This thesis presents the first large-scale assessment of past, present and future impacts of climate change on river temperatures in Switzerland. Water temperature is a crucial factor influencing, among others, the health of aquatic ecosystems, the industr ...
For effective water quality management and policy development, spatial variability in the mean concentrations and dynamics of riverine water quality needs to be understood. Using water chemistry (calcium, electrical conductivity, nitrate-nitrite, soluble r ...
For dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) to find more widespread adoption in commercial products, a better understanding of their durability is needed. By determining the different mechanisms contributing to ageing and breakdown in DEAs, new methods for i ...
Heat-resistant spores on a dry, heat- and water-sensitive food matrix are difficult to inactivate. Radioactive or X-ray exposure is allowed and accepted only for some selected commodities. Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma treatments could offer an e ...
A gravitational energy storage device is described where the kinetic energy to recover while braking a vertically moving mass is compensated by an auxiliary storage device based on supercapacitors. The characteristic power surge occurring by a fast decreas ...
Grape pomace is a high quality biodegradable residue of the winery industry. It is comprised of grape seed, skin and stalks, and is blessed with substantial quantities of phenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins with high antioxidant potential. Currently, ther ...