Refine
Year of publication
Institute
- Fachbereich Medizintechnik und Technomathematik (1692)
- Fachbereich Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik (718)
- IfB - Institut für Bioengineering (624)
- Fachbereich Energietechnik (588)
- INB - Institut für Nano- und Biotechnologien (557)
- Fachbereich Chemie und Biotechnologie (551)
- Fachbereich Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik (497)
- Fachbereich Maschinenbau und Mechatronik (279)
- Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften (222)
- Solar-Institut Jülich (165)
Language
- English (4926) (remove)
Document Type
- Article (3281)
- Conference Proceeding (1170)
- Part of a Book (194)
- Book (145)
- Doctoral Thesis (31)
- Conference: Meeting Abstract (28)
- Patent (25)
- Other (10)
- Report (9)
- Conference Poster (6)
Keywords
- Biosensor (25)
- Finite-Elemente-Methode (12)
- Einspielen <Werkstoff> (10)
- CAD (8)
- civil engineering (8)
- Bauingenieurwesen (7)
- Blitzschutz (6)
- FEM (6)
- Gamification (6)
- Limit analysis (6)
Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) is aproductive and high-quality forage grass indigenous to Southern Europe, temperate Asia, and North Africa. Nowadays it is widespread and the dominant grass species on green areas in temperate climates. This abundant source of biomass is suitable for the development of bioeconomic processes because of its high cellulose and water-soluble carbohydrate content. In this work, novel breeds of the perennial ryegrass are being examined with regards to their quality parameters and biotechnological utilization options within the context of bioeconomy. Three processing operations are presented. In the first process, the perennial ryegrass is pretreated by pressing or hydrothermal extraction to derive glucosevia subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose. A yield of up to 82 % glucose was achieved when using the hydrothermal ex-traction as pretreatment. In a second process, the ryegrass is used to produce lactic acid in high concentrations. The influence of the growth conditions and the cutting time on the carboxylic acid yield is investigated. A yield of lactic acid of above 150 g kg⁻¹ dry matter was achieved. The third process is to use Lolium perenne as a substrate in the fermentation of K. marxianus for the microbial production of single-cell proteins. The perennial ryegrass is screw-pressed and the press juice is used as medium. When supplementing the press juice with yeast media components, a biomass concentration of up to 16 g L⁻¹ could be achieved.
A method for the integrated extraction and separation of fatty acids from algae using supercritical CO2 is presented. Desmodesmus obliquus and Chlorella sorokiniana were used as algae. First, a method for chromatographic separation of fatty acids of different degrees of saturation was established and optimized. Then, an integrated method for supercritical extraction was developed for both algal species. It was also verified whether prior cell disruption was beneficial for extraction. In developing the method for chromatographic separation, statistical experimental design was used to determine the optimal parameter settings. The methanol content in the mobile phase proved to be the most important parameter for successful separation of the three unsaturated fatty acids oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid. Supercritical extraction with dried algae showed that about four times more fatty acids can be extracted from C. sorokiniana relative to the dry mass used.
As one class of molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs), surface imprinted polymer (SIP)-based biosensors show great potential in direct whole-bacteria detection. Micro-contact imprinting, that involves stamping the template bacteria immobilized on a substrate into a pre-polymerized polymer matrix, is the most straightforward and prominent method to obtain SIP-based biosensors. However, the major drawbacks of the method arise from the requirement for fresh template bacteria and often non-reproducible bacteria distribution on the stamp substrate. Herein, we developed a positive master stamp containing photolithographic mimics of the template bacteria (E. coli) enabling reproducible fabrication of biomimetic SIP-based biosensors without the need for the “real” bacteria cells. By using atomic force and scanning electron microscopy imaging techniques, respectively, the E. coli-capturing ability of the SIP samples was tested, and compared with non-imprinted polymer (NIP)-based samples and control SIP samples, in which the cavity geometry does not match with E. coli cells. It was revealed that the presence of the biomimetic E. coli imprints with a specifically designed geometry increases the sensor E. coli-capturing ability by an “imprinting factor” of about 3. These findings show the importance of geometry-guided physical recognition in bacterial detection using SIP-based biosensors. In addition, this imprinting strategy was employed to interdigitated electrodes and QCM (quartz crystal microbalance) chips. E. coli detection performance of the sensors was demonstrated with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and QCM measurements with dissipation monitoring technique (QCM-D).
This study demonstrates the feasibility of applying free-breathing, cardiac-gated, susceptibility-weighted fast spin-echo imaging together with black blood preparation and navigator-gated respiratory motion compensation for anatomically accurate T₂ mapping of the heart. First, T₂ maps are presented for oil phantoms without and with respiratory motion emulation (T₂ = (22.1 ± 1.7) ms at 1.5 T and T₂ = (22.65 ± 0.89) ms at 3.0 T). T₂ relaxometry of a ferrofluid revealed relaxivities of R2 = (477.9 ± 17) mM⁻¹s⁻¹ and R2 = (449.6 ± 13) mM⁻¹s⁻¹ for UFLARE and multiecho gradient-echo imaging at 1.5 T. For inferoseptal myocardial regions mean T₂ values of 29.9 ± 6.6 ms (1.5 T) and 22.3 ± 4.8 ms (3.0 T) were estimated. For posterior myocardial areas close to the vena cava T₂-values of 24.0 ± 6.4 ms (1.5 T) and 15.4 ± 1.8 ms (3.0 T) were observed. The merits and limitations of the proposed approach are discussed and its implications for cardiac and vascular T₂-mapping are considered.
The simultaneous assessment of glottal dynamics and larynx position can be beneficial for the diagnosis of disordered voice or speech production and swallowing. Up to now, methods either concentrate on assessment of the glottis opening using optical, acoustical or electrical (electroglottography, EGG) methods, or on visualisation of the larynx position using ultrasound, computer tomography or magnetic resonance imaging techniques.
The method presented here makes use of a time-multiplex measurement approach of space-resolved transfer impedances through the larynx. The fast sequence of measurements allows a quasi simultaneous assessment of both larynx position and EGG signal using up to 32 transmit–receive signal paths. The system assesses the dynamic opening status of the glottis as well as the vertical and back/forward motion of the larynx.
Two electrode-arrays are used for the measurement of the electrical transfer impedance through the neck in different directions. From the acquired data the global and individual conductivity is calculated as well as a 2D point spatial representation of the minimum impedance.
The position information is shown together with classical EGG signals allowing a synchronous visual assessment of glottal area and larynx position. A first application to singing voice analysis is presented that indicate a high potential of the method for use as a non-invasive tool in the diagnosis of voice, speech, and swallowing disorders.
Objectives
Interest in cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) at 7 T is motivated by the expected increase in spatial and temporal resolution, but the method is technically challenging. We examined the feasibility of cardiac chamber quantification at 7 T.
Methods
A stack of short axes covering the left ventricle was obtained in nine healthy male volunteers. At 1.5 T, steady-state free precession (SSFP) and fast gradient echo (FGRE) cine imaging with 7 mm slice thickness (STH) were used. At 7 T, FGRE with 7 mm and 4 mm STH were applied. End-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, ejection fraction and mass were calculated.
Results
All 7 T examinations provided excellent blood/myocardium contrast for all slice directions. No significant difference was found regarding ejection fraction and cardiac volumes between SSFP at 1.5 T and FGRE at 7 T, while volumes obtained from FGRE at 1.5 T were underestimated. Cardiac mass derived from FGRE at 1.5 and 7 T was larger than obtained from SSFP at 1.5 T. Agreement of volumes and mass between SSFP at 1.5 T and FGRE improved for FGRE at 7 T when combined with an STH reduction to 4 mm.
Conclusions
This pilot study demonstrates that cardiac chamber quantification at 7 T using FGRE is feasible and agrees closely with SSFP at 1.5 T.
Background
To demonstrate the applicability of acoustic cardiac triggering (ACT) for imaging of the heart at ultrahigh magnetic fields (7.0 T) by comparing phonocardiogram, conventional vector electrocardiogram (ECG) and traditional pulse oximetry (POX) triggered 2D CINE acquisitions together with (i) a qualitative image quality analysis, (ii) an assessment of the left ventricular function parameter and (iii) an examination of trigger reliability and trigger detection variance derived from the signal waveforms.
Results
ECG was susceptible to severe distortions at 7.0 T. POX and ACT provided waveforms free of interferences from electromagnetic fields or from magneto-hydrodynamic effects. Frequent R-wave mis-registration occurred in ECG-triggered acquisitions with a failure rate of up to 30% resulting in cardiac motion induced artifacts. ACT and POX triggering produced images free of cardiac motion artefacts. ECG showed a severe jitter in the R-wave detection. POX also showed a trigger jitter of approximately Δt = 72 ms which is equivalent to two cardiac phases. ACT showed a jitter of approximately Δt = 5 ms only. ECG waveforms revealed a standard deviation for the cardiac trigger offset larger than that observed for ACT or POX waveforms.
Image quality assessment showed that ACT substantially improved image quality as compared to ECG (image quality score at end-diastole: ECG = 1.7 ± 0.5, ACT = 2.4 ± 0.5, p = 0.04) while the comparison between ECG vs. POX gated acquisitions showed no significant differences in image quality (image quality score: ECG = 1.7 ± 0.5, POX = 2.0 ± 0.5, p = 0.34).
Conclusions
The applicability of acoustic triggering for cardiac CINE imaging at 7.0 T was demonstrated. ACT's trigger reliability and fidelity are superior to that of ECG and POX. ACT promises to be beneficial for cardiovascular magnetic resonance at ultra-high field strengths including 7.0 T.
Purpose
To design and evaluate a four-channel cardiac transceiver coil array for functional cardiac imaging at 7T.
Materials and Methods
A four-element cardiac transceiver surface coil array was developed with two rectangular loops mounted on an anterior former and two rectangular loops on a posterior former. specific absorption rate (SAR) simulations were performed and a Burn:x-wiley:10531807:media:JMRI22451:tex2gif-stack-1 calibration method was applied prior to obtain 2D FLASH CINE (mSENSE, R = 2) images from nine healthy volunteers with a spatial resolution of up to 1 × 1 × 2.5 mm3.
Results
Tuning and matching was found to be better than 10 dB for all subjects. The decoupling (S21) was measured to be >18 dB between neighboring loops, >20 dB for opposite loops, and >30 dB for other loop combinations. SAR values were well within the limits provided by the IEC. Imaging provided clinically acceptable signal homogeneity with an excellent blood-myocardium contrast applying the Burn:x-wiley:10531807:media:JMRI22451:tex2gif-stack-2 calibration approach.
Conclusion
A four-channel cardiac transceiver coil array for 7T was built, allowing for cardiac imaging with clinically acceptable signal homogeneity and an excellent blood-myocardium contrast. Minor anatomic structures, such as pericardium, mitral, and tricuspid valves and their apparatus, as well as trabeculae, were accurately delineated.
Objective
The purpose of this study is to (i) design a small and mobile Magnetic field ALert SEnsor (MALSE), (ii) to carefully evaluate its sensors to their consistency of activation/deactivation and sensitivity to magnetic fields, and (iii) to demonstrate the applicability of MALSE in 1.5 T, 3.0 T and 7.0 T MR fringe field environments.
Methods
MALSE comprises a set of reed sensors, which activate in response to their exposure to a magnetic field. The activation/deactivation of reed sensors was examined by moving them in/out of the fringe field generated by 7TMR.
Results
The consistency with which individual reed sensors would activate at the same field strength was found to be 100% for the setup used. All of the reed switches investigated required a substantial drop in ambient magnetic field strength before they deactivated.
Conclusions
MALSE is a simple concept for alerting MRI staff to a ferromagnetic object being brought into fringe magnetic fields which exceeds MALSEs activation magnetic field. MALSE can easily be attached to ferromagnetic objects within the vicinity of a scanner, thus creating a barrier for hazardous situations induced by ferromagnetic parts which should not enter the vicinity of an MR-system to occur.
Spontaneous language has rarely been subjected to neuroimaging studies. This study therefore introduces a newly developed method for the analysis of linguistic phenomena observed in continuous language production during fMRI.
Most neuroimaging studies investigating language have so far focussed on single word or — to a smaller extent — sentence processing, mostly due to methodological considerations. Natural language production, however, is far more than the mere combination of words to larger units. Therefore, the present study aimed at relating brain activation to linguistic phenomena like word-finding difficulties or syntactic completeness in a continuous language fMRI paradigm. A picture description task with special constraints was used to provoke hesitation phenomena and speech errors. The transcribed speech sample was segmented into events of one second and each event was assigned to one category of a complex schema especially developed for this purpose. The main results were: conceptual planning engages bilateral activation of the precuneus. Successful lexical retrieval is accompanied – particularly in comparison to unsolved word-finding difficulties – by the left middle and superior temporal gyrus. Syntactic completeness is reflected in activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) (area 44). In sum, the method has proven to be useful for investigating the neural correlates of lexical and syntactic phenomena in an overt picture description task. This opens up new prospects for the analysis of spontaneous language production during fMRI.
Purpose:
To investigate the feasibility of using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects for synchronization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the cardiac cycle.
Materials and Methods:
The MHD effect was scrutinized using a pulsatile flow phantom at B0 = 7.0 T. MHD effects were examined in vivo in healthy volunteers (n = 10) for B0 ranging from 0.05–7.0 T. Noncontrast-enhanced MR angiography (MRA) of the carotids was performed using a gated steady-state free-precession (SSFP) imaging technique in conjunction with electrocardiogram (ECG) and MHD synchronization.
Results:
The MHD potential correlates with flow velocities derived from phase contrast MRI. MHD voltages depend on the orientation between B0 and the flow of a conductive fluid. An increase in the interelectrode spacing along the flow increases the MHD potential. In vivo measurement of the MHD effect provides peak voltages of 1.5 mV for surface areas close to the common carotid artery at B0 = 7.0 T. Synchronization of MRI with the cardiac cycle using MHD triggering is feasible. MHD triggered MRA of the carotids at 3.0 T showed an overall image quality and richness of anatomic detail, which is comparable to ECG-triggered MRAs.
Conclusion:
This feasibility study demonstrates the use of MHD effects for synchronization of MR acquisitions with the cardiac cycle. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:364–372. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Purpose
To design and evaluate a modular transceiver coil array with 32 independent channels for cardiac MRI at 7.0T.
Methods
The modular coil array comprises eight independent building blocks, each containing four transceiver loop elements. Numerical simulations were used for B1+ field homogenization and radiofrequency (RF) safety validation. RF characteristics were examined in a phantom study. The array's suitability for accelerated high spatial resolution two-dimensional (2D) FLASH CINE imaging of the heart was examined in a volunteer study.
Results
Transmission field adjustments and RF characteristics were found to be suitable for the volunteer study. The signal-to-noise intrinsic to 7.0T together with the coil performance afforded a spatial resolution of 1.1 × 1.1 × 2.5 mm3 for 2D CINE FLASH MRI, which is by a factor of 6 superior to standardized CINE protocols used in clinical practice at 1.5T. The 32-channel transceiver array supports one-dimensional acceleration factors of up to R = 4 without impairing image quality significantly.
Conclusion
The modular 32-channel transceiver cardiac array supports accelerated and high spatial resolution cardiac MRI. The array is compatible with multichannel transmission and provides a technological basis for future clinical assessment of parallel transmission techniques at 7.0T.
The concept of energy conversion into platform chemicals using bioelectrochemical systems (BES) has gained increasing attention in recent years, as the technology simultaneously provides an opportunity for sustainable chemical production and tackles the challenge of Power-to-X technologies. There are many approaches to realize the industrial scale of BES. One concept is to equip standard bioreactors with static electrodes. However, large installations resulted in a negative influence on various reactor parameters. In this study, we present a new single-chamber BES based on a stirred tank reactor in which the stirrer was replaced by a carbon fiber brush, performing the functions of the working electrode and the stirrer. The reactor is characterized in abiotic studies and electro-fermentations with Clostridium acetobutylicum. Compared to standard reactors an increase in butanol production of 20.14±3.66 % shows that the new BES can be efficiently used for bioelectrochemical processes.
New insights into the influence of pre-culture on robust solvent production of C. acetobutylicum
(2024)
Clostridia are known for their solvent production, especially the production of butanol. Concerning the projected depletion of fossil fuels, this is of great interest. The cultivation of clostridia is known to be challenging, and it is difficult to achieve reproducible results and robust processes. However, existing publications usually concentrate on the cultivation conditions of the main culture. In this paper, the influence of cryo-conservation and pre-culture on growth and solvent production in the resulting main cultivation are examined. A protocol was developed that leads to reproducible cultivations of Clostridium acetobutylicum. Detailed investigation of the cell conservation in cryo-cultures ensured reliable cell growth in the pre-culture. Moreover, a reason for the acid crash in the main culture was found, based on the cultivation conditions of the pre-culture. The critical parameter to avoid the acid crash and accomplish the shift to the solventogenesis of clostridia is the metabolic phase in which the cells of the pre-culture were at the time of inoculation of the main culture; this depends on the cultivation time of the pre-culture. Using cells from the exponential growth phase to inoculate the main culture leads to an acid crash. To achieve the solventogenic phase with butanol production, the inoculum should consist of older cells which are in the stationary growth phase. Considering these parameters, which affect the entire cultivation process, reproducible results and reliable solvent production are ensured.
Biomass from various types of organic waste was tested for possible use in hydrogen production. The composition consisted of lignified samples, green waste, and kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable peels and leftover food. For this purpose, the enzymatic pretreatment of organic waste with a combination of five different hydrolytic enzymes (cellulase, amylase, glucoamylase, pectinase and xylase) was investigated to determine its ability to produce hydrogen (H2) with the hydrolyzate produced here. In course, the anaerobic rod-shaped bacterium T. neapolitana was used for H2 production. First, the enzymes were investigated using different substrates in preliminary experiments. Subsequently, hydrolyses were carried out using different types of organic waste. In the hydrolysis carried out here for 48 h, an increase in glucose concentration of 481% was measured for waste loads containing starch, corresponding to a glucose concentration at the end of hydrolysis of 7.5 g·L−1. In the subsequent set fermentation in serum bottles, a H2 yield of 1.26 mmol H2 was obtained in the overhead space when Terrific Broth Medium with glucose and yeast extract (TBGY medium) was used. When hydrolyzed organic waste was used, even a H2 yield of 1.37 mmol could be achieved in the overhead space. In addition, a dedicated reactor system for the anaerobic fermentation of T. neapolitana to produce H2 was developed. The bioreactor developed here can ferment anaerobically with a very low loss of produced gas. Here, after 24 h, a hydrogen concentration of 83% could be measured in the overhead space.
Direct air capture (DAC) combined with subsequent storage (DACCS) is discussed as one promising carbon dioxide removal option. The aim of this paper is to analyse and comparatively classify the resource consumption (land use, renewable energy and water) and costs of possible DAC implementation pathways for Germany. The paths are based on a selected, existing climate neutrality scenario that requires the removal of 20 Mt of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year by DACCS from 2045. The analysis focuses on the so-called “low-temperature” DAC process, which might be more advantageous for Germany than the “high-temperature” one. In four case studies, we examine potential sites in northern, central and southern Germany, thereby using the most suitable renewable energies for electricity and heat generation. We show that the deployment of DAC results in large-scale land use and high energy needs. The land use in the range of 167–353 km2 results mainly from the area required for renewable energy generation. The total electrical energy demand of 14.4 TWh per year, of which 46% is needed to operate heat pumps to supply the heat demand of the DAC process, corresponds to around 1.4% of Germany's envisaged electricity demand in 2045. 20 Mt of water are provided yearly, corresponding to 40% of the city of Cologne‘s water demand (1.1 million inhabitants). The capture of CO2 (DAC) incurs levelised costs of 125–138 EUR per tonne of CO2, whereby the provision of the required energy via photovoltaics in southern Germany represents the lowest value of the four case studies. This does not include the costs associated with balancing its volatility. Taking into account transporting the CO2 via pipeline to the port of Wilhelmshaven, followed by transporting and sequestering the CO2 in geological storage sites in the Norwegian North Sea (DACCS), the levelised costs increase to 161–176 EUR/tCO2. Due to the longer transport distances from southern and central Germany, a northern German site using wind turbines would be the most favourable.
The successful implementation and continuous development of sustainable corporate-level solutions is a challenge. These are endeavours in which social, environmental, and financial aspects must be weighed against each other. They can prove difficult to handle and, in some cases, almost unrealistic. Concepts such as green controlling, IT, and manufacturing look promising and are constantly evolving. This paper aims to achieve a better understanding of the field of corporate sustainability (CS). It will evaluate the hypothesis by which Corporate Sustainability thrives, via being efficient, increasing the performance, and raising the value of the input of the enterprises to the resources used. In fact, Corporate Sustainability on the surface could seem to contradict the idea, which supports the understanding that it encourages the reduction of the heavy reliance on the use of natural resources, the overall environmental impact, and above all, their protection. To understand how the contradictory notion of CS came about, in this part of the paper, the emphasis is placed on providing useful insight to this regard. The first part of this paper summarizes various definitions, organizational theories, and measures used for CS and its derivatives like green controlling, IT, and manufacturing. Second, a case study is given that combines the aforementioned sustainability models. In addition to evaluating the hypothesis, the overarching objective of this paper is to demonstrate the use of green controlling, IT, and manufacturing in the corporate sector. Furthermore, this paper outlines the current challenges and possible directions for CS in the future.
This publication is intended to present the current state of research on the rebound effect. First, a systematic literature review is carried out to outline (current) scientific models and theories. Research Question 1 follows with a mathematical introduction of the rebound effect, which shows the interdependence of consumer behaviour, technological progress, and interwoven effects for both. Thereupon, the research field is analysed for gaps and limitations by a systematic literature review. To ensure quantitative and qualitative results, a review protocol is used that integrates two different stages and covers all relevant publications released between 2000 and 2019. Accordingly, 392 publications were identified that deal with the rebound effect. These papers were reviewed to obtain relevant information on the two research questions. The literature review shows that research on the rebound effect is not yet comprehensive and focuses mainly on the effect itself rather than solutions to avoid it. Research Question 2 finds that the main gap, and thus the limitations, is that not much research has been published on the actual avoidance of the rebound effect yet. This is a major limitation for practical application by decision-makers and politicians. Therefore, a theoretical analysis was carried out to identify potential theories and ideas to avoid the rebound effect. The most obvious idea to solve this problem is the theory of a Steady-State Economy (SSE), which has been described and reviewed.
Rapid development of virtual and data acquisition technology makes Digital Twin Technology (DT) one of the fundamental areas of research, while DT is one of the most promissory developments for the achievement of Industry 4.0. 48% percent of organisations implementing the Internet of Things are already using DT or plan to use DT in 2020. The global market for DT is expected to grow by 38 percent annually, reaching USD16 billion by 2023. In addition, the number of participating organisations using digital twins is expected to triple by 2022. DTs are characterised by the integration between physical and virtual spaces. The driving idea for DT is to develop, test and build our devices in a virtual environment. The objective of this paper is to study the impact of DT in the automotive industry on the new marketing logic. This paper outlines the current challenges and possible directions for the future DT in marketing. This paper will be helpful for managers in the industry to use the advantages and potentials of DT.
This paper uses a quantitative analysis to examine the interdependence and impact of resource rents on socio-economic development from 2002 to 2017. Nigeria and Norway have been chosen as reference countries due to their abundance of natural resources by similar economic performance, while the ranking in the Human Development Index differs dramatically. As the Human Development Index provides insight into a country’s cultural and socio-economic characteristics and development in addition to economic indicators, it allows a comparison of the two countries. The hypothesis presented and discussed in this paper was researched before. A qualitative research approach was used in the author’s master’s thesis “The Human Development Index (HDI) as a Reflection of Resource Abundance (using Nigeria and Norway as a case study)” in 2018. The management of scarce resources is an important aspect in the development of modern countries and those on the threshold of becoming industrialised nations. The effects of a mistaken resource management are not only of a purely economic nature but also of a social and socio-economic nature. In order to present a partial aspect of these dependencies and influences this paper uses a quantitative analysis to examine the interdependence and impact of resource rents on socio-economic development from 2002 to 2017. Nigeria and Norway have been chosen as reference countries due to their abundance of natural resources by similar economic performance, while the ranking in the Human Development Index differs significantly. As the Human Development Index provides insight into a country’s cultural and socio-economic characteristics and development in addition to economic indicators, it allows a comparison of the two countries. This paper found out in a holistic perspective that (not or poorly managed) resource wealth in itself has a negative impact on socio-economic development and significantly reduces the productivity of the citizens of a state. This is expressed in particular for the years 2002 till 2017 in a negative correlation of GDP per capita and HDI value with the share respectively the size of resources in the GDP of a country.
The following article deals with the basic principles of intercultural management and possible improvements in terms of cultural, ethnic and gender diversification. The results are exemplarily applied to a bank located in Germany. The aim of this paper is to find out to what extent intercultural management could improve the productivity of Relatos-Bank in dealing with foreign employees or employees with a different cultural background. To achieve this goal, the authors con-duct a literature research. The main sources of information are books, journal articles and internet sources. It becomes clear that especially the different perceptions of different generations have a potential for conflict, which can be counteracted by applying presented scientific models. Equalizing the salaries of female and male employees and equalizing the rights and distribution of power could also be the key to becoming an open-minded, dynamic and fair organization that is pre-pared for the rapidly changing environment in which it operates.
The presented paper gives an overview of the most important and most common theories and concepts from the economic field of organisational change and is also enriched with quantitative publication data, which underlines the relevance of the topic. In particular, the topic presented is interwoven in an interdisciplinary way with economic psychological models, which are underpinned within the models with content from leading scholars in the field. The pace of change in companies is accelerating, as is technological change in our society. Adaptations of the corporate structure, but also of management techniques and tasks, are therefore indispensable. This includes not only the right approaches to employee motivation, but also the correct use of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors. Based on the hypothesis put forward by the scientist and researcher Rollinson in his book “Organisational behaviour and analysis” that managers believe motivational resources are available at all times, socio-economic and economic psychological theories are contrasted here in order to critically examine this statement. In addition, a fictitious company was created as a model for this work in order to illustrate the effects of motivational deficits in practice. In this context, the theories presented are applied to concrete problems within the model and conclusions are drawn about their influence and applicability. This led to the conclusion that motivation is a very individual challenge for each employee, which requires adapted and personalised approaches. On the other hand, the recommendations for action for supervisors in the case of motivation deficits also cannot be answered in a blanket manner, but can only be solved with the help of professional, expert-supported processing due to the economic-psychological realities of motivation. Identifying, analysing and remedying individual employee motivation deficits is, according to the authors, a problem and a challenge of great importance, especially in the context of rapidly changing ecosystems in modern companies, as motivation also influences other factors such as individual productivity. The authors therefore conclude that good motivation through the individual and customised promotion and further training of employees is an important point for achieving important corporate goals in order to remain competitive on the one hand and to create a productive and pleasant working environment on the other.
Today’s society is undergoing a paradigm shift driven by the megatrend of sustainability. This undeniably affects all areas of Western life. This paper aims to find out how the luxury industry is dealing with this change and what adjustments are made by the companies. For this purpose, interviews were conducted with managers from the luxury industry, in which they were asked about specific measures taken by their companies as well as trends in the industry. In a subsequent evaluation, the trends in the luxury industry were summarized for the areas of ecological, social, and economic sustainability. It was found that the area of environmental sustainability is significantly more focused than the other sub-areas. Furthermore, the need for a customer survey to validate the industry-based measures was identified.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) constantly gain in versatility. However, more reliable path planning algorithms are required until full autonomous UAV operation is possible. This work investigates the algorithm 3DVFH* and analyses its dependency on its cost function weights in 2400 environments. The analysis shows that the 3DVFH* can find a suitable path in every environment. However, a particular type of environment requires a specific choice of cost function weights. For minimal failure, probability interdependencies between the weights of the cost function have to be considered. This dependency reduces the number of control parameters and simplifies the usage of the 3DVFH*. Weights for costs associated with vertical evasion (pitch cost) and vicinity to obstacles (obstacle cost) have the highest influence on the failure probability of the local path planner. Environments with mainly very tall buildings (like large American city centres) require a preference for horizontal avoidance manoeuvres (achieved with high pitch cost weights). In contrast, environments with medium-to-low buildings (like European city centres) benefit from vertical avoidance manoeuvres (achieved with low pitch cost weights). The cost of the vicinity to obstacles also plays an essential role and must be chosen adequately for the environment. Choosing these two weights ideal is sufficient to reduce the failure probability below 10%.
Lifting propellers are of increasing interest for Advanced Air Mobility. All propellers and rotors are initially twisted beams, showing significant extension–twist coupling and centrifugal twisting. Torsional deformations severely impact aerodynamic performance. This paper presents a novel approach to assess different reasons for torsional deformations. A reduced-order model runs large parameter sweeps with algebraic formulations and numerical solution procedures. Generic beams represent three different propeller types for General Aviation, Commercial Aviation, and Advanced Air Mobility. Simulations include solid and hollow cross-sections made of aluminum, steel, and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer. The investigation shows that centrifugal twisting moments depend on both the elastic and initial twist. The determination of the centrifugal twisting moment solely based on the initial twist suffers from errors exceeding 5% in some cases. The nonlinear parts of the torsional rigidity do not significantly impact the overall torsional rigidity for the investigated propeller types. The extension–twist coupling related to the initial and elastic twist in combination with tension forces significantly impacts the net cross-sectional torsional loads. While the increase in torsional stiffness due to initial twist contributes to the overall stiffness for General and Commercial Aviation propellers, its contribution to the lift propeller’s stiffness is limited. The paper closes with the presentation of approximations for each effect identified as significant. Numerical evaluations are necessary to determine each effect for inhomogeneous cross-sections made of anisotropic material.
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have become popular worldwide with the market growing exponentially in some countries. The absence of product standards and safety regulations requires urgent development of analytical methodologies for the holistic control of the growing diversity of such products. An approach based on low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) at 80 MHz is presented for the simultaneous determination of key parameters: carrier solvents (vegetable glycerine (VG), propylene glycol (PG) and water), total nicotine as well as free-base nicotine fraction. Moreover, qualitative and quantitative determination of fourteen weak organic acids deliberately added to enhance sensory characteristics of e-cigarettes was possible. In most cases these parameters can be rapidly and conveniently determined without using any sample manipulation such as dilution, extraction or derivatization steps. The method was applied for 37 authentic e-cigarettes samples. In particular, eight different organic acids with the content up to 56 mg/mL were detected. Due to its simplicity, the method can be used in routine regulatory control as well as to study release behaviour of nicotine and other e-cigarettes constituents in different products.
In the context of the increasing digitalization, the Internet of Things (IoT) is seen as a technological driver through which completely new business models can emerge in the interaction of different players. Identified key players include traditional industrial companies, municipalities and telecommunications companies. The latter, by providing connectivity, ensure that small devices with tiny batteries can be connected almost anywhere and directly to the Internet. There are already many IoT use cases on the market that provide simplification for end users, such as Philips Hue Tap. In addition to business models based on connectivity, there is great potential for information-driven business models that can support or enhance existing business models. One example is the IoT use case Park and Joy, which uses sensors to connect parking spaces and inform drivers about available parking spaces in real time. Information-driven business models can be based on data generated in IoT use cases. For example, a telecommunications company can add value by deriving more decision-relevant information – called insights – from data that is used to increase decision agility. In addition, insights can be monetized. The monetization of insights can only be sustainable, if careful attention is taken and frameworks are considered. In this chapter, the concept of information-driven business models is explained and illustrated with the concrete use case Park and Joy. In addition, the benefits, risks and framework conditions are discussed.
Analyzing thermodynamic non-equilibrium processes, like the laminar and turbulent fluid flow, the dissipation is a key parameter with a characteristic minimum condition. That is applied to characterize laminar and turbulent behaviour of the Couette flow, including its transition in both directions. The Couette flow is chosen as the only flow form with constant shear stress over the flow profile, being laminar, turbulent or both. The local dissipation defines quantitative and stable criteria for the transition and the existence of turbulence. There are basic results: The Navier Stokes equations cannot describe the experimental flow profiles of the turbulent Couette flow. But they are used to quantify the dissipation of turbulent fluctuation. The dissipation minimum requires turbulent structures reaching maximum macroscopic dimensions, describing turbulence as a “non-local” phenomenon. At the transition the Couette flow profiles and the shear stress change by a factor ≅ 5 due to a change of the “apparent” turbulent viscosity by a calculated factor ≅ 27. The resulting difference of the laminar and the turbulent profiles results in two different Reynolds numbers and different loci of transition, which are identified by calculation.
The minimum dissipation requirement of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes is applied to characterize the existence of laminar and non-laminar, and the co-existence of laminar and turbulent flow zones. Local limitations of the different zones and three different forms of transition are defined. For the Couette flow a non-local “corpuscular” flow mechanism explains the logarithmic law-of-the-wall, maximum turbulent dimensions and a value x=0,415 for the v. Kármán constant. Limitations of the logarithmic law near the wall and in the centre of the experiment are interpreted.
This work presents the Multi-Bees-Tracker (MBT3D) algorithm, a Python framework implementing a deep association tracker for Tracking-By-Detection, to address the challenging task of tracking flight paths of bumblebees in a social group. While tracking algorithms for bumblebees exist, they often come with intensive restrictions, such as the need for sufficient lighting, high contrast between the animal and background, absence of occlusion, significant user input, etc. Tracking flight paths of bumblebees in a social group is challenging. They suddenly adjust movements and change their appearance during different wing beat states while exhibiting significant similarities in their individual appearance. The MBT3D tracker, developed in this research, is an adaptation of an existing ant tracking algorithm for bumblebee tracking. It incorporates an offline trained appearance descriptor along with a Kalman Filter for appearance and motion matching. Different detector architectures for upstream detections (You Only Look Once (YOLOv5), Faster Region Proposal Convolutional Neural Network (Faster R-CNN), and RetinaNet) are investigated in a comparative study to optimize performance. The detection models were trained on a dataset containing 11359 labeled bumblebee images. YOLOv5 reaches an Average Precision of AP = 53, 8%, Faster R-CNN achieves AP = 45, 3% and RetinaNet AP = 38, 4% on the bumblebee validation dataset, which consists of 1323 labeled bumblebee images. The tracker’s appearance model is trained on 144 samples. The tracker (with Faster R-CNN detections) reaches a Multiple Object Tracking Accuracy MOTA = 93, 5% and a Multiple Object Tracking Precision MOTP = 75, 6% on a validation dataset containing 2000 images, competing with state-of-the-art computer vision methods. The framework allows reliable tracking of different bumblebees in the same video stream with rarely occurring identity switches (IDS). MBT3D has much lower IDS than other commonly used algorithms, with one of the lowest false positive rates, competing with state-of-the-art animal tracking algorithms. The developed framework reconstructs the 3-dimensional (3D) flight paths of the bumblebees by triangulation. It also handles and compares two alternative stereo camera pairs if desired.
Electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor capacitors (EISCAP) belong to field-effect sensors having an attractive transducer architecture for constructing various biochemical sensors. In this study, a capacitive model of enzyme-modified EISCAPs has been developed and the impact of the surface coverage of immobilized enzymes on its capacitance-voltage and constant-capacitance characteristics was studied theoretically and experimentally. The used multicell arrangement enables a multiplexed electrochemical characterization of up to sixteen EISCAPs. Different enzyme coverages have been achieved by means of parallel electrical connection of bare and enzyme-covered single EISCAPs in diverse combinations. As predicted by the model, with increasing the enzyme coverage, both the shift of capacitance-voltage curves and the amplitude of the constant-capacitance signal increase, resulting in an enhancement of analyte sensitivity of the EISCAP biosensor. In addition, the capability of the multicell arrangement with multi-enzyme covered EISCAPs for sequentially detecting multianalytes (penicillin and urea) utilizing the enzymes penicillinase and urease has been experimentally demonstrated and discussed.
This article addresses the need for an innovative technique in plasma shaping, utilizing antenna structures, Maxwell’s laws, and boundary conditions within a shielded environment. The motivation lies in exploring a novel approach to efficiently generate high-energy density plasma with potential applications across various fields. Implemented in an E01 circular cavity resonator, the proposed method involves the use of an impedance and field matching device with a coaxial connector and a specially optimized monopole antenna. This setup feeds a low-loss cavity resonator, resulting in a high-energy density air plasma with a surface temperature exceeding 3500 o C, achieved with a minimal power input of 80 W. The argon plasma, resembling the shape of a simple monopole antenna with modeled complex dielectric values, offers a more energy-efficient alternative compared to traditional, power-intensive plasma shaping methods. Simulations using a commercial electromagnetic (EM) solver validate the design’s effectiveness, while experimental validation underscores the method’s feasibility and practical implementation. Analyzing various parameters in an argon atmosphere, including hot S -parameters and plasma beam images, the results demonstrate the successful application of this technique, suggesting its potential in coating, furnace technology, fusion, and spectroscopy applications.
Next-generation aircraft designs often incorporate multiple large propellers attached along the wingspan (distributed electric propulsion), leading to highly flexible dynamic systems that can exhibit aeroelastic instabilities. This paper introduces a validated methodology to investigate the aeroelastic instabilities of wing–propeller systems and to understand the dynamic mechanism leading to wing and whirl flutter and transition from one to the other. Factors such as nacelle positions along the wing span and chord and its propulsion system mounting stiffness are considered. Additionally, preliminary design guidelines are proposed for flutter-free wing–propeller systems applicable to novel aircraft designs. The study demonstrates how the critical speed of the wing–propeller systems is influenced by the mounting stiffness and propeller position. Weak mounting stiffnesses result in whirl flutter, while hard mounting stiffnesses lead to wing flutter. For the latter, the position of the propeller along the wing span may change the wing mode shapes and thus the flutter mechanism. Propeller positions closer to the wing tip enhance stability, but pusher configurations are more critical due to the mass distribution behind the elastic axis.
A novel method to determine the extruded length of a metallic wire for a directed energy deposition (DED) process using a microwave (MW) plasma jet with a straight-through wire feed is presented. The method is based on the relative comparison of the measured frequency response obtained by the large-signal scattering parameter (Hot-S) technique. In the practical working range, repeatability of less than 6% for a nonactive plasma and 9% for the active plasma state is found. Measurements are conducted with a focus on a simple solution to decrease the processing time and reduce the integration time of the process into the existing hardware. It is shown that monitoring a single frequency for magnitude and phase changes is sufficient to achieve good accuracy. A combination of different measurement values to determine the length is possible. The applicability to different diameter of the same material is shown as well as a contact detection of the wire and metallic substrate.
This paper investigates the interior transmission problem for homogeneous media via eigenvalue trajectories parameterized by the magnitude of the refractive index. In the case that the scatterer is the unit disk, we prove that there is a one-to-one correspondence between complex-valued interior transmission eigenvalue trajectories and Dirichlet eigenvalues of the Laplacian which turn out to be exactly the trajectorial limit points as the refractive index tends to infinity. For general simply-connected scatterers in two or three dimensions, a corresponding relation is still open, but further theoretical results and numerical studies indicate a similar connection.
The artificial olfactory image was proposed by Lundström et al. in 1991 as a new strategy for an electronic nose system which generated a two-dimensional mapping to be interpreted as a fingerprint of the detected gas species. The potential distribution generated by the catalytic metals integrated into a semiconductor field-effect structure was read as a photocurrent signal generated by scanning light pulses. The impact of the proposed technology spread beyond gas sensing, inspiring the development of various imaging modalities based on the light addressing of field-effect structures to obtain spatial maps of pH distribution, ions, molecules, and impedance, and these modalities have been applied in both biological and non-biological systems. These light-addressing technologies have been further developed to realize the position control of a faradaic current on the electrode surface for localized electrochemical reactions and amperometric measurements, as well as the actuation of liquids in microfluidic devices.
Many important properties of bacterial cellulose (BC), such as moisture absorption capacity, elasticity and tensile strength, largely depend on its structure. This paper presents a study on the effect of the drying method on BC films produced by Medusomyces gisevii using two different procedures: room temperature drying (RT, (24 ± 2 °C, humidity 65 ± 1%, dried until a constant weight was reached) and freeze-drying (FD, treated at − 75 °C for 48 h). BC was synthesized using one of two different carbon sources—either glucose or sucrose. Structural differences in the obtained BC films were evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction. Macroscopically, the RT samples appeared semi-transparent and smooth, whereas the FD group exhibited an opaque white color and sponge-like structure. SEM examination showed denser packing of fibrils in FD samples while RT-samples displayed smaller average fiber diameter, lower surface roughness and less porosity. AFM confirmed the SEM observations and showed that the FD material exhibited a more branched structure and a higher surface roughness. The samples cultivated in a glucose-containing nutrient medium, generally displayed a straight and ordered shape of fibrils compared to the sucrose-derived BC, characterized by a rougher and wavier structure. The BC films dried under different conditions showed distinctly different crystallinity degrees, whereas the carbon source in the culture medium was found to have a relatively small effect on the BC crystallinity.
To gain insight on chemical sterilization processes, the influence of temperature (up to 70 °C), intense green light, and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) concentration (up to 30% in aqueous solution) on microbial spore inactivation is evaluated by in-situ Raman spectroscopy with an optical trap. Bacillus atrophaeus is utilized as a model organism. Individual spores are isolated and their chemical makeup is monitored under dynamically changing conditions (temperature, light, and H₂O₂ concentration) to mimic industrially relevant process parameters for sterilization in the field of aseptic food processing. While isolated spores in water are highly stable, even at elevated temperatures of 70 °C, exposure to H₂O₂ leads to a loss of spore integrity characterized by the release of the key spore biomarker dipicolinic acid (DPA) in a concentration-dependent manner, which indicates damage to the inner membrane of the spore. Intensive light or heat, both of which accelerate the decomposition of H₂O₂ into reactive oxygen species (ROS), drastically shorten the spore lifetime, suggesting the formation of ROS as a rate-limiting step during sterilization. It is concluded that Raman spectroscopy can deliver mechanistic insight into the mode of action of H₂O₂-based sterilization and reveal the individual contributions of different sterilization methods acting in tandem.
Drought and water shortage are serious problems in many arid and semi-arid regions. This problem is getting worse and even continues in temperate climatic regions due to climate change. To address this problem, the use of biodegradable hydrogels is increasingly important for the application as water-retaining additives in soil. Furthermore, efficient (micro-)nutrient supply can be provided by the use of tailored hydrogels. Biodegradable polyaspartic acid (PASP) hydrogels with different available (1,6-hexamethylene diamine (HMD) and L-lysine (LYS)) and newly developed crosslinkers based on diesters of glycine (GLY) and (di-)ethylene glycol (DEG and EG, respectively) were synthesized and characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and regarding their swelling properties (kinetic, absorbency under load (AUL)) as well as biodegradability of PASP hydrogel. Copper (II) and zinc (II), respectively, were loaded as micronutrients in two different approaches: in situ with crosslinking and subsequent loading of prepared hydrogels. The results showed successful syntheses of di-glycine-ester-based crosslinkers. Hydrogels with good water-absorbing properties were formed. Moreover, the developed crosslinking agents in combination with the specific reaction conditions resulted in higher water absorbency with increased crosslinker content used in synthesis (10% vs. 20%). The prepared hydrogels are candidates for water-storing soil additives due to the biodegradability of PASP, which is shown in an exemple. The incorporation of Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions can provide these micronutrients for plant growth.
The “1. Stokes’ problem”, the “suddenly accelerated flat wall”, is the oldest application of the Navier-Stokes equations. Stokes’ solution of the “problem” does not comply with the mathematical theorem of Cauchy and Kowalewskaya on the “Uniqueness and Existence” of solutions of partial differential equations and violates the physical theorem of minimum entropy production/dissipation of the Thermodynamics of Irreversible Processes. The result includes very high local shear stresses and dissipation rates. That is of special interest for the theory of turbulent and mixed turbulent/laminar flow. A textbook solution of the “1. Stokes Problem” is the Couette flow, which has a constant sheer stress along a linear profile. A consequence is that the Navier-Stokes equations do not describe any S-shaped part of a turbulent profile found in any turbulent Couette experiment. The paper surveys arguments referring to that statement, concerning the history of >150 years. Contrary to this there is always a Navier-Stokes solution near the wall, observed by a linear part of the Couette profile. There a turbulent description (e.g. by the logarithmic law-of-the-wall) fails completely. That is explained by the minimum dissipation requirement together with the Couette feature τ = const. The local co-existence of a turbulent zone and a laminar zone near the wall is stable and observed also at high Reynolds-Numbers.
Development of open educational resources for renewable energy and the energy transition process
(2021)
The dissemination of knowledge about renewable energies is understood as a social task with the highest topicality. The transfer of teaching content on renewable energies into digital open educational resources offers the opportunity to significantly accelerate the implementation of the energy transition. Thus, in the here presented project six German universities create open educational resources for the energy transition. These materials are available to the public on the internet under a free license. So far there has been no publicly accessible, editable media that cover entire learning units about renewable energies extensively and in high technical quality. Thus, in this project, the content that remains up-to-date for a longer period is appropriately prepared in terms of media didactics. The materials enable lecturers to provide students with in-depth training about technologies for the energy transition. In a particular way, the created material is also suitable for making the general public knowledgeable about the energy transition with scientifically based material.
New materials often lead to innovations and advantages in technical applications. This also applies to the particle receiver proposed in this work that deploys high-temperature and scratch resistant transparent ceramics. With this receiver design, particles are heated through direct-contact concentrated solar irradiance while flowing downwards through tubular transparent ceramics from top to bottom. In this paper, the developed particle receiver as well as advantages and disadvantages are described. Investigations on the particle heat-up characteristics from solar irradiance were carried out with DEM simulations which indicate that particle temperatures can reach up to 1200 K. Additionally, a simulation model was set up for investigating the dynamic behavior. A test receiver at laboratory scale has been designed and is currently being built. In upcoming tests, the receiver test rig will be used to validate the simulation results. The design and the measurement equipment is described in this work.
The Solar-Institut Jülich (SIJ) and the companies Hilger GmbH and Heliokon GmbH from Germany have developed a small-scale cost-effective heliostat, called “micro heliostat”. Micro heliostats can be deployed in small-scale concentrated solar power (CSP) plants to concentrate the sun's radiation for electricity generation, space or domestic water heating or industrial process heat. In contrast to conventional heliostats, the special feature of a micro heliostat is that it consists of dozens of parallel-moving, interconnected, rotatable mirror facets. The mirror facets array is fixed inside a box-shaped module and is protected from weathering and wind forces by a transparent glass cover. The choice of the building materials for the box, tracking mechanism and mirrors is largely dependent on the selected production process and the intended application of the micro heliostat. Special attention was paid to the material of the tracking mechanism as this has a direct influence on the accuracy of the micro heliostat. The choice of materials for the mirror support structure and the tracking mechanism is made in favor of plastic molded parts. A qualification assessment method has been developed by the SIJ in which a 3D laser scanner is used in combination with a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). For the validation of this assessment method, a single mirror facet was scanned and the slope deviation was computed.
Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) systems are able to store energy cost-effectively in their integrated thermal energy storage (TES). By intelligently combining Photovoltaics (PV) systems with CSP, a further cost reduction of solar power plants is expected, as well as an increase in dispatchability and flexibility of power generation. PV-powered Resistance Heaters (RH) can be deployed to raise the temperature of the molten salt hot storage from 385 °C up to 565 °C in a Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) plant. To avoid freezing and decomposition of molten salt, the temperature distribution in the electrical resistance heater is investigated in the present study. For this purpose, a RH has been modeled and CFD simulations have been performed. The simulation results show that the hottest regions occur on the electric rod surface behind the last baffle. A technical optimization was performed by adjusting three parameters: Shell-baffle clearance, electric rod-baffle clearance and number of baffles. After the technical optimization was carried out, the temperature difference between the maximum temperature and the average outlet temperature of the salt is within the acceptable limits, thus critical salt decomposition has been avoided. Additionally, the CFD simulations results were analyzed and compared with results obtained with a one-dimensional model in Modelica.
The deformation and damage laws of non-homogeneous irregular structural planes in rocks are the basis for studying the stability of rock engineering. To investigate the damage characteristics of rock containing non-parallel fissures, uniaxial compression tests and numerical simulations were conducted on sandstone specimens containing three non-parallel fissures inclined at 0°, 45° and 90° in this study. The characteristics of crack initiation and crack evolution of fissures with different inclinations were analyzed. A constitutive model for the discontinuous fractures of fissured sandstone was proposed. The results show that the fracture behaviors of fissured sandstone specimens are discontinuous. The stress–strain curves are non-smooth and can be divided into nonlinear crack closure stage, linear elastic stage, plastic stage and brittle failure stage, of which the plastic stage contains discontinuous stress drops. During the uniaxial compression test, the middle or ends of 0° fissures were the first to crack compared to 45° and 90° fissures. The end with small distance between 0° and 45° fissures cracked first, and the end with large distance cracked later. After the final failure, 0° fissures in all specimens were fractured, while 45° and 90° fissures were not necessarily fractured. Numerical simulation results show that the concentration of compressive stress at the tips of 0°, 45° and 90° fissures, as well as the concentration of tensile stress on both sides, decreased with the increase of the inclination angle. A constitutive model for the discontinuous fractures of fissured sandstone specimens was derived by combining the logistic model and damage mechanic theory. This model can well describe the discontinuous drops of stress and agrees well with the whole processes of the stress–strain curves of the fissured sandstone specimens.
Frequency mixing magnetic detection (FMMD) is a sensitive and selective technique to detect magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) serving as probes for binding biological targets. Its principle relies on the nonlinear magnetic relaxation dynamics of a particle ensemble interacting with a dual frequency external magnetic field. In order to increase its sensitivity, lower its limit of detection and overall improve its applicability in biosensing, matching combinations of external field parameters and internal particle properties are being sought to advance FMMD. In this study, we systematically probe the aforementioned interaction with coupled Néel–Brownian dynamic relaxation simulations to examine how key MNP properties as well as applied field parameters affect the frequency mixing signal generation. It is found that the core size of MNPs dominates their nonlinear magnetic response, with the strongest contributions from the largest particles. The drive field amplitude dominates the shape of the field-dependent response, whereas effective anisotropy and hydrodynamic size of the particles only weakly influence the signal generation in FMMD. For tailoring the MNP properties and parameters of the setup towards optimal FMMD signal generation, our findings suggest choosing large particles of core sizes dc > 25 nm nm with narrow size distributions (σ < 0.1) to minimize the required drive field amplitude. This allows potential improvements of FMMD as a stand-alone application, as well as advances in magnetic particle imaging, hyperthermia and magnetic immunoassays.
Technical assessment of Brayton cycle heat pumps for the integration in hybrid PV-CSP power plants
(2022)
The hybridization of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Photovoltaics (PV) systems is a promising approach to reduce costs of solar power plants, while increasing dispatchability and flexibility of power generation. High temperature heat pumps (HT HP) can be utilized to boost the salt temperature in the thermal energy storage (TES) of a Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) system from 385 °C up to 565 °C. A PV field can supply the power for the HT HP, thus effectively storing the PV power as thermal energy. Besides cost-efficiently storing energy from the PV field, the power block efficiency of the overall system is improved due to the higher steam parameters. This paper presents a technical assessment of Brayton cycle heat pumps to be integrated in hybrid PV-CSP power plants. As a first step, a theoretical analysis was carried out to find the most suitable working fluid. The analysis included the fluids Air, Argon (Ar), Nitrogen (N2) and Carbon dioxide (CO2). N2 has been chosen as the optimal working fluid for the system. After the selection of the ideal working medium, different concepts for the arrangement of a HT HP in a PV-CSP hybrid power plant were developed and simulated in EBSILON®Professional. The concepts were evaluated technically by comparing the number of components required, pressure losses and coefficient of performance (COP).
In the past, CSP and PV have been seen as competing technologies. Despite massive reductions in the electricity generation costs of CSP plants, PV power generation is - at least during sunshine hours - significantly cheaper. If electricity is required not only during the daytime, but around the clock, CSP with its inherent thermal energy storage gets an advantage in terms of LEC. There are a few examples of projects in which CSP plants and PV plants have been co-located, meaning that they feed into the same grid connection point and ideally optimize their operation strategy to yield an overall benefit. In the past eight years, TSK Flagsol has developed a plant concept, which merges both solar technologies into one highly Integrated CSP-PV-Hybrid (ICPH) power plant. Here, unlike in simply co-located concepts, as analyzed e.g. in [1] – [4], excess PV power that would have to be dumped is used in electric molten salt heaters to increase the storage temperature, improving storage and conversion efficiency. The authors demonstrate the electricity cost sensitivity to subsystem sizing for various market scenarios, and compare the resulting optimized ICPH plants with co-located hybrid plants. Independent of the three feed-in tariffs that have been assumed, the ICPH plant shows an electricity cost advantage of almost 20% while maintaining a high degree of flexibility in power dispatch as it is characteristic for CSP power plants. As all components of such an innovative concept are well proven, the system is ready for commercial market implementation. A first project is already contracted and in early engineering execution.
In order to realistically predict and optimize the actual performance of a concentrating solar power (CSP) plant sophisticated simulation models and methods are required. This paper presents a detailed dynamic simulation model for a Molten Salt Solar Tower (MST) system, which is capable of simulating transient operation including detailed startup and shutdown procedures including drainage and refill. For appropriate representation of the transient behavior of the receiver as well as replication of local bulk and surface temperatures a discretized receiver model based on a novel homogeneous two-phase (2P) flow modelling approach is implemented in Modelica Dymola®. This allows for reasonable representation of the very different hydraulic and thermal properties of molten salt versus air as well as the transition between both. This dynamic 2P receiver model is embedded in a comprehensive one-dimensional model of a commercial scale MST system and coupled with a transient receiver flux density distribution from raytracing based heliostat field simulation. This enables for detailed process prediction with reasonable computational effort, while providing data such as local salt film and wall temperatures, realistic control behavior as well as net performance of the overall system. Besides a model description, this paper presents some results of a validation as well as the simulation of a complete startup procedure. Finally, a study on numerical simulation performance and grid dependencies is presented and discussed.
Despite the challenges of pioneering molten salt towers (MST), it remains the leading technology in central receiver power plants today, thanks to cost effective storage integration and high cost reduction potential. The limited controllability in volatile solar conditions can cause significant losses, which are difficult to estimate without comprehensive modeling [1]. This paper presents a Methodology to generate predictions of the dynamic behavior of the receiver system as part of an operating assistance system (OAS). Based on this, it delivers proposals if and when to drain and refill the receiver during a cloudy period in order maximize the net yield and quantifies the amount of net electricity gained by this. After prior analysis with a detailed dynamic two-phase model of the entire receiver system, two different reduced modeling approaches where developed and implemented in the OAS. A tailored decision algorithm utilizes both models to deliver the desired predictions efficiently and with appropriate accuracy.
The integration of high temperature thermal energy storages into existing conventional power plants can help to reduce the CO2 emissions of those plants and lead to lower capital expenditures for building energy storage systems, due to the use of synergy effects [1]. One possibility to implement that, is a molten salt storage system with a powerful power-to-heat unit. This paper presents two possible control concepts for the startup of the charging system of such a facility. The procedures are implemented in a detailed dynamic process model. The performance and safety regarding the film temperatures at heat transmitting surfaces are investigated in the process simulations. To improve the accuracy in predicting the film temperatures, CFD simulations of the electrical heater are carried out and the results are merged with the dynamic model. The results show that both investigated control concepts are safe regarding the temperature limits. The gradient controlled startup performed better than the temperature-controlled startup. Nevertheless, there are several uncertainties that need to be investigated further.
Residential and commercial buildings account for more than one-third of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Integrated multi-energy systems at the district level are a promising way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by exploiting economies of scale and synergies between energy sources. Planning district energy systems comes with many challenges in an ever-changing environment. Computational modelling established itself as the state-of-the-art method for district energy system planning. Unfortunately, it is still cumbersome to combine standalone models to generate insights that surpass their original purpose. Ideally, planning processes could be solved by using modular tools that easily incorporate the variety of competing and complementing computational models. Our contribution is a vision for a collaborative development and application platform for multi-energy system planning tools at the district level. We present challenges of district energy system planning identified in the literature and evaluate whether this platform can help to overcome these challenges. Further, we propose a toolkit that represents the core technical elements of the platform. Lastly, we discuss community management and its relevance for the success of projects with collaboration and knowledge sharing at their core.
Analyzing electroencephalographic (EEG) time series can be challenging, especially with deep neural networks, due to the large variability among human subjects and often small datasets. To address these challenges, various strategies, such as self-supervised learning, have been suggested, but they typically rely on extensive empirical datasets. Inspired by recent advances in computer vision, we propose a pretraining task termed "frequency pretraining" to pretrain a neural network for sleep staging by predicting the frequency content of randomly generated synthetic time series. Our experiments demonstrate that our method surpasses fully supervised learning in scenarios with limited data and few subjects, and matches its performance in regimes with many subjects. Furthermore, our results underline the relevance of frequency information for sleep stage scoring, while also demonstrating that deep neural networks utilize information beyond frequencies to enhance sleep staging performance, which is consistent with previous research. We anticipate that our approach will be advantageous across a broad spectrum of applications where EEG data is limited or derived from a small number of subjects, including the domain of brain-computer interfaces.
A promising approach to reduce the system costs of molten salt solar receivers is to enable the irradiation of the absorber tubes on both sides. The star design is an innovative receiver design, pursuing this approach. The unconventional design leads to new challenges in controlling the system. This paper presents a control concept for a molten salt receiver system in star design. The control parameters are optimized in a defined test cycle by minimizing a cost function. The control concept is tested in realistic cloud passage scenarios based on real weather data. During these tests, the control system showed no sign of unstable behavior, but to perform sufficiently in every scenario further research and development like integrating Model Predictive Controls (MPCs) need to be done. The presented concept is a starting point to do so.
Concerning current efforts to improve operational efficiency and to lower overall costs of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants with prediction-based algorithms, this study investigates the quality and uncertainty of nowcasting data regarding the implications for process predictions. DNI (direct normal irradiation) maps from an all-sky imager-based nowcasting system are applied to a dynamic prediction model coupled with ray tracing. The results underline the need for high-resolution DNI maps in order to predict net yield and receiver outlet temperature realistically. Furthermore, based on a statistical uncertainty analysis, a correlation is developed, which allows for predicting the uncertainty of the net power prediction based on the corresponding DNI forecast uncertainty. However, the study reveals significant prediction errors and the demand for further improvement in the accuracy at which local shadings are forecasted.
This work presents a basic forecast tool for predicting direct normal irradiance (DNI) in hourly resolution, which the Solar-Institut Jülich (SIJ) is developing within a research project. The DNI forecast data shall be used for a parabolic trough collector (PTC) system with a concrete thermal energy storage (C-TES) located at the company KEAN Soft Drinks Ltd in Limassol, Cyprus. On a daily basis, 24-hour DNI prediction data in hourly resolution shall be automatically produced using free or very low-cost weather forecast data as input. The purpose of the DNI forecast tool is to automatically transfer the DNI forecast data on a daily basis to a main control unit (MCU). The MCU automatically makes a smart decision on the operation mode of the PTC system such as steam production mode and/or C-TES charging mode. The DNI forecast tool was evaluated using historical data of measured DNI from an on-site weather station, which was compared to the DNI forecast data. The DNI forecast tool was tested using data from 56 days between January and March 2022, which included days with a strong variation in DNI due to cloud passages. For the evaluation of the DNI forecast reliability, three categories were created and the forecast data was sorted accordingly. The result was that the DNI forecast tool has a reliability of 71.4 % based on the tested days. The result fulfils SIJ’s aim to achieve a reliability of around 70 %, but SIJ aims to still improve the DNI forecast quality.
In this work, three patent pending calibration methods for heliostat fields of central receiver systems (CRS) developed by the Solar-Institut Jülich (SIJ) of the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences are presented. The calibration methods can either operate in a combined mode or in stand-alone mode. The first calibration method, method A, foresees that a camera matrix is placed into the receiver plane where it is subjected to concentrated solar irradiance during a measurement process. The second calibration method, method B, uses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) such as a quadrocopter to automatically fly into the reflected solar irradiance cross-section of one or more heliostats (two variants of method B were tested). The third calibration method, method C, foresees a stereo central camera or multiple stereo cameras installed e.g. on the solar tower whereby the orientations of the heliostats are calculated from the location detection of spherical red markers attached to the heliostats. The most accurate method is method A which has a mean accuracy of 0.17 mrad. The mean accuracy of method B variant 1 is 1.36 mrad and of variant 2 is 1.73 mrad. Method C has a mean accuracy of 15.07 mrad. For method B there is great potential regarding improving the measurement accuracy. For method C the collected data was not sufficient for determining whether or not there is potential for improving the accuracy.
The so-called "compound solar sail", also known as "Solar Photon Thruster" (SPT), is a solar sail design concept, for which the two basic functions of the solar sail, namely light collection and thrust direction, are uncoupled. In this paper, we introduce a novel SPT concept, termed the Advanced Solar Photon Thruster (ASPT). This model does not suffer from the simplified assumptions that have been made for the analysis of compound solar sails in previous studies. We present the equations that describe the force, which acts on the ASPT. After a detailed design analysis, the performance of the ASPT with respect to the conventional flat solar sail (FSS) is investigated for three interplanetary mission scenarios: An Earth-Venus rendezvous, where the solar sail has to spiral towards the Sun, an Earth-Mars rendezvous, where the solar sail has to spiral away from the Sun, and an Earth-NEA rendezvous (to near-Earth asteroid 1996FG3), where a large orbital eccentricity change is required. The investigated solar sails have realistic near-term characteristic accelerations between 0.1 and 0.2mm/s2. Our results show that a SPT is not superior to the flat solar sail unless very idealistic assumptions are made.
The so-called "compound solar sail", also known as "Solar Photon Thruster" (SPT), holds the potential of providing significant performance advantages over the flat solar sail. Previous SPT design concepts, however, do not consider shadowing effects and multiple reflections of highly concentrated solar radiation that would inevitably destroy the gossamer sail film. In this paper, we propose a novel advanced SPT (ASPT) design concept that does not suffer from these oversimplifications. We present the equations that describe the thrust force acting on such a sail system and compare its performance with respect to the conventional flat solar sail.
Prolonged operations close to small solar system bodies require a sophisticated control logic to minimize propellant mass and maximize operational efficiency. A control logic based on Discrete Mechanics and Optimal Control (DMOC) is proposed and applied to both conventionally propelled and solar sail spacecraft operating at an arbitrarily shaped asteroid in the class of Itokawa. As an example, stand-off inertial hovering is considered, recently identified as a challenging part of the Marco Polo mission. The approach is easily extended to stand-off orbits. We show that DMOC is applicable to spacecraft control at small objects, in particular with regard to the fact that the changes in gravity are exploited by the algorithm to optimally control the spacecraft position. Furthermore, we provide some remarks on promising developments.
The feasibility study presents results of a hydrogen combustor integration for a Medium-Range aircraft engine using the Dry-Low-NOₓ Micromix combustion principle. Based on a simplified Airbus A320-type flight mission, a thermodynamic performance model of a kerosene and a hydrogen-powered V2530-A5 engine is used to derive the thermodynamic combustor boundary conditions. A new combustor design using the Dry-Low NOx Micromix principle is investigated by slice model CFD simulations of a single Micromix injector for design and off-design operation of the engine. Combustion characteristics show typical Micromix flame shapes and good combustion efficiencies for all flight mission operating points. Nitric oxide emissions are significant below ICAO CAEP/8 limits. For comparison of the Emission Index (EI) for NOₓ emissions between kerosene and hydrogen operation, an energy (kerosene) equivalent Emission Index is used.
A full 15° sector model CFD simulation of the combustion chamber with multiple Micromix injectors including inflow homogenization and dilution and cooling air flows investigates the combustor integration effects, resulting NOₓ emission and radial temperature distributions at the combustor outlet. The results show that the integration of a Micromix hydrogen combustor in actual aircraft engines is feasible and offers, besides CO₂ free combustion, a significant reduction of NOₓ emissions compared to kerosene operation.
The growing body of political texts opens up new opportunities for rich insights into political dynamics and ideologies but also increases the workload for manual analysis. Automated speaker attribution, which detects who said what to whom in a speech event and is closely related to semantic role labeling, is an important processing step for computational text analysis. We study the potential of the large language model family Llama 2 to automate speaker attribution in German parliamentary debates from 2017-2021. We fine-tune Llama 2 with QLoRA, an efficient training strategy, and observe our approach to achieve competitive performance in the GermEval 2023 Shared Task On Speaker Attribution in German News Articles and Parliamentary Debates. Our results shed light on the capabilities of large language models in automating speaker attribution, revealing a promising avenue for computational analysis of political discourse and the development of semantic role labeling systems.
In this paper, the use of reinforcement learning (RL) in control systems is investigated using a rotatory inverted pendulum as an example. The control behavior of an RL controller is compared to that of traditional LQR and MPC controllers. This is done by evaluating their behavior under optimal conditions, their disturbance behavior, their robustness and their development process. All the investigated controllers are developed using MATLAB and the Simulink simulation environment and later deployed to a real pendulum model powered by a Raspberry Pi. The RL algorithm used is Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO). The LQR controller exhibits an easy development process, an average to good control behavior and average to good robustness. A linear MPC controller could show excellent results under optimal operating conditions. However, when subjected to disturbances or deviations from the equilibrium point, it showed poor performance and sometimes instable behavior. Employing a nonlinear MPC Controller in real time was not possible due to the high computational effort involved. The RL controller exhibits by far the most versatile and robust control behavior. When operated in the simulation environment, it achieved a high control accuracy. When employed in the real system, however, it only shows average accuracy and a significantly greater performance loss compared to the simulation than the traditional controllers. With MATLAB, it is not yet possible to directly post-train the RL controller on the Raspberry Pi, which is an obstacle to the practical application of RL in a prototyping or teaching setting. Nevertheless, RL in general proves to be a flexible and powerful control method, which is well suited for complex or nonlinear systems where traditional controllers struggle.
In order to reduce energy consumption of homes, it is important to make transparent which devices consume how much energy. However, power consumption is often only monitored aggregated at the house energy meter. Disaggregating this power consumption into the contributions of individual devices can be achieved using Machine Learning. Our work aims at making state of the art disaggregation algorithms accessibe for users of the open source home automation platform Home Assistant.
With proven impact of statistical fracture analysis on fracture classifications, it is desirable to minimize the manual work and to maximize repeatability of this approach. We address this with an algorithm that reduces the manual effort to segmentation, fragment identification and reduction. The fracture edge detection and heat map generation are performed automatically. With the same input, the algorithm always delivers the same output. The tool transforms one intact template consecutively onto each fractured specimen by linear least square optimization, detects the fragment edges in the template and then superimposes them to generate a fracture probability heat map.
We hypothesized that the algorithm runs faster than the manual evaluation and with low (< 5 mm) deviation. We tested the hypothesis in 10 fractured proximal humeri and found that it performs with good accuracy (2.5 mm ± 2.4 mm averaged Euclidean distance) and speed (23 times faster). When applied to a distal humerus, a tibia plateau, and a scaphoid fracture, the run times were low (1–2 min), and the detected edges correct by visual judgement. In the geometrically complex acetabulum, at a run time of 78 min some outliers were considered acceptable. An automatically generated fracture probability heat map based on 50 proximal humerus fractures matches the areas of high risk of fracture reported in medical literature.
Such automation of the fracture analysis method is advantageous and could be extended to reduce the manual effort even further.
Muscle function is compromised by gravitational unloading in space affecting overall musculoskeletal health. Astronauts perform daily exercise programmes to mitigate these effects but knowing which muscles to target would optimise effectiveness. Accurate inflight assessment to inform exercise programmes is critical due to lack of technologies suitable for spaceflight. Changes in mechanical properties indicate muscle health status and can be measured rapidly and non-invasively using novel technology. A hand-held MyotonPRO device enabled monitoring of muscle health for the first time in spaceflight (> 180 days). Greater/maintained stiffness indicated countermeasures were effective. Tissue stiffness was preserved in the majority of muscles (neck, shoulder, back, thigh) but Tibialis Anterior (foot lever muscle) stiffness decreased inflight vs. preflight (p < 0.0001; mean difference 149 N/m) in all 12 crewmembers. The calf muscles showed opposing effects, Gastrocnemius increasing in stiffness Soleus decreasing. Selective stiffness decrements indicate lack of preservation despite daily inflight countermeasures. This calls for more targeted exercises for lower leg muscles with vital roles as ankle joint stabilizers and in gait. Muscle stiffness is a digital biomarker for risk monitoring during future planetary explorations (Moon, Mars), for healthcare management in challenging environments or clinical disorders in people on Earth, to enable effective tailored exercise programmes.
Since fluid-structure interaction within the finite-element method is state of the art in many engineering fields, this method is used in voice analysis. A quasi two-dimensional model of the vocal folds including the ventricular folds is presented. First results of self-sustained vocal fold oscillation are presented and possibilities as well as limitations are discussed.
The sandfish (Scincus scincus) is a lizard having the remarkable ability to move through desert sand for significant distances. It is well adapted to living in loose sand by virtue of a combination of morphological and behavioural specializations. We investigated the bodyform of the sandfish using 3D-laserscanning and explored its locomotion in loose desert sand using fast nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging. The sandfish exhibits an in-plane meandering motion with a frequency of about 3 Hz and an amplitude of about half its body length accompanied by swimming-like (or trotting) movements of its limbs. No torsion of the body was observed, a movement required for a digging-behaviour. Simple calculations based on the Janssen model for granular material related to our findings on bodyform and locomotor behaviour render a local decompaction of the sand surrounding the moving sandfish very likely. Thus the sand locally behaves as a viscous fluid and not as a solid material. In this fluidised sand the sandfish is able to “swim” using its limbs.
Advances in polymer science have significantly increased polymer applications in life sciences. We report the use of free-standing, ultra-thin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes, called CellDrum, as cell culture substrates for an in vitro wound model. Dermal fibroblast monolayers from 28- and 88-year-old donors were cultured on CellDrums. By using stainless steel balls, circular cell-free areas were created in the cell layer (wounding). Sinusoidal strain of 1 Hz, 5% strain, was applied to membranes for 30 min in 4 sessions. The gap circumference and closure rate of un-stretched samples (controls) and stretched samples were monitored over 4 days to investigate the effects of donor age and mechanical strain on wound closure. A significant decrease in gap circumference and an increase in gap closure rate were observed in trained samples from younger donors and control samples from older donors. In contrast, a significant decrease in gap closure rate and an increase in wound circumference were observed in the trained samples from older donors. Through these results, we propose the model of a cell monolayer on stretchable CellDrums as a practical tool for wound healing research. The combination of biomechanical cell loading in conjunction with analyses such as gene/protein expression seems promising beyond the scope published here.
Objective: As high-field cardiac MRI (CMR) becomes more widespread the propensity of ECG to interference from electromagnetic fields (EMF) and to magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) effects increases and with it the motivation for a CMR triggering alternative. This study explores the suitability of acoustic cardiac triggering (ACT) for left ventricular (LV) function assessment in healthy subjects (n=14). Methods: Quantitative analysis of 2D CINE steady-state free precession (SSFP) images was conducted to compare ACT’s performance with vector ECG (VCG). Endocardial border sharpness (EBS) was examined paralleled by quantitative LV function assessment. Results: Unlike VCG, ACT provided signal traces free of interference from EMF or MHD effects. In the case of correct Rwave recognition, VCG-triggered 2D CINE SSFP was immune to cardiac motion effects—even at 3.0 T. However, VCG-triggered 2D SSFP CINE imaging was prone to cardiac motion and EBS degradation if R-wave misregistration occurred. ACT-triggered acquisitions yielded LV parameters (end-diastolic volume (EDV), endsystolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF) and left ventricular mass (LVM)) comparable with those derived fromVCG-triggered acquisitions (1.5 T: ESVVCG=(56± 17) ml, EDVVCG=(151±32)ml, LVMVCG=(97±27) g, SVVCG=(94± 19)ml, EFVCG=(63±5)% cf. ESVACT= (56±18) ml, EDVACT=(147±36) ml, LVMACT=(102±29) g, SVACT=(91± 22) ml, EFACT=(62±6)%; 3.0 T: ESVVCG=(55±21) ml, EDVVCG=(151±32) ml, LVMVCG=(101±27) g, SVVCG=(96±15) ml, EFVCG=(65±7)% cf. ESVACT=(54±20) ml, EDVACT=(146±35) ml, LVMACT= (101±30) g, SVACT=(92±17) ml, EFACT=(64±6)%). Conclusions: ACT’s intrinsic insensitivity to interference from electromagnetic fields renders
This paper describes the procedure on the evaluation of the masonry chapter for the next generation of Eurocode 8, the European Standard for earthquake-resistant design. In CEN, TC 250/SC8, working group WG 1 has been established to support the subcommittee on the topic of masonry on both design of new structures (EN1998-1) and assessment of existing structures (EN1998-3). The aim is to elaborate suggestions for amendments which fit the current state of the art in masonry and earthquake-resistant design. Focus will be on modelling, simplified methods, linear-analysis (q-values, overstrength-values), nonlinear procedures, out-of-plane design as well as on clearer definition of limit states. Beside these, topics related to general material properties, reinforced masonry, confined masonry, mixed structures and non-structural infills will be covered too. This paper presents the preliminary work and results up to the submission date.
This paper proposes a quick and simplified method to describe masonry vaults in global seismic analyses of buildings. An equivalent macro-element constituted by a set of six trusses, two for each transverse, longitudinal and diagonal direction, is introduced. The equivalent trusses, whose stiffness is calculated by fully modeled vaults of different geometry, mechanical properties and boundary conditions, simulate the vault in both global analysis and local analysis, such as kinematic or rocking approaches. A parametric study was carried out to investigate the influence of geometrical characteristics and mechanical features on the equivalent stiffness values. The method was numerically validated by performing modal and transient analysis on a three naves-church in the elastic range. Vibration modes and displacement time-histories were compared showing satisfying agreement between the complete and the simplified models. This procedure is particularly useful in engineering practice because it allows to assess, in a simplified way, the effectiveness of strengthening interventions for reducing horizontal relative displacements between vault supports.
Damage of reinforced concrete (RC) frames with masonry infill walls has been observed after many earthquakes. Brittle behaviour of the masonry infills in combination with the ductile behaviour of the RC frames makes infill walls prone to damage during earthquakes. Interstory deformations lead to an interaction between the infill and the RC frame, which affects the structural response. The result of this interaction is significant damage to the infill wall and sometimes to the surrounding structural system too. In most design codes, infill walls are considered as non-structural elements and neglected in the design process, because taking into account the infills and considering the interaction between frame and infill in software packages can be complicated and impractical. A good way to avoid negative aspects arising from this behavior is to ensure no or low-interaction of the frame and infill wall, for instance by decoupling the infill from the frame. This paper presents the numerical study performed to investigate new connection system called INODIS (Innovative Decoupled Infill System) for decoupling infill walls from surrounding frame with the aim to postpone infill activation to high interstory drifts thus reducing infill/frame interaction and minimizing damage to both infills and frames. The experimental results are first used for calibration and validation of the numerical model, which is then employed for investigating the influence of the material parameters as well as infill’s and frame’s geometry on the in-plane behaviour of the infilled frames with the INODIS system. For all the investigated situations, simulation results show significant improvements in behaviour for decoupled infilled RC frames in comparison to the traditionally infilled frames.
This easy-to-understand introduction to SAP S/4HANA guides you through the central processes in sales, purchasing and procurement, finance, production, and warehouse management using the model company Global Bike. Familiarize yourself with the basics of business administration, the relevant organizational data, master data, and transactional data, as well as a selection of core business processes in SAP. Using practical examples and tutorials, you will soon become an SAP S/4HANA professional!
Tutorials and exercises for beginners, advanced users, and experts make it easy for you to practice your new knowledge. The prerequisite for this book is access to an SAP S/4HANA client with Global Bike version 4.1.
- Business fundamentals and processes in the SAP system
- Sales, purchasing and procurement, production, finance, and warehouse management
- Tutorials at different qualification levels, exercises, and recap of case studies
- Includes extensive download material for students, lecturers, and professors
This study presents the concept of AstroBioLab, an autonomous astrobiological field laboratory tailored for the exploration of (sub)glacial habitats. AstroBioLab is an integral component of the TRIPLE (Technologies for Rapid Ice Penetration and subglacial Lake Exploration) DLR-funded project, aimed at advancing astrobiology research through the development and deployment of innovative technologies. AstroBioLab integrates diverse measurement techniques such as fluorescence microscopy, DNA sequencing and fluorescence spectrometry, while leveraging microfluidics for efficient sample delivery and preparation.
Humic substances possess distinctive chemical features enabling their use in many advanced applications, including biomedical fields. No chemicals in nature have the same combination of specific chemical and biological properties as humic substances. Traditional medicine and modern research have demonstrated that humic substances from different sources possess immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, which makes them suitable for the prevention and treatment of chronic dermatoses, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and other conditions characterized by inflammatory and allergic responses [1-4]. The use of humic compounds as agentswith antifungal and antiviral properties shows great potential [5-7].
Pulmonary arterial cannulation is a common and effective method for percutaneous mechanical circulatory support for concurrent right heart and respiratory failure [1]. However, limited data exists to what effect the positioning of the cannula has on the oxygen perfusion throughout the pulmonary artery (PA). This study aims to evaluate, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the effect of different cannula positions in the PA with respect to the oxygenation of the different branching vessels in order for an optimal cannula position to be determined. The four chosen different positions (see Fig. 1) of the cannulas are, in the lower part of the main pulmonary artery (MPA), in the MPA at the junction between the right pulmonary artery (RPA) and the left pulmonary artery (LPA), in the RPA at the first branch of the RPA and in the LPA at the first branch of the LPA.
Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) are investigated with great interest for biomedical applications in diagnostics (e.g. imaging: magnetic particle imaging (MPI)), therapeutics (e.g. hyperthermia: magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH)) and multi-purpose biosensing (e.g. magnetic immunoassays (MIA)). What all of these applications have in common is that they are based on the unique magnetic relaxation mechanisms of MNP in an alternating magnetic field (AMF). While MFH and MPI are currently the most prominent examples of biomedical applications, here we present results on the relatively new biosensing application of frequency mixing magnetic detection (FMMD) from a simulation perspective. In general, we ask how the key parameters of MNP (core size and magnetic anisotropy) affect the FMMD signal: by varying the core size, we investigate the effect of the magnetic volume per MNP; and by changing the effective magnetic anisotropy, we study the MNPs’ flexibility to leave its preferred magnetization direction. From this, we predict the most effective combination of MNP core size and magnetic anisotropy for maximum signal generation.
Aircraft configurations with propellers have been drawing more attention in recent times, partly due to new propulsion concepts based on hydrogen fuel cells and electric motors. These configurations are prone to whirl flutter, which is an aeroelastic instability affecting airframes with elastically supported propellers. It commonly needs to be mitigated already during the design phase of such configurations, requiring, among other things, unsteady aerodynamic transfer functions for the propeller. However, no comprehensive assessment of unsteady propeller aerodynamics for aeroelastic analysis is available in the literature. This paper provides a detailed comparison of nine different low- to mid-fidelity aerodynamic methods, demonstrating their impact on linear, unsteady aerodynamics, as well as whirl flutter stability prediction. Quasi-steady and unsteady methods for blade lift with or without coupling to blade element momentum theory are evaluated and compared to mid-fidelity potential flow solvers (UPM and DUST) and classical, derivative-based methods. Time-domain identification of frequency-domain transfer functions for the unsteady propeller hub loads is used to compare the different methods. Predictions of the minimum required pylon stiffness for stability show good agreement among the mid-fidelity methods. The differences in the stability predictions for the low-fidelity methods are higher. Most methods studied yield a more unstable system than classical, derivative-based whirl flutter analysis, indicating that the use of more sophisticated aerodynamic modeling techniques might be required for accurate whirl flutter prediction.
Landslides, rock falls or related subaerial and subaqueous mass slides can generate devastating impulse waves in adjacent waterbodies. Such waves can occur in lakes and fjords, or due to glacier calving in bays or at steep ocean coastlines. Infrastructure and residential houses along coastlines of those waterbodies are often situated on low elevation terrain, and are potentially at risk from inundation. Impulse waves, running up a uniform slope and generating an overland flow over an initially dry adjacent horizontal plane, represent a frequently found scenario, which needs to be better understood for disaster planning and mitigation. This study presents a novel set of large-scale flume test focusing on solitary waves propagating over a 1:14.5 slope and breaking onto a horizontal section. Examining the characteristics of overland flow, this study gives, for the first time, insight into the fundamental process of overland flow of a broken solitary wave: its shape and celerity, as well as its momentum when wave breaking has taken place beforehand.
Motile cilia are hair-like cell extensions present in multiple organs of the body. How cilia coordinate their regular beat in multiciliated epithelia to move fluids remains insufficiently understood, particularly due to lack of rigorous quantification. We combine here experiments, novel analysis tools, and theory to address this knowledge gap. We investigate collective dynamics of cilia in the zebrafish nose, due to its conserved properties with other ciliated tissues and its superior accessibility for non-invasive imaging. We revealed that cilia are synchronized only locally and that the size of local synchronization domains increases with the viscosity of the surrounding medium. Despite the fact that synchronization is local only, we observed global patterns of traveling metachronal waves across the multiciliated epithelium. Intriguingly, these global wave direction patterns are conserved across individual fish, but different for left and right nose, unveiling a chiral asymmetry of metachronal coordination. To understand the implications of synchronization for fluid pumping, we used a computational model of a regular array of cilia. We found that local metachronal synchronization prevents steric collisions and improves fluid pumping in dense cilia carpets, but hardly affects the direction of fluid flow. In conclusion, we show that local synchronization together with tissue-scale cilia alignment are sufficient to generate metachronal wave patterns in multiciliated epithelia, which enhance their physiological function of fluid pumping.
N-Acyl-amino acids can act as mild biobased surfactants, which are used, e.g., in baby shampoos. However, their chemical synthesis needs acyl chlorides and does not meet sustainability criteria. Thus, the identification of biocatalysts to develop greener synthesis routes is desirable. We describe a novel aminoacylase from Paraburkholderia monticola DSM 100849 (PmAcy) which was identified, cloned, and evaluated for its N-acyl-amino acid synthesis potential. Soluble protein was obtained by expression in lactose autoinduction medium and co-expression of molecular chaperones GroEL/S. Strep-tag affinity purification enriched the enzyme 16-fold and yielded 15 mg pure enzyme from 100 mL of culture. Biochemical characterization revealed that PmAcy possesses beneficial traits for industrial application like high temperature and pH-stability. A heat activation of PmAcy was observed upon incubation at temperatures up to 80 °C. Hydrolytic activity of PmAcy was detected with several N-acyl-amino acids as substrates and exhibited the highest conversion rate of 773 U/mg with N-lauroyl-L-alanine at 75 °C. The enzyme preferred long-chain acyl-amino-acids and displayed hardly any activity with acetyl-amino acids. PmAcy was also capable of N-acyl-amino acid synthesis with good conversion rates. The best synthesis results were obtained with the cationic L-amino acids L-arginine and L-lysine as well as with L-leucine and L-phenylalanine. Exemplarily, L-phenylalanine was acylated with fatty acids of chain lengths from C8 to C18 with conversion rates of up to 75%. N-lauroyl-L-phenylalanine was purified by precipitation, and the structure of the reaction product was verified by LC–MS and NMR.
During rapid deceleration of the body, tendons buffer part of the elongation of the muscle-tendon unit (MTU), enabling safe energy dissipation via eccentric muscle contraction. Yet, the influence of changes in tendon stiffness within the physiological range upon these lengthening contractions is unknown. This study aimed to examine the effect of training-induced stiffening of the Achilles tendon on triceps surae muscle-tendon behavior during a landing task. Twenty-one male subjects were assigned to either a 10-week resistance-training program consisting of single-leg isometric plantarflexion (n = 11) or to a non-training control group (n = 10). Before and after the training period, plantarflexion force, peak Achilles tendon strain and stiffness were measured during isometric contractions, using a combination of dynamometry, ultrasound and kinematics data. Additionally, testing included a step-landing task, during which joint mechanics and lengths of gastrocnemius and soleus fascicles, Achilles tendon, and MTU were determined using synchronized ultrasound, kinematics and kinetics data collection. After training, plantarflexion strength and Achilles tendon stiffness increased (15 and 18%, respectively), and tendon strain during landing remained similar. Likewise, lengthening and negative work produced by the gastrocnemius MTU did not change detectably. However, in the training group, gastrocnemius fascicle length was offset (8%) to a longer length at touch down and, surprisingly, fascicle lengthening and velocity were reduced by 27 and 21%, respectively. These changes were not observed for soleus fascicles when accounting for variation in task execution between tests. These results indicate that a training-induced increase in tendon stiffness does not noticeably affect the buffering action of the tendon when the MTU is rapidly stretched. Reductions in gastrocnemius fascicle lengthening and lengthening velocity during landing occurred independently from tendon strain. Future studies are required to provide insight into the mechanisms underpinning these observations and their influence on energy dissipation.
This study describes the development of a new combined polysaccharide-matrix-based technology for the immobilization of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) bacteria in biofilm form. The new composition allows for delivering the bacteria to the digestive tract in a manner that improves their robustness compared with planktonic cells and released biofilm cells. Granules consisting of a polysaccharide matrix with probiotic biofilms (PMPB) with high cell density (>9 log CFU/g) were obtained by immobilization in the optimized nutrient medium. Successful probiotic loading was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The developed prebiotic polysaccharide matrix significantly enhanced LGG viability under acidic (pH 2.0) and bile salt (0.3%) stress conditions. Enzymatic extract of feces, mimicking colon fluid in terms of cellulase activity, was used to evaluate the intestinal release of probiotics. PMPB granules showed the ability to gradually release a large number of viable LGG cells in the model colon fluid. In vivo, the oral administration of PMPB granules in rats resulted in the successful release of probiotics in the colon environment. The biofilm-forming incubation method of immobilization on a complex polysaccharide matrix tested in this study has shown high efficacy and promising potential for the development of innovative biotechnologies.
Comparison of different training algorithms for the leg extension training with an industrial robot
(2018)
In the past, different training scenarios have been developed and implemented on robotic research platforms, but no systematic analysis and comparison have been done so far. This paper deals with the comparison of an isokinematic (motion with constant velocity) and an isotonic (motion against constant weight) training algorithm. Both algorithms are designed for a robotic research platform consisting of a 3D force plate and a high payload industrial robot, which allows leg extension training with arbitrary six-dimensional motion trajectories. In the isokinematic as well as the isotonic training algorithm, individual paths are defined i n C artesian s pace by sufficient s upport p oses. I n t he i sotonic t raining s cenario, the trajectory is adapted to the measured force as the robot should only move along the trajectory as long as the force applied by the user exceeds a minimum threshold. In the isotonic training scenario however, the robot’s acceleration is a function of the force applied by the user. To validate these findings, a simulative experiment with a simple linear trajectory is performed. For this purpose, the same force path is applied in both training scenarios. The results illustrate that the algorithms differ in the force dependent trajectory adaption.
Training-induced increase in Achilles tendon stiffness affects tendon strain pattern during running
(2019)
Background
During the stance phase of running, the elasticity of the Achilles tendon enables the utilisation of elastic energy and allows beneficial contractile conditions for the triceps surae muscles. However, the effect of changes in tendon mechanical properties induced by chronic loading is still poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that a training-induced increase in Achilles tendon stiffness would result in reduced tendon strain during the stance phase of running, which would reduce fascicle strains in the triceps surae muscles, particularly in the mono-articular soleus.
Methods
Eleven subjects were assigned to a training group performing isometric singleleg plantarflexion contractions three times per week for ten weeks, and another ten subjects formed a control group. Before and after the training period, Achilles tendon stiffness was estimated, and muscle-tendon mechanics were assessed during running at preferred speed using ultrasonography, kinematics and kinetics.
Results
Achilles tendon stiffness increased by 18% (P <0:01) in the training group, but the associated reduction in strain seen during isometric contractions was not statistically significant. Tendon elongation during the stance phase of running was similar after training, but tendon recoil was reduced by 30% (P <0:01), while estimated tendon force remained unchanged. Neither gastrocnemius medialis nor soleus fascicle shortening during stance was affected by training.
Discussion
These results show that a training-induced increase in Achilles tendon
stiffness altered tendon behaviour during running. Despite training-induced changes in tendon mechanical properties and recoil behaviour, the data suggest that fascicle shortening patterns were preserved for the running speed that we examined. The asymmetrical changes in tendon strain patterns supports the notion that simple inseries models do not fully explain the mechanical output of the muscle-tendon unit during a complex task like running.
The MYOTONES experiment is the first to monitor changes in the basic biomechanical properties (tone, elasticity and stiffness) of the resting human myofascial system due to microgravity with a oninvasive, portable device on board the ISS. The MyotonPRO device applies several brief mechanical stimuli to the surface of the skin, and the natural oscillation signals of the tissue beneath are detected and computed by the MyotonPRO. Thus, an objective, quick and easy determination of the state of the underlying tissue is possible.
Two preflight, four inflight and four post flight measurements were performed on a male astronaut using the same 10 measurement points (MP) for each session. MPs were located on the plantar fascia, Achilles tendon, M. soleus, M. gastrocnemius, M. multifidus, M. splenius capitis, M. deltoideus anterior, M. rectus femoris, infrapatellar tendon, M. tibialis anterior. Subcutaneous tissues thickness above the MPs was measured using ultrasound imaging. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of lower limb muscles and functional tests were also performed pre- and postflight.
Our first measurements on board the ISS confirmed increased tone and stiffness of the lumbar multifidus muscle, an important trunk stabilizer, dysfunction of which is known to be associated with back pain. Furthermore, reduced tone and stiffness of Achilles tendon and plantar fascia were observed inflight vs. preflight, confirming previous findings from terrestrial analog studies and parabolic
flights. Unexpectedly, the deltoid showed negative inflight changes in tone and stiffness, and increased elasticity, suggesting a potential risk of muscle atrophy in longer spaceflight that should be addressed by adequate inflight countermeasure protocols. Most values from limb and back MPS showed deflected patterns (in either directions) from inflight shortly after the re-entry phase on the landing day and one week later. Most parameter values then normalized to baseline after 3 weeks likely due to 1G re-adaptation and possible outcome of the reconditioning protocol. No major changes in subcutaneous tissues thickness above the MPs were found inflight vs preflight, suggesting no bias (i.e., fluid shift, extreme tissue thickening or loss). Pre- and postflight MRI and functional tests showed negligible changes in calf muscle size, power and force, which is likely due to training effects from current inflight exercise protocols.
The MYOTONES experiment is currently ongoing to collect data from further crew members. The potential impact of this research is to better understand the effects of microgravity and countermeasures over the time course of an ISS mission cycle. This will enable exercise countermeasures to be tailored
By developing innovative solutions to social and environmental problems, sustainable ventures carry greatpotential. Entrepreneurship which focuses especially on new venture creation can be developed through education anduniversities, in particular, are called upon to provide an impetus for social change. But social innovations are associatedwith certain hurdles, which are related to the multi-dimensionality, i.e. the tension between creating social,environmental and economic value and dealing with a multiplicity of stakeholders. The already complex field ofentrepreneurship education has to face these challenges. This paper, therefore, aims to identify starting points for theintegration of sustainability into entrepreneurship education. To pursue this goal experiences from three differentproject initiatives between the partner universities: Lapland University of Applied Sciences, FH Aachen University ofApplied Sciences and Turiba University are reflected and findings are systematically condensed into recommendationsfor education on sustainable entrepreneurship.
Effective training requires high muscle forces potentially leading to training-induced injuries. Thus, continuous monitoring and controlling of the loadings applied to the musculoskeletal system along the motion trajectory is required. In this paper, a norm-optimal iterative learning control algorithm for the robot-assisted training is developed. The algorithm aims at minimizing the external knee joint moment, which is commonly used to quantify the loading of the medial compartment. To estimate the external knee joint moment, a musculoskeletal lower extremity model is implemented in OpenSim and coupled with a model of an industrial robot and a force plate mounted at its end-effector. The algorithm is tested in simulation for patients with varus, normal and valgus alignment of the knee. The results show that the algorithm is able to minimize the external knee joint moment in all three cases and converges after less than seven iterations.
Neuromuscular strength training of the leg extensor muscles plays an important role in the rehabilitation and prevention of age and wealth related diseases. In this paper, we focus on the design and implementation of a Cartesian admittance control scheme for isotonic training, i.e. leg extension and flexion against a predefined weight. For preliminary testing and validation of the designed algorithm an experimental research and development platform consisting of an
industrial robot and a force plate mounted at its end-effector has been used. Linear, diagonal and arbitrary two-dimensional motion trajectories with different weights for the leg extension and flexion part are applied. The proposed algorithm is easily adaptable to trajectories consisting of arbitrary six-dimensional poses and allows the implementation of individualized trajectories.
To prevent the reduction of muscle mass and loss of strength coming along with the human aging process, regular training with e.g. a leg press is suitable. However, the risk of training-induced injuries requires the continuous monitoring and controlling of the forces applied to the musculoskeletal system as well as the velocity along the motion trajectory and the range of motion. In this paper, an adaptive norm-optimal iterative learning control algorithm to minimize the knee joint loadings during the leg extension training with an industrial robot is proposed. The response of the algorithm is tested in simulation for patients with varus, normal and valgus alignment of the knee and compared to the results of a higher-order iterative learning control algorithm, a robust iterative learning control and a recently proposed conventional norm-optimal iterative learning control algorithm. Although significant improvements in performance are made compared to the conventional norm-optimal iterative learning control algorithm with a small learning factor, for the developed approach as well as the robust iterative learning control algorithm small steady state errors occur.
New European Union (EU) regulations for UAS operations require an operational risk analysis, which includes an estimation of the potential danger of the UAS crashing. A key parameter for the potential ground risk is the kinetic impact energy of the UAS. The kinetic energy depends on the impact velocity of the UAS and, therefore, on the aerodynamic drag and the weight during free fall. Hence, estimating the impact energy of a UAS requires an accurate drag estimation of the UAS in that state. The paper at hand presents the aerodynamic drag estimation of small-scale multirotor UAS. Multirotor UAS of various sizes and configurations were analysed with a fully unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes approach. These simulations included different velocities and various fuselage pitch angles of the UAS. The results were compared against force measurements performed in a subsonic wind tunnel and provided good consistency. Furthermore, the influence of the UAS`s fuselage pitch angle as well as the influence of fixed and free spinning propellers on the aerodynamic drag was analysed. Free spinning propellers may increase the drag by up to 110%, depending on the fuselage pitch angle. Increasing the fuselage pitch angle of the UAS lowers the drag by 40% up to 85%, depending on the UAS. The data presented in this paper allow for increased accuracy of ground risk assessments.
Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) patients have persistent functional deficits in the triceps surae muscle–tendon unit (MTU). The complex remodeling of the MTU accompanying these deficits remains poorly understood. The purpose of the present study was to associate in vivo and in silico data to investigate the relations between changes inMTU properties and strength deficits inATR patients. Methods: Elevenmale subjects who had undergone surgical repair of complete unilateral ATR were examined 4.6 ± 2.0 (mean ± SD) yr after rupture. Gastrocnemius medialis (GM) tendon stiffness, morphology, and muscle architecture were determined using ultrasonography. The force–length relation of the plantar flexor muscles was assessed at five ankle joint angles. In addition, simulations (OpenSim) of the GM MTU force–length properties were performed with various iterations of MTU properties found between the unaffected and the affected side. Results: The affected side of the patients displayed a longer, larger, and stiffer GM tendon (13% ± 10%, 105% ± 28%, and 54% ± 24%, respectively) compared with the unaffected side. The GM muscle fascicles of the affected side were shorter (32% ± 12%) and with greater pennation angles (31% ± 26%). A mean deficit in plantarflexion moment of 31% ± 10% was measured. Simulations indicate that pairing an intact muscle with a longer tendon shifts the optimal angular range of peak force outside physiological angular ranges, whereas the shorter muscle fascicles and tendon stiffening seen in the affected side decrease this shift, albeit incompletely. Conclusions: These results suggest that the substantial changes in MTU properties found in ATR patients may partly result from compensatory remodeling, although this process appears insufficient to fully restore muscle function.