Technique eliminates high voltage arcing at electrode-insulator contact area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mealy, G.

1967-01-01

Coating the electrode-insulator contact area with silver epoxy conductive paint and forcing the electrode and insulator tightly together into a permanent connection, eliminates electrical arcing in high-voltage electrodes supplying electrical power to vacuum facilities.

Large Enhancement of Thermal Conductivity and Lorenz Number in Topological Insulator Thin Films.

PubMed

Luo, Zhe; Tian, Jifa; Huang, Shouyuan; Srinivasan, Mithun; Maassen, Jesse; Chen, Yong P; Xu, Xianfan

2018-02-27

Topological insulators (TI) have attracted extensive research effort due to their insulating bulk states but conducting surface states. However, investigation and understanding of thermal transport in topological insulators, particularly the effect of surface states, are lacking. In this work, we studied thickness-dependent in-plane thermal and electrical conductivity of Bi 2 Te 2 Se TI thin films. A large enhancement in both thermal and electrical conductivity was observed for films with thicknesses below 20 nm, which is attributed to the surface states and bulk-insulating nature of these films. Moreover, a surface Lorenz number much larger than the Sommerfeld value was found. Systematic transport measurements indicated that the Fermi surface is located near the charge neutrality point (CNP) when the film thickness is below 20 nm. Possible reasons for the large Lorenz number include electrical and thermal current decoupling in the surface state Dirac fluid, and bipolar diffusion transport. A simple computational model indicates that the surface states and bipolar diffusion indeed can lead to enhanced electrical and thermal transport and a large Lorenz number.

Element for use in an inductive coupler for downhole drilling components

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Hall, Jr., H. Tracy; Pixton, David S.; Dahlgren, Scott; Fox, Joe; Sneddon, Cameron

2006-08-29

The present invention includes an element for use in an inductive coupler in a downhole component. The element includes a plurality of ductile, generally U-shaped leaves that are electrically conductive. The leaves are less than about 0.0625" thick and are separated by an electrically insulating material. These leaves are aligned so as to form a generally circular trough. The invention also includes an inductive coupler for use in downhole components, the inductive coupler including an annular housing having a recess with a magnetically conductive, electrically insulating (MCEI) element disposed in the recess. The MCEI element includes a plurality of segments where each segment further includes a plurality of ductile, generally U-shaped electrically conductive leaves. Each leaf is less than about 0.0625" thick and separated from the otherwise adjacent leaves by electrically insulating material. The segments and leaves are aligned so as to form a generally circular trough. The inductive coupler further includes an insulated conductor disposed within the generally circular trough. A polymer fills spaces between otherwise adjacent segments, the annular housing, insulated conductor, and further fills the circular trough.

High-voltage electrical apparatus utilizing an insulating gas of sulfur hexafluoride and helium

DOEpatents

Wootton, Roy E.

1980-01-01

High-voltage electrical apparatus includes an outer housing at low potential, an inner electrode disposed within the outer housing at high potential with respect thereto, and support means for insulatably supporting the inner electrode within the outer housing. Conducting particles contaminate the interior of the outer housing, and an insulating gas electrically insulates the inner electrode from the outer housing even in the presence of the conducting particles. The insulating gas is comprised of sulfur hexafluoride at a partial pressure of from about 2.9 to about 3.4 atmospheres absolute, and helium at a partial pressure from about 1.1 to about 11.4 atmospheres absolute. The sulfur hexafluoride comprises between 20 and 65 volume percent of the insulating gas.

Quantum spin liquids and the metal-insulator transition in doped semiconductors.

PubMed

Potter, Andrew C; Barkeshli, Maissam; McGreevy, John; Senthil, T

2012-08-17

We describe a new possible route to the metal-insulator transition in doped semiconductors such as Si:P or Si:B. We explore the possibility that the loss of metallic transport occurs through Mott localization of electrons into a quantum spin liquid state with diffusive charge neutral "spinon" excitations. Such a quantum spin liquid state can appear as an intermediate phase between the metal and the Anderson-Mott insulator. An immediate testable consequence is the presence of metallic thermal conductivity at low temperature in the electrical insulator near the metal-insulator transition. Further, we show that though the transition is second order, the zero temperature residual electrical conductivity will jump as the transition is approached from the metallic side. However, the electrical conductivity will have a nonmonotonic temperature dependence that may complicate the extrapolation to zero temperature. Signatures in other experiments and some comparisons with existing data are made.

Data transmission element for downhole drilling components

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Hall, Jr., H. Tracy; Pixton, David S.; Dahlgren, Scott; Fox, Joe; Sneddon, Cameron; Briscoe, Michael

2006-01-31

A robust data transmission element for transmitting information between downhole components, such as sections of drill pipe, in the presence of hostile environmental conditions, such as heat, dirt, rocks, mud, fluids, lubricants, and the like. The data transmission element components include a generally U-shaped annular housing, a generally U-shaped magnetically conductive, electrically insulating element such as ferrite, and an insulated conductor. Features on the magnetically conducting, electrically insulating element and the annular housing create a pocket when assembled. The data transmission element is filled with a polymer to retain the components within the annular housing by filling the pocket with the polymer. The polymer can bond with the annular housing and the insulated conductor but preferably not the magnetically conductive, electrically insulating element. A data transmission element is mounted within a recess proximate a mating surface of a downhole drilling component, such as a section of drill pipe.

Electrical conductivity of rigid polyurethane foam at high temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, R. T., Jr.

1982-08-01

The electrical conductivity of rigid polyurethane foam, used for electronic encapsulation, was measured during thermal decomposition to 3400 C. At higher temperatures the conductance continues to increase. With pressure loaded electrical leads, sample softening results in eventual contact between electrodes which produces electrical shorting. Air and nitrogen environments show no significant dependence of the conductivity on the atmosphere over the temperature range. The insulating characteristics of polyurethane foam below approx. 2700 C are similar to those for silicone based materials used for electronic case housings and are better than those for phenolics. At higher temperatures (greater than or equal to 2700 C) the phenolics appear to be better insulators to approx. 5000 C and the silicones to approx. 6000 C. It is concluded that the Sylgard 184/GMB encapsulant is a significantly better insulator at high temperature than the rigid polyurethane foam.

Physical properties of Ce-TZP at cryogenic temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Y. M.; Chen, Z.; Zhou, M.; Huang, R. J.; Huang, C. J.; Li, L. F.

2014-01-01

Electrical insulators, which are used to insulate cryogenic supply lines and conductor windings, are critical units in superconducting TOKAMAK magnets. Electrical insulators used in superconducting magnets fall into axial and radial insulators. These insulators can be made from glass ribbon epoxy densification and have been used in the Experiment Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The properties of Ce-TZP can satisfy the requirement of electrical insulators. In this paper, thermal conductivity, mechanical properties and coefficient of thermal expansion of Ce-TZP have been investigated at cryogenic temperatures. Results indicate that the Ce-TZP shows better properties than epoxy and it demonstrates that the Ce-TZP can be used as insulation material in superconducting magnets.

Method for electrically isolating an electrically conductive member from another such member

DOEpatents

Tsang, K.L.; Chen, Y.

1984-02-09

The invention relates to methods for electrically isolating a first electrically conductive member from another such member by means of an electrically insulating medium. In accordance with the invention, the insulating medium is provided in the form of MgO which contains a dopant selected from lithium, copper, cobalt, sodium, silver, gold and hydrogen. The dopant is present in the MgO in an amount effective to suppress dielectric breakdown of the MgO, even at elevated temperatures and in the presence of electrical fields.

DC conductivity of a suspension of insulating particles with internal rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pannacci, N.; Lemaire, E.; Lobry, L.

2009-04-01

We analyse the consequences of Quincke rotation on the conductivity of a suspension. Quincke rotation refers to the spontaneous rotation of insulating particles dispersed in a slightly conducting liquid and subject to a high DC electric field: above a critical field, each particle rotates continuously around itself with an axis pointing in any direction perpendicular to the DC field. When the suspension is subject to an electric field lower than the threshold one, the presence of insulating particles in the host liquid decreases the bulk conductivity since the particles form obstacles to ion migration. But for electric fields higher than the critical one, the particles rotate and facilitate ion migration: the effective conductivity of the suspension is increased. We provide a theoretical analysis of the impact of Quincke rotation on the apparent conductivity of a suspension and we present experimental results obtained with a suspension of PMMA particles dispersed in weakly conducting liquids.

Semiconductor structures having electrically insulating and conducting portions formed from an AlSb-alloy layer

DOEpatents

Spahn, O.B.; Lear, K.L.

1998-03-10

The semiconductor structure comprises a plurality of semiconductor layers formed on a substrate including at least one layer of a III-V compound semiconductor alloy comprising aluminum (Al) and antimony (Sb), with at least a part of the AlSb-alloy layer being chemically converted by an oxidation process to form superposed electrically insulating and electrically conducting portions. The electrically insulating portion formed from the AlSb-alloy layer comprises an oxide of aluminum (e.g., Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}), while the electrically conducting portion comprises Sb. A lateral oxidation process allows formation of the superposed insulating and conducting portions below monocrystalline semiconductor layers for forming many different types of semiconductor structures having particular utility for optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes, edge-emitting lasers, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, photodetectors and optical modulators (waveguide and surface normal), and for electronic devices such as heterojunction bipolar transistors, field-effect transistors and quantum-effect devices. The invention is expected to be particularly useful for forming light-emitting devices for use in the 1.3--1.6 {mu}m wavelength range, with the AlSb-alloy layer acting to define an active region of the device and to effectively channel an electrical current therein for efficient light generation. 10 figs.

Semiconductor structures having electrically insulating and conducting portions formed from an AlSb-alloy layer

DOEpatents

Spahn, Olga B.; Lear, Kevin L.

1998-01-01

A semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure comprises a plurality of semiconductor layers formed on a substrate including at least one layer of a III-V compound semiconductor alloy comprising aluminum (Al) and antimony (Sb), with at least a part of the AlSb-alloy layer being chemically converted by an oxidation process to form superposed electrically insulating and electrically conducting portions. The electrically insulating portion formed from the AlSb-alloy layer comprises an oxide of aluminum (e.g. Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), while the electrically conducting portion comprises Sb. A lateral oxidation process allows formation of the superposed insulating and conducting portions below monocrystalline semiconductor layers for forming many different types of semiconductor structures having particular utility for optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes, edge-emitting lasers, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, photodetectors and optical modulators (waveguide and surface normal), and for electronic devices such as heterojunction bipolar transistors, field-effect transistors and quantum-effect devices. The invention is expected to be particularly useful for forming light-emitting devices for use in the 1.3-1.6 .mu.m wavelength range, with the AlSb-alloy layer acting to define an active region of the device and to effectively channel an electrical current therein for efficient light generation.

Method of fabricating high-density hermetic electrical feedthroughs

DOEpatents

Shah, Kedar G.; Pannu, Satinderpall S.; Delima, Terri L.

2015-06-02

A method of fabricating electrical feedthroughs selectively removes substrate material from a first side of an electrically conductive substrate (e.g. a bio-compatible metal) to form an array of electrically conductive posts in a substrate cavity. An electrically insulating material (e.g. a bio-compatible sealing glass) is then flowed to fill the substrate cavity and surround each post, and solidified. The solidified insulating material is then exposed from an opposite second side of the substrate so that each post is electrically isolated from each other as well as the bulk substrate. In this manner a hermetic electrically conductive feedthrough construction is formed having an array of electrical feedthroughs extending between the first and second sides of the substrate from which it was formed.

Conductivity Variation Observed by Polarization and Depolarization Current Measurements of High-Voltage Equipment Insulation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jamail, Nor Akmal Mohd; Piah, Mohamed Afendi Mohamed; Muhamad, Nor Asiah

2012-09-01

Nondestructive and time domain dielectric measurement techniques such as polarization and depolarization current (PDC) measurements have recently been widely used as a potential tool for determining high-voltage insulation conditions by analyzing the insulation conductivity. The variation in the conductivity of an insulator was found to depend on several parameters: the difference between the polarization and depolarization currents, geometric capacitance, and the relative permittivity of the insulation material. In this paper the conductivities of different types of oil-paper insulation material are presented. The insulation conductivities of several types of electrical apparatus were simulated using MATLAB. Conductivity insulation was found to be high at high polarizations and at the lowest depolarization current. It was also found to increase with increasing relative permittivity as well as with decreasing geometric capacitance of the insulating material.

Nerve conduction

MedlinePlus

... are insulated like pieces of electrical wire. This insulation protects them and also allows their signals to move faster along the axon. Without this insulation, signals from the brain might never reach the ...

Alternator insulation evaluation tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Penn, W. B.; Schaefer, R. F.; Balke, R. L.

1972-01-01

Tests were conducted to predict the remaining electrical insulation life of a 60 KW homopolar inductor alternator following completion of NASA turbo-alternator endurance tests for SNAP-8 space electrical power systems application. The insulation quality was established for two alternators following completion of these tests. A step-temperature aging test procedure was developed for insulation life prediction and applied to one of the two alternators. Armature winding insulation life of over 80,000 hours for an average winding temperature of 248 degrees C was predicted using the developed procedure.

Photocapacitive image converter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, W. E.; Sher, A.; Tsuo, Y. H. (Inventor)

1982-01-01

An apparatus for converting a radiant energy image into corresponding electrical signals including an image converter is described. The image converter includes a substrate of semiconductor material, an insulating layer on the front surface of the substrate, and an electrical contact on the back surface of the substrate. A first series of parallel transparent conductive stripes is on the insulating layer with a processing circuit connected to each of the conductive stripes for detecting the modulated voltages generated thereon. In a first embodiment of the invention, a modulated light stripe perpendicular to the conductive stripes scans the image converter. In a second embodiment a second insulating layer is deposited over the conductive stripes and a second series of parallel transparent conductive stripes perpendicular to the first series is on the second insulating layer. A different frequency current signal is applied to each of the second series of conductive stripes and a modulated image is applied to the image converter.

Power module assembly with reduced inductance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ward, Terence G.; Stancu, Constantin C.; Jaksic, Marko

A power module assembly has a plurality of electrically conducting layers, including a first layer and a third layer. One or more electrically insulating layers are operatively connected to each of the plurality of electrically conducting layers. The electrically insulating layers include a second layer positioned between and configured to electrically isolate the first and the third layers. The first layer is configured to carry a first current flowing in a first direction. The third layer is configured to carry a second current flowing in a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby reducing an inductance of the assembly.more » The electrically insulating layers may include a fourth layer positioned between and configured to electrically isolate the third layer and a fifth layer. The assembly results in a combined substrate and heat sink structure. The assembly eliminates the requirements for connections between separate substrate and heat sink structures.« less

High temperature electrical conductivity of rigid polyurethane foam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, R. T., Jr.

1984-03-01

The temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity of three rigid polyurethane foams prepared using different formulations was measured to approx. 320 C. The materials exhibit similar conductivity characteristics, showing a pronounced increase in conductivity with increasing temperature. The insulating characteristics to approx. 200 C are better than that for phenolic materials (glass fabric reinforced), and are similar to those for silicone materials (glass microsphere reinforced). At higher temperatures (500 to 600 C), the phenolics and silicones are better insulators.

Enhanced mechanical, thermal, and electric properties of graphene aerogels via supercritical ethanol drying and high-temperature thermal reduction.

PubMed

Cheng, Yehong; Zhou, Shanbao; Hu, Ping; Zhao, Guangdong; Li, Yongxia; Zhang, Xinghong; Han, Wenbo

2017-05-03

Graphene aerogels with high surface areas, ultra-low densities and thermal conductivities have been prepared to exploit their wide applications from pollution adsorption to energy storage, supercapacitor, and thermal insulation. However, the low mechanical properties, poor thermal stability and electric conductivity restrict these aerogels' applications. In this paper, we prepared mechanically strong graphene aerogels with large BET surface areas, low thermal conductivities, high thermal stability and electric conductivities via hydrothermal reduction and supercritical ethanol drying. Annealing at 1500 °C resulted in slightly increased thermal conductivity and further improvement in mechanical properties, oxidation temperature and electric conductivity of the graphene aerogel. The large BET surface areas, together with strong mechanical properties, low thermal conductivities, high thermal stability and electrical conductivities made these graphene aerogels feasible candidates for use in a number of fields covering from batteries to sensors, electrodes, lightweight conductor and insulation materials.

A Method to have Multi-Layer Thermal Insulation Provide Damage Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodward, Stanley E.; Taylor, Bryant D.; Jones, Thomas W.; Shams, Qamar A.; Lyons, Frankel; Henderson, Donald

2007-01-01

Design and testing of a multi-layer thermal insulation system that also provides debris and micrometeorite damage detection is presented. One layer of the insulation is designed as an array of passive open-circuit electrically conductive spiral trace sensors. The sensors are a new class of sensors that are electrically open-circuits that have no electrical connections thereby eliminating one cause of failure to circuits. The sensors are powered using external oscillating magnetic fields. Once electrically active, they produce their own harmonic magnetic fields. The responding field frequency changes if any sensor is damaged. When the sensors are used together in close proximity, the inductive coupling between sensors provides a means of telemetry. The spiral trace design using reflective electrically conductive material provides sufficient area coverage for the sensor array to serves as a layer of thermal insulation. The other insulation layers are designed to allow the sensor s magnetic field to permeate the insulation layers while having total reflective surface area to reduce thermal energy transfer. Results of characterizing individual sensors and the sensor array s response to punctures are presented. Results of hypervelocity impact testing using projectiles of 1-3.6 millimeter diameter having speeds ranging from 6.7-7.1 kilometers per second are also presented.

Cryogenic electrical properties of irradiated cyanate ester/epoxy insulation for fusion magnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, X.; Wu, Z. X.; Li, J.; Xu, D.; Liu, H. M.; Huang, R. J.; Li, L. F.

2017-12-01

The insulation materials used in high field fusion magnets require excellent mechanical properties, high electrical breakdown strength, good thermal conductivity and high radiation tolerance. Previous investigations showed that cyanate ester/epoxy (CE/EP) insulation material, a candidate insulation for fusion magnets, can maintain good mechanical performance at cryogenic temperature after 10 MGy irradiation and has a much longer pot life than traditional epoxy insulation material. In order to quantify the electrical properties of the CE/EP insulation material at low temperature, a cryogenic electrical property testing system cooled by a G-M cryocooler was developed for this study. An insulation material with 40% cyanate ester and 60% epoxy was subjected to 60Co γ-ray irradiation in air at ambient temperature with a dose rate of 300 Gy/min, and total doses of 1 MGy, 5 MGy and 10 MGy. The electrical breakdown strength of this CE/EP insulation material was measured before and after irradiation. The results show that cryogenic temperature has a positive effect on the electrical breakdown strength of this composite, while the influence of 60Co γ-ray irradiation is not obvious at 6.1 K.

Electrically insulating thermal nano-oils using 2D fillers.

PubMed

Taha-Tijerina, Jaime; Narayanan, Tharangattu N; Gao, Guanhui; Rohde, Matthew; Tsentalovich, Dmitri A; Pasquali, Matteo; Ajayan, Pulickel M

2012-02-28

Different nanoscale fillers have been used to create composite fluids for applications such as thermal management. The ever increasing thermal loads in applications now require advanced operational fluids, for example, high thermal conductivity dielectric oils in transformers. These oils require excellent filler dispersion, high thermal conduction, but also electrical insulation. Such thermal oils that conform to this thermal/electrical requirement, and yet remain in highly suspended stable state, have not yet been synthesized. We report here the synthesis and characterization of stable high thermal conductivity Newtonian nanofluids using exfoliated layers of hexagonal boron nitride in oil without compromising its electrically insulating property. Two-dimensional nanosheets of hexagonal boron nitride are liquid exfoliated in isopropyl alcohol and redispersed in mineral oil, used as standard transformer oil, forming stable nanosuspensions with high shelf life. A high electrical resistivity, even higher than that of the base oil, is maintained for the nano-oil containing small weight fraction of the filler (0.01 wt %), whereas the thermal conductivity was enhanced. The low dissipation factor and high pour point for this nano-oil suggests several applications in thermal management.

High power density capacitor and method of fabrication

DOEpatents

Tuncer, Enis

2012-11-20

A ductile preform for making a drawn capacitor includes a plurality of electrically insulating, ductile insulator plates and a plurality of electrically conductive, ductile capacitor plates. Each insulator plate is stacked vertically on a respective capacitor plate and each capacitor plate is stacked on a corresponding insulator plate in alignment with only one edge so that other edges are not in alignment and so that each insulator plate extends beyond the other edges. One or more electrically insulating, ductile spacers are disposed in horizontal alignment with each capacitor plate along the other edges and the pattern is repeated so that alternating capacitor plates are stacked on alternating opposite edges of the insulator plates. A final insulator plate is positioned at an extremity of the preform. The preform may then be drawn to fuse the components and decrease the dimensions of the preform that are perpendicular to the direction of the draw.

Surface Charge Effects on the Electro-Orientation of Insulating Nanotubes in Aqueous Electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cetindag, Semih; Tiwari, Bishnu; Zhang, Dongyan; Yap, Yoke Khin; Kim, Sangil; Shan, Jerry W.

2017-11-01

While the alignment of electrically conductive nanowires and nanotubes by electric fields in liquid solution has been well studied, much less is known about the electro-orientation of insulating 1D particles, such as boron-nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). Here, we demonstrate for the first time the electro-orientation of individual insulating BNNTs in aqueous KCl solutions under AC fields. Comparison to theory indicates that the observed frequency response is not related to the crossover for Maxwell-Wagner interfacial polarization. Instead, the cross-over frequency in the low-frequency regime scales as the square root of solution conductivity, indicating that alignment is associated with the formation and motion of an electrical double layer (EDL), much like induced-charge electro-osmosis for a conducting particle. However, the mechanism for the formation of the EDL is presumably different for insulating particles like BNNTs as compared to conductors. By varying the surface charge of the particle by changing pH, we show that the alignment rate increases with increasing surface charge, and is likely a result of counter-ion migration and EDL polarization under the influence of applied electric field. Thus, particle surface charge (large Dukhin number) is believed to play a vital role in the electro-orientation of insulating particles in aqueous solutions. NSF CBET-1604931 and NSF DMR-1261910.

DC breakdown characteristics of silicone polymer composites for HVDC insulator applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Byung-Jo; Seo, In-Jin; Seong, Jae-Kyu; Hwang, Young-Ho; Yang, Hai-Won

2015-11-01

Critical components for HVDC transmission systems are polymer insulators, which have stricter requirements that are more difficult to achieve compared to those of HVAC insulators. In this study, we investigated the optimal design of HVDC polymer insulators by using a DC electric field analysis and experiments. The physical properties of the polymer specimens were analyzed to develop an optimal HVDC polymer material, and four polymer specimens were prepared for DC breakdown experiments. Single and reverse polarity breakdown tests were conducted to analyze the effect of temperature on the breakdown strength of the polymer. In addition, electric fields were analyzed via simulations, in which a small-scale polymer insulator model was applied to prevent dielectric breakdown due to electric field concentration, with four DC operating conditions taken into consideration. The experimental results show that the electrical breakdown strength and the electric field distribution exhibit significant differences in relation to different DC polarity transition procedures.

Ceramic electrical insulation for electrical coils, transformers, and magnets

DOEpatents

Rice, John A.; Hazelton, Craig S.; Fabian, Paul E.

2002-01-01

A high temperature electrical insulation is described, which is suitable for electrical windings for any number of applications. The inventive insulation comprises a cured preceramic polymer resin, which is preferably a polysiloxane resin. A method for insulating electrical windings, which are intended for use in high temperature environments, such as superconductors and the like, advantageously comprises the steps of, first, applying a preceramic polymer layer to a conductor core, to function as an insulation layer, and second, curing the preceramic polymer layer. The conductor core preferably comprises a metallic wire, which may be wound into a coil. In the preferred method, the applying step comprises a step of wrapping the conductor core with a sleeve or tape of glass or ceramic fabric which has been impregnated by a preceramic polymer resin. The inventive insulation system allows conducting coils and magnets to be fabricated using existing processing equipment, and maximizes the mechanical and thermal performance at both elevated and cryogenic temperatures. It also permits co-processing of the wire and the insulation to increase production efficiencies and reduce overall costs, while still remarkably enhancing performance.

Apparatus for improving performance of electrical insulating structures

DOEpatents

Wilson, Michael J.; Goerz, David A.

2004-08-31

Removing the electrical field from the internal volume of high-voltage structures; e.g., bushings, connectors, capacitors, and cables. The electrical field is removed from inherently weak regions of the interconnect, such as between the center conductor and the solid dielectric, and places it in the primary insulation. This is accomplished by providing a conductive surface on the inside surface of the principal solid dielectric insulator surrounding the center conductor and connects the center conductor to this conductive surface. The advantage of removing the electric fields from the weaker dielectric region to a stronger area improves reliability, increases component life and operating levels, reduces noise and losses, and allows for a smaller compact design. This electric field control approach is currently possible on many existing products at a modest cost. Several techniques are available to provide the level of electric field control needed. Choosing the optimum technique depends on material, size, and surface accessibility. The simplest deposition method uses a standard electroless plating technique, but other metalization techniques include vapor and energetic deposition, plasma spraying, conductive painting, and other controlled coating methods.

Apparatus for improving performance of electrical insulating structures

DOEpatents

Wilson, Michael J.; Goerz, David A.

2002-01-01

Removing the electrical field from the internal volume of high-voltage structures; e.g., bushings, connectors, capacitors, and cables. The electrical field is removed from inherently weak regions of the interconnect, such as between the center conductor and the solid dielectric, and places it in the primary insulation. This is accomplished by providing a conductive surface on the inside surface of the principal solid dielectric insulator surrounding the center conductor and connects the center conductor to this conductive surface. The advantage of removing the electric fields from the weaker dielectric region to a stronger area improves reliability, increases component life and operating levels, reduces noise and losses, and allows for a smaller compact design. This electric field control approach is currently possible on many existing products at a modest cost. Several techniques are available to provide the level of electric field control needed. Choosing the optimum technique depends on material, size, and surface accessibility. The simplest deposition method uses a standard electroless plating technique, but other metalization techniques include vapor and energetic deposition, plasma spraying, conductive painting, and other controlled coating methods.

Method for improving performance of highly stressed electrical insulating structures

DOEpatents

Wilson, Michael J.; Goerz, David A.

2002-01-01

Removing the electrical field from the internal volume of high-voltage structures; e.g., bushings, connectors, capacitors, and cables. The electrical field is removed from inherently weak regions of the interconnect, such as between the center conductor and the solid dielectric, and places it in the primary insulation. This is accomplished by providing a conductive surface on the inside surface of the principal solid dielectric insulator surrounding the center conductor and connects the center conductor to this conductive surface. The advantage of removing the electric fields from the weaker dielectric region to a stronger area improves reliability, increases component life and operating levels, reduces noise and losses, and allows for a smaller compact design. This electric field control approach is currently possible on many existing products at a modest cost. Several techniques are available to provide the level of electric field control needed. Choosing the optimum technique depends on material, size, and surface accessibility. The simplest deposition method uses a standard electroless plating technique, but other metalization techniques include vapor and energetic deposition, plasma spraying, conductive painting, and other controlled coating methods.

Method of Fault Detection and Rerouting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibson, Tracy L. (Inventor); Medelius, Pedro J. (Inventor); Lewis, Mark E. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A system and method for detecting damage in an electrical wire, including delivering at least one test electrical signal to an outer electrically conductive material in a continuous or non-continuous layer covering an electrically insulative material layer that covers an electrically conductive wire core. Detecting the test electrical signals in the outer conductive material layer to obtain data that is processed to identify damage in the outer electrically conductive material layer.

Rectenna that converts infrared radiation to electrical energy

DOEpatents

Davids, Paul; Peters, David W.

2016-09-06

Technologies pertaining to converting infrared (IR) radiation to DC energy are described herein. In a general embodiment, a rectenna comprises a conductive layer. A thin insulator layer is formed on the conductive layer, and a nanoantenna is formed on the thin insulator layer. The thin insulator layer acts as a tunnel junction of a tunnel diode.

Electrically-Conductive Polyaramid Cable And Fabric

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orban, Ralph F.

1988-01-01

Tows coated with metal provide strength and conductance. Cable suitable for use underwater made of electrically conductive tows of metal-coated polyaramid filaments surrounded by electrically insulating jacket. Conductive tows used to make conductive fabrics. Tension borne by metal-coated filaments, so upon release, entire cable springs back to nearly original length without damage.

Catalytic devices

DOEpatents

Liu, Ming; Zhang, Xiang

2018-01-23

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to catalytic devices. In one aspect, a device includes a substrate, an electrically insulating layer disposed on the substrate, a layer of material disposed on the electrically insulating layer, and a catalyst disposed on the layer of material. The substrate comprises an electrically conductive material. The substrate and the layer of material are electrically coupled to one another and configured to have a voltage applied across them.

Joule heating effects on particle immobilization in insulator-based dielectrophoretic devices.

PubMed

Gallo-Villanueva, Roberto C; Sano, Michael B; Lapizco-Encinas, Blanca H; Davalos, Rafael V

2014-02-01

In this work, the temperature effects due to Joule heating obtained by application of a direct current electric potential were investigated for a microchannel with cylindrical insulating posts employed for insulator-based dielectrophoresis. The conductivity of the suspending medium, the local electric field, and the gradient of the squared electric field, which directly affect the magnitude of the dielectrophoretic force exerted on particles, were computationally simulated employing COMSOL Multiphysics. It was observed that a temperature gradient is formed along the microchannel, which redistributes the conductivity of the suspending medium leading to an increase of the dielectrophoretic force toward the inlet of the channel while decreasing toward the outlet. Experimental results are in good agreement with simulations on the particle-trapping zones anticipated. This study demonstrates the importance of considering Joule heating effects when designing insulator-based dielectrophoresis systems. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Doping Effect of Graphene Nanoplatelets on Electrical Insulation Properties of Polyethylene: From Macroscopic to Molecular Scale

PubMed Central

Jing, Ziang; Li, Changming; Zhao, Hong; Zhang, Guiling; Han, Baozhong

2016-01-01

The doping effect of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) on electrical insulation properties of polyethylene (PE) was studied by combining experimental and theoretical methods. The electric conduction properties and trap characteristics were tested for pure PE and PE/GNPs composites by using a direct measurement method and a thermal stimulated current (TSC) method. It was found that doping smaller GNPs is more beneficial to decrease the conductivity of PE/GNPs. The PE/GNPs composite with smaller size GNPs mainly introduces deep energy traps, while with increasing GNPs size, besides deep energy traps, shallow energy traps are also introduced. These results were also confirmed by density functional theory (DFT) and the non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) method calculations. Therefore, doping small size GNPs is favorable for trapping charge carriers and enhancing insulation ability, which is suggested as an effective strategy in exploring powerful insulation materials. PMID:28773802

High conductance surge cable

DOEpatents

Murray, M.M.; Wilfong, D.H.; Lomax, R.E.

1998-12-08

An electrical cable for connecting transient voltage surge suppressors to electrical power panels. A strip of electrically conductive foil defines a longitudinal axis, with a length of an electrical conductor electrically attached to the metallic foil along the longitudinal axis. The strip of electrically conductive foil and the length of an electrical conductor are covered by an insulating material. For impedance matching purposes, triangular sections can be removed from the ends of the electrically conductive foil at the time of installation. 6 figs.

Electrical conduction of a XLPE nanocomposite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Yong-Jun; Sim, Jae-Yong; Lim, Kee-Joe; Nam, Jin-Ho; Park, Wan-Gi

2014-07-01

The resistivity, breakdown strength, and formation of space charges are very important factors for insulation design of HVDC cable. It is known that a nano-sized metal-oxide inorganic filler reduces the formation of space charges in the polymer nanocomposite. Electrical conduction of cross-linked polyethylene(XLPE) nanocomposite insulating material is investigated in this paper. The conduction currents of two kinds of XLPE nanocomposites and XLPE without nano-filler were measured at temperature of 303 ~ 363 K under the applied electric fields of 10 ~ 50 kV/mm. The current of the nanocomposite specimen is smaller than that of XLPE specimen without nano-filler. The conduction mechanism may be explained in terms of Schottky emission and multi-core model.

Polymers that Conduct Electricity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edelson, Edward

1983-01-01

Although polymers are regarded as electrical insulators, it was discovered that they can be made to conduct electricity. This discovery has opened vast new practical and theoretical areas for exploration by physicists and chemists. Research studies with these conducting polymers and charge-transfer salts as well as possible applications are…

Efficient thermoelectric device

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ila, Daryush (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A high efficiency thermo electric device comprising a multi nanolayer structure of alternating insulator and insulator/metal material that is irradiated across the plane of the layer structure with ionizing radiation. The ionizing radiation produces nanocrystals in the layered structure that increase the electrical conductivity and decrease the thermal conductivity thereby increasing the thermoelectric figure of merit. Figures of merit as high as 2.5 have been achieved using layers of co-deposited gold and silicon dioxide interspersed with layers of silicon dioxide. The gold to silicon dioxide ratio was 0.04. 5 MeV silicon ions were used to irradiate the structure. Other metals and insulators may be substituted. Other ionizing radiation sources may be used. The structure tolerates a wide range of metal to insulator ratio.

Mechanical and electric characteristics of vacuum impregnated no-insulation HTS coil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Heecheol; Kim, A.-rong; Kim, Seokho; Park, Minwon; Kim, Kwangmin; Park, Taejun

2014-09-01

For the conduction cooling application, epoxy impregnation is inevitable to enhance the thermal conduction. However, there have been several research results on the delamination problem with coated conductor and the main cause of the delamination is related with the different thermal contraction between epoxy, the insulation layer and the weak conductor. To avoid this problem, the amount of epoxy and insulation layer between conductors should be minimized or removed. Therefore, no insulation (NI) winding method and impregnation after dry winding can be considered to solve the problem. The NI coil winding method is very attractive due to high mechanical/thermal stability for the special purpose of DC magnets by removing the insulation layer. In this paper, the NI coil winding method and vacuum impregnation are applied to a HTS coil to avoid the delamination problem and enhance the mechanical/thermal stability for the conduction cooling application. Through the charging/discharging operation, electric/thermal characteristics are investigated at 77 K and 30 K.

High conductance surge cable

DOEpatents

Murray, Matthew M.; Wilfong, Dennis H.; Lomax, Ralph E.

1998-01-01

An electrical cable for connecting transient voltage surge suppressers to ectrical power panels. A strip of electrically conductive foil defines a longitudinal axis, with a length of an electrical conductor electrically attached to the metallic foil along the longitudinal axis. The strip of electrically conductive foil and the length of an electrical conductor are covered by an insulating material. For impedance matching purposes, triangular sections can be removed from the ends of the electrically conductive foil at the time of installation.

Battery cell thermal-conductive coating increases efficiency

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doyle, H. M.

1973-01-01

Thin coating of high-temperature epoxy resin provides necessary electrical insulation, as well as good thermal conductivity between battery cells. Insulation increases efficiency of nickel-cadmium battery, as it would any multicell battery assembly in which cell-to-cell thermal balance is critical.

Electrical insulator assembly with oxygen permeation barrier

DOEpatents

Van Der Beck, R.R.; Bond, J.A.

1994-03-29

A high-voltage electrical insulator for electrically insulating a thermoelectric module in a spacecraft from a niobium-1% zirconium alloy wall of a heat exchanger filled with liquid lithium while providing good thermal conductivity between the heat exchanger and the thermoelectric module. The insulator has a single crystal alumina layer (SxAl[sub 2]O[sub 3], sapphire) with a niobium foil layer bonded thereto on the surface of the alumina crystal facing the heat exchanger wall, and a molybdenum layer bonded to the niobium layer to act as an oxygen permeation barrier to preclude the oxygen depleting effects of the lithium from causing undesirable niobium-aluminum intermetallic layers near the alumina-niobium interface. 3 figures.

Electrical transport across nanometric SrTiO3 and BaTiO3 barriers in conducting/insulator/conducting junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navarro, H.; Sirena, M.; González Sutter, J.; Troiani, H. E.; del Corro, P. G.; Granell, P.; Golmar, F.; Haberkorn, N.

2018-01-01

We report the electrical transport properties of conducting/insulator/conducting heterostructures by studying current-voltage IV curves at room temperature. The measurements were obtained on tunnel junctions with different areas (900, 400 and 100 μm2) using a conducting atomic force microscope. Trilayers with GdBa2Cu3O7 (GBCO) as the bottom electrode, SrTiO3 or BaTiO3 (thicknesses between 1.6 and 4 nm) as the insulator barrier, and GBCO or Nb as the top electrode were grown by DC sputtering on (100) SrTiO3 substrates For SrTiO3 and BaTiO3 barriers, asymmetric IV curves at positive and negative polarization can be obtained using electrodes with different work function. In addition, hysteretic IV curves are obtained for BaTiO3 barriers, which can be ascribed to a combined effect of the FE reversal switching polarization and an oxygen vacancy migration. For GBCO/BaTiO3/GBCO heterostructures, the IV curves correspond to that expected for asymmetric interfaces, which indicates that the disorder affects differently the properties at the bottom and top interfaces. Our results show the role of the interface disorder on the electrical transport of conducting/insulator/conduction heterostructures, which is relevant for different applications, going from resistive switching memories (at room temperature) to Josephson junctions (at low temperatures).

Analysis of the error of the developed method of determination the active conductivity reducing the insulation level between one phase of the network and ground, and insulation parameters in a non-symmetric network with isolated neutral with voltage above 1000 V

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utegulov, B. B.

2018-02-01

In the work the study of the developed method was carried out for reliability by analyzing the error in indirect determination of the insulation parameters in an asymmetric network with an isolated neutral voltage above 1000 V. The conducted studies of the random relative mean square errors show that the accuracy of indirect measurements in the developed method can be effectively regulated not only by selecting a capacitive additional conductivity, which are connected between phases of the electrical network and the ground, but also by the selection of measuring instruments according to the accuracy class. When choosing meters with accuracy class of 0.5 with the correct selection of capacitive additional conductivity that are connected between the phases of the electrical network and the ground, the errors in measuring the insulation parameters will not exceed 10%.

High-Temperature Electrical Insulation Behavior of Alumina Films Prepared at Room Temperature by Aerosol Deposition and Influence of Annealing Process and Powder Impurities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, Michael; Leupold, Nico; Exner, Jörg; Kita, Jaroslaw; Moos, Ralf

2018-04-01

Alumina (Al2O3) is a widely used material for highly insulating films due to its very low electrical conductivity, even at high temperatures. Typically, alumina films have to be sintered far above 1200 °C, which precludes the coating of lower melting substrates. The aerosol deposition method (ADM), however, is a promising method to manufacture ceramic films at room temperature directly from the ceramic raw powder. In this work, alumina films were deposited by ADM on a three-electrode setup with guard ring and the electrical conductivity was measured between 400 and 900 °C by direct current measurements according to ASTM D257 or IEC 60093. The effects of film annealing and of zirconia impurities in the powder on the electrical conductivity were investigated. The conductivity values of the ADM films correlate well with literature data and can even be improved by annealing at 900 °C from 4.5 × 10-12 S/cm before annealing up to 5.6 × 10-13 S/cm after annealing (measured at 400 °C). The influence of zirconia impurities is very low as the conductivity is only slightly elevated. The ADM-processed films show a very good insulation behavior represented by an even lower electrical conductivity than conventional alumina substrates as they are commercially available for thick-film technology.

Modification of electrical properties of topological insulators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sharma, Peter Anand

Ion implantation or deposition can be used to modify the bulk electrical properties of topological insulators. More particularly, ion implantation or deposition can be used to compensate for the non-zero bulk conductivity due to extrinsic charge carriers. The direct implantation of deposition/annealing of dopants allows better control over carrier concentrations for the purposes of achieving low bulk conductivity. Ion implantation or deposition enables the fabrication of inhomogeneously doped structures, enabling new types of device designs.

Capacitive charge generation apparatus and method for testing circuits

DOEpatents

Cole, E.I. Jr.; Peterson, K.A.; Barton, D.L.

1998-07-14

An electron beam apparatus and method for testing a circuit are disclosed. The electron beam apparatus comprises an electron beam incident on an outer surface of an insulating layer overlying one or more electrical conductors of the circuit for generating a time varying or alternating current electrical potential on the surface; and a measurement unit connected to the circuit for measuring an electrical signal capacitively coupled to the electrical conductors to identify and map a conduction state of each of the electrical conductors, with or without an electrical bias signal being applied to the circuit. The electron beam apparatus can further include a secondary electron detector for forming a secondary electron image for registration with a map of the conduction state of the electrical conductors. The apparatus and method are useful for failure analysis or qualification testing to determine the presence of any open-circuits or short-circuits, and to verify the continuity or integrity of electrical conductors buried below an insulating layer thickness of 1-100 {micro}m or more without damaging or breaking down the insulating layer. The types of electrical circuits that can be tested include integrated circuits, multi-chip modules, printed circuit boards and flexible printed circuits. 7 figs.

Capacitive charge generation apparatus and method for testing circuits

DOEpatents

Cole, Jr., Edward I.; Peterson, Kenneth A.; Barton, Daniel L.

1998-01-01

An electron beam apparatus and method for testing a circuit. The electron beam apparatus comprises an electron beam incident on an outer surface of an insulating layer overlying one or more electrical conductors of the circuit for generating a time varying or alternating current electrical potential on the surface; and a measurement unit connected to the circuit for measuring an electrical signal capacitively coupled to the electrical conductors to identify and map a conduction state of each of the electrical conductors, with or without an electrical bias signal being applied to the circuit. The electron beam apparatus can further include a secondary electron detector for forming a secondary electron image for registration with a map of the conduction state of the electrical conductors. The apparatus and method are useful for failure analysis or qualification testing to determine the presence of any open-circuits or short-circuits, and to verify the continuity or integrity of electrical conductors buried below an insulating layer thickness of 1-100 .mu.m or more without damaging or breaking down the insulating layer. The types of electrical circuits that can be tested include integrated circuits, multi-chip modules, printed circuit boards and flexible printed circuits.

Floquet Topological Insulators in Uranium Compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pi, Shu-Ting; Savrasov, Sergey

2014-03-01

A major issue regarding the Uranium based nuclear fuels is to conduct the heat from the core area to its outer area. Unfortunately, those materials are notorious for their extremely low thermal conductivity due to the phonon-dominated-heat-transport properties in insulating states. Although metallic Uranium compounds are helpful in increasing the thermal conductivity, their low melting point still make those efforts in vain. In this report, we will figure out potential Uranium based Floquet topological insulators where the insulating bulk states accompanied with metallic surface states is achieved by applying periodic electrical fields which makes the coexistence of both benefits possible.

Insulated conductor temperature limited heater for subsurface heating coupled in a three-phase WYE configuration

DOEpatents

Vinegar, Harold J.; Sandberg, Chester Ledlie

2010-11-09

A heating system for a subsurface formation is described. The heating system includes a first heater, a second heater, and a third heater placed in an opening in the subsurface formation. Each heater includes: an electrical conductor; an insulation layer at least partially surrounding the electrical conductor; and an electrically conductive sheath at least partially surrounding the insulation layer. The electrical conductor is electrically coupled to the sheath at a lower end portion of the heater. The lower end portion is the portion of the heater distal from a surface of the opening. The first heater, the second heater, and the third heater are electrically coupled at the lower end portions of the heaters. The first heater, the second heater, and the third heater are configured to be electrically coupled in a three-phase wye configuration.

Electrical insulator assembly with oxygen permeation barrier

DOEpatents

Van Der Beck, Roland R.; Bond, James A.

1994-01-01

A high-voltage electrical insulator (21) for electrically insulating a thermoelectric module (17) in a spacecraft from a niobium-1% zirconium alloy wall (11) of a heat exchanger (13) filled with liquid lithium (16) while providing good thermal conductivity between the heat exchanger and the thermoelectric module. The insulator (21) has a single crystal alumina layer (SxAl.sub.2 O.sub.3, sapphire) with a niobium foil layer (32) bonded thereto on the surface of the alumina crystal (26) facing the heat exchanger wall (11), and a molybdenum layer (31) bonded to the niobium layer (32) to act as an oxygen permeation barrier to preclude the oxygen depleting effects of the lithium from causing undesirable niobium-aluminum intermetallic layers near the alumina-niobium interface.

Nanoscale thermal imaging of VO2 via Poole-Frenkel conduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spitzig, Alyson; Hoffman, Jason D.; Pivonka, Adam E.; Mickalide, Harry; Frenzel, Alex; Kim, Jeehoon; Ko, Changhyun; Zhou, You; O'Connor, Kevin; Hudson, Eric W.; Ramanathan, Shriram; Hoffman, Jennifer E.

We present a novel method for nanoscale thermal imaging of insulating thin films. We demonstrate this method on VO2, which undergoes a sharp insulator-to-metal transition at 340 K. We sweep the voltage applied to a conducting atomic force microscope tip in contact mode at room temperature and measure the resultant current through a VO2 film. The Poole-Frenkel (PF) conduction mechanism, which dominates in the insulating state of VO2, is fit to extract the local temperature of the film using fundamental constants and known film properties. We measure the local electric field and temperature immediately preceding the insulator-to-metal transition in VO2 to determine whether the transition can be triggered by an applied electric field alone. We calculate an average temperature of 334 +/- 5 K, implying that Joule heating has locally warmed the sample very close to the transition temperature. Our thermometry technique opens up the possibility to measure the local temperature of any film dominated by the PF conduction mechanism, and presents the opportunity to extend our technique to other conduction mechanisms. Canada Excellence Research Chair program and NSERC - CGSM.

Numerical Computation of Electric Field and Potential Along Silicone Rubber Insulators Under Contaminated and Dry Band Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arshad; Nekahi, A.; McMeekin, S. G.; Farzaneh, M.

2016-09-01

Electrical field distribution along the insulator surface is considered one of the important parameters for the performance evaluation of outdoor insulators. In this paper numerical simulations were carried out to investigate the electric field and potential distribution along silicone rubber insulators under various polluted and dry band conditions. Simulations were performed using commercially available simulation package Comsol Multiphysics based on the finite element method. Various pollution severity levels were simulated by changing the conductivity of pollution layer. Dry bands of 2 cm width were inserted at the high voltage end, ground end, middle part, shed, sheath, and at the junction of shed and sheath to investigate the effect of dry band location and width on electric field and potential distribution. Partial pollution conditions were simulated by applying pollution layer on the top and bottom surface respectively. It was observed from the simulation results that electric field intensity was higher at the metal electrode ends and at the junction of dry bands. Simulation results showed that potential distribution is nonlinear in the case of clean and partially polluted insulator and linear for uniform pollution layer. Dry band formation effect both potential and electric field distribution. Power dissipated along the insulator surface and the resultant heat generation was also studied. The results of this study could be useful in the selection of polymeric insulators for contaminated environments.

Joule heating effects on particle immobilization in insulator-based dielectrophoretic devices

PubMed Central

Gallo-Villanueva, Roberto C.; Sano, Michael B.; Lapizco-Encinas, Blanca H.; Davalos, Rafael V.

2014-01-01

In this work, the temperature effects due to Joule heating obtained by application of a DC electric potential were investigated for a microchannel with cylindrical insulating posts employed for insulator based dielectrophoresis (iDEP). The conductivity of the suspending medium, the local electric field, and the gradient of the squared electric field, which directly affect the magnitude of the dielectrophoretic force exerted on particles, were computationally simulated employing COMSOL Multiphysics. It was observed that a temperature gradient is formed along the microchannel which redistributes the conductivity of the suspending medium leading to an increase of the dielectrophoretic force towards the inlet of the channel while decreasing towards the outlet. Experimental results are in good agreement with simulations on the particle trapping zones anticipated. This study demonstrates the importance of considering Joule heating effects when designing iDEP systems. PMID:24002905

On effective holographic Mott insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baggioli, Matteo; Pujolàs, Oriol

2016-12-01

We present a class of holographic models that behave effectively as prototypes of Mott insulators — materials where electron-electron interactions dominate transport phenomena. The main ingredient in the gravity dual is that the gauge-field dynamics contains self-interactions by way of a particular type of non-linear electrodynamics. The electrical response in these models exhibits typical features of Mott-like states: i) the low-temperature DC conductivity is unboundedly low; ii) metal-insulator transitions appear by varying various parameters; iii) for large enough self-interaction strength, the conductivity can even decrease with increasing doping (density of carriers) — which appears as a sharp manifestation of `traffic-jam'-like behaviour; iv) the insulating state becomes very unstable towards superconductivity at large enough doping. We exhibit some of the properties of the resulting insulator-superconductor transition, which is sensitive to the momentum dissipation rate in a specific way. These models imply a clear and generic correlation between Mott behaviour and significant effects in the nonlinear electrical response. We compute the nonlinear current-voltage curve in our model and find that indeed at large voltage the conductivity is largely reduced.

Mechanism of the free charge carrier generation in the dielectric breakdown

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahim, N. A. A.; Ranom, R.; Zainuddin, H.

2017-12-01

Many studies have been conducted to investigate the effect of environmental, mechanical and electrical stresses on insulator. However, studies on physical process of discharge phenomenon, leading to the breakdown of the insulator surface are lacking and difficult to comprehend. Therefore, this paper analysed charge carrier generation mechanism that can cause free charge carrier generation, leading toward surface discharge development. Besides, this paper developed a model of surface discharge based on the charge generation mechanism on the outdoor insulator. Nernst’s Planck theory was used in order to model the behaviour of the charge carriers while Poisson’s equation was used to determine the distribution of electric field on insulator surface. In the modelling of surface discharge on the outdoor insulator, electric field dependent molecular ionization was used as the charge generation mechanism. A mathematical model of the surface discharge was solved using method of line technique (MOL). The result from the mathematical model showed that the behaviour of net space charge density was correlated with the electric field distribution.

Probability of conductive bond formation in a percolating network of nanowires with fusible tips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rykaczewski, Konrad; Wang, Robert Y.

2018-03-01

Meeting the heat dissipation demands of microelectronic devices requires development of polymeric composites with high thermal conductivity. This property is drastically improved by percolation networks of metallic filler particles that have their particle-to-particle contact resistances reduced through thermal or electromagnetic fusing. However, composites with fused metallic fillers are electrically conductive, which prevents their application within the chip-board and the inter-chip gaps. Here, we propose that electrically insulating composites for these purposes can be achieved by the application of fusible metallic coatings to the tips of nanowires with thermally conductive but electrically insulating cores. We derive analytical models that relate the ratio of the coated and total nanowire lengths to the fraction of fused, and thus conductive, bonds within percolating networks of these structures. We consider two types of materials for these fusible coatings. First, we consider silver-like coatings, which form only conductive bonds when contacting the silver-like coating of another nanowire. Second, we consider liquid metal-like coatings, which form conductive bonds regardless of whether they contact a coated or an uncoated segment of another nanowire. These models were validated using Monte Carlo simulations, which also revealed that electrical short-circuiting is highly unlikely until most of the wire is coated. Furthermore, we demonstrate that switching the tip coating from silver- to liquid metal-like materials can double the fraction of conductive bonds. Consequently, this work provides motivation to develop scalable methods for fabrication of the hybrid liquid-coated nanowires, whose dispersion in a polymer matrix is predicted to yield highly thermally conductive but electrically insulating composites.

Electrical Conductivity Of Diamond Up To 1,200 Degrees C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vandersande, Jan W.; Zoltan, Leslie D.

1993-01-01

Report discusses measurements of electrical conductivities of two synthetic diamond films, three synthetic diamondlike films, and two natural type IIa diamonds at temperatures from ambient to 1,200 degrees C. Measurements performed to compare electrical conductivities of state-of-the-art diamond films with those of natural insulating diamond, particularly at temperatures above 700 degrees C.

Preparation and Dielectric Properties of SiC/LSR Nanocomposites for Insulation of High Voltage Direct Current Cable Accessories

PubMed Central

Shang, Nanqiang; Chen, Qingguo; Wei, Xinzhe

2018-01-01

The conductivity mismatch in the composite insulation of high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable accessories causes electric field distribution distortion and even insulation breakdown. Therefore, a liquid silicone rubber (LSR) filled with SiC nanoparticles is prepared for the insulation of cable accessories. The micro-morphology of the SiC/LSR nanocomposites is observed by scanning electron microscopy, and their trap parameters are characterized using thermal stimulated current (TSC) tests. Moreover, the dielectric properties of SiC/LSR nanocomposites with different SiC concentrations are tested. The results show that the 3 wt % SiC/LSR sample has the best nonlinear conductivity, more than one order of magnitude higher than that of pure LSR with improved temperature and nonlinear conductivity coefficients. The relative permittivity increased 0.2 and dielectric loss factor increased 0.003, while its breakdown strength decreased 5 kV/mm compared to those of pure LSR. Moreover, the TSC results indicate the introduction of SiC nanoparticles reduced the trap level and trap density. Furthermore, the SiC nanoparticles filling significantly increased the sensitivity of LSR to electric field stress and temperature changes, enhancing the conductivity and electric field distribution within the HVDC cable accessories, thus improving the reliability of the HVDC cable accessories. PMID:29518054

Preparation and Dielectric Properties of SiC/LSR Nanocomposites for Insulation of High Voltage Direct Current Cable Accessories.

PubMed

Shang, Nanqiang; Chen, Qingguo; Wei, Xinzhe

2018-03-08

The conductivity mismatch in the composite insulation of high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable accessories causes electric field distribution distortion and even insulation breakdown. Therefore, a liquid silicone rubber (LSR) filled with SiC nanoparticles is prepared for the insulation of cable accessories. The micro-morphology of the SiC/LSR nanocomposites is observed by scanning electron microscopy, and their trap parameters are characterized using thermal stimulated current (TSC) tests. Moreover, the dielectric properties of SiC/LSR nanocomposites with different SiC concentrations are tested. The results show that the 3 wt % SiC/LSR sample has the best nonlinear conductivity, more than one order of magnitude higher than that of pure LSR with improved temperature and nonlinear conductivity coefficients. The relative permittivity increased 0.2 and dielectric loss factor increased 0.003, while its breakdown strength decreased 5 kV/mm compared to those of pure LSR. Moreover, the TSC results indicate the introduction of SiC nanoparticles reduced the trap level and trap density. Furthermore, the SiC nanoparticles filling significantly increased the sensitivity of LSR to electric field stress and temperature changes, enhancing the conductivity and electric field distribution within the HVDC cable accessories, thus improving the reliability of the HVDC cable accessories.

Understanding the Percolation Characteristics of Nonlinear Composite Dielectrics

PubMed Central

Yang, Xiao; Hu, Jun; Chen, Shuiming; He, Jinliang

2016-01-01

Nonlinear composite dielectrics can function as smart materials for stress control and field grading in all fields of electrical insulations. The percolation process is a significant issue of composite dielectrics. However, the classic percolation theory mainly deals with traditional composites in which the electrical parameters of both insulation matrix and conducting fillers are independent of the applied electric field. This paper measured the nonlinear V-I characteristics of ZnO microvaristors/silicone rubber composites with several filler concentrations around an estimated percolation threshold. For the comparison with the experiment, a new microstructural model is proposed to simulate the nonlinear conducting behavior of the composite dielectrics modified by metal oxide fillers, which is based on the Voronoi network and considers the breakdown feature of the insulation matrix for near percolated composites. Through both experiment and simulation, the interior conducting mechanism and percolation process of the nonlinear composites were presented and a specific percolation threshold was determined as 33%. This work has provided a solution to better understand the characteristics of nonlinear composite dielectrics. PMID:27476998

Understanding the Percolation Characteristics of Nonlinear Composite Dielectrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiao; Hu, Jun; Chen, Shuiming; He, Jinliang

2016-08-01

Nonlinear composite dielectrics can function as smart materials for stress control and field grading in all fields of electrical insulations. The percolation process is a significant issue of composite dielectrics. However, the classic percolation theory mainly deals with traditional composites in which the electrical parameters of both insulation matrix and conducting fillers are independent of the applied electric field. This paper measured the nonlinear V-I characteristics of ZnO microvaristors/silicone rubber composites with several filler concentrations around an estimated percolation threshold. For the comparison with the experiment, a new microstructural model is proposed to simulate the nonlinear conducting behavior of the composite dielectrics modified by metal oxide fillers, which is based on the Voronoi network and considers the breakdown feature of the insulation matrix for near percolated composites. Through both experiment and simulation, the interior conducting mechanism and percolation process of the nonlinear composites were presented and a specific percolation threshold was determined as 33%. This work has provided a solution to better understand the characteristics of nonlinear composite dielectrics.

High thermal conductivity lossy dielectric using a multi layer configuration

DOEpatents

Tiegs, Terry N.; Kiggans, Jr., James O.

2003-01-01

Systems and methods are described for loss dielectrics. A loss dielectric includes at least one high dielectric loss layer and at least one high thermal conductivity-electrically insulating layer adjacent the at least one high dielectric loss layer. A method of manufacturing a loss dielectric includes providing at least one high dielectric loss layer and providing at least one high thermal conductivity-electrically insulating layer adjacent the at least one high dielectric loss layer. The systems and methods provide advantages because the loss dielectrics are less costly and more environmentally friendly than the available alternatives.

Dry and wet arc track propagation resistance testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beach, Rex

1995-01-01

The wet arc-propagation resistance test for wire insulation provides an assessment of the ability of an insulation to prevent damage in an electrical environment. Results of an arc-propagation test may vary slightly due to the method of arc initiation; therefore a standard test method must be selected to evaluate the general arc-propagation resistance characteristics of an insulation. This test method initiates an arc by dripping salt water over pre-damaged wires which creates a conductive path between the wires. The power supply, test current, circuit resistances, and other variables are optimized for testing 20 guage wires. The use of other wire sizes may require modifications to the test variables. The dry arc-propagation resistance test for wire insulation also provides an assessment of the ability of an insulation to prevent damage in an electrical arc environment. In service, electrical arcs may originate form a variety of factors including insulation deterioration, faulty installation, and chafing. Here too, a standard test method must be selected to evaluate the general arc-propagation resistance characteristics of an insulation. This test method initiates an arc with a vibrating blade. The test also evaluates the ability of the insulation to prevent further arc-propagation when the electrical arc is re-energized.

Silver Nanoparticle-Deposited Boron Nitride Nanosheets as Fillers for Polymeric Composites with High Thermal Conductivity.

PubMed

Wang, Fangfang; Zeng, Xiaoliang; Yao, Yimin; Sun, Rong; Xu, Jianbin; Wong, Ching-Ping

2016-01-19

Polymer composites with high thermal conductivity have recently attracted much attention, along with the rapid development of the electronic devices toward higher speed and performance. However, a common method to enhance polymer thermal conductivity through an addition of high thermally conductive fillers usually cannot provide an expected value, especially for composites requiring electrical insulation. Here, we show that polymeric composites with silver nanoparticle-deposited boron nitride nanosheets as fillers could effectively enhance the thermal conductivity of polymer, thanks to the bridging connections of silver nanoparticles among boron nitride nanosheets. The thermal conductivity of the composite is significantly increased from 1.63 W/m-K for the composite filled with the silver nanoparticle-deposited boron nitride nanosheets to 3.06 W/m-K at the boron nitride nanosheets loading of 25.1 vol %. In addition, the electrically insulating properties of the composite are well preserved. Fitting the measured thermal conductivity of epoxy composite with one physical model indicates that the composite with silver nanoparticle-deposited boron nitride nanosheets outperforms the one with boron nitride nanosheets, owning to the lower thermal contact resistance among boron nitride nanosheets' interfaces. The finding sheds new light on enhancement of thermal conductivity of the polymeric composites which concurrently require the electrical insulation.

Silver Nanoparticle-Deposited Boron Nitride Nanosheets as Fillers for Polymeric Composites with High Thermal Conductivity

PubMed Central

Wang, Fangfang; Zeng, Xiaoliang; Yao, Yimin; Sun, Rong; Xu, Jianbin; Wong, Ching-Ping

2016-01-01

Polymer composites with high thermal conductivity have recently attracted much attention, along with the rapid development of the electronic devices toward higher speed and performance. However, a common method to enhance polymer thermal conductivity through an addition of high thermally conductive fillers usually cannot provide an expected value, especially for composites requiring electrical insulation. Here, we show that polymeric composites with silver nanoparticle-deposited boron nitride nanosheets as fillers could effectively enhance the thermal conductivity of polymer, thanks to the bridging connections of silver nanoparticles among boron nitride nanosheets. The thermal conductivity of the composite is significantly increased from 1.63 W/m-K for the composite filled with the silver nanoparticle-deposited boron nitride nanosheets to 3.06 W/m-K at the boron nitride nanosheets loading of 25.1 vol %. In addition, the electrically insulating properties of the composite are well preserved. Fitting the measured thermal conductivity of epoxy composite with one physical model indicates that the composite with silver nanoparticle-deposited boron nitride nanosheets outperforms the one with boron nitride nanosheets, owning to the lower thermal contact resistance among boron nitride nanosheets’ interfaces. The finding sheds new light on enhancement of thermal conductivity of the polymeric composites which concurrently require the electrical insulation. PMID:26783258

Spin Seebeck insulator.

PubMed

Uchida, K; Xiao, J; Adachi, H; Ohe, J; Takahashi, S; Ieda, J; Ota, T; Kajiwara, Y; Umezawa, H; Kawai, H; Bauer, G E W; Maekawa, S; Saitoh, E

2010-11-01

Thermoelectric generation is an essential function in future energy-saving technologies. However, it has so far been an exclusive feature of electric conductors, a situation which limits its application; conduction electrons are often problematic in the thermal design of devices. Here we report electric voltage generation from heat flowing in an insulator. We reveal that, despite the absence of conduction electrons, the magnetic insulator LaY(2)Fe(5)O(12) can convert a heat flow into a spin voltage. Attached Pt films can then transform this spin voltage into an electric voltage as a result of the inverse spin Hall effect. The experimental results require us to introduce a thermally activated interface spin exchange between LaY(2)Fe(5)O(12) and Pt. Our findings extend the range of potential materials for thermoelectric applications and provide a crucial piece of information for understanding the physics of the spin Seebeck effect.

Thermocouple shield

DOEpatents

Ripley, Edward B [Knoxville, TN

2009-11-24

A thermocouple shield for use in radio frequency fields. In some embodiments the shield includes an electrically conductive tube that houses a standard thermocouple having a thermocouple junction. The electrically conductive tube protects the thermocouple from damage by an RF (including microwave) field and mitigates erroneous temperature readings due to the microwave or RF field. The thermocouple may be surrounded by a ceramic sheath to further protect the thermocouple. The ceramic sheath is generally formed from a material that is transparent to the wavelength of the microwave or RF energy. The microwave transparency property precludes heating of the ceramic sheath due to microwave coupling, which could affect the accuracy of temperature measurements. The ceramic sheath material is typically an electrically insulating material. The electrically insulative properties of the ceramic sheath help avert electrical arcing, which could damage the thermocouple junction. The electrically conductive tube is generally disposed around the thermocouple junction and disposed around at least a portion of the ceramic sheath. The concepts of the thermocouple shield may be incorporated into an integrated shielded thermocouple assembly.

Spin- and valley-dependent electrical conductivity of ferromagnetic group-IV 2D sheets in the topological insulator phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoi, Bui Dinh; Yarmohammadi, Mohsen; Mirabbaszadeh, Kavoos; Habibiyan, Hamidreza

2018-03-01

In this work, based on the Kubo-Greenwood formalism and the k . p Hamiltonian model, the impact of Rashba spin-orbit coupling on electronic band structure and electrical conductivity of spin-up and spin-down subbands in counterparts of graphene, including silicene, stanene, and germanene nanosheets has been studied. When Rashba coupling is considered, the effective mass of Dirac fermions decreases significantly and no significant change is caused by this coupling for the subband gaps. All these nanosheets are found to be in topological insulator quantum phase at low staggered on-site potentials due to the applied perpendicular external electric field. We point out that the electrical conductivity of germanene increases gradually with Rashab coupling, while silicene and stanene have some fluctuations due to their smaller Fermi velocity. Furthermore, some critical temperatures with the same electrical conductivity values for jumping to the higher energy levels are observed at various Rashba coupling strengths. For all structures, a broad peak appears at low temperatures in electrical conductivity curves corresponding to the large entropy of systems when the thermal energy reaches to the difference between the energy states. Finally, we have reported that silicene has the larger has the larger electrical conductivity than two others.

Transpiration cooled electrodes and insulators for MHD generators

DOEpatents

Hoover, Jr., Delmer Q.

1981-01-01

Systems for cooling the inner duct walls in a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator. The inner face components, adjacent the plasma, are formed of a porous material known as a transpiration material. Selected cooling gases are transpired through the duct walls, including electrically insulating and electrode segments, and into the plasma. A wide variety of structural materials and coolant gases at selected temperatures and pressures can be utilized and the gases can be drawn from the generation system compressor, the surrounding environment, and combustion and seed treatment products otherwise discharged, among many other sources. The conduits conducting the cooling gas are electrically insulated through low pressure bushings and connectors so as to electrically isolate the generator duct from the ground.

Specular Andreev reflection in thin films of topological insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majidi, Leyla; Asgari, Reza

2016-05-01

We theoretically reveal the possibility of specular Andreev reflection in a thin film topological insulator normal-superconductor (N/S) junction in the presence of a gate electric field. The probability of specular Andreev reflection increases with the electric field, and electron-hole conversion with unit efficiency happens in a wide experimentally accessible range of the electric field. We show that perfect specular Andreev reflection can occur for all angles of incidence with a particular excitation energy value. In addition, we find that the thermal conductance of the structure displays exponential dependence on the temperature. Our results reveal the potential of the proposed topological insulator thin-film-based N/S structure for the realization of intraband specular Andreev reflection.

75 FR 59167 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Model 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and -900ER...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-27

... inner wall and insulation blankets). This proposed AD results from reports of heat damage to the inner... insulation blankets and heat transfer through the upper compression pad area and the fireseal bracket support... upper and lower inner wall insulation blankets, measuring the electrical conductivity on the aluminum...

High temperature liquid level sensor

DOEpatents

Tokarz, Richard D.

1983-01-01

A length of metal sheathed metal oxide cable is perforated to permit liquid access to the insulation about a pair of conductors spaced close to one another. Changes in resistance across the conductors will be a function of liquid level, since the wetted insulation will have greater electrical conductivity than that of the dry insulation above the liquid elevation.

Trapping-charging ability and electrical properties study of amorphous insulator by dielectric spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mekni, Omar, E-mail: omarmekni-lmop@yahoo.fr; Arifa, Hakim; Askri, Besma

2014-09-14

Usually, the trapping phenomenon in insulating materials is studied by injecting charges using a Scanning Electron Microscope. In this work, we use the dielectric spectroscopy technique for showing a correlation between the dielectric properties and the trapping-charging ability of insulating materials. The evolution of the complex permittivity (real and imaginary parts) as a function of frequency and temperature reveals different types of relaxation according to the trapping ability of the material. We found that the space charge relaxation at low frequencies affects the real part of the complex permittivity ε{sup ´} and the dissipation factor Tan(δ). We prove that themore » evolution of the imaginary part of the complex permittivity against temperature ε{sup ′′}=f(T) reflects the phenomenon of charge trapping and detrapping as well as trapped charge evolution Q{sub p}(T). We also use the electric modulus formalism to better identify the space charge relaxation. The investigation of trapping or conductive nature of insulating materials was mainly made by studying the activation energy and conductivity. The conduction and trapping parameters are determined using the Correlated Barrier Hopping (CBH) model in order to confirm the relation between electrical properties and charge trapping ability.« less

Chern structure in the Bose-insulating phase of Sr2RuO4 nanofilms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nobukane, Hiroyoshi; Matsuyama, Toyoki; Tanda, Satoshi

2017-01-01

The quantum anomaly that breaks the symmetry, for example the parity and the chirality, in the quantization leads to a physical quantity with a topological Chern invariant. We report the observation of a Chern structure in the Bose-insulating phase of Sr2RuO4 nanofilms by employing electric transport. We observed the superconductor-to-insulator transition by reducing the thickness of Sr2RuO4 single crystals. The appearance of a gap structure in the insulating phase implies local superconductivity. Fractional quantized conductance was observed without an external magnetic field. We found an anomalous induced voltage with temperature and thickness dependence, and the induced voltage exhibited switching behavior when we applied a magnetic field. We suggest that there was fractional magnetic-field-induced electric polarization in the interlayer. These anomalous results are related to topological invariance. The fractional axion angle Θ = π/6 was determined by observing the topological magneto-electric effect in the Bose-insulating phase of Sr2RuO4 nanofilms.

Multifunctional Nanofluids with 2D Nanosheets for thermal management and tribological applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taha Tijerina, Jose Jaime

Conventional heat-transfer fluids such as water, ethylene glycol, standard oils and other lubricants are typically low-efficiency heat-transfer fluids. Thermal management plays a critical factor in many applications where these fluids can be used, such as in motors/engines, solar cells, biopharmaceuticals, fuel cells, high voltage power transmission systems, micro/nanoelectronics mechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), and nuclear cooling among others. These insulating fluids require superb filler dispersion, high thermal conduction, and for certain applications as in electrical/electronic devices also electrical insulation. The miniaturization and high efficiency of electrical/electronic devices in these fields demand successful heat management and energy-efficient fluid-based heat-transfer systems. Recent advances in layered materials enable large scale synthesis of various two-dimensional (2D) structures. Some of these 2D materials are good choices as nanofillers in heat transfer fluids; mainly due to their inherent high thermal conductivity (TC) and high surface area available for thermal energy transport. Among various 2D-nanostructures, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and graphene (G) exhibit versatile properties such as outstanding TC, excellent mechanical stability, and remarkable chemical inertness. The following research, even though investigate various conventional fluids, will focus on dielectric insulating nanofluids (mineral oil -- MO) with significant thermal performance. It is presented the plan for synthesis and characterization of stable high-thermal conductivity nanofluids using 2D-nanostructures of h-BN, which will be further incorporated at diverse filler concentrations to conventional fluids for cooling applications, without compromising its electrical insulating property. For comparison, properties of h-BN based fluids are compared with conductive fillers such as graphene; where graphene has similar crystal structure of h-BN and also has similar bulk thermal conductivity. Moreover, bot h-BN and graphene are exfoliated through the same method. In essence, this project, for the first time, unravels the behavior of the exfoliated h-BN effect on reinforced conventional fluids under the influence of atomistic scale structures (particularly, electrically insulating and lubricant/cutting fluids), thereby linking the physical, electrical and mechanical properties of these nanoscale materials. The innovative experimental approach is expected to result in de novo strategies for introducing these systems for new concepts and variables to engineer nanofluid properties suitable for very promising industrial applications.

Electron penetration of spacecraft thermal insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powers, W. L.; Adams, B. F.; Inouye, G. T.

1981-01-01

The external thermal blanket with 13 mils of polyethylene which has the known range and stopping power as a function of electron energy is investiated. The most recent omnidirectional peak Jovian electron flux at 5 Jupiter radii is applied, the electron current penetrating the thermal blanket is calculated and allowed to impinge on a typical 20 mil polyethylene insulator surrounding a wire. The radiation dose rate to the insulator is then calculated and the electrical conductivity found. The results demonstrate that the increased electronic mobility is sufficient to keep the maximum induced electric field two orders of magnitude below the critical breakdown strength.

Influence of gamma ray irradiation on thermal conductivity of bismaleimide-triazine-based insulation tape at cryogenic temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Yoshida, M.; Idesaki, A.; Ogitsu, T.

2018-01-01

Recent accelerator-based experiments for particle physics require the superconducting magnets that can be operated under high radiation environment. An electrical insulation tape, which is composed of polyimide film and a boron free glass fabric pre-impregnated with epoxy resin blended with bismaleimide-triazine resin, is developed to enhance the radiation tolerance for superconducting magnets. Since the thermal conductivity of insulation tape is one of key parameters that affects the coil temperature during the operation, the influence of gamma-ray irradiation on the thermal conductivity of the insulation tape is investigated with a maximum dose of 5 MGy. The thermal conductivity is measured at cryogenic temperature from 5 K to 20 K cooled by a Gifford-McMahon cryocooler. By comparing the thermal conductivity before and after the gamma ray irradiation, no significant degradation on the thermal conductivity has been observed.

High-Rate Assembly of Nanomaterials on Insulating Surfaces Using Electro-Fluidic Directed Assembly.

PubMed

Yilmaz, Cihan; Sirman, Asli; Halder, Aditi; Busnaina, Ahmed

2017-08-22

Conductive or semiconducting nanomaterials-based applications such as electronics and sensors often require direct placement of such nanomaterials on insulating surfaces. Most fluidic-based directed assembly techniques on insulating surfaces utilize capillary force and evaporation but are diffusion limited and slow. Electrophoretic-based assembly, on the other hand, is fast but can only be utilized for assembly on a conductive surface. Here, we present a directed assembly technique that enables rapid assembly of nanomaterials on insulating surfaces. The approach leverages and combines fluidic and electrophoretic assembly by applying the electric field through an insulating surface via a conductive film underneath. The approach (called electro-fluidic) yields an assembly process that is 2 orders of magnitude faster compared to fluidic assembly. By understanding the forces on the assembly process, we have demonstrated the controlled assembly of various types of nanomaterials that are conducting, semiconducting, and insulating including nanoparticles and single-walled carbon nanotubes on insulating rigid and flexible substrates. The presented approach shows great promise for making practical devices in miniaturized sensors and flexible electronics.

Superconductivity in the graphene monolayer calculated using the Kubo formulalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lima, L. S.

2018-03-01

We have employed the massless Dirac's fermions formalism together with the Kubo's linear response theory to study the transport by electrons in the graphene monolayer. We have calculated the electric conductivity and verified the behavior of the AC and DC electric conductivities of the system that is known to be a relativistic electron plasma. Our results show a superconductor behavior to the electron transport and consequently the spin transport for all values of T > 0 and a behavior of the AC conductivity tending to infinity in the limit ω → 0. In T = 0 our results show an insulator behavior with a transition from a superconductor state at T > 0 to an insulator state at T = 0 .

Low resistance, low-inductance power connectors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coteus, Paul W.; Ferencz, Andrew; Hall, Shawn Anthony

An electrical connector includes an anode assembly for conducting an electrical supply current from a source to a destination, the anode assembly includes an anode formed into a first shape from sheet metal or other sheet-like conducting material. A cathode assembly conducts an electrical return current from the destination to the source, the cathode assembly includes a cathode formed into a second shape from sheet metal or other sheet-like conducting material. An insulator prevents electrical conduction between the anode and the cathode. The first and second shapes are such as to provide a conformity of one to the other, withmore » the insulator therebetween having a predetermined relatively thin thickness. A predetermined low-resistance path for the supply current is provided by the anode, a predetermined low-resistance path for the return current is provided by the cathode, and the proximity of the anode to the cathode along these paths provides a predetermined low self-inductance of the connector, where the proximity is afforded by the conformity of the first and second shapes.« less

Charge Storage, Conductivity and Charge Profiles of Insulators as Related to Spacecraft Charging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennison, J. R.; Swaminathan, Prasanna; Frederickson, A. R.

2004-01-01

Dissipation of charges built up near the surface of insulators due to space environment interaction is central to understanding spacecraft charging. Conductivity of insulating materials is key to determine how accumulated charge will distribute across the spacecraft and how rapidly charge imbalance will dissipate. To understand these processes requires knowledge of how charge is deposited within the insulator, the mechanisms for charge trapping and charge transport within the insulator, and how the profile of trapped charge affects the transport and emission of charges from insulators. One must consider generation of mobile electrons and holes, their trapping, thermal de-trapping, mobility and recombination. Conductivity is more appropriately measured for spacecraft charging applications as the "decay" of charge deposited on the surface of an insulator, rather than by flow of current across two electrodes around the sample. We have found that conductivity determined from charge storage decay methods is 102 to 104 smaller than values obtained from classical ASTM and IEC methods for a variety of thin film insulating samples. For typical spacecraft charging conditions, classical conductivity predicts decay times on the order of minutes to hours (less than typical orbit periods); however, the higher charge storage conductivities predict decay times on the order of weeks to months leading to accumulation of charge with subsequent orbits. We found experimental evidence that penetration profiles of radiation and light are exceedingly important, and that internal electric fields due to charge profiles and high-field conduction by trapped electrons must be considered for space applications. We have also studied whether the decay constants depend on incident voltage and flux or on internal charge distributions and electric fields; light-activated discharge of surface charge to distinguish among differing charge trapping centers; and radiation-induced conductivity. Our experiments also show that "Malter" electron emission occurs for hours after turning off the electron beam. This Malter emission similar to emission due to negative electron affinity in semiconductors is a result of the prior radiation or optical excitations of valence electrons and their slow drift among traps towards the surface where they are subsequently emitted. This work is supported through funding from the NASA Space Environments and Effects Program.

Conduction at domain walls in insulating Pb(Zr0.2 Ti0.8)O3 thin films.

PubMed

Guyonnet, Jill; Gaponenko, Iaroslav; Gariglio, Stefano; Paruch, Patrycja

2011-12-01

Domain wall conduction in insulating Pb(Zr(0.2) Ti(0.8))O(3) thin films is demonstrated. The observed electrical conduction currents can be clearly differentiated from displacement currents associated with ferroelectric polarization switching. The domain wall conduction, nonlinear and highly asymmetric due to the specific local probe measurement geometry, shows thermal activation at high temperatures, and high stability over time. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Effects of carbon/graphite fiber contamination on high voltage electrical insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garrity, T.; Eichler, C.

1980-01-01

The contamination mechanics and resulting failure modes of high voltage electrical insulation due to carbon/graphite fibers were examined. The high voltage insulation vulnerability to carbon/graphite fiber induced failure was evaluated using a contamination system which consisted of a fiber chopper, dispersal chamber, a contamination chamber, and air ducts and suction blower. Tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of fiber length, weathering, and wetness on the insulator's resistance to carbon/graphite fibers. The ability of nuclear, fossil, and hydro power generating stations to maintain normal power generation when the surrounding environment is contaminated by an accidental carbon fiber release was investigated. The vulnerability assessment included only the power plant generating equipment and its associated controls, instrumentation, and auxiliary and support systems.

Synthesis, physical and chemical properties, and potential applications of graphite fluoride fibers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hung, Ching-Cheh; Long, Martin; Stahl, Mark

1987-01-01

Graphite fluoride fibers can be produced by fluorinating pristine or intercalated graphite fibers. The higher the degree of graphitization of the fibers, the higher the temperature needed to reach the same degree of fluorination. Pitched based fibers were fluorinated to flourine-to-carbon atom rations between 0 and 1. The graphite fluoride fibers with a fluorine-to-carbon atom ration near 1 have extensive visible structural damage. On the other hand, fluorination of fibers pretreated with bromine or fluorine and bromine result in fibers with a fluorine-to-carbon atom ratio nearly equal to 0.5 with no visible structural damage. The electrical resistivity of the fibers is dependent upon the fluorine to carbon atom ratio and ranged from .01 to 10 to the 11th ohm/cm. The thermal conductivity of these fibers ranged from 5 to 73 W/m-k, which is much larger than the thermal conductivity of glass, which is the regular filler in epoxy composites. If graphite fluoride fibers are used as a filler in epoxy or PTFE, the resulting composite may be a high thermal conductivity material with an electrical resistivity in either the insulator or semiconductor range. The electrically insulating product may provide heat transfer with lower temperature gradients than many current electrical insulators. Potential applications are presented.

77 FR 20511 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-05

... heat damage to the inner wall of the thrust reversers, which could result in separation of adjacent... the upper and lower inner wall insulation blankets, measuring the electrical conductivity on the..., doing various concurrent actions (including replacing the inner wall blanket insulation, installing...

Apparatus for detecting alpha radiation in difficult access areas

DOEpatents

Steadman, Peter; MacArthur, Duncan W.

1997-09-02

An electrostatic alpha radiation detector for measuring alpha radiation emitted from inside an enclosure comprising an electrically conductive expandable electrode for insertion into the enclosure. After insertion, the electrically conductive expandable electrode is insulated from the enclosure and defines a decay cavity between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure so that air ions generated in the decay cavity are electrostatically captured by the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure when an electric potential is applied between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure. Indicator means are attached to the electrically conductive expandable electrode for indicating an electrical current produced by generation of the air ions generated in the decay cavity by collisions between air molecules and the alpha particles emitted from the enclosure. A voltage source is connected between the indicator means and the electrically conductive enclosure for creating an electric field between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure.

Flexible Thin Metal Film Thermal Sensing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomsen, Donald Laurence (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A flexible thin metal film thermal sensing system is provided. A thermally-conductive film made from a thermally-insulating material is doped with thermally-conductive material. At least one layer of electrically-conductive metal is deposited directly onto a surface of the thermally-conductive film. One or more devices are coupled to the layer(s) to measure an electrical characteristic associated therewith as an indication of temperature.

Hermetic electronics package with dual-sided electrical feedthrough configuration

DOEpatents

Shah, Kedar G.; Pannu, Satinderpall S.

2016-11-22

A hermetic electronics package includes a metal case with opposing first and second open ends, with each end connected to a first feedthrough construction and a second feedthrough construction. Each feedthrough contruction has an electrically insulating substrate and an array of electrically conductive feedthroughs extending therethrough, with the electrically insulating substrates connected to the opposing first and second open ends, respectively, of the metal case so as to form a hermetically sealed enclosure. A set of electronic components are located within the hermetically sealed enclosure and are operably connected to the feedthroughs of the first and second feedthrough constructions so as to electrically communicate outside the package from opposite sides of the package.

Nanowire-based detector

DOEpatents

Berggren, Karl K; Hu, Xiaolong; Masciarelli, Daniele

2014-06-24

Systems, articles, and methods are provided related to nanowire-based detectors, which can be used for light detection in, for example, single-photon detectors. In one aspect, a variety of detectors are provided, for example one including an electrically superconductive nanowire or nanowires constructed and arranged to interact with photons to produce a detectable signal. In another aspect, fabrication methods are provided, including techniques to precisely reproduce patterns in subsequently formed layers of material using a relatively small number of fabrication steps. By precisely reproducing patterns in multiple material layers, one can form electrically insulating materials and electrically conductive materials in shapes such that incoming photons are redirected toward a nearby electrically superconductive materials (e.g., electrically superconductive nanowire(s)). For example, one or more resonance structures (e.g., comprising an electrically insulating material), which can trap electromagnetic radiation within its boundaries, can be positioned proximate the nanowire(s). The resonance structure can include, at its boundaries, electrically conductive material positioned proximate the electrically superconductive nanowire such that light that would otherwise be transmitted through the sensor is redirected toward the nanowire(s) and detected. In addition, electrically conductive material can be positioned proximate the electrically superconductive nanowire (e.g. at the aperture of the resonant structure), such that light is directed by scattering from this structure into the nanowire.

Electrical connector composite housing and method of making same

DOEpatents

Silva, Frank A.

1979-01-01

A sleeve-like insert of conductive elastomeric material of a type which serves as an internal shield in electrical connectors for connecting high voltage cables has an end portion folded upon itself, the enfolded portion being substantially permanently retained in its desired position by allowing insulative elastomeric material to fill apertures in the end portion and become bonded thereto in a void free manner, during molding of an insulating outer sleeve-like jacket about the insert.

Electron gas at the interface between two antiferromagnetic insulating manganites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calderón, M. J.; Salafranca, J.; Brey, L.

2008-07-01

We study theoretically the magnetic and electric properties of the interface between two antiferromagnetic and insulating manganites: La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 , a strong correlated insulator, and CaMnO3 , a band insulator. We find that a ferromagnetic and metallic electron gas is formed at the interface between the two layers. We confirm the metallic character of the interface by calculating the in-plane conductance. The possibility of increasing the electron-gas density by selective doping is also discussed.

Resistance heater for use in a glass melter

DOEpatents

Routt, K.R.; Porter, M.A.

1984-01-01

A resistance heating element that includes: a resistance heating medium of a mixture of electrically conductive and insulative particles in powdered form mixed together in predetermined proportions to achieve a given resistivity; a hollow outer electrode surrounding the resistance heating medium; and an inner electrode coaxially disposed within said outer electrode. In its preferred embodiments, the electrically conductive powder is selected from the group consisting essentially of graphite, Inconel alloy, molybdenum, nichrome alloy and stainless steel, while the insulator powder is silicon dioxide or alumina. The resistance heating element, being resistant to damage from mechanical shock and corrosion at elevated temperatures, is used in a glass melter.

A Simple Demonstration of the High-Temperature Electrical Conductivity of Glass

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiaverina, Chris

2014-01-01

We usually think of glass as a good electrical insulator; this, however, is not always the case. There are several ways to show that glass becomes conducting at high temperatures, but the following approach, devised by Brown University demonstration manager Gerald Zani, may be one of the simplest to perform.

Chern structure in the Bose-insulating phase of Sr2RuO4 nanofilms

PubMed Central

Nobukane, Hiroyoshi; Matsuyama, Toyoki; Tanda, Satoshi

2017-01-01

The quantum anomaly that breaks the symmetry, for example the parity and the chirality, in the quantization leads to a physical quantity with a topological Chern invariant. We report the observation of a Chern structure in the Bose-insulating phase of Sr2RuO4 nanofilms by employing electric transport. We observed the superconductor-to-insulator transition by reducing the thickness of Sr2RuO4 single crystals. The appearance of a gap structure in the insulating phase implies local superconductivity. Fractional quantized conductance was observed without an external magnetic field. We found an anomalous induced voltage with temperature and thickness dependence, and the induced voltage exhibited switching behavior when we applied a magnetic field. We suggest that there was fractional magnetic-field-induced electric polarization in the interlayer. These anomalous results are related to topological invariance. The fractional axion angle Θ = π/6 was determined by observing the topological magneto-electric effect in the Bose-insulating phase of Sr2RuO4 nanofilms. PMID:28112269

Reliability Studies of Ceramic Capacitors.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-10-01

Virginia Polytechnic BaTiO 3 Ispecimens with variable composition, density and grain size to be used to make carrier concentration, mobility, thermoelectric ...low fields, observed steady-state electrical behavior will be controlled by the bulk properties of the insulator, the second phase of the conduction...carrier mobility E =applied field Note that bulk properties of the Insulator control the conduction process. From this equation it can be seen that a

Fully synthetic taped insulation cables

DOEpatents

Forsyth, Eric B.; Muller, Albert C.

1984-01-01

A high voltage oil-impregnated electrical cable with fully polymer taped insulation operable to 765 kV. Biaxially oriented, specially processed, polyethylene, polybutene or polypropylene tape with an embossed pattern is wound in multiple layers over a conductive core with a permeable screen around the insulation. Conventional oil which closely matches the dielectric constant of the tape is used, and the cable can be impregnated after field installation because of its excellent impregnation characteristics.

Plated lamination structures for integrated magnetic devices

DOEpatents

Webb, Bucknell C.

2014-06-17

Semiconductor integrated magnetic devices such as inductors, transformers, etc., having laminated magnetic-insulator stack structures are provided, wherein the laminated magnetic-insulator stack structures are formed using electroplating techniques. For example, an integrated laminated magnetic device includes a multilayer stack structure having alternating magnetic and insulating layers formed on a substrate, wherein each magnetic layer in the multilayer stack structure is separated from another magnetic layer in the multilayer stack structure by an insulating layer, and a local shorting structure to electrically connect each magnetic layer in the multilayer stack structure to an underlying magnetic layer in the multilayer stack structure to facilitate electroplating of the magnetic layers using an underlying conductive layer (magnetic or seed layer) in the stack as an electrical cathode/anode for each electroplated magnetic layer in the stack structure.

Enhancing the Heat Transfer Efficiency in Graphene-Epoxy Nanocomposites Using a Magnesium Oxide-Graphene Hybrid Structure.

PubMed

Du, Fei-Peng; Yang, Wen; Zhang, Fang; Tang, Chak-Yin; Liu, Sheng-Peng; Yin, Le; Law, Wing-Cheung

2015-07-08

Composite materials, such as organic matrices doped with inorganic fillers, can generate new properties that exhibit multiple functionalities. In this paper, an epoxy-based nanocomposite that has a high thermal conductivity and a low electrical conductivity, which are required for the use of a material as electronic packaging and insulation, was prepared. The performance of the epoxy was improved by incorporating a magnesium oxide-coated graphene (MgO@GR) nanomaterial into the epoxy matrix. We found that the addition of a MgO coating not only improved the dispersion of the graphene in the matrix and the interfacial bonding between the graphene and epoxy but also enhanced the thermal conductivity of the epoxy while preserving the electrical insulation. By adding 7 wt % MgO@GR, the thermal conductivity of the epoxy nanocomposites was enhanced by 76% compared with that of the neat epoxy, and the electrical resistivity was maintained at 8.66 × 10(14) Ω m.

Clad fiber capacitor and method of making same

DOEpatents

Tuncer, Enis

2013-11-26

A clad capacitor and method of manufacture includes assembling a preform comprising a ductile, electrically conductive fiber; a ductile, electrically insulating cladding positioned on the fiber; a ductile, electrically conductive sleeve positioned over the cladding. One or more of the preforms are then bundled, heated and drawn along a longitudinal axis to decrease the diameter of the ductile components of the preform and fuse the preform into a unitized strand.

Clad fiber capacitor and method of making same

DOEpatents

Tuncer, Enis

2012-12-11

A clad capacitor and method of manufacture includes assembling a preform comprising a ductile, electrically conductive fiber; a ductile, electrically insulating cladding positioned on the fiber; and a ductile, electrically conductive sleeve positioned over the cladding. One or more preforms are then bundled, heated and drawn along a longitudinal axis to decrease the diameter of the ductile components of the preform and fuse the preform into a unitized strand.

Temperature-Dependent Electrical Conductivity of GeTe-Based RF Switches

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-31

Short, high temperature pulses result in a melt -quench cycle, amorphizing the GeTe and leaving the switch in the electrically insulating OFF state...Longer, lower temperature pulses result in the recrystallization of the GeTe, leaving the switch in the electrically conductive ON state. The...shown to vary only weakly with temperature. OFF-state S-parameters also exhibit slight temperature variation, with an inflection point of ~175

Electrical bushing for a superconductor element

DOEpatents

Mirebeau, Pierre; Lallouet, Nicolas; Delplace, Sebastien; Lapierre, Regis

2010-05-04

The invention relates to an electrical bushing serving to make a connection at ambient temperature to a superconductor element situated in an enclosure at cryogenic temperature. The electrical bushing passes successively through an enclosure at intermediate temperature between ambient temperature and cryogenic temperature, and an enclosure at ambient temperature, and it comprises a central electrical conductor surrounded by an electrically insulating sheath. According to the invention, an electrically conductive screen connected to ground potential surrounds the insulating sheath over a section that extends from the end of the bushing that is in contact with the enclosure at cryogenic temperature at least as far as the junction between the enclosure at intermediate temperature and the enclosure at ambient temperature. The invention is more particularly applicable to making a connection to a superconductor cable.

Electric-field-driven phase transition in vanadium dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, B.; Zimmers, A.; Aubin, H.; Ghosh, R.; Liu, Y.; Lopez, R.

2011-12-01

We report on local probe measurements of current-voltage and electrostatic force-voltage characteristics of electric-field-induced insulator to metal transition in VO2 thin film. In conducting AFM mode, switching from the insulating to metallic state occurs for electric-field threshold E˜6.5×107Vm-1 at 300K. Upon lifting the tip above the sample surface, we find that the transition can also be observed through a change in electrostatic force and in tunneling current. In this noncontact regime, the transition is characterized by random telegraphic noise. These results show that electric field alone is sufficient to induce the transition; however, the electronic current provides a positive feedback effect that amplifies the phenomena.

The Role of Interfaces in Polyethylene/Metal-Oxide Nanocomposites for Ultrahigh-Voltage Insulating Materials.

PubMed

Pourrahimi, Amir Masoud; Olsson, Richard T; Hedenqvist, Mikael S

2018-01-01

Recent progress in the development of polyethylene/metal-oxide nanocomposites for extruded high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) cables with ultrahigh electric insulation properties is presented. This is a promising technology with the potential of raising the upper voltage limit in today's underground/submarine cables, based on pristine polyethylene, to levels where the loss of energy during electric power transmission becomes low enough to ensure intercontinental electric power transmission. The development of HVDC insulating materials together with the impact of the interface between the particles and the polymer on the nanocomposites electric properties are shown. Important parameters from the atomic to the microlevel, such as interfacial chemistry, interfacial area, and degree of particle dispersion/aggregation, are discussed. This work is placed in perspective with important work by others, and suggested mechanisms for improved insulation using nanoparticles, such as increased charge trap density, adsorption of impurities/ions, and induced particle dipole moments are considered. The effects of the nanoparticles and of their interfacial structures on the mechanical properties and the implications of cavitation on the electric properties are also discussed. Although the main interest in improving the properties of insulating polymers has been on the use of nanoparticles, leading to nanodielectrics, it is pointed out here that larger microscopic hierarchical metal-oxide particles with high surface porosity also impart good insulation properties. The impact of the type of particle and its inherent properties (purity and conductivity) on the nanocomposite dielectric and insulating properties are also discussed based on data obtained by a newly developed technique to directly observe the charge distribution on a nanometer scale in the nanocomposite. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrical switching in cadmium boracite single crystals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, T.; Yamada, O.

1981-01-01

Cadmium boracite single crystals at high temperatures ( 300 C) were found to exhibit a reversible electric field-induced transition between a highly insulative and a conductive state. The switching threshold is smaller than a few volts for an electrode spacing of a few tenth of a millimeter corresponding to an electric field of 100 to 1000 V/cm. This is much smaller than the dielectric break-down field for an insulator such as boracite. The insulative state reappears after voltage removal. A pulse technique revealed two different types of switching. Unstable switching occurs when the pulse voltage slightly exceeds the switching threshold and is characterized by a pre-switching delay and also a residual current after voltage pulse removal. A stable type of switching occurs when the voltage becomes sufficiently high. Possible device applications of this switching phenomenon are discussed.

Apparatus for detecting alpha radiation in difficult access areas

DOEpatents

Steadman, P.; MacArthur, D.W.

1997-09-02

An electrostatic alpha radiation detector for measuring alpha radiation emitted from inside an enclosure comprising an electrically conductive expandable electrode for insertion into the enclosure is disclosed. After insertion, the electrically conductive expandable electrode is insulated from the enclosure and defines a decay cavity between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure so that air ions generated in the decay cavity are electrostatically captured by the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure when an electric potential is applied between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure. Indicator means are attached to the electrically conductive expandable electrode for indicating an electrical current produced by generation of the air ions generated in the decay cavity by collisions between air molecules and the alpha particles emitted from the enclosure. A voltage source is connected between the indicator means and the electrically conductive enclosure for creating an electric field between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure. 4 figs.

Organometallic Polymeric Conductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

For aerospace applications, the use of polymers can result in tremendous weight savings over metals. Suitable polymeric materials for some applications like EMI shielding, spacecraft grounding, and charge dissipation must combine high electrical conductivity with long-term environmental stability, good processability, and good mechanical properties. Recently, other investigators have reported hybrid films made from an electrically conductive polymer combined with insulating polymers. In all of these instances, the films were prepared by infiltrating an insulating polymer with a precursor for a conductive polymer (either polypyrrole or polythiophene), and oxidatively polymerizing the precursor in situ. The resulting composite films have good electrical conductivity, while overcoming the brittleness inherent in most conductive polymers. The highest conductivities reported (approximately 4/Scm) were achieved with polythiophene in a polystyrene host polymer. The best films using a polyamide as base polymer were four orders of magnitude less conductive than the polystyrene films. The authors suggested that this was because polyimides were unable to swell sufficiently for infiltration of monomer as in the polystyrene. It was not clear, however, if the different conductivities obtained were merely the result of differing oxidation conditions. Oxidation time, temperature and oxidant concentration varied widely among the studies.

Note on heat conduction in liquid metals. A comparison of laminar and turbulent flow effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Talmage, G.

1994-05-01

The difference between heat transfer in liquid metals with electric currents and magnetic fields on the one hand and heat transfer in electrically insulating fluids and in conducting solids on the other is pointed out. Laminar and turbulent flow effects in liquid metal sliding electric contacts for homopolar machines are considered. Large temperature gradients can develop within a small region of liquid metal. A model of a liquid-metal sliding electrical contact is developed and analyzed.

Current isolating epitaxial buffer layers for high voltage photodiode array

DOEpatents

Morse, Jeffrey D.; Cooper, Gregory A.

2002-01-01

An array of photodiodes in series on a common semi-insulating substrate has a non-conductive buffer layer between the photodiodes and the semi-insulating substrate. The buffer layer reduces current injection leakage between the photodiodes of the array and allows optical energy to be converted to high voltage electrical energy.

Efficiency arcjet thruster with controlled arc startup and steady state attachment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, William W. (Inventor); Knowles, Steven C. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

An improved efficiency arcjet thruster has a constrictor and electrically-conductive nozzle anode defining an arc chamber, and an electrically-conductive rod having a tip spaced upstream from the constrictor and defining a cathode spaced from the anode by a gap generally coextensive with the arc chamber. An electrical potential is applied to the anode and cathode to generate an electrical arc in the arc chamber from the cathode to anode. Catalytically decomposed hydrazine is supplied to the arc chamber with generation of the arc so as to produce thermal heating and expansion thereof through the nozzle. The constrictor can have a electrically insulative portion disposed between the cathode tip and the nozzle anode, and an electrically-conductive anode extension disposed along the insulative portion so as to define an auxiliary gap with the cathode tip substantially smaller than the gap defined between the cathode and nozzle anode for facilitating startup of arc generation. The constrictor can also include an electrically-conductive electrode with a variable electrical potential to vary the shape of the arc generated in the arc chamber. Also, the cathode is mounted for axial movement such that the gap between its tip and the nozzle anode can be varied to facilitate a generally nonerosive generation of the electrical arc at startup and reliable steady state operation. Further, the arc chamber can have a nonparallel subsonic-to-supersonic transition configuration, or alternatively solely a nonparallel supersonic configuration, for improved arc attachment.

UV light induced insulator-metal transition in ultra-thin ZnO/TiOx stacked layer grown by atomic layer deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, D.; Misra, P.; Joshi, M. P.; Kukreja, L. M.

2016-08-01

In the present study, atomic layer deposition has been used to grow a series of Ti incorporated ZnO thin films by vertically stacking different numbers (n = 1-7) of ZnO/TiOx layers on (0001) sapphire substrates. The effects of defect states mediated chemisorption of O2 and/OH groups on the electrical properties of these films have been investigated by illuminating the samples under UV light inside a high vacuum optical cryostat. The ultra-thin film having one stacked layer (n = 1) did not show any change in its electrical resistance upon UV light exposure. On the contrary, marginal drop in the electrical resistivity was measured for the samples with n ≥ 3. Most surprisingly, the sample with n = 2 (thickness ˜ 12 nm) showed an insulator to metal transition upon UV light exposure. The temperature dependent electrical resistivity measurement on the as grown film (n = 2) showed insulating behaviour, i.e., diverging resistivity on extrapolation to T→ 0 K. However, upon UV light exposure, it transformed to a metallic state, i.e., finite resistivity at T → 0 K. Such an insulator-metal transition plausibly arises due to the de-trapping of conduction electrons from the surface defect sites which resulted in an upward shift of the Fermi level above the mobility edge. The low-temperature electron transport properties on the insulating film (n = 2) were investigated by a combined study of zero field electrical resistivity ρ(T) and magnetoresistance (MR) measurements. The observed negative MR was found to be in good agreement with the magnetic field induced suppression of quantum interference between forward-going paths of tunnelling electrons. Both ρ(T) and MR measurements provided strong evidence for the Efros-Shklovskii type variable range hopping conduction in the low-temperature (≤40 K) regime. Such studies on electron transport in ultra-thin n-type doped ZnO films are crucial to achieve optimum functionality with long term reliability of ZnO based transparent conducting oxides.

Pulsed metallic-plasma generators.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilmour, A. S., Jr.; Lockwood, D. L.

1972-01-01

A pulsed metallic-plasma generator is described which utilizes a vacuum arc as the plasma source. The arc is initiated on the surface of a consumable cathode which can be any electrically conductive material. Ignition is accomplished by using a current pulse to vaporize a portion of a conductive film on the surface of an insulator separating the cathode from the ignition electrode. The film is regenerated during the ensuing arc. Over 100 million ignition cycles have been accomplished by using four 0.125-in. diameter zinc cathodes operating in parallel and high-density aluminum-oxide insulators. Among the applications being investigated for the generator are metal deposition, vacuum pumping, electric propulsion, and high-power dc arc interruption.

Dynamically Babinet-invertible metasurface: a capacitive-inductive reconfigurable filter for terahertz waves using vanadium-dioxide metal-insulator transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urade, Yoshiro; Nakata, Yosuke; Okimura, Kunio; Nakanishi, Toshihiro; Miyamaru, Fumiaki; Takeda, Mitsuo W.; Kitano, Masao

2016-03-01

This paper proposes a reconfigurable planar metamaterial that can be switched between capacitive and inductive responses using local changes in the electrical conductivity of its constituent material. The proposed device is based on Babinet's principle and exploits the singular electromagnetic responses of metallic checkerboard structures, which are dependent on the local electrical conductivity. Utilizing the heating-induced metal-insulator transition of vanadium dioxide ($\\mathrm{VO}_2$), the proposed metamaterial is designed to compensate for the effect of the substrate and is experimentally characterized in the terahertz regime. This reconfigurable metamaterial can be utilized as a switchable filter and as a switchable phase shifter for terahertz waves.

Dynamically Babinet-invertible metasurface: a capacitive-inductive reconfigurable filter for terahertz waves using vanadium-dioxide metal-insulator transition.

PubMed

Urade, Yoshiro; Nakata, Yosuke; Okimura, Kunio; Nakanishi, Toshihiro; Miyamaru, Fumiaki; Takeda, Mitsuo W; Kitano, Masao

2016-03-07

This paper proposes a reconfigurable planar metamaterial that can be switched between capacitive and inductive responses using local changes in the electrical conductivity of its constituent material. The proposed device is based on Babinet's principle and exploits the singular electromagnetic responses of metallic checkerboard structures, which are dependent on the local electrical conductivity. Utilizing the heating-induced metal-insulator transition of vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ), the proposed meta-material is designed to compensate for the effect of the substrate and is experimentally characterized in the terahertz regime. This reconfigurable metamaterial can be utilized as a switchable filter and as a switchable phase shifter for terahertz waves.

MIS capacitor studies on silicon carbide single crystals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kopanski, J. J.

1990-01-01

Cubic SIC metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors with thermally grown or chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) insulators were characterized by capacitance-voltage (C-V), conductance-voltage (G-V), and current-voltage (I-V) measurements. The purpose of these measurements was to determine the four charge densities commonly present in an MIS capacitor (oxide fixed charge, N(f); interface trap level density, D(it); oxide trapped charge, N(ot); and mobile ionic charge, N(m)) and to determine the stability of the device properties with electric-field stress and temperature. The section headings in the report include the following: Capacitance-voltage and conductance-voltage measurements; Current-voltage measurements; Deep-level transient spectroscopy; and Conclusions (Electrical characteristics of SiC MIS capacitors).

Electrically insulating films deposited on V-4%Cr-4%Ti by reactive CVD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, J.H.

1998-04-01

In the design of liquid-metal blankets for magnetic fusion reactors, corrosion resistance of structural materials and the magnetohydrodynamic forces and their influence on thermal hydraulics and corrosion are major concerns. Electrically insulating CaO films deposited on V-4%Cr-4%Ti exhibit high-ohmic insulator behavior even though a small amount of vanadium from the alloy become incorporated into the film. However, when vanadium concentration in the film is > 15 wt.%, the film becomes conductive. When the vanadium concentration is high in localized areas, a calcium vanadate phase that exhibits semiconductor behavior can form. The objective of this study is to evaluate electrically insulatingmore » films that were deposited on V-4%Cr-4%Ti by a reactive chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. To this end, CaO and Ca-V-O coatings were produced on vanadium alloys by CVD and by a metallic-vapor process to investigate the electrical resistance of the coatings. The authors found that the Ca-V-O films exhibited insulator behavior when the ratio of calcium concentration to vanadium concentration R in the film > 0.9, and semiconductor or conductor behavior when R < 0.8. However, in some cases, semiconductor behavior was observed when CaO-coated samples with R > 0.98 were exposed in liquid lithium. Based on these studies, they conclude that semiconductor behavior occurs if a conductive calcium vanadate phase is present in localized regions in the CaO coating.« less

Nonlinear Hall effect and multichannel conduction in LaTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Jun Sung; Seo, Sung Seok A; Chisholm, Matthew F

2010-01-01

We report magnetotransport properties of heterointerfaces between the Mott insulator LaTiO{sub 3} and the band insulator SrTiO{sub 3} in a delta-doping geometry. At low temperatures, we have found a strong nonlinearity in the magnetic field dependence of the Hall resistivity, which can be effectively controlled by varying the temperature and the electric field. We attribute this effect to multichannel conduction of interfacial charges generated by an electronic reconstruction. In particular, the formation of a highly mobile conduction channel revealed by our data is explained by the greatly increased dielectric permeability of SrTiO{sub 3} at low temperatures and its electric fieldmore » dependence reflects the spatial distribution of the quasi-two-dimensional electron gas.« less

A new theoretical formulation of coupling thermo-electric breakdown in LDPE film under dc high applied fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boughariou, F.; Chouikhi, S.; Kallel, A.; Belgaroui, E.

2015-12-01

In this paper, we present a new theoretical and numerical formulation for the electrical and thermal breakdown phenomena, induced by charge packet dynamics, in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) insulating film under dc high applied field. The theoretical physical formulation is composed by the equations of bipolar charge transport as well as by the thermo-electric coupled equation associated for the first time in modeling to the bipolar transport problem. This coupled equation is resolved by the finite-element numerical model. For the first time, all bipolar transport results are obtained under non-uniform temperature distributions in the sample bulk. The principal original results show the occurring of very sudden abrupt increase in local temperature associated to a very sharp increase in external and conduction current densities appearing during the steady state. The coupling between these electrical and thermal instabilities reflects physically the local coupling between electrical conduction and thermal joule effect. The results of non-uniform temperature distributions induced by non-uniform electrical conduction current are also presented for several times. According to our formulation, the strong injection current is the principal factor of the electrical and thermal breakdown of polymer insulating material. This result is shown in this work. Our formulation is also validated experimentally.

Development of electrical-erosion instrument for direct write micro-patterning on large area conductive thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Álvarez, Ángel Luis; Coya, Carmen; García-Vélez, Miguel

2015-08-15

We have developed a complete instrument to perform direct, dry, and cost-effective lithography on conductive materials, based on localized electrical discharges, which avoids using masks or chemicals typical of conventional photolithography. The technique is considered fully compatible with substrate transport based systems, like roll-to-roll technology. The prototype is based on two piezo nano-steppers coupled to three linear micro-stages to cover a large scale operation from micrometers to centimeters. The operation mode consists of a spring probe biased at low DC voltage with respect to a grounded conductive layer. The tip slides on the target layer keeping contact with the materialmore » in room conditions, allowing continuous electric monitoring of the process, and also real-time tilt correction via software. The sliding tip leaves an insulating path (limited by the tip diameter) along the material, enabling to draw electrically insulated tracks and pads. The physical principle of operation is based in the natural self-limitation of the discharge due to material removal or insulation. The so produced electrical discharges are very fast, in the range of μs, so features may be performed at speeds of few cm/s, enabling scalability to large areas. The instrument has been tested on different conducting materials as gold, indium tin oxide, and aluminum, allowing the fabrication of alphanumeric displays based on passive matrix of organic light emitting diodes without the use of masks or photoresists. We have verified that the highest potential is achieved on graphene, where no waste material is detected, producing excellent well defined edges. This allows manufacturing graphene micro-ribbons with a high aspect ratio up to 1200:1.« less

Development of electrical-erosion instrument for direct write micro-patterning on large area conductive thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Álvarez, Ángel Luis; Coya, Carmen; García-Vélez, Miguel

2015-08-01

We have developed a complete instrument to perform direct, dry, and cost-effective lithography on conductive materials, based on localized electrical discharges, which avoids using masks or chemicals typical of conventional photolithography. The technique is considered fully compatible with substrate transport based systems, like roll-to-roll technology. The prototype is based on two piezo nano-steppers coupled to three linear micro-stages to cover a large scale operation from micrometers to centimeters. The operation mode consists of a spring probe biased at low DC voltage with respect to a grounded conductive layer. The tip slides on the target layer keeping contact with the material in room conditions, allowing continuous electric monitoring of the process, and also real-time tilt correction via software. The sliding tip leaves an insulating path (limited by the tip diameter) along the material, enabling to draw electrically insulated tracks and pads. The physical principle of operation is based in the natural self-limitation of the discharge due to material removal or insulation. The so produced electrical discharges are very fast, in the range of μs, so features may be performed at speeds of few cm/s, enabling scalability to large areas. The instrument has been tested on different conducting materials as gold, indium tin oxide, and aluminum, allowing the fabrication of alphanumeric displays based on passive matrix of organic light emitting diodes without the use of masks or photoresists. We have verified that the highest potential is achieved on graphene, where no waste material is detected, producing excellent well defined edges. This allows manufacturing graphene micro-ribbons with a high aspect ratio up to 1200:1.

Development of electrical-erosion instrument for direct write micro-patterning on large area conductive thin films.

PubMed

Álvarez, Ángel Luis; Coya, Carmen; García-Vélez, Miguel

2015-08-01

We have developed a complete instrument to perform direct, dry, and cost-effective lithography on conductive materials, based on localized electrical discharges, which avoids using masks or chemicals typical of conventional photolithography. The technique is considered fully compatible with substrate transport based systems, like roll-to-roll technology. The prototype is based on two piezo nano-steppers coupled to three linear micro-stages to cover a large scale operation from micrometers to centimeters. The operation mode consists of a spring probe biased at low DC voltage with respect to a grounded conductive layer. The tip slides on the target layer keeping contact with the material in room conditions, allowing continuous electric monitoring of the process, and also real-time tilt correction via software. The sliding tip leaves an insulating path (limited by the tip diameter) along the material, enabling to draw electrically insulated tracks and pads. The physical principle of operation is based in the natural self-limitation of the discharge due to material removal or insulation. The so produced electrical discharges are very fast, in the range of μs, so features may be performed at speeds of few cm/s, enabling scalability to large areas. The instrument has been tested on different conducting materials as gold, indium tin oxide, and aluminum, allowing the fabrication of alphanumeric displays based on passive matrix of organic light emitting diodes without the use of masks or photoresists. We have verified that the highest potential is achieved on graphene, where no waste material is detected, producing excellent well defined edges. This allows manufacturing graphene micro-ribbons with a high aspect ratio up to 1200:1.

Experimental results for 2D magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MR-EIT) using magnetic flux density in one direction.

PubMed

Birgül, Ozlem; Eyüboğlu, B Murat; Ider, Y Ziya

2003-11-07

Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MR-EIT) is an emerging imaging technique that reconstructs conductivity images using magnetic flux density measurements acquired employing MRI together with conventional EIT measurements. In this study, experimental MR-EIT images from phantoms with conducting and insulator objects are presented. The technique is implemented using the 0.15 T Middle East Technical University MRI system. The dc current method used in magnetic resonance current density imaging is adopted. A reconstruction algorithm based on the sensitivity matrix relation between conductivity and only one component of magnetic flux distribution is used. Therefore, the requirement for object rotation is eliminated. Once the relative conductivity distribution is found, it is scaled using the peripheral voltage measurements to obtain the absolute conductivity distribution. Images of several insulator and conductor objects in saline filled phantoms are reconstructed. The L2 norm of relative error in conductivity values is found to be 13%, 17% and 14% for three different conductivity distributions.

Aging of XLPE cable insulation under combined electrical and mechanical stresses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

David, E.; Parpal, J.L.; Crine, J.P.

1996-12-31

Extruded crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation is widely used in high-voltage cables since it presents such attractive features as excellent dielectric properties and good thermomechanical behavior. However, its performance is affected by long-term degradation when it is subjected to the various thermal, mechanical and environmental stresses occurring in service in combination with electrical stress. The synergetic effect of superposed electrical and other stresses remains to be fully clarified. In particular, a fairly high level of mechanical stresses can be present in the insulation volume, originating from residual internal stresses created during the cooling process in the fabrication, external forces when cablesmore » are bent sharply, or thermomechanical stresses caused by differential thermal expansion between the conductor and the insulating material. In order to investigate the influence of the superposition of mechanical and electrical stresses, various measurements were conducted on XLPE and LDPE specimens in tip-plane and plane-plane geometries. Experimental data of time-to-breakdown, breakdown field and tree length are presented as a function of the magnitude of the stresses. In all cases, superposition of the mechanical stress was found to reduce the dielectric strength of the material.« less

Graphene as discharge layer for electron beam lithography on insulating substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Junku; Li, Qunqing; Ren, Mengxin; Zhang, Lihui; Chen, Mo; Fan, Shoushan

2013-09-01

Charging of insulating substrates is a common problem during Electron Beam lithography (EBL), which deflects the beam and distorts the pattern. A homogeneous, electrically conductive, and transparent graphene layer is used as a discharge layer for EBL processes on insulating substrates. The EBL resolution is improved compared with the metal discharge layer. Dense arrays of holes with diameters of 50 nm and gratings with line/space of 50/30 nm are obtained on quartz substrate. The pattern placement errors and proximity effect are suppressed over a large area and high quality complex nanostructures are fabricated using graphene as a conductive layer.

Dielectric behavior of beef meat in the 1-1500kHz range: Simulation with the Fricke/Cole-Cole model.

PubMed

Damez, Jean-Louis; Clerjon, Sylvie; Abouelkaram, Saïd; Lepetit, Jacques

2007-12-01

The electrical properties of biological tissues have been researched for many years. Impedance measurements observed with increasing frequencies are mainly attributed to changes in membrane conductivity and ion and charged-molecule mobility (mainly Na(+), K(+), CL(-) ions). Equivalent circuits with passive electrical components are frequently used as a support model for presentation and analyses of the behavior of tissues submitted to electrical fields. Fricke proposed an electrical model where the elements are resistive and capacitive. The model is composed of a resistive element (Rp) representing extracellular fluids (ECF) placed in parallel with a capacitive element (Cs) representing insulating membranes in series and a resistive element (Rs) representing intracellular fluids (ICF). This model is able to describe impedance measurements: at lower frequencies, most of the current flows around the cells without being able to penetrate them, while at higher frequencies the membranes lose their insulating properties and the current flows through both the extracellular and intracellular compartments. Since meat ageing induces structural change, particularly in membrane integrity, the insulating properties of membranes decrease, and intracellular and extracellular electrolytes mix, thus driving changes in their electrical properties. We report a method combining the Fricke and Cole-Cole models that was developed to monitor and explain tissues conductivity changes in preferential directions during beef meat ageing.

Bonding Diamond To Metal In Electronic Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacquez, Andrew E.

1993-01-01

Improved technique for bonding diamond to metal evolved from older technique of soldering or brazing and more suitable for fabrication of delicate electronic circuits. Involves diffusion bonding, developed to take advantage of electrically insulating, heat-conducting properties of diamond, using small diamond bars as supports for slow-wave transmission-line structures in traveling-wave-tube microwave amplifiers. No fillets or side coats formed because metal bonding strips not melted. Technique also used to mount such devices as transistors and diodes electrically insulated from, but thermally connected to, heat sinks.

Biomass-directed synthesis of 20 g high-quality boron nitride nanosheets for thermoconductive polymeric composites.

PubMed

Wang, Xue-Bin; Weng, Qunhong; Wang, Xi; Li, Xia; Zhang, Jun; Liu, Fei; Jiang, Xiang-Fen; Guo, Hongxuan; Xu, Ningsheng; Golberg, Dmitri; Bando, Yoshio

2014-09-23

Electrically insulating boron nitride (BN) nanosheets possess thermal conductivity similar to and thermal and chemical stabilities superior to those of electrically conductive graphenes. Currently the production and application of BN nanosheets are rather limited due to the complexity of the BN binary compound growth, as opposed to massive graphene production. Here we have developed the original strategy "biomass-directed on-site synthesis" toward mass production of high-crystal-quality BN nanosheets. The strikingly effective, reliable, and high-throughput (dozens of grams) synthesis is directed by diverse biomass sources through the carbothermal reduction of gaseous boron oxide species. The produced BN nanosheets are single crystalline, laterally large, and atomically thin. Additionally, they assemble themselves into the same macroscopic shapes peculiar to original biomasses. The nanosheets are further utilized for making thermoconductive and electrically insulating epoxy/BN composites with a 14-fold increase in thermal conductivity, which are envisaged to be particularly valuable for future high-performance electronic packaging materials.

Advanced concepts for transformers pressboard dielectric constant and mechanical strength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1982-03-01

Of the numerous electrical considerations in a material, the value of the dielectric constant serves as an important criterion in designing proper insulation systems. Ways to reduce the dielectric constant of solid (fibrous) insulating materials were investigated. A literature search was made on cellulosic and synthetic fibers and also additives which offered the potential for dielectric constant reduction of the solid insulation. Sample board structures were produced in the laboratory and tested for electrical, mechanical and chemical characteristics. Electrical tests determined the suitability of the material at transformer test and operating conditions. The mechanical tests established the physical characteristics of the modified board structures. Chemical tests checked the conductivity of the aqueous extract, acidity, and ash content. Further, compatibility with transformer oil and some aging tests were performed. An actual computer transformer design was made based on one of the modified board structures and the reduction in core steel and transformer losses were shown.

Antifuse with a single silicon-rich silicon nitride insulating layer

DOEpatents

Habermehl, Scott D.; Apodaca, Roger T.

2013-01-22

An antifuse is disclosed which has an electrically-insulating region sandwiched between two electrodes. The electrically-insulating region has a single layer of a non-hydrogenated silicon-rich (i.e. non-stoichiometric) silicon nitride SiN.sub.X with a nitrogen content X which is generally in the range of 0

The Influence of Mechanical Parameters on Dielectric Characteristics of Rigid Electrical Insulating Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buică, G.; Antonov, A. E.; Beiu, C.; Dobra, R.; Risteiu, M.

2018-06-01

Rigid electrical insulating materials are used in the manufacture of work equipment with electric safety function, being mainly intended for use in the energy sector. The paper presents the results of the research on the identification of the technical and safety requirements for rigid electrical insulating materials that are part of the electrical insulating work equipment. The paper aims to show the behaviour of rigid electrical insulating materials under the influence of mechanical risk factors, in order to check the functionality and to ensure the safety function for the entire life time. There were tested rigid electrical insulating equipment designed to be used as safety means in electrical power stations and overhead power lines.

Conductor-polymer composite electrode materials

DOEpatents

Ginley, D.S.; Kurtz, S.R.; Smyrl, W.H.; Zeigler, J.M.

1984-06-13

A conductive composite material useful as an electrode, comprises a conductor and an organic polymer which is reversibly electrochemically dopable to change its electrical conductivity. Said polymer continuously surrounds the conductor in intimate electrical contact therewith and is prepared by electrochemical growth on said conductor or by reaction of its corresponding monomer(s) on said conductor which has been pre-impregnated or pre-coated with an activator for said polymerization. Amount of the conductor is sufficient to render the resultant composite electrically conductive even when the polymer is in an undoped insulating state.

Characterization of electrical conductivity of carbon fiber reinforced plastic using surface potential distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kikunaga, Kazuya; Terasaki, Nao

2018-04-01

A new method of evaluating electrical conductivity in a structural material such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) using surface potential is proposed. After the CFRP was charged by corona discharge, the surface potential distribution was measured by scanning a vibrating linear array sensor along the object surface with a high spatial resolution over a short duration. A correlation between the weave pattern of the CFRP and the surface potential distribution was observed. This result indicates that it is possible to evaluate the electrical conductivity of a material comprising conducting and insulating regions.

Electrical conductivity of (Mg,Fe)SiO3 Perovskite and a Perovskite-dominated assemblage at lower mantle conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Xiaoyuan; Jeanloz, Raymond

1987-01-01

Electrical conductivity measurements of Perovskite and a Perovskite-dominated assemblage synthesized from pyroxene and olivine demonstrate that these high-pressure phases are insulating to pressures of 82 GPa and temperatures of 4500 K. Assuming an anhydrous upper mantle composition, the result provides an upper bound of 0.01 S/m for the electrical conductivity of the lower mantle between depths of 700 and 1900 km. This is 2 to 4 orders of magnitude lower than previous estimates of lower-mantle conductivity derived from studies of geomagnetic secular variations.

Electric-field-driven phase transition in vanadium dioxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, B.; Zimmers, A.; Aubin, H.; Gosh, R.; Liu, Y.; Lopez, R.

2011-03-01

In recent years, various strongly correlated materials have shown sharp switching from insulator to metallic state in their I(V) transport curves. Determining if this is purely an out of equilibrium phenomena (due to the strong electric field applied throughout the sample) or simply a Joule heating issue is still an open question. To address this issue, we have first measured local I(V) curves in vanadium dioxide (VO2) Mott insulator at various temperatures using a conducting AFM setup and determined the voltage threshold of the insulator to metal switching. By lifting the tip above the surface (> 35 nm) , wehavethenmeasuredthepurelyelectrostaticforcebetweenthetipandsamplesurfaceasthevoltagebetweenthesetwowasincreased . Inaverynarrowtemperaturerange (below 360 K) , atipheightrange (below 60 nm) andavoltageappliedrange (above 8 V) , weobservedswitchingintheelectrostaticforce (telegraphicnoisevs . timeandvs . voltage) . ThispurelyelectricfieldeffectshowsthattheswitchingphenomenonisstillpresentevenwithoutJouleheatinginVO 2 .

Rechargeable lithium-ion cell

DOEpatents

Bechtold, Dieter; Bartke, Dietrich; Kramer, Peter; Kretzschmar, Reiner; Vollbert, Jurgen

1999-01-01

The invention relates to a rechargeable lithium-ion cell, a method for its manufacture, and its application. The cell is distinguished by the fact that it has a metallic housing (21) which is electrically insulated internally by two half shells (15), which cover electrode plates (8) and main output tabs (7) and are composed of a non-conductive material, where the metallic housing is electrically insulated externally by means of an insulation coating. The cell also has a bursting membrane (4) which, in its normal position, is located above the electrolyte level of the cell (1). In addition, the cell has a twisting protection (6) which extends over the entire surface of the cover (2) and provides centering and assembly functions for the electrode package, which comprises the electrode plates (8).

A Solution-Doped Polymer Semiconductor:Insulator Blend for Thermoelectrics.

PubMed

Kiefer, David; Yu, Liyang; Fransson, Erik; Gómez, Andrés; Primetzhofer, Daniel; Amassian, Aram; Campoy-Quiles, Mariano; Müller, Christian

2017-01-01

Poly(ethylene oxide) is demonstrated to be a suitable matrix polymer for the solution-doped conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene). The polarity of the insulator combined with carefully chosen processing conditions permits the fabrication of tens of micrometer-thick films that feature a fine distribution of the F4TCNQ dopant:semiconductor complex. Changes in electrical conductivity from 0.1 to 0.3 S cm -1 and Seebeck coefficient from 100 to 60 μV K -1 upon addition of the insulator correlate with an increase in doping efficiency from 20% to 40% for heavily doped ternary blends. An invariant bulk thermal conductivity of about 0.3 W m -1 K -1 gives rise to a thermoelectric Figure of merit ZT ∼ 10 -4 that remains unaltered for an insulator content of more than 60 wt%. Free-standing, mechanically robust tapes illustrate the versatility of the developed dopant:semiconductor:insulator ternary blends.

Aspects of metallic low-temperature transport in Mott-insulator/band-insulator superlattices: Optical conductivity and thermoelectricity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rüegg, Andreas; Pilgram, Sebastian; Sigrist, Manfred

2008-06-01

We investigate the low-temperature electrical and thermal transport properties in atomically precise metallic heterostructures involving strongly correlated electron systems. The model of the Mott-insulator/band-insulator superlattice was discussed in the framework of the slave-boson mean-field approximation and transport quantities were derived by use of the Boltzmann transport equation in the relaxation-time approximation. The results for the optical conductivity are in good agreement with recently published experimental data on (LaTiO3)N/(SrTiO3)M superlattices and allow us to estimate the values of key parameters of the model. Furthermore, predictions for the thermoelectric response were made and the dependence of the Seebeck coefficient on model parameters was studied in detail. The width of the Mott-insulating material was identified as the most relevant parameter, in particular, this parameter provides a way to optimize the thermoelectric power factor at low temperatures.

A Solution‐Doped Polymer Semiconductor:Insulator Blend for Thermoelectrics

PubMed Central

Kiefer, David; Yu, Liyang; Fransson, Erik; Gómez, Andrés; Primetzhofer, Daniel; Amassian, Aram; Campoy‐Quiles, Mariano

2016-01-01

Poly(ethylene oxide) is demonstrated to be a suitable matrix polymer for the solution‐doped conjugated polymer poly(3‐hexylthiophene). The polarity of the insulator combined with carefully chosen processing conditions permits the fabrication of tens of micrometer‐thick films that feature a fine distribution of the F4TCNQ dopant:semiconductor complex. Changes in electrical conductivity from 0.1 to 0.3 S cm−1 and Seebeck coefficient from 100 to 60 μV K−1 upon addition of the insulator correlate with an increase in doping efficiency from 20% to 40% for heavily doped ternary blends. An invariant bulk thermal conductivity of about 0.3 W m−1 K−1 gives rise to a thermoelectric Figure of merit ZT ∼ 10−4 that remains unaltered for an insulator content of more than 60 wt%. Free‐standing, mechanically robust tapes illustrate the versatility of the developed dopant:semiconductor:insulator ternary blends. PMID:28105396

30 CFR 18.35 - Portable (trailing) cables and cords.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS ELECTRIC MOTOR-DRIVEN MINE EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES Construction... used to conduct electrical energy to face equipment shall conform to the following: (1) Have each conductor of a current-carrying capacity consistent with the Insulated Power Cable Engineers Association...

30 CFR 18.35 - Portable (trailing) cables and cords.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS ELECTRIC MOTOR-DRIVEN MINE EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES Construction... used to conduct electrical energy to face equipment shall conform to the following: (1) Have each conductor of a current-carrying capacity consistent with the Insulated Power Cable Engineers Association...

30 CFR 18.35 - Portable (trailing) cables and cords.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS ELECTRIC MOTOR-DRIVEN MINE EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES Construction... used to conduct electrical energy to face equipment shall conform to the following: (1) Have each conductor of a current-carrying capacity consistent with the Insulated Power Cable Engineers Association...

30 CFR 18.35 - Portable (trailing) cables and cords.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS ELECTRIC MOTOR-DRIVEN MINE EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES Construction... used to conduct electrical energy to face equipment shall conform to the following: (1) Have each conductor of a current-carrying capacity consistent with the Insulated Power Cable Engineers Association...

High voltage power supply with modular series resonant inverters

DOEpatents

Dreifuerst, Gary R.; Merritt, Bernard T.

1995-01-01

A relatively small and compact high voltage, high current power supply for a laser utilizes a plurality of modules containing series resonant half bridge inverters. A pair of reverse conducting thyristors are incorporated in each series resonant inverter module such that the series resonant inverter modules are sequentially activated in phases 360.degree./n apart, where n=number of modules for n>2. Selective activation of the modules allows precise output control reducing ripple and improving efficiency. Each series resonant half bridge inverter module includes a transformer which has a cooling manifold for actively circulating a coolant such as water, to cool the transformer core as well as selected circuit elements. Conductors connecting and forming various circuit components comprise hollow, electrically conductive tubes such as copper. Coolant circulates through the tubes to remove heat. The conductive tubes act as electrically conductive lines for connecting various components of the power supply. Where it is desired to make electrical isolation breaks, tubes comprised of insulating material such as nylon are used to provide insulation and continue the fluid circuit.

High voltage power supply with modular series resonant inverters

DOEpatents

Dreifuerst, G.R.; Merritt, B.T.

1995-07-18

A relatively small and compact high voltage, high current power supply for a laser utilizes a plurality of modules containing series resonant half bridge inverters. A pair of reverse conducting thyristors are incorporated in each series resonant inverter module such that the series resonant inverter modules are sequentially activated in phases 360{degree}/n apart, where n=number of modules for n>2. Selective activation of the modules allows precise output control reducing ripple and improving efficiency. Each series resonant half bridge inverter module includes a transformer which has a cooling manifold for actively circulating a coolant such as water, to cool the transformer core as well as selected circuit elements. Conductors connecting and forming various circuit components comprise hollow, electrically conductive tubes such as copper. Coolant circulates through the tubes to remove heat. The conductive tubes act as electrically conductive lines for connecting various components of the power supply. Where it is desired to make electrical isolation breaks, tubes comprised of insulating material such as nylon are used to provide insulation and continue the fluid circuit. 11 figs.

Effect of thermal insulation on the electrical characteristics of NbOx threshold switches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ziwen; Kumar, Suhas; Wong, H.-S. Philip; Nishi, Yoshio

2018-02-01

Threshold switches based on niobium oxide (NbOx) are promising candidates as bidirectional selector devices in crossbar memory arrays and building blocks for neuromorphic computing. Here, it is experimentally demonstrated that the electrical characteristics of NbOx threshold switches can be tuned by engineering the thermal insulation. Increasing the thermal insulation by ˜10× is shown to produce ˜7× reduction in threshold current and ˜45% reduction in threshold voltage. The reduced threshold voltage leads to ˜5× reduction in half-selection leakage, which highlights the effectiveness of reducing half-selection leakage of NbOx selectors by engineering the thermal insulation. A thermal feedback model based on Poole-Frenkel conduction in NbOx can explain the experimental results very well, which also serves as a piece of strong evidence supporting the validity of the Poole-Frenkel based mechanism in NbOx threshold switches.

Nanotechnology Support for Memristor Nanoelectronics

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

hafnium oxide; 2) investigation of a conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM) approach for measuring nanoparticle electrical properties , which was...films; and 4) successful measurement of memristive properties of nanoparticle -loaded insulating films. These results lay the groundwork for follow-on...a cAFM strategy for measuring nanoparticle electrical properties . Our initial approach to measuring nanoparticles was to attempt electrical

Properties of radiation stable insulation composites for fusion magnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Zhixiong; Huang, Rongjin; Huang, Chuanjun; Li, Laifeng

2017-09-01

High field superconducting magnets made of Nb3Al will be a suitable candidate for future fusion device which can provide magnetic field over 15T without critical current degradation caused by strain. The higher magnetic field and the larger current will produce a huge electromagnetic force. Therefore, it is necessary to develop high strength cryogenic structural materials and electrical insulation materials with excellent performance. On the other hand, superconducting magnets in fusion devices will experience significant nuclear radiation exposure during service. While typical structural materials like stainless steel and titanium have proven their ability to withstand these conditions, electrical insulation materials used in these coils have not fared as well. In fact, recent investigations have shown that electrical insulation breakdown is a limiting factor in the performance of high field magnets. The insulation materials used in the high field fusion magnets should be characterized by excellent mechanical properties, high radiation resistivity and good thermal conductivity. To meet these objectives, we designed various insulation materials based on epoxy resins and cyanate ester resins and investigated their processing characteristic and mechanical properties before and after irradiation at low temperature. In this paper, the recent progress of the radiation stable insulation composites for high field fusion magnet is presented. The materials have been irradiated by 60Co γ-ray irradiation in air at ambient temperature with a dose rate of 300 Gy/min. The total doses of 1 MGy, 5 MGy and 10 MGy were selected to the test specimens.

Solid state transport-based thermoelectric converter

DOEpatents

Hu, Zhiyu

2010-04-13

A solid state thermoelectric converter includes a thermally insulating separator layer, a semiconducting collector and an electron emitter. The electron emitter comprises a metal nanoparticle layer or plurality of metal nanocatalyst particles disposed on one side of said separator layer. A first electrically conductive lead is electrically coupled to the electron emitter. The collector layer is disposed on the other side of the separator layer, wherein the thickness of the separator layer is less than 1 .mu.m. A second conductive lead is electrically coupled to the collector layer.

Contra-rotating homopolar motor-generator for energy storage and return

DOEpatents

Kustom, Robert L.; Wehrle, Robert B.

1978-01-01

An apparatus for receiving electrical energy in amounts of the order of hundreds of megajoules, converting the electrical energy to mechanical energy for storage, and delivering the stored energy as electrical energy in times of the order of a second comprises a sequence of stacked electrically conducting cylindrical shells having a common axis. The conducting shells are free to rotate and are separated by stationary insulating cylindrical shells. Adjacent conducting shells are connected electrically by brushes at the edges and a radial magnetic field is caused to pass through the conductors. The apparatus permits the reversal in a plasma heating coil of electric currents of amplitudes up to 100,000 amperes in a time of the order of a second.

Molecular engineered conjugated polymer with high thermal conductivity

PubMed Central

Song, Bai; Lee, Elizabeth M. Y.; Gleason, Karen K.

2018-01-01

Traditional polymers are both electrically and thermally insulating. The development of electrically conductive polymers has led to novel applications such as flexible displays, solar cells, and wearable biosensors. As in the case of electrically conductive polymers, the development of polymers with high thermal conductivity would open up a range of applications in next-generation electronic, optoelectronic, and energy devices. Current research has so far been limited to engineering polymers either by strong intramolecular interactions, which enable efficient phonon transport along the polymer chains, or by strong intermolecular interactions, which enable efficient phonon transport between the polymer chains. However, it has not been possible until now to engineer both interactions simultaneously. We report the first realization of high thermal conductivity in the thin film of a conjugated polymer, poly(3-hexylthiophene), via bottom-up oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD), taking advantage of both strong C=C covalent bonding along the extended polymer chain and strong π-π stacking noncovalent interactions between chains. We confirm the presence of both types of interactions by systematic structural characterization, achieving a near–room temperature thermal conductivity of 2.2 W/m·K, which is 10 times higher than that of conventional polymers. With the solvent-free oCVD technique, it is now possible to grow polymer films conformally on a variety of substrates as lightweight, flexible heat conductors that are also electrically insulating and resistant to corrosion. PMID:29670943

Quantum transport of two-species Dirac fermions in dual-gated three-dimensional topological insulators

DOE PAGES

Xu, Yang; Miotkowski, Ireneusz; Chen, Yong P.

2016-05-04

Topological insulators are a novel class of quantum matter with a gapped insulating bulk, yet gapless spin-helical Dirac fermion conducting surface states. Here, we report local and non-local electrical and magneto transport measurements in dual-gated BiSbTeSe 2 thin film topological insulator devices, with conduction dominated by the spatially separated top and bottom surfaces, each hosting a single species of Dirac fermions with independent gate control over the carrier type and density. We observe many intriguing quantum transport phenomena in such a fully tunable two-species topological Dirac gas, including a zero-magnetic-field minimum conductivity close to twice the conductance quantum at themore » double Dirac point, a series of ambipolar two-component half-integer Dirac quantum Hall states and an electron-hole total filling factor zero state (with a zero-Hall plateau), exhibiting dissipationless (chiral) and dissipative (non-chiral) edge conduction, respectively. As a result, such a system paves the way to explore rich physics, ranging from topological magnetoelectric effects to exciton condensation.« less

Solar electric propulsion system thermal analysis. [including heat pipes and multilayer insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Thermal control elements applicable to the solar electric propulsion stage are discussed along with thermal control concepts. Boundary conditions are defined, and a thermal analysis was conducted with special emphasis on the power processor and equipment compartment thermal control system. Conclusions and recommendations are included.

Mounting improves heat-sink contact with beryllia washer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1966-01-01

To conduct heat away from electrical components that must be electrically insulated from a metal heat sink, a metal washer and a coil spring are placed between one end of the electrical component and the beryllia washer mounted on the heat sink. The thermal paths are formed by the component lead and base, the metal and beryllia washers, and the compressed spring.

Unravelling the switching mechanisms in electric field induced insulator-metal transitions in VO2 nanobeams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathi, Servin; Park, Jin-Hyung; Lee, In-yeal; Baik, Jeong Min; Yi, Kyung Soo; Kim, Gil-Ho

2014-07-01

We studied insulator-metal transitions in VO2 nanobeams for both abrupt and gradual changes in applied electric fields. Based on the observations, the Poole-Frenkel effect explained the abrupt transition, while the gradual case is found to be dominated by the Joule heating phenomenon. We also carried out power model and finite element method based simulations which supported the Joule heating phenomena for gradual transition. An in-principle demonstration of the Poole-Frenkel effect, performed using a square voltage pulse of 1 µs duration, further confirms the proposed insulator-metal transition mechanism with a switching time in the order of 100 ns. Finally, conductivity variations introduced via rapid thermal annealing at various temperatures validate the roles of both Joule heating and Poole-Frenkel mechanisms in the transitions.

The electrical behavior of GaAs-insulator interfaces - A discrete energy interface state model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kazior, T. E.; Lagowski, J.; Gatos, H. C.

1983-01-01

The relationship between the electrical behavior of GaAs Metal Insulator Semiconductor (MIS) structures and the high density discrete energy interface states (0.7 and 0.9 eV below the conduction band) was investigated utilizing photo- and thermal emission from the interface states in conjunction with capacitance measurements. It was found that all essential features of the anomalous behavior of GaAs MIS structures, such as the frequency dispersion and the C-V hysteresis, can be explained on the basis of nonequilibrium charging and discharging of the high density discrete energy interface states.

Leakage conduction behavior in electron-beam-cured nanoporous silicate films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Po-Tsun; Tsai, T. M.; Chang, T. C.

2005-05-01

This letter explores the application of electron-beam curing on nanoporous silicate films. The electrical conduction mechanism for the nanoporous silicate film cured by electron-beam radiation has been studied with metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors. Electrical analyses over a varying temperature range from room temperature to 150°C provide evidence for space-charge-limited conduction in the electron-beam-cured thin film, while Schottky-emission-type leaky behavior is seen in the counterpart typically cured by a thermal furnace. A physical model consistent with electrical analyses is also proposed to deduce the origin of conduction behavior in the nanoporous silicate thin film.

Dreaming in plastic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korzhov, Marianna; Andelman, David; Shikler, Rafi

2008-07-01

Plastic is one of the most versatile materials available. It is cheap, flexible and easy to process, and as a result it is all around us - from our computer keyboards to the soles of our shoes. One of its most common applications is as an insulating coating for electric wires; indeed, plastic is well known for its insulating characteristics. It came as something of a surprise, therefore, when in the late 1970s a new generation of plastics was discovered that displayed exactly the opposite behaviour - the ability to conduct electricity. In fact, plastics can be made with a whole range of conductivities - there are polymer materials that behave like semiconductors and there are those that can conduct as well as metals. This discovery sparked a revolution in the electronics community, and three decades of research effort is now yielding a range of stunning new applications for this ubiquitous material.

Micromachined peristaltic pump

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartley, Frank T. (Inventor)

1998-01-01

A micromachined pump including a channel formed in a semiconductor substrate by conventional processes such as chemical etching. A number of insulating barriers are established in the substrate parallel to one another and transverse to the channel. The barriers separate a series of electrically conductive strips. An overlying flexible conductive membrane is applied over the channel and conductive strips with an insulating layer separating the conductive strips from the conductive membrane. Application of a sequential voltage to the series of strips pulls the membrane into the channel portion of each successive strip to achieve a pumping action. A particularly desirable arrangement employs a micromachined push-pull dual channel cavity employing two substrates with a single membrane sandwiched between them.

Etude de l'isolation hybride en vue de son application dans les transformateurs de puissance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kassi, Koutoua Simon

For nearly a century the conventional insulation (oil / cellulose complex) was the type of insulation used in the power transformers and most electrical power equipments. But the cellulose paper, the solid part of this insulation has many weaknesses. Indeed, the aging of cellulose paper in power transformers is accelerated by moisture, oxygen, metal catalysts, temperature, etc.). The risk of failures is thereby increased. Another major weakness of cellulose paper is its inability to protect the electrical transformer windings against the harmful effects of corrosive sulfur. Given all the weaknesses of cellulose paper, several studies have been conducted to evaluate the performance of aramid paper, which has better thermal properties. The aramid paper is currently used as high temperature insulation, combined with high fire point oils (synthetic and vegetable oils), mainly in electric traction transformers. The hybrid solid insulation is associated with mineral oil or with high fire point oils; it finds application in transformers of fixed and mobile substations. Manufacturing technology is controlled by manufacturers but operators of electrical networks do not have baseline data (standards) as diagnostic tools, allowing them to monitor the health/condition of the isolation in this new type of transformer. The overall objective of this research was to study the hybrid insulation and to demonstrate its potential use in power transformers. This overall objective has been subdivided into three specific objectives, namely: (i) improving the diagnostic of the condition of solid hybrid insulation and conventional solid insulation; (ii) diagnosing the condition of oils sampled from hybrid, high temperature and conventional insulation and finally (iii) investigating the ability of aramid paper and cellulose paper to protect the copper (electrical windings) against harmful effects of corrosive sulfur. In order to achieve these objectives, thermal accelerated aging were conducted in laboratory : • according to ASTM D1934 (American Society for Testing and Materials), four different type of insulation samples were considered, namely the oil impregnated hybrid insulation, oil impregnated cellulose insulation, oil impregnated high temperature insulation and paperless oil samples. Following the aging procedure, a local overheating (thermal fault) was applied on the paper sample using an experimental setup designed in our laboratory (first and second specific objectives). • according to the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)-62535, for mineral, synthetic, vegetable and silicones oils (third specific objective). The degree of polymerization by viscosimetry and the determination of the carbon oxides by dissolved gas analysis (DGA) were determined to assess the condition of the paper in conventional insulation compared to that of the hybrid insulation. Our results indicate that cellulose paper in the hybrid insulation is less degraded when compared to the conventional insulation. Since the life of a transformer is directly related to the solid insulation, these results suggest that hybrid transformer insulation has a higher life than conventional ones. Subsequently, a very good correlation between amounts of oxides of carbon and degree of polymerization was established. This relationship might help improving the accuracy when interpreting the results of the DGA for transformers (first specific objective). Regarding the second specific objective, we used four physicochemical diagnosis techniques (dissolved decay products 'DDP', Turbidity, interfacial tension (IFT) and water content) to assess comparatively the quality of oils sampled from the four types of insulation. According to our results, the oil of the hybrid insulation indicated better quality at a certain stage of aging and especially after the application of thermal stress on the solid insulation. For the third specific objective, a qualitative study followed by a quantitative ones provided the following results: aramid paper better protects copper against corrosive sulfur in mineral oil; synthetic ester oils are not corrosive; the vegetable oil is not corrosive but in the presence of cellulose paper, a degree of corrosiveness is observed and the aramid paper promotes formation of corrosive sulfur in silicone oils. Based on the obtained results, the feasibility of using hybrid insulation in power transformers is possible. Keywords : power transformer; hybrid insulation; high temperature insulation; conventional insulation; sub-stations; aramid paper; cellulose paper; degree of polymerization; dissolved gases analysis (DGA); mineral oils; vegetable oils; synthetic oils; corrosive sulfur.

Electrically Conductive and Protective Coating for Planar SOFC Stacks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choi, Jung-Pyung; Stevenson, Jeffry W.

Ferritic stainless steels are preferred interconnect materials for intermediate temperature SOFCs because of their resistance to oxidation, high formability and low cost. However, their protective oxide layer produces Cr-containing volatile species at SOFC operating temperatures and conditions, which can cause cathode poisoning. Electrically conducting spinel coatings have been developed to prevent cathode poisoning and to maintain an electrically conductive pathway through SOFC stacks. However, this coating is not compatible with the formation of stable, hermetic seals between the interconnect frame component and the ceramic cell. Thus, a new aluminizing process has been developed by PNNL to enable durable sealing, preventmore » Cr evaporation, and maintain electrical insulation between stack repeat units. Hence, two different types of coating need to have stable operation of SOFC stacks. This paper will focus on the electrically conductive coating process. Moreover, an advanced coating process, compatible with a non-electrically conductive coating will be« less

Surface degradation of polymer insulators under accelerated climatic aging in weather-ometer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, G.; McGrath, P.B.; Burns, C.W.

1996-12-31

Climatic aging experiments were conducted on two types of outdoor polymer insulators by using a programmable weather-ometer. The housing materials for the insulators were silicone rubber (SR) and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). The accelerated aging stresses were comprised of ultraviolet radiation, elevated temperature, temperature cycling, thermal shock and high humidity. Their effects on the insulator surface conditions and electrical performance wee examined through visual inspection and SEM studies, contact angle measurements, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, and 50% impulse flashover voltage tests. The results showed a significant damage on the insulator surface caused by some ofmore » the imposed aging stresses. The EDS analysis suggested a photooxidation process that happened on the insulator surface during the aging period.« less

ELECTRIC DISCHARGE APPARATUS

DOEpatents

Ryan, T.M.

1962-04-01

A steel or aluminum small diameter (1/4 in.) tube-type neutron detector containing an inert atmosphere and having a coating of fissionable material on its inner circumference is described. A conducting wire, positioned along the axis of the tube by spaced insulators, is connected to a power source. The coating of fissionable material is brushed onto a nickel foil which is inserted into the tube and supported between the insulators. (AEC)

Nanoscale control of an interfacial metal-insulator transition at room temperature.

PubMed

Cen, C; Thiel, S; Hammerl, G; Schneider, C W; Andersen, K E; Hellberg, C S; Mannhart, J; Levy, J

2008-04-01

Experimental and theoretical investigations have demonstrated that a quasi-two-dimensional electron gas (q-2DEG) can form at the interface between two insulators: non-polar SrTiO3 and polar LaTiO3 (ref. 2), LaAlO3 (refs 3-5), KTaO3 (ref. 7) or LaVO3 (ref. 6). Electronically, the situation is analogous to the q-2DEGs formed in semiconductor heterostructures by modulation doping. LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures have recently been shown to exhibit a hysteretic electric-field-induced metal-insulator quantum phase transition for LaAlO3 thicknesses of 3 unit cells. Here, we report the creation and erasure of nanoscale conducting regions at the interface between two insulating oxides, LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. Using voltages applied by a conducting atomic force microscope (AFM) probe, the buried LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface is locally and reversibly switched between insulating and conducting states. Persistent field effects are observed using the AFM probe as a gate. Patterning of conducting lines with widths of approximately 3 nm, as well as arrays of conducting islands with densities >10(14) inch(-2), is demonstrated. The patterned structures are stable for >24 h at room temperature.

Cloaking magnetic field and generating electric field with topological insulator and superconductor bi-layer sphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jin

2017-12-01

When an electric field is applied on a topological insulator, not only the electric field is generated, but also the magnetic field is generated, vice versa. I designed topological insulator and superconductor bi-layer magnetic cloak, derived the electric field and magnetic field inside and outside the topological insulator and superconductor sphere. Simulation and calculation results show that the applied magnetic field is screened by the topological insulator and superconductor bi-layer, and the electric field is generated in the cloaked region.

Probing the bulk ionic conductivity by thin film hetero-epitaxial engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pergolesi, Daniele; Roddatis, Vladimir; Fabbri, Emiliana; Schneider, Christof W.; Lippert, Thomas; Traversa, Enrico; Kilner, John A.

2015-02-01

Highly textured thin films with small grain boundary regions can be used as model systems to directly measure the bulk conductivity of oxygen ion conducting oxides. Ionic conducting thin films and epitaxial heterostructures are also widely used to probe the effect of strain on the oxygen ion migration in oxide materials. For the purpose of these investigations a good lattice matching between the film and the substrate is required to promote the ordered film growth. Moreover, the substrate should be a good electrical insulator at high temperature to allow a reliable electrical characterization of the deposited film. Here we report the fabrication of an epitaxial heterostructure made with a double buffer layer of BaZrO3 and SrTiO3 grown on MgO substrates that fulfills both requirements. Based on such template platform, highly ordered (001) epitaxially oriented thin films of 15% Sm-doped CeO2 and 8 mol% Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 are grown. Bulk conductivities as well as activation energies are measured for both materials, confirming the success of the approach. The reported insulating template platform promises potential application also for the electrical characterization of other novel electrolyte materials that still need a thorough understanding of their ionic conductivity.

Investigation of organic adhesives for hybrid microcircuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Perkins, K. L.; Licari, J. J.

1975-01-01

The properties of organic adhesives were investigated to acquire information for a guideline document regarding the selection of adhesives for use in high reliability hybrid microcircuits. Specifically, investigations were made of (1) alternate methods for determining the outgassing of cured adhesives, (2) effects of long term aging at 150 C on the electrical properties of conductive adhesives, (3) effects of shelf life age on adhesive characteristics, (4) bond strengths of electrically conductive adhesives on thick film gold metallization, (5) a copper filled adhesive, (6) effects of products outgassed from cured adhesives on device electrical parameters, (7) metal migration from electrically conductive adhesives, and (8) ionic content of electrically insulative adhesives. The tests performed during these investigations are described, and the results obtained are discussed.

Electrical Characterization of Defects Created by γ-Radiation in HfO2-Based MIS Structures for RRAM Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García, H.; González, M. B.; Mallol, M. M.; Castán, H.; Dueñas, S.; Campabadal, F.; Acero, M. C.; Sambuco Salomone, L.; Faigón, A.

2018-04-01

The γ-radiation effects on the electrical characteristics of metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors based on HfO2, and on the resistive switching characteristics of the structures have been studied. The HfO2 was grown directly on silicon substrates by atomic layer deposition. Some of the capacitors were submitted to a γ ray irradiation using three different doses (16 kGy, 96 kGy and 386 kGy). We studied the electrical characteristics in the pristine state of the capacitors. The radiation increased the interfacial state densities at the insulator/semiconductor interface, and the slow traps inside the insulator near the interface. However, the leakage current is not increased by the irradiation, and the conduction mechanism is Poole-Frenkel for all the samples. The switching characteristics were also studied, and no significant differences were obtained in the performance of the devices after having been irradiated, indicating that the fabricated capacitors present good radiation hardness for its use as a RS element.

Wireless Chemical Sensor and Sensing Method for Use Therewith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oglesby, Donald M. (Inventor); Taylor, Bryant D. (Inventor); Woodard, Stanley E. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

A wireless chemical sensor includes an electrical conductor and a material separated therefrom by an electric insulator. The electrical conductor is an unconnected open-circuit shaped for storage of an electric field and a magnetic field. In the presence of a time-varying magnetic field, the first electrical conductor resonates to generate harmonic electric and magnetic field responses. The material is positioned at a location lying within at least one of the electric and magnetic field responses so-generated. The material changes in electrical conductivity in the presence of a chemical-of-interest.

Wireless Chemical Sensor and Sensing Method for Use Therewith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodard, Stanley E. (Inventor); Oglesby, Donald M. (Inventor); Taylor, Bryant Douglas (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A wireless chemical sensor includes an electrical conductor and a material separated therefrom by an electric insulator. The electrical conductor is an unconnected open-circuit shaped for storage of an electric field and a magnetic field. In the presence of a time-varying magnetic field, the first electrical conductor resonates to generate harmonic electric and magnetic field responses. The material is positioned at a location lying within at least one of the electric and magnetic field responses so-generated. The material changes in electrical conductivity in the presence of a chemical-of-interest.

Wireless Chemical Sensing Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Bryant D. (Inventor); Woodard, Stanley E. (Inventor); Oglesby, Donald M. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

A wireless chemical sensor includes an electrical conductor and a material separated therefrom by an electric insulator. The electrical conductor is an unconnected open-circuit shaped for storage of an electric field and a magnetic field. In the presence of a time-varying magnetic field, the first electrical conductor resonates to generate harmonic electric and magnetic field responses. The material is positioned at a location lying within at least one of the electric and magnetic field responses so-generated. The material changes in electrical conductivity in the presence of a chemical-of-interest.

Cooper Pairs in Insulators?!

ScienceCinema

James Valles

2017-12-09

Nearly 50 years elapsed between the discovery of superconductivity and the emergence of the microscopic theory describing this zero resistance state. The explanation required a novel phase of matter in which conduction electrons joined in weakly bound pairs and condensed with other pairs into a single quantum state. Surprisingly, this Cooper pair formation has also been invoked to account for recently uncovered high-resistance or insulating phases of matter. To address this possibility, we have used nanotechnology to create an insulating system that we can probe directly for Cooper pairs. I will present the evidence that Cooper pairs exist and dominate the electrical transport in these insulators and I will discuss how these findings provide new insight into superconductor to insulator quantum phase transitions. 

Carbon nanotube-polymer nanocomposite infrared sensor.

PubMed

Pradhan, Basudev; Setyowati, Kristina; Liu, Haiying; Waldeck, David H; Chen, Jian

2008-04-01

The infrared photoresponse in the electrical conductivity of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is dramatically enhanced by embedding SWNTs in an electrically and thermally insulating polymer matrix. The conductivity change in a 5 wt % SWNT-polycarbonate nanocomposite is significant (4.26%) and sharp upon infrared illumination in the air at room temperature. While the thermal effect predominates in the infrared photoresponse of a pure SWNT film, the photoeffect predominates in the infrared photoresponse of SWNT-polycarbonate nanocomposites.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saha, D., E-mail: sahaphys@gmail.com, E-mail: pmisra@rrcat.gov.in; Misra, P., E-mail: sahaphys@gmail.com, E-mail: pmisra@rrcat.gov.in; Joshi, M. P.

In the present study, atomic layer deposition has been used to grow a series of Ti incorporated ZnO thin films by vertically stacking different numbers (n = 1–7) of ZnO/TiO{sub x} layers on (0001) sapphire substrates. The effects of defect states mediated chemisorption of O{sub 2} and/OH groups on the electrical properties of these films have been investigated by illuminating the samples under UV light inside a high vacuum optical cryostat. The ultra-thin film having one stacked layer (n = 1) did not show any change in its electrical resistance upon UV light exposure. On the contrary, marginal drop in the electrical resistivity wasmore » measured for the samples with n ≥ 3. Most surprisingly, the sample with n = 2 (thickness ∼ 12 nm) showed an insulator to metal transition upon UV light exposure. The temperature dependent electrical resistivity measurement on the as grown film (n = 2) showed insulating behaviour, i.e., diverging resistivity on extrapolation to T→ 0 K. However, upon UV light exposure, it transformed to a metallic state, i.e., finite resistivity at T → 0 K. Such an insulator-metal transition plausibly arises due to the de-trapping of conduction electrons from the surface defect sites which resulted in an upward shift of the Fermi level above the mobility edge. The low-temperature electron transport properties on the insulating film (n = 2) were investigated by a combined study of zero field electrical resistivity ρ(T) and magnetoresistance (MR) measurements. The observed negative MR was found to be in good agreement with the magnetic field induced suppression of quantum interference between forward-going paths of tunnelling electrons. Both ρ(T) and MR measurements provided strong evidence for the Efros-Shklovskii type variable range hopping conduction in the low-temperature (≤40 K) regime. Such studies on electron transport in ultra-thin n-type doped ZnO films are crucial to achieve optimum functionality with long term reliability of ZnO based transparent conducting oxides.« less

30 CFR 77.503 - Electric conductors; capacity and insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Electric conductors; capacity and insulation... UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Electrical Equipment-General § 77.503 Electric conductors; capacity and insulation. Electric conductors shall be sufficient in size and have adequate current carrying capacity and be of such...

30 CFR 77.503 - Electric conductors; capacity and insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Electric conductors; capacity and insulation... UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Electrical Equipment-General § 77.503 Electric conductors; capacity and insulation. Electric conductors shall be sufficient in size and have adequate current carrying capacity and be of such...

Fabrication of (NH4)2S passivated GaAs metal-insulator-semiconductor devices using low-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaouad, A.; Aimez, V.; Aktik, Ç.; Bellatreche, K.; Souifi, A.

2004-05-01

Metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors were fabricated on n-GaAs(100) substrate using (NH4)2S surface passivation and low-frequency plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited silicon nitride as gate insulators. The electrical properties of the fabricated MIS capacitors were analyzed using high-frequency capacitance-voltage and conductance-voltage measurements. The high concentration of hydrogen present during low-frequency plasma deposition of silicon nitride enhances the passivation of GaAs surface, leading to the unpinning of the Fermi level and to a good modulation of the surface potential by gate voltage. The electrical properties of the insulator-semiconductor interface are improved after annealing at 450 °C for 60 s, as a significant reduction of the interface fixed charges and of the interface states density is put into evidence. The minimum interface states density was found to be about 3×1011 cm-2 eV-1, as estimated by the Terman method. .

Nanofabrication of insulated scanning probes for electromechanical imaging in liquid solutions

PubMed Central

Noh, Joo Hyon; Nikiforov, Maxim; Kalinin, Sergei V.; Vertegel, Alexey A.; Rack, Philip D.

2011-01-01

In this paper, the fabrication and electrical and electromechanical characterization of insulated scanning probes have been demonstrated in liquid solutions. The silicon cantilevers were sequentially coated with chromium and silicon dioxide, and the silicon dioxide was selectively etched at tip apex using focused electron beam induced etching (FEBIE) with XeF2 The chromium layer acted not only as the conductive path from the tip, but also as an etch resistant layer. This insulated scanning probe fabrication process is compatible with any commercial AFM tip and can be used to easily tailor the scanning probe tip properties because FEBIE does not require lithography. The suitability of the fabricated probes is demonstrated by imaging of standard topographical calibration grid as well as piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and electrical measurements in ambient and liquid environments. PMID:20702930

Applications of thermal infrared imagery for energy conservation and environmental surveys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carney, J. R.; Vogel, T. C.; Howard, G. E., Jr.; Love, E. R.

1977-01-01

The survey procedures, developed during the winter and summer of 1976, employ color and color infrared aerial photography, thermal infrared imagery, and a handheld infrared imaging device. The resulting imagery was used to detect building heat losses, deteriorated insulation in built-up type building roofs, and defective underground steam lines. The handheld thermal infrared device, used in conjunction with the aerial thermal infrared imagery, provided a method for detecting and locating those roof areas that were underlain with wet insulation. In addition, the handheld infrared device was employed to conduct a survey of a U.S. Army installation's electrical distribution system under full operating loads. This survey proved to be cost effective procedure for detecting faulty electrical insulators and connections that if allowed to persist could have resulted in both safety hazards and loss in production.

Electric arc saw apparatus

DOEpatents

Deichelbohrer, Paul R [Richland, WA

1986-01-01

A portable, hand held electric arc saw has a small frame for supporting an electrically conducting rotary blade which serves as an electrode for generating an electric arc to erode a workpiece. Electric current is supplied to the blade by biased brushes and a slip ring which are mounted in the frame. A pair of freely movable endless belts in the form of crawler treads stretched between two pulleys are used to facilitate movement of the electric arc saw. The pulleys are formed of dielectric material to electrically insulate the crawler treads from the frame.

High-yield transfer printing of metal-insulator-metal nanodiodes.

PubMed

Bareiss, Mario; Ante, Frederik; Kälblein, Daniel; Jegert, Gunther; Jirauschek, Christian; Scarpa, Giuseppe; Fabel, Bernhard; Nelson, Edward M; Timp, Gregory; Zschieschang, Ute; Klauk, Hagen; Porod, Wolfgang; Lugli, Paolo

2012-03-27

Nanoscale metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diodes represent important devices in the fields of electronic circuits, detectors, communication, and energy, as their cutoff frequencies may extend into the "gap" between the electronic microwave range and the optical long-wave infrared regime. In this paper, we present a nanotransfer printing method, which allows the efficient and simultaneous fabrication of large-scale arrays of MIM nanodiode stacks, thus offering the possibility of low-cost mass production. In previous work, we have demonstrated the successful transfer and electrical characterization of macroscopic structures. Here, we demonstrate for the first time the fabrication of several millions of nanoscale diodes with a single transfer-printing step using a temperature-enhanced process. The electrical characterization of individual MIM nanodiodes was performed using a conductive atomic force microscope (AFM) setup. Our analysis shows that the tunneling current is the dominant conduction mechanism, and the electrical measurement data agree well with experimental data on previously fabricated microscale diodes and numerical simulations. © 2012 American Chemical Society

Induced charging of shuttle orbiter by high electron-beam currents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liemohn, H. B.

1977-01-01

Emission of high-current electron beams that was proposed for some Spacelab payloads required substantial return currents to the orbiter skin in order to neutralize the beam charge. Since the outer skin of the vehicle was covered with approximately 1200 sq m of thermal insulation which has the dielectric quality of air and an electrical conductivity that was estimated by NASA at 10 to the -9 power to 10 to the -10 power mhos/m, considerable transient charging and local potential differences were anticipated across the insulation. The theory for induced charging of spacecraft due to operation of electron guns was only developed for spherical metal vehicles and constant emission currents, which were not directly applicable to the orbiter situation. Field-aligned collection of electron return current from the ambient ionosphere at orbiter altitudes provides up to approximately 150 mA on the conducting surfaces and approximately 2.4 A on the dielectric thermal insulation. Local ionization of the neutral atmosphere by energetic electron bombardment or electrical breakdown may provide somewhat more return current.

JPRS Report, Science and Technology Japan, 3rd Microelectronics Symposium

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-20

Electric Power Insulating Substrate; Degree of Sintering, Thermal Conductivity of Aluminum Nitride Ultrafine Particles ; Effect of Baking Pressure on AlN Sintering; Thick Film Resistor for Use in AlN Ceramics.

Fundamental Aspects on Conductive Textiles Implemented in Intelligent System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manea, L. R.; Hristian, L.; Ene, D.; Amariei, N.; Popa, A.

2017-06-01

Conductive fibers, which are electrically conductive elements having the structure of a fiber, have a fairly long history and have been used for applications in electronic textiles as well as for aesthetics, anti-static and shielding purposes. Electrically conducting textile fibers, such as gold-coated threads, were produced in antiquity for aesthetic purposes, before the discovery of electricity, using various manufacturing methods. The textile intelligent systems, which comprise conducting textile structures (electroconducting wires or structures), present a dynamic behavior which favors the self regulation of the thermal insulation and vapor permeability with the purpose to maintain the thermo-physiological balance; the clothing assembly aims at monitoring the biologic potential, used only in critical situation (ex. accidents, falling down in a precipice etc.).

Electric Field Distribution in High Voltage Power Modules Using Finite Element Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhao; Liu, Yaoning

2018-03-01

With the development of the high voltage insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) power module, it leads to serious problems concerning the electric field insulation. The electric field capabilities of the silicone gels used in the power module encapsulation directly affect the module insulation. Some solutions have been developed to optimize the electric field and reliability. In this letter, the finite element simulation was used to analyze and localize the maximum electric field position; solutions were proposed to improve the module insulation. It’s demonstrated that BaTiO3 silicone composite is a promising insulation material for high voltage power device.

30 CFR 75.513 - Electric conductor; capacity and insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Electric conductor; capacity and insulation. 75.513 Section 75.513 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL... § 75.513 Electric conductor; capacity and insulation. [Statutory Provision] All electric conductors...

30 CFR 75.513 - Electric conductor; capacity and insulation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Electric conductor; capacity and insulation. 75.513 Section 75.513 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL... § 75.513 Electric conductor; capacity and insulation. [Statutory Provision] All electric conductors...

Thermal conductivity and Kapitza resistance of epoxy resin fiberglass tape at superfluid helium temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baudouy, B.; Polinski, J.

2009-03-01

The system of materials composed of fiberglass epoxy resin impregnated tape constitutes in many cases the electrical insulation for "dry"-type superconducting accelerator magnet such as Nb 3Sn magnets. Nb 3Sn magnet technology is still under development in a few programs to reach higher magnetic fields than what NbTi magnets can produce. The European program, Next European Dipole (NED), is one of such programs and it aims to develop and construct a 15 T class Nb 3Sn magnet mainly for upgrading the Large Hardron Collider. Superfluid helium is considered as one possible coolant and since the magnet has been designed with a "dry" insulation, the thermal conductivity and the Kapitza resistance of the electrical insulation are the key properties that must be know for the thermal design of such a magnet. Accordingly, property measurements of the epoxy resin fiberglass tape insulation system developed for the NED project was carried out in superfluid helium. Four sheets with thicknesses varying from 40 to 300 μm have been tested in a steady-state condition. The determined thermal conductivity, k, is [(25.8 ± 2.8) · T - (12.2 ± 4.9)] × 10 -3 W m -1 K -1 and the Kapitza resistance is given by R K = (1462 ± 345) · T(-1.86 ± 0.41) × 10 -6 Km 2 W -1 in the temperature range of 1.55-2.05 K.

Novel Materials Containing Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Wrapped in Polymer Molecules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smalley, Richard E.; O'Connell, Michael J.; Smith, Kenneth; Colbert, Daniel T.

2009-01-01

In this design, single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been coated in polymer molecules to create a new type of material that has low electrical conductivity, but still contains individual nanotubes, and small ropes of individual nanotubes, which are themselves good electrical conductors and serve as small conducting rods immersed in an electrically insulating matrix. The polymer is attached through weak chemical forces that are primarily non-covalent in nature, caused primarily through polarization rather than the sharing of valence electrons. Therefore, the electronic structure of the SWNT involved is substantially the same as that of free, individual (and small ropes of) SWNT. Their high conductivity makes the individual nanotubes extremely electrically polarizable, and materials containing these individual, highly polarizable molecules exhibit novel electrical properties including a high dielectric constant.

Self-assembly of carbon black into nanowires that form a conductive three dimensional micronetwork

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levine, L. E.; Long, G. G.; Ilavsky, J.; Gerhardt, R. A.; Ou, R.; Parker, C. A.

2007-01-01

The authors have used mechanical self-assembly of carbon-black nanoparticles to fabricate a three dimensional, electrically connected micronetwork of nanowires embedded within an insulating, supporting matrix of poly(methyl methacrylate). The electrical connectivity, mean wire diameter, and morphological transitions were characterized as a function of the carbon-black mass fraction. Conductive wires were produced with mean diameters as low as 24nm with lengths up to 100μm.

An Explosively Actuated Electrical Switch Using Kapton Insulation

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-01

ionization pin. This is consistent with a shock-induced conduction model because the conductivity is known to increase with pressure.5 The aluminum...34Shock Induced Electrical Activity in Polymeric Solids. A Mechanically Induced Bond Scission Model ," J. Phys. Chem., 83 (23), 1979, p. 3048. 9. Graham...NSWC, White Oak, MD. 6-2 NSWCDD/TR-92/124 DISTRIBUTION Copies Chief of Naval Research Attn: ONR1132P(R. Miller ) 1 ONT 20T (L. V. Schmidt) 1

Nitrogen dioxide detection

DOEpatents

Sinha, Dipen N.; Agnew, Stephen F.; Christensen, William H.

1993-01-01

Method and apparatus for detecting the presence of gaseous nitrogen dioxide and determining the amount of gas which is present. Though polystyrene is normally an insulator, it becomes electrically conductive in the presence of nitrogen dioxide. Conductance or resistance of a polystyrene sensing element is related to the concentration of nitrogen dioxide at the sensing element.

Coating of plasma polymerized film

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morita, S.; Ishibashi, S.

1980-01-01

Plasma polymerized thin film coating and the use of other coatings is suggested for passivation film, thin film used for conducting light, and solid body lubrication film of dielectrics of ultra insulators for electrical conduction, electron accessories, etc. The special features of flow discharge development and the polymerized film growth mechanism are discussed.

THERMO-ELECTRIC GENERATOR

DOEpatents

Jordan, K.C.

1958-07-22

The conversion of heat energy into electrical energy by a small compact device is descrtbed. Where the heat energy is supplied by a radioactive material and thermopIIes convert the heat to electrical energy. The particular battery construction includes two insulating discs with conductive rods disposed between them to form a circular cage. In the center of the cage is disposed a cup in which the sealed radioactive source is located. Each thermopile is formed by connecting wires from two adjacent rods to a potnt on an annular ring fastened to the outside of the cup, the ring having insulation on its surface to prevent electrica1 contact with the thermopiles. One advantage of this battery construction is that the radioactive source may be inserted after the device is fabricated, reducing the radiation hazard to personnel assembling the battery.

Electrical Switchability and Dry-Wash Durability of Conductive Textiles

PubMed Central

Wu, Bangting; Zhang, Bowu; Wu, Jingxia; Wang, Ziqiang; Ma, Hongjuan; Yu, Ming; Li, Linfan; Li, Jingye

2015-01-01

There is growing interest in the area of conductive textiles in the scientific and industrial community. Herein, we successfully prepared a conductive textile via covalently grafting polyaniline (PANI) onto cotton by a multi-step treatment process. The conductivity of the resultant fabric could be tuned by immersing in water having different pH values. The conductive and insulating properties of the textile could be conveniently switched by alternately immersing in acidic and alkaline bath solutions. Most importantly, the resultant conductive fabrics were able to withstand 40 simulated dry-wash cycles, with almost no decay in the electrical conductivity, indicating their excellent dry-wash durability. The present strategy for fabricating conductive fabrics with excellent switchability of electrical properties and dry-wash durability is expected to provide inspiration for the production of multifunctional conductive textiles for use in hash or sensitive conditions. PMID:26066704

Dynamic generation of spin-wave currents in hybrid structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lyapilin, I. I.; Okorokov, M. S., E-mail: Okorokovmike@gmail.com

2016-11-15

Spin transport through the interface in a semiconductor/ferromagnetic insulator hybrid structure is studied by the nonequilibrium statistical operator method under conditions of the spin Seebeck effect. The effective parameter approach in which each examined subsystem (conduction electrons, magnons, phonons) is characterized by its specific effective temperature is considered. The effect of the resonant (electric dipole) excitation of the spin electronic subsystem of conduction electrons on spin-wave current excitation in a ferromagnetic insulator is considered. The macroscopic equations describing the spin-wave current caused by both resonant excitation of the spin system of conduction electrons and the presence of a nonuniform temperaturemore » field in the ferromagnetic insulator are derived taking into account both the resonance-diffusion propagation of magnons and their relaxation processes. It is shown that spin-wave current excitation is also of resonant nature under the given conditions.« less

Silicon oxide: a non-innocent surface for molecular electronics and nanoelectronics studies.

PubMed

Yao, Jun; Zhong, Lin; Natelson, Douglas; Tour, James M

2011-02-02

Silicon oxide (SiO(x)) has been widely used in many electronic systems as a supportive and insulating medium. Here, we demonstrate various electrical phenomena such as resistive switching and related nonlinear conduction, current hysteresis, and negative differential resistance intrinsic to a thin layer of SiO(x). These behaviors can largely mimic numerous electrical phenomena observed in molecules and other nanomaterials, suggesting that substantial caution should be paid when studying conduction in electronic systems with SiO(x) as a component. The actual electrical phenomena can be the result of conduction from SiO(x) at a post soft-breakdown state and not the presumed molecular or nanomaterial component. These electrical properties and the underlying mechanisms are discussed in detail.

Mechanically Stretchable and Electrically Insulating Thermal Elastomer Composite by Liquid Alloy Droplet Embedment.

PubMed

Jeong, Seung Hee; Chen, Si; Huo, Jinxing; Gamstedt, Erik Kristofer; Liu, Johan; Zhang, Shi-Li; Zhang, Zhi-Bin; Hjort, Klas; Wu, Zhigang

2015-12-16

Stretchable electronics and soft robotics have shown unsurpassed features, inheriting remarkable functions from stretchable and soft materials. Electrically conductive and mechanically stretchable materials based on composites have been widely studied for stretchable electronics as electrical conductors using various combinations of materials. However, thermally tunable and stretchable materials, which have high potential in soft and stretchable thermal devices as interface or packaging materials, have not been sufficiently studied. Here, a mechanically stretchable and electrically insulating thermal elastomer composite is demonstrated, which can be easily processed for device fabrication. A liquid alloy is embedded as liquid droplet fillers in an elastomer matrix to achieve softness and stretchability. This new elastomer composite is expected useful to enhance thermal response or efficiency of soft and stretchable thermal devices or systems. The thermal elastomer composites demonstrate advantages such as thermal interface and packaging layers with thermal shrink films in transient and steady-state cases and a stretchable temperature sensor.

Recent Progress in Electrical Insulation Techniques for HTS Power Apparatus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayakawa, Naoki; Kojima, Hiroki; Hanai, Masahiro; Okubo, Hitoshi

This paper describes the electrical insulation techniques at cryogenic temperatures, i.e. Cryodielectrics, for HTS power apparatus, e.g. HTS power transmission cables, transformers, fault current limiters and SMES. Breakdown and partial discharge characteristics are discussed for different electrical insulation configurations of LN2, sub-cooled LN2, solid, vacuum and their composite insulation systems. Dynamic and static insulation performances with and without taking account of quench in HTS materials are also introduced.

On the use of doped polyethylene as an insulating material for HVDC cables

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khalil, M.S.

1996-12-31

The merits of HVDC cables with polymeric insulation are well recognized. However, the development of such cables is still hampered due to the problems resulting from the complicated dependence of the electrical conductivity of the polymer on the temperature and the dc electric field and the effects of space charge accumulation in this material. Different methods have been suggested to solve these problems yet none of these methods seem to give a conclusive solution. The present report provides, firstly a critical review of the previous works reported in the literature concerning the development of HVDC cables with polymeric insulation. Differentmore » aspects of those works are examined and discussed. Secondly, an account is given on an investigation using low density polyethylene (LDPE) doped with an inorganic additive as a candidate insulating material for HVDC cables. Preliminary results from measurements of dc breakdown strength and insulation resistivity of both the undoped and the doped materials are presented. It is shown that the incorporation of an inorganic additive into LDPE has improved the performance of the doped material under polarity reversal dc conditions at room temperature. Moreover, the dependency of the insulation resistivity on temperature for the doped material appears to be beneficially modified.« less

Electrical wire insulation and electromagnetic coil

DOEpatents

Bich, George J.; Gupta, Tapan K.

1984-01-01

An electromagnetic coil for high temperature and high radiation application in which glass is used to insulate the electrical wire. A process for applying the insulation to the wire is disclosed which results in improved insulation properties.

Spark Plug Defects and Tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silsbee, F B; Loeb, L B; Sawyer, L G; Fonseca, E L; Dickinson, H C; Agnew, P G

1920-01-01

The successful operation of the spark plug depends to a large extent on the gas tightness of the plug. Part 1 of this report describes the method used for measuring the gas tightness of aviation spark plugs. Part 2 describes the methods used in testing the electrical conductivity of the insulation material when hot. Part 3 describes the testing of the cold dielectric strength of the insulation material, the resistance to mechanical shock, and the final engine test.

Semi-flexible gas-insulated transmission line using electric field stress shields

DOEpatents

Cookson, Alan H.; Dale, Steinar J.; Bolin, Philip C.

1982-12-28

A gas-insulated transmission line includes an outer sheath, an inner conductor, an insulating gas electrically insulating the inner conductor from the outer sheath, and insulating supports insulatably supporting the inner conductor within the outer sheath. The inner conductor is provided with flexibility by use of main conductor sections which are joined together through a conductor hub section and flexible flexing elements. Stress shields are provided to control the electric field at the locations of the conductor hub sections where the insulating supports are contacting the inner conductor. The flexing elements and the stress shields may also be utilized in connection with a plug and socket arrangement for providing electrical connection between main conductor sections.

Two-phase mixed media dielectric with macro dielectric beads for enhancing resistivity and breakdown strength

DOEpatents

Falabella, Steven; Meyer, Glenn A; Tang, Vincent; Guethlein, Gary

2014-06-10

A two-phase mixed media insulator having a dielectric fluid filling the interstices between macro-sized dielectric beads packed into a confined volume, so that the packed dielectric beads inhibit electro-hydrodynamically driven current flows of the dielectric liquid and thereby increase the resistivity and breakdown strength of the two-phase insulator over the dielectric liquid alone. In addition, an electrical apparatus incorporates the two-phase mixed media insulator to insulate between electrical components of different electrical potentials. And a method of electrically insulating between electrical components of different electrical potentials fills a confined volume between the electrical components with the two-phase dielectric composite, so that the macro dielectric beads are packed in the confined volume and interstices formed between the macro dielectric beads are filled with the dielectric liquid.

Low-Temperature Fabrication of Robust, Transparent, and Flexible Thin-Film Transistors with a Nanolaminated Insulator.

PubMed

Kwon, Jeong Hyun; Park, Junhong; Lee, Myung Keun; Park, Jeong Woo; Jeon, Yongmin; Shin, Jeong Bin; Nam, Minwoo; Kim, Choong-Ki; Choi, Yang-Kyu; Choi, Kyung Cheol

2018-05-09

The lack of reliable, transparent, and flexible electrodes and insulators for applications in thin-film transistors (TFTs) makes it difficult to commercialize transparent, flexible TFTs (TF-TFTs). More specifically, conventional high process temperatures and the brittleness of these elements have been hurdles in developing flexible substrates vulnerable to heat. Here, we propose electrode and insulator fabrication techniques considering process temperature, transmittance, flexibility, and environmental stability. A transparent and flexible indium tin oxide (ITO)/Ag/ITO (IAI) electrode and an Al 2 O 3 /MgO (AM)-laminated insulator were optimized at the low temperature of 70 °C for the fabrication of TF-TFTs on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. The optimized IAI electrode with a sheet resistance of 7 Ω/sq exhibited the luminous transmittance of 85.17% and maintained its electrical conductivity after exposure to damp heat conditions because of an environmentally stable ITO capping layer. In addition, the electrical conductivity of IAI was maintained after 10 000 bending cycles with a tensile strain of 3% because of the ductile Ag film. In the metal/insulator/metal structure, the insulating and mechanical properties of the optimized AM-laminated film deposited at 70 °C were significantly improved because of the highly dense nanolaminate system, compared to those of the Al 2 O 3 film deposited at 70 °C. In addition, the amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) was used as the active channel for TF-TFTs because of its excellent chemical stability. In the environmental stability test, the ITO, a-IGZO, and AM-laminated films showed the excellent environmental stability. Therefore, our IGZO-based TFT with IAI electrodes and the 70 °C AM-laminated insulator was fabricated to evaluate robustness, transparency, flexibility, and process temperature, resulting in transfer characteristics comparable to those of an IGZO-based TFT with a 150 °C Al 2 O 3 insulator.

Metal-insulator transition in tin doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films: Quantum correction to the electrical conductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaushik, Deepak Kumar; Kumar, K. Uday; Subrahmanyam, A.

2017-01-01

Tin doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films are being used extensively as transparent conductors in several applications. In the present communication, we report the electrical transport in DC magnetron sputtered ITO thin films (prepared at 300 K and subsequently annealed at 673 K in vacuum for 60 minutes) in low temperatures (25-300 K). The low temperature Hall effect and resistivity measurements reveal that the ITO thin films are moderately dis-ordered (kFl˜1; kF is the Fermi wave vector and l is the electron mean free path) and degenerate semiconductors. The transport of charge carriers (electrons) in these disordered ITO thin films takes place via the de-localized states. The disorder effects lead to the well-known `metal-insulator transition' (MIT) which is observed at 110 K in these ITO thin films. The MIT in ITO thin films is explained by the quantum correction to the conductivity (QCC); this approach is based on the inclusion of quantum-mechanical interference effects in Boltzmann's expression of the conductivity of the disordered systems. The insulating behaviour observed in ITO thin films below the MIT temperature is attributed to the combined effect of the weak localization and the electron-electron interactions.

Thermal Model of a Current-Carrying Wire in a Vacuum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Border, James

2006-01-01

A computer program implements a thermal model of an insulated wire carrying electric current and surrounded by a vacuum. The model includes the effects of Joule heating, conduction of heat along the wire, and radiation of heat from the outer surface of the insulation on the wire. The model takes account of the temperature dependences of the thermal and electrical properties of the wire, the emissivity of the insulation, and the possibility that not only can temperature vary along the wire but, in addition, the ends of the wire can be thermally grounded at different temperatures. The resulting second-order differential equation for the steady-state temperature as a function of position along the wire is highly nonlinear. The wire is discretized along its length, and the equation is solved numerically by use of an iterative algorithm that utilizes a multidimensional version of the Newton-Raphson method.

Thermodynamic and electrical properties of laser-shocked liquid deuterium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Zhiyu; Jia, Guo; Zhang, Fan; Luo, Kui; Huang, Xiuguang; Shu, Hua; Fang, Zhiheng; Ye, Junjian; Xie, Zhiyong; Xia, Miao; Fu, Sizu

2018-01-01

Liquid deuterium at high pressure and temperature has been observed to undergo significant electronic structural changes. Reflectivity and temperature measurements of liquid deuterium up to around 70 GPa were obtained using a quartz standard. The observed specific heat of liquid deuterium approaches the Dulong-Petit limit above 1 eV. Discussions on specific heat indicate a molecular dissociation below 1 eV and fully dissociated above 1.5 eV. Also, the electrical conductivity of deuterium estimated from reflectivity reaches 1.3 × 105 (Ωṡm)-1, proving that deuterium in this condition is a conducting degenerate liquid metal and undergo an insulator-metal transition. The results from specific heat, carrier density and conductivity agreed well with each other, which might be a reinforcement of the insulator-metal transition and the molecular dissociation. In addition, a new correction method of reflectivity in temperature calculation was proposed to improve the accuracy of temperature results. A new "dynamic calibration" was introduced in this work to make the experiments simpler and more accurate.

An experimental investigation of electric flashover across solid insulators in vacuum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonbaeyer, H. C.

1984-01-01

The insulation of high voltage conductors often employs solid insulators for many applications. In such applications, an unexpected electric flashover may occur along the insulator surface. Under conditions of high vacuum, the flashover voltage across the insulator is observed to be lower compared with that of the same electrode separation without an insulator. The reason for such an extreme reduction of flashover voltage is not well understood. Several models based on the secondary electron emission, were proposed to explain the onset of the surface flashover. The starting point and the developing velocity of the surface flashover were determined. An intensified image converter camera was used to observe the initial stage of electrical flashover along the insulator surface parallel to the electric field. Several different insulator materials were used as test pieces to determine the effect of the dielectric constant on the flashover voltage characteristics.

Electromagnetic Nondestructive Evaluation of Wire Insulation and Models of Insulation Material Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowler, Nicola; Kessler, Michael R.; Li, Li; Hondred, Peter R.; Chen, Tianming

2012-01-01

Polymers have been widely used as wiring electrical insulation materials in space/air-craft. The dielectric properties of insulation polymers can change over time, however, due to various aging processes such as exposure to heat, humidity and mechanical stress. Therefore, the study of polymers used in electrical insulation of wiring is important to the aerospace industry due to potential loss of life and aircraft in the event of an electrical fire caused by breakdown of wiring insulation. Part of this research is focused on studying the mechanisms of various environmental aging process of the polymers used in electrical wiring insulation and the ways in which their dielectric properties change as the material is subject to the aging processes. The other part of the project is to determine the feasibility of a new capacitive nondestructive testing method to indicate degradation in the wiring insulation, by measuring its permittivity.

The Development and Application of Simulative Insulation Resistance Tester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Yan; Chai, Ziqi; Wang, Bo; Ma, Hao

2018-02-01

The insulation state determines the performance and insulation life of electrical equipment, so it has to be judged in a timely and accurate manner. Insulation resistance test, as the simplest and most basic test of high voltage electric tests, can measure the insulation resistance and absorption ratio which are effective criterion of part or whole damp or dirty, breakdown, severe overheating aging and other insulation defects. It means that the electrical test personnel need to be familiar with the principle of insulation resistance test, and able to operate the insulation resistance tester correctly. At present, like the insulation resistance test, most of electrical tests are trained by physical devices with the real high voltage. Although this allows the students to truly experience the test process and notes on security, it also has certain limitations in terms of safety and test efficiency, especially for a large number of new staves needing induction training every year. This paper presents a new kind of electrical test training system based on the simulative device of dielectric loss measurement and simulative electrical testing devices. It can not only overcome the defects of current training methods, but also provide other advantages in economical efficiency and scalability. That makes it possible for the system to be allied in widespread.

Electrical condition monitoring method for polymers

DOEpatents

Watkins, Jr. Kenneth S.; Morris, Shelby J.; Masakowski, Daniel D.; Wong, Ching Ping; Luo, Shijian

2010-02-16

An electrical condition monitoring method utilizes measurement of electrical resistivity of a conductive composite degradation sensor to monitor environmentally induced degradation of a polymeric product such as insulated wire and cable. The degradation sensor comprises a polymeric matrix and conductive filler. The polymeric matrix may be a polymer used in the product, or it may be a polymer with degradation properties similar to that of a polymer used in the product. The method comprises a means for communicating the resistivity to a measuring instrument and a means to correlate resistivity of the degradation sensor with environmentally induced degradation of the product.

Optimized design of a low-resistance electrical conductor for the multimegahertz range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurs, André; Kesler, Morris; Johnson, Steven G.

2011-04-01

We propose a design for a conductive wire composed of several mutually insulated coaxial conducting shells. With the help of numerical optimization, it is possible to obtain electrical resistances significantly lower than those of a heavy-gauge copper wire or litz wire in the 2-20 MHz range. Moreover, much of the reduction in resistance can be achieved for just a few shells; in contrast, litz wire would need to contain ˜104 strands to perform comparably in this frequency range.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Usanov, D. A., E-mail: UsanovDA@info.sgu.ru; Nikitov, S. A.; Skripal, A. V.

A method is proposed for the measurement of the electrophysical characteristics of semiconductor structures: the electrical conductivity of the n layer, which plays the role of substrate for a semiconductor structure, and the thickness and electrical conductivity of the strongly doped epitaxial n{sup +} layer. The method is based on the use of a one-dimensional microwave photonic crystal with a violation of periodicity containing the semiconductor structure under investigation. The characteristics of epitaxial gallium-arsenide structures consisting of an epitaxial layer and the semi-insulating substrate measured by this method are presented.

Electrical conductivity of a monolayer produced by random sequential adsorption of linear k -mers onto a square lattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarasevich, Yuri Yu.; Goltseva, Valeria A.; Laptev, Valeri V.; Lebovka, Nikolai I.

2016-10-01

The electrical conductivity of a monolayer produced by the random sequential adsorption (RSA) of linear k -mers (particles occupying k adjacent adsorption sites) onto a square lattice was studied by means of computer simulation. Overlapping with predeposited k -mers and detachment from the surface were forbidden. The RSA process continued until the saturation jamming limit, pj. The isotropic (equiprobable orientations of k -mers along x and y axes) and anisotropic (all k -mers aligned along the y axis) depositions for two different models—of an insulating substrate and conducting k -mers (C model) and of a conducting substrate and insulating k -mers (I model)—were examined. The Frank-Lobb algorithm was applied to calculate the electrical conductivity in both the x and y directions for different lengths (k =1 - 128) and concentrations (p =0 - pj) of the k -mers. The "intrinsic electrical conductivity" and concentration dependence of the relative electrical conductivity Σ (p ) (Σ =σ /σm for the C model and Σ =σm/σ for the I model, where σm is the electrical conductivity of substrate) in different directions were analyzed. At large values of k the Σ (p ) curves became very similar and they almost coincided at k =128 . Moreover, for both models the greater the length of the k -mers the smoother the functions Σx y(p ) ,Σx(p ) and Σy(p ) . For the more practically important C model, the other interesting findings are (i) for large values of k (k =64 ,128 ), the values of Σx y and Σy increase rapidly with the initial increase of p from 0 to 0.1; (ii) for k ≥16 , all the Σx y(p ) and Σx(p ) curves intersect with each other at the same isoconductivity points; (iii) for anisotropic deposition, the percolation concentrations are the same in the x and y directions, whereas, at the percolation point the greater the length of the k -mers the larger the anisotropy of the electrical conductivity, i.e., the ratio σy/σx (>1 ).

Development of electrically insulating coatings for service in a lithium environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natesan, K.; Uz, M.; Wieder, S.

2000-12-01

Several experiments were conducted to develop electrically insulating CaO coatings on a V-4Cr-4Ti alloy for application in a Li environment. The coatings were developed by vapor-phase transport external to Li, and also in situ in a Li-Ca environment at elevated temperature. In the vapor-phase study, several geometrical arrangements were examined to obtain a uniform coating of Ca on the specimens, which were typically coupons measuring 5 to 10 × 5 × 1 mm 3. After Ca deposition from the vapor phase, the specimens were oxidized in a high-purity argon environment at 600°C to convert the deposited metal into oxide. The specimens exhibited insulating characteristics after this oxidation step. Several promising coated specimens were then exposed to high-purity Li at 500°C for 48-68 h to determine coating integrity. Microstructural characteristics of the coatings were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. Electrical resistances of the coatings were measured by a two-probe method between room temperature and 700°C before and after exposure to Li.

Physical processes in high field insulating liquid conduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazarakis, Michael; Kiefer, Mark; Leckbee, Joshua; Anderson, Delmar; Wilkins, Frank; Obregon, Robert

2017-10-01

In the power grid transmission where a large amount of energy is transmitted to long distances, High Voltage DC (HVDC) transmission of up to 1MV becomes more attractive since is more efficient than the counterpart AC. However, two of the most difficult problems to solve are the cable connections to the high voltage power sources and their insulation from the ground. The insulating systems are usually composed of transformer oil and solid insulators. The oil behavior under HVDC is similar to that of a weak electrolyte. Its behavior under HVDC is dominated more by conductivity than dielectric constant. Space charge effects in the oil bulk near high voltage electrodes and impeded plastic insulators affect the voltage oil hold-off. We have constructed an experimental facility where we study the oil and plastic insulator behavior in an actual HVDC System. Experimental results will be presented and compared with the present understanding of the physics governing the oil behavior under very high electrical stresses. Sandia National Laboratories managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. D.O.E., NNSA under contract DE-NA-0003525.

Pressure-induced effects and phase relations in Mg2NiH4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavra, Z.; Kimmel, G.; Gefen, Y.; Mintz, Moshe H.

1985-05-01

The low-temperature (<210 °C) crystallographic structure, electrical conductivity, and thermal stability of Mg2NiH4 powders compacted under isostatic pressures of up to 10 kbar were studied. A comparison is made with the corresponding properties of the noncompressed material. It has been concluded that under stress-free hydriding conditions performed below 210 °C, a two-phase hydride mixture is formed. Each of the hydride particles consists of an inner core composed of an hydrogen-deficient monoclinic phase coated by a layer of a stoichiometric orthorhombic phase. The monoclinic phase has a metalliclike electrical conductivity while the orthorhombic phase is insulating. High compaction pressures cause the transformation of the orthorhombic structure into the monoclinic one, thereby resulting in a pressure-induced insulator-to-conductor transition. Reduced decomposition temperatures are obtained for the compressed hydrides. This reduction is attributed to kinetic factors rather than to a reduced thermodynamic stability.

Spacecraft Charging in Low Temperature Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Linda N.

2007-01-01

Spacecraft charging in plasma and radiation environments is a temperature dependent phenomenon due to the reduction of electrical conductivity in dielectric materials at low temperatures. Charging time constants are proportional to l/conductivity may become very large (on the order of days to years) at low temperatures and accumulation of charge densities in insulators in charging environments traditionally considered benign at ambient temperatures may be sufficient to produce charge densities and electric fields of concern in insulators at low temperatures. Low temperature charging is of interest because a number of spacecraft-primarily infrared astronomy and microwave cosmology observatories-are currently being design, built, and or operated at very cold temperatures on the order of 40K to 100K. This paper reviews the temperature dependence of spacecraft charging processes and material parameters important to charging as a function of temperature with an emphasis on low temperatures regimes.

Electrolytic etch for preventing electrical shorts in solar cells on polymer surfaces

DOEpatents

Weber, Michael F.

1991-10-08

A method for preventing shorts and shunts in solar cells having in order, an insulating substrate, a conductive metal layer on the substrate, an amorphous silicon layer and a transparent conductive layer. The method includes anodic etching of exposed portions of the metal layer after deposition of the amorphous silicon and prior to depositing the transparent conductive layer.

Semi-flexible gas-insulated transmission line using electric field stress shields

DOEpatents

Cookson, A.H.; Dale, S.J.; Bolin, P.C.

1982-12-28

A gas-insulated transmission line includes an outer sheath, an inner conductor, an insulating gas electrically insulating the inner conductor from the outer sheath, and insulating supports insulatably supporting the inner conductor within the outer sheath. The inner conductor is provided with flexibility by use of main conductor sections which are joined together through a conductor hub section and flexible flexing elements. Stress shields are provided to control the electric field at the locations of the conductor hub sections where the insulating supports are contacting the inner conductor. The flexing elements and the stress shields may also be utilized in connection with a plug and socket arrangement for providing electrical connection between main conductor sections. 10 figs.

Improved Thermal-Switch Disks Protect Batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Darcy, Eric; Bragg, Bobby

1990-01-01

Improved thermal-switch disks help protect electrical batteries against high currents like those due to short circuits or high demands for power in circuits supplied by batteries. Protects batteries against excessive temperatures. Centered by insulating fiberglass washer. Contains conductive polymer that undergoes abrupt increase in electrical resistance when excessive current raises its temperature above specific point. After cooling, polymer reverts to low resistance. Disks reusable.

Designing and Implementation a Lab Testing Method for Power Cables Insulation Resistance According with STAS 10411-89, SR EN ISO/CEI/17025/2005

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobra, R.; Pasculescu, D.; Marc, G.; Risteiu, M.; Antonov, A.

2017-06-01

Insulation resistance measurement is one of the most important tests required by standards and regulations in terms of electrical safety. Why these tests are is to prevent possible accidents caused by electric shock, damage to equipment or outbreak of fire in normal operating conditions of electrical cables. The insulation resistance experiment refers to the testing of electrical cable insulation, which has a measured resistance that must be below the imposed regulations. Using a microcontroller system data regarding the insulation resistance of the power cables is acquired and with SCADA software the test results are displayed.

49 CFR 173.189 - Batteries containing sodium or cells containing sodium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... providing complete electrical insulation of battery terminals or other external electrical connectors. Battery terminals or other electrical connectors penetrating the heat insulation fitted in battery casings must be provided with thermal insulation sufficient to prevent the temperature of the exposed surfaces...

49 CFR 173.189 - Batteries containing sodium or cells containing sodium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., such as by providing complete electrical insulation of battery terminals or other external electrical connectors. Battery terminals or other electrical connectors penetrating the heat insulation fitted in battery casings must be provided with thermal insulation sufficient to prevent the temperature of the...

49 CFR 173.189 - Batteries containing sodium or cells containing sodium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., such as by providing complete electrical insulation of battery terminals or other external electrical connectors. Battery terminals or other electrical connectors penetrating the heat insulation fitted in battery casings must be provided with thermal insulation sufficient to prevent the temperature of the...

49 CFR 173.189 - Batteries containing sodium or cells containing sodium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... providing complete electrical insulation of battery terminals or other external electrical connectors. Battery terminals or other electrical connectors penetrating the heat insulation fitted in battery casings must be provided with thermal insulation sufficient to prevent the temperature of the exposed surfaces...

Liquid-level sensing device

DOEpatents

Goldfuss, G.T.

1975-09-16

This invention relates to a device for sensing the level of a liquid while preventing the deposition and accumulation of materials on the exterior surfaces thereof. Two dissimilar metal wires are enclosed within an electrical insulating material, the wires being joined together at one end to form a thermocouple junction outside the insulating material. Heating means is disposed within the electrical insulating material and maintains the device at a temperature substantially greater than that of the environment surrounding the device, the heating means being electrically insulated from the two dissimilar thermocouple wires. In addition, a metal sheath surrounds and contacts both the electrical insulating material and the thermocouple junction. Electrical connections are provided for connecting the heating means with a power source and for connecting the thermocouple wires with a device for sensing the electrical potential across the thermocouple junction. (auth)

Monolithic laser diode array with one metalized sidewall

DOEpatents

Freitas, Barry L.; Skidmore, Jay A.; Wooldridge, John P.; Emanuel, Mark A.; Payne, Stephen A.

2001-01-01

A monolithic, electrically-insulating substrate that contains a series of notched grooves is fabricated. The substrate is then metalized so that only the top surface and one wall adjacent to the notch are metalized. Within the grooves is located a laser bar, an electrically-conductive ribbon or contact bar and an elastomer which secures/registers the laser bar and ribbon (or contact bar) firmly along the wall of the groove that is adjacent to the notch. The invention includes several embodiments for providing electrical contact to the corresponding top surface of the adjacent wall. In one embodiment, after the bar is located in the proper position, the electrically conductive ribbon is bent so that it makes electrical contact with the adjoining metalized top side of the heatsink.

An Internal Coaxial Cable Electrical Connector For Use In Downhole Tools

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Hall, Jr., H. Tracy; Pixton, David S.; Dahlgren, Scott; Fox, Joe; Sneddon, Cameron; Briscoe, Michael

2005-09-20

A seal for a coaxial cable electrical connector more specifically an internal seal for a coaxial cable connector placed within a coaxial cable and its constituent components. A coaxial cable connector is in electrical communcation with an inductive transformer and a coaxial cable. The connector is in electrical communication with the outer housing of the inductive transformer. A generally coaxial center conductor, a portion of which could be the coil in the inductive transformer, passes through the connector, is electrically insulated from the connector, and is in electrical communication with the conductive core of the coaxial cable. The electrically insulating material also doubles as a seal to safegaurd against penetration of fluid, thus protecting against shorting out of the electrical connection. The seal is a multi-component seal, which is pre-compressed to a desired pressure rating. The coaxial cable and inductive transformer are disposed within downhole tools to transmit electrical signals between downhole tools within a drill string. The internal coaxial cable connector and its attendant seal can be used in a plurality of downhole tools, such as sections of pipe in a drill string, drill collars, heavy weight drill pipe, and jars.

Analysis of thermal characteristics of electrical wiring for load groups in cattle barns.

PubMed

Kim, Doo Hyun; Yoo, Sang-Ok; Kim, Sung Chul; Hwang, Dong Kyu

2015-01-01

The purpose of the current study is to analyze the thermal characteristics of electrical wirings depending on the number of operating load by connecting four types of electrical wirings that are selected by surveying the conditions for the electric fans, automatic waterers and halogen warm lamps that were installed in cattle barns in different years. The conditions of 64 cattle barns were surveyed and an experimental test was conducted at a cattle barn. The condition-survey covered inappropriate design, construction and misuse of electrical facility, including electrical wiring mostly used, and the mode of load current was evaluated. The survey showed that the mode of load current increased as the installation year of the fans, waterers and halogen lamps became older. Accordingly, the cattle barn manager needed to increase the capacity of the circuit breaker, which promoted the degradation of insulation of the electrical wires' sheath and increased possibility for electrical fires in the long-run. The test showed that the saturation temperature of the wire insulated sheath increased depending on the installation year of the load groups, in case of VCTFK and VFF electric wires, therefore, requiring their careful usage in the cattle barns.

Analysis of thermal characteristics of electrical wiring for load groups in cattle barns

PubMed Central

KIM, Doo Hyun; YOO, Sang-Ok; KIM, Sung Chul; HWANG, Dong Kyu

2015-01-01

The purpose of the current study is to analyze the thermal characteristics of electrical wirings depending on the number of operating load by connecting four types of electrical wirings that are selected by surveying the conditions for the electric fans, automatic waterers and halogen warm lamps that were installed in cattle barns in different years. The conditions of 64 cattle barns were surveyed and an experimental test was conducted at a cattle barn. The condition-survey covered inappropriate design, construction and misuse of electrical facility, including electrical wiring mostly used, and the mode of load current was evaluated. The survey showed that the mode of load current increased as the installation year of the fans, waterers and halogen lamps became older. Accordingly, the cattle barn manager needed to increase the capacity of the circuit breaker, which promoted the degradation of insulation of the electrical wires’ sheath and increased possibility for electrical fires in the long-run. The test showed that the saturation temperature of the wire insulated sheath increased depending on the installation year of the load groups, in case of VCTFK and VFF electric wires, therefore, requiring their careful usage in the cattle barns. PMID:26118855

Enhancement of Electrical Conductivity in Multicomponent Nanocomposites.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Xiaojuan; Hui, Chao; Su, Ninghai; Liu, Feng

To date, very limited theoretical or numerical analyses have been carried out to understand the electrical percolation properties in multicomponent nanocomposite systems. In this work, a disk-stick percolation model was developed to investigate the electrical percolation behavior of an electrically insulating matrix reinforced with one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) conductors via Monte Carlo simulation. The effective electrical conductivity was evaluated through Kirchhoff's current law by transforming it into an equivalent resistor network. The percolation threshold, equivalent resistance and conductivity were obtained from the distribution of nodal voltages by solving a system of linear equations with Gaussian elimination method. The effects of size, aspect ratio, relative concentration and contact patterns of 1D/2D inclusions on conductivity performance were examined. Our model is able to predict the electrical percolation threshold and evaluate the conductivity for hybrid systems with multiple components. The results suggest that carbon-based nanocomposites can have a high potential for applications where favorable electrical properties and low specific weight are required. We acknowledge the financial support from DOE-BES (No. DE-FG02-04ER46148).

46 CFR 111.60-21 - Cable insulation tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cable insulation tests. 111.60-21 Section 111.60-21 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS... electric power and lighting and associated equipment must be checked for proper insulation resistance to...

46 CFR 111.60-21 - Cable insulation tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Cable insulation tests. 111.60-21 Section 111.60-21 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS... electric power and lighting and associated equipment must be checked for proper insulation resistance to...

46 CFR 111.60-21 - Cable insulation tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Cable insulation tests. 111.60-21 Section 111.60-21 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS... electric power and lighting and associated equipment must be checked for proper insulation resistance to...

46 CFR 111.60-21 - Cable insulation tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Cable insulation tests. 111.60-21 Section 111.60-21 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS... electric power and lighting and associated equipment must be checked for proper insulation resistance to...

46 CFR 111.60-21 - Cable insulation tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Cable insulation tests. 111.60-21 Section 111.60-21 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS... electric power and lighting and associated equipment must be checked for proper insulation resistance to...

Transport in ultrathin gold films decorated with magnetic Gd atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alemani, Micol; Helgren, Erik; Hugel, Addison; Hellman, Frances

2008-03-01

We have performed four-probe transport measurements of ultrathin Au films decorated with Gd ad-atoms. The samples were prepared by quench condensation, i.e., sequential evaporation on a cryogenically cooled substrate under UHV conditions while monitoring the film thickness and resistance. Electrically continuous Au films at thickness of about 2 mono-layers of material are grown on an amorphous Ge wetting layer. The quench condensation method provides a sensitive control on the sample growth process, allowing us to tune the morphological and electrical configuration of the system. The ultrathin gold films develop from an insulating to a metallic state as a function of film thickness. The temperature dependence of the Au conductivity for different thickness is studied. It evolves from hopping transport for the insulating films, to a ln T dependence for thicker films. For gold films in the insulating regime we found a decreasing resistance by adding Gd. This is in agreement with a decreasing tunneling barrier height between metallic atoms. The Gd magnetic moments are randomly oriented for isolated atoms. This magnetic disorder leads to scattering of the charge carriers and a reduced conductivity compared to nonmagnetic materials.

Preparation and characterisation of crystalline tris(acetylacetonato)Fe(III) films grown on p-Si substrate for dielectric applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dakhel, A. A.; Ali-Mohamed, A. Y.

2007-02-01

Thin tris(acetylacetonato)iron(III) films were prepared by sublimation in vacuum on glass and p-Si substrates. Then comprehensive studies of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical absorption spectroscopy, AC-conductivity, and dielectric permittivity as a function of frequency and temperature have been performed. The prepared films show a polycrystalline of orthorhombic structure. The optical absorption spectrum of the film was identical with that of the bulk powder layer. For electrical measurements of the complex as insulator, sample in form of metal insulator semiconductor (MIS) structure was prepared and characterised by the measurement of the capacitance and AC-conductance as a function of gate voltage. From those measurements, the state density Dit at insulator/semiconductor interface and the density of the fixed charges in the complex film were determined. It was found that Dit was of order 1010 eV-1/cm2 and the surface charge density in the insulator film was of order 1010 cm-2. The frequency dependence of the electrical conductivity and dielectric properties of MIS structures were studied at room temperature. It was observed that the experimental data follow the correlated barrier-hopping (CBH) model, from which the fundamental absorption edge, the cut off hopping distance, and other parameters of the model were determined. It was found that the capacitance of the complex increases as temperature increases. Generally, the present study shows that the tris(acetylacetonato)iron(III) films grown on p-Si is a promising candidate for low-k dielectric applications, it displays low-k value around 2.0.

Electrical transport measurements of thin film samples under high hydrostatic pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zabaleta, J.; Parks, S. C.; Baum, B.; Teker, A.; Syassen, K.; Mannhart, J.

2017-03-01

We present a method to perform electrical measurements of epitaxial films and heterostructures a few nanometers thick under high hydrostatic pressures in a diamond anvil cell (DAC). Hydrostatic pressure offers the possibility to tune the rich landscape of properties shown by epitaxial heterostructures, systems in which the combination of different materials, performed with atomic precision, can give rise to properties not present in their individual constituents. Measuring electrical conductivity under hydrostatic pressure in these systems requires a robust method that can address all the challenges: the preparation of the sample with side length and thickness that fits in the DAC setup, a contacting method compatible with liquid media, a gasket insulation that resists high forces, as well as an accurate procedure to place the sample in the pressure chamber. We prove the robustness of the method described by measuring the resistance of a two dimensional electron system buried at the interface between two insulating oxides under hydrostatic conditions up to ˜5 GPa. The setup remains intact until ˜10 GPa, where large pressure gradients affect the two dimensional conductivity.

Electrical transport measurements of thin film samples under high hydrostatic pressure.

PubMed

Zabaleta, J; Parks, S C; Baum, B; Teker, A; Syassen, K; Mannhart, J

2017-03-01

We present a method to perform electrical measurements of epitaxial films and heterostructures a few nanometers thick under high hydrostatic pressures in a diamond anvil cell (DAC). Hydrostatic pressure offers the possibility to tune the rich landscape of properties shown by epitaxial heterostructures, systems in which the combination of different materials, performed with atomic precision, can give rise to properties not present in their individual constituents. Measuring electrical conductivity under hydrostatic pressure in these systems requires a robust method that can address all the challenges: the preparation of the sample with side length and thickness that fits in the DAC setup, a contacting method compatible with liquid media, a gasket insulation that resists high forces, as well as an accurate procedure to place the sample in the pressure chamber. We prove the robustness of the method described by measuring the resistance of a two dimensional electron system buried at the interface between two insulating oxides under hydrostatic conditions up to ∼5 GPa. The setup remains intact until ∼10 GPa, where large pressure gradients affect the two dimensional conductivity.

Rotary Transformer Seals Power In

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Studer, P. A.; Paulkovich, J.

1982-01-01

Rotary transformer originally developed for spacecraft transfers electrical power from stationary primary winding to rotating secondary without sliding contacts and very little leakage of electromagnetic radiation. Transformer has two stationary primary windings connected in parallel. Secondary, mounted on a shaft that extends out of housing, rotates between two windings of primary. Shaft of secondary is composed of electrically conducting inner and outer parts separated by an insulator. Electrical contact is made from secondary winding, through shaft, to external leads.

Electric-field-induced forces between two surfaces filled with an insulating liquid: the role of adsorbed water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yong Jian; Xu, Zuli; Sheng, Ping; Tong, Penger

2014-06-01

A systematic study of the electric-field-induced forces between a solid glass sphere and a flat gold-plated substrate filled with an insulating liquid has been carried out. Using atomic force microscopy, we measure the electrostatic force f(s, V) between the sphere and substrate as a function of the surface separation s and applied voltage V. The measured f(s, V) is found to be well described by an equation for a conducting sphere. Further force measurements for the "wet" porous glass spheres filled with an aqueous solution of urea and the dried porous glass spheres filled with (dry) air suggest that there is a water layer of a few nanometers in thickness adsorbed on the hydrophilic glass surface under ambient conditions. This adsorbed water layer is more conductive than the dielectric core of the glass sphere, making the sphere surface to be at a potential close to that of the cantilever electrode. As a result, the electric field is strongly concentrated in the gap region between the glass sphere and gold-plate substrate and thus their electrostatic attraction is enhanced. This surface conductivity effect is further supported by the thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and force response measurements to a time-dependent electric field. The experiment clearly demonstrates that the adsorption of a conductive water layer on a hydrophilic surface plays a dominant role in determining the electrostatic interaction between the dielectric sphere and substrate.

Magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator

DOEpatents

Bacon, Larry D.; Ballard, William P.; Clark, M. Collins; Marder, Barry M.

1988-01-01

A magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator employs self-generated magnetic fields to generate microwave energy. An anode of the oscillator includes slow-wave structures which are formed of a plurality of thin conductive vanes defining cavities therebetween, and a gap is formed between the anode and a cathode of the oscillator. In response to a pulsed voltage applied to the anode and cathode, self-generated magnetic fields arfe produced in a cross-field orientation with respect to the orientation of the electric field between the anode and the cathode. The cross-field magnetic fields insulate the flow of electrons in the gap and confine the flow of electrons within the gap.

Magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator

DOEpatents

Bacon, L.D.; Ballard, W.P.; Clark, M.C.; Marder, B.M.

1987-05-19

A magnetically insulated transmission line oscillator employs self-generated magnetic fields to generate microwave energy. An anode of the oscillator includes slow-wave structures which are formed of a plurality of thin conductive vanes defining cavities therebetween, and a gap is formed between the anode and a cathode of the oscillator. In response to a pulsed voltage applied to the anode and cathode, self-generated magnetic fields are produced in a cross-field orientation with respect to the orientation of the electric field between the anode and the cathode. The cross-field magnetic fields insulate the flow of electrons in the gap and confine the flow of electrons within the gap. 11 figs.

Determination of life for a polyimide-epoxy alternator insulation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Penn, W. B.; Schaefer, R. F.; Balke, R. L.

1974-01-01

Tests were conducted to predict remaining electrical insulation life of a polyimide epoxy insulated 60 KW, 208 volt homopolar inductor alternator, following completion of 23,130 hours of turbo-alternator endurance tests. The sectioned armature winding of this alternator stator was used as means to evaluate and measure end-life at several aging temperatures for development of an Arrhenius plot. A one-half life rate of 11.3 C was established from these data with a predicted remaining life of 60,000 hours at an armature winding temperature of 248 C and a total life, including endurance test time, of 61,645 hours.

Micro faraday-element array detector for ion mobility spectroscopy

DOEpatents

Gresham, Christopher A [Albuquerque, NM; Rodacy, Phillip J [Albuquerque, NM; Denton, M Bonner [Tucson, AZ; Sperline, Roger [Tucson, AZ

2004-10-26

An ion mobility spectrometer includes a drift tube having a collecting surface covering a collecting area at one end of the tube. The surface comprises a plurality of closely spaced conductive elements on a non-conductive substrate, each conductive element being electrically insulated from each other element. A plurality of capacitive transimpedance amplifiers (CTIA) adjacent the collecting surface are electrically connected to the plurality of elements, so charge from an ion striking an element is transferred to the capacitor of the connected CTIA. A controller counts the charge on the capacitors over a period of time.

Synthesis and characterization of electrical conducting porous carbon structures based on resorcinol-formaldehyde

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najeh, I.; Ben Mansour, N.; Mbarki, M.; Houas, A.; Nogier, J. Ph.; El Mir, L.

2009-10-01

Electrical conducting carbon (ECC) porous structures were explored by changing the pyrolysis temperature of organic xerogel compounds prepared by sol-gel method from resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) mixtures in acetone using picric acid as catalyst. The effect of this preparation parameter on the structural and electrical properties of the obtained ECCs was studied. The analysis of the obtained results revealed that the polymeric insulating xerogel phase was transformed progressively with pyrolysis temperature into carbon conducting phase; this means the formation of long continuous conducting path for charge carriers to move inside the structure with thermal treatment and the samples exhibited tangible percolation behaviour where the percolation threshold can be determined by pyrolysis temperature. The temperature-dependent conductivity of the obtained ECC structures shows a semi-conducting behaviour and the I( V) characteristics present a negative differential resistance. The results obtained from STM micrographs revealed that the obtained ECC structures consist of porous electrical conducting carbon materials.

Reversible non-volatile switch based on a TCNQ charge transfer complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DiStefano, Salvador (Inventor); Moacanin, Jovan (Inventor); Nagasubramanian, Ganesan (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A solid-state synaptic memory matrix (10) having switchable weakly conductive connections at each node (24) whose resistances can be selectably increased or decreased over several orders of magnitude by control signals of opposite polarity, and which will remain stable after the signals are removed, comprises an insulated substrate (16), a set of electrical conductors (14) upon which is deposited a layer (18) of an organic conducting polymer, which changes from an insulator to a conductor upon the transfer of electrons, such as polymerized pyrrole doped with 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), covered by a second set of conductors (20) laid at right angles to the first.

Superconductor cable

DOEpatents

Allais, Arnaud [Hannover, DE; Schmidt, Frank [Langenhagen, DE

2009-12-15

A superconductor cable includes a superconductive cable core (1) and a cryostat (2) enclosing the same. The cable core (1) has a superconductive conductor (3), an insulation (4) surrounding the same and a shielding (5) surrounding the insulation (4). A layer (3b) of a dielectric or semiconducting material is applied to a central element (3a) formed from a normally conducting material as a strand or tube and a layer (3c) of at least one wire or strip of superconductive material is placed helically on top. The central element (3a) and the layer (3c) are connected to each other in an electrically conducting manner at the ends of the cable core (1).

Termination unit

DOEpatents

Traeholt, Chresten [Frederiksberg, DK; Willen, Dag [Klagshamn, SE; Roden, Mark [Newnan, GA; Tolbert, Jerry C [Carrollton, GA; Lindsay, David [Carrollton, GA; Fisher, Paul W [Heiskell, TN; Nielsen, Carsten Thidemann [Jaegerspris, DK

2014-01-07

This invention relates to a termination unit comprising an end-section of a cable. The end section of the cable defines a central longitudinal axis and comprising end-parts of N electrical phases, an end-part of a neutral conductor and a surrounding thermally insulation envelope adapted to comprising a cooling fluid. The end-parts of the N electrical phases and the end-part of the neutral conductor each comprising at least one electrical conductor and being arranged in the cable concentrically around a core former with a phase 1 located relatively innermost, and phase N relatively outermost in the cable, phase N being surrounded by the neutral conductor, electrical insulation being arrange between neighboring electrical phases and between phase N and the neutral conductor, and wherein the end-parts of the neutral conductor and the electrical phases each comprise a contacting surface electrically connected to at least one branch current lead to provide an electrical connection: The contacting surfaces each having a longitudinal extension, and being located sequentially along the longitudinal extension of the end-section of the cable. The branch current leads being individually insulated from said thermally insulation envelope by individual electrical insulators.

Pulsed source ion implantation apparatus and method

DOEpatents

Leung, Ka-Ngo

1996-01-01

A new pulsed plasma-immersion ion-implantation apparatus that implants ions in large irregularly shaped objects to controllable depth without overheating the target, minimizing voltage breakdown, and using a constant electrical bias applied to the target. Instead of pulsing the voltage applied to the target, the plasma source, for example a tungsten filament or a RF antenna, is pulsed. Both electrically conducting and insulating targets can be implanted.

Coupled dielectric permittivity and magnetic susceptibility in the insulating antiferromagnet Ba2FeSbSe5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maier, S.; Moussa, C.; Berthebaud, D.; Gascoin, F.; Maignan, A.

2018-05-01

We report on coupled changes in the dielectric permittivity and the magnetic susceptibility in the insulating antiferromagnet Ba2FeSbSe5. The real part of the dielectric permittivity (ɛ') and the thermal conductivity (κ) shows pronounced anomalies at the Néel temperature (TN). Our findings show that there is a weak coupling between electric dipoles and magnetic spins, which is mediated by spin-lattice coupling possibly through exchange striction effects.

Harnessing the metal-insulator transition for tunable metamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charipar, Nicholas A.; Charipar, Kristin M.; Kim, Heungsoo; Bingham, Nicholas S.; Suess, Ryan J.; Mathews, Scott A.; Auyeung, Raymond C. Y.; Piqué, Alberto

2017-08-01

The control of light-matter interaction through the use of subwavelength structures known as metamaterials has facilitated the ability to control electromagnetic radiation in ways not previously achievable. A plethora of passive metamaterials as well as examples of active or tunable metamaterials have been realized in recent years. However, the development of tunable metamaterials is still met with challenges due to lack of materials choices. To this end, materials that exhibit a metal-insulator transition are being explored as the active element for future metamaterials because of their characteristic abrupt change in electrical conductivity across their phase transition. The fast switching times (▵t < 100 fs) and a change in resistivity of four orders or more make vanadium dioxide (VO2) an ideal candidate for active metamaterials. It is known that the properties associated with thin film metal-insulator transition materials are strongly dependent on the growth conditions. For this work, we have studied how growth conditions (such as gas partial pressure) influence the metalinsulator transition in VO2 thin films made by pulsed laser deposition. In addition, strain engineering during the growth process has been investigated as a method to tune the metal-insulator transition temperature. Examples of both the optical and electrical transient dynamics facilitating the metal-insulator transition will be presented together with specific examples of thin film metamaterial devices.

Electric double-layer transistor using layered iron selenide Mott insulator TlFe1.6Se2

PubMed Central

Katase, Takayoshi; Hiramatsu, Hidenori; Kamiya, Toshio; Hosono, Hideo

2014-01-01

A1–xFe2–ySe2 (A = K, Cs, Rb, Tl) are recently discovered iron-based superconductors with critical temperatures (Tc) ranging up to 32 K. Their parent phases have unique properties compared with other iron-based superconductors; e.g., their crystal structures include ordered Fe vacancies, their normal states are antiferromagnetic (AFM) insulating phases, and they have extremely high Néel transition temperatures. However, control of carrier doping into the parent AFM insulators has been difficult due to their intrinsic phase separation. Here, we fabricated an Fe-vacancy-ordered TlFe1.6Se2 insulating epitaxial film with an atomically flat surface and examined its electrostatic carrier doping using an electric double-layer transistor (EDLT) structure with an ionic liquid gate. The positive gate voltage gave a conductance modulation of three orders of magnitude at 25 K, and further induced and manipulated a phase transition; i.e., delocalized carrier generation by electrostatic doping is the origin of the phase transition. This is the first demonstration, to the authors' knowledge, of an EDLT using a Mott insulator iron selenide channel and opens a way to explore high Tc superconductivity in iron-based layered materials, where carrier doping by conventional chemical means is difficult. PMID:24591598

Enhanced health monitoring of fibrous composites with aligned carbon nanotube networks and electrical impedance tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tallman, T.; Semperlotti, F.; Wang, K. W.

2012-04-01

The high strength to weight ratio of fibrous composites such as glass-fiber reinforced polymers (GFRP) makes them prominent structural materials. However, their laminar nature is susceptible to delamination failure the onset of which traditional structural health monitoring (SHM) techniques cannot reliably and accurately detect. Carbon nano-tubes (CNT) have been recently used to tailor the electrical conductivity of polymer based materials that otherwise behave as insulators. The occurrence of damage in the polymer matrix produces localized changes in conductivity which can be tracked using electrical impedance tomography (EIT). This paper explores combining advances in composite manufacturing with EIT to develop a SHM technique that exploits anisotropic conductance monitoring for enhanced delamination and matrix crack detection.

All-electric spin modulator based on a two-dimensional topological insulator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xiao, Xianbo; Ai, Guoping; Liu, Ying

2016-01-18

We propose and investigate a spin modulator device consisting of two ferromagnetic leads connected by a two-dimensional topological insulator as the channel material. It exploits the unique features of the topological spin-helical edge states, such that the injected carriers with a non-collinear spin-polarization direction would travel through both edges and show interference effect. The conductance of the device can be controlled in a simple and all-electric manner by a side-gate voltage, which effectively rotates the spin-polarization of the carrier. At low voltages, the rotation angle is linear in the gate voltage, and the device can function as a good spin-polarizationmore » rotator by replacing the drain electrode with a non-magnetic material.« less

Mechanically Stretchable and Electrically Insulating Thermal Elastomer Composite by Liquid Alloy Droplet Embedment

PubMed Central

Jeong, Seung Hee; Chen, Si; Huo, Jinxing; Gamstedt, Erik Kristofer; Liu, Johan; Zhang, Shi-Li; Zhang, Zhi-Bin; Hjort, Klas; Wu, Zhigang

2015-01-01

Stretchable electronics and soft robotics have shown unsurpassed features, inheriting remarkable functions from stretchable and soft materials. Electrically conductive and mechanically stretchable materials based on composites have been widely studied for stretchable electronics as electrical conductors using various combinations of materials. However, thermally tunable and stretchable materials, which have high potential in soft and stretchable thermal devices as interface or packaging materials, have not been sufficiently studied. Here, a mechanically stretchable and electrically insulating thermal elastomer composite is demonstrated, which can be easily processed for device fabrication. A liquid alloy is embedded as liquid droplet fillers in an elastomer matrix to achieve softness and stretchability. This new elastomer composite is expected useful to enhance thermal response or efficiency of soft and stretchable thermal devices or systems. The thermal elastomer composites demonstrate advantages such as thermal interface and packaging layers with thermal shrink films in transient and steady-state cases and a stretchable temperature sensor. PMID:26671673

Microscopic theory of the Coulomb based exchange coupling in magnetic tunnel junctions.

PubMed

Udalov, O G; Beloborodov, I S

2017-05-04

We study interlayer exchange coupling based on the many-body Coulomb interaction between conduction electrons in magnetic tunnel junction. This mechanism complements the known interaction between magnetic layers based on virtual electron hopping (or spin currents). We find that these two mechanisms have different behavior on system parameters. The Coulomb based coupling may exceed the hopping based exchange. We show that the Coulomb based exchange interaction, in contrast to the hopping based coupling, depends strongly on the dielectric constant of the insulating layer. The dependence of the interlayer exchange interaction on the dielectric properties of the insulating layer in magnetic tunnel junction is similar to magneto-electric effect where electric and magnetic degrees of freedom are coupled. We calculate the interlayer coupling as a function of temperature and electric field for magnetic tunnel junction with ferroelectric layer and show that the exchange interaction between magnetic leads has a sharp decrease in the vicinity of the ferroelectric phase transition and varies strongly with external electric field.

Method for fabricating solar cells having integrated collector grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, J. C., Jr. (Inventor)

1979-01-01

A heterojunction or Schottky barrier photovoltaic device comprising a conductive base metal layer compatible with and coating predominately the exposed surface of the p-type substrate of the device such that a back surface field region is formed at the interface between the device and the base metal layer, a transparent, conductive mixed metal oxide layer in integral contact with the n-type layer of the heterojunction or Schottky barrier device having a metal alloy grid network of the same metal elements of the oxide constituents of the mixed metal oxide layer embedded in the mixed metal oxide layer, an insulating layer which prevents electrical contact between the conductive metal base layer and the transparent, conductive metal oxide layer, and a metal contact means covering the insulating layer and in intimate contact with the metal grid network embedded in the transparent, conductive oxide layer for conducting electrons generated by the photovoltaic process from the device.

Method and Apparatus for Obtaining a Precision Thickness in Semiconductor and Other Wafers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Okojie, Robert S. (Inventor)

2002-01-01

A method and apparatus for processing a wafer comprising a material selected from an electrical semiconducting material and an electrical insulating material is presented. The wafer has opposed generally planar front and rear sides and a peripheral edge, wherein said wafer is pressed against a pad in the presence of a slurry to reduce its thickness. The thickness of the wafer is controlled by first forming a recess such as a dimple on the rear side of the wafer. A first electrical conducting strip extends from a first electrical connection means to the base surface of the recess to the second electrical connector. The first electrical conducting strip overlies the base surface of the recess. There is also a second electrical conductor with an electrical potential source between the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector to form. In combination with the first electrical conducting strip, the second electrical conductor forms a closed electrical circuit, and an electrical current flows through the closed electrical circuit. From the front side of the wafer the initial thickness of the wafer is reduced by lapping until the base surface of the recess is reached. The conductive strip is at least partially removed from the base surface to automatically stop the lapping procedure and thereby achieve the desired thickness.

Pocket ECG electrode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lund, Gordon F. (Inventor)

1982-01-01

A low-noise electrode suited for sensing electrocardiograms when chronically and subcutaneously implanted in a free-ranging subject. The electrode comprises a pocket-shaped electrically conductive member with a single entrance adapted to receive body fluids. The exterior of the member and the entrance region is coated with electrical insulation so that the only electrolyte/electrode interface is within the member remote from artifact-generating tissue. Cloth straps are bonded to the member to permit the electrode to be sutured to tissue and to provide electrical lead flexure relief.

Pocket ECG electrode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lund, G. F. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

A low noise electrode suited for sensing electrocardiograms when chronically and subcutaneously implanted in a free ranging subject is described. The electrode comprises a pocket shaped electrically conductive member with a single entrance adapted to receive body fluids. The exterior of the member and the entrance region is coated with electrical insulation so that the only electrolyte/electrode interface is within the member, remote from artifact-generating tissue. Cloth straps are bonded to the member to permit the electrode to be sutured to tissue and to provide electrical lead flexure relief.

Quantum Electronic Matter in Two Dimensions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eisenstein, James

Most often, the electrical properties of a material are described as either "conducting" or "insulating". Copper, everyone knows, is a good conductor. It is the foundation of the electrical infrastructure of the nation. Glass, on the other hand, is an excellent insulator. But do these two words describe all the possibilities? The answer is emphatically no, and the basic subject of the research funded by this grant is aimed at fleshing out a more complete description of the electrical properties of materials. Many people are aware that there are also special materials called superconductors. A superconductor (e.g. aluminum when cooledmore » to very low temperatures) is like a regular conductor except that it conducts electricity with no energy loss at all. Ordinary metals get hot when current flows through them; witness the toaster in your kitchen. In a superconductor something very special is going on: The electrons in the metal don't behave individually as they do in an ordinary conductor. Instead they act collectively. It is this collective aspect that makes superconductors so interesting to physicists. So now we have metals, insulators and superconductors. Is there anything else? We now know the answer is yes. In this research we examine special conducting materials, ones in which the mobile electrons are confined to move on a plane surface (as opposed to motion in all three directions). Examples of such "2D" materials include electrons confined to the interface between two otherwise insulating materials (as in the so-called "semiconductor heterostructures" used here) and the single atomic layer of carbon atoms now known as "graphene". Materials like these are not just museum curiosities; each of the billions of transistors in every smart-phone has a 2D electron system in it. In the work supported by this grant, the focus is on both collective conducting states in semiconductor heterostructures and on the conducting properties of graphene and its few-layer cousins. In particular, the exotic collective (and deeply quantum mechanical) electronic phases which develop when a large magnetic field is applied have been a major focus of effort. Significant results have been obtained from both ordinary electrical measurements and from more sophisticated thermoelectric studies of such systems. Related studies of few-layer graphenes have elucidated the transition from the two- to three-dimensional electrical properties of carbon-based conductors. Investigations like these expand our understanding of electronic materials general. While there are certainly immediate fundamental scientific pay-offs, it is also true that research of this kind ultimately leads to technological breakthroughs in the long term. By way of example, superconductivity was undoubtedly regarded as a useless novelty when it was discovered in 1911. Who could have known then that it would become crucial to the medical revolution brought about by magnetic resonance imaging decades later?« less

An application area of C60: Overall improvement of insulating oil's electrical performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Potao; Sima, Wenxia; Chen, Jiaqi; Zhang, Dingfei; Jiang, Xiongwei; Chen, Qiulin

2018-04-01

We prepared nano-C60 based insulating oil, which has the potential to overcome the application barriers of nanomodified insulating oil. We find that nano-C60 based insulating oil has an excellent stability. Its electrical performance increases by 17.9%, 9.3%, and 8.3% for AC and positive/negative lightning impulse voltage, respectively. We believe that C60 molecules have a strong capacity to absorb electrons and can capture photons in a streamer, which may weaken photoionization in the streamer and thereby improve the electrical performance of insulating oil.

How Insulating Particles Increase the Conductivity of a Suspension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pannacci, N.; Lobry, L.; Lemaire, E.

2007-08-01

Nonconducting particles suspended in a liquid usually decreases the bulk conductivity since they form obstacles to the ions’ migration. However, for sufficiently high dc electric fields, these particles rotate spontaneously (Quincke rotation) and facilitate the ions migration: the effective conductivity of the suspension is thus increased. We present a theoretical analysis and show experimental results which demonstrate that the apparent conductivity of the whole suspension can be higher than that of the suspending liquid.

Polymer composites with graphene nanofillers: electrical properties and applications.

PubMed

Tjong, Sie Chin

2014-02-01

Graphene with extraordinary high elastic modulus and excellent electrical conductivity has good prospects for use as the filler material for fabricating novel polymer composites designed for electrostatic discharge and EMI shielding protection, field emission, gas sensor, and fuel cell applications. Large amounts of graphene oxide (GO) can be obtained by wet chemical oxidation of graphite into a mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid, sodium nitrate and potassium permanganate. Accordingly, carbon atoms in the basal plane and edges of GO are decorated with oxygenated functional groups, forming an electrical insulator. To restore electrical conductivity, chemical reduction or thermal annealing is needed to eliminate oxygenated groups of GO. However, such treatments induce internal defects and remove oxygenated atoms of GO partially. The remnant-oxygenated groups affect electrical conductivity of graphene greatly. Nevertheless, reduced graphene oxide and thermally reduced graphene oxide are sufficiently conductive to form polymer nanocomposites at very low percolation threshold. This review provides the fundamentals and state-of-the-art developments in the fabrication methods and electrical property characterizations as well as the applications of novel graphene/polymer nanocomposites. Particular attention is paid to their processing-structural-electrical property relationships.

Novel polymer composite having diamond particles and boron nitride platelets for thermal management of electric vehicle motors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakajima, Anri; Shoji, Atsushi; Yonemori, Kei; Seo, Nobuhide

2016-02-01

Thermal conductivities of silicone matrix polymers including fillers of diamond particles and/or hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) platelets were systematically investigated in an attempt to find a thermal interface material (TIM) having high isotropic thermal conductivity and high electrical insulating ability to enable efficient heat dissipation from the motor coil ends of electric vehicles. The TIM with mixed fillers of diamond particles and h-BN platelets had a maximum thermal conductivity of 6.1 W m-1 K-1 that was almost isotropic. This is the highest value among the thermal conductivities of TIMs with silicone matrix polymer reported to date. The mechanism behind the thermal conductivity of the TIMs was also examined from the viewpoint of the change in the number of thermally conductive networks and/or a decrease in the thermal resistivity of junctions of neighboring diamond particles through the incorporation of h-BN platelets. The TIMs developed in this study will make it possible to manage the heat of electric motors and will help to popularize electric vehicles.

30 CFR 57.12008 - Insulation and fittings for power wires and cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Insulation and fittings for power wires and... NONMETAL MINES Electricity Surface and Underground § 57.12008 Insulation and fittings for power wires and cables. Power wires and cables shall be insulated adequately where they pass into or out of electrical...

30 CFR 57.12008 - Insulation and fittings for power wires and cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Insulation and fittings for power wires and... NONMETAL MINES Electricity Surface and Underground § 57.12008 Insulation and fittings for power wires and cables. Power wires and cables shall be insulated adequately where they pass into or out of electrical...

Inhomogeneity at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claeson, T.; Kalabukhov, A.; Gunnarsson, R.; Winkler, D.; Borjesson, J.; Ljustina, N.; Olsson, E.; Popok, V.; Boikov, Yu.; Serenkov, I.; Sakharov, V.

2010-03-01

High electrical conductivity has been reported for the interface between two wide-band gap insulators, LaAlO3 (LAO) and SrTiO3 (STO). It occurs above a critical thickness of LAO and can be tuned by an electric field. The conduction has been attributed to i) ``polar catastrophe'' , where the electrostatic charge at the interface is compensated by the transfer of half an electron per unit cell to the interface, ii) oxygen vacancies in the STO, and iii) cation intermixing, which may result in the formation of metallic La1-xSrxTiO3 layer. The relation between microstructure and electrical properties is crucial for understanding the origin of electrical conductivity. We have investigated the interface composition using medium-energy ion spectroscopy, high resolution electron microscopy, and Kelvin probe force microscopy. We find a correlation between cationic intermixing at the interface and electrical properties and inhomogeneities of the interface conductivity that may support a percolation model. Work supported by Swedish VR & KAW, Russian ISTC 3743, EC NANOXIDE

AFM as an analysis tool for high-capacity sulfur cathodes for Li–S batteries

PubMed Central

Sörgel, Seniz; Costa, Rémi; Carlé, Linus; Galm, Ines; Cañas, Natalia; Pascucci, Brigitta; Friedrich, K Andreas

2013-01-01

Summary In this work, material-sensitive atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques were used to analyse the cathodes of lithium–sulfur batteries. A comparison of their nanoscale electrical, electrochemical, and morphological properties was performed with samples prepared by either suspension-spraying or doctor-blade coating with different binders. Morphological studies of the cathodes before and after the electrochemical tests were performed by using AFM and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The cathodes that contained polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and were prepared by spray-coating exhibited a superior stability of the morphology and the electric network associated with the capacity and cycling stability of these batteries. A reduction of the conductive area determined by conductive AFM was found to correlate to the battery capacity loss for all cathodes. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements of Li2S exposed to ambient air showed that insulating Li2S hydrolyses to insulating LiOH. This validates the significance of electrical ex-situ AFM analysis after cycling. Conductive tapping mode AFM indicated the existence of large carbon-coated sulfur particles. Based on the analytical findings, the first results of an optimized cathode showed a much improved discharge capacity of 800 mA·g(sulfur)−1 after 43 cycles. PMID:24205455

Thermal conductivity of thin insulating films determined by tunnel magneto-Seebeck effect measurements and finite-element modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huebner, Torsten; Martens, Ulrike; Walowski, Jakob; Münzenberg, Markus; Thomas, Andy; Reiss, Günter; Kuschel, Timo

2018-06-01

In general, it is difficult to access the thermal conductivity of thin insulating films experimentally by electrical means. Here, we present a new approach utilizing the tunnel magneto-Seebeck effect (TMS) in combination with finite-element modeling (FEM). We detect the laser-induced TMS and the absolute thermovoltage of laser-heated magnetic tunnel junctions with 2.6 nm thin barriers of MgAl2O4 (MAO) and MgO, respectively. A second measurement of the absolute thermovoltage after a dielectric breakdown of the barrier grants insight into the remaining thermovoltage of the stack. Thus, the pure TMS without any parasitic Nernst contributions from the leads can be identified. In combination with FEM via COMSOL, we are able to extract values for the thermal conductivity of MAO (0.7 W (K · m)‑1) and MgO (5.8 W (K · m)‑1), which are in very good agreement with theoretical predictions. Our method provides a new promising way to extract the experimentally challenging parameter of the thermal conductivity of thin insulating films.

Double anisotropic electrically conductive flexible Janus-typed membranes.

PubMed

Li, Xiaobing; Ma, Qianli; Tian, Jiao; Xi, Xue; Li, Dan; Dong, Xiangting; Yu, Wensheng; Wang, Xinlu; Wang, Jinxian; Liu, Guixia

2017-12-07

Novel type III anisotropic conductive films (ACFs), namely flexible Janus-typed membranes, were proposed, designed and fabricated for the first time. Flexible Janus-typed membranes composed of ordered Janus nanobelts were constructed by electrospinning, which simultaneously possess fluorescence and double electrically conductive anisotropy. For the fabrication of the Janus-typed membrane, Janus nanobelts comprising a conductive side and an insulative-fluorescent side were primarily fabricated, and then the Janus nanobelts are arranged into parallel arrays using an aluminum rotary drum as the collector to obtain a single anisotropically conductive film. Subsequently, a secondary electrospinning process was applied to the as-prepared single anisotropically conductive films to acquire the final Janus-typed membrane. For this Janus-typed membrane, namely its left-to-right structure, anisotropic electrical conduction synchronously exists on both sides, and furthermore, the two electrically conductive directions are perpendicular. By modulating the amount of Eu(BA) 3 phen complex and conducting polyaniline (PANI), the characteristics and intensity of the fluorescence-electricity dual-function in the membrane can be tuned. The high integration of this peculiar Janus-typed membrane with simultaneous double electrically conductive anisotropy-fluorescent dual-functionality is successfully realized in this study. This design philosophy and preparative technique will provide support for the design and construction of new types of special nanostructures with multi-functionality.

All-Elastomer 3-Axis Contact Resistive Tactile Sensor Arrays and Micromilled Manufacturing Methods Thereof

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Penskiy, Ivan (Inventor); Charalambides, Alexandros (Inventor); Bergbreiter, Sarah (Inventor)

2018-01-01

At least one tactile sensor includes an insulating layer and a conductive layer formed on the surface of the insulating layer. The conductive layer defines at least one group of flexible projections extending orthogonally from the surface of the insulating layer. The flexible projections include a major projection extending a distance orthogonally from the surface and at least one minor projection that is adjacent to and separate from the major projection wherein the major projection extends a distance orthogonally that is greater than the distance that the minor projection extends orthogonally. Upon a compressive force normal to, or a shear force parallel to, the surface, the major projection and the minor projection flex such that an electrical contact resistance is formed between the major projection and the minor projection. A capacitive tactile sensor is also disclosed that responds to the normal and shear forces.

Structural evolution across the insulator-metal transition in oxygen-deficient BaTiO 3-δ studied using neutron total scattering and Rietveld analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jeong, I.-K.; Lee, Seunghun; Jeong, Se-Young

2011-08-29

Oxygen-deficient BaTiO 3-δ exhibits an insulator-metal transition with increasing δ. We performed neutron total scattering measurements to study structural evolution across an insulator-metal transition in BaTiO 3-δ. Despite its significant impact on resistivity, slight oxygen reduction (δ=0.09) caused only a small disturbance on the local doublet splitting of Ti-O bond. This finding implies that local polarization is well preserved under marginal electric conduction. In the highly oxygen-deficient metallic state (δ=0.25), however, doublet splitting of the Ti-O bond became smeared. The smearing of the local Ti-O doublet is complemented with long-range structural analysis and demonstrates that the metallic conduction in themore » highly oxygen-reduced BaTiO 3-δ is due to the appearance of nonferroelectric cubic lattice.« less

External electric field driving the ultra-low thermal conductivity of silicene.

PubMed

Qin, Guangzhao; Qin, Zhenzhen; Yue, Sheng-Ying; Yan, Qing-Bo; Hu, Ming

2017-06-01

The manipulation of thermal transport is in increasing demand as heat transfer plays a critical role in a wide range of practical applications, such as efficient heat dissipation in nanoelectronics and heat conduction hindering in solid-state thermoelectrics. It is well established that the thermal transport in semiconductors and insulators (phonons) can be effectively modulated by structure engineering or materials processing. However, almost all the existing approaches involve altering the original atomic structure of materials, which would be hindered due to either irreversible structure change or limited tunability of thermal conductivity. Motivated by the inherent relationship between phonon behavior and interatomic electrostatic interaction, we comprehensively investigate the effect of external electric field, a widely used gating technique in modern electronics, on the lattice thermal conductivity (κ). Taking two-dimensional silicon (silicene) as a model, we demonstrate that by applying an electric field (E z = 0.5 V Å -1 ) the κ of silicene can be reduced to a record low value of 0.091 W m -1 K -1 , which is more than two orders of magnitude lower than that without an electric field (19.21 W m -1 K -1 ) and is even comparable to that of the best thermal insulation materials. Fundamental insights are gained from observing the electronic structures. With an electric field applied, due to the screened potential resulting from the redistributed charge density, the interactions between silicon atoms are renormalized, leading to phonon renormalization and the modulation of phonon anharmonicity through electron-phonon coupling. Our study paves the way for robustly tuning phonon transport in materials without altering the atomic structure, and would have significant impact on emerging applications, such as thermal management, nanoelectronics and thermoelectrics.

78 FR 4873 - Electrical Protective Equipment Standard and the Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-23

..., personal protective equipment, insulating and shielding materials, and insulated tools for working on or...] Electrical Protective Equipment Standard and the Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution... the information collection requirements specified in its standards on Electrical Protective Equipment...

Program for the development of high temperature electrical materials and components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neff, W. S.; Lowry, L. R.

1972-01-01

Evaluation of high temperature, space-vacuum performance of selected electrical materials and components, high temperature capacitor development, and evaluation, construction, and endurance testing of compression sealed pyrolytic boron nitride slot insulation are described. The first subject above covered the aging evaluation of electrical devices constructed from selected electrical materials. Individual materials performances were also evaluated and reported. The second subject included study of methods of improving electrical performance of pyrolytic boron nitride capacitors. The third portion was conducted to evaluate the thermal and electrical performance of pyrolytic boron nitride as stator slot liner material under varied temperature and compressive loading. Conclusions and recommendations are presented.

Carbon nanotube nanoelectrode arrays

DOEpatents

Ren, Zhifeng; Lin, Yuehe; Yantasee, Wassana; Liu, Guodong; Lu, Fang; Tu, Yi

2008-11-18

The present invention relates to microelectode arrays (MEAs), and more particularly to carbon nanotube nanoelectrode arrays (CNT-NEAs) for chemical and biological sensing, and methods of use. A nanoelectrode array includes a carbon nanotube material comprising an array of substantially linear carbon nanotubes each having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the carbon nanotubes are attached to a catalyst substrate material so as to form the array with a pre-determined site density, wherein the carbon nanotubes are aligned with respect to one another within the array; an electrically insulating layer on the surface of the carbon nanotube material, whereby the distal end of the carbon nanotubes extend beyond the electrically insulating layer; a second adhesive electrically insulating layer on the surface of the electrically insulating layer, whereby the distal end of the carbon nanotubes extend beyond the second adhesive electrically insulating layer; and a metal wire attached to the catalyst substrate material.

Dielectrophoretic systems without embedded electrodes

DOEpatents

Cummings, Eric B [Livermore, CA; Singh, Anup K [San Francisco, CA

2006-03-21

Method and apparatus for dielectrophoretic separation of particles in a fluid based using array of insulating structures arranged in a fluid flow channel. By utilizing an array of insulating structures, a spatially inhomogeneous electric field is created without the use of the embedded electrodes conventionally employed for dielectrophoretic separations. Moreover, by using these insulating structures a steady applied electric field has been shown to provide for dielectrophoresis in contrast to the conventional use of an alternating electric field. In a uniform array of posts, dielectrophoretic effects have been produced flows having significant pressure-driven and electrokinetic transport. Above a threshold applied electric field, filaments of concentrated and rarefied particles appear in the flow as a result of dielectrophoresis. Above a higher threshold applied voltage, dielectrophoresis produces zones of highly concentrated and immobilized particles. These patterns are strongly influenced by the angle of the array of insulating structures with respect to the mean applied electric field and the shape of the insulating structures.

Conducting single-molecule magnet materials.

PubMed

Cosquer, Goulven; Shen, Yongbing; Almeida, Manuel; Yamashita, Masahiro

2018-05-11

Multifunctional molecular materials exhibiting electrical conductivity and single-molecule magnet (SMM) behaviour are particularly attractive for electronic devices and related applications owing to the interaction between electronic conduction and magnetization of unimolecular units. The preparation of such materials remains a challenge that has been pursued by a bi-component approach of combination of SMM cationic (or anionic) units with conducting networks made of partially oxidized (or reduced) donor (or acceptor) molecules. The present status of the research concerning the preparation of molecular materials exhibiting SMM behaviour and electrical conductivity is reviewed, describing the few molecular compounds where both SMM properties and electrical conductivity have been observed. The evolution of this research field through the years is discussed. The first reported compounds are semiconductors in spite being able to present relatively high electrical conductivity, and the SMM behaviour is observed at low temperatures where the electrical conductivity of the materials is similar to that of an insulator. During the recent years, a breakthrough has been achieved with the coexistence of high electrical conductivity and SMM behaviour in a molecular compound at the same temperature range, but so far without evidence of a synergy between these properties. The combination of high electrical conductivity with SMM behaviour requires not only SMM units but also the regular and as far as possible uniform packing of partially oxidized molecules, which are able to provide a conducting network.

Electrothermal flow effects in insulating (electrodeless) dielectrophoresis systems.

PubMed

Hawkins, Benjamin G; Kirby, Brian J

2010-11-01

We simulate electrothermally induced flow in polymeric, insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) systems with DC-offset, AC electric fields at finite thermal Péclet number, and we identify key regimes where electrothermal (ET) effects enhance particle deflection and trapping. We study a single, two-dimensional constriction in channel depth with parametric variations in electric field, channel geometry, fluid conductivity, particle electrophoretic (EP) mobility, and channel electroosmotic (EO) mobility. We report the effects of increasing particle EP mobility, channel EO mobility, and AC and DC field magnitudes on the mean constriction temperature and particle behavior. Specifically, we quantify particle deflection and trapping, referring to the deviation of particles from their pathlines due to dielectrophoresis as they pass a constriction and the stagnation of particles due to negative dielectrophoresis near a constriction, respectively. This work includes the coupling between fluid, heat, and electromagnetic phenomena via temperature-dependent physical parameters. Results indicate that the temperature distribution depends strongly on the fluid conductivity and electric field magnitude, and particle deflection and trapping depend strongly on the channel geometry. Electrothermal (ET) effects perturb the EO flow field, creating vorticity near the channel constriction and enhancing the deflection and trapping effects. ET effects alter particle deflection and trapping responses in insulator-based dielectrophoresis devices, especially at intermediate device aspect ratios (2 ≤ r ≤ 7) in solutions of higher conductivity (σ m ≥ 1 × 10(-3)S/m). The impact of ET effects on particle deflection and trapping are diminished when particle EP mobility or channel EO mobility is high. In almost all cases, ET effects enhance negative dielectrophoretic particle deflection and trapping phenomena. Copyright © 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Pulsed source ion implantation apparatus and method

DOEpatents

Leung, K.N.

1996-09-24

A new pulsed plasma-immersion ion-implantation apparatus that implants ions in large irregularly shaped objects to controllable depth without overheating the target, minimizing voltage breakdown, and using a constant electrical bias applied to the target. Instead of pulsing the voltage applied to the target, the plasma source, for example a tungsten filament or a RF antenna, is pulsed. Both electrically conducting and insulating targets can be implanted. 16 figs.

Molten carbonate fuel cell matrices

DOEpatents

Vogel, Wolfgang M.; Smith, Stanley W.

1985-04-16

A molten carbonate fuel cell including a cathode electrode of electrically conducting or semiconducting lanthanum containing material and an electrolyte containing matrix of an electrically insulating lanthanum perovskite. In addition, in an embodiment where the cathode electrode is LaMnO.sub.3, the matrix may include LaAlO.sub.3 or a lithium containing material such as LiAlO.sub.2 or Li.sub.2 TiO.sub.3.

Breakdown of water super-permeation in electrically insulating graphene oxide films: role of dual interlayer spacing.

PubMed

Kavitha, Maheshwari Kavirajan; Sakorikar, Tushar; Vayalamkuzhi, Pramitha; Jaiswal, Manu

2018-08-10

Conventional graphene oxide (GO) is characterized by low sp 2 content in a sp 3 rich matrix, which is responsible both for electrical insulation and water super-permeation. Upon reduction, electrical conduction is achieved at the expense of water permeation ability. Here, we demonstrate that charge conduction and water permeation can be simultaneously restricted in a functionalized form of GO. Gravimetric studies reveal that diffusion of water vapor through a glassy polymer membrane is arrested by loading a hydrophobic form of GO (H-GO) in the polymer matrix, even as such, water inhibition cannot be realized by substantially increasing the thickness of the bare polymer. As an application, the ability of the coating to impede the degradation of methyl ammonium lead iodide films under high humidity conditions is demonstrated. At the same time the H-GO film has a resistance over 10 7 times higher when compared to thermally reduced GO of similar sp 2 fraction. We attribute this unique behavior to the presence of a sub-micron matrix of GO with simultaneous presence of large (∼9.5 Å) and small (∼4.7 Å) interlayer spacing. This leads to disruption of the spatially distributed percolation pathways for electrical charge, and it also serves to block the nanocapillary networks for water molecules.

Grounding Headphones for Protection Against ESD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peters, John; Youngquist, Robert C.

2004-01-01

A simple alternative technique has been devised protecting delicate equipment against electrostatic discharge (ESD) in settings in which workers wear communication headsets. In the original setting in which the technique was devised, the workers who wear the headsets also wear anti-ESD grounding straps on their wrists. The alternative technique eliminates the need for the wrist grounding straps by providing for grounding through the headsets. In place of the electrically insulating foam pads on the headsets, one installs pads made of electrically conductive foam like that commonly used to protect electronic components. Grounding wires are attached to the conductive foam pads, then possibly to the shielding cable which may be grounded to the backshell on the connector. The efficacy of this technique in protecting against ESD has been verified in experiments. The electrical resistance of the pads is a few megohms - about the same as that of a human body between the fingers of opposite hands and, hence, low enough for grounding. The only drawback of the technique is that care must be taken to place the foam pads in contact with the user s skin: any hair that comes between the foam pads and the skin must be pushed aside because hair is electrically insulating and thus prevents adequate grounding.

Study of surface atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma based on ultrathin laminated electrodes in air

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Luxiang; Liu, Wenzheng; Li, Zhiyi; Ma, Chuanlong

2018-05-01

A method to generate large-area surface plasma in air by micro-discharge is proposed. Two ultrathin laminated electrode structures of non-insulating and insulating types were formed by using the nanoscale ITO conductive layer. The surface glow discharge in atmospheric air is realized in low discharge voltage by constructing the special electric field of two-dimensional unidirectional attenuation. In particular, the insulating electrode structure can avoid the loss of ITO electrodes so that the discharge stability can be increased, and the treated objects can be prevented from metal ion pollution caused by the electrode in the discharge. It has broad application prospects in the fields of aerodynamics and material surface treatment.

Absence of Disorder-Driven Metal-Insulator Transitions in Simple Holographic Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grozdanov, Sašo; Lucas, Andrew; Sachdev, Subir; Schalm, Koenraad

2015-11-01

We study electrical transport in a strongly coupled strange metal in two spatial dimensions at finite temperature and charge density, holographically dual to the Einstein-Maxwell theory in an asymptotically four-dimensional anti-de Sitter space spacetime, with arbitrary spatial inhomogeneity, up to mild assumptions including emergent isotropy. In condensed matter, these are candidate models for exotic strange metals without long-lived quasiparticles. We prove that the electrical conductivity is bounded from below by a universal minimal conductance: the quantum critical conductivity of a clean, charge-neutral plasma. Beyond nonperturbatively justifying mean-field approximations to disorder, our work demonstrates the practicality of new hydrodynamic insight into holographic transport.

Design analysis of ceramic and polymer 150 kV insulators for tropical condition using quickfield software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walukow, Stephy B.; Manjang, Salama; Zainuddin, Zahir; Samman, Faizal Arya

2018-03-01

This research is to analyze design of ceramic and polymer 150 kV insulators for the tropical area. The use of an insulator certainly requires an electric field. The leakage current and breakdown voltage this happens the contaminant on the surface of the insulator. This type of contaminant can be rain, dust, salt air, extreme weather (much in tropical climates), industrial pollutants and cracks on the surface resulting in collisions. The method used in this research is magnetic field and electric field isolator using Quicfield software. To get the test results variation ranges 20 kV, 70 kV and 150 kV. Side effects of magnetic and electric fields around the insulator. The simulation results show the accumulated contaminants on the surface. Planning should be done in insulator insulator on unstable insulator. Thus, the approach using this commercially available software can be applied to. Therefore, the development of further simulations on the different types of composite insulators used on.

Application of Ultrasonic Guided Waves for Evaluating Aging Wire Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anastasi, Robert F.; Madaras, Eric I.

2005-01-01

Aging wiring has become a critical issue to the aerospace and aircraft industries due to Shuttle and aircraft incidents. The problem is that over time the insulation on wire becomes brittle and cracks. This exposes the underlying conductive wire to the potential for short circuits and fire. Popular methods of monitoring aging wire problems focuses on applying electrical sensing techniques that are sensitive to the conductor's condition, but not very sensitive to the wire insulation's condition. Measurement of wire insulation stiffness and ultrasonic properties by ultrasonic guided waves is being examined. Experimental measurements showed that the lowest order extensional mode could be sensitive to stiffness changes in the wire insulation. To test this theory conventional wire samples were heat damaged in an oven, in a range of heating conditions. The samples were 12, 16, and 20 gauge and the heat damage introduced material changes in the wire insulation that made the originally flexible insulation brittle and darker in color. Results showed that extensional mode phase velocity increased for the samples that were exposed to heat for longer duration.

Thermal conductance of Nb thin films at sub-kelvin temperatures.

PubMed

Feshchenko, A V; Saira, O-P; Peltonen, J T; Pekola, J P

2017-02-03

We determine the thermal conductance of thin niobium (Nb) wires on a silica substrate in the temperature range of 0.1-0.6 K using electron thermometry based on normal metal-insulator-superconductor tunnel junctions. We find that at 0.6 K, the thermal conductance of Nb is two orders of magnitude lower than that of Al in the superconducting state, and two orders of magnitude below the Wiedemann-Franz conductance calculated with the normal state resistance of the wire. The measured thermal conductance exceeds the prediction of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory, and demonstrates a power law dependence on temperature as T 4.5 , instead of an exponential one. At the same time, we monitor the temperature profile of the substrate along the Nb wire to observe possible overheating of the phonon bath. We show that Nb can be successfully used for thermal insulation in a nanoscale circuit while simultaneously providing an electrical connection.

Thermal conductance of Nb thin films at sub-kelvin temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feshchenko, A. V.; Saira, O.-P.; Peltonen, J. T.; Pekola, J. P.

2017-02-01

We determine the thermal conductance of thin niobium (Nb) wires on a silica substrate in the temperature range of 0.1-0.6 K using electron thermometry based on normal metal-insulator-superconductor tunnel junctions. We find that at 0.6 K, the thermal conductance of Nb is two orders of magnitude lower than that of Al in the superconducting state, and two orders of magnitude below the Wiedemann-Franz conductance calculated with the normal state resistance of the wire. The measured thermal conductance exceeds the prediction of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory, and demonstrates a power law dependence on temperature as T4.5, instead of an exponential one. At the same time, we monitor the temperature profile of the substrate along the Nb wire to observe possible overheating of the phonon bath. We show that Nb can be successfully used for thermal insulation in a nanoscale circuit while simultaneously providing an electrical connection.

Determination of the dew point and the frost point below 0 degrees C making use of the beta-ray backscattering and the electric conductivity on the narrow surface of insulated layer.

PubMed

Matsumoto, S; Kobayashi, H

1979-10-15

It is necessary to distinguish between the dew point and the frost point below 0 degrees C. The freezing of the dew and the melting of the frost are respectively detected by the rapid decrease and the increase of the conduction current on the narrow surface of insulated layer made of epoxy, 0.5 mm in width and 10 mm in length, on which the dew deposits. The dew point -9 degrees C and the frost point -8 degrees C in the humidity 21% at the temperature 13 degrees C are clearly distinguished in this method.

Light emitting ceramic device

DOEpatents

Valentine, Paul; Edwards, Doreen D.; Walker, Jr., William John; Slack, Lyle H.; Brown, Wayne Douglas; Osborne, Cathy; Norton, Michael; Begley, Richard

2010-05-18

A light-emitting ceramic based panel, hereafter termed "electroceramescent" panel, is herein claimed. The electroceramescent panel is formed on a substrate providing mechanical support as well as serving as the base electrode for the device. One or more semiconductive ceramic layers directly overlay the substrate, and electrical conductivity and ionic diffusion are controlled. Light emitting regions overlay the semiconductive ceramic layers, and said regions consist sequentially of a layer of a ceramic insulation layer and an electroluminescent layer, comprised of doped phosphors or the equivalent. One or more conductive top electrode layers having optically transmissive areas overlay the light emitting regions, and a multi-layered top barrier cover comprising one or more optically transmissive non-combustible insulation layers overlay said top electrode regions.

New pathway for the formation of metallic cubic phase Ge-Sb-Te compounds induced by an electric current

PubMed Central

Park, Yong-Jin; Cho, Ju-Young; Jeong, Min-Woo; Na, Sekwon; Joo, Young-Chang

2016-01-01

The novel discovery of a current-induced transition from insulator to metal in the crystalline phase of Ge2Sb2Te5 and GeSb4Te7 have been studied by means of a model using line-patterned samples. The resistivity of cubic phase Ge-Sb-Te compound was reduced by an electrical current (~1 MA/cm2), and the final resistivity was determined based on the stress current density, regardless of the initial resistivity and temperature, which indicates that the conductivity of Ge-Sb-Te compound can be modulated by an electrical current. The minimum resistivity of Ge-Sb-Te materials can be achieved at high kinetic rates by applying an electrical current, and the material properties change from insulating to metallic behavior without a phase transition. The current-induced metal transition is more effective in GeSb4Te7 than Ge2Sb2Te5, which depends on the intrinsic vacancy of materials. Electromigration, which is the migration of atoms induced by a momentum transfer from charge carriers, can easily promote the rearrangement of vacancies in the cubic phase of Ge-Sb-Te compound. This behavior differs significantly from thermal annealing, which accompanies a phase transition to the hexagonal phase. This result suggests a new pathway for modulating the electrical conductivity and material properties of chalcogenide materials by applying an electrical current. PMID:26902593

Interfacial control of oxygen vacancy doping and electrical conduction in thin film oxide heterostructures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Veal, Boyd W.; Kim, Seong Keun; Zapol, Peter

2016-06-10

Oxygen vacancies in proximity to surfaces and heterointerfaces in oxide thin film heterostructures have major effects on properties, resulting, for example, in emergent conduction behaviour, large changes in metal-insulator transition temperatures or enhanced catalytic activity. Here we report the discovery of a means of reversibly controlling the oxygen vacancy concentration and distribution in oxide heterostructures consisting of electronically conducting In2O3 films grown on ionically conducting Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 substrates. Oxygen ion redistribution across the heterointerface is induced using an applied electric field oriented in the plane of the interface, resulting in controlled oxygen vacancy (and hence electron) doping of the filmmore » and possible orders-of-magnitude enhancement of the film's electrical conduction. The reversible modified behaviour is dependent on interface properties and is attained without cation doping or changes in the gas environment.« less

Interfacial control of oxygen vacancy doping and electrical conduction in thin film oxide heterostructures

DOE PAGES

Veal, Boyd W.; Kim, Seong Keun; Zapol, Peter; ...

2016-06-10

Oxygen vacancies in proximity to surfaces and heterointerfaces in oxide thin film heterostructures have major effects on properties, resulting, for example, in emergent conduction behavior, large changes in metal-insulator transition temperatures, or enhanced catalytic activity. Here in this paper, we report the discovery of a means of reversibly controlling the oxygen vacancy concentration and distribution in oxide heterostructures consisting of electronically conducting In 2O 3 films grown on ionically conducting Y 2O 3-stabilized ZrO 2 substrates. Oxygen ion redistribution across the heterointerface is induced using an applied electric field oriented in the plane of the interface, resulting in controlled oxygenmore » vacancy (and hence electron) doping of the film and possible orders-of-magnitude enhancement of the film's electrical conduction. The reversible modified behavior is dependent on interface properties and is attained without cation doping or changes in the gas environment.« less

Forming Refractory Insulation On Copper Wire

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Setlock, J.; Roberts, G.

1995-01-01

Alternative insulating process forms flexible coat of uncured refractory insulating material on copper wire. Coated wire formed into coil or other complex shape. Wire-coating apparatus forms "green" coat on copper wire. After wire coiled, heating converts "green" coat to refractory electrical insulator. When cured to final brittle form, insulating material withstands temperatures above melting temperature of wire. Process used to make coils for motors, solenoids, and other electrical devices to be operated at high temperatures.

Voltage-induced reduction of graphene oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faucett, Austin C.

Graphene Oxide (GO) is being widely researched as a precursor for the mass production of graphene, and as a versatile material in its own right for flexible electronics, chemical sensors, and energy harvesting applications. Reduction of GO, an electrically insulating material, into reduced graphene oxide (rGO) restores electrical conductivity via removal of oxygen-containing functional groups. Here, a reduction method using an applied electrical bias, known as voltage-induced reduction, is explored. Voltage-induced reduction can be performed under ambient conditions and avoids the use of hazardous chemicals or high temperatures common with standard methods, but little is known about the reduction mechanisms and the quality of rGO produced with this method. This work performs extensive structural and electrical characterization of voltage-reduced GO (V-rGO) and shows that it is competitive with standard methods. Beyond its potential use as a facile and eco-friendly processing approach, V-rGO reduction also offers record high-resolution patterning capabilities. In this work, the spatial resolution limits of voltage-induced reduction, performed using a conductive atomic force microscope probe, are explored. It is shown that arbitrary V-rGO conductive features can be patterned into insulating GO with nanoscale resolution. The localization of voltage-induced reduction to length scales < 10 nm allows studies of reduction reaction kinetics, using electrical current obtained in-situ, with statistical robustness. Methods for patterning V-rGO nanoribbons are then developed. After presenting sub-10nm patterning of V-rGO nanoribbons in GO single sheets and films, the performance of V-rGO nanoribbon field effect transistors (FETs) are demonstrated. Preliminary measurements show an increase in electrical current on/off ratios as compared to large-area rGO FETs, indicating transport gap modulation that is possibly due to quantum confinement effects.

Solar cells having integral collector grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, J. C., Jr. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

A heterojunction or Schottky barrier photovoltaic device is described, comprising a conductive base metal layer. A back surface field region was formed at the interface between the device and the base metal layer, a transparent, conductive mixed metal oxide layer in integral contact with the n-type layer of the heterojunction or Schottky barrier device. A metal alloy grid network was included. An insulating layer prevented electrical contact between the conductive metal base layer and the transparent, conductive metal oxide layer.

Electrical conductivity of platinum-implanted polymethylmethacrylate nanocomposite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salvadori, M. C.; Teixeira, F. S.; Cattani, M.; Brown, I. G.

2011-12-01

Platinum/polymethylmethacrylate (Pt/PMMA) nanocomposite material was formed by low energy ion implantation of Pt into PMMA, and the transition from insulating to conducting phase was explored. In situ resistivity measurements were performed as the implantation proceeded, and transmission electron microscopy was used for direct visualization of Pt nanoparticles. Numerical simulation was carried out using the TRIDYN computer code to calculate the expected depth profiles of the implanted platinum. The maximum dose for which the Pt/PMMA system remains an insulator/conductor composite was found to be ϕ0 = 1.6 × 1016 cm-2, the percolation dose was 0.5 × 1016 cm-2, and the critical exponent was t = 1.46, indicating that the conductivity is due only to percolation. The results are compared with previously reported results for a Au/PMMA composite.

Breakdown characteristics of SF6/N2 in severely non-uniform electric fields at low temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Gao, Z. W.; Li, G. X.; Zhu, X. C.; Yu, C. L.; Liang, J. Q.; Li, L.

2018-01-01

SF6 has good electrical insulating properties, which is widely used as an insulating medium of GIS, GIL and other electrical equipment. However, the reliability of electrical equipments´ insulated gas is greatly challenged in cold areas, since SF6 more readily liquefies. To solve the problem, SF6 can be mixed with N2 to maintain the insulating properties, and reduce its liquefaction temperature. Such practice has certain application prospect. In this paper, a breakdown experimental platform was built to study the insulating property of SF6/N2 at low temperature, wherein the temperature of the platform can be adjusted. A severely non-uniform electric field was generated by a rod-plate electrode. The breakdown characteristics of SF6/N2 with different mixing proportions at low pressures and low temperatures were measured. The result showed that the mixed gas was not liquefied within the temperature range. Temperature had insignificant influence on the insulating property thereof. The result in the paper has certain guiding significance for applying SF6/N2 mixed gas in high latitude areas.

Simple and double emulsions via electrospray

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrero, Antonio; Loscertales, Ignacio G.

2005-11-01

Generation of nanoemulsions is of great interest in medical and pharmaceutical applications; drug delivery or antiviral emulsions are typical examples. The use of electrosprays for dispersing liquids inside liquid insulator baths have been recently reported, (Barrero et al. J. Colloid Interf. Sci. 272, 104, 2004). Capsules, nanotubes and coaxial nanofibers have been obtained from electrified coaxial jets (Loscertales et al. Science 295, n. 5560, 1695, 2002; J. American Chem. Soc. 126, 5376, 2004). Here we present a method for making double emulsions (both water-oil-water and o/w/o) based on the generation of compound electrosprays inside insulator liquid baths. Basically, a conducting liquid injected throughout a capillary needle is electroatomized in cone-jet mode inside a dielectric liquid bath. A third insulating liquid is injected inside the Taylor cone to form a second meniscus. Then, a steady coaxial jet, in which the insulating liquid is coated by the conducting one, develops. A double emulsion forms as a result of the jet breaking up into compound droplets electrically charged. Experimental results carried out with glycerine and different oils in a bath of heptane are reported.

Fermi surfaces in Kondo insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hsu; Hartstein, Máté; Wallace, Gregory J.; Davies, Alexander J.; Ciomaga Hatnean, Monica; Johannes, Michelle D.; Shitsevalova, Natalya; Balakrishnan, Geetha; Sebastian, Suchitra E.

2018-04-01

We report magnetic quantum oscillations measured using torque magnetisation in the Kondo insulator YbB12 and discuss the potential origin of the underlying Fermi surface. Observed quantum oscillations as well as complementary quantities such as a finite linear specific heat capacity in YbB12 exhibit similarities with the Kondo insulator SmB6, yet also crucial differences. Small heavy Fermi sections are observed in YbB12 with similarities to the neighbouring heavy fermion semimetallic Fermi surface, in contrast to large light Fermi surface sections in SmB6 which are more similar to the conduction electron Fermi surface. A rich spectrum of theoretical models is suggested to explain the origin across different Kondo insulating families of a bulk Fermi surface potentially from novel itinerant quasiparticles that couple to magnetic fields, yet do not couple to weak DC electric fields.

Scattering of electromagnetic plane wave from a perfect electric conducting strip placed at interface of topological insulator-chiral medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shoukat, Sobia; Naqvi, Qaisar A.

2016-12-01

In this manuscript, scattering from a perfect electric conducting strip located at planar interface of topological insulator (TI)-chiral medium is investigated using the Kobayashi Potential method. Longitudinal components of electric and magnetic vector potential in terms of unknown weighting function are considered. Use of related set of boundary conditions yields two algebraic equations and four dual integral equations (DIEs). Integrand of two DIEs are expanded in terms of the characteristic functions with expansion coefficients which must satisfy, simultaneously, the discontinuous property of the Weber-Schafheitlin integrals, required edge and boundary conditions. The resulting expressions are then combined with algebraic equations to express the weighting function in terms of expansion coefficients, these expansion coefficients are then substituted in remaining DIEs. The projection is applied using the Jacobi polynomials. This treatment yields matrix equation for expansion coefficients which is solved numerically. These unknown expansion coefficients are used to find the scattered field. The far zone scattering width is investigated with respect to different parameters of the geometry, i.e, chirality of chiral medium, angle of incidence, size of the strip. Significant effects of different parameters including TI parameter on the scattering width are noted.

Electric Field and Current Density Performance Analysis of Sf6, C4f8 and CO2 Gases As An Insulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazli, Ahmad Danial Ahmad; Jamail, Nor Akmal Mohd; Azlin Othman, Nordiana

2017-08-01

SF6 gases are not only widely used as an insulating component in electric power industry but also as an arc extinguishing performance in high voltage (HV) gas-insulated circuit breaker (GCB). SF6 gases is generally used in the production of semiconductor materials and devices. Though these gasses is widely used in many application, the presences of temperature hotspot in the insulations may affect the insulation characteristics particularly electric field and current density. Therefore, it is important to determine the relationship between electric field and current density of gasses used in the insulator in the presence of hotspot. In this paper, three types of gases in particular Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6), Octafluorocylobutane (C4F8), and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) was used in the insulator for gas insulation with the presence of two hotspots. These two hotspost were detected by referring the rising temperature in the insulator which are 1000 and 2000 Kelvin temperature for hotspot 1 and hotspot 2, respectively. From the simulation results, it can be concluded that Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) is the best choice for gas insulation since it had the lowest current density and electric field compared to Octafluorocylobutane (C4F8), and Carbon Dioxide (CO2). It is observed that the maximum current density and electric field for SF6 during normal condition are 358.94 × 103 V/m and 0.643 × 109 A/m2, respectively. Meanwhile, during temperature rising at hotspot 1 and hotspot 2, SF6 also had lowest current density and electric field compared to the other gasses where the results for Emax and Jmax at hotspot 1 are 322.34 × 103 V/m and 1.934 × 109 A/m2, respectively; While, Emax and Jmax at hotspot 2 are 259.77× 103 V/m and 2.824 × 109 A/m2. The results of this analysis can be used to find the best choices of gas that can be used in the insulator.

A real-time insulation detection method for battery packs used in electric vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Jiaqiang; Wang, Yujie; Yang, Duo; Zhang, Xu; Chen, Zonghai

2018-05-01

Due to the energy crisis and environmental pollution, electric vehicles have become more and more popular. Compared to traditional fuel vehicles, the electric vehicles are integrated with more high-voltage components, which have potential security risks of insulation. The insulation resistance between the chassis and the direct current bus of the battery pack is easily affected by factors such as temperature, humidity and vibration. In order to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the electric vehicles, it is necessary to detect the insulation resistance of the battery pack. This paper proposes an insulation detection scheme based on low-frequency signal injection method. Considering the insulation detector which can be easily affected by noises, the algorithm based on Kalman filter is proposed. Moreover, the battery pack is always in the states of charging and discharging during driving, which will lead to frequent changes in the voltage of the battery pack and affect the estimation accuracy of insulation detector. Therefore the recursive least squares algorithm is adopted to solve the problem that the detection results of insulation detector mutate with the voltage of the battery pack. The performance of the proposed method is verified by dynamic and static experiments.

Low-cost laser diode array

DOEpatents

Freitas, B.L.; Skidmore, J.A.

1999-06-01

A substrate is used to fabricate a low-cost laser diode array. A substrate is machined from an electrically insulative material that is thermally conductive, or two substrates can be bonded together in which the top substrate is electrically as well as thermally conductive. The substrate thickness is slightly longer than the cavity length, and the width of the groove is wide enough to contain a bar and spring (which secures the laser bar firmly along one face of the groove). The spring also provides electrical continuity from the backside of the bar to the adjacent metalization layer on the laser bar substrate. Arrays containing one or more bars can be formed by creating many grooves at various spacings. Along the groove, many bars can be adjoined at the edges to provide parallel electrical conduction. This architecture allows precise and predictable registration of an array of laser bars to a self-aligned microlens array at low cost. 19 figs.

Low-cost laser diode array

DOEpatents

Freitas, Barry L.; Skidmore, Jay A.

1999-01-01

A substrate is used to fabricate a low-cost laser diode array. A substrate is machined from an electrically insulative material that is thermally conductive, or two substrates can be bonded together in which the top substrate is electrically as well as thermally conductive. The substrate thickness is slightly longer than the cavity length, and the width of the groove is wide enough to contain a bar and spring (which secures the laser bar firmly along one face of the groove). The spring also provides electrical continuity from the backside of the bar to the adjacent metalization layer on the laser bar substrate. Arrays containing one or more bars can be formed by creating many grooves at various spacings. Along the groove, many bars can be adjoined at the edges to provide parallel electrical conduction. This architecture allows precise and predictable registration of an array of laser bars to a self-aligned microlens array at low cost.

Molten Boron Phase-Change Thermal Energy Storage: Containment and Applicability to Microsatellites (Draft)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

technologies, including high temperature thermal insulation and thermal to electric power conversion, have been evaluated, and a preliminary design...support technologies, including high temperature thermal insulation and thermal to electric power conversion, have been evaluated, and a preliminary...vacuum gap with low emissivity surfaces on either side as the first insulating layer.11 D. Electrical Energy Conversion There are a wide variety

Crossover from Incoherent to Coherent Phonon Scattering in Epitaxial Oxide Superlattices

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-08

function of interface density. We do so by synthesizing superlattices of electrically insulating perovskite oxides 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 4. TITLE...synthesizing superlattices of electrically insulating perovskite oxides and systematically varying the interface density, with unit-cell precision, using two...a function of interface density. Wedo so by synthesizing superlattices of electrically insulating perovskite oxides and systematically varying the

Reinforced carbon nanotubes as electrically conducting and flexible films for space applications.

PubMed

Atar, Nurit; Grossman, Eitan; Gouzman, Irina; Bolker, Asaf; Hanein, Yael

2014-11-26

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown entangled carbon nanotube (CNT) sheets are characterized by high electrical conductivity and durability to bending and folding. However, since freestanding CNT sheets are mechanically weak, they cannot be used as stand-alone flexible films. In this work, polyimide (PI) infiltration into entangled cup-stacked CNT (CSCNT) sheets was studied to form electrically conducting, robust, and flexible films for space applications. The infiltration process preserved CNTs' advantageous properties (i.e., conductivity and flexibility), prevented CNT agglomeration, and enabled CNT patterning. In particular, the CNT-PI films exhibited ohmic electrical conductance in both the lateral and vertical directions, with a sheet resistivity as low as 122 Ω/□, similar to that of as-grown CNT sheets, with minimal effect of the insulating matrix. Moreover, this high conductivity was preserved under mechanical and thermal manipulations. These properties make the reported CNT-PI films excellent candidates for applications where flexibility, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity are required. Particularly, the developed CNT-PI films were found to be durable in space environment hazards such as high vacuum, thermal cycling, and ionizing radiation, and hence they are suggested as an alternative for the electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection layer in spacecraft thermal blankets.

Terminal structure

DOEpatents

Schmidt, Frank [Langenhagen, DE; Allais, Arnaud [Hannover, DE; Mirebeau, Pierre [Villebon sur Yvette, FR; Ganhungu, Francois [Vieux-Reng, FR; Lallouet, Nicolas [Saint Martin Boulogne, FR

2009-10-20

A terminal structure (2) for a superconducting cable (1) is described. It consists of a conductor (2a) and an insulator (2b) that surrounds the conductor (2a), wherein the superconducting cable (1) has a core with a superconducting conductor (5) and a layer of insulation that surrounds the conductor (5), and wherein the core is arranged in such a way that it can move longitudinally in a cryostat. The conductor (2a) of the terminal structure (2) is electrically connected with the superconducting conductor (5) or with a normal conductor (6) that is connected with the superconducting conductor (5) by means of a tubular part (7) made of an electrically conductive material, wherein the superconducting conductor (5) or the normal conductor (6) can slide in the part (7) in the direction of the superconductor.

Insulation detection of electric vehicle batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Qiqi; Zhu, Zhongwen; Huang, Denggao; Du, Mingxing; Wei, Kexin

2018-06-01

In this paper, an electric vehicle insulation detection method with single side switching fixed resistance is designed, and the hardware and software design of the system are given. The experiment proves that the insulation detection system can detect the insulation resistance in a wide range of resistance values, and accurately report the fault level. This system can effectively monitor the insulation fault between the car body and the high voltage line and avoid the passengers from being injured.

Designing Predictive Diagnose Method for Insulation Resistance Degradation of the Electrical Power Cables from Neutral Insulated Power Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobra, R.; Pasculescu, D.; Risteiu, M.; Buica, G.; Jevremović, V.

2017-06-01

This paper describe some possibilities to minimize voltages switching-off risks from the mining power networks, in case of insulated resistance faults by using a predictive diagnose method. The cables from the neutral insulated power networks (underground mining) are designed to provide a flexible electrical connection between portable or mobile equipment and a point of supply, including main feeder cable for continuous miners, pump cable, and power supply cable. An electronic protection for insulated resistance of mining power cables can be made using this predictive strategy. The main role of electronic relays for insulation resistance degradation of the electrical power cables, from neutral insulated power networks, is to provide a permanent measurement of the insulated resistance between phases and ground, in order to switch-off voltage when the resistance value is below a standard value. The automat system of protection is able to signalize the failure and the human operator will be early informed about the switch-off power and will have time to take proper measures to fix the failure. This logic for fast and automat switch-off voltage without aprioristic announcement is suitable for the electrical installations, realizing so a protection against fires and explosion. It is presented an algorithm and an anticipative relay for insulated resistance control from three-phase low voltage installations with insulated neutral connection.

Aluminum nitride insulating films for MOSFET devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewicki, G. W.; Maserjian, J.

1972-01-01

Application of aluminum nitrides as electrical insulator for electric capacitors is discussed. Electrical properties of aluminum nitrides are analyzed and specific use with field effect transistors is defined. Operational limits of field effect transistors are developed.

Cofacial Assembly of Metallomacrocycles. A Molecular Engineering Approach to Electrically Conductive Polymers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-05-13

34molecular metals." THE COFACIAL ASSEMBLY STRATEGY Although the above molecular macrocycle, halogen cocrystalli - zation approach to the synthesis of...substitute various oxidizing quinones for halogens in the cocrystallization synthesis have failed because integrated stacK (Figure 2C,D) insulators are

Insulator coating for high temperature alloys method for producing insulator coating for high temperature alloys

DOEpatents

Park, J.H.

1998-06-23

A method for fabricating an electrically insulating coating on a surface is disclosed comprising coating the surface with a metal, and reacting the metal coated surface with a nonmetal so as to create a film on the metal-coated surface. Alternatively, the invention provides for a method for producing a noncorrosive, electrically insulating coating on a surface saturated with a nonmetal comprising supplying a molten fluid, dissolving a metal in the molten fluid to create a mixture, and contacting the mixture with the saturated surface. Lastly, the invention provides an electrically insulative coating comprising an underlying structural substrate coated with an oxide or nitride compound. 2 figs.

Electrochromic optical switching device

DOEpatents

Lampert, C.M.; Visco, S.J.

1992-08-25

An electrochromic cell is disclosed which comprises an electrochromic layer, a polymerizable organo-sulfur layer which comprises the counter electrode of the structure, and an ionically conductive electronically insulating material which comprises the separator between the electrodes. In a preferred embodiment, both the separator and the organo-sulfur electrode (in both its charged and uncharged states) are transparent either to visible light or to the entire solar spectrum. An electrochromic device is disclosed which comprises such electrodes and separator encased in glass plates on the inner surface of each of which is formed a transparent electrically conductive film in respective electrical contact with the electrodes which facilitates formation of an external electrical connection or contact to the electrodes of the device to permit electrical connection of the device to an external potential source. 3 figs.

Electrochromic optical switching device

DOEpatents

Lampert, Carl M.; Visco, Steven J.

1992-01-01

An electrochromic cell is disclosed which comprises an electrochromic layer, a polymerizable organo-sulfur layer which comprises the counter electrode of the structure, and an ionically conductive electronically insulating material which comprises the separator between the electrodes. In a preferred embodiment, both the separator and the organo-sulfur electrode (in both its charged and uncharged states) are transparent either to visible light or to the entire solar spectrum. An electrochromic device is disclosed which comprises such electrodes and separator encased in glass plates on the inner surface of each of which is formed a transparent electrically conductive film in respective electrical contact with the electrodes which facilitates formation of an external electrical connection or contact to the electrodes of the device to permit electrical connection of the device to an external potential source.

Variable-Resistivity Material For Memory Circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nagasubramanian, Ganesan; Distefano, Salvador; Moacanin, Jovan

1989-01-01

Nonvolatile memory elements packed densely. Electrically-erasable, programmable, read-only memory matrices made with newly-synthesized organic material of variable electrical resistivity. Material, polypyrrole doped with tetracyanoquinhydrone (TCNQ), changes reversibly between insulating or higher-resistivity state and conducting or low-resistivity state. Thin film of conductive polymer separates layer of row conductors from layer of column conductors. Resistivity of film at each intersection and, therefore, resistance of memory element defined by row and column, increased or decreased by application of suitable switching voltage. Matrix circuits made with this material useful for experiments in associative electronic memories based on models of neural networks.

Results of thermal modeling of Smart Energy Coating with phase-transition material for independent electricity generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pospelova, I. Y.; Pospelova, M. Y.; Bondarenko, A. S.; Kornilov, D. A.

2018-05-01

The modeling for Smart Energy Coating is presented. The coating is able to produce electricity on the surface of pipelines and structural elements. Along with electric output, Smart Energy Coating ensures the stable temperature conditions of work for structures, pipelines and regulating elements. The energy production scheme is based on the Peltier principle and the insulating layer with a phase transition. Thermally conductive inclusions of the inside layer with a phase transition material ensure the stable operation of the Peltier element.

Characterization of dielectric properties of nanocellulose from wood and algae for electrical insulator applications.

PubMed

Le Bras, David; Strømme, Maria; Mihranyan, Albert

2015-05-07

Cellulose is one of the oldest electrically insulating materials used in oil-filled high-power transformers and cables. However, reports on the dielectric properties of nanocellulose for electrical insulator applications are scarce. The aim of this study was to characterize the dielectric properties of two nanocellulose types from wood, viz., nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), and algae, viz., Cladophora cellulose, for electrical insulator applications. The cellulose materials were characterized with X-ray diffraction, nitrogen gas and moisture sorption isotherms, helium pycnometry, mechanical testing, and dielectric spectroscopy at various relative humidities. The algae nanocellulose sample was more crystalline and had a lower moisture sorption capacity at low and moderate relative humidities, compared to NFC. On the other hand, it was much more porous, which resulted in lower strength and higher dielectric loss than for NFC. It is concluded that the solid-state properties of nanocellulose may have a substantial impact on the dielectric properties of electrical insulator applications.

30 CFR 7.402 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... wires not insulated from one another, suitable for carrying an electric current. Electric Cable. An assembly of one or more insulated conductors of electric current under a common or integral jacket. A cable... the primary electric current or power is transmitted. Signaling Cable. A fiber optic cable, or a cable...

30 CFR 7.402 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... wires not insulated from one another, suitable for carrying an electric current. Electric Cable. An assembly of one or more insulated conductors of electric current under a common or integral jacket. A cable... the primary electric current or power is transmitted. Signaling Cable. A fiber optic cable, or a cable...

30 CFR 7.402 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... wires not insulated from one another, suitable for carrying an electric current. Electric Cable. An assembly of one or more insulated conductors of electric current under a common or integral jacket. A cable... the primary electric current or power is transmitted. Signaling Cable. A fiber optic cable, or a cable...

Temperature-Dependent Dielectric Properties of Al/Epoxy Nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zijun; Zhou, Wenying; Sui, Xuezhen; Dong, Lina; Cai, Huiwu; Zuo, Jing; Chen, Qingguo

2016-06-01

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy was carried out to study the transition in electrical properties of Al/epoxy nanocomposites over the frequency range of 1-107 Hz and the temperature range of -20°C to 200°C. The dielectric permittivity, dissipation factor, and electrical conductivity of the nanocomposites increased with temperature and showed an abrupt increase around the glass transition temperature ( T g). The results clearly reveal an interesting transition of the electrical properties with increasing temperature: insulator below 70°C, conductor at about 70°C. The behavior of the transition in electrical properties of the nanocomposites was explored at different temperatures. The presence of relaxation peaks in the loss tangent and electric modulus spectra of the nanocomposites confirms that the chain segmental dynamics of the polymer is accompanied by the absorption of energy given to the system. It is suggested that the temperature-dependent transition of the electric properties in the nanocomposite is closely associated with the α-relaxation. The large increase in the dissipation factor and electric conductivity depends on the direct current conduction of thermally activated charge carriers resulting from the epoxy matrix above T g.

A test and instrumentation system for the investigation of degradation of electrical insulating materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The basic test methods of aging and deterioration mechanisms of electrical insulating materials are discussed. A comprehensive test system developed to study the degradation process is described. This system is completely checked, and calibrated with a few insulating material samples.

Dislocation structures and electrical conduction properties of low angle tilt grain boundaries in LiNbO{sub 3}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Furushima, Yuho; Nakamura, Atsutomo, E-mail: nakamura@numse.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Toyoura, Kazuaki

Dislocations in crystalline materials constitute unique, atomic-scale, one-dimensional structure and have a potential to induce peculiar physical properties that are not found in the bulk. In this study, we fabricated LiNbO{sub 3} bicrystals with low angle tilt grain boundaries and investigated the relationship between the atomic structure of the boundary dislocations and their electrical conduction properties. Observations by using transmission electron microscopy revealed that dislocation structures at the (0001) low angle tilt grain boundaries depend on the tilt angle of the boundaries. Specifically, the characteristic dislocation structures with a large Burgers vector were formed in the boundary with the tiltmore » angle of 2°. It is noteworthy that only the grain boundary of 2° exhibits distinct electrical conductivity after reduction treatment, although LiNbO{sub 3} is originally insulating. This unique electrical conductivity is suggested to be due to the characteristic dislocation structures with a large Burgers vector.« less

Electrical Conductance Tuning and Bistable Switching in Poly(N-vinylcarbazole)-Carbon Nanotube Composite Films.

PubMed

Liu, Gang; Ling, Qi-Dan; Teo, Eric Yeow Hwee; Zhu, Chun-Xiang; Chan, D Siu-Hung; Neoh, Koon-Gee; Kang, En-Tang

2009-07-28

By varying the carbon nanotube (CNT) content in poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) composite thin films, the electrical conductance behavior of an indium-tin oxide/PVK-CNT/aluminum (ITO/PVK-CNT/Al) sandwich structure can be tuned in a controlled manner. Distinctly different electrical conductance behaviors, such as (i) insulator behavior, (ii) bistable electrical conductance switching effects (write-once read-many-times (WORM) memory effect and rewritable memory effect), and (iii) conductor behavior, are discernible from the current density-voltage characteristics of the composite films. The turn-on voltage of the two bistable conductance switching devices decreases and the ON/OFF state current ratio of the WORM device increases with the increase in CNT content of the composite film. Both the WORM and rewritable devices are stable under a constant voltage stress or a continuous pulse voltage stress, with an ON/OFF state current ratio in excess of 10(3). The conductance switching effects of the composite films have been attributed to electron trapping in the CNTs of the electron-donating/hole-transporting PVK matrix.

Dissipationless conductance in a topological coaxial cable

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuster, Thomas; Iadecola, Thomas; Chamon, Claudio; Jackiw, Roman; Pi, So-Young

2016-09-01

We present a dynamical mechanism leading to dissipationless conductance, whose quantized value is controllable in a (3+1)-dimensional electronic system. The mechanism is exemplified by a theory of Weyl fermions coupled to a Higgs field, also known as an axion insulator. We show that the insertion of an axial gauge flux can induce vortex lines in the Higgs field, similar to the development of vortices in a superconductor upon the insertion of magnetic flux. We further show that the necessary axial gauge flux can be generated using Rashba spin-orbit coupling or a magnetic field. Vortex lines in the Higgs field are known to bind chiral fermionic modes, each of which serves as a one-way channel for electric charge with conductance e2/h . Combining these elements, we present a physical picture, the "topological coaxial cable," illustrating how the value of the quantized conductance could be controlled in such an axion insulator.

On the mechanism of charge transport in low density polyethylene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upadhyay, Avnish K.; Reddy, C. C.

2017-08-01

Polyethylene based polymeric insulators, are being increasingly used in the power industry for their inherent advantages over conventional insulation materials. Specifically, modern power cables are almost made with these materials, replacing the mass-impregnated oil-paper cable technology. However, for ultra-high dc voltage applications, the use of these polymeric cables is hindered by ununderstood charge transport and accumulation. The conventional conduction mechanisms (Pool-Frenkel, Schottky, etc.) fail to track high-field charge transport in low density polyethylene, which is semi-crystalline in nature. Until now, attention was devoted mainly to the amorphous region of the material. In this paper, authors propose a novel mechanism for conduction in low density polyethylene, which could successfully track experimental results. As an implication, a novel, substantial relationship is established for electrical conductivity that could be effectively used for understanding conduction and breakdown in polyethylene, which is vital for successful development of ultra-high voltage dc cables.

Transient changes in electric fields induced by interaction of ultraintense laser pulses with insulator and metal foils: Sustainable fields spanning several millimeters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Shunsuke; Tokita, Shigeki; Hashida, Masaki; Sakabe, Shuji

2015-04-01

The temporal evolutions of electromagnetic fields generated by the interaction between ultraintense lasers (1.3 ×1018 and 8.2 ×1018W /c m2 ) and solid targets at a distance of several millimeters from the laser-irradiated region have been investigated by electron deflectometry. For three types of foil targets (insulating foil, conductive foil, and insulating foil onto which a metal disk was deposited), transient changes in the fields were observed. We found that the direction, strength, and temporal evolution of the generated fields differ markedly for these three types of targets. The results provide an insight for studying the emission dynamics of laser-accelerated fast electrons.

Complex oxide ferroelectrics: Electrostatic doping by domain walls

DOE PAGES

Maksymovych, Petro

2015-06-19

Electrically conducting interfaces can form, rather unexpectedly, by breaking the translational symmetry of electrically insulating complex oxides. For example, a nanometre-thick heteroepitaxial interface between electronically insulating LaAlO 3 and SrTiO 3 supports a 2D electron gas1 with high mobility of >1,000 cm 2 V -1 s -1 (ref. 2). Such interfaces can exhibit magnetism, superconductivity and phase transitions that may form the functional basis of future electronic devices2. A peculiar conducting interface can be created within a polar ferroelectric oxide by breaking the translational symmetry of the ferroelectric order parameter and creating a so-called ferroelectric domain wall (Fig. 1a,b). Ifmore » the direction of atomic displacements changes at the wall in such a way as to create a discontinuity in the polarization component normal to the wall (Fig. 1a), the domain wall becomes electrostatically charged. It may then attract compensating mobile charges of opposite sign produced by dopant ionization, photoexcitation or other effects, thereby locally, electrostatically doping the host ferroelectric film. In contrast to conductive interfaces between epitaxially grown oxides, domain walls can be reversibly created, positioned and shaped by electric fields, enabling reconfigurable circuitry within the same volume of the material. Now, writing in Nature Nanotechnology, Arnaud Crassous and colleagues at EPFL and University of Geneva demonstrate control and stability of charged conducting domain walls in ferroelectric thin films of BiFeO 3 down to the nanoscale.« less

Thermo-structural analysis and electrical conductivity behavior of epoxy/metals composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boumedienne, N.; Faska, Y.; Maaroufi, A.; Pinto, G.; Vicente, L.; Benavente, R.

2017-05-01

This paper reports on the elaboration and characterization of epoxy resin filled with metallic particles powder (aluminum, tin and zinc) composites. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) pictures, density measurements and x-ray diffraction analysis (DRX) showed a homogeneous phase of obtained composites. The differential scanning calorimetry revealed a good adherence at matrix-filler interfaces, confirming the SEM observations. The measured glass transition temperatures depend on composites fillers' nature. Afterwards, the electrical conductivity of composites versus their fillers' contents has been investigated. The obtained results depict a nonlinear behavior, indicating an insulator to conductor phase transition at a conduction threshold; with high contrast of ten decades. Hence, the elaborated materials give a possibility to obtain dielectric or electrically conducting phases, which can to be interesting in the choice of desired applications. Finally, the obtained results have been successfully simulated on the basis of different percolation models approach combined with structural characterization inferences.

Integrated device architectures for electrochromic devices

DOEpatents

Frey, Jonathan Mack; Berland, Brian Spencer

2015-04-21

This disclosure describes systems and methods for creating monolithically integrated electrochromic devices which may be a flexible electrochromic device. Monolithic integration of thin film electrochromic devices may involve the electrical interconnection of multiple individual electrochromic devices through the creation of specific structures such as conductive pathway or insulating isolation trenches.

75 FR 51239 - Application(s) for Duty-Free Entry of Scientific Instruments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-19

... electrically conduction as well as insulation nanostructures prepared by in situ deposition onto clean surfaces. In-situ capacities allow the preparation of clean and well-defined nanostructures on pristine... these experiments. The instrument also has in-situ preparation capability and the ability to operate in...

Ideology of a multiparametric system for estimating the insulation system of electric machines on the basis of absorption testing methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kislyakov, M. A.; Chernov, V. A.; Maksimkin, V. L.; Bozhin, Yu. M.

2017-12-01

The article deals with modern methods of monitoring the state and predicting the life of electric machines. In 50% of the cases of failure in the performance of electric machines is associated with insulation damage. As promising, nondestructive methods of control, methods based on the investigation of the processes of polarization occurring in insulating materials are proposed. To improve the accuracy of determining the state of insulation, a multiparametric approach is considered, which is a basis for the development of an expert system for estimating the state of health.

Direct electron injection into an oxide insulator using a cathode buffer layer

PubMed Central

Lee, Eungkyu; Lee, Jinwon; Kim, Ji-Hoon; Lim, Keon-Hee; Seok Byun, Jun; Ko, Jieun; Dong Kim, Young; Park, Yongsup; Kim, Youn Sang

2015-01-01

Injecting charge carriers into the mobile bands of an inorganic oxide insulator (for example, SiO2, HfO2) is a highly complicated task, or even impossible without external energy sources such as photons. This is because oxide insulators exhibit very low electron affinity and high ionization energy levels. Here we show that a ZnO layer acting as a cathode buffer layer permits direct electron injection into the conduction bands of various oxide insulators (for example, SiO2, Ta2O5, HfO2, Al2O3) from a metal cathode. Studies of current–voltage characteristics reveal that the current ohmically passes through the ZnO/oxide-insulator interface. Our findings suggests that the oxide insulators could be used for simply fabricated, transparent and highly stable electronic valves. With this strategy, we demonstrate an electrostatic discharging diode that uses 100-nm SiO2 as an active layer exhibiting an on/off ratio of ∼107, and protects the ZnO thin-film transistors from high electrical stresses. PMID:25864642

Fermi surface in the absence of a Fermi liquid in the Kondo insulator SmB6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartstein, M.; Toews, W. H.; Hsu, Y.-T.; Zeng, B.; Chen, X.; Hatnean, M. Ciomaga; Zhang, Q. R.; Nakamura, S.; Padgett, A. S.; Rodway-Gant, G.; Berk, J.; Kingston, M. K.; Zhang, G. H.; Chan, M. K.; Yamashita, S.; Sakakibara, T.; Takano, Y.; Park, J.-H.; Balicas, L.; Harrison, N.; Shitsevalova, N.; Balakrishnan, G.; Lonzarich, G. G.; Hill, R. W.; Sutherland, M.; Sebastian, Suchitra E.

2018-02-01

The search for a Fermi surface in the absence of a conventional Fermi liquid has thus far yielded very few potential candidates. Among promising materials are spin-frustrated Mott insulators near the insulator-metal transition, where theory predicts a Fermi surface associated with neutral low-energy excitations. Here we reveal another route to experimentally realize a Fermi surface in the absence of a Fermi liquid by the experimental study of a Kondo insulator SmB6 positioned close to the insulator-metal transition. We present experimental signatures down to low temperatures (<<1 K) associated with a Fermi surface in the bulk, including a sizeable linear specific heat coefficient, and on the application of a finite magnetic field, bulk magnetic quantum oscillations, finite quantum oscillatory entropy, and substantial enhancement in thermal conductivity well below the charge gap energy scale. Thus, the weight of evidence indicates that despite an extreme instance of Fermi liquid breakdown in Kondo insulating SmB6, a Fermi surface arises from novel itinerant low-energy excitations that couple to magnetic fields, but not weak DC electric fields.

Thin films of topological Kondo insulator candidate SmB6: Strong spin-orbit torque without exclusive surface conduction

PubMed Central

Li, Yufan; Ma, Qinli; Huang, S. X.; Chien, C. L.

2018-01-01

The advent of topological insulators (TIs), a novel class of materials that harbor a metallic spin-chiral surface state coexisting with band-insulating bulk, opens up new possibilities for spintronics. One promising route is current-induced switching of an adjacent magnetic layer via spin-orbit torque (SOT), arising from the large spin-orbit coupling intrinsically possessed by TIs. The Kondo insulator SmB6 has been recently proposed to be a strongly correlated TI, supported by the observation of a metallic surface state in bulk SmB6, as evidenced by the thickness independence of the low-temperature resistance plateau. We report the synthesis of epitaxial (001) SmB6/Si thin films and a systematic thickness-dependent electrical transport study. Although the low-temperature resistance plateau is observed for all films from 50 to 500 nm in thickness, the resistance is distinctively thickness-dependent and does not support the notion of surface conduction and interior insulation. On the other hand, we demonstrate that SmB6 can generate a large SOT to switch an adjacent ferromagnetic layer, even at room temperature. The effective SOT generated from SmB6 is comparable to that from β-W, one of the strongest SOT materials. PMID:29376125

The Charging of Composites in the Space Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Czepiela, Steven A.

1997-01-01

Deep dielectric charging and subsequent electrostatic discharge in composite materials used on spacecraft have become greater concerns since composite materials are being used more extensively as main structural components. Deep dielectric charging occurs when high energy particles penetrate and deposit themselves in the insulating material of spacecraft components. These deposited particles induce an electric field in the material, which causes the particles to move and thus changes the electric field. The electric field continues to change until a steady state is reached between the incoming particles from the space environment and the particles moving away due to the electric field. An electrostatic discharge occurs when the electric field is greater than the dielectric strength of the composite material. The goal of the current investigation is to investigate deep dielectric charging in composite materials and ascertain what modifications have to be made to the composite properties to alleviate any breakdown issues. A 1-D model was created. The space environment, which is calculated using the Environmental Workbench software, the composite material properties, and the electric field and voltage boundary conditions are input into the model. The output from the model is the charge density, electric field, and voltage distributions as functions of the depth into the material and time. Analysis using the model show that there should be no deep dielectric charging problem with conductive composites such as carbon fiber/epoxy. With insulating materials such as glass fiber/epoxy, Kevlar, and polymers, there is also no concern of deep dielectric charging problems with average day-to-day particle fluxes. However, problems can arise during geomagnetic substorms and solar particle events where particle flux levels increase by several orders of magnitude, and thus increase the electric field in the material by several orders of magnitude. Therefore, the second part of this investigation was an experimental attempt to measure the continuum electrical properties of a carbon fiber/epoxy composite, and to create a composite with tailorable conductivity without affecting its mechanical properties. The measurement of the conductivity and dielectric strength of carbon fiber/epoxy composites showed that these properties are surface layer dominated and difficult to measure. In the second experimental task, the conductivity of a glass fiber/epoxy composite was increased by 3 orders of magnitude, dielectric constant was increased approximately by a factor of 16, with minimal change to the mechanical properties, by adding conductive carbon black to the epoxy.

Component for thermoelectric generator

DOEpatents

Purdy, David L.

1977-01-01

In a thermoelectric generator, a component comprises a ceramic insulator, having over limited areas thereof, each area corresponding to a terminal end of thermoelectric wires, a coating of a first metal which adheres to the insulator, and an electrical thermoelectric junction including a second metal which wets said first metal and adheres to said terminal ends but does not wet said insulator, and a cloth composed of electrically insulating threads interlaced with thermoelectric wires.

Charging Characteristics of an Insulating Hollow Cylinder in Vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Osamu; Hayashi, Hirotaka; Wadahama, Toshihiko; Takeda, Daisuke; Hamada, Shoji; Ohsawa, Yasuharu

This paper deals with charging characteristics of the inner surface of an insulating hollow cylinder in vacuum. We conducted measurements of electric field strength near the triple points on cathode by using an electrostatic probe. Also we conducted a computer simulation of charging based on the Secondary Electron Emission Avalanche (SEEA) mechanism. These results are compared with those obtained previously for solid cylinders. As a result, we have clarified that hollow cylinders acquire surface charge which is larger than that of solid cylinders. We have also found that charge controlling effect by roughening the inner surface, which have been proved effective to depress charging on the surface of solid cylinders in our previous studies, is limited for hollow cylinders.

Effect of oxygen concentration on fire growth of various types of cable bending in horizontal and vertical orientations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pangaribuan, Adrianus; Dhiputra, I. M. K.; Nugroho, Yulianto S.

2017-03-01

Electrical cable is a whole of the material including metal (cooper) conductor and its insulation, when an electrical cable is flowed by electric current, based on its own capacity, the temperature of cable conductor increases gradually. If the current flows above the cable carrying capacity, then an extreme temperature rises are expected. When temperature increase, the electric current flow inside cable conductor will decrease gradually related to the resistance and could occur repeatedly in a period. Since electrical faults on electrical cable system are often suspected as the cause of fires, thus this research aims to investigate measures of preventing the fire to start by means of controlling oxygen concentration in a cable compartment. The experimental work was conducted in laboratory by using electrical power cable of 1.5 mm2 size. Two transparent chambers were applied for studying the effect of vertical and horizontal orientations on the cable temperature rise, under various oxygen concentration of the gas streams. In the present work, the electrical was maintained at a constant level during a typical test run. Parametric studies reported in the paper include the use of a bare and insulated cables as well as the bending shape of the cable lines of a straight cable, coiled cable and randomly bent cable which were loaded with the same electric load and oxygen concentration in the gas supply.

Mobile metallic domain walls in an all-in-all-out magnetic insulator

DOE PAGES

Ma, Eric Yue; Cui, Yong -Tao; Ueda, Kentaro; ...

2015-10-30

Magnetic domain walls are boundaries between regions with different configurations of the same magnetic order. In a magnetic insulator, where the magnetic order is tied to its bulk insulating property, it has been postulated that electrical properties are drastically different along the domain walls, where the order is inevitably disturbed. Here we report the discovery of highly conductive magnetic domain walls in a magnetic insulator, Nd 2Ir 2O 7, that has an unusual all-in-all-out magnetic order, via transport and spatially resolved microwave impedance microscopy. The domain walls have a virtually temperature-independent sheet resistance of ~1 kilohm per square, show smoothmore » morphology with no preferred orientation, are free from pinning by disorders, and have strong thermal and magnetic field responses that agree with expectations for all-in-all-out magnetic order.« less

Mobile metallic domain walls in an all-in-all-out magnetic insulator.

PubMed

Ma, Eric Yue; Cui, Yong-Tao; Ueda, Kentaro; Tang, Shujie; Chen, Kai; Tamura, Nobumichi; Wu, Phillip M; Fujioka, Jun; Tokura, Yoshinori; Shen, Zhi-Xun

2015-10-30

Magnetic domain walls are boundaries between regions with different configurations of the same magnetic order. In a magnetic insulator, where the magnetic order is tied to its bulk insulating property, it has been postulated that electrical properties are drastically different along the domain walls, where the order is inevitably disturbed. Here we report the discovery of highly conductive magnetic domain walls in a magnetic insulator, Nd2Ir2O7, that has an unusual all-in-all-out magnetic order, via transport and spatially resolved microwave impedance microscopy. The domain walls have a virtually temperature-independent sheet resistance of ~1 kilohm per square, show smooth morphology with no preferred orientation, are free from pinning by disorders, and have strong thermal and magnetic field responses that agree with expectations for all-in-all-out magnetic order. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Disorder enabled band structure engineering of a topological insulator surface

DOE PAGES

Xu, Yishuai; Chiu, Janet; Miao, Lin; ...

2017-02-03

Three-dimensional topological insulators are bulk insulators with Z 2 topological electronic order that gives rise to conducting light-like surface states. These surface electrons are exceptionally resistant to localization by non-magnetic disorder, and have been adopted as the basis for a wide range of proposals to achieve new quasiparticle species and device functionality. Recent studies have yielded a surprise by showing that in spite of resisting localization, topological insulator surface electrons can be reshaped by defects into distinctive resonance states. Here we use numerical simulations and scanning tunnelling microscopy data to show that these resonance states have significance well beyond themore » localized regime usually associated with impurity bands. Lastly, at native densities in the model Bi 2X 3 (X=Bi, Te) compounds, defect resonance states are predicted to generate a new quantum basis for an emergent electron gas that supports diffusive electrical transport.« less

Ultrafast transient photocarrier dynamics of the bulk-insulating topological insulator B i1.5S b0.5T e1.7S e1.3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Young Gwan; Zhung, Chan June; Park, Sun-Hee; Park, Joonbum; Kim, Jun Sung; Kim, Seongheun; Park, Jaehun; Lee, J. S.

2018-02-01

Using optical-pump terahertz-probe spectroscopy, we investigated an ultrafast photocarrier relaxation behavior in a B i1.5S b0.5T e1.7S e1.3 (BSTS) single crystal, which is one of the most bulk-insulating topological insulators. Compared to n -type bulk-metallic B i2S e3 , we found that BSTS endows distinct behaviors in its photocarrier dynamics; the relaxation time turns out to be an order of magnitude longer, and the transient conductance spectrum exhibits a nonlinear increase as a function of the pumping power. Also, we observed an abrupt reduction of the photocarrier scattering rate in several picoseconds after the initial photoexcitation. We discuss these intriguing experimental observations based on a bulk-to-surface carrier injection assisted by the built-in electric field near the surface and electron-phonon scattering.

Electrochemical cell having cylindrical electrode elements

DOEpatents

Nelson, Paul A.; Shimotake, Hiroshi

1982-01-01

A secondary, high temperature electrochemical cell especially adapted for lithium alloy negative electrodes, transition metal chalcogenide positive electrodes and alkali metal halide or alkaline earth metal halide electrolyte is disclosed. The cell is held within an elongated cylindrical container in which one of the active materials is filled around the outside surfaces of a plurality of perforate tubular current collectors along the length of the container. Each of the current collector tubes contain a concentric tubular layer of electrically insulative ceramic as an interelectrode separator. The active material of opposite polarity in elongated pin shape is positioned longitudinally within the separator layer. A second electrically conductive tube with perforate walls can be swagged or otherwise bonded to the outer surface of the pin as a current collector and the electrically insulative ceramic layer can be coated or otherwise layered onto the outer surface of this second current collector. Alternatively, the central pin electrode can include an axial core as a current collector.

Morphology and crystalline-phase-dependent electrical insulating properties in tailored polypropylene for HVDC cables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zha, Jun-Wei; Yan, Hong-Da; Li, Wei-Kang; Dang, Zhi-Min

2016-11-01

Polypropylene (PP) has become one promising material to potentially replace the cross-link polyethylene used for high voltage direct current cables. Besides the isotactic polypropylene, the block polypropylene (b-PP) and random polypropylene (r-PP) can be synthesized through the copolymerization of ethylene and propylene molecules. In this letter, the effect of morphology and crystalline phases on the insulating electrical properties of PP was investigated. It was found that the introduction of polyethylene monomer resulted in the formation of β and γ phases in b-PP and r-PP. The results from the characteristic trap energy levels indicated that the β and γ phases could induce deep electron traps which enable to capture the carriers. And the space charge accumulation was obviously suppressed. Besides, the decreased electrical conductivity was observed in b-PP and r-PP. It is attributed to the existence of deep traps which can effectively reduce the carrier mobility and density in materials.

Control of Nanofilament Structure and Observations of Quantum Point Contact Behavior in Ni/NiO Nanowire Junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, Sean; Fairfield, Jessamyn; Lee, Sunghun; Bellew, Allen; Stone, Iris; Ruppalt, Laura; Boland, John; Vora, Patrick

Resistive switching is ideal for use in non-volatile memory where information is stored in a metallic or insulating state. Nanowire junctions formed at the intersection of two Ni/NiO core/shell nanowires have emerged as a leading candidate structure where resistive switching occurs due to the formation and destruction of conducting filaments. However, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding the conduction mechanisms as measurements are typically only performed at room temperature. Here, we combine temperature-dependent current-voltage (IV) measurements from 15 - 300 K with magnetoresistance studies and achieve new insight into the nature of the conducting filaments. We identify a novel semiconducting state that behaves as a quantum point contact and find evidence for a possible electric-field driven phase transition. The insulating state exhibits unexpectedly complex IV characteristics that highlight the disordered nature of the ruptured filament while we find clear signs of anisotropic magnetoresistance in the metallic state. Our results expose previously unobserved behaviors in nanowire resistive switching devices and pave the way for future applications where both electrical and magnetic switching can be achieved in a single device. This work was supported by ONR Grant N-00014-15-1-2357.

Space charge dynamic of irradiated cyanate ester/epoxy at cryogenic temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shaohe; Tu, Youping; Fan, Linzhen; Yi, Chengqian; Wu, Zhixiong; Li, Laifeng

2018-03-01

Glass fibre reinforced polymers (GFRPs) have been widely used as one of the main electrical insulating structures for superconducting magnets. A new type of GFRP insulation material using cyanate ester/epoxy resin as a matrix was developed in this study, and the samples were irradiated by Co-60 for 1 MGy and 5 MGy dose. Space charge distributed within the sample were tested using the pulsed electroacoustic method, and charge concentration was found at the interfaces between glass fibre and epoxy resin. Thermally stimulated current (TSC) and dc conduction current were also tested to evaluate the irradiation effect. It was supposed that charge mobility and density were suppressed at the beginning due to the crosslinking reaction, and for a higher irradiation dose, molecular chain degradation dominated and led to more sever space charge accumulation at interfaces which enhance the internal electric field higher than the external field, and transition field for conduction current was also decreased by irradiation. Space charge dynamic at cryogenic temperature was revealed by conduction current and TSC, and space charge injection was observed for the irradiated samples at 225 K, which was more obvious for the irradiated samples.

Molten metal holder furnace and casting system incorporating the molten metal holder furnace

DOEpatents

Kinosz, Michael J.; Meyer, Thomas N.

2003-02-11

A bottom heated holder furnace (12) for containing a supply of molten metal includes a storage vessel (30) having sidewalls (32) and a bottom wall (34) defining a molten metal receiving chamber (36). A furnace insulating layer (42) lines the molten metal receiving chamber (36). A thermally conductive heat exchanger block (54) is located at the bottom of the molten metal receiving chamber (36) for heating the supply of molten metal. The heat exchanger block (54) includes a bottom face (65), side faces (66), and a top face (67). The heat exchanger block (54) includes a plurality of electrical heaters (70) extending therein and projecting outward from at least one of the faces of the heat exchanger block (54), and further extending through the furnace insulating layer (42) and one of the sidewalls (32) of the storage vessel (30) for connection to a source of electrical power. A sealing layer (50) covers the bottom face (65) and side faces (66) of the heat exchanger block (54) such that the heat exchanger block (54) is substantially separated from contact with the furnace insulating layer (42).

Atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3-HfO2-Al2O3 dielectrics for metal-insulator-metal capacitor applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Shi-Jin; Zhu, Chunxiang; Li, Ming-Fu; Zhang, David Wei

2005-08-01

Atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3-HfO2-Al2O3 dielectrics have been investigated to replace conventional silicon oxide and nitride for radio frequency and analog metal-insulator-metal capacitors applications. In the case of 1-nm-Al2O3, sufficiently good electrical performances are achieved, including a high dielectric constant of ˜17, a small dissipation factor of 0.018 at 100kHz, an extremely low leakage current of 7.8×10-9A/cm2 at 1MV/cm and 125°C, perfect voltage coefficients of capacitance (74ppm/V2 and 10ppm/V). The quadratic voltage coefficient of capacitance decreases with the applied frequency due to the change of relaxation time with different carrier mobility in insulator, and correlates with the dielectric composition and thickness, which is of intrinsic property owing to electric field polarization. Furthermore, the conduction mechanism of the AHA dielectrics is also discussed, indicating the Schottky emission dominated at room temperature.

Material Challenges and Opportunities for Commercial Electric Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Misra, Ajay

2014-01-01

Significant reduction in carbon dioxide emission for future air transportation system will require adoption of electric propulsion system and more electric architectures. Various options for aircraft electric propulsion include hybrid electric, turboelectric, and full electric system. Realization of electric propulsion system for commercial aircraft applications will require significant increases in power density of electric motors and energy density of energy storage system, such as the batteries and fuel cells. In addition, transmission of MW of power in the aircraft will require high voltage power transmission system to reduce the weight of the power transmission system. Finally, there will be significant thermal management challenges. Significant advances in material technologies will be required to meet these challenges. Technologies of interest include materials with higher electrical conductivity than Cu, high thermal conductivity materials, and lightweight electrically insulating materials with high breakdown voltage, high temperature magnets, advanced battery and fuel cell materials, and multifunctional materials. The presentation will include various challenges for commercial electric aircraft and provide an overview of material improvements that will be required to meet these challenges.

High thermal conductivity lossy dielectric using co-densified multilayer configuration

DOEpatents

Tiegs, Terry N.; Kiggans, Jr., James O.

2003-06-17

Systems and methods are described for loss dielectrics. A method of manufacturing a lossy dielectric includes providing at least one high dielectric loss layer and providing at least one high thermal conductivity-electrically insulating layer adjacent the at least one high dielectric loss layer and then densifying together. The systems and methods provide advantages because the lossy dielectrics are less costly and more environmentally friendly than the available alternatives.

A 0.5 MV magnetically self-insulated pulsed transformer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Istenic, M.; Novac, B. M.; Luo, J.; Kumar, R.; Smith, I. R.

2006-11-01

This paper describes the successful development of a light and compact 0.5 MV spiral-strip transformer, with the secondary winding contained in vacuum and based on magnetic self-insulation. Ensuring trouble-free operation required the use of conductive elastomers in electric field grading techniques and the adoption in the secondary winding of glass/ceramic conductor spacers. It is demonstrated that the primary-current/secondary breakdown-voltage characteristic is a function of the vacuum pressure, with only 52 kA being necessary to produce 0.5 MV at 10-6 Torr. The difficult task of modelling the transformer required 3D electric and magnetic field computation, together with state-of-the-art calculation of the electron flow in the vacuum. Based on the results obtained to date, scaling up to multi-megavolt transformers can readily be envisaged.

SERT II thrusters - Still ticking after eleven years

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerslake, W. R.

1981-01-01

The Space Electric Rocket Test II (SERT II) spacecraft was launched in 1970 with a primary objective of demonstrating long-term operation of a space electric thruster system. An overview is presented of all the SERT II testing conducted during the time from 1970 to 1981. Thruster testing and interaction results are considered, taking into account ion beam thrusting, distant neutralization, and the plasma beam thrust. In a discussion of durability testing, attention is given to the main cathodes, the neutralizer cathodes, the main keeper insulator, the H.V. grid insulators, the neutralizer propellant tanks, and the main propellant tanks. The most important result of the study is related to the confidence gained that mercury bombardment ion thruster systems can be built and operated in space on a routine basis with the same lifetime and performance as measured in ground testing.

Ambipolar surface state thermoelectric power of topological insulator Bi2Se3.

PubMed

Kim, Dohun; Syers, Paul; Butch, Nicholas P; Paglione, Johnpierre; Fuhrer, Michael S

2014-01-01

We measure gate-tuned thermoelectric power of mechanically exfoliated Bi2Se3 thin films in the topological insulator regime. The sign of the thermoelectric power changes across the charge neutrality point as the majority carrier type switches from electron to hole, consistent with the ambipolar electric field effect observed in conductivity and Hall effect measurements. Near the charge neutrality point and at low temperatures, the gate-dependent thermoelectric power follows the semiclassical Mott relation using the expected surface state density of states but is larger than expected at high electron doping, possibly reflecting a large density of states in the bulk gap. The thermoelectric power factor shows significant enhancement near the electron-hole puddle carrier density ∼0.5 × 10(12) cm(-2) per surface at all temperatures. Together with the expected reduction of lattice thermal conductivity in low-dimensional structures, the results demonstrate that nanostructuring and Fermi level tuning of three-dimensional topological insulators can be promising routes to realize efficient thermoelectric devices.

Wide Bandgap Extrinsic Photoconductive Switches

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sullivan, James S.

2013-07-03

Semi-insulating Gallium Nitride, 4H and 6H Silicon Carbide are attractive materials for compact, high voltage, extrinsic, photoconductive switches due to their wide bandgap, high dark resistance, high critical electric field strength and high electron saturation velocity. These wide bandgap semiconductors are made semi-insulating by the addition of vanadium (4H and 6HSiC) and iron (2H-GaN) impurities that form deep acceptors. These deep acceptors trap electrons donated from shallow donor impurities. The electrons can be optically excited from these deep acceptor levels into the conduction band to transition the wide bandgap semiconductor materials from a semi-insulating to a conducting state. Extrinsic photoconductivemore » switches with opposing electrodes have been constructed using vanadium compensated 6H-SiC and iron compensated 2H-GaN. These extrinsic photoconductive switches were tested at high voltage and high power to determine if they could be successfully used as the closing switch in compact medical accelerators.« less

Micro-fabricated integrated coil and magnetic circuit and method of manufacturing thereof

DOEpatents

Mihailovich, Robert E.; Papavasiliou, Alex P.; Mehrotra, Vivek; Stupar, Philip A.; Borwick, III, Robert L.; Ganguli, Rahul; DeNatale, Jeffrey F.

2017-03-28

A micro-fabricated electromagnetic device is provided for on-circuit integration. The electromagnetic device includes a core. The core has a plurality of electrically insulating layers positioned alternatingly between a plurality of magnetic layers to collectively form a continuous laminate having alternating magnetic and electrically insulating layers. The electromagnetic device includes a coil embedded in openings of the semiconductor substrate. An insulating material is positioned in the cavity and between the coil and an inner surface of the core. A method of manufacturing the electromagnetic device includes providing a semiconductor substrate having openings formed therein. Windings of a coil are electroplated and embedded in the openings. The insulating material is coated on or around an exposed surface of the coil. Alternating magnetic layers and electrically insulating layers may be micro-fabricated and electroplated as a single and substantially continuous segment on or around the insulating material.

Study of curved glass photovoltaic module and module electrical isolation design requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The design of a 1.2 by 2.4 m curved glass superstrate and support clip assembly is presented, along with the results of finite element computer analysis and a glass industry survey conducted to assess the technical and economic feasibility of the concept. Installed costs for four curved glass module array configurations are estimated and compared with cost previously reported for comparable flat glass module configurations. Electrical properties of candidate module encapsulation systems are evaluated along with present industry practice for the design and testing of electrical insulation systems. Electric design requirements for module encapsulation systems are also discussed.

Study of curved glass photovoltaic module and module electrical isolation design requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1980-06-01

The design of a 1.2 by 2.4 m curved glass superstrate and support clip assembly is presented, along with the results of finite element computer analysis and a glass industry survey conducted to assess the technical and economic feasibility of the concept. Installed costs for four curved glass module array configurations are estimated and compared with cost previously reported for comparable flat glass module configurations. Electrical properties of candidate module encapsulation systems are evaluated along with present industry practice for the design and testing of electrical insulation systems. Electric design requirements for module encapsulation systems are also discussed.

Website malfunction: a case report highlighting the danger of using electrical insulating tape for buddy strapping

PubMed Central

Devitt, Brian Meldan; Baker, Joseph F; Fitzgerald, Eilis; McCarthy, Conor

2010-01-01

A case of injury to the third web space of the right hand of a rugby player, as a result of buddy strapping with electrical insulating tape of the little and ring finger, is presented. A deep laceration of the web space and distal palmar fascia resulted, necessitating wound exploration and repair. This case highlights the danger of using electrical insulating tape as a means to buddy strap fingers. PMID:22736733

Origins of enhanced thermoelectric power factor in topologically insulating Bi{sub 0.64}Sb{sub 1.36}Te{sub 3} thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Wei; State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070; Chi, Hang

2016-01-25

In this research, we report the enhanced thermoelectric power factor in topologically insulating thin films of Bi{sub 0.64}Sb{sub 1.36}Te{sub 3} with a thickness of 6–200 nm. Measurements of scanning tunneling spectroscopy and electronic transport show that the Fermi level lies close to the valence band edge, and that the topological surface state (TSS) is electron dominated. We find that the Seebeck coefficient of the 6 nm and 15 nm thick films is dominated by the valence band, while the TSS chiefly contributes to the electrical conductivity. In contrast, the electronic transport of the reference 200 nm thick film behaves similar to bulk thermoelectric materialsmore » with low carrier concentration, implying the effect of the TSS on the electronic transport is merely prominent in the thin region. The conductivity of the 6 nm and 15 nm thick film is obviously higher than that in the 200 nm thick film owing to the highly mobile TSS conduction channel. As a consequence of the enhanced electrical conductivity and the suppressed bipolar effect in transport properties for the 6 nm thick film, an impressive power factor of about 2.0 mW m{sup −1} K{sup −2} is achieved at room temperature for this film. Further investigations of the electronic transport properties of TSS and interactions between TSS and the bulk band might result in a further improved thermoelectric power factor in topologically insulating Bi{sub 0.64}Sb{sub 1.36}Te{sub 3} thin films.« less

Self-potential response to periodic pumping test: a numerical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konosavsky, Pavel; Maineult, Alexis; Narbut, Mikhail; Titov, Konstantin

2017-09-01

We numerically model self-potential responses associated with periodic pumping test experiments by sequential calculation of the hydraulic response and the coupled electrical potential. We assume the pumping test experiments with a fully saturated confined aquifer. Application of different excitation functions leads to quasi-linear trends in electrical records whose direction and intensity depend on the form of the excitation function. The hydraulic response is phase shifted compared to the excitation function; the phase shift increases quasi-linearly with the distance from the pumping well. For the electrical signals, we investigated separately the cases of conducting and insulating casings of the pumping well. For the conducting casing the electrical signals are larger in magnitude than that for the insulating casing; they reproduce the drawdown signals in the pumping well at any distance from the well and exhibit any phase shift with the increased distance. For the insulating casing, the electrical signals are phase shifted and their shape depends on the distance from the pumping well. Three characteristic regimes were found for the phase shift, φ, with the increased distance and for various hydraulic diffusivity values. At small distances φ increases quasi-linearly; at intermediate distances φ attends the value of π/2 and stay about this value (for relatively small diffusivity values); and at large distances φ attends the value of π and, stay about this value at larger distances. This behaviour of the electrical signals can be explained by two electrical sources of reverse polarity. They are (i) linear, time independent, and located at the pumping interval of the well; and (ii) volumetric, time dependent, with maximum value located in the aquifer at the distance corresponding to maximum variation of the hydraulic head magnitude with time. We also model the variation of the amplitude and phase of the hydraulic and electrical signals with increased excitation function period, and we show the characteristic periods corresponding to transition of the periodic pumping test regime to the classical pumping test regime, when the excitation function is considered as the step-function. This transition depends on the distance from the pumping well and the hydraulic diffusivity value of aquifer. Finally, with this modelling of saturated flow we reproduced in sufficient details the field data previously obtained by Maineult et al.

Thermal conductance of Nb thin films at sub-kelvin temperatures

PubMed Central

Feshchenko, A. V.; Saira, O.-P.; Peltonen, J. T.; Pekola, J. P.

2017-01-01

We determine the thermal conductance of thin niobium (Nb) wires on a silica substrate in the temperature range of 0.1–0.6 K using electron thermometry based on normal metal-insulator-superconductor tunnel junctions. We find that at 0.6 K, the thermal conductance of Nb is two orders of magnitude lower than that of Al in the superconducting state, and two orders of magnitude below the Wiedemann-Franz conductance calculated with the normal state resistance of the wire. The measured thermal conductance exceeds the prediction of the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory, and demonstrates a power law dependence on temperature as T4.5, instead of an exponential one. At the same time, we monitor the temperature profile of the substrate along the Nb wire to observe possible overheating of the phonon bath. We show that Nb can be successfully used for thermal insulation in a nanoscale circuit while simultaneously providing an electrical connection. PMID:28155895

Flexible gas insulated transmission line having regions of reduced electric field

DOEpatents

Cookson, Alan H.; Fischer, William H.; Yoon, Kue H.; Meyer, Jeffry R.

1983-01-01

A gas insulated transmission line having radially flexible field control means for reducing the electric field along the periphery of the inner conductor at predetermined locations wherein the support insulators are located. The radially flexible field control means of the invention includes several structural variations of the inner conductor, wherein careful controlling of the length to depth of surface depressions produces regions of reduced electric field. Several embodiments of the invention dispose a flexible connector at the predetermined location along the inner conductor where the surface depressions that control the reduced electric field are located.

Vacuum chamber for containing particle beams

DOEpatents

Harvey, A.

1985-11-26

A vacuum chamber for containing a charged particle beam in a rapidly changing magnetic environment comprises a ceramic pipe with conducting strips oriented along the longitudinal axis of the pipe and with circumferential conducting bands oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis but joined with a single longitudinal electrical connection. When both strips and bands are on the outside of the ceramic pipe, insulated from each other, a high-resistance conductive layer such as nickel can be coated on the inside of the pipe.

A Review on Resistive Switching in High-k Dielectrics: A Nanoscale Point of View Using Conductive Atomic Force Microscope

PubMed Central

Lanza, Mario

2014-01-01

Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) structures have raised as the most promising configuration for next generation information storage, leading to great performance and fabrication-friendly Resistive Random Access Memories (RRAM). In these cells, the memory concept is no more based on the charge storage, but on tuning the electrical resistance of the insulating layer by applying electrical stresses to reach a high resistive state (HRS or “0”) and a low resistive state (LRS or “1”), which makes the memory point. Some high-k dielectrics show this unusual property and in the last years high-k based RRAM have been extensively analyzed, especially at the device level. However, as resistance switching (in the most promising cells) is a local phenomenon that takes place in areas of ~100 nm2, the use of characterization tools with high lateral spatial resolution is necessary. In this paper the status of resistive switching in high-k materials is reviewed from a nanoscale point of view by means of conductive atomic force microscope analyses. PMID:28788561

Electrodeless electro-hydrodynamic gentle printing of personalized medicines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khusid, Boris; Elele, Ezinwa; Shen, Yueyang

2010-11-01

Drop-on-demand (DOD) principle appears to be a particular promising approach for manufacturing personalized treatments carefully tailored to a patient's genetic background. The authors have recently developed a DOD method for gentle printing of personalized medicines. A fluid is infused into an electrically insulating nozzle to form a pendant drop. A sufficiently strong voltage pulse is applied to external electrodes to stretch the pendant drop until it touches an electrically insulating film and forms a liquid bridge. As the liquid bridge is intentionally formed in an unstable configuration, it breaks up, creating two drops, one on the film and the other hanging from the nozzle. To prove the validity and versatility of the method, experiments are conducted on fluids whose viscosity, conductivity, dielectric constant, and surface tension vary over a broad range, respectively: 1-1045 cP, 0.02-290 μS/cm, 9-78, and 41-72 dyn/cm. We present a scaling analysis that captures the essential physics of drop evolution and provides the critical design guidelines. The work was supported by NSF Engineering Research Center on Structured Organic Particulate Systems.

Direct Observation of Surface Potential Distribution in Insulation Resistance Degraded Acceptor-Doped BaTiO3 Multilayered Ceramic Capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Kootak; Lee, Tae Hyung; Suh, Jun Min; Park, Jae-Sung; Kwon, Hyung-Soon; Choi, Jaeho; Jang, Ho Won

2018-05-01

Insulation resistance (IR) degradation in BaTiO3 is a key issue for developing miniaturized multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) with high capacity. Despite rapid progress in BaTiO3-based MLCCs, the mechanism of IR degradation is still controversial. In this study, we demonstrate the Al doping effect on IR degradation behavior of BaTiO3 MLCCs by electrical measurements and scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM). As the Al doping concentration in BaTiO3 increases, IR degradation of MLCCs seems to be suppressed from electrical characterization results. However, SKPM results reveal that the conductive regions near the cathode become lager with Al doping after IR degradation. The formation of conducting regions is attributed to the migration of oxygen vacancies, which is the origin of IR degradation in BaTiO3, in dielectric layers. These results imply that acceptor doping in BaTiO3 solely cannot suppress the IR degradation in MLCC even though less asymmetric IR characteristics and IR degradation in MLCCs with higher Al doping concentration are observed from electrical characterization. Our results strongly suggest that observing the surface potential distribution in IR degraded dielectric layers using SKPM is an effective method to unravel the mechanism of IR degradation in MLCCs.

Electrochemical cell with powdered electrically insulative material as a separator

DOEpatents

Mathers, James P.; Olszanski, Theodore W.; Boquist, Carl W.

1978-01-01

A secondary electrochemical cell includes electrodes separated by a layer of electrically insulative powder. The powder includes refractory materials selected from the oxides and nitrides of metals and metaloids. The powdered refractory material, blended with electrolyte particles, can be compacted in layers with electrode materials to form an integral electrode structure or separately assembled into the cell. The assembled cell is heated to operating temperature leaving porous layers of electrically insulative, refractory particles, containing molten electrolyte between the electrodes.

Method of preparing a powdered, electrically insulative separator for use in an electrochemical cell

DOEpatents

Cooper, Tom O.; Miller, William E.

1978-01-01

A secondary electrochemical cell includes electrodes separated by a layer of electrically insulative powder. The powder includes refractory materials selected from the oxides and nitrides of metals and metaloids. The powdered refractory material, blended with electrolyte particles, is compacted as layers onto an electrode to form an integral electrode structure and assembled into the cell. The assembled cell is heated to its operating temperature leaving porous layers of electrically insulative, refractory particles, containing molten electrolyte between the electrodes.

High temperature sensor

DOEpatents

Tokarz, Richard D.

1982-01-01

A high temperature sensor includes a pair of electrical conductors separated by a mass of electrical insulating material. The insulating material has a measurable resistivity within the sensor that changes in relation to the temperature of the insulating material within a high temperature range (1,000 to 2,000 K.). When required, the sensor can be encased within a ceramic protective coating.

Transport studies of mesoscopic and magnetic topological insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kandala, Abhinav

Topological Insulators (TI) are a novel class of materials that are ideally insulating in the bulk, but have gapless, metallic states at the surface. These surface states have very exciting properties such as suppressed backscattering and spin-momentum locking, which are of great interest for research efforts towards dissipation-less electronics and spintronics. The popular thermo-electrics from the Bi chalcogenide family -- Bi2Se3 and Bi 2Te3 -- have been experimentally demonstrated to be promising candidate TI materials, and form the chosen material system for this dissertation research. The first part of this dissertation research focuses on low temperature magneto-transport measurements of mesoscopic topological insulator devices (Chapter 3). The top-down patterning of epitaxial thin films of Bi2Se 3 and Bi2Te3 (that are plagued with bulk conduction) is motivated, in part, by an effort to enhance the surface-to-volume ratio in mesoscopic channels. At cryogenic temperatures, transport measurements of these devices reveal periodic conductance fluctuations in straight channel devices, despite the lack of any explicit patterning of the TI film into a ring or a loop. A careful analysis of the surface morphology and comparison with the transport data then demonstrate that scattering off the edges of triangular plateaus at the surface leads to the creation of Aharonov-Bohm electronic orbits responsible for the periodicity. Another major focus of this dissertation work is on combining topological insulators with magnetism. This has been shown to open a gap in the surface states leading to possibilities of magnetic "gating" and the realization of dissipation-less transport at zero-field, amongst several other exotic quantum phenomena. In this dissertation, I present two different schemes for probing these effects in electrical transport devices -- interfacing with insulating ferromagnets (Chapter 4) and bulk magnetic doping (Chapter 5). In Chapter 4, I shall present the integration of GdN with Bi2Se 3 thin films. Careful structural, magnetic and electrical characterization of the heterostructures is employed to confirm that the magnetic species is solely restricted to the surface, and that the ferromagnetic GdN layer to be insulating, ensuring current flow solely through the TI layer. We also devise a novel device geometry that enables direct comparison of the magneto-transport properties of TI films with and without proximate magnetism, all, in a single device. A comparative study of weak anti-localization suggested that the overlying GdN suppressed quantum interference in the top surface state. In our second generation heterostructure devices, GdN is interfaced with low-carrier density, gate-tunable thin films of (Bi,Sb)2Te3 grown on SrTiO 3 substrates. These devices enable us to map out the comparison of magneto-transport, as the chemical potential is tuned from the bulk conduction band into the bulk valence band. In a second approach to study the effects of magnetism on TI's, I shall present, in Chapter 5, our results from magnetic doping of (Bi,Sb) 2Te3 thin films with Cr -- a system that was recently demonstrated to be a Quantum Anomalous Hall (QAH) insulator. In a Cr-rich regime, a highly insulating, high Curie temperature ferromagnetic phase is achieved. However, a careful, iterative process of tuning the composition of this complex alloy enabled access to the QAHE regime, with the observation of near dissipation-less transport and perfect Hall quantization at zero external field. Furthermore, we demonstrate a field tilt driven crossover between a quantum anomalous Hall phase and a gapless, ferromagnetic TI phase. This crossover manifests itself in an electrically tunable, giant anisotropic magneto-resistance effect that we employ as a quantitative probe of edge transport in this system.

Power electronics cooling apparatus

DOEpatents

Sanger, Philip Albert; Lindberg, Frank A.; Garcen, Walter

2000-01-01

A semiconductor cooling arrangement wherein a semiconductor is affixed to a thermally and electrically conducting carrier such as by brazing. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the semiconductor and carrier are closely matched to one another so that during operation they will not be overstressed mechanically due to thermal cycling. Electrical connection is made to the semiconductor and carrier, and a porous metal heat exchanger is thermally connected to the carrier. The heat exchanger is positioned within an electrically insulating cooling assembly having cooling oil flowing therethrough. The arrangement is particularly well adapted for the cooling of high power switching elements in a power bridge.

Development of a qualification standard for adhesives used in hybrid microcircuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Licari, J. J.; Weigand, B. L.; Soykin, C. A.

1981-01-01

Improved qualification standards and test procedures for adhesives used in microelectronic packaging are developed. The test methods in specification for the Selection and Use of Organic Adhesives in Hybrid Microcircuits are reevaluated versus industry and government requirements. Four electrically insulative and four electrically conductive adhesives used in the assembly of hybrid microcircuits are selected to evaluate the proposed revised test methods. An estimate of the cost to perform qualification testing of an adhesive to the requirements of the revised specification is also prepared.

Influence of material uncertainties on the RLC parameters of wound inductors modeled using the finite element method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lossa, Geoffrey; Deblecker, Olivier; Grève, Zacharie De

2018-05-01

In this work, we highlight the influence of the material uncertainties (magnetic permeability, electric conductivity of a Mn-Zn ferrite core, and electric permittivity of wire insulation) on the RLC parameters of a wound inductor extracted from the finite element method. To that end, the finite element method is embedded in a Monte Carlo simulation. We show that considering mentioned different material properties as real random variables, leads to significant variations in the distributions of the RLC parameters.

System and method for sub-sea cable termination

DOEpatents

Chen, Qin; Yin, Weijun; Zhang, Lili

2016-04-05

An electrical connector includes a first cable termination chamber configured to receive a first power cable having at least a first conductor sheathed at least in part by a first insulating layer and a first insulation screen layer. Also, the electrical connector includes a first non-linear resistive layer configured to be coupled to a portion of the first conductor unsheathed by at least the first insulation screen layer and configured to control a direct current electric field generated in the first cable termination chamber. In addition, the electrical connector includes a first deflector configured to be coupled to the first power cable and control an alternating current electric field generated in the first cable termination chamber.

A transient hot-wire instrument for thermal conductivity measurements in electrically conducting liquids at elevated temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alloush, A.; Gosney, W. B.; Wakeham, W. A.

1982-09-01

This paper describes a novel type of transient hot-wire cell for thermal conductivity measurements on electrically conducting liquids. A tantalum wire of 25 μm. diameter is used as the sensing element in the cell, and it is insulated from the conducting liquids by an anodic film of tantalum pentoxide, 70 nm thick. The cell is suitable for measurements on conducting liquids at elevated temperatures. The results of test measurements on liquid water at its saturation vapor pressure are reported in order to confirm the correct operation of the thermal conductivity cell. The data, which have an estimated accuracy of ±3%, depart by less than ±1.8% from the correlation proposed by the International Association for the Properties of Steam. Results are also presented for concentrated aqueous solutions of lithium bromide, which are frequently used in absorption refrigerator cycles.

Percolation behaviour in the magnetic permeability and electrical conductivity in conducting magnetic - Insulating non magnetic binary composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLachlan, David S.; Doyle, Terence B.; Sauti, Godfrey

2018-07-01

Experimental results of the complex magnetic permeability (μ) and the electrical conductivity (σ) of a granular paramagnetic Gadolinium Gallium Garnet (GGG: 0.3-26 vol%) and Teflon (PTFE) system are presented and discussed in relation to previously published (conductivity) and unpublished (permeability) studies on granular Fe3O4 - talc and Ni - talc wax systems. In these systems plots of the real conductivity (σm‧) against the volume fraction (φ) lie on characteristic sigmoid curves that when fitted to the Two Exponent Phenomenological Percolation Equation (TEPPE) confirm the existence of "percolation microstructures" with critical volume fractions (φc). The plots of the real and imaginary permeability (μm‧) and (μm″) satisfactorily fit to the TEPPE using the φc obtained in each case from the "conductivity" measurements. In all three cases the conductivity results gave the exponent t > 2, and the permeability results gave t < 1.

Solid state thermal rectifier

DOEpatents

None

2016-07-05

Thermal rectifiers using linear nanostructures as core thermal conductors have been fabricated. A high mass density material is added preferentially to one end of the nanostructures to produce an axially non-uniform mass distribution. The resulting nanoscale system conducts heat asymmetrically with greatest heat flow in the direction of decreasing mass density. Thermal rectification has been demonstrated for linear nanostructures that are electrical insulators, such as boron nitride nanotubes, and for nanostructures that are conductive, such as carbon nanotubes.

Light emitting ceramic device and method for fabricating the same

DOEpatents

Valentine, Paul; Edwards, Doreen D.; Walker Jr., William John; Slack, Lyle H.; Brown, Wayne Douglas; Osborne, Cathy; Norton, Michael; Begley, Richard

2004-11-30

A light-emitting ceramic based panel, hereafter termed "electroceramescent" panel, and alternative methods of fabrication for the same are claimed. The electroceramescent panel is formed on a substrate providing mechanical support as well as serving as the base electrode for the device. One or more semiconductive ceramic layers directly overlay the substrate, and electrical conductivity and ionic diffusion are controlled. Light emitting regions overlay the semiconductive ceramic layers, and said regions consist sequentially of a layer of a ceramic insulation layer and an electroluminescent layer, comprised of doped phosphors or the equivalent. One or more conductive top electrode layers having optically transmissive areas overlay the light emitting regions, and a multi-layered top barrier cover comprising one or more optically transmissive non-combustible insulation layers overlay said top electrode regions.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Takaki, Hirokazu; Kobayashi, Kazuaki; Shimono, Masato

We present the thermoelectric properties of TiN/MgO superlattices employing first-principles calculation techniques. The Seebeck coefficients, the electrical conductances, the thermal conductances, and the figure of merit are investigated employing electrical and thermal transport calculations based on density functional theory combined with the nonequilibrium Green's function and nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulation methods. The TiN/MgO superlattices with a small lattice mismatch at the interfaces are ideal systems to study the way for an enhancement of thermoelectric properties in artificial nanostructures. We find that the interfacial scattering between the two materials in the metal/insulator superlattices causes the electrical conductance to change rapidly, whichmore » enhances the Seebeck coefficient significantly. We show that the figure of merit for the artificial superlattice nanostructures has a much larger value compared with that of the bulk material and changes drastically with the superlattice configurations at the atomistic level.« less

Electrical Investigation of Metal-Olivine Systems and Application to the Deep Interior of Mercury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhou; Pommier, Anne

2017-12-01

We report electrical conductivity measurements on metal-olivine systems at about 5 and 6 GPa and up to 1,675°C in order to investigate the electrical properties of core-mantle boundary (CMB) systems. Electrical experiments were conducted in the multianvil apparatus using the impedance spectroscopy technique. The samples are composed of one metal layer (Fe, FeS, FeSi2, or Fe-Ni-S-Si) and one polycrystalline olivine layer, with the metal:olivine ratio ranging from 1:0.7 to 1:9.2. For all samples, we observe that the bulk electrical conductivity increases with temperature from 10-2.5 to 101.8 S/m, which is higher than the conductivity of polycrystalline olivine but lower than the conductivity of the pure metal phase at similar conditions. In some experiments, a conductivity jump is observed at the temperature corresponding to the melting temperature of the metallic phase. Both the metal:olivine ratio and the metal phase geometry control the electrical conductivity of the two-layer samples. By combining electrical results, textural analyses of the samples, and previous studies of the structure and composition of Mercury's interior, we propose an electrical profile of the deep interior of the planet that accounts for a layered CMB-outer core structure. The electrical model agrees with existing conductivity estimates of Mercury's lower mantle and CMB using magnetic observations and thermodynamic calculations, and thus, supports the hypothesis of a layered CMB-outermost core structure in the present-day interior of Mercury. We propose that the layered CMB-outer core structure is possibly electrically insulating, which may influence the planet's structure and cooling history.

Evaluating electrically insulating films deposited on V-4% Cr-4% Ti by reactive CVD

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Park, J.H.; Cho, W.D.

1997-04-01

Previous CaO coatings on V-4%Cr-4%Ti exhibited high-ohmic insulator behavior even though a small amount of vanadium from the alloy was incorporated in the coating. However, when the vanadium concentration in the coatings is > 15 wt%, the coating becomes conductive. When the vanadium concentration is high in localized areas, a calcium vanadate phase that exhibits semiconductor behavior can form. To explore this situation, CaO and Ca-V-O coatings were produced on vanadium alloys by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and by a metallic-vapor process to investigate the electrical resistance of the coatings. Initially, the vanadium alloy specimens were either charged with oxygenmore » in argon that contained trace levels of oxygen, or oxidized for 1.5-3 h in a 1% CO-CO{sub 2} gas mixture or in air to form vanadium oxide at 625-650{degrees}C. Most of the specimens were exposed to calcium vapor at 800-850{degrees}C. Initial and final weights were obtained to monitor each step, and surveillance samples were removed for examination by optical and scanning electron microscopy and electron-energy-dispersive and X-ray diffraction analysis; the electrical resistivity was also measured. The authors found that Ca-V-O films exhibited insulator behavior when the ratio of calcium concentration to vanadium concentration R in the film was > 0.9, and semiconductor or conductor behavior for R < 0.8. However, in some cases, semiconductor behavior was observed when CaO-coated samples with R > 0.98 were exposed in liquid lithium. Based on these studies, the authors conclude that semiconductor behavior occurs if a conductive calcium vanadate phase is present in localized regions in the CaO coating.« less

Microbial interspecies electron transfer via electric currents through conductive minerals

PubMed Central

Kato, Souichiro; Hashimoto, Kazuhito; Watanabe, Kazuya

2012-01-01

In anaerobic biota, reducing equivalents (electrons) are transferred between different species of microbes [interspecies electron transfer (IET)], establishing the basis of cooperative behaviors and community functions. IET mechanisms described so far are based on diffusion of redox chemical species and/or direct contact in cell aggregates. Here, we show another possibility that IET also occurs via electric currents through natural conductive minerals. Our investigation revealed that electrically conductive magnetite nanoparticles facilitated IET from Geobacter sulfurreducens to Thiobacillus denitrificans, accomplishing acetate oxidation coupled to nitrate reduction. This two-species cooperative catabolism also occurred, albeit one order of magnitude slower, in the presence of Fe ions that worked as diffusive redox species. Semiconductive and insulating iron-oxide nanoparticles did not accelerate the cooperative catabolism. Our results suggest that microbes use conductive mineral particles as conduits of electrons, resulting in efficient IET and cooperative catabolism. Furthermore, such natural mineral conduits are considered to provide ecological advantages for users, because their investments in IET can be reduced. Given that conductive minerals are ubiquitously and abundantly present in nature, electric interactions between microbes and conductive minerals may contribute greatly to the coupling of biogeochemical reactions. PMID:22665802

Depolarization current relaxation process of insulating dielectrics after corona poling under different charging conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J. W.; Zhou, T. C.; Wang, J. X.; Yang, X. F.; Zhu, F.; Tian, L. M.; Liu, R. T.

2017-10-01

As an insulating dielectric, polyimide is favorable for the application of optoelectronics, electrical insulation system in electric power industry, insulating, and packaging materials in space aircraft, due to its excellent thermal, mechanical and electrical insulating stability. The charge storage profile of such insulating dielectric is utmost important to its application, when it is exposed to electron irradiation, high voltage corona discharge or other treatments. These treatments could induce changes in physical and chemical properties of treated samples. To investigate the charge storage mechanism of the insulating dielectrics after high-voltage corona discharge, the relaxation processes responsible for corona charged polyimide films under different poling conditions were analyzed by the Thermally Stimulated Discharge Currents method (TSDC). In the results of thermal relaxation process, the appearance of various peaks in TSDC spectra provided a deep insight into the molecular status in the dielectric material and reflected stored space charge relaxation process in the insulating polymers after corona discharge treatments. Furthermore, the different space charge distribution status under various poling temperature and different discharge voltage level were also investigated, which could partly reflect the influence of the ambiance condition on the functional dielectrics after corona poling.

High-temperature sensor

DOEpatents

Not Available

1981-01-29

A high temperature sensor is described which includes a pair of electrical conductors separated by a mass of electrical insulating material. The insulating material has a measurable resistivity within the sensor that changes in relation to the temperature of the insulating material within a high temperature range (1000 to 2000/sup 0/K). When required, the sensor can be encased within a ceramic protective coating.

Model improvements to simulate charging in SEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arat, K. T.; Klimpel, T.; Hagen, C. W.

2018-03-01

Charging of insulators is a complex phenomenon to simulate since the accuracy of the simulations is very sensitive to the interaction of electrons with matter and electric fields. In this study, we report model improvements for a previously developed Monte-Carlo simulator to more accurately simulate samples that charge. The improvements include both modelling of low energy electron scattering and charging of insulators. The new first-principle scattering models provide a more realistic charge distribution cloud in the material, and a better match between non-charging simulations and experimental results. Improvements on charging models mainly focus on redistribution of the charge carriers in the material with an induced conductivity (EBIC) and a breakdown model, leading to a smoother distribution of the charges. Combined with a more accurate tracing of low energy electrons in the electric field, we managed to reproduce the dynamically changing charging contrast due to an induced positive surface potential.

Direct observation of the lattice precursor of the metal-to-insulator transition in V2O3 thin films by surface acoustic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kündel, J.; Pontiller, P.; Müller, C.; Obermeier, G.; Liu, Z.; Nateprov, A. A.; Hörner, A.; Wixforth, A.; Horn, S.; Tidecks, R.

2013-03-01

A surface acoustic wave (SAW) delay line is used to study the metal-to-insulator (MI) transition of V2O3 thin films deposited on a piezoelectric LiNbO3 substrate. Effects contributing to the sound velocity shift of the SAW which are caused by elastic properties of the lattice of the V2O3 films when changing the temperature are separated from those originating from the electrical conductivity. For this purpose the electric field accompanying the elastic wave of the SAW has been shielded by growing the V2O3 film on a thin metallic Cr interlayer (coated with Cr2O3), covering the piezoelectric substrate. Thus, the recently discovered lattice precursor of the MI transition can be directly observed in the experiments, and its fine structure can be investigated.

High improvement in trap level density and direct current breakdown strength of block polypropylene by doping with a β-nucleating agent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chong; Zha, Jun-Wei; Yan, Hong-Da; Li, Wei-Kang; Dang, Zhi-Min

2018-02-01

Polypropylene is one kind of eco-friendly insulating material, which has attracted more attention for use in high voltage direct current (HVDC) insulation due to the long-distance transmission, low loss, and recyclability. In this work, the morphology and thermal and electrical properties of the block polypropylene with various β-nucleating agent (β-NA) contents were investigated. The relative fraction of the β-crystal can reach 64.7% after adding 0.05 wt. % β-NA. The β-NA also greatly reduced the melting point and improved the crystallization temperature. The electrical property results showed that the alternating and direct current breakdown strength and conduction current were obviously improved. In addition, space charge accumulation was significantly suppressed by introducing the β-NA. This work provides an attractive strategy of design and fabrication of polypropylene for HVDC application.

Energy and cost analysis of residential refrigerators

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoskins, R.A.; Hirst, E.

1977-01-01

A detailed computer model is developed to calculate energy flows and electricity use for residential refrigerators. Model equations are derived from applications of the first law of thermodynamics, analysis of manufacturers' literature, and related studies. The model is used to evaluate the energy (and associated initial cost) impacts of alternative designs to reduce refrigerator energy use. Model results show that 56 percent of the total heat gain in a typical 0.45 m/sup 3/ (16 ft/sup 3/) top-freezer refrigerator is due to conduction through cabinet walls and doors. The remaining 44 percent is from door openings, heaters, fans, food, gasket areamore » infiltration, and miscellaneous heat sources. Operation of the compressor to remove this heat and maintain the refrigerated spaces at constant temperatures accounts for 70 percent of the unit's electricity use. The remainder is for operation of heaters and fans. Several energy-saving design changes are examined using the energy model. These changes are: increased insulation thickness, improved insulation conductivity, removal of fan from cooled area, use of anti-sweat heater switch, improved compressor efficiency, increased condenser and evaporator surface areas, and elimination of the frost-free feature. Application of all these changes would reduce refrigerator electricity use 71 percent and increase initial cost 5 percent. Implementing all these changes except for elimination of the frost-free feature would reduce electricity use 52 percent and increase initial cost 19 percent. These results show that there are large opportunities for reducing refrigerator electricity use with only slight initial cost increases.« less

High pressure electrical insulated feed thru connector

DOEpatents

Oeschger, Joseph E.; Berkeland, James E.

1979-11-13

A feed-thru type hermetic electrical connector including at least one connector pin feeding through an insulator block within the metallic body of the connector shell. A compression stop arrangement coaxially disposed about the insulator body is brazed to the shell, and the shoulder on the insulator block bears against this top in a compression mode, the high pressure or internal connector being at the opposite end of the shell. Seals between the pin and an internal bore at the high pressure end of the insulator block and between the insulator block and the metallic shell at the high pressure end are hermetically brazed in place, the first of these also functioning to transfer the axial compressive load without permitting appreciable shear action between the pin and insulator block.

Evaluation of conductive concrete for anti-static flooring applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yehia, Sherif; Qaddoumi, Nasser; Hassan, Mohamed; Swaked, Bassam

2015-04-01

Static electricity, exchange of electrons, and retention of charge between any two materials due to contact and separation are affected by the condition of the materials being nonconductive or insulated from ground. Several work environments, such as electronics industry, hospitals, offices, and computer rooms all require electro-static discharge (ESD) mitigation. Carpet Tile, Carpet Broadloom, Vinyl Tile, Vinyl sheet, Epoxy and Rubber are examples of existing flooring systems in the market. However, each system has its advantages and limitations. Conductive concrete is a relatively new material technology developed to achieve high electrical conductivity and high mechanical strength. The conductive concrete material can be an economical alternative for these ESD flooring systems. In this paper, the effectiveness of conductive concrete as an anti-static flooring system was evaluated. The initial results indicated that the proposed conductive concrete flooring and ground system met the acceptance criteria stated by ASTM F150.

Polyimide/Glass Composite High-Temperature Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pater, Ruth H.; Vasquez, Peter; Chatlin, Richard L.; Smith, Donald L.; Skalski, Thomas J.; Johnson, Gary S.; Chu, Sang-Hyon

2009-01-01

Lightweight composites of RP46 polyimide and glass fibers have been found to be useful as extraordinarily fire-resistant electrical-insulation materials. RP46 is a polyimide of the polymerization of monomeric reactants (PMR) type, developed by NASA Langley Research Center. RP46 has properties that make it attractive for use in electrical insulation at high temperatures. These properties include high-temperature resistance, low relative permittivity, low dissipation factor, outstanding mechanical properties, and excellent resistance to moisture and chemicals. Moreover, RP46 contains no halogen or other toxic materials and when burned it does not produce toxic fume or gaseous materials. The U. S. Navy has been seeking lightweight, high-temperature-resistant electrical-insulation materials in a program directed toward reducing fire hazards and weights in ship electrical systems. To satisfy the requirements of this program, an electrical-insulation material must withstand a 3-hour gas-flame test at 1,600 F (about 871 C). Prior to the development reported here, RP46 was rated for use at temperatures from -150 to +700 F (about -101 to 371 C), and no polymeric product - not even RP46 - was expected to withstand the Navy 3-hour gas-flame test.

A silicon carbide array for electrocorticography and peripheral nerve recording.

PubMed

Diaz-Botia, C A; Luna, L E; Neely, R M; Chamanzar, M; Carraro, C; Carmena, J M; Sabes, P N; Maboudian, R; Maharbiz, M M

2017-10-01

Current neural probes have a limited device lifetime of a few years. Their common failure mode is the degradation of insulating films and/or the delamination of the conductor-insulator interfaces. We sought to develop a technology that does not suffer from such limitations and would be suitable for chronic applications with very long device lifetimes. We developed a fabrication method that integrates polycrystalline conductive silicon carbide with insulating silicon carbide. The technology employs amorphous silicon carbide as the insulator and conductive silicon carbide at the recording sites, resulting in a seamless transition between doped and amorphous regions of the same material, eliminating heterogeneous interfaces prone to delamination. Silicon carbide has outstanding chemical stability, is biocompatible, is an excellent molecular barrier and is compatible with standard microfabrication processes. We have fabricated silicon carbide electrode arrays using our novel fabrication method. We conducted in vivo experiments in which electrocorticography recordings from the primary visual cortex of a rat were obtained and were of similar quality to those of polymer based electrocorticography arrays. The silicon carbide electrode arrays were also used as a cuff electrode wrapped around the sciatic nerve of a rat to record the nerve response to electrical stimulation. Finally, we demonstrated the outstanding long term stability of our insulating silicon carbide films through accelerated aging tests. Clinical translation in neural engineering has been slowed in part due to the poor long term performance of current probes. Silicon carbide devices are a promising technology that may accelerate this transition by enabling truly chronic applications.

A silicon carbide array for electrocorticography and peripheral nerve recording

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz-Botia, C. A.; Luna, L. E.; Neely, R. M.; Chamanzar, M.; Carraro, C.; Carmena, J. M.; Sabes, P. N.; Maboudian, R.; Maharbiz, M. M.

2017-10-01

Objective. Current neural probes have a limited device lifetime of a few years. Their common failure mode is the degradation of insulating films and/or the delamination of the conductor-insulator interfaces. We sought to develop a technology that does not suffer from such limitations and would be suitable for chronic applications with very long device lifetimes. Approach. We developed a fabrication method that integrates polycrystalline conductive silicon carbide with insulating silicon carbide. The technology employs amorphous silicon carbide as the insulator and conductive silicon carbide at the recording sites, resulting in a seamless transition between doped and amorphous regions of the same material, eliminating heterogeneous interfaces prone to delamination. Silicon carbide has outstanding chemical stability, is biocompatible, is an excellent molecular barrier and is compatible with standard microfabrication processes. Main results. We have fabricated silicon carbide electrode arrays using our novel fabrication method. We conducted in vivo experiments in which electrocorticography recordings from the primary visual cortex of a rat were obtained and were of similar quality to those of polymer based electrocorticography arrays. The silicon carbide electrode arrays were also used as a cuff electrode wrapped around the sciatic nerve of a rat to record the nerve response to electrical stimulation. Finally, we demonstrated the outstanding long term stability of our insulating silicon carbide films through accelerated aging tests. Significance. Clinical translation in neural engineering has been slowed in part due to the poor long term performance of current probes. Silicon carbide devices are a promising technology that may accelerate this transition by enabling truly chronic applications.

Evaluation of critical nuclear power plant electrical cable response to severe thermal fire conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Gabriel James

The failure of electrical cables exposed to severe thermal fire conditions are a safety concern for operating commercial nuclear power plants (NPPs). The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has promoted the use of risk-informed and performance-based methods for fire protection which resulted in a need to develop realistic methods to quantify the risk of fire to NPP safety. Recent electrical cable testing has been conducted to provide empirical data on the failure modes and likelihood of fire-induced damage. This thesis evaluated numerous aspects of the data. Circuit characteristics affecting fire-induced electrical cable failure modes have been evaluated. In addition, thermal failure temperatures corresponding to cable functional failures have been evaluated to develop realistic single point thermal failure thresholds and probability distributions for specific cable insulation types. Finally, the data was used to evaluate the prediction capabilities of a one-dimension conductive heat transfer model used to predict cable failure.

A layered microchip conductance detector with through-layer access to detection fields and high sensitivity to dielectric constant.

PubMed

Suganuma, Y; Dhirani, A-A

2011-04-01

The present study explores a novel apertured microchip conductance detector (AMCD) that is sensitive to dielectric constant. Fashioned on silicon oxide/silicon using optical microlithography, the detector has novel parallel-plate geometry with a top mesh electrode, a middle apertured insulator, and a bottom conducting electrode. This monolithic apertured architecture is planar and may be provided with a thin insulator layer enabling large capacitances, while the top mesh electrode and middle apertured-insulator enable access to regions of the capacitor where electric fields are strong. Hence, the detector is sensitive yet mechanically robust. To test its response, the AMCD was immersed in various solvents, namely water, methanol, acetonitrile, and hexanes. Its response was found to vary in proportion to the solvents' respective dielectric constants. The AMCD was also able to distinguish quantitatively the presence of various molecules in solution, including molecules with chromophores [such as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)] in methanol and those without chrompohores [such as polyethylene glycol 200 Daltons (PEG200)] in methanol or water. The universal nature of dielectric constant and the microchip detector's sensitivity point to a wide range of potential applications. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Radiation-induced microcrystal shape change as a mechanism of wasteform degradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojovan, Michael I.; Burakov, Boris E.; Lee, William E.

2018-04-01

Experiments with actinide-containing insulating wasteforms such as devitrified glasses containing 244Cm, Ti-pyrochlore, single-phase La-monazite, Pu-monazite ceramics, Eu-monazite and zircon single crystals containing 238Pu indicate that mechanical self-irradiation-induced destruction may not reveal itself for many years (even decades). The mechanisms causing these slowly-occurring changes remain unknown therefore in addition to known mechanisms of wasteform degradation such as matrix swelling and loss of solid solution we have modelled the damaging effects of electrical fields induced by the decay of radionuclides in clusters embedded in a non-conducting matrix. Three effects were important: (i) electric breakdown; (ii) cluster shape change due to dipole interaction, and (iii) cluster shape change due to polarisation interaction. We reveal a critical size of radioactive clusters in non-conducting matrices so that the matrix material can be damaged if clusters are larger than this critical size. The most important parameters that control the matrix integrity are the radioactive cluster (inhomogeneity) size, specific radioactivity, and effective matrix electrical conductivity. We conclude that the wasteform should be as homogeneous as possible and even electrically conductive to avoid potential damage caused by electrical charges induced by radioactive decay.

Conductive multi-walled boron nitride nanotubes by catalytic etching using cobalt oxide.

PubMed

Kim, Do-Hyun; Jang, Ho-Kyun; Kim, Min-Seok; Kim, Sung-Dae; Lee, Dong-Jin; Kim, Gyu Tae

2017-01-04

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are ceramic compounds which are hardly oxidized below 1000 °C due to their superior thermal stability. Also, they are electrically almost insulators with a large band gap of 5 eV. Thus, it is a challenging task to etch BNNTs at low temperature and to convert their electrical properties to a conductive behavior. In this study, we demonstrate that BNNTs can be easily etched at low temperature by catalytic oxidation, resulting in an electrically conductive behavior. For this, multi-walled BNNTs (MWBNNTs) impregnated with Co precursor (Co(NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O) were simply heated at 350 °C under air atmosphere. As a result, diverse shapes of etched structures such as pits and thinned walls were created on the surface of MWBNNTs without losing the tubular structure. The original crystallinity was still kept in the etched MWBNNTs in spite of oxidation. In the electrical measurement, MWBNNTs with a large band gap were converted to electrical conductors after etching by catalytic oxidation. Theoretical calculations indicated that a new energy state in the gap and a Fermi level shift contributed to MWBNNTs being conductive.

Temperature profile detector

DOEpatents

Tokarz, Richard D.

1983-01-01

A temperature profile detector shown as a tubular enclosure surrounding an elongated electrical conductor having a plurality of meltable conductive segments surrounding it. Duplicative meltable segments are spaced apart from one another along the length of the enclosure. Electrical insulators surround these elements to confine molten material from the segments in bridging contact between the conductor and a second electrical conductor, which might be the confining tube. The location and rate of growth of the resulting short circuits between the two conductors can be monitored by measuring changes in electrical resistance between terminals at both ends of the two conductors. Additional conductors and separate sets of meltable segments operational at differing temperatures can be monitored simultaneously for measuring different temperature profiles.

Fabrication of planarised conductively patterned diamond for bio-applications.

PubMed

Tong, Wei; Fox, Kate; Ganesan, Kumaravelu; Turnley, Ann M; Shimoni, Olga; Tran, Phong A; Lohrmann, Alexander; McFarlane, Thomas; Ahnood, Arman; Garrett, David J; Meffin, Hamish; O'Brien-Simpson, Neil M; Reynolds, Eric C; Prawer, Steven

2014-10-01

The development of smooth, featureless surfaces for biomedical microelectronics is a challenging feat. Other than the traditional electronic materials like silicon, few microelectronic circuits can be produced with conductive features without compromising the surface topography and/or biocompatibility. Diamond is fast becoming a highly sought after biomaterial for electrical stimulation, however, its inherent surface roughness introduced by the growth process limits its applications in electronic circuitry. In this study, we introduce a fabrication method for developing conductive features in an insulating diamond substrate whilst maintaining a planar topography. Using a combination of microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition, inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching, secondary diamond growth and silicon wet-etching, we have produced a patterned substrate in which the surface roughness at the interface between the conducting and insulating diamond is approximately 3 nm. We also show that the patterned smooth topography is capable of neuronal cell adhesion and growth whilst restricting bacterial adhesion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transmission-line-circuit model of an 85-TW, 25-MA pulsed-power accelerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutsel, B. T.; Corcoran, P. A.; Cuneo, M. E.; Gomez, M. R.; Hess, M. H.; Hinshelwood, D. D.; Jennings, C. A.; Laity, G. R.; Lamppa, D. C.; McBride, R. D.; Moore, J. K.; Myers, A.; Rose, D. V.; Slutz, S. A.; Stygar, W. A.; Waisman, E. M.; Welch, D. R.; Whitney, B. A.

2018-03-01

We have developed a physics-based transmission-line-circuit model of the Z pulsed-power accelerator. The 33-m-diameter Z machine generates a peak electrical power as high as 85 TW, and delivers as much as 25 MA to a physics load. The circuit model is used to design and analyze experiments conducted on Z. The model consists of 36 networks of transmission-line-circuit elements and resistors that represent each of Zs 36 modules. The model of each module includes a Marx generator, intermediate-energy-storage capacitor, laser-triggered gas switch, pulse-forming line, self-break water switches, and tri-plate transmission lines. The circuit model also includes elements that represent Zs water convolute, vacuum insulator stack, four parallel outer magnetically insulated vacuum transmission lines (MITLs), double-post-hole vacuum convolute, inner vacuum MITL, and physics load. Within the vacuum-transmission-line system the model conducts analytic calculations of current loss. To calculate the loss, the model simulates the following processes: (i) electron emission from MITL cathode surfaces wherever an electric-field threshold has been exceeded; (ii) electron loss in the MITLs before magnetic insulation has been established; (iii) flow of electrons emitted by the outer-MITL cathodes after insulation has been established; (iv) closure of MITL anode-cathode (AK) gaps due to expansion of cathode plasma; (v) energy loss to MITL conductors operated at high lineal current densities; (vi) heating of MITL-anode surfaces due to conduction current and deposition of electron kinetic energy; (vii) negative-space-charge-enhanced ion emission from MITL anode surfaces wherever an anode-surface-temperature threshold has been exceeded; and (viii) closure of MITL AK gaps due to expansion of anode plasma. The circuit model is expected to be most accurate when the fractional current loss is small. We have performed circuit simulations of 52 Z experiments conducted with a variety of accelerator configurations and load-impedance time histories. For these experiments, the apparent fractional current loss varies from 0% to 20%. Results of the circuit simulations agree with data acquired on 52 shots to within 2%.

Analysis and comparison of magnetic sheet insulation tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marion-Péra, M. C.; Kedous-Lebouc, A.; Cornut, B.; Brissonneau, P.

1994-05-01

Magnetic circuits of electrical machines are divided into coated sheets in order to limit eddy currents. The surface insulation resistance of magnetic sheets is difficult to evaluate because it depends on parameters like pressure and covers a wide range of values. Two methods of measuring insulation resistance are analyzed: the standardized 'Franklin device' and a tester developed by British Steel Electrical. Their main drawback is poor local repeatability. The Franklin method allows better quality control of industrial process because it measures only one insulating layer at a time. It also gives more accurate images of the distribution of possible defects. Nevertheless, both methods lead to similar classifications of insulation efficiency.

Flux pumping for non-insulated and metal-insulated HTS coils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Jun; Geng, Jianzhao; Coombs, T. A.

2018-01-01

High-temperature superconducting (HTS) coils wound from coated conductors without turn-to-turn insulation (non-insulated (NI) coils) have been proven with excellent electrical and thermal performances. However, the slow charging of NI coils has been a long-lasting problem. In this work, we explore using a transformer-rectifier HTS flux pump to charge an NI coil and a metal-insulated coil. The charging performance comparison is made between different coils. Comprehensive study is done to thoroughly understand the electrical-magnetic transience in charging these coils. We will show that the low-voltage high-current flux pump is especially suitable for charging NI coils with very low characteristic resistance.

Chalcogenide-based van der Waals epitaxy: Interface conductivity of tellurium on Si(111)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lüpke, Felix; Just, Sven; Bihlmayer, Gustav; Lanius, Martin; Luysberg, Martina; Doležal, Jiří; Neumann, Elmar; Cherepanov, Vasily; Ošt'ádal, Ivan; Mussler, Gregor; Grützmacher, Detlev; Voigtländer, Bert

2017-07-01

We present a combined experimental and theoretical analysis of a Te rich interface layer which represents a template for chalcogenide-based van der Waals epitaxy on Si(111). On a clean Si(111)-(1 ×1 ) surface, we find Te to form a Te/Si(111)-(1 ×1 ) reconstruction to saturate the substrate bonds. A problem arising is that such an interface layer can potentially be highly conductive, undermining the applicability of the on-top grown films in electric devices. We perform here a detailed structural analysis of the pristine Te termination and present direct measurements of its electrical conductivity by in situ distance-dependent four-probe measurements. The experimental results are analyzed with respect to density functional theory calculations and the implications of the interface termination with respect to the electrical conductivity of chalcogenide-based topological insulator thin films are discussed. In detail, we find a Te/Si(111)-(1 ×1 ) interface conductivity of σ2D Te=2.6 (5 ) ×10-7S /□ , which is small compared to the typical conductivity of topological surface states.

Electrical Insulation Fire Characteristics : Volume 2. Toxicity.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-12-01

The purpose of this research was to determine the relative inhalation toxicity of the thermal degradation products or gaseous pyrolysis of selected types of electrical wiring insulations. The specific materials to be evaluated were supplied by the Bo...

Semi-flexible gas-insulated transmission line using sandwiched discs for intermittent flexing joints

DOEpatents

Kommineni, P.R.

1983-02-15

A gas-insulated transmission line includes an outer sheath, an inner conductor, an insulating gas electrically insulating the inner conductor from the outer sheath, and insulating supports insulatably supporting the inner conductor within the outer sheath. The inner conductor is provided with flexibility by the use of main conductor sections which are joined together through a conductor hub section and flexible flexing elements. Stress shields are provided to control the electric field at the locations of the conductor hub sections where the insulating supports are contacting the inner conductor. The flexing elements are formed by sandwiching together, by fusing, a pair of thin hollow discs which are fixedly secured to both the main conductor sections and the conductor hub section. 4 figs.

Fuel magnetization without external field coils (AutoMag)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slutz, Stephen; Jennings, Christopher; Awe, Thomas; Shipley, Gabe; Lamppa, Derek; McBride, Ryan

2016-10-01

Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) has produced fusion-relevant plasma conditions on the Z accelerator where the fuel was magnetized using external field coils. We present a novel concept that does not need external field coils. This concept (AutoMag) magnetizes the fuel during the early part of the drive current by using a composite liner with helical conduction paths separated by insulating material. The drive is designed so the current rises slowly enough to avoid electrical breakdown of the insulators until a sufficiently strong magnetic field is established. Then the current rises more quickly, which causes the insulators to break down allowing the drive current to follow an axial path and implode the liner. Low inductance magnetically insulated power feeds can be used with AutoMag to increase the drive current without interfering with diagnostic access. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Synthesis of Ordered Mesoporous Phenanthrenequinone-Carbon via π-π Interaction-Dependent Vapor Pressure for Rechargeable Batteries

PubMed Central

Kwon, Mi-Sook; Choi, Aram; Park, Yuwon; Cheon, Jae Yeong; Kang, Hyojin; Jo, Yong Nam; Kim, Young-Jun; Hong, Sung You; Joo, Sang Hoon; Yang, Changduk; Lee, Kyu Tae

2014-01-01

The π-π interaction-dependent vapour pressure of phenanthrenequinone can be used to synthesize a phenanthrenequinone-confined ordered mesoporous carbon. Intimate contact between the insulating phenanthrenequinone and the conductive carbon framework improves the electrical conductivity. This enables a more complete redox reaction take place. The confinement of the phenanthrenequinone in the mesoporous carbon mitigates the diffusion of the dissolved phenanthrenequinone out of the mesoporous carbon, and improves cycling performance. PMID:25490893

Testing of Compact Bolted Fasteners with Insulation and Friction-Enhanced Shims for NCSX

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

L. E. Dudek, J.H. Chrzanowski, G. Gettelfinger, P. Heitzenroeder, S. Jurczynski, M. Viola and K. Freudenberg

The fastening of the National Compact Stellarator Experiment's (NCSX) modular coils presented a number of engineering and manufacturing challenges due to the high magnetic forces, need to control induced currents, tight tolerances and restrictive space envelope. A fastening method using high strength studs, jack nuts, insulating spacers, bushings and alumina coated shims was developed which met the requirements. A test program was conducted to verify the design. The tests included measurements of flatness of the spacers, determination of contact area, torque vs. tension of the studs and jack nuts, friction coefficient tests on the alumina and G-10 insulators, electrical tests,more » and tension relaxation tests due to temperature excursions from room temperature to liquid nitrogen temperatures. This paper will describe the design and the results of the test program.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Yishuai; Chiu, Janet; Miao, Lin

Three-dimensional topological insulators are bulk insulators with Z 2 topological electronic order that gives rise to conducting light-like surface states. These surface electrons are exceptionally resistant to localization by non-magnetic disorder, and have been adopted as the basis for a wide range of proposals to achieve new quasiparticle species and device functionality. Recent studies have yielded a surprise by showing that in spite of resisting localization, topological insulator surface electrons can be reshaped by defects into distinctive resonance states. Here we use numerical simulations and scanning tunnelling microscopy data to show that these resonance states have significance well beyond themore » localized regime usually associated with impurity bands. Lastly, at native densities in the model Bi 2X 3 (X=Bi, Te) compounds, defect resonance states are predicted to generate a new quantum basis for an emergent electron gas that supports diffusive electrical transport.« less

Polymer materials and component evaluation in acidic-radiation environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celina, M.; Gillen, K. T.; Malone, G. M.; Clough, R. L.; Nelson, W. H.

2001-07-01

Polymeric materials used for cable/wire insulation, electrical connectors, O-rings, seals, and in critical components such as motors, level switches and resistive thermo-devices were evaluated under accelerated degradation conditions in combined radiation-oxidative elevated-temperature acidic-vapor (nitric/oxalic) environments relevant to conditions in isotope processing facilities. Experiments included the assessment of individual materials such as PEEK, polyimides, polyolefin based cable insulation, EPDM rubbers, various epoxy systems, commercial caulking materials as well as some functional testing of components. We discuss how to conduct laboratory experiments to simulate such complex hostile environments, describe some degradation effects encountered, and evaluate the impact on appropriate material and component selection.

Excellent electrical conductivity of the exfoliated and fluorinated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets.

PubMed

Xue, Yafang; Liu, Qian; He, Guanjie; Xu, Kaibing; Jiang, Lin; Hu, Xianghua; Hu, Junqing

2013-01-24

The insulator characteristic of hexagonal boron nitride limits its applications in microelectronics. In this paper, the fluorinated hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets were prepared by doping fluorine into the boron nitride nanosheets exfoliated from the bulk boron nitride in isopropanol via a facile chemical solution method with fluoboric acid; interestingly, these boron nitride nanosheets demonstrate a typical semiconductor characteristic which were studied on a new scanning tunneling microscope-transmission electron microscope holder. Since this property changes from an insulator to a semiconductor of the boron nitride, these nanosheets will be able to extend their applications in designing and fabricating electronic nanodevices.

The dependency of adhesion and friction on electrostatic attraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persson, B. N. J.

2018-04-01

I develop a general mean-field theory for the influence of electrostatic attraction between two solids on the contact mechanics. I assume elastic solids with random surface roughness. I consider two cases, namely, with and without an electrically insulating layer between the conducting solids. The former case is important for, e.g., the finger-touch screen interaction. I study how the electrostatic attraction influences the adhesion and friction. For the case of an insulating layer, I find that when the applied nominal contact pressure is relatively small, as the applied voltage increases, there is a sharp increase in the contact area, and hence in the friction, at a critical voltage.

Electroluminescence and electrical degradation of insulating polymers at electrode interfaces under divergent fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shuai; Li, Qi; Hu, Jun; Zhang, Bo; He, Jinliang

2018-04-01

Electrical degradation of insulating polymers at electrode interfaces is an essential factor in determining long-term reliability. A critical challenge is that the exact mechanism of degradation is not fully understood, either experimentally or theoretically, due to the inherent complex processes. Consequently, in this study, we investigate electroluminescence (EL) at the interface of an electrode and insulator, and determine the relationship between EL and electrical degradation. Using a tip-plate electrode structure, the unique features of EL under a highly divergent field are investigated. The voltage type (alternating or direct current), the polymer matrix, and the time of pressing are also investigated separately. A study of EL from insulators under a divergent field is provided, and the relationship between EL spectra and degradation is discussed. It is shown that EL spectra under a divergent field have unique characteristics compared with EL spectra from polymer films under a uniform field and the most obvious one is the UV emission. The results obtained in the current investigation bring us a step closer to understanding the process of electrical degradation and provide a potential way to diagnose insulator defects.

Chemical Intercalation of Topological Insulator Grid Nanostructures for High-Performance Transparent Electrodes.

PubMed

Guo, Yunfan; Zhou, Jinyuan; Liu, Yujing; Zhou, Xu; Yao, Fengrui; Tan, Congwei; Wu, Jinxiong; Lin, Li; Liu, Kaihui; Liu, Zhongfan; Peng, Hailin

2017-11-01

2D layered nanomaterials with strong covalent bonding within layers and weak van der Waals' interactions between layers have attracted tremendous interest in recent years. Layered Bi 2 Se 3 is a representative topological insulator material in this family, which holds promise for exploration of the fundamental physics and practical applications such as transparent electrode. Here, a simultaneous enhancement of optical transmittancy and electrical conductivity in Bi 2 Se 3 grid electrodes by copper-atom intercalation is presented. These Cu-intercalated 2D Bi 2 Se 3 electrodes exhibit high uniformity over large area and excellent stabilities to environmental perturbations, such as UV light, thermal fluctuation, and mechanical distortion. Remarkably, by intercalating a high density of copper atoms, the electrical and optical performance of Bi 2 Se 3 grid electrodes is greatly improved from 900 Ω sq -1 , 68% to 300 Ω sq -1 , 82% in the visible range; with better performance of 300 Ω sq -1 , 91% achieved in the near-infrared region. These unique properties of Cu-intercalated topological insulator grid nanostructures may boost their potential applications in high-performance optoelectronics, especially for infrared optoelectronic devices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Molten thermoplastic dripping behavior induced by flame spread over wire insulation under overload currents.

PubMed

He, Hao; Zhang, Qixing; Tu, Ran; Zhao, Luyao; Liu, Jia; Zhang, Yongming

2016-12-15

The dripping behavior of the molten thermoplastic insulation of copper wire, induced by flame spread under overload currents, was investigated for a better understanding of energized electrical wire fires. Three types of sample wire, with the same polyethylene insulation thickness and different core diameters, were used in this study. First, overload current effects on the transient one-dimensional wire temperature profile were predicted using simplified theoretical analysis; the heating process and equilibrium temperature were obtained. Second, experiments on the melting characteristics were conducted in a laboratory environment, including drop formation and frequency, falling speed, and combustion on the steel base. Third, a relationship between molten mass loss and volume variation was proposed to evaluate the dripping time and frequency. A strong current was a prerequisite for the wire dripping behavior and the averaged dripping frequency was found to be proportional to the square of the current based on the theoretical and experimental results. Finally, the influence of dripping behavior on the flame propagation along the energized electrical wire was discussed. The flame width, bright flame height and flame spreading velocity presented different behaviors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What is the origin of anomalous dielectric response in 2D organic dimer Mott insulators κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Cl and κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu2(CN)3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinterić, M.; Ivek, T.; Čulo, M.; Milat, O.; Basletić, M.; Korin-Hamzić, B.; Tafra, E.; Hamzić, A.; Dressel, M.; Tomić, S.

2015-03-01

Novel forms of the low-temperature phases in the two-dimensional molecular solids with competing interactions between charges, spins and lattice, in particular those featuring anomalous dielectric relaxation, have been the focus of intense activity in recent years. Open issues concern the nature of collective charge excitations as well as their coupling to applied ac and dc electric fields. The charge response is reasonably well understood by now in the charge-ordered phase with the formation of ferroelectric-like domains below the metal-to-insulator phase transition. Conversely, the dielectric response observed in dimer Mott insulator phases with no complete evidence for charge ordering is rather intriguing. We overview our recent results of anisotropic complex conductivity (dc - MHz) in the magnetic phase of κ-(BEDT - TTF) 2 Cu [ N(CN)2 ] Cl and in the spin-liquid phase of κ-(BEDT - TTF) 2Cu2(CN)3. We discuss possible explanations for the observed dynamics within current theoretical models and compare them with the well-known fingerprints of the spin density wave response to ac electric fields.

Low temperature synthesis of highly oriented p-type Si1-xGex (x: 0-1) on an insulator by Al-induced layer exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toko, K.; Kusano, K.; Nakata, M.; Suemasu, T.

2017-10-01

A composition tunable Si1-xGex alloy has a wide range of applications, including in electronic and photonic devices. We investigate the Al-induced layer exchange (ALILE) growth of amorphous Si1-xGex on an insulator. The ALILE allowed Si1-xGex to be large grained (> 50 μm) and highly (111)-oriented (> 95%) over the whole composition range by controlling the growth temperature (≤ 400 °C). From a comparison with conventional solid-phase crystallization, we determined that such characteristics of the ALILE arose from the low activation energy of nucleation and the high frequency factor of lateral growth. The Si1-xGex layers were highly p-type doped, whereas the process temperatures were low, thanks to the electrically activated Al atoms with the amount of solid solubility limit. The electrical conductivities approached those of bulk single crystals within one order of magnitude. The resulting Si1-xGex layer on an insulator is useful not only for advanced SiGe-based devices but also for virtual substrates, allowing other materials to be integrated on three-dimensional integrated circuits, glass, and even a plastic substrate.

Conductive buffer layers and overlayers for the thermal stability of coated conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cantoni, C.; Aytug, T.; Verebelyi, D. T.; Paranthaman, M.; Specht, E. D.; Norton, D. P.; Christen, D. K.

2001-03-01

We analyze fundamental issues related to the thermal and electrical stability of a coated conductor during its operation. We address the role of conductive buffer layers in the stability of Ni-based coated conductors, and the effect of a metallic cap layer on the electrical properties of Ni alloy-based superconducting tapes. For the first case we report on the fabrication of a fully conductive RABiTS architecture formed of bilayers of conductive oxides SrRuO3 and LaNiO3 on textured Ni tapes. For the second case we discuss measurements of current-voltage relations on Ag/YBa2Cu3O7-d and Cu/Ag/ YBa2Cu3O7-d prototype multilayers on insulating substrates. Limitations on the overall tape structure and properties that are posed by the stability requirement are presented.

Effects Of Radiation On Insulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bouquet, Frank L.

1988-01-01

Report presents data on responses of electrically insulating thermosetting and thermoplastic polymers to radiation. Lowest-threshold-dose (LTD) levels and 25-percent-change levels presented for such properties as tensile strength and electrical resistivity. Data on radiation-induced outgassing also given.

Improved Method of Locating Defects in Wiring Insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greulich, Owen R.

2004-01-01

An improved method of locating small breaches in insulation on electrical wires combines aspects of the prior dielectric withstand voltage (DWV) and time-domain reflectometry (TDR) methods. The method was invented to satisfy a need for reliably and quickly locating insulation defects in spacecraft, aircraft, ships, and other complex systems that contain large amounts of wiring, much of it enclosed in structures that make it difficult to inspect. In the DWV method, one applies a predetermined potential (usually 1.5 kV DC) to the wiring and notes whether the voltage causes any arcing between the wiring and ground. The DWV method does not provide an indication of the location of the defect (unless, in an exceptional case, the arc happens to be visible). In addition, if there is no electrically conductive component at ground potential within about 0.010 in. (approximately equal to 0.254 mm) of the wire at the location of an insulation defect, then the DWV method does not provide an indication of the defect. Moreover, one does not have the option to raise the potential in an effort to increase the detectability of such a defect because doing so can harm previously undamaged insulation. In the TDR method as practiced heretofore, one applies a pulse of electricity having an amplitude of less than 25 V to a wire and measures the round-trip travel time for the reflection of the pulse from a defect. The distance along the wire from the point of application of the pulse to the defect is then calculated as the product of half the round-trip travel time and the characteristic speed of a propagation of an electromagnetic signal in the wire. While the TDR method as practiced heretofore can be used to locate a short or open circuit, it does not ordinarily enable one to locate a small breach in insulation because the pulse voltage is too low to cause arcing and thus too low to induce an impedance discontinuity large enough to generate a measurable reflection. The present improved method overcomes the weaknesses of both the prior DWV and the prior TDR method.

Radio-frequency lesioning in brain tissue with coagulation-dependent thermal conductivity: modelling, simulation and analysis of parameter influence and interaction.

PubMed

Johansson, Johannes D; Eriksson, Ola; Wren, Joakim; Loyd, Dan; Wårdell, Karin

2006-09-01

Radio-frequency brain lesioning is a method for reducing e.g. symptoms of movement disorders. A small electrode is used to thermally coagulate malfunctioning tissue. Influence on lesion size from thermal and electric conductivity of the tissue, microvascular perfusion and preset electrode temperature was investigated using a finite-element model. Perfusion was modelled as an increased thermal conductivity in non-coagulated tissue. The parameters were analysed using a 2(4)-factorial design (n=16) and quadratic regression analysis (n=47). Increased thermal conductivity of the tissue increased lesion volume, while increased perfusion decreased it since coagulation creates a thermally insulating layer due to the cessation of blood perfusion. These effects were strengthened with increased preset temperature. The electric conductivity had negligible effect. Simulations were found realistic compared to in vivo experimental lesions.

Size effect in Quincke rotation: a numerical study.

PubMed

Peters, F; Lobry, L; Khayari, A; Lemaire, E

2009-05-21

This paper deals with the Quincke rotation of small insulating particles. This dc electrorotation of insulating objects immersed in a slightly conducting liquid is usually explained by looking at the action of the free charges present in the liquid. Under the effect of the dc electric field, the charges accumulate at the surface of the insulating particle which, in turn, acquires a dipole moment in the direction opposite to that of the field and begins to rotate in order to flip its dipole moment. In the classical Quincke model, the charge distribution around the rotor is supposed to be purely superficial. A consequence of this assumption is that the angular velocity does not depend on the rotor size. Nevertheless, this hypothesis holds only if the rotor size is much larger than the characteristic ion layer thickness around the particle. In the opposite case, we show thanks to numerical calculations that the bulk charge distribution has to be accounted for to predict the electromechanical behavior of the rotor. We consider the case of an infinite insulating cylinder whose axis is perpendicular to the dc electric field. We use the finite element method to solve the conservation equations for the positive and the negative ions coupled with Navier-Stokes and Poisson equations. Doing so, we compute the bulk charge distribution and the velocity field in the liquid surrounding the cylinder. For sufficiently small cylinders, we show that the smaller the cylinder is, the smaller its angular velocity is when submitted to a dc electric field. This size effect is shown to originate both in ion diffusion and electromigration in the charge layer. At last, we propose a simple analytical model which allows calculating the angular velocity of the rotor when electromigration is present but weak and diffusion can be neglected.

Size effect in Quincke rotation: A numerical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, F.; Lobry, L.; Khayari, A.; Lemaire, E.

2009-05-01

This paper deals with the Quincke rotation of small insulating particles. This dc electrorotation of insulating objects immersed in a slightly conducting liquid is usually explained by looking at the action of the free charges present in the liquid. Under the effect of the dc electric field, the charges accumulate at the surface of the insulating particle which, in turn, acquires a dipole moment in the direction opposite to that of the field and begins to rotate in order to flip its dipole moment. In the classical Quincke model, the charge distribution around the rotor is supposed to be purely superficial. A consequence of this assumption is that the angular velocity does not depend on the rotor size. Nevertheless, this hypothesis holds only if the rotor size is much larger than the characteristic ion layer thickness around the particle. In the opposite case, we show thanks to numerical calculations that the bulk charge distribution has to be accounted for to predict the electromechanical behavior of the rotor. We consider the case of an infinite insulating cylinder whose axis is perpendicular to the dc electric field. We use the finite element method to solve the conservation equations for the positive and the negative ions coupled with Navier-Stokes and Poisson equations. Doing so, we compute the bulk charge distribution and the velocity field in the liquid surrounding the cylinder. For sufficiently small cylinders, we show that the smaller the cylinder is, the smaller its angular velocity is when submitted to a dc electric field. This size effect is shown to originate both in ion diffusion and electromigration in the charge layer. At last, we propose a simple analytical model which allows calculating the angular velocity of the rotor when electromigration is present but weak and diffusion can be neglected.

Interdigitated photovoltaic power conversion device

DOEpatents

Ward, James Scott; Wanlass, Mark Woodbury; Gessert, Timothy Arthur

1999-01-01

A photovoltaic power conversion device has a top surface adapted to receive impinging radiation. The device includes at least two adjacent, serially connected cells. Each cell includes a semi-insulating substrate and a lateral conductivity layer of a first doped electrical conductivity disposed on the substrate. A base layer is disposed on the lateral conductivity layer and has the same electrical charge conductivity thereof. An emitter layer of a second doped electrical conductivity of opposite electrical charge is disposed on the base layer and forms a p-n junction therebetween. A plurality of spaced channels are formed in the emitter and base layers to expose the lateral conductivity layer at the bottoms thereof. A front contact grid is positioned on the top surface of the emitter layer of each cell. A first current collector is positioned along one outside edge of at least one first cell. A back contact grid is positioned in the channels at the top surface of the device for engagement with the lateral conductivity layer. A second current collector is positioned along at least one outside edge of at least one oppositely disposed second cell. Finally, an interdigitation mechanism is provided for serially connecting the front contact grid of one cell to the back contact grid of an adjacent cell at the top surface of the device.

Interdigitated photovoltaic power conversion device

DOEpatents

Ward, J.S.; Wanlass, M.W.; Gessert, T.A.

1999-04-27

A photovoltaic power conversion device has a top surface adapted to receive impinging radiation. The device includes at least two adjacent, serially connected cells. Each cell includes a semi-insulating substrate and a lateral conductivity layer of a first doped electrical conductivity disposed on the substrate. A base layer is disposed on the lateral conductivity layer and has the same electrical charge conductivity thereof. An emitter layer of a second doped electrical conductivity of opposite electrical charge is disposed on the base layer and forms a p-n junction therebetween. A plurality of spaced channels are formed in the emitter and base layers to expose the lateral conductivity layer at the bottoms thereof. A front contact grid is positioned on the top surface of the emitter layer of each cell. A first current collector is positioned along one outside edge of at least one first cell. A back contact grid is positioned in the channels at the top surface of the device for engagement with the lateral conductivity layer. A second current collector is positioned along at least one outside edge of at least one oppositely disposed second cell. Finally, an interdigitation mechanism is provided for serially connecting the front contact grid of one cell to the back contact grid of an adjacent cell at the top surface of the device. 15 figs.

Multimode resistive switching in nanoscale hafnium oxide stack as studied by atomic force microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hou, Y., E-mail: houyi@pku.edu.cn, E-mail: lfliu@pku.edu.cn; IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Heverlee; Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D, B-3001 Heverlee

2016-07-11

The nanoscale resistive switching in hafnium oxide stack is investigated by the conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM). The initial oxide stack is insulating and electrical stress from the C-AFM tip induces nanometric conductive filaments. Multimode resistive switching can be observed in consecutive operation cycles at one spot. The different modes are interpreted in the framework of a low defect quantum point contact theory. The model implies that the optimization of the conductive filament active region is crucial for the future application of nanoscale resistive switching devices.

Evaluation of the Fretting Resistance of the High Voltage Insulation on the ITER Magnet Feeder Busbars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clayton, N.; Crouchen, M.; Evans, D.; Gung, C.-Y.; Su, M.; Devred, A.; Piccin, R.

2017-12-01

The high voltage (HV) insulation on the ITER magnet feeder superconducting busbars and current leads will be prepared from S-glass fabric, pre-impregnated with an epoxy resin, which is interleaved with polyimide film and wrapped onto the components and cured during feeder manufacture. The insulation architecture consists of nine half-lapped layers of glass/Kapton, which is then enveloped in a ground-screen, and two further half-lapped layers of glass pre-preg for mechanical protection. The integrity of the HV insulation is critical in order to inhibit electrical arcs within the feeders. The insulation over the entire length of the HV components (bus bar, current leads and joints) must provide a level of voltage isolation of 30 kV. In operation, the insulation on ITER busbars will be subjected to high mechanical loads, arising from Lorentz forces, and in addition will be subjected to fretting erosion against stainless steel clamps, as the pulsed nature of some magnets results in longitudinal movement of the busbar. This work was aimed at assessing the wear on, and the changes in, the electrical properties of the insulation when subjected to typical ITER operating conditions. High voltage tests demonstrated that the electrical isolation of the insulation was intact after the fretting test.

Insulation Requirements of High-Voltage Power Systems in Future Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Qureshi, A. Haq; Dayton, James A., Jr.

1995-01-01

The scope, size, and capability of the nation's space-based activities are limited by the level of electrical power available. Long-term projections show that there will be an increasing demand for electrical power in future spacecraft programs. The level of power that can be generated, conditioned, transmitted, and used will have to be considerably increased to satisfy these needs, and increased power levels will require that transmission voltages also be increased to minimize weight and resistive losses. At these projected voltages, power systems will not operate satisfactorily without the proper electrical insulation. Open or encapsulated power supplies are currently used to keep the volume and weight of space power systems low and to protect them from natural and induced environmental hazards. Circuits with open packaging are free to attain the pressure of the outer environment, whereas encapsulated circuits are imbedded in insulating materials, which are usually solids, but could be liquids or gases. Up to now, solid insulation has usually been chosen for space power systems. If the use of solid insulation is continued, when voltages increase, the amount of insulation for encapsulation also will have to increase. This increased insulation will increase weight and reduce system reliability. Therefore, non-solid insulation media must be examined to satisfy future spacecraft power and voltage demands. In this report, we assess the suitability of liquid, space vacuum, and gas insulation for space power systems.

Computational analysis of electrical conduction in hybrid nanomaterials with embedded non-penetrating conductive particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Jizhe; Naraghi, Mohammad

2016-08-01

In this work, a comprehensive multi-resolution two-dimensional (2D) resistor network model is proposed to analyze the electrical conductivity of hybrid nanomaterials made of insulating matrix with conductive particles such as CNT reinforced nanocomposites and thick film resistors. Unlike existing approaches, our model takes into account the impenetrability of the particles and their random placement within the matrix. Moreover, our model presents a detailed description of intra-particle conductivity via finite element analysis, which to the authors’ best knowledge has not been addressed before. The inter-particle conductivity is assumed to be primarily due to electron tunneling. The model is then used to predict the electrical conductivity of electrospun carbon nanofibers as a function of microstructural parameters such as turbostratic domain alignment and aspect ratio. To simulate the microstructure of single CNF, randomly positioned nucleation sites were seeded and grown as turbostratic particles with anisotropic growth rates. Particle growth was in steps and growth of each particle in each direction was stopped upon contact with other particles. The study points to the significant contribution of both intra-particle and inter-particle conductivity to the overall conductivity of hybrid composites. Influence of particle alignment and anisotropic growth rate ratio on electrical conductivity is also discussed. The results show that partial alignment in contrast to complete alignment can result in maximum electrical conductivity of whole CNF. High degrees of alignment can adversely affect conductivity by lowering the probability of the formation of a conductive path. The results demonstrate approaches to enhance electrical conductivity of hybrid materials through controlling their microstructure which is applicable not only to carbon nanofibers, but also many other types of hybrid composites such as thick film resistors.

Cast-in-place, ambiently-dried, silica-based, high-temperature insulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheng, Eric Jianfeng; Thompson, Travis; Salvador, James R.

A novel sol-gel chemistry approach was developed to enable the simple integration of a cast-in-place, ambiently-dried insulation into high temperature applications. The insulation was silica based, synthesized using methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) as the precursor. MTMS created a unique silica microstructure that was mechanically robust, macroporous, and superhydrophobic. To allow for casting into and around small, orthogonal features, zirconia fibers were added to increase stiffness and minimize contraction that could otherwise cause cracking during drying. Radiative heat transport was reduced by adding titania powder as an opacifier. To assess relevance to high temperature thermoelectric generator technology, a comprehensive set of materials characterizationsmore » were conducted. The silica gel was thermally stable, retained superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle > 150° , and showed a high electrical resistance > 1 GΩ, regardless of heating temperature (up to 600 °C in Ar for 4 h). In addition, it exhibited a Young's modulus ~3.7 MPa in room temperature and a low thermal conductivity < 0.08 W/m.K before and after heat treatment. Thus, based on the simplicity of the manufacturing process and optimized material properties, we believe this technology can act as an effective cast-in-place thermal insulation (CTI) for thermoelectric generators and myriad other applications requiring improved thermal efficiency.« less

Cast-in-place, ambiently-dried, silica-based, high-temperature insulation

DOE PAGES

Cheng, Eric Jianfeng; Thompson, Travis; Salvador, James R.; ...

2017-02-03

A novel sol-gel chemistry approach was developed to enable the simple integration of a cast-in-place, ambiently-dried insulation into high temperature applications. The insulation was silica based, synthesized using methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) as the precursor. MTMS created a unique silica microstructure that was mechanically robust, macroporous, and superhydrophobic. To allow for casting into and around small, orthogonal features, zirconia fibers were added to increase stiffness and minimize contraction that could otherwise cause cracking during drying. Radiative heat transport was reduced by adding titania powder as an opacifier. To assess relevance to high temperature thermoelectric generator technology, a comprehensive set of materials characterizationsmore » were conducted. The silica gel was thermally stable, retained superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle > 150° , and showed a high electrical resistance > 1 GΩ, regardless of heating temperature (up to 600 °C in Ar for 4 h). In addition, it exhibited a Young's modulus ~3.7 MPa in room temperature and a low thermal conductivity < 0.08 W/m.K before and after heat treatment. Thus, based on the simplicity of the manufacturing process and optimized material properties, we believe this technology can act as an effective cast-in-place thermal insulation (CTI) for thermoelectric generators and myriad other applications requiring improved thermal efficiency.« less

The effect of actuator nozzle designs on the electrostatic charge generated in pressurised metered dose inhaler aerosols.

PubMed

Chen, Yang; Young, Paul M; Fletcher, David F; Chan, Hak Kim; Long, Edward; Lewis, David; Church, Tanya; Traini, Daniela

2015-04-01

To investigate the influence of different actuator nozzle designs on aerosol electrostatic charges and aerosol performances for pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs). Four actuator nozzle designs (flat, curved flat, cone and curved cone) were manufactured using insulating thermoplastics (PET and PTFE) and conducting metal (aluminium) materials. Aerosol electrostatic profiles of solution pMDI formulations containing propellant HFA 134a with different ethanol concentration and/or model drug beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) were studied using a modified electrical low-pressure impactor (ELPI) for all actuator designs and materials. The mass of the deposited drug was analysed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Both curved nozzle designs for insulating PET and PTFE actuators significantly influenced aerosol electrostatics and aerosol performance compared with conducting aluminium actuator, where reversed charge polarity and higher throat deposition were observed with pMDI formulation containing BDP. Results are likely due to the changes in plume geometry caused by the curved edge nozzle designs and the bipolar charging nature of insulating materials. This study demonstrated that actuator nozzle designs could significantly influence the electrostatic charges profiles and aerosol drug deposition pattern of pMDI aerosols, especially when using insulating thermoplastic materials where bipolar charging is more dominant.

49 CFR 236.752 - Joint, rail, insulated.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Joint, rail, insulated. 236.752 Section 236.752 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION... Joint, rail, insulated. A joint in which electrical insulation is provided between adjoining rails. ...

Impact of Steep-Front Short-Duration Impulse on Electric Power System Insulation. Phase 2. Laboratory Evaluation of Selected Power System Components

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-04-01

SEALS - _------ OIL LEVEL STAINLESS STEEL INDICATOR EXPANSION CHAMBER MULTIPLE COMPRESSION GASKET SPRINGS CONDUCTOR RO) UPPER PORCELAIN_ OIL...GENERATED WAVEFORM) FIELD Electric (E) 40 kV/m 50 kV/m 10 kV/m STRENGTH ( FREE SPACE) Magnetic(M) 300 A/m 1000 A/m 300 A/m Rise time 20-500 ns 10 ns 10 ns...Laboratory Interaction Note IN435, 1983. 4. P. R_ Barnes, "The Axial Current Induced on an Infinitely Long, Perfectly Conducting, Circular Cylinder in Free

Low temperature growth and electrical characterization of insulators for GaAs MISFETS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borrego, J. M.; Ghandhi, S. K.

1981-01-01

Progress in the low temperature growth of oxides and layers on GaAs and the detailed electrical characterization of these oxides is reported. A plasma anodization system was designed, assembled, and put into operation. A measurement system was assembled for determining capacitance and conductance as a function of gate voltage for frequencies in the range from 1 Hz to 1 MHz. Initial measurements were carried out in Si-SiO2 capacitors in order to test the system and in GaAs MIS capacitors abricated using liquid anodization.

Liquid level detector

DOEpatents

Tokarz, Richard D.

1982-01-01

A liquid level sensor having a pair of upright conductors spaced by an insulator defining a first high resistance path between the conductors. An electrically conductive path is interposed between the upright conductors at a discrete location at which liquid level is to be measured. It includes a liquid accessible gap of a dimension such that the electrical resistance across the conductor when the gap is filled with the liquid is detectably less than when the gap is emptied. The conductor might also be physically altered by temperature changes to serve also as an indicator of elevated temperature.

Liquid-level detector

DOEpatents

Not Available

1981-01-29

Aliquid level sensor is described which has a pair of upright conductors spaced by an insulator defining a first high resistance path between the conductors. An electrically conductive path is interposed between the upright conductors at a discrete location at which liquid level is to be measured. It includes a liquid accessible gap of a dimension such that the electrical resistance across the conductor when the gap is filled with the liquid is detectably less than when the gap is emptied. The conductor might also be physically altered by temperature changes to serve also as an indicator of elevated temperature.

Role of geometric parameters in electrical measurements of insulating thin films deposited on a conductive substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, S.; Gerhardt, R. A.

2012-03-01

The effects of film thickness, electrode size and substrate thickness on the impedance parameters of alternating frequency dielectric measurements of insulating thin films deposited on conductive substrates were studied through parametric finite-element simulations. The quasi-static forms of Maxwell's electromagnetic equations in a time harmonic mode were solved using COMSOL Multiphysics® for several types of 2D models (linear and axisymmetric). The full 2D model deals with a configuration in which the impedance is measured between two surface electrodes on top of a film deposited on a conductive substrate. For the simplified 2D models, the conductive substrate is ignored and the two electrodes are placed on the top and bottom of the film. By comparing the full model and the simplified models, approximations and generalizations are deduced. For highly insulating films, such as the case of insulating SiO2 films on a conducting Si substrate, even the simplified models predict accurate capacitance values at all frequencies. However, the edge effects on the capacitance are found to be significant when the film thickness increases and/or the top electrode contact size decreases. The thickness of the substrate affects predominantly the resistive components of the dielectric response while having no significant effect on the capacitive components. Changing the electrode contact size or the film thickness determines the specific values of the measured resistance or capacitance while the material time constant remains the same, and thus this affects the frequency dependence that is able to be detected. This work highlights the importance of keeping in mind the film thickness and electrode contact size for the correct interpretation of the measured dielectric properties of micro/nanoscale structures that are often investigated using nanoscale capacitance measurements.

Electron Emission Properties of Insulator Materials Pertinent to the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomson, C. D.; Zavyalov, V.; Dennison, J. R.; Corbridge, Jodie

2004-01-01

We present the results of our measurements of the electron emission properties of selected insulating and conducting materials used on the International Space Station (ISS). Utah State University (USU) has performed measurements of the electron-, ion-, and photon-induced electron emission properties of conductors for a few years, and has recently extended our capabilities to measure electron yields of insulators, allowing us to significantly expand current spacecraft material charging databases. These ISS materials data are used here to illustrate our various insulator measurement techniques that include: i) Studies of electron-induced secondary and backscattered electron yield curves using pulsed, low current electron beams to minimize deleterious affects of insulator charging. ii) Comparison of several methods used to determine the insulator 1st and 2nd crossover energies. These incident electron energies induce unity total yield at the transition between yields greater than and less than one with either negative or positive charging, respectively. The crossover energies are very important in determining both the polarity and magnitude of spacecraft surface potentials. iii) Evolution of electron emission energy spectra as a function of insulator charging used to determine the surface potential of insulators. iv) Surface potential evolution as a function of pulsed-electron fluence to determine how quickly insulators charge, and how this can affect subsequent electron yields. v) Critical incident electron energies resulting in electrical breakdown of insulator materials and the effect of breakdown on subsequent emission, charging and conduction. vi) Charge-neutralization techniques such as low-energy electron flooding and UV light irradiation to dissipate both positive and negative surface potentials during yield measurements. Specific ISS materials being tested at USU include chromic and sulfuric anodized aluminum, RTV-silicone solar array adhesives, solar cell cover glasses, Kapton, and gold. Further details of the USU testing facilities, the instrumentation used for insulator measurements, and the NASA/SEE Charge Collector materials database are provided in other Spacecraft Charging Conference presentations (Dennison, 2003b). The work presented was supported in part by the NASA Space Environments and Effects (SEE) Program, the Boeing Corporation, and a NASA Graduate Fellowship. Samples were supplied by Boeing, the Environmental Effects Group at Marshall Space Flight Center, and Sheldahl, Inc.

Semi-flexible gas-insulated transmission line using protection tube in conductor plug-in joint

DOEpatents

Kommineni, P.R.

1983-01-25

A gas-insulated transmission line includes an outer sheath, an inner conductor, an insulating gas electrically insulating the inner conductor from the outer sheath, and insulating supports insulatably supporting the inner conductor within the outer sheath. The inner conductor is provided with flexibility by main conductor sections which are joined together through a conductor hub section and flexible flexing elements. Stress shields are provided to control the electric field at the locations of the conductor hub sections where the insulating supports are contacting the inner conductor. A plug and socket arrangement is utilized for joining adjacent sections of the inner conductor, and a protection tube is utilized inside the hollow plug to maintain proper alignment of the joint when the transmission line is bent. 3 figs.

Semi-flexible gas-insulated transmission line using protection tube in conductor plug-in joint

DOEpatents

Kommineni, Prasad R.

1983-01-25

A gas-insulated transmission line includes an outer sheath, an inner conductor, an insulating gas electrically insulating the inner conductor from the outer sheath, and insulating supports insulatably supporting the inner conductor within the outer sheath. The inner conductor is provided with flexibility by main conductor sections which are joined together through a conductor hub section and flexible flexing elements. Stress shields are provided to control the electric field at the locations of the conductor hub sections where the insulating supports are contacting the inner conductor. A plug and socket arrangement is utilized for joining adjacent sections of the inner conductor, and a protection tube is utilized inside the hollow plug to maintain proper alignment of the joint when the transmission line is bent.

Coaxial Electric Heaters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strekalov, Dmitry; Matsko, Andrey; Savchenkov, Anatoliy; Maleki, Lute

2008-01-01

Coaxial electric heaters have been conceived for use in highly sensitive instruments in which there are requirements for compact heaters but stray magnetic fields associated with heater electric currents would adversely affect operation. Such instruments include atomic clocks and magnetometers that utilize heated atomic-sample cells, wherein stray magnetic fields at picotesla levels could introduce systematic errors into instrument readings. A coaxial electric heater is essentially an axisymmetric coaxial cable, the outer conductor of which is deliberately made highly electrically resistive so that it can serve as a heating element. As in the cases of other axisymmetric coaxial cables, the equal magnitude electric currents flowing in opposite directions along the inner and outer conductors give rise to zero net magnetic field outside the outer conductor. Hence, a coaxial electric heater can be placed near an atomic-sample cell or other sensitive device. A coaxial electric heater can be fabricated from an insulated copper wire, the copper core of which serves as the inner conductor. For example, in one approach, the insulated wire is dipped in a colloidal graphite emulsion, then the emulsion-coated wire is dried to form a thin, uniform, highly electrically resistive film that serves as the outer conductor. Then the film is coated with a protective layer of high-temperature epoxy except at the end to be electrically connected to the power supply. Next, the insulation is stripped from the wire at that end. Finally, electrical leads from the heater power supply are attached to the exposed portions of the wire and the resistive film. The resistance of the graphite film can be tailored via its thickness. Alternatively, the film can be made from an electrically conductive paint, other than a colloidal graphite emulsion, chosen to impart the desired resistance. Yet another alternative is to tailor the resistance of a graphite film by exploiting the fact that its resistance can be changed permanently within about 10 percent by heating it to a temperature above 300 C. A coaxial heater, with electrical leads attached, that has been bent into an almost full circle for edge heating of a circular window is shown. (In the specific application, there is a requirement for a heated cell window, through which an optical beam enters the cell.)

Conductive tracks of 30-MeV C60 clusters in doped and undoped tetrahedral amorphous carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauser, J.; Gehrke, H.-G.; Hofsäss, H.; Trautmann, C.; Weidinger, A.

2013-07-01

In insulating tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C), the irradiation with 30-MeV C60 cluster ions leads to the formation of well conducting tracks. While electrical currents through individual tracks produced with monoatomic projectiles (e.g. Au or U) often exhibit rather large track to track fluctuations, C60 clusters are shown to generate highly conducting tracks with very narrow current distributions. Additionally, all recorded current-voltage curves show linear characteristics. These findings are attributed to the large specific energy loss dE/dx of the 30-MeV C60 clusters. We also investigated C60 tracks in ta-C films which were slightly doped with B, N or Fe during film growth. Doping apparently increases the ion track conductivity. However, at the same time the insulating characteristics of the pristine ta-C film can be reduced. The present C60 results are compared with data from earlier experiments with monoatomic heavy ion beams. The investigations were performed by means of atomic force microscopy including temperature dependent conductivity measurements of single ion tracks.

Resistive switching mechanisms in random access memory devices incorporating transition metal oxides: TiO2, NiO and Pr0.7Ca0.3MnO3.

PubMed

Magyari-Köpe, Blanka; Tendulkar, Mihir; Park, Seong-Geon; Lee, Hyung Dong; Nishi, Yoshio

2011-06-24

Resistance change random access memory (RRAM) cells, typically built as MIM capacitor structures, consist of insulating layers I sandwiched between metal layers M, where the insulator performs the resistance switching operation. These devices can be electrically switched between two or more stable resistance states at a speed of nanoseconds, with long retention times, high switching endurance, low read voltage, and large switching windows. They are attractive candidates for next-generation non-volatile memory, particularly as a flash successor, as the material properties can be scaled to the nanometer regime. Several resistance switching models have been suggested so far for transition metal oxide based devices, such as charge trapping, conductive filament formation, Schottky barrier modulation, and electrochemical migration of point defects. The underlying fundamental principles of the switching mechanism still lack a detailed understanding, i.e. how to control and modulate the electrical characteristics of devices incorporating defects and impurities, such as oxygen vacancies, metal interstitials, hydrogen, and other metallic atoms acting as dopants. In this paper, state of the art ab initio theoretical methods are employed to understand the effects that filamentary types of stable oxygen vacancy configurations in TiO(2) and NiO have on the electronic conduction. It is shown that strong electronic interactions between metal ions adjacent to oxygen vacancy sites results in the formation of a conductive path and thus can explain the 'ON' site conduction in these materials. Implication of hydrogen doping on electroforming is discussed for Pr(0.7)Ca(0.3)MnO(3) devices based on electrical characterization and FTIR measurements.

Selectively Tuning a Buckled Si/SiO2 Membrane MEMS through Joule Heating Actuation and Mechanical Restriction

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

are solid substances whose electrical conductivity is between that of a conductor and that of an insulator, and are sometimes known as “poor...measurements were captured using a unique measurement scheme. The results concluded that by introducing a thermal stress, the membrane could be actuated with...61 Thermal Probe Station

High-quality multilayer graphene on an insulator formed by diffusion controlled Ni-induced layer exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murata, H.; Saitoh, N.; Yoshizawa, N.; Suemasu, T.; Toko, K.

2017-12-01

The Ni-induced layer-exchange growth of amorphous carbon is a unique method used to fabricate uniform multilayer graphene (MLG) directly on an insulator. To improve the crystal quality of MLG, we prepare AlOx or SiO2 interlayers between amorphous C and Ni layers, which control the extent of diffusion of C atoms into the Ni layer. The growth morphology and Raman spectra observed from MLG formed by layer exchange strongly depend on the material type and thickness of the interlayers; a 1-nm-thick AlOx interlayer is found to be ideal for use in experiments. Transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectra reveal that the crystal quality of the resulting MLG is much higher than that of a sample without an interlayer. The grain size reaches a few μm, leading to an electrical conductivity of 1290 S/cm. The grain size and the electrical conductivity are the highest among MLG synthesized using a solid-phase reaction including metal-induced crystallization. The direct synthesis of uniform, high-quality MLG on arbitrary substrates will pave the way for advanced electronic devices integrated with carbon materials.

Transparent, Weakly Conductive Films for Space Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, John; Morgan, Ashraf; Hambourger, Paul D.

2004-01-01

Electrically insulating spacecraft surfaces are vulnerable to nonuniform charge buildup due to particles emitted by the sun. On Mars, insulating surfaces of exploration vehicles and structures will be affected by dust coatings possibly held in place by triboelectric surface charge. Application of a conductive film may be a solution to the charging problem, but the coating must be highly transparent if used on solar panels, lenses, etc. Sheet resistivity requirements depend on the application and are in the range 10(exp 2) - 10(exp 8) ohms/square. Co-deposited indium tin oxide (ITO) and MgF2 is promising, with high transparency, tailorable electrical properties, and durability to atomic oxygen. Due to ITO's relatively narrow bandgap (approximately 3.5 eV), the film might absorb enough ultraviolet to protect polymeric substrates. Recent work on dual-magnetron-sputtered ITO-MgF2 showed that a variety of polymeric substrates can be coated at room temperature. However, the sheet resistivity is very sensitive to composition, suggestive of a percolation transition. This could be a serious problem for large-scale coating production. We will report on attempts to control film composition by plasma emission monitoring of the ITO and MgF2 guns.

Viscosity of a Suspension with Internal Rotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elisabeth, Lemaire; Laurent, Lobry; François, Peters

2008-07-01

When an insulating particle immersed into a low conducting liquid is submitted to a sufficiently high DC field, E, it can rotate spontaneously around itself along any axis perpendicular to the electric field. This symmetry break is known as Quincke rotation and could have important consequences on the rheology of such a suspension of particles (insulating particles dispersed in a slightly conducting liquid). Indeed, if the suspension is subject to a shear rate, and a DC electric field is applied in the velocity gradient direction, the spin rate of the particles is greater than in the absence of an E field, so that the macroscopic spin rate of the particles drives the suspending liquid and thus leads to a decrease of the apparent viscosity of the suspension. The purpose of this paper is to provide a relation between the apparent viscosity of the suspension, the spin rate of the particles and the E field intensity. The predictions of the model are compared to experimental data which have been obtained on a suspension of PMMA particles dispersed in a low polar dielectric liquid. The agreement between experiments and theory is rather good even if the model overestimates the viscosity decrease induced by the field.

Synthesis and analysis of acou-physical properties of banana biocomposite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, S. P.; Bhanupriya; Nath, G.

2018-02-01

The sound absorbing materials have been developed using various natural fibres which are renewable, biodegradable, recyclable and economic in nature. After the cultivation of banana fruit as its stem which is fibrous in nature has no use, it may use in various scientific applications as like as the preparation of sound absorbing materials. The suitable and proper mixture of the epoxy resin with the banana fibre gives rise to formation of the biocomposite material which is mechanically firm and tough. The EDS and SEM analysis of the sample gives an idea about the formation of closed chain in between banana fibre and epoxy in the molecular level and porous quality. The thermal conductivity gradually decreases with the increase of particle concentration and the electrical conductivity increases in the order of 10-5 which demonstrates the insulating behaviour of the prepared sample. At the higher frequencies there is a reduction of dielectric constant due to the interfacial and orientation polarisation. The intensity of sound decreases in presence of the material and the absorption coefficient rise with increase of frequency. Thus the banana fibre biocomposite material can be used as a sound absorber which behaves as thermally and electrically insulator.

Unusually conductive carbon-inherently conducting polymer (ICP) composites: Synthesis and characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourdo, Shawn Edward

Two groups of materials that have recently come to the forefront of research initiatives are carbon allotropes, especially nanotubes, and conducting polymers-more specifically inherently conducting polymers. The terms conducting polymers and inherently conducting polymers sometimes are used interchangeably without fully acknowledging a major difference in these terms. Conducting polymers (CPs) and inherently conducting polymers (ICPs) are both polymeric materials that conduct electricity, but the difference lies in how each of these materials conducts electricity. For CPs of the past, an electrically conductive filler such as metal particles, carbon black, or graphite would be blended into a polymer (insulator) allowing for the CP to carry an electric current. An ICP conducts electricity due to the intrinsic nature of its chemical structure. The two materials at the center of this research are graphite and polyaniline. For the first time, a composite between carbon allotropes (graphite) and an inherently conducting polymer (PANI) has exhibited an electrical conductivity greater than either of the two components. Both components have a plethora of potential applications and therefore the further investigation could lead to use of these composites in any number of technologies. Touted applications that use either conductive carbons or ICPs exist in a wide range of fields, including electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, radar evasion, low power rechargeable batteries, electrostatic dissipation (ESD) for anti-static textiles, electronic devices, light emitting diodes (LEDs), corrosion prevention, gas sensors, super capacitors, photovoltaic cells, and resistive heating. The main motivation for this research has been to investigate the connection between an observed increase in conductivity and structure of composites. Two main findings have resulted from the research as related to the observed increase in conductivity. The first was the structural evidence from Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermal analysis suggesting a more crystalline graphite matrix due to intimate interactions with PANI that resulted in a charge transfer. Confirmation of charge transfer was observed through magnetic susceptibility, electron paramagnetic resonance, and temperature dependent electrical conductivity studies.

Phase-field model of insulator-to-metal transition in VO2 under an electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yin; Chen, Long-Qing

2018-05-01

The roles of an electric field and electronic doping in insulator-to-metal transitions are still not well understood. Here we formulated a phase-field model of insulator-to-metal transitions by taking into account both structural and electronic instabilities as well as free electrons and holes in VO2, a strongly correlated transition-metal oxide. Our phase-field simulations demonstrate that in a VO2 slab under a uniform electric field, an abrupt universal resistive transition occurs inside the supercooling region, in sharp contrast to the conventional Landau-Zener smooth electric breakdown. We also show that hole doping may decouple the structural and electronic phase transitions in VO2, leading to a metastable metallic monoclinic phase which could be stabilized through a geometrical confinement and the size effect. This work provides a general mesoscale thermodynamic framework for understanding the influences of electric field, electronic doping, and stress and strain on insulator-to-metal transitions and the corresponding mesoscale domain structure evolution in VO2 and related strongly correlated systems.

Dielectric Breakdown Characteristics of Oil-pressboard Insulation System against AC/DC Superposed Voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebisawa, Yoshihito; Yamada, Shin; Mori, Shigekazu; Ikeda, Masami

This paper describes breakdown characteristics of an oil-pressboard insulation system to a superposition voltage of AC and DC voltages. Although AC electric field is decided by the ratio of the relative permittivity of a pressboard and insulating oil, DC electric field is decided by ratio α of volume resistivities. From the measurement in this study, 13—78 and 1.8—5.7 are obtained as the volume resistivity ratios α at temperature of 30°C and 80°C, respectively. The breakdown voltages against AC, DC, and those superposition voltages are surveyed to insulation models. In normal temperature, the breakdown voltage to the superposition voltage of AC and DC is determined by AC electric field applied to the oil duct. Since the α becomes as low as 2-3 at temperature of 80°C, AC and DC voltages almost equally contribute to the electric field of the oil duct as a result. That is, it became clear that superposed DC voltage boosts the electric field across oil ducts at operating high temperature.

Metal-like electrical conductivity in LaxSr2-xTiMoO6 oxides for high temperature thermoelectric power generation.

PubMed

Saxena, Mandvi; Maiti, Tanmoy

2017-05-09

Increasing electrical conductivity in oxides, which are inherently insulators, can be a potential route in developing oxide-based thermoelectric power generators with higher energy conversion efficiency. In the present work, environmentally friendly non-toxic double perovskite La x Sr 2-x TiMoO 6 (LSTM) ceramics were synthesized using a solid-state reaction route by optimizing the sintering temperature and atmosphere for high temperature thermoelectric applications. Rietveld refinement of XRD data confirmed a single-phase solid solution with a cubic structure in these double perovskites with the space-group Pm3[combining macron]m. SEM studies showed a highly dense microstructure in these ceramics. High electrical conductivity on the order of 10 5 S m -1 and large carrier concentration (∼10 22 cm -3 ) were obtained in these materials. The temperature-dependent electrical conductivity measurement showed that the LSTM ceramics exhibit a semiconductor to metal transition. Thermopower (S) measurements demonstrated the conductivity switching from a p-type to n-type behavior at higher temperature. A temperature dependent Seebeck coefficient was further explained using a model for coexistence of both types of charge carriers in these oxides. A conductivity mechanism of these double perovskites was found to be governed by a small polaron hopping model.

Contactless Determination of Electrical Conductivity of One-Dimensional Nanomaterials by Solution-Based Electro-orientation Spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Akin, Cevat; Yi, Jingang; Feldman, Leonard C.; ...

2015-05-05

For nanowires of the same composition, and even fabricated within the same batch, often exhibit electrical conductivities that can vary by orders of magnitude. Unfortunately, existing electrical characterization methods are time-consuming, making the statistical survey of highly variable samples essentially impractical. Here, we demonstrate a contactless, solution-based method to efficiently measure the electrical conductivity of 1D nanomaterials based on their transient alignment behavior in ac electric fields of different frequencies. In comparison with direct transport measurements by probe-based scanning tunneling microscopy shows that electro-orientation spectroscopy can quantitatively measure nanowire conductivity over a 5-order-of-magnitude range, 10–5–1 Ω–1 m–1 (corresponding to resistivitiesmore » in the range 102–107 Ω·cm). With this method, we statistically characterize the conductivity of a variety of nanowires and find significant variability in silicon nanowires grown by metal-assisted chemical etching from the same wafer. We also find that the active carrier concentration of n-type silicon nanowires is greatly reduced by surface traps and that surface passivation increases the effective conductivity by an order of magnitude. Moreover, this simple method makes electrical characterization of insulating and semiconducting 1D nanomaterials far more efficient and accessible to more researchers than current approaches. Electro-orientation spectroscopy also has the potential to be integrated with other solution-based methods for the high-throughput sorting and manipulation of 1D nanomaterials for postgrowth device assembly.« less

Thermal protection system ablation sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorbunov, Sergey (Inventor); Martinez, Edward R. (Inventor); Scott, James B. (Inventor); Oishi, Tomomi (Inventor); Fu, Johnny (Inventor); Mach, Joseph G. (Inventor); Santos, Jose B. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

An isotherm sensor tracks space vehicle temperatures by a thermal protection system (TPS) material during vehicle re-entry as a function of time, and surface recession through calibration, calculation, analysis and exposed surface modeling. Sensor design includes: two resistive conductors, wound around a tube, with a first end of each conductor connected to a constant current source, and second ends electrically insulated from each other by a selected material that becomes an electrically conductive char at higher temperatures to thereby complete an electrical circuit. The sensor conductors become shorter as ablation proceeds and reduced resistance in the completed electrical circuit (proportional to conductor length) is continually monitored, using measured end-to-end voltage change or current in the circuit. Thermocouple and/or piezoelectric measurements provide consistency checks on local temperatures.

Microwave a.c. conductivity of domain walls in ferroelectric thin films

DOE PAGES

Tselev, Alexander; Yu, Pu; Cao, Ye; ...

2016-05-31

Ferroelectric domain walls are of great interest as elementary building blocks for future electronic devices due to their intrinsic few-nanometre width, multifunctional properties and field-controlled topology. To realize the electronic functions, domain walls are required to be electrically conducting and addressable non-destructively. However, these properties have been elusive because conducting walls have to be electrically charged, which makes them unstable and uncommon in ferroelectric materials. Here we reveal that spontaneous and recorded domain walls in thin films of lead zirconate and bismuth ferrite exhibit large conductance at microwave frequencies despite being insulating at d.c. We explain this effect by morphologicalmore » roughening of the walls and local charges induced by disorder with the overall charge neutrality. a.c. conduction is immune to large contact resistance enabling completely non-destructive walls read-out. Finally, this demonstrates a technological potential for harnessing a.c. conduction for oxide electronics and other materials with poor d.c. conduction, particularly at the nanoscale.« less

Microwave a.c. conductivity of domain walls in ferroelectric thin films

PubMed Central

Tselev, Alexander; Yu, Pu; Cao, Ye; Dedon, Liv R.; Martin, Lane W.; Kalinin, Sergei V.; Maksymovych, Petro

2016-01-01

Ferroelectric domain walls are of great interest as elementary building blocks for future electronic devices due to their intrinsic few-nanometre width, multifunctional properties and field-controlled topology. To realize the electronic functions, domain walls are required to be electrically conducting and addressable non-destructively. However, these properties have been elusive because conducting walls have to be electrically charged, which makes them unstable and uncommon in ferroelectric materials. Here we reveal that spontaneous and recorded domain walls in thin films of lead zirconate and bismuth ferrite exhibit large conductance at microwave frequencies despite being insulating at d.c. We explain this effect by morphological roughening of the walls and local charges induced by disorder with the overall charge neutrality. a.c. conduction is immune to large contact resistance enabling completely non-destructive walls read-out. This demonstrates a technological potential for harnessing a.c. conduction for oxide electronics and other materials with poor d.c. conduction, particularly at the nanoscale. PMID:27240997

Thermal performance of a liquid hydrogen tank multilayer insulation system at warm boundary temperatures of 630, 530, and 152 R

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stochl, Robert J.; Knoll, Richard H.

1991-06-01

The results are presented of a study conducted to obtain experimental heat transfer data on a liquid hydrogen tank insulated with 34 layers of MLI (multilayer insulation) for warm side boundary temperatures of 630, 530, and 150 R. The MLI system consisted of two blankets, each blanket made up of alternate layers of double silk net (16 layers) and double aluminized Mylar radiation shields (15 layers) contained between two cover sheets of Dacron scrim reinforced Mylar. The insulation system was designed for and installed on a 87.6 in diameter liquid hydrogen tank. Nominal layer density of the insulation blankets is 45 layers/in. The insulation system contained penetrations for structural support, plumbing, and electrical wiring that would be representative of a cryogenic spacecraft. The total steady state heat transfer rates into the test tank for shroud temperatures of 630, 530, 152 R were 164.4, 95.8, and 15.9 BTU/hr respectively. The noninsulation heat leaks into the tank (12 fiberglass support struts, tank plumbing, and instrumentation lines) represent between 13 to 17 pct. of the total heat input. The heat input values would translate to liquid H2 losses of 2.3, 1.3, and 0.2 pct/day, with the tank held at atmospheric pressure.

Thermal performance of a liquid hydrogen tank multilayer insulation system at warm boundary temperatures of 630, 530, and 152 R

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stochl, Robert J.; Knoll, Richard H.

1991-06-01

The results are presented of a study conducted to obtain experimental heat transfer data on a liquid hydrogen tank insulated with 34 layers of MLI (multilayer insulation) for warm side boundary temperatures of 630, 530, and 150 R. The MLI system consisted of two blankets, each blanket made up of alternate layers of double silk net (16 layers) and double aluminized Mylar radiation shields (15 layers) contained between two cover sheets of Dacron scrim reinforced Mylar. The insulation system was designed for and installed on an 87.6 in. diameter liquid hydrogen tank. Nominal layer density of the insulation blankets is 45 layers/in. The insulation system contained penetrations for structural support, plumbing, and electrical wiring that would be representative of a cryogenic spacecraft. The total steady state heat transfer rates into the test tank for shroud temperatures of 630, 530, 152 R were 164.4, 95.8, and 15.9 BTU/hr, respectively. The noninsulation heat leaks into the tank (12 fiberglass support struts, tank plumbing, and instrumentation lines) represent between 13 to 17 pct. of the total heat input. The heat input values would translate to liquid H2 losses of 2.3, 1.3, and 0.2 pct/day, with the tank held at atmospheric pressure.

7 CFR 1436.6 - Eligible storage or handling equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... eligible facility loan commodity, such as cleaners, moisture testers, and heat detectors; (4) Electrical... moisture testers, and heat detectors; (vii) Electrical equipment, including labor and materials for..., but are not limited to, the following: An insulated cement slab floor, insulation for walls and...

7 CFR 1436.6 - Eligible storage or handling equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... eligible facility loan commodity, such as cleaners, moisture testers, and heat detectors; (4) Electrical... moisture testers, and heat detectors; (vii) Electrical equipment, including labor and materials for..., but are not limited to, the following: An insulated cement slab floor, insulation for walls and...

7 CFR 1436.6 - Eligible storage or handling equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... eligible facility loan commodity, such as cleaners, moisture testers, and heat detectors; (4) Electrical... moisture testers, and heat detectors; (vii) Electrical equipment, including labor and materials for..., but are not limited to, the following: An insulated cement slab floor, insulation for walls and...

Effect of thickness of insulation coating on temperature of electrically exploded tungsten wires in vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Huantong; Zou, Xiaobing; Wang, Xinxin

2017-07-01

This paper reports an interesting observation of great differences in the temperature of exploded wires with insulation coating of different thicknesses. Two kinds of polyimide-coated tungsten wires were used with the same conductive diameter 12.5 μm but a different thickness of coating, 0.75-2.25 μm and 2.25-4.25 μm, respectively. The specific energy reconstructed from the current and voltage signals was quite close for the tested wires. However, the exploding scenario, obtained from Mach-Zehnder interferograms, showed great differences: a neutral outer-layer was observed around the thick-coated wire, which was absent for the thin-coated wire; and the calculated electron density and local thermal equilibrium temperature were much higher for thick-coated wires. The heat-preserving neutral layer formed by the decomposition of the insulation was supposed to be the cause of this phenomenon.

Magnetic-proximity-induced magnetoresistance on topological insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiba, Takahiro; Takahashi, Saburo; Bauer, Gerrit E. W.

2017-03-01

We theoretically study the magnetoresistance (MR) of two-dimensional massless Dirac electrons as found on the surface of three-dimensional topological insulators (TIs) that are capped by a ferromagnetic insulator (FI). We calculate charge and spin transport by Kubo and Boltzmann theories, taking into account the ladder-vertex correction and the in-scattering due to normal and magnetic disorder. The induced exchange splitting is found to generate an electric conductivity that depends on the magnetization orientation, but its form is very different from both the anisotropic and the spin Hall MR. The in-plane MR vanishes identically for nonmagnetic disorder, while out-of-plane magnetizations cause a large MR ratio. On the other hand, we do find an in-plane MR and planar Hall effect in the presence of magnetic disorder aligned with the FI magnetization. Our results may help us understand recent transport measurements on TI |FI systems.

Domain wall in a quantum anomalous Hall insulator as a magnetoelectric piston

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Upadhyaya, Pramey; Tserkovnyak, Yaroslav

2016-07-01

We theoretically study the magnetoelectric coupling in a quantum anomalous Hall insulator state induced by interfacing a dynamic magnetization texture to a topological insulator. In particular, we propose that the quantum anomalous Hall insulator with a magnetic configuration of a domain wall, when contacted by electrical reservoirs, acts as a magnetoelectric piston. A moving domain wall pumps charge current between electrical leads in a closed circuit, while applying an electrical bias induces reciprocal domain-wall motion. This pistonlike action is enabled by a finite reflection of charge carriers via chiral modes imprinted by the domain wall. Moreover, we find that, when compared with the recently discovered spin-orbit torque-induced domain-wall motion in heavy metals, the reflection coefficient plays the role of an effective spin-Hall angle governing the efficiency of the proposed electrical control of domain walls. Quantitatively, this effective spin-Hall angle is found to approach a universal value of 2, providing an efficient scheme to reconfigure the domain-wall chiral interconnects for possible memory and logic applications.

Electrically floating, near vertical incidence, skywave antenna

DOEpatents

Anderson, Allen A.; Kaser, Timothy G.; Tremblay, Paul A.; Mays, Belva L.

2014-07-08

An Electrically Floating, Near Vertical Incidence, Skywave (NVIS) Antenna comprising an antenna element, a floating ground element, and a grounding element. At least part of said floating ground element is positioned between said antenna element and said grounding element. The antenna is separated from the floating ground element and the grounding element by one or more electrical insulators. The floating ground element is separated from said antenna and said grounding element by one or more electrical insulators.

49 CFR 173.189 - Batteries containing sodium or cells containing sodium.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... the heat insulation fitted in battery casings must be provided with thermal insulation sufficient to... preventing external short circuits, such as by providing complete electrical insulation of battery terminals...

Hot-blade stripper for polyester insulation on FCC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angele, W.; Chambers, C. M.

1971-01-01

Stripper incorporates a blade which is electrically heated to a controlled temperature. Heated blade softens and strips insulation from cable while paper ribbon removes insulation material and keeps blade clean for next operation.

Electric modulation of conduction in multiferroic Ca-doped BiFeO3 films.

PubMed

Yang, C-H; Seidel, J; Kim, S Y; Rossen, P B; Yu, P; Gajek, M; Chu, Y H; Martin, L W; Holcomb, M B; He, Q; Maksymovych, P; Balke, N; Kalinin, S V; Baddorf, A P; Basu, S R; Scullin, M L; Ramesh, R

2009-06-01

Many interesting materials phenomena such as the emergence of high-Tc superconductivity in the cuprates and colossal magnetoresistance in the manganites arise out of a doping-driven competition between energetically similar ground states. Doped multiferroics present a tantalizing evolution of this generic concept of phase competition. Here, we present the observation of an electronic conductor-insulator transition by control of band-filling in the model antiferromagnetic ferroelectric BiFeO3 through Ca doping. Application of electric field enables us to control and manipulate this electronic transition to the extent that a p-n junction can be created, erased and inverted in this material. A 'dome-like' feature in the doping dependence of the ferroelectric transition is observed around a Ca concentration of approximately 1/8, where a new pseudo-tetragonal phase appears and the electric modulation of conduction is optimized. Possible mechanisms for the observed effects are discussed on the basis of the interplay of ionic and electronic conduction. This observation opens the door to merging magnetoelectrics and magnetoelectronics at room temperature by combining electronic conduction with electric and magnetic degrees of freedom already present in the multiferroic BiFeO3.