Dissertations / Theses on the topic '3D model analysis'

This thesis addresses real-time rendering techniques for 3D information lenses based on the focus & context metaphor. It analyzes, conceives, implements, and reviews its applicability to objects and structures of virtual 3D city models. In contrast to digital terrain models, the application of focus & context visualization to virtual 3D city models is barely researched. However, the purposeful visualization of contextual data of is extreme importance for the interactive exploration and analysis of this field. Programmable hardware enables the implementation of new lens techniques, that allow the augmentation of the perceptive and cognitive quality of the visualization compared to classical perspective projections. A set of 3D information lenses is integrated into a 3D scene-graph system: • Occlusion lenses modify the appearance of virtual 3D city model objects to resolve their occlusion and consequently facilitate the navigation. • Best-view lenses display city model objects in a priority-based manner and mediate their meta information. Thus, they support exploration and navigation of virtual 3D city models. • Color and deformation lenses modify the appearance and geometry of 3D city models to facilitate their perception. The presented techniques for 3D information lenses and their application to virtual 3D city models clarify their potential for interactive visualization and form a base for further development.
Diese Diplomarbeit behandelt echtzeitfähige Renderingverfahren für 3D Informationslinsen, die auf der Fokus-&-Kontext-Metapher basieren. Im folgenden werden ihre Anwendbarkeit auf Objekte und Strukturen von virtuellen 3D-Stadtmodellen analysiert, konzipiert, implementiert und bewertet. Die Focus-&-Kontext-Visualisierung für virtuelle 3D-Stadtmodelle ist im Gegensatz zum Anwendungsbereich der 3D Geländemodelle kaum untersucht. Hier jedoch ist eine gezielte Visualisierung von kontextbezogenen Daten zu Objekten von großer Bedeutung für die interaktive Exploration und Analyse. Programmierbare Computerhardware erlaubt die Umsetzung neuer Linsen-Techniken, welche die Steigerung der perzeptorischen und kognitiven Qualität der Visualisierung im Vergleich zu klassischen perspektivischen Projektionen zum Ziel hat. Für eine Auswahl von 3D-Informationslinsen wird die Integration in ein 3D-Szenengraph-System durchgeführt: • Verdeckungslinsen modifizieren die Gestaltung von virtuellen 3D-Stadtmodell- Objekten, um deren Verdeckungen aufzulösen und somit die Navigation zu erleichtern. • Best-View Linsen zeigen Stadtmodell-Objekte in einer prioritätsdefinierten Weise und vermitteln Meta-Informationen virtueller 3D-Stadtmodelle. Sie unterstützen dadurch deren Exploration und Navigation. • Farb- und Deformationslinsen modifizieren die Gestaltung und die Geometrie von 3D-Stadtmodell-Bereichen, um deren Wahrnehmung zu steigern. Die in dieser Arbeit präsentierten Techniken für 3D Informationslinsen und die Anwendung auf virtuelle 3D Stadt-Modelle verdeutlichen deren Potenzial in der interaktiven Visualisierung und bilden eine Basis für Weiterentwicklungen.

Full 360 degree 3D finite element models are the most complete representation of Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) premium threaded connections. Full 3D models can represent helical threads and boundary conditions required to simulate make-up and service loading. A methodology is developed to create a 360 degree full 3D parametric finite element model with helical threads as an effective design and analysis tool. The approach is demonstrated with the creation of a metal-to-metal seal integral joint full 3D model with manufacturer supplied geometry. The premium connection is decomposed into smaller parts to generate parametric geometric features. A controlled parametric meshing scheme is developed to manage mesh density in contact regions to effectively represent the mechanics in regions of interest while minimizing total element count. The scripted parametric approach allows for efficient geometric and mesh updates. Several methods to reduce and manage model runtimes are presented. An elastic-plastic material model is created with material coupon tensile tests results. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) is used to measure full-field displacement and strain data on the surface of the box. Experimental set up and data processing procedures are discussed. Error metrics are developed to correlate the finite element model results with the DIC experimental data. The DIC make-up experimental results are used to reconcile the finite element model to develop a minimum error make-up model relative to the pin rotation. The friction coefficient is estimated and the make-up torque-turn behavior is verified. The calibrated 3D finite element model is validated with ISO_13769 load series B axial and internal pressure loading experimental DIC data. Metal-to-metal seal metrics of contact pressure and seal length are evaluated.
Master of Science

This work presents a large scale multifractal analysis of the electronic state in the vicinity of the localisation-delocalisation transition in the three-dimensional Anderson model of localisation using high-precision data and very large system sizes of up to L3 = 2403. The multifractal analysis is implemented using box- and system- size scaling of the generalized inverse participation ratios employing typical and ensemble averaging techniques. The statistical analysis in this study has shown that in the thermodynamic limit a proposed symmetry relation in the multifractal exponents is true for the 3D Anderson model in the orthogonal universality class. Better agreement with the symmetry is found when using system-size scaling with ensemble averaging in which a more complete picture of the multifractal spectrum f(α) is also obtained. A complete profile of f(α) has negative fractal dimensions and shows the contributions coming from the tails of the distribution. Various boxpartitioning approaches have been carefully studied such as the use of cubic and non-cubic boxes, periodic boundary conditions to enlarge the system, and single and multiple origins in the partitioning grid. The most reliable method is equal partitioning of a system into cubic boxes which has also been shown to be the least numerically expensive. Furthermore, this work gives an expression relating f(α) and the probability density function (PDF) of wavefunction intensities. The relation which contains a finite-size correction provides an alternative and simpler method to obtain f(α) directly from the PDF in which f(α) is interpreted as the scaleinvariant distribution at criticality. Finally, a generalization of standard multifractal analysis which is applicable to the critical regime and not just at the critical point is presented here. Using this generalization together with finite-size scaling analysis, estimates of critical disorder and critical exponent based on exact diagonalization have been obtained that are in excellent agreement, supporting for the first time previous results of transfer matrix calculations.

With the aid of modern sensors it is possible to create models of buildings. These sensorstypically generate 3D point clouds and in order to increase interpretability and usability,these point clouds are often translated into 3D models.In this thesis a way of translating a 3D point cloud into a 3D model is presented. The basicfunctionality is implemented using Matlab. The geometric model consists of floors, wallsand ceilings. In addition, doors and windows are automatically identified and integrated intothe model. The resulting model also has an explicit representation of the topology betweenentities of the model. The topology is represented as a graph, and to do this GraphML isused. The graph is opened in a graph editing program called yEd.The result is a 3D model that can be plotted in Matlab and a graph describing the connectivitybetween entities. The GraphML file is automatically generated in Matlab. An interfacebetween Matlab and yEd allows the user to choose which rooms should be plotted.

In addition to a static design, a dynamic analysis has to be performed for bridges for which the maximum permissible train speed exceeds 200 km/h. This analysis requires a lot of computing time, for this reason Svedholm and Andersson (2016) have developed a simple tool describing the relationship between the first eigenfrequency of the bridge, the span length and the minimum mass to fulfill the regulation specified in EN-1990. However, these diagrams are based on 2D beam models in which the 3D dynamic effects are not considered. An evaluation of the torsional modes has been performed by analyzing parametrized 3D bridge models, in order to obtain design diagrams including these effects. To do so, a frequency domain analysis has been implemented, based on a steadystate step previously performed in a FEM software. This approach provides a fast way to solve the equation of motion due to the Fourier transform properties, and allows applying several load configurations which are convenient for a parametric study. From this analysis it can be concluded that the thickness to fulfill the demands is larger for 3D models than for 2D. On one hand, contribution of torsional modes of vibration is more significant for the shortest span length, and on the other hand shear-lag effects lead to a reduction of the total resisting bending section.

New microscopy techniques are continuously developed, resulting in more rapid acquisition of large amounts of data. Manual analysis of such data is extremely time-consuming and many features are difficult to quantify without the aid of a computer. But with automated image analysis biologists can extract quantitative measurements and increases throughput significantly, which becomes particularly important in high-throughput screening (HTS). This thesis addresses automation of traditional analysis of cell data as well as automation of both image capture and analysis in zebrafish high-throughput screening.  It is common in microscopy images to stain the nuclei in the cells, and to label the DNA and proteins in different ways. Padlock-probing and proximity ligation are highly specific detection methods that  produce point-like signals within the cells. Accurate signal detection and segmentation is often a key step in analysis of these types of images. Cells in a sample will always show some degree of variation in DNA and protein expression and to quantify these variations each cell has to be analyzed individually. This thesis presents development and evaluation of single cell analysis on a range of different types of image data. In addition, we present a novel method for signal detection in three dimensions.  HTS systems often use a combination of microscopy and image analysis to analyze cell-based samples. However, many diseases and biological pathways can be better studied in whole animals, particularly those that involve organ systems and multi-cellular interactions. The zebrafish is a widely-used vertebrate model of human organ function and development. Our collaborators have developed a high-throughput platform for cellular-resolution in vivo chemical and genetic screens on zebrafish larvae. This thesis presents improvements to the system, including accurate positioning of the fish which incorporates methods for detecting regions of interest, making the system fully automatic. Furthermore, the thesis describes a novel high-throughput tomography system for screening live zebrafish in both fluorescence and bright field microscopy. This 3D imaging approach combined with automatic quantification of morphological changes enables previously intractable high-throughput screening of vertebrate model organisms.

Rapid landslides pose a significant hazard worldwide, and there is currently no routine way of predicting the impact area and velocities of these catastrophic events. Increased development in marginal areas is changing the landslide risk in many parts of the world. There is an urgent need for practical methods to predict the motion of these tragic events to cope with this changing risk. Practical methods currently in use rely on simplified landslide statistics that have a high degree of uncertainty, and are often unable to predict landslide velocities. The focus of this thesis is on developing practical methods to reliably predict the motion of rapid landslides so that public safety in landslide prone areas can be improved. This thesis makes extensive use of runout modelling in order to analyse the motion of rock avalanches, debris avalanches and flowslides. The work presented here can be broadly divided into two categories; the development of new tools and techniques to model flow-like landslide motion, and the compilation and analysis of a database of case histories. The new tools include: 1) A new rheology appropriate for the simulation of liquefied materials; 2) A new dynamic model to simulate the initially-coherent motion of some rock and debris avalanches; 3) Two new calibration methodologies. These techniques were then applied to a database of rock avalanches, debris avalanches and flowslide case histories in order to infer movement mechanisms and give guidance for forward prediction. The main findings include: 1) The character of the path materials is a plausible explanation for the mechanism governing rock avalanche motion. Based on this, a probabilistic framework to predict rock avalanche motion was suggested; 2) A back-analysis of a fatal debris avalanche that occurred in British Columbia in 2012 revealed that this flow was likely moving in an undrained condition, which had significant implications for the analysis of its motion; 3) It was found that flowslides can occur in fine grained colluvium, and this material should be recognized as potentially liquefiable.
Medicine, Faculty of
Graduate

One of the challenging problems in the aerospace industry is to design an automated 3D vision system that can sense the installation components in an assembly environment and check certain safety constraints are duly respected. This thesis describes a concept application to aid a safety engineer to perform an audit of a production aircraft against safety driven installation requirements such as segregation, proximity, orientation and trajectory. The capability is achieved using the following steps. The initial step is to perform image capture of a product and measurement of distance between datum points within the product with/without reference to a planar surface. This provides the safety engineer a means to perform measurements on a set of captured images of the equipment they are interested in. The next step is to reconstruct the digital model of fabricated product by using multiple captured images to reposition parts according to the actual model. Then, the projection onto the 3D digital reconstruction of the safety related installation constraints, respecting the original intent of the constraints that are defined in the digital mock up is done. The differences between the 3D reconstruction of the actual product and the design time digital mockup of the product are identified. Finally, the differences/non conformances that have a relevance to safety driven installation requirements with reference to the original safety requirement intent are identified. The above steps together give the safety engineer the ability to overlay a digital reconstruction that should be as true to the fabricated product as possible so that they can see how the product conforms or doesn't conform to the safety driven installation requirements. The work has produced a concept demonstrator that will be further developed in future work to address accuracy, work flow and process efficiency. A new depth based segmentation technique GrabcutD which is an improvement to existing Grabcut, a graph cut based segmentation method is proposed. Conventional Grabcut relies only on color information to achieve segmentation. However, in stereo or multiview analysis, there is additional information that could be also used to improve segmentation. Clearly, depth based approaches bear the potential discriminative power of ascertaining whether the object is nearer of farer. We show the usefulness of the approach when stereo information is available and evaluate it using standard datasets against state of the art result.

This work investigates the feasibility of producing small scale, low aerodynamic loading wind tunnel models, using FDM 3D printing methods, that are both structurally and aerodynamically representative in the wind tunnel. To verify the applicability of this approach, a 2.07% scale model of the NASA CRM was produced, whose wings were manufacturing using a Finite Deposition Modeling 3D printer. Experimental data was compared to numerical simulations to determine percent difference in wake distribution and wingtip deflection for multiple configurations. Numerical simulation data taken in the form of CFD and FEA was used to validate data taken in the wind tunnel experiments. The experiment utilized a wake rake to measure 3 different spanwise locations of the wing for aerodynamic data, and a videogrammetry method was used to measure the deflection of the wingtips for structural data. Both numerical simulations and experiments were evaluated at Reynolds numbers of 258,000 and 362,000 at 0 degrees angle of attack, and 258,000 at 5 degrees angle of attack. Results indicate that the wing wake minimum in the wind tunnel test had shifted approximately 8.8mm at the wingtip for the Nylon 910 wing at 258,000 Reynolds number for 0 degrees angle of attack when compared to CFD. Videogrammetry results indicate that the wing deflected 5.9mm, and has an 18.6% difference from observed deflection in FEA. This reveals the potential for small scale wind tunnel models to be more representative of true flight behavior for low loading scenarios.

This is a 15 credits thesis in mechanical engineering performed at the PLM Solutions group at the Rocktec division within Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB, Örebro, during spring 2012. When designers working with 3D CAD modeling uses different work methods in Pro/ENGINEER (Pro/E) it sometimes results in problems. It is also a problem when designers do not follow the specific work methods defined by Atlas Copco.   The purpose of this thesis was to identify the most common problems with 3D models at Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB (RDE) Örebro related to work methods, for example why models crash, why they cannot be checked in to Pro/Intralink or why there are unstable references. The objective was to present a work method to avoid one or two of the most severe problems identified at RDE Örebro.   To achieve the objective I started with going through the CAD support call data base, to find out in what areas the organization needed help from the CAD support. The result shows that the engineers request most support in how to use both the modeling and the drawing modules in Pro/E. I also came up with a suggestion for redesign of the CAD support call data base system, that could reduce the time needed for this kind of analysis from days to minutes.   Thereafter a number of engineers, all with high skills in Pro/E, were selected for personal interviews. The topic was to identify any lack in defined work methods in Pro/E causing problems that are taking long time to correct. The result shows that the biggest issue for the users is references. I also performed a benchmarking with two other companies within the Atlas Copco Group looking at their CAD guidelines regarding the issues found during the interviews.   Thirdly, one assembly each from six different departments were selected and sent to PTC for an in depth analysis with their software tool Expert Model Analysis. The goal was to find any systematic issues regarding work methods in Pro/E. The analysis confirmed what the engineers earlier had brought up as the main issues, namely, references, mass/weight handling and structure in the model tree.
Detta är en 15 hp examensarbete i maskinteknik som utförs på PLM Solutions Group på Rocktec divisionen inom Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB i Örebro, under våren 2012.När konstruktörerna arbetar med 3D CAD modellering använder de olika arbetsmetoder i Pro/ENGINEER (Pro/E) vilket ibland leder till problem. Det är också ett problem när konstruktörerna inte följer de arbetsmetoder som definierats av Atlas Copco.Syftet med detta examensarbete var att identifiera de vanligaste problemen med 3D-modeller på Atlas Copco Rock Drills AB (RDE) i Örebro relaterat till arbetsmetoder, till exempel varför modellerna kraschar, varför de inte kan checkas in i Pro/Intralink eller varför det finns instabila referenser. Målet var att presentera en arbetsmetod för att undvika ett eller två av de mest allvarliga problemen identifierade vid RDE Örebro. För att uppnå målet började jag med att gå igenom CAD-supportens samtalsdatabas, för att ta reda på inom vilka områden användarna behövde hjälp från CAD-support. Resultatet visar att konstruktörerna behöver mest hjälp med hur man använder både modellerings- och ritningsmodulerna i Pro/E. Jag tog också fram ett förslag till hur CAD-supportens samtalsdatabas kan göras om, som skulle kunna minska tiden som behövs för denna typ av analys från dagar till minuter. Därefter valdes ett antal ingenjörer ut, alla med hög kompetens inom Pro/E, för personliga intervjuer. Syftet var att identifiera eventuella brist i befintliga arbetsmetoder i Pro/E, vilka orsakar problem som tar lång tid att rätta till. Resultatet visar att det största problemet för användarna är referenser. Jag utförde också en benchmarking med två andra bolag inom Atlas Copco-gruppen genom att jämföra deras CAD rekommendationer kring de problem som kom fram under de tidigare intervjuerna. Som tredje del i examensarbetet valdes en CAD-modell från vardera sex olika avdelningar och skickades till PTC för en fördjupad analys med deras program Expert Model Analysis (XMA). Målet var att hitta systematiska problem gällande arbetsmetoder i Pro/E. XMA-analysen bekräftade vad ingenjörerna tidigare hade fört fram som de viktigaste frågorna, nämligen referenser, massa/vikt hantering och struktur i modellen trädet.

To understand control strategies employed by the central nervous system (CNS) control movement or force generation in a limb, a seven degree of freedom cat hindlimb was modeled. In this study, the biomechanical constraints affecting force generation for balance and postural control were investigated. Due to the redundancies at the muscular and joint levels in the musculoskeletal system, even the muscle coordination pattern to statically produce a certain amount of force/torque at the ground is not straightforward. A 3D musculoskeletal model of the cat hindlimb was created from cat cadaver measurements using Software for Interactive Musculoskeletal Systems (SIMM, Musculographics, Inc.). Six kinematic degrees of freedom and 31 individual hindlimb muscles were modeled. The moment arms of the muscles were extracted from the software model to be used in a linear transformation between muscle activation, and end effector force and moment. The Jacobian matrix that establishes the relationship between joint torques and end effector wrench was calculated. Maximal muscle forces were estimated from the literature. A feasible set of forces that can be generated at the toe was constructed using combination of maximally activated muscle excitations. Because the endpoint torque is typically small in a cat, an optimization algorithm was also performed to maximize the force generation at the end effector while constraining the magnitude of the endpoint torque. The results are compared with the measured force magnitude and direction data from an acute cat hindlimb preparation for different postures. This static model is applicable for understanding muscle coordination during postural responses to small balance perturbations.

Research suggests that plaque morphology plays a crucial role in determining plaque vulnerability. However the relationship between plaque morphology and rupture is still not clearly understood due to the limited information of plaque morphology. The aim of this study is to improve our understanding of the relationship between plaque morphology and rupture, and to use this to predict the risk of plaque rupture from the morphology at the molecular level. This can enable the identification of culprit lesions in clinical situations for assessing plaque rupture risk. Histological assessments were carried out on 18 carotid plaque specimens. The 3-D collagen, lipid and macrophage distributions along the entire length of the plaque were analysed in both ruptured and non-ruptured symptomatic plaques. In addition, plaque morphology on the rupture sites were examined and compared with the surrounding regions. It was found that ruptured plaques had thinner fibrous caps and larger lipid cores compared to non-ruptured plaques. Also, ruptured plaques had lower collagen content compared to non-ruptured plaques, and higher collagen contents upstream compared to downstream region from the plaque throat. At the rupture site there was lower collagen content, and a larger lipid core thickness behind a thin fibrous cap compared with the mean for the longitudinally adjacent and circumferential regions. Macrophage cells were located nearer to the boundary of the luminal wall in ruptured plaques. For both groups, the area occupied by macrophages is greater at the upstream shoulder of the plaque. There is a positive correlation between macrophage area and lipid core area, a negative correlation between macrophage area and collagen content, and between lipid core size and collagen content for both plaque groups. 3D reconstruction of ex-vivo specimens of carotid plaques were carried out by a combined analysis of US imaging and histology. To reconstruct accurate 3D plaque morphology, the non-linear tissue distortion in histological images caused by specimen preparation was corrected by a finite element (FE) based deformable registration procedure. This study shows that it is possible to generate a 3D patient specific plaque model using this method. In addition, the study also quantitatively assesses the tissue distortion caused by histological procedures. It shows that at least 30% tissue shrinkage is expected for plaque tissues. The histology analysis result was also used to evaluate ultrasound (US) tissue characterization accuracy. An ex-vivo 2D ultrasound scan set-up was used to obtain serial transverse images through an atherosclerotic plaque. The different plaque component region obtained from ultrasound images was compared with the associated histology result and photograph of the sections. Plaque tissue characterisation using ex-vivo US can be performed qualitatively, whereas lipid core assessment from ultrasound scan can be semi-quantitative. This finding combined with the negative correlation between lipid core size and collagen content, suggests the ability of US to indirectly quantify plaque collagen content. This study may serve as a platform for future studies on improving ultrasound tissue characterization, and may also potentially be used in risk assessment of plaque rupture.

This thesis describes extensions to 2D and 3D model-based segmentation algorithms for the analysis of ultrasound images and sequences. Starting from a common 2D+t "track-to-last" algorithm, it is shown that the typical method of searching for boundary candidates perpendicular to the model contour is unnecessary if, for each boundary candidate, its corresponding position on the model contour is optimised jointly with the model contour geometry. With this observation, two 2D+t segmentation algorithms, which accurately recover boundary displacements and are capable of segmenting arbitrarily long sequences, are formulated and validated. Generalising to 3D, subdivision surfaces are shown to be natural choices for continuous model surfaces, and the algorithms necessary for joint optimisation of the correspondences and model surface geometry are described. Three applications of 3D model-based segmentation for ultrasound image analysis are subsequently presented and assessed: skull segmentation for fetal brain image analysis; face segmentation for shape analysis, and single-frame left ventricle (LV) segmentation from echocardiography images for volume measurement. A framework to perform model-based segmentation of multiple 3D sequences - while jointly optimising an underlying linear basis shape model - is subsequently presented for the challenging application of right ventricle (RV) segmentation from 3D+t echocardiography sequences. Finally, an algorithm to automatically select boundary candidates independent of a model surface estimate is described and presented for the task of LV segmentation. Although motivated by challenges in ultrasound image analysis, the conceptual contributions of this thesis are general and applicable to model-based segmentation problems in many domains. Moreover, the components are modular, enabling straightforward construction of application-specific formulations for new clinical problems as they arise in the future.

Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is proposed to simulate the connection response of practical in-service conditions and test the performance of Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) premium threaded connections. A plug-in is developed in Abaqus/CAE for creating the 360-degree full 3D parametric finite element model with helical threads as an effective design and analysis tool. All size, position and material data of the model are parameterized. The premium connection plug-in accepts input from the Graphical User Interface (GUI) for further modification. Each premium connection component is programed as a collection of single-purpose independent functions organized as an independent module in order to allow users to modify specific function behavior conveniently. A main program is designed as an Abaqus kernel plug-in to achieve all the functions by calling these independent functions, making the plug-in flexible. Each single script file is not too long to jeopardize readability. The GUI of the plug-in is designed with proper layout arrangement and illustrations to make the plug-in user-friendly and easy to use. The premium connection FE model is used in a virtual test to validate the model against the ISO 13679 test protocol and is used to develop the seal metrics for points on the ISO 13679 sealability envelope. The plug-in can be used to develop and evaluate the design envelope of the premium connection.
Master of Science

3D design is being recognized widely as the next BIG thing in system integration. However, design and analysis tools for 3D are still in infancy stage. Power supply noise analysis is one of the critical aspects of a design. Hence, the area of noise analysis for 3D designs is a key area for future development. The following research presents a new parasitic RLC modeling technique for 3D chips containing TSVs as well as a novel optimization algorithm for power-ground network of a 3D chip with the aim of minimizing noise in the network. The following work also looks into an existing commercial IR drop analysis tool and presents a way to modify it with the aim of handling 3D designs containing TSVs.

This Ph.D thesis work is dedicated to automatic facial analysis in 3D, including facial landmarking and facial expression recognition. Indeed, facial expression plays an important role both in verbal and non verbal communication, and in expressing emotions. Thus, automatic facial expression recognition has various purposes and applications and particularly is at the heart of "intelligent" human-centered human/computer(robot) interfaces. Meanwhile, automatic landmarking provides aprior knowledge on location of face landmarks, which is required by many face analysis methods such as face segmentation and feature extraction used for instance for expression recognition. The purpose of this thesis is thus to elaborate 3D landmarking and facial expression recognition approaches for finally proposing an automatic facial activity (facial expression and action unit) recognition solution.In this work, we have proposed a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) for recognizing facial activities, such as facial expressions and facial action units. A StatisticalFacial feAture Model (SFAM) has also been designed to first automatically locateface landmarks so that a fully automatic facial expression recognition system can be formed by combining the SFAM and the BBN. The key contributions are the followings. First, we have proposed to build a morphable partial face model, named SFAM, based on Principle Component Analysis. This model allows to learn boththe global variations in face landmark configuration and the local ones in terms of texture and local geometry around each landmark. Various partial face instances can be generated from SFAM by varying model parameters. Secondly, we have developed a landmarking algorithm based on the minimization an objective function describing the correlation between model instances and query faces. Thirdly, we have designed a Bayesian Belief Network with a structure describing the casual relationships among subjects, expressions and facial features. Facial expression oraction units are modelled as the states of the expression node and are recognized by identifying the maximum of beliefs of all states. We have also proposed a novel method for BBN parameter inference using a statistical feature model that can beconsidered as an extension of SFAM. Finally, in order to enrich information usedfor 3D face analysis, and particularly 3D facial expression recognition, we have also elaborated a 3D face feature, named SGAND, to characterize the geometry property of a point on 3D face mesh using its surrounding points.The effectiveness of all these methods has been evaluated on FRGC, BU3DFEand Bosphorus datasets for facial landmarking as well as BU3DFE and Bosphorus datasets for facial activity (expression and action unit) recognition.

The primary object of the master thesis is creating escape route analysis in 3D model of a building. Analysis is created using mainly open source tools like PostgreSQL with PostGIS and pgRouting extensions.

L'elaborato propone un metodo per la modellazione tridimensionale di interi edifici in muratura, con lo scopo di valutare le performance sismiche, mediante il programma di calcolo SAP2000. La metodologia proposta consente la modellazione di pareti in muratura simulandone il comportamento non lineare sotto azioni agenti nel piano ed allo stesso tempo permette di considerare la ripartizione delle azioni verticali e soprattutto orizzontali che avviene tra le pareti, dovuta alle zone di connessione, ai solai ed alla loro rigidezza a taglio nel piano. Per lo sviluppo del metodo di modellazione è stato utilizzato un edificio molto semplice. Successivamente la metodologia è stata applicata ad un caso più realistico sul quale si sono fatte anche considerazioni riguardo i diversi comportamenti della struttura in funzione della rigidezza dei solai.

Abstract

3D visualization of geological structures is a very efficient way to create a good understanding of geological features. It is not only an illustrative way for common people, but also a comprehensive method to interpret results of the work. Geologists, geophysics engineers and GIS experts sometimes need to visualize an area to accomplish their researches. It can show how sample data are distributed over the area and therefore they can be applied as suitable approach to validate the result. Among different 3D modeling methods, some are expensive or complicated. Therefore, such a methodology enabling easy and cheap creation of a 3D construction is highly demanded.

However, several obstacles have been faced during the process of constructing a 3D model of geology. The main debate over suitable interpolation methods is the fact that 3D modelers may face discrepancies leading to different results even when they are working with the same set of data. Furthermore, most often part of data can be source of errors, themselves. Hence, it is extremely important to decide whether to omit those data or adopt another strategy. However, even after considering all these points, still the work may not be accurate enough to be used for scientific researches if the interpretation of work is not done precisely. This research sought to explain an approach for 3D modeling of Sedini platform in Sardinia, Italy. GIS was used as a flexible software together with Surfer and Voxler. Data manipulation, geodatabase creation and interpolation test all have been done with aid of GIS. A variety of interpolation methods available in Surfer were used to opt suitable method together with Arc view.

A solid 3D model is created in Voxler environment. In Voxler, in contrary to many other 3D types of software there are four components needed to construct 3D. C value as 4^th component except for XYZ coordinates was used to differentiate special features in platform and do gridding based on chosen value. With the aid of C value, one can mark layer of interest to identify it from other layers.

The final result shows a 3D solid model of the Sedini platform including both surfaces and subsurfaces. An Isosurface with its unique value (Isovalue) can mark layer of interest and make it easy to interpret the results. However, the errors in some parts of model are also noticeable. Since data acquisition was done for studying geology and mineralogy characteristics of the area, there is less number of data points collected per volume according to the main goals of the initial project. Moreover, in some parts of geological border lines, the density of sample points is not high enough to estimate accurate location of lines.

The study result can be applicable in a broad range of geological studies. Resource evaluation, geomorphology, structural geology and GIS are only a few examples of its application. The results of the study can be compared to the results of similar works where different softwares have been used so as to comprehend pros and cons of each as well as appropriate application of each software for a special task.

 

 

Keywords: GIS, Image Interpretation, Geodatabase, Geology, Interpolation, 3D Modeling

 

 

 

Throughout the development of this report there will be a brief explanation of what the actual Aircraft Design Process is and in which stages the methodology that the authors are proposing will be implemented as well as the tools that will interact to produce this methodology.

The proposed tool will be the first part of a methodology that, according to the authors, by integrating separate tools that are currently used in different stages of the aeronautical design, will promote a decrease in the time frame for the initial stages of the design process.

The first part of the methodology above, that is proposed in this project, starts by creating a computer generated aircraft model and analyzing its basic aerodynamic characteristics “Lift Coefficient” and “Induced Drag Coefficient”, this step will be an alternative to statistical and empirical methods used in the industry, which require vast amount of data.

This task will be done in several steps, which will transfer the parametric aircraft model to an input file for the aerodynamic analysis program. To transfer the data a “translation” program has been developed that arranges the geometry and prepares the input file for analysis.

During the course of this report the reader will find references to existing aircrafts, such as the MD-11 or Airbus 310. However, these references are not intended to be an exact computer model of the mentioned airplanes. The authors are using this as reference so the reader can relate what he/she is seeing in this paper to existing aircrafts. By doing such comparison, the author intends to demonstrate that the Parametric Model that has been created possesses the capability to simulate to some extend the shape of existing aircrafts.

Finally from the results of this project it is concluded that the methodology in question is promising. Linking the two programs is possible and the aerodynamic characteristics of the models tested fall in the appropriate range. None the less the research must continue following the line that has been discussed in this report.

The capital of Germany Berlin will undergo a change in its skyline in the next few years.Due to a new housing policy that allows the construction of higher buildings, Berlinwill soon have several skyscrapers over 130 m high directly at Alexanderplatz as wellas next the Berlin landmark, the Berlin TV Tower.With the help of ArcGIS, the newbuildings are shown in 3D along with the impact of these buildings on the view to theTV Tower and the shadows cast by the new buildings on the Alexanderplatz. It is shownthat due to the new buildings, some areas around the Alexanderplatz no longer have acomplete view to the TV Tower. The shadow cast by the buildings will only slightlychange the current shadow cast on the Alexanderplatz, but neighbouring areas aroundthe Alexanderplatz will now be affected more by shadows.

The goal of this research work was to introduce the whole process of developing and validating a 3D lower extremity musculoskeletal model and to test the ability of the model to predict the muscles recruitment of the different muscles involved in human locomotion as well as determining the corresponding forces and moments generated around the different joints in the lower extremity. Therefore the model can be applied in one of the important fields of orthopaedics which is joint replacement; the case study used in such application is the total knee replacement. The knee reaction forces were compared to the pattern obtained by Harrington (1992), where the hip moment components (Flexion/extension, internal/external, and abduction/adduction) were all compared to the patterns obtained from the Hip98 data base. It was shown in the different graphs of joints forces and moments that the model was able to produce very close results when comparing pattern and magnitude to the literature data. Thus, this 3D biomechanical model is sophisticated enough to be used for surgery evaluation such as in total knee replacement, where the damaged cartilage and bone are removed from the surface of the knee joint and replaced with a man-made. The case study of the second part of the research work presented involved the comparison of the gait pattern between two main knee joint types, Metallic and Allograft knee joints against normal subjects (Control group). A total of fifteen subjects participated in this study, five subjects in each group. It was concluded that based on the study conducted and the statistical evidence obtained that the introduced model can be used for applications that involves joint surgeries such as knee replacement that ultimately can be utilized in surgery evaluation.

This project evaluated several image analysis methods on the irregular morphology of bone defect models in periodontal tissues. The study advanced image improvement technology for visualization of mineralized tissue regeneration. The current work will allow scientists to circumvent the current known limitations in evaluating trabeculae microarchitecture and separate the periodontium's tissue by density value, which will significantly enhance periodontal tissue engineering and regeneration assessment.

Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2018.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 111-117).
During the gait cycle, the human ankle complex serves as a primary power generator while simultaneously stabilizing the entire limb. These actions are controlled by an intricate interplay of several lower leg muscles that cannot be fully uncovered using experimental methods alone. A combination of experiments and mathematical modeling may be used to estimate aspects of neuromusculoskeletal functions that control human gait. In this research, a three-dimensional neuromuscular model of the human ankle-foot complex based on biplanar fluoroscopy gait analysis is presented. Biplanar fluoroscopy (BiFlo) enables three-dimensional bone kinematics analysis using x-ray videos and bone geometry from segmented CT. Hindered by a small capture volume relative to traditional optical motion capture (MOCAP), BiFlo applications to human movement are generally limited to single-joint motions with constrained range. Here, a hybrid procedure is developed for multi-joint gait analysis using BiFlo and MOCAP in tandem. MOCAP effectively extends BiFlo's field-of-view. Subjects walked at a self-selected pace along a level walkway while BiFlo, MOCAP, and ground reaction forces were collected. A novel methodology was developed to register separate BiFlo measurements of the knee and ankle-foot complex. Kinematic analysis of bones surrounding the knee, ankle, and foot was performed. Kinematics obtained using this technique were compared to those calculated using only MOCAP during stance phase. Results show that this hybrid protocol effectively measures knee and ankle kinematics in all three body planes. Additionally, sagittal plane kinematics for select foot bone segments (proximal phalanges, metatarsals, and midfoot) was realized. The proposed procedure offers a novel approach to human gait analysis that eliminates errors originated by soft tissue artifacts, and is especially useful for ankle joint analysis, whose complexities are often simplified in MOCAP studies. Outcomes of the BiFlo walking experiments helped guide the development of a three-dimensional neuromuscular model of the human ankle-foot complex. Driven by kinematics, kinetics, and electromyography (EMG), the model seeks to solve the redundancy problem, individual muscle-tendon contributions to net joint torque, in ankle and subtalar joint actuation during overground gait. Kinematics and kinetics from BiFlo walking trials enable estimations of muscle-tendon lengths, moment arms, and joint torques. EMG yields estimates of muscle activation. Using each of these as inputs, an optimization approach was employed to calculate sets of morphological parameters that simultaneously maximize the neuromuscular model's metabolic efficiency and fit to experimental joint torques. This approach is based on the hypothesis that the muscle-tendon morphology of the human leg has evolved to maximize metabolic efficiency of walking at self-selected speed. Optimal morphological parameter sets produce estimates of force contributions and states for individual muscles. This research lends insight into the possible roles of individual muscle-tendons in the leg that lead to efficient gait.
by David Allen Hill.
Ph. D.

Within this work an approach was developed, which utilises airborne laser scanner data in order to generate 3D building models. These 3D building models may be used for technical and environmental planning. The approach has to follow certain requirements such as working automatically and robust and being flexible in use but still practicable. The approach starts with small point clouds containing one building at the time extracted from laser scanner data set by applying a pre-segmentation scheme. The laser scanner point cloud of each building is analysed separately. A 2.5D-Delaunay triangle mesh structure (TIN) is calculated into the laser scanner point cloud. For each triangle the orientation parameters in space (orientation, slope and perpendicular distance to the barycentre of the laser scanner point cloud) are determined and mapped into a parameter space. As buildings are composed of planar features, primitives, triangles representing these features should group in parameter space. A cluster analysis technique is utilised to find and outline these groups/clusters. The clusters found in parameter space represent plane objects in object space. Grouping adjacent triangles in object space - which represent points in parameter space - enables the interpolation of planes in the ALS points that form the triangles. In each cluster point group a plane in object space is interpolated. All planes derived from the data set are intersected with their appropriate neighbours. From this, a roof topology is established, which describes the shape of the roof. This ensures that each plane has knowledge on its direct adjacent neighbours. Walls are added to the intersected roof planes and the virtual 3D building model is presented in a file written in VRML (Virtual Reality Macro Language). Besides developing the 3D building model reconstruction scheme, this research focuses on the geometric reconstruction and the derivation of attributes of 3D building models. The developed method was tested on different data sets obtained from different laser scanner systems. This study will also show, which potential and limits the developed method has when applied to these different data sets
In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird eine neue Methode zur automatischen Rekonstruktion von 3D Gebäudemodellen aus Flugzeuglaserscannerdaten vorgestellt. Diese 3D Gebäudemodelle können in technischer und landschaftsplanerischer Hinsicht genutzt werden. Bezüglich der zu entwickelnden Methode wurden Regelungen und Bedingungen erstellt, die eine voll automatische und robuste Arbeitsweise sowie eine flexible und praktikable Nutzung gewährleisten sollten. Die entwickelte Methode verwendet Punktwolken, welche mittels einer Vorsegmentierung aus dem gesamten Laserscannerdatensatz extrahiert wurden und jeweils nur ein Gebäude beinhalten. Diese Laserscannerdatenpunktwolken werden separat analysiert. Eine 2,5D-Delaunay-Dreiecksvermaschung (TIN) wird in jede Punktwolke gerechnet. Für jedes Dreieck dieser Vermaschung werden die Lageparameter im Raum (Ausrichtung, Neigungsgrad und senkrechter Abstand der Ebene des Dreiecks zum Schwerpunkt der Punktwolke) bestimmt und in einen Parameterraum aufgetragen. Im Parameterraum bilden diejenigen Dreiecke Gruppen, welche sich im Objektraum auf ebenen Flächen befinden. Mit der Annahme, dass sich ein Gebäude aus ebenen Flächen zusammensetzt, dient die Identifizierung von Clustern im Parameterraum der Detektierung dieser Flächen. Um diese Gruppen/Cluster aufzufinden wurde eine Clusteranalysetechnik genutzt. Über die detektierten Cluster können jene Laserscannerpunkte im Objektraum bestimmt werden, die eine Dachfläche formen. In die Laserscannerpunkte der somit gefundenen Dachflächen werden Ebenen interpoliert. Alle abgeleiteten Ebenen gehen in den entwickelten Rekonstruktionsalgorithmus ein, der eine Topologie zwischen den einzelnen Ebenen aufbaut. Anhand dieser Topologie erhalten die Ebenen ?Kenntnis? über ihre jeweiligen Nachbarn und können miteinander verschnitten werden. Der fertigen Dachgestalt werden Wände zugefügt und das komplette 3D Gebäudemodell wird mittels VRML (Virtual Reality Macro Language) visualisiert. Diese Studie bezieht sich neben der Entwicklung eines Schemas zu automatischen Gebäuderekonstruktion auch auf die Ableitung von Attributen der 3D Gebäudemodellen. Die entwickelte Methode wurde an verschiedenen Flugzeuglaserscannerdatensätzen getestet. Es wird gezeigt, welche Potentiale und Grenzen die entwickelte Methode bei der Bearbeitung dieser verschiedenen Laserscannerdatensätze hat

The overall purpose of this Ph.D. thesis is to contribute to the reliable design of composite structures subjected to fatigue-driven delamination. The aim is motivated by a wish to reduce the amount of experimental testing needed in the dimensioning of real components and to anticipate the mechanical response of layered structures undergoing fatigue delamination. In order to extend the general applicability of the existing methods, experimental data of 3D delamination propagation has been generated, as well as an efficient identification of the crack propagation direction and an accurate means of calculating the energy release rate in three-dimensional structures have been developed. Moreover, a benchmark test for fatigue-driven 3D crack growth has been used for model validation, and a full characterization, at the coupon level, of the interlaminar properties of the demonstrator material has been performed. The developed fatigue method provides accurate predictions for the fatigue benchmark tests
L’objectiu general d’aquesta tesi doctoral és contribuir al disseny fiable d’estructures de materials compòsits en capes sotmeses a delaminació provocada per la fatiga. Per una banda, es pretén reduir la quantitat de proves experimentals necessàries en el procés de disseny de components i, per l’altra, anticipar la resposta mecánica de les estructures que pateixen delaminació a fatiga. Per tal d’ampliar l’aplicabilitat dels mètodes existents, s’han generat dades experimentals de propagació de la delaminació en 3D, un mètode eficaç d’identificació de la direcció de propagació d’esquerda i un mitjà precís de calcular l’energia disponible per a la fractura en estructures tridimensionals. A més, s’ha dut a terme una campanya experimental de l’assaig validador i s’ha realitzat una caracterització completa de les propietats interlaminars del material validador a nivell de proveta. El mètode de fatiga desenvolupat proporciona prediccions precises per als assajos de referència

The development of high-strength ultra-thin glass is becoming very interesting for the building sector due to its remarkable mechanical characteristics. This lightweight and rather strong material, better known for smartphone screen applications, is currently being researched and developed for building solutions such as façade adaptive panels, high performance windows and protective layers in interior architecture. However, ultra-thin glass is also quite flexible to make it a reliable and safe building material. Therefore, one of the main challenges is to find a way to stiffen it. This thesis project aims at exploring a feasible solution for an ultra-thin sandwich panel with a 3D printed stiffening core. Samples with different topologies are going to be designed and tested in bending. A numerical model for all options will help the evaluation of the panels’ stiffness. In this way, a possible composite panel for a façade application is proposed. Finally, after the discussion of the observed results, further recommendation for future studies in this brand-new research area will be given.

The road and construction industry is far behind other industries in terms of the use of modern working methods like BIM. However, as the Swedish Transport Administration and other customers is beginning to request the use of BIM, the industry must adapt and start using the new working methods. The transition is problematic because there are no standards and rules for how and when BIM is to be used. In addition, there are technical difficulties with proprietary file formats and learning projectors that are unfamiliar to the new software. But as the demand for BIM increases, companies need to adapt to win the jobs, the same applies to the smaller projects in the long run. The benefits reported with BIM are many, where the visualization opportunity leads to improved work coordination because everyone in the project sees the same things and thus gains greater understanding is the greatest advantage. The customer also gets a clear picture of the projector's proposal, which simplifies the decision-making process as it can be done faster. The ability to perform collision checks is also seen as an advantage as it can save money later in the project. A BIM can also be used for work preparation, which gives the construction workers a better understanding of what to do, their skills can also be used to review the model for detecting design errors and locating dangerous work operations. The information associated with the model makes it easier to make readjustments and the changes are reflected directly as the changes are made - this reduces drawing revisions and the actual costs of the project becomes clearer. To use 3D design instead of 2D design in smaller road and construction projects may imply a longer planning phase, for Tullholmsviken stage 3, the 3D design took 8 hours longer to create than when using traditional methods, which corresponds to 6400 kr in increased costs. This leads to increased design costs, but the benefits that modeling imply is estimated to compensate for the increased costs. In the previous phase of Tullholmsviken, there was a coordination problem between the architect and the land projector. The cost of fixing the problem was estimated to 32000 SEK, but with a 3D-modell that problem would probably been fixed earlier in the process and the costs would not be as high as 32000 kr. Increased projection costs for a 3D-modell would therefore be economically justifiable for that particular project

The objective of this project is about a kinematic analysis of a shear zone, specifically a graben structure. The surface of the study area has also been investigated, this is to understand if a faulting reactivation has occurred due to glacial impact. The graben structure is exposed along a road cut, next to the E18 highway at Ekolsund, 14km east of Enköping. The results of the report are based on field studies of the geometrical relationship pattern of fracture planes, relative displacement along fracture and a kinematic analysis of movements along fractures. A high resolution terrain model was acquired in the analyzing of the graben structure formation and to create a geometrical 3D brittle deformation model. This model was applied to reconstruct the deformation process. The area contains a more than 1,1km long dextral NE-trending strike-slip fault feature in a polydeformed Precambrian bedrock. The fault is connected NE to one of the regional structure that delimits the bedrock blocks. The fault is visible both as a topographical feature from the ground and from aerial photos. While the project followed through it was clear that the area had been subjected to reactivation. The evidence for this claim stems from an observed semivertical fracture plane with conjugating subhorizontal striations markers that contain an alternating plunge and trend. Other evidence for a reactivation scenario is the fault gouges that contain horizontal striation as well as steep plunging striation, indicating a dip-slip faulting movement. The main zone of faulting displays lower altitude than the surrounding rock. This indicates an asymmetric graben structure that has been subjected to polydeformation. When analyzing the results, it is concluded that a pull-apart basin event has occurred. It’s highly possibly that it has been undergoing modifications during its geological history, resulting in a polydeformed reactivation of the minor faults outlining the graben structure.
Syftet med denna studie är att utföra en kinematisk analys av en förkastningszon, speciellt där en mindre graben struktur utbildats. Ytan för det studerade området är även det viktigt, det är för att förstå ifall en förkastningsreaktivering har skett i och med en glacial påverkan. Graben strukturen är blottad längs en vägskärning, utmed E18 vid Ekolsund, 14km österut om Enköping. Resultatet av rapporten är baserat på fältstudier med fokus på geometriska relationsmönster hos sprickplan, relativa förskjutningar längs sprickor och en kinematisk analys av rörelser längs sprickor. En högupplöst terrängmodell var erhållen vid analys av grabenstrukturens formation och för att skapa en 3D sprödtektonisk deformationsmodell. Modellen var tillämpad vid rekonstruering av deformationsprocessen. Området innefattar en mer än 1,1km lång dextral NO-orienterad strike-slip förkastning i en polydeformerad Prekambrisk berggrund. Förkastningen är ansluten NO till en av de regionala strukturerna som begränsar berggrundsblocken. Förkastningen är synlig både på marknivå och från flygfoton. Medan projektet fortlöpte blev det tydligare att området blivit utsatt för en reaktivering. Beläggen för detta påstående grundar sig i de observerade semi-vertikala sprickplanen med konjugerande subhorisontala striationer som har alternerande stupning och trend. Andra belägg för ett reaktiveringsscenario är de fault gouge strukturerna som innehåller horisontala striationer såväl som stupande striationer, vilket indikerar på en dip-slip förkastningsrörelse. Huvudzonen av förkastningen uppvisar lägre altitud än kringliggande bergyta. Det här indikerar en asymmetrisk graben struktur som har utsatts för polydeformation. Vid analys av resultatet, så kan det sammanfattas att en pull-apart basin förkastning har inträffat. Däremot är det mycket möjligt att zonen har undergått fler modifikationer under dess geologiska historia, vilket har resulterat i en polydeformerad reaktivering av mindre förkastningar som gett kontur dragen åt graben strukturen.

Ventricle fibrillation (VF) is a condition in which the heart's lower chambers show an unsynchronized and chaotic motion which prevents the heart from pumping blood and oxygen to the body. VF is considered a sudden cardiac arrest and it is responsible for 300,000 sudden deaths in the USA yearly. The most effective way of reversing this life threatening condition is to apply an electrical shock directly to the heart using an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD). The main issue in using ICDs is the placement of the defibrillating electrodes so that the current can be optimally channeled through the cardiac muscle, particularly in the left ventricular myocardium. According to the critical mass hypothesis, defibrillation will be successful when 75% of the myocardium tissue is halted by the defibrillation shock. The defibrillation threshold (DFT) or the minimum effective voltage required for successful results is suggested to be related to the myocardial voltage gradient (VG) distribution, but it has not been quantified. Moreover, the goal is to keep the DFT as low as possible to try to maximize the success of defibrillation, minimize the chance of myocardium damage and cardiac arrhythmias caused by high-intensity shocks, and also potentially reduce the battery size and as well as prolong the device's useful lifespan. Various numerical techniques have been used to model the heart to solve the governing equations required to obtain the myocardium VG distribution during electrical defibrillation. The Finite Element Method (FEM) has been of particular interest since it can handle the irregular domains, material inhomogeneities, and complex boundary conditions of problems in bioelectricity. In this thesis, a finite element model of the heart tissue is constructed in order to study and optimize the defibrillation mechanism. The modelling process starts with a surface reconstruction based on radial basis function interpolation to generate the triangular surface me
La fibrillation ventriculaire (FV) est un état dans lequel la cavité inférieure du coeur montre une motion asynchrone et chaotique, empêchant le coeur de pomper le sang et l'oxygène au corps. La FV est considérée comme un arrêt cardiaque soudain, responsable de la mort subite de 300,000 personnes chaque année aux Etats-Unis. Afin d'inverser cette condition mortelle, le recours le plus efficace est la délivrance d'un choc électrique directement au niveau du coeur à l'aide d'un Défibrillateur Cardioverteur Implantable (DCI). Le principal problème de l'utilisation des DCIs est le placement des électrodes défibrillateurs pour permettre au courant d'être conduit optimalment à travers du muscle cardiaque, en particulier, le myocarde ventriculaire gauche. Selon l'hypothèse de la masse critique, la défibrillation sera réussi quand 75% du tissu de myocarde est inactivé par le choc de défibrillation. Le seuil de défibrillation ou la tension efficace minimale exigée pour donner des résultats réussis est suggéré d'être liés à la distribution du gradient de la tension myocardique, toutefois, il n'a pas été mesurée. En outre, le but est de maintenir le seuil de défibrillation aussi bas que possible pour essayer de maximiser le succès de la défibrillation, réduire au minimum le risque des dommages de myocarde et des arythmies cardiaques provoqués par des chocs à haute intensité, et aussi permettre de réduire la taille de la batterie ainsi que prolonger la durée de la vie utile du dispositif. De diverses techniques numériques ont été utilisées pour modeler le coeur afin de résoudre les équations régissant requises pour obtenir la distribution de gradient de la tension myocardique pendant la défibrillation. La méthode des éléments finis (FEM) a été d'intérêt particulier car elle peut gérer les domaines irréguliers, les hétérogénéité de matériel, et les conditions aux limites complexe de problèmes dans la bioélec

The Thornton Well Field, located in an area of dominantly (~80%) agricultural land-use, produces ~50% of the drinking water for the city of Woodstock. Since the mid 1990?s nitrate concentrations in some of the supply wells are above the Maximum Allowable Concentration (MAC) of 10mg-N/L. The source of the nitrate is believed to be from agricultural fertilizing practices. As response to this problem, the County of Oxford purchased 111 hectares of farmland within the capture zone of the Thornton Well Field. This land is rented back to farmers with restrictions placed on the amount of nitrate fertilizer that can be applied in an attempt to sustainably reduce the nitrate concentrations in the ThorntonWell Field below MAC.

The objective of this thesis is to improve the site conceptual hydrogeologic model, both at a spatial scale suitable for numerical analysis through regional groundwater flow modelling (representative distance ~9km) and at a smaller scale (representative distance ~2km) for nitrate transport modelling in the vicinity of the Thornton Well Field and the purchased land. Field investigations aimed to support the site hydrogeologic model involved drilling, geologic logging, and instrumentation of a 72m deep borehole completed to bedrock in the center of the nitrate plume, at the border of the farmland under consideration. The shallow subsurface features encountered during this initial drilling operation were tracked below the farm fields with geophysical tools and additional drilling and core logging throughout the field site. Transient hydraulic head observations in combination with on-site precipitation measurements were used to indicate where a hydraulic connection between ground surface and deeper layers exists, which allow rapid infiltration to occur into a glaciofluvial outwash channel which was identified as one important pathway for nitrate transport to the Thornton Well Field. One receptor at the end of that pathway, the screen of the supply Well 01, was depth-discrete profiled for water inflow and nitrate concentrations to obtain better characteristics of the receptor.

A method was developed to estimate the nitrate mass stored in the unsaturated zone below Parcel B, permitting an estimation of the time frame required for flushing the nitrate out of this zone, and the anticipated effects on nitrate concentrations in the supply wells. The spatial distribution of nitrate concentrations in the unsaturated zone and in the aquifer units was analyzed. It was found that the nitrate concentration within the unsaturated zone below Parcel B is ~16mg-N/L, resulting in a total nitrogen mass of ~20t within that zone. It was shown that significant reductions (~10%) in nitrate concentrations in the supply wells of the Thornton Well Field can be achieved, assuming zero nitrate mass influx into the domain from Parcel B.

A comprehensive data base was developed to organize, manage, and analyze all site measured data for that purpose, and regional hydrogeologic data from the MOE Water Well Record Database. The contents of this database in conjunction with the MOE Water Well Record Database were used to construct a three-dimensional digital representation of the hydrostratigraphic units at a regional and at a local scale. This three-dimensional hydrostratigraphic unit spatial distribution along with surface watershed information and potentiometric surfaces of the various aquifer units will be used to define a suitable spatial domain and associated boundary conditions for future modelling efforts. This hydrostratigraphic model will serve as basis for predicting the effects of agricultural land-use changes within the capture zone of the Thornton Well Field (Parcel B) on the nitrate concentrations in the supply wells of the Thornton Well Field.

In this thesis, we would like to present a new way to enhance the “depth map” image which is called as the fusion of depth images. The goal of our thesis is to try to enhance the “depth images” through a fusion of different classification methods. For that, we will use three similar but different methodologies, the Graph-Cut, Super-Pixel and Principal Component Analysis algorithms to solve the enhancement and output of our result. After that, we will compare the effect of the enhancement of our result with the original depth images. This result indicates the effectiveness of our methodology.
Room 401, No.56, Lane 21, Yin Gao Road, Shanghai, China

Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le cadre d’un projet industriel multi-partenaires ayant pour objectif le développement d’un robot mobile collaboratif (un cobot), autonome dans ses mouvements au sol, capable de réaliser l’inspection visuelle d’un aéronef, à la fois en phase de petite ou grande maintenance dans un hangar ou en phase de pré-vol sur le tarmac d’un aéroport. Le cobot est équipé de capteurs lui permettant d’effectuer ses tâches de navigation autonome, mais également d’un ensemble de capteurs optiques constituant la tête d’inspection : une caméra orientable Pan-Tilt-Zoom et un scanner 3D qui délivrent respectivement des données sous forme d’images 2D et de nuages de points 3D. L’objectif de la thèse est de développer des algorithmes d’analyse d’images 2D et de nuages de points 3D, afin d’établir un diagnostic sur l’état de l’avion et son aptitude à voler. Nous avons développé des algorithmes pour vérifier certains éléments de l’appareil, tels que valves, portes, capteurs, pneus ou moteurs, et également pour détecter et caractériser des dommages 3D sur le fuselage (impacts, rayures, etc.). Nous avons exploité dans nos algorithmes les connaissances a priori disponibles, en particulier le modèle 3D CAO de l’avion (un AIRBUS A320 dans le cadre de nos essais). Durant ces travaux de la thèse, nous avons pu répondre à deux besoins (parfois antagonistes) : développer des algorithmes d’inspection rapides et robustes, mais également répondre aux exigences spécifiques d’un projet industriel qui visait à développer un prototype opérationnel. Nous nous sommes attachés à développer des algorithmes les plus génériques possibles, de manière à ce qu’ils puissent être utilisés pour d’autres types d’inspection, tels que l’inspection de bâtiments ou de navires par exemple. Nous avons aussi contribué au développement du prototype (robot mobile équipé de capteurs) en développant le module de contrôle des capteurs d’inspection et en intégrant nos codes sur le robot avec les autres modules développés par les partenaires. Le prototype a fait l’objet de nombreux essais en hangar de maintenance ou sur tarmac
This thesis makes part of an industry oriented multi-partners project aimed at developing a mobile collaborative robot (a cobot), autonomous in its movements on the ground, capable of performing visual inspection of an aircraft during short or long maintenance procedures in the hangar or in the pre-flight phase on the tarmac. The cobot is equipped with sensors for realizing its navigation tasks as well as with a set of optical sensors which constitute the inspection head: an orientable Pan-Tilt-Zoom visible light camera and a three-dimensional scanner, delivering data in the format of two-dimensional images and three-dimensional point clouds, respectively. The goal of the thesis is to propose original approaches for processing 2D images and 3D clouds, with intention to make a decision with respect to the flight readiness of the airplane. We developed algorithms for verification of the aircraft items such as vents, doors, sensors, tires or engine as well as for detection and characterization of three-dimensional damages on the fuselage. We integrated a-priori knowledge on the airplane structure, notably numerical three-dimensional CAD model of the Airbus-A320. We argue that with investing effort to develop robust enough algorithms and with the help of existing optical sensors to acquire suitable data, we can come up with non-invasive, accurate, and time-efficient system for automatic airplane exterior inspection. The thesis work was placed in between two main requirements: develop inspection algorithms which could be as general as possible and also meet the specific requirements of an industry oriented project. Often, these two goals do not go along and the balance had to be made. On one side, we were aiming to design and assess the approaches that can be employed on other large structures, for ex. buildings, ships. On the other hand, writing source code for controlling sensors as well as integrating our whole developed source code with other modules on the real-time robotic system, were necessary in order to demonstrate the feasibility of our robotic prototype

Turnout, the act of externally rotating the legs, is produced through the summation of joint structure characteristics and ranges of motion at the hip, knee, ankle and foot. The hip joint’s contribution to functional turnout, a dancer’s preferred turnout stance, has received extensive examination, whereas little is known about below-the-hip contributions. Dancers with limited hip external rotation (HER) are associated with an increased risk of overuse lower limb injury. These injuries have been attributed to forcing turnout via additional external tibiofemoral rotation (TFR) and foot pronation. Yet knowledge of these compensatory mechanisms is based on biomechanical theories and clinical observations rather than quantitative clinical assessments or 3D motion analysis. The principal aim of this research was to investigate the lower leg and foot contributions to turnout in university-level female dancers using quantitative clinical assessments and 3D motion analysis, as well as the compensations mechanisms dancers use to increase turnout. The first study focused on assessing the lower leg and foot contributions to turnout using the clinical assessments of passive TFR and active measures of foot pronation in turnout. The results showed dancers assumed a more pronated posture in turnout, and those with a greater passive TFR demonstrated a less pronated position in turnout providing new insight into the mechanical coupling between the foot and the tibiofemoral joint in dancers. The purpose of the second study was to use 3D kinematic analyses to determine the lower leg and foot compensations that dancers use to accentuate their turnout. Active and passive TFR of the dancers was also measured. The results demonstrated foot abduction was the strongest predictor of functional and forced turnout, compared to both the hip and knee external rotation. A moderate-strong negative relationship was observed between HER and foot abduction in all turnout conditions. A moderate negative relationship was found between the passive TFR and foot abduction in all turnout conditions. These findings indicate clinical measures of external tibiofemoral rotation can predict the total below-hip compensation mechanisms a dancer uses to achieve turnout. Suggesting, dancers are more likely to pronate about the foot/ankle complex, than rotate at the knee to compensate for limited HER. Whereas dancers with less foot mobility may force additional rotation via the knee which may contribute to rotational knee joint laxity. The previous study provided the rational for an in-depth analysis of the foot/ankle complex such as that provided by three-dimensional multi-segment foot models (3DMFMs). The lack of an appropriate model for ballet dancers led to the modification of the Rizzoli Foot Model. Kinematic repeatability of the model was determined from analysing ballet dancers performing the following movements; parallel stance, turnout plié, turnout stance, turnout rise and flex-point-flex. First metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) in the sagittal plane demonstrated excellent intra and inter-assessor repeatability across all movements. All inter-segmental angles except for the tibia-hindfoot and hindfoot-midfoot frontal planes demonstrated excellent intra-assessor repeatability during flex-point-flex movements. Providing a reliable method to measure 3D foot/ankle complex can enable a deeper understanding of the foot/ankle complex contribution to turnout. Previous 3DMFM used in dance science consisted of only two foot segments, hindfoot and forefoot whereas this model includes a midfoot segment which is important as forefoot abduction has been suggested to give the illusion of a larger turnout angle. The final study aimed to examine the lower leg and foot compensations that dancers use to accentuate their turnout using a dance specific 3DMFM. Hindfoot abduction and eversion were the strongest predictors of foot abduction in turnout. Midfoot abduction was significantly greater in forced turnout compared to functional turnout. No significant differences were found for forefoot abduction, first MTPJ abduction and navicular drop in functional or forced turnout, compared to natural stance. Foot pronation does play a role in achieving turnout and there may be a safe range of pronation. However, the amount of detrimental pronation for a dancer is unknown. The overall results from these studies offer compelling evidence that the foot/ankle complex plays a more important role in achieving turnout, than previously thought. Further prospective research on in situ measures of the lower leg and foot in turnout and injury surveillance are required to improve our understanding of the normal and abnormal dance biomechanics.

L'urbanisation et la gestion de l'environnement urbain et sa périphérie deviennent l'un des problèmes les plus cruciaux dans les pays développés et en développement. Dans ces circonstances, les données de télédétection sont une source importante d'information qui reflète les interactions entre les êtres humains et leur environnement. Compte tenu de leur indépendance totale des contraintes logistiques sur le terrain, l'éclairage (lumière du jour) et météorologiques (nuages) conditions, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) les systèmes de satellites peuvent fournir des contributions importantes dans des environnements complexes de reconstruction 3-D. La nouvelle génération de haute résolution SAR capteurs comme COSMOSkyMed, TerraSAR-X RADARSAT-2 a permis d'acquérir des images SAR à haute résolution. Ici, l'attention est mis sur la technique pour l'imagerie 3-D nominée tomographie SAR: à partir d'une pile d'images ont été recueillies en utilisant les données multibaseline effectuées dans la configuration interférométrique, une telle technique permet d'extraire les informations de hauteur formant une ouverture synthétique dans la direction d'élévation afin d'obtenir une résolution sensiblement améliorée. Cette thèse de doctorat se concentre sur les potentialités élevées de techniques tomographiques en 3-D surveillance des changements et la caractérisation des zones complexes et denses bâties en utilisant des estimateurs mono-dimensionnelle de base comme Beamforming, Capon et MUSIC combinée au satellite très haute résolution des images SAR. 2-D et de l'analyse 3-D ont été présentés sur la zone urbaine de Paris en utilisant les données TerraSAR-X à haute résolution et de polarisation unique. Être porté principalement sur les techniques tomographiques 3-D, dans les méthodes de travail 4-D présentés, tels que le Compressive Sensing, ne sont pas pris en compte. Dans un premier temps, l'analyse de la qualité interférométrique de l'ensemble de données transformées a montré de bonnes valeurs de cohérence moyenne et ont permis de détecter des images considérées comme des valeurs aberrantes. L'extraction des tomographies 2-D sur l'azimut différent de profil a montré la capacité de distinguer plus d'un diffuseur à l'intérieur de la même cellule de résolution et de reconstituer les profilés de construction verticaux. Successivement, une caractérisation 3-D globale en terme de bâtiments hauteurs et réflectivité verticale a été réalisée dans le but de développer un outil de suivi des changements des structures simples. En outre, la possibilité de corriger les distorsions géométriques en raison de l'escale (qui affecte fortement ce genre de scénarios) et de déterminer les informations sur le nombre de diffuseurs (jusqu'à trois) et la réflectivité correspondant à l'intérieur d'une cellule de résolution ont été évalués
The urbanization and the management of urban environment and its periphery become one of the most crucial issues in developed and developing countries. In these circumstances, remote sensing data are an important source of information that reflects interactions between human beings and their environment. Given their complete independence from logistic constraints on the ground, illumination (daylight), and weather (clouds) conditions, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite systems may provide important contributions in complex environments 3-D reconstruction. The new generation of high resolution SAR sensors as COSMO-SkyMed, TerraSAR-X and RADARSAT-2 allowed to acquire high resolution SAR imagery. Here the attention is put on the 3-D imaging technique called SAR Tomography: starting from a stack of images collected using multibaseline data performed in interferometric configuration, such a technique allows to retrieve height information forming a synthetic aperture in the elevation direction in order to achieve a substantially improved resolution. The present PhD thesis is focused on the high potentialities of tomographic techniques in 3-D change monitoring and characterization for complex and dense built-up areas using basic mono-dimensional estimators as Beamforming, Capon and MUSIC combined to very high satellite SAR resolution imagery. 2-D and 3-D analysis have been presented over the urban area of Paris using TerraSAR-X data at high resolution and single polarisation. Being mainly focused on the 3-D tomographic techniques, in the presented work 4-D methods, such as compressive sensing (CS), have not been taken into account. At first, the analysis of the interferometric quality of the processed data set has been performed and results showed good mean coherence values within the entire stack. The extraction of 2-D tomograms over different azimuth-profile has showed the capabilities to distinguish more than one scatterer within the same resolution cell and to reconstruct the vertical building profiles. Successively, a global 3-D characterization both in term of buildings heights and vertical reflectivity has been performed in order to develop a monitoring tool for the changes of single structures. Moreover, the possibility to correct the geometric distortions due to the layover (that strongly affects such kind of scenarios) and to determine the information about the number of scatterers (up to three) and the corresponding reflectivity within one resolution cell have been evaluated. Moreover an innovative time stability analysis of the observed scene have been carried out in order to detect the stable and unstable scatterers. Globally, the investigations showed noisier and sparser point clouds for the Capon method, whereas better capabilities for the Beamforming and MUSIC ones. Indeed, it was possible to detect different scatterers located within the same resolution cell and to resolve pixels affected by the layover. This has lead to perform a good reconstruction of building shape and location and a good estimation of their elevation. The 3-D time stability analysis demonstrated the possibility to monitor the 3-D change depending on the time. Eventually, it is possible to assert that processing high resolution SAR data allows to achieve a strong improvement in 3-D imaging capabilities. It has been demonstrated the potentialities of TomoSAR technique in distortions correction and in 3-D change monitoring using basic mono-dimensional estimators

Introduktion: Vänsterkammarens ejektionsfraktion (VKEF) är ett central mått på systolisk funktion i vänster kammare och är en av de mest betydelsefulla parametrar vid ekokardiografiska undersökningar. Idag är Simpson biplan metoden den mest använda metoden för bestämning av ejektionsfraktionen. Vid ekokardiografiska undersökningar sänder givaren med piezoelektriska kristaller ut ultraljudsvågor med en frekvens över 20 000 Hz. Ljudvågorna som skickas ut i kroppen reflekteras och sedan återvänder de till givaren för att skapa en bild. Denna studie jämför den tvådimensionella (2D) ultraljudsmetoden Simpsons biplan med Philips Heart Model som är en automatiserad tredimensionella (3D) funktion för bedömning av VKEF.  Material och metod: I studien inkluderades 31 hjärtfriska försökspersoner mellan åldrarna 21-64. Det samlades in bilder på apikala 4- och 2 kammarbilder från alla försökspersoner där Simpsons biplan metoden användes för att beräkna ejektionsfraktion. Apikala 4-kammarbilder samlades in för att beräkna ejektionsfraktionen med Philips Heart Model 3D funktion.  Resultat: Resultatet från denna studie visade att det inte föreligger någon signifikant skillnad mellan Simpsons biplan metoden och Philips Heart Model metoden för bestämning av ejektionsfraktion. Båda metoderna visade likvärdiga mätresultat.  Diskussion: Philips Heart Model metoden är en relativ ny funktion som använder sig av artificiell intelligens för att analysera 3D bilder. Philips Heart Model metoden är en säker funktion att använda då de flesta studier bevisar likvärdiga och säkra mätresultat i jämförelse med andra metoder.  Konklusion: Enligt denna studie ger Philips Heart Model funktionen likvärdiga mätresultat av vänsterkammarens ejektionsfraktion i jämförelse med Simpsons biplan.
Introduction: Simpson’s biplane method is the most used method for determining the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in echocardiographic examinations. Ejection fraction is a central measurement of the heart's global systolic function. The probe with piezoelectric crystals emits ultrasound waves with a frequency above 20,000 Hz. The sound waves that are sent out into the body are reflected and then return to the probe to create an image. This study compares the two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound Simpson's biplane method with the Philips Heart Model method, which is an automated three-dimensional (3D) function for assessment of LVEF.                                                                                                                          Material and method: 31 subjects with no recorded heart pathologies between the ages of 21-64 were included in the study. Apical 4- and 2-chamber images were collected from the test subjects, where the Simpson's biplane method was applied to calculate the ejection fraction. 2D apical 4-chamber images were collected to convert to 3D and used to calculate the ejection fraction with the Philips Heart Model.    Results: The results of this study showed that there is no significant difference between the Simpson’s biplane method and the Philips Heart Model method for determining ejection fraction.    Discussion: The Philips Heart Model method is a relatively new feature that uses artificial intelligence to analyze 3D images. The Philips Heart Model method is a reliable feature to use as most studies have proven similar and reliable measurements when comparing it with other methods for determining LVEF.    Conclusion: According to this study, the Philips Heart Model feature provides equivalent measurements in comparison with the manual method Simpson's biplane.

Introduction. Computational modelling has been used widely in biological and clinical applications, but relatively less in surgical design and optimization. Magnetic resonance image (MRI)-based right ventricle (RV) models were introduced for patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) to assess ventricle cardiac function, and to identify morphological and mechanical parameters which can be used to predict and optimize post-surgery cardiac outcome. Tetralogy of Fallot is a common congenital heart defect which includes a ventricular septal defect and severe right ventricular outflow obstruction, account for the majority of cases with late onset RV failure. The current surgical approach for the patients with repaired ToF including pulmonary valve replacement/insertion (PVR) has yielded mixed results. It is of great interest to identify parameters which may be used to predict surgical cardiac function outcome after PVR. Data, Model, and Methods. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) data from 20 healthy volunteers (11 males, mean year : 22.8) and 56 TOF patients (37 males, mean year : 25.3) were provided by Children's Hospital - Boston, Harvard Medical School from our NIH-funded project (R01 HL089269). RV wall thickness (WT), circumferential and longitudinal curvature (C-cur and L-cur), surface area (SA) and surface to volume ratio (SVR) were obtained based on CMR data for morphological analysis. 6 healthy volunteers and 16 TOF patients were chosen to construct 3D computational models for mechanical analysis. The 3D CMR-based RV/LV/Patch combination models included a) isotropic and anisotropic material properties, b) myocardial fiber orientation, c) active contraction with two zero-load geometries, and d) fluid-structure interactions. The models were used to obtain the assessment for RV mechanical conditions, which might be helpful for PVR surgical outcome prediction. All the computational models were built and solved in a commercial finite element software ADINA. Statistical methods including Linear Mixed- effort Method and Logistical regression were used in the morphological and mechanical analysis to find out potential indicators for predicting PVR outcome from the morphological and mechanical parameters. Results. In morphological analysis, statistically significant differences were found in RV SA and SVR between better-outcome patient group (BPG) and worse-outcome patient group (WPG). At begin of ejection, mean RV SA of BPG was 13.6% lower than that from WPG (241.1 cm2 v.s. 279.0 cm2, p =0.0161). Mean RV SVR of BPG was 13.1% lower than that from WPG (1.26 cm2/ml v.s. 1.45 cm2/ml, p =0.0271). Similar results were also found in RV SA and SVR at begin of filling. Furthermore, RV EF change from pre- to post-PVR were found negatively correlated with RV SA and SVR. In mechanical analysis, 22 structure-only models with one zero-load geometry (1G) were constructed to obtain stress/strain distributions. Stress-P1 from BPG was found to be closer to that from HG, compared to Stress- P1 of WPG. At the beginning of ejection, mean Stress-P1 of BPG was only 6.8% higher than that from healthy group (p =0.6889), while average Stress-P1 of WPG was 84.1% higher than that of healthy group (p =0.0418). Similar results were also found at begin of filling. The results suggested that comparing patients' RV stress values with healthy RV stress values may help identify patients with possible better outcome. The models with two zero-load geometries (2G models) and FSI models were also constructed. Their numerical results indicated that 2G models can provide end-ejection and end-filling results which were not available in 1G models, and FSI models can provide flow velocity, pressure and shear stress information which lacked in structure-only models (1G and 2G models). Conclusion. In vivo image-based 3D patient- specific computational models could lead to considerable potential gain not only in surgical design and outcome prediction, but also in understanding the mechanisms of RV failure for patients with repaired TOF.

The finite element method is a powerful analysis tool which has facilitated a better understanding of the behaviour of reinforced concrete structures. Its use in the research field is widespread and complements experimental tests and the development of new analytical models. Its application in practice engineering has permitted to deal with complex elements. However, the general structural engineer is still reluctant to consider finite element modelling for his work as he finds most of these models excessively sophisticated for his needs and knowledge. In particular, complexity of many finite element tools usually derives from the adoption of advanced concrete constitutive models. Implementation of more simple models based on engineering practice could facilitate its use by less experienced finite element users. In structural engineering practice finite element analysis can be of great usefulness to deal with those more problematic elements and/or where the application of traditional analysis methods presents limitations. This includes the so-called D-regions with a 3D behaviour. The strut-and-tie method and the stress field method are consistent and rational tools for the analysis and design of D-regions, but while their application to 2D elements is well covered in literature, its extension to 3D is problematic. This generally explains why excessively conservative assumptions are still common in the design of these elements. Refinement of current analytical and design approaches or the use of finite element analysis could lead to more rational solutions which in turn will reduce material requirements and costs. A 3D nonlinear finite element-based tool was developed in this thesis oriented towards the analysis and design of 3D D-regions by less experienced finite element users. Regarding material modelling, an orthotropic concrete model was adopted to permit the use of uniaxial stress-strain relationships. Only one single parameter, the uniaxial compressive strength of concrete, needs to be defined. Additionally, several aid functions were implemented, among which the following can be highlighted: a comprehensive, embedded reinforcement model to facilitate the introduction of complex rebar geometries; special support and load elements permitting an integrated and simple treatment of the boundary conditions imposed by them; and a simple design algorithm for the automatic determination of the required rebar areas. Three examples of applications to representative 3D D-regions are presented to show the capabilities of the tool. In particular, the analyses of fourteen four-pile caps, three socket base column-to-foundations connections and one anchorage block are described in the third part of the thesis. Results prove that realistic response predictions can be obtained considering relatively simple constitutive models. The capacity of the tool to configure consistent stress field models depending on the reinforcement arrangement is also demonstrated. The generation of rational reinforcement configurations by applying the implemented design algorithm is also shown. A strut-and-tie-based method for the analysis and design of four-pile caps with rectangular geometries is proposed in the fourth part. The method is based on a refined 3D strut-and-tie model and the consideration of three potential modes of failure: exceeding the reinforcement strength, crushing of the diagonal strut at the base of the column with narrowing of the strut and splitting of the diagonal strut due to transverse cracking. The main innovation is that the strut inclination is not fixed as in current strut-and-tie-based design procedures, but determined by maximizing the pile cap strength. The method accounts for strength softening of cracked concrete, compatibility constraints and reinforcement details. Its application to 162 specimens of literature led to very good predictions of the ultimate strength and, to a lesser extent, of the mode of failure.
El método de los elementos finitos es una potente herramienta de análisis que ha facilitado un mejor conocimiento del comportamiento de las estructuras de hormigón armado. Su uso en el ámbito de la investigación está ampliamente extendido. Su aplicación en la práctica ingenieril ha permitido la resolución de elementos complejos. Sin embargo, el ingeniero estructural común todavía es reticente a usar la modelización por elementos finitos ya que considera que la mayoría de estos modelos son excesivamente sofisticados para sus necesidades. La complejidad de muchas herramientas de elementos finitos suele derivarse de la adopción de modelos constitutivos de hormigón avanzados. La implementación de modelos más sencillos podría facilitar su uso por usuarios menos experimentados. En la práctica ingenieril el análisis con elementos finitos puede ser de gran utilidad para tratar aquellos elementos más problemáticos y/o donde la aplicación de los métodos de análisis tradicionales presenta limitaciones. Esto incluye las llamadas regiones D con comportamiento 3D. El método de bielas y tirantes y el método de campos de tensiones son herramientas racionales para el análisis y dimensionamiento de regiones D, pero su extensión a 3D es problemática. Este hecho explica por qué se adoptan todavía hipótesis excesivamente conservadoras en el dimensionamiento de estos elementos. La propuesta de métodos analíticos y de diseño más adecuados o la modelización con elementos finitos podría conducir a soluciones más racionales, lo que a su vez reduciría las necesidades de material y los costes. Como parte de esta tesis se ha desarrollado una herramienta de cálculo no lineal basada en el método de los elementos finitos orientada al análisis y dimensionamiento de regiones D tridimensionales por usuarios con menos experiencia en la modelización con elementos finitos. Se ha adoptado un modelo ortotrópico para el hormigón para permitir el uso de relaciones uniaxiales de tensión-deformación. Sólo es necesario definir un único parámetro, la resistencia a compresión uniaxial del hormigón. Adicionalmente, se han implementado varias funciones de ayuda, entre las que destacan: un modelo de armadura embebida para facilitar la introducción de geometrías de armado complejas; elementos especiales de apoyo y de carga que permiten un tratamiento integral de las condiciones de contorno; y un algoritmo de diseño para la determinación automática del área de armado necesaria. Se presentan tres ejemplos de aplicación a regiones D 3D representativas para mostrar las capacidades de la herramienta. En concreto, en la tercera parte del documento se describen los análisis de catorce encepados, tres cálices de cimentación y un bloque de anclaje. Los resultados muestran que se pueden obtener predicciones bastante realistas considerando modelos constitutivos relativamente sencillos. También se demuestra la capacidad de la herramienta para configurar modelos de campo de tensiones consistentes dependiendo de la configuración de armado. Además se muestra la capacidad del algoritmo de diseño para configurar disposiciones de armado racionales. En la cuarta parte se propone un método para el análisis y dimensionamiento de encepados sobre cuatro pilotes con geometría rectangular. El método se basa en un modelo 3D de bielas y tirantes refinado y la consideración de tres modos de fallo posibles: rotura del acero, aplastamiento de la biela diagonal en la base de la columna con estrechamiento de la misma y splitting de la biela diagonal debido a la fisuración transversal. La principal novedad es que el ángulo de la biela no se fija como en otros modelos, sino que se determina mediante la maximización de la resistencia del encepado. El método considera el debilitamiento de la resistencia del hormigón fisurado, condiciones de compatibilidad de deformaciones y detalles de armado. Su aplicación a 162 especímenes dio luga
El mètode dels elements finits és una potent eina d'anàlisi que ha facilitat un millor coneixement del comportament de les estructures de formigó armat. El seu ús en l'àmbit de la investigació està àmpliament estès. La seua aplicació en la pràctica enginyeril ha permès la resolució d'elements més complexos. No obstant això, l'enginyer estructural comú encara és reticent a fer servir la modelització per elements finits ja que considera que la majoria d'aquests models són excessivament sofisticats per a les seues necessitats i el seu conèixement. En concret, la complexitat de moltes eines d'elements finits sol derivar-se de l'adopció de models constitutius avançats de formigó. La implementació de models més senzills basats en la pràctica enginyeril podria facilitar el seu ús per a usuaris menys experimentats en la modelització amb elements finits. A la pràctica enginyeril l'anàlisi amb elements finits pot ser de gran utilitat per a tractar aquells elements més problemàtics i/o on l'aplicació dels mètodes d'anàlisi tradicionals presenta limitacions. Això inclou les anomenades regions D amb comportament 3D. El mètode de bieles i tirants i el mètode de camps de tensions són eines racionals per a l'anàlisi i dimensionament de regions D, però la seua extensió a 3D és problemàtica. Aquest fet explica per què s'adopten encara hipòtesis excessivament conservadores en el dimensionament d'aquests elements. La proposta de mètodes analítics i de disseny més adequats o la modelització amb elements finits podria conduir a solucions més racionals, amb el que també es reduirien les necessitats de material i els costos. Com a part d'aquesta tesi s'ha desenvolupat una eina de càlcul no lineal basada en el mètode dels elements finits orientada a l'anàlisi i dimensionament de regions D tridimensionals per a usuaris amb menys experiència en la modelització amb elements finits. S'ha adoptat un model ortotròpic per al formigó per permetre l'ús de relacions uniaxials de tensió-deformació. Només cal definir un únic paràmetre, la resistència a compressió uniaxial del formigó. Addicionalment, s'han implementat diverses funcions d'ajuda, entre les quals destaquen: un model d'armadura embeguda per facilitar la introducció de geometries d'armat complexes; elements especials de suport i de càrrega que permeten un tractament integral i senzill de les condicions de contorn; i un algoritme de disseny per a la determinació automàtica de l'àrea d'armat necessari. Es presenten tres exemples d'aplicació a regions D 3D representatives per mostrar les capacitats de l'eina. En particular, en la tercera part del document es descriuen les anàlisis de catorze enceps sobre quatre pilons, 3 calzes de fonamentació i un bloc d'ancoratge. Els resultats mostren que es poden obtenir prediccions prou realistes considerant models constitutius relativament senzills. També es demostra la capacitat de l'eina per configurar models de camp de tensions consistents depenent de la configuració d'armat. A més es mostra la capacitat de l'algoritme de disseny per configurar disposicions d'armat racionals. En la quarta part es proposa un mètode per a l'anàlisi i dimensionament d'enceps sobre quatre pilons amb geometria rectangular. El mètode es basa en un model 3D de bieles i tirants refinat i la consideració de tres modes de fallada possibles: trencament de l'acer, aixafament de la biela diagonal a la base de la columna amb estrenyiment de la mateixa i splitting de la biela diagonal per causa de la fissuració transversal. La principal novetat és que l'angle de la biela no es fixa com en els models actuals de bieles i tirants, sinó que es determina mitjan\c{c}ant la maximització de la resistència de l'encep. El mètode proposat considera el debilitament de la resistència del formigó fissurat, condicions de compatibilitat de deformacions i detalls d'armat. La seua aplicació a 162 espècimens de la liter
Meléndez Gimeno, C. (2017). A finite element-based approach for the analysis and design of 3D reinforced concrete elements and its applications to D-regions [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/86193
TESIS

Axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) machines have recently attracted significant attention due to several reasons, such as their specific form factor, potentially higher torque density and lower losses, feasibility of increasing the number of poles, and facilitating innovative machine structures for emerging applications. One such machine design, which has promising, high efficiency particularly at higher speeds, is of the coreless AFPM type and has been studied in the dissertation together with more conventional AFPM topologies that employ a ferromagnetic core. A challenge in designing coreless AFPM machines is estimating the eddy current losses. This work proposes a new hybrid analytical and numerical finite element (FE) based method for calculating ac eddy current losses in windings and demonstrates its applicability for axial flux electric machines. The method takes into account 3D field effects in order to achieve accurate results and yet greatly reduce computational efforts. It is also shown that hybrid methods based on 2D FE models, which require semi-empirical correction factors, may over-estimate the eddy current losses. The new 3D FE-based method is advantageous as it employs minimum simplifications and considers the end turns in the eddy current path, the magnetic flux density variation along the effective length of coils, and the field fringing and leakage, which ultimately increases the accuracy of simulations. After exemplifying the practice and benefits of employing a combined design of experiments and response surface methodology for the comparative design of coreless and conventional AFPM machines with cores, an innovative approach is proposed for integrated design, prototyping, and testing efforts. It is shown that extensive sensitivity analysis can be utilized to systematically study the manufacturing tolerances and identify whether the causes for out of specification performance are detectable. The electromagnetic flux path in AFPM machines is substantially 3D and cannot be satisfactorily analyzed through simplified 2D simulations, requiring laborious 3D models for performance prediction. The use of computationally expensive 3D models becomes even more challenging for optimal design studies, in which case, thousands of candidate design evaluations are required, making the conventional approaches impractical. In this dissertation a new two-level surrogate assisted differential evolution multi-objective optimization algorithm (SAMODE) is developed in order to optimally and accurately design the electric machine with a minimum number of expensive 3D design evaluations. The developed surrogate assisted optimization algorithm is used to comparatively and systematically design several AFPM machines. The studies include exploring the effects of pole count on the machine performance and cost limits, and the systematic comparison of optimally designed single-sided and double-sided AFPM machines. For the case studies, the new optimization algorithm reduced the required number of FEA design evaluations from thousands to less than two hundred. The new methods, developed and presented in the dissertation, maybe directly applicable or extended to a wide class of electrical machines and in particular to those of the PM-excited synchronous type. The benefits of the new eddy current loss calculation and of the optimization method are mostly relevant and significant for electrical machines with a rather complicated magnetic flux path, such is the case of axial flux and of transvers flux topologies, which are a main subject of current research in the field worldwide.

This thesis covers an investigation regarding the failure in the bridge slab of Gruvvägsbron, which was the result of the full scale test that the bridge was subjected to prior to demolition. Using the non-linear finite element software ATENA 3D, a model of the bridge was assembled, with the purpose to attempt to reenact the test procedure and realistically capture the failure load and behaviour. This in order to be able to conclude what kind of failure that occurred. The initial part of this thesis presents a summary of a conducted literature study, which aims to give deeper knowledge regarding the linear shear and punching shear phenomena and their respective failure mechanisms, and how they are applied on bridge slabs. Furthermore, the shear capacity of the bridge was calculated according to current design codes. A parameter study was conducted on the model, which initially showed a over-stiff response. The aim of this was to study the influence of key variables on the outcome of the analysis, and hopefully get closer to the failure load acquired inthe experiment. From the studied parameters, it was observed that a combined reduction of the tensile strength and fracture energy, together with a low fixed crack coefficient had the largest influence on the outcome of the analysis. It was also observed that the location of the failure and failing load was dependant on how the loading was applied to the model, i.e. via load control or deformation control. The final model failed at a load which surpassed the actual failure load by 10.5%. The mode of failure obtained in all the analyses were the result of a large shear crack propagating from the edges of the loading plate, through the slab to the slab/girder-intersection. This indicates that the type of failure that occurred was primarily due to a linear shear mechanism with a secondary punching effect. The design values calculated by keeping with the current codes resulted in too conservative values when compared to the obtained failure load from the experiment. This proves the difficulty in regarding the internal force distribution in slab struc-tures as well as the shear carrying width, which from the analysis were found to be larger than that obtained from the code.
Denna uppsats behandlar en utredning gällande brottet i plattan på Gruvvägsbron, som var resultatet av det fullskaletest som bron utsattes för innan rivning. Med hjälp av den icke-linjära finita element-programvaran ATENA 3D skapades en modell avbron, med syfte att på ett realistiskt sätt försöka återskapa experimentet och fånga brons verkliga beteende. Detta för att således kunna dra slutsatser angående brottets natur. Den första delen av denna uppsats innehåller en sammanfattning av en utförd litteraturstudie, som ämnar ge en ökad förståelse angående fenomenen skjuvning och genomstansning, tillsammans med olika brottmekanismer relaterade till dessa. Vidare har brons motstånd mot skjuv- och genomstansningbrott beräknats enligt rådande normer. En parameterstudie utfördes på modellen, då den ursprungligen uppvisade ett överstyvt beteende. Syftet med detta var att studera nyckelparametrars påverkan på analysens resultat, och eventuellt komma närmare den verkliga brottlasten i experimentet. Av de studerade parametrarna observerades att en samtida reduktion av draghållfasthet och brottenergi, samt ett lågt värde på den så kallade "fixedcrack"-koefficienten gav störst inverkan på resultatet. Vidare observerades att brottets lokalisering och brottlasten var beroende av hur lasten påfördes modellen, dvs genom last- eller deformationsstyrning. Den slutgiltiga modellen gick till brott vid en last som översteg den verkliga brottlasten med 10.5%. Brottet som skedde var i samtliga analyser resultatet av en skjuvspricka som sträckte sig från kanten av lastplattan, genom plattan, ner till mötet mellan platta och balk. Detta indikerar att den typ av brott som skedde var ett primärt skjuvbrott med en sekundär stanseffekt. Lastvärdena beräknade enligt rådande normer tycks vara för konservativa, om jämförelse görs med lasten som uppnåddes i experimentet. Detta visar på svårigheten i att bedöma den inre kraftspridningen i plattor, och även dess skjuvbärande bredd, då analysen visade att denna var betydligt större än vad som ges i koden.

Construire un macro-modèle tridimensionnel du sous-sol à partir de coupes géologiques bidimensionnelles est un problème complexe auquel les géologues sont quotidiennement confrontés. Le modèle que nous voulons construire est un modèle B-Rep non-variété dont les régions qui représentent des entités géologiques (couches, chenaux, lentilles), sont délimitées par des surfaces triangulées. Cette thèse propose dans le cadre du projet GOCAD, une méthodologie basée sur l'intégration d'informations géologiques et topologiques permettant d'obtenir automatiquement des reconstructions 3D à partir de séries de coupes géologiques 2D parallèles. Dans un premier temps, les notions géologiques et informatiques nécessaires à la lecture de ce mémoire sont présentées : la notion de faille, la description du modèle topologique utilisé. Les problèmes à résoudre y sont également détaillés comme par exemple le calcul d'intersection entre les surfaces triangulées du modèle. Dans un second temps, la méthodologie proposée est décrite étape par étape en commençant par une méthode originale de recherche d'un réseau de failles basée sur la corrélation des rejets de failles. La méthode de reconstruction, quant a elle, repose sur l'utilisation de modèles B-Rep non-variétés 2D construits à partir des structures de données mises au point par k. Weiler. Ils permettent de représenter les coupes et d'en extraire le maximum d'informations topologiques. Ils permettent également de générer les surfaces en construisant pour chacune d'elles un squelette support de la triangulation. Enfin, plusieurs reconstructions basées sur des jeux de données réels ainsi que quelques applications sont présentées avant de conclure sur les perspectives de recherche futures.

Ce travail contribue à développer des méthodes de résolution associées à la méthode de simulation MMP (Model of Manufactured Part) développée par F.Vignat et F.Villeneuve. Le MMP est un modèle générique 3D des défauts géométriques engendrés sur les pièces fabriquées par un processus de fabrication donné. Ce modèle permet de générer un ensemble de pièces virtuellement fabriquées incluant les incertitudes de fabrication et permet par conséquent de mener l'analyse de tolérances fonctionnelles. Les méthodes de résolution développées autour du MMP permettent aux ingénieurs de fabrication d'évaluer une gamme de fabrication candidate du point de vue géométrique. Le développement des méthodes de résolution s'est effectué selon 2 axes. Le premier axe consiste à développer des méthodes pour la recherche du pire des cas (WCTA). La première approche de cet axe utilise des méthodes d'optimisation (SQP pour Sequential Quadratic Programming et GA pour les algorithmes génétiques) basées sur la recherche du pire des cas. La recherche du pire des cas consiste en un algorithme d'optimisation multicouche comportant deux boucles principales. La deuxième approche de cet axe consiste à faire une adaptation de la méthode du torseur des petits déplacements avec intervalle (modèle Jacobien Torseur développé au Canada) à la méthode MMP. Le deuxième axe concerne les méthodes stochastiques permettant une simulation de production d'un ensemble de pièces et l'analyse des résultats d'un point de vue statistique. La méthode stochastique est basée sur une méthode de tirage aléatoire sous contraintes. Les différentes approches sont finalement comparées entre elles.

La fièvre jaune est une pathologie virale humaine causée par un flavivirus, le virus de la fièvre jaune et transmise par des vecteurs arthropodes. Les formes sévères, parfois mortelles, sont caractérisées par une atteinte systémique aigüe qui affecte le foie. Bien que la vaccination existe depuis près de 80 ans, des recensements réguliers d'épidémies sont encore faits. Les vaccins à base d'une souche vivante atténuée YF 17D présentent d'excellents taux de séroconversion et sont notamment caractérisés par une forte diminution de l'hépatotropisme. Néanmoins les mécanismes associés à la pathogénèse hépatique sont encore mal compris et pourraient être une aide aux développements vaccinaux contre d'autres flavivirus ou virus hépatiques. L'étude développée ici s'est inscrite dans la problématique de la représentativité des modèles cellulaires hépatiques utilisés. Afin de répondre aux pertes métaboliques et immunitaires reportées dans plusieurs modèles, nous nous sommes orientés vers des modèles organotypiques associant plusieurs populations cellulaires hépatiques et un microenvironnement caractéristique. Les modulations induites par les souches vaccinales ou sauvages du virus de la fièvre jaune ont été évaluées par une approche transcriptomique globale utilisant la technologie RNASeq et des méthodes d'analyse définies. Nos résultats montrent une plus forte permissivité des modèles cellulaires à la souche atténuée YF 17D par rapport à la souche sauvage YF Asibi. Cette observation est associée pour la souche atténuée à l'établissement précoce d'une réponse antivirale complète impliquant une détection rapide des formes réplicatives du virus, la mise en place des réponses aux IFNs de type I et de type III, la clairance virale et un contrôle des métabolismes cellulaires et hépatiques. De son côté la souche sauvage présente un délai important dans l'établissement de ces réponses amenant à de potentiels mécanismes alternatifs de la clairance virale et de dérégulations métaboliques. Ces données mettent en exergue les interactions étroites qui existent entre les systèmes immunitaires et métaboliques au niveau du foie. Nous suggérons que la forte réponse antivirale induite par la souche atténuée pourrait contribuer à la rupture de la tolérance hépatique et à l'efficacité in vivo de la souche vaccinale. En outre, la cinétique des réponses immunitaires, en combinaison avec la charge virale, peuvent déterminer l'équilibre entre la récupération et l'immunopathologie après l'infection par le virus sauvage
Yellow fever is a human disease caused by a flavivirus, the yellow fever virus, transmitted by arthropod vectors. Severe forms, sometimes fatal, are characterized by acute systemic disease that affects the liver. Despite an effective vaccine being available for nearly 80 years, epizootic circulation occurs and results in periodic outbreaks in endemic regions and among travelers. Vaccines based on a live attenuated strain YF 17D exhibit excellent seroconversion rate and are characterized by a strong decrease in hepatotropism. However the mechanisms involved in liver pathogenesis are poorly understood and could be helpful for future vaccine development against other flaviviruses or hepatitis viruses.There is a need to develop liver cellular model better reflecting the in vivo liver microenvironment. In this work, we used new 3D models combining several liver cell populations to evaluate immune and metabolic responses induced by yellow fever viruses. Modulations induced by both vaccine and wild-type strains were evaluated by a global transcriptomic approach using RNA-Seq technology and well-defined analysis methods. Our results show a greater permissivity of cellular models to YF 17D strain compared to the wild type YF Asibi. In addition, YF 17D infection leads to an early establishment of a complete antiviral response involving rapid detection of replicating forms of the virus, development of a strong type I and type III IFN responses, initiation of viral clearance and modulation of cellular and liver metabolism. Wild-type strain presents a significant delay in the establishment of these responses leading to potential alternative mechanisms for viral clearance and metabolic dysregulation. These data highlight the close interactions between the immune and metabolic systems in the liver.We suggest that the strong antiviral response induced by attenuated strain could contribute to the breakdown of liver tolerance and in vivo efficacy of the vaccine strain. In addition, the kinetics of immune responses, in combination with viral load, can determine the balance between the recovery and immunopathology after infection with wild type virus