02 Fakultät Bau- und Umweltingenieurwissenschaften

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://elib.uni-stuttgart.de/handle/11682/3

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Institute: search.filters.UBSInstitut.Stuttgart Research Centre for Simulation Technology (SRC SimTech)

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Now showing 1 - 8 of 8
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    Variations in muscle activity and exerted torque during temporary blood flow restriction in healthy individuals
    (2021) Gizzi, Leonardo; Yavuz, Utku Ş.; Hillerkuss, Dominic; Geri, Tommaso; Gneiting, Elena; Domeier, Franziska; Schmitt, Syn; Röhrle, Oliver
    Recent studies suggest that transitory blood flow restriction (BFR) may improve the outcomes of training from anatomical (hypertrophy) and neural control perspectives. Whilst the chronic consequences of BFR on local metabolism and tissue adaptation have been extensively investigated, its acute effects on motor control are not yet fully understood. In this study, we compared the neuromechanical effects of continuous BFR against non-restricted circulation (atmospheric pressure-AP), during isometric elbow flexions. BFR was achieved applying external pressure either between systolic and diastolic (lower pressure-LP) or 1.3 times the systolic pressure (higher pressure-HP). Three levels of torque (15, 30, and 50% of the maximal voluntary contraction-MVC) were combined with the three levels of pressure for a total of 9 (randomized) test cases. Each condition was repeated 3 times. The protocol was administered to 12 healthy young adults. Neuromechanical measurements (torque and high-density electromyography-HDEMG) and reported discomfort were used to investigate the response of the central nervous system to BFR. The investigated variables were: root mean square (RMS), and area under the curve in the frequency domain-for the torque, and average RMS, median frequency and average muscle fibres conduction velocity-for the EMG. The discomfort caused by BFR was exacerbated by the level of torque and accumulated over time. The torque RMS value did not change across conditions and repetitions. Its spectral content, however, revealed a decrease in power at the tremor band (alpha-band, 5-15 Hz) which was enhanced by the level of pressure and the repetition number. The EMG amplitude showed no differences whilst the median frequency and the conduction velocity decreased over time and across trials, but only for the highest levels of torque and pressure. Taken together, our results show strong yet transitory effects of BFR that are compatible with a motor neuron pool inhibition caused by increased activity of type III and IV afferences, and a decreased activity of spindle afferents. We speculate that a compensation of the central drive may be necessary to maintain the mechanical output unchanged, despite disturbances in the afferent volley to the motor neuron pool.
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    Editorial - somatosensory integration in human movement : perspectives for neuromechanics, modelling and rehabilitation
    (2021) Gizzi, Leonardo; Vujaklija, Ivan; Sartori, Massimo; Röhrle, Oliver; Severini, Giacomo
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    A physiology-guided classification of active-stress and active-strain approaches for continuum-mechanical modeling of skeletal muscle tissue
    (2021) Klotz, Thomas; Bleiler, Christian; Röhrle, Oliver
    The well-established sliding filament and cross-bridge theory explain the major biophysical mechanism responsible for a skeletal muscle's active behavior on a cellular level. However, the biomechanical function of skeletal muscles on the tissue scale, which is caused by the complex interplay of muscle fibers and extracellular connective tissue, is much less understood. Mathematical models provide one possibility to investigate physiological hypotheses. Continuum-mechanical models have hereby proven themselves to be very suitable to study the biomechanical behavior of whole muscles or entire limbs. Existing continuum-mechanical skeletal muscle models use either an active-stress or an active-strain approach to phenomenologically describe the mechanical behavior of active contractions. While any macroscopic constitutive model can be judged by it's ability to accurately replicate experimental data, the evaluation of muscle-specific material descriptions is difficult as suitable data is, unfortunately, currently not available. Thus, the discussions become more philosophical rather than following rigid methodological criteria. Within this work, we provide a extensive discussion on the underlying modeling assumptions of both the active-stress and the active-strain approach in the context of existing hypotheses of skeletal muscle physiology. We conclude that the active-stress approach resolves an idealized tissue transmitting active stresses through an independent pathway. In contrast, the active-strain approach reflects an idealized tissue employing an indirect, coupled pathway for active stress transmission. Finally the physiological hypothesis that skeletal muscles exhibit redundant pathways of intramuscular stress transmission represents the basis for considering a mixed-active-stress-active-strain constitutive framework.
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    On laterally perturbed human stance: experiment, model, and control
    (2018) Suissa, Dan; Günther, Michael; Shapiro, Amir; Melzer, Itshak; Schmitt, Syn
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    Coupling DuMuX and DUNE-PDELab to investigate evaporation at the interface between Darcy and Navier-Stokes flow
    (Stuttgart : SimTech - Cluster of Excellence, 2017) Grüninger, Christoph; Fetzer, Thomas; Flemisch, Bernd; Helmig, Rainer
    An implementation of a coupled Navier-Stokes/Darcy model based on different Dune discretization modules is presented. The Darcy model is taken from DuMuX, the Navier-Stokes model is implemented on top of Dune-PDELab, and the coupling is done with help of Dune-MultiDomain together with some project-specific auxiliary code. The Navier-Stokes model features one fluid phase, the Darcy model two fluid phases. Each fluid phase may be composed of two components, in addition, non-isothermal processes are considered. The coupling between free and porous-medium flow uses a sharp interface between both subdomains and conserves mass, momentum, and energy by accounting for the corresponding fluxes across the interface. A cell-centered finite volume method (FVM) is combined with a marker and cell (MAC) scheme. It solves the coupled problem in one monolithic system using a Newton method and a direct linear solver. Numerical results demonstrate the basic functioning and a lab-scale reference application.
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    Digital Rock Physics : a geological driven workflow for the segmentation of anisotropic Ruhr sandstone
    (2021) Balcewicz, Martin; Siegert, Mirko; Gurris, Marcel; Ruf, Matthias; Krach, David; Steeb, Holger; Saenger, Erik H.
    Over the last 3 decades, Digital Rock Physics (DRP) has become a complementary part of the characterization of reservoir rocks due to the non-destructive testing character of this technique. The use of high-resolution X-ray Computed Tomography (XRCT) has become widely accepted to create a digital twin of the material under investigation. Compared to other imaging techniques, XRCT technology allows a location-dependent resolution of the individual material particles in volume. However, there are still challenges in assigning physical properties to a particular voxel within the digital twin, due to standard histogram analysis or sub-resolution features in the rock. For this reason, high-resolution image-based data from XRCT, transmitted-light microscope, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) as well as geological input properties like geological diagenesis, mineralogical composition, sample’s microfabrics, and estimated sample’s porosity are combined to obtain an optimal spatial segmented image of the studied Ruhr sandstone. Based on a homogeneity test, which corresponds to the evaluation of the gray-scale image histogram, the preferred scan sample sizes in terms of permeability, thermal, and effective elastic rock properties are determined. In addition, these numerically derived property predictions are compared with laboratory measurements to obtain possible upper limits for sample size, segmentation accuracy, and a geometrically calibrated digital twin of the Ruhr sandstone. The comparison corresponding gray-scale image histograms as a function of sample sizes with the corresponding advanced numerical simulations provides a unique workflow for reservoir characterization of the Ruhr sandstone.
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    The role of fast frequency response of energy storage systems and renewables for ensuring frequency stability in future low-inertia power systems
    (2021) González-Inostroza, Pablo; Rahmann, Claudia; Álvarez, Ricardo; Haas, Jannik; Nowak, Wolfgang; Rehtanz, Christian
    Renewable generation technologies are rapidly penetrating electrical power systems, which challenge frequency stability, especially in power systems with low inertia. To prevent future instabilities, this issue should already be addressed in the planning stage of the power systems. With this purpose, this paper presents a generation expansion planning tool that incorporates a set of frequency stability constraints along with the capability of renewable technologies and batteries to support system frequency stability during major power imbalances. We study how the investment decisions change depending on (i) which technology - batteries, renewable or conventional generation - support system frequency stability, (ii) the available levels of system inertia, and (iii) the modeling detail of reserve allocation (system-wide versus zone-specific). Our results for a case study of Chile’s system in the year 2050 show that including fast frequency response from converter-based technologies will be mandatory to achieve a secure operation in power systems dominated by renewable generation. When batteries offer the service, the total investment sizes are only slightly impacted. More precise spatial modeling of the reserves primarily affects the location of the investments as well as the reserve provider. These findings are relevant to energy policy makers, energy planners, and energy companies.