| 1. |
- Iderberg, Hanna, et al.
(författare)
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Predicting clinical outcome and length of sick leave after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis in Sweden : a multi-register evaluation
- 2019
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Ingår i: European spine journal. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0940-6719 .- 1432-0932. ; 28:6, s. 1423-1432
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) can be surgically treated, with variable outcome. Studies have linked socioeconomic factors to outcome, but no nation-wide studies have been performed. This register-based study, including all patients surgically treated for LSS during 2008-2012 in Sweden, aimed to determine predictive factors for the outcome of surgery.Methods: Clinical and socioeconomic factors with impact on outcome in LSS surgery were identified in several high-coverage registers, e.g., the national quality registry for spine surgery (Swespine, FU-rate 70-90%). Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to assess their effect on outcome. Two patient-reported outcome measures, Global Assessment of leg pain (GA) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), as well as length of sick leave after surgery were analyzed.Results: Clinical and socioeconomic factors significantly affected health outcome (both GA and ODI). Some predictors of a good outcome (ODI) were: being born in the EU, reporting no back pain at baseline, a high disposable income and a high educational level. Some factors predicting a worse outcome were previous surgery, having had back pain more than 2years, having comorbidities, being a smoker, being on social welfare and being unemployed.Conclusions: The study highlights the relevance of adding socioeconomic factors to clinical factors for analysis of patient-reported outcomes, although the causal pathway of most predictors' impact is unknown. These findings should be further investigated in the perspective of treatment selection for individual LSS patients. The study also presents a foundation of case mix algorithms for predicting outcome of surgery for LSS.
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| 2. |
- Alpkvist, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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Clinical and Microbiological Factors Associated with High Nasopharyngeal Pneumococcal Density in Patients with Pneumococcal Pneumonia
- 2015
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library Science. - 1932-6203. ; 10:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: We aimed to study if certain clinical and/or microbiological factors are associated with a high nasopharyngeal (NP) density of Streptococcus pneumoniae in pneumococcal pneumonia. In addition, we aimed to study if a high NP pneumococcal density could be useful to detect severe pneumococcal pneumonia.Methods: Adult patients hospitalized for radiologically confirmed community-acquired pneumonia were included in a prospective study. NP aspirates were collected at admission and were subjected to quantitative PCR for pneumococcal DNA (Spn9802 DNA). Patients were considered to have pneumococcal etiology if S. pneumoniae was detected in blood culture and/ or culture of respiratory secretions and/or urinary antigen test.Results: Of 166 included patients, 68 patients had pneumococcal DNA detected in NP aspirate. Pneumococcal etiology was noted in 57 patients (84%) with positive and 8 patients (8.2%) with negative test for pneumococcal DNA (p<0.0001). The median NP pneumococcal density of DNA positive patients with pneumococcal etiology was 6.83 log(10) DNA copies/mL (range 1.79-9.50). In a multivariate analysis of patients with pneumococcal etiology, a high pneumococcal density was independently associated with severe pneumonia (Pneumonia Severity Index risk class IV-V), symptom duration >= 2 days prior to admission, and a medium/high serum immunoglobulin titer against the patient's own pneumococcal serotype. NP pneumococcal density was not associated with sex, age, smoking, co-morbidity, viral co-infection, pneumococcal serotype, or bacteremia. Severe pneumococcal pneumonia was noted in 28 study patients. When we studied the performance of PCR with different DNA cut-off levels for detection of severe pneumococcal pneumonia, we found sensitivities of 54-82% and positive predictive values of 37-56%, indicating suboptimal performance.Conclusions: Pneumonia severity, symptom duration similar to 2 days, and a medium/high serum immunoglobulin titer against the patient's own serotype were independently associated with a high NP pneumococcal density. NP pneumococcal density has limited value for detection of severe pneumococcal pneumonia.
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| 3. |
- Bengtsson, Jenny, 1990, et al.
(författare)
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Mass transport and yield during spinning of lignin-cellulose carbon fiber precursors
- 2019
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Ingår i: Holzforschung. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 1437-434X .- 0018-3830. ; 73:5, s. 509-516
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lignin, a substance considered as a residue in biomass and ethanol production, has been identified as a renewable resource suitable for making inexpensive carbon fibers (CFs), which would widen the range of possible applications for light-weight CFs reinforced composites. Wet spinning of lignin-cellulose ionic liquid solutions is a promising method for producing lignin-based CFs precursors. However, wet-spinning solutions containing lignin pose technical challenges that have to be solved to enable industrialization. One of these issues is that a part of the lignin leaches into the coagulation liquid, which reduces yield and might complicate solvent recovery. In this work, the mass transport during coagulation is studied in depth using a model system and trends are confirmed with spinning trials. It was discovered that during coagulation, efflux of ionic liquid is not hindered by lignin concentration in solution and the formed cellulose network will enclose soluble lignin. Consequently, a high total concentration of lignin and cellulose in solution is advantageous to maximize yield. This work provides a fundamental understanding on mass transport during coagulation of lignin-cellulose solutions, crucial information when designing new solution-based fiber forming processes.
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| 4. |
- Dobryden, Illia, et al.
(författare)
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Force interactions between magnetite, silica, and bentonite studied with atomic force microscopy
- 2015
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Ingår i: Physics and chemistry of minerals. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0342-1791 .- 1432-2021. ; 42:4, s. 319-326
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Iron ore pellets consist of variety of mineral particles and are an important refined product used in steel manufacturing. Production of high-quality pellets requires good understanding of interactions between different constituents, such as magnetite, gangue residues, bentonite, and additives. Much research has been reported on magnetite, silica, and bentonite surface properties and their effect on pellet strength but more scant with a focus on a fundamental particle–particle interaction. To probe such particle interaction, atomic force microscopy (AFM) using colloidal probe technique has proven to be a suitable tool. In this work, the measurements were performed between magnetite–magnetite, bentonite–magnetite, silica–bentonite, and silica–magnetite particles in 1 mM CaCl2 solution at various pH values. The interaction character, i.e., repulsion or attraction, was determined by measuring and analyzing AFM force curves. The observed quantitative changes in interaction forces were in good agreement with the measured zeta-potentials for the particles at the same experimental conditions. Particle aggregation was studied by measuring the adhesion force. Absolute values of adhesion forces for different systems could not be compared due to the difference in particle size and contact geometry. Therefore, the relative change of adhesion force between pH 6 and 10 was used for comparison. The adhesion force decreased for the magnetite–magnetite and bentonite–silica systems and slightly increased for the magnetite–bentonite system at pH 10 as compared to pH 6, whereas a pronounced decrease in adhesion force was observed in the magnetite–silica system. Thus, the presence of silica particles on the magnetite surface could have a negative impact on the interaction between magnetite and bentonite in balling due to the reduction of the adhesion force.
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| 5. |
- Edrees, Tarek, et al.
(författare)
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A state-of-the-art review of Structural Control Systems
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Vibration and Control. - : SAGE Publications. - 1077-5463 .- 1741-2986. ; 21:5, s. 919-937
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nowadays the utilization of structural control systems for alleviating the responses of civil engineering structures, under the effects of different kinds of dynamics loadings, has become a standard technology, while still there are numerous of current research approaches for advancing the effectiveness of these methodologies. The aim of this article is to review the state of the art technologies in structural control systems by introducing a general literature review for all the types of vibrations control systems that have been appeared till now. These systems can be classified into four main groups: a) passive, b) semi active, c) active, and d) hybrid based on their operational mechanism. A brief description of each of these main groups and their subgroups, with their corresponding advantages and disadvantages will be also extendedly reported in this review. This article will conclude by providing an overview of some innovative practical implementations of devices, which are able to demonstrate their potentials and future directions of structural control systems in civil engineering.
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| 6. |
- Hagbom, Marie, et al.
(författare)
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Ionizing air affects influenza virus infectivity and prevents airborne-transmission
- 2015
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Nature Publishing Group: Open Access Journals - Option C / Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 5:11431
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- By the use of a modified ionizer device we describe effective prevention of airborne transmitted influenza A (strain Panama 99) virus infection between animals and inactivation of virus (greater than 97%). Active ionizer prevented 100% (4/4) of guinea pigs from infection. Moreover, the device effectively captured airborne transmitted calicivirus, rotavirus and influenza virus, with recovery rates up to 21% after 40 min in a 19 m(3) room. The ionizer generates negative ions, rendering airborne particles/aerosol droplets negatively charged and electrostatically attracts them to a positively charged collector plate. Trapped viruses are then identified by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR. The device enables unique possibilities for rapid and simple removal of virus from air and offers possibilities to simultaneously identify and prevent airborne transmission of viruses.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Hedlund, Artur, 1984, et al.
(författare)
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Coagulation of EmimAc-cellulose solutions: dissolution-precipitation disparity and effects of non-solvents and cosolvent
- 2015
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Ingår i: Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal. - 2000-0669 .- 0283-2631. ; 30:1, s. 32-42
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Coagulation values (CVs) of cellulose/1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EmimAc)/dimethyl-sulfoxide (DMSO) solutions for water, ethanol (EtOH) and 2-propanol (2-PrOH) were measured by using a light-scattering technique. Expressed in moles per mole, CVs of H2O were roughly twice as high as the CVs of EtOH and 2-PrOH at equal cellulose concentration for EmimAc solutions without the addition of a cosolvent. We explain this observation mainly in terms of alcohol alkyl chains efficiently obstructing EmimAc anions, preventing anions from simultaneously interacting with cellulose hydroxyls. DMSO was found to mitigate the coagulating effect of water and, to a lesser extent, the effect of alcohols. The explanation may be the different enthalpies of mixing for water and alcohols, with DMSO. An explanation on a more practical level, is based on how the solvatochromic a and beta parameters change due to small amounts of the different non-solvents. Small additions of methanol induce disproportionately large changes from basic towards acidic properties for DMSO, meanwhile, the same stoichiometric addition of water induces only minor changes. Precipitation occurred at concentrations of non-solvent much higher than the concentrations that limit dissolution. The most likely explanation for this is a metastable region in the phase diagram. It was also seen that the typically observed inhibitive effect of high M-w on solubility during dissolution did not apply to precipitation.
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
- Hedlund, Artur, et al.
(författare)
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Diffusion in Ionic Liquid-Cellulose Solutions during Coagulation in Water : Mass Transport and Coagulation Rate Measurements
- 2017
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Ingår i: Macromolecules. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0024-9297 .- 1520-5835. ; 50:21, s. 8707-8719
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article describes central features of the mass transport during the coagulation in water of cellulose-1-ethyl-3-methylimidazoium acetate ([C2mim][OAc]) solutions, namely, that the diffusivities are mainly affected by the relative concentrations of water and [C2mim][OAc], that the concentration of cellulose does not affect diffusivities and coagulation rates, that the diffusivities of low-Mw compounds are similar to those in aqueous [C2mim][OAc] solutions without macromolecules, that the polymer concentration is diluted by the large influx of coagulant causing a positive net mass gain, NMG, from diffusive fluxes, and that such NMG, although observed only as a function in time, is also a function in space that has local peaks significantly higher than the mean NMG value. The conclusion from the first three findings was that the diffusion advances through a liquid phase which possesses a continuous pore network and most of the volume. The precipitated cellulose is concentrated into fibrils whose inhibitive effect on the diffusion of small molecules through the surrounding phase is marginal. This key understanding about mass transport during coagulation also simplifies numerical modeling significantly.
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| 12. |
- Hedlund, Artur, et al.
(författare)
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Mass transport during coagulation of cellulose-ionic liquid solutions in different non-solvents
- 2019
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Ingår i: Cellulose. - : Springer Netherlands. - 0969-0239 .- 1572-882X. ; 26:16, s. 8525-8541
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract: Cellulose can be regenerated from cellulose-ionic liquid (IL) solutions by immersion in water or alcohols. These compounds are potent non-solvents due to their proton-donating ability in hydrogen bonds to IL anions. Although they share this fundamental way of reducing IL solvent quality, coagulation in water is distinctly different from coagulation in alcohols with regard to the microstructures formed and the mechanisms that generate the microstructures. In this study, the possibility of mass-transport effects on microstructures was investigated. The mass-transport of all components: non-solvent (EtOH, 2PrOH), IL ([C2mim][OAc]), and a co-solvent (DMSO), during coagulation was studied. The data was compared to previous data with water as the non-solvent. Results showed that diffusion is essentially limited to a continuous non-solvent-rich phase that is formed during phase separation in all non-solvents. There were also significant differences between non-solvents. For instance, [C2mim][OAc] diffusion coefficients were 6–9 times smaller in 2PrOH than in water, and there were apparent effects from cellulose concentration in 2PrOH that were not observed in water. The differences stem from the interactions between solvent, non-solvents, and cellulose, which can be both mutual and competitive. Weaker [C2mim][OAc]-non-solvent interactions with alcohols give more persistent [C2mim][OAc]-cellulose interactions than with water as the non-solvent, which has consequences for mass-transport. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
- Hedlund, Artur, et al.
(författare)
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Microstructures of cellulose coagulated in water and alcohols from 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate : contrasting coagulation mechanisms
- 2019
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Ingår i: Cellulose. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0969-0239 .- 1572-882X. ; 26:3, s. 1545-1563
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract: Coagulation of cellulose solutions is a process whereby many useful materials with variable microstructures and properties can be produced. This study investigates the complexity of the phase separation that generates the structural heterogeneity of such materials. The ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim][OAc]), and a co-solvent, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), are used to dissolve microcrystalline cellulose in concentrations from 5 to 25 wt%. The solutions are coagulated in water or 2-propanol (2PrOH). The coagulated material is then washed and solvent exchanged (water → 2PrOH → butanone → cyclohexane) in order to preserve the generated microstructures upon subsequent drying before analysis. Sweep electron microscopy images of 50 k magnification reveal open-pore fibrillar structures. The crystalline constituents of those fibrils are estimated using wide-angle X-ray spectroscopy and specific surface area data. It is found that the crystalline order or crystallite size is reduced by an increase in cellulose concentration, by the use of the co-solvent DMSO, or by the use of 2PrOH instead of water as the coagulant. Because previous theories cannot explain these trends, an alternative explanation is presented here focused on solid–liquid versus liquid–liquid phase separations. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
- Hedlund, Magnus, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Eddy Currents in a Passive Magnetic Axial Thrust Bearing for a Flywheel Energy Storage System
- 2017
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Ingår i: International journal of applied electromagnetics and mechanics. - 1383-5416 .- 1875-8800. ; 54:3, s. 389-404
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Two types of passive magnetic lift bearings were evaluated in terms of thrust force and eddy current losses. The first type of bearings were based on two sets of segmented Halbach arrays mounted in repulsive mode, and the second type was based on ring-magnets. The eddy-currents studied arose in the bearing due to manufacturing variations of magnetic remanence, and due to non-radial magnetization. Both a 3D time-dependent and a quasi-stationary Finite-Element Method (FEM) formulation were used, and the simulated results were compared with lift-force measurements from experiment. The losses were found (by FEM) to be in the order of 25 W at a rotational speed of 30000 rpm while lifting a 45 kg rotor with a stiffness of 359 N/mm.
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| 17. |
- Hedlund, Magnus, 1986-
(författare)
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Electrified Integrated Kinetic Energy Storage
- 2017
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The electric car is a technically efficient driveline, although it is demanding in terms of the primary energy source. Most trips are below 50 km and the mean power required for maintaining speed is quite low, but the system has to be able to both provide long range and high maximum power for acceleration. By separating power and energy handling in a hybrid driveline, the primary energy source, e.g. a battery can be optimised for specific energy (decreasing costs and material usage). Kinetic energy storage in the form of flywheels can handle the short, high power bursts of acceleration and decceleration with high efficiency.This thesis focuses on the design and construction of flywheels in which an electric machine and a low-loss magnetic suspension are considered an integral part of the composite shell, in an effort to increase specific energy. A method of numerically optimising shrink-fitted composite shells was developed and implemented in software, based on a plane stress assumption, with a grid search optimiser. A composite shell was designed, analysed numerically and constructed, with an integrated permanent magnet synchronous machine. Passive axial lift bearings were optimised, analysed numerically for losses and lift force, and verified with experiments. Active radial electromagnets optimised for high stiffness per ohmic loss were built and analysed in terms of force and stiffness, both numerically and experimentally. Electronics and a high-speed measurement system were designed to drive the magnetic bearings and the electric machine. The control of these systems were implemented in an FPGA, and a notch-filter was designed to suppress eigenfrequencies to achieve levitation of the rotor. The spin-down losses of the flywheel in vacuum were found to be 1.7 W/Wh, evaluated at 1000 rpm.A novel switched reluctance machine concept was developed for hollow cylinder flywheels. This class of flywheels are shaft-less, in an effort to avoid the shaft-to-rim connection. A small-scale prototype was built and verified to correspond well to analytical and numerical models, by indirect measurement of the inductance through a system identification method.
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| 18. |
- Hedlund, Magnus, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Flywheel Energy Storage for Automotive Applications
- 2015
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Ingår i: Energies. - : MDPI AG. - 1996-1073. ; 8:10, s. 10636-10663
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- A review of flywheel energy storage technology was made, with a special focus on the progress in automotive applications. We found that there are at least 26 university research groups and 27 companies contributing to flywheel technology development. Flywheels are seen to excel in high-power applications, placing them closer in functionality to supercapacitors than to batteries. Examples of flywheels optimized for vehicular applications were found with a specific power of 5.5 kW/kg and a specific energy of 3.5 Wh/kg. Another flywheel system had 3.15 kW/kg and 6.4 Wh/kg, which can be compared to a state-of-the-art supercapacitor vehicular system with 1.7 kW/kg and 2.3 Wh/kg, respectively. Flywheel energy storage is reaching maturity, with 500 flywheel power buffer systems being deployed for London buses (resulting in fuel savings of over 20%), 400 flywheels in operation for grid frequency regulation and many hundreds more installed for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) applications. The industry estimates the mass-production cost of a specific consumer-car flywheel system to be 2000 USD. For regular cars, this system has been shown to save 35% fuel in the U.S. Federal Test Procedure (FTP) drive cycle.
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| 19. |
- Hedlund, Magnus, 1986-, et al.
(författare)
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Reluctance Machine for a Hollow Cylinder Flywheel
- 2017
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Ingår i: Energies. - : MDPI AG. - 1996-1073. ; 10:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A hollow cylinder flywheel rotor with a novel outer rotor switched reluctance machine (SRM) mounted on the interior rim is presented, with measurements, numerical analysis and analytical models. Practical experiences from the construction process are also discussed. The flywheel rotor does not have a shaft and spokes and is predicted to store 181 Wh/kg at ultimate tensile strength (UTS) according to simulations. The novel SRM is an axial flux machine, chosen due to its robustness and tolerance for high strain. The computed maximum tip speed of the motor at UTS is 1050 m/s . A small-scale proof-of-concept electric machine prototype has been constructed, and the machine inductance has been estimated from measurements of voltage and current and compared against results from analytical models and finite element analysis (FEA). The prototype measurements were used to simulate operation during maximal speed for a comparison towards other high-speed electric machines, in terms of tip speed and power. The mechanical design of the flywheel was performed with an analytical formulation assuming planar stress in concentric shells of orthotropic (unidirectionally circumferentially wound) carbon composites. The analytical approach was verified with 3D FEA in terms of stress and strain.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
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| 22. |
- Orosz, Katalin, 1978-, et al.
(författare)
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Autogenous Deformation of Alkali-Activated Blast Furnace Slag Concrete Subjected to Variable Curing Temperatures
- 2019
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Ingår i: Advances in Civil Engineering / Hindawi. - : Hindawi Publishing Corporation. - 1687-8086 .- 1687-8094. ; 2019
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Deformations of alkali-activated slag concrete (AASC) with high MgO and Al2O3 content, subjected to variable curing temperature were studied. Sodium silicate and sodium carbonate were used as alkali activators. The obtained results showed development of deformations consisting of both shrinkage and expansion. Shrinkage appeared not to be affected by the activator type, while the expansion developed after the cooling down phase in stabilized isothermal conditions and did not stop within the duration of the tests. X-ray diffraction analysis performed shortly after the cooling down phase indicated the formation of crystalline hydrotalcite, which was associated with the observed expansion. A mixture with a higher amount of sodium silicate showed less expansion, likely due to the accelerated hydration and geopolymerization leading to the increased stiffness of the binder matrix.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Orosz, Katalin, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of variable curing temperatures on autogenous deformation of blended cement concretes
- 2017
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Ingår i: Construction and Building Materials. - : Elsevier. - 0950-0618 .- 1879-0526. ; 149, s. 474-480
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Shrinkage tests have been performed on blended Portland cement based early-age concrete with different w/c ratios, undergoing variable temperature curing. Results showed presence of induced non-negligible autogenous swelling which could mitigate part of the stresses related to shrinkage at very young concrete age. Recorded swelling was higher at higher curing temperatures and longer duration, especially pronounced for the low w/c mix. The swelling continued for several days after the temperature stabilized. Although not investigated directly, evidence to the nonlinear nature of the thermal expansion coefficient in young concrete has also been provided
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| 25. |
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| 26. |
- Rajczakowska, Magdalena, et al.
(författare)
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Autogenous Self-Healing : A Better Solution for Concrete
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of materials in civil engineering. - : American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). - 0899-1561 .- 1943-5533. ; 31:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Self-healing can be defined as the ability of a material to repair inner damage without any external intervention. In the case of concrete, the process can be autogenous, based on optimized mix composition, or autonomous, when using additionally incorporated capsules containing a healing agent and/or bacteria spores. The first process uses unhydrated cement particles as the healing material while the other utilizes a synthetic material or bacteria released into the crack from a broken capsule or activated through access of water and oxygen. The critical reviewing of both methods indicates that the autogenous self-healing is more efficient, more cost effective, safer, and easier to implement in full-scale applications. Nevertheless, a better understanding of the mechanism and factors affecting the effectiveness of the process is needed. The main weaknesses of the autonomous method were identified as loss of workability, worsened mechanical properties, low efficiency and low probability of the healing to occur, low survivability of the capsules and bacteria in harsh concrete environment, very high price, and lack of full-scale evaluation.
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| 27. |
- Rajczakowska, Magdalena, et al.
(författare)
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Does a High Amount of Unhydrated Portland Cement Ensure an Effective Autogenous Self-Healing of Mortar?
- 2019
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Ingår i: Materials. - : MDPI. - 1996-1944. ; 12:20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- It is commonly accepted that the autogenous self-healing of concrete is mainly controlled by the hydration of Portland cement and its extent depends on the availability of anhydrous particles. High-performance (HPCs) and ultra-high performance concretes (UHPCs) incorporating very high amounts of cement and having a low water-to-cement ratio reach the hydration degree of only 70–50%. Consequently, the presence of a large amount of unhydrated cement should result in excellent autogenous self-healing. The main aim of this study was to examine whether this commonly accepted hypothesis was correct. The study included tests performed on UHPC and mortars with a low water-to-cement ratio and high cement content. Additionally, aging effects were verified on 12-month-old UHPC samples. Analysis was conducted on the crack surfaces and inside of the cracks. The results strongly indicated that the formation of a dense microstructure and rapidly hydrating, freshly exposed anhydrous cement particles could significantly limit or even hinder the self-healing process. The availability of anhydrous cement appeared not to guarantee development of a highly effective healing process.
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| 28. |
- Rajczakowska, Magdalena
(författare)
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Self-Healing Concrete
- 2019
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Concrete is a brittle material prone to cracking due to its low tensile strength. Crack repairs are not only expensive and time-consuming but also increase the carbon footprint. Designing a novel concrete material possessing the ability to self-repair cracks would enhance its sustainability. Self-healing can be defined as a material’s ability to repair inner damage without any external intervention. In the case of concrete, the process can be autogenous, based on an optimized mix composition, or autonomous, when additional capsules containing some healing agent and/or bacteria spores are incorporated into the binder matrix. The first process uses unhydrated cement particles as the healing material while the other utilizes a synthetic material or bacteria precipitating calcite which are released into the crack from a broken capsule or activated by access to water and oxygen. The main disadvantages of the autonomous method are the loss of the fresh concrete workability, worsened mechanical properties, low efficiency, low survivability of the capsules and bacteria during mixing and the very high price. On the other hand, the autogenous self-healing was found to be more efficient, more cost effective, safer, and easier to implement in full-scale applications. Knowledge related to mechanisms and key factors controlling the autogenous self-healing is rather limited. Therefore, the aim of this research work was to better understand the autogenous self-healing process of concrete and to optimize the mix design and exposure conditions to maximize its efficiency. This licentiate thesis summarizes the main findings of the first 2.5 years of the PhD project. Several factors affecting autogenous self-healing were studied, including the amount of unhydrated cement, mix composition, age of material, self-healing duration and exposure conditions. The process was investigated both externally, at the surface, and deeper inside of the crack, by evaluating the crack closure and chemical composition of formed self-healing products. In addition, the flexural strength recovery was also studied. It was observed that a large amount of cement in the concrete mix does not ensure an efficient autogenous self-healing of cracks. A very dense and impermeable binder microstructure limited the transport of calcium and silicone ions to the crack and diminished the precipitation of the healing products. Addition fly ash increased the crack closure ratio close to the crack mouth, but its presence did not support the recovery of the flexural strength, presumably due to a very limited formation of load bearing phases inside the crack. Calcium carbonate was detected mainly at the crack mouth, whereas calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) and ettringite were found deeper inside the crack. The formation of C-S-H and ettringite presumably resulted in a regain of the flexural strength. On the other hand, calcite crystals formed close to the surface of the specimen controlled conditions inside the crack through its external closure. Healing exposure based on pure water appeared to be inefficient even despite the application of different temperature cycles and water volumes. The application of a phosphate-based retarding admixture in the curing water resulted in the highest self-healing efficiency. The admixture presumably inhibited the formation of a dense hydration shell on the surface of the unhydrated cement grains and promoted the precipitation of calcium phosphate compounds inside the crack. In addition, water mixed with microsilica particles caused a regain of the flexural strength through formation of C-S-H in the crack.
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| 29. |
- Rajczakowska, Magdalena, et al.
(författare)
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Self-Healing Potential of Geopolymer Concrete
- 2019
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Ingår i: Proceedings. - Basel Switzerland : MDPI.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Waste management is emerging as one of the most troublesome and critical problems of the upcoming decades. Therefore, the utilization of industrial by-products as building materials components has been widely studied in recent years. Geopolymer concrete, with binder entirely substituted by slag or fly ash, is one of the materials, which combines positive environmental impact with satisfying mechanical parameters. Although various properties of geopolymers have been examined, the autogeneous self-healing potential of this alternative binder has not been thoroughly verified yet. This paper aims to validate whether geopolymer concrete made of alkali activated slag is capable of self-repair. Four different mortar mixes with two types of slag and varying activation parameters were investigated. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers were added in order to control the crack width. The 1.2 × 1.2 × 6 cm beams were pre-cracked with the use of three point bending test at 7 days after casting to achieve crack opening of approximately 300 µm. The effects of various exposure conditions on the healing process were examined, i.e., lime water, different sodium silicate solutions and water. The self-healing efficiency as well as the evolution of the crack recovery was assessed by the observation of the crack surface with the use of digital optical microscope. The healed area of the crack was calculated and compared for all the specimens by applying the image processing techniques. The morphology of the healing products as well as their chemical composition were examined with the use of Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy.
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| 30. |
- Rajczakowska, Magdalena, et al.
(författare)
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The effect of exposure on the autogenous self-healing of Ordinary Portland cement mortars
- 2019
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Ingår i: Materials. - : MDPI. - 1996-1944. ; 12:23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Exposure conditions are critical for the autogenous self-healing process of Portland cement based binder matrixes. However, there is still a significant lack of fundamental knowledge related to this factor. The aim of this paper was to investigate and understand the effects of various potentially applicable curing solutions on the efficiency of the crack closure occurring both superficially and internally. Four groups of exposures were tested, including exposure with different water immersion regimes, variable temperatures, application of chemical admixtures, and use of solutions containing micro particles. The self-healing process was evaluated externally, at the surface of the crack, and internally, at different crack depths with the use of optical and scanning electron microscopes (SEM). The phase identification was done with an energy dispersive spectrometer combined with the SEM. The results showed very limited self-healing in all pure water-based exposures, despite the application of different cycles, temperatures, and water volumes. The addition of a phosphate-based retarding admixture demonstrated the highest crack closure, both internally and externally. The highest strength recovery and a very good crack closure ratio was achieved in water exposure containing micro silica particles. The main phase observed on the surface was calcium carbonate, and internally, calcium silicate hydrate, calcium carbonate, and calcium phosphate compounds. Phosphate ions were found to contribute to the filling of the crack, most likely by preventing the formation of a dense shell composed of hydration phases on the exposed areas by crack unhydrated cement grains as well as by the additional precipitation of calcium and phosphate-based compounds. The micro sized silica particles presumably served as nucleation sites for the self-healing products growth. Changes in the chemical composition of the self-healing material were observed with a distance from the surface of the specimen.
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| 31. |
- Sayahi, Faez, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of Water-Cement Ratio on Plastic Shrinkage Cracking in Self-Compacting Concrete
- 2017
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the 23rd Nordic Concrete Research Symposium. - Oslo, Norway : Nordic Concrete Federation. - 9788282080569
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plastic shrinkage cracking is a mechanical phenomenon that occurs in the first few hours after casting the concrete in its mould. It is commonly believed that rapid and excessive moisture loss of the fresh concrete, mainly due to evaporation, plays a decisive role in the early age shrinkage. However, it is not always possible to justify all the plastic shrinkage incidents based on water evaporation solely. Instead, it seems that and interconnected correlation between evaporation, capillary pressure and hydration rate may offer better explanation. In this paper effect of water-cement (w/c) ratio on plastic shrinkage cracking of self-compacting concrete (SCC) is investigates. Four recipes with different w/c ratios (0.38, 0.45, 0.55 and 0.67) are tested by using Ring test method (NT BUILD 433). During the experiments evaporation, capillary pressure and internal temperature of the specimens were recorded from 60 minutes after casting up to 18 hours, at which the length and width of the cracks were measured. The results show lower risk of cracking when w/c ratio is between 0.45 to 0.55. However, the specimens with 0.38 and 0.67 w/c ratio experienced higher cracking tendency, especially the latter, in which severe cracking was observed.
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| 32. |
- Sayahi, Faez, et al.
(författare)
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Plastic Shrinkage Cracking in Concrete : Influence of Test Methods
- 2017
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plastic shrinkage cracking can become problematic especially in concrete elements with high surface to volume ratio such as slabs and pavements. In this paper two test methods commonly used when studying the phenomenon have been evaluated; ring test method (NORDTEST-method NT Build 433) developed in NTNU/SINTEF by Johansen and Dahl in order to study the effect of different materials and constituents on the cracking tendency at macro-level, and ASTM C 1579, mainly designed in order to map the influence of fibres. During this research, influence of coarse aggregate content on plastic shrinkage cracking of self-compacting concrete (SCC) was studied. Preliminary results show same tendencies with the two methods i.e. a lower plastic shrinkage tendency with higher amount of coarse aggregates.
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| 33. |
- Sayahi, Faez
(författare)
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Plastic Shrinkage Cracking In Concrete : Mitigation and Modelling
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Early-age (up to 24 hours after casting) cracking may become problematic in any concrete structure. It can have a negative influence on the aesthetics of the concrete structure, as well as decreasing the durability and serviceability by facilitating the ingress of harmful materials into the concrete bulk. Moreover, these cracks may expand gradually during the member’s service-life due to long-term shrinkage and/or loading. Early-age cracking is caused by two driving forces: 1) plastic shrinkage cracking which is a physical phenomenon and occurs due to rapid and excessive loss of moisture, mainly in form of evaporation, 2) chemical reactions between cement and water which causes autogenous shrinkage. In this PhD project only the former is investigated.Rapid evaporation from the surface of fresh concrete causes negative pressure, known as capillary pressure, in the pore system. This pressure pulls the solid particles together and decreases the inter-particle distances, causing the whole concrete element to shrink. If this contraction is hindered in any way, the induced tensile stresses may exceed the low tensile strength of the concrete and cracking starts. The phenomenon, occurring shortly after casting while the concrete is still in the plastic stage, is mainly observed in elements with high surface to volume ratio such as slabs and pavements.Many parameters may affect the probability of plastic shrinkage cracking. Among others, effect of water/cement ratio (w/c), fines, admixtures, geometry of the element, ambient conditions (i.e. temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity and solar radiation), etc. has been investigated previously. In the presented research, in addition to studying the influence of various parameters, i.e. w/c, cement type, coarse aggregate content, superplasticizer dosage, admixtures, and steel fibres, effort is made to reach a better and more comprehensive understanding about the cracking governing mechanism. Evaporation, capillary pressure evolution and hydration rate are particularly investigated in order to identify their relationship.This project started with extensive literature study which is summarized in Paper I. Then, the main objective was set upon which series of experiments were defined. The utilized methods, material, investigated parameters, and results are presented in Papers II-IV. A model was, then, proposed in Paper V, to estimate the cracking severity of the plastic concrete.It has been observed that evaporation is the driving force behind the plastic shrinkage crackingin concrete. However, a correlation between evaporation, rate of capillary pressure development and the duration of dormant period governs the severity of the phenomenon. Among other things, the results show that rapid capillary pressure development in the pore network accompanied by slower hydration significantly increases the cracking risk.
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| 34. |
- Sayahi, Faez, et al.
(författare)
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Plastic Shrinkage Cracking in Concrete
- 2019
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Ingår i: Proceedings, 2019, SMASCO 2019. - Basel Switzerland : MDPI.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Plastic shrinkage cracking in concrete is mainly a physical process, in which chemical reactions between cement and water do not play a decisive role. It is commonly believed that rapid and excessive moisture loss, due to evaporation is the primary cause of the phenomenon. Once the concrete is cast, its solid particles start to settle due to gravity, causing an upward water-flow from the concrete interior and through its pore system to the surface, i.e., bleeding regime. When the amount of the evaporated water exceeds the amount of the water accumulated at the concrete surface, i.e., bleed water, concrete enters the so called drying regime, during which water menisci form inside the pores causing a build-up of a negative pore pressure, also known as capillary pressure. The progressive evaporation gradually decreases the radii of the menisci, which causes a further increase of the pore pressure and solid particles consolidation. Eventually, the skeleton of the concrete becomes stiff enough to resist the gravitational forces, which means that the vertical deformation of the concrete either completely stops or continues at a much lower rate. At this point, the capillary pressure is no longer able to further consolidate the concrete and move the pore water towards the surface. Instead, the developed tensile forces reduce the inter particle distances and the horizontal deformation continues. If the concrete member is restrained (e.g., due to reinforcement, variation in sectional depth, the friction of the form, etc.), the shrinkage can lead to tensile stresses accumulation. Once the tensile stresses exceed the early age tensile strength of the concrete, cracks start to form, preparing passageways for ingress of harmful materials into the concrete interior, which eventually may impair the durability and serviceability of the structure. This abstract reports the findings of a PhD research, carried out at Luleå University of Technology (LTU) to investigate the impact of parameters such as, admixtures, water-cement ratio (w/c), cement type, dosage of superplasticizer (SP), and steel fibers, on concrete’s cracking tendency while in plastic state. The results show that presence of accelerators, retarders, coarser cement particles, high w/c, and more SP increases the cracking risk, while stabilizers, air entraining agents (AEA), shrinkage reducing admixtures (SRA), and steel fibers notably decrease the cracking potential. Based on the findings of the above mentioned investigation a new model is proposed to estimate the severity of plastic shrinkage cracking, based on the initial setting time and the amount of the evaporated water from within the concrete bulk. The experimental results of the PhD research, alongside those reported by other researchers, were utilized to check the validity of the proposed model. According to the outcomes, the model could predict the cracking severity of the tested concretes with a good precision.
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| 35. |
- Sayahi, Faez, et al.
(författare)
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Plastic Shrinkage Cracking of Self-compacting Concrete: Influence of Capillary Pressure and Dormant Period
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nordic Concrete Research. - : Norsk betongförening. - 0800-6377 .- 2545-2819. ; 60:1, s. 67-88
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This research investigates the effect of capillary pressure and the length of the hydration dormant period on the plastic shrinkage cracking tendency of SCC by studying specimens produced with different w/c ratios, cement types and SP dosages.The results show, that the cracking tendency of SCC was the lowest in case of w/c ratio between 0.45 and 0.55, finer rapid hardening cement and lower dosage of SP. The dormant period was prolonged by increasing the w/c ratio, using coarser cement and higher SP dosage. It was concluded that the cracking tendency of concrete is a function of the capillary pressure build-up rate and the length of the dormant period.
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| 36. |
- Sayahi, Faez, et al.
(författare)
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Plastic Shrinkage Craking In Self-Compacting Concrete : A Parametric Study
- 2016
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Ingår i: International RILEM conference on Materials, Systems and Structures in Civil Engineering 2016 (MSSCE 2016). - Paris, France : Rilem publications. - 9782351581704 - 9782351581735 ; , s. 609-619
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plastic shrinkage cracking, often the first type of cracks occurring even before initial setting, causes enormous expenses for the building industry annually. The main reason behind the phenomenon is believed to be rapid and excessive surface water evaporation of the concrete element in the plastic stage which in turn leads to the so-called plastic or capillary shrinkage. These cracks mainly occur in horizontal concrete elements with large surface to volume ratio (such as slabs, pavements, etc.). This paper reports results from experiments performed, using ring test method (NORDTEST-method NT Build 433). During the experiments, influence of water-cement (w/c) ratio, cement type, coarse aggregate content and super plasticizer dosage was investigated. Moreover, effort was made to explain the difference in cracking tendency of different concretes based on water evaporation rate and capillary pressure. It seems that various parameters have different influences on the cracking tendency, the evaporation rate, as well as the hydration rate and capillary pressure. Although, capillary pressure is local and its maximum value differs in different locations, it seems that its development rate, especially in the first few hours, is almost identical everywhere in the specimen. This may be used as a plastic shrinkage indicator.
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| 37. |
- Wingren, Anette Gjorloff, et al.
(författare)
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T Cell Activation Pathways : B7, LFA-3, and ICAM-1 Shape Unique T Cell Profiles
- 2017
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Ingår i: Critical Reviews in Immunology. - 1040-8401. ; 37:2-6, s. 463-481
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Two signals are required for induction of cell proliferation and cytokine production in resting T cells. Occupancy of the T cell receptor by antigen/MHC complexes delivers the first signal to the T cell, while the second signal is provided by interaction with costimulatory ligands on APC. CD2, LFA-1, and CD28 are the major costimulatory and adhesive molecules on T cells and bind to the LFA-3, ICAM-1 and B7 ligands, respectively, on APC. LFA-3 plays a central role for naive and memory T helper cells during the early phase of an immune response. The LFA-3/CD2 pathway initiates strong antigen-independent cell adhesion, substantial expansion of naive T helper cells, and induction of large amounts of IFN-γ in memory cells. The release of IFN-γ may upregulate expression of ICAM-1 and B7 on APC and allows multiple adhesion pathways to amplify the immune response. The LFA- 1/ICAM-l pathway stimulates adhesion and cell proliferation more efficiently in memory T helper cells than in naive cells. Further, the results suggest that naive T helper cells express functionally inactive LFA-1 molecules on the cell surface, which may have a physiological role in keeping these cells in a resting state. B7 costimulation superinduces IL-2 production in both naive and memory T helper cells and generates long-lasting cell proliferation. This permits transition from an autocrine to a paracrine immune response. Coexpression of B7/LFA-3 provides an optimal APC function and enables a vigorous T cell response to minute amounts of antigen. AP-1 and NF-κB transcription factors are involved in the induction of several cytokine gene promoters and play a central role in the regulation of IL-2 gene transcription. LFA-3 costimulation only moderately enhances AP-1 DNA-binding activity and does not influence the NF-κB activity induced by TCR engagement, whereas B7 costimulation induces large amounts of NF-κB and AP-1 activity in T helper cells. The costimulatory ligands represent a family of adhesion molecules with considerable redundancy. Interfamily redundancy of LFA-3, B7, and ICAM ligands offers an opportunity to regulate distinct T cell response profiles in various microenvironments at separate time points of an immune response.
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