Open Access

In this paper, modeling of piston and generic type gas compressors for a globally convergent algorithm for solving stationary gas transport problems is carried out. A theoretical analysis of the simulation stability, its practical implementation and verification of convergence on a realistic gas network have been carried out. The relevance of the paper for the topics of the conference is defined by a significance of gas transport networks as an advanced application of simulation and modeling, including the development of novel mathematical and numerical algorithms and methods.

Alkaline methanol oxidation is an important electrochemical process in the design of efficient fuel cells. Typically, a system of ordinary differential equations is used to model the kinetics of this process. The fitting of the parameters of the underlying mathematical model is performed on the basis of different types of experiments, characterizing the fuel cell. In this paper, we describe generic methods for creation of a mathematical model of electrochemical kinetics from a given reaction network, as well as for identification of parameters of this model. We also describe methods for model reduction, based on a combination of steady-state and dynamical descriptions of the process. The methods are tested on a range of experiments, including different concentrations of the reagents and different voltage range.

Dies ist ein interaktives Übungsbuch zur Vorlesung Modellbildung und Simulation an der Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. Es dient zur Übermittlung von Kenntnissen der Modellierung und Simulation ingenieurstechnischer Probleme unter der Verwendung von Matlab bzw. Octave.

The cube in cube approach was used by Paul and Ishai-Cohen to model and derive formulas for filler content dependent Young´s moduli of particle filled composites assuming perfect filler matrix adhesion. Their formulas were chosen because of their simplicity, recalculated using an elementary volume approach which transforms spherical inclusions to cubic inclusions. The EV approach led to expression for the composites moduli that allow for introducing an adhesion factor kadh ranging from 0 and 1 to take into account none perfect reduced filler matrix adhesion. This adhesion factor scales the edge length of the cubic inclusions, thus, reducing the stress transfer area between matrix and filler. Fitting the experimental data with the modified Paul model provides reasonable kadh for PA66, PBT, PP, PE-LD and BR which are in line with their surface energies. Further analysis showed that stiffening only occurs if kadh exceeds <span class="math-tex">\( { \ \sqrt{E^M/E^F} \ }\) and depends on the ratio of matrix modulus and filler modulus. The modified model allows for a quick calculation of any particle filled composites for known matrix modulus EM, filler modulus EF, filler volume content vF and adhesion factor kadh. Thus, finite element analysis (FEA) simulations of any particle filled polymer parts as well as materials selection are significantly eased. FEA of cubic and hexagonal EV arrangements show that stress distributions within the EV exhibit more shear stresses if one deviates from the cubic arrangement. At high filler contents the assumption that the property of the EV is representative for the whole composite, holds only for filler volume contents up to 15 or 20 % (corresponding to 30 to 40 weight %). Thus, for vast majority of commercially available particulate composites, the modified model can be applied. Furthermore, this indicates that the cube in cube approach reaches two limits: i) the occurrence of increasing shear stresses at filler contents above 20 % due to deviations of EV arrangements or spatial filler distribution from cubic arrangements (singular), and ii) increasing interaction between particles with the formation of particle network within the matrix violating the EV assumption of their homogeneous dispersion.

Computers can help us to trigger our intuition about how to solve a problem. But how does a computer take into account what a user wants and update these triggers? User preferences are hard to model as they are by nature vague, depend on the user’s background and are not always deterministic, changing depending on the context and process under which they were established. We pose that the process of preference discovery should be the object of interest in computer aided design or ideation. The process should be transparent, informative, interactive and intuitive. We formulate Hyper-Pref, a cyclic co-creative process between human and computer, which triggers the user’s intuition about what is possible and is updated according to what the user wants based on their decisions. We combine quality diversity algorithms, a divergent optimization method that can produce many, diverse solutions, with variational autoencoders to both model that diversity as well as the user’s preferences, discovering the preference hypervolume within large search spaces.

This paper investigates the effect of voltage sensors on the measurement of transient voltages for power semiconductors in a Double Pulse Test (DPT) environment.We adapt previously published models that were developed for current sensors and apply them to voltage sensors to evaluate their suitability for DPT applications. Similarities and differences between transient current and voltage sensors are investigated and the resulting methodology is applied to commercially available and experimental voltage sensors. Finally, a selection aid for given measurement tasks is derived that focuses on the measurement of fast-switching power semiconductors.

While many proteins are known clients of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), it is unclear whether the transcription factor, thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRb), interacts with Hsp90 to control hormonal perception and signaling. Higher Hsp90 expression in mouse fibroblasts was elicited by the addition of triiodothyronine (T3). T3 bound to Hsp90 and enhanced adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding of Hsp90 due to a specific binding site for T3, as identified by molecular docking experiments. The binding of TRb to Hsp90 was prevented by T3 or by the thyroid mimetic sobetirome. Purified recombinant TRb trapped Hsp90 from cell lysate or purified Hsp90 in pull-down experiments. The affinity of Hsp90 for TRb was 124 nM. Furthermore, T3 induced the release of bound TRb from Hsp90, which was shown by streptavidin-conjugated quantum dot (SAv-QD) masking assay. The data indicate that the T3 interaction with TRb and Hsp90 may be an amplifier of the cellular stress response by blocking Hsp90 activity.

In her recent article, Bender discusses several aspects of research–practice–collaborations (RPCs). In this commentary, we apply Bender's arguments to experiences in engineering research and development (R&D). We investigate the influence of interaction with practice partners on relevance, credibility, and legitimacy in the special engineering field of product development and analyze which methodological approaches are already being pursued for dealing with diverging interests and asymmetries and which steps will be necessary to include interests of civil society beyond traditional customer relations.