Refine
Year of publication
- 2007 (145) (remove)
Document Type
- Doctoral Thesis (64)
- Report (37)
- Preprint (14)
- Periodical Part (13)
- Study Thesis (5)
- Working Paper (4)
- Diploma Thesis (3)
- Article (2)
- Conference Proceeding (2)
- Habilitation (1)
Has Fulltext
- yes (145)
Keywords
- Phasengleichgewicht (4)
- numerical upscaling (4)
- Dienstgüte (3)
- Elastoplastizität (3)
- Model checking (3)
- Networked Automation Systems (3)
- Netzwerk (3)
- Response-Zeit (3)
- Visualisierung (3)
- hub location (3)
Faculty / Organisational entity
- Kaiserslautern - Fachbereich Mathematik (34)
- Fraunhofer (ITWM) (28)
- Kaiserslautern - Fachbereich Maschinenbau und Verfahrenstechnik (20)
- Kaiserslautern - Fachbereich Informatik (19)
- Kaiserslautern - Fachbereich Sozialwissenschaften (10)
- Kaiserslautern - Fachbereich Chemie (9)
- Kaiserslautern - Fachbereich ARUBI (6)
- Kaiserslautern - Fachbereich Biologie (6)
- Kaiserslautern - Fachbereich Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik (5)
- Kaiserslautern - Fachbereich Wirtschaftswissenschaften (5)
- Kaiserslautern - Fachbereich Physik (1)
- Universität (1)
- Universitätsbibliothek (1)
For almost thirty years bast fibers such as flax, hemp, kenaf, sisal and jute have been
used as reinforcing material in the molding process of both thermoplastic and thermoset
matrices. The main application areas of these natural fiber reinforced composites
in Europe are limited almost exclusively to the passenger car range. Typical
components are door panels, rear parcel shelves, instrument boards and trunk linings.
Natural fiber reinforced composites have become prevalent due to their good
mechanical properties and their low production costs. The main advantage in applying
natural fibers as reinforcement in composite materials is the price. Nowadays this
argument becomes more and more important due to the scarcity of synthetic raw materials
and consequently, their rising prices. Additionally the low density (approx.
1.5 g/cm³) of natural fibers confers them a very good lightweight potential. Other advantageous
features of natural fiber composites include very good processing and
acoustic properties. Further benefits such as good life cycle assessment and easier
processability compared to glass fiber material should also be taken into account.
Disadvantages of natural fibers are unevenness of the fiber quality and varying fiber
characteristics due to differences in soil, climate and fiber separation and their low
heat resistance (at temperatures exceeding 220 °C, some fiber components start
thermal degradation). Another disadvantage of natural fiber reinforced materials is
that with some matrices (mostly thermoplastic polymers) a sufficient impregnation of
the fibers can only be achieved if the fiber content in the composite is kept low, usually
below 50 wt.-%. Under these conditions the best performance of the natural fiber
reinforcement can not be realized. Another disadvantage of non-impregnated thermoplastic
prepregs is the long processing cycle times, which result from heating up the enclosed air in the prepreg during the process. Alternatively pure natural fiber
based non-woven fabrics are impregnated with thermoset systems. Due to the relatively
simple handling compared to alternative procedures, the thermoforming of thermoset
bonded prepregs is a very promising method for manufacturing natural fiber
reinforced components.
In this work, a novel general concept for natural fiber reinforced composites with a
natural fiber content of approx. 80 wt.-% and a thermoset matrix is developed. A suitable
material combination as well as an optimal process execution that help to meet the technical requirements for the natural fiber reinforced composites will be demonstrated.
Hemp and kenaf have been chosen as reinforcement fibers. In this work it is shown
that hemp and kenaf can be used as successful reinforcement alternatives to the
more established flax fibers in composite materials. Short flax fibers, which are commonly
used as reinforcement in composites (approx. 67 % for the German automotive
applications), are the “waste” of the long fiber production and their availability
and price strongly depend on the demand of the long fibers from the textile industry
and therefore their cost can strongly fluctuate, as it has been demonstrated in the
past few years. In contrast fiber plants such as hemp and kenaf are especifically cultivated
for technical applications and their availability and price is much more stable.
For their application a profound knowledge of the structural and mechanical properties
of the fibers is indispensable. In this work single filament tensile tests on these
two types of natural fibers are carried out. The cross-section area of both fibers, necessary
for the calculation of the tensile properties, was intensively studied using light
microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis. Because the occurrence
of flaws within the fiber is random in nature, tensile strength data of these fibers
was statistically analyzed using the Weibull distribution. The strengths were estimated
by means of Weibull statistics and then were compared to experimentally
measured strengths.
For a better handling of the material, both kenaf and hemp fibers were manufactured
to needle punched fiber mats. For the impregnation of the natural fiber mats, a Foulard-
process with the thermoset matrix as an aqueous solution was employed. The
reproducibility of this impregnation process was examined. Different matrix Systems with different chemical compositions were applied on the needle punched fiber mats.
The impregnated prepregs were heated and consolidated to components in a onestep-
process. A big advantage of this procedure is the short cycle times, since no
additional pre-heating process is required, in contrast to thermoplastic bonded prepregs.
Additionally, a parameter study of the mechanical properties of the composites
was performed. The best matrix system satisfying the work conditions and properties
of the composites was chosen to carry out the next working step, namely optimization of the compression molding process for the thermoset bonded natural fiber prepregs.
Apart from the material composition of prepregs, general processing parameters
such as temperature, time and pressure play a decisive role for the quality of structures
made of natural fiber reinforced polymers. The impregnated prepregs were
consolidated in a one-step-process to components. A systematic parameter study of
the influence of the relevant process parameters on the characteristics of manufactured
components was performed. Mould temperatures over 200 °C lead to thermal
degradation of the fibers. This temperature should not be exceeded when working
with natural fibers. Furthermore, the composites clearly display a dependence on the
processing pressure. The flexural properties increase with increasing manufacturing
pressures between 15 and 60 bar, reaching a maximum at 60 bar. At higher pressures
(80 to 200 bar) a decrease of the flexural properties is demonstrated. SEM images
of the fracture surface of the composites show that the decrease of the mechanical
properties is related to structural damage of the fiber.
A new technology allowing pressing under vacuum conditions was developed and tested. The press is equipped with a vacuum chamber and achieves very short cycle
processing times (up to less than one minute during the compression molding). The
aspiration connections of the vacuum chamber ensure that the residual moisture and
the condensation products of the matrix chemical reaction could be directly evacuated.
This type of press ensures also very safe processing and working conditions.
The properties of the components fulfill the technical specifications for natural fiber
reinforced polymers for use in the car interior. This versatile composite material is not
only limited to automotive applications, but may also be used for product manufacturing
in other industries. This work shows that the process parameters can be optimized
to fit a particular application.
Induktionsschweißen kann sowohl für das Schweißen von thermoplastischen Faser-
Kunststoff-Verbunden als auch für das Verbinden von Metall/Faser-Kunststoff-
Verbunden eingesetzt werden. Nach Betrachtung der Möglichkeiten einer solchen
Verbindung wurde festgestellt, dass die Verbindungsqualität durch die
Oberflächenvorbehandlung des metallischen und des polymeren Fügepartners und
durch die Prozessbedingungen bestimmt wird.
Verschiedene neue Werkzeuge (z.B. spezielle Probenhalterungen, temperierbarer
Anpressstempel, Erwärmungs- und Konsolidierungsrolle) wurden entwickelt und in
die Induktionsschweißanlage zur Herstellung von Metall/Faser-Kunststoff-Verbunden
integriert. Topografische Analysen mittels Rasterelektronenmikroskopie und
Laserprofilometrie zeigen einen großen Einfluss der Vorbehandlungsmethoden auf
die Oberflächenrauhigkeit. Zusätzlich ändert die Vorbehandlung die physikalischen
(Oberflächenenergie) und die chemischen Eigenschaften (Atomkonzentration). Die
Eigenschaften der Verbindungen wurden zuerst anhand von Zugscherprüfungen und
parallel durch Oberflächenanalysen untersucht. Die Ergebnisse dieser
Untersuchungen zeigen:
• Die Vorbehandlungsmethoden Korundstrahlen und Sauerbeizen führen bei
dem metallischen Fügepartner zu den höchsten Verbundfestigkeiten. Die
Atmosphären-Plasmareinigung des polymeren Fügepartners ergibt eine
Zunahme der Zugscherfestigkeit von ca. 10 % sowie auch eine Verkleinerung
des Vertrauensbereiches.
• Die Zugscherfestigkeit hängt vom Prozessdruck und damit vom Fließverhalten
des Polymers in der Fügezone ab.
• Die Orientierung der Prüfkraft relativ zur Faserorientierung hat keinen Einfluss
auf die Zugscherfestigkeit der eingesetzten faserverstärkten Materialien.
• Die Leinwand-Bindung, mit mehr polymerreichen Zonen, führt zu einem
geringen Anstieg der Zugscherfestigkeit im Vergleich zu einer Atlas 1/4-
Bindung. Die Gelege-Struktur ergibt durch Faserverschiebungen ähnliche
Festigkeiten wie die Leinwand-Bindung. Es zeigt sich, dass die
Verbundfestigkeit durch das Polymer bestimmt wird. • Die Zugscherfestigkeit gewinnt einen großen Anstieg durch eine zusätzliche
Polymerfolie in der Fügezone. Die Schliffbilder zeigen eine polymere
Zwischenschichtdicke von 5 bis 20 μm für AlMg3-CF/PA66.
• Durch den gezielten Einsatz verschiedener Vorbehandlungsmethoden
(Korundstrahlen mit zusätzlichem Polymer) kann die Zugscherfestigkeit auf bis
zu 14 MPa für AlMg3-CF/PA66-Verbunde und 18 MPa für DC01-CF/PEEKVerbunde
gegenüber dem unbehandelten Zustand verdoppelt werden. Weitere Untersuchungen an den Prozessparametern ergaben für DC01-CF/PEEKVerbunde,
dass folgende Einstellungen zu einer weiteren Steigerung der
Zugscherfestigkeit auf 19 MPa führen:
• Eine Starttemperatur des Anpresstempels von 370 °C.
• Eine Haltezeit von 7 Minuten.
• Eine Abkühlrate von 6 °C/min.
Für AlMg3-CF/PA66 zeigte sich, dass eine Anpresstemperatur von 10 °C zu einer
Zugscherfestigkeit von 14,5 MPa führt. Diese beiden Zugscherfestigkeiten sind
lediglich 10 – 15 % geringer als die unter optimalen Bedingungen hergestellten
Klebeverbindungen.
Erste Untersuchungen zeigen, dass bei galvanischer Korrosion von Metall/FKVVerbunden
eine schnelle Abnahme der Zugscherfestigkeit erfolgt. Hierfür wurden die
Proben drei Wochen in Wasser gelagert. Beim direkten Kontakt zwischen
Kohlenstofffaser und Aluminium erklärt sich dies durch Korrosion in der Fügezone.
Dabei sinken die Zugscherfestigkeiten der Proben bis auf 5 MPa. Bei Proben mit
einer Glasfaserlage als Isolationsschicht zeigen sich keine Korrosionsprodukte und
die Zugscherfestigkeit nimmt um 30 % bis auf 8 – 9 MPa ab.
Bei in Salzwasser gelagerten Proben ist die galvanische Korrosion deutlich stärker
ausgeprägt. Bereits nach einer Woche besitzen die acetongereinigten Proben mit
zusätzlichem Polymer lediglich eine Restzugscherfestigkeit von 3 bis 4 MPa. Die
korundgestrahlten Proben zeigen Korrosionsprodukte am Rande der Fügezone und
in der Fügezone, weisen aber dennoch eine Zugscherfestigkeit von ca. 10 MPa auf.
Die glasfaserverstärkten Proben zeigen weder Korrosionsprodukte noch eine
Abnahme der Zugscherfestigkeit. Dynamisch thermografische Analysen wurden in verschiedenen Umgebungsgasen
durchgeführt, um die Zersetzungstemperatur des faserverstärkten Polymers zu
bestimmen. Im Falle von CF/PA66 führte dies nicht zu einer Vergrößerung des
Prozessfensters, da die Zersetzung hauptsächlich thermisch und nicht thermooxidativ
ist. Die festgestellte Zersetzungstemperatur von CF/PEEK in Luft betrug
550 °C. Die Vergrößerung des Prozessfensters ist für CF/PA66 gering und zeigte
auch keinen Anstieg in der Zugscherfestigkeit nach dem Schweißen in Stickstoff.
Trotzdem hat das Induktionsschweißen unter Schutzgas ein großes Potential für
gesättigte Kohlenwasserstoffe wie z.B. glasfaserverstärktes Polypropylen. Hier wurde
die Zersetzungstemperatur von 230 °C in Luft auf 390 °C in Stickstoff erhöht.
Es wurde ein Demonstrator bestehend aus einem Aluminium-Profil und einer
CF/PA66-Platte hergestellt, womit gezeigt werden konnte, dass die erworbenen
Kenntnisse auch für die industrielle Anwendung umsetzbar sind. Mittels analytischer
Modelle und FE-Berechnungen wurde die induktive Erwärmung erfolgreich
nachgebildet.
Sewn net-shape preform based composite manufacturing technology is widely
accepted in combination with liquid composite molding technologies for the
manufacturing of fiber reinforced polymer composites. The development of threedimensional
dry fibrous reinforcement structures containing desired fiber orientation
and volume fraction before the resin infusion is based on the predefined preforming
processes. Various preform manufacturing aspects influence the overall composite
manufacturing processes. Sewing technology used for the preform manufacturing
has number of challenges to overcome which includes consistency in preform quality,
composite quality, and composite mechanical properties.
Experimental studies are undertaken to investigate the influence of various sewing
parameters on the preform manufacturing processes, preform quality, and the fiber
reinforced polymer composite quality and properties. Sewing thread, sewing machine
parameters, shortcomings of sewing process, and remedies are explained according
to their importance during preforming and liquid composite molding. The stitches and
fiber free zone in the form of ellipse that are generated in the thickness direction were
investigated by evaluating the laminate micrographs. Correlation between ellipse
formation phenomenon, sewing thread, and sewing machine parameters is
established. A statistical tool, analysis of variance, was used to emphasize the major
preform processing factors influencing the preform imperfections.
For assessing the preform quality, the observations of sewing thread requirements
for preform and structural sewing were well documented during the experimental
studies and explained according to their significance in the composite processing.
Furthermore, selection criteria for sewing thread according to end application are
discussed in detail. Investigations on polyester sewing thread as a high speed
preform manufacturing element are also performed. Applicability of polyester sewing
thread for the preform sewing and challenges to be overcome for its extensive
utilization in the composite components are explained. Apart from this, influence of
physical structure of sewing thread on the laminate quality and properties are
explained and relationship between them is discussed in brief. Furthermore,
challenges caused due to applied spin-finishes and sizing and remedies for the same
are discussed. Sewing threads made of high performance fibers that are available in the market,
e.g., carbon, glass, and Zylon are studied for effect of thread material on through-thethickness
laminate properties. Threads made up of carbon or glass fibers are very
rigid and produces number of defects, which is a major cause of concern. Optimized
sewing procedure has been implemented to minimize the in-plane and through-thethickness
imperfections and to improve mechanical properties and surface
characteristics of composite laminate.
Preform sewing process and final ready to impregnate preforms were analyzed for
quality appearance. The sewing defects and their influence on composite structure
are monitored. Preform compressibility before and after the sewing operations are
intensively studied and correlation with sewing parameters is developed. Influence of
sewing process parameters on the warpage and change in preform area weight are
also explained in detail. Results of analytical experiments can help to improve further
exploitation of sewn preforms for composite manufacturing and overall preform and
laminate quality.
Im Zuge der steigenden Anzahl von Einsatzmöglichkeiten der
Faserverbundwerkstoffe in den verschiedensten Industriebereichen spielt die
Entwicklung bzw. Weiterentwicklung neuer und effektiverer Verarbeitungstechniken
eine bedeutende Rolle.
Dabei findet derzeit das Harzinjektionsverfahren (LCM) ausschließlich für kleinere bis
mittlere Stückzahlen seinen Einsatz. Aufgrund der sehr großen Stückzahlen im
Automobilbereich, ist dieses Verfahren hier zurzeit weniger interessant. Daher
werden große Anstrengungen unternommen, das Harzinjektionsverfahren besonders
für solche Bauteile attraktiver zu machen, die gegenwärtig mit Hilfe des Prepreg-
Verfahrens hergestellt werden. Dabei spielt die Reduktion der hier vergleichsweise
hohen Zykluszeit eine tragende Rolle. Die Dauer eines Zyklus wird hierbei
hauptsächlich durch die Vorbereitung und Herstellung der Verstärkungsstruktur
(Preform) sowie durch die Bestückung des Werkzeuges bestimmt. Diese so
genannte Preform-Technik weist daher ein sehr großes Entwicklungspotential auf,
mit dem Ziel, solche Verstärkungsstrukturen herzustellen, die nach der Injektion
keine Nacharbeit erfordern. Solche Strukturen werden auch als „net shape, ready-toimpregnate“-
Preform bezeichnet. Die hierfür notwendigen Techniken stammen
vornehmend aus der Textilindustrie, wie z.B. die direkte Preformtechnik, das Nähen
oder Kleben (Binder-Technik).
Ziel der vorliegenden Dissertation ist es, die Möglichkeiten der Nähtechnik bezogen
auf die Herstellung der Preforms zu untersuchen. Hierfür werden die verschiedenen
Naht- und Verbindungsarten hinsichtlich ihres Einsatzes in der Preformtechnik, wie
die Fixier- und Positionier-, die Füge- oder Verbindungsnaht und die Montagenaht,
untersucht.
Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurde zunächst innerhalb einer Studie zur „net shape“-
Preformtechnik eine Versteifungsstruktur entwickelt und hergestellt. Diese Struktur
soll dabei der Veranschaulichung der Möglichkeiten und Einsatzbereiche der
Nähtechnik bei der Preformtechnologie dienen. Zudem kann so ein mehrstufiger
Preformherstellungsprozess demonstriert werden. Ferner zeigt diese Studie, dass
ein hochgradiger, automatisierter Prozess, welcher zudem eine durchgängige
Qualitätskontrolle ermöglicht, realisiert werden konnte. Als ein weiterer Schritt wurde ein Prozess zur Herstellung eine dreidimensionalen
Preform, der die Anwendung verschiedener thermoplastischer,
niedrigtemperaturschmelzender Nähgarne zulässt, ausgearbeitet. Hierbei wurden die
Vorteile der Näh- und der Binder-Technologie miteinander verbunden. Außerdem
konnte durch die bereits formstabile und imprägnierungsfertige Preformstruktur, die
Bestückung des Werkzeuges wesentlich vereinfacht werden. Um die mechanischen
Eigenschaften der Preforms bestimmen zu können, wurden quantitative
Messmethoden erarbeitet. Hierdurch konnten anschließend die Einflüsse der
Orientierung sowie der Stichdichte ermittelt werden. Zudem wurden die folgenden
drei grundlegenden Eigenschaften untersucht: die spezifische Biegesteifigkeit, der so
genannte Rückspringwinkel sowie die Rückstellkraft nach dem Thermoformen
hinsichtlich der verschiedenen Nähtypen.
Um dies zu ergänzen, wurden weiterführende Untersuchungen zu den
Materialeigenschaften der Nähfäden, die bei der dreidimensionalen Preformtechnik
eingesetzt werden können, durchgeführt. Dabei ist neben der niedrigen
Schmelztemperatur die vollständige Auflösbarkeit der Nähgarne in den ungesättigten
Polyester- und Epoxidharzen besonders wichtig. Auf Grund dieser vollständigen
Auflösung der Fäden in der Matrix können die Stichlöcher wieder vollkommen
verschlossen werden. Dadurch kann eine Reduktion des Einflusses solcher
Stichlöcher auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften des Faserverbundwerkstoffes
erreicht werden. Mit Hilfe dieser Untersuchungen wurden schließlich zwei polymere
Nähgarne als vielversprechend beurteilt. Diese weisen eine Schmelztemperatur von
weniger als 100 °C sowie eine gute Lösbarkeit, besonders im Harzsystem RTM 6,
auf.
In der Preformtechnik werden die Nähte nicht nur als Positionier- oder Montagenaht
eingesetzt, sondern können in einer Struktur als auch als Verstärkungselement, eine
so genannte Verstärkungsnaht, verwendet werden. Der Zweck einer solchen Naht ist
die interlaminare Verstärkung von monolitischen oder Sandwichstrukturen. Zudem
besteht die Möglichkeit, diese zur Fixierung von metallischen Funktionselementen
(Inserts) in den Faserverbundwerkstoff zu benutzen. Hinsichtlich diese Möglichkeiten
wurden im Rahmen dieser Arbeit erfolgreich Untersuchung durchgeführt. Dabei
wiesen die eingenähten Krafteinleitungselemente in durchgeführten statischen
Zugversuchen eine annähernd 200 % höhere maximale Zugkraft verglichen mit
entsprechenden Elementen (BigHead®), die nicht durch eine Naht fixiert wurden. Weitere Untersuchungen zeigten auch, dass eine doppelte Naht nicht eine
proportionale Verdoppelung der maximal erreichbaren Zugkraft bewirkt. Der Grund
hierfür liegt an einer partiellen Zerstörung des vorhandenen Nähgarns der ersten
Naht begründet durch den doppelten Einstich in die bereits bestehenden Löcher
beim mehrmaligen Durchlaufen der Nadel. Der größte Verstärkungseffekt konnte
schließlich bei der interlaminaren Einbettung und der Vernähung des Insert erreicht
werden. In diesem Fall kann eine Delamination, wie sie bei lediglich interlaminar
eingebetteten Inserts auftritt, verhindert werden.
Zusätzlich wurden statische Scherversuche durchgeführt, um auch in diesem
Belastungsfall die Versagensart zu untersuchen. Dabei stellte sich heraus, dass nicht
die Nähte sondern der Insert versagte. Auf Grund des Materialbruchs des Inserts,
sowohl in Zug- als auch in Scherversuchen, wurde in einem weiteren Schritt ein
optimiertes Insert entwickelt. Bei diesem wurde der Sockel in soweit modifiziert, dass
die maximale Versagenslast des Nähgarns ermittelt werden konnte. Dabei stellte
sich heraus, dass Glas-, Kohlenstoff- und Aramidfasern sich nur bedingt als
Verstärkungsgarn zur Fixierung von Inserts eignen. Im Gegensatz dazu sind die
Polyestergarne als ausreichende Verstärkung gut geeignet. Weitere Vorteile des
Polyestergarns sind die niedrigeren Kosten sowie die gute Vernähbarkeit.
Anschließend wurde eine solche Verbindung des Inserts mit einem
Faserverbundwerkstoff mit Hilfe der Finite-Elemente-Methode (FEM) simuliert. Dabei
zeigte sich eine gute Übereinstimmung der simulierten Ergebnisse mit denen aus
dem statischen Zugversuch mit dem weiterentwickelten Insert.
Auf Grund der elektrischen Leitfähigkeit von Kohlenstofffasern, können Fäden aus
diesem Material auch als Sensoren zur Überwachung einer Struktur oder Verbindung
eingesetzt werden. Hierfür wurden ebenfalls Untersuchungen durchgeführt. Dabei
konnte mit Hilfe der Änderung des elektrischen Widerstandes auf Schädigungen der
Fasern geschlossen werden. Somit können nicht nur das Bestehen einer
Schädigung, sondern auch der annähernde Ort ermittelt werden. Die
Untersuchungen zeigten somit, dass die Kohlenstofffasern nicht lediglich als
Verstärkung sondern auch als Überwachungssensor bei einem eingebetteten Insert
dienen können.
Im Rahmen aller Untersuchungen konnte das große und vielversprechende Potential
der Nähtechnik bei der Herstellung von Preform-Bauteilen aufgezeigt sowie ein
Einblick in einige von vielen Anwendungsmöglichkeiten gegeben werden.
The broad engineering applications of polymers and composites have become the
state of the art due to their numerous advantages over metals and alloys, such as
lightweight, easy processing and manufacturing, as well as acceptable mechanical
properties. However, a general deficiency of thermoplastics is their relatively poor
creep resistance, impairing service durability and safety, which is a significant barrier
to further their potential applications. In recent years, polymer nanocomposites have
been increasingly focused as a novel field in materials science. There are still many
scientific questions concerning these materials leading to the optimal property
combinations. The major task of the current work is to study the improved creep
resistance of thermoplastics filled with various nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon
nanotubes.
A systematic study of three different nanocomposite systems by means of
experimental observation and modeling and prediction was carried out. In the first
part, a nanoparticle/PA system was prepared to undergo creep tests under different
stress levels (20, 30, 40 MPa) at various temperatures (23, 50, 80 °C). The aim was
to understand the effect of different nanoparticles on creep performance. 1 vol. % of
300 nm and 21 nm TiO2 nanoparticles and nanoclay was considered. Surface
modified 21 nm TiO2 particles were also investigated. Static tensile tests were
conducted at those temperatures accordingly. It was found that creep resistance was
significantly enhanced to different degrees by the nanoparticles, without sacrificing
static tensile properties. Creep was characterized by isochronous stress-strain curves,
creep rate, and creep compliance under different temperatures and stress levels.
Orientational hardening, as well as thermally and stress activated processes were
briefly introduced to further understanding of the creep mechanisms of these
nanocomposites. The second material system was PP filled with 1 vol. % 300 nm and 21 nm TiO2
nanoparticles, which was used to obtain more information about the effect of particle
size on creep behavior based on another matrix material with much lower Tg. It was
found especially that small nanoparticles could significantly improve creep resistance.
Additionally, creep lifetime under high stress levels was noticeably extended by
smaller nanoparticles. The improvement in creep resistance was attributed to a very
dense network formed by the small particles that effectively restricted the mobility of
polymer chains. Changes in the spherulite morphology and crystallinity in specimens
before and after creep tests confirmed this explanation.
In the third material system, the objective was to explore the creep behavior of PP
reinforced with multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Short and long aspect ratio nanotubes
with 1 vol. % were used. It was found that nanotubes markedly improved the creep
resistance of the matrix, with reduced creep deformation and rate. In addition, the
creep lifetime of the composites was dramatically extended by 1,000 % at elevated
temperatures. This enhancement contributed to efficient load transfer between
carbon nanotubes and surrounding polymer chains.
Finally, a modeling analysis and prediction of long-term creep behaviors presented a
comprehensive understanding of creep in the materials studied here. Both the
Burgers model and Findley power law were applied to satisfactorily simulate the
experimental data. The parameter analysis based on Burgers model provided an
explanation of structure-to-property relationships. Due to their intrinsic difference, the
power law was more capable of predicting long-term behaviors than Burgers model.
The time-temperature-stress superposition principle was adopted to predict long-term
creep performance based on the short-term experimental data, to make it possible to
forecast the future performance of materials.
In recent years, nanofiller-reinforced polymer composites have attracted considerable
interest from numerous researchers, since they can offer unique mechanical,
electrical, optical and thermal properties compared to the conventional polymer
composites filled with micron-sized particles or short fibers. With this background, the
main objective of the present work was to investigate the various mechanical
properties of polymer matrices filled with different inorganic rigid nanofillers, including
SiOB2B, TiOB2B, AlB2BOB3B and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNT). Further, special
attention was paid to the fracture behaviours of the polymer nanocomposites. The
polymer matrices used in this work contained two types of epoxy resin (cycloaliphatic
and bisphenol-F) and two types of thermoplastic polymer (polyamide 66 and isotactic
polypropylene).
The epoxy-based nanocomposites (filled with nano-SiOB2B) were formed in situ by a
special sol-gel technique supplied by nanoresins AG. Excellent nanoparticle
dispersion was achieved even at rather high particle loading. The almost
homogeneously distributed nanoparticles can improve the elastic modulus and
fracture toughness (characterized by KBICB and GBICB) simultaneously. According to
dynamic mechanical and thermal analysis (DMTA), the nanosilica particles in epoxy
resins possessed considerable "effective volume fraction" in comparison with their
actual volume fraction, due to the presence of the interphase. Moreover, AFM and
high-resolution SEM observations also suggested that the nanosilica particles were
coated with a polymer layer and therefore a core-shell structure of particle-matrix was
expected. Furthermore, based on SEM fractography, several toughening
mechanisms were considered to be responsible for the improvement in toughness,
which included crack deflection, crack pinning/bowing and plastic deformation of
matrix induced by nanoparticles.
The PA66 or iPP-based nanocomposites were fabricated by a conventional meltextrusion
technique. Here, the nanofiller content was set constant as 1 vol.%. Relatively good particle dispersion was found, though some small aggregates still
existed. The elastic modulus of both PA66 and iPP was moderately improved after
incorporation of the nanofillers. The fracture behaviours of these materials were
characterized by an essential work fracture (EWF) approach. In the case of PA66
system, the EWF experiments were carried out over a broad temperature range
(23~120 °C). It was found that the EWF parameters exhibited high temperature
dependence. At most testing temperatures, a small amount of nanoparticles could
produce obvious toughening effects at the cost of reduction in plastic deformation of
the matrix. In light of SEM fractographs and crack opening tip (COD) analysis, the
crack blunting induced by nanoparticles might be the major source of this toughening.
The fracture behaviours of PP filled with MWNTs were investigated over a broad
temperature range (-196~80 °C) in terms of notched impact resistance. It was found
that MWNTs could enhance the notched impact resistance of PP matrix significantly
once the testing temperature was higher than the glass transition temperature (TBgB) of
neat PP. At the relevant temperature range, the longer the MWNTs, the better was
the impact resistance. SEM observation revealed three failure modes of nanotubes:
nanotube bridging, debonding/pullout and fracture. All of them would contribute to
impact toughness to a degree. Moreover, the nanotube fracture was considered as
the major failure mode. In addition, the smaller spherulites induced by the nanotubes
would also benefit toughness.
Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit konnte eine Prozesstechnologie entwickelt werden,
die das Einsatzgebiet von endlosfaserverstärkten Thermoplasten (Organoblechen)
auf den Bereich von schnellbewegten Getriebebauteilen im Maschinenbau erweitert.
Zum Thermoformen von kohlenstofffaserverstärkten Thermoplasten wurde erstmals
die induktive Erwärmung als Heizquelle eingesetzt. Dies ermöglicht die Erwärmung
des untersuchten Halbzeuges (CF/PA66) an zwei lokal begrenzten Bereichen in weniger
als 30 Sekunden auf Umformtemperatur. Dieser lokale Energieeintrag bietet die
Grundlage für den anschließenden partiellen Thermoformprozess, mit dem Ziel
der gleichzeitigen Umformung mehrerer Formnester auf einem Halbzeug.
Durch Koppelung dieses Verfahren mit einem Werkzeugkonzept zur dickenadaptiven
Umformung war eine Erhöhung der Halbzeugdicke in definierten Bereichen um
bis zu 200 % möglich. In Organobleche mit einer Dicke von 2 mm wurden Lagersitze
mit einer Lagersitzbreite von 6 mm eingeformt, ohne dass Material von außen nachgeführt
oder extern dem Prozess zugeführt werden musste. Auch ein Verfahren zum
Ausformen von Lagersitzen und dem gleichzeitigen Fügen metallischer Lager wurde
realisiert und ein Modell von geometrisch möglichen Lagersitzdimensionen in Abhängigkeit
der Organoblechdicke erstellt.
Die Kombination aus Prozess Neu- und Weiterentwicklungen führt zu einer Prozesskettenverkürzung
mit einer daraus resultierenden Prozesszeiteinsparung von
bis zu 37 % gegenüber dem partiellen Thermoformen, was entscheidend zur Kostensenkung
bei der Herstellung beiträgt.
Die Prozesskette wurde an einem Demonstratorbauteil, einem schnellbewegten Hebel
(Fadenhebel) einer Industrienähmaschine, exemplarisch abgebildet. Dieser Fadenhebel
besitzt zwei metallische Rillenkugellager, die in einem Schritt in ein zuvor
ebenes Halbzeug eingeformt und gefügt wurden. Bei der Bauteilprüfung zeigte sich
neben einer Netto-Gewichtsreduzierung von 50 % gegenüber der bestehenden Aluminiumvariante
eine Reduzierung der Schallemission um bis zu 1 dB(A). Dies ist auf
das hohe Dämpfungsvermögen des thermoplastischen Ausgangsmaterials zurückzuführen, und unterstreicht das große Potenzial dieser Werkstoffklasse in dynamisch
belasteten Bauteilen.
Tropical geometry is a very new mathematical domain. The appearance of
tropical geometry was motivated by its deep relations to other mathematical
branches. These include algebraic geometry, symplectic geometry, complex
analysis, combinatorics and mathematical biology.
In this work we see some more relations between algebraic geometry and
tropical geometry. Our aim is to prove a one-to-one correspondence between
the divisor classes on the moduli space of n-pointed rational stable curves
and the divisors of the moduli space of n-pointed abstract tropical curves.
Thus we state some results of the algebraic case first. In algebraic geometry
these moduli spaces are well understood. In particular, the group of divisor
classes is calculated by S. Keel. We recall the needed results in chapter one.
For the proof of the correspondence we use some results of toric geometry.
Further we want to show an equality of the Chow groups of a special toric
variety and the algebraic moduli space. Thus we state some results of the
toric geometry as well.
This thesis tries to discover some connection between algebraic and tropical
geometry. Thus we also need the corresponding tropical objects to the
algebraic objects. Therefore we give some necessary definitions such as fan,
tropical fan, morphisms between tropical fans, divisors or the topical moduli
space of all n-marked tropical curves. Since we need it, we show that the
tropical moduli space can be embedded as a tropical fan.
After this preparatory work we prove that the group of divisor classes in
v
classical algebraic geometry has it equivalence in tropical geometry. For this
it is useful to give a map from the group of divisor classes of the algebraic
moduli space to the group of divisors of the tropical moduli space. Our aim is
to prove the bijectivity of this map in chapter three. On the way we discover
a deep connection between the algebraic moduli space and the toric variety
given by the tropical fan of the tropical moduli space.
Jahresbericht 2006
(2007)
Congress Report 2007.10
(2007)
Congress Report 2007.11-12
(2007)
Congress Report 2007.02
(2007)
Congress Report 2007.08-09
(2007)
Congress Report 2007.06-07
(2007)
Congress Report 2007.05
(2007)
Congress Report 2007.03-04
(2007)
Congress Report 2007.01
(2007)
The scope of this diploma thesis is to examine the four generations of asset pricing models and the corresponding volatility dynamics which have been devepoled so far. We proceed as follows: In chapter 1 we give a short repetition of the Black-Scholes first generation model which assumes a constant volatility and we show that volatility should not be modeled as constant by examining statistical data and introducing the notion of implied volatility. In chapter 2, we examine the simplest models that are able to produce smiles or skews - local volatility models. These are called second generation models. Local volatility models model the volatility as a function of the stock price and time. We start with the work of Dupire, show how local volatility models can be calibrated and end with a detailed discussion of the constant elasticity of volatility model. Chapter 3 focuses on the Heston model which represents the class of the stochastic volatility models, which assume that the volatility itself is driven by a stochastic process. These are called third generation models. We introduce the model structure, derive a partial differential pricing equation, give a closed-form solution for European calls by solving this equation and explain how the model is calibrated. The last part of chapter 3 then deals with the limits and the mis-specifications of the Heston model, in particular for recent exotic options like reverse cliquets, Accumulators or Napoleons. In chapter 4 we then introduce the Bergomi forward variance model which is called fourth generation model as a consequence of the limits of the Heston model explained in chapter 3. The Bergomi model is a stochastic local volatility model - the spot price is modeled as a constant elasticity of volatility diffusion and its volatility parameters are functions of the so called forward variances which are specified as stochastic processes. We start with the model specification, derive a partial differential pricing equation, show how the model has to be calibrated and end with pricing examples and a concluding discussion.
This technical report contains the preliminary versions of the regular papers presented at the first workshop on Verification of Adaptive Systems (VerAS) that has been held in Kaiserslautern, Germany, on September 14th, 2007 as part of the 20th International Conference on Theorem Proving in Higher Order Logics. The final versions will be published with Elsevier's Electronic Notes on Theoretical Computer Science (ENTCS). VerAS is the first workshop that aims at considering adaptation as a cross-cutting system aspect that needs to be explicitly addressed in system design and verification. The program committee called for original submissions on formal modeling, specification, verification, and implementation of adaptive systems. There were six submissions from different countries of Europe. Each submission has been reviewed by three programme committee members. Finally, the programme committee decided to accept three of the six submissions. Besides the presentations of the regular papers, the workshop's programme included a tutorial on the `Compositional Verification of Self-Optimizing Mechatronic Systems' held by Holger Giese (University of Paderborn, Germany) as well as three presentations of DASMOD projects on the verification of adaptive systems.
This technical report is the Emerging Trends proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Theorem Proving in Higher Order Logics (TPHOLs 2007), which was held during 10-13 September in Kaiserslautern, Germany. TPHOLs covers all aspects of theorem proving in higher order logics as well as related topics in theorem proving and verification.
In this thesis we classify simple coherent sheaves on Kodaira fibers of types II, III and IV (cuspidal and tacnode cubic curves and a plane configuration of three concurrent lines). Indecomposable vector bundles on smooth elliptic curves were classified in 1957 by Atiyah. In works of Burban, Drozd and Greuel it was shown that the categories of vector bundles and coherent sheaves on cycles of projective lines are tame. It turns out, that all other degenerations of elliptic curves are vector-bundle-wild. Nevertheless, we prove that the category of coherent sheaves of an arbitrary reduced plane cubic curve, (including the mentioned Kodaira fibers) is brick-tame. The main technical tool of our approach is the representation theory of bocses. Although, this technique was mainly used for purely theoretical purposes, we illustrate its computational potential for investigating tame behavior in wild categories. In particular, it allows to prove that a simple vector bundle on a reduced cubic curve is determined by its rank, multidegree and determinant, generalizing Atiyah's classification. Our approach leads to an interesting class of bocses, which can be wild but are brick-tame.
In urban planning, sophisticated simulation models are key tools to estimate future population growth for measuring the impact of planning decisions on urban developments and the environment. Simulated population projections usually result in large, macro-scale, multivariate geospatial data sets. Millions of records have to be processed, stored, and visualized to help planners explore and analyze complex population patterns. We introduce a database driven framework for visualizing geospatial multidimensional simulation data based on the output from UrbanSim, a software for the analysis and planning of urban developments. The designed framework is extendable and aims at integrating empirical-stochastic methods and urban simulation models with techniques developed for information visualization and cartography. First, we develop an empirical model for the estimation of residential building types based on demographic household characteristics. The predicted dwelling type information is important for the analysis of future material use, carbon footprint calculations, and for visualizing simultaneously the results of land usage, density, and other significant parameters in 3D space. Our model uses multinomial logistic regression to derive building types at different scales. The estimated regression coefficients are applied to UrbanSim output in order to predict residential building types. The simulation results and the estimated building types are managed in an object-relational geodatabase. From the database, density, building types, and significant demographic variables are visually encoded as scalable, georeferenced 3D geometries and displayed on top of aerial photographs in a Google Earth visual synthesis. The geodatabase can be accessed and the visualization parameters can be chosen through a web-based user interface. The geometries are encoded in KML, Google's markup language, as ready-to-visualize data sets. The goal is to enhance human cognition by displaying abstract representations of multidimensional data sets in a realistic context and thus to support decision making in planning processes.
Unternehmen sind heute mit einem globalen Wettbewerb und großen Herausforderungen konfrontiert, wie z. B. kurzen Produktlebenszyklen oder hohen Anforderungen an die Prozess- und Ergebnissicherheit. Verschiedene daten- und technologiegetriebene sowie prozessorientierte Ansätze der Produktionsgestaltung versuchen, Lösungen für Produktionssysteme zu entwickeln, um diese Herausforderungen zu bewältigen und im globalen Wettbewerb bestehen zu können. Jede einzelne Richtung der Produktionsgestaltung weist dabei Vorteile und Defizite auf. Durch „Smart Production Systems“ werden die Grundideen der einzelnen Ansätze, die bisher als unvereinbar galten, zusammengeführt. Dadurch können einzelne Defizite ausgeglichen werden, ohne auf die bekannten Vorteile zu verzichten. Der Grundgedanke von „Smart Production Systems“ ist es, „wissensinkorporierte Objekte“ in Produktionsprozessen einzusetzen, um die Abläufe jederzeit nachvollziehbar und damit das zugehörige Produktionssystem sicher, effizient und flexibel zu gestalten. Wissensinkorporierte Objekte stellen dabei Produktionsobjekte dar, die neben ihrer eigentlichen Funktion informationstechnische Funktionen besitzen, mittels derer sie Daten speichern und wieder bereitstellen können. Der Einsatz wissensinkorporierter Objekte in „Smart Production Systems“ kann mit Hilfe des Konzepts Gestaltungswürfels „Smart Cube“ strukturiert analysiert, geplant, konzeptioniert, bewertet, implementiert, genutzt und gesichert werden. Das Konzept des Gestaltungswürfels „Smart Cube“ wird durch ein Organisations-, ein Referenz-, ein Umsetzungsmodell und mehrere spezifische Anwendungsmodelle beschrieben: 1) Das Organisationsmodell erläutert als Ansatzpunkt von „Smart Production Systems“ die Stellung des Informationsflusses und Materialfluss sowie den Zusammenhang zwischen Datenmenge und Entscheidungsreichweite innerhalb einer Produktionsorganisation. 2) Das Referenzmodell wird aus den drei räumlichen Achsen Wirkungs-, Objekt- und Prozess- sowie Informationsstruktur aufgebaut. Es erfüllt folgende Aufgaben: - Es beschreibt die grundsätzlichen Ausprägungen von Wirkungs-, Objekt- und Prozess- sowie Informationsstrukturen und deren Kombinationsmöglichkeiten innerhalb von Produktionssystemen. - Es erläutert die Zusammenhänge zwischen Technologie-, Logistik- und Kommunikationskomplexität und ermöglicht damit die Einordnung von spezifischen Produktionssystemen in das Referenzmodell. - Mit den verschiedenen Koordinaten der einzelnen Achsen liefert es eine Systematik zur Bezeichnung der verschiedenen möglichen Kombinationen, die es ermöglicht, Anwendungsmodelle aus dem Referenzmodell abzuleiten. 3) Die Anwendungsmodelle konkretisieren das Referenzmodell hinsichtlich der in einem Produktionssystem enthaltenen Objekte und Prozesse. Aufgrund der verschiedenen möglichen Kombinationen der Ausprägungen der einzelnen Strukturen im Referenzmodell lassen sich 27 verschiedene Anwendungsmodelle bilden. 4) Das Umsetzungsmodell beschreibt das Vorgehen bei der Gestaltung von Produktionssystemen mit Hilfe des Gestaltungswürfels „Smart Cube“ . Am Beispiel eines Neugestaltungsprojektes in einem Unternehmen aus der Automobilzulieferindustrie wird gezeigt, wie mit Hilfe des entwickelten Konzeptes Gestaltungswürfel „Smart Cube“ der Einsatz von wissensinkorporierten Objekten systematisch gestaltet werden kann: - Mit der Gestaltung von Kanbankarten zu wissensinkorporierten Objekten kann der manuelle Buchungsaufwand minimiert und der Anteil nicht-wertschöpfender Tätigkeiten klein gehalten werden. - Mit Hilfe des Einsatzes wissensinkorporierter Objekte in einem Fabriksystem können Zielkonflikte zwischen Sicherheit und Effizienz gelöst werden.
The nowadays increasing number of fields where large quantities of data are collected generates an emergent demand for methods for extracting relevant information from huge databases. Amongst the various existing data mining models, decision trees are widely used since they represent a good trade-off between accuracy and interpretability. However, one of their main problems is that they are very instable, which complicates the process of the knowledge discovery because the users are disturbed by the different decision trees generated from almost the same input learning samples. In the current work, binary tree classifiers are analyzed and partially improved. The analysis of tree classifiers goes from their topology from the graph theory point of view to the creation of a new tree classification model by means of combining decision trees and soft comparison operators (Mlynski, 2003) with the purpose to not only overcome the well known instability problem of decision trees, but also in order to confer the ability of dealing with uncertainty. In order to study and compare the structural stability of tree classifiers, we propose an instability coefficient which is based on the notion of Lipschitz continuity and offer a metric to measure the proximity between decision trees. This thesis converges towards its main part with the presentation of our model ``Soft Operators Decision Tree\'\' (SODT). Mainly, we describe its construction, application and the consistency of the mathematical formulation behind this. Finally we show the results of the implementation of SODT and compare numerically the stability and accuracy of a SODT and a crisp DT. The numerical simulations support the stability hypothesis and a smaller tendency to overfitting the training data with SODT than with crisp DT is observed. A further aspect of this inclusion of soft operators is that we choose them in a way so that the resulting goodness function (used by this method) is differentiable and thus allows to calculate the best split points by means of gradient descent methods. The main drawback of SODT is the incorporation of the unpreciseness factor, which increases the complexity of the algorithm.
The provision of quality-of-service (QoS) on the network layer is a major challenge in communication networks. This applies particularly to mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) in the area of Ambient Intelligence (AmI), especially with the increasing use of delay and bandwidth sensitive applications. The focus of this survey lies on the classification and analysis of selected QoS routing protocols in the domain of mobile ad-hoc networks. Each protocol is briefly described and assessed, and the results are summarized in multiple tables.
In this work, we analyze two important and simple models of short rates, namely Vasicek and CIR models. The models are described and then the sensitivity of the models with respect to changes in the parameters are studied. Finally, we give the results for the estimation of the model parameters by using two different ways.
With the ever-increasing significance of software in our everyday lives, it is vital to afford reliable software quality estimates. Typically, quantitative software quality analyses rely on either statistical fault prediction methods (FPMs) or stochastic software reliability growth models (SRGMs). Adopting solely FPMs or SRGMs, though, may result in biased predictions that do not account for uncertainty in the distinct prediction methods; thus rendering the prediction less reliable. This paper identifies flaws of the individual prediction methods and suggests a hybrid prediction approach that combines FPMs and SRGMs. We adopt FPMs for initially estimating the expected number of failures for fi- nite failure SRGMs. Initial parameter estimates yield more accurate reliability predictions until sufficient failures are observed that enable stable parameter estimates in SRGMs. Being at the equilibrium level of FPM and SRGM pre- dictions we suggest combining the competing prediction methods with respect to the principle of heterogeneous redundancy. That is, we propose using the in- dividual methods separately and combining their predictions. In this paper we suggest Bayesian model averaging (BMA) for combining the different methods. The hybrid approach allows early reliability estimates and encourages higher confidence in software quality predictions.
This paper disscuses the minimal area rectangular packing problem of how to pack a set of specified, non-overlapping rectangels into a rectangular container of minimal area. We investigate different mathematical programming approaches of this and introduce a novel approach based on non-linear optimization and the \\\"tunneling effect\\\" achieved by a relaxation of the non-overlapping constraints.
Background and purpose Inherently, IMRT treatment planning involves compromising between different planning goals. Multi-criteria IMRT planning directly addresses this compromising and thus makes it more systematic. Usually, several plans are computed from which the planner selects the most promising following a certain procedure. Applying Pareto navigation for this selection step simultaneously increases the variety of planning options and eases the identification of the most promising plan. Material and methods Pareto navigation is an interactive multi-criteria optimization method that consists of the two navigation mechanisms “selection” and “restriction”. The former allows the formulation of wishes whereas the latter allows the exclusion of unwanted plans. They are realized as optimization problems on the so-called plan bundle – a set constructed from precomputed plans. They can be approximately reformulated so that their solution time is a small fraction of a second. Thus, the user can be provided with immediate feedback regarding his or her decisions.
Modeling and formulation of optimization problems in IMRT planning comprises the choice of various values such as function-specific parameters or constraint bounds. These values also affect the characteristics of the optimization problem and thus the form of the resulting optimal plans. This publication utilizes concepts of sensitivity analysis and elasticity in convex optimization to analyze the dependence of optimal plans on the modeling parameters. It also derives general rules of thumb how to choose and modify the parameters in order to obtain the desired IMRT plan. These rules are numerically validated for an exemplary IMRT planning problems.
A fully automatic procedure is proposed to rapidly compute the permeability of porous materials from their binarized microstructure. The discretization is a simplified version of Peskin’s Immersed Boundary Method, where the forces are applied at the no-slip grid points. As needed for the computation of permeability, steady flows at zero Reynolds number are considered. Short run-times are achieved by eliminating the pressure and velocity variables using an Fast Fourier Transform-based and 4 Poisson problembased fast inversion approach on rectangular parallelepipeds with periodic boundary conditions. In reference to calling it a fast method using fictitious or artificial forces, the implementation is called FFF-Stokes. Large scale computations on 3d images are quickly and automatically performed to estimate the permeability of some sample materials. A matlab implementation is provided to allow readers to experience the automation and speed of the method for realistic three-dimensional models.
Facility location decisions play a critical role in the strategic design of supply chain networks. In this paper, an extensive literature review of facility location models in the context of supply chain management is given. Following a brief review of core models in facility location, we identify basic features that such models must capture to support decision-making involved in strategic supply chain planning. In particular, the integration of location decisions with other decisions relevant to the design of a supply chain network is discussed. Furthermore, aspects related to the structure of the supply chain network, including those specific to reverse logistics, are also addressed. Significant contributions to the current state-of-the-art are surveyed taking into account numerous factors. Supply chain performance measures and optimization techniques are also reviewed. Applications of facility location models to supply chain network design ranging across various industries are discussed. Finally, a list of issues requiring further research are highlighted.
Bringing robustness to patient flow management through optimized patient transports in hospitals
(2007)
Intra-hospital transports are often required for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons. Depending on the hospital layout, transportation between nursing wards and service units is either provided by ambulances or by trained personnel who accompany patients on foot. In many large German hospitals, the patient transport service is poorly managed and lacks workflow coordination. This contributes to higher hospital costs (e.g. when a patient is not delivered to the operating room on time) and to patient inconvenience due to longer waiting times. We have designed a computer-based planning system - Opti-TRANS c - that supports all phases of the transportation flow, ranging from travel booking, dispatching transport requests to monitoring and reporting trips in real-time. The methodology developed to solve the underlying optimization problem - a dynamic dial-a-ride problem with hospital-specific constraints - draws on fast heuristic methods to ensure the efficient and timely provision of transports. We illustrate the strong impact of Opti-TRANS c on the daily performance of the patient transportation service of a large German hospital. The major benefits obtained with the new tool include streamlined transportation processes and workflow, significant savings and improved patient satisfaction. Moreover, the new planning system has contributed to increase awareness among hospital staff about the importance of implementing efficient logistics practices.
An efficient approach for calculating the effective heat conductivity for a class of industrial composite materials, such as metal foams, fibrous glass materials, and the like, is discussed. These materials, used in insulation or in advanced heat exchangers, are characterized by a low volume fraction of the highly conductive material (glass or metal) having a complex, network-like structure and by a large volume fraction of the insulator (air). We assume that the composite materials have constant macroscopic thermal conductivity tensors, which in principle can be obtained by standard up-scaling techniques, that use the concept of representative elementary volumes (REV), i.e. the effective heat conductivities of composite media can be computed by post-processing the solutions of some special cell problems for REVs. We propose, theoretically justify, and numerically study an efficient approach for calculating the effective conductivity for media for which the ratio of low and high conductivities satisfies 1. In this case one essentially only needs to solve the heat equation in the region occupied by the highly conductive media. For a class of problems we show, that under certain conditions on the microscale geometry, the proposed approach produces an upscaled conductivity that is O() close to the exact upscaled permeability. A number of numerical experiments are presented in order to illustrate the accuracy and the limitations of the proposed method. Applicability of the presented approach to upscaling other similar problems, e.g. flow in fractured porous media, is also discussed.
In this paper, a new mixed integer mathematical programme is proposed for the application of Hub Location Problems (HLP) in public transport planning. This model is among the few existing ones for this application. Some classes of valid inequalities are proposed yielding a very tight model. To solve instances of this problem where existing standard solvers fail, two approaches are proposed. The first one is an exact accelerated Benders decomposition algorithm and the latter a greedy neighborhood search. The computational results substantiate the superiority of our solution approaches to existing standard MIP solvers like CPLEX, both in terms of computational time and problem instance size that can be solved. The greedy neighborhood search heuristic is shown to be extremely efficient.
This report reviews selected image binarization and segmentation methods that have been proposed and which are suitable for the processing of volume images. The focus is on thresholding, region growing, and shape–based methods. Rather than trying to give a complete overview of the field, we review the original ideas and concepts of selected methods, because we believe this information to be important for judging when and under what circumstances a segmentation algorithm can be expected to work properly.
This work presents a new framework for Gröbner basis computations with Boolean polynomials. Boolean polynomials can be modeled in a rather simple way, with both coefficients and degree per variable lying in {0, 1}. The ring of Boolean polynomials is, however, not a polynomial ring, but rather the quotient ring of the polynomial ring over the field with two elements modulo the field equations x2 = x for each variable x. Therefore, the usual polynomial data structures seem not to be appropriate for fast Gröbner basis computations. We introduce a specialized data structure for Boolean polynomials based on zero-suppressed binary decision diagrams (ZDDs), which is capable of handling these polynomials more efficiently with respect to memory consumption and also computational speed. Furthermore, we concentrate on high-level algorithmic aspects, taking into account the new data structures as well as structural properties of Boolean polynomials. For example, a new useless-pair criterion for Gröbner basis computations in Boolean rings is introduced. One of the motivations for our work is the growing importance of formal hardware and software verification based on Boolean expressions, which suffer – besides from the complexity of the problems – from the lack of an adequate treatment of arithmetic components. We are convinced that algebraic methods are more suited and we believe that our preliminary implementation shows that Gröbner bases on specific data structures can be capable to handle problems of industrial size.
Two-level domain decomposition preconditioner for 3D flows in anisotropic highly heterogeneous porous media is presented. Accurate finite volume discretization based on multipoint flux approximation (MPFA) for 3D pressure equation is employed to account for the jump discontinuities of full permeability tensors. DD/MG type preconditioner for above mentioned problem is developed. Coarse scale operator is obtained from a homogenization type procedure. The influence of the overlapping as well as the influence of the smoother and cell problem formulation is studied. Results from numerical experiments are presented and discussed.
Calculating effective heat conductivity for a class of industrial problems is discussed. The considered composite materials are glass and metal foams, fibrous materials, and the like, used in isolation or in advanced heat exchangers. These materials are characterized by a very complex internal structure, by low volume fraction of the higher conductive material (glass or metal), and by a large volume fraction of the air. The homogenization theory (when applicable), allows to calculate the effective heat conductivity of composite media by postprocessing the solution of special cell problems for representative elementary volumes (REV). Different formulations of such cell problems are considered and compared here. Furthermore, the size of the REV is studied numerically for some typical materials. Fast algorithms for solving the cell problems for this class of problems, are presented and discussed.
Approximation property of multipoint flux approximation (MPFA) approach for elliptic equations with discontinuous full tensor coefficients is discussed here. Finite volume discretization of the above problem is presented in the case of jump discontinuities for the permeability tensor. First order approximation for the fluxes is proved. Results from numerical experiments are presented and discussed.
A numerical upscaling approach, NU, for solving multiscale elliptic problems is discussed. The main components of this NU are: i) local solve of auxil- iary problems in grid blocks and formal upscaling of the obtained re sults to build a coarse scale equation; ii) global solve of the upscaled coarse scale equation; and iii) reconstruction of a fine scale solution by solving local block problems on a dual coarse grid. By its structure NU is similar to other methods for solving multiscale elliptic problems, such as the multiscale finite element method, the multiscale mixed finite element method, the numerical subgrid upscaling method, heterogeneous multiscale method, and the multiscale finite volume method. The difference with those methods is in the way the coarse scale equation is build and solved, and in the way the fine scale solution is reconstructed. Essential components of the presented here NU approach are the formal homogenization in the coarse blocks and the usage of so called multipoint flux approximation method, MPFA. Unlike the usual usage as MPFA as a discretiza- tion method for single scale elliptic problems with tensor discontinuous coefficients, we consider its usage as a part of a numerical upscaling approach. The main aim of this paper is to compare NU with the MsFEM. In particular, it is shown that the resonance effect, which limits the application of the Multiscale FEM, does not appear, or it is significantly relaxed, when the presented here numerical upscaling approach is applied.
In the article the application of kernel functions – the so-called »kernel trick« – in the context of Fisher’s approach to linear discriminant analysis is described for data sets subdivided into two groups and having real attributes. The relevant facts about functional Hilbert spaces and kernel functions including their proofs are presented. The approximative algorithm published in [Mik3] to compute a discriminant function given the data and a kernel function is briefly reviewed. As an illustration of the technique an artificial data set is analysed using the algorithm just mentioned.
Von sicherheitsrelevanten Bauteilen im Automobilbau verlangt man, dass beim Kunden bis zur Zeit/Strecke q0 höchstens ein Anteil p0 ausgefallen ist. Die Verifikation dieses Quantils geschieht in einer Reihe von Versuchen, bei denen die Bauteile mit einer typischen Kraft zyklisch belastet werden, bis ein gewisses, im Vorfeld festgelegtes, Schadensbild auftritt und die Anzahl Ti der Zyklen („Schwingspiele“) als Lebensdauer notiert wird. Typischerweise ist der Stichprobenumfang N dabei sehr gering (N < 10), während gleichzeitig ein extremes Quantil 0 p0 0, 1 verifiziert werden soll. Verwendet man als Lebensdauerverteilung eine Weibulloder Lognormalverteilung, so tritt in den Quantilschätzern ein deutlicher Bias auf, der beseitigt werden soll. Da es sich hierbei in der Regel um einen positiven Bias handelt, würde man Bauteile als serientauglich einstufen, obwohl sie möglicherweise deutlich unter den Vorgaben liegen. Die Berechnung von Konfidenzintervallen für Quantile geschieht über Delta-Methoden, die ebenfalls schlechte Resultate liefern (in Form einer zu geringen empirischen Signifikanz linksseiter Intervalle). Im Folgenden werden Verallgemeinerungen der Bootstrap- und Jackknife- Biaskorrektur vorgestellt, welche nicht nur versuchen den Bias zu beseitigen, sondern direkt den mittleren quadratischen Fehler des Schätzers weitestgehend zu reduzieren. Simulationsstudien zeigen, dass dies für geringe Stichprobenumfänge gelingt. Außerdem wird untersucht, inwiefern die Methode in Kombination mit der Bootstrap-Quantil-Methode einen verbesserten Intervallschätzer für Quantile liefert. Dabei werden simulierte Daten betrachtet, deren Parameter repräsentativ für Lebensdauerverteilungen von sicherheitsrelevanten Bauteilen sind.
In this paper we extend the slender body theory for the dynamics of a curved inertial viscous Newtonian fiber [23] by the inclusion of surface tension in the systematic asymptotic framework and the deduction of boundary conditions for the free fiber end, as it occurs in rotational spinning processes of glass fibers. The fiber ow is described by a three-dimensional free boundary value problem in terms of instationary incompressible Navier-Stokes equations under the neglect of temperature dependence. From standard regular expansion techniques in powers of the slenderness parameter we derive asymptotically leading-order balance laws for mass and momentum combining the inner viscous transport with unrestricted motion and shape of the fiber center-line which becomes important in the practical application. For the numerical investigation of the effects due to surface tension, viscosity, gravity and rotation on the fiber behavior we apply a fnite volume method with implicit flux discretization.
The performance of oil filters used in the automotive industry can be significantly improved, especially when computer simulation is an essential component of the design process. In this paper, we consider parallel numerical algorithms for solving mathematical models describing the process of filtration, filtering out solid particles from liquid oil. The Navier-Stokes-Brinkmann system of equations is used to describe the laminar flow of incompressible isothermal oil. The space discretization in the complicated filter geometry is based on the finite-volume method. Special care is taken for an accurate approximation of velocity and pressure on the interface between the fluid and the porous media. The time discretization used here is a proper modification of the fractional time step discretization (cf. Chorin scheme) of the Navier-Stokes equations, where the Brinkmann term is considered at both, prediction and correction substeps. A data decomposition method is used to develop a parallel algorithm, where the domain is distributed among processors by using a structured reference grid. The MPI library is used to implement the data communication part of the algorithm. A theoretical model is proposed for the estimation of the complexity of the given parallel algorithm and a scalability analysis is done on the basis of this model. Results of computational experiments are presented, and the accuracy and efficiency of the parallel algorithm is tested on real industrial geometries.