D(optical surface and SEM cross-sectional) imaging and 3D (X-ray CT) imaging. Somecharacteristic features are found in both materials: firstly, fatigue damage progresses by theinitiation of transverse cracks within weft yarns and subsequent propagation as interfacialdebonding crack until the catastrophic failure occurs in a localised area; secondly, bothmaterials display a high resistance to ultimate failure. However, a distinctive damage modeobserved in MLL composites is the extensive development of debonding cracks, whichresult in larger scale of damage (~10μm) than those in AI composites (1-2 μm). Part IIpresents an investigation of evolution of fatigue damage in 3D woven MLL compositesfollowed by an X-ray time-lapse experiment. An innovative algorithm was developed toenable automatic classification of damage, providing insight into the competition andinteraction of different damage modes. Fatigue damage is regularly distributed throughoutfatigue life, with a geometrical dependency on the repeating unit cells. Damageinteractions have been identified, indicating a high level of damage tolerance. Aquantitative analysis has been carried out to examine and compare the growth of differenttypes of damage as a function of fatigue cycles. Transverse cracks initiate at almost thebeginning the fatigue life (0.1%) and govern the growth of weft/binder debonds, but don’tcompromise fatigue life, whereas interply debonds have a large growth towards the end offatigue life and facilitate the ultimate failure. Other types of damage occurring in the resinhave a trivial effect on the fatigue life. Part III carries out a systematic study to find out thebest approach to detect the fatigue damage in the 3D AI composites. Different strategieshave been employed in each scan, including imaging the cracks with the load applied, withcontrast enhanced by phases contrast and staining. The image contrast was not effectivelyenhanced by applying phase contrast imaging, but significantly improved by staining. Withthe application of in-situ loading, the visibility of transverse cracks is highly improved,while longitudinal debonding cracks still cannot be resolved. Overall, the best approachwas found to be high resolution ROI (region of interest) scanning in combination withstaining, in terms of practical feasibility, scan time and image quality.

INTRODUCTION: HIV/AIDS is a global health problem, with Sub-Saharan Africa the most affected. “Neuro-AIDS” refers to the extensive neuropathological manifestations of the disease. Neuroimaging of the HIV-infected individual plays a fundamental role in their work-up. Limited resources, however, drive the development of imaging protocols based on clinical signs. ‘Confusion’ may or may not represent a significant presenting sign and needs to be investigated, as it is the basis of referral of a significant number of patients for CT scanning. AIM: To determine the frequency of positive findings of head CT in HIV-infected adults presenting with confusion with/without associated neurology, and correlate them with the degree of immunosuppression, presence of CSF abnormality and their ARV therapy status. METHOD: CT brain scans of adult patients, who were HIV-positive and presented with confusion in Johannesburg, Gauteng, were retrospectively reviewed. The neurological status, CD4 counts, LP results and their ARV therapy status were documented. RESULTS: 30% of our HIV-infected patients presented with confusion. There were 156 patients who were included. CT scans were abnormal in 81%. We found that ‘associated neurology’ was a weak predictor for abnormal CT, making it a poor screening tool. A positive LP was predictive of infection (p=0.04 for focal infection, p=0.03 for infected surface collection) and infarction (p<0.01) on CT. CD4 count, LP results and ARV therapy were found to be abnormal in the majority of patients. CONCLUSIONS: CT was abnormal in the majority of HIV-infected patients presenting with confusion. Neurology was an unreliable clinical indicator. A positive LP was a good predictor for CT evidence of infection and infarction. The clinical parameters such as CD4 counts, LP results and ARV therapy, were abnormal in the majority of patients. If any of these parameters are abnormal in a patient with a normal CT, we believe this should motivate for further imaging with MRI.

Over the last fifteen years, there has been a rapid growth in the use of high resolution X-ray computed tomography (HRXCT) imaging in material science applications. We use it at nanoscale resolutions up to 50 nm (nano-CT) for key research problems in large scale operation of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in automotive applications. PEMFC are clean energy sources that electrochemically react with hydrogen gas to produce water and electricity. To reduce their costs, capturing their electrode nanostructure has become significant in modeling and optimizing their performance. For Li-ion batteries, a key challenge in increasing their scope for the automotive industry is Li metal dendrite growth. Li dendrites are structures of lithium with 100 nm features of interest that can grow chaotically within a battery and eventually lead to a short-circuit. HRXCT imaging is an effective diagnostics tool for such applications as it is a non-destructive method of capturing the 3D internal X-ray absorption coefficient of materials from a large series of 2D X-ray projections. Despite a recent push to use HRXCT for quantitative information on material samples, there is a relative dearth of computational tools in nano-CT image processing and analysis. Hence, we focus on developing computational methods for nano-CT image analysis of fuel cell and battery materials as required by the limitations in material samples and the imaging environment. The first problem we address is the segmentation of nano-CT Zernike phase contrast images. Nano-CT instruments are equipped with Zernike phase contrast optics to distinguish materials with a low difference in X-ray absorption coefficient by phase shifting the X-ray wave that is not diffracted by the sample. However, it creates image artifacts that hinder the use of traditional image segmentation techniques. To restore such images, we setup an inverse problem by modeling the X-ray phase contrast optics. We solve for the artifact-free images through an optimization function that uses novel edge detection and fast image interpolation methods. We use this optics-based segmentation method in two main research problems - 1) the characterization of a failure mechanism in the internal structure of Li-ion battery electrodes and 2) the measurement of Li metal dendrite morphology for different current and temperature parameters of Li-ion battery cell operation. The second problem we address is the development of a space+time (4D) reconstruction method for in-operando imaging of samples undergoing temporal change, particularly for X-ray sources with low throughput and nanoscale spatial resolutions. The challenge in using such systems is achieving a sufficient temporal resolution despite exposure times of a 2D projection on the order of 1 minute. We develop a 4D dynamic X-ray computed tomography (CT) reconstruction method, capable of reconstructing a temporal 3D image every 2 to 8 projections. Its novel properties are its projection angle sequence and the probabilistic detection of experimental change. We show its accuracy on phantom and experimental datasets to show its promise in temporally resolving Li metal dendrite growth and in elucidating mitigation strategies. Keywords: X-ray computed tomography, 4D X-ray computed tomography, phase contrast optics, fuel cells, Li-ion batteries, signal processing and optimization.

Thesis (doctoral)--Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 1988. / Extra t.p. with thesis statement inserted. Includes bibliographical references.

Austenitic stainless steels are frequently used for engineering applications in aggressive environments. Typical sources of component failures are associated with localized attack at grain boundaries, such as intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. To prevent premature failures, structural integrity assessments are carried out, with the aim of predicting the maximum likelihood of cracking that may develop. For accurate predictions it is of great importance to know the interaction of parameters involved in life-determining processes. This PhD thesis investigates the effect of microstructure and stress on intergranular stress corrosion cracking in Type 302 / Type 304 austenitic stainless steels. High-resolution X-ray tomography has been successfully applied to examine, for the first time in 3-dimensions, in-situ, the interaction between microstructure and crack propagation. The development and subsequent failure of crack bridging ligaments has been observed and correlated with regions of ductile tearing persistent on the fracture surface. These ductile regions were consistent with the morphology of low-energy, twin-type grain boundaries, and are believed to possess the capability of shielding the crack tip. Following this observation, a new grain bridging model has been developed, in order to quantify the effect of static stress and crack bridging on the maximum likely crack length. The model was compared and evaluated with in the literature available percolation-like models. Intergranular stress corrosion tests in tetrathionate solutions have been designed and carried out to validate the new model. The assessment comprised,(i) a thorough examination of the microstructure and analysis parameters employed,(ii) the determination of the degree of sensitisation with subsequent crack path investigations,(iii) the identification of a suitable test system with associated grain boundary susceptibility criteria,(iv) the application of Grain Boundary Engineering (GBE) for microstructure control,(v) statistical crack length assessments of calibrated IGSCC test specimens. The results of these tests showed that the new model successfully predicts the magnitude of stress and the effect of grain boundary engineering on the maximum crack lengths.

Characterizing the full range of damage and plastic behaviour of asphalt mixtures under varying strain-rates and stress states is a complex and challenging task. One reason for this  is partly due to the strain rate and temperature dependent nature of the material as well as the variation in the properties of the constituent materials that make up the composite asphalt mixture. Existing stress-based models for asphalt concrete materials are developed based on mechanics principles, but these models are, however, limited in their application for actual pavement analysis and design since rate dependency parameters are needed in the constitutive model to account for the influence of the strain rate on the stress-based yield and evolution criteria. Till date, we are yet to arrive at simple and comprehensive constitutive models that can be used to model the behaviour of asphalt mixture over a wide range of strain-rate which is experienced in the actual pavement sections. The aim of this thesis is to develop an increased understanding of the strength and deformation mechanism of asphalt mixtures through multi-scale modeling and to develop simple and comprehensive continuum models to characterize the non-linear behaviour of the material under varying stress-states and conditions. An analysis framework is developed for the evaluation of the influence of asphalt mixture morphology on its mechanical properties and response using X-Ray CT and digital image processing techniques. The procedure developed in the analysis framework is then used to investigate the existence of an invariant critical energy threshold for meso-crack initiation which serves as the basis for the development of a theory for the development of energy-based damage and plastic deformation models for asphalt mixtures. A new energy-based viscoelastic damage model is developed and proposed based on continuum damage mechanics (CDM) and the thermodynamics of irreversible processes. A second order damage variable tensor is introduced to account for the distributed damage in the material in the different principal damage directions. In this way, the material response in tension and compression can be decoupled and the effects of both tension- and compression stress states on the material behaviour can be accounted for adequately. Based on the finding from the energy-based damage model, an equivalent micro-crack stress approach is developed and proposed for the damage and fracture characterization of asphalt mixtures. The effective micro-crack stress approach takes account of the material stiffness and a critical energy threshold for micro-crack initiation in the characterization of damage and fracture properties of the mixture. The effective micro-crack stress approach is developed based on fundamental mechanics principles and it reduces to the Griffith's energy balance criterion when purely elastic materials are considered without the need for the consideration of the surface energy and a crack size in the determination of the fracture stress. A new Continuum Plasticity Mechanics (CPM) model is developed within the framework of thermodynamics to describe the plastic behaviour of asphalt concrete material with energy-based criteria derived for the initiation and evolution of plastic deformation. An internal state variable termed the "plasticity variable" is introduced to described the distributed dislocation movement in the microstructure. The CPM model unifies aspects of existing elasto-plastic and visco-plastic theories in one theory and shows particular strength in the modeling of rate-dependent plastic behaviour of materials without the need for the consideration of rate dependency parameters in the constitutive relationships. The CPM model is further extended to consider the reduction in the stiffness properties with incremental loading and to develop a unified energy-based damage and plasticity model. The models are implemented in a Finite Element (FE) analysis program for the validation of the models. The result shows that the energy-based damage and plastic deformation models are capable of predicting the behaviour of asphalt concrete mixtures under varying stress-states and strain-rate conditions. The work in this thesis provides the basis for the development of more fundamental understanding of the asphalt concrete material response and the application of sound and solid mechanics principles in the analysis and design of pavement structures. / En heltäckande karakterisering av skador och plastiska beteende hos asfaltblandningar under varierande belastningshastighet och spänningstillstånd är en komplex och svår uppgift. En orsak till detta är relaterat till materialets belastningshastighet- och temperaturberoende, såväl som variationen i materialegenskaperna hos de ingående komponenterna i den sammansatta asfaltblandningen. Befintliga spänningsbaserade modeller för asfaltbetongmaterial är utvecklade baserade på mekanikprinciper, men dessa modeller är begränsade när det gäller analys och design av verkliga asfaltsbeläggningar eftersom hastighetsberoende parametrar behövs i den konstitutiva modellen även med hänsyn till töjningshastighetens inverkan på kriterier för gränser och utveckling av spänningstillstånd. Det finns därför behov av att utveckla enkla men ändå heltäckande konstitutiva modeller som kan användas för att modellera beteendet hos asfaltmassan över ett brett spektrum av belastningshastigheter för olika av sektioner asfaltsbeläggningar. Syftet med denna avhandling är att öka förståelsen av hållfasthets- och deformationsmekanismer för asfaltblandningar genom multi-modellering. Målet är att utveckla enkla och heltäckande kontinuummodeller som karakteriserar materialets olinjära beteende under varierande spänningstillstånd och betingelser. Ett analysramverk har utvecklats för utvärdering av påverkan av asfaltmassans morfologi på dess mekaniska egenskaper och beteende med hjälp av röntgendatortomografi och digital bildbehandlingsteknik. Detta förfarande har sedan använts för att undersöka förekomsten av inneboende kritiska tröskelvärden för brottenergin för mesosprickinitiering vilket i sin tur ligger till grund för utvecklingen av en teori för modellering av energibaserade skador och plastisk deformation hos asfaltblandningar. En ny energidensitet baserad viskoelastisk skademodell utvecklas och föreslås utgå från kontinuum-skade-mekanik (CDM) och termodynamik för irreversibla processer. En andra ordningens skadevariabeltensor införs för att ta hänsyn till  skadedistributionen i materialen i de olika principiella skaderiktningarna. På detta sätt kan materialets respons i drag- och tryckbelastning separeras och effekterna av spänningstillstånd i både drag och tryck kan beaktas på ett adekvat sätt. Baserat på resultaten från den energibaserade skademodellen utvecklas och föreslås en motsvarande metod för mikrosprickspänning gällande skade- och brottkarakteriseringen av asfaltblandningar. Metoden för den effektiva mikrosprickspänningen tar hänsyn till materialets styvhet och en kritisk tröskelenergi för mikrosprickinitiering för karakteriseringen av skador och brottegenskaper hos blandningen. Denna metod är utvecklad baserat på grundläggande mekanikprinciper och kan för rent elastiska material reduceras till Griffiths energibalanskriterium utan hänsyn till ytenergi och sprickstorlek vid bestämningen av brottspänningen. En ny termodynamikbaserad modell för kontinuumplasticitetsmekanik (CPM) utvecklas för att beskriva det plastiska beteendet hos asfaltbetongmaterial med energibaserade kriterier härledda för initiering och progression av plastisk deformation. En intern tillståndsvariabel kallad "plasticitetvariabeln" införs för att beskriva den fördelade dislokationsrörelsen i mikrostrukturen. CPM-modellen förenar befintliga elasto-plastiska och visko-plastiska teorier i en teori och visar sig vara särskilt effektiv i modelleringen av hastighetsberoende plastiskt beteende hos material utan att behöva beakta hastighetsberoende parametrar i de konstitutiva sambanden. CPM-modellen utvidgas ytterligare för att kunna beakta reduktionen av styvheten med stegvis ökad belastning och för att utveckla en enhetlig energibaserad skade- och plasticitetmodell. Modellerna är implementerade i ett finit element (FE)-analysprogram för validering av modellerna. Resultatet visar att de energibaserade modellerna för skador och plastisk deformation kan förutsäga beteendet hos asfaltbetongblandningar under varierande spänningstillstånd och töjningshastighetsförhållanden. Arbetet i denna avhandling utgör grunden för utvecklingen av mer grundläggande förståelse av asfaltbetongmaterialets respons och tillämpningen av sunda och robusta mekanikprinciper i analys och design av asfaltstrukturer. / <p>QC 20161220</p>