Open thesis

At the institute there are a number of topics available for scientific final works, not always listed on this page. If you are interested in a special topic please contact the corresponding person of our working areas.

Ongoing theses

Master thesis

Relationship between microstructure of roots and their mechanical properties – a comparison of different types of wood

The dark world of the tree root is still a little researched area in
many areas of wood research.
The aim of the present master thesis was to characterize the roots of
three different tree species, more precisely their structural structure
in the wood cell and their mechanical properties. Structurally, the
microfibril angle of the S2 layer of the wood cell was measured and the
mechanical properties with a tensile test. The three wood species maple,
oak and willow were tested layer by layer from the outside of the root
to the inside. The roots were characterized qualitatively with a
scanning electron microscope (SEM) and quantitatively with small angle
X-ray scattering (SAXS) as well as a micro-train stage.
The result was an average increased value of the microfibril angle and a
fluctuating modulus of elasticity of all three wood species.

Analysis of a facadeintegrated, photovoltaic cooling

The main aim of this masters thesis is to analyse the provided data from a test facade which was collected over the course of one year. This facade has an integrated PV-powered cooling system which is connected to an electrical energy storage. Furthermore, the data of the test facility will be compared with a non air-conditioned referece room.

Delamination Properties of Hierarchical Structured Carbon fiber Composites with Bio-inspired vertically aligned Nano-reinforcement

Composites materials often provide the best solution for structural applications, offering a good combination of mechanical properties and low weight. However, the relatively low toughness of composite materials is often a limitation. Many researchers tried to overcome this limitation by mimicking nature principles, leading to a new class of composites with improved toughness. Inspired by the he tubular structural element that is found in hierarchal organized chitin-based crab exoskeleton, producing carbon fiber composites that contain well sorted and oriented nano reinforcement elements such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or carbon nanofibers (CNFs) is the objective of this thesis. After conducting a mechanical test and investigating the delamination properties,the vertically aligned or hierarchically structured CNT/CNF reinforced CFRP structures are expected to posses improved fracture toughness and energy absorption properties. Keywords: Hierarchical composite material, Carbon fiber reinforced fracture toughness Mulugeta Biadgo ASRESS

Finished theses