The society today lives on the philosophy of ‘take-make-use-dispose.’ In the long run, this is not sustainable as the natural resources and the waste carrying capacity of the earth are limited. Therefore, it is essential to reduce dependency on the natural resources by decoupling the growth from the consumption. In this venture, both the society and the manufacturing industry have a vital role to play. The society needs to shift towards Circular Economy that rests upon the philosophy of ‘take-make-use-reuse’ and the manufacturing industry has to be a major stakeholder in this shift. Despite being proven to be both economically and environmentally beneficial, successful examples of circular systems are few today. This is primarily due to two reasons; firstly, there is a lack of systemic and systematic approach to guide industries and secondly, there is a lack of analysis methods and tools that are capable of assessing different aspects of circular manufacturing systems. Taking on to these challenges, the objective of this research is to bring forward a framework with methods and decision support tools that are essential to implement circular manufacturing systems. The initial conceptual framework with the systemic approach is developed based on extensive review and analysis of research, which is further adapted for industrial implementation. Systematic analysis methods, decision support and implementation tools are developed to facilitate this adaptation. This development has been supported by four cases from diverse manufacturing sectors. Behind each decision support tool, there are analysis methods built upon mainly system dynamics principles. These tools are based on simulation platforms called Stella and Anylogic. Among other things, these tools are capable of assessing the performance of closed-loop supply chains, consequences of resource scarcity, potential gains from resource conservation and overall economic and environmental performance of circular manufacturing systems.

Purpose

The question of resource scarcity and emerging pressure of environmental legislations has brought a new challenge for the manufacturing industry. On the one hand, there is a huge population that demands a large quantity of commodities; on the other hand, these demands have to be met by minimum resources and pollution. Resource conservative manufacturing (ResCoM) is a proposed holistic concept to manage these challenges. The successful implementation of this concept requires cross functional collaboration among relevant fields, and among them, closed loop supply chain is an essential domain. The paper aims to highlight some misconceptions concerning the closed loop supply chain, to discuss different challenges, and in addition, to show how the proposed concept deals with those challenges through analysis of key performance indicators (KPI).

Methods

The work presented in this paper is mainly based on the literature review. The analysis of performance of the closed loop supply chain is done using system dynamics, and the Stella software has been used to do the simulation. Findings The results of the simulation depict that in ResCoM; the performance of the closed loop supply chain is much enhanced in terms of supply, demand, and other uncertainties involved. The results may particularly be interesting for industries involved in remanufacturing, researchers in the field of closed loop supply chain, and other relevant areas. Originality The paper presented a novel research concept called ResCoM which is supported by system dynamics models of the closed loop supply chain to demonstrate the behavior of KPI in the closed loop supply chain.

A transition from discrete optical modes to 1D photonic bands is experimentally observed and numerically studied in planar photonic-crystal (PhC) L-N microcavities of length N. For increasing N the confined modes progressively acquire a well-defined momentum, eventually reconstructing the band dispersion of the corresponding waveguide. Furthermore, photon localization due to disorder is observed experimentally in the membrane PhCs using spatially resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. Implications on single-photon sources and transfer lines based on quasi-1D PhC structures are discussed.

In wireless and mobile IP networks there is a need to support a set of functions that are related to wireless QoS provisioning, resource optimizations, mobility and security management and operator policy enforcement. These requirements have lead to the frequent usage of so called middleboxes including header/payload compressors, performance enhancement proxies, tunnel endpoints, packet filters and redirectors, QoS schedulers and others. Unfortunately, the increasing usage of these types of devices often leads to undesirable artifacts called feature interactions. In this paper we propose a framework that aims to coordinate the operation of middleboxes such that feature interactions are avoided. The three main ideas are (1) the separation of the control plane from the distributed network nodes, (2) the usage of a middlebox function independent horizontal protocol that allows mobile hosts to communicate their desired service requests to the network and (3) the usage of a vertical protocol between the network control and user planes. We present two examples in which this framework helps eliminate the risk for feature interactions. We comment on the relationship between the end-to-end principle and this framework. Finally, we discuss how future middleboxes can fit into this framework.

Accident models and analysis methods affect what accident investigators look for, which contributory factors are found, and which recommendations are issued. This paper contrasts the Sequentially Timed Events Plotting (STEP) method and the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) for accident analysis and modelling. The main issue addressed in this paper is the comparison of the established multi-linear method STEP with the new systemic method FRAM and which new insights the latter provides for accident analysis in comparison to the former established multi-linear method. Since STEP and FRAM are based on a different understandings of the nature of accidents, the comparison of the methods focuses on what we can learn from both methods, how, when, and why to apply them. The main finding is that STEP helps to illustrate what happened, involving which actors at what time, whereas FRAM illustrates the dynamic interactions within socio-technical systems and lets the analyst understand the how and why by describing non-linear dependencies, performance conditions, variability, and their resonance across functions.

A novel arc heat treatment technique was applied to design a uniquely graded super duplex stainless steel (SDSS), by subjecting a single sample to a steady state temperature gradient for 10 h. A new experimental approach was used to map precipitation in microstructure, covering aging temperatures of up to 1430 °C. The microstructure was characterized and functionality was evaluated via hardness mapping. Nitrogen depletion adjacent to the fusion boundary depressed the upper temperature limit for austenite formation and influenced the phase balance above 980 °C. Austenite/ferrite boundaries deviating from Kurdjumov–Sachs orientation relationship (OR) were preferred locations for precipitation of σ at 630–1000 °C, χ at 560–1000 °C, Cr2N at 600–900 °C and R between 550 °C and 700 °C. Precipitate morphology changed with decreasing temperature; from blocky to coral-shaped for σ, from discrete blocky to elongated particles for χ, and from polygonal to disc-shaped for R. Thermodynamic calculations of phase equilibria largely agreed with observations above 750 °C when considering nitrogen loss. Formation of intermetallic phases and 475 °C-embrittlement resulted in increased hardness. A schematic diagram, correlating information about phase contents, morphologies and hardness, as a function of exposure temperature, is introduced for evaluation of functionality of microstructures.

This thesis presents the development of integrated silicon photonic devices. These devices are compatible with the present and near future CMOS technology. High-khorizontal grating couplers and waveguides are proposed. This work consists of simulations and device design, as well as the layout for the fabrication process, device fabrication, process development, characterization instrument development and electro-optical characterizations.

The work demonstrates an alternative solution to costly silicon-on-insulator photonics. The proposed solution uses bulk silicon wafers and thin film deposited waveguides. Back-end deposited horizontal slot grating couplers and waveguides are realized by multi-layers of amorphous silicon and high-k materials.

The achievements of this work include: A theoretical study of fully etched slot grating couplers with Al₂O₃, HfO2 and AIN, an optical study of the high-k films with spectroscopic ellipsometry, an experimental demonstration of fully etched SiO2 single slot grating couplers and double slot Al₂O₃ grating couplers, a practical demonstration of horizontal double slot high-k waveguides, partially etched Al₂O₃ single slot grating couplers, a study of a scheme for integration of the double slot Al₂O₃  waveguides with selectively grown germanium PIN photodetectors, realization of test chips for the integrated germanium photodetectors, and study of integration with graphene photodetectors through embedding the graphene into a high-k slot layer.

From an application point of view, these high-k slot waveguides add more functionality to the current silicon photonics. The presented devices can be used for low cost photonics applications. Also alternative optical materials can be used in the context of this photonics platform.

With the robust design, the grating couplers result in improved yield and a more cost effective solution is realized for integration of the waveguides with the germanium and graphene photodetectors.

In view of the fact that most of the synthetic refrigerants, in case of leakage or release, are harmful to the environment by contributing in global warming or depleting stratospheric ozone layer, many research works have been done recently to find alternative refrigerants posing no or negligible threat to the environment. Among alternative refrigerants, ammonia, a natural refrigerant with zero Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP), can be a sensible choice.Although ammonia has been used for many years in large industrial systems, its application in small units is rare. In this project a small heat pump with about 7 kW heating capacity at -5 °C and +40 °C evaporation and condensation temperatures is designed and built to work with ammonia as refrigerant. The heat pump is expected to produce enough heat to keep a single-family house warm in Sweden and to provide tap hot water for the house. After successful completion of this project, it is planned to install the heat pump in a house to test it throughout a heating season to study its performance in real working conditions.Since ammonia is flammable and toxic in high concentrations, the refrigerant charge is tried to be kept low in the heat pump to reduce the risk of fire or poisoning in case of unwanted release of refrigerant to the surroundings. The compact design of the heat pump helps reducing the refrigerant charge. Besides, considering the limited space normally reserved for installation of a heat pump in a house, the compact design of the heat pump is necessary.

Refrigeration plays a crucial role in many different sectors and consumes about 17% of the electricity produced globally. This significant energy consumption implies large share of refrigeration in primary energy consumption and other environmental impacts. In addition to the environmental impacts associated with energy consumption, the vapor-compression systems contribute in global warming due to the release of their gaseous refrigerants into the atmosphere. As an alternative technology for near room-temperature applications, magnetic refrigeration is proposed by some researchers to eliminate the release of gaseous refrigerants into the atmosphere and to reduce the energy consumption. This thesis is a compilation of a number of studies done on magnetic refrigeration for room-temperature applications.

In the first study, the environmental impacts associated to magnetic refrigeration are looked at closely through a life cycle assessment. The life cycle assessment indicates that because of the environmental burdens related to the rare-earth materials used in magnetic refrigeration, the reduction in the environmental impacts is not guaranteed by switching to magnetic refrigeration technology. Accordingly to avoid the extra environmental impacts the magnetic refrigeration systems should use magnetic materials frugally, which requires an optimized design. In addition, operation with higher efficiency compared to vapor-compression systems is necessary to have environmental advantages, at least in some impact categories.

A practical method to optimize the design of magnetic refrigeration systems, e.g. to have a compact design or high efficiency, is utilizing a flexible software model, with which the effect of varying different parameters on the performance of the system can be simulated. Such a software model of the magnetic refrigeration system is developed and validated in this project. In developing the model one goal is to add to the precision of the simulated results by taking more details into consideration. This goal is achieved by an innovative way of modeling the parasitic heat transfer and including the effect of the presence of magnetocaloric materials on the strength of the field created by the magnet assembly. In addition, some efforts are made to modify or correct the existing correlations to include the effect of binding agents used in some active magnetic regenerators. Validation of the developed software model is done using the experimental results obtained from the prototype existing at the Department of Energy Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology.

One of the parameters that can be modified by the developed software model is the choice of the magnetocaloric materials for each layer in a layered active magnetic regenerator. Utilizing the software model for optimizing the choice of the materials for the layers reveals that materials with critical temperatures equal to the cyclic average temperature of the layers in which they are used do not necessarily result in the desired optimum performance. In addition, for maximizing different outputs of the models, such as energy efficiency or temperature lift sustained at the two ends of the regenerators, different choice of materials for the layers are needed. Therefore, in other studies seeking to improve one of the outputs of a system, the choice of the transition or critical temperatures of the materials for each layer is an additional parameter to be optimized.

The prototype existing at the Department of Energy Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, was initially designed for replacing the vapor-compression system of a professional refrigerator. However, it could not fulfil the requirements for which it was initially designed. The aforementioned developed simulation model is used to see how much the choice of the materials, size of the particles, and number of layers can enhance the performance while the operation frequency and flow rate of the heat transfer fluid are at their optimum values. In other words, in that study the room for improvement in the performance without applying major changes in the system such as the geometry of the regenerator, which implies redesigning the whole magnet assembly, is investigated. In the redesign process the effect of binding agent and the limitations associated to different properties of it is also investigated theoretically. Nevertheless, the study did not show that with keeping the geometry of the regenerators and the currently existing magnetocaloric materials the initial goals of the prototype can be achieved.

In the next study more flexible choice of geometries and magnetocaloric materials are considered. In fact, in this study it is investigated how much the magnetocaloric materials need to be improved so that magnetic refrigeration systems can compete with vapor-compression ones in terms of performance. For the two investigated cases, the magnetic-field dependent properties of the currently existing materials are enough provided that some other issues such as low mechanical stability and inhomogeneity of the properties are solved. Nevertheless, for more demanding design criteria, such as delivering large cooling capacity over a considerable temperature span while the magnetic materials are used sparingly, the magnetic-field dependent properties need to be enhanced, as well.

A less explored area in room-temperature magnetic refrigeration is the subject of another study included in the thesis. In this study, solid-state magnetic refrigeration systems with Peltier elements as heat switches are modeled. Since the Peltier elements consume electricity to pump heat, the modeled systems can be considered hybrid magnetocaloric-Peltier cooling systems. For such systems the detailed transient behavior of the Peltier elements together with layers of magnetocaloric materials are modeled. The mathematical model is suitable for implementation in programing languages without the need for commercial modeling platforms. The parameters affecting the performance of the modeled system are numerous, and optimization of them requires a separate study. However, the preliminary attempts on optimizing the modeled system does not give promising results. Accordingly, focusing on passive heat switches can be more beneficial.

In this paper, we study optimization of multi-tone signals for wireless power transfer (WPT) systems. We investigate different non-linear energy harvesting models. Two of them are adopted to optimize the multi-tone signal according to the channel state information available at the transmitter. We show that a second-order polynomial curve-fitting model can be utilized to optimize the multi-tone signal for any RF energy harvester design. We consider both single-antenna and multi-antenna WPT systems. In-band co-existing communication links are also considered in this work by imposing a constraint on the received power at the nearby information receiver to prevent its RF front end from saturation. We emphasize the importance of imposing such constraint by explaining how inter-modulation products, due to saturation, can cause high interference at the information receiver in the case of multi-tone signals. The multi-tone optimization problem is formulated as a non-convex linearly constrained quadratic program. Two globally optimal solution approaches using mixed-integer linear programming and finite branch-and-bound techniques are proposed to solve the problem. The achieved improvement resulting from applying both solution methods to the multi-tone optimization problem is highlighted through simulations and comparisons with other solutions existing in the literature.

In this paper, a dual-polarized multi-antenna structure is designed at 2.45 GHz with the goal of allowing simultaneous transmission of wireless information and power. Differential feeding was used to minimize the mutual coupling due to radiation leakage in addition to a mushroom-type EBG structure for suppressing the surface waves. Simulation results for the proposed structure show a mutual coupling level lower than -40 dB between the information transmitting antenna and the power transmitting antennas for both polarizations. The isolation level between the antennas is improved by at least 22 dB and 14 dB for the E-plane and H-plane coupling, respectively.

Nowadays high speed and high data rate communication are highly demanded. Consequently, wideband and high frequency transmitter and receivers should be designed. New transmitters and receivers should also have low power consumption, simple design and low manufacturing price in order to fulfill manufacturers’ requests for mass production. Having all above specifications, six-port correlator is a proper choice to be used as modulator and demodulator in transmitters and receivers.

In this thesis the six-port correlator is introduced, modeled and simulated using Advanced Design System (ADS) software. A simple six-port transmitter/receiver system with a line of sight link is modeled and analyzed in BER, path length and noise terms. The modulation in this system is QAM, frequency is 7.5 GHz and symbol rate is 500 Msymbol/s.

Furthermore two methods are proposed for high frequency and high symbol rate M-PSK and M-QAM modulation using six-port correlator. The 7.5 GHz modulators are modeled and simulated in ADS. Data streams generated by pseudo random bit generator with 1 GHz bandwidth are applied to modulators. Common source field effect transistors (FETs) with zero bias are used as controllable impedance termination to apply baseband data to modulator. Both modulators show good performance in M-PSK and M-QAM modulation.

This work demonstrated that the coupling of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction with slow pyrolysis is effective to remove over half of extractives from low quality wood and to generate biochar from remaining solid wood fractions. The high yields of extractives from supercritical carbon dioxide extraction illustrates the potential utilizing of low quality wood as an alternative feedstock for the sustainable production of value-added chemicals. Results showed that supercritical carbon dioxide extraction has neither a strong impact on the physical properties of original wood nor on the yield of solid biochar. These results are promising as they show that the biochar obtained for this renewable feedstock could be used as an alternative to fossil-based coke in applications including ferroalloy industries. Moreover, the heat treatment temperature and supercritical carbon dioxide extraction had a significant impact on the tar yields, leading to the increase in naphthalene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic and phenolic fractions with the greater temperature. The differences in gasification reactivity and dielectric properties of solid biochars, composition and yields of liquid products of non-treated pinewood and extracted wood fraction emphasize the impact of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction on the pyrolysis process. 

Vattenskärning anses generellt vara en mångsidig bearbetningsteknik med en mängd tillämpningsområden. Ren vattenskärning gör det möjligt att skära i mjuka material som gummi, medan tillsatt abrasivmedel tillåter skärning av bland annat stål och keramik. Skärningen lämnar inga restspänningar eller någon värmepåverkan i materialet. Dessutom blir ytfinheten så bra att man ofta slipper efterbehandling. Processen skapar inte heller några farliga gaser och är relativt miljövänlig. Syftet med detta arbete har varit att undersöka vattenskärningstekniken, dess nuvarande samt nya tillämpningsområden. Målet har även varit att jämföra tekniken med alternativa bearbetningsmetoder för att klargöra för‐ och nackdelar mellan dessa. Detta gjordes i syfte för att undersöka vilken teknik som är lämpligast att använda beroende på egenskaper såsom material, materialtjocklek och storlek av tillverkad serie. Arbetet har skrivits från Sverige och Frankrike och därmed har man valt att undersöka ifall användningsområdena hos vattenskärning skiljer sig mellan de två länderna. För att uppnå syftet valdes tre frågeställningar för att besvara hur man utökar tillämpningsområdet för vattenskärning, vilka för‐ respektive nackdelar vattenskärning har jämfört med andra skärmetoder och hur tillämpningsområdena är annorlunda mellan Frankrike och Sverige. De huvudsakliga informationskällorna för arbetet har varit intervjuer med tillverkande företag som använder sig av vattenskärning, leverantörer av vattenskärningsmaskiner och forskningsinstitut. Teoretisk komplettering har skett i form av informationssamling från litteratur och vetenskapliga artiklar. Valda primärkällor är företagshemsidor hos aktörer inom bearbetningsindustrin. Rapporten visar att vattenskärningstekniken är applicerbar inom ett flertal industrier och att tillämpningsområdena skiljer sig mellan Frankrike och Sverige; i Frankrike används vattenskärning främst inom livsmedelsindustrin, medan den är mer utbredd inom verkstadsindustrin i Sverige. Aktörer på den svenska marknaden är skeptiska till användning av vattentryck på över 400 MPa, trots att det tyder på många fördelar. Den huvudsakliga begränsningen hos vattenskärning är tjockleken hos materialet. Vid skärning av stål över 30 mm kan strålen fördröjas och resultera i en ickeprecis skärning, ett problem som löses genom att ändra skärparametrar såsom skärhastighet eller genom snedställning av skärmunstycket. Efter en utvärdering av plasma‐, laser‐ och vattenskärning, kan man konstatera att ingen metod är direkt konkurrerande med en annan, då varje teknik lämpar sig bäst inom sitt respektive användningsområde. Teknikerna kompletterar snarare än konkurrerar med varandra.

Production transfers are a result of outsourcing and offshoring decisions. Though, because of

the strategic focus of the outsourcing literature have not the operational issues of how

relationship development between sender, receiver and raw material been fully depicted. The

purpose of the present paper is to explore relationship development connected to transfer of

raw material supplies responsibility during transfer of production. To fulfil the purpose, four

different production transfers were studied: three from Sweden to China, Romania and

Hungary respectively and one transfer from Holland to Sweden. We can see that the

dependence and power shifts gradually between the sender and the receiver and the

relationship between them sets the arena for what relationship is developed between the

receiver and the raw material suppliers. Furthermore, short social distances can over bridge

cultural and technological distances to some extent, because it motivates to take the

relationship into a more developed state.

Production transfers are a result of outsourcing and offshoring decisions. Because of the strategic focus of the outsourcing literature, the operational issues of relationship development between sender and receiver and its impact on the transfer progress have not been fully depicted. The purpose of the present paper is to explore relationship development during production transfer. To fulfil this purpose, we studied three different production transfers and derived four propositions for further testing. Our main conclusions included that dependence and power gradually shift between the sender and the receiver and that the relationship between them sets the arena for what types of relationships can be developed between the receiver and the suppliers. Furthermore, short social distances can bridge cultural and technological distances to some extent, because it motivates the actors to bring their relationship into a more developed state. Finally, we noticed that the headquarters’ involvement can work both as an inhibitor as well as a converter.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)- oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (T-CNFs) were tested as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) agents through core floods and microfluidic experiments. Both particles were mixed with low salinity water (LSW). The core floods were grouped into three parts based on the research objectives. In Part 1, secondary core flood using CNCs was compared to regular water flooding at fixed conditions, by reusing the same core plug to maintain the same pore structure. CNCs produced 5.8% of original oil in place (OOIP) more oil than LSW. For Part 2, the effect of injection scheme, temperature, and rock wettability was investigated using CNCs. The same trend was observed for the secondary floods, with CNCs performing better than their parallel experiment using LSW. Furthermore, the particles seemed to perform better under mixed-wet conditions. Additional oil (2.9–15.7% of OOIP) was produced when CNCs were injected as a tertiary EOR agent, with more incremental oil produced at high temperature. In the final part, the effect of particle type was studied. T-CNFs produced significantly more oil compared to CNCs. However, the injection of T-CNF particles resulted in a steep increase in pressure, which never stabilized. Furthermore, a filter cake was observed at the core face after the experiment was completed. Microfluidic experiments showed that both T-CNF and CNC nanofluids led to a better sweep efficiency compared to low salinity water flooding. T- CNF particles showed the ability to enhance the oil recovery by breaking up events and reducing the trapping efficiency of the porous medium. A higher flow rate resulted in lower oil recovery factors and higher remaining oil connectivity. Contact angle and interfacial tension measurements were conducted to understand the oil recovery mechanisms. CNCs altered the interfacial tension the most, while T-CNFs had the largest effect on the contact angle. However, the changes were not significant enough for them to be considered primary EOR mechanisms.

The use of wood-derived cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) or galactoglucomannans (GGM) for emulsion stabilization may be a way to obtain new environmentally friendly emulsifiers. Both have previously been shown to act as emulsifiers, offering physical, and in the case of GGM, oxidative stability to the emulsions. Oil-in-water emulsions were prepared using highly charged (1352 ± 5 µmol/g) CNFs prepared by TEMPO-mediated oxidation, or a coarser commercial CNF, less charged (≈ 70 µmol/g) quality (Exilva forte), and the physical emulsion stability was evaluated by use of droplet size distributions, micrographs and visual appearance. The highly charged, finely fibrillated CNFs stabilized the emulsions more effectively than the coarser, lower charged CNFs, probably due to higher electrostatic repulsions between the fibrils, and a higher surface coverage of the oil droplets due to thinner fibrils. At a constant CNF/oil ratio, the lowest CNF and oil concentration of 0.01 wt % CNFs and 5 wt % oil gave the most stable emulsion, with good stability toward coalescence, but not towards creaming. GGM (0.5 or 1.0 wt %) stabilized emulsions (5 wt % oil) showed no creaming behavior, but a clear bimodal distribution with some destabilization over the storage time of 1 month. Combinations of CNFs and GGM for stabilization of emulsions with 5 wt % oil, provided good stability towards creaming and a slower emulsion destabilization than for GGM alone. GGM could also improve the stability towards oxidation by delaying the initiation of lipid oxidation. Use of CNFs and combinations of GGM and CNFs can thus be away to obtain stable emulsions, such as mayonnaise and beverage emulsions. © 2021, The Author(s).

Wireless communications rely, among other things, on theunderstanding of the properties of the radio propagationchannel, the antennas and their interplay. Adequate measurementsare required to verify theoretical models and togain knowledge of the channel behavior and antenna performance.As a result of this master thesis we built a 3D fieldscanner measurement system to predict multipath propagationand to measure antenna characteristics. The 3Dscanner allows measuring a signal at the point of interestalong a line, on a surface or within a volume in space. In orderto evaluate the system, we have performed narrowbandchannel sounding measurements of the spatial distributionof waves impinging at an imaginary spherical sector. Datawas used to estimate the Angle-of-Arrivals (AoA) and amplitudeof the waves. An estimation method is presented tosolve the resulting inverse problem by means of regularizationwith truncated singular value decomposition. The regularizedsolution was then further improved with the helpof a successive interference cancellation algorithm. Beforeapplying the method to measurement data, it was testedon synthetic data to evaluate its performance as a functionof the noise level and the number of impinging waves. Inorder to minimize estimation errors it was also required tofind the phase center of the horn antenna used in the channelmeasurements. The task was accomplished by directmeasurements and by the regularization method, both resultsbeing in good agreement.

It is widely assumed within industry that implementation of a Design for Reliability (DfR) Program can reduce warranty costs, increase customer value and reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) when applied within both product development and product improvement projects. DfR is the set of tools and related product development processes for improvement in the reliability of a product, over time through changes in the product design and the manufacturing process. This research activity aimed at demonstrating the customer and business value of implementing a DfR Program at Epiroc Surface Division. This wasinvestigated from the perspective of selected projects and product development activities focused on the Epiroc SmartROC D65 drilling rig, which has actively worked with the reliability tools.The study has concluded that implementing the DfR Program has yielded tangible business value. The enhanced Early-Life Reliability report now allows for better evaluation of business value. This value has primarily been derived from the ability to analyze reductions in warranty costs and improvements in Mean Time Between Events (MTBE), a subset of Mean Time between Failures (MTBF). A method has been developed to determine business value in terms of cost savings. From a customer perspective, when considering the TCO, it could be demonstrated that working actively with the reliability tools during product development positively affects the mechanical availability and productivity of the equipment resulting in TCO improvements. The primary tools employed in the study include the enhanced Early-Life Reliability report, and risk management tools employed during product development for early identification of potential failure modes.The study has concluded that the most significant opportunities for improving the DfR Program is by an increased collection of relevant data from the equipment’s useful life and not limited to the early life during the warranty period. Additionally, recording and reporting actual MTBFdata would be desirable to gain a broader perspective than what MTBE currently provides. Improving the quality and reliability of the input data used in tools like the Early-Life Reliability report would significantly enhance the output of this asset. It has been proven that the data can be utilized effectively. The enhanced version of the tool is not available for widespread use within the organization. However, once released, it could be a great opportunity to improve DfR in conjunction with the developed method for prioritizing efforts and demonstrating customer and business value.

A soil-steel composite bridge is a structure comprised of corrugated steel plates, which are joined with bolted connections, enclosed in friction soil material on both sides and on the top. The surrounding friction soil material, or backfill, is applied in sequential steps, each step involving compaction of the soil, which is a necessity for the construction to accumulate the required bearing capacity. Soil-steel composite bridges are an attractive option as compared with other more customary bridge types, owing to the lower construction time and building cost involved. This is particularly true in cases where gaps in the form of minor watercourses, roads or railways must be bridged.

The objective of this master thesis is the modelling of an existing soil-steel composite railway bridge in Märsta, Sweden with the finite element software Plaxis. A 3D model is created and calibrated for crown deflection against measurement data collected by the Division of Structural Engineering and Bridges of the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden.

Once the 3D model is calibrated for deflection, two 2D models with different properties are created in much the same way. In model 1, the full axle load is used and the soil stiffness varied, and in model 2 the soil stiffness acquired in the 3D model is used and the external load varied. The results are compared to measurement data. In 2D model 1 an efficient width of 1,46 m for the soil stiffness is used in combination with the full axle load, and in 2D model 2 an efficient width of 2,85 m is used for the external load, in combination with the soil stiffness acquired in the 3D model.

Aside from this, parametric studies are performed in order to analyse the effect of certain input parameters upon output results, and in order to analyse influence line lengths.

Recreating the accelerations and stresses in the existing bridge using finite element models is complicated, and the results reflect this. Below are shown the discrepancies between model results and measurement data for the pipe crown. The scatter in the measurement data has not been taken into consideration for this; these specific numbers are valid only for one particular train passage.

For crown deflection, the 3D model shows a discrepancy of 4%, 2D model 1 5% and 2D model 2 8% compared with measurement data. For crown acceleration, in the same order, the discrepancy with measurements is 1%, 71% and 21% for maximum acceleration, and 46%, 35% and 28% for minimum acceleration. For maximum crown tensile stress, the discrepancy is 95%, 263% and 13%. For maximum crown compressive stress, the discrepancy is 70%, 16% and 46%.

In this paper we have theoretically built a house designed for people with impaired mobility. The

essay begins with an introduction in which the purpose of the work, the methodology and the

depth-research part is presented. Then the layout that explains how we intend to adapt the house

for the demands detailed in the depth-research part is presented. In the same chapter various

structural components, such as different floors and walls, are specified.

In the selection of materials we have taken into account the criteria of our specialization and

adaptation to the aesthetic aspects, where we evaluate materials based upon our wishes regarding

technique and form. There are also other aspects that are important in the selection of materials,

including that these are adapted to technical traits of the construction elements and installations.

In a later chapter the technical installations such as ventilation systems, heating systems,

electricity and sanitation are presented, where both technical and financial aspects are described

in detail. The economic aspects are also described in connection with calculating the building's

power and energy requirements and then presented in the section where costs are accounted for.

Finally, the work is summarized in the section “Conclusion and Discussion” in which we analyze

all the work, and based on these analyses conclusions are drawn. During the course of work

regulations such as Boverkets Byggregler (BBR) and other sources were used. These sources are

presented in the bibliography section. We also received help and guidance from our supervisors

in various parts of the work, which we are grateful for.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of rational green packaging claims vs emotional green packaging claims on consumers' purchase propensity for organic coffee.

Design/methodology/approach - Three within-subjects experiment were carried out (N=87, N=245, N=60). The experimental design encompasses packaging with rational green claims, emotional green claims, as well as a neutral (control) claim. Measured variables are introduced to assess participants' environmental commitment and information processing ability. A manipulated between-subjects variable is introduced to test how distraction interacts with preference for the claims.

Findings - Overall, consumers prefer products with green claims over those with neutral (control) claims, and products with emotional green claims to those with rational green claims. The studies also reveal that this effect is moderated by participants' environmental commitment, information processing ability and by distraction. The findings were statistically significant (p<0.05).

Research limitations/implications - As a lab experiment, the study provides limited generalizability and external validity. Practical implications - For most organic FMCG products, it is advisable to employ emotional packaging claims.

Social implications - The presented findings provide marketers with tools to influence consumer behavior toward sustainable choices.

Originality/value - The paper validates previous contributions on the effects of product claim types, and extends them by introducing comprehensive empirical data on all the Elaboration Likelihood Model's criteria for rational decision-making; motivation, opportunity and ability.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of rational green packaging claims vs emotional green packaging claims on consumers' purchase propensity for organic coffee.

Design/methodology/approach - Three within-subjects experiment were carried out (N=87, N=245, N=60). The experimental design encompasses packaging with rational green claims, emotional green claims, as well as a neutral (control) claim. Measured variables are introduced to assess participants' environmental commitment and information processing ability. A manipulated between-subjects variable is introduced to test how distraction interacts with preference for the claims.

Findings - Overall, consumers prefer products with green claims over those with neutral (control) claims, and products with emotional green claims to those with rational green claims. The studies also reveal that this effect is moderated by participants' environmental commitment, information processing ability and by distraction. The findings were statistically significant (p<0.05).

Research limitations/implications - As a lab experiment, the study provides limited generalizability and external validity. Practical implications - For most organic FMCG products, it is advisable to employ emotional packaging claims.

Social implications - The presented findings provide marketers with tools to influence consumer behavior toward sustainable choices.

Originality/value - The paper validates previous contributions on the effects of product claim types, and extends them by introducing comprehensive empirical data on all the Elaboration Likelihood Model's criteria for rational decision-making; motivation, opportunity and ability.

Practicing designers must usually relate to branding in some manner. A designed artifact must support the brand in a constructive way and help establish positive brand experiences, which in turn have strategic value for the brand's institution. While there is obvious application of visual branding knowledge to the visual form of interactive artifacts, interviews with expert practitioners reveal a lack of systematic means to craft an interaction aesthetic to support a brand. Our empirical study relates attributes of interactive experience to that of 'brand personality', a common way of quantifying how a brand should be perceived. We show that particular attributes of interactivity, such as whether an interaction has a continuous rather than discrete flow, are related to particular brand traits. Our empirical results establish a clear commercial significance for deeper, systematic ways of analyzing and critiquing interactive experiences.

In our present work, we have synthesized a series of Cd-Zn doped nickel ferrite ((Cd-0.5 Zn-x(x)) Ni0(.5)Fe(2)O(4); x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5) through standard chemical co-precipitation method to study the influence of diamagnetic ions (Cd, Zn) on the magnetic properties of ferrites. XRD and Raman spectroscopy were employed for the structural characterizations. The refinement of the X-ray diffractogram data augmented by the Williamson-Hall plots showed the presence of Cd2+ vacancies and a strained crystal structure. The vibrational spectroscopy indicated the presence of lower space-group symmetry and a distorted crystal structure. Magnetic measurements showed the samples possessed low magnetic anisotropy along with a canted spin structure. The Mossbauer measurements confirmed the cation distribution and gave evidence of super transferred hyperfine interactions arising due to canted spin structure of the system.

The present study focused on the stability of 22 amphetamine impurities dissolved in six organic solvents: isooctane, toluene, ethanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and diethyl ether. The aim was to find the most inert, and thereby most suitable, solvent for amphetamine profiling. Mixtures of the impurities were prepared in the different solvents, and changes in the concentrations of the individual compounds over-time were monitored by gas chromatographic analysis after 0, 4, 12, 24, 48, and 96 h. Isooctane and toluene provided the most inert conditions, although, a few of the impurities were insufficiently stable in these two solvents. The present experiments were performed as a part of the development of a harmonised method for profiling of amphetamine. The results can be used to support the choice of organic solvents for sample preparation. They also provide information about the stability of the impurities that are found in profiles of illicit amphetamine. This is essential due to the fact, that unstable compounds can have a negative influence on the comparison of profiles.

The Swedish transportation sector needs to undergo major changes in order to achieve the established goals for climate and environment. The largest change is the replacement of fossil-fuelled vehicles to vehicles propelled by renewable energy sources, such as biofuels and electricity. To account for an increase in local electric power consumption, the electric power infrastructure of Sweden needs to adapt through expansion and reconstruction of the electric power grid. However, changes in infrastructure are usually expensive. It is therefore suitable to also examine alternative solutions, which could potentially be more cost efficient. One of these solutions are vehicle-to-grid (V2G), where electric vehicles acts as local electric power control and provides auxiliary services to the electric power grid. This thesis is a case study of a part of a low-voltage electric power grid on Gotland, with the goal of analysing the potential of V2G in the investigated area. The study focused on utilizing V2G for balancing electric power consumption and generation, and for adjusting voltage levels. Simulations of the area were executed in PSS®E for three different cases; one high-load case, low-load case and average-load case. It was found that by utilizing V2G a ramp up of electric power during mornings was delayed by approximately one hour, making the electric power grid potentially more compatible with photovoltaics (PV). However, the overall effects from V2G was fairly low. This outcome can partly be explained by the assumptions made in the report, and also due to some odd behaviour of the system model. 

The purpose of this research work is to explore and describe human factors affectingmaintenance execution. To achieve the purpose of this study, the influencing factors have been identified using a literature survey. They have been categorized into four main groups namely organizational, workplace, job and individual factors. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is employed on data questionnaires to rank the priority of the factors. The interrelationships between these factors have been recognized by theInterpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) model. In the present case studies, MICMAC1analysis technique is also implemented for identifying the driving, dependent, linkage and autonomous factors. The data was collected through a questionnaire survey involving the participation of 16 and 25 maintenance staff and 10 mining experts in Swedish and Iranian mines, respectively. Within the study, it has been identified that the temperature, work layout, tools design and tools availability are the most important factors in both mines related to these categories. However, the significant factors in the organizational and individual categories are different in the selected mines. The effect of workplace factors on the maintainability of mining equipment is discussed and thereafter a methodology for maintainability management in the design and operation phases is developed. In the thirdcase study HEART2 is applied to estimate the probability of human error occurring duringmaintenance execution in an Iranian cable company. This research supports maintenance management to gain knowledge of human factors that affect maintenance execution. Further, this understanding could be useful in the development of strategies to improve the execution of maintenance.Keywords: Human Factors, Maintenance Management, Human Reliability, HumanPerformance, AHP, ISM, MICMAC, HEART

Human reliability makes a considerable contribution to the maintenance performance, safety, and cost-efficiency of any production process. To improve human reliability, the causes of human errors should be identified and the probability of human errors should be quantified. Analysis of human error is very case-specific; the context of the field should be taken into account. The aim of this study is to identify the causes of human errors and improve human reliability in maintenance activities in the cable manufacturing industry. The central thrust of this paper is to employ the three most common HRA techniques—human error assessment and reduction technique, standardized plant analysis risk-human reliability, and Bayesian network—for estimating human error probabilities and then to check the consistency of the results obtained. The case study results demonstrated that the main causes of human error during maintenance activities are time pressure, lack of experience, and poor procedure. Moreover, the probabilities of human error, obtained by employing the three techniques, are similar and consistent

Some industries such as mining industry create complex and challenging work place for maintenance crews. For example in an underground mine, for some machines, heavy maintenance tasks must be performed on site in a limited workspace in a harsh environment, including dust and improper illumination. Such operating conditions can increase the health, safety, and environment (HSE) risk, reduce the availability of the machines and increase the life cycle cost of equipment. A review of current mining equipment design and maintenance procedure confirms that considerable reduction in HSE risk, as well as substantial cost savings, can be achieved by considering human factors. This study discusses the effect of workplace factors on the maintainability of mining equipment. It presents the results from questionnaires on the effect of work place factors on maintainability performance given to maintenance staff at two mines, one in northern Sweden and the other in Iran.

This paper investigates the factors affecting humanperformance in maintenance task in mining sector. Theobjective is identify various factors and to classify them asdriving (strong driving power and weak dependence) anddependent factors (weak driving power and strongdependence). The factors were identified through literaturesurvey and are ranked using mean score of data questionnaire.The reliability of measures is pretested by applyingCronbach’s alpha coefficient to responses to a questionnairegiven to maintenance personnel. The interrelationshipsbetween human factors have been recognized by interpretivestructural modeling (ISM). Further, these factors have beenclassified using matrice d'impacts croises-multiplicationappliqué à un classement (MICMAC) analysing. This casestudy will figure out the factors affecting human performancefor deriving maintenance management insights to improveproductivity in the mining sector. Further, this understandingmay be helpful in framing the policies and strategies formining industry. Temperature, lighting, documentation,communication and fitness are driving factors. Moreover,Work layout, tools availability, complex tasks, time pressure,safety, boss decisions, training, fatigue and motivation havestrong driving power as well as high dependencies and itcomes under the category of linkage factors.

This book explores social capital as the multiple relationships between gender, management and entrepreneurship. Human resources are the social capital of a firm and business life, based on trust as well as on expertise, values and cultural diversity. This calls for cross-cultural knowledge and an understanding of gender issues and individual differences in the social capital of the firm and society. The dialogue between women entrepreneurship and social capital theory and research has its special place among other women entrepreneurship books, the number of which has lately increased. It strengthens still in some respect the fragmented voice of women entrepreneurship research by providing a landscape of women entrepreneurs as creators of, and created by, social capital. It indicates how women entrepreneurs appear to have a special position in forming, developing and reorganizing the social capital in the business world. In its eleven chapters, twenty-six researchers representing a variety of disciplines from different parts of the world are presenting findings on diverse aspects of the dialogue between women entrepreneurship and social capital. As a consequence the central concepts, social capital, entrepreneurship and gender, are given a variety of meanings. Women entrepreneurs and business owners regardless of their cultural context, branch and education provide interesting ideas to the global debate on equality and social capital.

Abstract

A new generation of EN 1992-1-1 (2004) also known as Eurocode 2 is under development

and currently there is a set of proposed provisions regarding section 6.4

about punching shear, PT1prEN 1992-1-1(2017). It was of interest to compare the

proposal with the current punching shear design provisions.

The aim of this master thesis was to compare the punching shear resistance obtained

in accordance with both design codes. Furthermore the eect of some parameters

on the resistance was to be compared. It was also of interest to evaluate the userfriendliness

of the proposal.

In order to meet the aim, a case study of a real 　at slab with drop panels was performed

together with a parametric study of a pure ctive 　at slab. The parametric

study was performed for inner, edge and corner columns in the cases prestressed,

without and with shear reinforcement.

It was concluded that the distance

av from the column axis to the contra 　exural

location has a big in　uence on the punching shear resistance. The factor

ddg

considering concrete type and aggregate properties also has a big impact on the resistance.

The simplied estimation of

av according to 6.4.3(2) in PT1prEN 1992-1-1

(2017) may be inaccurate in some cases.

The length

b0 of the control perimeter has a larger eect on the resistance in EN

1992-1-1 (2004) than in PT1prEN 1992-1-1 (2017).

In PT1prEN 1992-1-1 (2017), studs located outside the second row has no impact

on the resistance.

The tensioning force in a prestressed 　at slab has a larger in　uence on the resistance

in PT1prEN 1992-1-1 (2017) than in EN 1992-1-1 (2004). Furthermore,

the reinforcement ratio is increased by the tendons, and thus aect the resistance in

PT1prEN 1992-1-1 (2017).

Clearer provisions for the denition of the support strip

bs for corners and ends

of walls are needed in PT1prEN 1992-1-1 (2017).

It may be questionable if the reduction of the perimeter for a large supported area in

accordance with 6.4.2(4) in PT1prEN 1992-1-1 (2017) underestimates the resistance

v

in some cases.

Considering the work-load with PT1prEN 1992-1-1 (2017), more parameters are

included. However, they may not require that much eort to obtain.

Keywords: Punching shear, resistance, concrete, 　at slab, design provisions, Eurocode

2, case study, parametric study, shear reinforcement, prestressed

vi

Battery storages are an essential element of the emerging smart grid. Compared to other distributed intelligent energy resources, batteries have the advantage of being able to rapidly react to events such as renewable generation fluctuations or grid disturbances. There is a lack of research on ways to profitably exploit this ability. Any solution needs to consider rapid electrical phenomena as well as the much slower dynamics of relevant electricity markets. Reinforcement learning is a branch of artificial intelligence that has shown promise in optimizing complex problems involving uncertainty. This article applies reinforcement learning to the problem of trading batteries. The problem involves two timescales, both of which are important for profitability. Firstly, trading the battery capacity must occur on the timescale of the chosen electricity markets. Secondly, the real-time operation of the battery must ensure that no financial penalties are incurred from failing to meet the technical specification. The trading-related decisions must be done under uncertainties, such as unknown future market prices and unpredictable power grid disturbances. In this article, a simulation model of a battery system is proposed as the environment to train a reinforcement learning agent to make such decisions. The system is demonstrated with an application of the battery to Finnish primary frequency reserve markets.

Climate change poses as one of the major environmental issues on a global scale today, with one of the largest contributor to the climate change being the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. GHG emissions in turn is known to a large extent originate in anthropogenic energy use, especially fossil fuel usage. This leads to almost a quarter of the global emissions today being emitted from the transport sector as the sector is primary fueled by fossil fuels.

Biofuels have been promoted as a strong candidate for fossil fuel substitution as it has similar properties while being renewable. However, even as biofuels have been increasing annually since 2008 globally, there are still concerns associated with the usages that have hindered its replacement of fossil fuels.

Indonesia, one of the most populated countries in Southeast Asia, is projected to be one of the world’s leading economies in 2050. In 2030, Indonesia in projected to have doubled its energy consumption since 2014, indicating that the decisions and actions taken today in Indonesia will have a significant impact on the future fuel consumption. This, in combination with being the largest producer of palm oil in the world, gives it a great potential to be in a leading position in the future production of biofuels, especially biodiesel from palm oil. Additionally, Indonesia has set mandatory targets for biofuel share in the transport sector which indicates that the country also seeks to promote the usages of biofuels.

This thesis intends to investigate Indonesia’s potential for biofuel development in the transport sector and which factors that could hinder it. More specifically, this study answers the two questions: (i) Which factors are hampering the development of biofuels in the Indonesian transportation sector from a multi-level perspective? and (ii) What is the projection of the Indonesian transport sector by 2030 in terms of fuel consumption and global warming potential (GWP) and what role could biofuels play in reducing those?

The data used were collected by interviews with stakeholders in Indonesia and a literature study, which afterwards was processed with the tools Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) and Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP). MLP is a concept aiming to describe how system transitions happens with the help of an examination of the linkages in between technology and society, whereas LEAP is an energy modeling tool used in order to create energy projections in different policy scenario options. In this research, MLP were used to capture and analyze the factors that influence the future implementation of biofuels in Indonesia from a socio-technical perspective, putting forward key barriers for biofuel implementation in Indonesia. LEAP was used to construct a model of the Indonesian transport sector to project the future fuel consumption and GWP emissions. This was used to examine biofuels importance as a fuel through scenarios where different Indonesian policy actions were appraised. Together, these two methods will provide an enlightening and concluding remark on the future possibilities for biofuels in Indonesia's transport sector in this thesis.

The major finding of the first research question were that biofuels in Indonesia were being introduced in Indonesia as the government saw economic benefits and a solution to the increased energy demand in Indonesia and an increased energy security in going towards a domestic produced energy source. The need for biofuels were also increased due to an increased global sustainability awareness, which also reached Indonesia.

Today, biofuels in Indonesia is in a socio-technical transition pathway to go from a niche innovation to a technology in the regime level, but in order for a breakthrough, a number of barriers needs to be addressed. The most mentioned barriers were the institutional and regulatory barriers, which mainly lays in a lack of cooperation amongst the regulatory institutions and a low rate of success of biofuel laws and regulations. Other barriers were the market barriers, closely connected in a subsidization of fossil fuels in Indonesia and a need for further subsidization of biofuels for the market for biofuels to exist in Indonesia. Furthermore, a technical barrier with the vehicle engine were seen as the engine needs improvements in order for a higher blending of biofuels in the fuel. There was also a concern of the perceived sustainability of biofuels in general (e.g. water scarcity and pollution) which was identified as a hindrance. It was also clear a social change is needed in order to push the biofuel breakthrough and enable it to reach its full potential. Today, the interviewees mainly see a development for the biofuel biodiesel and not for the biofuel bioethanol in Indonesia, which they mainly concluded as there is currently none or very little production and demand for bioethanol in Indonesia, and as well a lack of governmental support for bioethanol development.

For the second research question four scenarios were used; Business as Usual (a continuation of current trends), Improved Standards (an investigation of higher emissions standards and an increasing fuel efficiency), Biofuel Mandate (a mandatory biofuel share in fuels) and the Low Carbon scenario (a combination of the previous two as well as introduction of electric vehicles, changed car preferences and higher biofuel blending targets). Cars represents a tenth of the vehicle fleet and the share of diesel car amongst the cars are 5% while gasoline stands for 95%, the rest of the vehicles are gasoline driven motorcycles. The main findings were: the total vehicle fleet will have doubled by 2030. This rapid increase could cause stress on the domestic fuel supply, as the yearly fuel consumption is expected to grow from 770 million GJ in 2014 to 1850 million GJ in 2030, an increase by 140%. In the projection the fossil fuels are blended with biofuels, diesel is mixed with biodiesel while gasoline is blended with bioethanol. The annual diesel fuel consumption is projected to increase from 350 million liters to 1100 million in the Business as Usual scenario where the current trend was expected to continue. The implementation of biodiesel and bioethanol in the Biofuel Mandate scenario. Additionally, the Biofuel Mandate scenario resulted in a 12.6% reduction of GHG emissions during the projected period. The cumulative GHG emissions in the projection is estimated to be 1630 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents in 2030 for the Business as Usual scenario. In the transport sector, gasoline is projected to increase from 23 billion liters to 54 billion liters over the period. In the Improved Standards scenario, where the emission standards are increased from Euro2 to Euro6 in 2030 for cars and Euro4 for motorcycles in 2025 as well as an annual fuel economy improvement of 2%, the total fuel consumption is reduced with 20% and GWP by 18%. It was found that the annual GWP could be reduced by almost 31% below the 2014 level, at 47 million metric tonnes of CO2Eq, if the actions of the Low Carbon scenario were achieved.

The barriers associated with the Improved Standards scenario were technical, institutional and regulatory while the Biofuel Mandate scenario also had financial, market and distribution barriers. The Low Carbon scenario had barriers from all of the identified barrier categories. The institutional and regulatory barrier was the most prevailing barrier for all of the scenarios.

The recommended actions based on the content of this thesis is to firstly promote collaboration between governmental institutes, stakeholders and authorities and include all stakeholders in the decision progress, this way, frameworks and regulations will have a chance to improve and increase the knowledge about biofuels in all levels. It is also important to implement a stronger biofuel R&D culture, promote a more sustainable biofuel development and increase the public awareness of biofuels. The implementation of biofuels will have a reducing effect on the total GWP and fossil fuel consumption. Gasoline is projected to remain the predominant fuel in the transport sector. Therefore will actions targeting the reduction or substitution of gasoline be more impactful than those towards diesel. However due to the availability and current production capacity of biodiesel there is still potential for higher share of biodiesel in fuels.

A technique is presented for solving the problem of scattering by a three-dimensional body of revolution using a partial differential equation (PDE) technique, employed in conjunction with radiation boundary condition applied in the Fresnel region of the scatterer. The radiation boundary condition, which is used to truncate the PDE mesh, is based upon an asymptotic expansion derived by Wilcox. Numerical results illustrating the procedure and verifying the accuracy of the results are included. These results are compared with other theoretical calculations for perfectly conducting bodies of revolution of arbitrary shape.

Due to rapid growth of home entertainment consumer market, video technology has been continuously pushed to deliver sharper pictures with higher resolution. This has brought about stringent requirements on the video analog front end, which often coupled with the low power and low voltage regulations had to deal with short channel effects of the deep submicron CMOS processes.

This thesis presents the design of a fully differential programmable gain amplifier, as a subcircuit of a larger video digitizing IC designed at division of Electronic Systems. The switched capacitor architecture of the PGA does not only buffer the signal, but performs compensation for the sync-tip of analog video signal.

The pseudo differential OTA eliminates tail current source and maintains high signal swing and has efficient common mode feedforward mechanism. When coupled with a similar stage provides inherent common moode feedback without using an additional SC-CMFB block.

The PGA has been implemented using a 65 nm digital CMOS process. Expected difficulties in a 1.2 V OTA design make themselves evident in 65 nm, which is why cascaded OTA structures were inevitable for attaining gain specification of 60 dB. Nested Miller compensation with a pole shifting source follower, stabilizes the multipole system. The final circuit attains up to 200 MHz bandwidth and maintains high output swing of 0.85 V. High slew rate and good common mode and power supply rejection are observed. Noise requirements require careful design of input differential stage. Although output source follower stabilized the system, it reduces significant bandwidth and adds to second order non-linearity.

In this work, we describe the implementation of a 1. 2-V pseudo-differential operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) with common-mode feedforward (CMFF) and inher­ent common-mode feedback (CMFB) in a 65-nm, digital CMOS process. The OTA architecture provides an inher­ent CMFB when cascaded OTA structures are utilized andthis work has studied a cascaded amplifier consisting of fourstages. Due to the low-gain using core 65-nm circuit de­vices, the overall gain must be distributed on all four stages to acquire a gain of more than 60 dB, while maintaining a-3-dB bandwidth of 200 MHz. To achieve high gain, we propose using a modified, positive-feedback, cross-coupled input differential stage. The modified OTA achieves a high output swing of ± 0.85 V due to only two stacked transistors, 88 dB DC gain and a third-order harmonic of -60 dB for 800 mVpp at 30 MHz. Further on, in a capacitive buffer configuration, we achieve a high slew rate of 1240 V/µS, -3-dB bandwidth of 509 MHz, signal-to-noise ratio of 63 dB while consuming 10.4 mW power.

This work describes the implementation of a 1.2-V programmable gain amplifier (PGA) for high-definition (HD) video digitizers in a 65-nm digital CMOS process. The “pseudo” switched-capacitor (SC) PGA architecture buffers the video signal, without switching, during the active video. The SC circuitry is used for setup of DC operating point during horizontal and vertical blanking periods. Additionally, it compensates for the `sync-tip' of analog video signals to an equal blanking level for increased dynamic range to the digitizer following the PGA. The operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) employed as main amplifier in the PGA is a pseudo-differential, positive-feedback input stage architecture with a common-mode feedforward (CMFF) technique. The common-mode feedback (CMFB) is provided once two OTAs are cascaded. Schematic-level simulation results show that the OTA maintains a -3-dB bandwidth of 550 MHz, while keeping the distortion HD₃ at -60 dB for a 30-MHz, 850 mV_pp high definition video signal. The 88 dB DC gain is distributed among four OTA stages and the overall, combined PGA achieves a signal-to-noise ratio of 63 dB. Due to only two stacked transistors, it achieves high output swing of ±0.85 V, 1240 V/μs slew rate while consuming 10.4 mW power.

Experiences regarding personal protection water mist systems installed in dwellings. Personal protection water mist systems can produce a water mist that can cool down and limit a fire in a small area in a dwelling. The system is equipped with sensitive detectors which can activate the system in the early stages of the fire and limit the fire spread, and in some cases extinguish the fire. This gives more time for evacuation, which can be especially important for vulnerable people with risk factors, like impaired cognitive and physical functioning. The goal of this study has been to map the experiences in Norway regarding personal protection water mist systems, considering how the municipalities have experienced the work related to the systems and whether the systems have activated and saved lives. This will shed light upon whether mobile water mist systems are appropriate measures for vulnerable people in the society, and the risk factors that determine whether the measure is appropriate or not. This study has used literature studies, questionnaires, and interviews to map the experiences of personal protection water mist systems in Norway. The results showed that personal protection water mist systems installed in Norwegian dwellings have been activated in connection with fire outbreaks, and thus limited or extinguished the fire. This has saved lives on several occasions and reduced the damage potential. There are many people who have risk factors that make it appropriate to install a mobile water mist system in their home, but there are also exceptions. The risk factors that indicate that it is beneficial to install mobile water mist systems in Norwegian dwellings are - Impaired cognitive abilities - Impaired physical abilities - Drug and alcohol problems - Smoking - Living alone The systems are particularly suitable when several of the risk factors are present at the same time. It was also shown that personal protection water mist systems are not suitable for mobile people who spend time in several places in the home and are therefore often outside the system's coverage area. Personal protection water mist systems are not recommended for people who may have the potential to sabotage the system. In questionnaires and interviews, it emerged that there are big differences between how Norwegian municipalities work with assigning, installing, operating, and maintaining personal protection water mist systems. In larger municipalities, there are more people who rely on routines and formal processes for the work, and there is therefore a greater proportion of the larger municipalities who distribute the facilities out to individuals than in the small municipalities where the work is more characterised by informal routines and personal relations. 3 Based on the results from this study, it is our opinion that the following aspects should be covered by future work: • Need for a new and updated cost-benefit analysis for personal protection water mist systems. • Need for a better statistical basis for assessment of the personal protection water mist systems. • Need for a Norwegian test standard for personal protection water mist systems. • Need for clear guidelines for assignment, procurement, installing, operation, and maintenance of personal protection water mist systems.