Performance Characteristics of an Axial-Flux Solid-Rotor-Core Induction Motor

The integration of electric motors and industrial appliances such as pumps, fans, and compressors is rapidly increasing. For instance, the integration of an electric motor and a centrifugal pump provides cost savings and improved performance characteristics. Material cost savings are achieved when an electric motor is integrated into the shaft of a centrifugal pump, and the motor utilizes the bearings of the pump. This arrangement leads to a smaller configuration that occupies less floor space. The performance characteristics of a pump drive can be improved by using the variable-speed technology. This enables the full speed control of the drive and the absence of a mechanical gearbox and couplers. When using rotational speeds higher than those that can be directly achieved by the network frequency the structure of the rotor has to be mechanically durable. In this thesis the performance characteristics of an axial-flux solid-rotor-core induction motor are determined. The motor studied is a one-rotor-one-stator axial-flux induction motor, and thus, there is only one air-gap between the rotor and the stator. The motor was designed for higher rotational speeds, and therefore a good mechanical strength of the solid-rotor-core rotor is required to withstand the mechanical stresses. The construction of the rotor and the high rotational speeds together produce a feature, which is not typical of traditional induction motors: the dominating loss component of the motor is the rotor eddy current loss. In the case of a typical industrial induction motor instead the dominating loss component is the stator copper loss. In this thesis, several methods to decrease the rotor eddy current losses in the case of axial-flux induction motors are presented. A prototype motor with 45 kW output power at 6000 min-1 was designed and constructed for ascertaining the results obtained from the numerical FEM calculations. In general, this thesis concentrates on the methods for improving the electromagnetic properties of an axial-flux solid-rotor-core induction motor and examines the methods for decreasing the harmonic eddy currents of the rotor. The target is to improve the efficiency of the motor and to reach the efficiency standard of the present-day industrial induction motors equipped with laminated rotors.

Impingement jet cooling of end windings in a high-speed electric machine

The rotational speed of high-speed electric machines is over 15 000 rpm. These machines are compact in size when compared to the power rate. As a consequence, the heat fluxes are at a high level and the adequacy of cooling becomes an important design criterion. In the high-speed machines, the air gap between the stator and rotor is a narrow flow channel. The cooling air is produced with a fan and the flow is then directed to the air gap. The flow in the gap does not provide sufficient cooling for the stator end windings, and therefore additional cooling is required. This study investigates the heat transfer and flow fields around the coil end windings when cooling jets are used. As a result, an innovative and new assembly is introduced for the cooling jets, with the benefits of a reduced amount of hot spots, a lower pressure drop, and hence a lower power need for the cooling fan. The gained information can also be applied to improve the cooling of electric machines through geometry modifications. The objective of the research is to determine the locations of the hot spots and to find out induced pressure losses with different jet alternatives. Several possibilities to arrange the extra cooling are considered. In the suggested approach cooling is provided by using a row of air jets. The air jets have three main tasks: to cool the coils effectively by direct impingement jets, to increase and cool down the flow that enters the coil end space through the air gap, and to ensure the correct distribution of the flow by forming an air curtain with additional jets. One important aim of this study is the arrangement of cooling jets in such manner that hot spots can be avoided to wide extent. This enables higher power density in high-speed motors. This cooling system can also be applied to the ordinary electric machines when efficient cooling is needed. The numerical calculations have been performed using a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics software. Two geometries have been generated: cylindrical for the studied machine and Cartesian for the experimental model. The main parameters include the positions, arrangements and number of jets, the jet diameters, and the jet velocities. The investigated cases have been tested with two widely used turbulence models and using a computational grid of over 500 000 cells. The experimental tests have been made by using a simplified model for the end winding space with cooling jets. In the experiments, an emphasis has been given to flow visualisation. The computational analysis shows good agreement with the experimental results. Modelling of the cooling jet arrangement enables also a better understanding of the complex system of heat transfer at end winding space.

The p22phox C242T gene polymorphism is associated with a reduced risk of angiographically verified coronary artery disease in a high-risk Finnish Caucasian population. The Finnish Cardiovascular Study.

American Heart Journal Vol. 152, Issue 3, pp 538-542, 2006

Results of An International Study of Quantitative BCR/ABL Assays Using Defined RNA Samples

Molecular monitoring of BCR/ABL transcripts by real time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) is an essential technique for clinical management of patients with BCR/ABL-positive CML and ALL. Though quantitative BCR/ABL assays are performed in hundreds of laboratories worldwide, results among these laboratories cannot be reliably compared due to heterogeneity in test methods, data analysis, reporting, and lack of quantitative standards. Recent efforts towards standardization have been limited in scope. Aliquots of RNA were sent to clinical test centers worldwide in order to evaluate methods and reporting for e1a2, b2a2, and b3a2 transcript levels using their own qRT-PCR assays. Total RNA was isolated from tissue culture cells that expressed each of the different BCR/ABL transcripts. Serial log dilutions were prepared, ranging from 100 to 10-5, in RNA isolated from HL60 cells. Laboratories performed 5 independent qRT-PCR reactions for each sample type at each dilution. In addition, 15 qRT-PCR reactions of the 10-3 b3a2 RNA dilution were run to assess reproducibility within and between laboratories. Participants were asked to run the samples following their standard protocols and to report cycle threshold (Ct), quantitative values for BCR/ABL and housekeeping genes, and ratios of BCR/ABL to housekeeping genes for each sample RNA. Thirty-seven (n=37) participants have submitted qRT-PCR results for analysis (36, 37, and 34 labs generated data for b2a2, b3a2, and e1a2, respectively). The limit of detection for this study was defined as the lowest dilution that a Ct value could be detected for all 5 replicates. For b2a2, 15, 16, 4, and 1 lab(s) showed a limit of detection at the 10-5, 10-4, 10-3, and 10-2 dilutions, respectively. For b3a2, 20, 13, and 4 labs showed a limit of detection at the 10-5, 10-4, and 10-3 dilutions, respectively. For e1a2, 10, 21, 2, and 1 lab(s) showed a limit of detection at the 10-5, 10-4, 10-3, and 10-2 dilutions, respectively. Log %BCR/ABL ratio values provided a method for comparing results between the different laboratories for each BCR/ABL dilution series. Linear regression analysis revealed concordance among the majority of participant data over the 10-1 to 10-4 dilutions. The overall slope values showed comparable results among the majority of b2a2 (mean=0.939; median=0.9627; range (0.399 - 1.1872)), b3a2 (mean=0.925; median=0.922; range (0.625 - 1.140)), and e1a2 (mean=0.897; median=0.909; range (0.5174 - 1.138)) laboratory results (Fig. 1-3)). Thirty-four (n=34) out of the 37 laboratories reported Ct values for all 15 replicates and only those with a complete data set were included in the inter-lab calculations. Eleven laboratories either did not report their copy number data or used other reporting units such as nanograms or cell numbers; therefore, only 26 laboratories were included in the overall analysis of copy numbers. The median copy number was 348.4, with a range from 15.6 to 547,000 copies (approximately a 4.5 log difference); the median intra-lab %CV was 19.2% with a range from 4.2% to 82.6%. While our international performance evaluation using serially diluted RNA samples has reinforced the fact that heterogeneity exists among clinical laboratories, it has also demonstrated that performance within a laboratory is overall very consistent. Accordingly, the availability of defined BCR/ABL RNAs may facilitate the validation of all phases of quantitative BCR/ABL analysis and may be extremely useful as a tool for monitoring assay performance. Ongoing analyses of these materials, along with the development of additional control materials, may solidify consensus around their application in routine laboratory testing and possible integration in worldwide efforts to standardize quantitative BCR/ABL testing.

Paisatge, poblament, cultura material i història de l'Ager Tarraconensis. Resultats i comparacions

Síntesi dels primers resultats del Projecte Ager Tarraconensis i de les aportacions al simposi, de les quals s’extreuen reflexions i coneixements nous sobre el tema de l’estudi entorn del conjunt de l’espai de la ciutat romana, del paisatge, tractat com un sistema. Les aportacions se centren en la varietat de les primeres estratègies de control romà del territori, de les tipologies i evolució dels establiments, dels aspectes econòmics i de la dinàmica del poblament. Tot plegat fa referència molt especialment al territori de Tarraco, per bé que es fan nombroses comparacions amb altres territoris de l’àrea catalana i saguntina i també d’altres províncies romanes. Tarraco es va perfilant com una ciutat amb un territorium molt productiu, no sols en agricultura, sinó també en indústries, producció tèxtil, explotacions de recursos minerals com les pedreres i el ferro, i amb un comerç molt actiu que la devia convertir en un port important de la Mediterrània occidental romana. La jerarquia dels hàbitats rurals també s’està demostrant més complexa gràcies al coneixement de noves aglomeracions. L’evolució posterior al període romà també ha entrat en discussió, especialment pel que fa a l’època islàmica, sobre la qual es discuteix si el camp va quedar poblat o despoblat, tema que resol en sentit positiu el diagrama pol·línic realitzat dins del marc del projecte.

Freud, un clàssic del pensament contemporani : commemoració del 150 aniversari del naixement

La pèrdua dels grans relats i les grans utopies pròpia de la crisi de la modernitat, no és necessàriament una gran pèrdua. El món desfonamentat i per segona vegada desencantat, també representa l’ampliació de l’àmbit d’allò que es pot saber, d’allò que es pot comprendre. Quan s’apaguen els llums de la raó il·lustrada i l’ésser humà és abocat a l’abisme del sense-sentit; emergeix la paraula com a forma i no com substància, apareix la possibilitat de nomenar l’innominable. Aquesta és la gran revolució del pensament en el segle XX, que no hauria estat possible sense l’obra de Sigmund Freud i la seva teoria psicoanalítica. El pensament de Freud no és un relat més de la modernitat sinó justament un dels que fan possible la ruptura, el que desemmascara el ser humà com a essència o substància, per descobrir un subjecte escindit capaç de construir i reconstruir el seu relat identitari.

Orientalisme, colonialisme i gènere. ‘El Marroc sensual i fanàtic’ d'Aurora Bertrana

Els autors s’endinsen en aquest article en l’estudi de les relacions entre geografia, orientalisme i colonialisme a Europa al tombant del segle passat, tot introduint la perspectiva de gènere i en el marc d'un interès més general per la història del pensament geogràfic contemporani. Ho fan a partir de l’anàlisi contextualitzada d'un text de l’època que fa referència al cas espanyol i a la seva aventura colonial africana. Es tracta del llibre El Marroc sensual i fanàtic (1936) d’Aurora Bertrana, una versió molt elaborada del discurs de la diferència i una bona il•lustració de la literatura de viatges de dones europees, força excepcional i atípica -això sí- en el context literari català i espanyol de l’època

Drift and ownership toward a distant virtual body.

In body ownership illusions participants feel that a mannequin or virtual body (VB) is their own. Earlier results suggest that body ownership over a body seen from behind in extra personal space is possible when the surrogate body is visually stroked and tapped on its back, while spatially and temporal synchronous tactile stimulation is applied to the participant's back. This result has been disputed with the claim that the results can be explained by self-recognition rather than somatic body ownership. We carried out an experiment with 30 participants in a between-groups design. They all saw the back of a VB 1.2 m in front, that moved in real-time determined by upper body motion capture. All felt tactile stimulation on their back, and for 15 of them this was spatially and temporally synchronous with stimulation that they saw on the back of the VB, but asynchronous for the other 15. After 3 min a revolving fan above the VB descended and stopped at the position of the VB neck. A questionnaire assessed referral of touch to the VB, body ownership, the illusion of drifting forwards toward the VB, and the VB drifting backwards. Heart rate deceleration (HRD) and the amount of head movement during the threat period were used to assess the response to the threat from the fan. Results showed that although referral of touch was significantly greater in the synchronous condition than the asynchronous, there were no other differences between the conditions. However, a further multivariate analysis revealed that in the visuotactile synchronous condition HRD and head movement increased with the illusion of forward drift and decreased with backwards drift. Body ownership contributed positively to these drift sensations. Our conclusion is that the setup results in a contradiction-somatic feelings associated with a distant body-that the brain attempts to resolve by generating drift illusions that would make the two bodies coincide.

Sediment budget monitoring of a debris-flow torrent (French Prealps)

The Manival near Grenoble (French Prealps) is a very active debris-flow torrent equipped with a large sediment trap (25 000 m3) protecting an urbanized alluvial fan from debris-flows. We began monitoring the sediment budget of the catchment controlled by the trap in Spring 2009. Terrestrial laser scanner is used for monitoring topographic changes in a small gully, the main channel, and the sediment trap. In the main channel, 39 cross-sections are surveyed after every event. Three periods of intense geomorphic activity are documented here. The first was induced by a convective storm in August 2009 which triggered a debris-flow that deposited ~1,800 m3 of sediment in the trap. The debris-flow originated in the upper reach of the main channel and our observations showed that sediment outputs were entirely supplied by channel scouring. Hillslope debris-flows were initiated on talus slopes, as revealed by terrestrial LiDAR resurveys; however they were disconnected to the main channel. The second and third periods of geomorphic activity were induced by long duration and low intensity rainfall events in September and October 2009 which generate small flow events with intense bedload transport. These events contribute to recharge the debris-flow channel with sediments by depositing important gravel dunes propagating from headwaters. The total recharge in the torrent subsequent to bedload transport events was estimated at 34% of the sediment erosion induced by the August debris-flow.

Virtauslaskennankäyttö keskipakopumpun eroosiokulumisen mallintamisessa

Diplomityössä kehitetään malli tiheän kaksifaasivirtauksen aiheuttaman eroosiokulumi-sen mallintamiseksi, ratkaistaan virtauskenttä kahdessa erilaisessa keskipakopumpussa, sovelletaan kehitettyä mallia, sekävertaillaan mallin antamia tuloksia käytännön kokeissa saavutettuihin tuloksiin. Työssä on erityisenä mielenkiinnon kohteena savukaasupesurin pumppu. Työn alkuosa sisältää tarkemman kuvauksen savukaasupesurin toi-minnasta. Numeerinen ratkaisu ja laskentahilan generointi suoritetaan ANSYS CFX- ja Turbo-Grid-ohjelmistoilla. Laskennassa virtauksen Navier-Stokesin yhtälöt on aikakeskiarvo-tettu ja ratkaistu käyttäen kontrollitilavuusmenetelmää. Tiheiden kaksifaasivirtausten eroosiokulumista on mallinnettu tekijän kehittämällä mallilla, jonka käytännön toteutus-ta ei kuitenkaan saateta julkiseksi, koodin kehittämisessä käytetty teoria on kuitenkin esitetty työssä. Työn piirissä tehtiin myös kulumiskokeita Sulzer Pumps Finlandin Karhulan tehtailla, sekä vertailtiin simuloinnin tuloksia aikaisemmissa kokeissa saavutettuihin. Koejärjestelyt kuvataan työssä.

RETARDAMENTO DA MATURAÇÃO DE MAÇÃS 'FUJI' PELO TRATAMENTO COM 1-MCP E MANEJO DA TEMPERATURA

Maçãs cv. Fuji foram tratadas com 42 mimol·m-3 de 1-metilciclopropeno (1-MCP) por 24 h a 20°C, um dia após a colheita, e então armazenadas a 0; 10 ou 20ºC por 70 dias. Tratamento com 1-MCP efetivamente retardou a maturação de maçãs 'Fuji'. 1-MCP reduziu a taxa respiratória dos frutos mantidos a 10 e 20ºC e inibiu a produção de etileno dos frutos mantidos nas três temperaturas de armazenagem. Frutos tratados com 1-MCP e armazenados a 20ºC exibiram taxas respiratórias similares ou inferiores àquelas de frutos-controle armazenados a 10ºC. Quando armazenados a 10 ou 20ºC, frutos tratados com 1-MCP preservaram mais a firmeza da polpa e a acidez titulável e exibiram menor amarelecimento da epiderme que frutos-controle. Entretanto, não houve benefícios significativos do tratamento 1-MCP sobre a conservação da qualidade dos frutos armazenados a 0ºC no período de 70 dias após a colheita. Os resultados indicam que o tratamento com 1-MCP pode ser uma estratégia para o aumento da conservação de maçãs cv. Fuji durante o transporte e a distribuição sob 10 ou 20ºC. O prolongamento da armazenagem a 20ºC por período superior a 40 dias pode ser limitado pelo murchamento dos frutos e desenvolvimento de podridões.

Radiaalikompressorin valinta hiilivetyteollisuudessa

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää hiilivetyteollisuudessa käytettävien radiaali-kompressorien ominaisuuksia, toimintaympäristöjä, turvallisuusasioita, etuja ja rajoitteita. Tämän lisäksi selvitettiin vaihtoehtoisia yleisesti käytettyjä menetelmiä radiaalikompressorien simuloimiseksi. Työssä tutkittiin myös kaupallisten mitoitusohjelmien soveltuvuutta laitesuunnittelun tueksi Neste Jacobs Oy:ssä. Työn kirjallisuusosassa käsiteltiin radiaalikompressorien toimintaympäristöjä, säätötapoja sekä näistäja muista tekijöistä aiheutuvia rajoitteita ja vaatimuksia. Kirjallisuustutkimuksen perusteella laadittiin tarkistuslista asioista, jotka tulee selvittää ennenvarsinaista radiaalikompressorien mitoittamista. Soveltuvaakaupallista kompressorien mitoitusohjelmaa ei tutkimuksessa löytynyt. Tämän vuoksi työn kokeellisessa osassa laadittiin Excel-laskentataulukko, joka perustuu yhteen kirjallisuusosassa esitettyyn mitoitustapaan. Laaditun laskentataulukon soveltuvuutta kompressorien esivalintaan testattiin vertailemalla ohjelman mitoituksia Neste Jacobs Oy:llä käytössä olevaan mitoitusohjelmaan ja toiseen työssä esitettyyn mitoitus-menetelmään. Lisäksi Excel-laskentataulukon ja Neste Jacobs Oy:n ohjelman mitoituksia verrattiin todellisen, käytössä olevan kompressorin suunnittelu- ja operointiarvoihin. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa arvioitiin laaditun laskentataulukon käytettävyyttä, rajoitteita ja kehitysmahdollisuuksia. Saatujen tulosten perusteella työssä laadittu laskentataulukko soveltuu sellaisenaan Neste Jacobs Oy:n radiaalikompressorien simulointiin.

Forecasting coal resources and reserves in heterogeneous coal zones using 3D facies models (As Pontes Basin, NW Spain)

Forecasting coal resources and reserves is critical for coal mine development. Thickness maps are commonly used for assessing coal resources and reserves; however they are limited for capturing coal splitting effects in thick and heterogeneous coal zones. As an alternative, three-dimensional geostatistical methods are used to populate facies distributionwithin a densely drilled heterogeneous coal zone in the As Pontes Basin (NWSpain). Coal distribution in this zone is mainly characterized by coal-dominated areas in the central parts of the basin interfingering with terrigenous-dominated alluvial fan zones at the margins. The three-dimensional models obtained are applied to forecast coal resources and reserves. Predictions using subsets of the entire dataset are also generated to understand the performance of methods under limited data constraints. Three-dimensional facies interpolation methods tend to overestimate coal resources and reserves due to interpolation smoothing. Facies simulation methods yield similar resource predictions than conventional thickness map approximations. Reserves predicted by facies simulation methods are mainly influenced by: a) the specific coal proportion threshold used to determine if a block can be recovered or not, and b) the capability of the modelling strategy to reproduce areal trends in coal proportions and splitting between coal-dominated and terrigenousdominated areas of the basin. Reserves predictions differ between the simulation methods, even with dense conditioning datasets. Simulation methods can be ranked according to the correlation of their outputs with predictions from the directly interpolated coal proportion maps: a) with low-density datasets sequential indicator simulation with trends yields the best correlation, b) with high-density datasets sequential indicator simulation with post-processing yields the best correlation, because the areal trends are provided implicitly by the dense conditioning data.

Energiatehokkaiden tuotteiden myynti voimalaitoksiin

Tämän diplomityö käsittelee energiasäästömahdollisuuksia taajuusmuuttajien ja korkean hyötysuhteen moottoreiden avulla Suomen voimalaitoksissa. Energiatehokkuuden parantaminen voimalaitosten tuotantoprosessissa tarjoaa suuria myyntimahdollisuuksia ja on siten mielenkiintoinen tutkimuksen kohde. Työn tavoitteena on analysoida voimalaitostoimialaa Suomessa ja selvittäävoimalaitosten energiansäästöpotentiaalia suurimpien sähköä kuluttavien laitteiden osalta. Työn perusteella saadaan muodostettua kuva taajuusmuuttaja ja korkean hyötysuhteen moottorien markkinoista voimalaitoksiin. Työnalkuosassa keskitytään voimalaitostoimialan ja energiamarkkinoiden analyysiin. Analyysissä käydään läpi yleisimpien voimalaitosten toimintaperiaatteet ja energiatehokkaiden tuotteiden markkinakehitys sekä teollisuuden investointeihin liittyviä tekijöitä. Työn loppuosa käsittelee voimalaitosten suurimpien pumppujen ja puhaltimien energiansäästömahdollisuutta taajuusmuuttajien avulla. Työn tuloksena on muodostettu analyysi eri voimalaitostyyppien laittokannasta ja arvio energiasäästöstä sekä myyntipotentiaalista, jos laitteet muutetaan taajuusmuuttajakäytöiksi.

Influence Of AirContent On Board Properties

Työn tarkoitus oli testata kartonkikoneen lyhyen kierron ilmapitoisuuden merkitystä kartongin ominaisuuksiin. Aluksi työssä selvitettiin ilmapitoisuuden alkutilanne käyttäen kompressioilmiöön perustuvaa ilmapitoisuusmittaria. Sen jälkeen tehtiin kokeita käyttäen POMp-pumppua sekä vaahdonestoainetta. Tarkoituksena oli luoda yhteys prosessin ilmapitoisuuden ja lopputuotteen ominaisuuksien välille. POMp-kokeissa tutkittiin keskipakopumppauksen vaikutusta massan ilmapitoisuuteen. Tuloksista nähdään, että pintakerroksen ilmapitoisuus oli suurempi kuin taustakerroksen, mikä selittyy POMp-pumpun sijainnilla taustakerroksen lyhyessä kierrossa. Vaahdonestoainekokeissa saatiin myös vaikutuksia massan ilmapitoisuuteen. Vaahdonestoaineen lisäyksen jälkeen runkokerroksenilmapitoisuus laski, kun samanaikaisesti pinta- ja taustakerroksen sekä rejektisysteemin ilmapitoisuudet nousivat. Ilmapitoisuuden käytöksen syyksi paljastui lyhyen kierron yhteinen vesikierto ja nykyisille tuotantomäärille alimitoitettu ilmanpoistokapasiteetti. Vaahdonestoaineen lisäyksen jälkeen vedenpoisto parani ja ensimmäisillä kolmella runkokerroksen foililaatikolla havaittiin poistuvan veden virtausten kasvaneen. Samaan aikaan runkokerroksen viiraosan lopulla poistuvan veden virtaukset pienenivät. Kartongin ominaisuuksissa ei havaittu kuitenkaan eroa, vaikka vedenpoisto parani viiraosalla selvästi. Vaahdonestoainekokeiden aikana oli myös tavallista enemmän ajettavuusongelmia, kuten ratakatkoja. Prosessissa esiintyneitä ongelmia ja niihin reagoivia muutosehdotuksia esitellään myös. Vaikein ongelma oli ilman muodostuminen runkokerroksen lyhyessä kierrossa. Ratkaisu voisi koostua isommasta keskikerroksenvesilukkosäiliöstä ja runkokerroksen lyhyen kierron puhdistusveden uudelleen kohdentamisesta. Voisi myös olla hyödyllistä yrittää ilmanpoistoa kemikaalien avulla kiertoveden varastosäiliössä.