Browsing by Subject "diffusion"
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Item A Finite Element Framework for Multiscale/Multiphysics Analysis of Structures with Complex Microstructures(2010-10-12) Varghese, JulianThis research work has contributed in various ways to help develop a better understanding of textile composites and materials with complex microstructures in general. An instrumental part of this work was the development of an object-oriented framework that made it convenient to perform multiscale/multiphysics analyses of advanced materials with complex microstructures such as textile composites. In addition to the studies conducted in this work, this framework lays the groundwork for continued research of these materials. This framework enabled a detailed multiscale stress analysis of a woven DCB specimen that revealed the effect of the complex microstructure on the stress and strain energy release rate distribution along the crack front. In addition to implementing an oxidation model, the framework was also used to implement strategies that expedited the simulation of oxidation in textile composites so that it would take only a few hours. The simulation showed that the tow architecture played a significant role in the oxidation behavior in textile composites. Finally, a coupled diffusion/oxidation and damage progression analysis was implemented that was used to study the mechanical behavior of textile composites under mechanical loading as well as oxidation. A parametric study was performed to determine the effect of material properties and the number of plies in the laminate on its mechanical behavior. The analyses indicated a significant effect of the tow architecture and other parameters on the damage progression in the laminates.Item Atomic Diffusion in the Uranium-50wt% Zirconium Nuclear Fuel System(2013-06-17) Eichel, DanielAtomic diffusion phenomena were examined in a metal-alloy nuclear fuel system composed of ?-phase U-50wt%Zr fuel in contact with either Zr-10wt%Gd or Zr-10wt%Er. Each alloy was fabricated from elemental feed material via melt-casting, and diffusion samples of nominal 1.5 mm thickness were prepared from the resulting alloy slugs. The samples were assembled into diffusion couples and annealed for periods of 14, 28, and 56 days at temperatures of 550?C, 600?C, and 650?C. Thus, the U-50Zr/Zr-10Er system and the U-50Zr/Zr-10Gd system were each annealed for three different time periods at each of three different temperatures, for an initial total of 18 diffusion interfaces that were to be studied. In practice, data was collected from only 12 of the 18 interfaces. At 650?C, the U-50wt%Zr alloy exists in the ?-phase region, which enabled the comparison of diffusion behavior between the ? phase and ? phase. Diffusion samples were examined by collecting composition profiles across the diffusion interface for each element via electron probe microanalysis. From the resulting experimental data diffusion coefficients were evaluated. Diffusion coefficients were found to be on the order of 10^-19 m2/s in the ?-phase systems, and 10^-17 m^2/s in the ?-phase systems. It was observed that atomic mobility of all diffusing species was generally greater in the U-50Zr/Zr-10Gd system than in the U-50Zr/Zr-10Er system; furthermore, it was found that diffusion rates were considerably higher above the phase transformation temperature into the ? phase, as indeed would be expected in the more open structure of the body-centered cubic ? phase, as compared to the hexagonal ?-phase U-Zr. However, values for diffusion coefficients measured in this study were considerably smaller than those found in past studies of ?-phase U-Zr, which are on the order of 10^-17 m^2/s. It is likely that diffusion was inhibited by the formation of stable metal oxides resulting from oxygen contamination; it is also possible that diffusion was suppressed by the presence of the erbium and gadolinium.Item Characterization of design parameters for fiber reinforced polymer composite reinforced concrete systems(Texas A&M University, 2004-09-30) Aguiniga Gaona, FranciscoCorrosion of steel reinforcement in concrete structures results in significant repair and rehabilitation costs. In the past several years, new fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcing bars have been introduced as an alternative to steel reinforcing bars. Several national and international organizations have recently developed standards based on preliminary test results. However, limited validation testing has been performed on the recommendations of these standards. High variability of the tensile properties, degradation of tensile strength, direct shear capacity, predicted deflections due to creep, cracking behavior of FRP-reinforced concrete flexural members, bond behavior and development length, and effects of thermal expansion on cracking of FRP reinforced concrete have all been reported, but are areas that need further investigation and validation. The objective of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of glass FRP reinforcing bars and provide recommendations on the design and construction of concrete structures containing these bar types with regard to the areas described. The recently developed ACI 440 design guidelines were analyzed and modifications proposed.Item Diffusion Preconditioner for Discontinuous Galerkin Transport Problems(2011-08-08) Barbu, Anthony PetruA simple Richardson iteration procedure converges slowly when applied to thick, diffusive problems with scattering ratios near unity. The current state of the art for overcoming this is to use a Krylov method with a diffusion preconditioner. However, the diffusion preconditioner must be tailored to the discretization of the transport operator to ensure effectiveness. We expand work from the bilinear discontinuous (BLD) finite element method (FEM) in two dimensions into a preconditioner applicable to all Discontinuous Galerkin FEMs in two and three dimensions. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by applying it to the piecewise linear discontinuous (PWLD) FEM, which is notable for its flexibility with unstructured meshes. We employ a vertex-centered continuous FEM diffusion solution followed by local one-cell calculations to generate discontinuous solution corrections. Our goal is to achieve the same level of performance for PWLD and other methods, in two and three dimensions, as was previously achieved for BLD in two dimensions. We perform a Fourier analysis of this preconditioner applied to the PWLD FEM and we test the preconditioner on a variety of test problems. The preconditioned Richardson method is found to perform well in both ne and coarse mesh limits; however, it degrades for high-aspect ratio cells. These properties are typical for partially consistent diffusion synthetic acceleration (DSA) schemes, and in particular they are exactly the properties of the method that was previously developed for BLD in two dimensions. Thus, we have succeeded in our goal of generalizing the previous method to other Discontinuous Galerkin schemes. We also explore the effectiveness of our preconditioner when used within the GMRES iteration scheme. We find that with GMRES there is very little degradation for cells with high aspect ratios or for problems with strong heterogeneities. Thus we find that our preconditioned GMRES method is efficient and effective for all problems that we have tested. We have cast our diffusion operator entirely in terms of the single-cell matrices that are used by the discontinuous FEM transport method. This allows us to write our diffusion preconditioner without prior knowledge of the underlying FEM basis functions or cell shapes. As a result, a single software implementation of our preconditioner applies to a wide variety of transport options and there is no need to re-derive or re-implement a diffusion preconditioner when a new transport FEM is introduced.Item Experimental deformation of natural and synthetic dolomite(Texas A&M University, 2005-11-01) Davis, Nathan ErnestNatural and hot isostatically pressed dolomite aggregates were experimentally deformed at effective pressures of Pe = 50 ?? 400 MPa, temperatures of 400 ?? 850??C, and strain rates of ε& = 1.2x10-4 s-1 to 1.2x10-7 s-1. Coarse- and fine-grained dolomite deformed at low temperature (T ≤ 700??C for coarse-grained natural dolomite, T < 700??C for fine-grained natural and synthetic dolomite) exhibit mechanical behavior that is nearly plastic; differential stresses are insensitive to strain rate, fitted either by a power law no⎟⎟⎠⎞⎜⎜⎝⎛−=??σσεε31&& with n values that range from 12 to 49 or an exponential law ([31exp )] σσαεε−=o&& with exponential law term α values from 0.023 to 0.079 MPa-1. Microstructures of samples deformed at low temperatures include mechanical twins, and undulatory extinction suggesting that twin glide and dislocation slip are the predominant deformation mechanisms. At high temperatures (T ≥ 800??C) flow strengths of coarse- and fine-grained dolomite depend more strongly on strain-rate and exhibit pronounced temperature dependencies. Microstructures of coarse-grained dolomite samples deformed at T ≥ 800??C include undulatory extinction and fine recrystallized grains suggesting that recovery and dynamic recrystallization contribute to dislocation creep at these conditions. By comparison with lower temperature deformation, mechanical twinning is unimportant. Fine-grained synthetic dolomite deformed at high temperature (T ≥ 700??C) exhibits nearly linear (Newtonian) viscous behavior, with n = 1.28 (??0.15) consistent with grain boundary (Coble) diffusion creep. At low temperatures (T ≤ 700??C) coarse-grained dolomite exhibits higher strengths at higher temperatures which cannot be described by an Arrhenius relation, while fine-grained dolomite strengths show little or no temperature dependence. At high temperatures (T ≥ 800??C), dislocation creep of coarse-grained dolomite can be described by a thermally activated power law ⎟⎟⎠⎞⎜⎜⎝⎛−⎟⎟⎠⎞⎜⎜⎝⎛−=RTHno*31exp??σσεε&& with H*/n = 60 kJ/mol, or by an exponential law ()[]⎟⎟⎠⎞⎜⎜⎝⎛−−=RTHo*31expexpσσαεε&& with H*/α = 25447 kJ/mol. At high temperatures, diffusion creep of fine-grained synthetic dolomite can be described by ⎟⎟⎠⎞⎜⎜⎝⎛−⎟⎟⎠⎞⎜⎜⎝⎛−⎟⎠⎞⎜⎝⎛Ω=RTHdno*313exp??σσεε&& with H* = 280 ??45 kJ/mol. Taken together, the flow laws for coarse- and fine-grained dolomites constrain the high temperature conditions over which crystal plasticity, dislocation creep, and diffusion creep dominate.Item Factors determining the adoption or non-adoption of precision agriculture by producers across the cotton belt(Texas A&M University, 2006-04-12) Lavergne, Christopher BernardThe purpose of this study was to determine factors influencing cotton producer adoption of Precision Agriculture in the cotton belt according to members of the American Cotton Producers of the National Cotton Council. The National Research Council??s Board on Agriculture defines Precision Agriculture (PA) as ??a management strategy that uses information technologies to bring data from multiple sources to bear on decisions associated with crop production.?? For the purpose of this study, Precision Agriculture technologies included yield monitors, global positioning units, variable rate applicators, and similar components. Many studies have found that adoption of Precision Agriculture can be profitable for agricultural producers. However, the fact that Precision Agriculture is relatively new and unproven hinders rapid adoption by agricultural producers. According to the National Research Council Board of Agriculture widespread adoption relies on economic gains outweighing the costs of the technology. This study attempted to find the factors associated with adoption of these technologies in the cotton belt. The sample population consisted of cotton producer representatives from the leading cotton-producing states. A Delphi approach was utilized to establish a consensus of cotton producer perceptions of the advantages of adopting Precision Agriculture technologies. Advantages included more accurate farming (i.e., row spacing, reduced overlap, and cultivation). Barriers to adoption were also documented, questioning employee capability to operate equipment, learning curve, technology complexity, and uncertain return on investment.Item Heteroepitaxial Self Assembling Noble Metal Nanoparticles in Monocrystalline Silicon(2013-08-13) Martin, Michael S.Embedding metal nanoparticles in crystalline silicon possesses numerous possible applications to fabricate optoelectronic switches, increase efficiency of radiation detectors, decrease the thickness of monocrystalline silicon solar panels and investigate fundamental properties. Noble metal nanoparticles made of gold or silver are grown in cavities in monocrystalline silicon formed by helium ion implantation and high temperature annealing at depth greater than 500 nm from the surface. Metals are introduced into the system by low energy ion implantation or physical vapor deposited thin film on the surface, and diffused into cavities by heat treatment. Nanoparticles nucleate on the inner surface of cavities heteroepitaxially and form face centered cubic crystal structure in the case of silver. Excessive heat treatment causes metal to be emitted from nanoparticles into bulk after trapping and nanoparticle formation. Helium ion implantation, annealing and diffusion heat treatment conditions have been optimized so that residual crystalline damage, point defects and dislocations, is reduced in monocrystalline silicon substrate.Item Measure of Diffusion Model Error for Thermal Radiation Transport(2013-04-19) Kumar, AkanshaThe diffusion approximation to the equation of transfer (Boltzmann transport equation) is usually applied to media where scattering dominates the interactions. Diffusion approximation helps in significant savings in terms of code complexity and computational time. However, this approximation often has significant error. Error due to the inherent nature of a physics model is called model error. Information about the model error associated with the diffusion approximation is clearly desirable. An indirect measure of model error is a quantity that is related in some way to the error but not equal to the error. In general, indirect measures of error are expected to be less costly than direct measures. Perhaps the most well-known indirect measure of the diffusion model error is the variable-Eddington tensor. This tensor provides a great deal of information about the angular dependence of the angular intensity solution, but it is not always simple to interpret. We define a new indirect measure of the diffusion model error called the diffusion model error source (DME source). When this DME source is added to the diffusion equation, the transport solution for the angular-integrated intensity is obtained. In contrast to the variable-Eddington tensor, our DME source is a scalar that is conceptually easy to interpret. In addition to defining the DME source analytically, we show how to generate this source numerically relative to the Sn radiative transfer equations with linear-discontinuous spatial discretization. This numerical source is computationally tested and shown to reproduce the Sn solution for a number of problems. Our radiative transfer model solves a coupled, time dependent, multi-frequency, 1-D slab equation and material heat transfer equation. We then use diffusion approximation to solve the same problem. The difference due to this approximation can be modelled by a ?diffusion source?. The diffusion source is defined as an amount of inhomogeneous source that, when added to a diffusion calculation, gives a solution for the angle-integrated intensity that is equal to the transport solution.Item Multi-layer diffusion approximation for photon transport in biological tissue(2009-06-02) Hollmann, JosephA method for improving the accuracy of the optical diffusion theory for a multi-layer scattering medium is presented. An infinitesimally narrow incident light beam is replaced by multiple isotropic point sources of different strengths that are placed in the scattering medium along the incident beam. The multiple sources are then used to develop a multi-layer diffusion theory. Diffuse reflectance is then computed using the multi-layer diffusion theory and compared with accurate data computed by the Monte Carlo method. This multi-source method is found to be significantly more accurate than the previous single-source method. The appendix to this thesis also shows the derivation of the extrapolated boundary condition. This boundary condition is utilized to solve for the discontinuity that occurs at the tissue-ambient medium interface. The boundary conditions for common index of refraction mismatches are solved for and listed in a table.Item Needs Assessment of Agricultural, Environmental, and Social Systems of Small Farmers in Chimaltenango, Guatemala(2011-02-22) Oleas, CarolinaProviding support for the agricultural development of small farmers is the main goal of the project Agriculture in Guatemala: Technology, Education and Commercialization (AGTEC). To accomplish this, it is necessary, to identify the characteristics and needs of participants, as well as their environmental, social, and farming conditions. Through this study, two case studies were conducted to identify and analyze the context of small farmers of the region. This research study used qualitative and participative methods, such as interviews, focus groups, and observation, to gather data about the participants' thoughts and opinions concerning their situations. The case study systemically gathered information about the conditions and needs of small farmers to provide a better understanding of the people and their interactions within the farm systems. This needs assessment showed how the farmers' decisions about adoption are related to their interactions on their farms. Therefore, this study analyzed the system, as a whole, to identify priorities among different critical components that will provide optimum results for beneficiaries. These priorities will allow the identification of appropriate technologies that will satisfy the needs of small farmers according to their local, cultural, and economic conditions. The appropriate technologies need to be diffused among the farmers for adoption. Rogers observed that technologies that are diffused by opinion leaders are adopted by their peers. Thus, the second case study analyzed the social networks and their leaders to observe their potential to support the diffusion process of technologies. The study revealed the presence of diverse social networks, one provided by the political structure, others based on organized groups of farmers and other informal networks formed by independent farmers. Data also showed that opinion leaders have desired roles and characteristics among their networks. Therefore diffusion of innovations through formal and non-formal leaders represents a promising strategy as they are recognized and respected by peers. The diffusion of innovations through opinion leaders promotes the active participation of local members, validates the innovations, and sustains adoption over time. Therefore, the analysis of the social networks and selection of opinion leaders supports the diffusion process of the AGTEC project in Chimaltenango, Guatemala.Item Regeneration of Carbon Aerogel Exhausted in Water Purification(2012-02-14) Tewari, SanjayCarbon has been used electrochemically in various forms for water treatment and the carbon aerogel is one of them. Carbon Aerogels (CA) are used as electrodes due to their high surface capacity and high electrical conductivity. They are also known as Carbon Nanofoams (CNF). CA electrodes attract oppositely charged ions that are nearby. This concept is known as Capacitive De-Ionization (CDI). The use of CA in CDI for water purification is well documented, but not much work has been done on regeneration of CA electrodes. Once saturated, these electrodes lose their ability to adsorb additional ions and it must be restored by regeneration. If they cannot be regenerated, they would need to be replaced, which would greatly increase the cost of the treatment they are expensive. The goal of this study is to obtain data to define optimal regeneration conditions and to develop predictive capability by examining desorption behavior of adsorbed ions on CA electrodes. This study focuses on desorption of adsorbed ions and regeneration of CA. Various experiments were conducted to explore the effects on regeneration of CA of shorting of electrodes, change of polarity of electrodes, flow speed of water over CA electrodes, and temperature of regeneration water. The optimal combination of experimental variables was identified and was used for remaining experiments that tested the effect of size, charge and mass of adsorbed ions on regeneration of CA. Also, the effect of thickness of CA and its pore size on regeneration of CA was studied. Results indicated that application of reverse potential for the first few minutes of the total regeneration time provided the greatest regeneration. Longer application of reverse potential did not result in higher regeneration. The regeneration behavior when no potential applied with and without shorting was as expected. Application of reverse potential with variable temperature or variable flow speed of water over CA surfaces provided results that were different from the ones that were obtained with no potential being applied with or without shorting of electrodes.Item Spin hall effect in paramagnetic thin films(2009-05-15) Xu, HuachunSpintronics, an abbreviation of spin based electronics and also known as magneto electronics, has attracted a lot of interest in recent years. It aims to explore the role of electrons? spins in building next generation electric devices. Using electrons? spins rather than electrons? charges may allow faster, lower energy cost devices. Spin Hall Effect is an important subfield of spintronics. It studies spin current, spin transport, and spin accumulation in paramagnetic systems. It can further understanding of quantum physics, device physics, and may also provide insights for spin injection, spin detection and spin manipulation in the design of the next generation spintronics devices. In this experimental work, two sets of experiments were prepared to detect the Spin Hall Effect in metallic systems. The first set of experiments aims to extract Spin Hall Effect from Double Hall Effect in micrometer size metal thin film patterns. Our experiments proved that the Spin Hall Effect signal was much smaller than the theoretically calculated value due to higher electrical resistivity in evaporated thin films. The second set of experiments employs a multi-step process. It combines micro fabrication and electrochemical method to fabricate a perpendicular ferromagnet rod as a spin injector. Process description and various techniques to improve the measurement sensitivity are presented. Measurement results in aluminum, gold and copper are presented in Chapters III, IV and V. Some new experiments are suggested in Chapters V and VI.Item Study of Multi-scale Transport Phenomena in Tight Gas and Shale Gas Reservoir Systems(2013-11-25) Freeman, Craig MatthewThe hydrocarbon resources found in shale reservoirs have become an important energy source in recent years. Unconventional geological and engineering features of shale systems pose challenges to the characterization of these systems. These challenges have impeded efficient economic development of shale resources. New fundamental insights and tools are needed to improve the state of shale gas development. Few attempts have been made to model the compositional behavior of fluids in shale gas reservoirs. The transport and storage of reservoir fluids in shale is controlled by multiple distinct micro-scale physical phenomena. These phenomena include preferential Knudsen diffusion, differential desorption, and capillary critical effects. Together, these phenomena cause significant changes in fluid composition in the subsurface and a measureable change in the composition of the produced gas over time. In order to quantify this compositional change we developed a numerical model describing the coupled processes of desorption, diffusion, and phase behavior in heterogeneous ultra-tight rocks as a function of pore size. The model captures the various configurations of fractures induced by shale gas fracture stimulation. Through modeling of the physics at the macro-scale (e.g. reservoir-scale hydraulic fractures) and micro-scale (e.g. Knudsen diffusion in kerogen nanopores), we illustrate how and why gas composition changes spatially and temporally during production. We compare the results of our numerical model against measured composition data obtained at regular intervals from shale gas wells. We utilize the characteristic behaviors explicated by the model results to identify features in the measured data. We present a basis for a new method of production data analysis incorporating gas composition measurements in order to develop a more complete diagnostic process. Distinct fluctuations in the flowing gas composition are shown to uniquely identify the onset of fracture interference in horizontal wells with multiple transverse hydraulic fractures. The timescale and durations of the transitional flow regimes in shales are quantified using these measured composition data. These assessments appear to be robust even for high levels of noise in the rate and pressure data. Integration of the compositional shift analysis of this work with modern production analysis is used to infer reservoir properties. This work extends the current understanding of flow behavior and well performance for shale gas systems to encompass the physical phenomena leading to compositional change. This new understanding may be used to aid well performance analysis, optimize fracture and completion design, and improve the accuracy of reserves estimates. In this work we contribute a numerical model which captures multicomponent desorption, diffusion, and phase behavior in ultra-tight rocks. We also describe a workflow for incorporating measured gas composition data into modern production analysis.Item The Land-Grant Mission and The Cowboy Church: Diffusing University-Community Engagement(2012-02-14) Williams, KatyThe land-grant university and the cowboy church are two social institutions designed to engage communities. Research is abundant on the former and limited on the latter. The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive report on cowboy churches, while identifying the potential for university-cowboy church collaborations and examining the direct implications to Cooperative Extension. Rogers' Diffusions of Innovations conceptualized this study and was employed to evaluate the acceptability of university-cowboy church collaborations. This basic qualitative study utilized a purposive snowball technique to identify key informants of the American Fellowship of Cowboy Churches (AFCC). Ten subjects participated in semi-structured, face-to-face and phone interviews. Data were analyzed for common themes and patterns within the context of each of this study's objectives. Findings described cowboy churches affiliated with the AFCC, the interpersonal and mass media communication channels used by these churches, and subject awareness of Cooperative Extension. Conclusions and implications suggest university-cowboy church collaborations are an acceptable innovation, especially in the context of Extension collaborations. There are relative advantages for such collaborations, shared compatibility through each institution's mission, and ample opportunities for trialibility. County agents should initiate contact with cowboy church pastors and collaborations should be initiated regarding in information exchange, horses, livestock shows, and youth.Item Thermomechanical Constitutive Modeling of Viscoelastic Materials undergoing Degradation(2012-07-16) Karra, SatishMaterials like asphalt, asphalt concrete and polyimides that are used in the transportation and aerospace industry show viscoelastic behavior. These materials in the working environment are subject to degradation due to temperature, diffusion of moisture and chemical reactions (for instance, oxidation) and there is need for a good understanding of the various degradation mechanisms. This work focuses on: 1) some topics related to development of viscoelastic fluid models that can be used to predict the response of materials like asphalt, asphalt concrete, and other geomaterials, and 2) developing a framework to model degradation due to the various mechanisms (such as temperature, diffusion of moisture and oxidation) on polyimides that show nonlinear viscoelastic solid-like response. Such a framework can be extended to model similar degradation phenomena in the area of asphalt mechanics and biomechanics. The thermodynamic framework that is used in this work is based on the notion that the 'natural configuration' of a body evolves as the body undergoes a process and the evolution is determined by maximizing the rate of entropy production. The Burgers' fluid model is known to predict the non-linear viscoelastic fluid-like response of asphalt, asphalt concrete and other geomaterials. We first show that different choices for the manner in which the body stores energy and dissipates energy and satisfies the requirement of maximization of the rate of entropy production that leads to many three dimensional models. All of these models, in one dimension, reduce to the model proposed by Burgers. A thermodynamic framework to develop rate-type models for viscoelastic fluids which do not possess instantaneous elasticity (certain types of asphalt show such a behavior) is developed next. To illustrate the capabilities of such models we make a specific choice for the specific Helmholtz potential and the rate of dissipation and consider the creep and stress relaxation response associated with the model. We then study the effect of degradation and healing due to the diffusion of a fluid on the response of a solid which prior to the diffusion can be described by the generalized neo-Hookean model. We show that a generalized neo-Hookean solid - which behaves like an elastic body (i.e., it does not produce entropy) within a purely mechanical context - creeps and stress relaxes when infused with a fluid and behaves like a body whose material properties are time dependent. A framework is then developed to predict the viscoelastic response of polyimide resins under different temperature conditions. The developed framework is further extended to model the phenomena of swelling due to diffusion of a fluid through a viscoelastic solid using the theory of mixtures. Finally, degradation due to oxidation is incorporated into such a framework by introducing a variable that represents the extent of oxidation. The data from the resulting models are shown to be in good agreement with the experiments for polyimide resins.