16 CFR Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 - Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility 1 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility EC03OC91.008 ...

16 CFR Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 - Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility 1 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility EC03OC91.008 ...

16 CFR Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 - Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility 1 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility EC03OC91.008 ...

Multiple current peaks in room-temperature atmospheric pressure homogenous dielectric barrier discharge plasma excited by high-voltage tunable nanosecond pulse in air

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

Yang, De-Zheng; Wang, Wen-Chun; Zhang, Shuai

2013-05-13

Room temperature homogenous dielectric barrier discharge plasma with high instantaneous energy efficiency is acquired by using nanosecond pulse voltage with 20-200 ns tunable pulse width. Increasing the voltage pulse width can lead to the generation of regular and stable multiple current peaks in each discharge sequence. When the voltage pulse width is 200 ns, more than 5 organized current peaks can be observed under 26 kV peak voltage. Investigation also shows that the organized multiple current peaks only appear in homogenous discharge mode. When the discharge is filament mode, organized multiple current peaks are replaced by chaotic filament current peaks.

Combinatorial approach toward high-throughput analysis of direct methanol fuel cells.

PubMed

Jiang, Rongzhong; Rong, Charles; Chu, Deryn

2005-01-01

A 40-member array of direct methanol fuel cells (with stationary fuel and convective air supplies) was generated by electrically connecting the fuel cells in series. High-throughput analysis of these fuel cells was realized by fast screening of voltages between the two terminals of a fuel cell at constant current discharge. A large number of voltage-current curves (200) were obtained by screening the voltages through multiple small-current steps. Gaussian distribution was used to statistically analyze the large number of experimental data. The standard deviation (sigma) of voltages of these fuel cells increased linearly with discharge current. The voltage-current curves at various fuel concentrations were simulated with an empirical equation of voltage versus current and a linear equation of sigma versus current. The simulated voltage-current curves fitted the experimental data well. With increasing methanol concentration from 0.5 to 4.0 M, the Tafel slope of the voltage-current curves (at sigma=0.0), changed from 28 to 91 mV.dec-1, the cell resistance from 2.91 to 0.18 Omega, and the power output from 3 to 18 mW.cm-2.

Dynamics of laser-guided alternating current high voltage discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daigle, J.-F.; Théberge, F.; Lassonde, P.; Kieffer, J.-C.; Fujii, T.; Fortin, J.; Châteauneuf, M.; Dubois, J.

2013-10-01

The dynamics of laser-guided alternating current high voltage discharges are characterized using a streak camera. Laser filaments were used to trigger and guide the discharges produced by a commercial Tesla coil. The streaking images revealed that the dynamics of the guided alternating current high voltage corona are different from that of a direct current source. The measured effective corona velocity and the absence of leader streamers confirmed that it evolves in a pure leader regime.

High PRF high current switch

DOEpatents

Moran, Stuart L.; Hutcherson, R. Kenneth

1990-03-27

A triggerable, high voltage, high current, spark gap switch for use in pu power systems. The device comprises a pair of electrodes in a high pressure hydrogen environment that is triggered by introducing an arc between one electrode and a trigger pin. Unusually high repetition rates may be obtained by undervolting the switch, i.e., operating the trigger at voltages much below the self-breakdown voltage of the device.

Control of Analyte Electrolysis in Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Using Repetitively Pulsed High Voltage

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

Kertesz, Vilmos; Van Berkel, Gary J

2011-01-01

Analyte electrolysis using a repetitively pulsed high voltage ion source was investigated and compared to that using a regular, continuously operating direct current high voltage ion source in electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The extent of analyte electrolysis was explored as a function of the length and frequency of the high voltage pulse using the model compound reserpine in positive ion mode. Using +5 kV as the maximum high voltage amplitude, reserpine was oxidized to its 2, 4, 6 and 8-electron oxidation products when direct current high voltage was employed. In contrast, when using a pulsed high voltage, oxidation of reserpinemore » was eliminated by employing the appropriate high voltage pulse length and frequency. This effect was caused by inefficient mass transport of the analyte to the electrode surface during the duration of the high voltage pulse and the subsequent relaxation of the emitter electrode/ electrolyte interface during the time period when the high voltage was turned off. This mode of ESI source operation allows for analyte electrolysis to be quickly and simply switched on or off electronically via a change in voltage pulse variables.« less

HIGH VOLTAGE GENERATOR

DOEpatents

Zito, G.V.

1959-04-21

This patent relates to high voltage supply circuits adapted for providing operating voltages for GeigerMueller counter tubes, and is especially directed to an arrangement for maintaining uniform voltage under changing conditions of operation. In the usual power supply arrangement for counter tubes the counter voltage is taken from across the power supply output capacitor. If the count rate exceeds the current delivering capaciiy of the capacitor, the capacitor voltage will drop, decreasing the counter voltage. The present invention provides a multivibrator which has its output voltage controlled by a signal proportional to the counting rate. As the counting rate increases beyond the current delivering capacity of the capacitor, the rectified voltage output from the multivibrator is increased to maintain uniform counter voltage.

Modular high voltage power supply for chemical analysis

DOEpatents

Stamps, James F [Livermore, CA; Yee, Daniel D [Dublin, CA

2007-01-09

A high voltage power supply for use in a system such as a microfluidics system, uses a DC--DC converter in parallel with a voltage-controlled resistor. A feedback circuit provides a control signal for the DC--DC converter and voltage-controlled resistor so as to regulate the output voltage of the high voltage power supply, as well as, to sink or source current from the high voltage supply.

Modular high voltage power supply for chemical analysis

DOEpatents

Stamps, James F [Livermore, CA; Yee, Daniel D [Dublin, CA

2010-05-04

A high voltage power supply for use in a system such as a microfluidics system, uses a DC-DC converter in parallel with a voltage-controlled resistor. A feedback circuit provides a control signal for the DC-DC converter and voltage-controlled resistor so as to regulate the output voltage of the high voltage power supply, as well as, to sink or source current from the high voltage supply.

Modular high voltage power supply for chemical analysis

DOEpatents

Stamps, James F [Livermore, CA; Yee, Daniel D [Dublin, CA

2008-07-15

A high voltage power supply for use in a system such as a microfluidics system, uses a DC-DC converter in parallel with a voltage-controlled resistor. A feedback circuit provides a control signal for the DC-DC converter and voltage-controlled resistor so as to regulate the output voltage of the high voltage power supply, as well as, to sink or source current from the high voltage supply.

Power-MOSFET Voltage Regulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, W. N.; Gray, O. E.

1982-01-01

Ninety-six parallel MOSFET devices with two-stage feedback circuit form a high-current dc voltage regulator that also acts as fully-on solid-state switch when fuel-cell out-put falls below regulated voltage. Ripple voltage is less than 20 mV, transient recovery time is less than 50 ms. Parallel MOSFET's act as high-current dc regulator and switch. Regulator can be used wherever large direct currents must be controlled. Can be applied to inverters, industrial furnaces photovoltaic solar generators, dc motors, and electric autos.

Exploring the validity and limitations of the Mott-Gurney law for charge-carrier mobility determination of semiconducting thin-films.

PubMed

Röhr, Jason A; Moia, Davide; Haque, Saif A; Kirchartz, Thomas; Nelson, Jenny

2018-03-14

Using drift-diffusion simulations, we investigate the voltage dependence of the dark current in single carrier devices typically used to determine charge-carrier mobilities. For both low and high voltages, the current increases linearly with the applied voltage. Whereas the linear current at low voltages is mainly due to space charge in the middle of the device, the linear current at high voltage is caused by charge-carrier saturation due to a high degree of injection. As a consequence, the current density at these voltages does not follow the classical square law derived by Mott and Gurney, and we show that for trap-free devices, only for intermediate voltages, a space-charge-limited drift current can be observed with a slope that approaches a value of two. We show that, depending on the thickness of the semiconductor layer and the size of the injection barriers, the two linear current-voltage regimes can dominate the whole voltage range, and the intermediate Mott-Gurney regime can shrink or disappear. In this case, which will especially occur for thicknesses and injection barriers typical of single-carrier devices used to probe organic semiconductors, a meaningful analysis using the Mott-Gurney law will become unachievable, because a square-law fit can no longer be achieved, resulting in the mobility being substantially underestimated. General criteria for when to expect deviations from the Mott-Gurney law when used for analysis of intrinsic semiconductors are discussed.

Exploring the validity and limitations of the Mott-Gurney law for charge-carrier mobility determination of semiconducting thin-films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Röhr, Jason A.; Moia, Davide; Haque, Saif A.; Kirchartz, Thomas; Nelson, Jenny

2018-03-01

Using drift-diffusion simulations, we investigate the voltage dependence of the dark current in single carrier devices typically used to determine charge-carrier mobilities. For both low and high voltages, the current increases linearly with the applied voltage. Whereas the linear current at low voltages is mainly due to space charge in the middle of the device, the linear current at high voltage is caused by charge-carrier saturation due to a high degree of injection. As a consequence, the current density at these voltages does not follow the classical square law derived by Mott and Gurney, and we show that for trap-free devices, only for intermediate voltages, a space-charge-limited drift current can be observed with a slope that approaches a value of two. We show that, depending on the thickness of the semiconductor layer and the size of the injection barriers, the two linear current-voltage regimes can dominate the whole voltage range, and the intermediate Mott-Gurney regime can shrink or disappear. In this case, which will especially occur for thicknesses and injection barriers typical of single-carrier devices used to probe organic semiconductors, a meaningful analysis using the Mott-Gurney law will become unachievable, because a square-law fit can no longer be achieved, resulting in the mobility being substantially underestimated. General criteria for when to expect deviations from the Mott-Gurney law when used for analysis of intrinsic semiconductors are discussed.

High-temperature performance of MoS2 thin-film transistors: Direct current and pulse current-voltage characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, C.; Rumyantsev, S. L.; Samnakay, R.; Shur, M. S.; Balandin, A. A.

2015-02-01

We report on fabrication of MoS2 thin-film transistors (TFTs) and experimental investigations of their high-temperature current-voltage characteristics. The measurements show that MoS2 devices remain functional to temperatures of at least as high as 500 K. The temperature increase results in decreased threshold voltage and mobility. The comparison of the direct current (DC) and pulse measurements shows that the direct current sub-linear and super-linear output characteristics of MoS2 thin-films devices result from the Joule heating and the interplay of the threshold voltage and mobility temperature dependences. At temperatures above 450 K, a kink in the drain current occurs at zero gate voltage irrespective of the threshold voltage value. This intriguing phenomenon, referred to as a "memory step," was attributed to the slow relaxation processes in thin films similar to those in graphene and electron glasses. The fabricated MoS2 thin-film transistors demonstrated stable operation after two months of aging. The obtained results suggest new applications for MoS2 thin-film transistors in extreme-temperature electronics and sensors.

High temperature charge amplifier for geothermal applications

DOEpatents

Lindblom, Scott C.; Maldonado, Frank J.; Henfling, Joseph A.

2015-12-08

An amplifier circuit in a multi-chip module includes a charge to voltage converter circuit, a voltage amplifier a low pass filter and a voltage to current converter. The charge to voltage converter receives a signal representing an electrical charge and generates a voltage signal proportional to the input signal. The voltage amplifier receives the voltage signal from the charge to voltage converter, then amplifies the voltage signal by the gain factor to output an amplified voltage signal. The lowpass filter passes low frequency components of the amplified voltage signal and attenuates frequency components greater than a cutoff frequency. The voltage to current converter receives the output signal of the lowpass filter and converts the output signal to a current output signal; wherein an amplifier circuit output is selectable between the output signal of the lowpass filter and the current output signal.

Influence of high-power nonlinear consumers on electric energy losses in mining high-voltage power line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Averbukh, M. A.; Prasol, D. A.

2018-03-01

The article elucidates the influence of high-power nonlinear consumers on electric energy losses in a mining high-voltage power line. The object of the study was a fragment of a power supply system of a mining enterprise with hoists. The investigation has assessed the electric energy losses conditioned by nonsinusoidal currents and voltages of the power line over a single hoist operation cycle. Also, the total electric energy losses in a high-voltage power line of a mining enterprise was calculated. The energy losses due to nonsinusoidal currents and voltages over single operation cycle of the cage hoist amount to 36.358 kWh. The presence of such losses increases total technological power and energy losses in the mining high-voltage power line by approximately 5-15%. The total energy losses in the components of the mining enterprise high-voltage power line caused by nonsinusoidal voltage are significant and lead to additional expenses of the company.

Cascaded resonant bridge converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stuart, Thomas A. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

A converter for converting a low voltage direct current power source to a higher voltage, high frequency alternating current output for use in an electrical system where it is desired to use low weight cables and other circuit elements. The converter has a first stage series resonant (Schwarz) converter which converts the direct current power source to an alternating current by means of switching elements that are operated by a variable frequency voltage regulator, a transformer to step up the voltage of the alternating current, and a rectifier bridge to convert the alternating current to a direct current first stage output. The converter further has a second stage series resonant (Schwarz) converter which is connected in series to the first stage converter to receive its direct current output and convert it to a second stage high frequency alternating current output by means of switching elements that are operated by a fixed frequency oscillator. The voltage of the second stage output is controlled at a relatively constant value by controlling the first stage output voltage, which is accomplished by controlling the frequency of the first stage variable frequency voltage controller in response to second stage voltage. Fault tolerance in the event of a load short circuit is provided by making the operation of the first stage variable frequency voltage controller responsive to first and second stage current limiting devices. The second stage output is connected to a rectifier bridge whose output is connected to the input of the second stage to provide good regulation of output voltage wave form at low system loads.

Research and Construction of DC Energy Measurement Traceability Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhi, Wang; Maotao, Yang; Jing, Yang

2018-02-01

With the implementation of energy saving and emission reduction policies, DC energy metering has been widely used in many fields. In view of the lack of a DC energy measurementtraceability system, in combination with the process of downward measurement transfer in relation to the DC charger-based field calibration technology and DC energy meter and shunt calibration technologies, the paper proposed DC fast charging, high DC, small DC voltage output and measuring technologies, and built a time-based plan by converting high DC voltage into low voltage and high current into low current and then into low voltage, leaving DC energy traceable to national standards in terms of voltage, current and time and thus filling in the gap in DC energy measurement traceability.

Detection of High-impedance Arcing Faults in Radial Distribution DC Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gonzalez, Marcelo C.; Button, Robert M.

2003-01-01

High voltage, low current arcing faults in DC power systems have been researched at the NASA Glenn Research Center in order to develop a method for detecting these 'hidden faults', in-situ, before damage to cables and components from localized heating can occur. A simple arc generator was built and high-speed and low-speed monitoring of the voltage and current waveforms, respectively, has shown that these high impedance faults produce a significant increase in high frequency content in the DC bus voltage and low frequency content in the DC system current. Based on these observations, an algorithm was developed using a high-speed data acquisition system that was able to accurately detect high impedance arcing events induced in a single-line system based on the frequency content of the DC bus voltage or the system current. Next, a multi-line, radial distribution system was researched to see if the arc location could be determined through the voltage information when multiple 'detectors' are present in the system. It was shown that a small, passive LC filter was sufficient to reliably isolate the fault to a single line in a multi-line distribution system. Of course, no modification is necessary if only the current information is used to locate the arc. However, data shows that it might be necessary to monitor both the system current and bus voltage to improve the chances of detecting and locating high impedance arcing faults

16 CFR Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 - Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility 1 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... CITIZENS BAND BASE STATION ANTENNAS Pt. 1204, Figs. 1, 2 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204—Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility EC03OC91.008 ...

16 CFR Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 - Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility 1 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... CITIZENS BAND BASE STATION ANTENNAS Pt. 1204, Figs. 1, 2 Figures 1 and 2 to Part 1204—Suggested Instrumentation for Current Monitoring Device and High Voltage Facility EC03OC91.008 ...

Design and Development of High Voltage Direct Current (DC) Sources for the Solar Array Module Plasma Interaction Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bibyk, Irene K.; Wald, Lawrence W.

1995-01-01

Two programmable, high voltage DC power supplies were developed as part of the flight electronics for the Solar Array Module Plasma Interaction Experiment (SAMPIE). SAMPIE's primary objectives were to study and characterize the high voltage arcing and parasitic current losses of various solar cells and metal samples within the space plasma of low earth orbit (LEO). High voltage arcing can cause large discontinuous changes in spacecraft potential which lead to damage of the power system materials and significant Electromagnetic Interference (EMI). Parasitic currents cause a change in floating potential which lead to reduced power efficiency. These primary SAMPIE objectives were accomplished by applying artificial biases across test samples over a voltage range from -600 VDC to +300 VDC. This paper chronicles the design, final development, and test of the two programmable high voltage sources for SAMPIE. The technical challenges to the design for these power supplies included vacuum, space plasma effects, thermal protection, Shuttle vibrations and accelerations.

Commutating Permanent-Magnet Motors At Low Speed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolland, C.

1985-01-01

Circuit provides forced commutation during starting. Forced commutation circuit diverts current from inverter SCR's and turns SCR's off during commutation intervals. Silicon controlled rectifier in circuit unnecessary when switch S10 replaced by high-current, high-voltage transistor. At present, high-current, low-voltage device must suffice.

Current-voltage characteristics influenced by the nanochannel diameter and surface charge density in a fluidic field-effect-transistor.

PubMed

Singh, Kunwar Pal; Guo, Chunlei

2017-06-21

The nanochannel diameter and surface charge density have a significant impact on current-voltage characteristics in a nanofluidic transistor. We have simulated the effect of the channel diameter and surface charge density on current-voltage characteristics of a fluidic nanochannel with positive surface charge on its walls and a gate electrode on its surface. Anion depletion/enrichment leads to a decrease/increase in ion current with gate potential. The ion current tends to increase linearly with gate potential for narrow channels at high surface charge densities and narrow channels are more effective to control the ion current at high surface charge densities. The current-voltage characteristics are highly nonlinear for wide channels at low surface charge densities and they show different regions of current change with gate potential. The ion current decreases with gate potential after attaining a peak value for wide channels at low values of surface charge densities. At low surface charge densities, the ion current can be controlled by a narrow range of gate potentials for wide channels. The current change with source drain voltage shows ohmic, limiting and overlimiting regions.

Design and realization of high voltage disconnector condition monitoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Jinrui; Xu, Tianyang; Yang, Shuixian; Li, Buoyang

2017-08-01

The operation status of the high voltage disconnector directly affects the safe and stable operation of the power system. This article uses the wireless frequency hopping communication technology of the communication module to achieve the temperature acquisition of the switch contacts and high voltage bus, to introduce the current value of the loop in ECS, and judge the operation status of the disconnector by considering the ambient temperature, calculating the temperature rise; And through the acquisition of the current of drive motor in the process of switch closing and opening, and fault diagnosis of the disconnector by analyzing the change rule of the drive motor current, the condition monitoring of the high voltage disconnector is realized.

Packet personal radiation monitor

DOEpatents

Phelps, J.E.

1988-03-31

A personal radiation monitor of the chirper type is provided for detecting ionizing radiation. A battery powered high voltage power supply is used to generate and apply a high voltage bias to a G-M tube radiation sensor. The high voltage is monitored by a low-loss sensing network which generates a feedback signal to control the high voltage power supply such that the high voltage bias is recharged to +500 VDC when the current pulses of the sensor, generated by the detection of ionizing radiatonevents, discharges the high voltage bias to +450 VDC. During the high voltage recharge period an audio transducer is activated to produce an audible ''chirp''. The rate of the ''chirps'' is controlled by the rate at which the high voltage bias is recharged, which is proportional to the radiation field intensity to which the sensor is exposed. The chirp rate sensitivity is set to be approximately 1.5 (chirps/min/MR/hr.). The G-M tube sensor is used in a current sensing mode so that the device does not paralyze in a high radiation field. 2 figs.

Packet personal radiation monitor

DOEpatents

Phelps, James E.

1989-01-01

A personal radiation monitor of the chirper type is provided for detecting ionizing radiation. A battery powered high voltage power supply is used to generate and apply a high voltage bias to a G-M tube radiation sensor. The high voltage is monitored by a low-loss sensing network which generates a feedback signal to control the high voltage power supply such that the high voltage bias is recharged to +500 VDC when the current pulses of the sensor, generated by the detection of ionizing radiation events, discharges the high voltage bias to +450 VDC. During the high voltage recharge period an audio transducer is activated to produce an audible "chirp". The rate of the "chirps" is controlled by the rate at which the high voltage bias is recharged, which is proportional to the radiation field intensity to which the sensor is exposed. The chirp rate sensitivity is set to be approximately 1.5 (chirps/min/MR/hr.). The G-M tube sensor is used in a current sensing mode so that the device does not paralyze in a high radiation field.

Electrical Characterization Laboratory | Energy Systems Integration

Science.gov Websites

the ability of electrical equipment to withstand high-voltage surges and high-current faults. A capability. High-Voltage Characterization The high-voltage characterization hub offers a Class 1, Div 2 lab

Compact high voltage solid state switch

DOEpatents

Glidden, Steven C.

2003-09-23

A compact, solid state, high voltage switch capable of high conduction current with a high rate of current risetime (high di/dt) that can be used to replace thyratrons in existing and new applications. The switch has multiple thyristors packaged in a single enclosure. Each thyristor has its own gate drive circuit that circuit obtains its energy from the energy that is being switched in the main circuit. The gate drives are triggered with a low voltage, low current pulse isolated by a small inexpensive transformer. The gate circuits can also be triggered with an optical signal, eliminating the trigger transformer altogether. This approach makes it easier to connect many thyristors in series to obtain the hold off voltages of greater than 80 kV.

A high-voltage supply used on miniaturized RLG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Zhifei; Fan, Mingming; Wang, Yuepeng; Yin, Yan; Wang, Dongmei

2016-01-01

A high voltage power supply used in laser gyro is proposed in this paper. The power supply which uses a single DC 15v input and fly-back topology is adopted in the main circuit. The output of the power supply achieve high to 3.3kv voltage in order to light the RLG. The PFM control method is adopted to realize the rapid switching between the high voltage state and the maintain state. The resonant chip L6565 is used to achieve the zero voltage switching(ZVS), so the consumption is reduced and the power efficiency is improved more than 80%. A special circuit is presented in the control portion to ensure symmetry of the two RLG's arms current. The measured current accuracy is higher than 5‰ and the current symmetry of the two RLG's arms up to 99.2%.

Contribution of the backstreaming ions to the Self-Magnetic pinch (SMP) diode current

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

Mazarakis, Michael G.; Cuneo, Michael E.; Fournier, Sean D.

2016-08-08

Summary form only given. The results presented here were obtained with an SMP diode mounted at the front high voltage end of the RITS accelerator. RITS is a Self-Magnetically Insulated Transmission Line (MITL) voltage adder that adds the voltage pulses of six 1.3 MV inductively insulated cavities. Our experiments had two objectives: first to measure the contribution of the back-streaming ion currents emitted from the anode target to the diode beam current, and second to try to evaluate the energy of those ions and hence the actual Anode-Cathode (A-K) gap actual voltage. In any very high voltage inductive voltage addermore » (IVA) utilizing MITLs to transmit the power to the diode load, the precise knowledge of the accelerating voltage applied on the anode-cathode (A-K) gap is problematic. The accelerating voltage quoted in the literature is from estimates based on measurements of the anode and cathode currents of the MITL far upstream from the diode and utilizing the para-potential flow theories and inductive corrections. Thus it would be interesting to have another independent measurement to evaluate the A-K voltage. The diode's anode is made of a number of high Z metals in order to produce copious and energetic flash x-rays. The backstreaming currents are a strong fraction of the anode materials and their stage of cleanness and gas adsorption. We have measured the back-streaming ion currents emitted from the anode and propagating through a hollow cathode tip for various diode configurations and different techniques of target cleaning treatments, such as heating to very high temperatures with DC and pulsed current, with RF plasma cleaning and with both plasma cleaning and heating. Finally, we have also evaluated the A-K gap voltage by ion filtering techniques.« less

Actions of arginine polyamine on voltage and ligand-activated whole cell currents recorded from cultured neurones.

PubMed Central

Scott, R. H.; Sweeney, M. I.; Kobrinsky, E. M.; Pearson, H. A.; Timms, G. H.; Pullar, I. A.; Wedley, S.; Dolphin, A. C.

1992-01-01

1. Toxins from invertebrates have proved useful tools for investigation of the properties of ion channels. In this study we describe the actions of arginine polyamine which is believed to be a close analogue of FTX, a polyamine isolated from the American funnel web spider, Agelenopsis aperta. 2. Voltage-activated Ca2+ currents and Ca(2+)-dependent Cl- currents recorded from rat cultured dorsal root ganglion neurones were reversibly inhibited by arginine polyamine (AP; 0.001 to 100 microM). Low voltage-activated T-type Ca2+ currents were significantly more sensitive to AP than high voltage-activated Ca2+ currents. The IC50 values for the actions of AP on low and high voltage-activated Ca2+ currents were 10 nM and 3 microM respectively. AP was equally effective in inhibiting high voltage-activated currents carried by Ba2+, Sr2+ or Ca2+. However, AP-induced inhibition of Ca2+ currents was attenuated by increasing the extracellular Ca2+ concentration from 2 mM to 10 mM. 3. The actions of AP on a Ca(2+)-independent K+ current were more complex, 1 microM AP enhanced this current but 10 microM AP had a dual action, initially enhancing but then inhibiting the K+ current. 4. gamma-Aminobutyric acid-activated Cl- currents were also reversibly inhibited by 1 to 10 microM AP. In contrast N-methyl-D-aspartate currents recorded from rat cultured cerebellar neurones were greatly enhanced by 10 microM AP. 5. We conclude that at a concentration of 10 nM, AP is a selective inhibitor of low threshold T-type voltage-activated Ca2+ currents.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) PMID:1380382

High-voltage electrode optimization towards uniform surface treatment by a pulsed volume discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponomarev, A. V.; Pedos, M. S.; Scherbinin, S. V.; Mamontov, Y. I.; Ponomarev, S. V.

2015-11-01

In this study, the shape and material of the high-voltage electrode of an atmospheric pressure plasma generation system were optimised. The research was performed with the goal of achieving maximum uniformity of plasma treatment of the surface of the low-voltage electrode with a diameter of 100 mm. In order to generate low-temperature plasma with the volume of roughly 1 cubic decimetre, a pulsed volume discharge was used initiated with a corona discharge. The uniformity of the plasma in the region of the low-voltage electrode was assessed using a system for measuring the distribution of discharge current density. The system's low-voltage electrode - collector - was a disc of 100 mm in diameter, the conducting surface of which was divided into 64 radially located segments of equal surface area. The current at each segment was registered by a high-speed measuring system controlled by an ARM™-based 32-bit microcontroller. To facilitate the interpretation of results obtained, a computer program was developed to visualise the results. The program provides a 3D image of the current density distribution on the surface of the low-voltage electrode. Based on the results obtained an optimum shape for a high-voltage electrode was determined. Uniformity of the distribution of discharge current density in relation to distance between electrodes was studied. It was proven that the level of non-uniformity of current density distribution depends on the size of the gap between electrodes. Experiments indicated that it is advantageous to use graphite felt VGN-6 (Russian abbreviation) as the material of the high-voltage electrode's emitting surface.

Multijunction high voltage concentrator solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valco, G. J.; Kapoor, V. J.; Evans, J. C.; Chai, A.-T.

1981-01-01

The standard integrated circuit technology has been developed to design and fabricate new innovative planar multi-junction solar cell chips for concentrated sunlight applications. This 1 cm x 1 cm cell consisted of several voltage generating regions called unit cells which were internally connected in series within a single chip resulting in high open circuit voltages. Typical open-circuit voltages of 3.6 V and short-circuit currents of 90 ma were obtained at 80 AM1 suns. A dramatic increase in both short circuit current and open circuit voltage with increased light levels was observed.

Bidirectional dc-to-dc Power Converter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griesbach, C. R.

1986-01-01

Solid-state, series-resonant converter uses high-voltage thyristors. Converter used either to convert high-voltage, low-current dc power to lowvoltage, high current power or reverse. Taking advantage of newly-available high-voltage thyristors to provide better reliability and efficiency than traditional converters that use vacuum tubes as power switches. New converter essentially maintenance free and provides greatly increased mean time between failures. Attractive in industrial applications whether or not bidirectional capability is required.

Direct current ballast circuit for metal halide lamp

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lutus, P. (Inventor)

1981-01-01

A direct current ballast circuit for a two electrode metal halide lamp is described. Said direct current ballast circuit includes a low voltage DC input and a high frequency power amplifier and power transformer for developing a high voltage output. The output voltage is rectified by diodes and filtered by inductor and capacitor to provide a regulated DC output through commutating diodes to one terminal of the lamp at the output terminal. A feedback path from the output of the filter capacitor through the bias resistor to power the high frequency circuit which includes the power amplifier and the power transformer for sustaining circuit operations during low voltage transients on the input DC supply is described. A current sensor connected to the output of the lamp through terminal for stabilizing lamp current following breakdown of the lamp is described.

Actions of arginine polyamine on voltage and ligand-activated whole cell currents recorded from cultured neurones.

PubMed

Scott, R H; Sweeney, M I; Kobrinsky, E M; Pearson, H A; Timms, G H; Pullar, I A; Wedley, S; Dolphin, A C

1992-05-01

1. Toxins from invertebrates have proved useful tools for investigation of the properties of ion channels. In this study we describe the actions of arginine polyamine which is believed to be a close analogue of FTX, a polyamine isolated from the American funnel web spider, Agelenopsis aperta. 2. Voltage-activated Ca2+ currents and Ca(2+)-dependent Cl- currents recorded from rat cultured dorsal root ganglion neurones were reversibly inhibited by arginine polyamine (AP; 0.001 to 100 microM). Low voltage-activated T-type Ca2+ currents were significantly more sensitive to AP than high voltage-activated Ca2+ currents. The IC50 values for the actions of AP on low and high voltage-activated Ca2+ currents were 10 nM and 3 microM respectively. AP was equally effective in inhibiting high voltage-activated currents carried by Ba2+, Sr2+ or Ca2+. However, AP-induced inhibition of Ca2+ currents was attenuated by increasing the extracellular Ca2+ concentration from 2 mM to 10 mM. 3. The actions of AP on a Ca(2+)-independent K+ current were more complex, 1 microM AP enhanced this current but 10 microM AP had a dual action, initially enhancing but then inhibiting the K+ current. 4. gamma-Aminobutyric acid-activated Cl- currents were also reversibly inhibited by 1 to 10 microM AP. In contrast N-methyl-D-aspartate currents recorded from rat cultured cerebellar neurones were greatly enhanced by 10 microM AP. 5. We conclude that at a concentration of 10 nM, AP is a selective inhibitor of low threshold T-type voltage-activated Ca2+ currents. However, at higher concentrations 1-10 microM AP interacts with ion channels or other membrane constituents to produce a variety of actions on both voltage and ligand gated ion channels.

PV source based high voltage gain current fed converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Soumya; Poddar, Sahityika; Chimonyo, Kudzai B.; Arunkumar, G.; Elangovan, D.

2017-11-01

This work involves designing and simulation of a PV source based high voltage gain, current fed converter. It deals with an isolated DC-DC converter which utilizes boost converter topology. The proposed converter is capable of high voltage gain and above all have very high efficiency levels as proved by the simulation results. The project intends to produce an output of 800 V dc from a 48 V dc input. The simulation results obtained from PSIM application interface were used to analyze the performance of the proposed converter. Transformer used in the circuit steps up the voltage as well as to provide electrical isolation between the low voltage and high voltage side. Since the converter involves high switching frequency of 100 kHz, ultrafast recovery diodes are employed in the circuitry. The major application of the project is for future modeling of solar powered electric hybrid cars.

Temperature increase and charging current in polyethylene film during application of high voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chao; Kaneko, Kazue; Mizutani, Teruyoshi

2001-12-01

Temperature increase in a low density polyethylene film during the application of high dc voltage was estimated by measuring the sound velocity with a pulsed electroacoustic method. The temperature shows no change under the electric field of 50 MVm-1 at ambient temperature of 30 °C. However, the temperature increases with time, and rises to 63.7 °C in 90 min of the voltage application at ambient temperature of 60 °C. The temperature increase was caused by Joule heating and it resulted in the increase of charging current during the application of high dc voltage. The increase in charging current calculated from the temperature increase agreed well with the experimental one.

Hot-Electron-Induced Device Degradation during Gate-Induced Drain Leakage Stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kwang-Soo; Han, Chang-Hoon; Lee, Jun-Ki; Kim, Dong-Soo; Kim, Hyong-Joon; Shin, Joong-Shik; Lee, Hea-Beoum; Choi, Byoung-Deog

2012-11-01

We studied the interface state generation and electron trapping by hot electrons under gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) stress in p-type metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (P-MOSFETs), which are used as the high-voltage core circuit of flash memory devices. When negative voltage was applied to a drain in the off-state, a GIDL current was generated, but when high voltage was applied to the drain, electrons had a high energy. The hot electrons produced the interface state and electron trapping. As a result, the threshold voltage shifted and the off-state leakage current (trap-assisted drain junction leakage current) increased. On the other hand, electron trapping mitigated the energy band bending near the drain and thus suppressed the GIDL current generation.

Positive temperature coefficient thermistors based on carbon nanotube/polymer composites

PubMed Central

Zeng, You; Lu, Guixia; Wang, Han; Du, Jinhong; Ying, Zhe; Liu, Chang

2014-01-01

In order to explore availability of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based positive temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistors in practical application, we prepared carbon nanotube (CNT) filled high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites by using conventional melt-mixing methods, and investigated their PTC effects in details. The CNT-based thermistors exhibit much larger hold current and higher hold voltage, increasing by 129% in comparison with the commercial carbon black (CB) filled HDPE thermistors. Such high current-bearing and voltage-bearing capacity for the CNT/HDPE thermistors is mainly attributed to high thermal conductivity and heat dissipation of entangled CNT networks. Moreover, the CNT/HDPE thermistors exhibit rapid electrical response to applied voltages, comparable to commercial CB-based thermistors. In light of their high current-bearing capacity and quick response, the CNT-based thermistors have great potential to be used as high-performance thermistors in practical application, especially in some critical circumstances of high temperature, large applied currents, and high applied voltages. PMID:25327951

On the reliability of voltage and power as input parameters for the characterization of high power ultrasound applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haller, Julian; Wilkens, Volker

2012-11-01

For power levels up to 200 W and sonication times up to 60 s, the electrical power, the voltage and the electrical impedance (more exactly: the ratio of RMS voltage and RMS current) have been measured for a piezocomposite high intensity therapeutic ultrasound (HITU) transducer with integrated matching network, two piezoceramic HITU transducers with external matching networks and for a passive dummy 50 Ω load. The electrical power and the voltage were measured during high power application with an inline power meter and an RMS voltage meter, respectively, and the complex electrical impedance was indirectly measured with a current probe, a 100:1 voltage probe and a digital scope. The results clearly show that the input RMS voltage and the input RMS power change unequally during the application. Hence, the indication of only the electrical input power or only the voltage as the input parameter may not be sufficient for reliable characterizations of ultrasound transducers for high power applications in some cases.

A novel concept of fault current limiter based on saturable core in high voltage DC transmission system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Jiaxin; Zhou, Hang; Gan, Pengcheng; Zhong, Yongheng; Gao, Yanhui; Muramatsu, Kazuhiro; Du, Zhiye; Chen, Baichao

2018-05-01

To develop mechanical circuit breaker in high voltage direct current (HVDC) system, a fault current limiter is required. Traditional method to limit DC fault current is to use superconducting technology or power electronic devices, which is quite difficult to be brought to practical use under high voltage circumstances. In this paper, a novel concept of high voltage DC transmission system fault current limiter (DCSFCL) based on saturable core was proposed. In the DCSFCL, the permanent magnets (PM) are added on both up and down side of the core to generate reverse magnetic flux that offset the magnetic flux generated by DC current and make the DC winding present a variable inductance to the DC system. In normal state, DCSFCL works as a smoothing reactor and its inductance is within the scope of the design requirements. When a fault occurs, the inductance of DCSFCL rises immediately and limits the steepness of the fault current. Magnetic field simulations were carried out, showing that compared with conventional smoothing reactor, DCSFCL can decrease the high steepness of DC fault current by 17% in less than 10ms, which verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of this method.

High breakdown voltage and high driving current in a novel silicon-on-insulator MESFET with high- and low-resistance boxes in the drift region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naderi, Ali; Mohammadi, Hamed

2018-06-01

In this paper a novel silicon-on-insulator metal oxide field effect transistor (SOI-MESFET) with high- and low-resistance boxes (HLRB) is proposed. This structure increases the current and breakdown voltage, simultaneously. The semiconductor at the source side of the channel is doped with higher impurity than the other parts to reduce its resistance and increase the driving current as low-resistance box. An oxide box is implemented at the upper part of the channel from the drain region toward the middle of the channel as the high-resistance box. Inserting a high-resistance box increases the breakdown voltage and improves the RF performance of the device because of its higher tolerable electric field and modification in gate-drain capacitance, respectively. The high-resistance region reduces the current density of the device which is completely compensated by low-resistance box. A 92% increase in breakdown voltage and an 11% improvement in the device current have been obtained. Also, maximum oscillation frequency, unilateral power gain, maximum available gain, maximum stable gain, and maximum output power density are improved by 7%, 35%, 23%, 26%, and 150%, respectively. These results show that the HLRB-SOI-MESFET can be considered as a candidate to replace Conventional SOI-MESFET (C-SOI-MESFET) for high-voltage and high-frequency applications.

Experimental investigation on On-Off current ratio behavior near onset voltage for a pentacene based organic thin film transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amrani, Aumeur El; Es-saghiri, Abdeljabbar; Boufounas, El-Mahjoub; Lucas, Bruno

2018-06-01

The performance of a pentacene based organic thin film transistor (OTFT) with polymethylmethacrylate as a dielectric insulator and indium tin oxide based electrical gate is investigated. On the one hand, we showed that the threshold voltage increases with gate voltage, and on the other hand that it decreases with drain voltage. Thus, we noticed that the onset voltage shifts toward positive voltage values with the drain voltage increase. In addition, threshold-onset differential voltage (TODV) is proposed as an original approach to estimate an averaged carrier density in pentacene. Indeed, a value of about 4.5 × 1016 cm-3 is reached at relatively high gate voltage of -50 V; this value is in good agreement with that reported in literature with other technique measurements. However, at a low applied gate voltage, the averaged pentacene carrier density remains two orders of magnitude lower; it is of about 2.8 × 1014 cm-3 and remains similar to that obtained from space charge limited current approach for low applied bias voltage of about 2.2 × 1014 cm-3. Furthermore, high IOn/IOff and IOn/IOnset current ratios of 5 × 106 and 7.5 × 107 are reported for lower drain voltage, respectively. The investigated OTFTs also showed good electrical performance including carrier mobility increasing with gate voltage; mobility values of 4.5 × 10-2 cm2 V-1 s-1 and of 4.25 × 10-2 cm2 V-1 s-1 are reached for linear and saturation regimes, respectively. These results remain enough interesting since current modulation ratio exceeds a value of 107 that is a quite important requirement than high mobility for some particular logic gate applications.

A high-precision voltage source for EIT

PubMed Central

Saulnier, Gary J; Liu, Ning; Ross, Alexander S

2006-01-01

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) utilizes electrodes placed on the surface of a body to determine the complex conductivity distribution within the body. EIT can be performed by applying currents through the electrodes and measuring the electrode voltages or by applying electrode voltages and measuring the currents. Techniques have also been developed for applying the desired currents using voltage sources. This paper describes a voltage source for use in applied-voltage EIT that includes the capability of measuring both the applied voltage and applied current. A calibration circuit and calibration algorithm are described which enables all voltage sources in an EIT system to be calibrated to a common standard. The calibration minimizes the impact of stray shunt impedance, passive component variability and active component non-ideality. Simulation data obtained using PSpice are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the circuits and calibration algorithm. PMID:16636413

Rad-Hard, Miniaturized, Scalable, High-Voltage Switching Module for Power Applications Rad-Hard, Miniaturized

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adell, Philippe C.; Mojarradi, Mohammad; DelCastillo, Linda Y.; Vo, Tuan A.

2011-01-01

A paper discusses the successful development of a miniaturized radiation hardened high-voltage switching module operating at 2.5 kV suitable for space application. The high-voltage architecture was designed, fabricated, and tested using a commercial process that uses a unique combination of 0.25 micrometer CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) transistors and high-voltage lateral DMOS (diffusion metal oxide semiconductor) device with high breakdown voltage (greater than 650 V). The high-voltage requirements are achieved by stacking a number of DMOS devices within one module, while two modules can be placed in series to achieve higher voltages. Besides the high-voltage requirements, a second generation prototype is currently being developed to provide improved switching capabilities (rise time and fall time for full range of target voltages and currents), the ability to scale the output voltage to a desired value with good accuracy (few percent) up to 10 kV, to cover a wide range of high-voltage applications. In addition, to ensure miniaturization, long life, and high reliability, the assemblies will require intensive high-voltage electrostatic modeling (optimized E-field distribution throughout the module) to complete the proposed packaging approach and test the applicability of using advanced materials in a space-like environment (temperature and pressure) to help prevent potential arcing and corona due to high field regions. Finally, a single-event effect evaluation would have to be performed and single-event mitigation methods implemented at the design and system level or developed to ensure complete radiation hardness of the module.

High voltage and high current density vertical GaN power diodes

DOE PAGES

Fischer, A. J.; Dickerson, J. R.; Armstrong, A. M.; ...

2016-01-01

We report on the realization of a GaN high voltage vertical p-n diode operating at > 3.9 kV breakdown with a specific on-resistance < 0.9 mΩ.cm 2. Diodes achieved a forward current of 1 A for on-wafer, DC measurements, corresponding to a current density > 1.4 kA/cm 2. An effective critical electric field of 3.9 MV/cm was estimated for the devices from analysis of the forward and reverse current-voltage characteristics. Furthermore this suggests that the fundamental limit to the GaN critical electric field is significantly greater than previously believed.

Series resonance inverter with triggered vacuum gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damstra, Geert C.; Zhang, X.

1994-05-01

Series resonance inverters based on semi-conductor switching elements are well-known and have a wide range of application, mainly for lower voltages. For high voltage application many switching elements have to be put in series to obtain sufficient blocking voltage. Voltage grinding and multiple gate control elements are needed. There is much experience with the triggered vacuum gaps as high voltage/high current single shot elements, for example in reignition circuits for synthetic circuit breaker tests. These elements have a blocking voltage of 50 - 100 kV and are triggerable by a light fiber control device. A prototype inverter has been developed that generates 0.1 Hz, 30 kV AC voltages with a flat top for tests on cables and capacitors of many micro farads fed from a low voltage supply of about 600 V. Only two TVG elements are needed to switch the resonant circuit alternatively on the positive or negative supply. The resonant circuit itself consists of the capacitance of the testobject and a high quality inductor that determines the frequency and the peak current of the voltage reversing process.

Study of DC Circuit Breaker of H2-N2 Mixture Gas for High Voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiba, Yuji; Morishita, Yukinaga; Kaneko, Shuhei; Okabe, Shigemitsu; Mizoguchi, Hitoshi; Yanabu, Satoru

Global warming caused by CO2 etc. is a field where the concern is very high. Especially, automobile emissions are problem for it. Therefore, the hybrid car is widely development and used recently. Hybrid car used electric power and gasoline. So, the car reduces CO2. Hybrid car has engine and motor. To rotate the motor, hybrid car has battery. This battery is large capacity. Therefore, the relay should interrupt high DC current for the switch of the motor and the engine. So, hybrid car used hydrogen gas filling relay We studied interruption test for the research of a basic characteristic of hydrogen gas. DC current has not current zero point. So, it is necessary to make the current zero by high arc voltage and forcible current zero point. The loss coefficient and arc voltage of hydrogen is high. Therefore, we studied interruption test for used high arc voltage. We studied interruption test and dielectric breakdown test of air, pure Hydrogen, and Hydrogen- nitrogen mixture gas. As a result, we realized H2-N2(80%-20%) is the best gas.

Constant current loop impedance measuring system that is immune to the effects of parasitic impedances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Karl F. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A constant current loop measuring system is provided for measuring a characteristic of an environment. The system comprises a first impedance positionable in the environment, a second impedance coupled in series with said first impedance and a parasitic impedance electrically coupled to the first and second impedances. A current generating device, electrically coupled in series with the first and second impedances, provides a constant current through the first and second impedances to produce first and second voltages across the first and second impedances, respectively, and a parasitic voltage across the parasitic impedance. A high impedance voltage measuring device measures a voltage difference between the first and second voltages independent of the parasitic voltage to produce a characteristic voltage representative of the characteristic of the environment.

Electrostatic Discharge Properties of Irradiated Nanocomposites

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

47 24. Example Plot of Mean Current vs . Voltage Difference Curves ..................................48 25...across dielectric surfaces and prevent ESD arcing to very high voltage differentials (Figure 2) [7]. All of these drastic alterations in material...structure currents (3) Area thickness and dielectric strength of the material (4) Total charge involved in the event (5) Breakdown voltage (6) Current

MOSFET Power Controller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, J.; Jones, K.

1986-01-01

High current and voltage controlled remotely. Remote Power Conroller includes two series-connected banks of parallel-connected MOSFET's to withstand high current and voltage. Voltage sharing between switch banks, low-impedance, gate-drive circuits used. Provided controlled range for turn on. Individually trimmable to insure simultaneous switching within few nanoseconds during both turn on and turn off. Control circuit for each switch bank and over-current trip circuit float independently and supplied power via transformer T1 from inverter. Control of floating stages by optocouplers.

The Studies of a Vacuum Gap Breakdown after High-Current Arc Interruption with Increasing the Voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, A. V.; Popov, S. A.; Batrakov, A. V.; Dubrovskaya, E. L.; Lavrinovich, V. A.

2017-12-01

Vacuum-gap breakdown has been studied after high-current arc interruption with a subsequent increase in the transient recovery voltage across a gap. The effects of factors, such as the rate of the rise in the transient voltage, the potential of the shield that surrounds a discharge gap, and the arc burning time, have been determined. It has been revealed that opening the contacts earlier leads to the formation of an anode spot, which is the source of electrode material vapors into the discharge gap after current zero moment. Under the conditions of increasing voltage, this fact results in the breakdown. Too late opening leads to the breakdown of a short gap due to the high electric fields.

Current collection by high voltage anodes in near ionospheric conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antoniades, John A.; Greaves, Rod G.; Boyd, D. A.; Ellis, R.

1990-01-01

The authors experimentally identified three distinct regimes with large differences in current collection in the presence of neutrals and weak magnetic fields. In magnetic field/anode voltage space the three regions are separated by very sharp transition boundaries. The authors performed a series of laboratory experiments to study the dependence of the region boundaries on several parameters, such as the ambient neutral density, plasma density, magnetic field strength, applied anode voltage, voltage pulsewidth, chamber material, chamber size and anode radius. The three observed regimes are: classical magnetic field limited collection; stable medium current toroidal discharge; and large scale, high current space glow discharge. There is as much as several orders of magnitude of difference in the amount of collected current upon any boundary crossing, particularly if one enters the space glow regime. They measured some of the properties of the plasma generated by the breakdown that is present in regimes II and III in the vicinity of the anode including the sheath modified electrostatic potential, I-V characteristics at high voltage as well as the local plasma density.

Electronic Current Transducer (ECT) for high voltage dc lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houston, J. M.; Peters, P. H., Jr.; Summerayes, H. R., Jr.; Carlson, G. J.; Itani, A. M.

1980-02-01

The development of a bipolar electronic current transducer (ECT) for measuring the current in a high voltage dc (HVDC) power line at line potential is discussed. The design and construction of a free standing ECT for use on a 400 kV line having a nominal line current of 2000 A is described. Line current is measured by a 0.0001 ohm shunt whose voltage output is sampled by a 14 bit digital data link. The high voltage interface between line and ground is traversed by optical fibers which carry digital light signals as far as 300 m to a control room where the digital signal is converted back to an analog representation of the shunt voltage. Two redundant electronic and optical data links are used in the prototype. Power to operate digital and optical electronics and temperature controlling heaters at the line is supplied by a resistively and capacitively graded 10 stage cascade of ferrite core transformers located inside the hollow, SF6 filled, porcelain support insulator. The cascade is driven by a silicon controlled rectifier inverter which supplies about 100 W of power at 30 kHz.

The investigation of an electric arc in the long cylindrical channel of the powerful high-voltage AC plasma torch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutberg, Ph G.; Popov, S. D.; Surov, A. V.; Serba, E. O.; Nakonechny, Gh V.; Spodobin, V. A.; Pavlov, A. V.; Surov, A. V.

2012-12-01

The comparison of conductivity obtained in experiments with calculated values is made in this paper. Powerful stationary plasma torches with prolonged period of continuous work are popular for modern plasmachemical applications. The maximum electrode lifetime with the minimum erosion can be reached while working on rather low currents. Meanwhile it is required to provide voltage arc drop for the high power achievement. Electric field strength in the arc column of the high-voltage plasma torch, using air as a plasma-forming gas, does not exceed 15 V/cm. It is possible to obtain the high voltage drop in the long arc stabilized in the channel by the intensive gas flow under given conditions. Models of high voltage plasma torches with rod electrodes with power up to 50 kW have been developed and investigated. The plasma torch arcs are burning in cylindrical channels. Present investigations are directed at studying the possibility of developing long arc plasma torches with higher power. The advantage of AC power supplies usage is the possibility of the loss minimization due to the reactive power compensation. The theoretical maximum of voltage arc drop for power supplies with inductive current limitations is about 50 % of the no-load voltage for a single-phase circuit and about 30 % for the three-phase circuit. Burning of intensively blown arcs in the long cylindrical channel using the AC power supply with 10 kV no-load voltage is experimentally investigated in the work. Voltage drops close to the maximum possible had been reached in the examined arcs in single-phase and three-phase modes. Operating parameters for single-phase mode were: current -30 A, voltage drop -5 kV, air flow rate 35 g/s; for three-phase mode: current (40-85) A, voltage drop (2.5-3.2) kV, air flow rate (60-100) g/s. Arc length in the installations exceeded 2 m.

Current-voltage characteristics of C70 solid near Meyer-Neldel temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onishi, Koichi; Sezaimaru, Kouki; Nakashima, Fumihiro; Sun, Yong; Kirimoto, Kenta; Sakaino, Masamichi; Kanemitsu, Shigeru

2017-06-01

The current-voltage characteristics of the C70 solid with hexagonal closed-packed structures were measured in the temperature range of 250-450 K. The current-voltage characteristics can be described as a temporary expedient by a cubic polynomial of the voltage, i = a v 3 + b v 2 + c v + d . Moreover, the Meyer-Neldel temperature of the C70 solid was confirmed to be 310 K, at which a linear relationship between the current and voltage was observed. Also, at temperatures below the Meyer-Neldel temperature, the current increases with increasing voltage. On the other hand, at temperatures above the Meyer-Neldel temperature a negative differential conductivity effect was observed at high voltage side. The negative differential conductivity was related to the electric field and temperature effects on the mobility of charge carrier, which involve two variations in the carrier concentration and the activation energy for carrier hopping transport.

Planar LTCC transformers for high voltage flyback converters: Part II.

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

Schofield, Daryl; Schare, Joshua M., Ph.D.; Slama, George

This paper is a continuation of the work presented in SAND2007-2591 'Planar LTCC Transformers for High Voltage Flyback Converters'. The designs in that SAND report were all based on a ferrite tape/dielectric paste system originally developed by NASCENTechnoloy, Inc, who collaborated in the design and manufacturing of the planar LTCC flyback converters. The output/volume requirements were targeted to DoD application for hard target/mini fuzing at around 1500 V for reasonable primary peak currents. High voltages could be obtained but with considerable higher current. Work had begun on higher voltage systems and is where this report begins. Limits in material propertiesmore » and processing capabilities show that the state-of-the-art has limited our practical output voltage from such a small part volume. In other words, the technology is currently limited within the allowable funding and interest.« less

Fiber optic current monitor for high-voltage applications

DOEpatents

Renda, G.F.

1992-04-21

A current monitor which derives its power from the conductor being measured for bidirectionally measuring the magnitude of current (from DC to above 50 khz) flowing through a conductor across which a relatively high level DC voltage is applied, includes a pair of identical transmitter modules connected in opposite polarity to one another in series with the conductor being monitored, for producing from one module a first light signal having an intensity directly proportional to the magnitude of current flowing in one direction through the conductor during one period of time, and from the other module a second light signal having an intensity directly proportional to the magnitude of current flowing in the opposite direction through the conductor during another period of time, and a receiver located in a safe area remote from the high voltage area for receiving the first and second light signals, and converting the same to first and second voltage signals having levels indicative of the magnitude of current being measured at a given time. 6 figs.

Fiber optic current monitor for high-voltage applications

DOEpatents

Renda, George F.

1992-01-01

A current monitor which derives its power from the conductor being measured for bidirectionally measuring the magnitude of current (from DC to above 50 khz) flowing through a conductor across which a relatively high level DC voltage is applied, includes a pair of identical transmitter modules connected in opposite polarity to one another in series with the conductor being monitored, for producing from one module a first light signal having an intensity directly proportional to the magnitude of current flowing in one direction through the conductor during one period of time, and from the other module a second light signal having an intensity directly proportional to the magnitude of current flowing in the opposite direction through the conductor during another period of time, and a receiver located in a safe area remote from the high voltage area for receiving the first and second light signals, and converting the same to first and second voltage signals having levels indicative of the magnitude of current being measured at a given time.

Transient Performance Improvement Circuit (TPIC)s for DC-DC converter applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Sungkeun

Gordon Moore famously predicted the exponential increase in transistor integration and computing power that has been witnessed in recent decades [1]. In the near future, it is expected that more than one billion transistors will be integrated per chip, and advanced microprocessors will require clock speeds in excess of several GHz. The increasing number of transistors and high clock speeds will necessitate the consumption of more power. By 2014, it is expected that the maximum power consumption of the microprocessor will reach approximately 150W, and the maximum load current will be around 150A. Today's trend in power and thermal management is to reduce supply voltage as low as possible to reduce delivered power. It is anticipated that the Intel cores will operate on 0.8V of supply voltage by 2014 [2]. A significant challenge in Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) development for next generation microprocessors is to regulate the supply voltage within a certain tolerance band during high slew rate load transitions, since the required supply voltage tolerance band will be much narrower than the current requirement. If VR output impedance is maintained at a constant value from DC to high frequency, large output voltage spikes can be avoided during load cur- rent transients. Based on this, the Adaptive Voltage Position (AVP) concept was developed to achieve constant VR output impedance to improve transient response performance [3]. However, the VR output impedance can not be made constant over the entire frequency range with AVP design, because the AVP design makes the VR output impedance constant only at low frequencies. To make the output impedance constant at high frequencies, many bulk capacitors and ceramic capacitors are required. The tight supply voltage tolerance for the next generation of microprocessors during high slew rate load transitions requires fast transient response power supplies. A VRM can not follow the high slew rate load current transients, because of the slow inductor current slew rate which is determined by the input voltage, output voltage, and the inductance. The remaining inductor current in the power delivery path will charge the output capacitors and develop a voltage across the ESR. As a result, large output voltage spikes occur during load current transients. Due to their limited control bandwidth, traditional VRs can not sufficiently respond rapidly to certain load transients. As a result, a large output voltage spike can occur during load transients, hence requiring a large amount of bulk capacitance to decouple the VR from the load [2]. If the remaining inductor current is removed from the power stage or the inductor current slew rate is changed, the output voltage spikes can be clamped, allowing the output capacitance to be reduced. A new design methodology for a Transient Performance Improvement Circuit(TPIC) based on controlling the output impedance of a regulator is presented. The TPIC works in parallel with a voltage regulator (VR)'s ceramic capacitors to achieve faster voltage regulation without the need for a large bulk capacitance, and can serve as a replacement for bulk capacitors. The specific function of the TPIC is to mimic the behavior of the bulk capacitance in a traditional VRM by sinking and sourcing large currents during transients, allowing the VR to respond quickly to current transients without the need for a large bulk capacitance. This will allow fast transient response without the need for a large bulk capacitor. The main challenge in applying the TPIC is creating a design which will not interfere with VR operation. A TPIC for a 4 Switch Buck-Boost (4SBB) converter is presented which functions by con- trolling the inductor current slew rate during load current transients. By increasing the inductor current slew rate, the remaining inductor current can be removed from the 4SBB power delivery path and the output voltage spike can be clamped. A second TPIC is presented which is designed to improve the performance of an LDO regulator during output current transients. A TPIC for a LDO regulator is proposed to reduce the over voltage spike settling time. During a load current step down transient, the only current discharging path is a light load current. However, it takes a long time to discharge the current charged in the output capacitors with the light load current. The proposed TPIC will make an additional current discharging path to reduce the long settling time. By reducing the settling time, the load current transient frequency of the LDO regulator can be increased. A Ripple Cancellation Circuit (RCC) is proposed to reduce the output voltage ripple. The RCC has a very similar concept with the TPIC which is sinking or injecting additional current to the power stage to compensate the inductor ripple current. The proposed TPICs and RCC have been implemented with a 0.6m CMOS process. A single-phase VR, a 4SBB converter, and a LDO regulator have been utilized with the proposed TPIC to evaluate its performance. The theoretical analysis will be confirmed by Cadence simulation results and experimental results.

Megavolt, Multigigawatt Pulsed Plasma Switch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Ja H.; Choi, Sang H.; Song, Kyo D.

1996-01-01

Plasma switch proposed for use in high-voltage, high-current pulse power system. Designed not only to out-perform conventional spark-gap switch but also relatively compact and lightweight. Features inverse-pinch configuration to prevent constriction of current sheets into filaments, plus multiple-ring-electrode structure to resist high-voltage breakdown.

High Voltage Distribution System (HVDS) as a better system compared to Low Voltage Distribution System (LVDS) applied at Medan city power network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinzi, R.; Hamonangan, TS; Fahmi, F.

2018-02-01

In the current distribution system, a large-capacity distribution transformer supplies loads to remote locations. The use of 220/380 V network is nowadays less common compared to 20 kV network. This results in losses due to the non-optimal distribution transformer, which neglected the load location, poor consumer profile, and large power losses along the carrier. This paper discusses how high voltage distribution systems (HVDS) can be a better system used in distribution networks than the currently used distribution system (Low Voltage Distribution System, LVDS). The proposed change of the system into the new configuration is done by replacing a large-capacity distribution transformer with some smaller-capacity distribution transformers and installed them in positions that closest to the load. The use of high voltage distribution systems will result in better voltage profiles and fewer power losses. From the non-technical side, the annual savings and payback periods on high voltage distribution systems will also be the advantage.

Mechanism of Small Current Generation under Impulse Voltage Applications in Vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoki, Keita; Yasukawa, Hideaki; Kojima, Hiroki; Homma, Mitsutaka; Shioiri, Tetsu; Okubo, Hitoshi

Small discharge not to accompany breakdown can occur under high electric field in vacuum, however the mechanism is not well clarified. We have found that the current of small discharge decreases with repeated voltage applications, and leads to electrode conditioning effect of raising withstand voltage. The inception of the current is delayed with the decrease of current, and the inception time and waveform change by gap length. On the other hand, under low vacuum condition, the current increases and reaches saturation with repeated voltage applications. From these discussions, we concluded that the generating process of small current depended on the adsorption and absorption gas of electrodes.

Complementary power output characteristics of electromagnetic generators and triboelectric generators.

PubMed

Fan, Feng-Ru; Tang, Wei; Yao, Yan; Luo, Jianjun; Zhang, Chi; Wang, Zhong Lin

2014-04-04

Recently, a triboelectric generator (TEG) has been invented to convert mechanical energy into electricity by a conjunction of triboelectrification and electrostatic induction. Compared to the traditional electromagnetic generator (EMG) that produces a high output current but low voltage, the TEG has different output characteristics of low output current but high output voltage. In this paper, we present a comparative study regarding the fundamentals of TEGs and EMGs. The power output performances of the EMG and the TEG have a special complementary relationship, with the EMG being a voltage source and the TEG a current source. Utilizing a power transformed and managed (PTM) system, the current output of a TEG can reach as high as ∼3 mA, which can be coupled with the output signal of an EMG to enhance the output power. We also demonstrate a design to integrate a TEG and an EMG into a single device for simultaneously harvesting mechanical energy. In addition, the integrated NGs can independently output a high voltage and a high current to meet special needs.

Current leakage for low altitude satellites - Modeling applications. [simulation of high voltage solar cell array in ionospheric plasma environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Konradi, A.; Mccoy, J. E.; Garriott, O. K.

1979-01-01

To simulate the behavior of a high voltage solar cell array in the ionospheric plasma environment, the large (90 ft x 55 ft diameter) vacuum chamber was used to measure the high-voltage plasma interactions of a 3 ft x 30 ft conductive panel. The chamber was filled with Nitrogen and Argon plasma at electron densities of up to 1,000,000 per cu cm. Measurements of current flow to the plasma were made in three configurations: (a) with one end of the panel grounded, (b) with the whole panel floating while a high bias was applied between the ends of the panel, and (c) with the whole panel at high negative voltage with respect to the chamber walls. The results indicate that a simple model with a constant panel conductivity and plasma resistance can adequately describe the voltage distribution along the panel and the plasma current flow. As expected, when a high potential difference is applied to the panel ends more than 95% of the panel floats negative with respect to the plasma.

Load insensitive electrical device. [power converters for supplying direct current at one voltage from a source at another voltage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarz, F. C. (Inventor)

1974-01-01

A class of power converters is described for supplying direct current at one voltage from a source at another voltage. It includes a simple passive circuit arrangement of solid-state switches, inductors, and capacitors by which the output voltage of the converter tends to remain constant in spite of changes in load. The switches are sensitive to the current flowing in the circuit and are employed to permit the charging of capacitance devices in accordance with the load requirements. Because solid-state switches (such as SCR's) may be used with relatively high voltage and because of the inherent efficiency of the invention that permits relatively high switching frequencies, power supplies built in accordance with the invention, together with their associated cabling, can be substantially lighter in weight for a given output power level and efficiency of operation than systems of the prior art.

Filtering and Control of High Speed Motor Current in a Flywheel Energy Storage System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenny, Barbara H.; Santiago, Walter

2004-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center has been developing technology to enable the use of high speed flywheel energy storage units in future spacecraft for the last several years. An integral part of the flywheel unit is the three phase motor/generator that is used to accelerate and decelerate the flywheel. The motor/generator voltage is supplied from a pulse width modulated (PWM) inverter operating from a fixed DC voltage supply. The motor current is regulated through a closed loop current control that commands the necessary voltage from the inverter to achieve the desired current. The current regulation loop is the innermost control loop of the overall flywheel system and, as a result, must be fast and accurate over the entire operating speed range (20,000 to 60,000 rpm) of the flywheel. The voltage applied to the motor is a high frequency PWM version of the DC bus voltage that results in the commanded fundamental value plus higher order harmonics. Most of the harmonic content is at the switching frequency and above. The higher order harmonics cause a rapid change in voltage to be applied to the motor that can result in large voltage stresses across the motor windings. In addition, the high frequency content in the motor causes sensor noise in the magnetic bearings that leads to disturbances for the bearing control. To alleviate these problems, a filter is used to present a more sinusoidal voltage to the motor/generator. However, the filter adds additional dynamics and phase lag to the motor system that can interfere with the performance of the current regulator. This paper will discuss the tuning methodology and results for the motor/generator current regulator and the impact of the filter on the control. Results at speeds up to 50,000 rpm are presented.

Bipolar square-wave current source for transient electromagnetic systems based on constant shutdown time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shilong; Yin, Changchun; Lin, Jun; Yang, Yu; Hu, Xueyan

2016-03-01

Cooperative work of multiple magnetic transmitting sources is a new trend in the development of transient electromagnetic system. The key is the bipolar current waves shutdown, concurrently in the inductive load. In the past, it was difficult to use the constant clamping voltage technique to realize the synchronized shutdown of currents with different peak values. Based on clamping voltage technique, we introduce a new controlling method with constant shutdown time. We use the rising time to control shutdown time and use low voltage power source to control peak current. From the viewpoint of the circuit energy loss, by taking the high-voltage capacitor bypass resistance and the capacitor of the passive snubber circuit into account, we establish the relationship between the rising time and the shutdown time. Since the switch is not ideal, we propose a new method to test the shutdown time by the low voltage, the high voltage and the peak current. Experimental results show that adjustment of the current rising time can precisely control the value of the clamp voltage. When the rising time is fixed, the shutdown time is unchanged. The error for shutdown time deduced from the energy consumption is less than 6%. The new controlling method on current shutdown proposed in this paper can be used in the cooperative work of borehole and ground transmitting system.

Bipolar square-wave current source for transient electromagnetic systems based on constant shutdown time.

PubMed

Wang, Shilong; Yin, Changchun; Lin, Jun; Yang, Yu; Hu, Xueyan

2016-03-01

Cooperative work of multiple magnetic transmitting sources is a new trend in the development of transient electromagnetic system. The key is the bipolar current waves shutdown, concurrently in the inductive load. In the past, it was difficult to use the constant clamping voltage technique to realize the synchronized shutdown of currents with different peak values. Based on clamping voltage technique, we introduce a new controlling method with constant shutdown time. We use the rising time to control shutdown time and use low voltage power source to control peak current. From the viewpoint of the circuit energy loss, by taking the high-voltage capacitor bypass resistance and the capacitor of the passive snubber circuit into account, we establish the relationship between the rising time and the shutdown time. Since the switch is not ideal, we propose a new method to test the shutdown time by the low voltage, the high voltage and the peak current. Experimental results show that adjustment of the current rising time can precisely control the value of the clamp voltage. When the rising time is fixed, the shutdown time is unchanged. The error for shutdown time deduced from the energy consumption is less than 6%. The new controlling method on current shutdown proposed in this paper can be used in the cooperative work of borehole and ground transmitting system.

Method for exciting inductive-resistive loads with high and controllable direct current

DOEpatents

Hill, Jr., Homer M.

1976-01-01

Apparatus and method for transmitting dc power to a load circuit by applying a dc voltage from a standard waveform synthesizer to duration modulate a bipolar rectangular wave generator. As the amplitude of the dc voltage increases, the widths of the rectangular wave generator output pulses increase, and as the amplitude of the dc voltage decreases, the widths of the rectangular wave generator output pulses decrease. Thus, the waveform synthesizer selectively changes the durations of the rectangular wave generator bipolar output pulses so as to produce a rectangular wave ac carrier that is duration modulated in accordance with and in direct proportion to the voltage amplitude from the synthesizer. Thereupon, by transferring the carrier to the load circuit through an amplifier and a rectifier, the load current also corresponds directly to the voltage amplitude from the synthesizer. To this end, the rectified wave at less than 100% duty factor, amounts to a doubled frequency direct voltage pulse train for applying a direct current to the load, while the current ripple is minimized by a high L/R in the load circuit. In one embodiment, a power transmitting power amplifier means having a dc power supply is matched to the load circuit through a transformer for current magnification without sacrificing load current duration capability, while negative voltage and current feedback are provided in order to insure good output fidelity.

Bivariate quadratic method in quantifying the differential capacitance and energy capacity of supercapacitors under high current operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goh, Chin-Teng; Cruden, Andrew

2014-11-01

Capacitance and resistance are the fundamental electrical parameters used to evaluate the electrical characteristics of a supercapacitor, namely the dynamic voltage response, energy capacity, state of charge and health condition. In the British Standards EN62391 and EN62576, the constant capacitance method can be further improved with a differential capacitance that more accurately describes the dynamic voltage response of supercapacitors. This paper presents a novel bivariate quadratic based method to model the dynamic voltage response of supercapacitors under high current charge-discharge cycling, and to enable the derivation of the differential capacitance and energy capacity directly from terminal measurements, i.e. voltage and current, rather than from multiple pulsed-current or excitation signal tests across different bias levels. The estimation results the author achieves are in close agreement with experimental measurements, within a relative error of 0.2%, at various high current levels (25-200 A), more accurate than the constant capacitance method (4-7%). The archival value of this paper is the introduction of an improved quantification method for the electrical characteristics of supercapacitors, and the disclosure of the distinct properties of supercapacitors: the nonlinear capacitance-voltage characteristic, capacitance variation between charging and discharging, and distribution of energy capacity across the operating voltage window.

Numerical investigation of the effect of driving voltage pulse shapes on the characteristics of low-pressure argon dielectric barrier discharge

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

Eslami, E., E-mail: eeslami@iust.ac.ir; Barjasteh, A.; Morshedian, N.

2015-06-15

In this work, we numerically compare the effect of a sinusoidal, triangular, and rectangular pulsed voltage profile on the calculated particle production, electric current, and gas voltage in a dielectric barrier discharge. The total argon gas pressure of 400 Pa, the distance between dielectrics of 5 mm, the dielectric thickness of 0.7 mm, and the temperature of T = 300 K were considered as input parameters. The different driving voltage pulse shapes (triangular, rectangular, and sinusoidal) are considered as applied voltage with a frequency of 7 kHz and an amplitude of 700 V peak to peak. It is shown thatmore » applying a rectangular voltage, as compared with a sinusoidal or triangle voltage, increases the current peak, while the peak width is decreased. Higher current density is related to high production of charged particles, which leads to the generation of some highly active species, such as Ar* (4s level), and Ar** (4p level) in the gap.« less

Capacitively-coupled inductive sensors for measurements of pulsed currents and pulsed magnetic fields

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

Ekdahl, C.A.

In experiments involving pulsed high magnetic fields the appearance of the full induced voltage at the output terminals of large-area inductive sensors such as diamagnetic loops and Rogowski belts imposes severe requirements on the insulation near the output. Capacitive detection of the inductive-sensor output voltage provides an ideal geometry for high-voltage insulation, and also accomplishes the necessary voltage division. An inductive-shunt current monitor was designed to utilize the capacitive-detection principle. The contruction of this device and its performance are described in this paper.

High-voltage crowbar circuit with cascade-triggered series ignitrons

DOEpatents

Baker, William R. [Orinda, CA

1980-11-04

A series string of ignitrons for switching a large current at high voltage to ground. Switching is initiated by means of a negative trigger pulse applied to the cathode of the lowest voltage level ignitron next to ground to draw ground current through diodes in the ignitor circuit. The trigger pulse is applied thereby to the next higher ignitron cathode and sequentially to the remainder of the ignitrons in the string through diodes in respective ignitor circuits. Full line voltage is held off of nonconducting diodes and ignitrons by means of varistors.

High-voltage crowbar circuit with cascade-triggered series ignitrons

DOEpatents

Baker, W.R.

A series string of ignitrons for switching a large current at high voltage to ground is discussed. Switching is initiated by means of a negative trigger pulse applied to the cathode of the lowest voltage level ignitron next to ground to draw ground current through diodes in the ignitor circuit. The trigger pulse is applied thereby to the next higher ignitron cathode and sequentially to the remainder of the ignitrons in the string through diodes in respective ignitor circuits. Full line voltage is held off of nonconducting diodes and ignitrons by means of varistors.

High-voltage crowbar circuit with cascade-triggered series ignitrons

DOEpatents

Baker, W.R.

1980-11-04

A series string of ignitrons for switching a large current at high voltage to ground. Switching is initiated by means of a negative trigger pulse applied to the cathode of the lowest voltage level ignitron next to ground to draw ground current through diodes in the ignitor circuit. The trigger pulse is applied thereby to the next higher ignitron cathode and sequentially to the remainder of the ignitrons in the string through diodes in respective ignitor circuits. Full line voltage is held off of nonconducting diodes and ignitrons by means of varistors. 1 fig.

A Low Input Current and Wide Conversion Ratio Buck Regulator with 75% Efficiency for High-Voltage Triboelectric Nanogenerators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Li-Chuan; Bao, De-Chun; Yu, Wu-Qi; Zhang, Zhao-Hua; Ren, Tian-Ling

2016-01-01

It is meaningful to research the Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENG), which can create electricity anywhere and anytime. There are many researches on the structures and materials of TENG to explain the phenomenon that the maximum voltage is stable and the current is increasing. The output voltage of the TENG is high about 180-400 V, and the output current is small about 39 μA, which the electronic devices directly integration of TENG with Li-ion batteries will result in huge energy loss due to the ultrahigh TENG impedance. A novel interface circuit with the high-voltage buck regulator for TENG is introduced firstly in this paper. The interface circuit can transfer the output signal of the TENG into the signal fit to a lithium ion battery. Through the circuit of the buck regulator, the average output voltage is about 4.0 V and the average output current is about 1.12 mA. Further, the reliability and availability for the lithium ion battery and the circuit are discussed. The interface circuit is simulated using the Cadence software and verified through PCB experiment. The buck regulator can achieve 75% efficiency for the High-Voltage TENG. This will lead to a research hot and industrialization applications.

Associating ground magnetometer observations with current or voltage generators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartinger, M. D.; Xu, Z.; Clauer, C. R.; Yu, Y.; Weimer, D. R.; Kim, H.; Pilipenko, V.; Welling, D. T.; Behlke, R.; Willer, A. N.

2017-07-01

A circuit analogy for magnetosphere-ionosphere current systems has two extremes for drivers of ionospheric currents: ionospheric electric fields/voltages constant while current/conductivity vary—the "voltage generator"—and current constant while electric field/conductivity vary—the "current generator." Statistical studies of ground magnetometer observations associated with dayside Transient High Latitude Current Systems (THLCS) driven by similar mechanisms find contradictory results using this paradigm: some studies associate THLCS with voltage generators, others with current generators. We argue that most of this contradiction arises from two assumptions used to interpret ground magnetometer observations: (1) measurements made at fixed position relative to the THLCS field-aligned current and (2) negligible auroral precipitation contributions to ionospheric conductivity. We use observations and simulations to illustrate how these two assumptions substantially alter expectations for magnetic perturbations associated with either a current or a voltage generator. Our results demonstrate that before interpreting ground magnetometer observations of THLCS in the context of current/voltage generators, the location of a ground magnetometer station relative to the THLCS field-aligned current and the location of any auroral zone conductivity enhancements need to be taken into account.

High-conductance low-voltage organic thin film transistor with locally rearranged poly(3-hexylthiophene) domain by current annealing on plastic substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, Zingway; Tsai, Hsing-Wang; Lai, Hsin-Cheng

2016-02-01

The organic material based thin film transistors (TFTs) are attractive for flexible optoelectronics applications due to the ability of lager area fabrication by solution and low temperature process on plastic substrate. Recently, the research of organic TFT focus on low operation voltage and high output current to achieve a low power organic logic circuit for optoelectronic device,such as e-paper or OLED displayer. To obtain low voltage and high output current, high gate capacitance and high channel mobility are key factors. The well-arranged polymer chain by a high temperature postannealing, leading enhancement conductivity of polymer film was a general method. However, the thermal annealing applying heat for all device on the substrate and may not applicable to plastic substrate. Therefore, in this work, the low operation voltage and high output current of polymer TFTs was demonstrated by locally electrical bias annealing. The poly(styrene-comethyl methacrylate) (PS-r-PMMA) with ultra-thin thickness is used as gate dielectric that the thickness is controlled by thermal treatment after spin coated on organic electrode. In electrical bias-annealing process, the PS-r- PMMA is acted a heating layer. After electrical bias-annealing, the polymer TFTs obtain high channel mobility at low voltage that lead high output current by a locally annealing of P3HT film. In the future, the locally electrical biasannealing method could be applied on plastic substrate for flexible optoelectronic application.

Design and Varactors: Operational Considerations. A Reliability Study for Robust Planar GaAs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maiwald, Frank; Schlecht, Erich; Ward, John; Lin, Robert; Leon, Rosa; Pearson, John; Mehdi, Imran

2003-01-01

Preliminary conclusions include: Limits for reverse currents cannot be set. Based on current data we want to avoid any reverse bias current. We know 1 micro-A is too high. Leakage current gets suppressed when operated at 120K. Migration and verification: a) Reverse Bias Voltage will be limited; b) Health check with I/V curve: 1) Minimal reverse voltage shall be x0.75 of the calculated voltage breakdown Vbr; 2) Degradation of the Reverse Bias voltage at given current will be used as indication of ESD incidents or other Damages (high RF power, heat); 3) Calculation of diodes parameter to verify initial health check result in forward direction. RF output power starts to degrade when diode I/V curve is very strongly degraded only. Experienced on 400GHz doubler and 200GHz doubler

Spacecraft Charging Current Balance Model Applied to High Voltage Solar Array Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willis, Emily M.; Pour, Maria Z. A.

2016-01-01

Spacecraft charging induced by high voltage solar arrays can result in power losses and degradation of spacecraft surfaces. In some cases, it can even present safety issues for astronauts performing extravehicular activities. An understanding of the dominant processes contributing to spacecraft charging induced by solar arrays is important to current space missions, such as the International Space Station, and to any future space missions that may employ high voltage solar arrays. A common method of analyzing the factors contributing to spacecraft charging is the current balance model. Current balance models are based on the simple idea that the spacecraft will float to a potential such that the current collecting to the surfaces equals the current lost from the surfaces. However, when solar arrays are involved, these currents are dependent on so many factors that the equation becomes quite complicated. In order for a current balance model to be applied to solar array operations, it must incorporate the time dependent nature of the charging of dielectric surfaces in the vicinity of conductors1-3. This poster will present the factors which must be considered when developing a current balance model for high voltage solar array operations and will compare results of a current balance model with data from the Floating Potential Measurement Unit4 on board the International Space Station.

Hybrid switch for resonant power converters

DOEpatents

Lai, Jih-Sheng; Yu, Wensong

2014-09-09

A hybrid switch comprising two semiconductor switches connected in parallel but having different voltage drop characteristics as a function of current facilitates attainment of zero voltage switching and reduces conduction losses to complement reduction of switching losses achieved through zero voltage switching in power converters such as high-current inverters.

Multiple high voltage output DC-to-DC power converter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cronin, Donald L. (Inventor); Farber, Bertrand F. (Inventor); Gehm, Hartmut K. (Inventor); Goldin, Daniel S. (Inventor)

1977-01-01

Disclosed is a multiple output DC-to-DC converter. The DC input power is filtered and passed through a chopper preregulator. The chopper output is then passed through a current source inverter controlled by a squarewave generator. The resultant AC is passed through the primary winding of a transformer, with high voltages induced in a plurality of secondary windings. The high voltage secondary outputs are each solid-state rectified for passage to individual output loads. Multiple feedback loops control the operation of the chopper preregulator, one being responsive to the current through the primary winding and another responsive to the DC voltage level at a selected output.

Calculation of current collected in a dilute plasma through a pinhole in the insulation covering a high-voltage surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fralick, G. C.

1975-01-01

A procedure is described for calculating the current collected by a pinhole defect in the insulation covering a high voltage surface. The results apply to a satellite at geosynchronous altitude where the effects of satellite motion and collective plasma effects on the collected current may be ignored.

Fuse protects circuit from voltage and current overloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casey, L. O.

1969-01-01

Low-melting resistor connected in series with the load protects the circuit against current overloads. It protects test subjects and patients being monitored by electronic instrumentation from inadvertant overloads of current, and sensitive electronic equipment against high-voltage damage.

Insulation Resistance and Leakage Currents in Low-Voltage Ceramic Capacitors with Cracks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teverovsky, Alexander A.

2014-01-01

Measurement of insulation resistance (IR) in multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) is considered a screening technique that ensures the dielectric is defect-free. This work analyzes the effectiveness of this technique for revealing cracks in ceramic capacitors. It is shown that absorption currents prevail over the intrinsic leakage currents during standard IR measurements at room temperature. Absorption currents, and consequently IR, have a weak temperature dependence, increase linearly with voltage (before saturation), and are not sensitive to the presence of mechanical defects. In contrary, intrinsic leakage currents increase super-linearly with voltage and exponentially with temperature (activation energy is in the range from 0.6 eV to 1.1 eV). Leakage currents associated with the presence of cracks have a weaker dependence on temperature and voltage compared to the intrinsic leakage currents. For this reason, intrinsic leakage currents prevail at high temperatures and voltages, thus masking the presence of defects.

Insulation Resistance and Leakage Currents in Low-Voltage Ceramic Capacitors with Cracks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teverovsky, Alexander A.

2016-01-01

Measurement of insulation resistance (IR) in multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) is considered a screening technique that ensures the dielectric is defect-free. This work analyzes the effectiveness of this technique for revealing cracks in ceramic capacitors. It is shown that absorption currents prevail over the intrinsic leakage currents during standard IR measurements at room temperature. Absorption currents, and consequently IR, have a weak temperature dependence, increase linearly with voltage (before saturation), and are not sensitive to the presence of mechanical defects. In contrary, intrinsic leakage currents increase super-linearly with voltage and exponentially with temperature (activation energy is in the range from 0.6 eV to 1.1 eV). Leakage currents associated with the presence of cracks have a weaker dependence on temperature and voltage compared to the intrinsic leakage currents. For this reason, intrinsic leakage currents prevail at high temperatures and voltages, thus masking the presence of defects.

Surface interactions and high-voltage current collection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mandell, M. J.; Katz, I.

1985-01-01

Spacecraft of the future will be larger and have higher power requirements than any flown to date. For several reasons, it is desirable to operate a high power system at high voltage. While the optimal voltages for many future missions are in the range 500 to 5000 volts, the highest voltage yet flown is approximately 100 volts. The NASCAP/LEO code is being developed to embody the phenomenology needed to model the environmental interactions of high voltage spacecraft. Some plasma environment are discussed. The treatment of the surface conductivity associated with emitted electrons and some simulations by NASCAP/LEO of ground based high voltage interaction experiments are described.

Voltage controlled current source

DOEpatents

Casne, Gregory M.

1992-01-01

A seven decade, voltage controlled current source is described for use in testing intermediate range nuclear instruments that covers the entire test current range of from 10 picoamperes to 100 microamperes. High accuracy is obtained throughout the entire seven decades of output current with circuitry that includes a coordinated switching scheme responsive to the input signal from a hybrid computer to control the input voltage to an antilog amplifier, and to selectively connect a resistance to the antilog amplifier output to provide a continuous output current source as a function of a preset range of input voltage. An operator controlled switch provides current adjustment for operation in either a real-time simulation test mode or a time response test mode.

Ion extraction capabilities of closely spaced grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rovang, D. C.; Wilbur, P. J.

1982-01-01

The ion extraction capabilities of accelerator systems with small screen hole diameters (less than 2.0 mm) are investigated at net-accelerating voltages of 100, 300, and 500 V. Results show that the impingement-limited perveance is not dramatically affected by reductions in screen hole diameter to 1.0 mm, but impingement-limited performance was found to be dependent on the grid separation distance, the discharge-to-total accelerating voltage ratio, and the net-to-total accelerating voltage ratio. Results obtained using small hole diameters and closely spaced grids indicate a new mode of grid operation where high current density operation can be achieved with a specified net acceleration voltage by operating the grids at a high rather than low net-to-total acceleration voltage. Beam current densities as high as 25 mA/sq cm were obtained using grids with 1.0 mm diameter holes operating at a net accelerating voltage of 500 V.

Development and fabrication of low ON resistance high current vertical VMOS power FETs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kay, S.

1979-01-01

The design of a VMOS Power FET exhibiting low ON resistance, high current as well as high breakdown voltage and fast switching speeds is described. The design which is based on a 1st-order device model, features a novel polysilicon-gate structure and fieldplated groove termination to achieve high packing density and high breakdown voltage, respectively. One test chip, named VNTKI, can block 180 V at an ON resistence of 2.5 ohm. A 150 mil x 200 mil (.19 sq cm) experimental chip has demonstrated a breakdown voltage of 200v, an ON resistance of 0.12 ohm, a switching time of less than 100 ns, and a pulse drain - current of 50 A with 10 V gate drive.

Low-Voltage Complementary Electronics from Ion-Gel-Gated Vertical Van der Waals Heterostructures

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

Choi, Yongsuk; Kang, Junmo; Jariwala, Deep

2016-03-22

Low-voltage complementary circuits comprising n-type and p-type van der Waals heterojunction vertical field-effect transistors (VFETs) are demonstrated. The resulting VFETs possess high on-state current densities (>3000 A cm-2) and on/off current ratios (>104) in a narrow voltage window (<3 V).

Method and Apparatus for In-Situ Health Monitoring of Solar Cells in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krasowski, Michael J. (Inventor); Prokop, Norman F. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

Some embodiments of the present invention describe an apparatus that includes an oscillator, a ramp generator, and an inverter. The apparatus includes an oscillator, an inverter, and a ramp generator. The oscillator is configured to generate a waveform comprising a low time and a high time. The inverter is configured to receive the waveform generated by the oscillator, and invert the waveform. The ramp generator configured to increase a gate control voltage of a transistor connected to a solar cell, and rapidly decrease the gate control voltage of the transistor. During the low time of the waveform, a measurement of a current and a voltage of the solar cell is performed as the current and voltage of the solar cell are transmitted through a first channel and to a second channel. During the high time of the waveform, a measurement of a current of a shorted cell and a voltage reference is performed as the current of the shorted cell and the voltage reference are transmitted through the first channel and the second channel.

Mechanism of formation of subnanosecond current front in high-voltage pulse open discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweigert, I. V.; Alexandrov, A. L.; Zakrevsky, Dm. E.; Bokhan, P. A.

2014-11-01

The mechanism of subnanosecond current front rise observed previously in the experiment in high-voltage pulse open discharge in helium is studied in kinetic particle-in-cell simulations. The Boltzmann equations for electrons, ions, and fast atoms are solved self-consistently with the Poisson equations for the electrical potential. The partial contributions to the secondary electron emission from the ions, fast atoms, photons, and electrons, bombarding the electrode, are calculated. In simulations, as in the experiment, the discharge glows between two symmetrical cathodes and the anode grid in the midplane at P =6 Torr and the applied voltage of 20 kV. The electron avalanche development is considered for two experimental situations during the last stage of breakdown: (i) with constant voltage and (ii) with decreasing voltage. For case (i), the subnanosecond current front rise is set by photons from the collisional excitation transfer reactions. For the case (ii), the energetic electrons swamp the cathode during voltage drop and provide the secondary electron emission for the subnanosecond current rise, observed in the experiment.

Scan-rate-dependent current rectification of cone-shaped silica nanopores in quartz nanopipettes.

PubMed

Guerrette, Joshua P; Zhang, Bo

2010-12-08

Here we report the voltammetric behavior of cone-shaped silica nanopores in quartz nanopipettes in aqueous solutions as a function of the scan rate, v. Current rectification behavior for silica nanopores with diameters in the range 4-25 nm was studied. The rectification behavior was found to be strongly dependent on the scan rate. At low scan rates (e.g., v < 1 V/s), the rectification ratio was found to be at its maximum and relatively independent of v. At high scan rates (e.g., v > 200 V/s), a nearly linear current-voltage response was obtained. In addition, the initial voltage was shown to play a critical role in the current-voltage response of cone-shaped nanopores at high scan rates. We explain this v-dependent current-voltage response by ionic redistribution in the vicinity of the nanopore mouth.

Technical Trend of Environment-friendly High Voltage Vacuum Circuit Breaker (VCB)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okubo, Hitoshi

Vacuum Circuit Breakers (VCBs) have widely been used for low and medium voltage level, because of their high current interruption performance, maintenance free operations and environment-friendly characteristics. The VCB is now going to be applied to higher voltage systems for transmission and substation use. In this paper, the recent technical trend and future perspectives of high voltage VCBs are described, as well as their technical background.

Current-voltage characteristics of dc corona discharges in air between coaxial cylinders

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

Zheng, Yuesheng, E-mail: yueshengzheng@fzu.edu.cn; Zhang, Bo, E-mail: shizbcn@tsinghua.edu.cn; He, Jinliang, E-mail: hejl@tsinghua.edu.cn

This paper presents the experimental measurement and numerical analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of dc corona discharges in air between coaxial cylinders. The current-voltage characteristics for both positive and negative corona discharges were measured within a specially designed corona cage. Then the measured results were fitted by different empirical formulae and analyzed by the fluid model. The current-voltage characteristics between coaxial cylinders can be expressed as I = C(U − U{sub 0}){sup m}, where m is within the range 1.5–2.0, which is similar to the point-plane electrode system. The ionization region has no significant effect on the current-voltage characteristic under a low corona current,more » while it will affect the distribution for the negative corona under a high corona current. The surface onset fields and ion mobilities were emphatically discussed.« less

Low power, scalable multichannel high voltage controller

DOEpatents

Stamps, James Frederick [Livermore, CA; Crocker, Robert Ward [Fremont, CA; Yee, Daniel Dadwa [Dublin, CA; Dils, David Wright [Fort Worth, TX

2006-03-14

A low voltage control circuit is provided for individually controlling high voltage power provided over bus lines to a multitude of interconnected loads. An example of a load is a drive for capillary channels in a microfluidic system. Control is distributed from a central high voltage circuit, rather than using a number of large expensive central high voltage circuits to enable reducing circuit size and cost. Voltage is distributed to each individual load and controlled using a number of high voltage controller channel switches connected to high voltage bus lines. The channel switches each include complementary pull up and pull down photo isolator relays with photo isolator switching controlled from the central high voltage circuit to provide a desired bus line voltage. Switching of the photo isolator relays is further controlled in each channel switch using feedback from a resistor divider circuit to maintain the bus voltage swing within desired limits. Current sensing is provided using a switched resistive load in each channel switch, with switching of the resistive loads controlled from the central high voltage circuit.

Low power, scalable multichannel high voltage controller

DOEpatents

Stamps, James Frederick [Livermore, CA; Crocker, Robert Ward [Fremont, CA; Yee, Daniel Dadwa [Dublin, CA; Dils, David Wright [Fort Worth, TX

2008-03-25

A low voltage control circuit is provided for individually controlling high voltage power provided over bus lines to a multitude of interconnected loads. An example of a load is a drive for capillary channels in a microfluidic system. Control is distributed from a central high voltage circuit, rather than using a number of large expensive central high voltage circuits to enable reducing circuit size and cost. Voltage is distributed to each individual load and controlled using a number of high voltage controller channel switches connected to high voltage bus lines. The channel switches each include complementary pull up and pull down photo isolator relays with photo isolator switching controlled from the central high voltage circuit to provide a desired bus line voltage. Switching of the photo isolator relays is further controlled in each channel switch using feedback from a resistor divider circuit to maintain the bus voltage swing within desired limits. Current sensing is provided using a switched resistive load in each channel switch, with switching of the resistive loads controlled from the central high voltage circuit.

A Double-Pole High Voltage High Current Switch

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-12-01

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited A DOUBLE- POLE HIGH...December 2005 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: A Double- Pole High Voltage High Current Switch 6. AUTHOR(S...to divert heavy charged particles, e.g. Cu+. 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 68 14. SUBJECT TERMS Double- Pole , Pulse Forming Inductive Network, PFIN

High Voltage Hybrid Electric Propulsion - Multilayered Functional Insulation System (MFIS) NASA-GRC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lizcano, M.

2017-01-01

High power transmission cables pose a key challenge in future Hybrid Electric Propulsion Aircraft. The challenge arises in developing safe transmission lines that can withstand the unique environment found in aircraft while providing megawatts of power. High voltage AC, variable frequency cables do not currently exist and present particular electrical insulation challenges since electrical arcing and high heating are more prevalent at higher voltages and frequencies. Identifying and developing materials that maintain their dielectric properties at high voltage and frequencies is crucial.

0.5 V 5.8 GHz highly linear current-reuse voltage-controlled oscillator with back-gate tuning technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, Sho; Lee, Sang-Yeop; Ito, Hiroyuki; Ishihara, Noboru; Masu, Kazuya

2015-04-01

In this paper, we present a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), which achieves highly linear frequency tuning under a low supply voltage of 0.5 V. To obtain the linear frequency tuning of a VCO, the high linearity of the threshold voltage of a varactor versus its back-gate voltage is utilized. This enables the linear capacitance tuning of the varactor; thus, a highly linear VCO can be achieved. In addition, to decrease the power consumption of the VCO, a current-reuse structure is employed as a cross-coupled pair. The proposed VCO was fabricated using a 65 nm Si complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. It shows the ratio of the maximum VCO gain (KVCO) to the minimum one to be 1.28. The dc power consumption is 0.33 mW at a supply voltage of 0.5 V. The measured phase noise at 10 MHz offset is -123 dBc/Hz at an output frequency of 5.8 GHz.

Design and fabrication of GaAs OMIST photodetector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Xuejun; Lin, ShiMing; Liao, Qiwei; Gao, Junhua; Liu, Shi'an; Cheng, Peng; Wang, Hongjie; Zhang, Chunhui; Wang, Qiming

1998-08-01

We designed and fabricated GaAs OMIST (Optical-controlled Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Thyristor) device. Using oxidation of AlAs layer that is grown by MBE forms the Ultra- Thin semi-Insulating layer (UTI) of the GAAS OMIST. The accurate control and formation of high quality semi-insulating layer (AlxOy) are the key processes for fabricating GaAs OMIST. The device exhibits a current-controlled negative resistance region in its I-V characteristics. When illuminated, the major effect of optical excitation is the reduction of the switching voltage. If the GaAs OMIST device is biased at a voltage below its dark switching voltage Vs, sufficient incident light can switch OMIST from high impedance low current 'off' state to low impedance high current 'on' state. The absorbing material of OMIST is GaAS, so if the wavelength of incident light within 600 to approximately 850 nm can be detected effectively. It is suitable to be used as photodetector for digital optical data process. The other attractive features of GaAs OMIST device include suitable conducted current, switching voltage and power levels for OEIC, high switch speed and high sensitivity to light or current injection.

High-frequency matrix converter with square wave input

DOEpatents

Carr, Joseph Alexander; Balda, Juan Carlos

2015-03-31

A device for producing an alternating current output voltage from a high-frequency, square-wave input voltage comprising, high-frequency, square-wave input a matrix converter and a control system. The matrix converter comprises a plurality of electrical switches. The high-frequency input and the matrix converter are electrically connected to each other. The control system is connected to each switch of the matrix converter. The control system is electrically connected to the input of the matrix converter. The control system is configured to operate each electrical switch of the matrix converter converting a high-frequency, square-wave input voltage across the first input port of the matrix converter and the second input port of the matrix converter to an alternating current output voltage at the output of the matrix converter.

Gas Composition Sensing Using Carbon Nanotube Arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Jing; Meyyappan, Meyya

2012-01-01

This innovation is a lightweight, small sensor for inert gases that consumes a relatively small amount of power and provides measurements that are as accurate as conventional approaches. The sensing approach is based on generating an electrical discharge and measuring the specific gas breakdown voltage associated with each gas present in a sample. An array of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a substrate is connected to a variable-pulse voltage source. The CNT tips are spaced appropriately from the second electrode maintained at a constant voltage. A sequence of voltage pulses is applied and a pulse discharge breakdown threshold voltage is estimated for one or more gas components, from an analysis of the current-voltage characteristics. Each estimated pulse discharge breakdown threshold voltage is compared with known threshold voltages for candidate gas components to estimate whether at least one candidate gas component is present in the gas. The procedure can be repeated at higher pulse voltages to estimate a pulse discharge breakdown threshold voltage for a second component present in the gas. The CNTs in the gas sensor have a sharp (low radius of curvature) tip; they are preferably multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) or carbon nanofibers (CNFs), to generate high-strength electrical fields adjacent to the tips for breakdown of the gas components with lower voltage application and generation of high current. The sensor system can provide a high-sensitivity, low-power-consumption tool that is very specific for identification of one or more gas components. The sensor can be multiplexed to measure current from multiple CNT arrays for simultaneous detection of several gas components.

High voltage electrical amplifier having a short rise time

DOEpatents

Christie, David J.; Dallum, Gregory E.

1991-01-01

A circuit, comprising an amplifier and a transformer is disclosed that produces a high power pulse having a fast response time, and that responds to a digital control signal applied through a digital-to-analog converter. The present invention is suitable for driving a component such as an electro-optic modulator with a voltage in the kilovolt range. The circuit is stable at high frequencies and during pulse transients, and its impedance matching circuit matches the load impedance with the output impedance. The preferred embodiment comprises an input stage compatible with high-speed semiconductor components for amplifying the voltage of the input control signal, a buffer for isolating the input stage from the output stage; and a plurality of current amplifiers connected to the buffer. Each current amplifier is connected to a field effect transistor (FET), which switches a high voltage power supply to a transformer which then provides an output terminal for driving a load. The transformer comprises a plurality of transmission lines connected to the FETs and the load. The transformer changes the impedance and voltage of the output. The preferred embodiment also comprises a low voltage power supply for biasing the FETs at or near an operational voltage.

Effect of electrical coupling on ionic current and synaptic potential measurements.

PubMed

Rabbah, Pascale; Golowasch, Jorge; Nadim, Farzan

2005-07-01

Recent studies have found electrical coupling to be more ubiquitous than previously thought, and coupling through gap junctions is known to play a crucial role in neuronal function and network output. In particular, current spread through gap junctions may affect the activation of voltage-dependent conductances as well as chemical synaptic release. Using voltage-clamp recordings of two strongly electrically coupled neurons of the lobster stomatogastric ganglion and conductance-based models of these neurons, we identified effects of electrical coupling on the measurement of leak and voltage-gated outward currents, as well as synaptic potentials. Experimental measurements showed that both leak and voltage-gated outward currents are recruited by gap junctions from neurons coupled to the clamped cell. Nevertheless, in spite of the strong coupling between these neurons, the errors made in estimating voltage-gated conductance parameters were relatively minor (<10%). Thus in many cases isolation of coupled neurons may not be required if a small degree of measurement error of the voltage-gated currents or the synaptic potentials is acceptable. Modeling results show, however, that such errors may be as high as 20% if the gap-junction position is near the recording site or as high as 90% when measuring smaller voltage-gated ionic currents. Paradoxically, improved space clamp increases the errors arising from electrical coupling because voltage control across gap junctions is poor for even the highest realistic coupling conductances. Furthermore, the common procedure of leak subtraction can add an extra error to the conductance measurement, the sign of which depends on the maximal conductance.

A study on stimulation of DC high voltage power of LCC series parallel resonant in projectile velocity measurement system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Dong-dong; Gu, Jin-liang; Luo, Hong-e.; Xia, Yan

2017-10-01

According to specific requirements of the X-ray machine system for measuring velocity of outfield projectile, a DC high voltage power supply system is designed for the high voltage or the smaller current. The system comprises: a series resonant circuit is selected as a full-bridge inverter circuit; a high-frequency zero-current soft switching of a high-voltage power supply is realized by PWM output by STM32; a nanocrystalline alloy transformer is chosen as a high-frequency booster transformer; and the related parameters of an LCC series-parallel resonant are determined according to the preset parameters of the transformer. The concrete method includes: a LCC series parallel resonant circuit and a voltage doubling circuit are stimulated by using MULTISM and MATLAB; selecting an optimal solution and an optimal parameter of all parts after stimulation analysis; and finally verifying the correctness of the parameter by stimulation of the whole system. Through stimulation analysis, the output voltage of the series-parallel resonant circuit gets to 10KV in 28s: then passing through the voltage doubling circuit, the output voltage gets to 120KV in one hour. According to the system, the wave range of the output voltage is so small as to provide the stable X-ray supply for the X-ray machine for measuring velocity of outfield projectile. It is fast in charging and high in efficiency.

Carrier velocity effect on carbon nanotube Schottky contact

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

Fathi, Amir, E-mail: fathi.amir@hotmail.com; Ahmadi, M. T., E-mail: mt.ahmadi@urmia.ac.ir; Ismail, Razali, E-mail: Razali@fke.utm.my

One of the most important drawbacks which caused the silicon based technologies to their technical limitations is the instability of their products at nano-level. On the other side, carbon based materials such as carbon nanotube (CNT) as alternative materials have been involved in scientific efforts. Some of the important advantages of CNTs over silicon components are high mechanical strength, high sensing capability and large surface-to-volume ratio. In this article, the model of CNT Schottky transistor current which is under exterior applied voltage is employed. This model shows that its current has a weak dependence on thermal velocity corresponding to themore » small applied voltage. The conditions are quite different for high bias voltages which are independent of temperature. Our results indicate that the current is increased by Fermi velocity, but the I–V curves will not have considerable changes with the variations in number of carriers. It means that the current doesn’t increase sharply by voltage variations over different number of carriers.« less

Recent Developments in High Voltage Research in the United Kingdom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haddad, A. Manu

This paper gives an overview of research activities in the area of high voltage engineering in UK universities. It summarises the main activities of all active high voltage research groups. Furthermore, current research drivers and funding sources for research in the area are described, and the main initiatives to safeguard the health of the discipline are presented.

A High Voltage Ratio and Low Ripple Interleaved DC-DC Converter for Fuel Cell Applications

PubMed Central

Chang, Long-Yi; Chao, Kuei-Hsiang; Chang, Tsang-Chih

2012-01-01

This paper proposes a high voltage ratio and low ripple interleaved boost DC-DC converter, which can be used to reduce the output voltage ripple. This converter transfers the low DC voltage of fuel cell to high DC voltage in DC link. The structure of the converter is parallel with two voltage-doubler boost converters by interleaving their output voltages to reduce the voltage ripple ratio. Besides, it can lower the current stress for the switches and inductors in the system. First, the PSIM software was used to establish a proton exchange membrane fuel cell and a converter circuit model. The simulated and measured results of the fuel cell output characteristic curve are made to verify the correctness of the established simulation model. In addition, some experimental results are made to validate the effectiveness in improving output voltage ripple of the proposed high voltage ratio interleaved boost DC-DC converters. PMID:23365536

A high voltage ratio and low ripple interleaved DC-DC converter for fuel cell applications.

PubMed

Chang, Long-Yi; Chao, Kuei-Hsiang; Chang, Tsang-Chih

2012-01-01

This paper proposes a high voltage ratio and low ripple interleaved boost DC-DC converter, which can be used to reduce the output voltage ripple. This converter transfers the low DC voltage of fuel cell to high DC voltage in DC link. The structure of the converter is parallel with two voltage-doubler boost converters by interleaving their output voltages to reduce the voltage ripple ratio. Besides, it can lower the current stress for the switches and inductors in the system. First, the PSIM software was used to establish a proton exchange membrane fuel cell and a converter circuit model. The simulated and measured results of the fuel cell output characteristic curve are made to verify the correctness of the established simulation model. In addition, some experimental results are made to validate the effectiveness in improving output voltage ripple of the proposed high voltage ratio interleaved boost DC-DC converters.

The design and development of low- and high-voltage ASICs for space-borne CCD cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waltham, N.; Morrissey, Q.; Clapp, M.; Bell, S.; Jones, L.; Torbet, M.

2017-12-01

The CCD remains the pre-eminent visible and UV wavelength image sensor in space science, Earth and planetary remote sensing. However, the design of space-qualified CCD readout electronics is a significant challenge with requirements for low-volume, low-mass, low-power, high-reliability and tolerance to space radiation. Space-qualified components are frequently unavailable and up-screened commercial components seldom meet project or international space agency requirements. In this paper, we describe an alternative approach of designing and space-qualifying a series of low- and high-voltage mixed-signal application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), the ongoing development of two low-voltage ASICs with successful flight heritage, and two new high-voltage designs. A challenging sub-system of any CCD camera is the video processing and digitisation electronics. We describe recent developments to improve performance and tolerance to radiation-induced single event latchup of a CCD video processing ASIC originally developed for NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and Solar Dynamics Observatory. We also describe a programme to develop two high-voltage ASICs to address the challenges presented with generating a CCD's bias voltages and drive clocks. A 0.35 μm, 50 V tolerant, CMOS process has been used to combine standard low-voltage 3.3 V transistors with high-voltage 50 V diffused MOSFET transistors that enable output buffers to drive CCD bias drains, gates and clock electrodes directly. We describe a CCD bias voltage generator ASIC that provides 24 independent and programmable 0-32 V outputs. Each channel incorporates a 10-bit digital-to-analogue converter, provides current drive of up to 20 mA into loads of 10 μF, and includes current-limiting and short-circuit protection. An on-chip telemetry system with a 12-bit analogue-to-digital converter enables the outputs and multiple off-chip camera voltages to be monitored. The ASIC can drive one or more CCDs and replaces the many discrete components required in current cameras. We also describe a CCD clock driver ASIC that provides six independent and programmable drivers with high-current capacity. The device enables various CCD clock parameters to be programmed independently, for example the clock-low and clock-high voltage levels, and the clock-rise and clock-fall times, allowing configuration for serial clock frequencies in the range 0.1-2 MHz and image clock frequencies in the range 10-100 kHz. Finally, we demonstrate the impact and importance of this technology for the development of compact, high-performance and low-power integrated focal plane electronics.

Arc lamp power supply using a voltage multiplier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leighty, Bradley D.

1988-01-01

A power supply is provided for an arc discharge lamp which includes a relatively low voltage high current power supply section and a high voltage starter circuit. The low voltage section includes a transformer, rectifier, variable resistor and a bank of capacitors, while the starter circuit comprises several diodes and capacitors connected as a Cockcroft-Walton multiplier. The starting circuit is effectively bypassed when the lamp arc is established and serves to automatically provide a high starting voltage to re-strike the lamp arc if the arc is extinguished by a power interruption.

Application of active electrode compensation to perform continuous voltage-clamp recordings with sharp microelectrodes.

PubMed

Gómez-González, J F; Destexhe, A; Bal, T

2014-10-01

Electrophysiological recordings of single neurons in brain tissues are very common in neuroscience. Glass microelectrodes filled with an electrolyte are used to impale the cell membrane in order to record the membrane potential or to inject current. Their high resistance induces a high voltage drop when passing current and it is essential to correct the voltage measurements. In particular, for voltage clamping, the traditional alternatives are two-electrode voltage-clamp technique or discontinuous single electrode voltage-clamp (dSEVC). Nevertheless, it is generally difficult to impale two electrodes in a same neuron and the switching frequency is limited to low frequencies in the case of dSEVC. We present a novel fully computer-implemented alternative to perform continuous voltage-clamp recordings with a single sharp-electrode. To reach such voltage-clamp recordings, we combine an active electrode compensation algorithm (AEC) with a digital controller (AECVC). We applied two types of control-systems: a linear controller (proportional plus integrative controller) and a model-based controller (optimal control). We compared the performance of the two methods to dSEVC using a dynamic model cell and experiments in brain slices. The AECVC method provides an entirely digital method to perform continuous recording and smooth switching between voltage-clamp, current clamp or dynamic-clamp configurations without introducing artifacts.

Breakdown in helium in high-voltage open discharge with subnanosecond current front rise

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

Schweigert, I. V., E-mail: ischweig@itam.nsc.ru; Alexandrov, A. L.; Bokhan, P. A.

Investigations of high-voltage open discharge in helium have shown a possibility of generation of current pulses with subnanosecond front rise, due to ultra-fast breakdown development. The open discharge is ignited between two planar cathodes with mesh anode in the middle between them. For gas pressure 6 Torr and 20 kV applied voltage, the rate of current rise reaches 500 A/(cm{sup 2} ns) for current density 200 A/cm{sup 2} and more. The time of breakdown development was measured for different helium pressures and a kinetic model of breakdown in open discharge is presented, based on elementary reactions for electrons, ions andmore » fast atoms. The model also includes various cathode emission processes due to cathode bombardment by ions, fast atoms, electrons and photons of resonant radiation with Doppler shift of frequency. It is shown, that the dominating emission processes depend on the evolution of the discharge voltage during the breakdown. In the simulations, two cases of voltage behavior were considered: (i) the voltage is kept constant during the breakdown; (ii) the voltage is reduced with the growth of current. For the first case, the exponentially growing current is maintained due to photoemission by the resonant photons with Doppler-shifted frequency. For the second case, the dominating factor of current growth is the secondary electron emission. In both cases, the subnanosecond rise of discharge current was obtained. Also the effect of gas pressure on breakdown development was considered. It was found that for 20 Torr gas pressure the time of current rise decreases to 0.1 ns, which is in agreement with experimental data.« less

Working group report on advanced high-voltage high-power and energy-storage space systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, H. A.; Cooke, D. L.; Evans, R. W.; Hastings, D.; Jongeward, G.; Laframboise, J. G.; Mahaffey, D.; Mcintyre, B.; Pfizer, K. A.; Purvis, C.

1986-01-01

Space systems in the future will probably include high-voltage, high-power energy-storage and -production systems. Two such technologies are high-voltage ac and dc systems and high-power electrodynamic tethers. The working group identified several plasma interaction phenomena that will occur in the operation of these power systems. The working group felt that building an understanding of these critical interaction issues meant that several gaps in our knowledge had to be filled, and that certain aspects of dc power systems have become fairly well understood. Examples of these current collection are in quiescent plasmas and snap over effects. However, high-voltage dc and almost all ac phenomena are, at best, inadequately understood. In addition, there is major uncertainty in the knowledge of coupling between plasmas and large scale current flows in space plasmas. These gaps in the knowledge are addressed.

Energy breakdown in capacitive deionization.

PubMed

Hemmatifar, Ali; Palko, James W; Stadermann, Michael; Santiago, Juan G

2016-11-01

We explored the energy loss mechanisms in capacitive deionization (CDI). We hypothesize that resistive and parasitic losses are two main sources of energy losses. We measured contribution from each loss mechanism in water desalination with constant current (CC) charge/discharge cycling. Resistive energy loss is expected to dominate in high current charging cases, as it increases approximately linearly with current for fixed charge transfer (resistive power loss scales as square of current and charging time scales as inverse of current). On the other hand, parasitic loss is dominant in low current cases, as the electrodes spend more time at higher voltages. We built a CDI cell with five electrode pairs and standard flow between architecture. We performed a series of experiments with various cycling currents and cut-off voltages (voltage at which current is reversed) and studied these energy losses. To this end, we measured series resistance of the cell (contact resistances, resistance of wires, and resistance of solution in spacers) during charging and discharging from voltage response of a small amplitude AC current signal added to the underlying cycling current. We performed a separate set of experiments to quantify parasitic (or leakage) current of the cell versus cell voltage. We then used these data to estimate parasitic losses under the assumption that leakage current is primarily voltage (and not current) dependent. Our results confirmed that resistive and parasitic losses respectively dominate in the limit of high and low currents. We also measured salt adsorption and report energy-normalized adsorbed salt (ENAS, energy loss per ion removed) and average salt adsorption rate (ASAR). We show a clear tradeoff between ASAR and ENAS and show that balancing these losses leads to optimal energy efficiency. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Energy breakdown in capacitive deionization

DOE PAGES

Hemmatifar, Ali; Palko, James W.; Stadermann, Michael; ...

2016-08-12

We explored the energy loss mechanisms in capacitive deionization (CDI). We hypothesize that resistive and parasitic losses are two main sources of energy losses. We measured contribution from each loss mechanism in water desalination with constant current (CC) charge/discharge cycling. Resistive energy loss is expected to dominate in high current charging cases, as it increases approximately linearly with current for fixed charge transfer (resistive power loss scales as square of current and charging time scales as inverse of current). On the other hand, parasitic loss is dominant in low current cases, as the electrodes spend more time at higher voltages.more » We built a CDI cell with five electrode pairs and standard flow between architecture. We performed a series of experiments with various cycling currents and cut-off voltages (voltage at which current is reversed) and studied these energy losses. To this end, we measured series resistance of the cell (contact resistances, resistance of wires, and resistance of solution in spacers) during charging and discharging from voltage response of a small amplitude AC current signal added to the underlying cycling current. We performed a separate set of experiments to quantify parasitic (or leakage) current of the cell versus cell voltage. We then used these data to estimate parasitic losses under the assumption that leakage current is primarily voltage (and not current) dependent. Our results confirmed that resistive and parasitic losses respectively dominate in the limit of high and low currents. We also measured salt adsorption and report energy-normalized adsorbed salt (ENAS, energy loss per ion removed) and average salt adsorption rate (ASAR). As a result, we show a clear tradeoff between ASAR and ENAS and show that balancing these losses leads to optimal energy efficiency.« less

Subnanosecond breakdown development in high-voltage pulse discharge: Effect of secondary electron emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexandrov, A. L.; Schweigert, I. V.; Zakrevskiy, Dm. E.; Bokhan, P. A.; Gugin, P.; Lavrukhin, M.

2017-10-01

A subnanosecond breakdown in high-voltage pulse discharge may be a key tool for superfast commutation of high power devices. The breakdown in high-voltage open discharge at mid-high pressure in helium was studied in experiment and in kinetic simulations. The kinetic model of electron avalanche development was constructed, based on PIC-MCC simulations, including dynamics of electrons, ions and fast helium atoms, produced by ions scattering. Special attention was paid to electron emission processes from cathode, such as: photoemission by Doppler-shifted resonant photons, produced in excitation processes involving fast atoms; electron emission by ions and fast atoms bombardment of cathode; the secondary electron emission (SEE) by hot electrons from bulk plasma. The simulations show that the fast atoms accumulation is the main reason of emission growth at the early stage of breakdown, but at the final stage, when the voltage on plasma gap diminishes, namely the SEE is responsible for subnanosecond rate of current growth. It was shown that the characteristic time of the current growth can be controlled by the SEE yield. The influence of SEE yield for three types of cathode material (titanium, SiC, and CuAlMg-alloy) was tested. By changing the pulse voltage amplitude and gas pressure, the area of existence of subnanosecond breakdown is identified. It is shown that in discharge with SiC and CuAlMg-alloy cathodes (which have enhanced SEE) the current can increase with a subnanosecond characteristic time value as small as τs = 0.4 ns, for the pulse voltage amplitude of 5÷12 kV. An increase of gas pressure from 15 Torr to 30 Torr essentially decreases the time of of current front growth, whereas the pulse voltage variation weakly affects the results.

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.

Multijunction high-voltage solar cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, J. C., Jr.; Goradia, C.; Chai, A. T.

1981-01-01

Multijunction cell allows for fabrication of high-voltage solar cell on single semiconductor wafer. Photovoltaic energy source using cell is combined on wafer with circuit it is to power. Cell consists of many voltage-generating regions internally or externally interconnected to give desired voltage and current combination. For computer applications, module is built on silicon wafer with energy for internal information processing and readouts derived from external light source.

Optimized Controller Design for a 12-Pulse Voltage Source Converter Based HVDC System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agarwal, Ruchi; Singh, Sanjeev

2017-12-01

The paper proposes an optimized controller design scheme for power quality improvement in 12-pulse voltage source converter based high voltage direct current system. The proposed scheme is hybrid combination of golden section search and successive linear search method. The paper aims at reduction of current sensor and optimization of controller. The voltage and current controller parameters are selected for optimization due to its impact on power quality. The proposed algorithm for controller optimizes the objective function which is composed of current harmonic distortion, power factor, and DC voltage ripples. The detailed designs and modeling of the complete system are discussed and its simulation is carried out in MATLAB-Simulink environment. The obtained results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme under different transient conditions such as load perturbation, non-linear load condition, voltage sag condition, and tapped load fault under one phase open condition at both points-of-common coupling.

On-line Monitoring Device for High-voltage Switch Cabinet Partial Discharge Based on Pulse Current Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Y Tao, S.; Zhang, X. Z.; Cai, H. W.; Li, P.; Feng, Y.; Zhang, T. C.; Li, J.; Wang, W. S.; Zhang, X. K.

2017-12-01

The pulse current method for partial discharge detection is generally applied in type testing and other off-line tests of electrical equipment at delivery. After intensive analysis of the present situation and existing problems of partial discharge detection in switch cabinets, this paper designed the circuit principle and signal extraction method for partial discharge on-line detection based on a high-voltage presence indicating systems (VPIS), established a high voltage switch cabinet partial discharge on-line detection circuit based on the pulse current method, developed background software integrated with real-time monitoring, judging and analyzing functions, carried out a real discharge simulation test on a real-type partial discharge defect simulation platform of a 10KV switch cabinet, and verified the sensitivity and validity of the high-voltage switch cabinet partial discharge on-line monitoring device based on the pulse current method. The study presented in this paper is of great significance for switch cabinet maintenance and theoretical study on pulse current method on-line detection, and has provided a good implementation method for partial discharge on-line monitoring devices for 10KV distribution network equipment.

Development and fabrication of a high current, fast recovery power diode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berman, A. H.; Balodis, V.; Devance, D. C.; Gaugh, C. E.; Karlsson, E. A.

1983-01-01

A high voltage (VR = 1200 V), high current (IF = 150 A), fast recovery ( 700 ns) and low forward voltage drop ( 1.5 V) silicon rectifier was designed and the process developed for its fabrication. For maximum purity, uniformity and material characteristic stability, neutron transmutation n-type doped float zone silicon is used. The design features a hexagonal chip for maximum area utilization of space available in the DO-8 diode package, PIN diffused junction structure with deep diffused D(+) anode and a shallow high concentration n(+) cathode. With the high temperature glass passivated positive bevel mesa junction termination, the achieved blocking voltage is close to the theoretical limit of the starting material. Gold diffusion is used to control the lifetime and the resulting effect on switching speed and forward voltage tradeoff. For solder reflow assembly, trimetal (Al-Ti-Ni) contacts are used. The required major device electrical characteristics were achieved. Due to the tradeoff nature of forward voltage drop and reverse recovery time, a compromise was reached for these values.

High efficiency FET microwave detector design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luglio, Juan; Ishii, Thomas Koryu

1990-12-01

The work is based on an assumption that very little microwave power would be consumed at a negatively biased gate of a microwave FET, yet significant detected signals would be obtained at the drain if the bias is given. By analyzing a Taylor-series expansion of the drain-current equation in the vicinity of a fixed gate-bias voltage, the bias voltage is found to maximize the second derivative of the drain current, the gate-bias voltage characteristic curve for the maximum detected drain current under a given fixed drain-bias voltage. Based on these findings, a high-efficiency microwave detector is designed, fabricated, and tested at 8.6 GHz, and it is shown that the audio power over absorbed microwave power ratio of the detector is 135 percent due to the positive gain.

A complete electrical shock hazard classification system and its application

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

Gordon, Lloyd; Cartelli, Laura; Graham, Nicole

Current electrical safety standards evolved to address the hazards of 60-Hz power that are faced primarily by electricians, linemen, and others performing facility and utility work. As a result, this leaves a substantial gap in the management of electrical hazards in Research and Development (R&D) and specialized high voltage and high power equipment. We find substantial use of direct current (dc) electrical energy, and the use of capacitors, inductors, batteries, and radiofrequency (RF) power. The electrical hazards of these forms of electricity and their systems are different than for 50/60 Hz power. This paper proposes a method of classifying allmore » of the electrical shock hazards found in all types of R&D and utilization equipment. Examples of the variation of these hazards from NFPA 70E include (a) high voltage can be harmless, if the available current is sufficiently low, (b) low voltage can be harmful if the available current/power is high, (c) high voltage capacitor hazards are unique and include severe reflex action, affects on the heart, and tissue damage, and (d) arc flash hazard analysis for dc and capacitor systems are not provided in existing standards. This work has led to a comprehensive electrical hazard classification system that is based on various research conducted over the past 100 years, on analysis of such systems in R&D, and on decades of experience. Lastly, the new comprehensive electrical shock hazard classification system uses a combination of voltage, shock current available, fault current available, power, energy, and waveform to classify all forms of electrical hazards.« less

A complete electrical shock hazard classification system and its application

DOE PAGES

Gordon, Lloyd; Cartelli, Laura; Graham, Nicole

2018-02-08

Current electrical safety standards evolved to address the hazards of 60-Hz power that are faced primarily by electricians, linemen, and others performing facility and utility work. As a result, this leaves a substantial gap in the management of electrical hazards in Research and Development (R&D) and specialized high voltage and high power equipment. We find substantial use of direct current (dc) electrical energy, and the use of capacitors, inductors, batteries, and radiofrequency (RF) power. The electrical hazards of these forms of electricity and their systems are different than for 50/60 Hz power. This paper proposes a method of classifying allmore » of the electrical shock hazards found in all types of R&D and utilization equipment. Examples of the variation of these hazards from NFPA 70E include (a) high voltage can be harmless, if the available current is sufficiently low, (b) low voltage can be harmful if the available current/power is high, (c) high voltage capacitor hazards are unique and include severe reflex action, affects on the heart, and tissue damage, and (d) arc flash hazard analysis for dc and capacitor systems are not provided in existing standards. This work has led to a comprehensive electrical hazard classification system that is based on various research conducted over the past 100 years, on analysis of such systems in R&D, and on decades of experience. Lastly, the new comprehensive electrical shock hazard classification system uses a combination of voltage, shock current available, fault current available, power, energy, and waveform to classify all forms of electrical hazards.« less

Nickel-Hydrogen Battery Fault Clearing at Low State of Charge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lurie, C.

1997-01-01

Fault clearing currents were achieved and maintained at discharge rates from C/2 to C/3 at high and low states of charge. The fault clearing plateau voltage is strong function of: discharge current, and voltage-prior-to-the-fault-clearing-event and a weak function of state of charge. Voltage performance, for the range of conditions reported, is summarized.

Power supply system for negative ion source at IPR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gahlaut, Agrajit; Sonara, Jashwant; Parmar, K. G.; Soni, Jignesh; Bandyopadhyay, M.; Singh, Mahendrajit; Bansal, Gourab; Pandya, Kaushal; Chakraborty, Arun

2010-02-01

The first step in the Indian program on negative ion beams is the setting up of Negative ion Experimental Assembly - RF based, where 100 kW of RF power shall be coupled to a plasma source producing plasma of density ~5 × 1012 cm-3, from which ~ 10 A of negative ion beam shall be produced and accelerated to 35 kV, through an electrostatic ion accelerator. The experimental system is modelled similar to the RF based negative ion source, BATMAN presently operating at IPP, Garching, Germany. The mechanical system for Negative Ion Source Assembly is close to the IPP source, remaining systems are designed and procured principally from indigenous sources, keeping the IPP configuration as a base line. High voltage (HV) and low voltage (LV) power supplies are two key constituents of the experimental setup. The HV power supplies for extraction and acceleration are rated for high voltage (~15 to 35kV), and high current (~ 15 to 35A). Other attributes are, fast rate of voltage rise (< 5ms), good regulation (< ±1%), low ripple (< ±2%), isolation (~50kV), low energy content (< 10J) and fast cut-off (< 100μs). The low voltage (LV) supplies required for biasing and providing heating power to the Cesium oven and the plasma grids; have attributes of low ripple, high stability, fast and precise regulation, programmability and remote operation. These power supplies are also equipped with over-voltage, over-current and current limit (CC Mode) protections. Fault diagnostics, to distinguish abnormal rise in currents (breakdown faults) with over-currents is enabled using fast response breakdown and over-current protection scheme. To restrict the fault energy deposited on the ion source, specially designed snubbers are implemented in each (extraction and acceleration) high voltage path to swap the surge energy. Moreover, the monitoring status and control signals from these power supplies are required to be electrically (~ 50kV) isolated from the system. The paper shall present the design basis, topology selection, manufacturing, testing, commissioning, integration and control strategy of these HVPS. A complete power interconnection scheme, which includes all protective devices and measuring devices, low & high voltage power supplies, monitoring and control signals etc. shall also be discussed. The paper also discusses the protocols involved in grounding and shielding, particularly in operating the system in RF environment.

Contribution of the backstreaming ions to the self-magnetic pinch (SMP) diode current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazarakis, Michael G.; Bennett, Nichelle; Cuneo, Michael E.; Fournier, Sean D.; Johnston, Mark D.; Kiefer, Mark L.; Leckbee, Joshua J.; Nielsen, Dan S.; Oliver, Bryan V.; Sceiford, Matthew E.; Simpson, Sean C.; Renk, Timothy J.; Ruiz, Carlos L.; Webb, Timothy J.; Ziska, Derek; Droemer, Darryl W.; Gignac, Raymond E.; Obregon, Robert J.; Wilkins, Frank L.; Welch, Dale R.

2018-04-01

The results presented here were obtained with a self-magnetic pinch (SMP) diode mounted at the front high voltage end of the RITS accelerator. RITS is a Self-Magnetically Insulated Transmission Line (MITL) voltage adder that adds the voltage pulse of six 1.3 MV inductively insulated cavities. The RITS driver together with the SMP diode has produced x-ray spots of the order of 1 mm in diameter and doses adequate for the radiographic imaging of high area density objects. Although, through the years, a number of different types of radiographic electron diodes have been utilized with SABER, HERMES III and RITS accelerators, the SMP diode appears to be the most successful and simplest diode for the radiographic investigation of various objects. Our experiments had two objectives: first to measure the contribution of the back-streaming ion currents emitted from the anode target and second to try to evaluate the energy of those ions and hence the Anode-Cathode (A-K) gap actual voltage. In any very high voltage inductive voltage adder utilizing MITLs to transmit the power to the diode load, the precise knowledge of the accelerating voltage applied on the A-K gap is problematic. This is even more difficult in an SMP diode where the A-K gap is very small (˜1 cm) and the diode region very hostile. The accelerating voltage quoted in the literature is from estimates based on the measurements of the anode and cathode currents of the MITL far upstream from the diode and utilizing the para-potential flow theories and inductive corrections. Thus, it would be interesting to have another independent measurement to evaluate the A-K voltage. The diode's anode is made of a number of high-Z metals in order to produce copious and energetic flash x-rays. It was established experimentally that the back-streaming ion currents are a strong function of the anode materials and their stage of cleanness. We have measured the back-streaming ion currents emitted from the anode and propagating through a hollow cathode tip for various diode configurations and different techniques of target cleaning treatment: namely, heating at very high temperatures with DC and pulsed current, with RF plasma cleaning, and with both plasma cleaning and heating. We have also evaluated the A-K gap voltage by energy filtering technique. Experimental results in comparison with LSP simulations are presented.

The Voltage Distribution Characteristics of a Hybrid Circuit Breaker During High Current Interruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Xian; Duan, Xiongying; Liao, Minfu; Huang, Zhihui; Luo, Yan; Zou, Jiyan

2013-08-01

Hybrid circuit breaker (HCB) technology based on a vacuum interrupter and a SF6 interrupter in series has become a new research direction because of the low-carbon requirements for high voltage switches. The vacuum interrupter has an excellent ability to deal with the steep rising part of the transient recovery voltage (TRV), while the SF6 interrupter can withstand the peak part of the voltage easily. An HCB can take advantage of the interrupters in the current interruption process. In this study, an HCB model based on the vacuum ion diffusion equations, ion density equation, and modified Cassie-Mayr arc equation is explored. A simulation platform is constructed by using a set of software called the alternative transient program (ATP). An HCB prototype is also designed, and the short circuit current is interrupted by the HCB under different action sequences of contacts. The voltage distribution of the HCB is analyzed through simulations and tests. The results demonstrate that if the vacuum interrupter withstands the initial TRV and interrupts the post-arc current first, then the recovery speed of the dielectric strength of the SF6 interrupter will be fast. The voltage distribution between two interrupters is determined by their post-arc resistance, which happens after current-zero, and subsequently, it is determined by the capacitive impedance after the post-arc current decays to zero.

High-voltage 4H-SiC trench MOS barrier Schottky rectifier with low forward voltage drop using enhanced sidewall layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Doohyung; Sim, Seulgi; Park, Kunsik; Won, Jongil; Kim, Sanggi; Kim, Kwangsoo

2015-12-01

In this paper, a 4H-SiC trench MOS barrier Schottky (TMBS) rectifier with an enhanced sidewall layer (ESL) is proposed. The proposed structure has a high doping concentration at the trench sidewall. This high doping concentration improves both the reverse blocking and forward characteristics of the structure. The ESL-TMBS rectifier has a 7.4% lower forward voltage drop and a 24% higher breakdown voltage. However, this structure has a reverse leakage current that is approximately three times higher than that of a conventional TMBS rectifier owing to the reduction in energy barrier height. This problem is solved when ESL is used partially, since its use provides a reverse leakage current that is comparable to that of a conventional TMBS rectifier. Thus, the forward voltage drop and breakdown voltage improve without any loss in static and dynamic characteristics in the ESL-TMBS rectifier compared with the performance of a conventional TMBS rectifier.

Note: Measuring breakdown characteristics during the hot re-ignition of high intensity discharge lamps using high frequency alternating current voltage.

PubMed

van den Bos, R A J M; Sobota, A; Manders, F; Kroesen, G M W

2013-04-01

To investigate the cold and hot re-ignition properties of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps in more detail an automated setup was designed in such a way that HID lamps of various sizes and under different background pressures can be tested. The HID lamps are ignited with a ramped sinusoidal voltage signal with frequencies between 60 and 220 kHz and with amplitude up to 7.5 kV. Some initial results of voltage and current measurements on a commercially available HID lamp during hot and cold re-ignition are presented.

Validation of finite element model of transcranial electrical stimulation using scalp potentials: implications for clinical dose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datta, Abhishek; Zhou, Xiang; Su, Yuzhou; Parra, Lucas C.; Bikson, Marom

2013-06-01

Objective. During transcranial electrical stimulation, current passage across the scalp generates voltage across the scalp surface. The goal was to characterize these scalp voltages for the purpose of validating subject-specific finite element method (FEM) models of current flow. Approach. Using a recording electrode array, we mapped skin voltages resulting from low-intensity transcranial electrical stimulation. These voltage recordings were used to compare the predictions obtained from the high-resolution model based on the subject undergoing transcranial stimulation. Main results. Each of the four stimulation electrode configurations tested resulted in a distinct distribution of scalp voltages; these spatial maps were linear with applied current amplitude (0.1 to 1 mA) over low frequencies (1 to 10 Hz). The FEM model accurately predicted the distinct voltage distributions and correlated the induced scalp voltages with current flow through cortex. Significance. Our results provide the first direct model validation for these subject-specific modeling approaches. In addition, the monitoring of scalp voltages may be used to verify electrode placement to increase transcranial electrical stimulation safety and reproducibility.

Improved performance of the microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell with enlarged anode and high applied voltages.

PubMed

Ye, Bo; Luo, Haiping; Lu, Yaobin; Liu, Guangli; Zhang, Renduo; Li, Xiao

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to improve performance of the microbial electrolysis desalination and chemical-production cell (MEDCC) using enlarged anode and high applied voltages. MEDCCs with anode lengths of 9 and 48cm (i.e., the 9cm-anode MEDCC and 48cm-anode MEDCC, respectively) were tested under different voltages (1.2-3.0V). Our results demonstrated for the first time that the MEDCC could maintain high performance even under the applied voltage higher than that for water dissociation (i.e., 1.8V). Under the applied voltage of 2.5V, the maximum current density in the 48cm-anode MEDCC reached 32.8±2.6A/m 2 , which is one of the highest current densities reported so far in the bioelectrochemical system (BES). The relative abundance of Geobacter was changed along the anode length. Our results show the great potential of the BES with enlarged anode and high applied voltages. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Application of Auto-Disturbance Rejection Control Optimized by Least Squares Support Vector Machines Method and Time-Frequency Representation in Voltage Source Converter-High Voltage Direct Current System.

PubMed

Liu, Ying-Pei; Liang, Hai-Ping; Gao, Zhong-Ke

2015-01-01

In order to improve the performance of voltage source converter-high voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC) system, we propose an improved auto-disturbance rejection control (ADRC) method based on least squares support vector machines (LSSVM) in the rectifier side. Firstly, we deduce the high frequency transient mathematical model of VSC-HVDC system. Then we investigate the ADRC and LSSVM principles. We ignore the tracking differentiator in the ADRC controller aiming to improve the system dynamic response speed. On this basis, we derive the mathematical model of ADRC controller optimized by LSSVM for direct current voltage loop. Finally we carry out simulations to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of our proposed control method. In addition, we employ the time-frequency representation methods, i.e., Wigner-Ville distribution (WVD) and adaptive optimal kernel (AOK) time-frequency representation, to demonstrate our proposed method performs better than the traditional method from the perspective of energy distribution in time and frequency plane.

The Application of Auto-Disturbance Rejection Control Optimized by Least Squares Support Vector Machines Method and Time-Frequency Representation in Voltage Source Converter-High Voltage Direct Current System

PubMed Central

Gao, Zhong-Ke

2015-01-01

In order to improve the performance of voltage source converter-high voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC) system, we propose an improved auto-disturbance rejection control (ADRC) method based on least squares support vector machines (LSSVM) in the rectifier side. Firstly, we deduce the high frequency transient mathematical model of VSC-HVDC system. Then we investigate the ADRC and LSSVM principles. We ignore the tracking differentiator in the ADRC controller aiming to improve the system dynamic response speed. On this basis, we derive the mathematical model of ADRC controller optimized by LSSVM for direct current voltage loop. Finally we carry out simulations to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of our proposed control method. In addition, we employ the time-frequency representation methods, i.e., Wigner-Ville distribution (WVD) and adaptive optimal kernel (AOK) time-frequency representation, to demonstrate our proposed method performs better than the traditional method from the perspective of energy distribution in time and frequency plane. PMID:26098556

High altitude current-voltage measurement of GaAs/Ge solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, Russell E., Jr.; Brinker, David J.; Emery, Keith A.

Measurements of high-voltage (Voc of 1.2 V) gallium arsenide on germanium tandem junction solar cells at air mass 0.22 showed that the insolation in the red portion of the solar spectrum is insufficient to obtain high fill factor. On the basis of measurements in the LeRC X-25L solar simulator, these cells were believed to be as efficient as 21.68 percent AM0. Solar simulator spectrum errors in the red end allowed the fill factor to be as high as 78.7 percent. When a similar cell's current-voltage characteristic was measured at high altitude in the NASA Lear Jet Facility, a loss of 15 percentage points in fill factor was observed. This decrease was caused by insufficient current in the germanium bottom cell of the tandem stack.

A Passive EMI Filter with Access to the Ungrounded Motor Neutral Line-The Case that a General-Purpose Inverter is Directly Connected to a Three-Phase Grounded Voltage Source-

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doumoto, Takafumi; Akagi, Hirofumi

This paper proposes a small-sized passive EMI filter for the purpose of eliminating high-frequency shaft voltage and ground leakage current from an ac motor. The motor is driven by a general-purpose PWM inverter connected to a three-phase grounded voltage source. The passive EMI filter requires access to the ungrounded neutral point of the motor. This unique circuit configuration makes the common-mode inductor effective in reducing the high-frequency common-mode voltage generated by the PWM inverter with a carrier frequency of 15kHz. As a result, both high-frequency shaft voltage and ground leakage current can be eliminated very efficiently. However, the common-mode inductor may not play any role in reducing the low-frequency common-mode voltage generated by the diode rectifier, so that a low-frequency component still remains in the shaft voltage. Such a low-frequency shaft voltage may not produce any bad effect on motor bearings. The validity and effectiveness of the EMI filter is verified by experimental results obtained from a 200-V 5-kVA laboratory system.

59. View of high voltage (4160 volts alternating current) electric ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

59. View of high voltage (4160 volts alternating current) electric load center and motor control center at mezzanine level in transmitter building no. 102. - Clear Air Force Station, Ballistic Missile Early Warning System Site II, One mile west of mile marker 293.5 on Parks Highway, 5 miles southwest of Anderson, Anderson, Denali Borough, AK

High rate copper and energy recovery in microbial fuel cells

PubMed Central

Rodenas Motos, Pau; ter Heijne, Annemiek; van der Weijden, Renata; Saakes, Michel; Buisman, Cees J. N.; Sleutels, Tom H. J. A.

2015-01-01

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are a novel, promising technology for the recovery of metals. The prerequisite for upscaling from laboratory to industrial size is that high current and high power densities can be produced. In this study we report the recovery of copper from a copper sulfate stream (2 g L-1 Cu2+) using a laboratory scale BES at high rate. To achieve this, we used a novel cell configuration to reduce the internal voltage losses of the system. At the anode, electroactive microorganisms produce electrons at the surface of an electrode, which generates a stable cell voltage of 485 mV when combined with a cathode where copper is reduced. In this system, a maximum current density of 23 A m-2 in combination with a power density of 5.5 W m-2 was produced. XRD analysis confirmed 99% purity in copper of copper deposited onto cathode surface. Analysis of voltage losses showed that at the highest current, most voltage losses occurred at the cathode, and membrane, while anode losses had the lowest contribution to the total voltage loss. These results encourage further development of BESs for bioelectrochemical metal recovery. PMID:26150802

Electrical safety for high voltage arrays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, N. A.

1983-01-01

A number of key electrical safety requirements for the high voltage arrays of central station photovoltaic power systems are explored. The suitability of representative industrial DC power switchgear for control and fault protection was evaluated. Included were AC/DC circuit breakers, electromechanical contactors and relays, load interruptors, cold disconnect devices, sectionalizing switches, and high voltage DC fuses. As appropriate, steady state and transient characteristics were analyzed. Failure modes impacting upon operation and maintenance safety were also identified, as were the voltage withstand and current interruption levels.

Electrostatic shielding of transformers

DOEpatents

De Leon, Francisco

2017-11-28

Toroidal transformers are currently used only in low-voltage applications. There is no published experience for toroidal transformer design at distribution-level voltages. Toroidal transformers are provided with electrostatic shielding to make possible high voltage applications and withstand the impulse test.

Measurement and analysis of solar cell current-voltage characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olsen, Larry C.; Addis, F. William; Doyle, Dan H.; Miller, Wesley A.

1985-01-01

Approaches to measurement and analysis of solar cell current-voltage characteristics under dark and illuminated conditions are discussed. Measurements are taken with a computer based data acquisition system for temperatures in the range of -100 to +100 C. In the fitting procedure, the various I(oi) and C(i) as well as R(S) and R(SH) are determined. Application to current-voltage analyses of high efficiency silicon cells and Boeing CdS/CuInSe2 are discussed. In silicon MINP cells, it is found that at low voltages a tunneling mechanism is dominant, while at larger voltages the I-V characteristics are usually dominated by emitter recombination. In the case of Boeing cells, a current transport model based on a tunneling mechanism and interface recombination acting in series has been developed as a result of I-V analyses.

Dual-frequency glow discharges in atmospheric helium

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

Huang, Xiaojiang; Guo, Ying; Magnetic Confinement Fusion Research Center, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Shanghai 201620

2015-10-15

In this paper, the dual-frequency (DF) glow discharges in atmospheric helium were experimented by electrical and optical measurements in terms of current voltage characteristics and optical emission intensity. It is shown that the waveforms of applied voltages or discharge currents are the results of low frequency (LF) waveforms added to high frequency (HF) waveforms. The HF mainly influences discharge currents, and the LF mainly influences applied voltages. The gas temperatures of DF discharges are mainly affected by HF power rather than LF power.

Comparison of gate and drain current detection of hydrogen at room temperature with AlGaN /GaN high electron mobility transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hung-Ta; Kang, B. S.; Ren, F.; Fitch, R. C.; Gillespie, J. K.; Moser, N.; Jessen, G.; Jenkins, T.; Dettmer, R.; Via, D.; Crespo, A.; Gila, B. P.; Abernathy, C. R.; Pearton, S. J.

2005-10-01

Pt-gated AlGaN /GaN high electron mobility transistors can be used as room-temperature hydrogen gas sensors at hydrogen concentrations as low as 100ppm. A comparison of the changes in drain and gate current-voltage (I-V) characteristics with the introduction of 500ppm H2 into the measurement ambient shows that monitoring the change in drain-source current provides a wider gate voltage operation range for maximum detection sensitivity and higher total current change than measuring the change in gate current. However, over a narrow gate voltage range, the relative sensitivity of detection by monitoring the gate current changes is up to an order of magnitude larger than that of drain-source current changes. In both cases, the changes are fully reversible in <2-3min at 25°C upon removal of the hydrogen from the ambient.

A theoretical analysis of the current-voltage characteristics of solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fang, R. C. Y.; Hauser, J. R.

1979-01-01

The following topics are discussed: (1) dark current-voltage characteristics of solar cells; (2) high efficiency silicon solar cells; (3) short circuit current density as a function of temperature and the radiation intensity; (4) Keldysh-Franz effects and silicon solar cells; (5) thin silicon solar cells; (6) optimum solar cell designs for concentrated sunlight; (7) nonuniform illumination effects of a solar cell; and (8) high-low junction emitter solar cells.

Circuit For Current-vs.-Voltage Tests Of Semiconductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huston, Steven W.

1991-01-01

Circuit designed for measurement of dc current-versus-voltage characteristics of semiconductor devices. Operates in conjunction with x-y pen plotter or digital storage oscilloscope, which records data. Includes large feedback resistors to prevent high currents damaging device under test. Principal virtues: low cost, simplicity, and compactness. Also used to evaluate diodes and transistors.

A novel frequency analysis method for assessing K(ir)2.1 and Na (v)1.5 currents.

PubMed

Rigby, J R; Poelzing, S

2012-04-01

Voltage clamping is an important tool for measuring individual currents from an electrically active cell. However, it is difficult to isolate individual currents without pharmacological or voltage inhibition. Herein, we present a technique that involves inserting a noise function into a standard voltage step protocol, which allows one to characterize the unique frequency response of an ion channel at different step potentials. Specifically, we compute the fast Fourier transform for a family of current traces at different step potentials for the inward rectifying potassium channel, K(ir)2.1, and the channel encoding the cardiac fast sodium current, Na(v)1.5. Each individual frequency magnitude, as a function of voltage step, is correlated to the peak current produced by each channel. The correlation coefficient vs. frequency relationship reveals that these two channels are associated with some unique frequencies with high absolute correlation. The individual IV relationship can then be recreated using only the unique frequencies with magnitudes of high absolute correlation. Thus, this study demonstrates that ion channels may exhibit unique frequency responses.

Design of high-voltage, high-power, solid state remote power controllers for aerospace applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sturman, J. C.

1985-01-01

Two general types of remote power controllers (RPC's), which combine the functions of a circuit breaker and a switch, were developed for use in dc aerospace systems. Power-switching devices used in the designs are the gate-turnoff thyristor (GTO) and MOSFET. The RPC's can switch dc voltages to 1200 V and currents to 1000 A. Seven different units were constructed and subjected to laboratory and thermal vacuum testing. Two of these were dual units that switch both positive and negative voltages simultaneously. The RPC's using MOSFET's have slow turnon and turnoff times which limit surge currents and voltage spiking from high di/dt. The GTO's have much faster transition times. All RPC's have programmable overload tripout proportional to I sq T and microsecond tripout for large overloads.

Design of high-voltage, high-power, solid state remote power controllers for aerospace applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sturman, J. C.

1985-05-01

Two general types of remote power controllers (RPC's), which combine the functions of a circuit breaker and a switch, were developed for use in dc aerospace systems. Power-switching devices used in the designs are the gate-turnoff thyristor (GTO) and MOSFET. The RPC's can switch dc voltages to 1200 V and currents to 1000 A. Seven different units were constructed and subjected to laboratory and thermal vacuum testing. Two of these were dual units that switch both positive and negative voltages simultaneously. The RPC's using MOSFET's have slow turnon and turnoff times which limit surge currents and voltage spiking from high di/dt. The GTO's have much faster transition times. All RPC's have programmable overload tripout proportional to I sq T and microsecond tripout for large overloads.

Analysis and Design of Bridgeless Switched Mode Power Supply for Computers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, S.; Bhuvaneswari, G.; Singh, B.

2014-09-01

Switched mode power supplies (SMPSs) used in computers need multiple isolated and stiffly regulated output dc voltages with different current ratings. These isolated multiple output dc voltages are obtained by using a multi-winding high frequency transformer (HFT). A half-bridge dc-dc converter is used here for obtaining different isolated and well regulated dc voltages. In the front end, non-isolated Single Ended Primary Inductance Converters (SEPICs) are added to improve the power quality in terms of low input current harmonics and high power factor (PF). Two non-isolated SEPICs are connected in a way to completely eliminate the need of single-phase diode-bridge rectifier at the front end. Output dc voltages at both the non-isolated and isolated stages are controlled and regulated separately for power quality improvement. A voltage mode control approach is used in the non-isolated SEPIC stage for simple and effective control whereas average current control is used in the second isolated stage.

Self-Nulling Lock-in Detection Electronics for Capacitance Probe Electrometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blaes, Brent R.; Schaefer, Rembrandt T.

2012-01-01

A multi-channel electrometer voltmeter that employs self-nulling lock-in detection electronics in conjunction with a mechanical resonator with noncontact voltage sensing electrodes has been developed for space-based measurement of an Internal Electrostatic Discharge Monitor (IESDM). The IESDM is new sensor technology targeted for integration into a Space Environmental Monitor (SEM) subsystem used for the characterization and monitoring of deep dielectric charging on spacecraft. Use of an AC-coupled lock-in amplifier with closed-loop sense-signal nulling via generation of an active guard-driving feedback voltage provides the resolution, accuracy, linearity and stability needed for long-term space-based measurement of the IESDM. This implementation relies on adjusting the feedback voltage to drive the sense current received from the resonator s variable-capacitance-probe voltage transducer to approximately zero, as limited by the signal-to-noise performance of the loop electronics. The magnitude of the sense current is proportional to the difference between the input voltage being measured and the feedback voltage, which matches the input voltage when the sense current is zero. High signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) is achieved by synchronous detection of the sense signal using the correlated reference signal derived from the oscillator circuit that drives the mechanical resonator. The magnitude of the feedback voltage, while the loop is in a settled state with essentially zero sense current, is an accurate estimate of the input voltage being measured. This technique has many beneficial attributes including immunity to drift, high linearity, high SNR from synchronous detection of a single-frequency carrier selected to avoid potentially noisy 1/f low-frequency spectrum of the signal-chain electronics, and high accuracy provided through the benefits of a driven shield encasing the capacitance- probe transducer and guarded input triaxial lead-in. Measurements obtained from a 2- channel prototype electrometer have demonstrated good accuracy (|error| < 0.2 V) and high stability. Twenty-four-hour tests have been performed with virtually no drift. Additionally, 5,500 repeated one-second measurements of 100 V input were shown to be approximately normally distributed with a standard deviation of 140 mV.

Influence of the magnetic field profile on ITER conductor testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nijhuis, A.; Ilyin, Y.; ten Kate, H. H. J.

2006-08-01

We performed simulations with the numerical CUDI-CICC code on a typical short ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) conductor test sample of dual leg configuration, as usually tested in the SULTAN test facility, and made a comparison with the new EFDA-Dipole test facility offering a larger applied DC field region. The new EFDA-Dipole test facility, designed for short sample testing of conductors for ITER, has a homogeneous high field region of 1.2 m, while in the SULTAN facility this region is three times shorter. The inevitable non-uniformity of the current distribution in the cable, introduced by the joints at both ends, has a degrading effect on voltage-current (VI) and voltage-temperature (VT) characteristics, particularly for these short samples. This can easily result in an underestimation or overestimation of the actual conductor performance. A longer applied DC high field region along a conductor suppresses the current non-uniformity by increasing the overall longitudinal cable electric field when reaching the current sharing mode. The numerical interpretation study presented here gives a quantitative analysis for a relevant practical case of a test of a short sample poloidal field coil insert (PFCI) conductor in SULTAN. The simulation includes the results of current distribution analysis from self-field measurements with Hall sensor arrays, current sharing measurements and inter-petal resistance measurements. The outcome of the simulations confirms that the current uniformity improves with a longer high field region but the 'measured' VI transition is barely affected, though the local peak voltages become somewhat suppressed. It appears that the location of the high field region and voltage taps has practically no influence on the VI curve as long as the transverse voltage components are adequately cancelled. In particular, for a thin conduit wall, the voltage taps should be connected to the conduit in the form of an (open) azimuthally soldered wire, averaging the transverse conduit surface potentials initiated in the joints.

A rugged 650 V SOI-based high-voltage half-bridge IGBT gate driver IC for motor drive applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, Qing; Li, Zehong; Zhang, Bo; Chen, Weizhong; Huang, Xiangjun; Feng, Yuxiang

2015-05-01

This paper proposes a rugged high-voltage N-channel insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) gate driver integrated circuit. The device integrates a high-side and a low-side output stages on a single chip, which is designed specifically for motor drive applications. High-voltage level shift technology enables the high-side stage of this device to operate up to 650 V. The logic inputs are complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)/transistor transistor logic compatible down to 3.3 V. Undervoltage protection functionality with hysteresis characteristic has also been integrated to enhance the device reliability. The device is fabricated in a 1.0 μm, 650 V high-voltage bipolar CMOS double-diffused metal oxide semiconductor (BCD) on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process. Deep trench dielectric isolation technology is employed to provide complete electrical isolation with advantages such as reduced parasitic effects, excellent noise immunity and low leakage current. Experimental results show that the isolation voltage of this device can be up to approximately 779 V at 25°C, and the leakage current is only 5 nA at 650 V, which is 15% higher and 67% lower than the conventional ones. In addition, it delivers an excellent thermal stability and needs very low quiescent current and offers a high gate driver capability which is needed to adequately drive IGBTs that have large input capacitances.

On the Mechanism of Maintenance and Instability of the Overvoltage Low-Pressure Discharge Forming a High-Current Runaway Electron Beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akishev, Yu. S.; Balakirev, A. A.; Karal'nik, V. B.; Medvedev, M. A.; Petryakov, A. V.; Trushkin, N. I.; Shafikov, A. G.

2017-12-01

Results of experiments on the study of dynamics of an overvoltage discharge at the low pressure p = 0.5-2.5 Torr up to its transition to the high-current low-voltage regime are presented, and the instability mechanism leading to a sharp voltage drop across the discharge is suggested.

A new low voltage level-shifted FVF current mirror with enhanced bandwidth and output resistance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aggarwal, Bhawna; Gupta, Maneesha; Gupta, Anil Kumar; Sangal, Ankur

2016-10-01

This paper proposes a new high-performance level-shifted flipped voltage follower (LSFVF) based low-voltage current mirror (CM). The proposed CM utilises the low-supply voltage and low-input resistance characteristics of a flipped voltage follower (FVF) CM. In the proposed CM, level-shifting configuration is used to obtain a wide operating current range and resistive compensation technique is employed to increase the operating bandwidth. The peaking in frequency response is reduced by using an additional large MOSFET. Moreover, a very high output resistance (in GΩ range) along with low-current transfer error is achieved through super-cascode configuration for a wide current range (0-440 µA). Small signal analysis is carried out to show the improvements achieved at each step. The proposed CM is simulated by Mentor Graphics Eldospice in TSMC 0.18 µm CMOS, BSIM3 and Level 53 technology. In the proposed CM, a bandwidth of 6.1799 GHz, 1% settling time of 0.719 ns, input and output resistances of 21.43 Ω and 1.14 GΩ, respectively, are obtained with a single supply voltage of 1 V. The layout of the proposed CM has been designed and post-layout simulation results have been shown. The post-layout simulation results for Monte Carlo and temperature analysis have also been included to show the reliability of the CM against the variations in process parameters and temperature changes.

Adenosine A1 receptors modulate high voltage-activated Ca2+ currents and motor pattern generation in the Xenopus embryo

PubMed Central

Brown, Paul; Dale, Nicholas

2000-01-01

Adenosine causes voltage- and non-voltage-dependent inhibition of high voltage-activated (HVA) Ca2+ currents in Xenopus laevis embryo spinal neurons. As this inhibition can be blocked by 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX) and mimicked by N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) it appears to be mediated by A1 receptors. Agents active at A2 receptors either were without effect or could be blocked by DPCPX. AMP had no agonist action on these receptors. By using ω-conotoxin GVIA we found that adenosine inhibited an N-type Ca2+ current as well as a further unidentified HVA current that was insensitive to dihydropyridines, ω-agatoxin TK and ω-conotoxin MVIIC. Both types of current were subject to voltage- and non-voltage-dependent inhibition. We used CPA and DPCPX to test whether A1 receptors regulated spinal motor pattern generation in spinalized Xenopus embryos. DPCPX caused a near doubling of, while CPA greatly shortened, the length of swimming episodes. In addition, DPCPX slowed, while CPA greatly speeded up, the rate of run-down of motor activity. Our results demonstrate a novel action of A1 receptors in modulating spinal motor activity. Furthermore they confirm that adenosine is produced continually throughout swimming episodes and acts to cause the eventual termination of activity. PMID:10856119

Step buffer layer of Al0.25Ga0.75N/Al0.08Ga0.92N on P-InAlN gate normally-off high electron mobility transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, Niraj M.; Li, Yiming; Chang, E. Y.

2016-07-01

Normally-off AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are indispensable devices for power electronics as they can greatly simplify circuit designs in a cost-effective way. In this work, the electrical characteristics of p-type InAlN gate normally-off AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with a step buffer layer of Al0.25Ga0.75N/Al0.1Ga0.9N is studied numerically. Our device simulation shows that a p-InAlN gate with a step buffer layer allows the transistor to possess normally-off behavior with high drain current and high breakdown voltage simultaneously. The gate modulation by the p-InAlN gate and the induced holes appearing beneath the gate at the GaN/Al0.25Ga0.75N interface is because a hole appearing in the p-InAlN layer can effectively vary the threshold voltage positively. The estimated threshold voltage of the normally-off HEMTs explored is 2.5 V at a drain bias of 25 V, which is 220% higher than the conventional p-AlGaN normally-off AlGaN/GaN gate injection transistor (GIT). Concurrently, the maximum current density of the explored HEMT at a drain bias of 10 V slightly decreases by about 7% (from 240 to 223 mA mm-1). At a drain bias of 15 V, the current density reached 263 mA mm-1. The explored structure is promising owing to tunable positive threshold voltage and the maintenance of similar current density; notably, its breakdown voltage significantly increases by 36% (from 800 V, GIT, to 1086 V). The engineering findings of this study indicate that novel p-InAlN for both the gate and the step buffer layer can feature a high threshold voltage, large current density and high operating voltage for advanced AlGaN/GaN HEMT devices.

Influence of direct and alternating current electric fields on efficiency promotion and leaching risk alleviation of chelator assisted phytoremediation.

PubMed

Luo, Jie; Cai, Limei; Qi, Shihua; Wu, Jian; Sophie Gu, Xiaowen

2018-03-01

Direct and alternating current electric fields with various voltages were used to improve the decontamination efficiency of chelator assisted phytoremediation for multi-metal polluted soil. The alleviation effect of electric field on leaching risk caused by chelator application during phytoremediation process was also evaluated. Biomass yield, pollutant uptake and metal leaching retardation under alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) electric fields were compared. The biomass yield of Eucalyptus globulus under AC fields with various voltages (2, 4 and 10 V) were 3.91, 4.16 and 3.67kg, respectively, significantly higher than the chelator treatment without electric field (2.71kg). Besides growth stimulation, AC fields increased the metal concentrations of plant tissues especially in aerial parts manifested by the raised translocation factor of different metals. Direct current electric fields with low and moderate voltages increased the biomass production of the species to 3.45 and 3.12kg, respectively, while high voltage on the contrary suppressed the growth of the plants (2.66kg). Under DC fields, metal concentrations elevated obviously with increasing voltages and the metal translocation factors were similar under all voltages. Metal extraction per plant achieved the maximum value under moderate voltage due to the greatest biomass production. DC field with high voltage (10V) decreased the volume of leachate from the chelator treatment without electric field from 1224 to 56mL, while the leachate gathered from AC field treatments raised from 512 to 670mL. DC field can retard the downward movement of metals caused by chelator application more effectively relative to AC field due to the constant water flow and electroosmosis direction. Alternating current field had more promotive effect on chelator assisted phytoremediation efficiency than DC field illustrated by more metal accumulation in the species. However, with the consideration of leaching risk, DC field with moderate voltage was the optimal supplementary technique for phytoremediation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Simple Cell Balance Circuit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Steven D.; Byers, Jerry W.; Martin, James A.

2012-01-01

A method has been developed for continuous cell voltage balancing for rechargeable batteries (e.g. lithium ion batteries). A resistor divider chain is provided that generates a set of voltages representing the ideal cell voltage (the voltage of each cell should be as if the cells were perfectly balanced). An operational amplifier circuit with an added current buffer stage generates the ideal voltage with a very high degree of accuracy, using the concept of negative feedback. The ideal voltages are each connected to the corresponding cell through a current- limiting resistance. Over time, having the cell connected to the ideal voltage provides a balancing current that moves the cell voltage very close to that ideal level. In effect, it adjusts the current of each cell during charging, discharging, and standby periods to force the cell voltages to be equal to the ideal voltages generated by the resistor divider. The device also includes solid-state switches that disconnect the circuit from the battery so that it will not discharge the battery during storage. This solution requires relatively few parts and is, therefore, of lower cost and of increased reliability due to the fewer failure modes. Additionally, this design uses very little power. A preliminary model predicts a power usage of 0.18 W for an 8-cell battery. This approach is applicable to a wide range of battery capacities and voltages.

A micro-power precision amplifier for converting the output of light sensors to a voltage readable by miniature data loggers.

PubMed

Phillips, Nathan; Bond, Barbara J.

1999-07-01

To record photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) simultaneously at a number of points throughout a forest canopy, we developed a simple, inexpensive (< $10 US) current-to-voltage converter that processes the current generated by a photodiode radiation sensor to a voltage range that is recordable with a miniature data logger. The converter, which weighs less than 75 g and has a volume of only 100 cm(3), is built around an ultra-low power OP-90 precision operational amplifier, which consumes less than 0.5 mA at 9 V when converting the output of a Li-Cor LI-190SA quantum sensor exposed to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) of 2500 &mgr;mol m(-2) s(-1) or only 5 &mgr;A in low light. A small 9-V battery thus powers the amplifier for more than 1000 h of continuous operation. Correlations between photometer readings and voltage output from the current-to-voltage converter were high and linear at both high and low PAR. Sixteen Li-Cor LI-190SA quantum sensors each equipped with current-to-voltage converters and connected to a miniature data logger were deployed in the upper branches of a Panamanian tropical rainforest canopy. Each unit performed reliably during a one- or two-week evaluation.

A DC Transformer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Youngquist, Robert C.; Ihlefeld, Curtis M.; Starr, Stanley O.

2013-01-01

A component level dc transformer is described in which no alternating currents or voltages are present. It operates by combining features of a homopolar motor and a homopolar generator, both de devices, such that the output voltage of a de power supply can be stepped up (or down) with a corresponding step down (or up) in current. The basic theory for this device is developed, performance predictions are made, and the results from a small prototype are presented. Based on demonstrated technology in the literature, this de transformer should be scalable to low megawatt levels, but it is more suited to high current than high voltage applications. Significant development would be required before it could achieve the kilovolt levels needed for de power transmission.

Maximizing fluid delivered by bubble-free electroosmotic pump with optimum pulse voltage waveform.

PubMed

Tawfik, Mena E; Diez, Francisco J

2017-03-01

In generating high electroosmotic (EO) flows for use in microfluidic pumps, a limiting factor is faradaic reactions that are more pronounced at high electric fields. These reactions lead to bubble generation at the electrodes and pump efficiency reduction. The onset of gas generation for high current density EO pumping depends on many parameters including applied voltage, working fluid, and pulse duration. The onset of gas generation can be delayed and optimized for maximum volume pumped in the minimum time possible. This has been achieved through the use of a novel numerical model that predicts the onset of gas generation during EO pumping using an optimized pulse voltage waveform. This method allows applying current densities higher than previously reported. Optimal pulse voltage waveforms are calculated based on the previous theories for different current densities and electrolyte molarity. The electroosmotic pump performance is investigated by experimentally measuring the fluid volume displaced and flow rate. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Charge-pump voltage converter

DOEpatents

Brainard, John P [Albuquerque, NM; Christenson, Todd R [Albuquerque, NM

2009-11-03

A charge-pump voltage converter for converting a low voltage provided by a low-voltage source to a higher voltage. Charge is inductively generated on a transfer rotor electrode during its transit past an inductor stator electrode and subsequently transferred by the rotating rotor to a collector stator electrode for storage or use. Repetition of the charge transfer process leads to a build-up of voltage on a charge-receiving device. Connection of multiple charge-pump voltage converters in series can generate higher voltages, and connection of multiple charge-pump voltage converters in parallel can generate higher currents. Microelectromechanical (MEMS) embodiments of this invention provide a small and compact high-voltage (several hundred V) voltage source starting with a few-V initial voltage source. The microscale size of many embodiments of this invention make it ideally suited for MEMS- and other micro-applications where integration of the voltage or charge source in a small package is highly desirable.

Zero-voltage DC/DC converter with asymmetric pulse-width modulation for DC micro-grid system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Bor-Ren

2018-04-01

This paper presents a zero-voltage switching DC/DC converter for DC micro-grid system applications. The proposed circuit includes three half-bridge circuit cells connected in primary-series and secondary-parallel in order to lessen the voltage rating of power switches and current rating of rectifier diodes. Thus, low voltage stress of power MOSFETs can be adopted for high-voltage input applications with high switching frequency operation. In order to achieve low switching losses and high circuit efficiency, asymmetric pulse-width modulation is used to turn on power switches at zero voltage. Flying capacitors are used between each circuit cell to automatically balance input split voltages. Therefore, the voltage stress of each power switch is limited at Vin/3. Finally, a prototype is constructed and experiments are provided to demonstrate the circuit performance.

Forward voltage short-pulse technique for measuring high power laser array junction temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meadows, Byron L. (Inventor); Amzajerdian, Frazin (Inventor); Barnes, Bruce W. (Inventor); Baker, Nathaniel R. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

The present invention relates to a method of measuring the temperature of the P-N junction within the light-emitting region of a quasi-continuous-wave or pulsed semiconductor laser diode device. A series of relatively short and low current monitor pulses are applied to the laser diode in the period between the main drive current pulses necessary to cause the semiconductor to lase. At the sufficiently low current level of the monitor pulses, the laser diode device does not lase and behaves similar to an electronic diode. The voltage across the laser diode resulting from each of these low current monitor pulses is measured with a high degree of precision. The junction temperature is then determined from the measured junction voltage using their known linear relationship.

HIGH VOLTAGE, HIGH CURRENT SPARK GAP SWITCH

DOEpatents

Dike, R.S.; Lier, D.W.; Schofield, A.E.; Tuck, J.L.

1962-04-17

A high voltage and current spark gap switch comprising two main electrodes insulatingly supported in opposed spaced relationship and a middle electrode supported medially between the main electrodes and symmetrically about the median line of the main electrodes is described. The middle electrode has a perforation aligned with the median line and an irradiation electrode insulatingly supported in the body of the middle electrode normal to the median line and protruding into the perforation. (AEC)

Design of DSP-based high-power digital solar array simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yang; Liu, Zhilong; Tong, Weichao; Feng, Jian; Ji, Yibo

2013-12-01

To satisfy rigid performance specifications, a feedback control was presented for zoom optical lens plants. With the increasing of global energy consumption, research of the photovoltaic(PV) systems get more and more attention. Research of the digital high-power solar array simulator provides technical support for high-power grid-connected PV systems research.This paper introduces a design scheme of the high-power digital solar array simulator based on TMS320F28335. A DC-DC full-bridge topology was used in the system's main circuit. The switching frequency of IGBT is 25kHz.Maximum output voltage is 900V. Maximum output current is 20A. Simulator can be pre-stored solar panel IV curves.The curve is composed of 128 discrete points .When the system was running, the main circuit voltage and current values was feedback to the DSP by the voltage and current sensors in real-time. Through incremental PI,DSP control the simulator in the closed-loop control system. Experimental data show that Simulator output voltage and current follow a preset solar panels IV curve. In connection with the formation of high-power inverter, the system becomes gridconnected PV system. The inverter can find the simulator's maximum power point and the output power can be stabilized at the maximum power point (MPP).

A High Frequency Active Voltage Doubler in Standard CMOS Using Offset-Controlled Comparators for Inductive Power Transmission

PubMed Central

Lee, Hyung-Min; Ghovanloo, Maysam

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present a fully integrated active voltage doubler in CMOS technology using offset-controlled high speed comparators for extending the range of inductive power transmission to implantable microelectronic devices (IMD) and radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags. This active voltage doubler provides considerably higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) and lower dropout voltage compared to its passive counterpart and requires lower input voltage than active rectifiers, leading to reliable and efficient operation with weakly coupled inductive links. The offset-controlled functions in the comparators compensate for turn-on and turn-off delays to not only maximize the forward charging current to the load but also minimize the back current, optimizing PCE in the high frequency (HF) band. We fabricated the active voltage doubler in a 0.5-μm 3M2P std. CMOS process, occupying 0.144 mm2 of chip area. With 1.46 V peak AC input at 13.56 MHz, the active voltage doubler provides 2.4 V DC output across a 1 kΩ load, achieving the highest PCE = 79% ever reported at this frequency. In addition, the built-in start-up circuit ensures a reliable operation at lower voltages. PMID:23853321

Experiments with high-voltage insulators in the presence of tritium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grisham, L. R.; Falter, H.; Causey, R.; Chrisman, W.; Stevenson, T.; Wright, K.

1991-02-01

During the final deuterium-tritium phases of the TFTR and JET tokamaks half of the neutral injectors will be used to produce tritium neutral beams to maintain an equal mix of deuterium and tritium in the core plasma, and such requirements may also occur in future devices. This will require that the voltage hold off capabilities of the high voltage insulators in the accelerators be unimpaired by any charge buildups associated with the beta decay of adsorbed layers. We report tests in which we measured the drain currents under high dc voltage of TFTR and JET accelerator insulators while they were successively exposed to vacuum, deuterium and tritium. There did not appear to be any substantial reduction in hold-off capability with tritium, although at some voltages there was a small increase in the leakage current. We also compared the breakdown properties of a plastic tubing filled with deuterium and then tritium at varying pressures, since such tubing has been considered as a high-voltage break in the gas feed system for TFTR, and the presence of large numbers of electron-ion pairs might lead to enhanced Paschen breakdown. We found no significant differences in the behavior for the geometry used.

Design of the high voltage isolation transmission module with low delay for ECRH system on J-TEXT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haiyan, MA; Donghui, XIA; Zhijiang, WANG; Fangtai, CUI; Zhenxiong, YU; Yikun, JIN; Changhai, LIU

2018-02-01

As a flexible auxiliary heating method, the electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) has been widely used in many tokamaks and also will be applied for the J-TEXT tokamak. To meet requirements of protection and fault analysis for the ECRH system on J-TEXT, signals of gyrotrons such as the cathode voltage and current, the anode voltage and current, etc should be transmitted to the control and data acquisition system. Considering the high voltage environment of gyrotrons, isolation transmission module based on FPGA and optical fiber communication has been designed and tested. The test results indicate that the designed module has strong anti-noise ability, low error rate and high transmission speed. The delay of the module is no more than 5 μs which can fulfill the requirements.

Study of the generator/motor operation of induction machines in a high frequency link space power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lipo, Thomas A.; Sood, Pradeep K.

1987-01-01

Static power conversion systems have traditionally utilized dc current or voltage source links for converting power from one ac or dc form to another since it readily achieves the temporary energy storage required to decouple the input from the output. Such links, however, result in bulky dc capacitors and/or inductors and lead to relatively high losses in the converters due to stresses on the semiconductor switches. The feasibility of utilizing a high frequency sinusoidal voltage link to accomplish the energy storage and decoupling function is examined. In particular, a type of resonant six pulse bridge interface converter is proposed which utilizes zero voltage switching principles to minimize switching losses and uses an easy to implement technique for pulse density modulation to control the amplitude, frequency, and the waveshape of the synthesized low frequency voltage or current. Adaptation of the proposed topology for power conversion to single-phase ac and dc voltage or current outputs is shown to be straight forward. The feasibility of the proposed power circuit and control technique for both active and passive loads are verified by means of simulation and experiment.

Parameter estimation of extended free-burning electric arc within 1 kA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Qiuqin; Liu, Hao; Wang, Feng; Chen, She; Zhai, Yujia

2018-05-01

A long electric arc, as a common phenomenon in the power system, not only damages the electrical equipment but also threatens the safety of the system. In this work, a series of tests on a long electric arc in free air have been conducted. The arc voltage and current data were obtained, and the arc trajectories were captured using a high speed camera. The arc images were digitally processed by means of edge detection, and the length is formulated and achieved. Based on the experimental data, the characteristics of the long arc are discussed. It shows that the arc voltage waveform is close to the square wave with high-frequency components, whereas the current is almost sinusoidal. As the arc length elongates, the arc voltage and the resistance increase sharply. The arc takes a spiral shape with the effect of magnetic forces. The arc length will shorten briefly with the occurrence of the short-circuit phenomenon. Based on the classical Mayr model, the parameters of the long electric arc, including voltage gradient and time constant, with different lengths and current amplitudes are estimated using the linear least-square method. To reduce the computational error, segmentation interpolation is also employed. The results show that the voltage gradient of the long arc is mainly determined by the current amplitude but almost independent of the arc length. However, the time constant is jointly governed by these two variables. The voltage gradient of the arc with the current amplitude at 200-800 A is in the range of 3.9 V/cm-20 V/cm, and the voltage gradient decreases with the increase in current.

Study of Ag/RGO/ITO sandwich structure for resistive switching behavior deposited on plastic substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vartak, Rajdeep; Rag, Adarsh; De, Shounak; Bhat, Somashekhara

2018-05-01

We report here the use of facile and environmentally benign way synthesized reduced graphene oxide (RGO) for low-voltage non-volatile memory device as charge storing element. The RGO solutions have been synthesized using electrochemical exfoliation of battery electrode. The solution processed based RGO solution is suitable for large area and low-cost processing on plastic substrate. Room-temperature current-voltage characterisation has been carried out in Ag/RGO/ITO PET sandwich configuration to study the type of trap distribution. It is observed that in the low-voltage sweep, ohmic current is the main mechanism of current flow and trap filled/assisted conduction is observed at high-sweep voltage region. The Ag/RGO/ITO PET sandwich structure showed bipolar resistive switching behavior. These mechanisms can be analyzed based on oxygen availability and vacancies in the RGO giving rise to continuous least resistive path (conductive) and high resistance path along the structure. An Ag/RGO/ITO arrangement demonstrates long retention time with low operating voltage, low set/reset voltage, good ON/OFF ratio of 103 (switching transition between lower resistance state and higher resistance state and decent switching performance. The RGO memory showed decent results with an almost negligible degradation in switching properties which can be used for low-voltage and low-cost advanced flexible electronics.

Method and Apparatus for In-Situ Health Monitoring of Solar Cells in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prokop, Norman F. (Inventor); Krasowski, Michael J. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

Embodiments of the present invention describe an apparatus including an oscillator, a ramp generator, and an inverter. The oscillator is configured to generate a waveform comprising a low time and a high time. The inverter is configured to receive the waveform generated by the oscillator, and invert the waveform. The ramp generator is configured to increase a gate control voltage of a transistor connected to a solar cell, and rapidly decrease the gate control voltage of the transistor. During the low time, a measurement of a current and a voltage of the solar cell is performed. During the high time, a measurement of a current of a shorted cell and a voltage reference is performed.

Research of an electromagnetically actuated spark gap switch

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

Zhang, Tianyang; Chen, Dongqun, E-mail: csycdq@163.com; Liu, Jinliang

2013-11-15

As an important part of pulsed power systems, high-voltage and high-current triggered spark gap switch and its trigger system are expected to achieve a compact structure. In this paper, a high-voltage, high-current, and compact electromagnetically actuated spark gap switch is put forward, and it can be applied as a part of an intense electron-beam accelerator (IEBA). A 24 V DC power supply is used to trigger the switch. The characteristics of the switch were measured for N{sub 2} when the gas pressure is 0.10–0.30 MPa. The experimental results showed that the voltage/pressure (V/p) curve of the switch was linear relationship.more » The operating ranges of the switch were 21%–96%, 21%–95%, 21%–95%, 19%–95%, 17%–95%, and 16%–96% of the switch's self-breakdown voltage when the gas pressures were 0.10, 0.14, 0.18, 0.22, 0.26, and 0.30 MPa, respectively. The switch and its trigger system worked steadily and reliably with a peak voltage of 30 kV, a peak current of 60 kA in the IEBA when the pressure of N{sub 2} in the switch was 0.30 MPa.« less

Treatment of spider bites by high voltage direct current.

PubMed

Osborn, C D

1991-06-01

Between September 7, 1988, and January 15, 1991, 147 cases of confirmed (19) and suspected spider bites have been treated by high voltage direct current (HVDC) shocks. Venom damage to tissue was arrested at the time of treatment. Pain and systemic symptoms usually improved within 15 minutes. Lesion excision or grafts have not been necessary in any of the 127 cases with completed followup.

Insulin increases excitability via a dose-dependent dual inhibition of voltage-activated K+ currents in differentiated N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells.

PubMed

Lima, Pedro A; Vicente, M Inês; Alves, Frederico M; Dionísio, José C; Costa, Pedro F

2008-04-01

A role in the control of excitability has been attributed to insulin via modulation of potassium (K(+)) currents. To investigate insulin modulatory effects on voltage-activated potassium currents in a neuronal cell line with origin in the sympathetic system, we performed whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings in differentiated N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells. Two main voltage-activated K(+) currents were identified: (a) a relatively fast inactivating current (I(fast) - time constant 50-300 ms); (b) a slow delayed rectifying K(+) current (I(slow) - time constant 1-4 s). The kinetics of inactivation of I(fast), rather than I(slow), showed clear voltage dependence. I(fast) and I(slow) exhibited different activation and inactivation dependence for voltage, and have different but nevertheless high sensitivities to tetraethylammonium, 4-aminopyridine and quinidine. In differentiated cells - rather than in non-differentiated cells - application of up to 300 nm insulin reduced I(slow) only (IC(50) = 6.7 nm), whereas at higher concentrations I(fast) was also affected (IC(50) = 7.7 microm). The insulin inhibitory effect is not due to a change in the activation or inactivation current-voltage profiles, and the time-dependent inactivation is also not altered; this is not likely to be a result of activation of the insulin-growth-factor-1 (IGF1) receptors, as application of IGF1 did not result in significant current alteration. Results suggest that the current sensitive to low concentrations of insulin is mediated by erg-like channels. Similar observations concerning the insulin inhibitory effect on slow voltage-activated K(+) currents were also made in isolated rat hippocampal pyramidal neurons, suggesting a widespread neuromodulator role of insulin on K(+) channels.

Design and dSpace interfacing of current fed high gain dc to dc boost converter for low voltage applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhopadhyay, Debraj; Das, Subhrajit; Arunkumar, G.; Elangovan, D.; Ragunath, G.

2017-11-01

In this paper a current fed interleaved DC - DC boost converter which has an isolated topology and used for high voltage step up is proposed. A basic DC to DC boost converter converts uncontrolled DC voltage into controlled DC voltage of higher magnitude. Whereas this topology has the advantages of lower input current ripple, lesser output voltage, lesser stress on switches, faster transient response, improved reliability and much lesser electromagnetic emission over the conventional DC to DC boost converter. Most important benefit of this interleaved DC to DC boost converter is much higher efficiency. The input current is divided into two paths, substantially ohmic loss (I2R) and inductor ac loss gets reduced and finally the system achieves much higher efficiency. With recent mandates on energy saving interleaved DC to DC boost converter may be used as a very powerful tool to maintain good power density keeping the input current manageable. Higher efficiency also allows higher switching frequency and as a result the topology becomes more compact and cost friendly. The proposed topology boosts 48v DC to 200 V DC. Switching frequency is 100 kHz and PSIM 9.1 Platform has been used for the simulation.

Manual. According to the Calculation of Wires and Cables,

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-04-23

Tpezxaaaro TON. As, C Kay: (1). Designation. t2). Designation. (3). Current (permanent. Voltage constant. (4). Currant ivariable/ alternating . Voltage is the...variable/ alternating , general designatior. (5). Current variable/ alternating three-phase 5C Hz. (6). Ez. (7). Zero line (neutral). It is allcwed/assumed...diagrams of powsr supply iz is allowed/assumed high-voltage switch to dapict, as it is shown. (10). iinuings by relay, contactor and magnetic starter. It

A low-cost, scalable, current-sensing digital headstage for high channel count μECoG.

PubMed

Trumpis, Michael; Insanally, Michele; Zou, Jialin; Elsharif, Ashraf; Ghomashchi, Ali; Sertac Artan, N; Froemke, Robert C; Viventi, Jonathan

2017-04-01

High channel count electrode arrays allow for the monitoring of large-scale neural activity at high spatial resolution. Implantable arrays featuring many recording sites require compact, high bandwidth front-end electronics. In the present study, we investigated the use of a small, light weight, and low cost digital current-sensing integrated circuit for acquiring cortical surface signals from a 61-channel micro-electrocorticographic (μECoG) array. We recorded both acute and chronic μECoG signal from rat auditory cortex using our novel digital current-sensing headstage. For direct comparison, separate recordings were made in the same anesthetized preparations using an analog voltage headstage. A model of electrode impedance explained the transformation between current- and voltage-sensed signals, and was used to reconstruct cortical potential. We evaluated the digital headstage using several metrics of the baseline and response signals. The digital current headstage recorded neural signal with similar spatiotemporal statistics and auditory frequency tuning compared to the voltage signal. The signal-to-noise ratio of auditory evoked responses (AERs) was significantly stronger in the current signal. Stimulus decoding based on true and reconstructed voltage signals were not significantly different. Recordings from an implanted system showed AERs that were detectable and decodable for 52 d. The reconstruction filter mitigated the thermal current noise of the electrode impedance and enhanced overall SNR. We developed and validated a novel approach to headstage acquisition that used current-input circuits to independently digitize 61 channels of μECoG measurements of the cortical field. These low-cost circuits, intended to measure photo-currents in digital imaging, not only provided a signal representing the local cortical field with virtually the same sensitivity and specificity as a traditional voltage headstage but also resulted in a small, light headstage that can easily be scaled to record from hundreds of channels.

A low-cost, scalable, current-sensing digital headstage for high channel count μECoG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trumpis, Michael; Insanally, Michele; Zou, Jialin; Elsharif, Ashraf; Ghomashchi, Ali; Sertac Artan, N.; Froemke, Robert C.; Viventi, Jonathan

2017-04-01

Objective. High channel count electrode arrays allow for the monitoring of large-scale neural activity at high spatial resolution. Implantable arrays featuring many recording sites require compact, high bandwidth front-end electronics. In the present study, we investigated the use of a small, light weight, and low cost digital current-sensing integrated circuit for acquiring cortical surface signals from a 61-channel micro-electrocorticographic (μECoG) array. Approach. We recorded both acute and chronic μECoG signal from rat auditory cortex using our novel digital current-sensing headstage. For direct comparison, separate recordings were made in the same anesthetized preparations using an analog voltage headstage. A model of electrode impedance explained the transformation between current- and voltage-sensed signals, and was used to reconstruct cortical potential. We evaluated the digital headstage using several metrics of the baseline and response signals. Main results. The digital current headstage recorded neural signal with similar spatiotemporal statistics and auditory frequency tuning compared to the voltage signal. The signal-to-noise ratio of auditory evoked responses (AERs) was significantly stronger in the current signal. Stimulus decoding based on true and reconstructed voltage signals were not significantly different. Recordings from an implanted system showed AERs that were detectable and decodable for 52 d. The reconstruction filter mitigated the thermal current noise of the electrode impedance and enhanced overall SNR. Significance. We developed and validated a novel approach to headstage acquisition that used current-input circuits to independently digitize 61 channels of μECoG measurements of the cortical field. These low-cost circuits, intended to measure photo-currents in digital imaging, not only provided a signal representing the local cortical field with virtually the same sensitivity and specificity as a traditional voltage headstage but also resulted in a small, light headstage that can easily be scaled to record from hundreds of channels.

A low-cost, scalable, current-sensing digital headstage for high channel count μECoG

PubMed Central

Trumpis, Michael; Insanally, Michele; Zou, Jialin; Elsharif, Ashraf; Ghomashchi, Ali; Artan, N. Sertac; Froemke, Robert C.; Viventi, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Objective High channel count electrode arrays allow for the monitoring of large-scale neural activity at high spatial resolution. Implantable arrays featuring many recording sites require compact, high bandwidth front-end electronics. In the present study, we investigated the use of a small, light weight, and low cost digital current-sensing integrated circuit for acquiring cortical surface signals from a 61-channel micro-electrocorticographic (μECoG) array. Approach We recorded both acute and chronic μECoG signal from rat auditory cortex using our novel digital current-sensing headstage. For direct comparison, separate recordings were made in the same anesthetized preparations using an analog voltage headstage. A model of electrode impedance explained the transformation between current- and voltage-sensed signals, and was used to reconstruct cortical potential. We evaluated the digital headstage using several metrics of the baseline and response signals. Main results The digital current headstage recorded neural signal with similar spatiotemporal statistics and auditory frequency tuning compared to the voltage signal. The signal-to-noise ratio of auditory evoked responses (AERs) was significantly stronger in the current signal. Stimulus decoding based on true and reconstructed voltage signals were not significantly different. Recordings from an implanted system showed AERs that were detectable and decodable for 52 days. The reconstruction filter mitigated the thermal current noise of the electrode impedance and enhanced overall SNR. Significance We developed and validated a novel approach to headstage acquisition that used current-input circuits to independently digitize 61 channels of μECoG measurements of the cortical field. These low-cost circuits, intended to measure photo-currents in digital imaging, not only provided a signal representing the local cortical field with virtually the same sensitivity and specificity as a traditional voltage headstage but also resulted in a small, light headstage that can easily be scaled to record from hundreds of channels. PMID:28102827

Two ways to model voltage current curves of adiabatic MgB2 wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stenvall, A.; Korpela, A.; Lehtonen, J.; Mikkonen, R.

2007-08-01

Usually overheating of the sample destroys attempts to measure voltage-current curves of conduction cooled high critical current MgB2 wires at low temperatures. Typically, when a quench occurs a wire burns out due to massive heat generation and negligible cooling. It has also been suggested that high n values measured with MgB2 wires and coils are not an intrinsic property of the material but arise due to heating during the voltage-current measurement. In addition, quite recently low n values for MgB2 wires have been reported. In order to find out the real properties of MgB2 an efficient computational model is required to simulate the voltage-current measurement. In this paper we go back to basics and consider two models to couple electromagnetic and thermal phenomena. In the first model the magnetization losses are computed according to the critical state model and the flux creep losses are considered separately. In the second model the superconductor resistivity is described by the widely used power law. Then the coupled current diffusion and heat conduction equations are solved with the finite element method. In order to compare the models, example runs are carried out with an adiabatic slab. Both models produce a similar significant temperature rise near the critical current which leads to fictitiously high n values.

High-voltage plasma interactions calculations using NASCAP/LEO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mandell, M. J.; Katz, I.

1990-01-01

This paper reviews four previous simulations (two laboratory and two space-flight) of interactions of a high-voltage spacecraft with a plasma under low-earth orbit conditions, performed using a three-dimensional computer code NASCAP/LEO. Results show that NASCAP/LEO can perform meaningful simulations of high-voltage plasma interactions taking into account three-dimensional effects of geometry, spacecraft motion, and magnetic field. Two new calculations are presented: (1) for current collection by 1-mm pinholes in wires (showing that a pinhole in a wire can collect far more current than a similar pinhole in a flat plate); and (2) current collection by Charge-2 mother vehicle launched in December 1985. It is shown that the Charge-2 calculations predicted successfully ion collection at negative bias, the floating potential of a probe outside or inside the sheath under negative bias conditions, and magnetically limited electron collection under electron beam operation at high altitude.

High Voltage, Low Inductance Hydrogen Thyratron Study Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

E-E Electrode Spacing Ef Cathode Heater Voltage egy Peak Forward Grid Voltage epy Peak Forward Anode Voltage epx Peak Inverse Anode Voltage Eres... electrodes . ........... 68 30 Marx generator used for sample testing. ........... 68 31 Waveforms showing sample holdoff and sample breakdown 73 32...capability (a function of gas pressure and electrode spacing) could be related to its current rise time capability (a function of gas pressure and inductance

Adjustable electronic load-alarm relay

DOEpatents

Mason, Charles H.; Sitton, Roy S.

1976-01-01

This invention is an improved electronic alarm relay for monitoring the current drawn by an AC motor or other electrical load. The circuit is designed to measure the load with high accuracy and to have excellent alarm repeatability. Chattering and arcing of the relay contacts are minimal. The operator can adjust the set point easily and can re-set both the high and the low alarm points by means of one simple adjustment. The relay includes means for generating a signal voltage proportional to the motor current. In a preferred form of the invention a first operational amplifier is provided to generate a first constant reference voltage which is higher than a preselected value of the signal voltage. A second operational amplifier is provided to generate a second constant reference voltage which is lower than the aforementioned preselected value of the signal voltage. A circuit comprising a first resistor serially connected to a second resistor is connected across the outputs of the first and second amplifiers, and the junction of the two resistors is connected to the inverting terminal of the second amplifier. Means are provided to compare the aforementioned signal voltage with both the first and second reference voltages and to actuate an alarm if the signal voltage is higher than the first reference voltage or lower than the second reference voltage.

High Voltage, Fast-Switching Module for Active Control of Magnetic Fields and Edge Plasma Currents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziemba, Timothy; Miller, Kenneth; Prager, James; Slobodov, Ilia

2016-10-01

Fast, reliable, real-time control of plasma is critical to the success of magnetic fusion science. High voltage and current supplies are needed to mitigate instabilities in all experiments as well as disruption events in large scale tokamaks for steady-state operation. Silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs offer many advantages over IGBTs including lower drive energy requirements, lower conduction and switching losses, and higher switching frequency capabilities; however, these devices are limited to 1.2-1.7 kV devices. As fusion enters the long-pulse and burning plasma eras, efficiency of power switching will be important. Eagle Harbor Technologies (EHT), Inc. developing a high voltage SiC MOSFET module that operates at 10 kV. This switch module utilizes EHT gate drive technology, which has demonstrated the ability to increase SiC MOSFET switching efficiency. The module will allow more rapid development of high voltage switching power supplies at lower cost necessary for the next generation of fast plasma feedback and control. EHT is partnering with the High Beta Tokamak group at Columbia to develop detailed high voltage module specifications, to ensure that the final product meets the needs of the fusion science community.

A high-efficiency low-voltage CMOS rectifier for harvesting energy in implantable devices.

PubMed

Hashemi, S Saeid; Sawan, Mohamad; Savaria, Yvon

2012-08-01

We present, in this paper, a new full-wave CMOS rectifier dedicated for wirelessly-powered low-voltage biomedical implants. It uses bootstrapped capacitors to reduce the effective threshold voltage of selected MOS switches. It achieves a significant increase in its overall power efficiency and low voltage-drop. Therefore, the rectifier is good for applications with low-voltage power supplies and large load current. The rectifier topology does not require complex circuit design. The highest voltages available in the circuit are used to drive the gates of selected transistors in order to reduce leakage current and to lower their channel on-resistance, while having high transconductance. The proposed rectifier was fabricated using the standard TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS process. When connected to a sinusoidal source of 3.3 V peak amplitude, it allows improving the overall power efficiency by 11% compared to the best recently published results given by a gate cross-coupled-based structure.

Low voltage operation of IGZO thin film transistors enabled by ultrathin Al2O3 gate dielectric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Pengfei; Du, Lulu; Wang, Yiming; Jiang, Ran; Xin, Qian; Li, Yuxiang; Song, Aimin

2018-01-01

An ultrathin, 5 nm, Al2O3 film grown by atomic-layer deposition was used as a gate dielectric for amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). The Al2O3 layer showed a low surface roughness of 0.15 nm, a low leakage current, and a high breakdown voltage of 6 V. In particular, a very high gate capacitance of 720 nF/cm2 was achieved, making it possible for the a-IGZO TFTs to not only operate at a low voltage of 1 V but also exhibit desirable properties including a low threshold voltage of 0.3 V, a small subthreshold swing of 100 mV/decade, and a high on/off current ratio of 1.2 × 107. Furthermore, even under an ultralow operation voltage of 0.6 V, well-behaved transistor characteristics were still observed with an on/off ratio as high as 3 × 106. The electron transport through the Al2O3 layer has also been analyzed, indicating the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling mechanism.

Series resonant converter with auxiliary winding turns: analysis, design and implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Bor-Ren

2018-05-01

Conventional series resonant converters have researched and applied for high-efficiency power units due to the benefit of its low switching losses. The main problems of series resonant converters are wide frequency variation and high circulating current. Thus, resonant converter is limited at narrow input voltage range and large input capacitor is normally adopted in commercial power units to provide the minimum hold-up time requirement when AC power is off. To overcome these problems, the resonant converter with auxiliary secondary windings are presented in this paper to achieve high voltage gain at low input voltage case such as hold-up time duration when utility power is off. Since the high voltage gain is used at low input voltage cased, the frequency variation of the proposed converter compared to the conventional resonant converter is reduced. Compared to conventional resonant converter, the hold-up time in the proposed converter is more than 40ms. The larger magnetising inductance of transformer is used to reduce the circulating current losses. Finally, a laboratory prototype is constructed and experiments are provided to verify the converter performance.

High voltage photovoltaic power converter

DOEpatents

Haigh, Ronald E.; Wojtczuk, Steve; Jacobson, Gerard F.; Hagans, Karla G.

2001-01-01

An array of independently connected photovoltaic cells on a semi-insulating substrate contains reflective coatings between the cells to enhance efficiency. A uniform, flat top laser beam profile is illuminated upon the array to produce electrical current having high voltage. An essentially wireless system includes a laser energy source being fed through optic fiber and cast upon the photovoltaic cell array to prevent stray electrical signals prior to use of the current from the array. Direct bandgap, single crystal semiconductor materials, such as GaAs, are commonly used in the array. Useful applications of the system include locations where high voltages are provided to confined spaces such as in explosive detonation, accelerators, photo cathodes and medical appliances.

Improvement in Brightness Uniformity by Compensating for the Threshold Voltages of Both the Driving Thin-Film Transistor and the Organic Light-Emitting Diode for Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode Displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ching-Lin Fan,; Hui-Lung Lai,; Jyu-Yu Chang,

2010-05-01

In this paper, we propose a novel pixel design and driving method for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AM-OLED) displays using low-temperature polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors (LTPS-TFTs). The proposed threshold voltage compensation circuit, which comprised five transistors and two capacitors, has been verified to supply uniform output current by simulation work using the automatic integrated circuit modeling simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis (AIM-SPICE) simulator. The driving scheme of this voltage programming method includes four periods: precharging, compensation, data input, and emission. The simulated results demonstrate excellent properties such as low error rate of OLED anode voltage variation (<1%) and high output current. The proposed pixel circuit shows high immunity to the threshold voltage deviation characteristics of both the driving poly-Si TFT and the OLED.

Method and apparatus for current-output peak detection

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

De Geronimo, Gianluigi

2017-01-24

A method and apparatus for a current-output peak detector. A current-output peak detector circuit is disclosed and works in two phases. The peak detector circuit includes switches to switch the peak detector circuit from the first phase to the second phase upon detection of the peak voltage of an input voltage signal. The peak detector generates a current output with a high degree of accuracy in the second phase.

Investigation of defect-induced abnormal body current in fin field-effect-transistors

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

Liu, Kuan-Ju; Tsai, Jyun-Yu; Lu, Ying-Hsin

2015-08-24

This letter investigates the mechanism of abnormal body current at the linear region in n-channel high-k/metal gate stack fin field effect transistors. Unlike body current, which is generated by impact ionization at high drain voltages, abnormal body current was found to increase with decreasing drain voltages. Notably, the unusual body leakage only occurs in three-dimensional structure devices. Based on measurements under different operation conditions, the abnormal body current can be attributed to fin surface defect-induced leakage current, and the mechanism is electron tunneling to the fin via the defects, resulting in holes left at the body terminal.

CIRCUITS FOR CURRENT MEASUREMENTS

DOEpatents

Cox, R.J.

1958-11-01

Circuits are presented for measurement of a logarithmic scale of current flowing in a high impedance. In one form of the invention the disclosed circuit is in combination with an ionization chamber to measure lonization current. The particular circuit arrangement lncludes a vacuum tube having at least one grid, an ionization chamber connected in series with a high voltage source and the grid of the vacuum tube, and a d-c amplifier feedback circuit. As the ionization chamber current passes between the grid and cathode of the tube, the feedback circuit acts to stabilize the anode current, and the feedback voltage is a measure of the logaritbm of the ionization current.

Bilateral lower limb amputations in a nigerian child following high-voltage electrical burns injury: a case report.

PubMed

Dim, Em; Amanari, Oc; Nottidge, Te; Inyang, Uc; Nwashindi, A

2013-07-01

The human body conducts electricity very well. Direct contact with electric current can be lethal. The passage of electric current through the body is capable of producing a wide spectrum of injuries, including serious damage to the heart, brain, skin and muscles. Naked high-voltage electric cables negligently abandoned in residential, commercial and industrial areas are a recipe for disaster. This is a case report of a 5-year girl child who had bilateral lower limb gangrene following electrical burns injury. She presented with a fourday history of electrical burns injuries of both lower limbs including both gluteal regions, associated with a three-day history of fever, with full thickness burns and sepsis, ultimately leading to bilateral above knee guillotine amputations. High-voltage electric current, bilateral lower limb gangrene, bilateral above knee amputation.

Effect of a Cooling Step Treatment on a High-Voltage GaN LED During ICP Dry Etching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yen-Sheng; Hsiao, Sheng-Yu; Tseng, Chun-Lung; Shen, Ching-Hsing; Chiang, Jung-Sheng

2017-02-01

In this study, a lower dislocation density for a GaN surface and a reduced current path are observed at the interface of a SiO2 isolation sidewall, using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. This is grown using a 3-min cooling step treatment during inductivity coupled plasma dry etching. The lower forward voltage is measured, the leakage current decreases from 53nA to 32nA, and the maximum output power increases from 354.8 W to 357.2 W for an input current of 30 mA. The microstructure and the optoelectronic properties of high-voltage light-emitting-diodes is proven to be affected by the cooling step treatment, which allows enough time to release the thermal energy of the SiO2 isolation well.

Noise-enhanced chaos in a weakly coupled GaAs/(Al,Ga)As superlattice.

PubMed

Yin, Zhizhen; Song, Helun; Zhang, Yaohui; Ruiz-García, Miguel; Carretero, Manuel; Bonilla, Luis L; Biermann, Klaus; Grahn, Holger T

2017-01-01

Noise-enhanced chaos in a doped, weakly coupled GaAs/Al_{0.45}Ga_{0.55}As superlattice has been observed at room temperature in experiments as well as in the results of the simulation of nonlinear transport based on a discrete tunneling model. When external noise is added, both the measured and simulated current-versus-time traces contain irregularly spaced spikes for particular applied voltages, which separate a regime of periodic current oscillations from a region of no current oscillations at all. In the voltage region without current oscillations, the electric-field profile consist of a low-field domain near the emitter contact separated by a domain wall consisting of a charge accumulation layer from a high-field regime closer to the collector contact. With increasing noise amplitude, spontaneous chaotic current oscillations appear over a wider bias voltage range. For these bias voltages, the domain boundary between the two electric-field domains becomes unstable and very small current or voltage fluctuations can trigger the domain boundary to move toward the collector and induce chaotic current spikes. The experimentally observed features are qualitatively very well reproduced by the simulations. Increased noise can consequently enhance chaotic current oscillations in semiconductor superlattices.

Noise-enhanced chaos in a weakly coupled GaAs/(Al,Ga)As superlattice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Zhizhen; Song, Helun; Zhang, Yaohui; Ruiz-García, Miguel; Carretero, Manuel; Bonilla, Luis L.; Biermann, Klaus; Grahn, Holger T.

2017-01-01

Noise-enhanced chaos in a doped, weakly coupled GaAs /Al0.45Ga0.55As superlattice has been observed at room temperature in experiments as well as in the results of the simulation of nonlinear transport based on a discrete tunneling model. When external noise is added, both the measured and simulated current-versus-time traces contain irregularly spaced spikes for particular applied voltages, which separate a regime of periodic current oscillations from a region of no current oscillations at all. In the voltage region without current oscillations, the electric-field profile consist of a low-field domain near the emitter contact separated by a domain wall consisting of a charge accumulation layer from a high-field regime closer to the collector contact. With increasing noise amplitude, spontaneous chaotic current oscillations appear over a wider bias voltage range. For these bias voltages, the domain boundary between the two electric-field domains becomes unstable and very small current or voltage fluctuations can trigger the domain boundary to move toward the collector and induce chaotic current spikes. The experimentally observed features are qualitatively very well reproduced by the simulations. Increased noise can consequently enhance chaotic current oscillations in semiconductor superlattices.

Concentration-jump analysis of voltage-dependent conductances activated by glutamate and kainate in neurons of the avian cochlear nucleus.

PubMed Central

Raman, I M; Trussell, L O

1995-01-01

We have examined the mechanisms underlying the voltage sensitivity of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptors in voltage-clamped outside-out patches and whole cells taken from the nucleus magnocellularis of the chick. Responses to either glutamate or kainate had outwardly rectifying current-voltage relations. The rate and extent of desensitization during prolonged exposure to agonist, and the rate of deactivation after brief exposure to agonist, decreased at positive potentials, suggesting that a kinetic transition was sensitive to membrane potential. Voltage dependence of the peak conductance and of the deactivation kinetics persisted when desensitization was reduced with aniracetam or blocked with cyclothiazide. Furthermore, the rate of recovery from desensitization to glutamate was not voltage dependent. Upon reduction of extracellular divalent cation concentration, kainate-evoked currents increased but preserved rectifying current-voltage relations. Rectification was strongest at lower kainate concentrations. Surprisingly, nonstationary variance analysis of desensitizing responses to glutamate or of the current deactivation after kainate removal revealed an increase in the mean single-channel conductance with more positive membrane potentials. These data indicate that the rectification of the peak response to a high agonist concentration reflects an increase in channel conductance, whereas rectification of steady-state current is dominated by voltage-sensitive channel kinetics. Images FIGURE 2 FIGURE 3 PMID:8580330

Piezoelectric transformer and modular connections for high power and high voltage power supplies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vazquez Carazo, Alfredo (Inventor)

2006-01-01

A modular design for combining piezoelectric transformers is provided for high voltage and high power conversion applications. The input portions of individual piezoelectric transformers are driven for a single power supply. This created the vibration and the conversion of electrical to electrical energy from the input to the output of the transformers. The output portions of the single piezoelectric transformers are combining in series and/or parallel to provide multiple outputs having different rating of voltage and current.

Gating currents from Kv7 channels carrying neuronal hyperexcitability mutations in the voltage-sensing domain.

PubMed

Miceli, Francesco; Vargas, Ernesto; Bezanilla, Francisco; Taglialatela, Maurizio

2012-03-21

Changes in voltage-dependent gating represent a common pathogenetic mechanism for genetically inherited channelopathies, such as benign familial neonatal seizures or peripheral nerve hyperexcitability caused by mutations in neuronal K(v)7.2 channels. Mutation-induced changes in channel voltage dependence are most often inferred from macroscopic current measurements, a technique unable to provide a detailed assessment of the structural rearrangements underlying channel gating behavior; by contrast, gating currents directly measure voltage-sensor displacement during voltage-dependent gating. In this work, we describe macroscopic and gating current measurements, together with molecular modeling and molecular-dynamics simulations, from channels carrying mutations responsible for benign familial neonatal seizures and/or peripheral nerve hyperexcitability; K(v)7.4 channels, highly related to K(v)7.2 channels both functionally and structurally, were used for these experiments. The data obtained showed that mutations affecting charged residues located in the more distal portion of S(4) decrease the stability of the open state and the active voltage-sensing domain configuration but do not directly participate in voltage sensing, whereas mutations affecting a residue (R4) located more proximally in S(4) caused activation of gating-pore currents at depolarized potentials. These results reveal that distinct molecular mechanisms underlie the altered gating behavior of channels carrying disease-causing mutations at different voltage-sensing domain locations, thereby expanding our current view of the pathogenesis of neuronal hyperexcitability diseases. Copyright © 2012 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

FPGA in-the-loop simulations of cardiac excitation model under voltage clamp conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Othman, Norliza; Adon, Nur Atiqah; Mahmud, Farhanahani

2017-01-01

Voltage clamp technique allows the detection of single channel currents in biological membranes in identifying variety of electrophysiological problems in the cellular level. In this paper, a simulation study of the voltage clamp technique has been presented to analyse current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of ion currents based on Luo-Rudy Phase-I (LR-I) cardiac model by using a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). Nowadays, cardiac models are becoming increasingly complex which can cause a vast amount of time to run the simulation. Thus, a real-time hardware implementation using FPGA could be one of the best solutions for high-performance real-time systems as it provides high configurability and performance, and able to executes in parallel mode operation. For shorter time development while retaining high confidence results, FPGA-based rapid prototyping through HDL Coder from MATLAB software has been used to construct the algorithm for the simulation system. Basically, the HDL Coder is capable to convert the designed MATLAB Simulink blocks into hardware description language (HDL) for the FPGA implementation. As a result, the voltage-clamp fixed-point design of LR-I model has been successfully conducted in MATLAB Simulink and the simulation of the I-V characteristics of the ionic currents has been verified on Xilinx FPGA Virtex-6 XC6VLX240T development board through an FPGA-in-the-loop (FIL) simulation.

Differential inhibition of N and P/Q Ca2+ currents by 5-HT1A and 5-HT1D receptors in spinal neurons of Xenopus larvae

PubMed Central

Sun, Qian-Quan; Dale, Nicholas

1998-01-01

In whole-cell patch clamp recordings made from non-sensory neurons acutely isolated from the spinal cord of Xenopus (stage 40–42) larvae, two forms of inhibition of the high voltage-activated (HVA) Ca2+ currents were produced by 5-HT. One was voltage dependent and associated with both slowing of the activation kinetics and shifting of the voltage dependence of the HVA currents. This inhibition was relieved by strong depolarizing prepulses. A second form of inhibition was neither associated with slowing of the activation kinetics nor relieved by depolarizing prepulses and was thus voltage independent. In all neurons examined, 5-HT (1 μM) reversibly reduced 34 ± 1.6 % (n = 102) of the HVA Ca2+ currents. In about 40 % of neurons, the inhibition was totally voltage independent. In another 5 %, the inhibition was totally voltage dependent. In the remaining neurons, inhibition was only partially (by around 40 %) relieved by a large depolarizing prepulse, suggesting that in these, the inhibition consisted of both voltage-dependent and -independent components. By using selective channel blockers, we found that 5-HT acted on both N- and P/Q-type channels. However, whereas the inhibition of P/Q-type currents was only voltage independent, the inhibition of N-type currents had both voltage-dependent and -independent components. The effects of 5-HT on HVA Ca2+ currents were mediated by 5-HT1A and 5-HT1D receptors. The 5-HT1A receptors not only preferentially caused voltage-independent inhibition, but did so by acting mainly on the ω-agatoxin-IVA-sensitive Ca2+ channels. In contrast, the 5-HT1D receptor produced both voltage-dependent and -independent inhibition and was preferentially coupled to ω-conotoxin-GVIA sensitive channels. This complexity of modulation may allow fine tuning of transmitter release and calcium signalling in the spinal circuitry of Xenopus larvae. PMID:9625870

Magnetic dipole discharges. II. Cathode and anode spot discharges and probe diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stenzel, R. L.; Urrutia, J. M.; Ionita, C.; Schrittwieser, R.

2013-08-01

The high current regime of a magnetron-type discharge has been investigated. The discharge uses a permanent magnet as a cold cathode which emits secondary electrons while the chamber wall or a grounded electrode serves as the anode. As the discharge voltage is increased, the magnet develops cathode spots, which are short duration arcs that provide copious electrons to increase the discharge current dramatically. Short (1 μs), high current (200 A) and high voltage (750 V) discharge pulses are produced in a relaxation instability between the plasma and a charging capacitor. Spots are also observed on a negatively biased plane Langmuir probe. The probe current pulses are as large as those on the magnet, implying that the high discharge current does not depend on the cathode surface area but on the properties of the spots. The fast current pulses produce large inductive voltages, which can reverse the electrical polarity of the magnet and temporarily operate it as an anode. The discharge current may also oscillate at the frequency determined by the charging capacitor and the discharge circuit inductance. Each half cycle of high-current current pulses exhibits a fast (≃10 ns) current rise when a spot is formed. It induces high frequency (10-100 MHz) transients and ringing oscillations in probes and current circuits. Most probes behave like unmatched antennas for the electromagnetic pulses of spot discharges. Examples are shown to distinguish the source of oscillations and some rf characteristics of Langmuir probes.

Generation of electrical power

DOEpatents

Hursen, Thomas F.; Kolenik, Steven A.; Purdy, David L.

1976-01-01

A heat-to-electricity converter is disclosed which includes a radioactive heat source and a thermoelectric element of relatively short overall length capable of delivering a low voltage of the order of a few tenths of a volt. Such a thermoelectric element operates at a higher efficiency than longer higher-voltage elements; for example, elements producing 6 volts. In the generation of required power, thermoelectric element drives a solid-state converter which is controlled by input current rather than input voltage and operates efficiently for a high signal-plus-noise to signal ratio of current. The solid-state converter has the voltage gain necessary to deliver the required voltage at the low input of the thermoelectric element.

Optical voltage reference

DOEpatents

Rankin, Richard; Kotter, Dale

1994-01-01

An optical voltage reference for providing an alternative to a battery source. The optical reference apparatus provides a temperature stable, high precision, isolated voltage reference through the use of optical isolation techniques to eliminate current and impedance coupling errors. Pulse rate frequency modulation is employed to eliminate errors in the optical transmission link while phase-lock feedback is employed to stabilize the frequency to voltage transfer function.

E-beam high voltage switching power supply

DOEpatents

Shimer, Daniel W.; Lange, Arnold C.

1997-01-01

A high power, solid state power supply is described for producing a controllable, constant high voltage output under varying and arcing loads suitable for powering an electron beam gun or other ion source. The present power supply is most useful for outputs in a range of about 100-400 kW or more. The power supply is comprised of a plurality of discrete switching type dc-dc converter modules, each comprising a voltage regulator, an inductor, an inverter for producing a high frequency square wave current of alternating polarity, an improved inverter voltage clamping circuit, a step up transformer, and an output rectifier for producing a dc voltage at the output of each module. The inputs to the converter modules are fed from a common dc rectifier/filter and are linked together in parallel through decoupling networks to suppress high frequency input interactions. The outputs of the converter modules are linked together in series and connected to the input of the transmission line to the load through a decoupling and line matching network. The dc-dc converter modules are phase activated such that for n modules, each module is activated equally 360.degree./n out of phase with respect to a successive module. The phased activation of the converter modules, combined with the square current waveforms out of the step up transformers, allows the power supply to operate with greatly reduced output capacitance values which minimizes the stored energy available for discharge into an electron beam gun or the like during arcing. The present power supply also provides dynamic response to varying loads by controlling the voltage regulator duty cycle using simulated voltage feedback signals and voltage feedback loops. Circuitry is also provided for sensing incipient arc currents reflected at the output of the power supply and for simultaneously decoupling the power supply circuitry from the arcing load.

E-beam high voltage switching power supply

DOEpatents

Shimer, D.W.; Lange, A.C.

1997-03-11

A high power, solid state power supply is described for producing a controllable, constant high voltage output under varying and arcing loads suitable for powering an electron beam gun or other ion source. The present power supply is most useful for outputs in a range of about 100-400 kW or more. The power supply is comprised of a plurality of discrete switching type dc-dc converter modules, each comprising a voltage regulator, an inductor, an inverter for producing a high frequency square wave current of alternating polarity, an improved inverter voltage clamping circuit, a step up transformer, and an output rectifier for producing a dc voltage at the output of each module. The inputs to the converter modules are fed from a common dc rectifier/filter and are linked together in parallel through decoupling networks to suppress high frequency input interactions. The outputs of the converter modules are linked together in series and connected to the input of the transmission line to the load through a decoupling and line matching network. The dc-dc converter modules are phase activated such that for n modules, each module is activated equally 360{degree}/n out of phase with respect to a successive module. The phased activation of the converter modules, combined with the square current waveforms out of the step up transformers, allows the power supply to operate with greatly reduced output capacitance values which minimizes the stored energy available for discharge into an electron beam gun or the like during arcing. The present power supply also provides dynamic response to varying loads by controlling the voltage regulator duty cycle using simulated voltage feedback signals and voltage feedback loops. Circuitry is also provided for sensing incipient arc currents reflected at the output of the power supply and for simultaneously decoupling the power supply circuitry from the arcing load. 7 figs.

Large space system: Charged particle environment interaction technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, N. J.; Roche, J. C.; Grier, N. T.

1979-01-01

Large, high voltage space power systems are proposed for future space missions. These systems must operate in the charged-particle environment of space and interactions between this environment and the high voltage surfaces are possible. Ground simulation testing indicated that dielectric surfaces that usually surround biased conductors can influence these interactions. For positive voltages greater than 100 volts, it has been found that the dielectrics contribute to the current collection area. For negative voltages greater than-500 volts, the data indicates that the dielectrics contribute to discharges. A large, high-voltage power system operating in geosynchronous orbit was analyzed. Results of this analysis indicate that very strong electric fields exist in these power systems.

Measurement and statistical analysis of single-molecule current-voltage characteristics, transition voltage spectroscopy, and tunneling barrier height.

PubMed

Guo, Shaoyin; Hihath, Joshua; Díez-Pérez, Ismael; Tao, Nongjian

2011-11-30

We report on the measurement and statistical study of thousands of current-voltage characteristics and transition voltage spectra (TVS) of single-molecule junctions with different contact geometries that are rapidly acquired using a new break junction method at room temperature. This capability allows one to obtain current-voltage, conductance voltage, and transition voltage histograms, thus adding a new dimension to the previous conductance histogram analysis at a fixed low-bias voltage for single molecules. This method confirms the low-bias conductance values of alkanedithiols and biphenyldithiol reported in literature. However, at high biases the current shows large nonlinearity and asymmetry, and TVS allows for the determination of a critically important parameter, the tunneling barrier height or energy level alignment between the molecule and the electrodes of single-molecule junctions. The energy level alignment is found to depend on the molecule and also on the contact geometry, revealing the role of contact geometry in both the contact resistance and energy level alignment of a molecular junction. Detailed statistical analysis further reveals that, despite the dependence of the energy level alignment on contact geometry, the variation in single-molecule conductance is primarily due to contact resistance rather than variations in the energy level alignment.

The effects of piracetam and its novel peptide analogue GVS-111 on neuronal voltage-gated calcium and potassium channels.

PubMed

Solntseva, E I; Bukanova, J V; Ostrovskaya, R U; Gudasheva, T A; Voronina, T A; Skrebitsky, V G

1997-07-01

1. With the use of the two-microelectrode voltage-clamp method, three types of voltage-activated ionic currents were examined in isolated neurons of the snail Helix pomatia: high-threshold Ca2+ current (ICa), high-threshold Ca(2+)-dependent K+ current (IK(Ca)) and high-threshold K+ current independent of Ca2+ (IK(V)). 2. The effect of bath application of the nootropics piracetam and a novel piracetam peptide analog, ethyl ester of N-phenyl-acetyl-L-prolyl-glycine (GVS-111), on these three types of voltage-activated ionic currents was studied. 3. In more than half of the tested cells, ICa was resistant to both piracetam and GVS-111. In the rest of the cells, ICa decreased 19 +/- 7% with 2 mM of piracetam and 39 +/- 14% with 2 microM of GVS-111. 4. IK(V) in almost all cells tested was resistant to piracetam at concentrations up to 2 mM. However, IK(V) in two-thirds of the cells was sensitive to GVS-111, being suppressed 49 +/- 18% with 1 microM GVS-111. 5. IK(Ca) appeared to be the most sensitive current of those studied to both piracetam and GVS-111. Piracetam at 1 mM and GVS-111 at 0.1 microM decreased the amplitude of IK(Ca) in most of the cells examined by 49 +/- 19% and 69 +/- 24%, respectively. 6. The results suggest that piracetam and GVS-111 suppression of voltage-activated calcium and potassium currents of the neuronal membrane may regulate (both up and down) Ca2+ influx into neurons.

High-voltage, high-power, solid-state remote power controllers for aerospace applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sturman, J. C.

1985-01-01

Two general types of remote power controller (RPC) that combine the functions of a circuit breaker and a switch were developed for use in direct-current (dc) aerospace systems. Power-switching devices used in these designs are the relatively new gate-turnoff thyristor (GTO) and poweer metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET). The various RPC's can switch dc voltages to 1200 V and currents to 100 A. Seven different units were constructed and subjected to comprehensive laboratory and thermal vacuum testing. Two of these were dual units that switch both positive and negative voltages simultaneously. The RPC's using MOSFET's have slow turnon and turnoff times to limit voltage spiking from high di/dt. The GTO's have much faster transition times. All RPC's have programmable overload tripout and microsecond tripout for large overloads. The basic circuits developed can be used to build switchgear limited only by the ratings of the switching device used.

Origin of negative resistance in anion migration controlled resistive memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Writam; Wu, Facai; Hu, Yuan; Wu, Quantan; Wu, Zuheng; Liu, Qi; Liu, Ming

2018-03-01

Resistive random access memory (RRAM) is one of the most promising emerging nonvolatile technologies for the futuristic memory devices. Resistive switching behavior often shows negative resistance (NR), either voltage controlled or current controlled. In this work, the origin of a current compliance dependent voltage controlled NR effect during the resetting of anion migration based RRAM devices is discussed. The N-type voltage controlled NR is a high field driven phenomena. The current conduction within the range of a certain negative voltage is mostly dominated by space charge limited current. But with the higher negative voltage, a field induced tunneling effect is generated in the NR region. The voltage controlled NR is strongly dependent on the compliance current. The area independent behavior indicates the filamentary switching. The peak to valley ratio (PVR) is > 5. The variation of PVR as a function of the conduction band offset is achieved. Compared to other reported works, based on the PVR, it is possible to distinguish the RRAM types. Generally, due to the higher electric field effect on the metallic bridge during RESET, the electrochemical metallization type RRAM shows much higher PVR than the valance change type RRAM.

Effect of current compliance and voltage sweep rate on the resistive switching of HfO{sub 2}/ITO/Invar structure as measured by conductive atomic force microscopy

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

Wu, You-Lin, E-mail: ylwu@ncnu.edu.tw; Liao, Chun-Wei; Ling, Jing-Jenn

2014-06-16

The electrical characterization of HfO{sub 2}/ITO/Invar resistive switching memory structure was studied using conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) with a semiconductor parameter analyzer, Agilent 4156C. The metal alloy Invar was used as the metal substrate to ensure good ohmic contact with the substrate holder of the AFM. A conductive Pt/Ir AFM tip was placed in direct contact with the HfO{sub 2} surface, such that it acted as the top electrode. Nanoscale current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the HfO{sub 2}/ITO/Invar structure were measured by applying a ramp voltage through the conductive AFM tip at various current compliances and ramp voltage sweep rates.more » It was found that the resistance of the low resistance state (RLRS) decreased with increasing current compliance value, but resistance of high resistance state (RHRS) barely changed. However, both the RHRS and RLRS decreased as the voltage sweep rate increased. The reasons for this dependency on current compliance and voltage sweep rate are discussed.« less

Multiloop Rapid-Rise/Rapid Fall High-Voltage Power Supply

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bearden, Douglas

2007-01-01

A proposed multiloop power supply would generate a potential as high as 1.25 kV with rise and fall times <100 s. This power supply would, moreover, be programmable to generate output potentials from 20 to 1,250 V and would be capable of supplying a current of at least 300 A at 1,250 V. This power supply is intended to be a means of electronic shuttering of a microchannel plate that would be used to intensify the output of a charge-coupled-device imager to obtain exposure times as short as 1 ms. The basic design of this power supply could also be adapted to other applications in which high voltages and high slew rates are needed. At the time of reporting the information for this article, there was no commercially available power supply capable of satisfying the stated combination of voltage, rise-time, and fall-time requirements. The power supply would include a preregulator that would be used to program a voltage 1/30 of the desired output voltage. By means of a circuit that would include a pulse-width modulator (PWM), two voltage doublers, and a transformer having two primary and two secondary windings, the preregulator output voltage would be amplified by a factor of 30. A resistor would limit the current by controlling a drive voltage applied to field-effect transistors (FETs) during turn-on of the PWM. Two feedback loops would be used to regulate the high output voltage. A pulse transformer would be used to turn on four FETs to short-circuit output capacitors when the outputs of the PWM were disabled. Application of a 0-to-5-V square to a PWM shut-down pin would cause a 20-to-1,250-V square wave to appear at the output.

Development of a low-energy and high-current pulsed neutral beam injector with a washer-gun plasma source for high-beta plasma experiments.

PubMed

Ii, Toru; Gi, Keii; Umezawa, Toshiyuki; Asai, Tomohiko; Inomoto, Michiaki; Ono, Yasushi

2012-08-01

We have developed a novel and economical neutral-beam injection system by employing a washer-gun plasma source. It provides a low-cost and maintenance-free ion beam, thus eliminating the need for the filaments and water-cooling systems employed conventionally. In our primary experiments, the washer gun produced a source plasma with an electron temperature of approximately 5 eV and an electron density of 5 × 10(17) m(-3), i.e., conditions suitable for ion-beam extraction. The dependence of the extracted beam current on the acceleration voltage is consistent with space-charge current limitation, because the observed current density is almost proportional to the 3/2 power of the acceleration voltage below approximately 8 kV. By optimizing plasma formation, we successfully achieved beam extraction of up to 40 A at 15 kV and a pulse length in excess of 0.25 ms. Its low-voltage and high-current pulsed-beam properties enable us to apply this high-power neutral beam injection into a high-beta compact torus plasma characterized by a low magnetic field.

Single Event Burnout in DC-DC Converters for the LHC Experiments

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

Claudio H. Rivetta et al.

High voltage transistors in DC-DC converters are prone to catastrophic Single Event Burnout in the LHC radiation environment. This paper presents a systematic methodology to analyze single event effects sensitivity in converters and proposes solutions based on de-rating input voltage and output current or voltage.

76 FR 72203 - Voltage Coordination on High Voltage Grids; Notice of Reliability Workshop Agenda

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-22

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. AD12-5-000] Voltage... currently coordinate the dispatch of reactive resources to support forecasted loads, generation and... reactive power needs of the distribution system or loads are coordinated or optimized. Panelists: Khaled...

Silicon Carbide Diodes Characterization at High Temperature and Comparison With Silicon Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lebron-Velilla, Ramon C.; Schwarze, Gene E.; Gardner, Brent G.; Adams, Jerry D., Jr.

2004-01-01

Commercially available silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky diodes from different manufacturers rated at 200, 300, 600, and 1200 V, were electrically tested and characterized as a function of temperature up to 300 C. Electrical tests included both steady state and dynamic tests. Steady state tests produced forward and reverse I-V characteristic curves. Transient tests evaluated the switching performance of the diodes in either a hard-switched DC to DC buck converter or a half-bridge boost converter. For evaluation and comparison purposes, the same tests were performed with current state-of-the-art ultra fast silicon (Si) pn-junction diodes of similar ratings and also a Si Schottky diode. The comparisons made were forward voltage drop at rated current, reverse current at rated voltage, and turn-off peak reverse recovery current and reverse recovery time. In addition, efficiency measurements were taken for the buck DC to DC converter using both the SiC Schottky diodes and the Si pn-junction diodes at different temperatures and frequencies. The test results showed that at high temperature, the forward voltage drop for SiC Schottky diodes is higher than the forward drop of the ultra fast Si pn-junction diodes. As the temperature increased, the forward voltage drop of the SiC Schottky increased while for the ultra fast Si pn-junction diodes, the forward voltage drop decreased as temperature increased. For the elevated temperature steady state reverse voltage tests, the SiC Schottky diodes showed low leakage current at their rated voltage. Likewise, for the transient tests, the SiC Schottky diodes displayed low reverse recovery currents over the range of temperatures tested. Conversely, the Si pn-junction diodes showed increasing peak reverse current values and reverse recovery times with increasing temperature. Efficiency measurements in the DC to DC buck converter showed the advantage of the SiC Schottky diodes over the ultra fast Si pn-junction diodes, especially at the higher temperatures and higher frequencies.

Nonequilibrium transport in superconducting filaments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arutyunov, K. YU.; Danilova, N. P.; Nikolaeva, A. A.

1995-01-01

The step-like current-voltage characteristics of highly homogeneous single-crystalline tin and indium thin filaments has been measured. The length of the samples L approximately 1 cm was much greater than the nonequilibrium quasiparticle relaxation length Lambda. It was found that the activation of a successive i-th voltage step occurs at current significantly greater than the one derived with the assumption that the phase slip centers are weakly interacting on a scale L much greater than Lambda. The observation of 'subharmonic' fine structure on the voltage-current characteristics of tin filaments confirms the hypothesis of the long-range phase slip centers interaction.

Charge transport study in bis{2-(2-hydroxyphenyl) benzoxazolate} zinc [Zn(hpb)2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rai, Virendra Kumar; Srivastava, Ritu; Chauhan, Gayatri; Kumar, Arunandan; Kamalasanan, M. N.

2008-10-01

The nature of the electrical transport mechanism for carrier transport in pure bis {2-(2-hydroxyphenyl) benzoxazolate} zinc [Zn(hpb)2] has been studied by current voltage measurements of samples at different thicknesses and at different temperatures. Hole-only devices show ohmic conduction at low voltages and space charge conduction at high voltages. The space charge conduction is clearly identifiable with a square law dependence of current on voltage as well as the scaling of current inversely with the cube of thickness. With a further increase in voltage, the current increases with a Vm dependence with m varying with temperature typical of trap limited conduction with an exponential distribution of trap states. From the square law region the effective charge carrier mobility of holes has been evaluated as 2.5 × 10-11 m2 V-1 s-1. Electron-only devices however show electrode limited conduction, which was found to obey the Scott Malliaras model of charge injection.

High breakdown voltage quasi-two-dimensional β-Ga2O3 field-effect transistors with a boron nitride field plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Jinho; Kim, Hyoung Woo; Kang, In Ho; Yang, Gwangseok; Kim, Jihyun

2018-03-01

We have demonstrated a β-Ga2O3 metal-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MESFET) with a high off-state breakdown voltage (344 V), based on a quasi-two-dimensional β-Ga2O3 field-plated with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). Both the β-Ga2O3 and h-BN were mechanically exfoliated from their respective crystal substrates, followed by dry-transfer onto a SiO2/Si substrate for integration into a high breakdown voltage quasi-two-dimensional β-Ga2O3 MESFETs. N-type conducting behavior was observed in the fabricated β-Ga2O3 MESFETs, along with a high on/off current ratio (>106) and excellent current saturation. A three-terminal off-state breakdown voltage of 344 V was obtained, with a threshold voltage of -7.3 V and a subthreshold swing of 84.6 mV/dec. The distribution of electric fields in the quasi-two-dimensional β-Ga2O3 MESFETs was simulated to analyze the role of the dielectric h-BN field plate in improving the off-state breakdown voltage. The stability of the field-plated β-Ga2O3 MESFET in air was confirmed after storing the MESFET in ambient air for one month. Our results pave the way for unlocking the full potential of β-Ga2O3 for use in a high-power nano-device with an ultrahigh breakdown voltage.

High-power and 2.5 kW advanced-technology ion thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poeschel, R. L.

1977-01-01

Investigations for improving ion thruster components in the 30 cm engineering model thruster (EMT) resulted in the demonstration of useful techniques for grid short removal and discharge chamber erosion monitoring, establishment of relationships between double ion production and thruster operating parameters, verification of satisfactory specifications on porous tungsten vaporizer material and barium impregnated porous tungsten inserts, demonstration of a new hollow cathode configuration, and specification of magnetic circuit requirements for reproducing desired magnetic mappings. The capacity of a 30 cm EMT to operate at higher beam voltages and currents (higher power) was determined. Operation at 2 A beam current and higher beam voltage is shown to be essentially equivalent to operation at 1.1 kV with regard to efficiency, lifetime and operating conditions. The only additional requirement is an improvement in high voltage insulation and propellant isolator capacity. Operation at minimum voltage and higher beam currents is shown to increase thruster discharge chamber erosion in proportion to beam current. Studies to find alternatives to molybdenum for manufacturing ion optics grids are also reported.

Driver Circuit For High-Power MOSFET's

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Letzer, Kevin A.

1991-01-01

Driver circuit generates rapid-voltage-transition pulses needed to switch high-power metal oxide/semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) modules rapidly between full "on" and full "off". Rapid switching reduces time of overlap between appreciable current through and appreciable voltage across such modules, thereby increasing power efficiency.

High voltage interactions of a sounding rocket with the ambient and system-generated environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuharski, Robert A.; Jongeward, Gary A.; Wilcox, Katherine G.; Rankin, Thomas V.; Roche, James C.

1990-01-01

EPSAT (environment power system analysis tool) is used to examine the design of SPEAR III, which is scheduled to fly in early 1991. It will test high-voltage designs in both ambient and system-generated environments. Two of the key questions that the experiment hopes to address are whether or not the earth's magnetic field can cause the current that a high-voltage object draws from the plasma to be far less than the current that would be drawn in the absence of the magnetic field and under what neutral environmental conditions a discharge from the high-voltage object to the plasma will occur. The EPSAT program makes it possible to perform a variety of analyses on a preliminary or conceptual-level description of a system in a short period of time. The calculations presented on SPEAR III are all done for a conceptual-level description. The calculations indicate that the experiment will produce the conditions necessary to address these questions.

Operational characteristics of a high voltage dense plasma focus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodall, D. M.

1985-11-01

A high voltage dense plasma focus powered by a single stage Marx bank was designed, built and operated. The maximum bank parameters are: voltage--120 kV, energy--20 kJ, short circuit current--600kA. The bank impedance is about 200 millohms. The plasma focus center electrode diameter is 1.27 cm. The outer electrode diameter is 10.16 cm. Rundown length is about 10 cm, corresponding to a bank quarter period of about 900 millohms ns. Rundown L is about 50 milliohms. The context of this work is established with a review of previous plasma focus theoretical, experimental and computational work and related topics. Theoretical motivation for high voltage operation is presented. The design, construction and operation of this device are discussed in detail. Results and analysis of measurements obtained are presented. Device operation was investigated primarily at 80 kV (9 kJ), with a gas fill of about 1 torr H2, plus 3-5 percent A. The following diagnostics were used: gun voltage and current measurements; filtered, time resolved x ray PIN measurements of the pinch region; time integrated x ray pinhole photographs of the pinch region; fast frame visible light photographs of the sheath during rundown; and B probe measurements of the current sheath shortly before collapse.

Optical voltage reference

DOEpatents

Rankin, R.; Kotter, D.

1994-04-26

An optical voltage reference for providing an alternative to a battery source is described. The optical reference apparatus provides a temperature stable, high precision, isolated voltage reference through the use of optical isolation techniques to eliminate current and impedance coupling errors. Pulse rate frequency modulation is employed to eliminate errors in the optical transmission link while phase-lock feedback is employed to stabilize the frequency to voltage transfer function. 2 figures.

Analysis of transistor and snubber turn-off dynamics in high-frequency high-voltage high-power converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, P. M.; Wilson, T. G.; Owen, H. A., Jr.

1982-01-01

Dc to dc converters which operate reliably and efficiently at switching frequencies high enough to effect substantial reductions in the size and weight of converter energy storage elements are studied. A two winding current or voltage stepup (buck boost) dc-to-dc converter power stage submodule designed to operate in the 2.5-kW range, with an input voltage range of 110 to 180 V dc, and an output voltage of 250 V dc is emphasized. In order to assess the limitations of present day component and circuit technologies, a design goal switching frequency of 10 kHz was maintained. The converter design requirements represent a unique combination of high frequency, high voltage, and high power operation. The turn off dynamics of the primary circuit power switching transistor and its associated turn off snubber circuitry are investigated.

Analysis of transistor and snubber turn-off dynamics in high-frequency high-voltage high-power converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, P. M.; Wilson, T. G.; Owen, H. A., Jr.

Dc to dc converters which operate reliably and efficiently at switching frequencies high enough to effect substantial reductions in the size and weight of converter energy storage elements are studied. A two winding current or voltage stepup (buck boost) dc-to-dc converter power stage submodule designed to operate in the 2.5-kW range, with an input voltage range of 110 to 180 V dc, and an output voltage of 250 V dc is emphasized. In order to assess the limitations of present day component and circuit technologies, a design goal switching frequency of 10 kHz was maintained. The converter design requirements represent a unique combination of high frequency, high voltage, and high power operation. The turn off dynamics of the primary circuit power switching transistor and its associated turn off snubber circuitry are investigated.

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

Korolev, Yu. D.; Landl, N. V., E-mail: landl@lnp.hcei.tsc.ru; Geyman, V. G.

Results from studies of a low-current glow discharge with a hollow cathode are presented. A specific feature of the discharge conditions was that a highly emissive tablet containing cesium carbonate was placed in the cathode cavity. In the absence of a tablet, the discharge ignition voltage was typically ≥3.5 kV, while the burning voltage was in the range of 500–600 V. The use of the tablet made it possible to decrease the ignition voltage to 280 V and maintain the discharge burning voltage at a level of about 130 V. A model of the current sustainment in a hollow-cathode dischargemore » is proposed. Instead of the conventional secondary emission yield, the model uses a generalized emission yield that takes into account not only ion bombardment of the cathode, but also the emission current from an external source. The model is used to interpret the observed current−voltage characteristics. The results of calculations agree well with the experimental data. It is shown that, in some discharge modes, the external emission current from the cathode can reach 25% of the total discharge current.« less

Packaging of solid state devices

DOEpatents

Glidden, Steven C.; Sanders, Howard D.

2006-01-03

A package for one or more solid state devices in a single module that allows for operation at high voltage, high current, or both high voltage and high current. Low thermal resistance between the solid state devices and an exterior of the package and matched coefficient of thermal expansion between the solid state devices and the materials used in packaging enables high power operation. The solid state devices are soldered between two layers of ceramic with metal traces that interconnect the devices and external contacts. This approach provides a simple method for assembling and encapsulating high power solid state devices.

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

Volkov, M. S.; Gusev, Yu. P., E-mail: GusevYP@mpei.ru; Monakov, Yu. V.

The insertion of current-limiting reactors into electrical equipment operating at a voltage of 110 and 220 kV produces a change in the parameters of the transient recovery voltages at the contacts of the circuit breakers for disconnecting short circuits, which could be the reason for the increase in the duration of the short circuit, damage to the electrical equipment and losses in the power system. The results of mathematical modeling of the transients, caused by tripping of the short circuit in a reactive electric power transmission line are presented, and data are given on the negative effect of a current-limitingmore » resistor on the rate of increase and peak value of the transient recovery voltages. Methods of ensuring the standard requirements imposed on the parameters of the transient recovery voltages when using current-limiting reactors in the high-voltage electrical equipment of power plants and substations are proposed and analyzed.« less

Closed-loop pulsed helium ionization detector

DOEpatents

Ramsey, Roswitha S.; Todd, Richard A.

1987-01-01

A helium ionization detector for gas chromatography is operated in a constant current, pulse-modulated mode by configuring the detector, electrometer and a high voltage pulser in a closed-loop control system. The detector current is maintained at a fixed level by varying the frequency of fixed-width, high-voltage bias pulses applied to the detector. An output signal proportional to the pulse frequency is produced which is indicative of the charge collected for a detected species.

Improving off-state leakage characteristics for high voltage AlGaN/GaN-HFETs on Si substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, Sung-Woon; Twynam, John; Lee, Jongsub; Seo, Deokwon; Jung, Sungdal; Choi, Hong Goo; Shim, Heejae; Yim, Jeong Soon; Roh, Sungwon D.

2014-06-01

We present a reliable process and design technique for realizing high voltage AlGaN/GaN hetero-junction field effect transistors (HFETs) on Si substrates with very low and stable off-state leakage current characteristics. In this work, we have investigated the effects of the surface passivation layer, prepared by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) of silicon nitride (SiNx), and gate bus isolation design on the off-state leakage characteristics of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) gate structure-based GaN HFETs. The surface passivated devices with gate bus isolation fully surrounding the source and drain regions showed extremely low off-state leakage currents of less than 20 nA/mm at 600 V, with very small variation. These techniques were successfully applied to high-current devices with 80-mm gate width, yielding excellent off-state leakage characteristics within a drain voltage range 0-700 V.

High-wafer-yield, high-performance vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Gabriel S.; Yuen, Wupen; Lim, Sui F.; Chang-Hasnain, Constance J.

1996-04-01

Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) with very low threshold current and voltage of 340 (mu) A and 1.5 V is achieved. The molecular beam epitaxially grown wafers are grown with a highly accurate, low cost and versatile pre-growth calibration technique. One- hundred percent VCSEL wafer yield is obtained. Low threshold current is achieved with a native oxide confined structure with excellent current confinement. Single transverse mode with stable, predetermined polarization direction up to 18 times threshold is also achieved, due to stable index guiding provided by the structure. This is the highest value reported to data for VCSELs. We have established that p-contact annealing in these devices is crucial for low voltage operation, contrary to the general belief. Uniform doping in the mirrors also appears not to be inferior to complicated doping engineering. With these design rules, very low threshold voltage VCSELs are achieved with very simple growth and fabrication steps.

High time resolution measurements of rocket potential changes induced by electron beam emission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raitt, W. J.; Myers, N. B.; Williamson, P. R.; Banks, P. M.; Kawashima, N.

1984-01-01

The transient charging and photon emission from the vacuum chamber testing of the Cooperative High Altitude Rocket Gun Experiment are studied. Graphs of the mother-daughter voltage versus time and high time resolution data related to the return current to the vehicle are examined. It is observed that for average sounding rocket densities of 10 to the -6th torr the slope of the voltage rise of the rocket begins to flatten 40 microsec after the onset of electron beam emission, and for higher gas pressure the rocket reaches a maximum voltage of 25 or 30 microsec after the onset of electron beam emission. The data reveal that the return current mechanism for the higher gas pressure is through the sheath.

Two-electrode low supply voltage electrocardiogram signal amplifier.

PubMed

Dobrev, D

2004-03-01

Portable biomedical instrumentation has become an important part of diagnostic and treatment instrumentation, including telemedicine applications. Low-voltage and low-power design tendencies prevail. Modern battery cell voltages in the range of 3-3.6 V require appropriate circuit solutions. A two-electrode biopotential amplifier design is presented, with a high common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR), high input voltage tolerance and standard first-order high-pass characteristic. Most of these features are due to a high-gain first stage design. The circuit makes use of passive components of popular values and tolerances. Powered by a single 3 V source, the amplifier tolerates +/- 1 V common mode voltage, +/- 50 microA common mode current and 2 V input DC voltage, and its worst-case CMRR is 60 dB. The amplifier is intended for use in various applications, such as Holter-type monitors, defibrillators, ECG monitors, biotelemetry devices etc.

Leakage Currents in Low-Voltage PME and BME Ceramic Capacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teverovsky, Alexander

2015-01-01

Introduction of BME capacitors to high-reliability electronics as a replacement for PME capacitors requires better understanding of changes in performance and reliability of MLCCs to set justified screening and qualification requirements. In this work, absorption and leakage currents in various lots of commercial and military grade X7R MLCCs rated to 100V and less have been measured to reveal difference in behavior of PME and BME capacitors in a wide range of voltages and temperatures. Degradation of leakage currents and failures in virgin capacitors and capacitors with introduced cracks has been studied at different voltages and temperatures during step stress highly accelerated life testing. Mechanisms of charge absorption, conduction and degradation have been discussed and a failure model in capacitors with defects suggested.

Applicability of Generalized Peek's Law to Scaling of Corona Onset Voltages in Electropositive Gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yan-Ming

2008-10-01

We have developed the steady state positive corona model with the ionization zone physics in the point-plane configuration. The geometry is axisymmetric, consisting of a pointed anode of small tip radius and a planar cathode. The model solves the Poisson equation, drift dominated electron and the positive ion transport equations with the nonlinear Townsend ionization source terms, to give the complete electric field, electron and positive ion density distributions. The corona plasma properties can be determined as function of discharge current, ranging from the pico-ampere up to a milli-ampere. The calculated voltage-current characteristics obeyed the Townsend equation, agreeing with the general experimental observations. The model is applied to different electropositive gases, argon, xenon, nitrogen and mercury. Corona onset potentials are determined based on the discharge voltages at very low currents. Extensive parametric study for argon positive corona with varying anode tip radius, gap distance and gas pressure has been completed. All the simulated corona onset voltages are very well described by the generalized Peek's Law [1]. At sufficiently high current in the range of 0.1 mA, discharge filament is formed near the anode tip. [1] Peek F. W., Dielectric Phenomena in High Voltage Engineering, McGraw Hill, New York (1929).

Novel high-frequency energy-efficient pulsed-dc generator for capacitively coupled plasma discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mamun, Md Abdullah Al; Furuta, Hiroshi; Hatta, Akimitsu

2018-03-01

The circuit design, assembly, and operating tests of a high-frequency and high-voltage (HV) pulsed dc generator (PDG) for capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) discharge inside a vacuum chamber are reported. For capacitive loads, it is challenging to obtain sharp rectangular pulses with fast rising and falling edges, requiring intense current for quick charging and discharging. The requirement of intense current generally limits the pulse operation frequency. In this study, we present a new type of PDG consisting of a pair of half-resonant converters and a constant current-controller circuit connected with HV solid-state power switches that can deliver almost rectangular high voltage pulses with fast rising and falling edges for CCP discharge. A prototype of the PDG is assembled to modulate from a high-voltage direct current (HVdc) input into a pulsed HVdc output, while following an input pulse signal and a set current level. The pulse rise time and fall time are less than 500 ns and 800 ns, respectively, and the minimum pulse width is 1 µs. The maximum voltage for a negative pulse is 1000 V, and the maximum repetition frequency is 500 kHz. During the pulse on time, the plasma discharge current is controlled steadily at the set value. The half-resonant converters in the PDG perform recovery of the remaining energy from the capacitive load at every termination of pulse discharge. The PDG performed with a high energy efficiency of 85% from the HVdc input to the pulsed dc output at a repetition rate of 1 kHz and with stable plasma operation in various discharge conditions. The results suggest that the developed PDG can be considered to be more efficient for plasma processing by CCP.

Novel high-frequency energy-efficient pulsed-dc generator for capacitively coupled plasma discharge.

PubMed

Mamun, Md Abdullah Al; Furuta, Hiroshi; Hatta, Akimitsu

2018-03-01

The circuit design, assembly, and operating tests of a high-frequency and high-voltage (HV) pulsed dc generator (PDG) for capacitively coupled plasma (CCP) discharge inside a vacuum chamber are reported. For capacitive loads, it is challenging to obtain sharp rectangular pulses with fast rising and falling edges, requiring intense current for quick charging and discharging. The requirement of intense current generally limits the pulse operation frequency. In this study, we present a new type of PDG consisting of a pair of half-resonant converters and a constant current-controller circuit connected with HV solid-state power switches that can deliver almost rectangular high voltage pulses with fast rising and falling edges for CCP discharge. A prototype of the PDG is assembled to modulate from a high-voltage direct current (HVdc) input into a pulsed HVdc output, while following an input pulse signal and a set current level. The pulse rise time and fall time are less than 500 ns and 800 ns, respectively, and the minimum pulse width is 1 µs. The maximum voltage for a negative pulse is 1000 V, and the maximum repetition frequency is 500 kHz. During the pulse on time, the plasma discharge current is controlled steadily at the set value. The half-resonant converters in the PDG perform recovery of the remaining energy from the capacitive load at every termination of pulse discharge. The PDG performed with a high energy efficiency of 85% from the HVdc input to the pulsed dc output at a repetition rate of 1 kHz and with stable plasma operation in various discharge conditions. The results suggest that the developed PDG can be considered to be more efficient for plasma processing by CCP.

A High Efficiency Boost Converter with MPPT Scheme for Low Voltage Thermoelectric Energy Harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Mingjie; Wang, Kunpeng; Zhu, Qingyuan; Liao, Wei-Hsin

2016-11-01

Using thermoelectric elements to harvest energy from heat has been of great interest during the last decade. This paper presents a direct current-direct current (DC-DC) boost converter with a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) scheme for low input voltage thermoelectric energy harvesting applications. Zero current switch technique is applied in the proposed MPPT scheme. Theoretical analysis on the converter circuits is explored to derive the equations for parameters needed in the design of the boost converter. Simulations and experiments are carried out to verify the theoretical analysis and equations. A prototype of the designed converter is built using discrete components and a low-power microcontroller. The results show that the designed converter can achieve a high efficiency at low input voltage. The experimental efficiency of the designed converter is compared with a commercial converter solution. It is shown that the designed converter has a higher efficiency than the commercial solution in the considered voltage range.

Magnetic Ignition of Pulsed Gas Discharges in Air of Low Pressure in a Coaxial Plasma Gun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thom, Karlheinz; Norwood, Joseph, Jr.

1961-01-01

The effect of an axial magnetic field on the breakdown voltage of a coaxial system of electrodes has been investigated by earlier workers. For low values of gas pressure times electrode spacing, the breakdown voltage is decreased by the application of the magnetic field. The electron cyclotron radius now assumes the role held by the mean free path in nonmagnetic discharges and the breakdown voltage becomes a function of the magnetic flux density. In this paper the dependence of the formative time lag as a function of the magnetic flux density is established and the feasibility of using a magnetic field for igniting high-voltage, high-current discharges is shown through theory and experiment. With a 36 microfarad capacitor bank charged to 48,000 volts, a peak current of 1.3 x 10( exp 6) amperes in a coaxial type of plasma gun was achieved with a current rise time of only 2 microseconds.

A Comparison of Two Sensors Used to Measure High-Voltage, Fast-Risetime Signals in Coaxial Cable

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farr, Everett G.; Atchley, Lanney M.; Ellibee, Donald E.; Carey, William J.; Altgilbers, Larry L.

We consider here two sensors that are commonly used to measure high-voltage fast-risetime signals in coaxial cable. One sensor measures the current in the cable, and is called a Current-Viewing Resistor, or CVR. In this design, the cable jacket is cut, a portion of the cable jacket is removed, and a number of resistors are inserted in parallel across the gap, thereby creating a low resistance in series with the outer cable jacket. The voltage across these resistors is proportional to the current in the coax. The second sensor measures the derivative of the voltage in the coax. It is fabricated from a "sawed-off" SMA connector that is inserted through a small hole in the cable jacket. In this paper we characterize the accuracy of both sensors when used with RG-220 cable, and we discuss the situations when one might prefer one measurement type over the other.

Pharmacological and anatomical separation of calcium currents in rat dentate granule neurones in vitro.

PubMed Central

Blaxter, T J; Carlen, P L; Niesen, C

1989-01-01

1. Rat dentate granule neurones in hippocampal slices were voltage-clamped at 21-23 degrees C using CsCl-filled microelectrodes. The perfusate contained TTX and K+ channel blockers to isolate pharmacologically inward Ca2+ currents. 2. From hyperpolarized holding potentials of -65 to -85 mV, depolarizing test potentials to between -50 and -40 mV elicited a transient (100-200 ms) low-threshold (TLT) current which was also elicited from more depolarized holding potentials following hyperpolarizing voltage steps of -40 mV or greater. 3. Larger depolarizing steps from a hyperpolarized holding potential triggered a large (2-6 nA), transient high-threshold (THT) inward current, rapidly peaking and decaying over 500 ms, followed by a sustained inward current component. 4. At depolarized holding potentials (-50 to -20 mV), the THT current was apparently inactivated and a sustained high-threshold (SHT) inward current was evident during depolarizing voltage steps of 10 mV or more. 5. From hyperpolarized holding potentials with depolarizing voltage steps of 10-30 mV, most neurones demonstrated a small-amplitude, sustained low-threshold (SLT) inward current with similar characteristics to the SHT current. 6. Zero-Ca2+ perfusate or high concentrations of Ca2+ channel blockers (Cd2+, Mn2+ or Ni2+) diminished or abolished all inward currents. 7. Repetitive voltage step activation of each current at 0.5 Hz reduced the large THT current to less than 25% of an unconditioned control current, reduced the SHT current by 50%, but had little effect on the TLT current. 8. A low concentration of Cd2+ (50 microM) blocked the THT and SHT currents with little effect on the TLT current. Nimodipine (1 microM) attenuated the SHT current. Ni2+ (100 microM) selectively attenuated the TLT current. 9. In low-Ca2+ perfusate, high concentrations of Ca2+ (10-15 mM), focally applied to different parts of the neurone, increased the THT current when applied to the dendrites, the SHT current when applied to the soma and the TLT current at all locations. Conversely, in regular perfusate, Cd2+ (1-5 mM), focally applied to the dendrites decreased the THT current and somatic applications decreased the SHT current. The TLT current was diminished regardless of the site of Cd2+ application. 10. These results suggest the existence of three different Ca2+ currents in dentate granule cells separable by their activation and inactivation characteristics, pharmacology and site of initiation. PMID:2557433

An operational amplifier B1404UD1A-1 in the patch-clamp current-to-voltage converter.

PubMed

Korzun, A M; Rozinov, S V; Abashin, G I

1997-01-01

The applicability of the home-made operational amplifier B1404UD1A-1 in a patch-clamp current-to-voltage converter was analyzed. Its parameters (background noise, input bias current, and gain-bandwidth product) were estimated. Schematic solutions and practical recommendations for the use of this amplifier in a current-to-voltage converter were given. Based on the background noise and frequency parameters of the converter, we found that this device can be used for measuring ion channel currents with a high sensitivity and within a broad frequency range (0.055 pA, to 1 kHz; 0.4 pA, to 10 kHz). An example of the converter application in experiments is given.

A compact 45 kV curve tracer with picoampere current measurement capability.

PubMed

Sullivan, W W; Mauch, D; Bullick, A; Hettler, C; Neuber, A; Dickens, J

2013-03-01

This paper discusses a compact high voltage curve tracer for high voltage semiconductor device characterization. The system sources up to 3 mA at up to 45 kV in dc conditions. It measures from 328 V to 60 kV with 15 V resolution and from 9.4 pA to 4 mA with 100 fA minimum resolution. Control software for the system is written in Microsoft Visual C# and features real-time measurement control and IV plotting, arc-protection and detection, an electrically isolated universal serial bus interface, and easy data exporting capabilities. The system has survived numerous catastrophic high voltage device-under-test arcing failures with no loss of measurement capability or system damage. Overall sweep times are typically under 2 min, and the curve tracer system was used to characterize the blocking performance of high voltage ceramic capacitors, high voltage silicon carbide photoconductive semiconductor switches, and high voltage coaxial cable.

Series Connected Buck-Boost Regulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birchenough, Arthur G. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

A Series Connected Buck-Boost Regulator (SCBBR) that switches only a fraction of the input power, resulting in relatively high efficiencies. The SCBBR has multiple operating modes including a buck, a boost, and a current limiting mode, so that an output voltage of the SCBBR ranges from below the source voltage to above the source voltage.

High-temperature, gas-filled ceramic rectifiers, thyratrons, and voltage-reference tubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baum, E. A.

1969-01-01

Thyratron, capable of being operated as a rectifier and a voltage-reference tube, was constructed and tested for 1000 hours at temperatures to 800 degrees C. With current levels at 15 amps and peak voltages of 2000 volts and frequencies at 6000 cps, tube efficiency was greater than 97 percent.

Membrane voltage fluctuations reduce spike frequency adaptation and preserve output gain in CA1 pyramidal neurons in a high conductance state

PubMed Central

Fernandez, Fernando R.; Broicher, Tilman; Truong, Alan; White, John A.

2011-01-01

Modulating the gain of the input-output function of neurons is critical for processing of stimuli and network dynamics. Previous gain control mechanisms have suggested that voltage fluctuations play a key role in determining neuronal gain in vivo. Here we show that, under increased membrane conductance, voltage fluctuations restore Na+ current and reduce spike frequency adaptation in rat hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons in vitro. As a consequence, membrane voltage fluctuations produce a leftward shift in the f-I relationship without a change in gain, relative to an increase in conductance alone. Furthermore, we show that these changes have important implications for the integration of inhibitory inputs. Due to the ability to restore Na+ current, hyperpolarizing membrane voltage fluctuations mediated by GABAA-like inputs can increase firing rate in a high conductance state. Finally, our data show that the effects on gain and synaptic integration are mediated by voltage fluctuations within a physiologically relevant range of frequencies (10–40 Hz). PMID:21389243

Current transport mechanisms in mercury cadmium telluride diode

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

Gopal, Vishnu, E-mail: vishnu-46@yahoo.com, E-mail: wdhu@mail.sitp.ac.cn; Li, Qing; He, Jiale

This paper reports the results of modelling of the current-voltage characteristics (I-V) of a planar mid-wave Mercury Cadmium Telluride photodiode in a gate controlled diode experiment. It is reported that the diode exhibits nearly ideal I-V characteristics under the optimum surface potential leading to the minimal surface leakage current. Deviations from the optimum surface potential lead to non ideal I–V characteristics, indicating a strong relationship between the ideality factor of the diode with its surface leakage current. Diode's I–V characteristics have been modelled over a range of gate voltages from −9 V to −2 V. This range of gate voltages includes accumulation,more » flat band, and depletion and inversion conditions below the gate structure of the diode. It is shown that the I–V characteristics of the diode can be very well described by (i) thermal diffusion current, (ii) ohmic shunt current, (iii) photo-current due to background illumination, and (iv) excess current that grows by the process of avalanche multiplication in the gate voltage range from −3 V to −5 V that corresponds to the optimum surface potential. Outside the optimum gate voltage range, the origin of the excess current of the diode is associated with its high surface leakage currents. It is reported that the ohmic shunt current model applies to small surface leakage currents. The higher surface leakage currents exhibit a nonlinear shunt behaviour. It is also shown that the observed zero-bias dynamic resistance of the diode over the entire gate voltage range is the sum of ohmic shunt resistance and estimated zero-bias dynamic resistance of the diode from its thermal saturation current.« less

High voltage coaxial switch

DOEpatents

Rink, J.P.

1983-07-19

A coaxial high voltage, high current switch having a solid cylindrical cold cathode coaxially surrounded by a thin hollow cylindrical inner electrode and a larger hollow cylindrical outer electrode. A high voltage trigger between the cathode and the inner electrode causes electrons to be emitted from the cathode and flow to the inner electrode preferably through a vacuum. Some of the electrons penetrate the inner electrode and cause a volumetric discharge in the gas (which may be merely air) between the inner and outer electrodes. The discharge provides a low impedance path between a high voltage charge placed on the outer electrode and a load (which may be a high power laser) coupled to the inner electrode. For high repetition rate the gas between the inner and outer electrodes may be continuously exchanged or refreshed under pressure. 3 figs.

High voltage coaxial switch

DOEpatents

Rink, John P.

1983-07-19

A coaxial high voltage, high current switch having a solid cylindrical cold cathode coaxially surrounded by a thin hollow cylindrical inner electrode and a larger hollow cylindrical outer electrode. A high voltage trigger between the cathode and the inner electrode causes electrons to be emitted from the cathode and flow to the inner electrode preferably through a vacuum. Some of the electrons penetrate the inner electrode and cause a volumetric discharge in the gas (which may be merely air) between the inner and outer electrodes. The discharge provides a low impedance path between a high voltage charge placed on the outer electrode and a load (which may be a high power laser) coupled to the inner electrode. For high repetition rate the gas between the inner and outer electrodes may be continuously exchanged or refreshed under pressure.

Inhibitory actions of synthesised polyamine spider toxins and their analogues on Ca2+-activated Cl- currents recorded from cultured DRG neurones from neonatal rats.

PubMed

Sutton, K G; Stapleton, S R; Scott, R H

1998-07-24

The whole cell variant of the patch clamp technique was used to investigate the actions of polyamine spider toxins and their analogues on high voltage-activated Ca2+ currents and Ca2+-activated Cl- currents (I(Cl(Ca))). The actions of synthesised FTX (putative natural toxin from the American funnel web spider), sFTX-3.3, Orn-FTX-3.3, Lys-FTX-3.3, and argiotoxin-636 on cultured dorsal root ganglion neurones from neonatal rats were investigated. Synthesised FTX (1 microM) inhibited I(Cl(Ca)) but did not inhibit high voltage-activated Ca2+ currents. In contrast, sFTX-3.3 (10 microM) inhibited both high voltage-activated Ca2+ currents and the associated I(Cl(Ca)) in near equal proportions. Argiotoxin-636 (1-10 microM) inhibited I(Cl(Ca)) evoked by Ca2+ entry through voltage-activated channels and by intracellular photorelease of Ca2+ from a caged precursor DM-nitrophen. This data indicates that synthesised FTX and argiotoxin-636 directly inhibit Ca2+-activated Cl- channels. In conclusion, the potency of polyamines as non-selective inhibitors of Ca2+ channels and Ca2+-activated Cl- channels is in part determined by the presence of a terminal arginine and this may involve an interaction between terminal guanidino groups and Ca2+ binding sites.

Fabrication of Schottky Junction Between Au and SrTiO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Akira; Izumisawa, Kei; Uwe, Hiromoto

2001-05-01

A Schottky junction with a high rectification ratio between Au and La-doped SrTiO3 has been fabricated using a simple surface treatment. Highly La-doped (5%) SrTiO3 single crystals are annealed in O2 atmosphere at about 1000°C for 1 h and etched in HNO3 for more than five min. The HNO3 etching is performed in a globe box containing N2 to prevent pollution from the air. After the treatment, Au is deposited on the SrTiO3 surface in a vacuum (˜ 10-7 Torr) with an e-gun evaporator. The current voltage characteristics of the junction have shown excellent rectification properties, although junctions using neither annealed nor etched SrTiO3 exhibit high leak current in reverse voltage. The rectification ratio of the junction at 1 V is more than six orders of magnitude and there is no hysteresis in the current voltage spectra. The logarithm of the current is linear with the forward bias voltage. The ideal factor of the junction is estimated to be about 1.68. These results suggest that, if prevented from being pollution by the air, a good Schottky junction can be obtained by easy processes such as annealing in oxygen atmosphere and surface etching with acid.

Optically triggered high voltage switch network and method for switching a high voltage

DOEpatents

El-Sharkawi, Mohamed A.; Andexler, George; Silberkleit, Lee I.

1993-01-19

An optically triggered solid state switch and method for switching a high voltage electrical current. A plurality of solid state switches (350) are connected in series for controlling electrical current flow between a compensation capacitor (112) and ground in a reactive power compensator (50, 50') that monitors the voltage and current flowing through each of three distribution lines (52a, 52b and 52c), which are supplying three-phase power to one or more inductive loads. An optical transmitter (100) controlled by the reactive power compensation system produces light pulses that are conveyed over optical fibers (102) to a switch driver (110') that includes a plurality of series connected optical triger circuits (288). Each of the optical trigger circuits controls a pair of the solid state switches and includes a plurality of series connected resistors (294, 326, 330, and 334) that equalize or balance the potential across the plurality of trigger circuits. The trigger circuits are connected to one of the distribution lines through a trigger capacitor (340). In each switch driver, the light signals activate a phototransistor (300) so that an electrical current flows from one of the energy reservoir capacitors through a pulse transformer (306) in the trigger circuit, producing gate signals that turn on the pair of serially connected solid state switches (350).

Effect of secondary electron emission on subnanosecond breakdown in high-voltage pulse discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schweigert, I. V.; Alexandrov, A. L.; Gugin, P.; Lavrukhin, M.; Bokhan, P. A.; Zakrevsky, Dm E.

2017-11-01

The subnanosecond breakdown in open discharge may be applied for producing superfast high power switches. Such fast breakdown in high-voltage pulse discharge in helium was explored both in experiment and in kinetic simulations. The kinetic model of electron avalanche development was developed using PIC-MCC technique. The model simulates motion of electrons, ions and fast helium atoms, appearing due to ions scattering. It was shown that the mechanism responsible for ultra-fast breakdown development is the electron emission from cathode. The photoemission and emission by ions or fast atoms impact is the main reason of current growth at the early stage of breakdown, but at the final stage, when the voltage on discharge gap drops, the secondary electron emission (SEE) is responsible for subnanosecond time scale of current growth. It was also found that the characteristic time of the current growth τS depends on the SEE yield of the cathode material. Three types of cathode material (titanium, SiC, and CuAlMg-alloy) were tested. It is shown that in discharge with SiC and CuAlMg-alloy cathodes (which have enhanced SEE) the current can increase with a subnanosecond characteristic time as small as τS = 0.4 ns, for the pulse voltage amplitude of 5- 12 kV..

Efficient Low-Voltage Operation of a CW Gyrotron Oscillator at 233 GHz.

PubMed

Hornstein, Melissa K; Bajaj, Vikram S; Griffin, Robert G; Temkin, Richard J

2007-02-01

The gyrotron oscillator is a source of high average power millimeter-wave through terahertz radiation. In this paper, we report low beam power and high-efficiency operation of a tunable gyrotron oscillator at 233 GHz. The low-voltage operating mode provides a path to further miniaturization of the gyrotron through reduction in the size of the electron gun, power supply, collector, and cooling system, which will benefit industrial and scientific applications requiring portability. Detailed studies of low-voltage operation in the TE(2) (,) (3) (,) (1) mode reveal that the mode can be excited with less than 7 W of beam power at 3.5 kV. During CW operation with 3.5-kV beam voltage and 50-mA beam current, the gyrotron generates 12 W of RF power at 233.2 GHz. The EGUN electron optics code describes the low-voltage operation of the electron gun. Using gun-operating parameters derived from EGUN simulations, we show that a linear theory adequately predicts the low experimental starting currents.

Efficient Low-Voltage Operation of a CW Gyrotron Oscillator at 233 GHz

PubMed Central

Hornstein, Melissa K.; Bajaj, Vikram S.; Griffin, Robert G.; Temkin, Richard J.

2007-01-01

The gyrotron oscillator is a source of high average power millimeter-wave through terahertz radiation. In this paper, we report low beam power and high-efficiency operation of a tunable gyrotron oscillator at 233 GHz. The low-voltage operating mode provides a path to further miniaturization of the gyrotron through reduction in the size of the electron gun, power supply, collector, and cooling system, which will benefit industrial and scientific applications requiring portability. Detailed studies of low-voltage operation in the TE2,3,1 mode reveal that the mode can be excited with less than 7 W of beam power at 3.5 kV. During CW operation with 3.5-kV beam voltage and 50-mA beam current, the gyrotron generates 12 W of RF power at 233.2 GHz. The EGUN electron optics code describes the low-voltage operation of the electron gun. Using gun-operating parameters derived from EGUN simulations, we show that a linear theory adequately predicts the low experimental starting currents. PMID:17687412

Improved Drain Current Saturation and Voltage Gain in Graphene-on-Silicon Field Effect Transistors.

PubMed

Song, Seung Min; Bong, Jae Hoon; Hwang, Wan Sik; Cho, Byung Jin

2016-05-04

Graphene devices for radio frequency (RF) applications are of great interest due to their excellent carrier mobility and saturation velocity. However, the insufficient current saturation in graphene field effect transistors (FETs) is a barrier preventing enhancements of the maximum oscillation frequency and voltage gain, both of which should be improved for RF transistors. Achieving a high output resistance is therefore a crucial step for graphene to be utilized in RF applications. In the present study, we report high output resistances and voltage gains in graphene-on-silicon (GoS) FETs. This is achieved by utilizing bare silicon as a supporting substrate without an insulating layer under the graphene. The GoSFETs exhibit a maximum output resistance of 2.5 MΩ∙μm, maximum intrinsic voltage gain of 28 dB, and maximum voltage gain of 9 dB. This method opens a new route to overcome the limitations of conventional graphene-on-insulator (GoI) FETs and subsequently brings graphene electronics closer to practical usage.

Method and system for a gas tube switch-based voltage source high voltage direct current transmission system

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

She, Xu; Chokhawala, Rahul Shantilal; Zhou, Rui

A voltage source converter based high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission system includes a voltage source converter (VSC)-based power converter channel. The VSC-based power converter channel includes an AC-DC converter and a DC-AC inverter electrically coupled to the AC-DC converter. The AC-DC converter and a DC-AC inverter include at least one gas tube switching device coupled in electrical anti-parallel with a respective gas tube diode. The VSC-based power converter channel includes a commutating circuit communicatively coupled to one or more of the at least one gas tube switching devices. The commutating circuit is configured to "switch on" a respective one of themore » one or more gas tube switching devices during a first portion of an operational cycle and "switch off" the respective one of the one or more gas tube switching devices during a second portion of the operational cycle.« less

Advanced Power Electronics and Smart Inverters | Grid Modernization | NREL

Science.gov Websites

provide grid services such as voltage and frequency regulation, ride-through, dynamic current injection impacts of smart inverters on distribution systems. These activities are focused on enabling high combines high-voltage silicon carbide with revolutionary concepts such as additive manufacturing and multi

Lumped transmission line avalanche pulser

DOEpatents

Booth, R.

1995-07-18

A lumped linear avalanche transistor pulse generator utilizes stacked transistors in parallel within a stage and couples a plurality of said stages, in series with increasing zener diode limited voltages per stage and decreasing balanced capacitance load per stage to yield a high voltage, high and constant current, very short pulse. 8 figs.

Lumped transmission line avalanche pulser

DOEpatents

Booth, Rex

1995-01-01

A lumped linear avalanche transistor pulse generator utilizes stacked transistors in parallel within a stage and couples a plurality of said stages, in series with increasing zener diode limited voltages per stage and decreasing balanced capacitance load per stage to yield a high voltage, high and constant current, very short pulse.

MOSFET-based high voltage short pulse generator for ultrasonic transducer excitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayat, Darmawan; Setianto, Syafei, Nendi Suhendi; Wibawa, Bambang Mukti

2018-02-01

This paper presents the generation of a high-voltage short pulse for the excitation of high frequency ultrasonic transducers. This is highly required in the purpose of various ultrasonic-based evaluations, particularly when high resolution measurement is necessary. A high voltage (+760 V) DC voltage source was pulsated by an ultrafast switching MOSFET which was driven by a pulse generator circuit consisting of an astable multivibrator, a one-shot multivibrator with Schmitt trigger input and a high current MOSFET driver. The generated pulses excited a 200-kHz and a 1-MHz ultrasonic transducers and tested in the transmission mode propagation to evaluate the performances of the generated pulse. The test results showed the generator were able to produce negative spike pulses up to -760 V voltage with the shortest time-width of 107.1 nanosecond. The transmission-received ultrasonic waves show frequency oscillation at 200 and 961 kHz and their amplitudes varied with the voltage of excitation pulse. These results conclude that the developed pulse generator is applicable to excite transducer for the generation of high frequency ultrasonic waves.

Low-voltage organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) using crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) bilayer gate dielectrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khound, Sagarika; Sarma, Ranjit

2018-01-01

We have reported here on the design, processing and dielectric properties of pentacene-based organic thin film transitors (OTFTs) with a bilayer gate dilectrics of crosslinked PVA/Nd2O3 which enables low-voltage organic thin film operations. The dielectric characteristics of PVA/Nd2O3 bilayer films are studied by capacitance-voltage ( C- V) and current-voltage ( I- V) curves in the metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure. We have analysed the output electrical responses and transfer characteristics of the OTFT devices to determine their performance of OTFT parameters. The mobility of 0.94 cm2/Vs, the threshold voltage of - 2.8 V, the current on-off ratio of 6.2 × 105, the subthreshold slope of 0.61 V/decade are evaluated. Low leakage current of the device is observed from current density-electric field ( J- E) curve. The structure and the morphology of the device are studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. The study demonstrates an effective way to realize low-voltage, high-performance OTFTs at low cost.

Application of the superposition principle to solar-cell analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindholm, F. A.; Fossum, J. G.; Burgess, E. L.

1979-01-01

The superposition principle of differential-equation theory - which applies if and only if the relevant boundary-value problems are linear - is used to derive the widely used shifting approximation that the current-voltage characteristic of an illuminated solar cell is the dark current-voltage characteristic shifted by the short-circuit photocurrent. Analytical methods are presented to treat cases where shifting is not strictly valid. Well-defined conditions necessary for superposition to apply are established. For high injection in the base region, the method of analysis accurately yields the dependence of the open-circuit voltage on the short-circuit current (or the illumination level).

Exponential current pulse generation for efficient very high-impedance multisite stimulation.

PubMed

Ethier, S; Sawan, M

2011-02-01

We describe in this paper an intracortical current-pulse generator for high-impedance microstimulation. This dual-chip system features a stimuli generator and a high-voltage electrode driver. The stimuli generator produces flexible rising exponential pulses in addition to standard rectangular stimuli. This novel stimulation waveform is expected to provide superior energy efficiency for action potential triggering while releasing less toxic reduced ions in the cortical tissues. The proposed fully integrated electrode driver is used as the output stage where high-voltage supplies are generated on-chip to significantly increase the voltage compliance for stimulation through high-impedance electrode-tissue interfaces. The stimuli generator has been implemented in 0.18-μm CMOS technology while a 0.8-μm CMOS/DMOS process has been used to integrate the high-voltage output stage. Experimental results show that the rectangular pulses cover a range of 1.6 to 167.2 μA with a DNL and an INL of 0.098 and 0.163 least-significant bit, respectively. The maximal dynamic range of the generated exponential reaches 34.36 dB at full scale within an error of ± 0.5 dB while all of its parameters (amplitude, duration, and time constant) are independently programmable over wide ranges. This chip consumes a maximum of 88.3 μ W in the exponential mode. High-voltage supplies of 8.95 and -8.46 V are generated by the output stage, boosting the voltage swing up to 13.6 V for a load as high as 100 kΩ.

High voltage power supply

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruitberg, A. P.; Young, K. M. (Inventor)

1985-01-01

A high voltage power supply is formed by three discrete circuits energized by a battery to provide a plurality of concurrent output signals floating at a high output voltage on the order of several tens of kilovolts. In the first two circuits, the regulator stages are pulse width modulated and include adjustable ressistances for varying the duty cycles of pulse trains provided to corresponding oscillator stages while the third regulator stage includes an adjustable resistance for varying the amplitude of a steady signal provided to a third oscillator stage. In the first circuit, the oscillator, formed by a constant current drive network and a tuned resonant network included a step up transformer, is coupled to a second step up transformer which, in turn, supplies an amplified sinusoidal signal to a parallel pair of complementary poled rectifying, voltage multiplier stages to generate the high output voltage.

Repetitive flash x-ray generator having a high-durability diode driven by a two-cable-type line pulser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shikoda, A.; Sato, E.; Sagae, M.; Oizumi, T.; Tamakawa, Y.; Yanagisawa, T.

1994-04-01

The fundamental studies of a repetitive soft flash x-ray generator having a high-durability diode for high-speed radiography in biomedical and technological fields are described. This generator consisted of the following essential components: a constant negative high-voltage power supply, a line-type high-voltage pulser with two 10 m coaxial-cable condensers, each with a capacity of 1.0 nF, a thyratron pulser as a trigger device, an oil-diffusion pump, and a flash x-ray tube. The x-ray tube was of a diode type which was evacuated by an oil-diffusion pump with a pressure of approximately 6.7×10-3 Pa and was composed of a planar tungsten anode, a planar ferrite cathode, and a polymethylmethacrylate tube body. The space between the anode and cathode electrodes (AC space) could be regulated from the outside of the tube. The two cable condensers were charged from -40 to -60 kV by a power supply, and the output voltage was about -1.5 times the charged voltage. Both the first peak voltage and current increased according to increases in the charged voltage, and the maximum values of the voltage and current were about 90 kV and 0.72 kA, respectively. The pulse widths had values of less than 100 ns, and the maximum x-ray intensity was approximately 1.1 μC/kg at 0.5 m per pulse. The repetition rate was less than 54 Hz, and the maximum focal spot size was about 2.0×2.5 mm.

Measurement and analysis of time-domain characteristics of corona-generated radio interference from a single positive corona source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xuebao; Li, Dayong; Chen, Bo; Cui, Xiang; Lu, Tiebing; Li, Yinfei

2018-04-01

The corona-generated electromagnetic interference commonly known as radio interference (RI) has become a limiting factor for the design of high voltage direct current transmission lines. In this paper, a time-domain measurement system is developed to measure the time-domain characteristics of corona-generated RI from a single corona source under a positive corona source. In the experiments, the corona current pulses are synchronously measured through coupling capacitors. The one-to-one relationship between the corona current pulse and measured RI voltage pulse is observed. The statistical characteristics of pulse parameters are analyzed, and the correlations between the corona current pulse and RI voltage pulse in the time-domain and frequency-domain are analyzed. Depending on the measured corona current pulses, the time-domain waveform of corona-generated RI is calculated on the basis of the propagation model of corona current on the conductor, the dipolar model for electric field calculation, and the antenna model for inducing voltage calculation. The well matched results between measured and simulated waveforms of RI voltage can show the validity of the measurement and calculation method presented in this paper, which also further show the close correlation between corona current and corona-generated RI.

Optimized expression and purification of NavAb provide the structural insight into the voltage dependence.

PubMed

Irie, Katsumasa; Haga, Yukari; Shimomura, Takushi; Fujiyoshi, Yoshinori

2018-01-01

Voltage-gated sodium channels are crucial for electro-signalling in living systems. Analysis of the molecular mechanism requires both fine electrophysiological evaluation and high-resolution channel structures. Here, we optimized a dual expression system of NavAb, which is a well-established standard of prokaryotic voltage-gated sodium channels, for E. coli and insect cells using a single plasmid vector to analyse high-resolution protein structures and measure large ionic currents. Using this expression system, we evaluated the voltage dependence and determined the crystal structures of NavAb wild-type and two mutants, E32Q and N49K, whose voltage dependence were positively shifted and essential interactions were lost in voltage sensor domain. The structural and functional comparison elucidated the molecular mechanisms of the voltage dependence of prokaryotic voltage-gated sodium channels. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Ultrafast Power Processor for Smart Grid Power Module Development

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

MAITRA, ARINDAM; LITWIN, RAY; lai, Jason

This project’s goal was to increase the switching speed and decrease the losses of the power semiconductor devices and power switch modules necessary to enable Smart Grid energy flow and control equipment such as the Ultra-Fast Power Processor. The primary focus of this project involves exploiting the new silicon-based Super-GTO (SGTO) technology and build on prototype modules already being developed. The prototype super gate-turn-off thyristor (SGTO) has been tested fully under continuously conducting and double-pulse hard-switching conditions for conduction and switching characteristics evaluation. The conduction voltage drop measurement results indicate that SGTO has excellent conduction characteristics despite inconsistency among somemore » prototype devices. Tests were conducted with two conditions: (1) fixed gate voltage and varying anode current condition, and (2) fixed anode current and varying gate voltage condition. The conduction voltage drop is relatively a constant under different gate voltage condition. In terms of voltage drop as a function of the load current, there is a fixed voltage drop about 0.5V under zero current condition, and then the voltage drop is linearly increased with the current. For a 5-kV voltage blocking device that may operate under 2.5-kV condition, the projected voltage drop is less than 2.5 V under 50-A condition, or 0.1%. If the device is adopted in a converter operating under soft-switching condition, then the converter can achieve an ultrahigh efficiency, typically above 99%. The two-pulse switching test results indicate that SGTO switching speed is very fast. The switching loss is relatively low as compared to that of the insulated-gate-bipolar-transistors (IGBTs). A special phenomenon needs to be noted is such a fast switching speed for the high-voltage switching tends to create an unexpected Cdv/dt current, which reduces the turn-on loss because the dv/dt is negative and increases the turn-off loss because the dv/dt is positive. As a result, the turn-on loss at low current is quite low, and the turn-off loss at low current is relatively high. The phenomenon was verified with junction capacitance measurement along with the dv/dt calculation. Under 2-kV test condition, the turn-on and turn-off losses at 25-A is about 3 and 9 mJ, respectively. As compared to a 4.5-kV, 60-A rated IGBT, which has turn-on and turn-off losses about 25 and 20 mJ under similar test condition, the SGTO shows significant switching loss reduction. The switching loss depends on the switching frequency, but under hard-switching condition, the SGTO is favored to the IGBT device. The only concern is during low current turn-on condition, there is a voltage bump that can translate to significant power loss and associated heat. The reason for such a current bump is not known from this study. It is necessary that the device manufacturer perform though test and provide the answer so the user can properly apply SGTO in pulse-width-modulated (PWM) converter and inverter applications.« less

On transition from diffuse mode to the constricted one with high-current cathode spot in overvoltage open discharge in D2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akishev, Yu S.; Karalnik, V. B.; Medvedev, M. A.; Petryakov, A. V.; Trushkin, N. I.; Shafikov, A. G.

2017-11-01

So called “open discharges” in a narrow gap between the solid cathode and grid anode are widely used for generation of the pulsed high-current electron beams with energy up to 100 keV. The need to get high-energy e-beams leads to the necessity in using of strong overvoltage of the short gas gap with the reduced electric field of the order of 105 Td or higher. The discharge under strong overvoltage is unstable and tends to transit into high-current regime with low voltage. In the case of the open discharge in D2 at low pressure (about 0.5-2 Torr) and powered by stepwise voltage with amplitude up to 25 kV we revealed that this discharge exhibits two diffuse regimes which follow one by one and finally transits into the constricted mode with formation of high-current spots on the cathode. The physical properties of these gas discharge regimes have been explored in detail with the usage of the fast multi-frame camera synchronized with the current and voltage of discharge. Our findings promote more insight into physics of the overvoltage open discharge generating the e-beams with energy up to 25 keV.

Line transients with corona

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

Saied, M.M.; Safar, Y.A.; Salama, M.H.

1987-01-01

This paper investigates the effect of corona on the electromagnetic transients along high voltage overhead lines. A method is presented to simulate the line by dividing it into a number of sections connected in cascade. For {ital n} line sections, the number of the unknown variables is 2{ital n} + 1. The method allows any waveform of the exciting voltage function, as well as any impedance loading condition. The corona is represented by voltage-dependent shunt current sources. A systematic way for writing a sufficient number of differential equations is shown. For their solution, a digital computer subroutine based on themore » Runge--Kutta--Verner method was used. An artificial frequency-dependent damping by means of linear resistors was used to suppress the Gibb's oscillations in the solution. The proposed method is applied to study the transients on a 40 km high voltage line with 30-ft flat phase spacing and a single 1.4 inch ACSR conductor per phase. The exciting voltage has a double-exponential impulse waveform. Solutions are given for three values of resistive loads Z{sub {ital c}}2Z{sub {ital c}} and Z{sub {ital c}}/2, where Z{sub {ital c}} is the line surge impedance. The results of two interesting cases of inductive and capacitive loads are also given. Physical interpretations for the different solutions are given. Also, the current-voltage duality between inductive and capacitive loads is recognized. The corona was found to attenuate and distort the travelling waves. For example, during one wave excursion, the reduction of the current wave peaks can reach values as high as 8.5%. The effect is more noticeable in the current than in the voltage waves. As expected, it increases also with the line corona losses. The effect of the increase of the line effective capacitance due to the corona discharge is also demonstrated.« less

High-sensitive computed tomography system using a silicon-PIN x-ray diode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Eiichi; Sato, Yuich; Abudurexiti, Abulajiang; Hagiwara, Osahiko; Matsukiyo, Hiroshi; Osawa, Akihiro; Enomoto, Toshiyuki; Watanabe, Manabu; Kusachi, Shinya; Sato, Shigehiro; Ogawa, Akira; Onagawa, Jun

2012-10-01

A low-dose-rate X-ray computed tomography (CT) system is useful for reducing absorbed dose for patients. The CT system with a tube current of 1.91 mA was developed using a silicon-PIN X-ray diode (Si-PIN-XD). The Si-PIN-XD is a selected high-sensitive Si-PIN photodiode (PD) for detecting X-ray photons. X-ray photons are detected directly using the Si-PIN-XD without a scintillator, and the photocurrent from the diode is amplified using current-voltage and voltage-voltage amplifiers. The output voltage is converted into logical pulses using a voltage-frequency converter with maximum frequency of 500 kHz, and the frequency is proportional to the voltage. The pulses from the converter are sent to differentiator with a time constant of 1 μs to generate short positive pulses for counting, and the pulses are counted using a counter card. Tomography is accomplished by repeated linear scans and rotations of an object, and projection curves of the object are obtained by the linear scan. The exposure time for obtaining a tomogram was 5 min at a scan step of 0.5 mm and a rotation step of 3.0°. The tube current and voltage were 1.91 mA and 100 kV, respectively, and gadolinium K-edge CT was carried out using filtered X-ray spectra with a peak energy of 52 keV.

BPM Breakdown Potential in the PEP-II B-factory Storage Ring Collider

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

Weathersby, Stephen; Novokhatski, Alexander; /SLAC

2010-02-10

High current B-Factory BPM designs incorporate a button type electrode which introduces a small gap between the button and the beam chamber. For achievable currents and bunch lengths, simulations indicate that electric potentials can be induced in this gap which are comparable to the breakdown voltage. This study characterizes beam induced voltages in the existing PEP-II storage ring collider BPM as a function of bunch length and beam current.

Operational Characteristics of a High Voltage Dense Plasma Focus.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-11-01

A high voltage dense plasma focus powered by a single-stage Marx bank was designed, built and operated. The maximum bank parameters are: voltage--120...kV, energy--20 kJ, short-circuit current--600kA. The bank impedance is about 200 millohms. The plasma focus center electrode diameter is 1.27 cm. The...about 50 milliohms. The context of this work is established with a review of previous plasma focus theoretical, experimental and computational work and

Back-streaming ion beam measurements in a Self Magnetic Insulated (SMP) electron diode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazarakis, Michael; Johnston, Mark; Kiefer, Mark; Leckbee, Josh; Webb, Timothy; Bennett, Nichelle; Droemer, Darryl; Welch, Dale; Nielsen, Dan; Ziska, Derek; Wilkins, Frank; Advance radiography department Team

2014-10-01

A self-magnetic pinch diode (SMP) is presently the electron diode of choice for high energy flash x-ray radiography utilizing pulsed power drivers. The Sandia National Laboratories RITS accelerator is presently fit with an SMP diode that generates very small electron beam spots. RITS is a Self-Magnetically Insulated Transmission Line (MITL) voltage adder that adds the voltage pulse of six 1.3 MV inductively insulated cavities. The diode's anode is made of high Z metal in order to produce copious and energetic flash x-rays for radiographic imaging of high areal density objects. In any high voltage inductive voltage adder (IVA) utilizing MITLs to transmit the power to the diode load, the precise knowledge of the accelerating voltage applied on the anode-cathode (A-K) gap is problematic. This is even more difficult in an SMP diode where the A-K gap is very small (~1 cm) and the diode region very hostile. We are currently measuring the back-streaming ion currents emitted from the anode and propagating through a hollow cathode tip. We then are evaluating the A-K gap voltage by ion time of flight measurements supplemented with filtered Rogowski coils. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract No. DE- AC04-94AL850.

Analysis and elimination method of the effects of cables on LVRT testing for offshore wind turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Zimin; Liu, Xiaohao; Li, Changgang; Liu, Yutian

2018-02-01

The current state, characteristics and necessity of the low voltage ride through (LVRT) on-site testing for grid-connected offshore wind turbines are introduced firstly. Then the effects of submarine cables on the LVRT testing are analysed based on the equivalent circuit of the testing system. A scheme for eliminating the effects of cables on the proposed LVRT testing method is presented. The specified voltage dips are guaranteed to be in compliance with the testing standards by adjusting the ratio between the current limiting impedance and short circuit impedance according to the steady voltage relationship derived from the equivalent circuit. Finally, simulation results demonstrate that the voltage dips at the high voltage side of wind turbine transformer satisfy the requirements of testing standards.

High power thyristors with 5 kV blocking voltage. Volume 1: Development of high-voltage-thyristors (4.5 kV) with good dynamic properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lock, K.; Patalong, H.; Platzoeder, K.

1979-01-01

Using neutron irradiated silicon with considerably lower spread in resistivity as compared to conventionally doped silicon it was possible to produce power thyristors with breakdown voltages between 3.5 kV and 5.5 kV. The thyristor pellets have a diameter of 50 mm. Maximum average on-state currents of 600 to 800 A can be reached with these elements. The dynamic properties of the thryistors could be improved to allow standard applications up to maximum repetitive voltages of 4.5 kV.

Current-voltage characteristics of carbon nanostructured field emitters in different power supply modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popov, E. O.; Kolosko, A. G.; Filippov, S. V.; Romanov, P. A.; Terukov, E. I.; Shchegolkov, A. V.; Tkachev, A. G.

2017-12-01

We received and compared the current-voltage characteristics of large-area field emitters based on nanocomposites with graphene and nanotubes. The characteristics were measured in two high voltage scanning modes: the "slow" and the "fast". Correlation between two types of hysteresis observed in these regimes was determined. Conditions for transition from "reverse" hysteresis to the "direct" one were experimentally defined. Analysis of the eight-shaped hysteresis was provided with calculation of the effective emission parameters. The phenomenological model of adsorption-desorption processes in the field emission system was proposed.

Module Hipot and ground continuity test results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffith, J. S.

1984-01-01

Hipot (high voltage potential) and module frame continuity tests of solar energy conversion modules intended for deployment into large arrays are discussed. The purpose of the tests is to reveal potentially hazardous voltage conditions in installed modules, and leakage currents that may result in loss of power or cause ground fault system problems, i.e., current leakage potential and leakage voltage distribution. The tests show a combined failure rate of 36% (69% when environmental testing is included). These failure rates are believed easily corrected by greater care in fabrication.

Nanosecond pulsed power generator for a voltage amplitude up to 300 kV and a repetition rate up to 16 Hz for fine disintegration of quartz

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

Krastelev, E. G., E-mail: ekrastelev@yandex.ru; Sedin, A. A.; Tugushev, V. I.

2015-12-15

A generator of high-power high-voltage nanosecond pulses is intended for electrical discharge disintegration of mineral quartz and other nonconducting minerals. It includes a 320 kV Marx pulsed voltage generator, a high-voltage glycerin-insulated coaxial peaking capacitor, and an output gas spark switch followed by a load, an electric discharge disintegration chamber. The main parameters of the generator are as follows: a voltage pulse amplitude of up to 300 kV, an output impedance of ≈10 Ω, a discharge current amplitude of up to 25 kA for a half-period of 80–90 ns, and a pulse repetition rate of up to 16 Hz.

Radio-frequency powered glow discharge device and method with high voltage interface

DOEpatents

Duckworth, D.C.; Marcus, R.K.; Donohue, D.L.; Lewis, T.A.

1994-06-28

A high voltage accelerating potential, which is supplied by a high voltage direct current power supply, is applied to the electrically conducting interior wall of an RF powered glow discharge cell. The RF power supply desirably is electrically grounded, and the conductor carrying the RF power to the sample held by the probe is desirably shielded completely excepting only the conductor's terminal point of contact with the sample. The high voltage DC accelerating potential is not supplied to the sample. A high voltage capacitance is electrically connected in series between the sample on the one hand and the RF power supply and an impedance matching network on the other hand. The high voltage capacitance isolates the high DC voltage from the RF electronics, while the RF potential is passed across the high voltage capacitance to the plasma. An inductor protects at least the RF power supply, and desirably the impedance matching network as well, from a short that might occur across the high voltage capacitance. The discharge cell and the probe which holds the sample are configured and disposed to prevent the probe's components, which are maintained at ground potential, from bridging between the relatively low vacuum region in communication with the glow discharge maintained within the cell on the one hand, and the relatively high vacuum region surrounding the probe and cell on the other hand. The probe and cell also are configured and disposed to prevent the probe's components from electrically shorting the cell's components. 11 figures.

Radio-frequency powered glow discharge device and method with high voltage interface

DOEpatents

Duckworth, Douglas C.; Marcus, R. Kenneth; Donohue, David L.; Lewis, Trousdale A.

1994-01-01

A high voltage accelerating potential, which is supplied by a high voltage direct current power supply, is applied to the electrically conducting interior wall of an RF powered glow discharge cell. The RF power supply desirably is electrically grounded, and the conductor carrying the RF power to the sample held by the probe is desirably shielded completely excepting only the conductor's terminal point of contact with the sample. The high voltage DC accelerating potential is not supplied to the sample. A high voltage capacitance is electrically connected in series between the sample on the one hand and the RF power supply and an impedance matching network on the other hand. The high voltage capacitance isolates the high DC voltage from the RF electronics, while the RF potential is passed across the high voltage capacitance to the plasma. An inductor protects at least the RF power supply, and desirably the impedance matching network as well, from a short that might occur across the high voltage capacitance. The discharge cell and the probe which holds the sample are configured and disposed to prevent the probe's components, which are maintained at ground potential, from bridging between the relatively low vacuum region in communication with the glow discharge maintained within the cell on the one hand, and the relatively high vacuum region surrounding the probe and cell on the other hand. The probe and cell also are configured and disposed to prevent the probe's components from electrically shorting the cell's components.

Influence of the electrode gap separation on the pseudospark-sourced electron beam generation

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

Zhao, J., E-mail: junping.zhao@qq.com; State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, West Xianning Road, Xi'an 710049; Department of Physics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0NG Scotland

Pseudospark-sourced electron beam is a self-focused intense electron beam which can propagate without any external focusing magnetic field. This electron beam can drive a beam-wave interaction directly or after being post-accelerated. It is especially suitable for terahertz radiation generation due to the ability of a pseudospark discharge to produce small size in the micron range and very high current density and bright electron beams. In this paper, a single-gap pseudospark discharge chamber has been built and tested with several electrode gap separations to explore the dependence of the pseudospark-sourced electron beam current on the discharge voltage and the electrode gapmore » separation. Experimental results show that the beam pulses have similar pulse width and delay time from the distinct drop of the applied voltage for smaller electrode gap separations but longer delay time for the largest gap separation used in the experiment. It has been found that the electron beam only starts to occur when the charging voltage is above a certain value, which is defined as the starting voltage of the electron beam. The starting voltage is different for different electrode gap separations and decreases with increasing electrode gap separation in our pseudospark discharge configuration. The electron beam current increases with the increasing discharge voltage following two tendencies. Under the same discharge voltage, the configuration with the larger electrode gap separation will generate higher electron beam current. When the discharge voltage is higher than 10 kV, the beam current generated at the electrode gap separation of 17.0 mm, is much higher than that generated at smaller gap separations. The ionization of the neutral gas in the main gap is inferred to contribute more to the current increase with increasing electrode gap separation.« less

Improved Short-Circuit Protection for Power Cells in Series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davies, Francis

2008-01-01

A scheme for protection against short circuits has been devised for series strings of lithium electrochemical cells that contain built-in short-circuit protection devices, which go into a high-resistance, current-limiting state when heated by excessive current. If cells are simply connected in a long series string to obtain a high voltage and a short circuit occurs, whichever short-circuit protection device trips first is exposed to nearly the full string voltage, which, typically, is large enough to damage the device. Depending on the specific cell design, the damage can defeat the protective function, cause a dangerous internal short circuit in the affected cell, and/or cascade to other cells. In the present scheme, reverse diodes rated at a suitably high current are connected across short series sub-strings, the lengths of which are chosen so that when a short-circuit protection device is tripped, the voltage across it does not exceed its rated voltage. This scheme preserves the resetting properties of the protective devices. It provides for bypassing of cells that fail open and limits cell reversal, though not as well as does the more-expensive scheme of connecting a diode across every cell.

Nanopatterned textile-based wearable triboelectric nanogenerator.

PubMed

Seung, Wanchul; Gupta, Manoj Kumar; Lee, Keun Young; Shin, Kyung-Sik; Lee, Ju-Hyuck; Kim, Tae Yun; Kim, Sanghyun; Lin, Jianjian; Kim, Jung Ho; Kim, Sang-Woo

2015-01-01

Here we report a fully flexible, foldable nanopatterned wearable triboelectric nanogenerator (WTNG) with high power-generating performance and mechanical robustness. Both a silver (Ag)-coated textile and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) nanopatterns based on ZnO nanorod arrays on a Ag-coated textile template were used as active triboelectric materials. A high output voltage and current of about 120 V and 65 μA, respectively, were observed from a nanopatterned PDMS-based WTNG, while an output voltage and current of 30 V and 20 μA were obtained by the non-nanopatterned flat PDMS-based WTNG under the same compressive force of 10 kgf. Furthermore, very high voltage and current outputs with an average value of 170 V and 120 μA, respectively, were obtained from a four-layer-stacked WTNG under the same compressive force. Notably it was found there are no significant differences in the output voltages measured from the multilayer-stacked WTNG over 12 000 cycles, confirming the excellent mechanical durability of WTNGs. Finally, we successfully demonstrated the self-powered operation of light-emitting diodes, a liquid crystal display, and a keyless vehicle entry system only with the output power of our WTNG without any help of external power sources.

250 kV 6 mA compact Cockcroft-Walton high-voltage power supply.

PubMed

Ma, Zhan-Wen; Su, Xiao-Dong; Lu, Xiao-Long; Wei, Zhen; Wang, Jun-Run; Huang, Zhi-Wu; Miao, Tian-You; Su, Tong-Ling; Yao, Ze-En

2016-08-01

A compact power supply system for a compact neutron generator has been developed. A 4-stage symmetrical Cockcroft-Walton circuit is adopted to produce 250 kV direct current high-voltage. A 2-stage 280 kV isolation transformer system is used to drive the ion source power supply. For a compact structure, safety, and reliability during the operation, the Cockcroft-Walton circuit and the isolation transformer system are enclosed in an epoxy vessel containing the transformer oil whose size is about ∅350 mm × 766 mm. Test results indicate that the maximum output voltage of the power supply is 282 kV, and the stability of the output voltage is better than 0.63% when the high voltage power supply is operated at 250 kV, 6.9 mA with the input voltage varying ±10%.

250 kV 6 mA compact Cockcroft-Walton high-voltage power supply

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

Ma, Zhan-Wen; Su, Xiao-Dong; Wei, Zhen

A compact power supply system for a compact neutron generator has been developed. A 4-stage symmetrical Cockcroft-Walton circuit is adopted to produce 250 kV direct current high-voltage. A 2-stage 280 kV isolation transformer system is used to drive the ion source power supply. For a compact structure, safety, and reliability during the operation, the Cockcroft-Walton circuit and the isolation transformer system are enclosed in an epoxy vessel containing the transformer oil whose size is about ∅350 mm × 766 mm. Test results indicate that the maximum output voltage of the power supply is 282 kV, and the stability of themore » output voltage is better than 0.63% when the high voltage power supply is operated at 250 kV, 6.9 mA with the input voltage varying ±10%.« less

Electric field modulated ferromagnetism in ZnO films deposited at room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bu, Jianpei; Liu, Xinran; Hao, Yanming; Zhou, Guangjun; Cheng, Bin; Huang, Wei; Xie, Jihao; Zhang, Heng; Qin, Hongwei; Hu, Jifan

2018-04-01

The ZnO film deposited at room temperature, which is composed of the amorphous-phase background plus a few nanograins or nanoclusters (about 1-2 nm), exhibits room temperature ferromagnetism (FM). Such FM is found to be connected with oxygen vacancies. For the Ta/ZnO/Pt device based on the medium layer ZnO deposited at room temperature, the saturation magnetization not only is modulated between high and low resistive states by electric voltage with DC loop electric current but also increases/decreases through adjusting the magnitudes of positive/negative DC sweeping voltage. Meanwhile, the voltage-controlled conductance quantization is observed in Ta/ZnO/Pt, accompanying the voltage-controlled magnetization. However, the saturation magnetization of the Ta/ZnO/Pt device becomes smaller under positive electric voltage and returns in some extent under negative electric voltage, when the DC loop electric current is not applied.

AC Loss Measurements on a 2G YBCO Coil

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

Rey, Christopher M; Duckworth, Robert C; Schwenterly, S W

2011-01-01

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is collaborating with Waukesha Electric Systems (WES) to continue development of HTS power transformers. For compatibility with the existing power grid, a commercially viable HTS transformer will have to operate at high voltages in the range of 138 kV and above, and will have to withstand 550-kV impulse voltages as well. Second-generation (2G) YBCO coated conductors will be required for an economically-competitive design. In order to adequately size the refrigeration system for these transformers, the ac loss of these HTS coils must be characterized. Electrical AC loss measurements were conducted on a prototype highmore » voltage (HV) coil with co-wound stainless steel at 60 Hz in a liquid nitrogen bath using a lock-in amplifier technique. The prototype HV coil consisted of 26 continuous (without splice) single pancake coils concentrically centered on a stainless steel former. For ac loss measurement purposes, voltage tap pairs were soldered across each set of two single pancake coils so that a total of 13 separate voltage measurements could be made across the entire length of the coil. AC loss measurements were taken as a function of ac excitation current. Results show that the loss is primarily concentrated at the ends of the coil where the operating fraction of critical current is the highest and show a distinct difference in current scaling of the losses between low current and high current regimes.« less

Modularized multilevel and z-source power converter as renewable energy interface for vehicle and grid-connected applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Dong

Due the energy crisis and increased oil price, renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic panel, wind turbine, or thermoelectric generation module, are used more and more widely for vehicle and grid-connected applications. However, the output of these renewable energy sources varies according to different solar radiation, wind speed, or temperature difference, a power converter interface is required for the vehicle or grid-connected applications. Thermoelectric generation (TEG) module as a renewable energy source for automotive industry is becoming very popular recently. Because of the inherent characteristics of TEG modules, a low input voltage, high input current and high voltage gain dc-dc converters are needed for the automotive load. Traditional high voltage gain dc-dc converters are not suitable for automotive application in terms of size and high temperature operation. Switched-capacitor dc-dc converters have to be used for this application. However, high voltage spike and EMI problems exist in traditional switched-capacitor dc-dc converters. Huge capacitor banks have to be utilized to reduce the voltage ripple and achieve high efficiency. A series of zero current switching (ZCS) or zero voltage switching switched-capacitor dc-dc converters have been proposed to overcome the aforementioned problems of the traditional switched-capacitor dc-dc converters. By using the proposed soft-switching strategy, high voltage spike is reduced, high EMI noise is restricted, and the huge capacitor bank is eliminated. High efficiency, high power density and high temperature switched-capacitor dc-dc converters could be made for the TEG interface in vehicle applications. Several prototypes have been made to validate the proposed circuit and confirm the circuit operation. In order to apply PV panel for grid-connected application, a low cost dc-ac inverter interface is required. From the use of transformer and safety concern, two different solutions can be implemented, non-isolated or isolated PV inverter. For the non-isolated transformer-less solution, a semi-Z-source inverter for single phase photovoltaic systems has been proposed. The proposed semi-Z-source inverter utilizes only two switching devices with doubly grounded feature. The total cost have been reduced, the safety and EMI issues caused by the high frequency ground current are solved. For the transformer isolated solution, a boost half-bridge dc-ac micro-inverter has been proposed. The proposed boost half-bridge dc-dc converter utilizes only two switching devices with zero voltage switching features which is able to reduce the total system cost and power loss.

The harmonic impact of electric vehicle battery charging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staats, Preston Trent

The potential widespread introduction of the electric vehicle (EV) presents both opportunities and challenges to the power systems engineers who will be required to supply power to EV batteries. One of the challenges associated with EV battery charging comes from the potentially high harmonic currents associated with the conversion of ac power system voltages to dc EV battery voltages. Harmonic currents lead to increased losses in distribution circuits and reduced life expectancy of such power distribution components as capacitors and transformers. Harmonic current injections also cause harmonic voltages on power distribution networks. These distorted voltages can affect power system loads and specific standards exist regulating acceptable voltage distortion. This dissertation develops and presents the theory required to evaluate the electric vehicle battery charger as a harmonic distorting load and its possible harmonic impact on various aspects of power distribution systems. The work begins by developing a method for evaluating the net harmonic current injection of a large collection of EV battery chargers which accounts for variation in the start-time and initial battery state-of-charge between individual chargers. Next, this method is analyzed to evaluate the effect of input parameter variation on the net harmonic currents predicted by the model. We then turn to an evaluation of the impact of EV charger harmonic currents on power distribution systems, first evaluating the impact of these currents on a substation transformer and then on power distribution system harmonic voltages. The method presented accounts for the uncertainty in EV harmonic current injections by modeling the start-time and initial battery state-of-charge (SOC) of an individual EV battery charger as random variables. Thus, the net harmonic current, and distribution system harmonic voltages are formulated in a stochastic framework. Results indicate that considering variation in start-time and SOC leads to reduced estimates of harmonic current injection when compared to more traditional methods that do not account for variation. Evaluation of power distribution system harmonic voltages suggests that for any power distribution network there is a definite threshold penetration of EVs, below which the total harmonic distortion of voltage exceeds 5% at an insignificant number of buses. Thus, most existing distribution systems will probably be able to accommodate the early introduction of EV battery charging without widespread harmonic voltage problems.

Voltage and Current Measurements in HIFX Diodes

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-08-01

Laboratories High- Intensity Flash X Ray Pacility. Sensitivities of these monitors have been measured to an accuracy of 10 percent or better by improved...importance of voltage (V) and current (1) monitors as a diagnostic tool for pulsed-electron beam machines such as High-Intensity Flash X Ray (HIFX) is well...15.4 2.7 109515. .2 7. - 3. 172.6 6.0 2.30 36. 4T. H. Martin, K. R. Prestwicht and D. L. Johnson, Summary of th e Hermes Flash X -Ray Program, Sandia

Comparative study of 0° X-cut and Y + 36°-cut lithium niobate high-voltage sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, N.; Branch, D. W.; Schamiloglu, E.; Cular, S.

2015-08-01

A comparison study between Y + 36° and 0° X-cut lithium niobate (LiNbO3) was performed to evaluate the influence of crystal cut on the acoustic propagation to realize a piezoelectric high-voltage sensor. The acoustic time-of-flight for each crystal cut was measured when applying direct current (DC), alternating current (AC), and pulsed voltages. Results show that the voltage-induced shift in the acoustic wave propagation time scaled quadratically with voltage for DC and AC voltages applied to X-cut crystals. For the Y + 36° crystal, the voltage-induced shift scales linearly with DC voltages and quadratically with AC voltages. When applying 5 μs voltage pulses to both crystals, the voltage-induced shift scaled linearly with voltage. For the Y + 36° cut, the voltage-induced shift from applying DC voltages ranged from 10 to 54 ps and 35 to 778 ps for AC voltages at 640 V over the frequency range of 100 Hz-100 kHz. Using the same conditions as the Y + 36° cut, the 0° X-cut crystal sensed a shift of 10-273 ps for DC voltages and 189-813 ps for AC voltage application. For 5 μs voltage pulses, the 0° X-cut crystal sensed a voltage induced shift of 0.250-2 ns and the Y + 36°-cut crystal sensed a time shift of 0.115-1.6 ns. This suggests a frequency sensitive response to voltage where the influence of the crystal cut was not a significant contributor under DC, AC, or pulsed voltage conditions. The measured DC data were compared to a 1-D impedance matrix model where the predicted incremental length changed as a function of voltage. When the voltage source error was eliminated through physical modeling from the uncertainty budget, the combined uncertainty of the sensor (within a 95% confidence interval) decreased to 0.0033% using a Y + 36°-cut crystal and 0.0032% using an X-cut crystal for all the voltage conditions used in this experiment.

Comparative study of 0° X-cut and Y + 36°-cut lithium niobate high-voltage sensing

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

Patel, N.; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, MSC01 1100, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001; Branch, D. W.

2015-08-15

A comparison study between Y + 36° and 0° X-cut lithium niobate (LiNbO{sub 3}) was performed to evaluate the influence of crystal cut on the acoustic propagation to realize a piezoelectric high-voltage sensor. The acoustic time-of-flight for each crystal cut was measured when applying direct current (DC), alternating current (AC), and pulsed voltages. Results show that the voltage-induced shift in the acoustic wave propagation time scaled quadratically with voltage for DC and AC voltages applied to X-cut crystals. For the Y + 36° crystal, the voltage-induced shift scales linearly with DC voltages and quadratically with AC voltages. When applying 5more » μs voltage pulses to both crystals, the voltage-induced shift scaled linearly with voltage. For the Y + 36° cut, the voltage-induced shift from applying DC voltages ranged from 10 to 54 ps and 35 to 778 ps for AC voltages at 640 V over the frequency range of 100 Hz–100 kHz. Using the same conditions as the Y + 36° cut, the 0° X-cut crystal sensed a shift of 10–273 ps for DC voltages and 189–813 ps for AC voltage application. For 5 μs voltage pulses, the 0° X-cut crystal sensed a voltage induced shift of 0.250–2 ns and the Y + 36°-cut crystal sensed a time shift of 0.115–1.6 ns. This suggests a frequency sensitive response to voltage where the influence of the crystal cut was not a significant contributor under DC, AC, or pulsed voltage conditions. The measured DC data were compared to a 1-D impedance matrix model where the predicted incremental length changed as a function of voltage. When the voltage source error was eliminated through physical modeling from the uncertainty budget, the combined uncertainty of the sensor (within a 95% confidence interval) decreased to 0.0033% using a Y + 36°-cut crystal and 0.0032% using an X-cut crystal for all the voltage conditions used in this experiment.« less

Comparative study of 0° X-cut and Y+36°-cut lithium niobate high-voltage sensing

DOE PAGES

Patel, N.; Branch, D. W.; Schamiloglu, E.; ...

2015-08-11

A comparison study between Y+36° and 0° X-cut lithium niobate (LiNbO 3) was performed to evaluate the influence of crystal cut on the acoustic propagation to realize a piezoelectric high-voltage sensor. The acoustic time-of-flight for each crystal cut was measured when applying direct current (DC), alternating current (AC), and pulsed voltages. Results show that the voltage-induced shift in the acoustic wave propagation time scaled quadratically with voltage for DC and AC voltages applied to X-cut crystals. For the Y+36° crystal, the voltage-induced shift scales linearly with DC voltages and quadratically with AC voltages. When applying 5 μs voltage pulses tomore » both crystals, the voltage-induced shift scaled linearly with voltage. For the Y+36° cut, the voltage-induced shift from applying DC voltages ranged from 10 to 54 ps and 35 to 778 ps for AC voltages at 640 V over the frequency range of 100 Hz–100 kHz. Using the same conditions as the Y+36° cut, the 0° X-cut crystal sensed a shift of 10–273 ps for DC voltages and 189–813 ps for AC voltage application. For 5 μs voltage pulses, the 0° X-cut crystal sensed a voltage induced shift of 0.250–2 ns and the Y+36°-cut crystal sensed a time shift of 0.115–1.6 ns. This suggests a frequency sensitive response to voltage where the influence of the crystal cut was not a significant contributor under DC, AC, or pulsed voltage conditions. The measured DC data were compared to a 1-D impedance matrix model where the predicted incremental length changed as a function of voltage. Furthermore, when the voltage source error was eliminated through physical modeling from the uncertainty budget, the combined uncertainty of the sensor (within a 95% confidence interval) decreased to 0.0033% using a Y + 36°-cut crystal and 0.0032% using an X-cut crystal for all the voltage conditions used in this experiment.« less

AN ENGINEERING SOLUTION TO THE RHIC BEAM ABORT KICKER UPGRADE.

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

ZHANG,W.ROSER,T.SANDBERG,J.TAN,Y.ET AL.

2004-05-23

The Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) at Brookhaven National Laboratory is the world largest superconducting accelerator for nuclear energy research. Particle beams traveling in opposite directions in two accelerator rings, Blue and Yellow, collide at six interaction regions to create phenomena of the early universe. There are more than 1700 superconducting magnets and very sophisticate and delicate large detectors inside the RHIC tunnel. With high beam intensity and ultra high beam energy, an inadvertent loss of beam can result severe damage to the superconducting magnets and detectors. Beam abort kickers are used to remove beam safely from the ring. Themore » large inductive load, high current capability, short beam gap, and high reliability are the challenging issues of this system design. With high intensity and high momentum beam operation, it is desirable to have all high voltage modulators located outside of RHIC tunnel. However, to generate 22 kA output current per modulator with fast rise time, a conventional low impedance PFN and matched transmission cable design can push the operation voltage easily into 100 kV range. The large quantity of high voltage pulse transmission cables required by conventional design is another difficult issue. Therefore, the existing system has all ten high voltage modulators located inside RHIC tunnel. More than a hundred plastic packaged mineral oil filled high voltage capacitors raise serious concerns of fire and smoking threats. Other issues, such as kicker misfire, device availability in the future, and inaccessibility during operation, also demand an engineering solution for the future upgrade. In this paper, we investigate an unconventional approach to meet the technical challenges of RHIC beam abort system. The proposed design has all modulators outside of the RHIC tunnel. It will transmit output pulse through high voltage cables. The modulators will utilize solid-state switches, and operate at a maximum voltage in 30 to 50 kV range.« less

Transmission line component testing for the ITER Ion Cyclotron Heating and Current Drive System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goulding, Richard; Bell, G. L.; Deibele, C. E.; McCarthy, M. P.; Rasmussen, D. A.; Swain, D. W.; Barber, G. C.; Barbier, C. N.; Cambell, I. H.; Moon, R. L.; Pesavento, P. V.; Fredd, E.; Greenough, N.; Kung, C.

2014-10-01

High power RF testing is underway to evaluate transmission line components for the ITER Ion Cyclotron Heating and Current Drive System. The transmission line has a characteristic impedance Z0 = 50 Ω and a nominal outer diameter of 305 mm. It is specified to carry up to 6 MW at VSWR = 1.5 for 3600 s pulses, with transient voltages up to 40 kV. The transmission line is actively cooled, with turbulent gas flow (N2) used to transfer heat from the inner to outer conductor, which is water cooled. High voltage and high current testing of components has been performed using resonant lines generating steady state voltages of 35 kV and transient voltages up to 60 kV. A resonant ring, which has operated with circulating power of 6 MW for 1 hr pulses, is being used to test high power, low VSWR operation. Components tested to date include gas barriers, straight sections of various lengths, and 90 degree elbows. Designs tested include gas barriers fabricated from quartz and aluminum nitride, and transmission lines with quartz and alumina inner conductor supports. The latest results will be presented. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Ion extraction capabilities of two-grid accelerator systems. [for spacecraft propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rovang, D. C.; Wilbur, P. J.

1984-01-01

An experimental investigation into the ion extraction capabilities of two-grid accelerator systems common to electrostatic ion thrusters is described. A large body of experimental data which facilitates the selection of the accelerator system geometries and operating parameters necessary to maximize the extracted ion current is presented. Results suggest that the impingement-limited perveance is not dramatically affected by reductions in screen hole diameter to 0.5 mm. Impingement-limited performance is shown to depend most strongly on grid separation distance, accelerator hole diameter ratio, the discharge-to-total accelerating voltage ratio, and the net-to-total accelerating voltage ratio. Results obtained at small grid separation ratios suggest a new grid operating condition where high beam current per hole levels are achieved at a specified net accelerating voltage. It is shown that this operating condition is realized at an optimum ratio of net-to-total accelerating voltage ratio which is typically quite high.

Flash water-window x-ray generator with a ferrite capillary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Eiichi; Sagae, Michiaki; Ichimaru, Toshio; Takayama, Kazuyoshi; Sakamaki, Kimio; Tamakawa, Yoshiharu

1997-12-01

The fundamental study on a flash water-window x-ray generator is described. This generator is composed of a high-voltage power supply, a polarity-inversion high-voltage pulser, a krytron pulser as a trigger device, an oil-diffusion pump, and a vacuum chamber with a capillary. A combined ceramic condenser of about 5 nF in the pulser is charged up to 70 kV by the power supply, and the electric charges in the condenser are discharged to the capillary in the tube after closing a gap switch by the krytron pulser. In the present work, the chamber is evacuated by the pump with a pressure of about 1 by 10-3 Pa, and the titanium anode and cathode electrodes are employed to produce L-series characteristic x rays in the water-window range. The diameter and the length of the ferrite capillary are 2.0 and 30 mm, respectively. Both the cathode voltage and the discharge current displayed damped oscillations. The peak values of the voltage and current increased when the charging voltage was increased, and their maximum values were minus 24 kV and 2.8 kA, respectively. The pulse durations of the water-window x-rays were nearly equivalent to those of the damped oscillations of the voltage and current, and their values were less than 10 microseconds.

Fast switching thyristor applied in nanosecond-pulse high-voltage generator with closed transformer core.

PubMed

Li, Lee; Bao, Chaobing; Feng, Xibo; Liu, Yunlong; Fochan, Lin

2013-02-01

For a compact and reliable nanosecond-pulse high-voltage generator (NPHVG), the specification parameter selection and potential usage of fast controllable state-solid switches have an important bearing on the optimal design. The NPHVG with closed transformer core and fast switching thyristor (FST) was studied in this paper. According to the analysis of T-type circuit, the expressions for the voltages and currents of the primary and secondary windings on the transformer core of NPHVG were deduced, and the theoretical maximum analysis was performed. For NPHVG, the rise-rate of turn-on current (di/dt) across a FST may exceed its transient rating. Both mean and maximum values of di/dt were determined by the leakage inductances of the transformer, and the difference is 1.57 times. The optimum winding ratio is helpful to getting higher voltage output with lower specification FST, especially when the primary and secondary capacitances have been established. The oscillation period analysis can be effectively used to estimate the equivalent leakage inductance. When the core saturation effect was considered, the maximum di/dt estimated from the oscillating period of the primary current is more accurate than one from the oscillating period of the secondary voltage. Although increasing the leakage inductance of NPHVG can decrease di/dt across FST, it may reduce the output peak voltage of the NPHVG.

Heterojunction p-Cu2O/n-Ga2O3 diode with high breakdown voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watahiki, Tatsuro; Yuda, Yohei; Furukawa, Akihiko; Yamamuka, Mikio; Takiguchi, Yuki; Miyajima, Shinsuke

2017-11-01

Heterojunction p-Cu2O/n-β-Ga2O3 diodes were fabricated on an epitaxially grown β-Ga2O3(001) layer. The reverse breakdown voltage of these p-n diodes reached 1.49 kV with a specific on-resistance of 8.2 mΩ cm2. The leakage current of the p-n diodes was lower than that of the Schottky barrier diode due to the higher barrier height against the electron. The ideality factor of the p-n diode was 1.31. It indicated that some portion of the recombination current at the interface contributed to the forward current, but the diffusion current was the dominant. The forward current more than 100 A/cm2 indicated the lower conduction band offset at the hetero-interface between Cu2O and Ga2O3 layers than that predicted from the bulk properties, resulting in such a high forward current without limitation. These results open the possibility of advanced device structures for wide bandgap Ga2O3 to achieve higher breakdown voltage and lower on-resistance.

Plasma Interactions with High Voltage Solar Arrays for a Direct Drive Hall Effect Thruster System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, T.; Horvater, M. A.; Vaughn, J.; Carruth, M. R.; Jongeward, G. A.; Mikellides, I. G.

2003-01-01

The Environmental Effects Group of NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is conducting research into the effects of plasma interaction with high voltage solar arrays. These high voltage solar arrays are being developed for a direct drive Hall Effect Thruster propulsion system. A direct drive system configuration will reduce power system mass by eliminating a conventional power-processing unit. The Environmental Effects Group has configured two large vacuum chambers to test different high-voltage array concepts in a plasma environment. Three types of solar arrays have so far been tested, an International Space Station (ISS) planar array, a Tecstar planar array, and a Tecstar solar concentrator array. The plasma environment was generated using a hollow cathode plasma source, which yielded densities between 10(exp 6) - 10(exp 7) per cubic centimeter and electron temperatures of 0.5-1 eV. Each array was positioned in this plasma and biased in the -500 to + 500 volt range. The current collection was monitored continuously. In addition, the characteristics of arcing, snap over, and other features, were recorded. Analysis of the array performance indicates a time dependence associated with the current collection as well as a tendency for "conditioning" over a large number of runs. Mitigation strategies, to reduce parasitic current collection, as well as arcing, include changing cover-glass geometry and layout as well as shielding the solar cell edges. High voltage performance data for each of the solar array types tested will be presented. In addition, data will be provided to indicate the effectiveness of the mitigation techniques.

Contribution of ethylenetetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) insulation to the electrical performance of Riata® silicone leads having externalized conductors.

PubMed

Fischer, Avi; Klehn, Russell

2013-08-01

The insulation of St. Jude Medical Riata® leads contains a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) liner, silicone tubing, and ethylenetetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) coating on individual cable conductors. ETFE has sufficient dielectric strength to assure electrical function. This investigation intended to analyze performance of leads with and without externalized conductors and with intact and breached ETFE. Testing was performed on ETFE-coated conductors to determine their ability to deliver high-voltage therapy. Tests were performed on samples under different conditions and current leakage was measured. A high-voltage test and a cyclic pulse test were performed, and the effect of lead modifications on the potential gradient from a high-voltage shock was used to determine functionality. Measurements from modified Riata® leads were compared with a control lead with all insulation and conducting elements intact. Current leakage for all conditions tested, was within the acceptance criteria for the high-voltage test and the cyclic pulse test. In conductors that underwent cyclic testing, the highest value of current leakage was within the limit of acceptability for both phases of the test. Testing of leads with externalized conductors and breached ETFE showed similar potential gradients compared with a control lead. Testing of ETFE-coated conductors following multiple preconditioning steps showed that ETFE serves as a redundant layer of insulation. In the event that the ETFE coating is breached, the potential gradient seen resulting from a high-voltage defibrillation shock was similar to a lead with no breach to the ETFE, even after 100 shocks.

Experimental investigations of an AC pulse heating method for vehicular high power lithium-ion batteries at subzero temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jiangong; Sun, Zechang; Wei, Xuezhe; Dai, Haifeng; Gu, Weijun

2017-11-01

Effect of the AC (alternating current) pulse heating method on battery SoH (state of health) for large laminated power lithium-ion batteries at low temperature is investigated experimentally. Firstly, excitation current frequencies, amplitudes, and voltage limitations on cell temperature evolution are studied. High current amplitudes facilitate the heat accumulation and temperature rise. Low frequency region serves as a good innovation to heat the battery because of the large impedance. Wide voltage limitations also enjoy better temperature evolution owing to the less current modulation, but the temperature difference originated from various voltage limitations attenuates due to the decrement of impedance resulting from the temperature rise. Experiments with the thermocouple-embedded cell manifest good temperature homogeneity between the battery surface and interior during the AC heating process. Secondly, the cell capacity, Direct Current resistance and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy are all calibrated to assess the battery SoH after the hundreds of AC pulse heating cycles. Also, all cells are disassembled to investigate the battery internal morphology with the employment of Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy-Dispersive x-ray Spectroscopy techniques. The results indicate that the AC heating method does not aggravate the cell degradation even in the low frequency range (0.5 Hz) under the normal voltage protection limitation.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A FAST RISE TIME POWER SUPPLY FOR A PULSED PLASMA REACTOR FOR CHEMICAL VAPOR DESTRUCTION

EPA Science Inventory

Rotating spark gap devices for switching high-voltage direct current (dc) into a corona plasma reactor can achieve pulse rise times in the range of tens of nanoseconds. The fast rise times lead to vigorous plasma generation without sparking at instantaneous applied voltages highe...

Comparison between Phase-Shift Full-Bridge Converters with Noncoupled and Coupled Current-Doubler Rectifier

PubMed Central

Tsai, Cheng-Tao; Tseng, Sheng-Yu

2013-01-01

This paper presents comparison between phase-shift full-bridge converters with noncoupled and coupled current-doubler rectifier. In high current capability and high step-down voltage conversion, a phase-shift full-bridge converter with a conventional current-doubler rectifier has the common limitations of extremely low duty ratio and high component stresses. To overcome these limitations, a phase-shift full-bridge converter with a noncoupled current-doubler rectifier (NCDR) or a coupled current-doubler rectifier (CCDR) is, respectively, proposed and implemented. In this study, performance analysis and efficiency obtained from a 500 W phase-shift full-bridge converter with two improved current-doubler rectifiers are presented and compared. From their prototypes, experimental results have verified that the phase-shift full-bridge converter with NCDR has optimal duty ratio, lower component stresses, and output current ripple. In component count and efficiency comparison, CCDR has fewer components and higher efficiency at full load condition. For small size and high efficiency requirements, CCDR is relatively suitable for high step-down voltage and high efficiency applications. PMID:24381521

Comparison between phase-shift full-bridge converters with noncoupled and coupled current-doubler rectifier.

PubMed

Tsai, Cheng-Tao; Su, Jye-Chau; Tseng, Sheng-Yu

2013-01-01

This paper presents comparison between phase-shift full-bridge converters with noncoupled and coupled current-doubler rectifier. In high current capability and high step-down voltage conversion, a phase-shift full-bridge converter with a conventional current-doubler rectifier has the common limitations of extremely low duty ratio and high component stresses. To overcome these limitations, a phase-shift full-bridge converter with a noncoupled current-doubler rectifier (NCDR) or a coupled current-doubler rectifier (CCDR) is, respectively, proposed and implemented. In this study, performance analysis and efficiency obtained from a 500 W phase-shift full-bridge converter with two improved current-doubler rectifiers are presented and compared. From their prototypes, experimental results have verified that the phase-shift full-bridge converter with NCDR has optimal duty ratio, lower component stresses, and output current ripple. In component count and efficiency comparison, CCDR has fewer components and higher efficiency at full load condition. For small size and high efficiency requirements, CCDR is relatively suitable for high step-down voltage and high efficiency applications.

Low-sensitivity, low-bounce, high-linearity current-controlled oscillator suitable for single-supply mixed-mode instrumentation system.

PubMed

Hwang, Yuh-Shyan; Kung, Che-Min; Lin, Ho-Cheng; Chen, Jiann-Jong

2009-02-01

A low-sensitivity, low-bounce, high-linearity current-controlled oscillator (CCO) suitable for a single-supply mixed-mode instrumentation system is designed and proposed in this paper. The designed CCO can be operated at low voltage (2 V). The power bounce and ground bounce generated by this CCO is less than 7 mVpp when the power-line parasitic inductance is increased to 100 nH to demonstrate the effect of power bounce and ground bounce. The power supply noise caused by the proposed CCO is less than 0.35% in reference to the 2 V supply voltage. The average conversion ratio KCCO is equal to 123.5 GHz/A. The linearity of conversion ratio is high and its tolerance is within +/-1.2%. The sensitivity of the proposed CCO is nearly independent of the power supply voltage, which is less than a conventional current-starved oscillator. The performance of the proposed CCO has been compared with the current-starved oscillator. It is shown that the proposed CCO is suitable for single-supply mixed-mode instrumentation systems.

Power conversion apparatus and method

DOEpatents

Su, Gui-Jia [Knoxville, TN

2012-02-07

A power conversion apparatus includes an interfacing circuit that enables a current source inverter to operate from a voltage energy storage device (voltage source), such as a battery, ultracapacitor or fuel cell. The interfacing circuit, also referred to as a voltage-to-current converter, transforms the voltage source into a current source that feeds a DC current to a current source inverter. The voltage-to-current converter also provides means for controlling and maintaining a constant DC bus current that supplies the current source inverter. The voltage-to-current converter also enables the current source inverter to charge the voltage energy storage device, such as during dynamic braking of a hybrid electric vehicle, without the need of reversing the direction of the DC bus current.

Polymer solar cells with enhanced open-circuit voltage and efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hsiang-Yu; Hou, Jianhui; Zhang, Shaoqing; Liang, Yongye; Yang, Guanwen; Yang, Yang; Yu, Luping; Wu, Yue; Li, Gang

2009-11-01

Following the development of the bulk heterojunction structure, recent years have seen a dramatic improvement in the efficiency of polymer solar cells. Maximizing the open-circuit voltage in a low-bandgap polymer is one of the critical factors towards enabling high-efficiency solar cells. Study of the relation between open-circuit voltage and the energy levels of the donor/acceptor in bulk heterojunction polymer solar cells has stimulated interest in modifying the open-circuit voltage by tuning the energy levels of polymers. Here, we show that the open-circuit voltage of polymer solar cells constructed based on the structure of a low-bandgap polymer, PBDTTT, can be tuned, step by step, using different functional groups, to achieve values as high as 0.76 V. This increased open-circuit voltage combined with a high short-circuit current density results in a polymer solar cell with a power conversion efficiency as high as 6.77%, as certified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Simulation study on transient electric shock characteristics of human body under high voltage ac transmission lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Tao; Zou, Yanhui; Lv, Jianhong; Yang, Jinchun; Tao, Li; Zhou, Jianfei

2017-09-01

Human body under high-voltage AC transmission lines will produce a certain induced voltage due to the electrostatic induction. When the human body contacts with some grounded objects, the charges transfer from the body to the ground and produce contact current which may cause transient electric shock. Using CDEGS and ATP/EMTP, the paper proposes a method for quantitatively calculating the transient electric shock characteristics. It calculates the human body voltage, discharge current and discharge energy under certain 500kV compact-type transmission lines and predicts the corresponding human feelings. The results show that the average root value of discharge current is less than 10mA when the human body is under the 500kV compact-type transmission lines and the human body is overall safe if the transmission lines satisfy the relevant design specifications. It concludes that the electric field strength above the ground should be limited to 4kV/m through the residential area for the purpose of reducing the electromagnetic impact.

A Monolithic CMOS Magnetic Hall Sensor with High Sensitivity and Linearity Characteristics

PubMed Central

Huang, Haiyun; Wang, Dejun; Xu, Yue

2015-01-01

This paper presents a fully integrated linear Hall sensor by means of 0.8 μm high voltage complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. This monolithic Hall sensor chip features a highly sensitive horizontal switched Hall plate and an efficient signal conditioner using dynamic offset cancellation technique. An improved cross-like Hall plate achieves high magnetic sensitivity and low offset. A new spinning current modulator stabilizes the quiescent output voltage and improves the reliability of the signal conditioner. The tested results show that at the 5 V supply voltage, the maximum Hall output voltage of the monolithic Hall sensor microsystem, is up to ±2.1 V and the linearity of Hall output voltage is higher than 99% in the magnetic flux density range from ±5 mT to ±175 mT. The output equivalent residual offset is 0.48 mT and the static power consumption is 20 mW. PMID:26516864

A Monolithic CMOS Magnetic Hall Sensor with High Sensitivity and Linearity Characteristics.

PubMed

Huang, Haiyun; Wang, Dejun; Xu, Yue

2015-10-27

This paper presents a fully integrated linear Hall sensor by means of 0.8 μm high voltage complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. This monolithic Hall sensor chip features a highly sensitive horizontal switched Hall plate and an efficient signal conditioner using dynamic offset cancellation technique. An improved cross-like Hall plate achieves high magnetic sensitivity and low offset. A new spinning current modulator stabilizes the quiescent output voltage and improves the reliability of the signal conditioner. The tested results show that at the 5 V supply voltage, the maximum Hall output voltage of the monolithic Hall sensor microsystem, is up to ±2.1 V and the linearity of Hall output voltage is higher than 99% in the magnetic flux density range from ±5 mT to ±175 mT. The output equivalent residual offset is 0.48 mT and the static power consumption is 20 mW.

The high voltage homopolar generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, J. H.; Gully, J. H.; Driga, M. D.

1986-11-01

System and component design features of proposed high voltage homopolar generator (HVHPG) are described. The system is to have an open circuit voltage of 500 V, a peak output current of 500 kA, 3.25 MJ of stored inertial energy and possess an average magnetic-flux density of 5 T. Stator assembly components are discussed, including the stator, mount structure, hydrostatic bearings, main and motoring brushgears and rotor. Planned operational procedures such as monitoring the rotor to full speed and operation with a superconducting field coil are delineated.

Feasibility Study of a 400 Hz, 4160 Volt 3-Phase Electrical Power Distribution System

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-02-25

accordance with HIL-E-917. 8. The primary insulation shall be adequate to withstand a high potential test of 60 Hz voltage windings to winding and to ground... withstand a short circuit current of 500 percent for 10 seconds without exceeding the voltage rating of any capacitors. They shall operate within...shaft. separation is required to withstand high voltages . The limited contact movement results in a very small contactor size be- cause it permits the use

Study of a High Voltage Ion Engine Power Supply

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stuart, Thomas A.; King, Roger J.; Mayer, Eric

1996-01-01

A complete laboratory breadboard version of a ion engine power converter was built and tested. This prototype operated on a line voltage of 80-120 Vdc, and provided output ratings of 1100 V at 1.8 kW, and 250 V at 20 mA. The high-voltage (HV) output voltage rating was revised from the original value of 1350 V at the beginning of the project. The LV output was designed to hold up during a 1-A surge current lasting up to 1 second. The prototype power converter included a internal housekeeping power supply which also operated from the line input. The power consumed in housekeeping was included in the overall energy budget presented for the ion engine converter. HV and LV output voltage setpoints were commanded through potentiometers. The HV converter itself reached its highest power efficiency of slightly over 93% at low line and maximum output. This would dip below 90% at high line. The no-load (rated output voltages, zero load current) power consumption of the entire system was less than 13 W. A careful loss breakdown shows that converter losses are predominately Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET) conduction losses and HV rectifier snubbing losses, with the rectifier snubbing losses becoming predominant at high line. This suggests that further improvements in power efficiency could best be obtained by either developing a rectifier that was adequately protected against voltage overshoot with less snubbing, or by developing a pre-regulator to reduced the range of line voltage on the converter. The transient testing showed the converter to be fully protected against load faults, including a direct short-circuit from the HV output to the LV output terminals. Two currents sensors were used: one to directly detect any core ratcheting on the output transformer and re-initiate a soft start, and the other to directly detect a load fault and quickly shut down the converter for load protection. The finished converter has been extensively fault tested without failure. The finished converter has been packaged suitable for use as a laboratory prototype for further testing. The finished converter is readily transportable. An article on design issues for high voltage converters for ion engines is included as an attachement.

Investigation of the Effects of Facility Background Pressure on the Performance and Voltage-Current Characteristics of the High Voltage Hall Accelerator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamhawi, Hani; Huang, Wensheng; Haag, Thomas; Spektor, Rostislav

2014-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate In-Space Propulsion Technology office is sponsoring NASA Glenn Research Center to develop a 4 kW-class Hall thruster propulsion system for implementation in NASA science missions. A study was conducted to assess the impact of varying the facility background pressure on the High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAc) thruster performance and voltage-current characteristics. This present study evaluated the HiVHAc thruster performance in the lowest attainable background pressure condition at NASA GRC Vacuum Facility 5 to best simulate space-like conditions. Additional tests were performed at selected thruster operating conditions to investigate and elucidate the underlying physics that change during thruster operation at elevated facility background pressure. Tests were performed at background pressure conditions that are three and ten times higher than the lowest realized background pressure. Results indicated that the thruster discharge specific impulse and efficiency increased with elevated facility background pressure. The voltage-current profiles indicated a narrower stable operating region with increased background pressure. Experimental observations of the thruster operation indicated that increasing the facility background pressure shifted the ionization and acceleration zones upstream towards the thrusters anode. Future tests of the HiVHAc thruster are planned at background pressure conditions that are expected to be two to three times lower than what was achieved during this test campaign. These tests will not only assess the impact of reduced facility background pressure on thruster performance, voltage-current characteristics, and plume properties; but will also attempt to quantify the magnitude of the ionization.

A 13.56 MHz CMOS Active Rectifier With Switched-Offset and Compensated Biasing for Biomedical Wireless Power Transfer Systems.

PubMed

Yan Lu; Wing-Hung Ki

2014-06-01

A full-wave active rectifier switching at 13.56 MHz with compensated bias current for a wide input range for wirelessly powered high-current biomedical implants is presented. The four diodes of a conventional passive rectifier are replaced by two cross-coupled PMOS transistors and two comparator- controlled NMOS switches to eliminate diode voltage drops such that high voltage conversion ratio and power conversion efficiency could be achieved even at low AC input amplitude |VAC|. The comparators are implemented with switched-offset biasing to compensate for the delays of active diodes and to eliminate multiple pulsing and reverse current. The proposed rectifier uses a modified CMOS peaking current source with bias current that is quasi-inversely proportional to the supply voltage to better control the reverse current over a wide AC input range (1.5 to 4 V). The rectifier was fabricated in a standard 0.35 μm CMOS N-well process with active area of 0.0651 mm(2). For the proposed rectifier measured at |VAC| = 3.0 V, the voltage conversion ratios are 0.89 and 0.93 for RL=500 Ω and 5 kΩ, respectively, and the measured power conversion efficiencies are 82.2% to 90.1% with |VAC| ranges from 1.5 to 4 V for RL=500 Ω.

Method and apparatus to provide power conversion with high power factor

DOEpatents

Perreault, David J.; Lim, Seungbum; Otten, David M.

2017-05-23

A power converter circuit rectifies a line voltage and applies the rectified voltage to a stack of capacitors. Voltages on the capacitors are coupled to a plurality of regulating converters to be converted to regulated output signals. The regulated output signals are combined and converted to a desired DC output voltage of the power converter. Input currents of the regulating converters are modulated in a manner that enhances the power factor of the power converter.

A theoretical approach to study the optical sensitivity of a MESFET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Sutanu

2018-05-01

A theoretical model to study the optical sensitivity of a metal-semiconductor field effect transistor has been proposed for a relatively high drain field. An analytical expression of drain current of the device has been derived for a MESFET under optical illumination considering field dependent mobility of electrons across the channel. The variation of drain current with and without optical illumination has been studied with drain and gate voltages. The optical sensitivity of the drain current has been studied for different biasing conditions and gate lengths. In addition, the shift in threshold voltage of a MESFET under optical illumination is determined and optical sensitivity of the device in terms of its threshold voltage has been studied.

Pixel structures to compensate nonuniform threshold voltage and mobility of polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors using subthreshold current for large-size active matrix organic light-emitting diode displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Na, Jun-Seok; Kwon, Oh-Kyong

2014-01-01

We propose pixel structures for large-size and high-resolution active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays using a polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin-film transistor (TFT) backplane. The proposed pixel structures compensate the variations of the threshold voltage and mobility of the driving TFT using the subthreshold current. The simulated results show that the emission current error of the proposed pixel structure B ranges from -2.25 to 2.02 least significant bit (LSB) when the variations of the threshold voltage and mobility of the driving TFT are ±0.5 V and ±10%, respectively.

Voltage noise of current-driven vortices in disordered Josephson junction arrays.

PubMed

He, G L; Zhao, Z G; Liu, S; Yang, Y H; Liu, M; Xing, D Y

2006-08-16

Dynamical phenomena of moving vortices and voltage noise spectra are studied in disordered Josephson junction arrays (JJAs). The plastic motion of vortices, smectic flow, and moving Bragg glass phases are separated by two dynamic melting transitions driven by current. From the voltage noise spectra of moving vortices, it is found that the driving current plays an important role in the melting of pinning vortices glass and ordering of moving vortices. The features of noise spectra obtained in the disordered JJA model have been observed recently in the high-temperature superconductor Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(y) near the first-order melting transition, indicating that both of them are related to each other.

Electronic voltage and current transformers testing device.

PubMed

Pan, Feng; Chen, Ruimin; Xiao, Yong; Sun, Weiming

2012-01-01

A method for testing electronic instrument transformers is described, including electronic voltage and current transformers (EVTs, ECTs) with both analog and digital outputs. A testing device prototype is developed. It is based on digital signal processing of the signals that are measured at the secondary outputs of the tested transformer and the reference transformer when the same excitation signal is fed to their primaries. The test that estimates the performance of the prototype has been carried out at the National Centre for High Voltage Measurement and the prototype is approved for testing transformers with precision class up to 0.2 at the industrial frequency (50 Hz or 60 Hz). The device is suitable for on-site testing due to its high accuracy, simple structure and low-cost hardware.

Comparison of direct current and 50 Hz alternating current microscopic corona characteristics on conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shuai; Zhang, Bo; He, Jinliang

2014-06-01

Corona discharge is one of the major design factors for extra-high voltage and ultra-high voltage DC/AC transmission lines. Under different voltages, corona discharge reveals different characteristics. This paper aims at investigating DC and AC coronas on the microscopic scale. To obtain the specific characteristics of DC and AC coronas, a new measurement approach that utilizes a coaxial wire-cylinder corona cage is designed in this paper, and wires of different diameters are used in the experiment. Based on the measurements, the respective microscopic characteristics of DC and AC coronas are analyzed and compared. With differences in characteristics between DC and AC coronas proposed, this study provides useful insights into DC/AC corona discharges on transmission line applications.

Device for monitoring cell voltage

DOEpatents

Doepke, Matthias [Garbsen, DE; Eisermann, Henning [Edermissen, DE

2012-08-21

A device for monitoring a rechargeable battery having a number of electrically connected cells includes at least one current interruption switch for interrupting current flowing through at least one associated cell and a plurality of monitoring units for detecting cell voltage. Each monitoring unit is associated with a single cell and includes a reference voltage unit for producing a defined reference threshold voltage and a voltage comparison unit for comparing the reference threshold voltage with a partial cell voltage of the associated cell. The reference voltage unit is electrically supplied from the cell voltage of the associated cell. The voltage comparison unit is coupled to the at least one current interruption switch for interrupting the current of at least the current flowing through the associated cell, with a defined minimum difference between the reference threshold voltage and the partial cell voltage.

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.

Serial Charging Test on High Capacity Li-Ion Cells for the Orbiter Advanced Hydraulic Power System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeevarajan, Judith A.; Irlbeck, Brad

2006-01-01

Although it looks like module level voltage drives the cutoff for charge, the actual cutoff is due to unbalanced cell voltages that drive the module voltage up. Individual cell voltage drives the cutoff for discharge Low resistance cells are the first to reach the low-voltage cutoff Cell-to-Cell voltage differences are generally small and show similar trends for each cycle Increase for a distinct window during charge and at the end of discharge Increase in max to min cell voltage difference with time/cycles Decrease in max to min cell voltage difference during high current pulses with time/cycles Individual cell voltage trends (with respect to other cells) are very repeatable from cycle to cycle, although voltage slowly degrades with time/cycles (resistance growth) Much more difference observed near end of discharge Little change in order of cell voltage (cell with highest voltage to cell with lowest voltage) Temp sensor on the side of cell (between 2 cells) shows much greater rise during discharge than for single cell tests (18 C vs 5 C) Conclusion: Serial Charging of this string of cells is feasible as it has only a minor impact on useful capacity

Document for 270 Voltage Direct Current (270 V dc) System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1992-09-01

The paper presents the technical design and application information established by the SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice concerning the generation, distribution, control, and utilization of aircraft 270 V dc electrical power systems and support equipment. Also presented are references and definitions making it possible to compare various electrical systems and components. A diagram of the generic 270 V Direct Current High-Voltage Direct System is included.

Simulator of Non-homogenous Alumina and Current Distribution in an Aluminum Electrolysis Cell to Predict Low-Voltage Anode Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dion, Lukas; Kiss, László I.; Poncsák, Sándor; Lagacé, Charles-Luc

2018-04-01

Perfluorocarbons are important contributors to aluminum production greenhouse gas inventories. Tetrafluoromethane and hexafluoroethane are produced in the electrolysis process when a harmful event called anode effect occurs in the cell. This incident is strongly related to the lack of alumina and the current distribution in the cell and can be classified into two categories: high-voltage and low-voltage anode effects. The latter is hard to detect during the normal electrolysis process and, therefore, new tools are necessary to predict this event and minimize its occurrence. This paper discusses a new approach to model the alumina distribution behavior in an electrolysis cell by dividing the electrolytic bath into non-homogenous concentration zones using discrete elements. The different mechanisms related to the alumina distribution are discussed in detail. Moreover, with a detailed electrical model, it is possible to calculate the current distribution among the different anodic assemblies. With this information, the model can evaluate if low-voltage emissions are likely to be present under the simulated conditions. Using the simulator will help the understanding of the role of the alumina distribution which, in turn, will improve the cell energy consumption and stability while reducing the occurrence of high- and low-voltage anode effects.

Investigation of a High Voltage, High Frequency Power Conditioning System for Use with Flux Compression Generators

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

missouri.edu Abstract The University of Missouri-Columbia is developing a compact pulsed power system to condition the high current signal from a...flux compression generator (FCG) to the high voltage, high frequency signal required for many pulsed power applications. The system consists of a...non-magnetic core, spiral-wound transformer, series exploding wire fuse, and an oscillating mesoband source. The flux compression generator is being

Electrical transport characterization of PEDOT:PSS/n-Si Schottky diodes and their applications in solar cells.

PubMed

Khurelbaatar, Zagarzusem; Hyung, Jung-Hwan; Kim, Gil-Sung; Park, No-Won; Shim, Kyu-Hwan; Lee, Sang-Kwon

2014-06-01

We demonstrate locally contacted PEDOT:PSS Schottky diodes with excellent rectifying behavior, fabricated on n-type Si substrates using a spin-coating process and a reactive-ion etching process. Electrical transport characterizations of these Schottky diodes were investigated by both current-voltage (I-V) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements. We found that these devices exhibit excellent modulation in the current with an on/off ratio of - 10(6). Schottky junction solar cells composed of PEDOT:PSS and n-Si structures were also examined. From the current density-voltage (J-V) measurement of a solar cell under illumination, the short circuit current (I(sc)), open circuit voltage (V(oc)), and conversion efficiency (eta) were - 19.7 mA/cm2, - 578.5 mV, and - 6.5%, respectively. The simple and low-cost fabrication process of the PEDOT:PSS/n-Si Schottky junctions makes them a promising candidate for further high performance solar cell applications.

Highly stable field emission from ZnO nanowire field emitters controlled by an amorphous indium–gallium–zinc-oxide thin film transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaojie; Wang, Ying; Zhang, Zhipeng; Ou, Hai; She, Juncong; Deng, Shaozhi; Xu, Ningsheng; Chen, Jun

2018-04-01

Lowering the driving voltage and improving the stability of nanowire field emitters are essential for them to be applied in devices. In this study the characteristics of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire field emitter arrays (FEAs) controlled by an amorphous indium–gallium–zinc-oxide thin film transistor (a-IGZO TFT) were studied. A low driving voltage along with stabilization of the field emission current were achieved. Modulation of field emission currents up to three orders of magnitude was achieved at a gate voltage of 0–32 V for a constant anode voltage. Additionally, a-IGZO TFT control can dramatically reduce the emission current fluctuation (i.e., from 46.11 to 1.79% at an emission current of ∼3.7 µA). Both the a-IGZO TFT and ZnO nanowire FEAs were prepared on glass substrates in our research, demonstrating the feasibility of realizing large area a-IGZO TFT-controlled ZnO nanowire FEAs.

Voltage-Induced Nonlinear Conduction Properties of Epoxy Resin/Micron-Silver Particles Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Zhaoming; Lu, Pin; Yuan, Yang; Wang, Qingguo

2018-01-01

The nonlinear conduction properties of epoxy resin (ER)/micron-silver particles (MP) composites were investigated. Under sufficient high intensity applied constant voltage, the obvious nonlinear conduction properties of the samples with volume fraction 25% were found. With increments in the voltage, the conductive switching effect was observed. The nonlinear conduction mechanism of the ER/MP composites under high applied voltages could be attributed to the electrical current conducted via discrete paths of conductive particles induced by the electric field. The test results show that the ER/MP composites with nonlinear conduction properties are of great potential application in electromagnetic protection of electron devices and systems.

Bias voltage induced resistance switching effect in single-molecule magnets' tunneling junction.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhengzhong; Jiang, Liang

2014-09-12

An electric-pulse-induced reversible resistance change effect in a molecular magnetic tunneling junction, consisting of a single-molecule magnet (SMM) sandwiched in one nonmagnetic and one ferromagnetic electrode, is theoretically investigated. By applying a time-varying bias voltage, the SMM's spin orientation can be manipulated with large bias voltage pulses. Moreover, the different magnetic configuration at high-resistance/low-resistance states can be 'read out' by utilizing relative low bias voltage. This device scheme can be implemented with current technologies (Khajetoorians et al 2013 Science 339 55) and has potential application in molecular spintronics and high-density nonvolatile memory devices.

Thermionic cogeneration burner design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miskolczy, G.; Goodale, D.; Moffat, A. L.; Morgan, D. T.

Since thermionic converters receive heat at very high temperatures (approximately 1800 K) and reject heat at moderately high temperatures (approximately 800 K), they are useful for cogeneration applications involving high temperature processes. The electric power from thermionic converters is produced as a high amperage, low-voltage direct current. An ideal cogeneration application would be to utilize the reject heat at the collector temperature and the electricity without power conditioning. A cogeneration application in the edible oil industry fulfills both of these requirements since both direct heat and hydrogen gas are required in the hydrogenation of the oils. In this application, the low-voltage direct current would be used in a hydrogen electrolyzer.

2 kV slanted tri-gate GaN-on-Si Schottky barrier diodes with ultra-low leakage current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Jun; Matioli, Elison

2018-01-01

This letter reports lateral GaN-on-Si power Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) with unprecedented voltage-blocking performance by integrating 3-dimensionally a hybrid of tri-anode and slanted tri-gate architectures in their anode. The hybrid tri-anode pins the voltage drop at the Schottky junction (VSCH), despite a large applied reverse bias, fixing the reverse leakage current (IR) of the SBD. Such architecture led to an ultra-low IR of 51 ± 5.9 nA/mm at -1000 V, in addition to a small turn-on voltage (VON) of 0.61 ± 0.03 V. The slanted tri-gate effectively distributes the electric field in OFF state, leading to a remarkably high breakdown voltage (VBR) of -2000 V at 1 μA/mm, constituting a significant breakthrough from existing technologies. The approach pursued in this work reduces the IR and increases the VBR without sacrificing the VON, which provides a technology for high-voltage SBDs, and unveils the unique advantage of tri-gates for advanced power applications.

Transition times between the extremum points of the current–voltage characteristic of a resonant tunneling diode with hysteresis

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

Grishakov, K. S., E-mail: ksgrishakov@yahoo.com; Elesin, V. F.

A numerical solution to the problem of transient processes in a resonant tunneling diode featuring a current–voltage characteristic with hysteresis is found for the first time in the context of a coherent model (based on the coupled Schrödinger and Poisson equations) taking into account the Fermi distribution of electrons. The transitions from the high-current to the low-current state and vice versa, which result from the existence of hysteresis and are of great practical importance for ultrafast switches based on resonant tunneling diodes, are studied in detail. It is shown that the transition times for such processes initiated by the applicationmore » of a small voltage can significantly exceed the characteristic time ℏ/Γ (where G is the width of the resonance level). It is established for the first time that the transition time can be reduced and made as short as the characteristic time ℏ/Γ by applying a sufficiently high voltage. For the parameters of the resonant-tunnelingdiode structure considered in this study, the required voltage is about 0.01 V.« less

Improved Drain Current Saturation and Voltage Gain in Graphene–on–Silicon Field Effect Transistors

PubMed Central

Song, Seung Min; Bong, Jae Hoon; Hwang, Wan Sik; Cho, Byung Jin

2016-01-01

Graphene devices for radio frequency (RF) applications are of great interest due to their excellent carrier mobility and saturation velocity. However, the insufficient current saturation in graphene field effect transistors (FETs) is a barrier preventing enhancements of the maximum oscillation frequency and voltage gain, both of which should be improved for RF transistors. Achieving a high output resistance is therefore a crucial step for graphene to be utilized in RF applications. In the present study, we report high output resistances and voltage gains in graphene-on-silicon (GoS) FETs. This is achieved by utilizing bare silicon as a supporting substrate without an insulating layer under the graphene. The GoSFETs exhibit a maximum output resistance of 2.5 MΩ∙μm, maximum intrinsic voltage gain of 28 dB, and maximum voltage gain of 9 dB. This method opens a new route to overcome the limitations of conventional graphene-on-insulator (GoI) FETs and subsequently brings graphene electronics closer to practical usage. PMID:27142861

Lightweight Battery Charge Regulator Used to Track Solar Array Peak Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soeder, James F.; Button, Robert M.

1999-01-01

A battery charge regulator based on the series-connected boost regulator (SCBR) technology has been developed for high-voltage spacecraft applications. The SCBR regulates the solar array power during insolation to prevent battery overcharge or undercharge conditions. It can also be used to provide regulated battery output voltage to spacecraft loads if necessary. This technology uses industry-standard dc-dc converters and a unique interconnection to provide size, weight, efficiency, fault tolerance, and modularity benefits over existing systems. The high-voltage SCBR shown in the photograph has demonstrated power densities of over 1000 watts per kilogram (W/kg). Using four 150-W dc-dc converter modules, it can process 2500 W of power at 120 Vdc with a minimum input voltage of 90 Vdc. Efficiency of the SCBR was 94 to 98 percent over the entire operational range. Internally, the unit is made of two separate SCBR s, each with its own analog control circuitry, to demonstrate the modularity of the technology. The analog controllers regulate the output current and incorporate the output voltage limit with active current sharing between the two units. They also include voltage and current telemetry, on/off control, and baseplate temperature sensors. For peak power tracking, the SCBR was connected to a LabView-based data acquisition system for telemetry and control. A digital control algorithm for tracking the peak power point of a solar array was developed using the principle of matching the source impedance with the load impedance for maximum energy transfer. The algorithm was successfully demonstrated in a simulated spacecraft electrical system at the Boeing PhantomWorks High Voltage Test Facility in Seattle, Washington. The system consists of a 42-string, high-voltage solar array simulator, a 77-cell, 80-ampere-hour (A-hr) nickel-hydrogen battery, and a constant power-load module. The SCBR and the LabView control algorithm successfully tracked the solar array peak power point through various load transients, including sunlight discharge transients when the total load exceeded the maximum solar array output power.

Production of atmospheric-pressure glow discharge in nitrogen using needle-array electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takaki, K.; Hosokawa, M.; Sasaki, T.; Mukaigawa, S.; Fujiwara, T.

2005-04-01

An atmospheric pressure glow discharge was generated using a needle-array electrode in nitrogen, and the voltage-current characteristics of the glow discharge were obtained in a range from 1 mA to 60 A. A pulsed high voltage with short rise time under 10 ns was employed to generate streamer discharges simultaneously at all needle tips. The large number of streamer discharges prevented the glow-to-arc transition caused by inhomogeneous thermalization. Semiconductor opening switch diodes were employed as an opening switch to shorten the rise time. The glow voltage was almost constant until the discharge current became 0.3 A, whereas the voltage increased with the current higher than 0.3 A. Electron density and temperature in a positive column of the glow discharge at 60 A were obtained to 1.4×1012cm-3 and 1.3 eV from calculation based on nitrogen swarm data.

Modeling of Sonos Memory Cell Erase Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, Thomas A.; MacLeond, Todd C.; Ho, Fat D.

2010-01-01

Silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) nonvolatile semiconductor memories (NVSMS) have many advantages. These memories are electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs). They utilize low programming voltages, endure extended erase/write cycles, are inherently resistant to radiation, and are compatible with high-density scaled CMOS for low power, portable electronics. The SONOS memory cell erase cycle was investigated using a nonquasi-static (NQS) MOSFET model. The SONOS floating gate charge and voltage, tunneling current, threshold voltage, and drain current were characterized during an erase cycle. Comparisons were made between the model predictions and experimental device data.

Tunneling effects in the current-voltage characteristics of high-efficiency GaAs solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kachare, R.; Anspaugh, B. E.; Garlick, G. F. J.

1988-01-01

Evidence is that tunneling via states in the forbidden gap is the dominant source of excess current in the dark current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of high-efficiency DMCVD grown Al(x)Ga(1-x)As/GaAs(x is equal to or greater than 0.85) solar cells. The dark forward and reverse I-V measurements were made on several solar cells, for the first time, at temperatures between 193 and 301 K. Low-voltage reverse-bias I-V data of a number of cells give a thermal activation energy for excess current of 0.026 + or - 0.005 eV, which corresponds to the carbon impurity in GaAs. However, other energy levels between 0.02 eV and 0.04 eV were observed in some cells which may correspond to impurity levels introduced by Cu, Si, Ge, or Cd. The forward-bias excess current is mainly due to carrier tunneling between localized levels created in the space-charge layer by impurities such as carbon, which are incorporated during the solar cell growth process. A model is suggested to explain the results.

Development and application of network virtual instrument for emission spectrum of pulsed high-voltage direct current discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, X.; Wu, Q.

2017-12-01

Network virtual instrument (VI) is a new development direction in current automated test. Based on LabVIEW, the software and hardware system of VI used for emission spectrum of pulsed high-voltage direct current (DC) discharge is developed and applied to investigate pulsed high-voltage DC discharge of nitrogen. By doing so, various functions are realized including real time collection of emission spectrum of nitrogen, monitoring operation state of instruments and real time analysis and processing of data. By using shared variables and DataSocket technology in LabVIEW, the network VI system based on field VI is established. The system can acquire the emission spectrum of nitrogen in the test site, monitor operation states of field instruments, realize real time face-to-face interchange of two sites, and analyze data in the far-end from the network terminal. By employing the network VI system, the staff in the two sites acquired the same emission spectrum of nitrogen and conducted the real time communication. By comparing with the previous results, it can be seen that the experimental data obtained by using the system are highly precise. This implies that the system shows reliable network stability and safety and satisfies the requirements for studying the emission spectrum of pulsed high-voltage discharge in high-precision fields or network terminals. The proposed architecture system is described and the target group gets the useful enlightenment in many fields including engineering remote users, specifically in control- and automation-related tasks.

Communication—Electrolysis at High Efficiency with Remarkable Hydrogen Production Rates

DOE PAGES

Wood, Anthony; He, Hongpeng; Joia, Tahir; ...

2016-01-20

Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOE) can be used to produce hydrogen with very high efficiencies at remarkable hydrogen production rates. Through microstructural and compositional modification, conventional low cost Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) materials have been used to create a Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) that can achieve remarkable current density at cell voltages allowing higher conversion efficiency than current commercial electrolysers. Current densities in excess of 6 A/cm2 have been achieved at 800°C with a cell voltage of < 1.67 V. This cell shows a more than 3-fold increase in hydrogen production rate at higher efficiency than established commercial electrolysers.

Preliminary chaotic model of snapover on high voltage solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackey, Willie R.

1995-01-01

High voltage power systems in space will interact with the space plasma in a variety of ways. One of these, snapover, is characterized by sudden enlargement of the current collection area across normally insulating surfaces generating enhanced electron current collection. Power drain on solar array power systems results from this enhanced current collection. Optical observations of the snapover phenomena in the laboratory indicates a functional relation between glow area and bia potential as a consequence of the fold/cusp bifurcation in chaos theory. Successful characterizations of snapover as a chaotic phenomena may provide a means of snapover prevention and control through chaotic synchronization.

Effects of Displacement Damage on the Time-Resolved Gain and Bandwidth of a Low Breakdown Voltage Si Avalanche Photodiode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laird, Jamie S.; Onoda, Shinobu; Hirao, Toshio; Becker, Heidi; Johnston, Allan; Laird, Jamie S.; Itoh, Hisayoshi

2006-01-01

Effects of displacement damage and ionization damage induced by gamma irradiation on the dark current and impulse response of a high-bandwidth low breakdown voltage Si Avalanche Photodiode has been investigated using picosecond laser microscopy. At doses as high as 10Mrad (Si) minimal alteration in the impulse response and bandwidth were observed. However, dark current measurements also performed with and without biased irradiation exhibit anomalously large damage factors for applied biases close to breakdown. The absence of any degradation in the impulse response is discussed as are possible mechanisms for higher dark current damage factors observed for biased irradiation.

An accurate online calibration system based on combined clamp-shape coil for high voltage electronic current transformers.

PubMed

Li, Zhen-hua; Li, Hong-bin; Zhang, Zhi

2013-07-01

Electronic transformers are widely used in power systems because of their wide bandwidth and good transient performance. However, as an emerging technology, the failure rate of electronic transformers is higher than that of traditional transformers. As a result, the calibration period needs to be shortened. Traditional calibration methods require the power of transmission line be cut off, which results in complicated operation and power off loss. This paper proposes an online calibration system which can calibrate electronic current transformers without power off. In this work, the high accuracy standard current transformer and online operation method are the key techniques. Based on the clamp-shape iron-core coil and clamp-shape air-core coil, a combined clamp-shape coil is designed as the standard current transformer. By analyzing the output characteristics of the two coils, the combined clamp-shape coil can achieve verification of the accuracy. So the accuracy of the online calibration system can be guaranteed. Moreover, by employing the earth potential working method and using two insulating rods to connect the combined clamp-shape coil to the high voltage bus, the operation becomes simple and safe. Tests in China National Center for High Voltage Measurement and field experiments show that the proposed system has a high accuracy of up to 0.05 class.

21 CFR 1040.30 - High-intensity mercury vapor discharge lamps.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... operating time means the sum of the times during which electric current passes through the high-pressure arc... applicable: (1) Lamp voltage, current, and orientation shall be those indicated or recommended by the...

21 CFR 1040.30 - High-intensity mercury vapor discharge lamps.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... operating time means the sum of the times during which electric current passes through the high-pressure arc... applicable: (1) Lamp voltage, current, and orientation shall be those indicated or recommended by the...

21 CFR 1040.30 - High-intensity mercury vapor discharge lamps.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... operating time means the sum of the times during which electric current passes through the high-pressure arc... applicable: (1) Lamp voltage, current, and orientation shall be those indicated or recommended by the...

21 CFR 1040.30 - High-intensity mercury vapor discharge lamps.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... operating time means the sum of the times during which electric current passes through the high-pressure arc... applicable: (1) Lamp voltage, current, and orientation shall be those indicated or recommended by the...

Xenon excimer emission from pulsed high-pressure capillary microdischarges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Byung-Joon; Rahaman, Hasibur; Petzenhauser, Isfried; Frank, Klaus; Giapis, Konstantinos P.

2007-06-01

Intense xenon vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) emission is observed from a high-pressure capillary cathode microdischarge in direct current operation, by superimposing a high-voltage pulse of 50ns duration. Under stagnant gas conditions, the total VUV light intensity increases linearly with pressure from 400 to 1013mbar for a fixed voltage pulse. At fixed pressure, however, the VUV light intensity increases superlinearly with voltage pulse height ranging from 08to2.8kV. Gains in emission intensity are obtained by inducing gas flow through the capillary cathode, presumably because of excimer dimer survival due to gas cooling.

The interaction of spacecraft high voltage power systems with the space plasma environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Domitz, S.; Grier, N. T.

1974-01-01

Research work has shown that the interaction of a spacecraft and its high voltage power systems with the space plasma environment can result in harmful power loss and damage to insulators and metal surfaces. Insulator and solar panel tests were performed and flight tests are planned. High voltage power processing equipment was shown to be affected by power loss, and by transients due to plasma interactions. Power loss was determined to be roughly proportional to the square of the voltage and increases approximately as the square root of the area. Kapton, Teflon, and glass were found to be satisfactory insulating materials and it is concluded that for large space power stations should consider the effect of large pinhole currents.

SU-F-T-554: Dark Current Effect On CyberKnife Beam Dosimetry

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

Kim, H; Chang, A

Purpose: All RF linear accelerators produce dark current to varying degrees when an accelerating voltage and RF input is applied in the absence of electron gun injection. This study is to evaluate how dark current from the linear accelerator of CyberKnife affect the dose in the reference dosimetry. Methods: The G4 CyberKnife system with 6MV photon beam was used in this study. Using the ion chamber and the diode detector, the dose was measured in water with varying time delay between acquiring charges and staring beam-on after applying high-voltage into the linear accelerator. The dose was measured after the timemore » delay with over the range of 0 to 120 seconds in the accelerating high-voltage mode without beam-on, applying 0, 10, 50, 100, and 200 MUs. For the measurements, the collimator of 60 mm was used and the detectors were placed at the depths of 10 cm with the source-to-surface distance of 80 cm. Results: The dark current was constant over time regardless of MU. The dose due to the dark current increased over time linearly with the R-squared value of 0.9983 up to 4.4 cGy for the time 120 seconds. In the dose rate setting of 720 MU/min, the relative dose when applying the accelerating voltage without beam-on was increased over time up to 0.6% but it was less than the leakage radiation resulted from the accelerated head. As the reference dosimetry condition, when 100 MU was delivered after 10 seconds time delay, the relative dose increased by 0.7% but 6.7% for the low MU (10 MU). Conclusion: In the dosimetry using CyberKnife system, the constant dark current affected to the dose. Although the time delay in the accelerating high-voltage mode without beam-on is within 10 seconds, the dose less than 100 cGy can be overestimated more than 1%.« less

High Voltage Test-Stand Research Done on ICRF Antenna Elements of the High-Harmonic Fast-Wave System of NSTX

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

Perkins, R. J.; Ahn, J.W.; Bortolon, A.

The twelve-strap high-harmonic fast-wave (HHFW) antenna on NSTX has exhibited a high-voltage standoff around 25 kV during previous experimental campaigns; this standoff needs to be improved for increased power coupling. During the recent NSTX-U upgrade period, a test-stand was set up with two antenna straps along with Faraday screens for testing purposes. Using a diagnostic suite consisting of a fast camera, a residual gas analyzer, a pressure gage, high-voltage probes, and an infrared camera, several interesting discoveries were made, leading to possible improvements of the antenna RF voltage operation level. First, arcing was observed outside the Faraday shields towards themore » low-voltage ("grounded") end of the straps (faraday shield box ends); this arcing was successfully eliminated by installing an additional grounding point between the Faraday shield box and the vessel wall. Second, considerable outgassing was observed during the RF pulse and the amount of outgassing was found to decrease with increasing RF power, possibly indicative of multipacting. Finally, infrared camera measurements of heating on the Faraday shield assembly suggest that the return currents on the Faraday shield box are highly localized at the box sides and possibly account for the pressure increase observed. Computations of these RF currents using Microwave Studio show qualitative agreement with the heated regions. New grounding points between the antenna box and the vessel have been implemented in NSTX-U, where future tests will be done to determine if the high-voltage standoff has improved. Further antenna improvements will be sought through future experiments on the test stand.« less

Experiments of a 100 kV-level pulse generator based on metal-oxide varistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Yan-cheng; Wu, Qi-lin; Yang, Han-wu; Gao, Jing-ming; Li, Song; Shi, Cheng-yu

2018-03-01

This paper introduces the development and experiments of a 100 kV-level pulse generator based on a metal-oxide varistor (MOV). MOV has a high energy handling capacity and nonlinear voltage-current (V-I) characteristics, which makes it useful for high voltage pulse shaping. Circuit simulations based on the measured voltage-current characteristics of MOV verified the shaping concept and showed that a circuit containing a two-section pulse forming network (PFN) will result in better defined square pulse than a simple L-C discharging circuit. A reduced-scale experiment was carried out and the result agreed well with simulation prediction. Then a 100 kV-level pulse generator with multiple MOVs in a stack and a two-section pulse forming network (PFN) was experimented. A pulse with a voltage amplitude of 90 kV, rise time of about 50 ns, pulse width of 500 ns, and flat top of about 400 ns was obtained with a water dummy load of 50 Ω. The results reveal that the combination of PFN and MOV is a practical way to generate high voltage pulses with better flat top waveforms, and the load voltage is stable even if the load's impedance varies. Such pulse generator can be applied in many fields such as surface treatment, corona plasma generation, industrial dedusting, and medical disinfection.

Dynamic memory of a single voltage-gated potassium ion channel: A stochastic nonequilibrium thermodynamic analysis

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

Banerjee, Kinshuk, E-mail: kbpchem@gmail.com

2015-05-14

In this work, we have studied the stochastic response of a single voltage-gated potassium ion channel to a periodic external voltage that keeps the system out-of-equilibrium. The system exhibits memory, resulting from time-dependent driving, that is reflected in terms of dynamic hysteresis in the current-voltage characteristics. The hysteresis loop area has a maximum at some intermediate voltage frequency and disappears in the limits of low and high frequencies. However, the (average) dissipation at long-time limit increases and finally goes to saturation with rising frequency. This raises the question: how diminishing hysteresis can be associated with growing dissipation? To answer this,more » we have studied the nonequilibrium thermodynamics of the system and analyzed different thermodynamic functions which also exhibit hysteresis. Interestingly, by applying a temporal symmetry analysis in the high-frequency limit, we have analytically shown that hysteresis in some of the periodic responses of the system does not vanish. On the contrary, the rates of free energy and internal energy change of the system as well as the rate of dissipative work done on the system show growing hysteresis with frequency. Hence, although the current-voltage hysteresis disappears in the high-frequency limit, the memory of the ion channel is manifested through its specific nonequilibrium thermodynamic responses.« less

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

Thiemann, H.; Bogus, K.P.

The behavior of solar cell modules at high voltages in a surrounding simulated LEO plasma has been characterized over an applied voltage range from -700 to +500 V. Measurements were obtained in a large chamber under high vacuum using argon ions from a Kaufman source to generate a high-density plasma of up to 10 to the 6th/cu cm. The results suggest that secondary electrons contribute to the anomalous current increase noted at positive module voltages above 300 V. The surface potential on the coverglasses of the solar cells was shown to increase to high values only in the vicinity ofmore » the interconnectors. 27 references.« less

Adjustable, High Voltage Pulse Generator with Isolated Output for Plasma Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziemba, Timothy; Miller, Kenneth E.; Prager, James; Slobodov, Ilia

2015-09-01

Eagle Harbor Technologies (EHT), Inc. has developed a high voltage pulse generator with isolated output for etch, sputtering, and ion implantation applications within the materials science and semiconductor processing communities. The output parameters are independently user adjustable: output voltage (0 - 2.5 kV), pulse repetition frequency (0 - 100 kHz), and duty cycle (0 - 100%). The pulser can drive loads down to 200 Ω. Higher voltage pulsers have also been tested. The isolated output allows the pulse generator to be connected to loads that need to be biased. These pulser generators take advantage modern silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. These new solid-state switches decrease the switching and conduction losses while allowing for higher switching frequency capabilities. This pulse generator has applications for RF plasma heating; inductive and arc plasma sources; magnetron driving; and generation of arbitrary pulses at high voltage, high current, and high pulse repetition frequency. This work was supported in part by a DOE SBIR.

The protein kinase C inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide (I), inhibits voltage-dependent K+ channels in coronary arterial smooth muscle cells.

PubMed

Park, Won Sun; Son, Youn Kyoung; Ko, Eun A; Ko, Jae-Hong; Lee, Hyang Ae; Park, Kyoung Sun; Earm, Yung E

2005-06-17

We examined the effects of the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide (BIM) (I), on voltage-dependent K+ (K(V)) channels in rabbit coronary arterial smooth muscle cells using whole-cell patch clamp technique. BIM (I) reversibly and dose-dependently inhibited the K(V) currents with an apparent Kd value of 0.27 microM. The inhibition of the K(V) current by BIM (I) was highly voltage-dependent between -30 and +10 mV (voltage range of channel activation), and the additive inhibition of the K(V) current by BIM (I) was voltage-dependence in the full activation voltage range. The rate constants of association and dissociation for BIM (I) were 18.4 microM(-1) s(-1) and 4.7 s(-1), respectively. BIM (I) had no effect on the steady-state activation and inactivation of K(V) channels. BIM (I) caused use-dependent inhibition of K(V) current, which was consistent with the slow recovery from inactivation in the presence of BIM (I) (recovery time constants were 856.95 +/- 282.6 ms for control, and 1806.38 +/- 110.0 ms for 300 nM BIM (I)). ATP-sensitive K+ (K(ATP)), inward rectifier K+ (K(IR)), Ca2+-activated K+ (BK(Ca)) channels, which regulate the membrane potential and arterial tone, were not affected by BIM (I). The PKC inhibitor, chelerythrine, and protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, PKA-IP, had little effect on the K(V) current and did not significantly alter the inhibitory effects of BIM (I) on the K(V) current. These results suggest that BIM (I) inhibits K(V) channels in a phosphorylation-independent, and voltage-, time- and use-dependent manner.

Study of switching transients in high frequency converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zinger, Donald S.; Elbuluk, Malik E.; Lee, Tony

1993-01-01

As the semiconductor technologies progress rapidly, the power densities and switching frequencies of many power devices are improved. With the existing technology, high frequency power systems become possible. Use of such a system is advantageous in many aspects. A high frequency ac source is used as the direct input to an ac/ac pulse-density-modulation (PDM) converter. This converter is a new concept which employs zero voltage switching techniques. However, the development of this converter is still in its infancy stage. There are problems associated with this converter such as a high on-voltage drop, switching transients, and zero-crossing detecting. Considering these problems, the switching speed and power handling capabilities of the MOS-Controlled Thyristor (MCT) makes the device the most promising candidate for this application. A complete insight of component considerations for building an ac/ac PDM converter for a high frequency power system is addressed. A power device review is first presented. The ac/ac PDM converter requires switches that can conduct bi-directional current and block bi-directional voltage. These bi-directional switches can be constructed using existing power devices. Different bi-directional switches for the converter are investigated. Detailed experimental studies of the characteristics of the MCT under hard switching and zero-voltage switching are also presented. One disadvantage of an ac/ac converter is that turn-on and turn-off of the switches has to be completed instantaneously when the ac source is at zero voltage. Otherwise shoot-through current or voltage spikes can occur which can be hazardous to the devices. In order for the devices to switch softly in the safe operating area even under non-ideal cases, a unique snubber circuit is used in each bi-directional switch. Detailed theory and experimental results for circuits using these snubbers are presented. A current regulated ac/ac PDM converter built using MCT's and IGBT's is evaluated.

Voltage-gated currents in identified rat olfactory receptor neurons.

PubMed

Trombley, P Q; Westbrook, G L

1991-02-01

Whole-cell recording techniques were used to characterize voltage-gated membrane currents in neonatal rat olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) in cell culture. Mature ORNs were identified in culture by their characteristic bipolar morphology, by retrograde labeling techniques, and by olfactory marker protein (OMP) immunoreactivity. ORNs did not have spontaneous activity, but fired action potentials to depolarizing current pulses. Action potentials were blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX), which contrasts with the TTX-resistant action potentials in salamander olfactory receptor cells (e.g., Firestein and Werblin, 1987). Prolonged, suprathreshold current pulses evoked only a single action potential; however, repetitive firing up to 35 Hz could be elicited by a series of brief depolarizing pulses. Under voltage clamp, the TTX-sensitive sodium current had activation and inactivation properties similar to other excitable cells. In TTX and 20 mM barium, sustained inward current were evoked by voltage steps positive to -30 mV. This current was blocked by Cd (100 microM) and by nifedipine (IC50 = 368 nM) consistent with L-type calcium channels in other neurons. No T-type calcium current was observed. Voltage steps positive to -20 mV also evoked an outward current that did not inactivate during 100-msec depolarizations. Tail current analysis of this current was consistent with a selective potassium conductance. The outward current was blocked by external tetraethylammonium but was unaffected by Cd or 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) or by removal of external calcium. A transient outward current was not observed. The 3 voltage-dependent conductances in cultured rat ORNs appear to be sufficient for 2 essential functions: action potential generation and transmitter release. As a single odorant-activated channel can trigger an action potential (e.g., Lynch and Barry, 1989), the repetitive firing seen with brief depolarizing pulses suggests that ORNs do not integrate sensory input, but rather act as high-fidelity relays such that each opening of an odorant-activated channel reaches the olfactory bulb glomeruli as an action potential.

Nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges in air at atmospheric pressure—the spark regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pai, David Z.; Lacoste, Deanna A.; Laux, Christophe O.

2010-12-01

Nanosecond repetitively pulsed (NRP) spark discharges have been studied in atmospheric pressure air preheated to 1000 K. Measurements of spark initiation and stability, plasma dynamics, gas temperature and current-voltage characteristics of the spark regime are presented. Using 10 ns pulses applied repetitively at 30 kHz, we find that 2-400 pulses are required to initiate the spark, depending on the applied voltage. Furthermore, about 30-50 pulses are required for the spark discharge to reach steady state, following initiation. Based on space- and time-resolved optical emission spectroscopy, the spark discharge in steady state is found to ignite homogeneously in the discharge gap, without evidence of an initial streamer. Using measured emission from the N2 (C-B) 0-0 band, it is found that the gas temperature rises by several thousand Kelvin in the span of about 30 ns following the application of the high-voltage pulse. Current-voltage measurements show that up to 20-40 A of conduction current is generated, which corresponds to an electron number density of up to 1015 cm-3 towards the end of the high-voltage pulse. The discharge dynamics, gas temperature and electron number density are consistent with a streamer-less spark that develops homogeneously through avalanche ionization in volume. This occurs because the pre-ionization electron number density of about 1011 cm-3 produced by the high frequency train of pulses is above the critical density for streamer-less discharge development, which is shown to be about 108 cm-3.

Sinusoidal voltage protocols for rapid characterisation of ion channel kinetics.

PubMed

Beattie, Kylie A; Hill, Adam P; Bardenet, Rémi; Cui, Yi; Vandenberg, Jamie I; Gavaghan, David J; de Boer, Teun P; Mirams, Gary R

2018-03-24

Ion current kinetics are commonly represented by current-voltage relationships, time constant-voltage relationships and subsequently mathematical models fitted to these. These experiments take substantial time, which means they are rarely performed in the same cell. Rather than traditional square-wave voltage clamps, we fitted a model to the current evoked by a novel sum-of-sinusoids voltage clamp that was only 8 s long. Short protocols that can be performed multiple times within a single cell will offer many new opportunities to measure how ion current kinetics are affected by changing conditions. The new model predicts the current under traditional square-wave protocols well, with better predictions of underlying currents than literature models. The current under a novel physiologically relevant series of action potential clamps is predicted extremely well. The short sinusoidal protocols allow a model to be fully fitted to individual cells, allowing us to examine cell-cell variability in current kinetics for the first time. Understanding the roles of ion currents is crucial to predict the action of pharmaceuticals and mutations in different scenarios, and thereby to guide clinical interventions in the heart, brain and other electrophysiological systems. Our ability to predict how ion currents contribute to cellular electrophysiology is in turn critically dependent on our characterisation of ion channel kinetics - the voltage-dependent rates of transition between open, closed and inactivated channel states. We present a new method for rapidly exploring and characterising ion channel kinetics, applying it to the hERG potassium channel as an example, with the aim of generating a quantitatively predictive representation of the ion current. We fitted a mathematical model to currents evoked by a novel 8 second sinusoidal voltage clamp in CHO cells overexpressing hERG1a. The model was then used to predict over 5 minutes of recordings in the same cell in response to further protocols: a series of traditional square step voltage clamps, and also a novel voltage clamp comprising a collection of physiologically relevant action potentials. We demonstrate that we can make predictive cell-specific models that outperform the use of averaged data from a number of different cells, and thereby examine which changes in gating are responsible for cell-cell variability in current kinetics. Our technique allows rapid collection of consistent and high quality data, from single cells, and produces more predictive mathematical ion channel models than traditional approaches. © 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Physiological Society.

Development of high temperature gallium phosphide rectifiers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craford, M. G.; Keune, D. L.

1972-01-01

Large area high performance, GaP rectifiers were fabricated by means of Zn diffusion into vapor phase epitaxial GaP. Devices with an active area of 0.01 sq cm typically exhibit forward voltages of 3 volts for a bias current of 1 ampere and have reverse breakdown voltages of 300 volts for temperatures from 27 C to 400 C. Typical device reverse saturation current at a reverse bias of 150 volts is less than 10 to the minus 9th power amp at 27 C and less than 0.000050 amp at 400 C.

Experimental study of atmospheric-pressure micro-plasmas for the ambient sampling of conductive materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Zhengchao; He, Feng; Si, Xinlu; Bradley, James W.; Ouyang, Jiting

2018-02-01

Conductive solid material sampling by micro-plasma under ambient atmosphere was studied experimentally. A high-voltage pulse generator was utilized to drive discharge between a tungsten needle and metal samples. The effects of pulse width on discharge, micro-plasma and sampling were investigated. The electrical results show that two discharge current pulses can be formed in one voltage pulse. The duration of the first current pulse is of the order of 100 ns. The duration of the second current pulse depends on the width of the voltage pulse. The electrical results also show that arc micro-plasma was generated during both current pulses. The results of the emission spectra of different sampled materials indicate that the relative emission intensity of elemental metal ions will increase with pulse width. The excitation temperature and electron density of the arc micro-plasmas increase with the voltage pulse width, which contributes to the increase of relative emission intensity of metal ions. The optical images and energy dispersive spectroscopy results of the sampling spots on metal surfaces indicate that discharge with a short voltage pulse can generate a small sputtering crater.

Characterization of AlN/AlGaN/GaN:C heterostructures grown on Si(111) using atom probe tomography, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and vertical current-voltage measurements

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

Huber, Martin, E-mail: martin.huberVIH@infineon.com; Daumiller, Ingo; Andreev, Andrei

2016-03-28

Complementary studies of atom probe tomography, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and vertical current-voltage measurements are carried out in order to unravel the influence of C-doping of GaN on the vertical leakage current of AlN/AlGaN/GaN:C heterostructures. A systematic increment of the vertical blocking voltage at a given current density is observed in the structures, when moving from the nominally undoped conditions—corresponding to a residual C-background of ∼10{sup 17 }cm{sup −3}—to a C-content of ∼10{sup 19 }cm{sup −3} in the GaN layer. The value of the vertical blocking voltage saturates for C concentrations higher than ∼10{sup 19 }cm{sup −3}. Atom probe tomography confirms the homogeneitymore » of the GaN:C layers, demonstrating that there is no clustering at C-concentrations as high as 10{sup 20 }cm{sup −3}. It is inferred that the vertical blocking voltage saturation is not likely to be related to C-clustering.« less

Analysis of electrical properties of heterojunction based on ZnIn2Se4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attia, A. A.; Ali, H. A. M.; Salem, G. F.; Ismail, M. I.; Al-Harbi, F. F.

2017-04-01

Heterojunction of n-ZnIn2Se4/p-Si was fabricated using thermal evaporation of ZnIn2Se4 thin films of thickness 473 nm onto p-Si substrate at room temperature. The characteristics of current-voltage (I-V) for n-ZnIn2Se4/p-Si heterojunction were investigated at different temperatures ranged from 308 K to 363 K. The junction parameters namely are; rectification ratio (RR), series resistance (Rs), shunt resistance (Rsh) and diode ideality factor (n) were calculated from the analysis of I-V curves. The forward current showed two conduction mechanisms operating, which were the thermionic emission and the single trap space charge limited current in low (0 ≤ V ≤ 0.5 V) and high (V ≥ 0.7 V) ranges of voltage, respectively. The reverse current was due to the generation through Si rather than the ZnIn2Se4 film. The built-in voltage and the width of the depletion region were determined from the capacitance-voltage (C-V) measurements. The photovoltaic characteristics of the junction were also studied through the (I-V) measurements under illumination of 40 mW/cm2. The cell parameters; the short-circuit current, the open-circuit voltage and the fill factor were estimated at room temperature.

Hierarchical Approach to 'Atomistic' 3-D MOSFET Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asenov, Asen; Brown, Andrew R.; Davies, John H.; Saini, Subhash

1999-01-01

We present a hierarchical approach to the 'atomistic' simulation of aggressively scaled sub-0.1 micron MOSFET's. These devices are so small that their characteristics depend on the precise location of dopant atoms within them, not just on their average density. A full-scale three-dimensional drift-diffusion atomistic simulation approach is first described and used to verify more economical, but restricted, options. To reduce processor time and memory requirements at high drain voltage, we have developed a self-consistent option based on a solution of the current continuity equation restricted to a thin slab of the channel. This is coupled to the solution of the Poisson equation in the whole simulation domain in the Gummel iteration cycles. The accuracy of this approach is investigated in comparison to the full self-consistent solution. At low drain voltage, a single solution of the nonlinear Poisson equation is sufficient to extract the current with satisfactory accuracy. In this case, the current is calculated by solving the current continuity equation in a drift approximation only, also in a thin slab containing the MOSFET channel. The regions of applicability for the different components of this hierarchical approach are illustrated in example simulations covering the random dopant-induced threshold voltage fluctuations, threshold voltage lowering, threshold voltage asymmetry, and drain current fluctuations.

A Low-Voltage Chopper-Stabilized Amplifier for Fetal ECG Monitoring With a 1.41 Power Efficiency Factor.

PubMed

Song, Shuang; Rooijakkers, Michael; Harpe, Pieter; Rabotti, Chiara; Mischi, Massimo; van Roermund, Arthur H M; Cantatore, Eugenio

2015-04-01

This paper presents a low-voltage current-reuse chopper-stabilized frontend amplifier for fetal ECG monitoring. The proposed amplifier allows for individual tuning of the noise in each measurement channel, minimizing the total power consumption while satisfying all application requirements. The low-voltage current reuse topology exploits power optimization in both the current and the voltage domain, exploiting multiple supply voltages (0.3, 0.6 and 1.2 V). The power management circuitry providing the different supplies is optimized for high efficiency (peak charge-pump efficiency = 90%).The low-voltage amplifier together with its power management circuitry is implemented in a standard 0.18 μm CMOS process and characterized experimentally. The amplifier core achieves both good noise efficiency factor (NEF=1.74) and power efficiency factor (PEF=1.05). Experiments show that the amplifier core can provide a noise level of 0.34 μVrms in a 0.7 to 182 Hz band, consuming 1.17 μW power. The amplifier together with its power management circuitry consumes 1.56 μW, achieving a PEF of 1.41. The amplifier is also validated with adult ECG and pre-recorded fetal ECG measurements.

Voltage Sensing in Membranes: From Macroscopic Currents to Molecular Motions

PubMed Central

Freites, J. Alfredo; Tobias, Douglas J.

2015-01-01

Voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) are integral membrane protein units that sense changes in membrane electric potential, and through the resulting conformational changes, regulate a specific function. VSDs confer voltage-sensitivity to a large superfamily of membrane proteins that includes voltage-gated Na+, K+, Ca2+, and H+ selective channels, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels, and voltage-sensing phosphatases. VSDs consist of four transmembrane segments (termed S1 through S4). Their most salient structural feature is the highly conserved positions for charged residues in their sequences. S4 exhibits at least three conserved triplet repeats composed of one basic residue (mostly arginine) followed by two hydrophobic residues. These S4 basic side chains participate in a state-dependent internal salt-bridge network with at least four acidic residues in S1–S3. The signature of voltage-dependent activation in electrophysiology experiments is a transient current (termed gating or sensing current) upon a change in applied membrane potential as the basic side chains in S4 move across the membrane electric field. Thus, the unique structural features of the VSD architecture allow for competing requirements: maintaining a series of stable transmembrane conformations, while allowing charge motion, as briefly reviewed here. PMID:25972106

Ultra Fast, High Rep Rate, High Voltage Spark Gap Pulser

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-07-01

current rise time. The spark gap was designed to have a coaxial geometry reducing its inductance. Provisions were made to pass flowing gas between the...ULTRA FAST, HIGH REP RATE, HIGH VOLTAGE SPARK GAP PULSER Robert A. Pastore Jr., Lawrence E. Kingsley, Kevin Fonda, Erik Lenzing Electrophysics and...Modeling Branch AMSRL-PS-EA Tel.: (908)-532-0271 FAX: (908)-542-3348 U.S. Army Research Laboratory Physical Sciences Directorate Ft. Monmouth

An Efficient Modulation Strategy for Cascaded Photovoltaic Systems Suffering From Module Mismatch

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

Wang, Cheng; Zhang, Kai; Xiong, Jian

Modular multilevel cascaded converter (MMCC) is a promising technique for medium/high-voltage high-power photovoltaic systems due to its modularity, scalability, and capability of distributed maximum power point tracking (MPPT) etc. However, distributed MPPT under module-mismatch might polarize the distribution of ac output voltages as well as the dc-link voltages among the modules, distort grid currents, and even cause system instability. For the better acceptance in practical applications, such issues need to be well addressed. Based on mismatch degree that is defined to consider both active power distribution and maximum modulation index, this paper presents an efficient modulation strategy for a cascaded-H-bridge-basedmore » MMCC under module mismatch. It can operate in loss-reducing mode or range-extending mode. By properly switching between the two modes, performance indices such as system efficiency, grid current quality, and balance of dc voltages, can be well coordinated. In this way, the MMCC system can maintain high-performance over a wide range of operating conditions. As a result, effectiveness of the proposed modulation strategy is proved with experiments.« less

An Efficient Modulation Strategy for Cascaded Photovoltaic Systems Suffering From Module Mismatch

DOE PAGES

Wang, Cheng; Zhang, Kai; Xiong, Jian; ...

2017-09-26

Modular multilevel cascaded converter (MMCC) is a promising technique for medium/high-voltage high-power photovoltaic systems due to its modularity, scalability, and capability of distributed maximum power point tracking (MPPT) etc. However, distributed MPPT under module-mismatch might polarize the distribution of ac output voltages as well as the dc-link voltages among the modules, distort grid currents, and even cause system instability. For the better acceptance in practical applications, such issues need to be well addressed. Based on mismatch degree that is defined to consider both active power distribution and maximum modulation index, this paper presents an efficient modulation strategy for a cascaded-H-bridge-basedmore » MMCC under module mismatch. It can operate in loss-reducing mode or range-extending mode. By properly switching between the two modes, performance indices such as system efficiency, grid current quality, and balance of dc voltages, can be well coordinated. In this way, the MMCC system can maintain high-performance over a wide range of operating conditions. As a result, effectiveness of the proposed modulation strategy is proved with experiments.« less

Pb/InAs nanowire josephson junction with high critical current and magnetic flux focusing.

PubMed

Paajaste, J; Amado, M; Roddaro, S; Bergeret, F S; Ercolani, D; Sorba, L; Giazotto, F

2015-03-11

We have studied mesoscopic Josephson junctions formed by highly n-doped InAs nanowires and superconducting Ti/Pb source and drain leads. The current-voltage properties of the system are investigated by varying temperature and external out-of-plane magnetic field. Superconductivity in the Pb electrodes persists up to ∼7 K and with magnetic field values up to 0.4 T. Josephson coupling at zero backgate voltage is observed up to 4.5 K and the critical current is measured to be as high as 615 nA. The supercurrent suppression as a function of the magnetic field reveals a diffraction pattern that is explained by a strong magnetic flux focusing provided by the superconducting electrodes forming the junction.

Portable precision dc voltage-current transfer standard for electrometer calibration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landis, G.; Godwin, M.

1982-01-01

A circuit design is presented for an instrument providing a highly stable and fully adjustable voltage and current in the range of 0-1.999 V or 0-199.9 mV and 10-11-10-15 A. This instrument is used to verify the calibration and performance of dc and vibrating reed electrometers and chart recorders on mass spectrometers of the USGS Isotope Laboratories in Denver.

High-Voltage Power Supply With Fast Rise and Fall Times

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bearden, Douglas B.; Acker, Richard M.; Kapuslka, Robert E.

2007-01-01

A special-purpose high-voltage power supply can be electronically switched on and off with fast rise and fall times, respectively. The output potential is programmable from 20 to 1,250 V. An output current of 50 A can be sustained at 1,250 V. The power supply was designed specifically for electronically shuttering a microchannel plate in an x-ray detector that must operate with exposure times as short as 1 ms. The basic design of the power supply is also adaptable to other applications in which there are requirements for rapid slewing of high voltages. The power-supply circuitry (see figure) includes a preregulator, which is used to program the output at 1/30 of the desired output potential. After the desired voltage has been set, the outputs of a pulse width modulator (PWM) are enabled and used to amplify the preregulator output potential by 30. The amplification is achieved by use of two voltage doublers with a transformer that has two primary and two secondary windings. A resistor is used to limit the current by controlling the drive voltage of two field-effect transistors (FETs) during turn-on of the PWM. A pulse transformer is used to turn on four FETs to short-circuit four output capacitors when the outputs of the PWM have been disabled. The most notable aspects of the performance of the power supply are a rise time of only 80 s and a fall time of only 60 s at a load current of 50 A or less. Another notable aspect is that the application of a 0-to-5-V square wave to a shutdown pin of the PWM causes the production of a 0-to-1,250-V square wave at the output terminals.

DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH-TEMPERATURE/HIGH-PRESSURE ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR

EPA Science Inventory

The report gives results of a laboratory test demonstrating the feasibility of electrostatic precipitation at high temperatures (to 1366 K) and pressures (to 3550 kPa): corona currents were stable at all temperatures. Detailed current/voltage characteristics under negative and po...

Discussion of Electrode Conditioning Mechanism Based on Pre-breakdown Current under Non-uniform Electric Field in Vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasuoka, Takanori; Kato, Tomohiro; Kato, Katsumi; Okubo, Hitoshi

Electrode conditioning is very important technique for improvement of the insulation performance of vacuum circuit breakers (VCBs). This paper discusses the spark conditioning mechanism under non-uniform electric field focused on the pre-breakdown current. We quantitatively evaluated the spark conditioning effect by analyzing the pre-breakdown current based on Fowler-Nordheim equation. As a result, field enhancement factor β decreased with the increasing in breakdown voltage in the beginning of conditioning process, and finally β was saturated with the saturation of breakdown voltage. In addition, in case of non-uniform field, we found that β on high voltage rod electrode after conditioning varied according to the electric field strength on the rod electrode.

Electronic Voltage and Current Transformers Testing Device

PubMed Central

Pan, Feng; Chen, Ruimin; Xiao, Yong; Sun, Weiming

2012-01-01

A method for testing electronic instrument transformers is described, including electronic voltage and current transformers (EVTs, ECTs) with both analog and digital outputs. A testing device prototype is developed. It is based on digital signal processing of the signals that are measured at the secondary outputs of the tested transformer and the reference transformer when the same excitation signal is fed to their primaries. The test that estimates the performance of the prototype has been carried out at the National Centre for High Voltage Measurement and the prototype is approved for testing transformers with precision class up to 0.2 at the industrial frequency (50 Hz or 60 Hz). The device is suitable for on-site testing due to its high accuracy, simple structure and low-cost hardware. PMID:22368510

Enhanced bipolar resistive switching behavior in polar Cr-doped barium titanate thin films without electro-forming process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thakre, Atul; Kumar, Ashok

2017-12-01

An enhanced, repeatable and robust resistive switching phenomenon was observed in Cr substituted BaTiO3 polar ferroelectric thin films; fabricated and deposited by the sol-gel approach and spin coating technique, respectively. An enhanced bistable bipolar resistive switching (BRS) phenomenon without electro-forming process, low switching voltage (˜ 2 V) and moderate retention characteristics of 104 s along with a high Roff/Ron resistance ratio ˜103 was achieved. The current conduction analysis showed that the space charge limited conduction (SCLC) and Schottky emission conduction dominate in the high voltage range, while thermally active charge carriers (ohmic) in the lower voltage range. The impedance spectroscopy study indicates the formation of current conducting path and rupturing of oxygen vacancies during SET and RESET process.

Comparison of direct current and 50 Hz alternating current microscopic corona characteristics on conductors

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

Zhang, Shuai, E-mail: zhangshuai94@gmail.com; Zhang, Bo, E-mail: shizbcn@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn; He, Jinliang, E-mail: hejl@tsinghua.edu.cn

Corona discharge is one of the major design factors for extra-high voltage and ultra-high voltage DC/AC transmission lines. Under different voltages, corona discharge reveals different characteristics. This paper aims at investigating DC and AC coronas on the microscopic scale. To obtain the specific characteristics of DC and AC coronas, a new measurement approach that utilizes a coaxial wire-cylinder corona cage is designed in this paper, and wires of different diameters are used in the experiment. Based on the measurements, the respective microscopic characteristics of DC and AC coronas are analyzed and compared. With differences in characteristics between DC and ACmore » coronas proposed, this study provides useful insights into DC/AC corona discharges on transmission line applications.« less

Copper pillar and memory characteristics using Al2O3 switching material for 3D architecture.

PubMed

Maikap, Siddheswar; Panja, Rajeswar; Jana, Debanjan

2014-01-01

A novel idea by using copper (Cu) pillar is proposed in this study, which can replace the through-silicon-vias (TSV) technique in future three-dimensional (3D) architecture. The Cu pillar formation under external bias in an Al/Cu/Al2O3/TiN structure is simple and low cost. The Cu pillar is formed in the Al2O3 film under a small operation voltage of <5 V and a high-current-carrying conductor of >70 mA is obtained. More than 100 devices have shown tight distribution of the Cu pillars in Al2O3 film for high current compliance (CC) of 70 mA. Robust read pulse endurances of >10(6) cycles are observed with read voltages of -1, 1, and 4 V. However, read endurance is failed with read voltages of -1.5, -2, and -4 V. By decreasing negative read voltage, the read endurance is getting worst, which is owing to ruptured Cu pillar. Surface roughness and TiO x N y on TiN bottom electrode are observed by atomic force microscope and transmission electron microscope, respectively. The Al/Cu/Al2O3/TiN memory device shows good bipolar resistive switching behavior at a CC of 500 μA under small operating voltage of ±1 V and good data retention characteristics of >10(3) s with acceptable resistance ratio of >10 is also obtained. This suggests that high-current operation will help to form Cu pillar and lower-current operation will have bipolar resistive switching memory. Therefore, this new Cu/Al2O3/TiN structure will be benefited for 3D architecture in the future.

Low leakage current gate dielectrics prepared by ion beam assisted deposition for organic thin film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Chang Su; Jo, Sung Jin; Kim, Jong Bok; Ryu, Seung Yoon; Noh, Joo Hyon; Baik, Hong Koo; Lee, Se Jong; Kim, Youn Sang

2007-12-01

This communication reports on the fabrication of low operating voltage pentacene thin-film transistors with high-k gate dielectrics by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). These densely packed dielectric layers by IBAD show a much lower level of leakage current than those created by e-beam evaporation. These results, from the fact that those thin films deposited with low adatom mobility, have an open structure, consisting of spherical grains with pores in between, that acts as a significant path for leakage current. By contrast, our results demonstrate the potential to limit this leakage. The field effect mobility, on/off current ratio, and subthreshold slope obtained from pentacene thin-film transistors (TFTs) were 1.14 cm2/V s, 105, and 0.41 V/dec, respectively. Thus, the high-k gate dielectrics obtained by IBAD show promise in realizing low leakage current, low voltage, and high mobility pentacene TFTs.

A 155-dB Dynamic Range Current Measurement Front End for Electrochemical Biosensing.

PubMed

Dai, Shanshan; Perera, Rukshan T; Yang, Zi; Rosenstein, Jacob K

2016-10-01

An integrated current measurement system with ultra wide dynamic range is presented and fabricated in a 180-nm CMOS technology. Its dual-mode design provides concurrent voltage and frequency outputs, without requiring an external clock source. An integrator-differentiator core provides a voltage output with a noise floor of 11.6 fA/ [Formula: see text] and a -3 dB cutoff frequency of 1.4 MHz. It is merged with an asynchronous current-to-frequency converter, which generates an output frequency linearly proportional to the input current. Together, the voltage and frequency outputs yield a current measurement range of 155 dB, spanning from 204 fA (100 Hz) or 1.25 pA (10 kHz) to 11.6 μA. The proposed architecture's low noise, wide bandwidth, and wide dynamic range make it ideal for measurements of highly nonlinear electrochemical and electrophysiological systems.

High Voltage Design Concepts for Launch Vehicles and Orbital Spacecraft Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, David K.; Kirkici, Hulya; Hillard, G. Barry; Schweickart, Daniel; Dunbar, Bill

2000-01-01

With the advent of design concepts such as, electromechanical actuation and "more electric" initiatives, has come the need for electrical power buses and electronic equipment to operate at higher than normal dc voltages to meet power requirements while keeping current levels to manageable levels. This new bus voltage has been typically 270 Volts dc nominal for launch vehicles, and 120 Volt dc for the International Space Station. This paper will discuss the new design applications for high voltage dc power in existing and future launch vehicles and spacecraft and the potential problems associated therewith. These new applications must be operational from lift-off, ascent, on orbit and descent in all of the pressure and temperature conditions for each, i.e. through the "Paschen region" twice. This paper will also attempt to stimulate an interest in the academic and professional communities to support and conduct research needed for design data applicable to high voltage dc usage.

Generation of runaway electron beams in high-pressure nitrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarasenko, V. F.; Burachenko, A. G.; Baksht, E. Kh

2017-07-01

In this paper the results of experimental studies of the amplitude-temporal characteristics of a runaway electron beam, as well as breakdown voltage in nitrogen are presented. The voltage pulses with the amplitude in incident wave ≈120 kV and the rise time of ≈0.3 ns was used. The supershort avalanche electron beam (SAEB) was detected by a collector behind the flat anode. The amplitude-time characteristics of the voltage and SAEB current were studied with subnanosecond time resolution. The maximum pressure at which a SAEB is detectable by collector was ∼1 MPa. This pressure increases with decreasing the voltage rise time. The waveforms of the discharge and runaway electron beam currents was synchronized with the voltage pulses. The mechanism of the runaway electron generation in atmospheric-pressure gases is analyzed on the basis of the obtained experimental data.

Investigation of the Effects of Facility Background Pressure on the Performance and Voltage-Current Characteristics of the High Voltage Hall Accelerator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamhawi, Hani; Huang, Wensheng; Haag, Thomas; Spektor, Rostislav

2014-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate In-Space Propulsion Technology office is sponsoring NASA Glenn Research Center to develop a 4 kW-class Hall thruster propulsion system for implementation in NASA science missions. A study was conducted to assess the impact of varying the facility background pressure on the High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAc) thruster performance and voltage-current characteristics. This present study evaluated the HiVHAc thruster performance in the lowest attainable background pressure condition at NASA GRC Vacuum Facility 5 to best simulate space-like conditions. Additional tests were performed at selected thruster operating conditions to investigate and elucidate the underlying physics that change during thruster operation at elevated facility background pressure. Tests were performed at background pressure conditions that are three and ten times higher than the lowest realized background pressure. Results indicated that the thruster discharge specific impulse and efficiency increased with elevated facility background pressure. The voltage-current profiles indicated a narrower stable operating region with increased background pressure. Experimental observations of the thruster operation indicated that increasing the facility background pressure shifted the ionization and acceleration zones upstream towards the thruster's anode. Future tests of the HiVHAc thruster are planned at background pressure conditions that are expected to be two to three times lower than what was achieved during this test campaign. These tests will not only assess the impact of reduced facility background pressure on thruster performance, voltage-current characteristics, and plume properties; but will also attempt to quantify the magnitude of the ionization and acceleration zones upstream shifting as a function of increased background pressure.

Molecular interfaces for plasmonic hot electron photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelayo García de Arquer, F.; Mihi, Agustín; Konstantatos, Gerasimos

2015-01-01

The use of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) to improve and tailor the photovoltaic performance of plasmonic hot-electron Schottky solar cells is presented. SAMs allow the simultaneous control of open-circuit voltage, hot-electron injection and short-circuit current. To that end, a plurality of molecule structural parameters can be adjusted: SAM molecule's length can be adjusted to control plasmonic hot electron injection. Modifying SAMs dipole moment allows for a precise tuning of the open-circuit voltage. The functionalization of the SAM can also be selected to modify short-circuit current. This allows the simultaneous achievement of high open-circuit voltages (0.56 V) and fill-factors (0.58), IPCE above 5% at the plasmon resonance and maximum power-conversion efficiencies of 0.11%, record for this class of devices.The use of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) to improve and tailor the photovoltaic performance of plasmonic hot-electron Schottky solar cells is presented. SAMs allow the simultaneous control of open-circuit voltage, hot-electron injection and short-circuit current. To that end, a plurality of molecule structural parameters can be adjusted: SAM molecule's length can be adjusted to control plasmonic hot electron injection. Modifying SAMs dipole moment allows for a precise tuning of the open-circuit voltage. The functionalization of the SAM can also be selected to modify short-circuit current. This allows the simultaneous achievement of high open-circuit voltages (0.56 V) and fill-factors (0.58), IPCE above 5% at the plasmon resonance and maximum power-conversion efficiencies of 0.11%, record for this class of devices. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Contact-potential differentiometry measurements, FTIR characterization, performance statistics and gold devices. See DOI: 10.1039/c4nr06356b

Space station power semiconductor package

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balodis, Vilnis; Berman, Albert; Devance, Darrell; Ludlow, Gerry; Wagner, Lee

1987-01-01

A package of high-power switching semiconductors for the space station have been designed and fabricated. The package includes a high-voltage (600 volts) high current (50 amps) NPN Fast Switching Power Transistor and a high-voltage (1200 volts), high-current (50 amps) Fast Recovery Diode. The package features an isolated collector for the transistors and an isolated anode for the diode. Beryllia is used as the isolation material resulting in a thermal resistance for both devices of .2 degrees per watt. Additional features include a hermetical seal for long life -- greater than 10 years in a space environment. Also, the package design resulted in a low electrical energy loss with the reduction of eddy currents, stray inductances, circuit inductance, and capacitance. The required package design and device parameters have been achieved. Test results for the transistor and diode utilizing the space station package is given.

Monolithically interconnected GaAs solar cells: A new interconnection technology for high voltage solar cell output

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinetta, L. C.; Hannon, M. H.

1995-10-01

Photovoltaic linear concentrator arrays can benefit from high performance solar cell technologies being developed at AstroPower. Specifically, these are the integration of thin GaAs solar cell and epitaxial lateral overgrowth technologies with the application of monolithically interconnected solar cell (MISC) techniques. This MISC array has several advantages which make it ideal for space concentrator systems. These are high system voltage, reliable low cost monolithically formed interconnections, design flexibility, costs that are independent of array voltage, and low power loss from shorts, opens, and impact damage. This concentrator solar cell will incorporate the benefits of light trapping by growing the device active layers over a low-cost, simple, PECVD deposited silicon/silicon dioxide Bragg reflector. The high voltage-low current output results in minimal 12R losses while properly designing the device allows for minimal shading and resistance losses. It is possible to obtain open circuit voltages as high as 67 volts/cm of solar cell length with existing technology. The projected power density for the high performance device is 5 kW/m for an AMO efficiency of 26% at 1 5X. Concentrator solar cell arrays are necessary to meet the power requirements of specific mission platforms and can supply high voltage power for electric propulsion systems. It is anticipated that the high efficiency, GaAs monolithically interconnected linear concentrator solar cell array will enjoy widespread application for space based solar power needs. Additional applications include remote man-portable or ultra-light unmanned air vehicle (UAV) power supplies where high power per area, high radiation hardness and a high bus voltage or low bus current are important. The monolithic approach has a number of inherent advantages, including reduced cost per interconnect and increased reliability of array connections. There is also a high potential for a large number of consumer products. Dual-use applications can include battery chargers and remote power supplies for consumer electronics products such as portable telephones/beepers, portable radios, CD players, dashboard radar detectors, remote walkway lighting, etc.

Monolithically interconnected GaAs solar cells: A new interconnection technology for high voltage solar cell output

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dinetta, L. C.; Hannon, M. H.

1995-01-01

Photovoltaic linear concentrator arrays can benefit from high performance solar cell technologies being developed at AstroPower. Specifically, these are the integration of thin GaAs solar cell and epitaxial lateral overgrowth technologies with the application of monolithically interconnected solar cell (MISC) techniques. This MISC array has several advantages which make it ideal for space concentrator systems. These are high system voltage, reliable low cost monolithically formed interconnections, design flexibility, costs that are independent of array voltage, and low power loss from shorts, opens, and impact damage. This concentrator solar cell will incorporate the benefits of light trapping by growing the device active layers over a low-cost, simple, PECVD deposited silicon/silicon dioxide Bragg reflector. The high voltage-low current output results in minimal 12R losses while properly designing the device allows for minimal shading and resistance losses. It is possible to obtain open circuit voltages as high as 67 volts/cm of solar cell length with existing technology. The projected power density for the high performance device is 5 kW/m for an AMO efficiency of 26% at 1 5X. Concentrator solar cell arrays are necessary to meet the power requirements of specific mission platforms and can supply high voltage power for electric propulsion systems. It is anticipated that the high efficiency, GaAs monolithically interconnected linear concentrator solar cell array will enjoy widespread application for space based solar power needs. Additional applications include remote man-portable or ultra-light unmanned air vehicle (UAV) power supplies where high power per area, high radiation hardness and a high bus voltage or low bus current are important. The monolithic approach has a number of inherent advantages, including reduced cost per interconnect and increased reliability of array connections. There is also a high potential for a large number of consumer products. Dual-use applications can include battery chargers and remote power supplies for consumer electronics products such as portable telephones/beepers, portable radios, CD players, dashboard radar detectors, remote walkway lighting, etc.

Modeling and strain gauging of eddy current repulsion deicing systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Samuel O.

1993-01-01

Work described in this paper confirms and extends work done by Zumwalt, et al., on a variety of in-flight deicing systems that use eddy current repulsion for repelling ice. Two such systems are known as electro-impulse deicing (EIDI) and the eddy current repulsion deicing strip (EDS). Mathematical models for these systems are discussed for their capabilities and limitations. The author duplicates a particular model of the EDS. Theoretical voltage, current, and force results are compared directly to experimental results. Dynamic strain measurements results are presented for the EDS system. Dynamic strain measurements near EDS or EIDI coils are complicated by the high magnetic fields in the vicinity of the coils. High magnetic fields induce false voltage signals out of the gages.

A dc to dc converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willis, A. E.; Gould, J. M.; Matheney, J. L.; Garrett, H.

1984-01-01

The object of the invention is to provide an improved converter for converting one direct current voltage to another. A plurality of phased square wave voltages are provided from a ring counter through amplifiers to a like plurality of output transformers. Each of these transformers has two windings, and S(1) winding and an S(2) winding. The S(1) windings are connected in series, then the S(2) windings are connected in series, and finally, the two sets of windings are connected in series. One of six SCRs is connected between each two series connected windings to a positive output terminal and one of diodes is connected between each set of two windings of a zero output terminal. By virtue of this configuration, a quite high average direct current voltage is obtained, which varies between full voltage and two-thirds full voltage rather than from full voltage to zero. Further, its variation, ripple frequency, is reduced to one-sixth of that present in a single phase system. Application to raising battery voltage for an ion propulsion system is mentioned.

Luminescence evolution from alumina ceramic surface before flashover under direct and alternating current voltage in vacuum

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

Su, Guo-Qiang; Wang, Yi-Bo; Song, Bai-Peng

2016-06-15

The luminescence evolution phenomena from alumina ceramic surface in vacuum under high voltage of direct and alternating current are reported, with the voltage covering a large range from far below to close to the flashover voltage. Its time resolved and spatial distributed behaviors are examined by a photon counting system and an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) together with a digital camera, respectively. The luminescence before flashover exhibits two stages as voltage increasing, i.e., under a relative low voltage (Stage A), the luminescence is ascribed to radiative recombination of hetero-charges injected into the sample surface layer by Schottky effect; under amore » higher voltage (Stage B), a stable secondary electron emission process, resulting from the Fowler-Nordheim emission at the cathode triple junction (CTJ), is responsible for the luminescence. Spectrum analysis implies that inner secondary electrons within the surface layer of alumina generated during the SSEE process also participate in the luminescence of Stage B. A comprehensive interpretation of the flashover process is formulated, which might promote a better understanding of flashover issue in vacuum.« less

Luminescence evolution from alumina ceramic surface before flashover under direct and alternating current voltage in vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Guo-Qiang; Wang, Yi-Bo; Song, Bai-Peng; Mu, Hai-Bao; Zhang, Guan-Jun; Li, Feng; Wang, Meng

2016-06-01

The luminescence evolution phenomena from alumina ceramic surface in vacuum under high voltage of direct and alternating current are reported, with the voltage covering a large range from far below to close to the flashover voltage. Its time resolved and spatial distributed behaviors are examined by a photon counting system and an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD) together with a digital camera, respectively. The luminescence before flashover exhibits two stages as voltage increasing, i.e., under a relative low voltage (Stage A), the luminescence is ascribed to radiative recombination of hetero-charges injected into the sample surface layer by Schottky effect; under a higher voltage (Stage B), a stable secondary electron emission process, resulting from the Fowler-Nordheim emission at the cathode triple junction (CTJ), is responsible for the luminescence. Spectrum analysis implies that inner secondary electrons within the surface layer of alumina generated during the SSEE process also participate in the luminescence of Stage B. A comprehensive interpretation of the flashover process is formulated, which might promote a better understanding of flashover issue in vacuum.

Response characteristic of high-speed on/off valve with double voltage driving circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, P. X.; Su, M.; Zhang, D. B.

2017-07-01

High-speed on/off valve, an important part of turbocharging system, its quick response has a direct impact on the turbocharger pressure cycle. The methods of improving the response characteristic of high speed on/off valve include increasing the magnetic force of armature and the voltage, decreasing the mass and current of coil. The less coil number of turns, the solenoid force is smaller. The special armature structure and the magnetic material will raise cost. In this paper a new scheme of double voltage driving circuit is investigated, in which the original driving circuit of high-speed on/off valve is replaced by double voltage driving circuit. The detailed theoretical analysis and simulations were carried out on the double voltage driving circuit, it showed that the switching time and delay time of the valve respectively are 3.3ms, 5.3ms, 1.9ms and 1.8ms. When it is driven by the double voltage driving circuit, the switching time and delay time of this valve are reduced, optimizing its response characteristic. By the comparison related factors (such as duty cycle or working frequency) about influences on response characteristic, the superior of double voltage driving circuit has been further confirmed.

High sensitivity field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chavarria, Mario A.; Matheoud, Alessandro V.; Marmillod, Philippe; Liu, Youjiang; Kong, Deyi; Brugger, Jürgen; Boero, Giovanni

2017-03-01

A high sensitivity field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer (FAIMS) was designed, fabricated, and tested. The main components of the system are a 10.6 eV UV photoionization source, an ion filter driven by a high voltage/high frequency n-MOS inverter circuit, and a low noise ion detector. The ion filter electronics are capable to generate square waveforms with peak-to-peak voltages up to 1000 V at frequencies up to 1 MHz with adjustable duty cycles. The ion detector current amplifier has a gain up to 1012 V/A with an effective equivalent input noise level down to about 1 fA/Hz1/2 during operation with the ion filter at the maximum voltage and frequency. The FAIMS system was characterized by detecting different standard chemical compounds. Additionally, we investigated the use of a synchronous modulation/demodulation technique to improve the signal-to-noise ratio in FAIMS measurements. In particular, we implemented the modulation of the compensation voltage with the synchronous demodulation of the ion current. The analysis of the measurements at low concentration levels led to an extrapolated limit of detection for acetone of 10 ppt with an averaging time of 1 s.

Asymptotic analysis of corona discharge from thin electrodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Durbin, P. A.

1986-01-01

The steady discharge of a high-voltage corona is analyzed as a singular perturbation problem. The small parameter is the ratio of the length of the ionization region to the total gap length. By this method, current versus voltage characteristics can be calculated analytically.

High Voltage Power Supply Design Guide for Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bever, Renate S.; Ruitberg, Arthur P.; Kellenbenz, Carl W.; Irish, Sandra M.

2006-01-01

This book is written for newcomers to the topic of high voltage (HV) in space and is intended to replace an earlier (1970s) out-of-print document. It discusses the designs, problems, and their solutions for HV, mostly direct current, electric power, or bias supplies that are needed for space scientific instruments and devices, including stepping supplies. Output voltages up to 30kV are considered, but only very low output currents, on the order of microamperes. The book gives a brief review of the basic physics of electrical insulation and breakdown problems, especially in gases. It recites details about embedment and coating of the supplies with polymeric resins. Suggestions on HV circuit parts follow. Corona or partial discharge testing on the HV parts and assemblies is discussed both under AC and DC impressed test voltages. Electric field analysis by computer on an HV device is included in considerable detail. Finally, there are many examples given of HV power supplies, complete with some of the circuit diagrams and color photographs of the layouts.

High-Voltage, High-Power Gaseous Electronics Switch For Electric Grid Power Conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sommerer, Timothy J.

2014-05-01

We are developing a high-voltage, high-power gas switch for use in low-cost power conversion terminals on the electric power grid. Direct-current (dc) power transmission has many advantages over alternating current (ac) transmission, but at present the high cost of ac-dc power interconversion limits the use of dc. The gas switch we are developing conducts current through a magnetized cold cathode plasma in hydrogen or helium to reach practical current densities > 1 A/cm2. Thermal and sputter damage of the cathode by the incident ion flux is a major technical risk, and is being addressed through use of a ``self-healing'' liquid metal cathode (eg, gallium). Plasma conditions and cathode sputtering loss are estimated by analyzing plasma spectral emission. A particle-in-cell plasma model is used to understand various aspects of switch operation, including the conduction phase (where plasma densities can exceed 1013 cm-3), the switch-open phase (where the high-voltage must be held against gas breakdown on the left side of Paschen's curve), and the switching transitions (especially the opening process, which is initiated by forming an ion-matrix sheath adjacent to a control grid). The information, data, or work presented herein was funded in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), U.S. Department of Energy, under Award Number DE-AR0000298.

Microchip amplifier for in vitro, in vivo, and automated whole cell patch-clamp recording

PubMed Central

Kolb, Ilya; Kodandaramaiah, Suhasa B.; Chubykin, Alexander A.; Yang, Aimei; Bear, Mark F.; Boyden, Edward S.; Forest, Craig R.

2014-01-01

Patch clamping is a gold-standard electrophysiology technique that has the temporal resolution and signal-to-noise ratio capable of reporting single ion channel currents, as well as electrical activity of excitable single cells. Despite its usefulness and decades of development, the amplifiers required for patch clamping are expensive and bulky. This has limited the scalability and throughput of patch clamping for single-ion channel and single-cell analyses. In this work, we have developed a custom patch-clamp amplifier microchip that can be fabricated using standard commercial silicon processes capable of performing both voltage- and current-clamp measurements. A key innovation is the use of nonlinear feedback elements in the voltage-clamp amplifier circuit to convert measured currents into logarithmically encoded voltages, thereby eliminating the need for large high-valued resistors, a factor that has limited previous attempts at integration. Benchtop characterization of the chip shows low levels of current noise [1.1 pA root mean square (rms) over 5 kHz] during voltage-clamp measurements and low levels of voltage noise (8.2 μV rms over 10 kHz) during current-clamp measurements. We demonstrate the ability of the chip to perform both current- and voltage-clamp measurement in vitro in HEK293FT cells and cultured neurons. We also demonstrate its ability to perform in vivo recordings as part of a robotic patch-clamping system. The performance of the patch-clamp amplifier microchip compares favorably with much larger commercial instrumentation, enabling benchtop commoditization, miniaturization, and scalable patch-clamp instrumentation. PMID:25429119

Absolute Determination of High DC Voltages by Means of Frequency Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peier, Dirk; Schulz, Bernd

1983-01-01

A novel absolute measuring procedure is presented for the definition of fixed points of the voltage in the 100 kV range. The method is based on transit time measurements with accelerated electrons. By utilizing the selective interaction of a monoenergetic electron beam with the electromagnetic field of a special cavity resonator, the voltage is referred to fundamental constants and the base unit second. Possible balance voltages are indicated by a current detector. Experimental investigations are carried out with resonators in the normal conducting range. With a copper resonator operating at the temperature of boiling nitrogen (77 K), the relative uncertainty of the voltage points is estimated to be +/- 4 × 10-4. The technically realizable uncertainty can be reduced to +/- 1 × 10-5 by the proposed application of a superconducting niobium resonator. Thus this measuring device becomes suitable as a primary standard for the high-voltage range.

A 700 V narrow channel nJFET with low pinch-off voltage and suppressed drain-induced barrier lowering effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Kun; Qiao, Ming; Zhang, WenTong; Zhang, Bo; Li, Zhaoji

2014-11-01

This paper proposes a 700 V narrow channel region triple-RESURF (reduced surface field) n-type junction field-effect transistor (NCT-nJFET). Compared to traditional structures, low pinch-off voltage (VP) with unobvious drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) effect and large saturated current (IDsat) are achieved. This is because p-type buried layer (Pbury) and PWELL are introduced to shape narrow n-type channel in JFET channel region. DIBL sensitivity (SDIBL) is firstly introduced in this paper to analyze the DIBL effect of high-voltage long-channel JFET. Ultra-high breakdown voltage is obtained by triple RESURF technology. Experimental results show that proposed NCT-nJFET achieves 24-V VP, 3.5% SDIBL, 2.3-mA IDsat, 800-V OFF-state breakdown voltage (OFF-BV) and 650-V ON-state breakdown voltage when VGS equals 0 V (ON-BV).

Compact microwave ion source for industrial applications.

PubMed

Cho, Yong-Sub; Kim, Dae-Il; Kim, Han-Sung; Seol, Kyung-Tae; Kwon, Hyeok-Jung; Hong, In-Seok

2012-02-01

A 2.45 GHz microwave ion source for ion implanters has many good properties for industrial application, such as easy maintenance and long lifetime, and it should be compact for budget and space. But, it has a dc current supply for the solenoid and a rf generator for plasma generation. Usually, they are located on high voltage platform because they are electrically connected with beam extraction power supply. Using permanent magnet solenoid and multi-layer dc break, high voltage deck and high voltage isolation transformer can be eliminated, and the dose rate on targets can be controlled by pulse duty control with semiconductor high voltage switch. Because the beam optics does not change, beam transfer components, such as focusing elements and beam shutter, can be eliminated. It has shown the good performances in budget and space for industrial applications of ion beams.

System and method for charging electrochemical cells in series

DOEpatents

DeLuca, William H.; Hornstra, Jr, Fred; Gelb, George H.; Berman, Baruch; Moede, Larry W.

1980-01-01

A battery charging system capable of equalizing the charge of each individual cell at a selected full charge voltage includes means for regulating charger current to first increase current at a constant rate until a bulk charging level is achieved or until any cell reaches a safe reference voltage. A system controller then begins to decrease the charging rate as long as any cell exceeds the reference voltage until an equalization current level is reached. At this point, the system controller activates a plurality of shunt modules to permit shunting of current around any cell having a voltage exceeding the reference voltage. Leads extending between the battery of cells and shunt modules are time shared to permit alternate shunting of current and voltage monitoring without the voltage drop caused by the shunt current. After each cell has at one time exceeded the reference voltage, the charging current is terminated.

High Efficiency Single Output ZVS-ZCS Voltage Doubled Flyback Converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaliyaperumal, Deepa; Saju, Hridya Merin; Kumar, M. Vijaya

2016-06-01

A switch operating at high switching frequency increases the switching losses of the converter resulting in lesser efficiency. Hence this paper proposes a new topology which has resonant switches [zero voltage switching (ZVS)] in the primary circuit to eliminate the above said disadvantages, and voltage doubler zero current switching (ZCS) circuit in the secondary to double the output voltage, and hence the output power, power density and efficiency. The design aspects of the proposed topology for a single output of 5 V at 50 kHz, its simulation and hardware results are discussed in detail. The analysis of the results obtained from a 2.5 W converter reveals the superiority of the proposed converter.

Measurements and Modeling of III-V Solar Cells at High Temperatures up to 400 $${}^{\\circ}$$ C

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

Perl, Emmett E.; Simon, John; Geisz, John F.

2016-09-01

In this paper, we study the performance of 2.0 eV Al0.12Ga0.39In0.49P and 1.4 eV GaAs solar cells over a temperature range of 25-400 degrees C. The temperature-dependent J01 and J02 dark currents are extracted by fitting current-voltage measurements to a two-diode model. We find that the intrinsic carrier concentration ni dominates the temperature dependence of the dark currents, open-circuit voltage, and cell efficiency. To study the impact of temperature on the photocurrent and bandgap of the solar cells, we measure the quantum efficiency and illuminated current-voltage characteristics of the devices up to 400 degrees C. As the temperature is increased,more » we observe no degradation to the internal quantum efficiency and a decrease in the bandgap. These two factors drive an increase in the short-circuit current density at high temperatures. Finally, we measure the devices at concentrations ranging from ~30 to 1500 suns and observe n = 1 recombination characteristics across the entire temperature range. These findings should be a valuable guide to the design of any system that requires high-temperature solar cell operation.« less

Steady-state and quench-dependent relaxation of a quantum dot coupled to one-dimensional leads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuss, Martin; Ganahl, Martin; Evertz, Hans Gerd; Arrigoni, Enrico; von der Linden, Wolfgang

2013-07-01

We study the time evolution and steady state of the charge current in a single-impurity Anderson model, using matrix product states techniques. A nonequilibrium situation is imposed by applying a bias voltage across one-dimensional tight-binding leads. Focusing on particle-hole symmetry, we extract current-voltage characteristics from universal low-bias up to high-bias regimes, where band effects start to play a dominant role. We discuss three quenches, which after strongly quench-dependent transients yield the same steady-state current. Among these quenches we identify those favorable for extracting steady-state observables. The period of short-time oscillations is shown to compare well to real-time renormalization group results for a simpler model of spinless fermions. We find indications that many-body effects play an important role at high-bias voltage and finite bandwidth of the metallic leads. The growth of entanglement entropy after a certain time scale ∝Δ-1 is the major limiting factor for calculating the time evolution. We show that the magnitude of the steady-state current positively correlates with entanglement entropy. The role of high-energy states for the steady-state current is explored by considering a damping term in the time evolution.

Investigation of voltage source design's for Electrical Impedance Mammography (EIM) Systems.

PubMed

Qureshi, Tabassum R; Chatwin, Chris R; Zhou, Zhou; Li, Nan; Wang, W

2012-01-01

According to Jossient, interesting characteristics of breast tissues mostly lie above 1MHz; therefore a wideband excitation source covering higher frequencies (i.e. above 1MHz) is required. The main objective of this research is to establish a feasible bandwidth envelope that can be used to design a constant EIM voltage source over a wide bandwidth with low output impedance for practical implementation. An excitation source is one of the major components in bio-impedance measurement systems. In any bio-impedance measurement system the excitation source can be achieved either by injecting current and measuring the resulting voltages, or by applying voltages and measuring the current developed. This paper describes three voltage source architectures and based on their bandwidth comparison; a differential voltage controlled voltage source (VCVS) is proposed, which can be used over a wide bandwidth (>15MHz). This paper describes the performance of the designed EIM voltage source for different load conditions and load capacitances reporting signal-to-noise ratio of approx 90dB at 10MHz frequency, signal phase and maximum of 4.75kΩ source output impedance at 10MHz. Optimum data obtained using Pspice® is used to demonstrate the high-bandwidth performance of the source.

DC partial discharge/environmental test screening of space TWTS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hai, F.; Paschen, K. W.

Direct-current partial discharge/environmental tests are being conducted on traveling wave tubes (TWTs) designated for long-term space operation to screen out tubes with high voltage defects. Two types of TWTs with different external high-voltage insulation are being examined: (1) TWTs with polymeric potting, and (2) TWTs with ceramic feedthroughs. Detection of high voltage defects in the form of cracks and seprations in potted systems is enhanced by combining dc partial discharge testing with environmental (temperature and pressure) testing. These defects are usually caused by high stresses in the potting produced during temperature excursions by the difference in thermal expansion between the potting material and the confining ceramic-metal structure. Tests of all-ceramic-insulated TWTs indicate that the high voltage problem is internal to the vacuum envelope and requires both leakage and discharge measurements for diagnosis. This problem appears to be field emission from contaminated surfaces.

The Impact of Harness Impedance on Hall Thruster Discharge Oscillations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinero, Luis R.

2017-01-01

Hall thrusters exhibit characteristic discharge voltage and current oscillations during steady-state operation. The lower frequency breathing-mode current oscillations are inherent to each thruster and could impact thruster operation and power processing unit (PPU) design. The design of the discharge output filter, in particular, the output capacitor is important because it supplies the high peak current oscillations that the thruster demands. However, space-rated, high-voltage capacitors are not readily available and can have significant mass and volume. So, it is important for a PPU designer to know what is the minimum amount of capacitance required to operate a thruster. Through Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis modeling and electrical measurements on the Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding thruster, it was shown that the harness impedance between the power supply and the thruster is the main contributor towards generating voltage ripple at the thruster. Also, increasing the size of the discharge filter capacitor, as previously implemented during thruster tests, does not reduce the voltage oscillations. The electrical characteristics of the electrical harness between the discharge supply and the thruster is crucial to system performance and could have a negative impact on performance, life and operation.

The Impact of Harness Impedance on Hall Thruster Discharge Oscillations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinero, Luis R.

2017-01-01

Hall thrusters exhibit characteristic discharge voltage and current oscillations during steady-state operation. The lower frequency breathing-mode current oscillations are inherent to each thruster and could impact thruster operation and PPU design. The design of the discharge output filter, in particular, the output capacitor is important because it supplies the high peak current oscillations that the thruster demands. However, space-rated, high-voltage capacitors are not readily available and can have significant mass and volume. So, it is important for a PPU designer to know what is the minimum amount of capacitance required to operate a thruster. Through SPICE modeling and electrical measurements on the Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding (HERMeS) thruster, it was shown that the harness impedance between the power supply and the thruster is the main contributor towards generating voltage ripple at the thruster. Also, increasing the size of the discharge filter capacitor, as previously implemented during thruster tests, does not reduce the voltage oscillations. The electrical characteristics of the electrical harness between the discharge supply and the thruster is crucial to system performance and could have a negative impact on performance, life and operation.

Performance analysis of resistive switching devices based on BaTiO3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samardzic, Natasa; Kojic, Tijana; Vukmirovic, Jelena; Tripkovic, Djordjije; Bajac, Branimir; Srdic, Vladimir; Stojanovic, Goran

2016-03-01

Resitive switching devices, memristors, have recenty attracted much attention due to promising performances and potential applications in the field of logic and memory devices. Here, we present thin film BaTiO3 based memristor fabricated using ink-jet printing technique. Active material is a single layer barium titanate film with thickness of ̴100 nm, sandwitched between metal electodes. Printing parameters were optimized aiming to achieve stable drop flow and uniform printed layer. Current-voltage characteristics show typical memristive behavior with pinched hysteresis loop crossed at the origin, with marked differences between High Resistive State (HRS) and Low Resistive State (LRS). Obtained resistive states are stable during numerous switching processes. The device also shows unipolar switching effect for negative voltage impulses. Variable voltage impulse amplitudes leads to the shifting of the energy levels of electode contacts resulting in changing of the overall current through the device. Structural charcterization have been performed using XRD analysis and SEM micrography. High-temperature current-voltage measurements combined with transport parameter analysis using Hall efect measurement system (HMS 3000) and Impedance Analyzer AC measurements allows deeper insigth into conduction mechanism of ferroelectric memristors.

Computer modeling of high-voltage solar array experiment using the NASCAP/LEO (NASA Charging Analyzer Program/Low Earth Orbit) computer code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichl, Karl O., Jr.

1987-06-01

The relationship between the Interactions Measurement Payload for Shuttle (IMPS) flight experiment and the low Earth orbit plasma environment is discussed. Two interactions (parasitic current loss and electrostatic discharge on the array) may be detrimental to mission effectiveness. They result from the spacecraft's electrical potentials floating relative to plasma ground to achieve a charge flow equilibrium into the spacecraft. The floating potentials were driven by external biases applied to a solar array module of the Photovoltaic Array Space Power (PASP) experiment aboard the IMPS test pallet. The modeling was performed using the NASA Charging Analyzer Program/Low Earth Orbit (NASCAP/LEO) computer code which calculates the potentials and current collection of high-voltage objects in low Earth orbit. Models are developed by specifying the spacecraft, environment, and orbital parameters. Eight IMPS models were developed by varying the array's bias voltage and altering its orientation relative to its motion. The code modeled a typical low Earth equatorial orbit. NASCAP/LEO calculated a wide variety of possible floating potential and current collection scenarios. These varied directly with both the array bias voltage and with the vehicle's orbital orientation.

Threshold-voltage modulated phase change heterojunction for application of high density memory

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

Yan, Baihan; Tong, Hao, E-mail: tonghao@hust.edu.cn; Qian, Hang

2015-09-28

Phase change random access memory is one of the most important candidates for the next generation non-volatile memory technology. However, the ability to reduce its memory size is compromised by the fundamental limitations inherent in the CMOS technology. While 0T1R configuration without any additional access transistor shows great advantages in improving the storage density, the leakage current and small operation window limit its application in large-scale arrays. In this work, phase change heterojunction based on GeTe and n-Si is fabricated to address those problems. The relationship between threshold voltage and doping concentration is investigated, and energy band diagrams and X-raymore » photoelectron spectroscopy measurements are provided to explain the results. The threshold voltage is modulated to provide a large operational window based on this relationship. The switching performance of the heterojunction is also tested, showing a good reverse characteristic, which could effectively decrease the leakage current. Furthermore, a reliable read-write-erase function is achieved during the tests. Phase change heterojunction is proposed for high-density memory, showing some notable advantages, such as modulated threshold voltage, large operational window, and low leakage current.« less

High energy overcurrent protective device

DOEpatents

Praeg, Walter F.

1982-01-01

Electrical loads connected to capacitance elements in high voltage direct current systems are protected from damage by capacitance discharge overcurrents by connecting between the capacitance element and the load, a longitudinal inductor comprising a bifilar winding wound about a magnetic core, which forms an incomplete magnetic circuit. A diode is connected across a portion of the bifilar winding which conducts a unidirectional current only. Energy discharged from the capacitance element is stored in the inductor and then dissipated in an L-R circuit including the diode and the coil winding. Multiple high voltage circuits having capacitance elements may be connected to loads through bifilar windings all wound about the aforementioned magnetic core.

High-Capacity Cathode Material with High Voltage for Li-Ion Batteries

DOE PAGES

Shi, Ji -Lei; Xiao, Dong -Dong; Ge, Mingyuan; ...

2018-01-15

Electrochemical energy storage devices with a high energy density are an important technology in modern society, especially for electric vehicles. The most effective approach to improve the energy density of batteries is to search for high-capacity electrode materials. According to the concept of energy quality, a high-voltage battery delivers a highly useful energy, thus providing a new insight to improve energy density. Based on this concept, a novel and successful strategy to increase the energy density and energy quality by increasing the discharge voltage of cathode materials and preserving high capacity is proposed. The proposal is realized in high-capacity Li-richmore » cathode materials. The average discharge voltage is increased from 3.5 to 3.8 V by increasing the nickel content and applying a simple after-treatment, and the specific energy is improved from 912 to 1033 Wh kg-1. The current work provides an insightful universal principle for developing, designing, and screening electrode materials for high energy density and energy quality.« less

High-Capacity Cathode Material with High Voltage for Li-Ion Batteries

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

Shi, Ji -Lei; Xiao, Dong -Dong; Ge, Mingyuan

Electrochemical energy storage devices with a high energy density are an important technology in modern society, especially for electric vehicles. The most effective approach to improve the energy density of batteries is to search for high-capacity electrode materials. According to the concept of energy quality, a high-voltage battery delivers a highly useful energy, thus providing a new insight to improve energy density. Based on this concept, a novel and successful strategy to increase the energy density and energy quality by increasing the discharge voltage of cathode materials and preserving high capacity is proposed. The proposal is realized in high-capacity Li-richmore » cathode materials. The average discharge voltage is increased from 3.5 to 3.8 V by increasing the nickel content and applying a simple after-treatment, and the specific energy is improved from 912 to 1033 Wh kg-1. The current work provides an insightful universal principle for developing, designing, and screening electrode materials for high energy density and energy quality.« less

Prospects of In/CdTe X- and γ-ray detectors with MoO Ohmic contacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maslyanchuk, Olena L.; Solovan, Mykhailo M.; Maistruk, Eduard V.; Brus, Viktor V.; Maryanchuk, Pavlo D.; Gnatyuk, Volodymyr A.; Aoki, Toru

2018-01-01

The present paper analyzes the charge transport mechanisms and spectrometric properties of In/CdTe/MoOx heterojunctions prepared by magnetron sputtering of indium and molybdenum oxide thin films onto semi-insulating p-type single-crystal CdTe semiconductor, produced by Acrorad Co. Ltd. Current-voltage characteristics of the detectors at different temperatures were investigated. The charge transport mechanisms in the heterostructures under investigation were determined: the generation-recombination in the space charge region (SCR) at relatively low voltages and the space charge limited currents at high voltages. The spectra of 137Cs and 241Am isotopes taken at different applied bias voltages are presented. It is shown that the In/CdTe/MoOx structures can be used as X/γ-ray detectors in the spectrometric mode.

High current nonlinear transmission line based electron beam driver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoff, B. W.; French, D. M.; Simon, D. S.; Lepell, P. D.; Montoya, T.; Heidger, S. L.

2017-10-01

A gigawatt-class nonlinear transmission line based electron beam driver is experimentally demonstrated. Four experimental series, each with a different Marx bank charge voltage (15, 20, 25, and 30 kV), were completed. Within each experimental series, shots at peak frequencies ranging from 950 MHz to 1.45 GHz were performed. Peak amplitude modulations of the NLTL output voltage signal were found to range between 18% and 35% for the lowest frequency shots and between 5% and 20% for the highest frequency shots (higher modulation at higher Marx charge voltage). Peak amplitude modulations of the electron beam current were found to range between 10% and 20% for the lowest frequency shots and between 2% and 7% for the highest frequency shots (higher modulation at higher Marx charge voltage).

Characterization of Transducers and Resonators under High Drive Levels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrit, Stewart; Bao, X.; Sigel, D. A.; Gradziel, M. J.; Askins, S. A.; Dolgin, B. P.; Bar-Cohen, Y.

2001-01-01

In many applications, piezoelectric transducers are driven at AC voltage levels well beyond the level for which the material was nominally characterized. In this paper we describe an experimental setup that allows for the determination of the main transducer or resonator properties under large AC drive. A sinusoidal voltage from a waveform generator is amplified and applied across the transducer/resonator in series with a known high power resistor. The amplitude of applied voltage and the amplitude and the relative phase of the current through the resistor are monitored on a digital scope. The frequency of the applied signal is swept through resonance and the voltage/current signals are recorded. After corrections for the series resistance and parasitic elements the technique allows for the determination of the complex impedance spectra of the sample as a function of frequency. In addition, access to the current signal allows for the direct investigation of non-linear effects through the application of Fourier transform techniques on the current signal. Our results indicate that care is required when interpreting impedance data at high drive level due to the frequency dependence of the dissipated power. Although the transducer/resonator at a single frequency and after many cycles may reach thermal equilibrium, the spectra as a whole cannot be considered an isothermal measurement due to the temperature change with frequency. Methods to correct for this effect will be discussed. Results determined from resonators of both soft and hard PZT and a ultrasonic horn transducer are presented.

Wide Bandgap Extrinsic Photoconductive Switches

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

Sullivan, James S.

2012-01-20

Photoconductive semiconductor switches (PCSS) have been investigated since the late 1970s. Some devices have been developed that withstand tens of kilovolts and others that switch hundreds of amperes. However, no single device has been developed that can reliably withstand both high voltage and switch high current. Yet, photoconductive switches still hold the promise of reliable high voltage and high current operation with subnanosecond risetimes. Particularly since good quality, bulk, single crystal, wide bandgap semiconductor materials have recently become available. In this chapter we will review the basic operation of PCSS devices, status of PCSS devices and properties of the widemore » bandgap semiconductors 4H-SiC, 6H-SiC and 2H-GaN.« less

Low-Dose-Rate Computed Tomography System Utilizing 25 mm/s-Scan Silicon X-ray Diode and Its Application to Iodine K-Edge Imaging Using Filtered Bremsstrahlung Photons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsushita, Ryo; Sato, Eiichi; Yanbe, Yutaka; Chiba, Hiraku; Maeda, Tomoko; Hagiwara, Osahiko; Matsukiyo, Hiroshi; Osawa, Akihiro; Enomoto, Toshiyuki; Watanabe, Manabu; Kusachi, Shinya; Sato, Shigehiro; Ogawa, Akira; Onagawa, Jun

2013-03-01

A low-dose-rate X-ray computed tomography (CT) system is useful for reducing absorbed dose for patients. The CT system with a tube current of sub-mA was developed using a silicon X-ray diode (Si-XD). The Si-XD is a high-sensitivity Si photodiode (PD) selected for detecting X-ray photons, and the X-ray sensitivity of the Si-XD was twice as high as that of Si-PD cerium-doped yttrium aluminum perovskite [YAP(Ce)]. X-ray photons are directly detected using the Si-XD without a scintillator, and the photocurrent from the diode is amplified using current-voltage and voltage-voltage amplifiers. The output voltage is converted into logical pulses using a voltage-frequency converter with a maximum frequency of 500 kHz, and the frequency is proportional to the voltage. The pulses from the converter are sent to the differentiator with a time constant of 500 ns to generate short positive pulses for counting, and the pulses are counted using a counter card. Tomography is accomplished by repeated linear scans and rotations of an object, and projection curves of the object are obtained by the linear scan. The exposure time for obtaining a tomogram was 5 min at a scan step of 0.5 mm and a rotation step of 3.0°. The tube current and voltage were 0.55 mA and 60 kV, respectively, and iodine K-edge CT was carried out using filtered bremsstrahlung X-ray spectra with a peak energy of 38 keV.

High voltage studies of inverted-geometry ceramic insulators for a 350 kV DC polarized electron gun

DOE PAGES

Hernandez-Garcia, C.; Poelker, M.; Hansknecht, J.

2016-02-01

Jefferson Lab is constructing a 350 kV direct current high voltage photoemission gun employing a compact inverted-geometry insulator. This photogun will produce polarized electron beams at an injector test facility intended for low energy nuclear physics experiments, and to assist the development of new technology for the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility. A photogun operating at 350kV bias voltage reduces the complexity of the injector design, by eliminating the need for a graded-beta radio frequency “capture” section employed to boost lower voltage beams to relativistic speed. However, reliable photogun operation at 350 kV necessitates solving serious high voltage problems relatedmore » to breakdown and field emission. This study focuses on developing effective methods to avoid breakdown at the interface between the insulator and the commercial high voltage cable that connects the photogun to the high voltage power supply. Three types of inverted insulators were tested, in combination with two electrode configurations. Our results indicate that tailoring the conductivity of the insulator material, and/or adding a cathode triple-junction screening electrode, effectively serves to increase the hold-off voltage from 300kV to more than 375kV. In conclusion, electrostatic field maps suggest these configurations serve to produce a more uniform potential gradient across the insulator.« less

High voltage studies of inverted-geometry ceramic insulators for a 350 kV DC polarized electron gun

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

Hernandez-Garcia, C.; Poelker, M.; Hansknecht, J.

Jefferson Lab is constructing a 350 kV direct current high voltage photoemission gun employing a compact inverted-geometry insulator. This photogun will produce polarized electron beams at an injector test facility intended for low energy nuclear physics experiments, and to assist the development of new technology for the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility. A photogun operating at 350kV bias voltage reduces the complexity of the injector design, by eliminating the need for a graded-beta radio frequency “capture” section employed to boost lower voltage beams to relativistic speed. However, reliable photogun operation at 350 kV necessitates solving serious high voltage problems relatedmore » to breakdown and field emission. This study focuses on developing effective methods to avoid breakdown at the interface between the insulator and the commercial high voltage cable that connects the photogun to the high voltage power supply. Three types of inverted insulators were tested, in combination with two electrode configurations. Our results indicate that tailoring the conductivity of the insulator material, and/or adding a cathode triple-junction screening electrode, effectively serves to increase the hold-off voltage from 300kV to more than 375kV. In conclusion, electrostatic field maps suggest these configurations serve to produce a more uniform potential gradient across the insulator.« less

High voltage design structure for high temperature superconducting device

DOEpatents

Tekletsadik, Kasegn D [Rexford, NY

2008-05-20

In accordance with the present invention, modular corona shields are employed in a HTS device to reduce the electric field surrounding the HTS device. In a exemplary embodiment a fault current limiter module in the insulation region of a cryogenic cooling system has at least one fault current limiter set which employs a first corona shield disposed along the top portion of the fault current limiter set and is electrically coupled to the fault current limiter set. A second corona shield is disposed along the bottom portion of the fault current limiter set and is electrically coupled to the fault current limiter set. An insulation barrier is disposed within the insulation region along at least one side of the fault current limiter set. The first corona shield and the second corona shield act together to reduce the electric field surrounding the fault limiter set when voltage is applied to the fault limiter set.

High voltage performance of a dc photoemission electron gun with centrifugal barrel-polished electrodes

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

Hernandez-Garcia, C.; Bullard, D.; Hannon, F.

The design and fabrication of electrodes for direct current (dc) high voltage photoemission electron guns can significantly influence their performance, most notably in terms of maximum achievable bias voltage. Proper electrostatic design of the triple-point junction shield electrode minimizes the risk of electrical breakdown (arcing) along the insulator-cable plug interface, while the electrode shape is designed to maintain <10 MV/m at the desired operating voltage aiming at little or no field emission once conditioned. Typical electrode surface preparation involves diamond-paste polishing by skilled personnel, requiring several weeks of effort per electrode. In this work, we describe a centrifugal barrel-polishing techniquemore » commonly used for polishing the interior surface of superconducting radio frequency cavities but implemented here for the first time to polish electrodes for dc high voltage photoguns. The technique reduced polishing time from weeks to hours while providing surface roughness comparable to that obtained with diamond-paste polishing and with unprecedented consistency between different electrode samples. We present electrode design considerations and high voltage conditioning results to 360 kV (~11 MV/m), comparing barrel-polished electrode performance to that of diamond-paste polished electrodes. Here, tests were performed using a dc high voltage photogun with an inverted-geometry ceramic insulator design.« less

High voltage performance of a dc photoemission electron gun with centrifugal barrel-polished electrodes

DOE PAGES

Hernandez-Garcia, C.; Bullard, D.; Hannon, F.; ...

2017-09-11

The design and fabrication of electrodes for direct current (dc) high voltage photoemission electron guns can significantly influence their performance, most notably in terms of maximum achievable bias voltage. Proper electrostatic design of the triple-point junction shield electrode minimizes the risk of electrical breakdown (arcing) along the insulator-cable plug interface, while the electrode shape is designed to maintain <10 MV/m at the desired operating voltage aiming at little or no field emission once conditioned. Typical electrode surface preparation involves diamond-paste polishing by skilled personnel, requiring several weeks of effort per electrode. In this work, we describe a centrifugal barrel-polishing techniquemore » commonly used for polishing the interior surface of superconducting radio frequency cavities but implemented here for the first time to polish electrodes for dc high voltage photoguns. The technique reduced polishing time from weeks to hours while providing surface roughness comparable to that obtained with diamond-paste polishing and with unprecedented consistency between different electrode samples. We present electrode design considerations and high voltage conditioning results to 360 kV (~11 MV/m), comparing barrel-polished electrode performance to that of diamond-paste polished electrodes. Here, tests were performed using a dc high voltage photogun with an inverted-geometry ceramic insulator design.« less

High voltage performance of a dc photoemission electron gun with centrifugal barrel-polished electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez-Garcia, C.; Bullard, D.; Hannon, F.; Wang, Y.; Poelker, M.

2017-09-01

The design and fabrication of electrodes for direct current (dc) high voltage photoemission electron guns can significantly influence their performance, most notably in terms of maximum achievable bias voltage. Proper electrostatic design of the triple-point junction shield electrode minimizes the risk of electrical breakdown (arcing) along the insulator-cable plug interface, while the electrode shape is designed to maintain <10 MV/m at the desired operating voltage aiming at little or no field emission once conditioned. Typical electrode surface preparation involves diamond-paste polishing by skilled personnel, requiring several weeks of effort per electrode. In this work, we describe a centrifugal barrel-polishing technique commonly used for polishing the interior surface of superconducting radio frequency cavities but implemented here for the first time to polish electrodes for dc high voltage photoguns. The technique reduced polishing time from weeks to hours while providing surface roughness comparable to that obtained with diamond-paste polishing and with unprecedented consistency between different electrode samples. We present electrode design considerations and high voltage conditioning results to 360 kV (˜11 MV/m), comparing barrel-polished electrode performance to that of diamond-paste polished electrodes. Tests were performed using a dc high voltage photogun with an inverted-geometry ceramic insulator design.

Reversing-counterpulse repetitive-pulse inductive storage circuit

DOEpatents

Honig, Emanuel M.

1987-01-01

A high-power reversing-counterpulse repetitive-pulse inductive storage and transfer circuit includes an opening switch, a main energy storage coil, a counterpulse capacitor and a small inductor. After counterpulsing the opening switch off, the counterpulse capacitor is recharged by the main energy storage coil before the load pulse is initiated. This gives the counterpulse capacitor sufficient energy for the next counterpulse operation, although the polarity of the capacitor's voltage must be reversed before that can occur. By using a current-zero switch as the counterpulse start switch, the capacitor is disconnected from the circuit (with a full charge) when the load pulse is initiated, preventing the capacitor from depleting its energy store by discharging through the load. After the load pulse is terminated by reclosing the main opening switch, the polarity of the counterpulse capacitor voltage is reversed by discharging the capacitor through a small inductor and interrupting the discharge current oscillation at zero current and peak reversed voltage. The circuit enables high-power, high-repetition-rate operation with reusable switches and features total control (pulse-to-pulse) over output pulse initiation, duration, repetition rate, and, to some extent, risetime.

Reversing-counterpulse repetitive-pulse inductive storage circuit

DOEpatents

Honig, E.M.

1984-06-05

A high power reversing-counterpulse repetitive-pulse inductive storage and transfer circuit includes an opening switch, a main energy storage coil, a counterpulse capacitor and a small inductor. After counterpulsing the opening switch off, the counterpulse capacitor is recharged by the main energy storage coil before the load pulse is initiated. This gives the counterpulse capacitor sufficient energy for the next counterpulse operation, although the polarity of the capacitor's voltage must be reversed before that can occur. By using a current-zero switch as the counterpulse start switch, the capacitor is disconnected from the circuit (with a full charge) when the load pulse is initiated, preventing the capacitor from depleting its energy store by discharging through the load. After the load pulse is terminated by reclosing the main opening switch, the polarity of the counterpulse capacitor voltage is reversed by discharging the capacitor through a small inductor and interrupting the discharge current oscillation at zero current and peak reversed voltage. The circuit enables high-power, high-repetition-rate operation with reusable switches and features total control (pulse-to-pulse) over output pulse initiation, duration, repetition rate, and, to some extent, risetime.

46 CFR 111.05-29 - Dual voltage direct current systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Dual voltage direct current systems. Each dual voltage direct current system must have a suitably sensitive ground detection system which indicates current in the ground connection, has a range of at least... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Dual voltage direct current systems. 111.05-29 Section...

46 CFR 111.05-29 - Dual voltage direct current systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Dual voltage direct current systems. Each dual voltage direct current system must have a suitably sensitive ground detection system which indicates current in the ground connection, has a range of at least... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Dual voltage direct current systems. 111.05-29 Section...

Low-power transcutaneous current stimulator for wearable applications.

PubMed

Karpul, David; Cohen, Gregory K; Gargiulo, Gaetano D; van Schaik, André; McIntyre, Sarah; Breen, Paul P

2017-10-03

Peripheral neuropathic desensitization associated with aging, diabetes, alcoholism and HIV/AIDS, affects tens of millions of people worldwide, and there is little or no treatment available to improve sensory function. Recent studies that apply imperceptible continuous vibration or electrical stimulation have shown promise in improving sensitivity in both diseased and healthy participants. This class of interventions only has an effect during application, necessitating the design of a wearable device for everyday use. We present a circuit that allows for a low-power, low-cost and small form factor implementation of a current stimulator for the continuous application of subthreshold currents. This circuit acts as a voltage-to-current converter and has been tested to drive + 1 to - 1 mA into a 60 k[Formula: see text] load from DC to 1 kHz. Driving a 60 k[Formula: see text] load with a 2 mA peak-to-peak 1 kHz sinusoid, the circuit draws less than 21 mA from a 9 V source. The minimum operating current of the circuit is less than 12 mA. Voltage compliance is ± 60 V with just 1.02 mA drawn by the high voltage current drive circuitry. The circuit was implemented as a compact 46 mm × 21 mm two-layer PCB highlighting its potential for use in a body-worn device. No design to the best of our knowledge presents comparably low quiescent power with such high voltage compliance. This makes the design uniquely appropriate for low-power transcutaneous current stimulation in wearable applications. Further development of driving and instrumentation circuitry is recommended.

Battery Cell By-Pass Circuit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mumaw, Susan J. (Inventor); Evers, Jeffrey (Inventor); Craig, Calvin L., Jr. (Inventor); Walker, Stuart D. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

The invention is a circuit and method of limiting the charging current voltage from a power supply net work applied to an individual cell of a plurality of cells making up a battery being charged in series. It is particularly designed for use with batteries that can be damaged by overcharging, such as Lithium-ion type batteries. In detail. the method includes the following steps: 1) sensing the actual voltage level of the individual cell; 2) comparing the actual voltage level of the individual cell with a reference value and providing an error signal representative thereof; and 3) by-passing the charging current around individual cell necessary to keep the individual cell voltage level generally equal a specific voltage level while continuing to charge the remaining cells. Preferably this is accomplished by by-passing the charging current around the individual cell if said actual voltage level is above the specific voltage level and allowing the charging current to the individual cell if the actual voltage level is equal or less than the specific voltage level. In the step of bypassing the charging current, the by-passed current is transferred at a proper voltage level to the power supply. The by-pass circuit a voltage comparison circuit is used to compare the actual voltage level of the individual cell with a reference value and to provide an error signal representative thereof. A third circuit, designed to be responsive to the error signal, is provided for maintaining the individual cell voltage level generally equal to the specific voltage level. Circuitry is provided in the third circuit for bypassing charging current around the individual cell if the actual voltage level is above the specific voltage level and transfers the excess charging current to the power supply net work. The circuitry also allows charging of the individual cell if the actual voltage level is equal or less than the specific voltage level.

Preliminary Chaotic Model of Snapover on High Voltage Solar Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackey, Willie R.

1995-01-01

High voltage power systems in space will interact with the space plasma in a variety of ways. One of these, Snapover, is characterized by a sudden enlargement of the electron current collection area across normally insulating surfaces. A power drain on solar array power systems will results from this enhanced current collection. Optical observations of the snapover phenomena in the laboratory indicates a functional relation between bia potential and surface glow area. This paper shall explore the potential benefits of modeling the relation between current and bia potential as an aspect of bifurcation analysis in chaos theory. Successful characterizations of snapover as a chaotic phenomena may provide a means of snapover prevention and control through chaotic synchronization.

Revisiting the role of trap-assisted-tunneling process on current-voltage characteristics in tunnel field-effect transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omura, Yasuhisa; Mori, Yoshiaki; Sato, Shingo; Mallik, Abhijit

2018-04-01

This paper discusses the role of trap-assisted-tunneling process in controlling the ON- and OFF-state current levels and its impacts on the current-voltage characteristics of a tunnel field-effect transistor. Significant impacts of high-density traps in the source region are observed that are discussed in detail. With regard to recent studies on isoelectronic traps, it has been discovered that deep level density must be minimized to suppress the OFF-state leakage current, as is well known, whereas shallow levels can be utilized to control the ON-state current level. A possible mechanism is discussed based on simulation results.

Unraveling the Voltage-Fade Mechanism in High-Energy-Density Lithium-Ion Batteries: Origin of the Tetrahedral Cations for Spinel Conversion

DOE PAGES

Mohanty, Debasish; Li, Jianlin; Abraham, Daniel P.; ...

2014-09-30

Discovery of high-voltage layered lithium-and manganese-rich (LMR) composite oxide electrode has dramatically enhanced the energy density of current Li-ion energy storage systems. However, practical usage of these materials is currently not viable because of their inability to maintain a consistent voltage profile (voltage fading) during subsequent charge-discharge cycles. This report rationalizes the cause of this voltage fade by providing the evidence of layer to spinel-like (LSL) structural evolution pathways in the host Li 1.2Mn 0.55Ni 0.15Co 0.1O 2 LMR composite oxide. By employing neutron powder diffraction, and temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility, we show that LSL structural rearrangement in LMR oxidemore » occurs through a tetrahedral cation intermediate via: i) diffusion of lithium atoms from octahedral to tetrahedral sites of the lithium layer [(Li Lioct →Li Litet] which is followed by the dispersal of the lithium ions from the adjacent octahedral site of the metal layer to the tetrahedral sites of lithium layer [Li TM oct → Li Litet]; and ii) migration of Mn from the octahedral sites of the transition metal layer to the permanent octahedral site of lithium layer via tetrahedral site of lithium layer [Mn TMoct Mn Litet Mn Lioct)]. The findings opens the door to the potential routes to mitigate this atomic restructuring in the high-voltage LMR composite oxide cathodes by manipulating the composition/structure for practical use in high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries.« less

Resonant tunneling with high peak to valley current ratio in SiO{sub 2}/nc-Si/SiO{sub 2} multi-layers at room temperature

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

Chen, D. Y., E-mail: cdy7659@126.com; Nanjing University of posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210046; Sun, Y.

We have investigated carrier transport in SiO{sub 2}/nc-Si/SiO{sub 2} multi-layers by room temperature current-voltage measurements. Resonant tunneling signatures accompanied by current peaks are observed. Carrier transport in the multi-layers were analyzed by plots of ln(I/V{sup 2}) as a function of 1/V and ln(I) as a function of V{sup 1/2}. Results suggest that besides films quality, nc-Si and barrier sub-layer thicknesses are important parameters that restrict carrier transport. When thicknesses are both small, direct tunneling dominates carrier transport, resonant tunneling occurs only at certain voltages and multi-resonant tunneling related current peaks can be observed but with peak to valley current ratiomore » (PVCR) values smaller than 1.5. When barrier thickness is increased, trap-related and even high field related tunneling is excited, causing that multi-current peaks cannot be observed clearly, only one current peak with higher PVCR value of 7.7 can be observed. While if the thickness of nc-Si is large enough, quantum confinement is not so strong, a broad current peak with PVCR value as high as 60 can be measured, which may be due to small energy difference between the splitting energy levels in the quantum dots of nc-Si. Size distribution in a wide range may cause un-controllability of the peak voltages.« less

High temperature current mirror amplifier

DOEpatents

Patterson, III, Raymond B.

1984-05-22

A high temperature current mirror amplifier having biasing means in the transdiode connection of the input transistor for producing a voltage to maintain the base-collector junction reversed-biased and a current means for maintaining a current through the biasing means at high temperatures so that the base-collector junction of the input transistor remained reversed-biased. For accuracy, a second current mirror is provided with a biasing means and current means on the input leg.

Rotating flux-focusing eddy current probe for flaw detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wincheski, Russell A. (Inventor); Fulton, James P. (Inventor); Nath, Shridhar C. (Inventor); Simpson, John W. (Inventor); Namkung, Min (Inventor)

1997-01-01

A flux-focusing electromagnetic sensor which uses a ferromagnetic flux-focusing lens simplifies inspections and increases detectability of fatigue cracks about circular fasteners and other circular inhomogeneities in high conductivity material. The unique feature of the device is the ferrous shield isolating a high-turn pick-up coil from an excitation coil, The use of the magnetic shield is shown to produce a null voltage output across the receiving coil in the presence of an unflawed sample. A redistribution of the current flow in the sample caused by the presence of flaws, however, eliminates the shielding condition and a large output voltage is produced, yielding a clear unambiguous flaw signal. By rotating the probe in a path around a circular fastener such as a rivet while maintaining a constant distance between the probe and the center of a rivet, the signal due to current flow about the rivet can be held constant. Any further changes in the current distribution, such as due to a fatigue crack at the rivet joint, can be detected as an increase in the output voltage above that due to the flow about the rivet head.

Triple voltage dc-to-dc converter and method

DOEpatents

Su, Gui-Jia

2008-08-05

A circuit and method of providing three dc voltage buses and transforming power between a low voltage dc converter and a high voltage dc converter, by coupling a primary dc power circuit and a secondary dc power circuit through an isolation transformer; providing the gating signals to power semiconductor switches in the primary and secondary circuits to control power flow between the primary and secondary circuits and by controlling a phase shift between the primary voltage and the secondary voltage. The primary dc power circuit and the secondary dc power circuit each further comprising at least two tank capacitances arranged in series as a tank leg, at least two resonant switching devices arranged in series with each other and arranged in parallel with the tank leg, and at least one voltage source arranged in parallel with the tank leg and the resonant switching devices, said resonant switching devices including power semiconductor switches that are operated by gating signals. Additional embodiments having a center-tapped battery on the low voltage side and a plurality of modules on both the low voltage side and the high voltage side are also disclosed for the purpose of reducing ripple current and for reducing the size of the components.

Design and Development of a Series Switch for High Voltage in RF Heating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Himanshu K.; Shah, Deep; Thacker, Mauli; Shah, Atman

2013-02-01

Plasma is the fourth state of matter. To sustain plasma in its ionic form very high temperature is essential. RF heating systems are used to provide the required temperature. Arching phenomenon in these systems can cause enormous damage to the RF tube. Heavy current flows across the anode-cathode junction, which need to be suppressed in minimal time for its protection. Fast-switching circuit breakers are used to cut-off the load from the supply in cases of arching. The crowbar interrupts the connection between the high voltage power supply (HVPS) and the RF tube for a temporary period between which the series switch has to open. The crowbar shunts the current across the load but in the process leads to short circuiting the HVPS. Thus, to protect the load as well as the HVPS a series switch is necessary. This paper presents the design and development of high voltage Series Switch for the high power switching applications. Fiber optic based Optimum triggering scheme is designed and tested to restrict the time delay well within the stipulated limits. The design is well supported with the experimental results for the whole set-up along with the series switch at various voltage level before its approval for operation at 5.2 kV.

Design and testing of 45 kV, 50 kHz pulse power supply for dielectric barrier discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Surender Kumar; Shyam, Anurag

2016-10-01

The design, construction, and testing of high frequency, high voltage pulse power supply are reported. The purpose of the power supply is to generate dielectric barrier discharges for industrial applications. The power supply is compact and has the advantage of low cost, over current protection, and convenient control for voltage and frequency selection. The power supply can generate high voltage pulses of up to 45 kV at the repetitive frequency range of 1 kHz-50 kHz with 1.2 kW input power. The output current of the power supply is limited to 500 mA. The pulse rise time and fall time are less than 2 μs and the pulse width is 2 μs. The power supply is short circuit proof and can withstand variable plasma load conditions. The power supply mainly consists of a half bridge series resonant converter to charge an intermediate capacitor, which discharges through a step-up transformer at high frequency to generate high voltage pulses. Semiconductor switches and amorphous cores are used for power modulation at higher frequencies. The power supply is tested with quartz tube dielectric barrier discharge load and worked stably. The design details and the performance of the power supply on no load and dielectric barrier discharge load are presented.

Design and testing of 45 kV, 50 kHz pulse power supply for dielectric barrier discharges.

PubMed

Sharma, Surender Kumar; Shyam, Anurag

2016-10-01

The design, construction, and testing of high frequency, high voltage pulse power supply are reported. The purpose of the power supply is to generate dielectric barrier discharges for industrial applications. The power supply is compact and has the advantage of low cost, over current protection, and convenient control for voltage and frequency selection. The power supply can generate high voltage pulses of up to 45 kV at the repetitive frequency range of 1 kHz-50 kHz with 1.2 kW input power. The output current of the power supply is limited to 500 mA. The pulse rise time and fall time are less than 2 μs and the pulse width is 2 μs. The power supply is short circuit proof and can withstand variable plasma load conditions. The power supply mainly consists of a half bridge series resonant converter to charge an intermediate capacitor, which discharges through a step-up transformer at high frequency to generate high voltage pulses. Semiconductor switches and amorphous cores are used for power modulation at higher frequencies. The power supply is tested with quartz tube dielectric barrier discharge load and worked stably. The design details and the performance of the power supply on no load and dielectric barrier discharge load are presented.

Basic corrections to predictions of solar cell performance required by nonlinearities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindholm, F. A.; Fossum, J. G.; Burgess, E. L.

1976-01-01

The superposition principle is used to derive the approximation that the current-voltage characteristic of an illuminated solar cell is the dark current-voltage characteristic shifted by the short-circuit photocurrent. The derivation requires the linearity of the boundary value problems that underlie the electrical characteristics. The shifting approximation is invalid if considerable photocurrent and considerable dark current both occur within the junction space-charge region; it is invalid also if sizable series resistance is present or if high-injection concentrations of holes and electrons exist within the quasi-neutral regions.

Current Modulation of a Heterojunction Structure by an Ultra-Thin Graphene Base Electrode.

PubMed

Alvarado Chavarin, Carlos; Strobel, Carsten; Kitzmann, Julia; Di Bartolomeo, Antonio; Lukosius, Mindaugas; Albert, Matthias; Bartha, Johann Wolfgang; Wenger, Christian

2018-02-27

Graphene has been proposed as the current controlling element of vertical transport in heterojunction transistors, as it could potentially achieve high operation frequencies due to its metallic character and 2D nature. Simulations of graphene acting as a thermionic barrier between the transport of two semiconductor layers have shown cut-off frequencies larger than 1 THz. Furthermore, the use of n-doped amorphous silicon, (n)-a-Si:H, as the semiconductor for this approach could enable flexible electronics with high cutoff frequencies. In this work, we fabricated a vertical structure on a rigid substrate where graphene is embedded between two differently doped (n)-a-Si:H layers deposited by very high frequency (140 MHz) plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The operation of this heterojunction structure is investigated by the two diode-like interfaces by means of temperature dependent current-voltage characterization, followed by the electrical characterization in a three-terminal configuration. We demonstrate that the vertical current between the (n)-a-Si:H layers is successfully controlled by the ultra-thin graphene base voltage. While current saturation is yet to be achieved, a transconductance of ~230 μ S was obtained, demonstrating a moderate modulation of the collector-emitter current by the ultra-thin graphene base voltage. These results show promising progress towards the application of graphene base heterojunction transistors.

Efficiency Analysis of a High-Specific Impulse Hall Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, David (Technical Monitor); Hofer, Richard R.; Gallimore, Alec D.

2004-01-01

Performance and plasma measurements of the high-specific impulse NASA-173Mv2 Hall thruster were analyzed using a phenomenological performance model that accounts for a partially-ionized plasma containing multiply-charged ions. Between discharge voltages of 300 to 900 V, the results showed that although the net decrease of efficiency due to multiply-charged ions was only 1.5 to 3.0 percent, the effects of multiply-charged ions on the ion and electron currents could not be neglected. Between 300 to 900 V, the increase of the discharge current was attributed to the increasing fraction of multiply-charged ions, while the maximum deviation of the electron current from its average value was only +5/-14 percent. These findings revealed how efficient operation at high-specific impulse was enabled through the regulation of the electron current with the applied magnetic field. Between 300 to 900 V, the voltage utilization ranged from 89 to 97 percent, the mass utilization from 86 to 90 percent, and the current utilization from 77 to 81 percent. Therefore, the anode efficiency was largely determined by the current utilization. The electron Hall parameter was nearly constant with voltage, decreasing from an average of 210 at 300 V to an average of 160 between 400 to 900 V. These results confirmed our claim that efficient operation can be achieved only over a limited range of Hall parameters.

Errors due to measuring voltage on current-carrying electrodes in electric current computed tomography.

PubMed

Cheng, K S; Simske, S J; Isaacson, D; Newell, J C; Gisser, D G

1990-01-01

Electric current computed tomography is a process for determining the distribution of electrical conductivity inside a body based upon measurements of voltage or current made at the body's surface. Most such systems use different electrodes for the application of current and the measurement of voltage. This paper shows that when a multiplicity of electrodes are attached to a body's surface, the voltage data are most sensitive to changes in resistivity in the body's interior when voltages are measured from all electrodes, including those carrying current. This assertion is true despite the presence of significant levels of skin impedance at the electrodes. This conclusion is supported both theoretically and by experiment. Data were first taken using all electrodes for current and voltage. Then current was applied only at a pair of electrodes, with voltages measured on all other electrodes. We then constructed the second data set by calculation from the first. Targets could be detected with better signal-to-noise ratio by using the reconstructed data than by using the directly measured voltages on noncurrent-carrying electrodes. Images made from voltage data using only noncurrent-carrying electrodes had higher noise levels and were less able to accurately locate targets. We conclude that in multiple electrode systems for electric current computed tomography, current should be applied and voltage should be measured from all available electrodes.

Efficient III-Nitride MIS-HEMT devices with high-κ gate dielectric for high-power switching boost converter circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohanbabu, A.; Mohankumar, N.; Godwin Raj, D.; Sarkar, Partha; Saha, Samar K.

2017-03-01

The paper reports the results of a systematic theoretical study on efficient recessed-gate, double-heterostructure, and normally-OFF metal-insulator-semiconductor high-electron mobility transistors (MIS-HEMTs), HfAlOx/AlGaN on Al2O3 substrate. In device architecture, a thin AlGaN layer is used in the AlGaN graded barrier MIS-HEMTs that offers an excellent enhancement-mode device operation with threshold voltage higher than 5.3 V and drain current above 0.64 A/mm along with high on-current/off-current ratio over 107 and subthreshold slope less than 73 mV/dec. In addition, a high OFF-state breakdown voltage of 1200 V is achieved for a device with a gate-to-drain distance and field-plate length of 15 μm and 5.3 μm, respectively at a drain current of 1 mA/mm with a zero gate bias, and the substrate grounded. The numerical device simulation results show that in comparison to a conventional AlGaN/GaN MIS-HEMT of similar design, a graded barrier MIS-HEMT device exhibits a better interface property, remarkable suppression of leakage current, and a significant improvement of breakdown voltage for HfAlOx gate dielectric. Finally, the benefit of HfAlOx graded-barrier AlGaN MIS-HEMTs based switching devices is evaluated on an ultra-low-loss converter circuit.

Bidirectional converter for high-efficiency fuel cell powertrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fardoun, Abbas A.; Ismail, Esam H.; Sabzali, Ahmad J.; Al-Saffar, Mustafa A.

2014-03-01

In this paper, a new wide conversion ratio step-up and step-down converter is presented. The proposed converter is derived from the conventional Single Ended Primary Inductor Converter (SEPIC) topology and it is integrated with a capacitor-diode voltage multiplier, which offers a simple structure, reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI), and reduced semiconductors' voltage stresses. Other advantages include: continuous input and output current, extended step-up and step-down voltage conversion ratio without extreme low or high duty-cycle, simple control circuitry, and near-zero input and output ripple currents compared to other converter topologies. The low charging/discharging current ripple and wide gain features result in a longer life-span and lower cost of the energy storage battery system. In addition, the "near-zero" ripple capability improves the fuel cell durability. Theoretical analysis results obtained with the proposed structure are compared with other bi-direction converter topologies. Simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the performance of the proposed bi-directional converter.

An amorphous titanium dioxide metal insulator metal selector device for resistive random access memory crossbar arrays with tunable voltage margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cortese, Simone; Khiat, Ali; Carta, Daniela; Light, Mark E.; Prodromakis, Themistoklis

2016-01-01

Resistive random access memory (ReRAM) crossbar arrays have become one of the most promising candidates for next-generation non volatile memories. To become a mature technology, the sneak path current issue must be solved without compromising all the advantages that crossbars offer in terms of electrical performances and fabrication complexity. Here, we present a highly integrable access device based on nickel and sub-stoichiometric amorphous titanium dioxide (TiO2-x), in a metal insulator metal crossbar structure. The high voltage margin of 3 V, amongst the highest reported for monolayer selector devices, and the good current density of 104 A/cm2 make it suitable to sustain ReRAM read and write operations, effectively tackling sneak currents in crossbars without compromising fabrication complexity in a 1 Selector 1 Resistor (1S1R) architecture. Furthermore, the voltage margin is found to be tunable by an annealing step without affecting the device's characteristics.

Transport properties of ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7 -δ nanowires: A route to single-photon detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arpaia, Riccardo; Golubev, Dmitri; Baghdadi, Reza; Ciancio, Regina; Dražić, Goran; Orgiani, Pasquale; Montemurro, Domenico; Bauch, Thilo; Lombardi, Floriana

2017-08-01

We report on the growth and characterization of ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7 -δ (YBCO) films on MgO (110) substrates, which exhibit superconducting properties at thicknesses down to 3 nm. YBCO nanowires, with thicknesses down to 10 nm and widths down to 65 nm, have also been successfully fabricated. The nanowires protected by a Au capping layer show superconducting properties close to the as-grown films and critical current densities, which are limited by only vortex dynamics. The 10-nm-thick YBCO nanowires without the Au capping present hysteretic current-voltage characteristics, characterized by a voltage switch which drives the nanowires directly from the superconducting to the normal state. We associate such bistability to the presence of localized normal domains within the superconductor. The presence of the voltage switch in ultrathin YBCO nanostructures, characterized by high sheet resistance values and high critical current values, makes our nanowires very attractive devices to engineer single-photon detectors.

Temperature-dependent performance of all-NbN DC-SQUID magnetometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Quansheng; Wang, Huiwu; Zhang, Qiyu; Wang, Hai; Peng, Wei; Wang, Zhen

2017-05-01

Integrated NbN direct current superconducting quantum interference device (DC-SQUID) magnetometers were developed based on high-quality epitaxial NbN/AlN/NbN Josephson junctions for SQUID applications operating at high temperatures. We report the current-voltage and voltage-flux characteristics and the noise performance of the NbN DC-SQUIDs for temperatures ranging from 4.2 to 9 K. The critical current and voltage swing of the DC-SQUIDs decreased by 15% and 25%, respectively, as the temperature was increased from 4.2 to 9 K. The white flux noise of the DC-SQUID magnetometer at 1 kHz increased from 3.9 μΦ0/Hz1/2 at 4.2 K to 4.8 μΦ0/Hz1/2 at 9 K with 23% increase, corresponding to the magnetic field noise of 6.6 and 8.1 fT/Hz1/2, respectively. The results show that NbN DC-SQUIDs improve the tolerance of the operating temperatures and temperature fluctuations in SQUID applications.

Auxiliary resonant DC tank converter

DOEpatents

Peng, Fang Z.

2000-01-01

An auxiliary resonant dc tank (ARDCT) converter is provided for achieving soft-switching in a power converter. An ARDCT circuit is coupled directly across a dc bus to the inverter to generate a resonant dc bus voltage, including upper and lower resonant capacitors connected in series as a resonant leg, first and second dc tank capacitors connected in series as a tank leg, and an auxiliary resonant circuit comprising a series combination of a resonant inductor and a pair of auxiliary switching devices. The ARDCT circuit further includes first clamping means for holding the resonant dc bus voltage to the dc tank voltage of the tank leg, and second clamping means for clamping the resonant dc bus voltage to zero during a resonant period. The ARDCT circuit resonantly brings the dc bus voltage to zero in order to provide a zero-voltage switching opportunity for the inverter, then quickly rebounds the dc bus voltage back to the dc tank voltage after the inverter changes state. The auxiliary switching devices are turned on and off under zero-current conditions. The ARDCT circuit only absorbs ripples of the inverter dc bus current, thus having less current stress. In addition, since the ARDCT circuit is coupled in parallel with the dc power supply and the inverter for merely assisting soft-switching of the inverter without participating in real dc power transmission and power conversion, malfunction and failure of the tank circuit will not affect the functional operation of the inverter; thus a highly reliable converter system is expected.

Switching of High-Voltage Cable Lines with Shunt Reactors

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

Sheskin, E. B., E-mail: evgeniy.sheskin@gmail.com; Evdokunin, G. A.

2016-05-15

The problem of disconnecting high-voltage cable lines with shunt reactors by SF{sub 6} circuit breakers is discussed. In these schemes it is possible to have a significant aperiodic component of the circuit breaker current that can prevent opening of the breaker. The authors propose methods for application to cable transmission lines which they believe will be optimal for ensuring normal disconnects.

Redefining the Speed Limit of Phase Change Memory Revealed by Time-resolved Steep Threshold-Switching Dynamics of AgInSbTe Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukla, Krishna Dayal; Saxena, Nishant; Durai, Suresh; Manivannan, Anbarasu

2016-11-01

Although phase-change memory (PCM) offers promising features for a ‘universal memory’ owing to high-speed and non-volatility, achieving fast electrical switching remains a key challenge. In this work, a correlation between the rate of applied voltage and the dynamics of threshold-switching is investigated at picosecond-timescale. A distinct characteristic feature of enabling a rapid threshold-switching at a critical voltage known as the threshold voltage as validated by an instantaneous response of steep current rise from an amorphous off to on state is achieved within 250 picoseconds and this is followed by a slower current rise leading to crystallization. Also, we demonstrate that the extraordinary nature of threshold-switching dynamics in AgInSbTe cells is independent to the rate of applied voltage unlike other chalcogenide-based phase change materials exhibiting the voltage dependent transient switching characteristics. Furthermore, numerical solutions of time-dependent conduction process validate the experimental results, which reveal the electronic nature of threshold-switching. These findings of steep threshold-switching of ‘sub-50 ps delay time’, opens up a new way for achieving high-speed non-volatile memory for mainstream computing.

An accurate online calibration system based on combined clamp-shape coil for high voltage electronic current transformers

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

Li, Zhen-hua; Li, Hong-bin; Zhang, Zhi

Electronic transformers are widely used in power systems because of their wide bandwidth and good transient performance. However, as an emerging technology, the failure rate of electronic transformers is higher than that of traditional transformers. As a result, the calibration period needs to be shortened. Traditional calibration methods require the power of transmission line be cut off, which results in complicated operation and power off loss. This paper proposes an online calibration system which can calibrate electronic current transformers without power off. In this work, the high accuracy standard current transformer and online operation method are the key techniques. Basedmore » on the clamp-shape iron-core coil and clamp-shape air-core coil, a combined clamp-shape coil is designed as the standard current transformer. By analyzing the output characteristics of the two coils, the combined clamp-shape coil can achieve verification of the accuracy. So the accuracy of the online calibration system can be guaranteed. Moreover, by employing the earth potential working method and using two insulating rods to connect the combined clamp-shape coil to the high voltage bus, the operation becomes simple and safe. Tests in China National Center for High Voltage Measurement and field experiments show that the proposed system has a high accuracy of up to 0.05 class.« less

Benzonatate inhibition of voltage-gated sodium currents.

PubMed

Evans, M Steven; Maglinger, G Benton; Fletcher, Anita M; Johnson, Stephen R

2016-02-01

Benzonatate was FDA-approved in 1958 as an antitussive. Its mechanism of action is thought to be anesthesia of vagal sensory nerve fibers that mediate cough. Vagal sensory neurons highly express the Nav1.7 subtype of voltage-gated sodium channels, and inhibition of this channel inhibits the cough reflex. Local anesthetics inhibit voltage-gated sodium channels, but there are no reports of whether benzonatate affects these channels. Our hypothesis is that benzonatate inhibits Nav1.7 voltage-gated sodium channels. We used whole cell voltage clamp recording to test the effects of benzonatate on voltage-gated sodium (Na(+)) currents in two murine cell lines, catecholamine A differentiated (CAD) cells, which express primarily Nav1.7, and N1E-115, which express primarily Nav1.3. We found that, like local anesthetics, benzonatate strongly and reversibly inhibits voltage-gated Na(+) channels. Benzonatate causes both tonic and phasic inhibition. It has greater effects on channel inactivation than on activation, and its potency is much greater at depolarized potentials, indicating inactivated-state-specific effects. Na(+) currents in CAD cells and N1E-115 cells are similarly affected, indicating that benzonatate is not Na(+) channel subtype-specific. Benzonatate is a mixture of polyethoxy esters of 4-(butylamino) benzoic acid having varying degrees of hydrophobicity. We found that Na(+) currents are inhibited most potently by a benzonatate fraction containing the 9-ethoxy component. Detectable effects of benzonatate occur at concentrations as low as 0.3 μM, which has been reported in humans. We conclude that benzonatate has local anesthetic-like effects on voltage-gated sodium channels, including Nav1.7, which is a possible mechanism for cough suppression by the drug. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

C-terminus-mediated voltage gating of Arabidopsis guard cell anion channel QUAC1.

PubMed

Mumm, Patrick; Imes, Dennis; Martinoia, Enrico; Al-Rasheid, Khaled A S; Geiger, Dietmar; Marten, Irene; Hedrich, Rainer

2013-09-01

Anion transporters in plants play a fundamental role in volume regulation and signaling. Currently, two plasma membrane-located anion channel families—SLAC/SLAH and ALMT—are known. Among the ALMT family, the root-expressed ALuminium-activated Malate Transporter 1 was identified by comparison of aluminum-tolerant and Al(3+)-sensitive wheat cultivars and was subsequently shown to mediate voltage-independent malate currents. In contrast, ALMT12/QUAC1 (QUickly activating Anion Channel1) is expressed in guard cells transporting malate in an Al(3+)-insensitive and highly voltage-dependent manner. So far, no information is available about the structure and mechanism of voltage-dependent gating with the QUAC1 channel protein. Here, we analyzed gating of QUAC1-type currents in the plasma membrane of guard cells and QUAC1-expressing oocytes revealing similar voltage dependencies and activation–deactivation kinetics. In the heterologous expression system, QUAC1 was electrophysiologically characterized at increasing extra- and intracellular malate concentrations. Thereby, malate additively stimulated the voltage-dependent QUAC1 activity. In search of structural determinants of the gating process, we could not identify transmembrane domains common for voltage-sensitive channels. However, site-directed mutations and deletions at the C-terminus of QUAC1 resulted in altered voltage-dependent channel activity. Interestingly, the replacement of a single glutamate residue, which is conserved in ALMT channels from different clades, by an alanine disrupted QUAC1 activity. Together with C- and N-terminal tagging, these results indicate that the cytosolic C-terminus is involved in the voltage-dependent gating mechanism of QUAC1.

Silicon Carbide Emitter Turn-Off Thyristor

DOE PAGES

Wang, Jun; Wang, Gangyao; Li, Jun; ...

2008-01-01

A novel MOS-conmore » trolled SiC thyristor device, the SiC emitter turn-off thyristor (ETO) is a promising technology for future high-voltage switching applications because it integrates the excellent current conduction capability of a SiC thyristor with a simple MOS-control interface. Through unity-gain turn-off, the SiC ETO also achieves excellent Safe Operation Area (SOA) and faster switching speeds than silicon ETOs. The world's first 4.5-kV SiC ETO prototype shows a forward voltage drop of 4.26 V at 26.5  A / cm 2 current density at room and elevated temperatures. Tested in an inductive circuit with a 2.5 kV DC link voltage and a 9.56-A load current, the SiC ETO shows a fast turn-off time of 1.63 microseconds and a low 9.88 mJ turn-off energy. The low switching loss indicates that the SiC ETO could operate at about 4 kHz if 100  W / cm 2 conduction and the 100  W / cm 2 turn-off losses can be removed by the thermal management system. This frequency capability is about 4 times higher than 4.5-kV-class silicon power devices. The preliminary demonstration shows that the SiC ETO is a promising candidate for high-frequency, high-voltage power conversion applications, and additional developments to optimize the device for higher voltage (>5 kV) and higher frequency (10 kHz) are needed.« less

Sodium channel diversity in the vestibular ganglion: NaV1.5, NaV1.8, and tetrodotoxin-sensitive currents

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Firing patterns differ between subpopulations of vestibular primary afferent neurons. The role of sodium (NaV) channels in this diversity has not been investigated because NaV currents in rodent vestibular ganglion neurons (VGNs) were reported to be homogeneous, with the voltage dependence and tetrodotoxin (TTX) sensitivity of most neuronal NaV channels. RT-PCR experiments, however, indicated expression of diverse NaV channel subunits in the vestibular ganglion, motivating a closer look. Whole cell recordings from acutely dissociated postnatal VGNs confirmed that nearly all neurons expressed NaV currents that are TTX-sensitive and have activation midpoints between −30 and −40 mV. In addition, however, many VGNs expressed one of two other NaV currents. Some VGNs had a small current with properties consistent with NaV1.5 channels: low TTX sensitivity, sensitivity to divalent cation block, and a relatively negative voltage range, and some VGNs showed NaV1.5-like immunoreactivity. Other VGNs had a current with the properties of NaV1.8 channels: high TTX resistance, slow time course, and a relatively depolarized voltage range. In two NaV1.8 reporter lines, subsets of VGNs were labeled. VGNs with NaV1.8-like TTX-resistant current also differed from other VGNs in the voltage dependence of their TTX-sensitive currents and in the voltage threshold for spiking and action potential shape. Regulated expression of NaV channels in primary afferent neurons is likely to selectively affect firing properties that contribute to the encoding of vestibular stimuli. PMID:26936982

High linearity current communicating passive mixer employing a simple resistor bias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rongjiang, Liu; Guiliang, Guo; Yuepeng, Yan

2013-03-01

A high linearity current communicating passive mixer including the mixing cell and transimpedance amplifier (TIA) is introduced. It employs the resistor in the TIA to reduce the source voltage and the gate voltage of the mixing cell. The optimum linearity and the maximum symmetric switching operation are obtained at the same time. The mixer is implemented in a 0.25 μm CMOS process. The test shows that it achieves an input third-order intercept point of 13.32 dBm, conversion gain of 5.52 dB, and a single sideband noise figure of 20 dB.

Using Passive Two-Port Networks to Study the Forced Vibrations of Piezoceramic Transducers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karlash, V. L.

2017-09-01

A generalization and subsequent development of experimental techniques, including methods of studying the phase-frequency relations between the measured components of admittance and instantaneous power are considered. The conditions of electric loading where electric currents, voltages, or instantaneous powers of constant amplitude in the piezoresonators are specified are numerically modeled. It is particularly established that the advanced Mason circuit with additional switch allows acquiring much more data on the forced vibrations of piezoceramic transducers than the classical circuit. The measured (at an arbitrary frequency) voltage drop across the piezoelement, its pull-up resistor, and at the input of the measuring circuit allow determining, with high accuracy, the current, conductivity, impedance, instantaneous power, and phase shifts when the amplitudes of electric current and voltage are given.

Vertical architecture for enhancement mode power transistors based on GaN nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, F.; Rümmler, D.; Hartmann, J.; Caccamo, L.; Schimpke, T.; Strassburg, M.; Gad, A. E.; Bakin, A.; Wehmann, H.-H.; Witzigmann, B.; Wasisto, H. S.; Waag, A.

2016-05-01

The demonstration of vertical GaN wrap-around gated field-effect transistors using GaN nanowires is reported. The nanowires with smooth a-plane sidewalls have hexagonal geometry made by top-down etching. A 7-nanowire transistor exhibits enhancement mode operation with threshold voltage of 1.2 V, on/off current ratio as high as 108, and subthreshold slope as small as 68 mV/dec. Although there is space charge limited current behavior at small source-drain voltages (Vds), the drain current (Id) and transconductance (gm) reach up to 314 mA/mm and 125 mS/mm, respectively, when normalized with hexagonal nanowire circumference. The measured breakdown voltage is around 140 V. This vertical approach provides a way to next-generation GaN-based power devices.

Silicon Carbide Diodes Performance Characterization at High Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lebron-Velilla, Ramon C.; Schwarze, Gene E.; Gardner, Brent G.; Adams, Jerry

2004-01-01

NASA Glenn Research center's Electrical Systems Development branch is working to demonstrate and test the advantages of Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices in actual power electronics applications. The first step in this pursuit is to obtain commercially available SiC Schottky diodes and to individually test them under both static and dynamic conditions, and then compare them with current state of the art silicon Schottky and ultra fast p-n diodes of similar voltage and current ratings. This presentation covers the results of electrical tests performed at NASA Glenn. Steady state forward and reverse current-volt (I-V) curves were generated for each device to compare performance and to measure their forward voltage drop at rated current, as well as the reverse leakage current at rated voltage. In addition, the devices were individually connected as freewheeling diodes in a Buck (step down) DC to DC converter to test their reverse recovery characteristics and compare their transient performance in a typical converter application. Both static and transient characterization tests were performed at temperatures ranging from 25 C to 300 C, in order to test and demonstrate the advantages of SiC over Silicon at high temperatures.

30 CFR 77.900 - Low- and medium-voltage circuits serving portable or mobile three-phase alternating current...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Low- and medium-voltage circuits serving... Medium-Voltage Alternating Current Circuits § 77.900 Low- and medium-voltage circuits serving portable or mobile three-phase alternating current equipment; circuit breakers. Low- and medium-voltage circuits...