Double grade – rakenneputkien puristuskestävyys

Double grade S420MH/S355J2H – rakenneputki on Ruukin kylmämuovattujen rakenneputkien vakioteräslaji. Se voidaan mitoittaa joko lujuusluokan S355 tai S420 mukaisesti. Teräslajin S355 mukaisesti mitoitettaessa on suunnittelu yksinkertaista. Painonsäästöä ja pidennettyjä jännevälejä haluttaessa käytetään lujuusluokan S420 mukaista mitoitusta. Työn tavoitteena oli selvittää kylmämuovattujen teräsrakenneputkien todellinen puristuskestävyys. Eurocode 3:n mukaan kylmämuovatut teräsrakenneputket kuuluvat nurjahduskäyrälle c. Tutkimukseen valittiin viisi eri profiilia olevaa rakenneputkea, joiden poikkileikkausluokat olivat 1, 2, 3 ja 4. Käytettäessä rakenneputkia puristussauvoina, on teräksen käyttö tehokkainta poikkileikkausluokassa 3, lähellä poikkileikkausluokkaa 4. Rakenneputkista laskettiin muunnetun hoikkuuden arvoilla 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 ja 1.5 koesauvojen pituudet kaikille profiileille. Valmistettiin kolme samanlaista koesauvaa jokaisesta koosta ja puristuskokeita suoritettiin yhteensä 57 kappaletta. Koesauvojen todelliset pituudet, alkukäyryydet ja poikkileikkaukset mitattiin. Ainestodistuksista saatiin materiaalin todelliset lujuudet. Laskettiin Eurocode 3:n mukaisesti kestävyydet nurjahduskäyrille a, b ja c. Laskennallisia kestävyyksiä verrattiin puristuskokeiden tuloksiin. Puristuskokeiden tulosten perusteella voidaan b-käyrää pitää oikeana profiileille 100x100x3, 150,150x5 ja 200x200x6. Profiili 150x150x5 kuuluu poikkileikkausluokkaan 2. Profiilit 100x100x3 ja 200x200x6 kuuluvat poikkileikkausluokkaan 4. Profiili 50x50x2 kuuluu nurjahduskäyrälle c. Profiilin poikkileikkausluokka on 1 ja aiemmat tutkimukset tukevat nurjahduskäyrän c käyttöä. Profiilista 300x300x8.8 ei saatu testattua täyttä sarjaa sen suuren kapasiteetin rikottua testilaitteiston, mutta puristuskokeiden perusteella se kuuluu nurjahduskäyrälle b. Profiili kuuluu poikkileikkausluokkaan 4.

Distortion and internal warping torsion of a double symmetric hollow section

This thesis is made in cooperation with Laboratory of Steel Structures and the steel company SSAB. Maximization of the benefits of high-strength steel usually requires the usage of thin wall thicknesses. This means the failures related to buckling, distortion and warping stand out. One must be aware of these phenomena to design thin-walled structures stressed with forces such as torsional loading. It is also important to take into account small stress ranges when evaluating the accurate fatigue strength of structures. The objective of this thesis is to clarify the theory of the uniform and non-uniform torsion. This paper focuses on warping due to the non-uniform torsion in double symmetric box girder and structural hollow section. The arisen stress states are explained and researched using the finite element method. Another research target is the distortion in double symmetric box girder due to torsion, and the restraining effect of transverse diaphragms at the load end. Multiple transverse diaphragms are used to study more efficient restraining against warping and distortion than a common one end plate structure.

Modular Double-Cascade Converter

Medium-voltage motor drives extend the power rating of AC motor drives in industrial applications. Multilevel converters are gaining an ever-stronger foothold in this field. This doctoral dissertation introduces a new topology to the family of modular multilevel converters: the modular double-cascade converter. The modularity of the converter is enabled by the application of multiwinding mediumfrequency isolation transformers. Owing to the innovative transformer link, the converter presents many advantageous properties at a concept level: modularity, high input and output power quality, small footprint, and wide variety of applications, among others. Further, the research demonstrates that the transformer link also plays a key role in the disadvantages of the topology. An extensive simulation study on the new converter is performed. The focus of the simulation study is on the development of control algorithms and the feasibility of the topology. In particular, the circuit and control concepts used in the grid interface, the coupling configurations of the load inverter, and the transformer link operation are thoroughly investigated. Experimental results provide proof-of-concept results on the operation principle of the converter. This work concludes a research collaboration project on multilevel converters between LUT and Vacon Plc. The project was active from 2009 until 2014.

Life-related negative customer emotions in real estate agent encounters

The goal of this study was to explore how do customers’ life-related negative emotions affect real estate business. This was divided into two research questions: 1. What life-related negative emotions can be recognised in real estate customer encounters? 2. How do the recognised emotions affect customer encounters and the realtor’s work? 3. How can the realtor take the emotions into account in customer service? The theoretical background consists of two main lines of study: emotions and customer encounters. A wide literary review on emotions research was conducted from a cognitive psychology point of view, focusing on negative emotions. Emotions research was then combined into the field of customer encounters. Qualitative study was chosen as the methodological basis of the study. Empirical material of this study was collected through in-depth interviews with 13 successful Finnish real estate agents. Narrative research was used as a method for the study. Four life-related emotion categories were recognized in real estate customer encounters: sadness, anger, anxiety and shame. These emotions rose from issues varying from death of a close one to divorce and from major changes in life stages to deep emotional attachment to an old home. The study also found that these incidental negative emotions do affect customer encounters and realtors’ work. The emotions affected the decision making of customers and sometimes overshadowed reason. Some emotions made the customer passive and slow to make any decisions, while others made their decision making fast and hasty. Even though the incidental emotions might not have had anything to do with the real estate deal, they could affect the outcome of the customer encounter and the whole real estate deal. Interestingly enough, the study found that not all successful real estate agents knowingly serve customers in an emotional level. The study does, however, suggest that in fact it may be an ethical decision of the customer server to take into account the emotional state of the customer. Attending to the emotional side of customers does not only increase pleasantness of the customer encounter, but may improve and balance customer decision making and prevent hasty decisions possibly leading to improved customer satisfaction. This study also gave practical managerial implications to customer service providers on how negative incidental emotions can be attended to in a customer encounter. This study could be useful not only to real estate agents, but also in other types of customer service, especially with vulnerable populations or other types of home-related business.