Littérature scientifique sur le sujet « Ultra-high towers »

Ultra-high-voltage (UHV) cup-type transmission towers supported with long-span transmission lines are unavoidably subjected to the coupling action between the towers and the transmission lines. Therefore, investigating how tower-line coupling affects UHV cup-type transmission towers is important. In this study, three shaking table array tests of an UHV cup-type transmission tower-line system were carried out to investigate the dynamic characteristics of the coupling action between the towers and transmission lines based on the following four comparative models: a single-tower model, a single-tower model with suspended lumped masses, a three-tower-two-line model, and a five-tower-four-line model. The test results demonstrated that the tower-line coupling interaction had a significant effect on the dynamic characteristics and seismic responses, as the suspended conductor line and the suspended lumped mass decreased the frequency of the transmission tower. Under longitudinal ground motion, the model with the suspended lumped mass had the lowest peak acceleration response and the largest peak displacement response. Under the same ground motion, the four models had similar peak strains in the longitudinal direction. Under transverse-the-line ground motion, the model with the suspended lumped mass had the lowest peak acceleration response and the smallest peak responses for displacement and strain in the transverse direction; therefore, this model is inappropriate for the simulation and seismic evaluation of transmission tower-line systems.

With large-scale development of ultra high-transmission network, the structure of transmission line-towers system tends to the tower higher, the cross-section of transmission lines larger and span between towers longer. As the increasing of transmission lines voltage grade, transmission line-towers system has higher requirements on static and dynamic stability. It is difficult for traditional design method to meet the demands of new transmission line-towers, not to mention shorten the design cycle, improve design quality. In this paper, we establish overhead transmission line-towers system model based on parameterized finite element method, by gradually increasing the thickness of the icing, iced load, wind load, weight, mechanical properties under the action of the load and the conductor tension. The analysis results show that the model can effectively reflect the mechanical properties of the transmission towers, and improve the quality of the design, greatly shortening the design cycle.

The seismic action effects of tower structures for ultra-high-voltage(UHV, upon 750KV) overhead transmission lines are much greater than those of 500KV and below, it is necessary to inspect the control load in structural design and specify the seismic design scope of tower structures for these UHV transmission lines. In this paper, the current regulations of seismic design and non-seismic design of tower structures for overhead transmission line were contrasted firstly; then, a series of typical towers including large-crossing towers and cup-towers at soft sites, on the zone of earthquake fortification intensity region of 8, were analyzed. The ratios of seismic action effects and wind load effects for characteristic value were calculated and the control load in structural design of tower structure was investigated. The results show that, although the height and the weigth of tower structures for UHV transmission lines are increasing, the control load in structural design is still the wind load on the zone of earthquake fortification intensity region of 8 and below.

High voltage line towers in mining areas are sensitive to surface deformation caused by mining. Protective coal pillar design for high voltage towers is one of the commonly-used technical measures. Aiming to solve the coal mining safety problem under the Ultra High Voltage transmission line in Sihe Coal Mine of Shanxi Province, the angle and size of protective coal pillars with the vertical line method were analyzed in this paper. The effect of additional displacement caused by landslide or slippage mining in mountain areas and repeated mining was considered. Based on the principle of the vertical line method, the protective coal pillar range and size were calculated. The amount of coal deposited in coal pillars for high voltage line towers was compared and analyzed between the vertical line method and the linear structure method. The results showed that the angle of critical deformation decreased by 2~10° caused by slippage due to mining in a mountainous area, and the angle in the uphill direction of building decreased more than that in the downhill direction; when multi-seams were mined repeatedly, the angle of critical deformation in the lower seam coal mining was reduced by 5~10° compared with that of the upper seam. The protective coal pillar design with the vertical line method can protect the high voltage line towers more effectively, and the amount of protective coal pillars with the vertical line method was 5.8 million tons less, which avoided the waste of coal resources.

Advances in the telecommunication and broadcasting sectors have increased the need for networking equipment of communication towers. Slender structures, such as towers, are sensitive to dynamic loads, such as vibration forces. Therefore, the stability and reliability performance of towers can be maintained effectively through the prompt detection, localization, and quantification of structural damages by obtaining the dynamic frequency response of towers. However, frequency analysis for damaged structures requires long computational procedures and is difficult to perform because of the damages in real structures, particularly in towers. Therefore, this study proposed a correlation factor that can identify the relationship between frequenciesunderhealthy and damaged conditions of ultra high performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) communication towers using particle swarm optimization. The finite element method was implemented to simulate three UHPFRC communication towers, and an experimental test was conducted to validate and verify the developed correlation factor

One of key issues of designing connected structure is the design of the connecting body between towers. This paper presents the analysis of different connecting body design schemes based on a 202.15 m (663 ft) twin-tower ultra-high-rise structure connected by a connecting truss. The influence of height and type of connection on the entire building structure was studied by comparing storey shear forces and drift of structure. The results indicated that the connection type between the connecting body and main structure has little influence on the building structure performance. Finite element analysis of the connecting body indicated that the internal force characteristic of rigid connection type is better compared to the hinge connection type. Furthermore, the connecting truss design based on inclined braces connected by hinge joint is superior compared to the rigid joints.

The purpose of this paper is to present a new skyscraper typology which has developed over the recent years – super-tall and slender, needle-like residential towers. This trend appeared on the construction market along with the progress of advanced structural solutions and the high demand for luxury apartments with spectacular views. Two types of constructions can be distinguished within this typology: ultra-luxury super-slim towers with the exclusivity of one or two apartments per floor (e.g. located in Manhattan, New York) and other slender high-rise towers, built in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Melbourne, among others, which have multiple apartments on each floor. This paper presents a survey of selected slender high-rise buildings, where structural improvements in tall buildings developed over the recent decade are considered from the architectural and structural view.

The modeling of the Ultra-High Voltage (UHV) tower plays an important role in lightning protection analysis of transmission lines because the model used will directly affect the reliability of the results. Moreover, the higher the voltage level is, the more prominent the impact becomes. This paper first analyzes the inapplicability of the Hara multi-segment multi-surge impedance model for the ±1100 kV UHV towers, and then builds a non-uniform transmission line model of the tower. Secondly, the multi-segment multi-surge impedance model is used to study the influence of the tower’s spatial structure changes on its electromagnetic transient characteristics. It is concluded that the more accurately the nominal height of the tower is modeled, the more accurately its electromagnetic transient response is reflected. Finally, the lightning electromagnetic transient responses of the tower with the non-uniform transmission line model and with the multi-segment multi-surge impedance model are compared and analyzed, which shows that the non-uniform transmission line model is more in line with the actual situation under the lightning strikes.

Positive switching impulse discharge characteristics are an important basis for the external insulation design of transmission line towers. At present, the characteristics are obtained mainly by real tower discharge tests. Since the existing research on the discharge model is not perfect, test designs are not reasonable, which results in high costs. The influence of line height and tower width on the discharge characteristics of Ultra High Voltage (UHV) transmission lines air gaps is studied in this paper. The results show that the line height had little influence on the breakdown voltage of air gaps in UHV transmission lines. A tower-width discharge model was obtained by fitting the breakdown voltage of air gaps with different gap lengths and tower widths. By analyzing the gap characteristic factors of different transmission lines, a discharge model of different tower air gaps in UHV transmission lines was presented. The breakdown voltage calculated by the models was in good agreement with the test results, and the errors were not more than 5%.

A cornerstone of technological advancement in the last century has been the development of ever faster and higher capacity telecommunications. Being able to transmit large amounts of information, at a good rate over long distances is essential for running many of the services, business and industries that we all rely upon. The development of large national and international telecommunication networks underpins the internet and, with it, the World Wide Web. All this powers a huge range of diverse activities as security services, the entertainment industry, national health services and distribution. As more and more people are connected to this network and more and more information is transmitted between these people, the capacity of the network must increase. This can broadly be split into two categories: access – the laying of cables and construction of mobile towers, technology – the creation of improved data transmitting methods that can transmit more data, at a faster rate, further away. The former is a question of private enterprise and public policy, the latter is the domain of engineers and physicists. Professor Masataka Nakazawa, who is based at the Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University in Japan, is a world-leading expert in optical telecommunications. Nakazawa and his team have a mission to create new methods through which data can be transmitted using optical networks, recently they have consistently broken records for speed, capacity and efficiency in their cutting-edge optical communication technologies.

Materials Science has in recent years become a high priority research area, having been identified as a growth sector for the UK economy over the next decade. Breakthroughs in this field are likely to have a significant impact on every area of our lives. There has recently been a trend toward automation at beamlines which is driven by rapid technology advancement. This technology advancement has improved the quality of experiment data and has allowed data collection times to improve exponentially. The Materials Science Research Group in the Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science, at Aberystwyth University have achieved international recognition for their research on materials under extreme conditions. They have a rich history in the development and use of specialist instruments to conduct real time surface analysis. Their custom made instrumentation has allowed them to greatly improve experiment throughput. Automation of the group's ultra high vacuum chambers is therefore a further enhancement that is advantageous, important, necessary and inevitable. This thesis presents the research undertaken to study what is required to provide automated sample positioning inside vacuum chambers that are operated under ultra high vacuum conditions, as the first step towards automation. As part of the research, a prototype automated positioning system that employs state of the art model based visual tracking techniques was developed to gain an understanding of the challenges the ultra high vacuum environment presents. Experimentation was carried out to assess the effects of different lighting conditions on tracking, evaluate the tracking library, extract suitable extrinsic parameters for tracker initialisation, and evaluate both monocular and stereo mode tracking. Key findings were that the model based tracking is a suitable approach for an automated positioning system but that performance depends on having suitable port placement for the cameras. Stereo tracking provided the best performance but was still prone to divergence at certain relative positions of the manipulator. On linear runs the average error was 0.06mm. On rotational runs, anti-clockwise runs proved better with an average error of 2^o to 3^o. The high errors of mixed rotational and linear tracking runs did not match the visual outputs indicating that there were inherent errors in the data evaluation. Tracking output video footage is available at [8]. More work is needed to take the system forward and close the tracking loop. Recommendations for improvements were provided.

Le béton conventionnel (BC) a de nombreux problèmes tels que la corrosion de l’acier d'armature et les faibles résistances des constructions en béton. Par conséquent, la plupart des structures fabriquées avec du BC exigent une maintenance fréquent. Le béton fibré à ultra-hautes performances (BFUP) peut être conçu pour éliminer certaines des faiblesses caractéristiques du BC. Le BFUP est défini à travers le monde comme un béton ayant des propriétés mécaniques, de ductilité et de durabilité supérieures. Le BFUP classique comprend entre 800 kg/m³ et 1000 kg/m³ de ciment, de 25 à 35% massique (%m) de fumée de silice (FS), de 0 à 40%m de poudre de quartz (PQ) et 110-140%m de sable de quartz (SQ) (les pourcentages massiques sont basés sur la masse totale en ciment des mélanges). Le BFUP contient des fibres d'acier pour améliorer sa ductilité et sa résistance aux efforts de traction. Les quantités importantes de ciment utilisées pour produire un BFUP affectent non seulement les coûts de production et la consommation de ressources naturelles comme le calcaire, l'argile, le charbon et l'énergie électrique, mais affectent également négativement les dommages sur l'environnement en raison de la production substantielle de gaz à effet de serre dont le gas carbonique (CO[indice inférieur 2]). Par ailleurs, la distribution granulométrique du ciment présente des vides microscopiques qui peuvent être remplis avec des matières plus fines telles que la FS. Par contre, une grande quantité de FS est nécessaire pour combler ces vides uniquement avec de la FS (25 à 30%m du ciment) ce qui engendre des coûts élevés puisqu’il s’agit d’une ressource limitée. Aussi, la FS diminue de manière significative l’ouvrabilité des BFUP en raison de sa surface spécifique Blaine élevée. L’utilisation du PQ et du SQ est également coûteuse et consomme des ressources naturelles importantes. D’ailleurs, les PQ et SQ sont considérés comme des obstacles pour l’utilisation des BFUP à grande échelle dans le marché du béton, car ils ne parviennent pas à satisfaire les exigences environnementales. D’ailleurs, un rapport d'Environnement Canada stipule que le quartz provoque des dommages environnementaux immédiats et à long terme en raison de son effet biologique. Le BFUP est généralement vendu sur le marché comme un produit préemballé, ce qui limite les modifications de conception par l'utilisateur. Il est normalement transporté sur de longues distances, contrairement aux composantes des BC. Ceci contribue également à la génération de gaz à effet de serre et conduit à un coût plus élevé du produit final. Par conséquent, il existe le besoin de développer d’autres matériaux disponibles localement ayant des fonctions similaires pour remplacer partiellement ou totalement la fumée de silice, le sable de quartz ou la poudre de quartz, et donc de réduire la teneur en ciment dans BFUP, tout en ayant des propriétés comparables ou meilleures. De grandes quantités de déchets verre ne peuvent pas être recyclées en raison de leur fragilité, de leur couleur, ou des coûts élevés de recyclage. La plupart des déchets de verre vont dans les sites d'enfouissement, ce qui est indésirable puisqu’il s’agit d’un matériau non biodégradable et donc moins respectueux de l'environnement. Au cours des dernières années, des études ont été réalisées afin d’utiliser des déchets de verre comme ajout cimentaire alternatif (ACA) ou comme granulats ultrafins dans le béton, en fonction de la distribution granulométrique et de la composition chimique de ceux-ci. Cette thèse présente un nouveau type de béton écologique à base de déchets de verre à ultra-hautes performances (BEVUP) développé à l'Université de Sherbrooke. Les bétons ont été conçus à l’aide de déchets verre de particules de tailles variées et de l’optimisation granulaire de la des matrices granulaires et cimentaires. Les BEVUP peuvent être conçus avec une quantité réduite de ciment (400 à 800 kg/m³), de FS (50 à 220 kg/m³), de PQ (0 à 400 kg/m³), et de SQ (0-1200 kg/m³), tout en intégrant divers produits de déchets de verre: du sable de verre (SV) (0-1200 kg/m³) ayant un diamètre moyen (d[indice inférieur 50]) de 275 µm, une grande quantité de poudre de verre (PV) (200-700 kg/m³) ayant un d50 de 11 µm, une teneur modérée de poudre de verre fine (PVF) (50-200 kg/m³) avec d[indice inférieur] 50 de 3,8 µm. Le BEVUP contient également des fibres d'acier (pour augmenter la résistance à la traction et améliorer la ductilité), du superplastifiants (10-60 kg/m³) ainsi qu’un rapport eau-liant (E/L) aussi bas que celui de BFUP. Le remplacement du ciment et des particules de FS avec des particules de verre non-absorbantes et lisse améliore la rhéologie des BEVUP. De plus, l’utilisation de la PVF en remplacement de la FS réduit la surface spécifique totale nette d’un mélange de FS et de PVF. Puisque la surface spécifique nette des particules diminue, la quantité d’eau nécessaire pour lubrifier les surfaces des particules est moindre, ce qui permet d’obtenir un affaissement supérieur pour un même E/L. Aussi, l'utilisation de déchets de verre dans le béton abaisse la chaleur cumulative d'hydratation, ce qui contribue à minimiser le retrait de fissuration potentiel. En fonction de la composition des BEVUP et de la température de cure, ce type de béton peut atteindre des résistances à la compression allant de 130 à 230 MPa, des résistances à la flexion supérieures à 20 MPa, des résistances à la traction supérieure à 10 MPa et un module d'élasticité supérieur à 40 GPa. Les performances mécaniques de BEVUP sont améliorées grâce à la réactivité du verre amorphe, à l'optimisation granulométrique et la densification des mélanges. Les produits de déchets de verre dans les BEVUP ont un comportement pouzzolanique et réagissent avec la portlandite générée par l'hydratation du ciment. Cependant, ceci n’est pas le cas avec le sable de quartz ni la poudre de quartz dans le BFUP classique, qui réagissent à la température élevée de 400 °C. L'addition des déchets de verre améliore la densification de l'interface entre les particules. Les particules de déchets de verre ont une grande rigidité, ce qui augmente le module d'élasticité du béton. Le BEVUP a également une très bonne durabilité. Sa porosité capillaire est très faible, et le matériau est extrêmement résistant à la pénétration d’ions chlorure (≈ 8 coulombs). Sa résistance à l'abrasion (indice de pertes volumiques) est inférieure à 1,3. Le BEVUP ne subit pratiquement aucune détérioration aux cycles de gel-dégel, même après 1000 cycles. Après une évaluation des BEVUP en laboratoire, une mise à l'échelle a été réalisée avec un malaxeur de béton industriel et une validation en chantier avec de la construction de deux passerelles. Les propriétés mécaniques supérieures des BEVUP a permis de concevoir les passerelles avec des sections réduites d’environ de 60% par rapport aux sections faites de BC. Le BEVUP offre plusieurs avantages économiques et environnementaux. Il réduit le coût de production et l’empreinte carbone des structures construites de béton fibré à ultra-hautes performances (BFUP) classique, en utilisant des matériaux disponibles localement. Il réduit les émissions de CO[indice inférieur 2] associées à la production de clinkers de ciment (50% de remplacement du ciment) et utilise efficacement les ressources naturelles. De plus, la production de BEVUP permet de réduire les quantités de déchets de verre stockés ou mis en décharge qui causent des problèmes environnementaux et pourrait permettre de sauver des millions de dollars qui pourraient être dépensés dans le traitement de ces déchets. Enfin, il offre une solution alternative aux entreprises de construction dans la production de BFUP à moindre coût.
Abstract : Conventional concrete (CC) may cause numerous problems on concrete structures such as corrosion of steel reinforcement and weaknesses of concrete construction. As a result, most of structures made with CC require maintenance. Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) can be designed to eliminate some of the characteristic weaknesses of CC. UHPC is defined worldwide as concrete with superior mechanical, ductility, and durability properties. Conventional UHPC includes between 800 and 1000 kg/m³ of cement particles, 25–35%wt of silica fume (SF), 0–40 wt% of quartz powder (QP), and 110–140 wt% quartz sand (QS) (the percentages are based on the total cement content of the mix by weight). UHPC contains steel fibers to improve its ductility and tension capacity. The huge amount of cement used to produce UHPC not only affects production costs and consumes natural resources, limestone, clay, coal, and electric power, but it also negatively impacts the environment through carbon dioxide (CO[subscript 2]) emissions, which can contribute to the greenhouse effect. Additionally, the particle-size distribution (PSD) of cement exhibits a gap at the micro scale that needs to be filled with more finer materials such as SF. Filling this gap solely with SF requires a high amount of SF (25% to 30% by cement weight) which is a limited resource and involves high cost. This significantly also decreases UHPC workability due to high Blaine surface area of SF. QS and QP use is also costly and consumes natural resources. As such, they are considered as impedances for wide use of UHPC in the concrete market and fail to satisfy sustainability requirements. Furthermore, based on an Environment Canada report, quartz causes immediate and long-term environmental harm because its biological effect makes it an environmental hazard. Furthermore, UHPC is generally sold on the market as a prepackaged product, which limits any design changes by the user. Moreover, it is normally transported over long distances, unlike CC components. This increases to the greenhouse-gas effect and leads to higher cost of the final product. Therefore, there is a vital need for other locally available materials with similar functions to partially or fully replace silica fume, quartz sand, or quartz powder, and thereby reduce the cement content in UHPC, while having comparable or better properties. In some countries, and Canada in particular, large quantities of glass cannot be recycled because of the high breaking potential, color mixing, or high recycling costs. Most waste glass goes into landfill sites, which is undesirable since it is not biodegradable and less environmentally friendly. In recent years, attempts have been made to use waste glass as an alternative supplementary cementitious material (ASCM) or ultra-fine aggregate in concrete, depending on its chemical composition and particle-size distribution (PSD). This thesis is based on a new type of ecological ultra-high-performance glass concrete (UHPGC) developed at the Université de Sherbrooke. The concrete’s design involved using waste glass of varying particle-size distributions obtained from cullets and optimizing the packing density of the entire material matrix. UHPGC can be designed with a reduced amount of cement (400–800 kg/m³), silica fume (SF) (50–220 kg/m³), quartz powder (QP) (0–400 kg/m³), and quartz sand (QS) (0–1200 kg/m³), while incorporating various waste-glass products: glass sand (GS) (0–1200 kg/m³) with an average mean diameter (d[subscript 50]) of 275 μm, a high amount of glass powder (GP) (200–700 kg/m³) with average diameter (d[subscript 50]) of 11 μm, a moderate content of fine glass powder (FGP) (50–200 kg/m³) with d[subscript 50] of 3.8 μm. UHPGC also contains steel fibers (to increase tensile strength and improve ductility) and superplasticizer (10–60 kg/m³) as well as having a water-to-binder ratio (w/b) as low as that of UHPC. Replacing cement and silica-fume particles with non-absorptive and smooth glass particles improves UHPGC rheology. Furthermore, using FGP as a SF replacement reduces the net total surface area of a SF and FGP blend. This decreases the net particle surface area, it reduces the water needed to lubricate particle surfaces and increases the slump flow at the same w/b. Moreover, the use of waste glass material in concrete leads to lower cumulative heat of hydration, which helps minimize potential shrinkage cracking. Depending on UHPGC composition and curing temperature, this type of concrete yields compressive strength ranging from 130 up to 230 MPa, flexural strength above 20 MPa, tensile strength above 10 MPa, and elastic modulus above 40 GPa. The mechanical performance of UHPGC is enhanced by the reactivity of the amorphous waste glass and optimization of the packing density. The waste-glass products in UHPGC have pozzolanic behavior and react with the portlandite generated by cement hydration. This, however, is not the case with quartz sand and quartz powder in conventional UHPC, which react at high temperature of 400 °C. The waste-glass addition enhances clogging of the interface between particles. Waste-glass particles have high rigidity, which increases the concrete’s elastic modulus. UHPGC also has extremely good durability. Its capillary porosity is very low, and the material is extremely resistant to chloride-ion permeability (≈ 8 coulombs). Its abrasion resistance (volume loss index) is less than 1.3. UHPGC experiences virtually no freeze–thaw deterioration, even after 1000 freeze–thaw cycles. After laboratory assessment, the developed concrete was scaled up with a pilot plane and field validation with the construction of two footbridges as a case study. The higher mechanical properties allowed for the footbridges to be designed with about sections reduced by 60% compared to normal concrete. UHPGC offers several economic and environmental advantages. It reduces the production cost of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) by using locally available materials and delivers a smaller carbon footprint than conventional UHPC structures. It reduces the CO[subscript 2] emissions associated with the production of cement clinkers (50% replacement of cement) and efficiently uses natural resources. In addition, high amounts of waste glass cause environmental problems if stockpiled or sent to landfills. Moreover, the use of waste glass in UHPGC could save millions of dollars that would otherwise be spent for treatment and placing waste glass in landfills. Lastly, it provides an alternative solution to the construction companies in producing UHPC at lower cost.

L’IRM quantitative recouvre l’ensemble des méthodes permettant de mesurer des paramètres physiques accessibles en Résonance Magnétique Nucléaire. Elle offre un bénéfice par rapport à l’imagerie en pondération classiquement utilisée, notamment pour la détection, la caractérisation physiopathologique mais aussi pour le suivi thérapeutique des pathologies. Malgré ce potentiel avéré connu de longue date, ces méthodes restent peu utilisées dans la routine clinique. La raison principale est la longueur des acquisitions par rapport à l’approche classique. Les paramètres physiques que nous souhaitons étudier plus particulièrement sont le temps de relaxation longitudinal (T₁), transversal (T₂), le coefficient de diffusion apparent (ADC), et la densité de protons (DP). Malgré la possibilité d’atteindre une meilleure qualité d’images, ces cartographies in vivo sont quasiment inexistantes dans la littérature au-delà de 3T car leur implémentation nécessite de surmonter un certain nombre de limites spécifiques aux IRM ultra-haut champs (UHF). Au travers de ce projet de thèse, une méthode d’imagerie quantitative basée sur les états de configurations (QuICS) a été implémentée, pour déterminer ces paramètres quantitatifs de façon simultanée sous fortes contraintes propres aux UHF. L’approche a été optimisée dans le but d’obtenir des cartographies fiables et rapides. Le potentiel de la méthode a été démontré dans un premier temps in vitro sur un noyau tel que le sodium démontrant des propriétés complexes à cartographier. Puis dans un second temps, des acquisitions ont été réalisées sur proton, in vivo, en un temps d’acquisition compatible avec une utilisation en routine clinique à 7T. L’application d’une telle méthode d’IRM quantitative à UHF sur des populations permettra d’ouvrir de nouvelles voies d’études pour le futur
Quantitative MRI refers to methods able to measure different physical parameters accessible in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. It offers benefits compared to weighting imaging commonly used, for the detection, the pathophysiological characterization but also for the therapeutic follow-up of pathologies for example. Despite this long-established potential, these methods remain little used in clinical routine. The main reason is the long acquisition time compared to the classical approach. The physical parameters that we will study more particularly are the longitudinal (T₁), transverse (T₂) relaxation time, the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and the proton density (DP). Despite the possibility to achieve a better image quality, these in vivo mappings are virtually non-existent in the literature beyond 3T because their implementation requires overcom-ing a number of specific ultra-high-field (UHF) MRI limits. Through this thesis project, a Quantitative Imaging method using Configuration States (QuICS) was implemented under strong UHF constraints, to determine these parameters simultaneously. The technique has been optimized to obtain fast and reliable maps. The potential of the method was first demon-strated in vitro on a nucleus such as sodium, exhibiting complex properties. As a second step, acquisitions were performed in proton, in vivo, in an clinically-relevant acquisition time, compatible with a routine use at 7T for population imaging. The application of such a method of quantitative MRI to UHF will open new research possibilities for the future

Cette thèse concerne l'étude des anisotropies des rayons cosmiques d'ultra-haute énergie observé à l'aide de l'Observatoire Pierre Auger. Une partie de recherche et développement a été effectué afin d'augmenter la gamme dynamique des PM Hamamatsu en s'appuyant sur l'extraction du signal de dy-nodes plus profonde, permettant d'atteindre les 20 bits. Pour augmenter la statistique à haute énergie, un trigger plus lâche pour les prochaines étude des données d'Auger a été développé. De plus, des re¬cherche de sources ponctuelles en direction du centre galactique et de Centaurus ont été menées. Une nouvelle méthode pour la recherche d'anisotropies sans comparaison avec un catalogue a été dévelop¬pée, fournissant le degré de regroupement et un moyen analytique pour calculer la probabilité pénali-| sée. Grâce a celle-ci, d'importantes limites sur la densité de source et les déflexions des rayons cosmi¬ques extra-galactiques ont pu être posées. Dans la gamme d'énergie plus faible, une analyse de la première harmonique a été mené avec l'aide d'une nouvelle méthode tenant compte des effets de dé¬tection. Des limites supérieures au delà de 1 EeV ont été posées avec de surcroît une indication pour une réelle anisotropie indiquée par la présence d'une transition régulière dans sa phase. En utilisant une méthode numérique pour résoudre l'équation de diffusion dans un champ magnétique galactique simpli¬fié et des simulations Monte Carlo, nous avons comparé le degré d'anisotropie induit avec celui possible avec la possibilité de relâcher certaines hypothèses (source stationnaires, émission isotrope)
This thesis concerns the study anisotropies of UHECRs observed by the Pierre Auger Observatory. R&D was done to increase of the dynamical range of Hamamatsu PMTs using the technique based on the reading out of deeper dynodes, reaching 20 bits. To increase the statistics at high energy, a relax trigger selection was designed to be used in further Auger data analysis. Further, point sources were searched in direction of the Galactic Center and Centaurus A. We also developed a new method for searching for anisotropies without relying on any catalog that provides the clustering scale and an analytical way to compute the chance probability. Using it, we place important limits on the density of sources and the deflections of the extra-galactic cosmic rays. In the low energy range, we performed a first harmonic analysis using a new method to account for detector effects. Upper bounds were given above 1 EeV with an indication of a signal at all energies pointed out by the smooth transition of the phase. Finally, using both a numerical method to solve the diffusion equation in a simplified galactic magnetic field mo-del and Monte Carlo simulations, we compare the resulting anisotropy with the possible one, studying also relaxing some hypothesis (stationary sources, isotropic emission)

In commercial power plant technology, the market introduction of ultra supercritical (USC) steam cycle power plants with steam parameters around 350bar and 720°C is the next development step. USC steam cycles are also proposed to decrease the levelized electricity costs of future solar power towers due to their highly efficient energy conversion. A 55% thermal efficiency with decreased specific investment costs is within the potential of USC steam cycles. The required process parameters can be achieved using nickel based alloys in the solar receiver, the tubing and other plant components. For solar tower applications, appropriate high temperature heat transfer media (HTM), high temperature heat exchangers and storage options are additionally required. Using the current development for molten salt power towers (Solar Tres) as a reference, several tower concepts with USC power plants were compared. The ECOSTAR methodology provided by [1] was applied for predicting the cost reduction potential and the annual performance of these power tower concepts applying tubular receivers with various HTM. The considered HTM include alkali nitrate salts, alkali chloride salts and liquid metals such as a Bi-Pb eutectic, tin or sodium. For the assessment, an analytical model of the heat transfer in a parametric 360° cylindrical, tubular central receiver was developed to examine the receiver characteristics for different geometries. The sensitivity of the specific cost assumptions for the levelized electricity costs (LEC) was evaluated for each concept variation. No detailed evaluation was done for the thermal storage, but comparable costs were assumed for all cases. The results indicate a significant cost reduction potential for the liquid metal HTM processes.

<p>The bicycle viaduct is an effective method to solve the contradiction between the rapid development of urbanization and low carbon. In this paper, a 4.8km long viaduct was designed between the Happy Valley and Phoenix Peak park of Chengdu, China. The standard sections of the whole viaduct adopt steel box girder and Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC) precast beam with 30m spans and 5.5m widths of bridge deck (single). And the UHPC connection plate is used to replace the traditional mechanical telescopic device to realize the continuous bridge deck between the ends of the simple beam, which embodies the concept of ‘green bridge’. This line focuses on the design of three nodes, which includes the five towers cable-stayed bridge, the double deck arch bridge across the Fu River and the continuous beam bridge in leisure area. The three bridges enrich the bridge modelling, reflecting the application of aesthetics in the bridge. The whole traffic is based on bicycle, which adopts separation traffic with double speed of fast and slow speed and can be used for sightseeing and travel. This design highlights the people-oriented, can ensure traffic safety and achieve a ‘safe travel, green travel’. Therefore, the viaduct is an effective means to solve the disharmony between the urban development and the environment.</p>

This report introduces the first release of CORPS-STIF (Concrete Observations Repository and Predictive Software – Structural and Thermodynamical Integrated Framework). CORPS-STIF is envisioned to be used as a tool to optimize material constituents and geometries of mass concrete placements specifically for ultra-high performance concretes (UHPCs). An observations repository (OR) containing results of 649 mechanical property tests and 10 thermodynamical tests were recorded to be used as inputs for current and future releases. A thermodynamical integrated framework (TIF) was developed where the heat transfer coefficient was a function of temperature and determined at each time step. A structural integrated framework (SIF) modeled strength development in cylinders that underwent isothermal curing. CORPS-STIF represents a step toward understanding and predicting strength gain of UHPC for full-scale structures and specifically in mass concrete.

Currently, several studies and experiments are being done to create a new generation of ultra-low-power wearable sensors. For instance, our group is currently working towards the development of a high-performance flexible pressure sensor. However, with the creation of new sensors, a need for a standard test method is necessary. Therefore, we opted to create a standardized testbed to evaluate the pressure applied to sensors. A pulse wave is generated when the heart pumps blood causing a change in the volume of the blood vessel. In order to eliminate the need of human subjects when testing pressure sensors, we utilized polymeric material, which mimics human flesh. The goal is to simulate human pulse by pumping air into a polymeric pocket which s deformed. The project is realized by stepper motor and controlled with an Arduino board. Furthermore, this device has the ability to simulate pulse wave form with different frequencies. This in turn allows us to simulate conditions such as bradycardia, tachycardia, systolic pressure, and diastolic pressure.