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Aflatoxins, a group of mycotoxins produced by various mold species within the genus Aspergillus, have been extensively investigated for their potential to contaminate food and feed, rendering them unfit for consumption. Nevertheless, the role of aflatoxins as environmental contaminants in soil, which represents their natural habitat, remains a relatively unexplored area in aflatoxin research. This knowledge gap can be attributed, in part, to the methodological challenges associated with detecting aflatoxins in soil. The main objective of this PhD project was to develop and validate an analytical method that allows monitoring of aflatoxins in soil, and scrutinize the mechanisms and extent of occurrence of aflatoxins in soil, the processes governing their dissipation, and their impact on the soil microbiome and associated soil functions. By utilizing an efficient extraction solvent mixture comprising acetonitrile and water, coupled with an ultrasonication step, recoveries of 78% to 92% were achieved, enabling reliable determination of trace levels in soil ranging from 0.5 to 20 µg kg-1. However, in a field trial conducted in a high-risk model region for aflatoxin contamination in Sub-Saharan Africa, no aflatoxins were detected using this procedure, underscoring the complexities of field monitoring. These challenges encompassed rapid degradation, spatial heterogeneity, and seasonal fluctuations in aflatoxin occurrence. Degradation experiments revealed the importance of microbial and photochemical processes in the dissipation of aflatoxins in soil with half-lives of 20 - 65 days. The rate of dissipation was found to be influenced by soil properties, most notably soil texture and the initial concentration of aflatoxins in the soil. An exposure study provided evidence that aflatoxins do not pose a substantial threat to the soil microbiome, encompassing microbial biomass, activity, and catabolic functionality. This was particularly evident in clayey soils, where the toxicity of aflatoxins diminished significantly due to their strong binding to clay minerals. However, several critical questions remain unanswered, emphasizing the necessity for further research to attain a more comprehensive understanding of the ecological importance of aflatoxins. Future research should prioritize the challenges associated with field monitoring of aflatoxins, elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the dissipation of aflatoxins in soil during microbial and photochemical degradation, and investigate the ecological consequences of aflatoxins in regions heavily affected by aflatoxins, taking into account the interactions between aflatoxins and environmental and anthropogenic stressors. Addressing these questions contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the environmental impact of aflatoxins in soil, ultimately contributing to more effective strategies for aflatoxin management in agriculture.
Velocity Based Training ist ein Ansatz zur Belastungssteuerung im Widerstandstraining, der die volitional maximale konzentrische Durchschnittsgeschwindigkeit gegen einen bestimmten Lastwiderstand zur Steuerung der Belastungsintensität sowie das Ausmaß der intraseriellen konzentrischen Geschwindigkeitsreduktion zur Steuerung der intraseriellen muskulären Ermüdung verwendet. Die diesem Ansatz inhärente Grundvoraussetzung, sich mit volitional maximalen konzentrischen Geschwindigkeiten zu bewegen, führt jedoch dazu, dass die Steuerung der muskulären Ermüdung auf Basis der relativen Geschwindigkeitsreduktion nicht umsetzbar ist, wenn man sich im Widerstandstraining mit volitional submaximaler Geschwindigkeit bewegt. Deshalb befasste sich dieses Promotionsprojekt mit der übergeordneten Forschungsfrage, inwieweit sich ein adaptierter Ansatz der geschwindigkeitsbasierten Belastungssteuerung im Widerstandstraining auf Basis der Minimum Velocity Threshold (MVT), der eine „Relative Stopping Velocity Threshold“ ([RSVT], berechnet als Vielfaches der MVT in Prozent) zur objektiven Autoregulation der Belastungsdauer verwendet, dazu eignet, den Grad der muskulären Ermüdung innerhalb eines Trainingssatzes mit volitional submaximaler konzentrischer Bewegungsgeschwindigkeit zu steuern.
Zur Beantwortung dieser übergeordneten Forschungsfrage wurde eine explanative, prospektive Untersuchung im quasiexperimentellen Design durchgeführt. Dabei wurde für alle Probanden an einem ersten Termin die individuelle dynamische Maximalkraftleistung (1-RM) für die Langhantelübungen Bankdrücken und Kreuzheben ermittelt und an einem zweiten Termin die eigentliche Testung durchgeführt. An diesem zweiten Testtermin wurde pro Übung jeweils ein Testsatz mit volitional maximaler und ein Testsatz mit volitional submaximaler konzentrischer Bewegungsgeschwindigkeit bei einer standardisierten Belastungsintensität von 75 % 1-RM ausgeführt, während die konzentrische Bewegungsgeschwindigkeit der einzelnen Wiederholungen mittels einer Inertialsensoreinheit erfasst wurde, um die ermüdungsbedingte Geschwindigkeitsreduktion der Wiederholungen am Ende eines ausbelastenden Testsatzes zu untersuchen.
Als Antwort auf die übergeordnete Forschungsfrage dieser Untersuchung kann festgehalten werden, dass sich die RSVT grundsätzlich zur Steuerung der intraseriellen muskulären Ermüdung im Widerstandstraining mit volitional submaximaler konzentrischer Bewegungsgeschwindigkeit eignet. Für fitness- und gesundheitsorientierte Personen wurde ein RSVT-Zielkorridor abgeleitet der RSVT = 171,4 - 186,6 % MVT entspricht. Führt man einen Satz Bankdrücken mit der Langhantel mit einer Belastungsintensität von 75 % 1-RM und volitional submaximaler konzentrischer Bewegungsgeschwindigkeit so lange aus, bis die durchschnittliche konzentrische Bewegungsgeschwindigkeit (MV) einer Wiederholung ermüdungsbedingt in diesen Zielkorridor absinkt, sollten noch zwei bis drei weitere Wiederholungen ausführbar sein, bevor der Punkt des momentanen konzentrischen Muskelversagens erreicht wird. Für leistungsorientierte Personen im trainierten Zustand wurde ein RSVT-Zielkorridor von RSVT = 183,8 - 211,3 % MVT abgeleitet. Sinkt die gemessene MV einer Wiederholung ermüdungsbedingt in diesen Zielkorridor, kann mit vertretbarer Sicherheit davon ausgegangen werden, dass noch eine bis zwei weitere Wiederholungen bis zum Punkt des momentanen konzentrischen Muskelversagens ausgeführt werden können.
Die vorliegende Dissertation liefert durch diese Weiterentwicklung des Velocity Based Training einen adaptierten Steuerungsansatz, mit dem es erstmals möglich wird, die geschwindigkeitsbasierte Belastungssteuerung im Widerstandstraining auch bei volitional submaximalen konzentrischen Bewegungsgeschwindigkeiten sinnvoll anzuwenden. Aufgrund bestehender Limitationen der Untersuchung sind jedoch weitere wissenschaftliche Studien erforderlich, um die Gültigkeit, die Übertragbarkeit sowie die Effektivität des MVT-basierten Steuerungsansatzes weiter zu erforschen.
Understanding human crowd behaviour has been an intriguing topic of interdisciplinary research in recent decades. Modelling of crowd dynamics using differential equations is an indispensable approach to unraveling the various complex dynamics involved in such interacting particle systems. Numerical simulation of pedestrian crowd via these mathematical models allows us to study different realistic scenarios beyond the limitations of studies via controlled experiments.
In this thesis, the main objective is to understand and analyse the dynamics in a domain shared by both pedestrians and moving obstacles. We model pedestrian motion by combining the social force concept with the idea of optimal path computation. This leads to a system of ordinary differential equations governing the dynamics of individual pedestrians via the interaction forces (social forces) between them. Additionally, a non-local force term involving the optimal path and desired velocity governs the pedestrian trajectory. The optimal path computation involves solving a time-independent Eikonal equation, which is coupled to the system of ODEs. A hydrodynamic model is developed from this microscopic model via the mean-field limit.
To consider the interaction with moving obstacles in the domain, we model a set of kinematic equations for the obstacle motion. Two kinds of obstacles are considered - "passive", which move in their predefined trajectories and have only a one-way interaction with pedestrians, and "dynamic", which have a feedback interaction with pedestrians and have their trajectories changing dynamically. The coupled model of pedestrians and obstacles is used to discern pedestrian collision avoidance behaviour in different computational scenarios in a long rectangular domain. We observe that pedestrians avoid collisions through route choice strategies that involve changes in speed and path. We extend this model to consider the interaction between pedestrians and vehicular traffic. We appropriately model the interactions of vehicles, following lane traffic, based on the car-following approach. We observe how the deceleration and braking mechanism of vehicles is executed at pedestrian crossings depending on the right of way on the roads.
As a second objective, we study the disease contagion in moving crowds. We consider the influence of the crowd motion in a complex dynamical environment on the course of infection of pedestrians. A hydrodynamic model for multi-group pedestrian flow is derived from the kinetic equations based on a social force model. It is coupled along with an Eikonal equation to a non-local SEIS contagion model for disease spread. Here, apart from the description of local contacts, the influence of contact times has also been modelled. We observe that the nature of the flow and the geometry of the domain lead to changes in density which affect the contact time and, consequently, the rate of spread of infection.
Finally, the social force model is compared to a variable speed based rational behaviour pedestrian model. We derive a hierarchy of the heuristics-based model from microscopic to macroscopic scales and numerically investigate these models in different density scenarios. Various numerical test cases are considered, including uni- and bi-directional flows and scenarios with and without obstacles. We observe that in low-density scenarios, collision avoidance forces arising from the behavioural heuristics give valid results. Whereas in high-density scenarios, repulsive force terms are essential.
The numerical simulations of all the models are carried out using a mesh-free particle method based on least square approximations. The meshfree numerical framework provides an efficient and elegant way to handle complex geometric situations involving boundaries and stationary or moving obstacles.
Mechanistic disease spread models for different vector borne diseases have been studied from the 19th century. The relevance of mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of disease spread is increasing nowadays. This thesis focuses on the compartmental models of the vector-borne diseases that are also transmitted directly among humans. An example of such an arboviral disease that falls under this category is the Zika Virus disease. The study begins with a compartmental SIRUV model and its mathematical analysis. The non-trivial relationship between the basic reproduction number obtained through two methods have been discussed. The analytical results that are mathematically proven for this model are numerically verified. Another SIRUV model is presented by considering a different formulation of the model parameters and the newly obtained model is shown to be clearly incorporating the dependence on the ratio of mosquito population size to human population size in the disease spread. In order to incorporate the spatial as well as temporal dynamics of the disease spread, a meta-population model based on the SIRUV model was developed. The space domain under consideration are divided into patches which may denote mutually exclusive spatial entities like administrative areas, districts, provinces, cities, states or even countries. The research focused only on the short term movements or commuting behavior of humans across the patches. This is incorportated in the multi-patch meta-population model using a matrix of residence time fractions of humans in each patches. Mathematically simplified analytical results are deduced by which it is shown that, for an exemplary scenario that is numerically studied, the multi-patch model also admits the threshold properties that the single patch SIRUV model holds. The relevance of commuting behavior of humans in the disease spread has been presented using the numerical results from this model. The local and non-local commuting are incorporated into the meta-population model in a numerical example. Later, a PDE model is developed from the multi-patch model.
In this thesis, material removal mechanisms in grinding are investigated considering a gritworkpiece interaction as well as a grinding-wheel workpiece interaction. In grit-workpiece interaction in a micrometer scale, single grit scratch experiments were performed to investigate material removal mechanism in grinding namely rubbing, plowing, and cutting. Experiments performed were analyzed based on material removal, process forces and specific energy. A finite element model is developed to simulate a single-grit scratch process. As part of the development of the finite element scratch model a 2D and 3D model is developed. A 2D model is utilized to test
material parameters and test various mesh discretizational approaches. A 3D model undertaking the tested material parameters from the 2D model is developed and is tested against experimental results for various mesh discretization. The simulation model is validated based on process forces and ground topography from experiments. The model is also further scaled to simulate multiple grit-workpiece interaction validated against experimental results. As a final step, simulation models are developed to simulate material removal, due to the interaction of grinding wheel and workpiece. A developed virtual grinding wheel topographical model is employed to display
an approach, to upscale a grinding process from grit-workpiece interaction to wheel-workpiece
interaction. In conclusion, practical conclusions drawn and scope for future studies are derived
based on the developed simulation models.
The aim of this thesis is to introduce an equilibrium insurance market model and study its properties and possible applications in risk class management.
First, an insurance market model based on an equilibrium approach is developed. Depending on the premium, the insured will choose the amount of coverage they buy in order to maximize their expected utility. The behavior of the insurer in different market regimes is then compared. While the premiums in markets with perfect competition are calculated in order to make no profit at all, insurers try to maximize their margins in a monopolistic market.
In markets modeled in this way several phenomena become evident. Perhaps the most important one is the so-called push-out effect. When customers with different attributes are insured together, insurance might become so expensive for one type of customers that those agents are better off with buying no insurance at all. The push-out effect was already shown for theoretical examples in the literature. We present a comprehensive analysis of the equilibrium insurance market model and the push-out effect for different insurance products such as life, health and disability insurance contracts using real-life data from different sources. In a concluding chapter we formulate indicators when a push-out can be expected and when not.
Machine learning regression approaches such as neural networks have gained vast popularity in recent years. The exponential growth of computing power has enabled larger and more evolved networks that can perform increasingly complex tasks. In our feasibility study about the use of neural networks in the regression of equilibrium insurance premiums it is shown that this regression is quite robust and the risk of overfitting can almost be excluded -- as long as the regression is performed on at least a few thousand data points.
Grouping customers of different risk types into contracts is important for the stability and the robustness of an insurance market. This motivates the study of the optimal assignment of risk classes into contracts, also known as rating classes. We provide a theoretical framework that makes use of techniques from different mathematical fields such as non-linear optimization, convex analysis, herding theory, game theory and combinatorics. In addition, we are able to show that the market specifications have a large impact on the optimal allocation of risk classes to contracts by the insurer. However, there does not need to be an optimal risk class assignment for each of these specifications.
To address this issue, we present two different approaches, one more theoretical and another that can easily be implemented in practice. An extension of our model to markets with capacity constraints rounds off the topic and extends the applicability of our approach.
Climate change will have severe consequences on Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS). They host the largest fisheries in the world supporting the life of millions of people due to their tremendous primary production. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to better understand predicted impacts like alternating upwelling intensities and light impediment on the structure and the trophic role of protistan plankton communities as they form the basis of the food web. Numerical models estimate the intensification of the frequency in eddy formation. These ocean features are of particular importance due to their influence on the distribution and diversity of plankton communities and the access to resources, which are still not well understood even to the present day. My PhD thesis entails two subjects conducted during large-scaled cooperation projects REEBUS (Role of Eddies in Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems) and CUSCO (Coastal Upwelling System in a Changing Ocean).
Subject I of my study was conducted within the multidisciplinary framework REEBUS to investigate the influence of eddies on the biological carbon pump in the Canary Current System (CanCS). More specifically, the aim was to find out how mesoscale cyclonic eddies affect the regional diversity, structure, and trophic role of protistan plankton communities in a subtropical oligotrophic oceanic offshore region.
Samples were taken during the M156 and M160 cruises in the Atlantic Ocean around Cape Verde during July and December 2019, respectively. Three eddies with varying ages of emergence and three water layers (deep chlorophyll maximum DCM, right beneath the DCM and oxygen minimum zone OMZ) were sampled. Additional stations without eddy perturbation were analyzed as references. The effect of oceanic mesoscale cyclonic eddies on protistan plankton communities was analyzed by implementing three approaches. (i) V9 18S rRNA gene amplicons were examined to analyze the diversity and structure of the plankton communities and to infer their role in the biological carbon pump. (ii) By assigning functional traits to taxonomically assigned eDNA sequences, functional richness and ecological strategies (ES) were determined. (iii) Grazing experiments were conducted to assess abundance and carbon transfer from prokaryotes to phagotrophic protists.
All three eddies examined in this study differed in their ASV abundance, diversity, and taxonomic composition with the most pronounced differences in the DCM. Dinoflagellates were the most abundant taxa in all three depth layers. Other dominating taxa were radiolarians, Discoba and haptophytes. The trait-approach could only assign ~15% of all ASVs and revealed in general a relatively high functional richness. But no unique ES was determined within a specific eddy. This indicates pronounced functional redundancy, which is recognized to be correlated with ecosystem resilience and robustness by providing a degree of buffering capacity in the face of biodiversity loss. Elevated microbial abundances as well as bacterivory were clearly associated to mesoscale eddy features, albeit with remarkable seasonal fluctuations. Since eddy activity is expected to increase on a global scale in future climate change scenarios, cyclonic eddies could counteract climate change by enhancing carbon sequestration to abyssal depths. The findings demonstrate that cyclonic eddies are unique, heterogeneous, and abundant ecosystems with trapped water masses in which characteristic protistan plankton develop as the eddies age and migrate westward into subtropical oligotrophic offshore waters. Therefore, eddies influence regional protistan plankton diversity qualitatively and quantitatively.
Subject II of my PhD project contributed to the CUSCO field campaign to identify the influence of varying upwelling intensities in combination with distinct light treatments on the whole food web structure and carbon pump in the Humboldt Current System (HCS) off Peru. To accomplish such a task, eight offshore-mesocosms were deployed and two light scenarios (low light, LL; high light, HL) were created by darkening half of the mesocosms. Upwelling was simulated by injecting distinct proportions (0%, 15%, 30% and 45%) of collected deep-water (DW) into each of the moored mesocosms. My aim was to examine the changes in diversity, structure, and trophic role of protistan plankton communities for the induced manipulations by analyzing the V9 18S rRNA gene amplicons and performing short-term grazing experiments.
The upwelling simulations induced a significant increase in alpha diversity under both light conditions. In austral summer, reflected by HL conditions, a generally higher alpha diversity was recorded compared to the austral winter simulation, instigated by LL treatment. Significant alterations of the protistan plankton community structure could likewise be observed. Diatoms were associated to increased levels of DW addition in the mimicked austral winter situation. Under nutrient depletion, chlorophytes exhibited high relative abundances in the simulated austral winter scenario. Dinoflagellates dominated the austral summer condition in all upwelling simulations. Tendencies of reduced unicellular eukaryotes and increased prokaryotic abundances were determined under light impediment. Protistan-mediated mortality of prokaryotes also decreased by ~30% in the mimicked austral winter scenario.
The findings indicate that the microbial loop is a more relevant factor in the structure of the food web in austral summer and is more focused on the utilization of diatoms in austral winter in the HCS off Peru. It was evident that distinct light intensities coupled with multiple upwelling scenarios could lead to alterations in biochemical cycles, trophic interactions, and ecosystem services. Considering the threat of climate change, the predicted relocation of EBUS could limit primary production and lengthen the food web structure with severe socio-economic consequences.
Zur Förderung der Nahmobilität, insbesondere der Basismobilität „Zufußgehen“, ist die Möglichkeit zur Teilhabe im öffentlichen Verkehrsraum für alle Menschen und im Besonderen für mobilitätseingeschränkte (Bedürfnisgruppen) unerlässlich. Nur mit Hilfe einer barrierefrei gestalteten Umwelt kann die Teilhabe Aller erreicht werden. In diesem Zusammenhang ist es notwendig, ein durchgehend barrierefreies Fußverkehrsnetz herzustellen. Hierzu sind die Fußverkehrsanlagen (Gehbereiche, Überquerungsstellen, Treppen, Rampen und Aufzüge) entsprechend zu gestalten. Ein nachvollziehbares und praxisorientiertes Verfahren zur Bewertung der Barrierefreiheit von Fußverkehrsnetzen existiert allerdings derzeit nicht. An diesem Punkt setzt die vorliegende Forschungsarbeit an. Durch die Entwicklung
eines Verfahrens zur Bewertung der bestehenden Barrierefreiheit von Fußverkehrsnetzen anhand von Qualitätsstufen wird ein praktisches Anwendungstool geschaffen. Dieses richtet sich an verantwortliche Personen, u.a. aus Planung, Politik und Verwaltung, um eine Priorisierung und Umsetzung von
Maßnahmen zum Abbau von Barrieren vornehmen zu können.
Grundlage für das Bewertungsverfahren bilden Interviews und Befragungen von Fachleuten und Bedürfnisgruppen. Der Schwerpunkt liegt hierbei auf motorisch und visuell eingeschränkten Personen. Die Befragungen befassten sich mit der Höhe der Erschwernisse, je nach Bedürfnisgruppe, bei der Nutzung von Fußverkehrsanlagen im öffentlichen Raum, wenn diese nicht den Vorgaben der Technischen Regelwerke entsprechen. Das Bewertungsverfahren übersetzt die Barrierefreiheit in eine verständliche und nachvollziehbare Größe, indem die Erschwernisse in eine gefühlte zusätzliche Entfernung umgerechnet werden. Weiterhin wird neben der gefühlten auch die tatsächliche zusätzliche Entfernung aufgrund von Umwegen berücksichtigt. Aufbauend auf der Bewertung von Fußverkehrsanlagen können so Routen und Verbindungen sowie Fußverkehrsnetze bewertet werden. Der grundsätzliche Ablauf des Bewertungsverfahrens ist für alle Bedürfnisgruppen gleich. Er besteht aus vier wesentlichen Schritten und hat jeweils eine von sechs Qualitätsstufen der Barrierefreiheit (QSB, Stufen von A bis F) zum Ergebnis. Im Rahmen der Forschungsarbeit wird festgelegt, dass der Übergang von der Stufe D zur
Stufe E für die Mehrheit der betrachteten Bedürfnisgruppen die Grenze zwischen Selbstständigkeit und Notwendigkeit fremder Hilfe beim Nutzen der Fußverkehrsanlagen darstellt. Das entwickelte Bewertungsverfahren bietet eine gute Grundlage zur Bewertung von Fußverkehrsnetzen in Bezug auf die Barrierefreiheit. Aufgrund der Modularität und Flexibilität ist es möglich, sowohl
weitere Aspekte als auch weitere Bedürfnisgruppen zu integrieren. Wichtig sind eine kontinuierliche Anwendung des Verfahrens und die Berücksichtigung der Barrierefreiheit von Anfang an in jeder Planung. Ebenfalls ist eine gesetzliche Integration der barrierefreien schrittweisen Umgestaltung anhand
anerkannter Technischer Regelwerke notwendig. Nur so kann ein durchgehend barrierefreies Netz entstehen und allen Menschen, egal ob mit oder ohne Mobilitätseinschränkung, eine Teilhabe im öffentlichen Verkehrsraum ohne fremde Hilfe ermöglicht werden. Zudem kann durch die Steigerung der
Attraktivität die Nahmobilität gefördert werden. Hiermit kann erreicht werden, Menschen bei kurzen Entfernungen vom zu Fuß gehen bzw. von der Nutzung des Rollstuhls zu überzeugen. Letztlich ist so auch eine Minderung des CO2-Ausstoßes denkbar, wenn für kurze Routen kein oder seltener das Kfz
genutzt wird. Das nachhaltigste und umweltschonendste Fortbewegungsmittel ist das zu Fuß gehen und ein barrierefreies Umfeld trägt somit schlussendlich zum Klimaschutz bei.
Since their introduction, robots have primarily influenced the industrial world, providing new opportunities and challenges for humans and machinery. With the introduction of lightweight robots and mobile robot platforms, the field of robot applications has been expanded, diversified, and brought closer to society. The increased degree of digitalization and the personalization of goods and products require an enhanced and flexible robot deployment by operating several multi-robot systems along production processes, industrial applications, assembly and packaging lines, transport systems, etc.
Efficient and safe robot operation relies on successful task planning followed by the computation and execution of task-performing motion trajectories. This thesis addresses these issues by developing, implementing, and validating optimization-based methods for task and trajectory planning in robotics, considering certain optimality and performance criteria. The focus is mainly on the time optimality of the presented approaches with respect to both execution and computation time without compromising safe robot use.
Driven by a systematic approach, the basis for the algorithm development is established first by modeling the kinematics and dynamics of the considered robots and identifying required dynamic parameters. In a further step, time-optimal task and trajectory planning algorithms for a single robotic arm are developed. Initially, a hierarchical approach is introduced consisting of two decoupled optimization-based control policies, a binary problem for task planning, and a continuous model predictive trajectory planning problem. The two layers of the hierarchical structure are then merged into a monolithic layer, resulting in a hybrid structure in the form of a mixed-integer optimization problem for inherent task and trajectory planning.
Motivated by a multi-robot deployment, the hierarchical control structure for time-optimal task and trajectory planning is extended for the case of a two-arm robotic system with highly overlapping operational spaces, leading to challenging robot motions with high inter-robot collision potential. To this end, a novel predictive approach for collision avoidance is proposed based on a continuous approximation of the robot geometry, resulting in a nonlinear optimization problem capable of online applications with real-time requirements. Towards a mobile and flexible robot platform, a model predictive path-following controller for an omnidirectional mobile robot is introduced. Here, a time-minimal approach is also applied, which consists of the robot following a given parameterized path as accurately as possible and at maximum speed.
The performance of the proposed algorithms and methods is experimentally analyzed and validated under real conditions on robot demonstrators. Implementation details, including the resulting hardware and software architecture, are presented, followed by a detailed description of the results. Concrete and industry-oriented demonstrators for integrating robotic arms in existing manual processes and the indoor navigation of a mobile robot complete the work.
Schneckengetriebe werden meist aus einer Stahlschnecke und einem Bronze-Schneckenrad gefertigt. Diese werden zur einstufigen Übertragung von Drehbewegungen bei hohen Übersetzungen eingesetzt. Einen Nachteil von Schneckengetrieben stellt der relativ hohe Verschleiß infolge der hohen Gleitreibung im Zahneingriff dar. Durch eine geeignete Schmierung können Reibung und Verschleiß reduziert werden. Dies reduziert den Temperaturanstieg
im Betrieb und führt somit zu einer längeren Lebensdauer des Getriebes. Aufgrund der ausgeprägten Kühlwirkung erfolgt die Schmierung von Schneckengetrieben in der Praxis überwiegend mit Schmierölen. Fettartige Schmierstoffe werden ebenfalls verwendet, weisen jedoch eine geringere Kühlwirkung als flüssige Schmierstoffe auf. Bei Vakuumanwendungen oder unter extremen Betriebsbedingungen, wie z.B. Hoch- oder Tieftemperaturanwendungen
sowie bei niedrigen hydrodynamischen Geschwindigkeiten, verlieren die oben genannten konventionellen Schmierstoffe ihre Schmierwirkung. Als Alternative
werden Festschmierstoffe eingesetzt.
Festschmierstoffe können im Allgemeinen auf verschiedene Weise in den Kontaktstellen von Maschinenelementen verwendet werden. In dieser Arbeit wird das Prinzip der Transferschmierung durch ein Opferbauteil eingesetzt. Hierbei werden Compounds aus strahlenmodifiziertem Polytetrafluorethylen (PTFE) und Polyamid (PA) als Opferbauteil im Schneckengetriebe verwendet, sodass die Stahlschnecke zeitgleich mit dem Bronze-Schneckenrad und dem Opferrad aus PA-PTFE-Compound im Zahneingriff steht. Durch die Belastung des Opferrades mit einem relativ kleinen Drehmoment verschleißt das Opferrad, wodurch der PTFE-Festschmierstoff freigesetzt und an der Stahloberfläche deponiert wird. Dies führt zur Bildung eines Transferfilms, welcher zur Schmierung des Kontakts
zwischen der Stahlschnecke und dem Bronze-Schneckenrad führt. Die Mechanismen des Auf- und Abbaus solcher Transferfilme in Schneckengetrieben sind derzeit unbekannt und werden in dieser Arbeit anhand experimenteller Untersuchungen erforscht. Hierzu wurden tribologische Versuche an Modellprüfständen durchgeführt, wodurch das reib- und Verschleißverhalten an Stahl-Bronze-Kontakten untersucht wurde. Als Modellprüfstände kamen der Block-auf-Ring-, der Block-Zwei-Scheiben- und der Drei-Scheiben-Prüfstand zum Einsatz. Anschließend wurden Bauteilversuche auf einem Schneckengetriebeprüfstand durchgeführt, um die aus den Modellversuchen gewonnenen Erkenntnisse zu validieren. Mit Hilfe von oberflächenanalytischen Techniken wurden die Prüfkörper auf der Mikroskala untersucht, um die Qualität und Quantität des aufgebauten Transferfilms zu bestimmen.
Cancer, a complex and multifaceted disease, continues to challenge the boundaries of biomedical research. In this dissertation, we explore the complexity of cancer genesis, employing multiscale modeling, abstract mathematical concepts such as stability analysis, and numerical simulations as powerful tools to decipher its underlying mechanisms. Through a series of comprehensive studies, we mainly investigate the cell cycle dynamics, the delicate balance between quiescence and proliferation, the impact of mutations, and the co-evolution of healthy and cancer stem cell lineages. The introductory chapter provides a comprehensive overview of cancer and the critical importance of understanding its underlying mechanisms. Additionally, it establishes the foundation by elucidating key definitions and presenting various modeling perspectives to address the cancer genesis. Next, cell cycle dynamics have been explored, revealing the temporal oscillatory dynamics that govern the progression of cells through the cell cycle.
The first half of the thesis investigates the cell cycle dynamics and evolution of cancer stem cell lineages by incorporating feedback regulation mechanisms. Thereby, the pivotal role of feedback loops in driving the expansion of cancer stem cells has been thoroughly studied, offering new perspectives on cancer progression. Furthermore, the mathematical rigor of the model has been addressed by deriving wellposedness conditions, thereby strengthening the reliability of our findings and conclusions. Then, expanding our modeling scope, we explore the interplay between quiescent and proliferating cell populations, shedding light on the importance of their equilibrium in cancer biology. The models developed in this context offer potential avenues for targeted cancer therapies, addressing perspective cell populations critical for cancer progression. The second half of the thesis focuses on multiscale modeling of proliferating and quiescent cell populations incorporating cell cycle dynamics and the extension thereof with mutation acquisition. Following rigorous mathematical analysis, the wellposedness of the proposed modeling frameworks have been studied along with steady-state solutions and stability criteria.
In a nutshell, this thesis represents a significant stride in our understanding of cancer genesis, providing a comprehensive view of the complex interplay between cell cycle dynamics, quiescence, proliferation, mutation acquisition, and cancer stem cells. The journey towards conquering cancer is far from over. However, this research provides valuable insights and directions for future investigation, bringing us closer to the ultimate goal of mitigating the impact of this formidable disease.
Mixed Isogeometric Methods for Hodge–Laplace Problems induced by Second-Order Hilbert Complexes
(2024)
Partial differential equations (PDEs) play a crucial role in mathematics and physics to describe numerous physical processes. In numerical computations within the scope of PDE problems, the transition from classical to weak solutions is often meaningful. The latter may not precisely satisfy the original PDE, but they fulfill a weak variational formulation, which, in turn, is suitable for the discretization concept of Finite Elements (FE). A central concept in this context is the
well-posed problem. A class of PDE problems for which not only well-posedness statements but also suitable weak formulations are known are the so-called abstract Hodge–Laplace problems. These can be derived from Hilbert complexes and constitute a central aspect of the Finite Element Exterior Calculus (FEEC).
This thesis addresses the discretization of mixed formulations of Hodge-Laplace problems, focusing on two key aspects. Firstly, we utilize Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) as a specific paradigm for discretization, combining geometric representations with Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) and Finite Element discretizations.
Secondly, we primarily concentrate on mixed formulations exhibiting a saddle-point structure and generated from Hilbert complexes with second-order derivative operators. We go beyond the well-known case of the classical de Rham
complex, considering complexes such as the Hessian or elasticity complex. The BGG (Bernstein–Gelfand–Gelfand) method is employed to define and examine these second-order complexes. The main results include proofs of discrete well-posedness and a priori error estimates for two different discretization approaches. One approach demonstrates, through the introduction of a Lagrange multiplier, how the so-called isogeometric discrete differential forms can be reused.
A second method addresses the question of how standard NURBS basis functions, through a modification of the mixed formulation, can also lead to convergent procedures. Numerical tests and examples, conducted using MATLAB and the open-source software GeoPDEs, illustrate the theoretical findings. Our primary application extends to linear elasticity theory, extensively
discussing mixed methods with and without strong symmetry of the stress tensor.
The work demonstrates the potential of IGA in numerical computations, particularly in the challenging scenario of second-order Hilbert complexes. It also provides insights into how IGA and FEEC can be meaningfully combined, even for non-de Rham complexes.
Distributed Optimization of Constraint-Coupled Systems via Approximations of the Dual Function
(2024)
This thesis deals with the distributed optimization of constraint-coupled systems. This problem class is often encountered in systems consisting of multiple individual subsystems, which are coupled through shared limited resources. The goal is to optimize each subsystem in a distributed manner while still ensuring that system-wide constraints are satisfied. By introducing dual variables for the system-wide constraints the system-wide problem can be decomposed into individual subproblems. These resulting subproblems can then be coordinated by iteratively adapting the dual variables. This thesis presents two new algorithms that exploit the properties of the dual optimization problem. Both algorithms compute a quadratic surrogate function of the dual function in each iteration, which is optimized to adapt the dual variables. The Quadratically Approximated Dual Ascent (QADA) algorithm computes the surrogate function by solving a regression problem, while the Quasi-Newton Dual Ascent (QNDA) algorithm updates the surrogate function iteratively via a quasi-Newton scheme. Both algorithms employ cutting planes to take the nonsmoothness of the dual function into account. The proposed algorithms are compared to algorithms from the literature on a large number of different benchmark problems, showing superior performance in most cases. In addition to general convex and mixed-integer optimization problems, dual decomposition-based distributed optimization is applied to distributed model predictive control and distributed K-means clustering problems.
Lubricated tribological contact processes are important in both nature and in many technical applications. Fluid lubricants play an important role in contact processes, e.g. they reduce friction and cool the contact zone. The fundamentals of lubricated contact processes on the atomistic scale are, however, today not fully understood. A lubricated contact process is defined here as a process, where two solid bodies that are in close proximity and eventually in parts in direct contact, carry out a relative motion, whereat the remaining volume is submersed by a fluid lubricant. Such lubricated contact processes are difficult to examine experimentally. Atomistic simulations are an attractive alternative for investigating the fundamentals of such processes. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations were used for studying different elementary processes of lubricated tribological contacts. A simplified, yet realistic simulation setup was developed in this work for that purpose using classical force fields. In particular, the two solid bodies were fully submersed in the fluid lubricant such that the squeeze-out was realistically modeled. The velocity of the relative motion of the two solid bodies was imposed as a boundary condition. Two types of cases were considered in this work: i) a model system based on synthetic model substances, which enables a direct, but generic, investigation of molecular interaction features on the contact process; and ii) real substance systems, where the force fields describe specific real substances. Using the model system i), also the reproducibility of the findings obtained from the computer experiments was critically assessed. In most cases, also the dry reference case was studied. Both mechanical and thermodynamic properties were studied -- focusing on the influence of lubrication. The following properties were studied: The contact forces, the coefficient of friction, the dislocation behavior in the solid, the chip formation and the formation of the groove, the squeeze-out behavior of the fluid in the contact zone, the local temperature and the energy balance of the system, the adsorption of fluid particles on the solid surfaces, as well as the formation of a tribofilm. Systematic studies were carried out for elucidating the influence of the wetting behavior, the influence of the molecular architecture of the lubricant, and the influence of the lubrication gap height on the contact process. As expected, the presence of a fluid lubricant reduces the temperature in the vicinity of the contact zone. The presence of the lubricant is, moreover, found to have a significant influence on the friction and on the energy balance of the process. The presence of a lubricant reduces the coefficient of friction compared to a dry case in the starting phase of a contact process, while lubricant molecules remain in the contact zone between the two solid bodies. This is a result of an increased normal and slightly decreased tangential force in the starting phase. When the fluid molecules are squeezed out with ongoing contact time and the contact zone is essentially dry, the coefficient of friction is increased by the presence of a fluid compared to a dry case. This is attributed to an imprinting of individual fluid particles into the solid surface, which is energetically unfavorable. By studying the contact process in a wide range of gap height, the entire range of the Stribeck curve is obtained from the molecular simulations. Thereby, the three main lubrication regimes of the Stribeck curve and their transition regions are covered, namely boundary lubrication (significant elastic and plastic deformation of the substrate), mixed lubrication (adsorbed fluid layers dominate the process), and hydrodynamic lubrication (shear flow is set up between the surface and the asperity). The atomistic effects in the different lubrication regimes are elucidated. Notably, the formation of a tribofilm is observed, in which lubricant molecules are immersed into the metal surface. The formation of a tribofilm is found to have important consequences for the contact process. The work done by the relative motion is found to mainly dissipate and thereby heat up the system. Only a minor part of the work causes plastic deformation. Finally, the assumptions, simplifications, and approximations applied in the simulations are critically discussed, which highlights possible future work.
In dieser Arbeit wird die Co-Konsolidierung im Thermoformen zwischen kontinuierlich faserverstärkten, teilkonsolidierten CF/PEEK Tape-Preforms und kontinuierlich faserverstärkten, vollständig konsolidierten CF/PEEK Tape-Laminaten untersucht. Bei der Co-Konsolidierung handelt es sich um die Herstellung einer Schweißverbindung zwischen zwei oder mehr Thermoplasten durch separates Aufheizen, Zusammenbringen der Fügeflächen und rasches Abkühlen unter Druck im isothermen Werkzeug. Die adressierte Anwendung ist das Verschweißen von Versteifungen auf Tape-Preforms während dem Thermoformen, sodass nachgeschaltete Fügeprozesse solcher Versteifungen obsolet werden und die Zykluszeit des Thermoformens unverändert bleibt.
Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass der Grad der Teilkonsolidierung der Tape-Preforms -
unabhängig der gewählten Einstellgrößen des Werkzeugdrucks - keinen Einfluss auf die Konsolidierung der Tape-Laminate nach dem Thermoformen nimmt. Im Bereich einer Versteifung ist ein vergleichsweise größerer Werkzeugdruck zur Konsolidierung der teilkonsolidierten Tape-Preform notwendig, damit dort die gleichen Eigenschaften wie fern der Co-Konsolidierung erzeugt werden. Die zwischen Tape-Laminat und Versteifung gemessenen Zugscherfestigkeiten, die mittels Co-Konsolidierung im Thermoformen erzeugt werden, sind niedriger als die der Co-Konsolidierung im Autoklav.
Die von Zhou bereits 1994 erhaltenen tri(tert-butyl)cyclopentadienyltrichloride der vierten Gruppe [Cp'''MCl3] (M = Ti, Zr, Hf) konnten reproduziert, kristallisiert und strukturell untersuchtwerden. Auch konnten neue Di- und Tri(tert-butyl)cyclopentadienylzirconiumbromide und -iodide synthetisiert werden. Von [Cp''ZrI3] wurden röntgendiffraktometertaugliche
Kristalle erhalten, an denen die Struktur der Verbindung
aufgeklärt werden konnte. Bei Substitutionsversuchen mit weiteren Liganden konnten Hydridocluster erhalten werden. Strukturelle Untersuchungen zeigte einen Clusterkomplex mit der Formel (Cp''Zr)4(μ-H)8(μ-Cl)2. Es handelt sich hierbei um einen vierkernigen Zirconiumcluster, welcher von acht Hydrido- und zwei Chloridoliganden verbrückt wird. Jedes Zirconiumatom ist weiterhin
mit einem Di(tert-butyl)cyclopentadienylliganden verbunden. Bei der Untersuchung des Reaktionshergangs wurde ein weiterer Zr-Cluster gefunden. Es konnten röntgendiffraktometertaugliche Kristalle von Tris{di(tert-butyl)cyclopentadienyldi(μ-hydrido)zirconium} {chloridotri(μ-hydrido)aluminat} erhalten werden. Der Cluster besteht aus drei Zirconiumatomen, welche in einem Dreieck angeordnet sind und mit je zwei Hydridoliganden verbrückt. Jedes Zirconium ist über eine Hydridobrücke mit einem Aluminiumchloridfragment verbunden. Zudem ist an je Zirconiumatom je ein Di(tert- butyl)cyclopentadienylligand koordiniert. Weiterhin wurden Experimente zur Herstellung von Alkylderivaten des bislang nicht bekannten
Zirconocengrundkörpers Cp2Zr unternommen. Hierzu wurde Zirconiumtetrachlorid
mit n-Butyllithium zum Dichlorid ZrCl2(THF)2 reduziert. Das Reduktionsprodukt
wurde mit Natriumtetra(isopropyl)cyclopentadienid, Natriumtri(tertbutyl)
cyclopentadienid oder Lithiumpenta(isopropyl)cyclopentadienid umgesetzt.
Die Ergebnisse zeigen keinen eindeutigen erhalt von Zirconocenen, jedoch wurde ein Tri(tert-butyl)cyclopentadienyllithium- salz erhalten, welches strukturell aufgeklärt werden konnte.
Reactive absorption with amines is the most important technique for the removal of CO2
from gas streams, e.g. from flue gas, natural gas or off-gas from the cement industry.
In this work a rigorous simulation model for the absorption and desorption of CO2 with
an amine-containing solvent is validated using data from pilot plants of various sizes.
This model was then coupled with a detailed simulation of a coal-fired power plant.
The power generation efficiency drop with CO2 capture was determined and process
parameters in the power plant and separation process were optimized. It was shown
that the high energy demand of CO2 separation significantly reduces power generation
efficiencies, which underlines the need for improvements. This can be achieved by better
solvents or by advanced process designs. In this work such improved CO2 separation
processes are described and evaluated by detailed simulation studies.
In order to develop detailed rigorous simulation models for reactive absorption with novel
solvent systems, a precise knowledge of the liquid phase reaction kinetics is necessary.
There are well established techniques for measuring species distributions in equilibirated
aqueous amine solutions by NMR spectrosopy. However, the existing NMR techniques
cannot be used for monitoring fast reactions in these solutions. Therefore, in this work
a novel temperature-controlled micro-reactor NMR probe head was developed which
enables studying reaction kinetics with time constants in the range of seconds.
On this basis, modern solvent systems for CO2 absorption can be characterized and
the scale-up of separation process for future plants can be accompanied using rigorous
process simulation.
In 2022 verfehlten Gebäude- und Verkehrssektor die Klimaschutzziele in Deutschland. Im Gegensatz zum Verkehrssektor stehen im Gebäudesektor lange Lebensdauern schnellen Technologiewechseln entgegen, weshalb Strategien besonders frühzeitig umgesetzt werden müssen. Zudem ist der Gebäudebestand durch hohe Investitionskosten bei vergleichsweise geringen Treibhausgaseinsparungen je investiertem Euro geprägt. In Kombination erschweren diese Hemmnisse die Erreichung der Klimaschutzziele für den Wohngebäudebestand deutlich.
Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Entwicklung eines Wohngebäudebestandsmodells, um Transformationspfade unter dem Einfluss variierender ökonomischer Rahmenbedingungen, wie z.B. dem Einfluss unterschiedlicher CO2-Preisverläufe und eine Reinvestition der CO2-Steuer in die Modernisierung der Gebäude, simulieren und analysieren zu können.
Im ersten Schritt wird ein Wohngebäudebestandsmodell bei Fortschreibung der ökonomischen Rahmenbedingungen im Startjahr entwickelt und angewendet. Hierzu werden wichtige Parameter des Gebäudebestands identifiziert und diese anhand des vergangenen Verlaufs analysiert sowie Szenarien und Prognosen betrachtet. Ergebnis sind Ausgangsbedingungen und Einflussfaktoren auf den weiteren Verlauf, die für die Modellierung genutzt werden. Im zweiten Schritt wird eine Systematik entwickelt, um Modernisierungsraten endogen bei Variation der ökonomischen Rahmenbedingungen berechnen zu können.
In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird ein Modell vorgestellt, dass die ökonomischen Rahmenbedingungen und das Kopplungsprinzip dynamisch bei der Simulation von Vollmodernisierungsraten berücksichtigt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Vollmodernisierungsraten von 2 %/a über längere Zeiträume extreme Rahmenbedingungen benötigen und unrealistisch sind. Haupthemmnisse sind der Sanierungsbedarf (Kopplungsprinzip), sinkende Energieeinsparpotenziale der jüngeren Baualtersklassen und Mitnahmeeffekte bei verbesserter Förderung. Da eine Erreichung der Klimaschutzziele nur durch Anpassung der CO2-Steuer (auch bei Reinvestition) nicht innerhalb realistischer Steuerhöhen im Modell möglich ist, wird stattdessen ein Maßnahmenpaket aus wirtschaftlichen und legislativen Rahmenbedingungen zur Zielerreichung vorgestellt.
Pervasive human impacts rapidly change freshwater biodiversity. Frequently recorded exceedances of regulatory acceptable thresholds by pesticide concentrations suggest that pesticide pollution is a relevant contributor to broad-scale trends in freshwater biodiversity. A more precise pre-release Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) might increase its protectiveness, consequently reducing the likelihood of unacceptable effects on the environment. European ERA currently neglects possible differences in sensitivity between exposed ecosystems. If the taxonomic composition of assemblages would differ systematically among certain types of ecosystems, so might their sensitivity toward pesticides. In that case, a single regulatory threshold would be over- or underprotective.
In this thesis, we evaluate (1) whether the assemblage composition of macroinvertebrates, diatoms, fishes, and aquatic macrophytes differs systematically between the types of a European river typology system, and (2) whether these taxonomical differences engender differences in sensitivity toward pesticides. While a selection of ecoregions is available for Europe, only a single typology system that classifies individual river segments is available at this spatial scale - the Broad River Types (BRT).
In the first two papers of this thesis, we compiled and prepared large databases of macroinvertebrate (paper one), diatom, fish, and aquatic macrophyte (paper two) occurrences throughout Europe to evaluate whether assemblages are more similar within than among BRT types. Additionally, we compared its performance to that of different ecoregion systems. We employed multiple tests to evaluate the performances, two of which were also designed in the studies. All typology systems failed to reach common quality thresholds for the evaluated metrics for most taxa. Nonetheless, performance differed markedly between typology systems and taxa, with the BRT often performing worst. We showed that currently available, European freshwater typology systems are not well suited to capture differences in biotic communities and suggest several possible amelioration.
In the third study, we evaluated whether ecologically meaningful differences in sensitivity exist between BRT types. To this end, we predicted the sensitivity of macroinvertebrate assemblages across Europe toward Atrazine, copper, and Imidacloprid using a hierarchical species sensitivity distribution model. The predicted assemblage sensitives differed only marginally between BRT types. The largest difference between
median river type sensitivities was a factor of 2.6, which is far below the assessment factor suggested for such models (6), as well as the factor of variation commonly observed between toxicity tests of the same species-compound pair (7.5 for copper). Our results don’t support the notion that a type-specific ERA might improve the accuracy of thresholds. However, in addition to the taxonomic composition the bioavailability of chemicals, the interaction with other stressors, and the sensitivity of a given species might differ between river types.
Diese Dissertation erläutert die Umsetzung eines RAMI 4.0 konformen Marktplatz in der spanenden Bearbeitung. Ziel ist es einen Lösungsansatz zu definieren, in dem firmenübergreifende Prozessketten für kleine Losgrößen automatisiert identifiziert werden und die Fertigung eines individuellen Produktes realisiert wird. Die Extraktion von Produktinformationen, die Fertigung eines individualisierten Produktes sowie die Beschreibung der Informationen in den Verwaltungsschalen wird validiert. Vor allem stellt sich als Herausforderung für die Zukunft heraus, eine gemeinsame Semantik für die Beschreibung von Capabilities zu definieren. Diese würde ermöglichen, dass ein Matching zwischen proprietären Produktinformationen und Skills möglich wird.