Object-oriented modelling of thermal building behaviour

Zur Entwicklung und Planung energiesparender Gebäude, zum Entwurf geeigneter Regelungsalgorithmen benötigt man detailliertes Wissen über das thermische und energetische Verhalten eines Gebäudes, das in Wechselwirkung mit seiner Umgebung und seinen Bewohnern steht. Dies leistet ein mathematisches Modell. Die Beschreibung großer, komplexer technischer Systeme führt zu hoch komplexen, umfangreichen mathematischen Modellen, die - zur Simulation implementiert - große Softwaresysteme ergeben. Es liegt daher nahe, Konzepte der Informatik auch in der mathematischen Modellbildung zu nutzen. Neben der Dekomposition in Teilsysteme, den Strukturierungskonzepten zur Beherrschung der Komplexität ist hier ein aktueller Forschungsgegenstand der Informatik von besonderem Interesse. Es handelt sich um die Nutzung der Wiederverwendung als methodisches Element des Softwareentwicklungsprozesses großer Systeme. Es wurde eine Modellbibliothek zur Simulation thermischen Gebäudeverhaltens in Modelica erstellt. Sie untergliedert sich in die Abschnitte Gebäude-, Thermohydraulik-, Umgebungs- und Algorithmenbibliothek. Die objektorientiert implementierten, nicht berechnungskausalen Modellkomponenten sind hierarchisch strukturiert. Ihre Implementierung orientiert sich am intuitiven physikalischen Verständnis des zu beschreibenden technischen Prozesses. So aggregiert ein Gebäude einzelne Räume, Fenster, Wände und diese wiederum einzelne Wandschichten.For the development and construction of energy-saving buildings, their HVAC system, for the design of adequate control algorithms detailed knowledge about its thermal and energetic behaviour is needed. The external influences of the outdoor climate, user behaviour and internal loads have to be taken into account. An adequate mathematical description of the processes requires a wide spectrum of mathematical models from different physical and engineering disciplines. Explicit usage of reuse as design-method enhances the quality and efficiency of mathematical model development. Crucial for the reusability of the model components is besides the development of an adequate library structure the usage of modern concepts like object-oriented and non causal mathematical modelling. According to these principles an interdisciplinary model library for simulation of thermal building behaviour has been developed in Modelica. The model library is divided into four sublibraries (building, weather, heating, controller). Building models have been validated in exemplary configurations with the building simulation system TRNSYS

Achieving Ultra-Low Friction with Diamond/Metal Systems in Extreme Environments

In the search for achieving ultra-low friction for applications in extreme environments, we evaluate the interfacial processes of diamond/tungsten sliding contacts using an on-line macro-tribometer and a micro-tribometer in an ultra-high vacuum. The coefficient of friction for the tests with the on-line tribometer remained considerably low for unlubricated sliding of tungsten, which correlated well with the relatively low wear rates and low roughness on the wear track throughout the sliding. Ex situ analysis was performed by means of XPS and SEM-FIB in order to better understand the underlying mechanisms of low friction and low-wear sliding. The analysis did not reveal any evidence of tribofilm or transferfilm formation on the counterface, indicating the absence of significant bonding between the diamond and tungsten surfaces, which correlated well with the low-friction values. The minimal adhesive interaction and material transfer can possibly be explained by the low initial roughness values as well as high cohesive bonding energies of the two materials. The appearance of the wear track as well as the relatively higher roughness perpendicular to the sliding indicated that abrasion was the main wear mechanism. In order to elucidate the low friction of this tribocouple, we performed micro-tribological experiments in ultra-high vacuum conditions. The results show that the friction coefficient was reduced significantly in UHV. In addition, subsequently to baking the chamber, the coefficient of friction approached ultra-low values. Based on the results obtained in this study, the diamond/tungsten tribocouple seems promising for tribological interfaces in spacecraft systems, which can improve the durability of the components

An in-depth evaluation of sample and measurement induced influences on static contact angle measurements

Static contact angle measurements are one of the most popular methods to analyze the wetting behavior of materials of any kind. Although this method is readily applicable without the need of sophisticated machinery, the results obtained for the very same material may vary strongly. The sensitivity of the measurement against environmental conditions, sample preparation and measurement conduction is a main factor for inconsistent results. Since often no detailed measurement protocols exist alongside published data, contact angle values as well as elaborated wetting studies do not allow for any comparison. This paper therefore aims to discuss possible infuences on static contact angle measurements and to experimentally demonstrate the extent of these efects. Sample storage conditions, cleaning procedures, droplet volume, water grade and droplet application as well as the infuence of evaporation on the static contact angle are investigated in detail. Especially sample storage led to diferences in the contact angle up to 60%. Depending on the wetting state, evaporation can reduce the contact angle by 30–50% within 10 min in dry atmospheres. Therefore, this paper reviews an existing approach for a climate chamber and introduces a new measuring setup based on these results. It allows for the observation of the wetting behavior for several minutes by successfully suppressing evaporation without negatively afecting the surface prior to measurement by exposure to high humidity environments

Atomistic insights into lubricated tungsten/diamond sliding contacts

The reinforcement of coatings with diamond particles results in superior tribological performance for automotive applications. In addition to improving the coating’s bulk properties, sliding of diamond on metallic counter bodies contributes to improved tribological performance. Therefore, in order to design better diamond reinforced coatings, it is imperative to understand the atomistic mechanisms at sliding metal/diamond interfaces. Here, we investigate the interfacial tribo-chemical mechanisms leading to low friction in lubricated tungsten/diamond sliding contacts by combining reactive atomistic simulations with on-line tribometry experiments linked to chemical analysis. Reactive classical molecular dynamics simulations reveal the dehydrogenation of hexadecane lubricant molecules between tungsten/diamond contacts by proton transfer from the hexadecane to octahedral sites of the tungsten surface. Subsequent chemisorption of the radicalized hexadecane on dangling C-bond sites of the diamond surface leads to the formation of low-density hydrocarbon films, which significantly lower frictional resistance in the tribo-contact. Quasi-static density functional theory calculations confirm the classical molecular dynamics results and reveal that radicalized hydrocarbon molecules can also bond via C-O bonds on a WO3 layer covering the tungsten counter surface. The on-line tribometry experiments confirm the reduction of friction under hexadecane lubrication and ex situ chemical analysis by means of XPS, AES and EELS provide evidence of the formation of a carbon-rich tribofilm on the diamond and tungsten-oxide surfaces as predicted by the atomistic simulations

Fabrication and Characterization of Single-Crystal Diamond Membranes for Quantum Photonics with Tunable Microcavities

The development of quantum technologies is one of the big challenges in modern research. Acrucial component for many applications is an efficient, coherent spin–photon interface, and coupling single-color centers in thin diamond membranes to a microcavity is a promising approach. To structure such micrometer thin single-crystal diamond (SCD) membranes with a good quality, it is important to minimize defects originating from polishing or etching procedures. Here, we report on the fabrication of SCD membranes, with various diameters, exhibiting a low surface roughness down to 0.4 nm on a small area scale, by etching through a diamond bulk mask with angled holes. A significant reduction in pits induced by micromasking and polishing damages was accomplished by the application of alternating Ar/Cl2 + O2 dry etching steps. By a variation of etching parameters regarding the Ar/Cl2 step, an enhanced planarization of the surface was obtained, in particular, for surfaces with a higher initial surface roughness of several nanometers. Furthermore, we present the successful bonding of an SCD membrane via van der Waals forces on a cavity mirror and perform finesse measurements which yielded values between 500 and 5000, depending on the position and hence on the membranethickness. Our results are promising for, e.g., an efficient spin–photon interface

Colossal c-axis response and lack of rotational symmetry breaking within the kagome plane of the CsV3_3Sb5_5 superconductor

The kagome materials AV4$_3$Sb$_5$ (A = K, Rb, Cs) host an intriguing interplay between unconventional superconductivity and charge-density-waves. Here, we investigate CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ by combining high-resolution thermal-expansion, heat-capacity and electrical resistance under strain measurements. We directly unveil that the superconducting and charge-ordered states strongly compete, and that this competition is dramatically influenced by tuning the crystallographic c-axis. In addition, we report the absence of additional bulk phase transitions within the charge-ordered state, notably associated with rotational symmetry-breaking within the kagome planes. This suggests that any breaking of the C$_6$ invariance occurs via different stacking of C$_6$-symmetric kagome patterns. Finally, we find that the charge-density-wave phase exhibits an enhanced A$_{1g}$-symmetric elastoresistance coefficient, whose large increase at low temperature is driven by electronic degrees of freedom

Dynamics of collective modes in an unconventional charge density wave system BaNi2As2

BaNi 2As 2 is a non-magnetic analogue of BaFe2 As2 , the parent compound of a prototype pnictide high-temperature superconductor, displaying superconductivity already at ambient pressure. Recent diffraction studies demonstrated the existence of two types of periodic lattice distortions above and below the triclinic phase transition, suggesting the existence of an unconventional charge-density-wave (CDW) order. The suppression of CDW order upon doping results in a sixfold increase in the superconducting transition temperature and enhanced nematic fluctuations, suggesting CDW is competing with superconductivity. Here, we apply time-resolved optical spectroscopy to investigate collective dynamics in BaNi 2 As 2. We demonstrate the existence of several CDW amplitude modes. Their smooth evolution through the structural phase transition implies the commensurate CDW order in the triclinic phase evolves from the high-temperature unidirectional incommensurate CDW, and may indeed trigger the structural phase transition. Excitation density dependence reveals excep- tional resilience of CDW against perturbation, implying an unconventional origin of the underlying electronic instability

Strong electron-phonon coupling and enhanced phonon Gr\"uneisen parameters in valence-fluctuating metal EuPd2_2Si2_2

We study the valence crossover and strong electron-phonon coupling of EuPd$_2$Si$_2$ by polarization-resolved Raman spectroscopy. The fully-symmetric phonon mode shows strongly asymmetric lineshape at low temperature, indicating Fano-type interaction between this mode and a continuum of electron-hole excitations. Moreover, the frequency and linewidth of the phonon modes exhibit anomalies across the valence-crossover temperature, suggesting the coupling between valence fluctuations and lattice vibration. In particular, two phonon modes show significantly enhanced Gr\"uneisen parameter, suggesting proximity to a critical elasticity regime. The relative contribution of the structural change and valence change to the phonon anomalies is evaluated by density functional theory calculations