Energy management of hybrid and battery electric vehicles

This work focuses on improving the fuel economy of parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and dual-motor Electric Vehicles (EVs) through energy management strategies. Both vehicle models have two propulsion branches, each powering a separate axle: An engine and an electric motor in the HEV and two electric motors in the EV. This similarity in the vehicle models emphasises the need for similar energy management solutions. In Part Energy Management of HEVs of this thesis, a high-fidelity parallel Through-The-Road (TTR) HEV model is developed to study and test conventional control strategies. The traditional control strategies serve as a guide for developing novel heuristic control strategies. The Equivalent Consumption Minimisation Strategy (ECMS) is an optimisation-based control strategy used as the benchmark in this part of the work. A family of rule-based energy management strategies is proposed for parallel HEVs, including the Torque-levelling Threshold-changing Strategy (TTS) and its simplified version, the Simplified Torque-levelling Threshold-changing Strategy (STTS). The TTS applies a concept of torque-levelling, which ensures the engine works efficiently by operating with a constant torque as the load demand crosses a certain threshold, unlike the load-following approach commonly used. However, the TTS requires finely tuned constant torque and threshold parameters, making it unsuitable for real-time applications. To address this, two feedback-like updating laws are incorporated into the TTS to determine the constant torque and threshold online for real-time applications. Real-time versions of these strategies, Real-time Torque-levelling Threshold-changing Strategy (RTTS) and Real-time Simplified Torque-levelling Threshold-changing Strategy (RSTTS) are developed using a novel Driving Pattern Recognition (DPR) algorithm. The effectiveness of the RTTS is demonstrated by implementing it on a high-fidelity parallel hybrid passenger car and benchmarking it against ECMS. In Part Energy Management of EVs of the thesis, a low-fidelity model of a novel EV powertrain with two electric propulsion systems, one at each axle, has been developed to study and test its energy management with one of the main conventional optimal control methods, Dynamic Programming (DP). The EV model uses two differently sized traction motors at the front and rear axles. The thermal dynamics of the utilised Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs) are studied. DP is first implemented onto the Baseline model that does not include any PMSM thermal dynamics, referred to as the Baseline DP, which acts as a benchmark since it is the conventional case. The thermal dynamics of the traction motors are then introduced in the second DP problem formulation, referred to as the Thermal DP, which is compared against the Baseline DP to evaluate the possible benefits of energy efficiency by the more informed energy management optimisation formulation. The best method is chosen to include these thermal dynamics in the overall energy management control strategy without significantly compromising computational time.Open Acces

Um estudo comparativo do compromisso com a venda e suas sanções nas leis do Irã e da França

The current research attempts to survey the comparative impacts of commitment to sale and its sanctions in Iran and France. The asked question in current research was what is the legal nature of commitment to sale and its sanctions in Iranian and French law? The research findings indicated that in Iran's law, commitment to sale is a kind of uncertain contract and can be explained in the form of a preliminary agreement, that also its sanction, is an obligation to fulfill the commitment and compensation. Since the commitment to sale has been contracted by both parties, this obligation is also binding for both parties under the Articles 10 and 219 of the Civil Code and pacta sunt servanda (agreements (and stipulations) of the parties (to a contract) must be observed) and the promisee can, by obligation of the initial commitment of the promiser, ask for the fulfillment of the main commitment. In such cases, the situation of the collateral is such that the second transaction has been made correctly, and the promiser is needed to pay compensation to the promisee. In French law, "commitment to sale" has been accepted and has legal rights just like the preliminary agreement. In the law of this country, it is vital to obligate its Sanctions and compensation as the most important means of sanctions of commitment to sale. In current research, a descriptive analytical method has been used.La investigación actual intenta examinar los impactos comparativos del compromiso de venta y sus sanciones en Irán y Francia. La pregunta planteada en la investigación actual era ¿cuál es la naturaleza legal del compromiso de venta y sus sanciones en la legislación iraní y francesa? Los hallazgos de la investigación indicaron que en la ley de Irán, el compromiso de venta es un tipo de contrato incierto y puede explicarse en forma de un acuerdo preliminar, que también su sanción, es una obligación de cumplir el compromiso y la compensación. Dado que el compromiso de venta ha sido contraído por ambas partes, esta obligación también es vinculante para ambas partes en virtud de los Artículos 10 y 219 del Código Civil y pacta sunt servanda (acuerdos (y estipulaciones) de las partes (a un contrato) debe ser observado) y el prometido puede, por obligación del compromiso inicial del prometedor, solicitar el cumplimiento del compromiso principal. En tales casos, la situación de la garantía es tal que la segunda transacción se ha realizado correctamente, y el prometedor es necesario para pagar una compensación al prometido. En la legislación francesa, el "compromiso de venta" ha sido aceptado y tiene derechos legales al igual que el acuerdo preliminar. En la ley de este país, es vital obligar a sus sanciones e indemnizaciones como el medio más importante de sanciones de compromiso de venta. En la investigación actual, se ha utilizado un método analítico descriptivo.A pesquisa atual tenta avaliar os impactos comparativos do compromisso com a venda e suas sanções no Irã e na França. A questão colocada na pesquisa atual era qual é a natureza legal do compromisso com a venda e suas sanções nas leis iraniana e francesa? Os resultados da pesquisa indicaram que, na lei do Irã, o compromisso com a venda é um tipo de contrato incerto e pode ser explicado na forma de um acordo preliminar, que também a sua sanção, é uma obrigação de cumprir o compromisso e compensação. Como o compromisso de venda foi contratado por ambas as partes, esta obrigação também é obrigatória para ambas as partes nos termos dos artigos 10 e 219 do Código Civil e pacta sunt servanda (acordos (e estipulações) das partes (para um contrato) deve ser observado) e o prometido pode, por obrigação do compromisso inicial do promotor, solicitar o cumprimento do compromisso principal. Em tais casos, a situação da garantia é tal que a segunda transação foi feita corretamente, e o promotor é necessário para pagar uma indenização ao prometido. Na lei francesa, "compromisso com a venda" foi aceito e tem direitos legais como o acordo preliminar. Na lei deste país, é vital obrigar as suas sanções e compensações como o meio mais importante de sanções do compromisso de venda. Na pesquisa atual, um método analítico descritivo foi usado

Combination of Metformin and Inorganic Nitrate: Effects on Metabolic Disease and Lactic Acidosis

Nitric oxide (NO) is a diatomic gaseous molecule generated in our bodies by enzymes known as NO synthases. More recently another pathway for generation of NO has been delineated in which dietary or endogenous inorganic nitrate and nitrite are metabolized to form NO. Dietary supplementation with nitrate has proven beneficial for a number of disorders e.g. by improving metabolic function and lowering blood pressure, making it an attractive novel drug candidate in metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Besides utilizing direct therapeutic effects of nitrate itself, another attractive option might be to combine nitrate with another drug in order to increase the overall effect or reduce the side effects of the other drug. The aim of the proposed thesis was to determine whether simultaneous acute administration of a low dose of metformin and nitrate can act synergistically to improve metabolic functions and decrease blood glucose level in a metabolic syndrome genetic mouse model (A2BKO mice) and also if this combination can prevent lactic acidosis produced by metformin in rats. The results showed that both nitrate and metformin alone had a beneficial effect on glucose tolerance but there was no clear synergistic effect to decrease blood glucose levels. We speculate that the lack of synergy may be due to their same mechanism of action in targeting NADPH oxidase and AMP-activated protein kinase. However, the glucose disposal was better in metformin and nitrate combination group compared to metformin group. Moreover, in separate experiments we found that acute administration of nitrate had no impact on prevention of lactic acidosis induced by high dose of metformin in rats. However, future chronic studies are necessary in order to ameliorate our knowledge of the proposed combination mechanism.Siirretty Doriast

Corporate Governance, CSR, ESG, and Sustainability: Realigning the Principle-Agent Equilibrium in Multinational Enterprises “MNEs”

openABSTRACT The thesis provides a thorough examination of the interconnections between Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) principles, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), legal frameworks, global value chains, and international agreements that influence the conduct of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the current business environment. The first step involves the establishment of a fundamental transition towards sustainability and the adoption of responsible business practices. This transition is characterized by the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations and the recognition of the strategic significance of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The thesis subsequently explores the intricate correlation between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and Global Value Chains (GVCs), providing a comprehensive understanding of the escalating significance of ESG concerns in the financial domain and their consequential effects on global investment dynamics. The accompanying discussion explores the domain of international agreements and legal factors that regulate multinational enterprises (MNEs), emphasizing the importance of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises in fostering responsible corporate behavior. The ongoing investigation delves into the realms of legislative frameworks, corporate governance, and ESG reporting requirements, highlighting the need of thorough research, industry-specific reporting standards, and voluntary frameworks in bolstering openness and accountability. The present thesis examines the European Commission's ESG Rating Articles in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations. This analysis uncovers a significant alignment between regulatory efforts and the overarching aims of global sustainability. In summary, this thesis offers a thorough comprehension of the dynamic environment in which multinational enterprises (MNEs) function, emphasizing the imperative of ethical behavior, sustainability, and openness in order to effectively traverse the many intricacies of the contemporary global economy. Keywords: ESG, CSR, MNEs, GVCs, OECD, SDGsABSTRACT The thesis provides a thorough examination of the interconnections between Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) principles, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), legal frameworks, global value chains, and international agreements that influence the conduct of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in the current business environment. The first step involves the establishment of a fundamental transition towards sustainability and the adoption of responsible business practices. This transition is characterized by the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations and the recognition of the strategic significance of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The thesis subsequently explores the intricate correlation between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and Global Value Chains (GVCs), providing a comprehensive understanding of the escalating significance of ESG concerns in the financial domain and their consequential effects on global investment dynamics. The accompanying discussion explores the domain of international agreements and legal factors that regulate multinational enterprises (MNEs), emphasizing the importance of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises in fostering responsible corporate behavior. The ongoing investigation delves into the realms of legislative frameworks, corporate governance, and ESG reporting requirements, highlighting the need of thorough research, industry-specific reporting standards, and voluntary frameworks in bolstering openness and accountability. The present thesis examines the European Commission's ESG Rating Articles in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations. This analysis uncovers a significant alignment between regulatory efforts and the overarching aims of global sustainability. In summary, this thesis offers a thorough comprehension of the dynamic environment in which multinational enterprises (MNEs) function, emphasizing the imperative of ethical behavior, sustainability, and openness in order to effectively traverse the many intricacies of the contemporary global economy. Keywords: ESG, CSR, MNEs, GVCs, OECD, SDG

Stochastic Stability and Uncertainty Quantification of Ring-based Vibratory Gyroscopes

Effect of stochastic fluctuations in angular velocity on the stability of two DOF ring-type MEMS gyroscopes is investigated. The governing Stochastic Differential Equations are discretized using the higher-order Milstein scheme in order to numerically predict the system response assuming the fluctuations to be white noise. Simulations via Euler scheme as well as a measure of Largest Lyapunov Exponents are employed for validation purposes due to lack of similar analytical or experimental data. The stability investigation predicts that the threshold fluctuation intensity increases nonlinearly with damping ratio. Under typical gyroscope operating conditions, nominal input angular velocity magnitude and mass mismatch appear to have minimal influence on system stability. Furthermore, construction, electrical improvements, testing and troubleshooting of a macro-scale ring-type gyroscope prototype is completed. Experiments have been conducted in order to investigate the linearity of system response, system behavior when subjected to environmental fluctuation in angular rate as well as the effects of angular rate and mass mismatch on system natural frequency. It is shown that the system natural frequency decreases with input angular rate and mass mismatch. It is also revealed that the system exhibits a more efficient damping behavior when subjected to stochastic speed fluctuations with fixed intensity at higher input angular rates

Vibration of Carbon Nano-Structures

In this thesis, first the fundamental characterizations of carbon nano-structures and basic atomistic models of the carbon nanotubes and graphitic sheets are reviewed extensively. Different simulation methods used in this field of study are discussed critically. Advantages and shortfalls of each method are reported in detail. A new structural approach based on the lattice atomic structure is selected as an accurate and efficient model for simulating carbon nano-structures. This method is used comprehensively in the present work along with continuous shell and plate theories to study the mechanical and vibrational characteristics of single-walled carbon nanotubes and single and multi-layered graphene sheets. Covalent bonds are modeled using three-dimensional frame elements in finite element simulation. Nucleus of each carbon atom is considered as a node with concentrated mass and six degrees of freedom. Highly nonlinear van der Waals interactions between adjacent layers of graphitic sheets are modeled successfully and their true nonlinear nature is preserved. Free and forced vibrations are studied accordingly to investigate the natural frequencies and frequency spectrums. Mode shapes are obtained from eigen-analyses and results are compared with other methods available in the literature. Effects of size, atomic structure and boundary conditions on vibrational behaviors of these structures are studied in detail. Static analysis of single-layered graphene sheets is also carried out to obtain the Young’s modulus of elasticity of graphitic sheets under various loading conditions. Two different continuous models are proposed for simulating the in-plane and transverse vibrations of graphene sheets. Results of the continuous models are compared with the lattice structure approach for rectangular, skewed and circular graphenes to show the accuracy of the models. Forced nonlinear vibration of multi-layered graphenes is investigated subsequently to study the effects of van der Waals interactions on the vibrational characteristics. Time-histories and fast Fourier transforms are obtained for in-plane and transverse vibrations and effects of inter-layer interactions are studied in detail

Tightrope walking on the red lines

My work is deeply connected to my own personal experience of the culture and politics of my homeland of Iran. I was born and raised in Iran in a nonreligious family. I experienced the first decade after the 1979 Islamic Revolution as a child. The hardliners had taken power, society suffered tremendous suppression, and Iran was at war with Iraq. My memories are filled with so many occasions in which the dominance of the oppressive regime affected my daily life, from being forced to wear a headscarf in elementary school, to being required to pray and recite the Quran at a public middle school. As a young woman, I was arrested while walking down the street in Tehran, simply because, according to the government’s definition, the hijab I was wearing didn’t cover enough of my body. When I am in my studio here in the United States, considering what to paint next and what inspires me most, my mind fills with the rush of my memories of living in Iran. The distance I’ve gained from those repressions, both geographically and in terms of time, have allowed space for reflection. As I look at Iran’s culture from the outside, I have a strong visceral reaction to the unrighteousness of such a repressive regime. Being born and living most of your life under such circumstances makes you feel that it’s an unfair ordinary situation, but being distant from it makes you realize how extraordinarily unfair it is to have so many personal aspects of your life dictated and controlled by state power. It is not my intention to portray myself, or people from my country, as victims, nor is it to draw sympathy form a Western audience. I am simply telling my story. For me, art is a meditative agent. The creative process fuels my imagination and helps me cope with my life traumas, alleviate their cumulative affects, and find positive aspects in them. When I pick up the brush, I feel the weight of my life experiences on my shoulders. When I put the brush to the canvas, the weight is still there, but it is lighter. My paintings represent unconscious attempts to reenact traumatic memories with the hope of achieving alternative positive outcomes—both at a personal level, and more collectively, at national and global level

Developing a systematic approach to investigate interoperability issues between Building Information Modeling (BIM) tools and Building Energy Modeling (BEM) tools

Integrated building design necessitates the Architecture-Engineering-Construction-Owner-Operator (AECOO) Industry’s participants to collaborate efficiently with each other through the different phases of a building. Nevertheless, to reduce the energy consumption and CO2 emissions of a building, the emphasis is on the early design phases, since if accurate energy calculations and strategies are developed in an early design stage, the sustainable footprint of the building will be significantly reduced. That said, Building Information Modelling (BIM) promotes collaboration among the stakeholders by allowing them to design and store and access the data related to a project into one building information model. Furthermore, this model can be used for energy analysis through Building Energy Modelling (BEM) tools in the early design stages of the project, and through the whole life-cycle. For this, BIM and BEM tools must be able to communicate and exchange information with one another, seamlessly. This means that these tools should be interoperable. However, currently, there are some issues in the BIM to BEM exchange process, which obliges the user to check for the interoperability issues and fix them manually. Therefore, as a result of these interoperability issues, the BIM to BEM process in not automated, and creating an accurate BIM-based BEM is quite time-consuming, laborious and prone to human-made errors. Hence, this thesis aims to systematically investigate the interoperability issues and the state of automated data exchange between BIM and BEM tools, based on the Industry Foundation Class (IFC) exchange data schema. For this, Revit and IDA-ICE are used as BIM, and BEM tools, respectively. The outcome is the presentation of a set of interoperability issues that were found based on the investigation of 19 case studies, with some suggestions for Revit and IDA-ICE developers and future researchers in the end

Combination of Metformin and Inorganic Nitrate: Effects on Metabolic Disease and Lactic Acidosis

Nitric oxide (NO) is a diatomic gaseous molecule generated in our bodies by enzymes known as NO synthases. More recently another pathway for generation of NO has been delineated in which dietary or endogenous inorganic nitrate and nitrite are metabolized to form NO. Dietary supplementation with nitrate has proven beneficial for a number of disorders e.g. by improving metabolic function and lowering blood pressure, making it an attractive novel drug candidate in metabolic and cardiovascular disease. Besides utilizing direct therapeutic effects of nitrate itself, another attractive option might be to combine nitrate with another drug in order to increase the overall effect or reduce the side effects of the other drug. The aim of the proposed thesis was to determine whether simultaneous acute administration of a low dose of metformin and nitrate can act synergistically to improve metabolic functions and decrease blood glucose level in a metabolic syndrome genetic mouse model (A2BKO mice) and also if this combination can prevent lactic acidosis produced by metformin in rats. The results showed that both nitrate and metformin alone had a beneficial effect on glucose tolerance but there was no clear synergistic effect to decrease blood glucose levels. We speculate that the lack of synergy may be due to their same mechanism of action in targeting NADPH oxidase and AMP-activated protein kinase. However, the glucose disposal was better in metformin and nitrate combination group compared to metformin group. Moreover, in separate experiments we found that acute administration of nitrate had no impact on prevention of lactic acidosis induced by high dose of metformin in rats. However, future chronic studies are necessary in order to ameliorate our knowledge of the proposed combination mechanism.</p

SOLUBILITY MEASUREMENTS OF HYDROPHOBIC SOLUTES IN SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE AND SUBSEQUENT IMPREGNATION INTO PAPER SUBSTRATES FOR SURFACE MODIFICATIONS

Supercritical Fluids (SCFs) have received a great deal of attention for their various applications in chemical, biochemical, pharmaceutical, and materials processing. In this study, we investigate surface modification to paper substrates using supercritical impregnation (SCI) techniques, with applications in food packaging. One of the key factors required for this study is understanding the solubility of hydrophobic solutes in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). Polar compounds are poorly soluble in scCO2 due to their lack of polarity and frequently co-solvents are also introduced to enhance solubility. In this study, the maximum solubility of alkyl ketene dimer (AKD)/n-heptane and vegetable wax (VW)/n-heptane solutions have been measured by “Cloud Point” methods, with heptane introduced to enhance the solubility of the AKD and VW in scCO2. Different temperatures (40, 50, 60 °C) and pressures (101.35-172.02 bar) were investigated to identify solubility conditions for subsequent paper impregnation processes, where the presence of AKD improves the hydrophobicity of the paper. Collected data demonstrates at lower temperatures, higher pressure is needed to dissolve specific amounts of wax/n-heptane solution in scCO2. Therefore, one can expect the highest solubility of the sample occurs at T = 60 °C. However, at certain temperatures and pressures, retrogradation phenomena may be observed, where the opposite becomes true, and higher solubility occurs at lower temperatures. This was experimentally observed with AKD/n-heptane solubility studies at T=40 and 50 °C conditions. Paper samples were impregnated with AKD/n-heptane at pre-determined solubility conditions and their hydrophobicity was subsequently measured by a contact angle goniometer. For example, at a temperature of T = 60 °C and 125.83 bar, the maximum solubility of AKD/n-heptane was 0.1875 mL, and the average of contact angle was 130.75 ° (this value was taken on day 14 after impregnation). However, at 40 °C, the maximum solubility of AKD/n-heptane was 0.1275 mL, and the resulting CA after 14 days was only 106.70 °. Applying annealing treatment typically did not improve the CA significantly compared with the non-annealed values, although at T = 60 °C and 148.10 bar with 160 °C annealing temperature, the CA was much improved at earlier times compared with non-annealed samples. SEM images showed that the sample impregnated at T = 40 °C and without annealing is more uniform but at T = 50 °C, better micro-roughness was achieved after annealing (4h, 160 °C). Design of experiment (DOE) with Design-Expert software, a powerful tool for numerical optimization, was used to analyze the collected solubility data. Results’ confirmation validates the solubility measurements for all temperatures with the cloud point method to do the experiments and furthermore proves the authenticity of the cloud point measurements with the pressure cell