APRÈN. Portal de la producció docent del professorat de la UPC

This final degree project aims to analyse the operations of a recycling company to reduce its CO₂ emissions while optimising its economic profitability, as well as to study an alternative management approach for PVC plastic. The theoretical framework examines the environmental impact of recycling and waste, as well as the life cycle of these materials. It also analyses waste generation and management in Catalonia, including their typology, the management systems used, and the applicable regulations. In the second part of the project, the company's operations and waste management are studied. The current level of CO₂ emissions is calculated, and an improvement plan is developed that includes several key actions: an analysis of vehicles to reduce fossil fuel consumption, the feasibility of a photovoltaic system to incorporate renewable energies, an alternative proposal for PVC plastic management, and the creation of an energy calendar. These actions aim to both reduce CO₂ emissions and achieve economic benefits. The results demonstrate that it is possible to combine sustainability and profitability in the recycling sector.

A study on the evolution of supercritical fluids through a micro-nozzle is done in this thesis. All the studied cases are simulated on the same micro-nozzle, five of them are set up around and on the pseudo-boiling line, and the last one is a low pressure case at atmospheric temperature and pressure conditions in order to have an ideal gas equivalent result for comparison. In order to simulate these cases, the Euler equations of fluid motion are used in conjunction with real gas thermodynamics and the MacCormack numerical method. The studied fluid is Nitrogen, and it has been simulated through a MATLAB code that has been specifically developed to fit all the mentioned features of interest. Results show that there is quite a difference between the different supercritical regions' performance. The liquid-like region is the most complex one to simulate because of the high Mach numbers it produces, which lead to shock waves easily appearing. The gas-like region has proved a very similar behavior to that of an Ideal gas. Finally, the pseudo-boiling cases have proved to output a midpoint between the gas-like and the liquid-like regions, and they also have shown a strong dependency on their reference pressure.

This work has focused on the environmental, social, and economic diagnosis of the municipality of Artesa de Segre, located in the region of La Noguera, with the aim of contributing to the drafting of the local Agenda 21 and promoting the municipality's sustainability. The methodology included the collection and analysis of data from official sources on key indicators such as waste management, water consumption, population growth, the local economy, and pollution. After analyzing these indicators, the strengths and weaknesses of the municipality were identified. Among the areas for improvement, waste management stands out, as the data indicates a low recycling rate compared to other similar municipalities. The proposed improvement consists of implementing a door-to-door waste collection system, which will facilitate waste separation at source and increase efficiency, thereby reducing the volume of waste sent to the landfill and decreasing the environmental impact. This measure will significantly help reduce pollution associated with waste and promote more sustainable waste management. With this proposal, the goal is to move towards a more environmentally conscious municipality committed to sustainable development, in line with the objectives established by the local Agenda 21.

This project analyses and designs a theoretical and specific hydroponic crop for a defined diet and for a finite number of people. Technically scalable to the desired production volume. The characteristics of hydroponic cultivation are studied, with an emphasis on its optimization, and therefore indicators are defined for the study of plant control. A specific diet is proposed for this crop and a demand per adult is defined. Establishing limits in the scope and optimization of the system, it is designed and sized how each product and the set of these can be cultivated. The essential electronic components and the functionality that they provide are proposed; in addition, complementary ones are proposed to improve data collection and aim for a more automated system. The total electrical and monetary consumption is estimated, and the substantial improvement that this implies compared to traditional systems on land is observed. In addition, the beneficial social and especially environmental implications that this conversion could bring, both locally and globally. The final design is not intended to be built, but rather to test its viability and study the design methodology, contributing at specific times new designs and innovations to hydroponics.

Industry 4.0 is a concept originating from Germany that refers to the fourth industrial revolution, characterized by the integration of advanced technologies into industrial processes to improve efficiency, productivity, and decision making.Embracing innovative concepts such as widespread data acquisition is advantageous for enabling process optimization by collecting data from sensors. This enables analysis to identify different system characteristics and improve the quality of measurement processes. Furthermore, it aids in predictive maintenance, such as anticipating strain deformation in screws. Widespread data acquisition is essential for improving operational efficiency, reducing costs, enhancing product quality, and adapting to changing market demands. This technological convergence has opened new avenues for research and development enabling the design of advanced simulations and the creation of innovative prototypes. Leveraging these capabilities, this study focuses on the optimization and application of developed theories to enhance the performance of strain gauges taking account of the physical parameters. The aim of using sensors in integrated screws lies in the necessity to obtain accurate and realt-ime data from various industrial applications. By integrating sensors into screws, it becomes possible to monitor the status and performance of equipment, detect potential faults or wear, and optimize processes more efficiently. Integrating sensors into screws like strain gauges presents technical challenges, such as limited space to accommodate the sensors. The use of the correct number of measuring elements, is crucial for obtaining precise and consistent results. In the case of strain gauges, also the closer they are aligned to the measurement direction, the better the measurement accuracy will be, that is the reason why we use angular coordinates in the mathematical process development. The project aims to develop a model to mitigate the conflicting objectives between mechanical and sensory functions by simulating a dedicated space for sensors. Strain gauges are measurement devices used to determine the deformation of an object. They consist of a wire affixed to a flexible substrate. When the material to which the wire is attached deforms, the gauge alters its length, consequently changing its electrical resistance. Their versatility and the wide range of applications, along with i the abundant information available about these devices, have sparked considerable interest in seeking new integrative methods to facilitate their use and improve their implementation. The approach involves conducting a preliminary analysis of various strain gauge implementations to identify different factors. Subsequently, by adjusting the requirements of diverse Wheatstone circuits, the relationship between the factor influencing the Wheatstone Bridge's adjustment and its correlation with diameter will be established. The thesis will outline the development of a mathematical model informed by the geometrical characteristics of a screw. This project details the development from the theoretical foundations, including the implementation of Industry 4.0 concepts, to the final mathematical model, verification process, and results. The results obtained in this thesis will verify the mathematical model of the capacity of strain gauges that the interior of a screw can embrace meaning that synthesizing the relationship between geometrical methods and electrical properties we can obtain an optimum number of strain gauges for each configuration helping to having more accuracy of the sensitivity of the results.

The present bachelor's thesis aims to design an omnidirectional motorcycle stand. Taking into account the limitations set by Mr. J. Canivell, who supervises the project, a motorcycle stand is designed to allow the free movement of motorcycles for repositioning. The work covers the design process, as due to a lack of machinery by the company, the manufacturing process has been outsourced to a supplier. In the end, a product that meets all the requirements set by Mr. J. Canivell has been obtained.

Aquesta investigació, que s'aborda en el marc d'un treball de fi de grau, té com a objectiu trobar solucions innovadores per al disseny i la construcció d'una mà protèsica mioelèctrica personalitzada. El nostre enfocament posa de manifest l'ús de la tecnologia emergent com una eina poderosa per millorar la qualitat de vida de les persones amb diversitat funcional, especificant una solució destinada a una noia amb una amputació transradial. La base d'aquesta recerca recau en la fusió de coneixements multidisciplinaris. Combinarem l'enginyeria, la biomecànica i la tecnologia de la impressió 3D per desenvolupar un mecanisme i una estructura que no només sigui funcional, sinó també còmoda i estèticament agradable per a la pacient. El disseny mioelèctric implica l'ús de senyals elèctriques generats pels músculs romanents de l'extremitat amputada per controlar la pròtesi de manera precisa i intuïtiva (tot i que en aquest treball només ens centrarem en l'aspecte mecànic, serà necessari considerar els diversos components electrònics que intervindran en el disseny). Un dels grans avantatges que proposem en aquesta recerca és la possibilitat de fabricar la pròtesi utilitzant impressores 3D i components comercials. Això no només fa que sigui més accessible en termes econòmics, sinó que també permet un major grau de personalització i adaptació a les necessitats específiques de la noia amputada. D'aquesta manera, estem treballant cap a la creació de solucions més accessibles i assequibles per a les persones amb diversitat funcional. Un objectiu concret que volem aconseguir és que aquesta pròtesi sigui capaç de superar les proves de la Cybathlon. Aquest esdeveniment esportiu i tecnològic posa a prova les capacitats de les pròtesis en diverses situacions. La nostra aspiració és que la noia que rebi diversitat funcional sigui capaç de participar en aquesta competició i experimentar la satisfacció de superar els reptes que es plantegen. En resum, aquest treball de recerca no només representa un estudi tecnològic i científic en el camp de les pròtesis mioelèctriques, sinó que té un impacte directe en la vida d'una persona i pot obrir noves oportunitats i possibilitats. La tecnologia i la innovació són eines poderoses per a la millora de la qualitat de vida i la inclusió, i aquest projecte exemplifica com podem utilitzar-les per a aquests propòsits.

This document develops a design and validation of a pneumatic valve to regulate oil flow rates. This design will consider different aspects in order to meet certain initial proposed objectives. Therefore, an extensive theoretical framework will be available to provide a good understanding of the whole context of the valve, its parts, the types of valves that exist, their applications and the configurations available in the current market. There is also a detailed design of two proposed valves, a ball valve and a butterfly valve, which will be compared to determine the best performing valve. This design is made up of different sizing calculations of the valve installation and the valve itself. A validation is then carried out to check that the design of the valves is acceptable and a selection is made of the valve that works best under the suggested conditions. Finally, the design is optimised to make it safer and a rendering of the selected valve is presented. In addition, a cost estimate is generated and an analysis of the environmental impact of the valve is presented.

This study investigates the features of integrating a high-order Discontinuous Galerkin Method (DGM) into Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. The aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of this method, which has been incorporated into an OpenFOAM library extension named HopeFOAM. First, the fundamental principles of fluid dynamics are thoroughly explained, followed by a detailed description of the discretization numerical procedure. Subsequently, various tutorials included inside the libraries, are studied, such as the compressible isentropic vortex, a shock wave, an incompressible vortex and the unsteady flow around a confined cylinder. In addition to this, a new problem, the planar 4:1 sudden-contraction, is included and adjusted to be simulated following the DGM. The data collected from different aspects in each simulation is analyzed and compared with other similar works found in the scientific literature, allowing to further verify the capability of the DGM implementation inside the OpenFOAM software. This implementation of the DGM method inside OpenFOAM will allow to study several fluid dynamic problems involving even more complex physical features using higher order techniques that are necessary to obtain accurate solutions.

The amputation of a limb in a canine can result in pain and deformities. One of the ways to prevent these injuries is through the use of prosthetics. Limb amputations in dogs can be primarily caused by two reasons: trauma or disease. As a result of an amputation, canines can suffer injuries and deformities. Although these veterinary procedures are quite common, the market for prosthetics is very underdeveloped and research is very scarce. This TFG aims to design an articulated prosthetic, following and adapting the design criteria for human prosthetics. A 3D model will be created for service simulations, and an attempt will be made to make the design as economical as possible.

Currently, in a culturally consumerist world with a lack of environmental awareness, this final degree project presents the “GreenCourt: Revolucionant el joc amb la sostenibilitat” project, which encompasses 3 projects aiming to achieve resource self-sufficiency in sports facilities. These 3 projects are: harnessing solar energy, a greywater regeneration system, and the creation of a new insulating material from recycled polymeric materials, the latter being the project's main objective. Therefore, the main objective of this experimental work lies in the creation of different compositions of a polymeric material mixture (PET plus elastomer) obtained from waste generated in various sports facilities and characterizing it to analyze its properties for application in the construction industry. Furthermore, it is expected to reduce the environmental impact generated by these materials based on the theory of the Circular Economy. The methodology used in the development of the material will be presented, along with the conclusions of the characterization part, thus observing whether the initial premise of the research is fulfilled.

This work has as its main objective the design of an external prosthesis (orthosis) to address potential problems arising from the absence of a humerus in a person. This proposal is oriented towards design and manufacturing using additive manufacturing with 3D printing machines. During the development of the work, a study of the problem and its complications will be conducted, as well as mechanical behavior studies of the orthosis. The candidate material for manufacturing the parts using additive manufacturing will be selected, taking into account sustainability and the SDGs. Design and validation programs such as Solidworks or Ansys will be used. Finally, the concept of 3D printing will be explained, and the fabrication of the parts will be simulated using the Ultimaker Cura program.