Evaluation on expansive performance of the expansive soil using electrical responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Ya; Liu, Songyu; Bate, Bate; Xu, Lei

2018-01-01

Light structures, such as highways and railroads, built on expansive soils are prone to damages from the swelling of their underlain soil layers. Considerable amount of research has been conducted to characterize the swelling properties of expansive soils. Current swell characterization models, however, are limited by lack of standardized tests. Electrical methods are non-destructive, and are faster and less expensive than the traditional geotechnical methods. Therefore, geo-electrical methods are attractive for defining soil characteristics, including the swelling behavior. In this study, comprehensive laboratory experiments were undertaken to measure the free swelling and electrical resistivity of the mixtures of commercial kaolinite and bentonite. The electrical conductivity of kaolinite-bentonite mixtures was measured by a self-developed four-electrode soil resistivity box. Increasing the free swelling rate of the kaolinite-bentonite mixtures (0.72 to 1 of porosity of soils samples) led to a reduction in the electrical resistivity and an increase in conductivity. A unique relationship between free swelling rate and normalized surface conductivity was constructed for expensive soils by eliminating influences of porosity and m exponent. Therefore, electrical response measurement can be used to characterize the free swelling rate of expensive soils.

Wireless Chemical Sensor and Sensing Method for Use Therewith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2016-01-01

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

Wireless Chemical Sensor and Sensing Method for Use Therewith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2014-01-01

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

Wireless Chemical Sensing Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2017-01-01

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

Impurity effects on electrical conductivity of doped bilayer graphene in the presence of a bias voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

E, Lotfi; H, Rezania; B, Arghavaninia; M, Yarmohammadi

2016-07-01

We address the electrical conductivity of bilayer graphene as a function of temperature, impurity concentration, and scattering strength in the presence of a finite bias voltage at finite doping, beginning with a description of the tight-binding model using the linear response theory and Green’s function approach. Our results show a linear behavior at high doping for the case of high bias voltage. The effects of electron doping on the electrical conductivity have been studied via changing the electronic chemical potential. We also discuss and analyze how the bias voltage affects the temperature behavior of the electrical conductivity. Finally, we study the behavior of the electrical conductivity as a function of the impurity concentration and scattering strength for different bias voltages and chemical potentials respectively. The electrical conductivity is found to be monotonically decreasing with impurity scattering strength due to the increased scattering among electrons at higher impurity scattering strength.

Northeastern Pacific mantle conductivity profile from long-period magnetotelluric sounding using Hawaii-to-California submarine cable data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lizarralde, Daniel; Chave, Alan; Hirth, Greg; Schultz, Adam

1995-09-01

We present results of a long-period magnetotelluric (MT) investigation of the electrical structure beneath the eastern North Pacific. The electric field data consist of ˜2 years of continuously recorded voltages across an unpowered, ˜4000-km-long submarine telephone cable (HAW-1) extending from Point Arena, California, to Oahu, Hawaii. The electric field measurements are coherent to some degree with magnetic field measurements from Honolulu Observatory at periods of 0.1 to 45 days. This coherence is enhanced at long periods over that observed with point electric field sensors due to horizontal averaging of the motional electric fields of spatial scale smaller than the cable length, significantly diminishing their effect. Robust, controlled leverage MT response estimates and their jacknife confidence limits are computed for the HAW-1 to Honolulu data. An equivalent scalar MT response obtained from Honolulu magnetic variations data is used to correct the HAW-1 MT response for static shift and to extend the MT response estimate to periods of 100 days. The composite response function satisfies necessary and sufficient conditions for consistency with a one-dimensional conductivity structure and is most sensitive to structure between 150 and 1000 km. Inversion of the MT response reveals a conductive zone (0.05-0.1 S/m) between 150 and 400 km depth and a positive gradient below 500 km; these observations are consistent with previous MT studies in the North Pacific. This upper mantle conductivity is too high to be explained by solid-state conduction in dry olivine using reasonable mantle geotherms. Calculations based on measurements of hydrogen solubility and diffusivity in olivine indicate that H+ dissolved in olivine, possibly combined with a lattice preferred orientation consistent with measured seismic anisotropy, provide sufficient conductivity enhancement to explain the inversion results. The high conductivity may also be explained by the presence of gravitationally stable partial melt. Comparison of the HAW-1 results with long-period MT studies conducted on land reveals differences in upper mantle conductivity between different tectonic regimes. In particular, the upper mantle beneath the Pacific Ocean is considerably more conductive than that beneath the Canadian shield and similar in conductivity to that beneath the Basin and Range.

Electrical conduction along endothelial cell tubes from mouse feed arteries: confounding actions of glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives

PubMed Central

Behringer, Erik J; Socha, Matthew J; Polo-Parada, Luis; Segal, Steven S

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Electrical conduction along endothelium of resistance vessels has not been determined independently of the influence of smooth muscle, surrounding tissue or blood. Two interrelated hypotheses were tested: (i) Intercellular conduction of electrical signals is manifest in endothelial cell (EC) tubes; and (ii) Inhibitors of gap junction channels (GJCs) have confounding actions on EC electrical and Ca2+ signalling. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Intact EC tubes were isolated from abdominal muscle feed (superior epigastric) arteries of C57BL/6 mice. Hyperpolarization was initiated with indirect (ACh) and direct (NS309) stimulation of intermediate- and small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (IKCa/SKCa). Remote membrane potential (Vm) responses to intracellular current injection defined the length constant (λ) for electrical conduction. Dye coupling was evaluated following intracellular microinjection of propidium iodide. Intracellular Ca2+ dynamics were determined using Fura-2 photometry. Carbenoxolone (CBX) or β-glycyrrhetinic acid (βGA) was used to investigate the role of GJCs. KEY RESULTS Steady-state Vm of ECs was −25 mV. ACh and NS309 hyperpolarized ECs by −40 and −60 mV respectively. Electrical conduction decayed monoexponentially with distance (λ∼1.4 mm). Propidium iodide injected into one EC spread into surrounding ECs. CBX or βGA inhibited dye transfer, electrical conduction and EC hyperpolarization reversibly. Both agents elevated resting Ca2+ while βGA inhibited responses to ACh. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Individual cells were effectively coupled to each other within EC tubes. Inhibiting GJCs with glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives blocked hyperpolarization mediated by IKCa/SKCa channels, regardless of Ca2+ signalling, obviating use of these agents in distinguishing key determinants of electrical conduction along the endothelium. PMID:22168386

Methods of Using a Magnetic Field Response Sensor Within Closed, Electrically Conductive Containers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodward, Stanley E.; Taylor, Bryant D.

2010-01-01

Magnetic field response sensors are a class of sensors that are powered via oscillating magnetic fields, and when electrically active, respond with their own magnetic fields with attributes dependent upon the magnitude of the physical quantity being measured. A magnetic field response recorder powers and interrogates the magnetic sensors [see Magnetic-Field-Response Measurement- Acquisition System, NASA Tech Briefs Vol. 30, No, 6 (June 2006, page 28)]. Electrically conductive containers have low transmissivity for radio frequency (RF) energy and thus present problems for magnetic field response sensors. It is necessary in some applications to have a magnetic field response sensor s capacitor placed in these containers. Proximity to conductive surfaces alters the inductance and capacitance of the sensors. As the sensor gets closer to a conductive surface, the electric field and magnetic field energy of the sensor is reduced due to eddy currents being induced in the conductive surface. Therefore, the capacitors and inductors cannot be affixed to a conductive surface or embedded in a conductive material. It is necessary to have a fixed separation away from the conductive material. The minimum distance for separation is determined by the desired sensor response signal to noise ratio. Although the inductance is less than what it would be if it were not in proximity to the conductive surface, the inductance is fixed. As long as the inductance is fixed, all variations of the magnetic field response are due to capacitance changes. Numerous variations of inductor mounting can be utilized, such as providing a housing that provides separation from the conductive material as well as protection from impact damage. The sensor can be on the same flexible substrate with a narrow throat portion of the sensor between the inductor and the capacitor, Figure 1. The throat is of sufficient length to allow the capacitor to be appropriately placed within the container and the inductor placed outside the container. The throat is fed through the orifice in the container wall (e.g., fuel tank opening) and connects to the inductor and capacitor via electrical leads to form a closed circuit, Figure 2. Another embodiment is to have the inductor and capacitor fabricated as separate units. In this embodiment, the inductor is mounted external to the container, and the capacitor is mounted internal to the container, Figure 1. Electrical leads are fed through the orifice to connect the inductor and capacitor, Figure 2. When a container holding multiple sensors is made of a conductive material, an antenna can be placed internal to the container. An internal antenna allows all components of the sensors to reside inside the container. The antenna must be separated from the container wall s conductive surface. Additionally, the inductors must be maintained in a fixed position relative to and separated from the container

Soil water sensor response to bulk electrical conductivity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil water monitoring using electromagnetic (EM) sensors can facilitate observations of water content at high temporal and spatial resolutions. These sensors measure soil dielectric permittivity (Ka) which is largely a function of volumetric water content. However, bulk electrical conductivity BEC c...

Random network model of electrical conduction in two-phase rock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuji-ta, Kiyoshi; Seki, Masayuki; Ichiki, Masahiro

2018-05-01

We developed a cell-type lattice model to clarify the interconnected conductivity mechanism of two-phase rock. We quantified electrical conduction networks in rock and evaluated electrical conductivity models of the two-phase interaction. Considering the existence ratio of conductive and resistive cells in the model, we generated natural matrix cells simulating a natural mineral distribution pattern, using Mersenne Twister random numbers. The most important and prominent feature of the model simulation is a drastic increase in the pseudo-conductivity index for conductor ratio R > 0.22. This index in the model increased from 10-4 to 100 between R = 0.22 and 0.9, a change of four orders of magnitude. We compared our model responses with results from previous model studies. Although the pseudo-conductivity computed by the model differs slightly from that of the previous model, model responses can account for the conductivity change. Our modeling is thus effective for quantitatively estimating the degree of interconnection of rock and minerals.

Sensor for detecting and differentiating chemical analytes

DOEpatents

Yi, Dechang [Metuchen, NJ; Senesac, Lawrence R [Knoxville, TN; Thundat, Thomas G [Knoxville, TN

2011-07-05

A sensor for detecting and differentiating chemical analytes includes a microscale body having a first end and a second end and a surface between the ends for adsorbing a chemical analyte. The surface includes at least one conductive heating track for heating the chemical analyte and also a conductive response track, which is electrically isolated from the heating track, for producing a thermal response signal from the chemical analyte. The heating track is electrically connected with a voltage source and the response track is electrically connected with a signal recorder. The microscale body is restrained at the first end and the second end and is substantially isolated from its surroundings therebetween, thus having a bridge configuration.

Anatomically informed mesoscale electrical impedance spectroscopy in southern pine and the electric field distribution for pin-type electric moisture metres

Treesearch

Samuel L. Zelinka; Alex C. Wiedenhoeft; Samuel V. Glass; Flavio Ruffinatto

2015-01-01

Electrical impedance spectra of wood taken at macroscopic scales below the fibre saturation point have led to inferences that the mechanism of charge conduction involves a percolation phenomenon. The pathways responsible for charge conduction would necessarily be influenced by wood structure at a variety of sub-macroscopic scales – at a mesoscale – but these questions...

Polaron conductivity mechanism in oxalic acid dihydrate: ac conductivity experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levstik, Adrijan; Filipič, Cene; Bobnar, Vid; Levstik, Iva; Hadži, Dušan

2006-10-01

The ac electrical conductivity of the oxalic acid dihydrate ( α -POX) was investigated as a function of the frequency and temperature. The real part of the complex ac electrical conductivity was found to follow the universal dielectric response σ'∝νs , indicating that hopping or tunneling of localized charge carriers governs the electrical transport. A detailed analysis of the temperature dependence of the exponent s revealed that in a broad temperature range 50-200K the tunneling of polarons is the dominating charge transport mechanism.

Online Structural-Health Monitoring of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Thermoplastics Using Different Carbon Allotropes in the Interphase.

PubMed

Müller, Michael Thomas; Pötzsch, Hendrik Florian; Gohs, Uwe; Heinrich, Gert

2018-06-25

An electromechanical response behavior is realized by nanostructuring the glass fiber interphase with different highly electrically conductive carbon allotropes like carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), or conductive carbon black (CB). The operational capability of these multifunctional glass fibers for an online structural-health monitoring is demonstrated in endless glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene. The electromechanical response behavior, during a static or dynamic three-point bending test of various carbon modifications, shows qualitative differences in the signal quality and sensitivity due to the different aspect ratios of the nanoparticles and the associated electrically conductive network densities in the interphase. Depending on the embedding position within the glass fiber-reinforced composite compression, shear and tension loadings of the fibers can be distinguished by different characteristics of the corresponding electrical signal. The occurrence of irreversible signal changes during the dynamic loading can be attributed to filler reorientation processes caused by polymer creeping or by destruction of electrically conductive paths by cracks in the glass fiber interphase.

Anisotropy of synthetic quartz electrical conductivity at high pressure and temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Duojun; Li, Heping; Yi, Li; Matsuzaki, Takuya; Yoshino, Takashi

2010-09-01

AC measurements of the electrical conductivity of synthetic quartz along various orientations were made between 0.1 and 1 MHz, at ˜855˜1601 K and at 1.0 GPa. In addition, the electrical conductivity of quartz along the c axis has been studied at 1.0-3.0 GPa. The impedance arcs representing bulk conductivity occur in the frequency range of 103-106 Hz, and the electrical responses of the interface between the sample and the electrode occur in the 0.1˜103 Hz range. The pressure has a weak effect on the electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivity experiences no abrupt change near the α - β phase transition point. The electrical conductivity of quartz is highly anisotropic; the electrical conductivity along the c axis is strongest and several orders of magnitude larger than in other directions. The activation enthalpies along various orientations are determined to be 0.6 and 1.2 eV orders of magnitude, respectively. The interpretation of the former is based on the contribution of alkali ions, while the latter effect is attributed to additional unassociated aluminum ions. Comparison of determined anisotropic conductivity of quartz determined with those from field geophysical models shows that the quartz may potentially provide explanations for the behavior of electrical conductivity of anisotropy in the crust that are inferred from the transverse magnetic mode.

Tuning oxidation level, electrical conductance and band gap structure on graphene sheets by cyclic atomic layer reduction technique

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

Gu, Si-Yong; Hsieh, Chien-Te; Lin, Tzu-Wei

The present work develops an atomic layer reduction (ALR) method to accurately tune oxidation level, electrical conductance, band-gap structure, and photoluminescence (PL) response of graphene oxide (GO) sheets. The ALR route is carried out at 200 °C within ALR cycle number of 10–100. The ALR treatment is capable of striping surface functionalities (e.g., hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxylic groups), producing thermally-reduced GO sheets. The ALR cycle number serves as a controlling factor in adjusting the crystalline, surface chemistry, electrical, optical properties of GO sheets. With increasing the ALR cycle number, ALR-GO sheets display a high crystallinity, a low oxidation level, anmore » improved electrical conductivity, a narrow band gap, and a tunable PL response. Finally, on the basis of the results, the ALR technique offers a great potential for accurately tune electrical and optical properties of carbon materials through the cyclic removal of oxygen functionalities, without any complicated thermal and chemical desorption processes.« less

Tuning oxidation level, electrical conductance and band gap structure on graphene sheets by cyclic atomic layer reduction technique

DOE PAGES

Gu, Si-Yong; Hsieh, Chien-Te; Lin, Tzu-Wei; ...

2018-05-12

The present work develops an atomic layer reduction (ALR) method to accurately tune oxidation level, electrical conductance, band-gap structure, and photoluminescence (PL) response of graphene oxide (GO) sheets. The ALR route is carried out at 200 °C within ALR cycle number of 10–100. The ALR treatment is capable of striping surface functionalities (e.g., hydroxyl, carbonyl, and carboxylic groups), producing thermally-reduced GO sheets. The ALR cycle number serves as a controlling factor in adjusting the crystalline, surface chemistry, electrical, optical properties of GO sheets. With increasing the ALR cycle number, ALR-GO sheets display a high crystallinity, a low oxidation level, anmore » improved electrical conductivity, a narrow band gap, and a tunable PL response. Finally, on the basis of the results, the ALR technique offers a great potential for accurately tune electrical and optical properties of carbon materials through the cyclic removal of oxygen functionalities, without any complicated thermal and chemical desorption processes.« less

Electric ants: A cross-disciplinary approach to understanding insect behavior

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

Slowik, T.J.; Thorvilson, H.G.; Green, B.L.

1996-12-31

The response and attraction of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, to electrical equipment was examined using an interdisciplinary approach. Entomologists specializing in fire ant behavior combined expertise with electrical engineers to investigate the economically damaging interaction of fire ants with electrical circuitry. Knowledge from the realms of physics, engineering, and biology were integrated in experimentation to test for a fire ant response to electric fields and magnetic fields associated with electrical equipment. It was determined that fire ants react to electrified conductive material and the alternating-current magnetic fields associated with electricity.

Drude conductivity exhibited by chemically synthesized reduced graphene oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Younas, Daniyal; Javed, Qurat-ul-Ain; Fatima, Sabeen; Kalsoom, Riffat; Abbas, Hussain; Khan, Yaqoob

2017-09-01

Electrical conductance in graphene layers having Drude like response due to massless Dirac fermions have been well explained theoretically as well as experimentally. In this paper Drude like electrical conductivity response of reduced graphene oxide synthesized by chemical route is presented. A method slightly different from conventional methods is used to synthesize graphene oxide which is then converted to reduced graphene oxide. Various analytic techniques were employed to verify the successful oxidation and reductions in the process and were also used to measure various parameters like thickness of layers and conductivity. Obtained reduced graphene oxide has very thin layers of thickness around 13 nm on average and reduced graphene oxide has average thickness below 20 nm. Conductivity of the reduced graphene was observed to have Drude like response which is explained on basis of Drude model for conductors.

Relationship between electrical conductivity anisotropy and fabric anisotropy in granular materials during drained triaxial compressive tests: a numerical approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Qifei; Revil, André; Li, Zhaofeng; Wang, Yu-Hsing

2017-07-01

The anisotropy of granular media and its evolution during shearing are important aspects required in developing physics-based constitutive models in Earth sciences. The development of relationships between geoelectrical properties and the deformation of porous media has applications to the monitoring of faulting and landslides. However, such relationships are still poorly understood. In this study, we first investigate the definition of the electrical conductivity anisotropy tensor of granular materials in presence of surface conductivity of the grains. Fabric anisotropy is related to the components of the fabric tensor. We define an electrical anisotropy factor based on the Archie's exponent second-order symmetric tensor m of granular materials. We use numerical simulations to confirm a relationship between the evolution of electrical and fabric anisotropy factors during shearing. To realize the simulations, we build a virtual laboratory in which we can easily perform synthetic experiments. We first simulate drained compressive triaxial tests of loose and dense granular materials (porosity 0.45 and 0.38, respectively) using the discrete element method. Then, the electrical conductivity tensor of a set of deformed synthetic samples is computed using the finite-difference method. The numerical results show that shear strains are responsible for a measurable anisotropy in the bulk conductivity of granular media. The observed electrical anisotropy response, during shearing, is distinct for dense and loose synthetic samples. Electrical and fabric anisotropy factors exhibit however a unique linear correlation, regardless of the shear strain and the initial state (porosity) of the synthetic samples. The practical implication of this finding confirms the usefulness of the electrical conductivity method in studying the fabric tensor of granular media. This result opens the door in using time-lapse electrical resistivity to study non-intrusively the evolution of anisotropy of soils and granular rocks during deformation, for instance during landslides, and to use the evolution of the conductivity tensor to monitor mechanical properties.

On conductivity changes in shocked potassium chloride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourne, N. K.; Townsend, D.; Braithwaite, M.

2005-06-01

A previous work has reported that shock loading of ionic crystals produces an induced polarization and changes in electrical conductivity. However, previous measurements recorded an integrated electrical signal comprising the induced electrical field and that due to current flow. For this reason a differential system was designed to separate these effects that was adapted from that used in the investigation of the conductivity of hydrogen under shock. The measurement removes voltages produced in the shock-induced electrical field, allowing determination of those resulting from resistance changes. Although the mechanical response of potassium chloride to shock has been studied extensively, the electrical response is less studied. Here, experiments are reported in which it is shocked to various stresses in order to observe conductivity changes. The range of stresses induced includes several mechanical thresholds, including the elastic-plastic transition, the B1:B2 phase transformation, and the overdriving of the shock faster than the elastic wave. The behavior observed when single crystal and targets pressed from granular material (to close to full density) are shocked around each of these thresholds is presented. The effects of loading to a particular stress in a single step or in multiple steps are discussed.

Redox active polymer devices and methods of using and manufacturing the same

DOEpatents

Johnson, Paul; Bautista-Martinez, Jose Antonio; Friesen, Cody; Switzer, Elise

2018-06-05

The disclosed technology relates generally to apparatus comprising conductive polymers and more particularly to tag and tag devices comprising a redox-active polymer film, and method of using and manufacturing the same. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a substrate and a conductive structure formed on the substrate which includes a layer of redox-active polymer film having mobile ions and electrons. The conductive structure further includes a first terminal and a second terminal configured to receive an electrical signal therebetween, where the layer of redox-active polymer is configured to conduct an electrical current generated by the mobile ions and the electrons in response to the electrical signal. The apparatus additionally includes a detection circuit operatively coupled to the conductive structure and configured to detect the electrical current flowing through the conductive structure.

A model for the scattering of high-frequency electromagnetic fields from dielectrics exhibiting thermally-activated electrical losses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hann, Raiford E.

1991-01-01

An equivalent circuit model (ECM) approach is used to predict the scattering behavior of temperature-activated, electrically lossy dielectric layers. The total electrical response of the dielectric (relaxation + conductive) is given by the ECM and used in combination with transmission line theory to compute reflectance spectra for a Dallenbach layer configuration. The effects of thermally-activated relaxation processes on the scattering properties is discussed. Also, the effect of relaxation and conduction activation energy on the electrical properties of the dielectric is described.

The Bulk Lunar Electrical Conductivity. Ph.D. Thesis. Final Report; [from Explorer 35 satellite and the Apollo 12 flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leavy, Donald Lucien

1975-01-01

The electrical conductivity structure was studied of a spherically layered moon consistent with the very low frequency magnetic data collected on the lunar surface and by Explorer 35. In order to obtain good agreement with the lunar surface magnetometer observations, the inclusion of a void cavity behind the moon requires a conductivity at shallow depths higher than that of models having the solar wind impinging on all sides. By varying only the source parameters, a conductivity model can be found that yields a good fit to both the tangential response upstream and the radial response downstream. This model also satisfies the dark side tangential response in the frequency range above 0.006 Hz, but the few data points presently available below this range do not seem to agree with the theory.

Determination of consolidation properties using electrical resistivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kibria, Golam; Hossain, Sahadat; Khan, Mohammad Sadik

2018-05-01

Electrical conductivity is an indirect method used to evaluate pore-structures and their influence on macro and microscale behavior of soils. Although this method can provide useful information about the consolidation properties of soil samples, insufficient studies have been conducted to identify correlations between electrical and consolidation properties. The current study presents electrical resistivity responses of clayey samples at different consolidation stages. The consolidation properties of four soil specimens were measured in conjunction with electrical conductivity. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses were performed on soil samples before and after consolidation to identify the changes in fabric morphology due to the application of loads. It was observed that the electrical conductivity of samples decreased with the increase of pressure, and the trends of variations were similar to e vs. logP curves. Although a linear correlation exists between electrical conductivity and void ratio, the relationship depends on the structural changes in clay particles. Therefore, changes in fabric structures were analyzed using SEM images, and results showed that the aspect ratio of the particles increased as much as 18.3% after consolidation. Based on the investigation, the coefficient of consolidations and one-dimensional strain were determined using electrical resistivity measurements.

Conductivity of molten sodium chloride in an arbitrarily weak dc electric field.

PubMed

Delhommelle, Jerome; Cummings, Peter T; Petravic, Janka

2005-09-15

We use nonequilibrium molecular-dynamics (NEMD) simulations to characterize the response of a fluid subjected to an electric field. We focus on the response for very weak fields. Fields accessible by conventional NEMD methods are typically of the order of 10(9) V m(-1), i.e., several orders of magnitude larger than those typically used in experiments. Using the transient time-correlation function, we show how NEMD simulations can be extended to study systems subjected to a realistic dc electric field. We then apply this approach to study the response of molten sodium chloride for a wide range of dc electric fields.

Electrical signaling, stomatal conductance, ABA and Ethylene content in avocado trees in response to root hypoxia

PubMed Central

Gurovich, Luis; Schaffer, Bruce; García, Nicolás; Iturriaga, Rodrigo

2009-01-01

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) trees are among the most sensitive of fruit tree species to root hypoxia as a result of flooded or poorly drained soil. Similar to drought stress, an early physiological response to root hypoxia in avocado is a reduction of stomatal conductance. It has been previously determined in avocado trees that an extracellular electrical signal between the base of stem and leaves is produced and related to reductions in stomatal conductance in response to drought stress. The current study was designed to determine if changes in the extracellular electrical potential between the base of the stem and leaves in avocado trees could also be detected in response to short-term (min) or long-term (days) root hypoxia, and if these signals could be related to stomatal conductance (gs), root and leaf ABA and ACC concentrations, ethylene emission from leaves and leaf abscission. In contrast to previous observations for drought-stressed trees, short-term or long-term root hypoxia did not stimulate an electrical potential difference between the base of the stem and leaves. Short-term hypoxia did not result in a significant decrease in gs compared with plants in the control treatment, and no differences in ABA concentration were found between plants subjected to hypoxia and control plants. Long-term hypoxia in the root zone resulted in a significant decrease in gs, increased leaf ethylene and increased leaf abscission. The results indicate that for avocado trees exposed to root hypoxia, electrical signals do not appear to be the primary root-to-shoot communication mechanism involved in signaling for stomatal closure as a result of hypoxia in the root zone. PMID:19649181

Electrically conductive poly-ɛ-caprolactone/polyethylene glycol/multi-wall carbon nanotube nanocomposite scaffolds coated with fibrin glue for myocardial tissue engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehdikhani, Mehdi; Ghaziof, Sharareh

2018-01-01

In this research, poly-ɛ-caprolactone (PCL), polyethylene glycol (PEG), multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and nanocomposite scaffolds containing 0.5 and 1% (w/w) MWCNTs coated with fibrin glue (FG) were prepared via solvent casting and freeze-drying technique for cardiac tissue engineering. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the samples. Furthermore, mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, degradation, contact angle, and cytotoxicity of the samples were evaluated. Results showed the uniform distribution of the MWCNTs with some aggregates in the prepared nanocomposite scaffolds. The scaffolds containing 1% (w/w) MWCNTs with and without FG coating illustrated optimum modulus of elasticity, high electrical conductivity, and wettability compared with PCL/PEG and PCL/PEG/0.5%(w/w) MWCNTs' scaffolds. FG coating enhanced electrical conductivity and cell response, and increased wettability of the constructs. The prepared scaffolds were degraded significantly after 60 days of immersion in PBS. Meanwhile, the nanocomposite containing 1% (w/w) MWCNTs with FG coating (S3) showed proper spreading and viability of the myoblasts seeded on it after 1, 4, and 7 days of culture. The scaffold containing 1% (w/w) MWCNTs with FG coating demonstrated optimal properties including acceptable mechanical properties, proper wettability, high electrical conductivity, satisfactory degradation, and excellent myoblasts response to it.

Chemical Detection using Electrically Open Circuits having no Electrical Connections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodward, Stanley E.; Olgesby, Donald M.; Taylor, Bryant D.; Shams, Qamar A.

2008-01-01

This paper presents investigations to date on chemical detection using a recently developed method for designing, powering and interrogating sensors as electrically open circuits having no electrical connections. In lieu of having each sensor from a closed circuit with multiple electrically connected components, an electrically conductive geometric pattern that is powered using oscillating magnetic fields and capable of storing an electric field and a magnetic field without the need of a closed circuit or electrical connections is used. When electrically active, the patterns respond with their own magnetic field whose frequency, amplitude and bandwidth can be correlated with the magnitude of the physical quantities being measured. Preliminary experimental results of using two different detection approaches will be presented. In one method, a thin film of a reactant is deposited on the surface of the open-circuit sensor. Exposure to a specific targeted reactant shifts the resonant frequency of the sensor. In the second method, a coating of conductive material is placed on a thin non-conductive plastic sheet that is placed over the surface of the sensor. There is no physical contact between the sensor and the electrically conductive material. When the conductive material is exposed to a targeted reactant, a chemical reaction occurs that renders the material non-conductive. The change in the material s electrical resistance within the magnetic field of the sensor alters the sensor s response bandwidth and amplitude, allowing detection of the reaction without having the reactants in physical contact with the sensor.

Multi-threshold de-noising of electrical imaging logging data based on the wavelet packet transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Fang; Xiao, Chengwen; Liu, Ruilin; Zhang, Lili

2017-08-01

A key problem of effectiveness evaluation for fractured-vuggy carbonatite reservoir is how to accurately extract fracture and vug information from electrical imaging logging data. Drill bits quaked during drilling and resulted in rugged surfaces of borehole walls and thus conductivity fluctuations in electrical imaging logging data. The occurrence of the conductivity fluctuations (formation background noise) directly affects the fracture/vug information extraction and reservoir effectiveness evaluation. We present a multi-threshold de-noising method based on wavelet packet transform to eliminate the influence of rugged borehole walls. The noise is present as fluctuations in button-electrode conductivity curves and as pockmarked responses in electrical imaging logging static images. The noise has responses in various scales and frequency ranges and has low conductivity compared with fractures or vugs. Our de-noising method is to decompose the data into coefficients with wavelet packet transform on a quadratic spline basis, then shrink high-frequency wavelet packet coefficients in different resolutions with minimax threshold and hard-threshold function, and finally reconstruct the thresholded coefficients. We use electrical imaging logging data collected from fractured-vuggy Ordovician carbonatite reservoir in Tarim Basin to verify the validity of the multi-threshold de-noising method. Segmentation results and extracted parameters are shown as well to prove the effectiveness of the de-noising procedure.

Dehydration of chlorite explains anomalously high electrical conductivity in the mantle wedges.

PubMed

Manthilake, Geeth; Bolfan-Casanova, Nathalie; Novella, Davide; Mookherjee, Mainak; Andrault, Denis

2016-05-01

Mantle wedge regions in subduction zone settings show anomalously high electrical conductivity (~1 S/m) that has often been attributed to the presence of aqueous fluids released by slab dehydration. Laboratory-based measurements of the electrical conductivity of hydrous phases and aqueous fluids are significantly lower and cannot readily explain the geophysically observed anomalously high electrical conductivity. The released aqueous fluid also rehydrates the mantle wedge and stabilizes a suite of hydrous phases, including serpentine and chlorite. In this present study, we have measured the electrical conductivity of a natural chlorite at pressures and temperatures relevant for the subduction zone setting. In our experiment, we observe two distinct conductivity enhancements when chlorite is heated to temperatures beyond its thermodynamic stability field. The initial increase in electrical conductivity to ~3 × 10(-3) S/m can be attributed to chlorite dehydration and the release of aqueous fluids. This is followed by a unique, subsequent enhancement of electrical conductivity of up to 7 × 10(-1) S/m. This is related to the growth of an interconnected network of a highly conductive and chemically impure magnetite mineral phase. Thus, the dehydration of chlorite and associated processes are likely to be crucial in explaining the anomalously high electrical conductivity observed in mantle wedges. Chlorite dehydration in the mantle wedge provides an additional source of aqueous fluid above the slab and could also be responsible for the fixed depth (120 ± 40 km) of melting at the top of the subducting slab beneath the subduction-related volcanic arc front.

Dehydration of chlorite explains anomalously high electrical conductivity in the mantle wedges

PubMed Central

Manthilake, Geeth; Bolfan-Casanova, Nathalie; Novella, Davide; Mookherjee, Mainak; Andrault, Denis

2016-01-01

Mantle wedge regions in subduction zone settings show anomalously high electrical conductivity (~1 S/m) that has often been attributed to the presence of aqueous fluids released by slab dehydration. Laboratory-based measurements of the electrical conductivity of hydrous phases and aqueous fluids are significantly lower and cannot readily explain the geophysically observed anomalously high electrical conductivity. The released aqueous fluid also rehydrates the mantle wedge and stabilizes a suite of hydrous phases, including serpentine and chlorite. In this present study, we have measured the electrical conductivity of a natural chlorite at pressures and temperatures relevant for the subduction zone setting. In our experiment, we observe two distinct conductivity enhancements when chlorite is heated to temperatures beyond its thermodynamic stability field. The initial increase in electrical conductivity to ~3 × 10−3 S/m can be attributed to chlorite dehydration and the release of aqueous fluids. This is followed by a unique, subsequent enhancement of electrical conductivity of up to 7 × 10−1 S/m. This is related to the growth of an interconnected network of a highly conductive and chemically impure magnetite mineral phase. Thus, the dehydration of chlorite and associated processes are likely to be crucial in explaining the anomalously high electrical conductivity observed in mantle wedges. Chlorite dehydration in the mantle wedge provides an additional source of aqueous fluid above the slab and could also be responsible for the fixed depth (120 ± 40 km) of melting at the top of the subducting slab beneath the subduction-related volcanic arc front. PMID:27386526

Estimating the power-law distribution of Earth electrical conductivity from low-frequency, controlled-source electromagnetic responses

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

Beskardes, G. D.; Weiss, Chester J.; Everett, M. E.

Electromagnetic responses reflect the interaction between applied electromagnetic fields and heterogeneous geoelectrical structures. Here by quantifying the relationship between multi-scale electrical properties and the observed electromagnetic response is therefore important for meaningful geologic interpretation. Furthermore, we present here examples of near-surface electromagnetic responses whose spatial fluctuations appear on all length scales, are repeatable and fractally distributed, suggesting that the spatial fluctuations may be considered as “geologic noise”.

Estimating the power-law distribution of Earth electrical conductivity from low-frequency, controlled-source electromagnetic responses

DOE PAGES

Beskardes, G. D.; Weiss, Chester J.; Everett, M. E.

2016-11-30

Electromagnetic responses reflect the interaction between applied electromagnetic fields and heterogeneous geoelectrical structures. Here by quantifying the relationship between multi-scale electrical properties and the observed electromagnetic response is therefore important for meaningful geologic interpretation. Furthermore, we present here examples of near-surface electromagnetic responses whose spatial fluctuations appear on all length scales, are repeatable and fractally distributed, suggesting that the spatial fluctuations may be considered as “geologic noise”.

Electrically Conductive TPU Nanofibrous Composite with High Stretchability for Flexible Strain Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Lu; Wang, Xiao-Xiong; He, Xiao-Xiao; Nie, Guang-Di; Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Bin; Guo, Wen-Zhe; Long, Yun-Ze

2018-03-01

Highly stretchable and electrically conductive thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanofibrous composite based on electrospinning for flexible strain sensor and stretchable conductor has been fabricated via in situ polymerization of polyaniline (PANI) on TPU nanofibrous membrane. The PANI/TPU membrane-based sensor could detect a strain from 0 to 160% with fast response and excellent stability. Meanwhile, the TPU composite has good stability and durability. Besides, the composite could be adapted to various non-flat working environments and could maintain opportune conductivity at different operating temperatures. This work provides an easy operating and low-cost method to fabricate highly stretchable and electrically conductive nanofibrous membrane, which could be applied to detect quick and tiny human actions.

Structural and electrical properties of cobalt-doped 4H-SrMnO_{3-δ} perovskites obtained by the hydrothermal method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ben Rguiga, N.; Álvarez-Serrano, I.; López, M. L.; Chérif, W.; Alonso, J. A.

2018-02-01

A mild hydrothermal method was adapted to prepare the SrMn_{1-x}CoxO_{3-δ} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) compounds. They showed hexagonal-4H perovskite-type structure with space group P63/mmc, and cell parameters a ˜ 5.45 and c ˜ 9.08 Å, as deduced from X-ray and neutron diffraction data. The mean atomic concentrations indicated global stoichiometries close to the nominal ones whereas electron microscopy analyses pointed out to heterogeneity at the nanoscale. The characterization of the electrical response by means of impedance measurements, suggested a semiconductor behavior mainly ascribed to bulk contributions. Relaxation and conduction processes were analyzed. The materials showed mixed electronic-ionic conduction above ˜ 400 K, when ionic conduction between intergrains becomes favored. Microstructural homogeneity was revealed as the key factor controlling the electrical response.

On the influence of Aerosols in measurement of electric field from Earth surface using a Field-Mill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Abhijit; Sundar De, Syam; Paul, Suman; Hazra, Pranab; Guha, Gautam

2016-07-01

Aerosol particles influence the electrical conductivity of air. The value is reduced through the removal of small ions responsible for the conductivity. The metropolitan city, Kolkata (latitude 22.56° N, longitude 88.5° E) is densely populated surrounded by various types of Industries. Air is highly invaded by pollutant particles here for which the city falls under small-scale fair-weather condition where electric field and air-earth current get perturbed by ionization and different aerosols produced locally. Fine particles having diameter < 0.1 μm (Aitken nuclei) are distributed in air which decreases the electrical conductivity and increases the columnar resistance. Aerosol particles steadily change the status at different times of the day through coagulation, sedimentation, charge-transfer initiated by precipitation. The diurnal variation of potential gradient is caused mainly due to urbanization, emission from industry and traffic. The rate of production of haze (atmospheric suspension) and their vertical transportation control the daily variation of atmospheric potential. The nuclei of pollutant particles combine with ions and decrease the concentration of small ions thereby reducing the conductivity. The pollutants, influenced by CO _{2} and other green house gas emission from fossil fuels are also responsible for the variation of electric field. Variation in consumption of Oil and Gasoline due to traffic in the city contributes a high Aitken count and there are changes in atmospheric dispersion following reduction of conductivity of the medium. Outcome of some important measurement of potential gradient and air-earth current will be presented. Different parameters like air-conductivity, relative abundance of smoke, visibility would offer new signatures of aerosol-influence on electric potential gradient. Some of those will be reported here.

Response of ionospheric electric fields at mid-low latitudes during geomagnetic sudden commencements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, N.; Kasaba, Y.; Shinbori, A.; Nishimura, Y.; Kikuchi, T.; Ebihara, Y.; Nagatsuma, T.

2014-12-01

Geomagnetic sudden commencements (SCs) are known as one of the distinct magnetospheric disturbance phenomena triggered by solar wind disturbances. Many previous studies have focused on the generation mechanism of SCs by using in-situ observations and simulations. However, the global evolution of ionospheric electric fields has primarily been estimated from the ionospheric current. Although a few studies utilized electric field data from radar observations, the coverage is limited in time, and limited component of the electric field is obtained. In this study, we investigated the response and local time dependence of the ionospheric electric field at mid-low latitudes associated with 203 SCs occurred from 1999 to 2004 by the in-situ observation of the ROCSAT-1 spacecraft. We found that the ionospheric electric field associated with SCs instantaneously responds to geomagnetic fields regardless of spacecraft local time. Our statistical analysis also showed the instantaneous response of the electric field, which indicates the global instant transmission of the electric field from polar region. In contrast, peak times in the preliminary impulse (PI) and main impulse (MI) phases were different between the ionospheric electric field and equatorial geomagnetic field (20 sec in the PI phase). Based on a comparison to the ground-ionosphere waveguide model by Kikuchi [2014], this time lag is suggested to be due to the latitudinal difference of the ionospheric conductivity. After constructing the local time distribution of the SC amplitude, we found that the dayside feature was seen at 18-22 h even the ionospheric conductivity is lower than that at dayside. We performed a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation for an ideal SC. The result of the simulation showed that the electric potential distribution is asymmetric with respect to the noon-midnight meridian, which is similar to our observational result. It appears to result from the divergence of the Hall current under the non-uniform ionospheric conductivity near the terminator as well as the auroral region.

Response of ionospheric electric fields at mid-low latitudes during sudden commencements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, N.; Kasaba, Y.; Shinbori, A.; Nishimura, Y.; Kikuchi, T.; Ebihara, Y.; Nagatsuma, T.

2015-06-01

Using in situ observations from the Republic of China Satellite-1 spacecraft, we investigated the time response and local time dependence of the ionospheric electric field at mid-low latitudes associated with geomagnetic sudden commencements (SCs) that occurred from 1999 to 2004. We found that the ionospheric electric field variation associated with SCs instantaneously responds to the preliminary impulse (PI) signature on the ground regardless of spacecraft local time. Our statistical analysis also supports the global instant transmission of electric field from the polar region. In contrast, the peak time detected in the ionospheric electric field is earlier than that of the equatorial geomagnetic field (~20 s before in the PI phase). Based on the ground-ionosphere waveguide model, this time lag can be attributed to the latitudinal difference of ionospheric conductivity. However, the local time distribution of the initial excursion of ionospheric electric field shows that dusk-to-dawn ionospheric electric fields develop during the PI phase. Moreover, the westward electric field in the ionosphere, which produces the preliminary reverse impulse of the geomagnetic field on the dayside feature, appears at 18-22 h LT where the ionospheric conductivity beyond the duskside terminator (18 h LT) is lower than on the dayside. The result of a magnetohydrodynamic simulation for an ideal SC shows that the electric potential distribution is asymmetric with respect to the noon-midnight meridian. This produces the local time distribution of ionospheric electric fields similar to the observed result, which can be explained by the divergence of the Hall current under nonuniform ionospheric conductivity.

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

Lebedev, Oleg V.; N.S. Enikolopov Institute of Synthetic Polymer Materials of RAS, Profsoyuznaya st., Moscow, 117393; Kechek’yan, Alexander S.

Electrically conductive oriented polymer nano-composites of different compositions, based on the reactor powder of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with a special morphology, filled with particles of nanostructured graphite (NG), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and electrically conductive carbon black (CB), were investigated. Polymer composites were obtained via compaction of the mechanical mixture of the polymer and filler powder, followed by uniaxial deformation of the material under homogeneous shear (HS) conditions (all of the processing stages were conducted at room temperature). Resulted composites possess a high tensile strength, high level of the electrical conductivity and low percolation threshold, owing it to the formationmore » of the segregated conductive structure, The influence of the type of nanosized carbon filler, degree of the deformation under HS condition, temperature and etc. on the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of strengthened conductive composites oriented under homogeneous shear conditions was investigated. Changes in the electrical conductivity of oriented composite materials during reversible “tension–shrinkage” cycles along the orientation axis direction were studied. A theoretical approach, describing the process of transformation of the conductive system as a response on polymer phase deformation and volume change, was proposed, based on the data received from the analysis of the conductivity behavior during the uniaxial deformation and thermal treatment of composites.« less

System and method of modulating electrical signals using photoconductive wide bandgap semiconductors as variable resistors

DOEpatents

Harris, John Richardson; Caporaso, George J; Sampayan, Stephen E

2013-10-22

A system and method for producing modulated electrical signals. The system uses a variable resistor having a photoconductive wide bandgap semiconductor material construction whose conduction response to changes in amplitude of incident radiation is substantially linear throughout a non-saturation region to enable operation in non-avalanche mode. The system also includes a modulated radiation source, such as a modulated laser, for producing amplitude-modulated radiation with which to direct upon the variable resistor and modulate its conduction response. A voltage source and an output port, are both operably connected to the variable resistor so that an electrical signal may be produced at the output port by way of the variable resistor, either generated by activation of the variable resistor or propagating through the variable resistor. In this manner, the electrical signal is modulated by the variable resistor so as to have a waveform substantially similar to the amplitude-modulated radiation.

A survey of electric and hybrid vehicles simulation programs. Volume 2: Questionnaire responses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bevan, J.; Heimburger, D. A.; Metcalfe, M. A.

1978-01-01

The data received in a survey conducted within the United States to determine the extent of development and capabilities of automotive performance simulation programs suitable for electric and hybrid vehicle studies are presented. The survey was conducted for the Department of Energy by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Volume 1 of this report summarizes and discusses the results contained in Volume 2.

Influence of Electric Fields and Conductivity on Pollen Tube Growth assessed via Electrical Lab-on-Chip

PubMed Central

Agudelo, Carlos; Packirisamy, Muthukumaran; Geitmann, Anja

2016-01-01

Pollen tubes are polarly growing plant cells that are able to rapidly respond to a combination of chemical, mechanical, and electrical cues. This behavioural feature allows them to invade the flower pistil and deliver the sperm cells in highly targeted manner to receptive ovules in order to accomplish fertilization. How signals are perceived and processed in the pollen tube is still poorly understood. Evidence for electrical guidance in particular is vague and highly contradictory. To generate reproducible experimental conditions for the investigation of the effect of electric fields on pollen tube growth we developed an Electrical Lab-on-Chip (ELoC). Pollen from the species Camellia displayed differential sensitivity to electric fields depending on whether the entire cell or only its growing tip was exposed. The response to DC fields was dramatically higher than that to AC fields of the same strength. However, AC fields were found to restore and even promote pollen growth. Surprisingly, the pollen tube response correlated with the conductivity of the growth medium under different AC frequencies—consistent with the notion that the effect of the field on pollen tube growth may be mediated via its effect on the motion of ions. PMID:26804186

On the physics of frequency domain controlled source electromagnetics in shallow water, 2: transverse anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chave, Alan D.; Mattsson, Johan; Everett, Mark E.

2017-11-01

In recent years, marine controlled source electromagnetics (CSEM) has found increasing use in hydrocarbon exploration due to its ability to detect thin resistive zones beneath the seafloor. It is the purpose of this paper to evaluate the physics of CSEM for an ocean whose electrical thickness is comparable to or much thinner than that of the overburden using the in-line configuration through examination of the elliptically-polarized seafloor electric field, the time-averaged energy flow depicted by the real part of the complex Poynting vector, energy dissipation through Joule heating and the Fréchet derivatives of the seafloor field with respect to the sub-seafloor conductivity that is assumed to be transversely anisotropic, with a vertical-to-horizontal resistivity ratio of 3:1. For an ocean whose electrical thickness is comparable to that of the overburden, the seafloor electromagnetic response for a model containing a resistive reservoir layer has a greater amplitude and reduced phase as a function of offset compared to that for a halfspace, or a stronger and faster response, and displays little to no evidence for the air interaction. For an ocean whose electrical thickness is much smaller than that of the overburden, the electric field displays a greater amplitude and reduced phase at small offsets, shifting to a stronger amplitude and increased phase at intermediate offsets, and a weaker amplitude and enhanced phase at long offsets, or a stronger and faster response that first changes to stronger and slower, and then transitions to weaker and slower. By comparison to the isotropic case with the same horizontal conductivity, transverse anisotropy stretches the Poynting vector and the electric field response from a thin resistive layer to much longer offsets. These phenomena can be understood by visualizing the energy flow throughout the structure caused by the competing influences of the dipole source and guided energy flow in the reservoir layer, and the air interaction caused by coupling of the entire sub-seafloor resistivity structure with the sea surface. The Fréchet derivatives are dominated by preferential sensitivity to the vertical conductivity in the reservoir layer and overburden at short offsets. The horizontal conductivity Fréchet derivatives are weaker than to comparable to the vertical derivatives at long offsets in the substrate. This means that the sensitivity to the horizontal conductivity is present in the shallow parts of the subsurface. In the presence of transverse anisotropy, it is necessary to go to higher frequencies to sense the horizontal conductivity in the overburden as compared to an isotropic model with the same horizontal conductivity. These observations in part explain the success of shallow towed CSEM using only measurements of the in-line component of the electric field.

Thermal history effects on electrical relaxation and conductivity for potassium silicate glass with low alkali concentrations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angel, Paul W.; Hann, Raiford E.; Cooper, Alfred R.

1993-01-01

Electrical response measurements from 10 Hz to 100 kHz between 120 and 540 C were made on potassium-silicate glasses with alkali oxide contents of 2, 3, 5 and 10 mol percent. Low alkali content glasses were chosen in order to try to reduce the Coulombic interactions between alkali ions to the point that frozen structural effects from the glass could be observed. Conductivity and electrical relaxation responses for both annealed and quenched glasses of the same composition were compared. Lower DC conductivity (sigma(sub DC)) activation energies were measured for the quenched compared to the annealed glasses. The two glasses with the lowest alkali contents exhibited a non-Arrhenius concave up curvature in the log(sigma(sub DC)) against 1/T plots, which decreased upon quenching. A sharp decrease in sigma(sub DC) was observed for glasses containing K2O concentrations of 5 mol percent or less. The log modulus loss peak (M'') maximum frequency plots against 1/T all showed Arrhenius behavior for both annealed and quenched samples. The activation energies for these plots closely agreed with the sigma(sub DC) activation energies. A sharp increase in activation energy was observed for both series as the potassium oxide concentration decreased. Changes in the electrical response are attributed to structural effects due to different alkali concentrations. Differences between the annealed and quenched response are linked to a change in the distribution of activation energies (DAE).

Integrated electrokinetics-adsorption remediation of saline-sodic soils: effects of voltage gradient and contaminant concentration on soil electrical conductivity.

PubMed

Essa, Mohammed Hussain; Mu'azu, Nuhu Dalhat; Lukman, Salihu; Bukhari, Alaadin

2013-01-01

In this study, an integrated in situ remediation technique which couples electrokinetics with adsorption, using locally produced granular activated carbon from date palm pits in the treatment zones that are installed directly to bracket the contaminated soils at bench-scale, is investigated. Natural saline-sodic clay soil, spiked with contaminant mixture (kerosene, phenol, Cr, Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Hg), was used in this study to investigate the effects of voltage gradient, initial contaminant concentration, and polarity reversal rate on the soil electrical conductivity. Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was used for the experimental design and response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to model, optimize, and interpret the results obtained using Design-Expert version 8 platform. The total number of experiments conducted was 15 with voltage gradient, polarity reversal rate, and initial contaminant concentration as variables. The main target response discussed in this paper is the soil electrical conductivity due to its importance in electrokinetic remediation process. Responses obtained were fitted to quadratic models whose R (2) ranges from 84.66% to 99.19% with insignificant lack of fit in each case. Among the investigated factors, voltage gradient and initial contaminant concentration were found to be the most significant influential factors.

Response of larval sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) to pulsed DC electrical stimuli in laboratory experiments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bowen, Anjanette K.; Weisser, John W.; Bergstedt, Roger A.; Famoye, Felix

2003-01-01

Four electrical factors that are used in pulsed DC electrofishing for larval sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) were evaluated in two laboratory studies to determine the optimal values to induce larval emergence over a range of water temperatures and conductivities. Burrowed larvae were exposed to combinations of pulsed DC electrical factors including five pulse frequencies, three pulse patterns, and two levels of duty cycle over a range of seven voltage gradients in two separate studies conducted at water temperatures of 10, 15, and 20°C and water conductivities of 25, 200, and 900 μS/cm. A four-way analysis of variance was used to determine significant (α = 0.05) influences of each electrical factor on larval emergence. Multiple comparison tests with Bonferroni adjustments were used to determine which values of each factor resulted in significantly higher emergence at each temperature and conductivity. Voltage gradient and pulse frequency significantly affected emergence according to the ANOVA model at each temperature and conductivity tested. Duty cycle and pulse pattern generally did not significantly influence the model. Findings suggest that a setting of 2.0 V/cm, 3 pulses/sec, 10% duty, and 2:2 pulse pattern seems the most promising in waters of medium conductivity and across a variety of temperatures. This information provides a basis for understanding larval response to pulsed DC electrofishing gear factors and identifies electrofisher settings that show promise to increase the efficiency of the gear during assessments for burrowed sea lamprey larvae.

Injectable antibacterial conductive hydrogels with dual response to an electric field and pH for localized "smart" drug release.

PubMed

Qu, Jin; Zhao, Xin; Ma, Peter X; Guo, Baolin

2018-05-01

Injectable hydrogels with multistimuli responsiveness to electrical field and pH as a drug delivery system have been rarely reported. Herein, we developed a series of injectable conductive hydrogels as "smart" drug carrier with the properties of electro-responsiveness, pH-sensitivity, and inherent antibacterial activity. The hydrogels were prepared by mixing chitosan-graft-polyaniline (CP) copolymer and oxidized dextran (OD) as a cross-linker. The chemical structures, morphologies, electrochemical property, swelling ratio, conductivity, rheological property, in vitro and in vivo biodegradation, and gelation time of hydrogels were characterized. The pH-responsive behavior was verified by drug release from hydrogels in PBS solutions with different pH values (pH = 7.4 or 5.5) in an in vitro model. As drug carriers with electric-driven release, the release rate of the model drugs amoxicillin and ibuprofen loaded within CP/OD hydrogels dramatically increased when an increase in voltage was applied. Both chitosan and polyaniline with inherent antibacterial properties endowed the hydrogels with excellent antibacterial properties. Furthermore, cytotoxicity tests of the hydrogels using L929 cells confirmed their good cytocompatibility. The in vivo biocompatibility of the hydrogels was verified by H&E staining. Together, all these results suggest that these injectable pH-sensitive conductive hydrogels with antibacterial activity could be ideal candidates as smart drug delivery vehicles for precise doses of medicine to meet practical demand. Stimuli-responsive or "smart" hydrogels have attracted great attention in the field of biotechnology and biomedicine, especially on designing novel drug delivery systems. Compared with traditional implantable electronic delivery devices, the injectable hydrogels with electrical stimuli not only are easy to generate and control electrical field but also could avoid frequent invasive surgeries that offer a new avenue for chronic diseases. In addition, designing a drug carrier with pH-sensitive property could release drug efficiently in targeted acid environment, and it could reinforce the precise doses of medicine. Furthermore, caused by opportunistic microorganisms and rapid spread of antibiotic-resistant microbes, infection is still a serious threat for many clinical utilities. To overcome these barriers, we designed a series of injectable antibacterial conductive hydrogels based on chitosan-graft-polyaniline (CP) copolymer and oxidized dextran (OD), and we demonstrated their potential as "smart" delivery vehicles with electro-responsiveness and pH-responsive properties for triggered and localized release of drugs. Copyright © 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temperature Dependence of Electrical Resistance of Woven Melt-Infiltrated SiCf/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Appleby, Matthew P.; Morscher, Gregory N.; Zhu, Dongming

2016-01-01

Recent studies have successfully shown the use of electrical resistance (ER)measurements to monitor room temperature damage accumulation in SiC fiber reinforced SiC matrix composites (SiCf/SiC) Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs). In order to determine the feasibility of resistance monitoring at elevated temperatures, the present work investigates the temperature dependent electrical response of various MI (Melt Infiltrated)-CVI (Chemical Vapor Infiltrated) SiC/SiC composites containing Hi-Nicalon Type S, Tyranno ZMI and SA reinforcing fibers. Test were conducted using a commercially available isothermal testing apparatus as well as a novel, laser-based heating approach developed to more accurately simulate thermomechanical testing of CMCs. Secondly, a post-test inspection technique is demonstrated to show the effect of high-temperature exposure on electrical properties. Analysis was performed to determine the respective contribution of the fiber and matrix to the overall composite conductivity at elevated temperatures. It was concluded that because the silicon-rich matrix material dominates the electrical response at high temperature, ER monitoring would continue to be a feasible method for monitoring stress dependent matrix cracking of melt-infiltrated SiC/SiC composites under high temperature mechanical testing conditions. Finally, the effect of thermal gradients generated during localized heating of tensile coupons on overall electrical response of the composite is determined.

Modeling electrical double-layer effects for microfluidic impedance spectroscopy from 100 kHz to 110 GHz.

PubMed

Little, Charles A E; Orloff, Nathan D; Hanemann, Isaac E; Long, Christian J; Bright, Victor M; Booth, James C

2017-07-25

Broadband microfluidic-based impedance spectroscopy can be used to characterize complex fluids, with applications in medical diagnostics and in chemical and pharmacological manufacturing. Many relevant fluids are ionic; during impedance measurements ions migrate to the electrodes, forming an electrical double-layer. Effects from the electrical double-layer dominate over, and reduce sensitivity to, the intrinsic impedance of the fluid below a characteristic frequency. Here we use calibrated measurements of saline solution in microfluidic coplanar waveguide devices at frequencies between 100 kHz and 110 GHz to directly measure the double-layer admittance for solutions of varying ionic conductivity. We successfully model the double-layer admittance using a combination of a Cole-Cole response with a constant phase element contribution. Our analysis yields a double-layer relaxation time that decreases linearly with solution conductivity, and allows for double-layer effects to be separated from the intrinsic fluid response and quantified for a wide range of conducting fluids.

Novel gas sensor with dual response under CO(g) exposure: Optical and electrical stimuli

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocha, L. S. R.; Cilense, M.; Ponce, M. A.; Aldao, C. M.; Oliveira, L. L.; Longo, E.; Simoes, A. Z.

2018-05-01

In this work, a lanthanum (La) doped ceria (CeO2) film, which depicted a dual gas sensing response (electric and optical) for CO(g) detection, was obtained by the microwave-assisted hydrothermal (HAM) synthesis and deposited by the screen-printing technique, in order to prevent deaths by intoxication with this life-threatening gas. An electric response under CO(g) exposure was obtained, along with an extremely fast optical response for a temperature of 380 °C, associated with Ce+4 reduction and vacancy generation. A direct optical gap was found to be around 2.31 eV from UV-Vis results, which corresponds to a transition from valence band to 4f states. Due to the anomalous electron configuration of cerium atoms with 4f electrons in its reduced state, they are likely to present an electric conduction based on the small polaron theory with a hopping mechanism responsible for its dual sensing response with a complete reversible behaviour.

The unusual chemical bonding and thermoelectric properties of a new type Zintl phase compounds Ba3Al2As4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Gui; Zhang, Guangbiao; Wang, Chao; Wang, Yuanxu

2016-07-01

Ba3Al2As4 exhibits an unusual anisotropic electrical conductivity, that is, the electrical conductivity along the chain is smaller than those along other two directions. The results is conflict with previous conclusion for Ca5M2Pn6. Earlier studies on Ca5M2Pn6 showed that a higher electrical conductivity could be obtained along the chain. The band decomposed charge density is used to explain such unusual behavior. Our calculations indicate the existence of a conductive pathway near the Fermi level is responsible for the electrons transport. Further, the Ba-As bonding of Ba3Al2As4 has some degree covalency which is novel for the Zintl compounds.

Geophysical data integration and conditional uncertainty analysis on hydraulic conductivity estimation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rahman, A.; Tsai, F.T.-C.; White, C.D.; Carlson, D.A.; Willson, C.S.

2007-01-01

Integration of various geophysical data is essential to better understand aquifer heterogeneity. However, data integration is challenging because there are different levels of support between primary and secondary data needed to be correlated in various ways. This study proposes a geostatistical method to integrate the hydraulic conductivity measurements and electrical resistivity data to better estimate the hydraulic conductivity (K) distribution. The K measurements are obtained from the pumping tests and represent the primary data (hard data). The borehole electrical resistivity data from electrical logs are regarded as the secondary data (soft data). The electrical resistivity data is used to infer hydraulic conductivity values through the Archie law and Kozeny-Carman equation. A pseudo cross-semivariogram is developed to cope with the resistivity data non-collocation. Uncertainty in the auto-semivariograms and pseudo cross-semivariogram is quantified. The methodology is demonstrated by a real-world case study where the hydraulic conductivity is estimated in the Upper Chicot aquifer of Southwestern Louisiana. The groundwater responses by the cokriging and cosimulation of hydraulic conductivity are compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). ?? 2007 ASCE.

Instantaneous velocity measurement of AC electroosmotic flows by laser induced fluorescence photobleaching anemometer with high temporal resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Wei; Yang, Fang; Qiao, Rui; Wang, Guiren; Rui Qiao Collaboration

2015-11-01

Understanding the instantaneous response of flows to applied AC electric fields may help understand some unsolved issues in induced-charge electrokinetics and enhance performance of microfluidic devices. Since currently available velocimeters have difficulty in measuring velocity fluctuations with frequency higher than 1 kHz, most experimental studies so far focus only on the average velocity measurement in AC electrokinetic flows. Here, we present measurements of AC electroosmotic flow (AC-EOF) response time in microchannels by a novel velocimeter with submicrometer spatial resolution and microsecond temporal resolution, i.e. laser-induced fluorescence photobleaching anemometer (LIFPA). Several parameters affecting the AC-EOF response time to the applied electric signal were investigated, i.e. channel length, transverse position and solution conductivity. The experimental results show that the EOF response time under a pulsed electric field decreases with the reduction of the microchannel length, distance between the detection position to the wall and the conductivity of the solution. This work could provide a new powerful tool to measure AC electrokinetics and enhance our understanding of AC electrokinetic flows.

Mercuric iodide light detector and related method

DOEpatents

Iwanczyk, Jan S.; Barton, Jeff B.; Dabrowski, Andrzej J.; Schnepple, Wayne F.

1986-01-01

Apparatus and method for detecting light involve applying a substantially uniform electrical potential difference between first and second spaced surfaces of a body of mercuric iodide, exposing the first surface to light and measuring an electrical current passed through the body in response to the light. The mercuric iodide may be substantially monocrystalline and the potential may be applied between a substantially transparent conductive layer at the first surface and a second conductive layer at the second surface. In a preferred embodiment, the detector is coupled to a scintillator for passage of light to the mercuric iodide in response to ionizing radiation incident on the scintillator.

Mercuric iodide light detector and related method

DOEpatents

Iwanczyk, J.S.; Barton, J.B.; Dabrowski, A.J.; Schnepple, W.F.

1986-09-23

Apparatus and method for detecting light involve applying a substantially uniform electrical potential difference between first and second spaced surfaces of a body of mercuric iodide, exposing the first surface to light and measuring an electrical current passed through the body in response to the light. The mercuric iodide may be substantially monocrystalline and the potential may be applied between a substantially transparent conductive layer at the first surface and a second conductive layer at the second surface. In a preferred embodiment, the detector is coupled to a scintillator for passage of light to the mercuric iodide in response to ionizing radiation incident on the scintillator. 7 figs.

Effect of Impedance Relaxation in Conductance Mechanisms in TiO2/ITO/ZnO:Al/p-Si Heterostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nouiri, M.; El Mir, L.

2018-03-01

The electrical conduction of a TiO2/ITO/ZnO:Al/p-Si structure under alternating-current excitation was investigated in the temperature range of 80 K to 300 K. The frequency dependence of the capacitance and conductance revealed the response of a thermally activated trap characterized by activation energy of about 140 meV. The frequency dependence of the conductance obeyed the universal dynamic response according to the common relation G = Aωs . The temperature dependence of the frequency exponent s illustrates that, in the low frequency range, conduction is governed by the correlated barrier hopping (CBH) mechanism involving two distinct energy levels for all investigated temperatures. For the high frequency region, conduction takes place according to the overlapping large-polaron tunneling mechanism at low temperatures but the CBH mechanism becomes dominant in the high temperature region. This difference in electrical behavior between low and high temperatures can be attributed to the dominance of dielectric relaxation at low compared with high temperatures.

Electrical and optical transport properties of single layer WSe2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tahir, M.

2018-03-01

The electronic properties of single layer WSe2 are distinct from the famous graphene due to strong spin orbit coupling, a huge band gap and an anisotropic lifting of the degeneracy of the valley degree of freedom under Zeeman field. In this work, band structure of the monolayer WSe2 is evaluated in the presence of spin and valley Zeeman fields to study the electrical and optical transport properties. Using Kubo formalism, an explicit expression for the electrical Hall conductivity is examined at finite temperatures. The electrical longitudinal conductivity is also evaluated. Further, the longitudinal and Hall optical conductivities are analyzed. It is observed that the contributions of the spin-up and spin-down states to the power absorption spectrum depend on the valley index. The numerical results exhibit absorption peaks as a function of photon energy, ℏ ω, in the range ∼ 1.5 -2 eV. Also, the optical response lies in the visible frequency range in contrast to the conventional two-dimensional electron gas or graphene where the response is limited to terahertz regime. This ability to isolate carriers in spin-valley coupled structures may make WSe2 a promising candidate for future spintronics, valleytronics and optical devices.

Influence of dehydration on the electrical conductivity of epidote and implications for high-conductivity anomalies in subduction zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Haiying; Dai, Lidong; Li, Heping; Hui, Keshi; Sun, Wenqing

2017-04-01

The anomalously high electrical conductivities ( 0.1 to 1 S/m) in deep mantle wedge regions extensively detected by magnetotelluric studies are often associated with the presence of fluids released from the progressive dehydration of subducting slabs. Epidote minerals are the Ca-Al-rich hydrous silicates with huge stability fields exceeding those of amphibole (>70-80 km) in subducting oceanic crust, and they may therefore be transported to greater depth than amphibole and release water to the mantle wedge. In this study, the electrical conductivities of epidote were measured at 0.5-1.5 GPa and 573-1273 K by using a Solartron-1260 Impedance/Gain-Phase Analyzer in a YJ-3000t multianvil pressure within the frequency range of 0.1-106 Hz. The results demonstrate that the influence of pressure on electrical conductivity of epidote is relatively small compared to that of temperature. The dehydration reaction of epidote is observed through the variation of electrical conductivity around 1073 K, and electrical conductivity reaches up to 1 S/m at 1273 K, which can be attributed to aqueous fluid released from epidote dehydration. After sample dehydration, electrical conductivity noticeably decreases by as much as nearly a log unit compared with that before dehydration, presumably due to a combination of the presence of coexisting mineral phases and aqueous fluid derived from the residual epidote. Taking into account the petrological and geothermal structures of subduction zones, it is suggested that the aqueous fluid produced by epidote dehydration could be responsible for the anomalously high conductivities in deep mantle wedges at depths of 70-120 km, particularly in hot subduction zones.

An analytic solution for numerical modeling validation in electromagnetics: the resistive sphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swidinsky, Andrei; Liu, Lifei

2017-11-01

We derive the electromagnetic response of a resistive sphere to an electric dipole source buried in a conductive whole space. The solution consists of an infinite series of spherical Bessel functions and associated Legendre polynomials, and follows the well-studied problem of a conductive sphere buried in a resistive whole space in the presence of a magnetic dipole. Our result is particularly useful for controlled-source electromagnetic problems using a grounded electric dipole transmitter and can be used to check numerical methods of calculating the response of resistive targets (such as finite difference, finite volume, finite element and integral equation). While we elect to focus on the resistive sphere in our examples, the expressions in this paper are completely general and allow for arbitrary source frequency, sphere radius, transmitter position, receiver position and sphere/host conductivity contrast so that conductive target responses can also be checked. Commonly used mesh validation techniques consist of comparisons against other numerical codes, but such solutions may not always be reliable or readily available. Alternatively, the response of simple 1-D models can be tested against well-known whole space, half-space and layered earth solutions, but such an approach is inadequate for validating models with curved surfaces. We demonstrate that our theoretical results can be used as a complementary validation tool by comparing analytic electric fields to those calculated through a finite-element analysis; the software implementation of this infinite series solution is made available for direct and immediate application.

Characterizing fiber-reinforced composite structures using AC-impedance spectroscopy (AC-IS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, Leta Y.

Property enhancement in composites depends largely on the reinforcement. For fiber-reinforced composites, the distribution of fibers is crucial in determining the electrical and mechanical performance. Image analysis methods for characterization can be time-consuming and/or destructive. This work explores the capability of AC-impedance spectroscopy (AC-IS), an electrical measurement technique, to serve as a rapid, non-destructive tool for characterizing composite microstructure. The composite requirements include a filler that is electrically conducting or semi-conducting with higher conductivity than the matrix, and a high-impedance interface or coating between the filler and the matrix. To establish an AC-IS characterization method, cement-matrix composites with steel reinforcement were employed as both a technologically important and a model system to investigate how fibers affect the electrical response. Beginning with spherical particulates and then fibers, composites were examined using composite theory and an "intrinsic conductivity" approach. The intrinsic conductivity approach applies to composites with low volume fractions of fibers (i.e., in the dilute regime) and relates how the composite conductivity varies relative to the matrix as a function of volume fraction. A universal equivalent circuit model was created to understand the AC-IS response of composites based on the geometry and volume fraction of the filler. Deviation from predicted behavior was assessed using a developed f-function, which quantifies how fibers contribute to the overall electrical response of the composite. Using the f-function, an AC-IS method for investigating fiber dispersion was established to characterize alignment, settling/segregation, and aggregation. Alignment was investigated using measurements made in three directions. A point-probe technique characterized settling and/or large-scale inhomogeneous mixing in samples. Aggregation was quantified using a "dispersion factor" that compared theoretical with measured values and served as an upper limit for how well the fibers were dispersed. The AC-IS method was then extended to two different cement-matrix composite systems, low resistivity fresh-paste cement composites (confirmed by time domain reflectometry) and high resistivity cement composites, both of which required additional analysis to apply the AC-IS characterization method.

Metal rubber sensor technology to enable in-flight icing measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berg, Michelle; Lalli, Jennifer; Claus, Richard; Kreeger, Richard E.

2017-04-01

This paper describes the development and testing of Metal Rubber sensors for the nondestructive, normal force detection of ice accretion on aerospace structures. The buildup of ice on aircraft engine components, wings and rotorblades is a problem for both civilian and military aircraft that must operate under all weather conditions. Ice adds mass to moving components, thus changing the equations of motion that control the operation of the system as well as increasing drag and torque requirements. Ice also alters the surface geometry of leading edges, altering the airflow transition from laminar to turbulent, generating turbulence and again increasing drag. Metal Rubber is a piezoresistive material that exhibits a change in electrical resistance in response to physical deformation. It is produced as a freestanding sheet that is assembled at the molecular level using alternating layers of conductive metal nanoparticles and polymers. As the volume percentage of the conductive nanoparticle clusters within the material is increased from zero, the onset of electrical conduction occurs abruptly at the percolation threshold. Electrical conduction occurs due to electron hopping between the clusters. If a length of the material is strained, the clusters move apart so the efficiency of electron hopping decreases and electrical resistance increases. The resulting change in resistance as a function of the change in strain in the material, at a specific volume percentage of conductive clusters, can be interpreted as the transduction response of the material. We describe how sensors fabricated from these materials can be used to measure ice buildup.

Electrical properties of PMMA ion-implanted with low-energy Si+ beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadjichristov, G. B.; Gueorguiev, V. K.; Ivanov, Tz E.; Marinov, Y. G.; Ivanov, V. G.; Faulques, E.

2010-01-01

The electrical properties of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) after implantation with silicon ions accelerated to an energy of 50 keV are studied under DC electric bias field. The electrical response of the formed material is examined as a function of Si+ fluence in the range 1014 - 1017 cm-2. The carbonaceous subsurface region of the Si+-implanted PMMA displays a significant DC conductivity and a sizable field effect that can be used for electronic applications.

Physical Properties of Fractured Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammed, T. E.; Schmitt, D. R.

2015-12-01

The effect of fractures on the physical properties of porous media is of considerable interest to oil and gas exploration as well as enhanced geothermal systems and carbon capture and storage. This work represents an attempt to study the effect fractures have on multiple physical properties of rocks. An experimental technique to make simultaneous electric and ultrasonic measurements on cylindrical core plugs is developed. Aluminum end caps are mounted with ultrasonic transducers to transmit pules along the axis of the cylinder while non-polarizing electrodes are mounted on the sides of the core to make complex conductivity measurements perpendicular to the cylinder axis. Electrical measurements are made by applying a sinusoidal voltage across the measurement circuit that consist of a resister and the sample in series. The magnitude and phase of the signal across the sample is recorded relative to the input signal across a range of frequencies. Synthetic rock analogs are constructed using sintered glass beads with fractures imbedded in them. The fracture location, size and orientation are controlled and each fractured specimen has an unfractured counterpart. Porosity, Permeability, electrical conductivity and ultrasonic velocity measurements are conducted on each sample with the complex electrical conductivities recorded at frequencies from 10hz to 1 Mhz. These measurements allow us to examine the changes induced by these mesoscale fractures on the embedding porous medium. Of particular interest is the effect of fracture orientation on electrical conductivity of the rock. Seismic anisotropy caused by fractures is a well understood phenomenon with many rock physics models dedicated to its understanding. The effect of fractures on electrical conductivity is less well understood with electrical anisotropy scarcely investigated in the literature. None the less, using electrical conductivity to characterize fractures can add an extra constraint to characterization based on seismic response. As well, the formal similarity between electrical conductivity and permeability can be utilized to help optimize injection and production strategies.

New insights on electro-optical response of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) film to humidity

DOE PAGES

Sumpter, Bobby G.; Ivanov, Ilia N.; Kumar, Rajeev; ...

2017-04-26

Understanding the relative humidity (RH) response of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is critical for improving the stability of organic electronic devices and developing selective sensors. In this work combined gravimetric sensing, nanoscale surface probing, and mesoscale optoelectronic characterization are used to directly compare the RH dependence of electrical and optical conductivities and unfold connections between the rate of water adsorption and changes in functional properties of PEDOT:PSS film. We report three distinct regimes where changes in electrical conductivity, optical conductivity, and optical bandgap are correlated with the mass of adsorbed water. At low (RH < 25%) and high (RH > 60%) humiditymore » levels dramatic changes in electrical, optical and structural properties occur, while changes are insignificant in mid-RH (25% < RH < 60%) conditions. We associate the three regimes with water adsorption at hydrophilic moieties at low RH, diffusion and swelling throughout the film at mid-RH, and saturation of the film by water at high RH. Optical film thickness increased by 150% as RH was increased from 9% to 80%. Low frequency (1 kHz) impedance increased by ~100% and film capacitance increased by ~30% as RH increased from 9% to 80% due to an increase in the film dielectric constant. Finally, changes in electrical and optical conductivities concomitantly decrease across the full range of RH tested.« less

Ring discharge on the backsurface of a composite skin with ohmic anisotropy in response to frontal high current injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, T. S.; Robb, J. D.

The ring discharge hazard to a carbon-reinforced-composites fuel tank skin under lightning strike conditions is investigated. A model of anisotropy in electric conductivity is adopted whereby longitudinal conductivity and transverse conductivity are considered separately. It is concluded that the current flow pattern contains a stagnation-dominated near-field region and a geometry-dominated far-field decaying region. While this pattern is unaltered by anisotropy in conductivity, the accompanying nonliner electrical field pattern is greatly distorted. It is noted that conclusions applicable to the ignition hazard which were derived from the model of a uniform scalar conductivity for the skin still remain intact.

A Comparison of Peak Electric Fields and GICs in the Pacific Northwest Using 1-D and 3-D Conductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gannon, J. L.; Birchfield, A. B.; Shetye, K. S.; Overbye, T. J.

2017-11-01

Geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) are a result of the changing magnetic fields during a geomagnetic disturbance interacting with the deep conductivity structures of the Earth. When assessing GIC hazard, it is a common practice to use layer-cake or one-dimensional conductivity models to approximate deep Earth conductivity. In this paper, we calculate the electric field and estimate GICs induced in the long lines of a realistic system model of the Pacific Northwest, using the traditional 1-D models, as well as 3-D models represented by Earthscope's Electromagnetic transfer functions. The results show that the peak electric field during a given event has considerable variation across the analysis region in the Pacific Northwest, but the 1-D physiographic approximations may accurately represent the average response of an area, although corrections are needed. Rotations caused by real deep Earth conductivity structures greatly affect the direction of the induced electric field. This effect may be just as, or more, important than peak intensity when estimating GICs induced in long bulk power system lines.

Electrical conductivity structure of the mantle derived from inversion of geomagnetic observatory data: implications for lateral variations in temperature, composition and water content.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munch, Federico; Grayver, Alexander; Khan, Amir; Kuvshinov, Alexey

2017-04-01

As most of Earth's interior remains geochemically unsampled, geophysical techniques based on seismology, geodesy, gravimetry, and electromagnetic studies play prominent roles because of their ability to sense structure at depth. Although seismic tomography maps show a variety of structures, separating thermal and compositional contributions from seismic velocities alone still remains a challenging task. Alternatively, as electrical conductivity is sensitive to temperature, chemical composition, oxygen fugacity, water content, and the presence of melt, it can serve for determining chemistry, mineralogy, and physical structure of the deep mantle. In this work we estimate and invert local C-responses (period range 3-100 days) for a number of worldwide geomagnetic observatories to map lateral variations of electrical conductivity in Earth's mantle (400-1600 km depth). The obtained conductivity profiles are interpreted in terms of basalt fraction in a basalt-harzburgite mixture, temperature structure, and water content variations. Interpretation is based on a self-consistent thermodynamic calculation of mineral phase equilibria, electrical conductivity databases, and probabilistic inverse methods.

Refinement of current monitoring methodology for electroosmotic flow assessment under low ionic strength conditions

PubMed Central

Saucedo-Espinosa, Mario A.; Lapizco-Encinas, Blanca H.

2016-01-01

Current monitoring is a well-established technique for the characterization of electroosmotic (EO) flow in microfluidic devices. This method relies on monitoring the time response of the electric current when a test buffer solution is displaced by an auxiliary solution using EO flow. In this scheme, each solution has a different ionic concentration (and electric conductivity). The difference in the ionic concentration of the two solutions defines the dynamic time response of the electric current and, hence, the current signal to be measured: larger concentration differences result in larger measurable signals. A small concentration difference is needed, however, to avoid dispersion at the interface between the two solutions, which can result in undesired pressure-driven flow that conflicts with the EO flow. Additional challenges arise as the conductivity of the test solution decreases, leading to a reduced electric current signal that may be masked by noise during the measuring process, making for a difficult estimation of an accurate EO mobility. This contribution presents a new scheme for current monitoring that employs multiple channels arranged in parallel, producing an increase in the signal-to-noise ratio of the electric current to be measured and increasing the estimation accuracy. The use of this parallel approach is particularly useful in the estimation of the EO mobility in systems where low conductivity mediums are required, such as insulator based dielectrophoresis devices. PMID:27375813

Spin current and second harmonic generation in non-collinear magnetic systems: the hydrodynamic model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karashtin, E. A.; Fraerman, A. A.

2018-04-01

We report a theoretical study of the second harmonic generation in a noncollinearly magnetized conductive medium with equilibrium spin current. The hydrodynamic model is used to unravel the mechanism of a novel effect of the double frequency signal generation that is attributed to the spin current. According to our calculations, this second harmonic response appears due to the ‘non-adiabatic’ spin polarization of the conduction electrons induced by the oscillations in the non-uniform magnetization forced by the electric field of the electromagnetic wave. Together with the linear velocity response this leads to the generation of the double frequency spin current. This spin current is converted to the electric current via the inverse spin Hall effect, and the double-frequency electric current emits the second harmonic radiation. Possible experiment for detection of the new second harmonic effect is proposed.

Water level sensor and temperature profile detector

DOEpatents

Tokarz, Richard D.

1983-01-01

A temperature profile detector comprising a surrounding length of metal tubing and an interior electrical conductor both constructed of high temperature high electrical resistance materials. A plurality of gas-filled expandable bellows made of electrically conductive material is electrically connected to the interior electrical conductor and positioned within the length of metal tubing. The bellows are sealed and contain a predetermined volume of a gas designed to effect movement of the bellows from an open circuit condition to a closed circuit condition in response to monitored temperature changes sensed by each bellows.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-03-01

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

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

PubMed

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

2016-03-07

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

Canonical decomposition of magnetotelluric responses: Experiment on 1D anisotropic structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Ze-qiu; Wei, Wen-bo; Ye, Gao-feng; Jin, Sheng; Jing, Jian-en

2015-08-01

Horizontal electrical heterogeneity of subsurface earth is mostly originated from structural complexity and electrical anisotropy, and local near-surface electrical heterogeneity will severely distort regional electromagnetic responses. Conventional distortion analyses for magnetotelluric soundings are primarily physical decomposition methods with respect to isotropic models, which mostly presume that the geoelectric distribution of geological structures is of local and regional patterns represented by 3D/2D models. Due to the widespread anisotropy of earth media, the confusion between 1D anisotropic responses and 2D isotropic responses, and the defects of physical decomposition methods, we propose to conduct modeling experiments with canonical decomposition in terms of 1D layered anisotropic models, and the method is one of the mathematical decomposition methods based on eigenstate analyses differentiated from distortion analyses, which can be used to recover electrical information such as strike directions, and maximum and minimum conductivity. We tested this method with numerical simulation experiments on several 1D synthetic models, which turned out that canonical decomposition is quite effective to reveal geological anisotropic information. Finally, for the background of anisotropy from previous study by geological and seismological methods, canonical decomposition is applied to real data acquired in North China Craton for 1D anisotropy analyses, and the result shows that, with effective modeling and cautious interpretation, canonical decomposition could be another good method to detect anisotropy of geological media.

Non-volatile, solid state bistable electrical switch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Roger M. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A bistable switching element is made of a material whose electrical resistance reversibly decreases in response to intercalation by positive ions. Flow of positive ions between the bistable switching element and a positive ion source is controlled by means of an electrical potential applied across a thermal switching element. The material of the thermal switching element generates heat in response to electrical current flow therethrough, which in turn causes the material to undergo a thermal phase transition from a high electrical resistance state to a low electrical resistance state as the temperature increases above a predetermined value. Application of the electrical potential in one direction renders the thermal switching element conductive to pass electron current out of the ion source. This causes positive ions to flow from the source into the bistable switching element and intercalate the same to produce a non-volatile, low resistance logic state. Application of the electrical potential in the opposite direction causes reverse current flow which de-intercalates the bistable logic switching element and produces a high resistance logic state.

Effect of simultaneously induced environmental stimuli on electrical signalling and gas exchange in maize plants.

PubMed

Vuralhan-Eckert, Jasmin; Lautner, Silke; Fromm, Jörg

2018-04-01

Electrical signalling in response to environmental stimuli is a well-known phenomenon in higher plants. For example, in maize, different stimuli, such as wounding or re-irrigation after drought, incite characteristic electrical signals which have quite particular effects on gas exchange. What is less well understood is how plants (specifically maize) respond when two different environmental stimuli are applied simultaneously. To explore this, a three-stage experiment was designed. In the first stage, drought conditions were simulated by decreasing the soil water content to 30-40 % of field capacity. In these conditions, and in contrast to well-watered plants, the maize exhibited only 60-70% of the original level of stomatal conductance and 50-60 % of the original photosynthesis rate. In the second stage of the experiment the plants were re-irrigated and heat stimulated separately. Re-irrigation led to specific electrical signals followed by a gradual increase of gas exchange. In contrast, after heat stimulation of a leaf an electrical signal was evoked that reduced the net CO 2 -uptake rate as well as stomatal conductance. In the third stage, to elucidate how plants process simultaneous re-irrigation and heat stimulation, the drought-stressed maize plants were re-watered and heat-stimulated at the same time. Results showed a two phase response. In the first phase there was a rapid decrease in both the CO 2 uptake rate and the stomatal conductance, while in the second phase each of these parameters increased gradually. Thus, the results strongly support the view that the responses from both stimuli were combined, indicating that maize plants can process simultaneously applied stimuli. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Modeling the response of small myelinated axons in a compound nerve to kilohertz frequency signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelot, N. A.; Behrend, C. E.; Grill, W. M.

2017-08-01

Objective. There is growing interest in electrical neuromodulation of peripheral nerves, particularly autonomic nerves, to treat various diseases. Electrical signals in the kilohertz frequency (KHF) range can produce different responses, including conduction block. For example, EnteroMedics’ vBloc® therapy for obesity delivers 5 kHz stimulation to block the abdominal vagus nerves, but the mechanisms of action are unclear. Approach. We developed a two-part computational model, coupling a 3D finite element model of a cuff electrode around the human abdominal vagus nerve with biophysically-realistic electrical circuit equivalent (cable) model axons (1, 2, and 5.7 µm in diameter). We developed an automated algorithm to classify conduction responses as subthreshold (transmission), KHF-evoked activity (excitation), or block. We quantified neural responses across kilohertz frequencies (5-20 kHz), amplitudes (1-8 mA), and electrode designs. Main results. We found heterogeneous conduction responses across the modeled nerve trunk, both for a given parameter set and across parameter sets, although most suprathreshold responses were excitation, rather than block. The firing patterns were irregular near transmission and block boundaries, but otherwise regular, and mean firing rates varied with electrode-fibre distance. Further, we identified excitation responses at amplitudes above block threshold, termed ‘re-excitation’, arising from action potentials initiated at virtual cathodes. Excitation and block thresholds decreased with smaller electrode-fibre distances, larger fibre diameters, and lower kilohertz frequencies. A point source model predicted a larger fraction of blocked fibres and greater change of threshold with distance as compared to the realistic cuff and nerve model. Significance. Our findings of widespread asynchronous KHF-evoked activity suggest that conduction block in the abdominal vagus nerves is unlikely with current clinical parameters. Our results indicate that compound neural or downstream muscle force recordings may be unreliable as quantitative measures of neural activity for in vivo studies or as biomarkers in closed-loop clinical devices.

Modeling the response of small myelinated axons in a compound nerve to kilohertz frequency signals.

PubMed

Pelot, N A; Behrend, C E; Grill, W M

2017-08-01

There is growing interest in electrical neuromodulation of peripheral nerves, particularly autonomic nerves, to treat various diseases. Electrical signals in the kilohertz frequency (KHF) range can produce different responses, including conduction block. For example, EnteroMedics' vBloc ® therapy for obesity delivers 5 kHz stimulation to block the abdominal vagus nerves, but the mechanisms of action are unclear. We developed a two-part computational model, coupling a 3D finite element model of a cuff electrode around the human abdominal vagus nerve with biophysically-realistic electrical circuit equivalent (cable) model axons (1, 2, and 5.7 µm in diameter). We developed an automated algorithm to classify conduction responses as subthreshold (transmission), KHF-evoked activity (excitation), or block. We quantified neural responses across kilohertz frequencies (5-20 kHz), amplitudes (1-8 mA), and electrode designs. We found heterogeneous conduction responses across the modeled nerve trunk, both for a given parameter set and across parameter sets, although most suprathreshold responses were excitation, rather than block. The firing patterns were irregular near transmission and block boundaries, but otherwise regular, and mean firing rates varied with electrode-fibre distance. Further, we identified excitation responses at amplitudes above block threshold, termed 're-excitation', arising from action potentials initiated at virtual cathodes. Excitation and block thresholds decreased with smaller electrode-fibre distances, larger fibre diameters, and lower kilohertz frequencies. A point source model predicted a larger fraction of blocked fibres and greater change of threshold with distance as compared to the realistic cuff and nerve model. Our findings of widespread asynchronous KHF-evoked activity suggest that conduction block in the abdominal vagus nerves is unlikely with current clinical parameters. Our results indicate that compound neural or downstream muscle force recordings may be unreliable as quantitative measures of neural activity for in vivo studies or as biomarkers in closed-loop clinical devices.

Dielectric and ac ionic conductivity investigation of Li2SrP2O7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajili, O.; Louati, B.; Guidara, K.

2018-07-01

The pyrophosphate Li2SrP2O7 compound has been synthesized by the classic ceramic method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, IR, Raman and electrical impedance spectroscopy. Detailed electrical properties of the compound were analyzed as a function of frequency (209 Hz-1 MHz) and temperature (519-628) K. Impedance analysis exhibits the grain and grain boundary contribution to the electrical response of the sample. The temperature dependence of these contribution obey the Arrhenius law with activation energies (1.03 ± 0.05) and (1.25 ± 0.05) eV, respectively. The ac conductivity for grain contribution was interpreted using the universal Jonscher's power law. The temperature dependence of frequency exponent s was investigated to understand the conduction mechanism. The correlated barrier hopping model was found to be the best model describing the conduction mechanism.

Dielectric and ac ionic conductivity investigation of Li2SrP2O7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ajili, O.; Louati, B.; Guidara, K.

2018-02-01

The pyrophosphate Li2SrP2O7 compound has been synthesized by the classic ceramic method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, IR, Raman and electrical impedance spectroscopy. Detailed electrical properties of the compound were analyzed as a function of frequency (209 Hz-1 MHz) and temperature (519-628) K. Impedance analysis exhibits the grain and grain boundary contribution to the electrical response of the sample. The temperature dependence of these contribution obey the Arrhenius law with activation energies (1.03 ± 0.05) and (1.25 ± 0.05) eV, respectively. The ac conductivity for grain contribution was interpreted using the universal Jonscher's power law. The temperature dependence of frequency exponent s was investigated to understand the conduction mechanism. The correlated barrier hopping model was found to be the best model describing the conduction mechanism.

Study of Dynamic Membrane Behavior in Applied DC Electric Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutta, Prashanta; Morshed, Adnan; Hossan, Mohammad

2017-11-01

Electrodeformation of vesicles can be used as a useful tool to understand the characteristics of biological soft matter, where vesicles immersed in a fluid medium are subjected to an applied electric field. The complex response of the vesicle membrane strongly depends on the conductivity of surrounding fluid, vesicle size and shape, and applied electric field We studied the electrodeformation of vesicles immersed in a fluid media under a short DC electric pulse. An immersed interface method is used to solve the electric field over the domain with conductive or non-conductive vesicles while an immersed boundary scheme is employed to solve fluid flow, fluid-solid interaction, membrane mechanics and vesicle movement. Force analysis on the membrane surface reveals almost linear relation with vesicle size, but highly nonlinear influence of applied field as well as the conductivity ratios inside and outside of the vesicle. Results also point towards an early linear deformation regime followed by an equilibrium stage for the membranes. Moreover, significant influence of the initial aspect ratio of the vesicle on the force distribution is observed across a range of conductivity ratios. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01GM122081.

Determination of water saturation using gas phase partitioning tracers and time-lapse electrical conductivity measurements

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

Johnson, Timothy C.; Oostrom, Martinus; Truex, Michael J.

2013-05-21

Water saturation is an important indicator of contaminant distribution and plays a governing role in contaminant transport within the vadose zone. Understanding the water saturation distribution is critical for both remediation and contaminant flux monitoring in unsaturated environments. In this work we propose and demonstrate a method of remotely determining water saturation levels using gas phase partitioning tracers and time-lapse bulk electrical conductivity measurements. The theoretical development includes the partitioning chemistry for the tracers we demonstrate (ammonia and carbon dioxide), as well as a review of the petrophysical relationship governing how these tracers influence bulk conductivity. We also investigate methodsmore » of utilizing secondary information provided by electrical conductivity breakthrough magnitudes induced by the tracers. We test the method on clean, well characterized, intermediate-scale sand columns under controlled conditions. Results demonstrate the capability to predict partitioning coefficients and accurately monitor gas breakthrough curves along the length of the column according to the corresponding electrical conductivity response, leading to accurate water saturation estimates. This work is motivated by the need to develop effective characterization and monitoring techniques for contaminated deep vadose zone environments, and provides a proof-of-concept toward uniquely characterizing and monitoring water saturation levels at the field scale and in three-dimensions using electrical resistivity tomography.« less

Leaching of Conductive Species: Implications to Measurements of Electrical Resistivity

PubMed Central

Spragg, R; Jones, S; Bu, Y; Lu, Y; Bentz, D; Snyder, K; Weiss, J

2017-01-01

Electrical tests have been used to characterize the microstructure of porous materials, the measured electrical response being determined by the contribution of the microstructure (porosity and tortuosity) and the electrical properties of the solution (conductivity of the pore solution) inside the pores of the material. This study has shown how differences in concentration between the pore solution (i.e., the solution in the pores) and the storage solution surrounding the test specimen leads to significant transport (leaching) of the conductive ionic species between the pore solution and the storage solution. Leaching influences the resistivity of the pore solution, thereby influencing electrical measurements on the bulk material from either a surface or uniaxial bulk resistance test. This paper has three main conclusions: 1.) Leaching of conductive species does occur with concentration gradients and that a diffusion based approach can be used to estimate the time scale associated with this change. 2.) Leaching of ions in the pore solution can influence resistivity measurements, and the ratio of surface to uniaxial resistivity can be used as a method to assess the presence of leaching and 3.) An estimation of the magnitude of leaching for standardized tests of cementitious materials. PMID:28584407

Leaching of Conductive Species: Implications to Measurements of Electrical Resistivity.

PubMed

Spragg, R; Jones, S; Bu, Y; Lu, Y; Bentz, D; Snyder, K; Weiss, J

2017-05-01

Electrical tests have been used to characterize the microstructure of porous materials, the measured electrical response being determined by the contribution of the microstructure (porosity and tortuosity) and the electrical properties of the solution (conductivity of the pore solution) inside the pores of the material. This study has shown how differences in concentration between the pore solution (i.e., the solution in the pores) and the storage solution surrounding the test specimen leads to significant transport (leaching) of the conductive ionic species between the pore solution and the storage solution. Leaching influences the resistivity of the pore solution, thereby influencing electrical measurements on the bulk material from either a surface or uniaxial bulk resistance test. This paper has three main conclusions: 1.) Leaching of conductive species does occur with concentration gradients and that a diffusion based approach can be used to estimate the time scale associated with this change. 2.) Leaching of ions in the pore solution can influence resistivity measurements, and the ratio of surface to uniaxial resistivity can be used as a method to assess the presence of leaching and 3.) An estimation of the magnitude of leaching for standardized tests of cementitious materials.

Modeling of electric field distribution in tissues during electroporation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Electroporation based therapies and treatments (e.g. electrochemotherapy, gene electrotransfer for gene therapy and DNA vaccination, tissue ablation with irreversible electroporation and transdermal drug delivery) require a precise prediction of the therapy or treatment outcome by a personalized treatment planning procedure. Numerical modeling of local electric field distribution within electroporated tissues has become an important tool in treatment planning procedure in both clinical and experimental settings. Recent studies have reported that the uncertainties in electrical properties (i.e. electric conductivity of the treated tissues and the rate of increase in electric conductivity due to electroporation) predefined in numerical models have large effect on electroporation based therapy and treatment effectiveness. The aim of our study was to investigate whether the increase in electric conductivity of tissues needs to be taken into account when modeling tissue response to the electroporation pulses and how it affects the local electric distribution within electroporated tissues. Methods We built 3D numerical models for single tissue (one type of tissue, e.g. liver) and composite tissue (several types of tissues, e.g. subcutaneous tumor). Our computer simulations were performed by using three different modeling approaches that are based on finite element method: inverse analysis, nonlinear parametric and sequential analysis. We compared linear (i.e. tissue conductivity is constant) model and non-linear (i.e. tissue conductivity is electric field dependent) model. By calculating goodness of fit measure we compared the results of our numerical simulations to the results of in vivo measurements. Results The results of our study show that the nonlinear models (i.e. tissue conductivity is electric field dependent: σ(E)) fit experimental data better than linear models (i.e. tissue conductivity is constant). This was found for both single tissue and composite tissue. Our results of electric field distribution modeling in linear model of composite tissue (i.e. in the subcutaneous tumor model that do not take into account the relationship σ(E)) showed that a very high electric field (above irreversible threshold value) was concentrated only in the stratum corneum while the target tumor tissue was not successfully treated. Furthermore, the calculated volume of the target tumor tissue exposed to the electric field above reversible threshold in the subcutaneous model was zero assuming constant conductivities of each tissue. Our results also show that the inverse analysis allows for identification of both baseline tissue conductivity (i.e. conductivity of non-electroporated tissue) and tissue conductivity vs. electric field (σ(E)) of electroporated tissue. Conclusion Our results of modeling of electric field distribution in tissues during electroporation show that the changes in electrical conductivity due to electroporation need to be taken into account when an electroporation based treatment is planned or investigated. We concluded that the model of electric field distribution that takes into account the increase in electric conductivity due to electroporation yields more precise prediction of successfully electroporated target tissue volume. The findings of our study can significantly contribute to the current development of individualized patient-specific electroporation based treatment planning. PMID:23433433

A study on electrode gels for skin conductance measurements.

PubMed

Tronstad, Christian; Johnsen, Gorm Krogh; Grimnes, Sverre; Martinsen, Ørjan G

2010-10-01

Low-frequency skin conductance is used within several clinical applications and is mainly sensitive to sweating and the moisture content of the stratum corneum, but also how electrodes introduce changes in the electrical properties. Four electrode gels were investigated with regard to sorption characteristics and electrical properties. Skin conductance time series were collected from 18 test subjects during relaxation, exercise and recovery, wearing different pairs of electrodes contralaterally on the hypothenar and the T9 dermatome. Pressure test was applied on the T9 electrodes. Impedance frequency sweeps were taken on the T9 electrodes the same day and the next, parameterized to the Cole model. ANOVA on the initial skin conductance level change, exercise response amplitude, recovery offset and pressure-induced changes revealed significant differences among gel types. The wetter gels caused a higher positive level change, a greater response amplitude, larger recovery offset and greater pressure-induced artifacts compared to the solid gels. Sweating on the T9 site led to negative skin conductance responses for the wetter gels. Correlations were found between the desorption measurements and the initial skin conductance level change (hypothenar: R = 0.988 T9: R = 0.901) RM-ANOVA on the Cole parameters revealed a significant decrease in R(s) of the most resistive gel. Clinical implications are discussed.

On the physics of frequency-domain controlled source electromagnetics in shallow water. 1: isotropic conductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chave, Alan D.; Everett, Mark E.; Mattsson, Johan; Boon, James; Midgley, Jonathan

2017-02-01

In recent years, marine controlled source electromagnetics (CSEM) has found increasing use in hydrocarbon exploration due to its ability to detect thin resistive zones beneath the seafloor. It is the purpose of this paper to evaluate the physics of CSEM for an ocean whose electrical thickness is comparable to or much thinner than that of the overburden using the in-line configuration through examination of the elliptically polarized seafloor electric field, the time-averaged energy flow depicted by the real part of the complex Poynting vector, energy dissipation through Joule heating and the Fréchet derivatives of the seafloor field with respect to the subseafloor conductivity that is assumed to be isotropic. The deep water (ocean layer electrically much thicker than the overburden) seafloor EM response for a model containing a resistive reservoir layer has a greater amplitude and reduced phase as a function of offset compared to that for a half-space, or a stronger and faster response. For an ocean whose electrical thickness is comparable to or much smaller than that of the overburden, the electric field displays a greater amplitude and reduced phase at small offsets, shifting to a stronger amplitude and increased phase at intermediate offsets and a weaker amplitude and enhanced phase at long offsets, or a stronger and faster response that first changes to stronger and slower, and then transitions to weaker and slower. These transitions can be understood by visualizing the energy flow throughout the structure caused by the competing influences of the dipole source and guided energy flow in the reservoir layer, and the air interaction caused by coupling of the entire subseafloor resistivity structure with the sea surface. A stronger and faster response occurs when guided energy flow is dominant, while a weaker and slower response occurs when the air interaction is dominant. However, at intermediate offsets for some models, the air interaction can partially or fully reverse the direction of energy flux in the reservoir layer toward rather than away from the source, resulting in a stronger and slower response. The Fréchet derivatives are dominated by preferential sensitivity to the reservoir layer conductivity for all water depths except at high frequencies, but also display a shift with offset from the galvanic to the inductive mode in the underburden and overburden due to the interplay of guided energy flow and the air interaction. This means that the sensitivity to the horizontal conductivity is almost as strong as to the vertical component in the shallow parts of the subsurface, and in fact is stronger than the vertical sensitivity deeper down. However, the sensitivity to horizontal conductivity is still weak compared to the vertical component within thin resistive regions. The horizontal sensitivity is gradually decreased when the water becomes deep. These observations in part explain the success of shallow towed CSEM using only measurements of the in-line component of the electric field.

Electrical conductivity of nanocomposites based on carbon nanotubes: a 3D multiscale modeling approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grabowski, Krzysztof; Zbyrad, Paulina; Staszewski, Wieslaw J.; Uhl, Tadeusz; Wiatr, Kazimierz; Packo, Pawel

2016-04-01

Remarkable electrical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNT) have lead to increased interest in studying CNT- based devices. Many of current researches are devoted to using all kinds of carbon nanomaterials in the con- struction of sensory elements. One of the most common applications is the development of high performance, large scale sensors. Due to the remarkable conductivity of CNT's such devices represent very high sensitivity. However, there are no sufficient tools for studying and designing such sensors. The main objective of this paper is to develop and validate a multiscale numerical model for a carbon nanotubes based sensor. The device utilises the change of electrical conductivity of a nanocomposite material under applied deformation. The nanocomposite consists of a number of CNTs dispersed in polymer matrix. The paper is devoted to the analysis of the impact of spatial distribution of carbon nanotubes in polymer matrix on electrical conductivity of the sensor. One of key elements is also to examine the impact of strain on electric charge ow in such anisotropic composite structures. In the following work a multiscale electro-mechanical model for CNT - based nanocomposites is proposed. The model comprises of two length scales, namely the meso- and the macro-scale for mechanical and electrical domains. The approach allows for evaluation of macro-scale mechanical response of a strain sensor. Electrical properties of polymeric material with certain CNT fractions were derived considering electrical properties of CNTs, their contact and the tunnelling effect.

How the type of input function affects the dynamic response of conducting polymer actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Xingcan; Alici, Gursel; Mutlu, Rahim; Li, Weihua

2014-10-01

There has been a growing interest in smart actuators typified by conducting polymer actuators, especially in their (i) fabrication, modeling and control with minimum external data and (ii) applications in bio-inspired devices, robotics and mechatronics. Their control is a challenging research problem due to the complex and nonlinear properties of these actuators, which cannot be predicted accurately. Based on an input-shaping technique, we propose a new method to improve the conducting polymer actuators’ command-following ability, while minimizing their electric power consumption. We applied four input functions with smooth characteristics to a trilayer conducting polymer actuator to experimentally evaluate its command-following ability under an open-loop control strategy and a simulated feedback control strategy, and, more importantly, to quantify how the type of input function affects the dynamic response of this class of actuators. We have found that the four smooth inputs consume less electrical power than sharp inputs such as a step input with discontinuous higher-order derivatives. We also obtained an improved transient response performance from the smooth inputs, especially under the simulated feedback control strategy, which we have proposed previously [X Xiang, R Mutlu, G Alici, and W Li, 2014 “Control of conducting polymer actuators without physical feedback: simulated feedback control approach with particle swarm optimization’, Journal of Smart Materials and Structure, 23]. The idea of using a smooth input command, which results in lower power consumption and better control performance, can be extended to other smart actuators. Consuming less electrical energy or power will have a direct effect on enhancing the operational life of these actuators.

Electrical response grading versus House-Brackmann scale for evaluation of facial nerve injury after Bell's palsy: a comparative study.

PubMed

Huang, Bin; Zhou, Zhang-ling; Wang, Li-li; Zuo, Cong; Lu, Yan; Chen, Yong

2014-07-01

There are no convenient techniques to evaluate the degree of facial nerve injury during a course of acupuncture treatment for Bell's palsy. Our previous studies found that observing the electrical response of specific facial muscles provided reasonable correlation with the prognosis of electroacupuncture treatment. Hence, we used the new method to evaluate the degree of facial nerve injury in patients with Bell's palsy in comparison with the House-Brackmann scale. The relationship between therapeutic effects and prognosis was analyzed to explore an objective method for evaluating Bell's palsy. The facial nerve function of 68 patients with Bell's palsy was assessed with both electrical response grading and the House-Brackmann scale before treatment. Then differences in evaluation results of the two methods were compared. All enrolled patients received electroacupuncture treatment with disperse-dense wave at 1/100 Hz for 4 weeks. After treatment, correlation analysis was conducted to find the relationship between electrical response and therapeutic effects or prognosis. Checking consistency between electrical response grading and House-Brackmann scale: Kappa value 0.028 (P = 0.578). Correlation analysis: the two methods were correlated with the prognosis, and electrical response grading (rER = 0.789) was better than the House-Brackmann scale (rHB = 0.423). Electrical response grading is superior to the House-Brackmann scale in efficacy and reliability, and can conveniently assess the degree of facial nerve injury. The House-Brackmann scale is suitable for the patients with mild facial nerve injury, but its evaluation quality for severe facial nerve injury is poor.

Ion transferring in polyelectrolyte networks in electric fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Honghao; Erbas, Aykut; Zwanikken, Jos; Olvera de La Cruz, Monica

Ion-conducting polyelectrolyte gels have drawn the attention of many researchers in the last few decades as they have wide applications not only in lithium batteries but also as stretchable, transparent ionic conductor or ionic cables devices. However, ion dynamics in polyelectrolyte gels has been much less studied analytically or computationally due to the complicated interplay of long-range electrostatic and short-range interactions. Here we propose a coarse-grained non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulation to study the ion dynamics in polyelectrolyte gels under external electric fields. We found a nonlinear response region where the molar conductivity of polyelectrolyte gels increases with external fields. We propose counterion redistribution under electric fields as the driving mechanism. We also found the ionic conductivity to be modulated by changing polylelectrolyte network topology such as the chain length. Our discovery reveals the essential difference of ion dynamics between electrolytes and polyelectrolyte gels. These results will expand our understanding in charged polymeric systems and help in designing ion-conducting devices with higher conductivity.

Strong and electrically conductive nanopaper from cellulose nanofibers and polypyrrole.

PubMed

Lay, Makara; Méndez, J Alberto; Delgado-Aguilar, Marc; Bun, Kim Ngun; Vilaseca, Fabiola

2016-11-05

In this work, we prepare cellulose nanopapers of high mechanical performance and with the electrical conductivity of a semiconductor. Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) from bleached softwood pulp were coated with polypyrrole (PPy) via in situ chemical polymerization, in presence of iron chloride (III) as oxidant agent. The structure and morphology of nanopapers were studied, as well as their thermal, mechanical and conductive properties. Nanopaper from pure CNF exhibited a very high tensile response (224MPa tensile strength and 14.5GPa elastic modulus). The addition of up to maximum 20% of polypyrrole gave CNF/PPy nanopapers of high flexibility and still good mechanical properties (94MPa strength and 8.8GPa modulus). The electrical conductivity of the resulting CNF/PPy nanopaper was of 5.2 10(-2)Scm(-1), with a specific capacitance of 7.4Fg(-1). The final materials are strong and conductive nanopapers that can find application as biodegradable flexible thin-film transistor (TFT) or as flexible biosensor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental evaluation of electrical conductivity imaging of anisotropic brain tissues using a combination of diffusion tensor imaging and magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography

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

Sajib, Saurav Z. K.; Jeong, Woo Chul; Oh, Tong In

Anisotropy of biological tissues is a low-frequency phenomenon that is associated with the function and structure of cell membranes. Imaging of anisotropic conductivity has potential for the analysis of interactions between electromagnetic fields and biological systems, such as the prediction of current pathways in electrical stimulation therapy. To improve application to the clinical environment, precise approaches are required to understand the exact responses inside the human body subjected to the stimulated currents. In this study, we experimentally evaluate the anisotropic conductivity tensor distribution of canine brain tissues, using a recently developed diffusion tensor-magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography method. At lowmore » frequency, electrical conductivity of the biological tissues can be expressed as a product of the mobility and concentration of ions in the extracellular space. From diffusion tensor images of the brain, we can obtain directional information on diffusive movements of water molecules, which correspond to the mobility of ions. The position dependent scale factor, which provides information on ion concentration, was successfully calculated from the magnetic flux density, to obtain the equivalent conductivity tensor. By combining the information from both techniques, we can finally reconstruct the anisotropic conductivity tensor images of brain tissues. The reconstructed conductivity images better demonstrate the enhanced signal intensity in strongly anisotropic brain regions, compared with those resulting from previous methods using a global scale factor.« less

Nonequilibrium simulations of model ionomers in an oscillating electric field

DOE PAGES

Ting, Christina L.; Sorensen-Unruh, Karen E.; Stevens, Mark J.; ...

2016-07-25

Here, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained model of ionomer melts in an applied oscillating electric field. The frequency-dependent conductivity and susceptibility are calculated directly from the current density and polarization density, respectively. At high frequencies, we find a peak in the real part of the conductivity due to plasma oscillations of the ions. At lower frequencies, the dynamic response of the ionomers depends on the ionic aggregate morphology in the system, which consists of either percolated or isolated aggregates. We show that the dynamic response of the model ionomers to the applied oscillating field can be understoodmore » by comparison with relevant time scales in the systems, obtained from independent calculations.« less

Nonequilibrium simulations of model ionomers in an oscillating electric field

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

Ting, Christina L.; Sorensen-Unruh, Karen E.; Stevens, Mark J.

Here, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained model of ionomer melts in an applied oscillating electric field. The frequency-dependent conductivity and susceptibility are calculated directly from the current density and polarization density, respectively. At high frequencies, we find a peak in the real part of the conductivity due to plasma oscillations of the ions. At lower frequencies, the dynamic response of the ionomers depends on the ionic aggregate morphology in the system, which consists of either percolated or isolated aggregates. We show that the dynamic response of the model ionomers to the applied oscillating field can be understoodmore » by comparison with relevant time scales in the systems, obtained from independent calculations.« less

Electrical conductivity and piezoresistive response of 3D printed thermoplastic polyurethane/multiwalled carbon nanotube composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hohimer, Cameron J.; Petrossian, Gayaneh; Ameli, Amir; Mo, Changki; Pötschke, Petra

2018-03-01

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an emerging field experiencing rapid growth. This paper presents a feasibility study of using fused-deposition modeling (FDM) techniques with smart materials to fabricate objects with sensing and actuating capabilities. The fabrication of objects with sensing typically requires the integration and assembly of multiple components. Incorporating sensing elements into a single FDM process has the potential to significantly simplify manufacturing. The integration of multiple materials, especially smart materials and those with multi-functional properties, into the FDM process is challenging and still requires further development. Previous works by the authors have demonstrated a good printability of thermoplastic polyurethane/multiwall carbon nanotubes (TPU/MWCNT) while maintaining conductivity and piezoresistive response. This research explores the effects of layer height, nozzle temperature, and bed temperature on the electrical conductivity and piezoresistive response of printed TPU/MWCNT nanocomposites. An impedance analyzer was used to determine the conductivity of printed samples under different printing conditions from 5Hz-13MHz. The samples were then tested under compression loads to measure the piezoresistive response. Results show the conductivity and piezoresistive response are only slightly affected by the print parameters and they can be largely considered independent of the print conditions within the examined ranges of print parameters. This behavior simplifies the printing process design for TPU/MWCNT complex structures. This work demonstrates the possibility of manufacturing embedded and multidirectional flexible strain sensors using an inexpensive and versatile method, with potential applications in soft robotics, flexible electronics, and health monitoring.

Nanoscale mapping of electromechanical response in ionic conductive ceramics with piezoelectric inclusions

DOE PAGES

Seol, Daehee; Seo, Hosung; Jesse, Stephen; ...

2015-08-19

Electromechanical (EM) response in ion conductive ceramics with piezoelectric inclusions was spatially explored using strain-based atomic force microscopy. Since the sample is composed of two dominant phases of ionic and piezoelectric phases, it allows us to explore two different EM responses of electrically induced ionic response and piezoresponse over the same surface. Furthermore, EM response of the ionic phase, i.e., electrochemical strain, was quantitatively investigated from the comparison with that of the piezoelectric phase, i.e., piezoresponse. Finally, these results could provide additional information on the EM properties, including the electrochemical strain at nanoscale.

Nanoscale mapping of electromechanical response in ionic conductive ceramics with piezoelectric inclusions

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

Seol, Daehee; Seo, Hosung; Jesse, Stephen

Electromechanical (EM) response in ion conductive ceramics with piezoelectric inclusions was spatially explored using strain-based atomic force microscopy. Since the sample is composed of two dominant phases of ionic and piezoelectric phases, it allows us to explore two different EM responses of electrically induced ionic response and piezoresponse over the same surface. Furthermore, EM response of the ionic phase, i.e., electrochemical strain, was quantitatively investigated from the comparison with that of the piezoelectric phase, i.e., piezoresponse. Finally, these results could provide additional information on the EM properties, including the electrochemical strain at nanoscale.

Nanoscale mapping of electromechanical response in ionic conductive ceramics with piezoelectric inclusions

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

Seol, Daehee; Seo, Hosung; Kim, Yunseok, E-mail: yunseokkim@skku.edu

Electromechanical (EM) response in ion conductive ceramics with piezoelectric inclusions was spatially explored using strain-based atomic force microscopy. Since the sample is composed of two dominant phases of ionic and piezoelectric phases, it allows us to explore two different EM responses of electrically induced ionic response and piezoresponse over the same surface. Furthermore, EM response of the ionic phase, i.e., electrochemical strain, was quantitatively investigated from the comparison with that of the piezoelectric phase, i.e., piezoresponse. These results could provide additional information on the EM properties, including the electrochemical strain at nanoscale.

Synthesis and electrical properties of (LiCo 3/5Fe 1/5Mn 1/5)VO 4 ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ram, Moti

2010-03-01

(LiCo 3/5Fe 1/5Mn 1/5)VO 4 ceramic was synthesized via solution-based chemical method. X-ray diffraction analysis was carried out on the synthesized powder sample at room temperature, which confirms the orthorhombic structure with the lattice parameters of a = 10.3646 (20) Å, b = 3.7926 (20) Å, c = 9.2131 (20) Å. Field emission scanning electron microscopic analysis was carried out on the sintered pellet sample that indicates grains of unequal sizes (˜0.1 to 2 μm) presents average grains size with polydisperse distribution on the surface of the ceramic. Complex impedance spectroscopy (CIS) technique is used for the study of electrical properties. CIS analysis identifies: (i) grain interior, grain boundary and electrode-material interface contributions to electrical response (ii) the presence of temperature dependent electrical relaxation phenomena in the ceramics. Detailed conductivity study indicates that electrical conduction in the material is a thermally activated process. The variation of A.C. conductivity with frequency at different temperatures obeys Jonscher's universal law.

Nonequilibrium response of an electron-mediated charge density wave ordered material to a large dc electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matveev, O. P.; Shvaika, A. M.; Devereaux, T. P.; Freericks, J. K.

2016-01-01

Using the Kadanoff-Baym-Keldysh formalism, we employ nonequilibrium dynamical mean-field theory to exactly solve for the nonlinear response of an electron-mediated charge-density-wave-ordered material. We examine both the dc current and the order parameter of the conduction electrons as the ordered system is driven by the electric field. Although the formalism we develop applies to all models, for concreteness, we examine the charge-density-wave phase of the Falicov-Kimball model, which displays a number of anomalous behaviors including the appearance of subgap density of states as the temperature increases. These subgap states should have a significant impact on transport properties, particularly the nonlinear response of the system to a large dc electric field.

Assessing field-scale biogeophysical signatures of bioremediation over a mature crude oil spill

USGS Publications Warehouse

Slater, Lee; Ntarlagiannis, Dimitrios; Atekwana, Estella; Mewafy, Farag; Revil, Andre; Skold, Magnus; Gorby, Yuri; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Lane, John W.; Trost, Jared J.; Werkema, Dale D.; Delin, Geoffrey N.; Herkelrath, William N.; Rectanus, H.V.; Sirabian, R.

2011-01-01

We conducted electrical geophysical measurements at the National Crude Oil Spill Fate and Natural Attenuation Research Site (Bemidji, MN). Borehole and surface self-potential measurements do not show evidence for the existence of a biogeobattery mechanism in response to the redox gradient resulting from biodegradation of oil. The relatively small self potentials recorded are instead consistent with an electrodiffusion mechanism driven by differences in the mobility of charge carriers associated with biodegradation byproducts. Complex resistivity measurements reveal elevated electrical conductivity and interfacial polarization at the water table where oil contamination is present, extending into the unsaturated zone. This finding implies that the effect of microbial cell growth/attachment, biofilm formation, and mineral weathering accompanying hydrocarbon biodegradation on complex interfacial conductivity imparts a sufficiently large electrical signal to be measured using field-scale geophysical techniques.

Development of Polythiophene/Acrylonitrile-Butadiene Rubbers for Artificial Muscle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thipdech, Pacharavalee; Sirivat, Anuvat

2007-03-01

Electroactive polymers (EAPs) can respond to the applied electrical field by an extension or a retraction. In this work, we are interested in using an elastomeric blend for electroactive applications, acrylonitirle-butadiene rubber (NBR) containing a conductive polymer (Poly(3-thiopheneacetic acid, PTAA); the latter can be synthesized via oxidative polymerization. FT-IR, Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), ^1H-NMR, UV-visible spectroscopy, and SEM are used to characterize the conductive polymer. Electrorheological properties are measured and investigated in terms of acrylonitrile content, blending ratio, doping level, and temperature. Experiments are carried out under oscillatory shear mode and with applied electric field strength varying from 0 to 2 kV/mm. Dielectric properties, conductivities are measured and correlated with the storage modulus responses. The storage modulus sensitivity, δG'G'0of the pure rubbers increases with increasing electric field strength. They attain the maximum values of about 30% and become constant at electric strength at and above 1000 V/mm.

Electrical and mechanical behavior of polymethyl methacrylate/cadmium sulphide composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaur, Rajdeep; Samra, Kawaljeet Singh

2018-06-01

In the present investigation, electrical and mechanical behavior of cadmium sulphide (CdS) doped polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) have been studied using different techniques. Dip casting technique was used for preparing free standing films of pristine and CdS doped PMMA at different compositions (i.e. 1 and 5 wt%). Optical absorbance as a function of wavelength was studied, by UV-visible spectroscopy, to find the impact of CdS doping on the optical band gap of synthesized PMMA/CdS composite. DC and AC conductivities were measured as a function of dopant concentration and temperature. Considerable increase in electrical conductivity was observed with the increase of CdS contents in polymer matrix. Overall electrical conduction mechanism in PMMA/CdS composites was attributed to movement of electrons through the uniformly distributed CdS aggregates within the matrix of PMMA. Mechanical properties, such as Young's modulus, tensile strength, elongation and ductility, of PMMA/CdS composites were determined and relevant responsible phenomena were discussed.

Structural and electrical properties of LiCo3/5Cu2/5VO4 ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ram, Moti

2010-05-01

The LiCo3/5Cu2/5VO4 compound is prepared by a solution-based chemical method and characterized by the techniques of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and complex impedance spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction study shows an orthorhombic unit cell structure of the material with lattice parameters a=13.8263 (30) Å, b=8.7051 (30) Å and c=3.1127 (30) Å. The nature of scanning electron micrographs of a sintered pellet of the material reveals that grains of unequal sizes (˜0.2-3 μm) present an average grain size with a polydisperse distribution on the surface of the sample. Complex plane diagrams indicate grain interior and grain boundary contributions to the electrical response in the material. The electrical conductivity study reveals that electrical conduction in the material is a thermally activated process. The frequency dependence of the a.c. conductivity obeys Jonscher’s universal law.

Electrical properties of multiphase composites based on carbon nanotubes and an optimized clay content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Egiziano, Luigi; Lamberti, Patrizia; Spinelli, Giovanni; Tucci, Vincenzo; Guadagno, Liberata; Vertuccio, Luigi

2016-05-01

The experimental results concerning the characterization of a multiphase nanocomposite systems based on epoxy matrix, loaded with different amount of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and an optimized Hydrotalcite (HT) clay content (i.e. 0.6 wt%), duly identified by an our previous theoretical study based on Design of Experiment (DoE), are presented. Dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMA) reveal that even the introduction of higher HT loading (up to 1%wt) don't affect significantly the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites while morphological investigations show an effective synergy between clay and carbon nanotubes that leads to peculiar micro/nanostructures that favor the creation of the electrical conductive network inside the insulating resin. An electrical characterization is carried out in terms of DC electrical conductivity, percolation threshold (EPT) and frequency response in the range 10Hz-1MHz. In particular, the measurements of the DC conductivity allow to obtain the typical "percolation" curve also found for classical CNT-polymer mixtures and a value of about 2 S/m for the electrical conductivity is achieved at the highest considered CNTs concentration (i.e. 1 wt%). The results suggest that multiphase nanocomposites obtained incorporating dispersive nanofillers, in addition to the conductive one, may be a valid alternative to the polymer blends, to improve the properties of the polymeric materials thus able to meet high demands, particularly concerning their mechanical and thermal stability and electrical features required in the aircraft engineering.

A novel bio electro active alginate-aniline tetramer/ agarose scaffold for tissue engineering: synthesis, characterization, drug release and cell culture study.

PubMed

Atoufi, Zhale; Zarrintaj, Payam; Motlagh, Ghodratollah Hashemi; Amiri, Anahita; Bagher, Zohreh; Kamrava, Seyed Kamran

2017-10-01

In this study, synthesis of a novel biocompatible stimuli-responsive conducting hydrogel based on agarose/alginate-aniline tetramer with the capability of a tailored electrically controlled drug-release for neuroregeneration is investigated. First, aniline tetramer is synthesized and grafted onto sodium alginate. Then, this material is added to agarose as an electrical conductivity modifier to obtain Agarose/alginate-aniline tetramer hydrogel. The synthesized materials are characterized by H NMR and FTIR. The hydrogels are prepared with varying content of aniline tetramer and their swelling-deswelling and shape memory behavior is evaluated. The electroactivity and ionic conductivity of hydrogels against temperature is measured. The sample with 10% aniline tetramer (AT10) reveals the highest ionic conductivity. In MTT and SEM assays, AT10 shows the best cell viability and cell proliferation due to its highest ionic conductivity highlighting the fact that electrical stimuli cell signaling. Hydrogels also represent great potentials for passive and electro-stimulated dexamethasone release. These results demonstrate that the newly developed conducting hydrogels are promising materials for neuroregenerative medicine.

Electrical conductivity, dielectric response and space charge dynamics of an electroactive polymer with and without nanofiller reinforcement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochetov, R.; Tsekmes, I. A.; Morshuis, P. H. F.

2015-07-01

Electroactive polymers have gained considerable attention over the last 20 years for exhibiting a large displacement in response to electrical stimulation. The promising fields of application include wave energy converters, muscle-like actuators, sensors, robotics, and biomimetics. For an electrical engineer, electroactive polymers can be seen as a dielectric elastomer film or a compliant capacitor with a highly deformable elastomeric medium. If the elastomer is pre-stretched and pre-charged, a reduction of the tensile force lets the elastomer revert to its original form and increases the electrical potential. The light weight of electroactive polymers, low cost, high intrinsic breakdown strength, cyclical way of operation, reliable performance, and high efficiency can be exploited to utilize the elastomeric material as a transducer. The energy storage for a linear dielectric polymer is determined by its relative permittivity and the applied electric field. The latter is limited by the dielectric breakdown strength of the material. Therefore, to generate a high energy density of a flexible capacitor, the film must be used at the voltage level close to the material’s breakdown or inorganic particles with high dielectric permittivity which can be introduced into the polymer matrix. In the present study, silicone-titania elastomer nanocomposites were produced and the influence of nanoparticles on the macroscopic dielectric properties of the neat elastomer including space charge dynamics, complex permittivity, and electrical conductivity, were investigated.

Chemical sensors

DOEpatents

Lowell, Jr., James R.; Edlund, David J.; Friesen, Dwayne T.; Rayfield, George W.

1992-01-01

Sensors responsive to small changes in the concentration of chemical species are disclosed, comprising a mechanicochemically responsive polymeric film capable of expansion or contraction in response to a change in its chemical environment, either operatively coupled to a transducer capable of directly converting the expansion or contraction to a measurable electrical or optical response, or adhered to a second inert polymeric strip, or doped with a conductive material.

Numerical analysis of multicomponent responses of surface-hole transient electromagnetic method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, Qing-Xin; Hu, Xiang-Yun; Pan, He-Ping; Zhou, Feng

2017-03-01

We calculate the multicomponent responses of surface-hole transient electromagnetic method. The methods and models are unsuitable as geoelectric models of conductive surrounding rocks because they are based on regular local targets. We also propose a calculation and analysis scheme based on numerical simulations of the subsurface transient electromagnetic fields. In the modeling of the electromagnetic fields, the forward modeling simulations are performed by using the finite-difference time-domain method and the discrete image method, which combines the Gaver-Stehfest inverse Laplace transform with the Prony method to solve the initial electromagnetic fields. The precision in the iterative computations is ensured by using the transmission boundary conditions. For the response analysis, we customize geoelectric models consisting of near-borehole targets and conductive wall rocks and implement forward modeling simulations. The observed electric fields are converted into induced electromotive force responses using multicomponent observation devices. By comparing the transient electric fields and multicomponent responses under different conditions, we suggest that the multicomponent-induced electromotive force responses are related to the horizontal and vertical gradient variations of the transient electric field at different times. The characteristics of the response are determined by the varying the subsurface transient electromagnetic fields, i.e., diffusion, attenuation and distortion, under different conditions as well as the electromagnetic fields at the observation positions. The calculation and analysis scheme of the response consider the surrounding rocks and the anomalous field of the local targets. It therefore can account for the geological data better than conventional transient field response analysis of local targets.

A study of the influence of conductive paths and their directions in randomly generated conductor network.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandolesi, E.; Moorkamp, M.; Jones, A. G.

2014-12-01

Most electromagnetic (EM) geophysical methods focus on the electrical conductivity of rocks and sediments to determine the geological structure of the subsurface. Electric conductivity itself is measured in the laboratory with a wide range of instruments and techniques. These measurements seldom return a compatible result. The presence of partially-interconnected random pathways of electrically conductive materials in resistive hosts has been studied for decades, and recently with increasing interest. To comprehend which conductive mechanism scales from the microstructures up to field electrical conductivity measurements, two main branch of studies have been undertaken: statistical probability of having a conductive pathways and mixing laws. Several numerical approaches have been tested to understand the effects of interconnected pathways of conductors at field scale. Usually these studies were restricted in two ways: the sources are considered constant in time (i.e., DC) and the domain is, with few exception, two-dimensional. We simulated the effects of time-varying EM sources on the conductivity measured on the surface of a three-dimensional randomly generated body embedded in an uniform host by using electromagnetic induction equations. We modelled a two-phase mixture of resistive and conductive elements with the goal of comparing the conductivity measured on field scale with the one proper of the elements constituting the random rock, and to test how the internal structures influence the directionality of the responses. Moreover, we modelled data from randomly generated bodies characterized by coherent internal structures, to check the effect of the named structures on the anisotropy of the effective conductivity. We compared these values with the electrical conductivity limits predicted by Hashin-Shtrikman bounds and the effective conductivity predicted by the Archie's law, both cast in its classic form and in an updated that allow to take in account two materials. The same analysis was done for both the resistive and the conductive conductivity values for the anisotropic case.

Frequency and voltage dependent electrical responses of poly(triarylamine) thin film-based organic Schottky diode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anuar Mohamad, Khairul; Tak Hoh, Hang; Alias, Afishah; Ghosh, Bablu Kumar; Fukuda, Hisashi

2017-11-01

A metal-organic-metal (MOM) type Schottky diode based on poly (triarylamine) (PTAA) thin films has been fabricated by using the spin coating method. Investigation of the frequency dependent conductance-voltage (G-V-f) and capacitance-voltage (C-V-f) characteristics of the ITO/PTAA/Al MOM type diode were carried out in the frequency range from 12 Hz to 100 kHz using an LCR meter at room temperature. The frequency and bias voltage dependent electrical response were determined by admittance-based measured method in terms of an equivalent circuit model of the parallel combination of resistance and capacitance (RC circuit). Investigation revealed that the conductance is frequency and a bias voltage dependent in which conductance continuous increase as the increasing frequency, respectively. Meanwhile, the capacitance is dependent on frequency up to a certain value of frequency (100 Hz) but decreases at high frequency (1 - 10 kHz). The interface state density in the Schottky diode was determined from G-V and C-V characteristics. The interface state density has values almost constant of 2.8 x 1012 eV-1cm-2 with slightly decrease by increasing frequencies. Consequently, both series resistance and interface trap density were found to decrease with increasing frequency. The frequency dependence of the electrical responses is attributed the distribution density of interface states that could follow the alternating current (AC) signal.

Cellular responses to endogenous electrochemical gradients in morphological development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Desrosiers, M. F.

1996-01-01

Endogenous electric fields give vectorial direction to morphological development in Zea mays (sweet corn) in response to gravity. Endogenous electrical fields are important because of their ability to influence: (1) intercellular organization and development through their effects on the membrane potential, (2) direct effects such as electrophoresis of membrane components, and (3) both intracellular and extracellular transport of charged compounds. Their primary influence is in providing a vectorial dimension to the progression of one physiological state to another. Gravity perception and transduction in the mesocotyl of vascular plants is a complex interplay of electrical and chemical gradients which ultimately provide the driving force for the resulting growth curvature called gravitropism. Among the earliest events in gravitropism are changes in impedance, voltage, and conductance between the vascular stele and the growth tissues, the cortex, in the mesocotyl of corn shoots. In response to gravistimulation: (1) a potential develops which is vectorial and of sufficient magnitude to be a driving force for transport between the vascular stele and cortex, (2) the ionic conductance changes within seconds showing altered transport between the tissues, and (3) the impedance shows a transient biphasic response which indicates that the mobility of charges is altered following gravistimulation and is possibly the triggering event for the cascade of actions which leads to growth curvature.

Predictions of the electro-mechanical response of conductive CNT-polymer composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matos, Miguel A. S.; Tagarielli, Vito L.; Baiz-Villafranca, Pedro M.; Pinho, Silvestre T.

2018-05-01

We present finite element simulations to predict the conductivity, elastic response and strain-sensing capability of conductive composites comprising a polymeric matrix and carbon nanotubes. Realistic representative volume elements (RVE) of the microstructure are generated and both constituents are modelled as linear elastic solids, with resistivity independent of strain; the electrical contact between nanotubes is represented by a new element which accounts for quantum tunnelling effects and captures the sensitivity of conductivity to separation. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted and the sensitivity of the predictions to RVE size is explored. Predictions of modulus and conductivity are found in good agreement with published results. The strain-sensing capability of the material is explored for multiaxial strain states.

Effect of ac electric field on the dynamics of a vesicle under shear flow in the small deformation regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, Kumari Priti; Thaokar, Rochish M.

2018-03-01

Vesicles or biological cells under simultaneous shear and electric field can be encountered in dielectrophoretic devices or designs used for continuous flow electrofusion or electroporation. In this work, the dynamics of a vesicle subjected to simultaneous shear and uniform alternating current (ac) electric field is investigated in the small deformation limit. The coupled equations for vesicle orientation and shape evolution are derived theoretically, and the resulting nonlinear equations are handled numerically to generate relevant phase diagrams that demonstrate the effect of electrical parameters on the different dynamical regimes such as tank treading (TT), vacillating breathing (VB) [called trembling (TR) in this work], and tumbling (TU). It is found that while the electric Mason number (Mn), which represents the relative strength of the electrical forces to the shear forces, promotes the TT regime, the response itself is found to be sensitive to the applied frequency as well as the conductivity ratio. While higher outer conductivity promotes orientation along the flow axis, orientation along the electric field is favored when the inner conductivity is higher. Similarly a switch of orientation from the direction of the electric field to the direction of flow is possible by a mere change of frequency when the outer conductivity is higher. Interestingly, in some cases, a coupling between electric field-induced deformation and shear can result in the system admitting an intermediate TU regime while attaining the TT regime at high Mn. The results could enable designing better dielectrophoretic devices wherein the residence time as well as the dynamical states of the vesicular suspension can be controlled as per the application.

Heat Transfer Issues in Thin-Film Thermal Radiation Detectors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, Mamadou Y.

1999-01-01

The Thermal Radiation Group at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has been working closely with scientists and engineers at NASA's Langley Research Center to develop accurate analytical and numerical models suitable for designing next generation thin-film thermal radiation detectors for earth radiation budget measurement applications. The current study provides an analytical model of the notional thermal radiation detector that takes into account thermal transport phenomena, such as the contact resistance between the layers of the detector, and is suitable for use in parameter estimation. It was found that the responsivity of the detector can increase significantly due to the presence of contact resistance between the layers of the detector. Also presented is the effect of doping the thermal impedance layer of the detector with conducting particles in order to electrically link the two junctions of the detector. It was found that the responsivity and the time response of the doped detector decrease significantly in this case. The corresponding decrease of the electrical resistance of the doped thermal impedance layer is not sufficient to significantly improve the electrical performance of the detector. Finally, the "roughness effect" is shown to be unable to explain the decrease in the thermal conductivity often reported for thin-film layers.

Imaging and characterizing root systems using electrical impedance tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kemna, A.; Weigand, M.; Kelter, M.; Pfeifer, J.; Zimmermann, E.; Walter, A.

2011-12-01

Root architecture, growth, and activity play an essential role regarding the nutrient uptake of roots in soils. While in recent years advances could be achieved concerning the modeling of root systems, measurement methods capable of imaging, characterizing, and monitoring root structure and dynamics in a non-destructive manner are still lacking, in particular at the field scale. We here propose electrical impedance tomography (EIT) for the imaging of root systems. The approach takes advantage of the low-frequency capacitive electrical properties of the soil-root interface and the root tissue. These properties are based on the induced migration of ions in an externally applied electric field and give rise to characteristic impedance spectra which can be measured by means of electrical impedance spectroscopy. The latter technique was already successfully applied in the 10 Hz to 1 MHz range by Ozier-Lafontaine and Bajazet (2005) to monitor root growth of tomato. We here apply the method in the 1 mHz to 45 kHz range, requiring four-electrode measurements, and demonstrate its implementation and potential in an imaging framework. Images of real and imaginary components of complex electrical conductivity are computed using a finite-element based inversion algorithm with smoothness-constraint regularization. Results from laboratory measurements on rhizotrons with different root systems (barley, rape) show that images of imaginary conductivity delineate the spatial extent of the root system under investigation, while images of real conductivity show a less clear response. As confirmed by numerical simulations, the latter could be explained by the partly compensating electrical conduction properties of epidermis (resistive) and inner root cells (conductive), indicating the limitations of conventional electrical resistivity tomography. The captured spectral behavior exhibits two distinct relaxation processes with Cole-Cole type signatures, which we interpret as the responses of the soil-root interface (phase peak in the range of 10 Hz) and the root tissue (phase peak above 10 kHz). Importantly, our measurements prove an almost linear relationship between root mass and the electrical polarizability associated with the low-frequency relaxation, suggesting the potential of the method to quantify root structural parameters. In future studies we will in particular investigate a hypothesized relationship between time constant and effective root radius. Based on our results, we believe that spectral EIT, by combining the spatial resolution benefits of a tomographic method with the diagnostic capability of spectroscopy, can be developed into a valuable tool for imaging, characterizing, and monitoring root systems both at laboratory and field scales.

Electrical anisotropy in the presence of oceans—a sensitivity study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cembrowski, Marcel; Junge, Andreas

2018-05-01

Electrical anisotropy in the presence of oceans is particularly relevant at continent-ocean subduction zones (e.g. Cascadian and Andean Margin), where seismic anisotropy has been found with trench-parallel or perpendicular fast direction. The identification of electrical anisotropy at such locations sheds new light on the relation between seismic and electrical anisotropies. At areas confined by two opposite oceans, for example the Pyrenean Area and Central America, we demonstrate that the superposed responses of both oceans generate a uniform and large phase split of the main phase tensor axes. The pattern of the tipper arrows is comparatively complicated and it is often difficult to associate their length and orientation to the coast effect. On the basis of simple forward models involving opposite oceans and anisotropic layers, we show that both structures generate similar responses. In the case of a deep anisotropic layer, the resistivity and phase split generated by the oceans alone will be increased or decreased depending on the azimuth of the conducting horizontal principal axes. The 3-D isotropic inversion of the anisotropic forward responses reproduces the input data reasonably well. The anisotropy is explained by large opposed conductors outside the station grid and by tube-like elongated conductors representing a macroscopic anisotropy. If the conductive direction is perpendicular to the shorelines, the anisotropy is not recovered by 3-D isotropic inversion.

Conductivity affects nanosecond electrical pulse induced pressure transient formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roth, Caleb C.; Barnes, Ronald A.; Ibey, Bennett L.; Beier, Hope T.; Glickman, Randolph D.

2016-03-01

Nanoporation occurs in cells exposed to high amplitude short duration (< 1μs) electrical pulses. The biophysical mechanism(s) responsible for nanoporation is unknown although several theories exist. Current theories focus exclusively on the electrical field, citing electrostriction, water dipole alignment and/or electrodeformation as the primary mechanisms for pore formation. Our group has shown that mechanical forces of substantial magnitude are also generated during nsEP exposures. We hypothesize that these mechanical forces may contribute to pore formation. In this paper, we report that alteration of the conductivity of the exposure solution also altered the level of mechanical forces generated during a nsEP exposure. By reducing the conductivity of the exposure solutions, we found that we could completely eliminate any pressure transients normally created by nsEP exposure. The data collected for this proceeding does not definitively show that the pressure transients previously identified contribute to nanoporation; however; it indicates that conductivity influences both survival and pressure transient formation.

The framing effect and skin conductance responses.

PubMed

Ring, Patrick

2015-01-01

Individuals often rely on simple heuristics when they face complex choice situations under uncertainty. Traditionally, it has been proposed that cognitive processes are the main driver to evaluate different choice options and to finally reach a decision. Growing evidence, however, highlights a strong interrelation between judgment and decision-making (JDM) on the one hand, and emotional processes on the other hand. This also seems to apply to judgmental heuristics, i.e., decision processes that are typically considered to be fast and intuitive. In this study, participants are exposed to different probabilities of receiving an unpleasant electric shock. Information about electric shock probabilities is either positively or negatively framed. Integrated skin conductance responses (ISCRs) while waiting for electric shock realization are used as an indicator for participants' emotional arousal. This measure is compared to objective probabilities. I find evidence for a relation between emotional body reactions measured by ISCRs and the framing effect. Under negative frames, participants show significantly higher ISCRs while waiting for an electric shock to be delivered than under positive frames. This result might contribute to a better understanding of the psychological processes underlying JDM. Further studies are necessary to reveal the causality underlying this finding, i.e., whether emotional processes influence JDM or vice versa.

Evaluation of Hepatoprotective Effect of Curcumin on Liver Cirrhosis Using a Combination of Biochemical Analysis and Magnetic Resonance-Based Electrical Conductivity Imaging

PubMed Central

Kyung, Eun Jung; Kim, Hyun Bum; Hwang, Eun Sang; Lee, Seok; Choi, Bup Kyung; Lim, Sang Moo; Kwon, Oh In

2018-01-01

In oriental medicine, curcumin is used to treat inflammatory diseases, and its anti-inflammatory effect has been reported in recent research. In this feasibility study, the hepatoprotective effect of curcumin was investigated using a rat liver cirrhosis model, which was induced with dimethylnitrosamine (DMN). Together with biochemical analysis, we used a magnetic resonance-based electrical conductivity imaging method to evaluate tissue conditions associated with a protective effect. The effects of curcumin treatment and lactulose treatment on liver cirrhosis were compared. Electrical conductivity images indicated that liver tissues damaged by DMN showed decreased conductivity compared with normal liver tissues. In contrast, cirrhotic liver tissues treated with curcumin or lactulose showed increased conductivity than tissues in the DMN-only group. Specifically, conductivity of cirrhotic liver after curcumin treatment was similar to that of normal liver tissues. Histological staining and immunohistochemical examination showed significant levels of attenuated fibrosis and decreased inflammatory response after both curcumin and lactulose treatments compared with damaged liver tissues by DMN. The conductivity imaging and biochemical examination results indicate that curcumin's anti-inflammatory effect can prevent the progression of irreversible liver dysfunction. PMID:29887757

Spectrophotometric and electrical properties of imperatorin: an organic molecule

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mir, Feroz A.

2015-09-01

Imperatorin (molecular formula = C16H14O4, molecular mass = 270) an organic molecule was isolated from ethyl acetate extract of the root parts of the plant Prangos pabularia. The optical study was carried out by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and this compound showed an indirect allowed transition. The optical band gap ( E g ) was found around 3.75 eV. Photoluminescence shows various good emission bands. The frequency-dependent real part of the complex ac conductivity was found to follow the universal dielectric response: σ ac ( ω) α ω s [where σ ac ( ω) is the frequency-dependent total conductivity, ω is the frequency, and s is the frequency exponent]. From ac conductivity data analysis, correlated barrier hopping charge-transport mechanism is the dominant electrical transport process shown by this compound. The good emission, less absorption, wide band gap and good electrical properties shown by this compound project them as a bright choice for organic electronic devices.

Conduction in In 2O 3/YSZ heterostructures: Complex interplay between electrons and ions, mediated by interfaces

DOE PAGES

Veal, B. W.; Eastman, J. A.

2017-03-01

Thin film In 2O 3/YSZ heterostructures exhibit significant increases in electrical conductance with time when small in-plane electric fields are applied. Contact resistances between the current electrodes and film, and between current electrodes and substrate are responsible for the behavior. With an in-plane electric field, different field profiles are established in the two materials, with the result that oxygen ions can be driven across the heterointerface, altering the doping of the n-type In 2O 3. Furthermore, a low frequency inductive feature observed in AC impedance spectroscopy measurements under DC bias conditions was found to be due to frequency-dependent changes inmore » the contact resistance.« less

Chemical sensors

DOEpatents

Lowell, J.R. Jr.; Edlund, D.J.; Friesen, D.T.; Rayfield, G.W.

1992-06-09

Sensors responsive to small changes in the concentration of chemical species are disclosed, comprising a mechanicochemically responsive polymeric film capable of expansion or contraction in response to a change in its chemical environment, either operatively coupled to a transducer capable of directly converting the expansion or contraction to a measurable electrical or optical response, or adhered to a second inert polymeric strip, or doped with a conductive material. 12 figs.

PRESSURE SENSING DEVICE

DOEpatents

Pope, K.E.

1959-12-15

This device is primarily useful as a switch which is selectively operable to actuate in response to either absolute or differential predetermined pressures. The device generally comprises a pressure-tight housing divided by a movable impermeable diaphragm into two chambers, a reference pressure chamber and a bulb chamber containing the switching means and otherwise filled with an incompressible non-conducting fluid. The switch means comprises a normally collapsed bulb having an electrically conductive outer surface and a vent tube leading to the housing exterior. The normally collapsed bulb is disposed such that upon its inflation, respensive to air inflow from the vent, two contacts fixed within the bulb chamber are adapted to be electrically shorted by the conducting outer surface of the bulb.

Superconductivity in the graphene monolayer calculated using the Kubo formulalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lima, L. S.

2018-03-01

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

Water-Enabled Healing of Conducting Polymer Films.

PubMed

Zhang, Shiming; Cicoira, Fabio

2017-10-01

The conducting polymer polyethylenedioxythiophene doped with polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) has become one of the most successful organic conductive materials due to its high air stability, high electrical conductivity, and biocompatibility. In recent years, a great deal of attention has been paid to its fundamental physicochemical properties, but its healability has not been explored in depth. This communication reports the first observation of mechanical and electrical healability of PEDOT:PSS thin films. Upon reaching a certain thickness (about 1 µm), PEDOT:PSS thin films damaged with a sharp blade can be electrically healed by simply wetting the damaged area with water. The process is rapid, with a response time on the order of 150 ms. Significantly, after being wetted the films are transformed into autonomic self-healing materials without the need of external stimulation. This work reveals a new property of PEDOT:PSS and enables its immediate use in flexible and biocompatible electronics, such as electronic skin and bioimplanted electronics, placing conducting polymers on the front line for healing applications in electronics. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

AC Electric Field Activated Shape Memory Polymer Composite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kang, Jin Ho; Siochi, Emilie J.; Penner, Ronald K.; Turner, Travis L.

2011-01-01

Shape memory materials have drawn interest for applications like intelligent medical devices, deployable space structures and morphing structures. Compared to other shape memory materials like shape memory alloys (SMAs) or shape memory ceramics (SMCs), shape memory polymers (SMPs) have high elastic deformation that is amenable to tailored of mechanical properties, have lower density, and are easily processed. However, SMPs have low recovery stress and long response times. A new shape memory thermosetting polymer nanocomposite (LaRC-SMPC) was synthesized with conductive fillers to enhance its thermo-mechanical characteristics. A new composition of shape memory thermosetting polymer nanocomposite (LaRC-SMPC) was synthesized with conductive functionalized graphene sheets (FGS) to enhance its thermo-mechanical characteristics. The elastic modulus of LaRC-SMPC is approximately 2.7 GPa at room temperature and 4.3 MPa above its glass transition temperature. Conductive FGSs-doped LaRC-SMPC exhibited higher conductivity compared to pristine LaRC SMP. Applying an electric field at between 0.1 Hz and 1 kHz induced faster heating to activate the LaRC-SMPC s shape memory effect relative to applying DC electric field or AC electric field at frequencies exceeding1 kHz.

Conductive Paper with Antibody-Like Film for Electrical Readings of Biomolecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tavares, Ana P. M.; Ferreira, Nádia S.; Truta, Liliana A. A. N. A.; Sales, M. Goreti F.

2016-05-01

This work reports a novel way of producing an inexpensive substrate support to assemble a sensing film, designed for the electrical transduction of an intended biomolecule. The support uses cellulose paper as substrate, made hydrophobic with solid wax and covered by a home-made conductive ink having graphite as core material. The hydrophobicity of the paper was confirmed by contact angle measurements and the conductive ink composition was optimized with regard to its adhesion, conductivity, and thermal stability. This support was further modified targeting its application in quantitative analysis. Carnitine (CRT) was selected as target compound, a cancer biomarker. The recognition material consisted of an antibody-like receptor film for CRT, tailored on the support and prepared by electrically-sustained polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) or dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBS). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of the polymeric film on the support, and the performance of the devices was extensively evaluated with regard to linear response ranges, selectivity, applicability, and reusability. Overall, the paper-based sensors offer simplicity of fabrication, low cost and excellent reusability features. The design could also be extended to other applications in electrical-based approaches to be used in point-of-care (POC).

Electrical bistability in conductive hybrid composites of doped polyaniline nanofibers-gold nanoparticles capped with dodecane thiol.

PubMed

Borriello, A; Agoretti, P; Cassinese, A; D'Angelo, P; Mohanraj, G T; Sanguigno, L

2009-11-01

A novel electrical bistable hybrid nanocomposite based on doped Polyaniline nanofibers with 1-Dodecanethiol-protected Gold nanoparticle (PAni.AuDT), 3-4 nm in size, as the conductive component and polystyrene as polymer matrix was prepared. The structural morphology of the composite and the dispersion of nanoparticles inside it were evaluated using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The thermal stability and the ratio Polyaniline/Gold nanoparticles in the composite were determined by using thermogravimetric analysis. The electrical bistability of the PAni.AuDT-PS composite, the influence of the dispersion of the PAni.AuDT conductive network and the basic operation mechanism, have been assessed by measuring the electrical response of planar device architectures, also as a function of the environmental temperature (in the range 200 K < T < 360 K). The basic operation mechanism of the hybrid compound has been then correlated to the combined action of the thermally-induced scattering of charge carriers and the thermal contraction of the hosting polymeric matrix. Moreover, the right compromise between these two effects in terms of the most efficient bistability has been studied, founding the concentration of the conductive component which optimizes the device on-off ratio (I(on)/ I(off)).

Electrical conductivity modeling and experimental study of densely packed SWCNT networks.

PubMed

Jack, D A; Yeh, C-S; Liang, Z; Li, S; Park, J G; Fielding, J C

2010-05-14

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) networks have become a subject of interest due to their ability to support structural, thermal and electrical loadings, but to date their application has been hindered due, in large part, to the inability to model macroscopic responses in an industrial product with any reasonable confidence. This paper seeks to address the relationship between macroscale electrical conductivity and the nanostructure of a dense network composed of SWCNTs and presents a uniquely formulated physics-based computational model for electrical conductivity predictions. The proposed model incorporates physics-based stochastic parameters for the individual nanotubes to construct the nanostructure such as: an experimentally obtained orientation distribution function, experimentally derived length and diameter distributions, and assumed distributions of chirality and registry of individual CNTs. Case studies are presented to investigate the relationship between macroscale conductivity and nanostructured variations in the bulk stochastic length, diameter and orientation distributions. Simulation results correspond nicely with those available in the literature for case studies of conductivity versus length and conductivity versus diameter. In addition, predictions for the increasing anisotropy of the bulk conductivity as a function of the tube orientation distribution are in reasonable agreement with our experimental results. Examples are presented to demonstrate the importance of incorporating various stochastic characteristics in bulk conductivity predictions. Finally, a design consideration for industrial applications is discussed based on localized network power emission considerations and may lend insight to the design engineer to better predict network failure under high current loading applications.

Development of electroactive polymer nanocomposites with porous structured materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopes, Ana Catarina Teixeira Castro

Electroactive polymer composites are interesting materials for advance technological applications due to the possibility to combine the electroactive properties of the polymer matrix with a large variety of fillers that allow tailored responses for specific applications. The best all-around electroactive polymers are poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and its copolymers which allied with the properties of porous zeolite materials, with tailored shape, size and Si/Al ratio, among others, leads to the possibility of development of promising PVDF/zeolite composites. In this way, a study of the structural, thermal and electrical properties of PVDF composites prepared with different framework zeolite types (LTL, LTA, FAU and MFI), different polymer solvents (DMF, DMSO, TEP) and different zeolite (NaY) concentrations (4, 16, 24 and 32 wt %) was performed. Further, the dielectric response, electrical conductivity and electric modulus of the composites were investigated as a function of NaYzeolite content. The zeolite influence on the electroactive gamma-phase crystallization of PVDF was explored, as well as the effect of clay layered structure (Montmorillonite, Kaolinite and Laponite) on the electroactive gamma-phase nucleation and on the optical transparency of the composite. It was found that the obtained composites showed an electrical response dependence on the pore structure and chemical content of the inorganic host. The dielectric response of the composites is directly related to the Si/Al ratio, leading zeolites with lower Si/Al ratios to larger dielectric responses and encapsulation efficiencies in the composites. It was also found that the zeolite content strongly influences the macroscopic response of dielectric response, which increases for increasing filler content. The dielectric constant at room temperature reaches values larger than 1000 for the 32 wt.% composite at 1 kHz what is mainly attributed to restricted ion mobility and interfacial polarization effects due to the zeolite inclusion, leading also to high dielectric losses. For the higher zeolite concentrations the composite d.c. electrical conductivity is characterized by two conducting regimes separated by a concentration independent breaking voltage of 4 V, which is associated to an intrazeolite charge transport. Dielectric relaxation studies show that the main relaxation process (?-relaxation) of the amorphous phase of the polymer matrix is not affected by the presence of the zeolite and, in a similar way, the zeolite low temperature relaxation is not significantly affected by the polymer phase. On the other hand, the electric modulus formalism reveals significant contributions of the fillers to the electrical permittivity and conductivity of the composites. The presence of the zeolite particles increases a.c. conductivity and the Maxwell-Wagner-Sillars contribution that is predominant at low frequencies with respect to the ohmic contribution to permittivity. The ability of zeolites to induce the eletroactive gamma-phase nucleation of PVDF is directly dependent on the Si/Al ratio and zeolite content; however it only occurs when the composite is melted at temperatures below 200 ºC. The complete ?-phase crystallization of the polymer crystalline phase occurs for a filler content of 16 wt% of LTA or FAU zeolite structure. The even higher surface interaction of clays when exfoliated leads to the same phenomenon with an amount of 0.50 % of Montmorillonite clay content. The electroactivity of the material has been proven by measuring the piezoelectric d33 response of the material, which presents a value of -7 pC/N, lower than for beta-PVDF obtained by mechanical stretching but still among the largest coefficients obtained for polymers. Further, the optical transmittance in the visible range is strongly enhanced with respect to the transmittance of the pure polymer. The development, characterization and physical-chemical understanding of these PVDF/zeolite and PVDF/clay composites resulted in suitable materials for applications in diverse areas including battery separator membranes and biomedical applications.

Thermal and ac electrical properties of N-methylanthranilic acid below room temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdel-Kader, M. M.; Basha, M. A. F.; Ramzy, G. H.; Aboud, A. I.

2018-06-01

In this study, we investigated the thermal and alternating current (ac) electrical properties of N-methylanthranilic acid. Based on data obtained by differential scanning calorimetry, we detected two endothermic transitions at ≈ 213 K and ≈265.41 K. The weakening of hydrogen bonds as the temperature increased appeared to be the main cause of these phase transitions. We also recorded the melting point at about 475.5 K. Both the ac conductivity (σac) and complex dielectric constant (ε∗ = ε ' - jε ' ') were studied as functions of temperature over the frequency range from 1 kHz to 100 kHz. We observed significant variations in the thermal and electrical properties before and after the transition temperature at 265.41 K. The conduction mechanism responsible for the ac electrical properties before this transition was due to overlapping large polarons. These novel results are expected to have impacts on the application of organic semiconductors and dielectrics.

Evaluation of critical nuclear power plant electrical cable response to severe thermal fire conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Gabriel James

The failure of electrical cables exposed to severe thermal fire conditions are a safety concern for operating commercial nuclear power plants (NPPs). The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has promoted the use of risk-informed and performance-based methods for fire protection which resulted in a need to develop realistic methods to quantify the risk of fire to NPP safety. Recent electrical cable testing has been conducted to provide empirical data on the failure modes and likelihood of fire-induced damage. This thesis evaluated numerous aspects of the data. Circuit characteristics affecting fire-induced electrical cable failure modes have been evaluated. In addition, thermal failure temperatures corresponding to cable functional failures have been evaluated to develop realistic single point thermal failure thresholds and probability distributions for specific cable insulation types. Finally, the data was used to evaluate the prediction capabilities of a one-dimension conductive heat transfer model used to predict cable failure.

Dielectric relaxation and electrical conduction mechanism in A2HoSbO6 (A=Ba, Sr, Ca) Double Perovskite Ceramics: An impedance spectroscopic analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halder, Saswata; Dutta, Alo; Sinha, T. P.

2017-03-01

The AC electrical properties of polycrystalline double perovskite oxides A2HoSbO6 (A=Ba, Sr, Ca; AHS) synthesized by solid state reaction technique has been explored by using impedance spectroscopic studies. The Rietveld refinement of the room temperature X-ray diffraction data show that Ba2HoSbO6 (BHS) has cubic phase and Sr2HoSbO6 (SHS) and Ca2HoSbO6 (CHS) crystallize in monoclinic phase. The samples show significant frequency dispersion in their dielectric properties. The polydispersive nature of the relaxation mechanism is explained by the modified Cole-Cole model. The scaling behavior of dielectric loss indicate the temperature independence of the relaxation mechanism. The magnitude of the activation energy indicates that the hopping mechanism is responsible for carrier transport in AHS. The frequency dependent conductivity spectra follow the double power law. Impedance spectroscopic data presented in the Nyquist plot (Z" versus Z‧) are used to identify an equivalent circuit along with to know the grain, grain boundary and interface contributions. The constant phase element (CPE) is used to analyze the experimental response of BHS, SHS and CHS comprehending the contribution of different microstructural features to the conduction process. The temperature dependent electrical conductivity shows a semiconducting behavior.

Functional asymmetry and plasticity of electrical synapses interconnecting neurons through a 36-state model of gap junction channel gating

PubMed Central

Kraujalis, Tadas; Maciunas, Kestutis

2017-01-01

We combined the Hodgkin–Huxley equations and a 36-state model of gap junction channel gating to simulate electrical signal transfer through electrical synapses. Differently from most previous studies, our model can account for dynamic modulation of junctional conductance during the spread of electrical signal between coupled neurons. The model of electrical synapse is based on electrical properties of the gap junction channel encompassing two fast and two slow gates triggered by the transjunctional voltage. We quantified the influence of a difference in input resistances of electrically coupled neurons and instantaneous conductance–voltage rectification of gap junctions on an asymmetry of cell-to-cell signaling. We demonstrated that such asymmetry strongly depends on junctional conductance and can lead to the unidirectional transfer of action potentials. The simulation results also revealed that voltage spikes, which develop between neighboring cells during the spread of action potentials, can induce a rapid decay of junctional conductance, thus demonstrating spiking activity-dependent short-term plasticity of electrical synapses. This conclusion was supported by experimental data obtained in HeLa cells transfected with connexin45, which is among connexin isoforms expressed in neurons. Moreover, the model allowed us to replicate the kinetics of junctional conductance under different levels of intracellular concentration of free magnesium ([Mg2+]i), which was experimentally recorded in cells expressing connexin36, a major neuronal connexin. We demonstrated that such [Mg2+]i-dependent long-term plasticity of the electrical synapse can be adequately reproduced through the changes of slow gate parameters of the 36-state model. This suggests that some types of chemical modulation of gap junctions can be executed through the underlying mechanisms of voltage gating. Overall, the developed model accounts for direction-dependent asymmetry, as well as for short- and long-term plasticity of electrical synapses. Our modeling results demonstrate that such complex behavior of the electrical synapse is important in shaping the response of coupled neurons. PMID:28384220

Numerical Simulation of Electrical Properties of Carbonate Reservoir Rocks Using µCT Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colgin, J.; Niu, Q.; Zhang, C.; Zhang, F.

2017-12-01

Digital rock physics involves the modern microscopic imaging of geomaterials, digitalization of the microstructure, and numerical simulation of physical properties of rocks. This physics-based approach can give important insight into understanding properties of reservoir rocks, and help reveal the link between intrinsic rock properties and macroscopic geophysical responses. The focus of this study is the simulation of the complex conductivity of carbonate reservoir rocks using reconstructed 3D rock structures from high-resolution X-ray micro computed tomography (µCT). Carbonate core samples with varying lithofacies and pore structures from the Cambro-Ordovician Arbuckle Group and the Upper Pennsylvanian Lansing-Kansas City Group in Kansas are used in this study. The wide variations in pore geometry and connectivity of these samples were imaged using µCT. A two-phase segmentation method was used to reconstruct a digital rock of solid particles and pores. We then calculate the effective electrical conductivity of the digital rock volume using a pore-scale numerical approach. The complex conductivity of geomaterials is influenced by the electrical properties and geometry of each phase, i.e., the solid and fluid phases. In addition, the electrical double layer that forms between the solid and fluid phases can also affect the effective conductivity of the material. In the numerical modeling, the influence of the electrical double layer is quantified by a complex surface conductance and converted to an apparent volumetric complex conductivity of either solid particles or pore fluid. The effective complex conductivity resulting from numerical simulations based on µCT images will be compared to results from laboratory experiments on equivalent rock samples. The imaging and digital segmentation method, assumptions in the numerical simulation, and trends as compared to laboratory results will be discussed. This study will help us understand how microscale physics affects macroscale electrical conductivity in porous media.

Conductive properties of methanogenic biofilms.

PubMed

Li, Cheng; Lesnik, Keaton Larson; Liu, Hong

2018-02-01

Extracellular electron transfer between syntrophic partners needs to be efficiently maintained in methanogenic environments. Direct extracellular electron transfer via electrical current is an alternative to indirect hydrogen transfer but requires construction of conductive extracellular structures. Conductive mechanisms and relationship between conductivity and the community composition in mixed-species methanogenic biofilms are not well understood. The present study investigated conductive behaviors of methanogenic biofilms and examined the correlation between biofilm conductivity and community composition between different anaerobic biofilms enriched from the same inoculum. Highest conductivity observed in methanogenic biofilms was 71.8±4.0μS/cm. Peak-manner response of conductivity upon changes over a range of electrochemical potentials suggests that electron transfer in methanogenic biofilms occurs through redox driven super-exchange. The strong correlation observed between biofilm conductivity and Geobacter spp. in the metabolically diverse anaerobic communities suggests that the efficiency of DEET may provide pressure for microbial communities to select for species that can produce electrical conduits. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measuring for enhancing high school students’ cooperative attitude and responsibilities in learning closed electrical circuits through STEM approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusnayati, H.; Masripah, I.; Suwarma, I. R.

2018-05-01

This study conducted by the finding of the lack of students’ cooperative attitude that gained 35.29% and the students’ responsibility 29.41%. It also looks at the preliminary study that conducted by the observation group obtained the students’ cooperative attitude (34%) and student’s responsibility (30%). The purpose of this study to determine students’ cooperative attitude and responsibility at the time of learning a closed electrical circuit through STEM approach. This research method is the descriptive study with the pre-experimental design and the paradigm of one shot case study. The population of this study is the tenth-grade high school students with a sample size of 40 students that consist of 24 female and 16 male. The data collection techniques that utilized is the attitude rubric and the attitude measurement format. The result of this study showed that the percentage of students’ cooperative attitude in the first and second meeting is 83% and 81% with very high criteria. Meanwhile, the attitude of responsibility answerable for the first and second meeting was 81% and 79% with very high and high criteria. This indicates that the STEM approach can improve students’ cooperative attitude and responsibility.

Enhancement of methane gas sensing characteristics of graphene oxide sensor by heat treatment and laser irradiation.

PubMed

Assar, Mohammadreza; Karimzadeh, Rouhollah

2016-12-01

The present study uses a rapid, easy and practical method for cost-effective fabrication of a methane gas sensor. The sensor was made by drop-casting a graphene oxide suspension onto an interdigital circuit surface. The electrical conductivity and gas-sensing characteristics of the sensor were determined and then heat treatment and in situ laser irradiation were applied to improve the device conductivity and gas sensitivity. Real-time monitoring of the evolution of the device current as a function of heat treatment time revealed significant changes in the conductance of the graphene oxide sensor. The use of low power laser irradiation enhanced both the electrical conductivity and sensing response of the graphene oxide sensor. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Stacking fault induced tunnel barrier in platelet graphite nanofiber

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

Lan, Yann-Wen, E-mail: chiidong@phys.sinica.edu.tw, E-mail: ywlan@phys.sinica.edu.tw; Chang, Yuan-Chih; Chang, Chia-Seng

A correlation study using image inspection and electrical characterization of platelet graphite nanofiber devices is conducted. Close transmission electron microscopy and diffraction pattern inspection reveal layers with inflection angles appearing in otherwise perfectly stacked graphene platelets, separating nanofibers into two domains. Electrical measurement gives a stability diagram consisting of alternating small-large Coulomb blockade diamonds, suggesting that there are two charging islands coupled together through a tunnel junction. Based on these two findings, we propose that a stacking fault can behave as a tunnel barrier for conducting electrons and is responsible for the observed double-island single electron transistor characteristics.

Current characteristics of λ-DNA molecules/polystyrene nanoparticles in TBE buffer solution through micro/nanofluidic capillaries under DC electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Yifei; Zhao, Wei; Xue, Jing; Sun, Dan; Wang, Kaige; Wang, Guiren; Li, Junjie; Bai, Jintao; Gu, Changzhi

2017-03-01

In practical applications of biochips and bio-sensors, electrokinetic mechanisms are commonly employed to manipulate single bio-molecules and analyze their characteristics. To accurately and flexibly control the movement of single-molecule within micro/nanofluidic channels which are the basic components of Lab-chips, the current signals in micro/nanocapillaries filled with solutions of DNA molecules or polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles are systematically studied. Experimental results indicate that the current response along the micro/nanocapillaries can be significantly influenced by the diameter of the capillaries and the pH value of the solutions. Specifically, when there is only a pure (TBE) solution, the electric conductance does not monotonically decrease with decreasing the diameter of the capillaries, but slightly increases with decreasing the capillary diameter. When λ-DNA molecules or PS nanoparticles are added into the TBE buffer, the size effect on the electric conductance of the solutions are quite different. Although in the former, the electric conductance behaves differently from that in the pure TBE solution and decreases with the decreasing diameter, in the latter, the change is similar to that in the pure TBE solution. Besides, an abnormal ‘falling’ of the electric conductance is observed in a capillary with diameter of 200 nm. The investigation will significantly enhance the understanding on the electric properties of the solutions of biomolecules and particles in micro/nanofluidics. This is especially helpful for designing functional Lab-chip devices.

Synergistic effect of topography, surface chemistry and conductivity of the electrospun nanofibrous scaffold on cellular response of PC12 cells.

PubMed

Tian, Lingling; Prabhakaran, Molamma P; Hu, Jue; Chen, Menglin; Besenbacher, Flemming; Ramakrishna, Seeram

2016-09-01

Electrospun nanofibrous nerve implants is a promising therapy for peripheral nerve injury, and its performance can be tailored by chemical cues, topographical features as well as electrical properties. In this paper, a surface modified, electrically conductive, aligned nanofibrous scaffold composed of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and polypyrrole (Ppy), referred to as o-PLAPpy_A, was fabricated for nerve regeneration. The morphology, surface chemistry and hydrophilicity of nanofibers were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle, respectively. The effects of these nanofibers on neuronal differentiation using PC12 cells were evaluated. A hydrophilic surface was created by Poly-ornithine coating, which was able to provide a better environment for cell attachment, and furthermore aligned fibers were proved to be able to guide PC12 cells grow along the fiber direction and be beneficial for neurite outgrowth. The cellular response of PC12 cells to pulsed electrical stimulation was evaluated by NF 200 and alpha tubulin expression, indicating that electrical stimulation with a voltage of 40mV could enhance the neurite outgrowth. The PC12 cells stimulated with electrical shock showed greater level of neurite outgrowth and smaller cell body size. Moreover, the PC12 cells under electrical stimulation showed better viability. In summary, the o-PLAPpy_A nanofibrous scaffold supported the attachment, proliferation and differentiation of PC12 cells in the absence of electrical stimulation, which could be potential candidate for nerve regeneration applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationship between anisotropies of permeability, electrical conductivity, and dielectric permittivity, with application to the Ellenburger dolomite reservoir analog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutemi, Titilope F.

The steady-state flow technique was employed to measure the flow rate of clean dry air through thirty core plugs (approximately 1" diameter) of the Ellenburger dolomite, drilled normal and parallel to the dominant fractures. Porosity was estimated by the method of imbibition. Electrical parameters (electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity) were calculated from electrical resistance and capacitance measured as a function of frequency (100 Hz, 120 Hz, 1 KHz, and 10 KHz) and saturation (dry/ambient and brine saturated conditions). Another set of permeability data obtained by the method of pressure decay on similar samples was used for correlation. Anisotropies of permeability and electromagnetic parameters were established. Empirical relations between porosity (phi), permeability (k), electrical conductivity (sigma), and dielectric permittivity (epsilon) were defined via cross-plots and linear regressions. Prediction of k from sigma and epsilon was attempted; k from sigma was modeled from a combination of the Archie's relation and the Carman-Kozeny relation. Anisotropic EM responses are sensitive to saturation. Anisotropies of conductivity and permeability were observed to be controlled by the pore micro-structure. Although the rock is fractured, the fracture density appears insufficient to dominate the effects of primary structures in these samples of the Ellenburger dolomite. Model-based prediction of permeability from conductivity is generally unreliable, and is attributed to the underlying assumptions of the models, which are not consistent with the properties of the samples used for this study. Permeability was not predictable from dielectric permittivity.

Influence of a surface film on the particles on the electrorheological response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, C. W.; Conrad, H.

1997-01-01

A conduction model is developed for the dc electrorheological (ER) response of highly conducting particles (e.g., metal particles) suspended in a weakly conducting oil. The numerical analyses show that a surface film with some conductivity is desired, but not a completely insulating film as previously proposed. Increasing the film conductivity leads to an increase in the ER yield stress. However, too high a conductivity will give an unacceptable level of current density. The film should also have an intermediate thickness. A small thickness increases the possibility of electrical breakdown in the film; too large a thickness decreases the ER effect. Good agreement exists between the yield stress and the current density predicted by our model and those measured.

Testing the effectiveness of deregulation in the electric utility industry: A market-based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Manfen

In this paper, I investigate one stated purpose of deregulation in the electric utility industry---to make utility operations more responsive to news releases, a proxy for market forces. My premise is that utilities providing electricity to highly deregulated states will be more responsive to market forces than those providing electricity to non-deregulated states. I employ intraday data from April to June 2001, the year after deregulation, and from 1994, the year before deregulation. I also employ the Brown-Forsythe-Modified Levene (BFL) test to determine the volatility differences between days with released news and days without released news. The results of BFL F tests for the year 2001 indicate that utilities headquartered in and serving states that have undergone substantial deregulation respond to news releases more strongly than those utilities headquartered in and serving states that are still regulated. The BFL F tests for utilities in 1994 confirm the premise that regulated utilities are less responsive to news releases. Finally, I conduct regression tests for utilities, the results of which support the findings from BFL tests---that all utilities serving highly deregulated states show pronounced responses to macroeconomic news releases. It appears that deregulation in the electric utility industry does, in fact, make utility operations more responsive to market forces and that deregulation is effective for states that implement a customer-choice model.

Electrical tuning of spin splitting in Bi-doped ZnO nanowires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aras, Mehmet; Kılıç, ćetin

2018-01-01

The effect of applying an external electric field on doping-induced spin-orbit splitting of the lowest conduction-band states in a bismuth-doped zinc oxide nanowire is studied by performing electronic structure calculations within the framework of density functional theory. It is demonstrated that spin splitting in Bi-doped ZnO nanowires could be tuned and enhanced electrically via control of the strength and direction of the applied electric field, thanks to the nonuniform and anisotropic response of the ZnO:Bi nanowire to external electric fields. The results reported here indicate that a single ZnO nanowire doped with a low concentration of Bi could function as a spintronic device, the operation of which is controlled by applied lateral electric fields.

Mitigation of Electrical Failure of Silver Nanowires under Current Flow and the Application for Long Lifetime Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

DOE PAGES

Chen, Dustin; Zhao, Fangchao; Tong, Kwing; ...

2016-07-08

Here, the extended lifetime of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on enhanced electrical stability of a silver nanowire (AgNW) transparent conductive electrode is reported. Specifically, in depth investigation is performed on the ability of atomic layer deposition deposited zinc oxide (ZnO) on AgNWs to render the nanowires electrically stable during electrical stressing at the range of operational current density used for OLED lighting. ZnO-coated AgNWs have been observed to show no electrical, optical, or morphological degradation, while pristine AgNW electrodes have become unusable for optoelectronic devices due to dramatic decreases in conductivity, transparency, and fragmentation of the nanowire network atmore » ≈150 mA cm -2. When fabricated into OLED substrates, resulting OLEDs fabricated on the ZnO-AgNW platform exhibit a 140% increase in lifetime when compared to OLEDs fabricated on indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass, and ≈20% when compared to OLEDs fabricated on AgNW based substrates. While both ZnO-coated and pristine AgNW substrates outperform ITO/glass due to the lower current densities required to drive the device, morphological stability in response to current stressing is responsible for the enhancement of lifetime of ZnO-AgNW based OLEDs compared to pristine AgNW based OLEDs.« less

Ripple gate drive circuit for fast operation of series connected IGBTs

DOEpatents

Rockot, Joseph H.; Murray, Thomas W.; Bass, Kevin C.

2005-09-20

A ripple gate drive circuit includes a plurality of transistors having their power terminals connected in series across an electrical potential. A plurality of control circuits, each associated with one of the transistors, is provided. Each control circuit is responsive to a control signal and an optical signal received from at least one other control circuit for controlling the conduction of electrical current through the power terminals of the associated transistor. The control circuits are responsive to a first state of the control circuit for causing each transistor in series to turn on sequentially and responsive to a second state of the control signal for causing each transistor in series to turn off sequentially.

A Mixed Multi-Field Finite Element Formulation for Thermopiezoelectric Composite Shells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Ho-Jun; Saravanos, Dimitris A.

1999-01-01

Analytical formulations are presented which account for the coupled mechanical, electrical, and thermal response of piezoelectric composite shell structures. A new mixed multi-field laminate theory is developed which combines "single layer" assumptions for the displacements along with layerwise fields for the electric potential and temperature. This laminate theory is formulated using curvilinear coordinates and is based on the principles of linear thermopiezoelectricity. The mechanics have the inherent capability to explicitly model both the active and sensory responses of piezoelectric composite shells in thermal environment. Finite element equations are derived and implemented for an eight-noded shell element. Numerical studies are conducted to investigate both the sensory and active responses of piezoelectric composite shell structures subjected to thermal loads. Results for a cantilevered plate with an attached piezoelectric layer are com- pared with corresponding results from a commercial finite element code and a previously developed program. Additional studies are conducted on a cylindrical shell with an attached piezoelectric layer to demonstrate capabilities to achieve thermal shape control on curved piezoelectric structures.

Temperature dependence of electrical properties of mixture of exogenous neurotransmitters dopamine and epinephrine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patki, Mugdha; Patil, Vidya

2016-05-01

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that support the communication between the neurons. In vitro study of exogenous neurotransmitters Dopamine and Epinephrine and their mixture, carried out to learn about their electrical properties being dielectric constant and conductivity amongst others. Dielectric constant and conductivity of the selected neurotransmitters are found to increase with temperature. As a result, the time constant of the system increases with temperature. This change leads to increase in the time taken by the synapse to transport the action potential. The correlation between physical properties of exogenous neurotransmitters and psychological and physiological behaviour of human being may be understood with the help of current study. The response time of Epinephrine is in microseconds whereas response time of Dopamine is in milliseconds. The response time for both the neurotransmitters and their mixture is found to be increasing with temperature indicating the symptoms such as depression, apathy, chronic fatigue and low physical energy with no desire to exercise the body, which are observed during the fever.

Decreased electrical excitability of peripheral nerves in demyelinating polyneuropathies.

PubMed Central

Meulstee, J; Darbas, A; van Doorn, P A; van Briemen, L; van der Meché, F G

1997-01-01

Not recognising the presence of decreased excitability may give rise to a seemingly low compound muscle action potential, which may lead erroneously to the conclusion of conduction block. To quantify decreased electrical excitability, stimulation-response curves and the current needed to achieve 90% of the maximal compound muscle action potential amplitude, i90, were obtained in 17 healthy controls, eight patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome, 14 with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, and 10 with hereditary motor sensory neuropathy type I. Decreased electrical excitability was found in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and hereditary motor sensory neuropathy type I, by contrast with patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Recognising decreased excitability prevents the false assertion of conduction block and has electrodiagnostic importance for the differential diagnosis of demyelinating polyneuropathies. PMID:9120460

Field-induced dielectric response saturation in $o$ -TaS 3

DOE PAGES

Ma, Yongchang; Lu, Cuimin; Wang, Xuewei; ...

2016-08-03

The temperature and electric field dependent conductivity spectra of o-TaS 3 sample with 10 μm 2 in cross section were measured. Besides the classical electric threshold E T₋Cl, we observed another novel threshold E T₋N at a larger electric field, where an S-shaped I-V relation revealed. The appearance of E T₋N may be due to the establishment of coherence among small charge-density- wave domains. Under a stable field E > E T-N, a sharp dispersion emerged below kHz. At a fixed temperature, the scattering rate of the charged condensate was extremely small and decreased with increasing field. With decreasing temperature,more » the scattering Fröhlic-mode conductivity would be consistent with the meta-stable state.« less

A Novel Low-Cost Instrumentation System for Measuring the Water Content and Apparent Electrical Conductivity of Soils.

PubMed

Rêgo Segundo, Alan Kardek; Martins, José Helvecio; Monteiro, Paulo Marcos de Barros; de Oliveira, Rubens Alves; Freitas, Gustavo Medeiros

2015-10-05

The scarcity of drinking water affects various regions of the planet. Although climate change is responsible for the water availability, humanity plays an important role in preserving this precious natural resource. In case of negligence, the likely trend is to increase the demand and the depletion of water resources due to the increasing world population. This paper addresses the development, design and construction of a low cost system for measuring soil volumetric water content (θ), electrical conductivity (σ) and temperature (T), in order to optimize the use of water, energy and fertilizer in food production. Different from the existing measurement instruments commonly deployed in these applications, the proposed system uses an auto-balancing bridge circuit as measurement method. The proposed models to estimate θ and σ and correct them in function of T are compared to the ones reported in literature. The final prototype corresponds to a simple circuit connected to a pair of electrode probes, and presents high accuracy, high signal to noise ratio, fast response, and immunity to stray capacitance. The instrument calibration is based on salt solutions with known dielectric constant and electrical conductivity as reference. Experiments measuring clay and sandy soils demonstrate the satisfactory performance of the instrument.

Thermospheric Response to Solar Wind Electric Field Fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perlongo, N. J.; Ridley, A. J.

2013-12-01

The electron density of the thermosphere is of paramount importance for radio communications and drag on low altitude satellites, particularly during geomagnetic storms. Transient enhancements of ion velocities and subsequent density and temperature increases frequently occur as a result of storm-driven solar wind electric field fluctuations. Since the Earth's dipole magnetic field is tilted and offset from the center of the planet, significant asymmetries arise that alter the thermospheric response to energy input based upon the time of day of the disturbance. This study utilizes the Global Ionosphere-Thermosphere Model (GITM) to investigate this phenomenon by enhancing the convective electric field for one hour of the day in 22 different simulations. An additional baseline run was conducted with no IMF perturbation. Furthermore, four configurations of Earth's magnetic field were considered, Internal Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF), a perfect dipole, a dipole tilted by 10 degrees, and a tilted and offset dipole. These runs were conducted at equinox when the amount of sunlight falling on the different hemispheres is the same. Two additional runs were conducted at the solstices for comparison. It was found that the most geo-effective times are when the poles are pointed towards the sun. The electron density, neutral density and temperature as well as the winds are explored.

Polypyrrol/chitosan hydrogel hybrid microfiber as sensing artificial muscle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ismail, Yahya A.; Martínez, Jose G.; Al Harrasi, Ahmad S.; Kim, Seon J.; Fernández Otero, Toribio F.

2011-04-01

An electrochemical actuator demands that it should act as a sensor of the working conditions for its efficient application in devices. Actuation and sensing characteristics of a biopolymer/conducting polymer hybrid microfiber artificial muscle fabricated through wet spinning of a chitosan solution followed by in situ chemical polymerization with pyrrol employing bis(triflouro methane sulfonyl) imide as dopant and ferric chloride as a catalyst is presented. The polypyrrol/chitosan hybrid microfiber was investigated by FTIR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrical conductivity measurement, cyclic voltammetric and chronopotentiometric methods. The electrochemical measurements related to the sensing abilities were performed as a function of applied current, concentration and temperature keeping two of the variables constant at a given time using NaCl as electrolyte. Cyclic voltammograms confirmed that the electro activity is imparted by polypyrrol (pPy). The fiber showed an electrical conductivity of 3.21x10-1 Scm-1and an average linear electrochemical actuation strain of 0.54%. The chronopotentiometric responses during the oxidation/reduction processes of the microfiber for the different anodic/cathodic currents and the linear fit observed for the consumed electrical energy during the reaction for various applied currents suggested that it can act as a sensor of applied current. The chronopotentiometric responses and the linear fit of consumed electrical energy at different temperatures suggested that the actuator can act as a temperature sensor. Similarly a semi logarithmic dependence of the consumed electrical energy with concentration of the electrolyte during reaction is suggestive of its applicability as a concentration sensor. The demand that an electrochemical actuator to be a sensor of the working conditions, for its efficient application in devices is thus verified in this material.

Water-level sensor and temperature-profile detector

DOEpatents

Not Available

1981-01-29

A temperature profile detector is described which comprises a surrounding length of metal tubing and an interior electrical conductor both constructed of high temperature high electrical resistance materials. A plurality of gas-filled expandable bellows made of electrically conductive material are positioned at spaced locations along a length of the conductors. The bellows are sealed and contain a predetermined volume of a gas designed to effect movement of the bellows from an open circuit condition to a closed circuit condition in response to monitored temperature changes sensed by each bellows.

A geophysical perspective on mantle water content and melting: Inverting electromagnetic sounding data using laboratory-based electrical conductivity profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, A.; Shankland, T. J.

2012-02-01

This paper applies electromagnetic sounding methods for Earth's mantle to constrain its thermal state, chemical composition, and "water" content. We consider long-period inductive response functions in the form of C-responses from four stations distributed across the Earth (Europe, North America, Asia and Australia) covering a period range from 3.9 to 95.2 days and sensitivity to ~ 1200 km depth. We invert C-responses directly for thermo-chemical state using a self-consistent thermodynamic method that computes phase equilibria as functions of pressure, temperature, and composition (in the Na2O-CaO-FeO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 model system). Computed mineral modes are combined with recent laboratory-based electrical conductivity models from independent experimental research groups (Yoshino (2010) and Karato (2011)) to compute bulk conductivity structure beneath each of the four stations from which C-responses are estimated. To reliably allocate water between the various mineral phases we include laboratory-measured water partition coefficients for major upper mantle and transition zone minerals. This scheme is interfaced with a sampling-based algorithm to solve the resulting non-linear inverse problem. This approach has two advantages: (1) It anchors temperatures, composition, electrical conductivities, and discontinuities that are in laboratory-based forward models, and (2) At the same time it permits the use of geophysical inverse methods to optimize conductivity profiles to match geophysical data. The results show lateral variations in upper mantle temperatures beneath the four stations that appear to persist throughout the upper mantle and parts of the transition zone. Calculated mantle temperatures at 410 and 660 km depth lie in the range 1250-1650 °C and 1500-1750 °C, respectively, and generally agree with the experimentally-determined temperatures at which the measured phase reactions olivine → β-spinel and γ-spinel → ferropericlase + perovskite occur. The retrieved conductivity structures beneath the various stations tend to follow trends observed for temperature with the strongest lateral variations in the uppermost mantle; for depths > 300 km conductivities appear to depend less on the particular conductivity database. Conductivities at 410 km and at 660 km depth are found to agree overall with purely geophysically-derived global and semi-global one-dimensional conductivity models. Both electrical conductivity databases point to < 0.01 wt.% H2O in the upper mantle. For transition zone minerals results from the laboratory database of Yoshino (2010) suggest that a much higher water content (up to 2 wt.% H2O) is required than in the other database (Karato, 2011), which favors a relatively "dry" transition zone (< 0.01 wt.% H2O). Incorporating laboratory measurements of hydrous silicate melting relations and available conductivity data allows us to consider the possibility of hydration melting and a high-conductivity melt layer above the 410-km discontinuity. The latter appears to be 1) regionally localized and 2) principally a feature from the Yoshino (2010) database. Further, there is evidence of lateral heterogeneity: The mantle beneath southwestern North America and central China appears "wetter" than that beneath central Europe or Australia.

Electrical Conductivity of Charged Particle Systems and Zubarev's Nonequilibrium Statistical Operator Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Röpke, G.

2018-01-01

One of the fundamental problems in physics that are not yet rigorously solved is the statistical mechanics of nonequilibrium processes. An important contribution to describing irreversible behavior starting from reversible Hamiltonian dynamics was given by D. N. Zubarev, who invented the method of the nonequilibrium statistical operator. We discuss this approach, in particular, the extended von Neumann equation, and as an example consider the electrical conductivity of a system of charged particles. We consider the selection of the set of relevant observables. We show the relation between kinetic theory and linear response theory. Using thermodynamic Green's functions, we present a systematic treatment of correlation functions, but the convergence needs investigation. We compare different expressions for the conductivity and list open questions.

Electric and magnetic field modulated energy dispersion, conductivity and optical response in double quantum wire with spin-orbit interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karaaslan, Y.; Gisi, B.; Sakiroglu, S.; Kasapoglu, E.; Sari, H.; Sokmen, I.

2018-02-01

We study the influence of electric field on the electronic energy band structure, zero-temperature ballistic conductivity and optical properties of double quantum wire. System described by double-well anharmonic confinement potential is exposed to a perpendicular magnetic field and Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions. Numerical results show up that the combined effects of internal and external agents cause the formation of crossing, anticrossing, camel-back/anomaly structures and the lateral, downward/upward shifts in the energy dispersion. The anomalies in the energy subbands give rise to the oscillation patterns in the ballistic conductance, and the energy shifts bring about the shift in the peak positions of optical absorption coefficients and refractive index changes.

DC conductivity with external magnetic field in hyperscaling violating geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatnagar, Neha; Siwach, Sanjay

2018-02-01

We investigate the holographic DC conductivity of (2+1)-dimensional systems while considering hyperscaling violating geometry in bulk. We consider Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton system with two gauge fields and Liouville-type potential for dilaton. We also consider axionic fields in bulk to introduce momentum relaxation in the system. We apply an external magnetic field to study the response of the system and obtain analytic expressions for DC conductivity, Hall angle and (thermo)electric conductivity.

Geophysical Monitoring of Coupled Microbial and Geochemical Processes During Stimulated Subsurface Bioremediation

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

Williams, Kenneth H.; Kemna, Andreas; Wilkins, Michael J.

2009-08-05

Understanding how microorganisms alter their physical and chemical environment during bioremediation is hindered by our inability to resolve subsurface microbial activity with high spatial resolution. Here we demonstrate the use of a minimally invasive geophysical technique to monitor stimulated microbial activity during acetate amendment in an aquifer near Rifle, Colorado. During electrical induced polarization (IP) measurements, spatiotemporal variations in the phase response between imposed electric current and the resultant electric field correlated with changes in groundwater geochemistry accompanying stimulated iron and sulfate reduction and sulfide mineral precipitation. The magnitude of the phase response varied with measurement frequency (0.125 and 1more » Hz) andwasdependent upon the dominant metabolic process. The spectral effect was corroborated using a biostimulated column experiment containing Rifle sediments and groundwater. Fluids and sediments recovered from regions exhibiting an anomalous phase response were enriched in Fe(II), dissolved sulfide, and cell-associated FeS nanoparticles. The accumulation of mineral precipitates and electroactive ions altered the ability of pore fluids to conduct electrical charge, accounting for the anomalous IP response and revealing the usefulness of multifrequency IP measurements for monitoring mineralogical and geochemical changes accompanying stimulated subsurface bioremediation.« less

77 FR 75674 - Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2, PPL Susquehanna, LLC, Exemption

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-21

... ensure that the licensee's emergency response organization (ERO) personnel are familiar with their duties... licensees to conduct a biennial EP exercise is to ensure that ERO personnel are familiar with their duties... by each offsite authority having a role under the plan. Since the licensee has: (1) Conducted seven...

Mechanical sensibility of nociceptive and non-nociceptive fast-conducting afferents is modulated by skin temperature

PubMed Central

Eisenach, James C.; Ririe, Douglas G.

2015-01-01

The ability to distinguish mechanical from thermal input is a critical component of peripheral somatosensory function. Polymodal C fibers respond to both stimuli. However, mechanosensitive, modality-specific fast-conducting tactile and nociceptor afferents theoretically carry information only about mechanical forces independent of the thermal environment. We hypothesize that the thermal environment can nonetheless modulate mechanical force sensibility in fibers that do not respond directly to change in temperature. To study this, fast-conducting mechanosensitive peripheral sensory fibers in male Sprague-Dawley rats were accessed at the soma in the dorsal root ganglia from T11 or L4/L5. Neuronal identification was performed using receptive field characteristics and passive and active electrical properties. Neurons responded to mechanical stimuli but failed to generate action potentials in response to changes in temperature alone, except for the tactile mechanical and cold sensitive neurons. Heat and cold ramps were utilized to determine temperature-induced modulation of response to mechanical stimuli. Mechanically evoked electrical activity in non-nociceptive, low-threshold mechanoreceptors (tactile afferents) decreased in response to changes in temperature while mechanically induced activity was increased in nociceptive, fast-conducting, high-threshold mechanoreceptors in response to the same changes in temperature. These data suggest that mechanical activation does not occur in isolation but rather that temperature changes appear to alter mechanical afferent activity and input to the central nervous system in a dynamic fashion. Further studies to understand the psychophysiological implications of thermal modulation of fast-conducting mechanical input to the spinal cord will provide greater insight into the implications of these findings. PMID:26581873

Lewis Research Center space station electric power system test facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birchenough, Arthur G.; Martin, Donald F.

1988-01-01

NASA Lewis Research Center facilities were developed to support testing of the Space Station Electric Power System. The capabilities and plans for these facilities are described. The three facilities which are required in the Phase C/D testing, the Power Systems Facility, the Space Power Facility, and the EPS Simulation Lab, are described in detail. The responsibilities of NASA Lewis and outside groups in conducting tests are also discussed.

Passive safety device and internal short tested method for energy storage cells and systems

DOEpatents

Keyser, Matthew; Darcy, Eric; Long, Dirk; Pesaran, Ahmad

2015-09-22

A passive safety device for an energy storage cell for positioning between two electrically conductive layers of the energy storage cell. The safety device also comprising a separator and a non-conductive layer. A first electrically conductive material is provided on the non-conductive layer. A first opening is formed through the separator between the first electrically conductive material and one of the electrically conductive layers of the energy storage device. A second electrically conductive material is provided adjacent the first electrically conductive material on the non-conductive layer, wherein a space is formed on the non-conductive layer between the first and second electrically conductive materials. A second opening is formed through the non-conductive layer between the second electrically conductive material and another of the electrically conductive layers of the energy storage device. The first and second electrically conductive materials combine and exit at least partially through the first and second openings to connect the two electrically conductive layers of the energy storage device at a predetermined temperature.

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

Chen, Dustin; Zhao, Fangchao; Tong, Kwing

Here, the extended lifetime of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on enhanced electrical stability of a silver nanowire (AgNW) transparent conductive electrode is reported. Specifically, in depth investigation is performed on the ability of atomic layer deposition deposited zinc oxide (ZnO) on AgNWs to render the nanowires electrically stable during electrical stressing at the range of operational current density used for OLED lighting. ZnO-coated AgNWs have been observed to show no electrical, optical, or morphological degradation, while pristine AgNW electrodes have become unusable for optoelectronic devices due to dramatic decreases in conductivity, transparency, and fragmentation of the nanowire network atmore » ≈150 mA cm -2. When fabricated into OLED substrates, resulting OLEDs fabricated on the ZnO-AgNW platform exhibit a 140% increase in lifetime when compared to OLEDs fabricated on indium tin oxide (ITO)/glass, and ≈20% when compared to OLEDs fabricated on AgNW based substrates. While both ZnO-coated and pristine AgNW substrates outperform ITO/glass due to the lower current densities required to drive the device, morphological stability in response to current stressing is responsible for the enhancement of lifetime of ZnO-AgNW based OLEDs compared to pristine AgNW based OLEDs.« less

The framing effect and skin conductance responses

PubMed Central

Ring, Patrick

2015-01-01

Individuals often rely on simple heuristics when they face complex choice situations under uncertainty. Traditionally, it has been proposed that cognitive processes are the main driver to evaluate different choice options and to finally reach a decision. Growing evidence, however, highlights a strong interrelation between judgment and decision-making (JDM) on the one hand, and emotional processes on the other hand. This also seems to apply to judgmental heuristics, i.e., decision processes that are typically considered to be fast and intuitive. In this study, participants are exposed to different probabilities of receiving an unpleasant electric shock. Information about electric shock probabilities is either positively or negatively framed. Integrated skin conductance responses (ISCRs) while waiting for electric shock realization are used as an indicator for participants' emotional arousal. This measure is compared to objective probabilities. I find evidence for a relation between emotional body reactions measured by ISCRs and the framing effect. Under negative frames, participants show significantly higher ISCRs while waiting for an electric shock to be delivered than under positive frames. This result might contribute to a better understanding of the psychological processes underlying JDM. Further studies are necessary to reveal the causality underlying this finding, i.e., whether emotional processes influence JDM or vice versa. PMID:26300747

Electrical Characteristics of MnO2 Doped Bismuth Borate Glass Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nissar, Umair; Ahmad, Javed; Rana, Anwar Manzoor; Bukhari, S. H.; Jamil, M. T.; Khan, J. Alam; Shakeel, R.; Nadeem, M. Y.

2018-02-01

Transparent glasses have a large number of applications in the industry of electronics as well as optical devices. xMnO2-(25- x) Bi2O3-75H3BO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1.5 mol.%) transparent glasses have been prepared via melt-quench technique and characterized using dc electrical measurements, and by analyzing x-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. These characteristics were examined to understand the role of modifier oxides, i.e., Bi2O3 and MnO2 in the B2O3 glass network. Adding MnO2 into a glass network causes structural changes, which are responsible for any variations in electrical characteristics of bismuth borate glasses. Manganese bismuth borate glasses (MBBG) show Ohmic conduction at low fields; however, glasses with higher manganese content seem to conduct through bulk limited Poole-Frenkel mechanism. FTIR spectroscopy analyses depict the presence of BO3 and BO4 groups along with B-O-B and Bi-O-Bi bonding vibrations. Glasses with higher MnO2 content also show Mn-O bond vibrations. The reduction of BO4 groups and increase of BO3 units lead to the formation of non-bridging oxygens (NBOs) which are responsible for the variations in the electrical properties of these glasses.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-09-01

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

Electrical properties of polycrystalline olivine: evidence for grain boundary transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ten Grotenhuis, S. M.; Drury, M. R.; Peach, C. J.; Spiers, C. J.

2003-12-01

The physical and chemical properties of grain boundaries are known to play an important role in determining the electrical properties of polycrystalline oxides. Grain boundaries can either enhance conductivity if the transport of charge carriers along the grain boundaries is faster than through the lattice, or grain boundaries can reduce conductivity if the grain boundaries block the transport of charge carriers. The purpose of the experiments presented here is to deduce the mechanisms responsible for electrical conductivity in fine-grained forsterite, the Mg-end member of olivine, in order to get a better understanding of the contribution of grain boundary transport, of the properties of the grain boundaries, and to determine any relation between grain size and conductivity. A relationship between grain size and conductivity at high temperature could potentially be used to interpret zones of anomalous conductivity in the upper mantle. The materials studied consist of fine-grained forsterite (Mg2SiO4) with a minor amount (5%) of enstatite (MgSiO3) added. The electrical conductivity of three melt-free synthetic polycrystalline samples, with grain sizes between 1.1 and 4.7 mm, was measured at temperatures up to 1470° C. The complex impedance plots display one clear arc, indicating a single dominant conduction mechanism. Bulk conductivity is inversely proportional to the grain size of the different samples. This relation suggests that grain boundary diffusion of the charge carriers is controlling the electrical conductivity of the samples. The activation energy for diffusion of the charge carriers lies between 315 and 323 kJ/mol. This resembles previous data on grain boundary diffusion of Mg in forsterite and grain boundary diffusion creep. A geometrical model of less conducting cubic grains and more conducting grain boundaries agrees well with the experimental data. This model is applied to a natural mantle shear zone to predict the conductivity contrast between fine-grained shear zones and less deformed regions in the lithosphere. Upper mantle shear zones are predicted to have 1.5 to 2 orders of magnitude higher conductivity than less deformed regions in the lithosphere. This may mean that fine-grained shear zones can be detected using magnetotelluric methods.

An overview of a highly versatile forward and stable inverse algorithm for airborne, ground-based and borehole electromagnetic and electric data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auken, Esben; Christiansen, Anders Vest; Kirkegaard, Casper; Fiandaca, Gianluca; Schamper, Cyril; Behroozmand, Ahmad Ali; Binley, Andrew; Nielsen, Emil; Effersø, Flemming; Christensen, Niels Bøie; Sørensen, Kurt; Foged, Nikolaj; Vignoli, Giulio

2015-07-01

We present an overview of a mature, robust and general algorithm providing a single framework for the inversion of most electromagnetic and electrical data types and instrument geometries. The implementation mainly uses a 1D earth formulation for electromagnetics and magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) responses, while the geoelectric responses are both 1D and 2D and the sheet's response models a 3D conductive sheet in a conductive host with an overburden of varying thickness and resistivity. In all cases, the focus is placed on delivering full system forward modelling across all supported types of data. Our implementation is modular, meaning that the bulk of the algorithm is independent of data type, making it easy to add support for new types. Having implemented forward response routines and file I/O for a given data type provides access to a robust and general inversion engine. This engine includes support for mixed data types, arbitrary model parameter constraints, integration of prior information and calculation of both model parameter sensitivity analysis and depth of investigation. We present a review of our implementation and methodology and show four different examples illustrating the versatility of the algorithm. The first example is a laterally constrained joint inversion (LCI) of surface time domain induced polarisation (TDIP) data and borehole TDIP data. The second example shows a spatially constrained inversion (SCI) of airborne transient electromagnetic (AEM) data. The third example is an inversion and sensitivity analysis of MRS data, where the electrical structure is constrained with AEM data. The fourth example is an inversion of AEM data, where the model is described by a 3D sheet in a layered conductive host.

Origin of the Strain Sensitivity for an Organic Heptazole Thin-Film and Its Strain Gauge Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bae, Heesun; Jeon, Pyo Jin; Park, Ji Hoon; Lee, Kimoon

2018-04-01

The authors report on the origin of the strain sensitivity for an organic C26H16N2 (heptazole) thinfilm and its application for the detection of tensile strain. From the electrical characterization on the thin-film transistor adopting a heptazole channel, heptazole film exhibits p-channel conduction with a relatively low value of field-effect mobility (0.05 cm2/Vs), suggesting a hopping conduction behavior via hole carriers. By analyzing the strain and temperature dependences of the electrical conductivity, we reveal that the electrical conduction for a heptazole thin-film is dominated by the variable range hopping process with quite a large energy separation (224.9 meV) between the localized states under a relatively long attenuation length (10.46 Å). This indicates that a change in the inter-grain spacing that is much larger than the attenuation length is responsible for the reversible modification of electrical conductivity depending on strain for the heptazole film. By utilizing our heptazole thin-film both as a strain sensitive passive resistor and an active semiconducting channel layer, we can achieve a strain gauge device exhibiting reversible endurance for tensile strains up to 2.12%. Consequently, this study advances the understanding of the fundamental strain sensing mechanism in a heptazole thin-film toward finding a promise material with a strain gauge for applications as potential flexible devices and/or wearable electronics.

A Safe, Self-Calibrating, Wireless System for Measuring Volume of Any Fuel at Non-Horizontal Orientation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodward, Stanley E.; Taylor, Bryant D.

2010-01-01

A system for wirelessly measuring the volume of fluid in tanks at non-horizontal orientation is predicated upon two technologies developed at Langley Research Center. The first is a magnetic field response recorder that powers and interrogates magnetic field response sensors [ Magnetic Field Response Measurement Acquisition System, (LAR-16908), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 30, No. 6 (June 2006), page 28]. Magnetic field response sensors are a class of sensors that are powered via oscillating magnetic fields and when electrically active respond with their own magnetic fields whose attributes are dependent upon the magnitude of the physical quantity being measured. The response recorder facilitates the use of the second technology, which is a magnetic field response fluid-level sensor ["Wireless Fluid- Level Sensors for Harsh Environments," (LAR-17155), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 33, No. 4 (April 2009), page 30]. The method for powering and interrogating the sensors allows them to be completely encased in materials (Fig. 1) that are chemically resilient to the fluid being measured, thereby facilitating measurement of substances (e.g., acids, petroleum, cryogenic, caustic, and the like) that would normally destroy electronic circuitry. When the sensors are encapsulated, no fluid (or fluid vapor) is exposed to any electrical component of the measurement system. There is no direct electrical line from the vehicle or plant power into a fuel container. The means of interrogating and powering the sensors can be completely physically and electrically isolated from the fuel and vapors by placing the sensor on the other side of an electrically non-conductive bulkhead (Fig. 2). These features prevent the interrogation system and its electrical components from becoming an ignition source.

Project MANTIS: A MANTle Induction Simulator for coupling geodynamic and electromagnetic modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, C. J.

2009-12-01

A key component to testing geodynamic hypotheses resulting from the 3D mantle convection simulations is the ability to easily translate the predicted physiochemical state to the model space relevant for an independent geophysical observation, such as earth's seismic, geodetic or electromagnetic response. In this contribution a new parallel code for simulating low-frequency, global-scale electromagnetic induction phenomena is introduced that has the same Earth discretization as the popular CitcomS mantle convection code. Hence, projection of the CitcomS model into the model space of electrical conductivity is greatly simplified, and focuses solely on the node-to-node, physics-based relationship between these Earth parameters without the need for "upscaling", "downscaling", averaging or harmonizing with some other model basis such as spherical harmonics. Preliminary performance tests of the MANTIS code on shared and distributed memory parallel compute platforms shows favorable scaling (>70% efficiency) for up to 500 processors. As with CitcomS, an OpenDX visualization widget (VISMAN) is also provided for 3D rendering and interactive interrogation of model results. Details of the MANTIS code will be briefly discussed here, focusing on compatibility with CitcomS modeling, as will be preliminary results in which the electromagnetic response of a CitcomS model is evaluated. VISMAN rendering of electrical tomography-derived electrical conductivity model overlain by an a 1x1 deg crustal conductivity map. Grey scale represents the log_10 magnitude of conductivity [S/m]. Arrows are horiztonal components of a hypothetical magnetospheric source field used to electromagnetically excite the conductivity model.

Conductive Paper with Antibody-Like Film for Electrical Readings of Biomolecules

PubMed Central

Tavares, Ana P. M.; Ferreira, Nádia S.; Truta, Liliana A. A. N. A.; Sales, M. Goreti F.

2016-01-01

This work reports a novel way of producing an inexpensive substrate support to assemble a sensing film, designed for the electrical transduction of an intended biomolecule. The support uses cellulose paper as substrate, made hydrophobic with solid wax and covered by a home-made conductive ink having graphite as core material. The hydrophobicity of the paper was confirmed by contact angle measurements and the conductive ink composition was optimized with regard to its adhesion, conductivity, and thermal stability. This support was further modified targeting its application in quantitative analysis. Carnitine (CRT) was selected as target compound, a cancer biomarker. The recognition material consisted of an antibody-like receptor film for CRT, tailored on the support and prepared by electrically-sustained polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) or dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBS). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of the polymeric film on the support, and the performance of the devices was extensively evaluated with regard to linear response ranges, selectivity, applicability, and reusability. Overall, the paper-based sensors offer simplicity of fabrication, low cost and excellent reusability features. The design could also be extended to other applications in electrical-based approaches to be used in point-of-care (POC). PMID:27210055

Cation-Dependent Intrinsic Electrical Conductivity in Isostructural Tetrathiafulvalene-Based Microporous Metal–Organic Frameworks

DOE PAGES

Park, Sarah S.; Hontz, Eric R.; Sun, Lei; ...

2015-01-26

Isostructural metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) M 2(TTFTB) (M = Mn, Co, Zn, and Cd; H4TTFTB = tetrathiafulvalene tetrabenzoate) exhibit a striking correlation between their single-crystal conductivities and the shortest S···S interaction defined by neighboring TTF cores, which inversely correlates with the ionic radius of the metal ions. The larger cations cause a pinching of the S···S contact, which is responsible for better orbital overlap between p z orbitals on neighboring S and C atoms. Density functional theory calculations show that these orbitals are critically involved in the valence band of these materials, such that modulation of the S···S distance has anmore » important effect on band dispersion and, implicitly, on the conductivity. The Cd analogue, with the largest cation and shortest S···S contact, shows the largest electrical conductivity, σ = 2.86 (±0.53) × 10 -4 S/cm, which is also among the highest in microporous MOFs. These results describe the first demonstration of tunable intrinsic electrical conductivity in this class of materials and serve as a blueprint for controlling charge transport in MOFs with π-stacked motifs.« less

Downhole transmission system

DOEpatents

Hall, David R [Provo, UT; Fox, Joe [Spanish Fork, UT

2008-01-15

A transmission system in a downhole component comprises a data transmission element in both ends of the downhole component. Each data transmission element houses an electrically conducting coil in a MCEI circular trough. An electrical conductor connects both the transmission elements. The electrical conductor comprises at least three electrically conductive elements insulated from each other. In the preferred embodiment the electrical conductor comprises an electrically conducting outer shield, an electrically conducting inner shield and an electrical conducting core. In some embodiments of the present invention, the electrical conductor comprises an electrically insulating jacket. In other embodiments, the electrical conductor comprises a pair of twisted wires. In some embodiments, the electrical conductor comprises semi-conductive material.

Monitoring Damage Propagation in Glass Fiber Composites Using Carbon Nanofibers.

PubMed

Al-Sabagh, Ahmed; Taha, Eman; Kandil, Usama; Nasr, Gamal-Abdelnaser; Reda Taha, Mahmoud

2016-09-10

In this work, we report the potential use of novel carbon nanofibers (CNFs), dispersed during fabrication of glass fiber composites to monitor damage propagation under static loading. The use of CNFs enables a transformation of the typically non-conductive glass fiber composites into new fiber composites with appreciable electrical conductivity. The percolation limit of CNFs/epoxy nanocomposites was first quantified. The electromechanical responses of glass fiber composites fabricated using CNFs/epoxy nanocomposite were examined under static tension loads. The experimental observations showed a nonlinear change of electrical conductivity of glass fiber composites incorporating CNFs versus the stress level under static load. Microstructural investigations proved the ability of CNFs to alter the polymer matrix and to produce a new polymer nanocomposite with a connected nanofiber network with improved electrical properties and different mechanical properties compared with the neat epoxy. It is concluded that incorporating CNFs during fabrication of glass fiber composites can provide an innovative means of self-sensing that will allow damage propagation to be monitored in glass fiber composites.

Evaluation of PVA biodegradable electric conductive membranes for nerve regeneration in axonotmesis injuries: the rat sciatic nerve animal model.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Jorge; Caseiro, Ana Rita; Pereira, Tiago; Armada-da-Silva, Paulo Alexandre; Pires, Isabel; Prada, Justina; Amorim, Irina; Leal Reis, Inês; Amado, Sandra; Santos, José Domingos; Bompasso, Simone; Raimondo, Stefania; Varejão, Artur Severo Proença; Geuna, Stefano; Luís, Ana Lúcia; Maurício, Ana Colette

2017-05-01

The therapeutic effect of three polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membranes loaded with electrically conductive materials - carbon nanotubes (PVA-CNTs) and polypyrrole (PVA-PPy) - were tested in vivo for neuro-muscular regeneration after an axonotmesis injury in the rat sciatic nerve. The membranes electrical conductivity measured was 1.5 ± 0.5 × 10 -6 S/m, 579 ± 0.6 × 10 -6 S/m, and 1837.5 ± 0.7 × 10 -6 S/m, respectively. At week-12, a residual motor and nociceptive deficit were present in all treated groups, but at week-12, a better recovery to normal gait pattern of the PVA-CNTs and PVA-PPy treated groups was observed. Morphometrical analysis demonstrated that PVA-CNTs group presented higher myelin thickness and lower g-ratio. The tibialis anterior muscle, in the PVA-PPy and PVA-CNTs groups showed a 9% and 19% increase of average fiber size area and a 5% and 10% increase of the "minimal Feret's diameter," respectively. No inflammation, degeneration, fibrosis or necrosis were detected in lung, liver, kidneys, spleen, and regional lymph nodes and absence of carbon deposits was confirmed with Von Kossa and Masson-Fontana stains. In conclusion, the membranes of PVA-CNTs and PVA-PPy are biocompatible and have electrical conductivity. The higher electrical conductivity measured in PVA-CNTs membrane might be responsible for the positive results on maturation of myelinated fibers. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 1267-1280, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Induction signals from Callisto's ionosphere and their implications on a possible subsurface ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartkorn, Oliver; Saur, Joachim

2017-11-01

We investigate whether induction within Callisto's electrically conductive ionosphere can explain observed magnetic fields which have previously been interpreted as evidence of induction in a saline, electrically conductive subsurface ocean. Callisto's ionosphere is subject to the flow of time-periodic magnetized plasma of Jupiter's magnetosphere, which induces electric fields and electric currents in Callisto's electrically conductive ionosphere. We develop a simple analytic model for a first quantitative understanding of the effects of induction in Callisto's ionosphere caused by the interaction with a time-variable magnetic field environment. With this model, we also investigate how the associated ionospheric currents close in the ambient magnetospheric plasma. Based on our model, we find that the anisotropic nature of Callisto's ionospheric conductivity generates an enhancement effect on ionospheric loop currents which are driven by the time-variable magnetic field. This effect is similar to the Cowling channel effect known from Earth's ionosphere. Subsequently, we numerically calculate the expected induced magnetic fields due to Jupiter's time-variable magnetic field in an anisotropic conductive ionosphere and compare our results with the Galileo C-3 and C-9 flybys. We find that induction within Callisto's ionosphere is responsible for a significant part of the observed magnetic fields. Ionospheric induction creates induced magnetic fields to some extent similar as expected from a subsurface water ocean. Depending on currently unknown properties such as Callisto's nightside ionosphere, the existence of layers of "dirty ice" and the details of the plasma interaction, a water ocean might be located much deeper than previously thought or might not exist at all.

Electrically conductive borate-based bioactive glass scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.

PubMed

Turk, Mert; Deliormanlı, Aylin M

2017-07-01

In this study, electrically conductive, borate-based, porous 13-93B3 bioactive glass composite scaffolds were prepared using a polymer foam replication technique. For this purpose, a slurry containing 40 vol% glass particles and 0-10 wt% graphene nanoplatelets was prepared by dispersing the particles in ethanol in the presence of ethyl cellulose. Composite scaffolds were subjected to a controlled heat treatment, in air atmosphere, to decompose the foam and sinter the glass particles into a dense network. It was found that the applied heat treatment did not influence the structure of graphene in the glass network. Graphene additions did not negatively affect the mechanical properties and enhanced the electrical conductivity of the glass scaffolds. In X-ray diffraction analysis, the crystalline peak corresponding to hydroxyapatite was observed in all the samples suggesting that all of the samples were bioactive after 30 days of immersion in simulated body fluid. However, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis and scanning electron microscope observations revealed that hydroxyapatite formation rate decreased with increasing graphene concentration especially for samples treated in simulated body fluid for shorter times. Based on the cytotoxicity assay findings, the MC3T3-E1 cell growth was significantly inhibited by the scaffolds containing higher amount of graphene compared to bare glass scaffolds. Best performance was obtained for 5 wt% graphene which yielded an enhancement of electrical conductivity with moderate cellular response and in vitro hydroxyapatite forming ability. The study revealed that the electrically conductive 13-93B3 graphene scaffolds are promising candidates for bone tissue engineering applications.

Response Of A MOSFET To A Cosmic Ray

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benumof, Reuben; Zoutendyk, John A.

1988-01-01

Theoretical paper discusses response of enhancement-mode metal oxide/semiconductor field-effect transistor to cosmic-ray ion that passes perpendicularly through gate-oxide layers. Even if ion causes no permanent damage, temporary increase of electrical conductivity along track of ion large enough and long enough to cause change in logic state in logic circuit containing MOSFET.

Gold nanoparticles coated polystyrene/reduced graphite oxide microspheres with improved dispersibility and electrical conductivity for dopamine detection.

PubMed

Qian, Tao; Yu, Chenfei; Wu, Shishan; Shen, Jian

2013-12-01

Gold nanoparticles coated polystyrene/reduced graphite oxide (AuNPs@PS/RGO) microspheres have been successfully prepared via a facile process, and the decorative gold nanoparticles could prevent the aggregation of RGO by electrostatic repulsive interaction, and lead to high dispersibility of the composite. The prepared composite has a highly increased conductivity of 129Sm(-1) due to the unique electrical properties of citrate reduced gold nanoparticles. Being employed as an electrochemical sensor for detection of dopamine, the modified electrode exhibits remarkable sensitivity (3.44μA/μM) and lower detection limit (5nM), with linear response in a range of 0.05-20μM. Moreover, valid response to dopamine obtained in present work also indicates the prospective performances of AuNPs@PS/RGO microspheres to other biological molecules, such as nucleic acids, proteins and enzymes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Organic metal neutron detector

DOEpatents

Butler, M.A.; Ginley, D.S.

1984-11-21

A device for detection of neutrons comprises: as an active neutron sensing element, a conductive organic polymer having an electrical conductivity and a cross-section for said neutrons whereby a detectable change in said conductivity is caused by impingement of said neutrons on the conductive organic polymer which is responsive to a property of said polymer which is altered by impingement of said neutrons on the polymer; and means for associating a change in said alterable property with the presence of neutrons at the location of said device.

In-Situ Wire Damage Detection System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolley, Scott T. (Inventor); Gibson, Tracy L. (Inventor); Medelius, Pedro J. (Inventor); Roberson, Luke B. (Inventor); Tate, Lanetra C. (Inventor); Smith, Trent M. (Inventor); Williams, Martha K. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

An in-situ system for detecting damage in an electrically conductive wire. The system includes a substrate at least partially covered by a layer of electrically conductive material forming a continuous or non-continuous electrically conductive layer connected to an electrical signal generator adapted to delivering electrical signals to the electrically conductive layer. Data is received and processed to identify damage to the substrate or electrically conductive layer. The electrically conductive material may include metalized carbon fibers, a thin metal coating, a conductive polymer, carbon nanotubes, metal nanoparticles or a combination thereof.

Simultaneous measurement of skin potential and conductance in electrodermal response monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jabbari, A.; Johnsen, B.; Grimnes, S.; Martinsen, Ø. G.

2010-04-01

Measurement of electrodermal activity (EDA) has been an important tool in psychophysiological research. The emotional sweat activity is very sensitive to psychological stimuli or conditions. The changes are easily detected by means of electrical measurements and since the sweat ducts are predominantly resistive, a low-frequency conductance measurement is appropriate for measurement of skin conductance in electrodermal response. The main purpose of this study was to develop a measuring system where DC current was replaced by a small AC current in a system so the DC potential and AC conductance could be measured simultaneously at the same skin site. A small, battery operated, PDA based instrument has been developed. The preliminary results of this ongoing study show that there is additional information in the DC potential channel and that different stimuli seem to produce slightly different response patterns.

Inner ear damage following electric current and lightning injury: a literature review.

PubMed

Modayil, P C; Lloyd, G W; Mallik, A; Bowdler, D A

2014-05-01

Audiovestibular sequelae of electrical injury, due to lightning or electric current, are probably much more common than indicated in literature. The aim of the study was to review the impact of electrical injury on the cochleovestibular system. Studies were identified through Medline, Embase, CINAHL and eMedicine databases. Medical Subject Headings used were 'electrical injury', 'lightning', 'deafness' and 'vertigo'. All prospective and retrospective studies, case series and case reports of patients with cochlear or vestibular damage due to lightning or electrical current injury were included. Studies limited to external and middle ear injuries were excluded. Thirty-five articles met the inclusion criteria. Fifteen reported audiovestibular damage following electric current injury (domestic or industrial); a further 15 reported lightning injuries and five concerned pathophysiology and management. There were no histological studies of electrical current injury to the human audiovestibular system. The commonest acoustic insult after lightning injury is conductive hearing loss secondary to tympanic membrane rupture and the most frequent vestibular symptom is transient vertigo. Electrical current injuries predominantly cause pure sensorineural hearing loss and may significantly increase a patient's lifetime risk of vertigo. Theories for cochleovestibular damage in electrical injury include disruption of inner ear anatomy, electrical conductance, hypoxia, vascular effects and stress response hypothesis. The pathophysiology of cochleovestibular damage following electrical injury is unresolved. The mechanism of injury following lightning strike is likely to be quite different from that following domestic or industrial electrical injury. The formulation of an audiovestibular management protocol for patients who have suffered electrical injuries and systematic reporting of all such events is recommended.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis and Biomedical Applications of Nanocomposite Hydrogels

PubMed Central

Spizzirri, Umile Gianfranco; Curcio, Manuela; Cirillo, Giuseppe; Spataro, Tania; Vittorio, Orazio; Picci, Nevio; Hampel, Silke; Iemma, Francesca; Nicoletta, Fiore Pasquale

2015-01-01

Hydrogels sensitive to electric current are usually made of polyelectrolytes and undergo erosion, swelling, de-swelling or bending in the presence of an applied electric field. The electrical conductivity of many polymeric materials used for the fabrication of biomedical devices is not high enough to achieve an effective modulation of the functional properties, and thus, the incorporation of conducting materials (e.g., carbon nanotubes and nanographene oxide) was proposed as a valuable approach to overcome this limitation. By coupling the biological and chemical features of both natural and synthetic polymers with the favourable properties of carbon nanostructures (e.g., cellular uptake, electromagnetic and magnetic behaviour), it is possible to produce highly versatile and effective nanocomposite materials. In the present review, the recent advances in the synthesis and biomedical applications of electro-responsive nanocomposite hydrogels are discussed. PMID:26473915

Strain Sensors, Methods of Making Same, and Applications of Same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hatfield, Walter (Inventor); Biris, Alexandru S. (Inventor); Trigwell, Steven (Inventor)

2015-01-01

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a layered structure usable in a strain sensor. In one embodiment, the layered structure has a substrate with a first surface and an opposite, second surface defining a body portion therebetween; and a film of carbon nanotubes deposited on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the film of carbon nanotubes is conductive and characterized with an electrical resistance. In one embodiment, the carbon nanotubes are aligned in a preferential direction. In one embodiment, the carbon nanotubes are formed in a yarn such that any mechanical stress increases their electrical response. In one embodiment, the carbon nanotubes are incorporated into a polymeric scaffold that is attached to the surface of the substrate. In one embodiment, the surfaces of the carbon nanotubes are functionalized such that its electrical conductivity is increased.

Strain sensors, methods of making same, and applications of same

DOEpatents

Biris, Alexandru S.; Trigwell, Steven; Hatfield, Walter

2015-06-30

In one aspect, the present invention relates to a layered structure usable in a strain sensor. In one embodiment, the layered structure has a substrate with a first surface and an opposite, second surface defining a body portion therebetween; and a film of carbon nanotubes deposited on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the film of carbon nanotubes is conductive and characterized with an electrical resistance. In one embodiment, the carbon nanotubes are aligned in a preferential direction. In one embodiment, the carbon nanotubes are formed in a yarn such that any mechanical stress increases their electrical response. In one embodiment, the carbon nanotubes are incorporated into a polymeric scaffold that is attached to the surface of the substrate. In one embodiment, the surfaces of the carbon nanotubes are functionalized such that its electrical conductivity is increased.

Recent Advances in the Synthesis and Biomedical Applications of Nanocomposite Hydrogels.

PubMed

Spizzirri, Umile Gianfranco; Curcio, Manuela; Cirillo, Giuseppe; Spataro, Tania; Vittorio, Orazio; Picci, Nevio; Hampel, Silke; Iemma, Francesca; Nicoletta, Fiore Pasquale

2015-10-13

Hydrogels sensitive to electric current are usually made of polyelectrolytes and undergo erosion, swelling, de-swelling or bending in the presence of an applied electric field. The electrical conductivity of many polymeric materials used for the fabrication of biomedical devices is not high enough to achieve an effective modulation of the functional properties, and thus, the incorporation of conducting materials (e.g., carbon nanotubes and nanographene oxide) was proposed as a valuable approach to overcome this limitation. By coupling the biological and chemical features of both natural and synthetic polymers with the favourable properties of carbon nanostructures (e.g., cellular uptake, electromagnetic and magnetic behaviour), it is possible to produce highly versatile and effective nanocomposite materials. In the present review, the recent advances in the synthesis and biomedical applications of electro-responsive nanocomposite hydrogels are discussed.

Dynamic frequency tuning of electric and magnetic metamaterial response

DOEpatents

O'Hara, John F; Averitt, Richard; Padilla, Willie; Chen, Hou-Tong

2014-09-16

A geometrically modifiable resonator is comprised of a resonator disposed on a substrate, and a means for geometrically modifying the resonator. The geometrically modifiable resonator can achieve active optical and/or electronic control of the frequency response in metamaterials and/or frequency selective surfaces, potentially with sub-picosecond response times. Additionally, the methods taught here can be applied to discrete geometrically modifiable circuit components such as inductors and capacitors. Principally, controlled conductivity regions, using either reversible photodoping or voltage induced depletion activation, are used to modify the geometries of circuit components, thus allowing frequency tuning of resonators without otherwise affecting the bulk substrate electrical properties. The concept is valid over any frequency range in which metamaterials are designed to operate.

Magnetotellurics with geomagnetic observatory data influenced by the ocean effect: upper mantle conductivity under the islands of Gan and Tristan da Cunha

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morschhauser, A.; Grayver, A.; Kuvshinov, A. V.; Samrock, F.; Matzka, J.

2017-12-01

The electric conductivity of the oceanic lithosphere and upper mantle is not well constrained, mainly due to logistical challenges in oceanic surveys. However, electric field measurements can easily be added to geomagnetic observatories on islands.Currently, such measurements are available for Tristan da Cunha in the Atlantic Ocean and Gan on the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, and we derive tippers, impedances, and phase tensors for those observatories. The main challenge is that these transfer functions are severely affected by the conductivity contrast between seawater and land, which results in a three-dimensional (3-D) behaviour of the responses. We use an adaptive finite-element MT forward solver in order to properly account for this 3-D effect by including the available bathymetry and topography data into the model. Then, different transfer functions are individually inverted for upper mantle conductivities using a stochastic approach. We observe that tippers are mostly sensitive down to depths of approx. 100 km, and that additional electric field measurements improve the resolution for 100 to 200 km depth. The obtained 1-D conductivity profiles indicate a normal oceanic mantle below GAN and an anomalously conductive mantle below TDC, which may be related to the presence of melt below the island.

Optimal irradiance for sintering of inkjet-printed Ag electrodes with a 532nm CW laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, Yoon Jae; Kang, Heuiseok; Kang, Kyungtae; Hwang, Jun Young; Moon, Seung Jae

2013-09-01

Industrial solar cell fabrication generally adopts printing process to deposit the front electrodes, which needs additional heat treatment after printing to enhance electrical conductivity. As a heating method, laser irradiation draws attention not only because of its special selectivity, but also because of its intense heating to achieve high electric conductivity which is essential to reduce ohmic loss of solar cells. In this study, variation of electric conductivity was examined with laser irradiation having various beam intensity. 532 nm continuous wave (CW) laser was irradiated on inkjet-printed silver lines on glass substrate and electrical resistance was measured in situ during the irradiation. The results demonstrate that electric conductivity varies nonlinearly with laser intensity, having minimum specific resistance of 4.1 x 10-8 Ωm at 529 W/cm2 irradiation. The results is interesting because the specific resistance achieved by the present laser irradiation was about 1.8 times lower than the best value obtainable by oven heating, even though it was still higher by 2.5 times than that of bulk silver. It is also demonstrated that the irradiation time, needed to finish sintering process, decreases with laser intensity. The numerical simulation of laser heating showed that the optimal heating temperature could be as high as 300 oC for laser sintering, while it was limited to 250 oC for oven sintering. The nonlinear response of sintering with heating intensity was discussed, based on the results of FESEM images and XRD analysis.

Complex conductivity response to silver nanoparticles in partially saturated sand columns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdel Aal, Gamal; Atekwana, Estella A.; Werkema, D. Dale

2017-02-01

The increase in the use of nanoscale materials in consumer products has resulted in a growing concern of their potential hazard to ecosystems and public health from their accidental or intentional introduction to the environment. Key environmental, health, and safety research needs include knowledge and methods for their detection, characterization, fate, and transport. Specifically, techniques available for the direct detection and quantification of their fate and transport in the environment are limited. Their small size, high surface area to volume ratio, interfacial, and electrical properties make metallic nanoparticles, such as silver nanoparticles, good targets for detection using electrical geophysical techniques. Here we measured the complex conductivity response to silver nanoparticles in sand columns under varying moisture conditions (0-30%), nanoparticle concentrations (0-10 mg/g), lithology (presence of clay), pore water salinity (0.0275 and 0.1000 S/m), and particle size (35, 90-210 and 1500-2500 nm). Based on the Cole-Cole relaxation models we obtained the chargeability and the time constant. We demonstrate that complex conductivity can detect silver nanoparticles in porous media with the response enhanced by higher concentrations of silver nanoparticles, moisture content, ionic strength, clay content and particle diameter. Quantification of the volumetric silver nanoparticles content in the porous media can also be obtained from complex conductivity parameters based on the strong power law relationships.

Silicon-graphene conductive photodetector with ultra-high responsivity

PubMed Central

Liu, Jingjing; Yin, Yanlong; Yu, Longhai; Shi, Yaocheng; Liang, Di; Dai, Daoxin

2017-01-01

Graphene is attractive for realizing optoelectronic devices, including photodetectors because of the unique advantages. It can easily co-work with other semiconductors to form a Schottky junction, in which the photo-carrier generated by light absorption in the semiconductor might be transported to the graphene layer efficiently by the build-in field. It changes the graphene conduction greatly and provides the possibility of realizing a graphene-based conductive-mode photodetector. Here we design and demonstrate a silicon-graphene conductive photodetector with improved responsivity and response speed. An electrical-circuit model is established and the graphene-sheet pattern is designed optimally for maximizing the responsivity. The fabricated silicon-graphene conductive photodetector shows a responsivity of up to ~105 A/W at room temperature (27 °C) and the response time is as short as ~30 μs. The temperature dependence of the silicon-graphene conductive photodetector is studied for the first time. It is shown that the silicon-graphene conductive photodetector has ultra-high responsivity when operating at low temperature, which provides the possibility to detect extremely weak optical power. For example, the device can detect an input optical power as low as 6.2 pW with the responsivity as high as 2.4 × 107 A/W when operating at −25 °C in our experiment. PMID:28106084

Radiation from lightning return strokes over a finitely conducting earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Le Vine, D. M.; Gesell, L.; Kao, Michael

1986-01-01

The effects of the conductivity of the earth on radiation from lightning return strokes are examined theoretically using a piecewise linear transmission line model for the return stroke. First, calculations are made of the electric field radiated during the return stroke, and then this electric field is used to compute the response of conventional AM radio receivers and electric field change systems during the return stroke. The calculations apply to the entire transient waveform (they are not restricted to the initial portions of the return stroke) and yield fast field changes and RF radiation in agreement with measurements made during real lightning. This research was motivated by measurements indicating that a time delay exists between the time of arrival of the fast electric field change and the RF radiation from first return strokes. The time delay is on the order of 20 microsec for frequencies in the HF-UHF range for lightning in Florida. The time delay is obtained theoretically in this paper. It occurs when both the effects of attenuation due to conductivity of the earth, and the finite velocity of propagation of the current pulse up the return stroke channel, are taken into account in the model.

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

Tooker, Angela C.; Felix, Sarah H.; Pannu, Satinderpall S.

A neural interface includes a first dielectric material having at least one first opening for a first electrical conducting material, a first electrical conducting material in the first opening, and at least one first interconnection trace electrical conducting material connected to the first electrical conducting material. A stiffening shank material is located adjacent the first dielectric material, the first electrical conducting material, and the first interconnection trace electrical conducting material.

Second order optical nonlinearity of graphene due to electric quadrupole and magnetic dipole effects.

PubMed

Cheng, J L; Vermeulen, N; Sipe, J E

2017-03-06

We present a practical scheme to separate the contributions of the electric quadrupole-like and the magnetic dipole-like effects to the forbidden second order optical nonlinear response of graphene, and give analytic expressions for the second order optical conductivities, calculated from the independent particle approximation, with relaxation described in a phenomenological way. We predict strong second order nonlinear effects, including second harmonic generation, photon drag, and difference frequency generation. We discuss in detail the controllability of these effects by tuning the chemical potential, taking advantage of the dominant role played by interband optical transitions in the response.

Apparatus for detecting alpha radiation in difficult access areas

DOEpatents

Steadman, Peter; MacArthur, Duncan W.

1997-09-02

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

Films, Buckypapers and Fibers from Clay, Chitosan and Carbon Nanotubes

PubMed Central

Higgins, Thomas M.; Warren, Holly; Panhuis, Marc in het

2011-01-01

The mechanical and electrical characteristics of films, buckypapers and fiber materials from combinations of clay, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and chitosan are described. The rheological time-dependent characteristics of clay are maintained in clay–carbon nanotube–chitosan composite dispersions. It is demonstrated that the addition of chitosan improves their mechanical characteristics, but decreases electrical conductivity by three-orders of magnitude compared to clay–CNT materials. We show that the electrical response upon exposure to humid atmosphere is influenced by clay-chitosan interactions, i.e., the resistance of clay–CNT materials decreases, whereas that of clay–CNT–chitosan increases. PMID:28348277

On effective holographic Mott insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baggioli, Matteo; Pujolàs, Oriol

2016-12-01

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

High temperature electrically conducting ceramic heating element and control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halbach, C. R.; Page, R. J.

1975-01-01

Improvements were made in both electrode technology and ceramic conductor quality to increase significantly the lifetime and thermal cycling capability of electrically conducting ceramic heater elements. These elements were operated in vacuum, inert and reducing environments as well as oxidizing atmospheres adding to the versatility of the conducting ceramic as an ohmic heater. Using stabilized zirconia conducting ceramic heater elements, a furnace was fabricated and demonstrated to have excellent thermal response and cycling capability. The furnace was used to melt platinum-20% rhodium alloy (melting point 1904 C) with an isothermal ceramic heating element having a nominal working cavity size of 2.5 cm diameter by 10.0 cm long. The furnace was operated to 1940 C with the isothermal ceramic heating element. The same furnace structure was fitted with a pair of main heater elements to provide axial gradient temperature control over a working cavity length of 17.8 cm.

Electrical fatigue behaviour in lead zirconate titanate: an experimental and theoretical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, Mainak; Arockiarajan, A.

2013-08-01

A systematic investigation on electrical fatigue in lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is carried out for different loading frequencies. Experiments are conducted up to 106 cycles to measure the electrical displacement and longitudinal strain on bulk ceramics in the bipolar mode with large electrical loading conditions. A simplified macroscopic model based on physical mechanisms of domain switching is developed to predict the non-linear behaviour. In this model, the volume fraction of a domain is used as the internal variable by considering the mechanisms of domain nucleation and propagation (domain wall movement). The measured material properties at different fatigue cycles are incorporated into the switching model as damage parameters and the classical strain versus electric field and electric displacement versus electric field curves are simulated. Comparison between the experiments and simulations shows that the proposed model can reproduce the characteristics of non-linear as well as fatigue responses.

Fluctuations in Student Understanding of Newton's 3rd Law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Jessica W.; Sayre, Eleanor C.; Franklin, Scott V.

2010-10-01

We present data from a between-student study on student response to questions on Newton's Third Law given throughout the academic year. The study, conducted at Rochester Institute of Technology, involved students from the first and third of a three-quarter sequence. Construction of a response curve reveals subtle dynamics in student learning not captured by simple pre/post testing. We find a a significant positive effect from direct instruction, peaking at the end of instruction on forces, that diminishes by the end of the quarter. Two quarters later, in physics III, a significant dip in correct response occurs when instruction changes from the vector quantities of electric forces and fields to the scalar quantity of electric potential. Student response rebounds to its initial values, however, once instruction returns to the vector-based topics involving magnetic fields.

Mechanical sensibility of nociceptive and non-nociceptive fast-conducting afferents is modulated by skin temperature.

PubMed

Boada, M Danilo; Eisenach, James C; Ririe, Douglas G

2016-01-01

The ability to distinguish mechanical from thermal input is a critical component of peripheral somatosensory function. Polymodal C fibers respond to both stimuli. However, mechanosensitive, modality-specific fast-conducting tactile and nociceptor afferents theoretically carry information only about mechanical forces independent of the thermal environment. We hypothesize that the thermal environment can nonetheless modulate mechanical force sensibility in fibers that do not respond directly to change in temperature. To study this, fast-conducting mechanosensitive peripheral sensory fibers in male Sprague-Dawley rats were accessed at the soma in the dorsal root ganglia from T11 or L4/L5. Neuronal identification was performed using receptive field characteristics and passive and active electrical properties. Neurons responded to mechanical stimuli but failed to generate action potentials in response to changes in temperature alone, except for the tactile mechanical and cold sensitive neurons. Heat and cold ramps were utilized to determine temperature-induced modulation of response to mechanical stimuli. Mechanically evoked electrical activity in non-nociceptive, low-threshold mechanoreceptors (tactile afferents) decreased in response to changes in temperature while mechanically induced activity was increased in nociceptive, fast-conducting, high-threshold mechanoreceptors in response to the same changes in temperature. These data suggest that mechanical activation does not occur in isolation but rather that temperature changes appear to alter mechanical afferent activity and input to the central nervous system in a dynamic fashion. Further studies to understand the psychophysiological implications of thermal modulation of fast-conducting mechanical input to the spinal cord will provide greater insight into the implications of these findings. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Low resistance thin film organic solar cell electrodes

DOEpatents

Forrest, Stephen [Princeton, NJ; Xue, Jiangeng [Piscataway, NJ

2008-01-01

A method which lower the series resistance of photosensitive devices includes providing a transparent film of a first electrically conductive material arranged on a transparent substrate; depositing and patterning a mask over the first electrically conductive material, such that openings in the mask have sloping sides which narrow approaching the substrate; depositing a second electrically conductive material directly onto the first electrically conductive material exposed in the openings of the mask, at least partially filling the openings; stripping the mask, leaving behind reentrant structures of the second electrically conductive material which were formed by the deposits in the openings of the mask; after stripping the mask, depositing a first organic material onto the first electrically conductive material in between the reentrant structures; and directionally depositing a third electrically conductive material over the first organic material deposited in between the reentrant structures, edges of the reentrant structures aligning deposition so that the third electrically conductive material does not directly contact the first electrically conductive material, and does not directly contact the second electrically conductive material.

Methodology for Time-Domain Estimation of Storm-Time Electric Fields Using the 3D Earth Impedance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelbert, A.; Balch, C. C.; Pulkkinen, A. A.; Egbert, G. D.; Love, J. J.; Rigler, E. J.; Fujii, I.

2016-12-01

Magnetic storms can induce geoelectric fields in the Earth's electrically conducting interior, interfering with the operations of electric-power grid industry. The ability to estimate these electric fields at Earth's surface in close to real-time and to provide local short-term predictions would improve the ability of the industry to protect their operations. At any given time, the electric field at the Earth's surface is a function of the time-variant magnetic activity (driven by the solar wind), and the local electrical conductivity structure of the Earth's crust and mantle. For this reason, implementation of an operational electric field estimation service requires an interdisciplinary, collaborative effort between space science, real-time space weather operations, and solid Earth geophysics. We highlight in this talk an ongoing collaboration between USGS, NOAA, NASA, Oregon State University, and the Japan Meteorological Agency, to develop algorithms that can be used for scenario analyses and which might be implemented in a real-time, operational setting. We discuss the development of a time domain algorithm that employs discrete time domain representation of the impedance tensor for a realistic 3D Earth, known as the discrete time impulse response (DTIR), convolved with the local magnetic field time series, to estimate the local electric field disturbances. The algorithm is validated against measured storm-time electric field data collected in the United States and Japan. We also discuss our plans for operational real-time electric field estimation using 3D Earth impedances.

Millivolt Modulation of Plasmonic Metasurface Optical Response via Ionic Conductance.

PubMed

Thyagarajan, Krishnan; Sokhoyan, Ruzan; Zornberg, Leonardo; Atwater, Harry A

2017-08-01

A plasmonic metasurface with an electrically tunable optical response that operates at strikingly low modulation voltages is experimentally demonstrated. The fabricated metasurface shows up to 30% relative change in reflectance in the visible spectral range upon application of 5 mV and 78% absolute change in reflectance upon application of 100 mV of bias. The designed metasurface consists of nanostructured silver and indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes which are separated by 5 nm thick alumina. The millivolt-scale optical modulation is attributed to a new modulation mechanism, in which transport of silver ions through alumina dielectric leads to bias-induced nucleation and growth of silver nanoparticles in the ITO counter-electrode, altering the optical extinction response. This transport mechanism, which occurs at applied electric fields of 1 mV nm -1 , provides a new approach to use of ionic transport for electrical control over light-matter interactions. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Flexible neural interfaces with integrated stiffening shank

DOEpatents

Tooker, Angela C.; Felix, Sarah H.; Pannu, Satinderpall S.; Shah, Kedar G.; Sheth, Heeral; Tolosa, Vanessa

2016-07-26

A neural interface includes a first dielectric material having at least one first opening for a first electrical conducting material, a first electrical conducting material in the first opening, and at least one first interconnection trace electrical conducting material connected to the first electrical conducting material. A stiffening shank material is located adjacent the first dielectric material, the first electrical conducting material, and the first interconnection trace electrical conducting material.

Modeling Framework and Validation of a Smart Grid and Demand Response System for Wind Power Integration

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

Broeer, Torsten; Fuller, Jason C.; Tuffner, Francis K.

2014-01-31

Electricity generation from wind power and other renewable energy sources is increasing, and their variability introduces new challenges to the power system. The emergence of smart grid technologies in recent years has seen a paradigm shift in redefining the electrical system of the future, in which controlled response of the demand side is used to balance fluctuations and intermittencies from the generation side. This paper presents a modeling framework for an integrated electricity system where loads become an additional resource. The agent-based model represents a smart grid power system integrating generators, transmission, distribution, loads and market. The model incorporates generatormore » and load controllers, allowing suppliers and demanders to bid into a Real-Time Pricing (RTP) electricity market. The modeling framework is applied to represent a physical demonstration project conducted on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA, and validation simulations are performed using actual dynamic data. Wind power is then introduced into the power generation mix illustrating the potential of demand response to mitigate the impact of wind power variability, primarily through thermostatically controlled loads. The results also indicate that effective implementation of Demand Response (DR) to assist integration of variable renewable energy resources requires a diversity of loads to ensure functionality of the overall system.« less

Electron gun controlled smart structure

DOEpatents

Martin, Jeffrey W.; Main, John Alan; Redmond, James M.; Henson, Tammy D.; Watson, Robert D.

2001-01-01

Disclosed is a method and system for actively controlling the shape of a sheet of electroactive material; the system comprising: one or more electrodes attached to the frontside of the electroactive sheet; a charged particle generator, disposed so as to direct a beam of charged particles (e.g. electrons) onto the electrode; a conductive substrate attached to the backside of the sheet; and a power supply electrically connected to the conductive substrate; whereby the sheet changes its shape in response to an electric field created across the sheet by an accumulation of electric charge within the electrode(s), relative to a potential applied to the conductive substrate. Use of multiple electrodes distributed across on the frontside ensures a uniform distribution of the charge with a single point of e-beam incidence, thereby greatly simplifying the beam scanning algorithm and raster control electronics, and reducing the problems associated with "blooming". By placing a distribution of electrodes over the front surface of a piezoelectric film (or other electroactive material), this arrangement enables improved control over the distribution of surface electric charges (e.g. electrons) by creating uniform (and possibly different) charge distributions within each individual electrode. Removal or deposition of net electric charge can be affected by controlling the secondary electron yield through manipulation of the backside electric potential with the power supply. The system can be used for actively controlling the shape of space-based deployable optics, such as adaptive mirrors and inflatable antennae.

Holographic Floquet states I: a strongly coupled Weyl semimetal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, Koji; Kinoshita, Shunichiro; Murata, Keiju; Oka, Takashi

2017-05-01

Floquet states can be realized in quantum systems driven by continuous time-periodic perturbations. It is known that a state known as the Floquet Weyl semimetal can be realized when free Dirac fermions are placed in a rotating electric field. What will happen if strong interaction is introduced to this system? Will the interaction wash out the characteristic features of Weyl semimetals such as the Hall response? Is there a steady state and what is its thermodynamic behavior? We answer these questions using AdS/CFT correspondence in the N = 2 supersymmetric massless QCD in a rotating electric field in the large N c limit realizing the first example of a "holographic Floquet state". In this limit, gluons not only mediate interaction, but also act as an energy reservoir and stabilize the nonequilibrium steady state (NESS). We obtain the electric current induced by a rotating electric field: in the high frequency region, the Ohm's law is satisfied, while we recover the DC nonlinear conductivity at low frequency, which was obtained holographically in a previous work. The thermodynamic properties of the NESS, e.g., fluctuation-dissipation relation, is characterized by the effective Hawking temperature that is defined from the effective horizon giving a holographic meaning to the "periodic thermodynamic" concept. In addition to the strong (pump) rotating electric field, we apply an additional weak (probe) electric field in the spirit of the pump-probe experiments done in condensed matter experiments. Weak DC and AC probe analysis in the background rotating electric field shows Hall currents as a linear response, therefore the Hall response of Floquet Weyl semimetals survives at the strong coupling limit. We also find frequency mixed response currents, i.e., a heterodyning effect, characteristic to periodically driven Floquet systems.

Investigation into response characteristics of the chitosan gel artificial muscle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Gang; Yang, Junjie; Wang, Yujian; Zhao, Honghao; Fu, Yu; Zhang, Guangli; Yu, Shuqin; Wu, Yuda; Wei, Chengye; Liu, Xuxiong; Wang, Zhijie

2018-01-01

Bionic artificial muscle made from chitosan gel is an emerging type of the ionic electro active polymer with advantages of large deformation, low cost and environmental protection etc, which leads to a research focus and wide application in the fields of bionic engineering and intelligence material recently. In this paper, effects and improvement mechanisms of the direct casting and genipin cross-linking processes on response speed properties of the chitosan gel artificial muscle (CGAM) were mainly studied. Based on in-depth analysis of the CGAM response mechanism, a platform was built for testing the response performance of the CGAM, then its equivalent circuit and mathematical models were also established. Furthermore, control experiments were carried out to test and analyze several performances of the CGAM on response speed, electrical conductivity, mechanical properties and microstructure with different control variables. The experimental results illustrated that the CGAM assembled by direct casting enabled its electric actuating membrane and non-metallic electrode membrane tightly attached together with low contact resistance, which dramatically promoted the electrical conductivity of the CGAM resulting in nearly doubled response speed. Besides, different concentrations of genipin were adopted to cross-link the CGAM actuating membranes, and then it was found that the response speed of the uncross-linked CGAM was fast in the initial stage, but as time increased, it declined rapidly with poor steadiness. While there was no obvious decrease over time on the response speed of the CGAM cross-linked with low genipin concentration. Namely, its stability was getting better and better. In addition, the response speed of the CGAM cross-linked with low concentration of genipin was roughly the same as uncross-linked CGAM, which was quicker than that of high concentration. In this work, its internal mechanisms, feasible assembly technique and green modification method were provided to further explore the practical applications significantly.

Complex conductivity response to silver nanoparticles in ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The increase in the use of nanoscale materials in consumer products has resulted in a growing concern of their potential hazard to ecosystems and public health from their accidental or intentional introduction to the environment. Key environmental, health, and safety research needs include knowledge and methods for their detection, characterization, fate, and transport. Specifically, techniques available for the direct detection and quantification of their fate and transport in the environment are limited. Their small size, high surface area to volume ratio, interfacial, and electrical properties make metallic nanoparticles, such as silver nanoparticles, good targets for detection using electrical geophysical techniques. Here we measured the complex conductivity response to silver nanoparticles in sand columns under varying moisture conditions (0–30%), nanoparticle concentrations (0–10 mg/g), lithology (presence of clay), pore water salinity (0.0275 and 0.1000 S/m), and particle size (35, 90–210 and 1500–2500 nm). Based on the Cole-Cole relaxation models we obtained the chargeability and the time constant. We demonstrate that complex conductivity can detect silver nanoparticles in porous media with the response enhanced by higher concentrations of silver nanoparticles, moisture content, ionic strength, clay content and particle diameter. Quantification of the volumetric silver nanoparticles content in the porous media can also be obtained from complex co

Electrically conductive polyurethanes for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Charles M.; Nash, M. A.; Poole-Warren, Laura A.

2005-02-01

Electrical interfacing with neural tissue poses significant problems due to host response to the material. This response generally leads to fibrous encapsulation and increased impedance across the electrode. In neural electrodes such as cochlear implants, an elastomeric material like silicone is used as an insulator for the metal electrode. This project ultimately aims to produce a polymer electrode with elastomeric mechanical properties, metal like conductivity and capability. The approach taken was to produce a nanocomposite elastomeric material based on polyurethane (PU) and carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes are ideal due to their high aspect ratio as well as being a ballistic conductor. The choice of PU is based on its elastomeric properties, processability and biocompatibility. Multi-walled nanotubes (MWNTs) were dispersed ultrasonically in various dispersive solutions before being added at up to 20wt% to a 5wt% PU (Pellethane80A) in Dimethylacetamide (DMAc). Films were then solvent cast in a vacuum oven overnight. The resulting films were tested for conductivity using a two-probe technique and mechanically tested using an Instron tensiometer. The percolation threshold (p) of the PU/MWNT films occurred at loadings of between 7 and 10 wt% in this polymer system. Conductivity of the films (above p) was comparable to those for similar systems reported in the literature at up to approximately 7x10-2 Scm-1. Although PU stiffness increased with increased %loading of nanotubes, all composites were highly flexible and maintained elastomeric properties. From these preliminary results we have demonstrated electrical conductivity. So far it is evident that a superior percolation threshold is dependent on the degree of dispersion of the nanotubes. This has prompted work into investigating other preparations of the films, including melt-processing and electrospinning.

The electrical conductivity of the Earth's upper mantle as estimated from satellite measured magnetic field variations. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Didwall, E. M.

1981-01-01

Low latitude magnetic field variations (magnetic storms) caused by large fluctuations in the equatorial ring current were derived from magnetic field magnitude data obtained by OGO 2, 4, and 6 satellites over an almost 5 year period. Analysis procedures consisted of (1) separating the disturbance field into internal and external parts relative to the surface of the Earth; (2) estimating the response function which related to the internally generated magnetic field variations to the external variations due to the ring current; and (3) interpreting the estimated response function using theoretical response functions for known conductivity profiles. Special consideration is given to possible ocean effects. A temperature profile is proposed using conductivity temperature data for single crystal olivine. The resulting temperature profile is reasonable for depths below 150-200 km, but is too high for shallower depths. Apparently, conductivity is not controlled solely by olivine at shallow depths.

Stacked Switchable Element and Diode Combination

DOEpatents

Branz, H. M.; Wang, Q.

2006-06-27

A device (10) comprises a semiconductor diode (12) and a switchable element (14) positioned in stacked adjacent relationship so that the semiconductor diode (12) and the switchable element (14) are electrically connected in series with one another. The switchable element (14) is switchable from a low-conductance state to a high-conductance state in response to the application of a forming voltage to the switchable element (14).

Stacked switchable element and diode combination

DOEpatents

Branz, Howard M.; Wang, Qi

2006-06-27

A device (10) comprises a semiconductor diode (12) and a switchable element (14) positioned in stacked adjacent relationship so that the semiconductor diode (12) and the switchable element (14) are electrically connected in series with one another. The switchable element (14) is switchable from a low-conductance state to a high-conductance state in response to the application of a forming voltage to the switchable element (14).

Effectiveness of a worker-worn electric-field sensor to detect power-line proximity and electrical-contact.

PubMed

Zeng, Shengke; Powers, John R; Newbraugh, Bradley H

2010-06-01

Construction workers suffer the most electrocutions among all industries. Currently, there are no electrical contact warning devices on the market to protect workers. This paper proposes a worker-worn electric-field sensor. As the worker is in proximity to, or in contact with, a live power-circuit, the sensor sets off an audible/visual warning alarm. The sensor also has the potential to wirelessly trip a wireless-capable circuit breaker, and to trigger a wireless transmitter to notify emergency response of an electrical contact. An experiment was conducted to measure electric-field variation on simulated human-wrists (10 defrosted hog-legs) in various proximities and in electrical-contact to a simulated power-circuit. The purpose of these tests was to determine the feasibility of developing a worker-worn electric-field detection sensor for use in protecting workers from contact with energized electrical conductors. This study observed a significant electric-field-magnitude increase as a hog-leg approaches the live-circuit, and the distinct electric-field-magnitude jump as the leg contacts with the live-circuit. The observation indicates that this sensor can be an effective device to warn the workers of electrical hazards. Additionally, the sensor has the potential to wirelessly trip a wireless-capable circuit-breaker and trigger a wireless transmitter (such as a cell phone) to notify an emergency response. The prompt notification prevents the worker from further injury caused by postponed medical-care. Widespread use of this sensor could lower electrocution and electrically related injury rates in the construction industry. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vestibular stimulation leads to distinct hemodynamic patterning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerman, I. A.; Emanuel, B. A.; Yates, B. J.

2000-01-01

Previous studies demonstrated that responses of a particular sympathetic nerve to vestibular stimulation depend on the type of tissue the nerve innervates as well as its anatomic location. In the present study, we sought to determine whether such precise patterning of vestibulosympathetic reflexes could lead to specific hemodynamic alterations in response to vestibular afferent activation. We simultaneously measured changes in systemic blood pressure and blood flow (with the use of Doppler flowmetry) to the hindlimb (femoral artery), forelimb (brachial artery), and kidney (renal artery) in chloralose-urethane-anesthetized, baroreceptor-denervated cats. Electrical vestibular stimulation led to depressor responses, 8 +/- 2 mmHg (mean +/- SE) in magnitude, that were accompanied by decreases in femoral vasoconstriction (23 +/- 4% decrease in vascular resistance or 36 +/- 7% increase in vascular conductance) and increases in brachial vascular tone (resistance increase of 10 +/- 6% and conductance decrease of 11 +/- 4%). Relatively small changes (<5%) in renal vascular tone were observed. In contrast, electrical stimulation of muscle and cutaneous afferents produced pressor responses (20 +/- 6 mmHg) that were accompanied by vasoconstriction in all three beds. These data suggest that vestibular inputs lead to a complex pattern of cardiovascular changes that is distinct from that which occurs in response to activation of other types of somatic afferents.

Latitude-dependent delay in the responses of the equatorial electrojet and Sq currents to X-class solar flares

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nogueira, Paulo A. B.; Abdu, Mangalathayil A.; Souza, Jonas R.; Denardini, Clezio M.; Barbosa Neto, Paulo F.; Serra de Souza da Costa, João P.; Silva, Ana P. M.

2018-01-01

We have analyzed low-latitude ionospheric current responses to two intense (X-class) solar flares that occurred on 13 May 2013 and 11 March 2015. Sudden intensifications, in response to solar flare radiation impulses, in the Sq and equatorial electrojet (EEJ) currents, as detected by magnetometers over equatorial and low-latitude sites in South America, are studied. In particular we show for the first time that a 5 to 8 min time delay is present in the peak effect in the EEJ, with respect that of Sq current outside the magnetic equator, in response to the flare radiation enhancement. The Sq current intensification peaks close to the flare X-ray peak, while the EEJ peak occurs 5 to 8 min later. We have used the Sheffield University Plasmasphere-Ionosphere Model at National Institute for Space Research (SUPIM-INPE) to simulate the E-region conductivity enhancement as caused by the flare enhanced solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-rays flux. We propose that the flare-induced enhancement in neutral wind occurring with a time delay (with respect to the flare radiation) could be responsible for a delayed zonal electric field disturbance driving the EEJ, in which the Cowling conductivity offers enhanced sensitivity to the driving zonal electric field.

Apparatus for detecting alpha radiation in difficult access areas

DOEpatents

Steadman, P.; MacArthur, D.W.

1997-09-02

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

Optimization of metals and plastics recovery from electric cable wastes using a plate-type electrostatic separator.

PubMed

Richard, Gontran; Touhami, Seddik; Zeghloul, Thami; Dascalescu, Lucien

2017-02-01

Plate-type electrostatic separators are commonly employed for the selective sorting of conductive and non-conductive granular materials. The aim of this work is to identify the optimal operating conditions of such equipment, when employed for separating copper and plastics from either flexible or rigid electric wire wastes. The experiments are performed according to the response surface methodology, on samples composed of either "calibrated" particles, obtained by manually cutting of electric wires at a predefined length (4mm), or actual machine-grinded scraps, characterized by a relatively-wide size distribution (1-4mm). The results point out the effect of particle size and shape on the effectiveness of the electrostatic separation. Different optimal operating conditions are found for flexible and rigid wires. A separate processing of the two classes of wire wastes is recommended. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tailorable drug capacity of dexamethasone-loaded conducting polymer matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krukiewicz, K.

2018-05-01

The unique properties of conducting polymers, which are in the same time biocompatible and electrically responsive materials, make them perfect candidates for controlled drug release systems. In this study, the electrically-triggered controlled release system based on dexamethasone-loaded poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxypyrrole) (PEDOP) matrix is described. It is shown that the electropolymerization conditions can facilitate or suppress the formation of PEDOP/Dex matrix, as well as they can have the effect on its electrochemical performance. The release experiments performed in three different modes show that the drug capacity of PEDOP matrix increases with the increase in Dex concentration in the step of matrix synthesis, and higher Dex concentrations make it easier to control the amount of Dex released in an electrically-triggered mode. These results confirm the importance of the careful optimization of immobilization conditions to maximize drug capacity of matrix and maintain its electrochemical properties.

Facile Synthesis of Conductive Polypyrrole Wrinkle Topographies on Polydimethylsiloxane via a Swelling-Deswelling Process and Their Potential Uses in Tissue Engineering.

PubMed

Aufan, M Rifqi; Sumi, Yang; Kim, Semin; Lee, Jae Young

2015-10-28

Electrically conducting biomaterials have gained great attention in various biomedical studies especially to influence cell and tissue responses. In addition, wrinkling can present a unique topography that can modulate cell-material interactions. In this study, we developed a simple method to create wrinkle topographies of conductive polypyrrole (wPPy) on soft polydimethylsiloxane surfaces via a swelling-deswelling process during and after PPy polymerization and by varying the thickness of the PPy top layers. As a result, various features of wPPy in the range of the nano- and microscales were successfully obtained. In vitro cell culture studies with NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and PC12 neuronal cells indicated that the conductive wrinkle topographies promote cell adhesion and neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells. Our studies help to elucidate the design of the surface coating and patterning of conducting polymers, which will enable us to simultaneously provide topographical and electrical signals to improve cell-surface interactions for potential tissue-engineering applications.

In vivo biocompatibility of boron doped and nitrogen included conductive-diamond for use in medical implants.

PubMed

Garrett, David J; Saunders, Alexia L; McGowan, Ceara; Specks, Joscha; Ganesan, Kumaravelu; Meffin, Hamish; Williams, Richard A; Nayagam, David A X

2016-01-01

Recently, there has been interest in investigating diamond as a material for use in biomedical implants. Diamond can be rendered electrically conducting by doping with boron or nitrogen. This has led to inclusion of boron doped and nitrogen included diamond elements as electrodes and/or feedthroughs for medical implants. As these conductive device elements are not encapsulated, there is a need to establish their clinical safety for use in implants. This article compares the biocompatibility of electrically conducting boron doped diamond (BDD) and nitrogen included diamond films and electrically insulating poly crystalline diamond films against a silicone negative control and a BDD sample treated with stannous octoate as a positive control. Samples were surgically implanted into the back muscle of a guinea pig for a period of 4-15 weeks, excised and the implant site sectioned and submitted for histological analysis. All forms of diamond exhibited a similar or lower thickness of fibrotic tissue encapsulating compared to the silicone negative control samples. All forms of diamond exhibited similar or lower levels of acute, chronic inflammatory, and foreign body responses compared to the silicone negative control indicating that the materials are well tolerated in vivo. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evidence for power-law frequency dependence of intrinsic dielectric response in the Ca Cu3 Ti4 O12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tselev, Alexander; Brooks, Charles M.; Anlage, Steven M.; Zheng, Haimei; Salamanca-Riba, Lourdes; Ramesh, R.; Subramanian, M. A.

2004-10-01

We investigated the dielectric response of CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) thin films grown epitaxially on LaAlO3 (001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The dielectric response of the films was found to be strongly dominated by a power law in frequency, typical of materials with localized hopping charge carriers, in contrast to the Debye-like response of the bulk material. The film conductivity decreases with annealing in oxygen, and it suggests that oxygen deficit is a cause of the relatively high film conductivity. With increase of the oxygen content, the room temperature frequency response of the CCTO thin films changes from the response indicating the presence of some relatively low conducting capacitive layers to purely power law, and then toward a frequency independent response with a relative dielectric constant ɛ'˜102 . The film conductance and dielectric response decrease upon decrease of the temperature, with dielectric response being dominated by the power-law frequency dependence. Below ˜80K , the dielectric response of the films is frequency independent with ɛ' close to 102 . The results provide another piece of evidence for an extrinsic, Maxwell-Wagner type, origin of the colossal dielectric response of the bulk CCTO material, connected with electrical inhomogeneity of the bulk material.

Thin and Flexible Carbon Nanotube-Based Pressure Sensors with Ultra-wide Sensing Range.

PubMed

Doshi, Sagar M; Thostenson, Erik T

2018-06-26

A scalable electrophoretic deposition (EPD) approach is used to create novel thin, flexible and lightweight carbon nanotube-based textile pressure sensors. The pressure sensors can be produced using an extensive variety of natural and synthetic fibers. These piezoresistive sensors are sensitive to pressures ranging from the tactile range (< 10 kPa), in the body weight range (~ 500 kPa), and very high pressures (~40 MPa). The EPD technique enables the creation of a uniform carbon nanotube-based nanocomposite coating, in the range of 250-750 nm thick, of polyethyleneimine (PEI) functionalized carbon nanotubes on non-conductive fibers. In this work, non-woven aramid fibers are coated by EPD onto a backing electrode followed by film formation onto the fibers creating a conductive network. The electrically conductive nanocomposite coating is firmly bonded to the fiber surface and shows piezoresistive electrical/mechanical coupling. The pressure sensor displays a large in-plane change in electrical conductivity with applied out-of-plane pressure. In-plane conductivity change results from fiber/fiber contact as well as the formation of a sponge-like piezoresistive nanocomposite "interphase" between the fibers. The resilience of the nanocomposite interphase enables sensing of high pressures without permanent changes to the sensor response, showing high repeatability.

Mechanisms of inhibition in cat visual cortex.

PubMed Central

Berman, N J; Douglas, R J; Martin, K A; Whitteridge, D

1991-01-01

1. Neurones from layers 2-6 of the cat primary visual cortex were studied using extracellular and intracellular recordings made in vivo. The aim was to identify inhibitory events and determine whether they were associated with small or large (shunting) changes in the input conductance of the neurones. 2. Visual stimulation of subfields of simple receptive fields produced depolarizing or hyperpolarizing potentials that were associated with increased or decreased firing rates respectively. Hyperpolarizing potentials were small, 5 mV or less. In the same neurones, brief electrical stimulation of cortical afferents produced a characteristic sequence of a brief depolarization followed by a long-lasting (200-400 ms) hyperpolarization. 3. During the response to a stationary flashed bar, the synaptic activation increased the input conductance of the neurone by about 5-20%. Conductance changes of similar magnitude were obtained by electrically stimulating the neurone. Neurones stimulated with non-optimal orientations or directions of motion showed little change in input conductance. 4. These data indicate that while visually or electrically induced inhibition can be readily demonstrated in visual cortex, the inhibition is not associated with large sustained conductance changes. Thus a shunting or multiplicative inhibitory mechanism is not the principal mechanism of inhibition. Images Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 PMID:1804983

Electrical conductivity imaging in the western Pacific subduction zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Utada, Hisashi; Baba, Kiyoshi; Shimizu, Hisayoshi

2010-05-01

Oceanic plate subduction is an important process for the dynamics and evolution of the Earth's interior, as it is regarded as a typical downward flow of the mantle convection that transports materials from the near surface to the deep mantle. Recent seismological study showed evidence suggesting the transportation of a certain amount of water by subduction of old oceanic plate such as the Pacific plate down to 150-200 km depth into the back arc mantle. However it is not well clarified how deep into the mantle the water can be transported. The electromagnetic induction method to image electrical conductivity distribution is a possible tool to answer this question as it is known to be sensitive to the presence of water. Here we show recent result of observational study from the western Pacific subduction zone to examine the electrical conductivity distribution in the upper mantle and in the mantle transition zone (MTZ), which will provide implications how water distributes in the mantle. We take two kinds of approach for imaging the mantle conductivity, (a) semi-global and (b) regional induction approaches. Result may be summarized as follows: (a) Long (5-30 years) time series records from 8 submarine cables and 13 geomagnetic observatories in the north Pacific region were analyzed and long period magnetotelluric (MT) and geomagnetic deep sounding (GDS) responses were estimated in the period range from 1.7 to 35 days. These frequency dependent response functions were inverted to 3-dimensional conductivity distribution in the depth range between 350 and 850 km. Three major features are suggested in the MTZ depth such as, (1) a high conductivity anomaly beneath the Philippine Sea, (2) a high conductivity anomaly beneath the Hawaiian Islands, and (3) a low conductivity anomaly beneath and in the vicinity of northern Japan. (b) A three-year long deployment of ocean bottom electro-magnetometers (OBEM's) was conducted in the Philippine Sea and west Pacific Ocean from 2005 to 2008. As a preliminary investigation, MT response functions from 20 sites in the Philippine Sea and 4 sites in the west Pacific basin in the period range between 300 and 80000 sec were respectively inverted to one-dimensional (1-D) profile of electrical conductivity by quantitatively considering the effect of the heterogeneous conductivity distribution (ocean and lands) at the surface. The resultant 1-D models show three main features: (1) Strong contrast in the conductivity for the shallower 200 km of the upper mantle depths is recognized between the two regions, which is qualitatively consistent with the difference in lithospheric age. (2) The conductivity at 200-300 km depth is more or less similar to each other at about 0.3 S /m. (3) The conductivity around the MTZ depth is higher for the Philippine Sea mantle than for the Pacific mantle, which is consistent with the implication obtained from a semi-global approach (a). As already suggested in our previous work, the high conductivity in the MTZ below the Philippine Sea can be explained by the excess conduction due to the presence of hydrogen (water) in wadesleyite or in ringwoodite. Therefore, it implies a large scale circulation of water in the back arc mantle not only in the upper mantle but also down to the MTZ depth. However, our interpretation indicates that the high conductivity of the Philippine Sea uppermost upper mantle cannot be explained only by the effect of hydrogen conduction in olivine, but that additional conduction enhancement such as the presence of partial melt is required.

Effects of an electric field on white sharks: in situ testing of an electric deterrent.

PubMed

Huveneers, Charlie; Rogers, Paul J; Semmens, Jayson M; Beckmann, Crystal; Kock, Alison A; Page, Brad; Goldsworthy, Simon D

2013-01-01

Elasmobranchs can detect minute electromagnetic fields, <1 nV cm(-1), using their ampullae of Lorenzini. Behavioural responses to electric fields have been investigated in various species, sometimes with the aim to develop shark deterrents to improve human safety. The present study tested the effects of the Shark Shield Freedom7™ electric deterrent on (1) the behaviour of 18 white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) near a static bait, and (2) the rates of attacks on a towed seal decoy. In the first experiment, 116 trials using a static bait were performed at the Neptune Islands, South Australia. The proportion of baits taken during static bait trials was not affected by the electric field. The electric field, however, increased the time it took them to consume the bait, the number of interactions per approach, and decreased the proportion of interactions within two metres of the field source. The effect of the electric field was not uniform across all sharks. In the second experiment, 189 tows using a seal decoy were conducted near Seal Island, South Africa. No breaches and only two surface interactions were observed during the tows when the electric field was activated, compared with 16 breaches and 27 surface interactions without the electric field. The present study suggests that the behavioural response of white sharks and the level of risk reduction resulting from the electric field is contextually specific, and depends on the motivational state of sharks.

Effects of an Electric Field on White Sharks: In Situ Testing of an Electric Deterrent

PubMed Central

Huveneers, Charlie; Rogers, Paul J.; Semmens, Jayson M.; Beckmann, Crystal; Kock, Alison A.; Page, Brad; Goldsworthy, Simon D.

2013-01-01

Elasmobranchs can detect minute electromagnetic fields, <1 nVcm–1, using their ampullae of Lorenzini. Behavioural responses to electric fields have been investigated in various species, sometimes with the aim to develop shark deterrents to improve human safety. The present study tested the effects of the Shark Shield Freedom7™ electric deterrent on (1) the behaviour of 18 white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) near a static bait, and (2) the rates of attacks on a towed seal decoy. In the first experiment, 116 trials using a static bait were performed at the Neptune Islands, South Australia. The proportion of baits taken during static bait trials was not affected by the electric field. The electric field, however, increased the time it took them to consume the bait, the number of interactions per approach, and decreased the proportion of interactions within two metres of the field source. The effect of the electric field was not uniform across all sharks. In the second experiment, 189 tows using a seal decoy were conducted near Seal Island, South Africa. No breaches and only two surface interactions were observed during the tows when the electric field was activated, compared with 16 breaches and 27 surface interactions without the electric field. The present study suggests that the behavioural response of white sharks and the level of risk reduction resulting from the electric field is contextually specific, and depends on the motivational state of sharks. PMID:23658766

Investigating the Defect Structures in Transparent Conducting Oxides Using X-ray and Neutron Scattering Techniques

PubMed Central

González, Gabriela B.

2012-01-01

Transparent conducting oxide (TCO) materials are implemented into a wide variety of commercial devices because they possess a unique combination of high optical transparency and high electrical conductivity. Created during the processing of the TCOs, defects within the atomic-scale structure are responsible for their desirable optical and electrical properties. Therefore, studying the defect structure is essential to a better understanding of the behavior of transparent conductors. X-ray and neutron scattering techniques are powerful tools to investigate the atomic lattice structural defects in these materials. This review paper presents some of the current developments in the study of structural defects in n-type TCOs using x-ray diffraction (XRD), neutron diffraction, extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), pair distribution functions (PDFs), and x-ray fluorescence (XRF). PMID:28817010

EDITORIAL: Charge transport in non-metallic solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Youngs, Ian J.; Almond, Darryl P.

2009-03-01

Workers engaged in a wide range of investigations of charge transport in non-metallic solids came together at a meeting of the Institute of Physics Dielectric Group, held in London on 2 April 2008. Topics included both ionic and electronic conduction, investigations of the fundamental mechanisms of charge transport, percolation, modelling the conduction process in both natural and man-made composite electrical and electromagnetic materials, the design and development of solids with specified conduction properties and the ac characteristics of non-metallic solids. In the first session, the long-standing problem of the anomalous power law increase in ac conductivity with frequency was addressed by a set of four presentations. Jeppe Dyre, an invited speaker from Roskilde University, Denmark, introduced the problem and stressed the universality of the frequency dependence observed in the ac conductivities of disordered non-metallic materials. He showed that it could be obtained from a simple random barrier model, independent of the barrier distribution. Darryl Almond, University of Bath, showed that the electrical responses of large networks of randomly positioned resistors and capacitors, simulating the microstructures of disordered two-phase (conductor insulator) materials, exhibit the same frequency dependence. He demonstrated their robustness to component value and distribution and suggested that it was an emergent property of these networks and of two-phase materials. Klaus Funke, an invited speaker from the University of Munster, Germany, presented a detailed model of ion motion in disordered ionic materials. He stressed the need to account for the concerted many-particle processes that occur whilst ions hop from site to site in response to an applied electric field. The conductivity spectra obtained from this work reproduce the same frequency dispersion and have the additional feature of conductivity saturation at high frequencies. Tony West, University of Sheffield, UK, discussed the analysis of the ac electrical response data of ionically or electrically conducting ceramics, using constant phase elements to deal with power law dispersions. He presented strategies for dealing with data made complex by the overlapping, in the frequency domain, of different materials response components: bulk, grain boundary, electrode, etc. The final morning paper concerning space charge measurement was given by Kaori Fukunagwa, NICT, Japan. The closely linked but diverse nature of the morning papers stimulated healthy debate between the presentations and during the lunch break and poster session, during which the Mansel Davies prize was awarded to Dr Shahid Hussain from QinetiQ for his poster entitled Dielectric relaxation of glass particles with nanoscale metallic coatings. In the second session, again through a set of four presentations, the electrical and electromagnetic properties of composite materials were more broadly considered. Isaac Balberg, an invited speaker from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, gave a detailed and in many ways philosophical review of critical behaviour in composites near the percolation threshold. He focused on the validity of using critical response developed from the classic Scher and Zallen model of a regular lattice when considering the more realistic situation of composites in which hopping and tunnelling are prevalent, the key to observing universal or non-universal critical behaviour being the significance of nearest neighbour versus non-nearest neighbour conducting paths and the distribution of resistances in the composite. Ian Youngs, from Dstl, described the microwave response of conductor--insulator percolating composites and especially the observation of novel plasma-like response under certain circumstances. It was shown that the standard low frequency approximation of the dielectric function of the metallic phase impedes modelling of this response. Christian Brosseau, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, France, presented an invited paper discussing electromagneto-mechanical coupling in ferrite-filled plastics. A model for the changes to the electromagnetic properties of the composite as a function of applied mechanical stress was presented and linked to the elastic network response of the composite. The work is relevant to flexible materials such as circuits and for smart sensor applications. Rolf Pelster, Universität des Saarlandes, Germany, concluded the meeting with a comparison of micro- and nano-composites of magnetic particles dispersed in polymer. Broadband dielectric spectroscopy was used to highlight the particle-size differences and the likely modification of the host polymer when nano-sized filler particles were used. The dielectric data was used to infer the microstructural contribution to the effective properties of each composite and this information was used to extract an estimate of the intrinsic magnetic properties of the filler particles, again showing a difference between micro- and nano-sized particles. This cluster issue of Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics contains four of the above-mentioned papers presented at the meeting. We would like to thank those authors for preparing their contributions to this special cluster. Their papers provide a cross section of the topics presented at the meeting and we hope you enjoy reading them.

ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITY VARIATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH CONTROLLED GASOLINE SPILLS

EPA Science Inventory

A number of geophysical surveys were conducted over two controlled releases of about 100 gallons each of gasoline. In order to clearly identify the responses associated with the gasoline plume, measurements were made before, during and after the injection. The two experiments we...

Investigating the effects of microbial communities on electrical properties of soils: preliminary results from a pilot scale column experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atekwana, E.; Atekwana, E.; Werkema, D.; Duris, J.; Rossbach, S.; Sauck, W.; Koretsky, C.; Cassidy, D.; Means, J.; Sherrod, L.

2003-04-01

In this study, we describe the results of a mesoscale pilot experiment designed to investigate the influence of biogeochemical processes on electrical conductivity of soils impacted by hydrocarbons. This is an interdisciplinary study integrating geophysics, geochemistry, and microbiology which was undertaken to: 1) verify microbial hydrocarbon degradation by monitoring changes in microbial types, population, and community structure, 2) document temporal changes in the electrical conductivity of soils, and 3) document changes in pore fluid geochemistry using major ions and stable carbon isotopes. We constructed duplicate soil columns as follows: Columns 1 and 2 had no bacteria, no diesel; columns 3 and 4 had diesel and no bacteria; columns 5 and 6 had bacteria and no diesel; and columns 7 and 8 had bacteria and diesel. Soil cores were sampled at 5 cm intervals and analyzed for bacteria using the most probable number (MPN) and the rDNA intergenic spacer region analyses (RISA) techniques. The MPN method showed an increase in the percentage of alkane degraders with time, and accounted for 1.2x (120%) the number of heterotrophic bacteria in colums 7 and 8 compared to less than 15% for the other columns. The RISA analysis of the communities in columns 7 and 8 showed a shift towards less diversity over time in response to the contaminant stress to a composition that is more capable of the utilization of an alkane as a carbon source. These results confirm microbial mineralization of diesel within contaminated columns. Electrical conductivity measurements were made using a Wenner array at 2 cm spacing. The electrical measurements show an initial decrease in conductivity. This is consistent with the diesel replacing the more conductive pore waters and changes in water saturation, especially within the unsaturated zone. However, a slow increase in conductivity was observed in column 7 overtime compared to the other columns. The slight increase in electrical conductivity for the contaminated column may be attributed to microbial degradation of hydrocarbon and secondary weathering of the soil minerals. However, the magnitude in the shift of the pore fluid chemistry does not appear to directly translate to changes in soil electrical conductivity. At present, since the experiment is still ongoing, we expect that as more degradation and mineral weathering occur in the soils columns, we should be able to model the magnitude of the pore fluid chemical change on the soil conductivity.

Conductivity detection for monitoring mixing reactions in microfluidic devices.

PubMed

Liu, Y; Wipf, D O; Henry, C S

2001-08-01

A conductivity detector was coupled to poly(dimethylsiloxane)-glass capillary electrophoresis microchips to monitor microfluidic flow. Electroosmotic flow was investigated with both conductivity detection (CD) and the current monitoring method. No significant variation was observed between these methods, but CD showed a lower relative standard deviation. Gradient mixing experiments were employed to investigate the relationship between the electrolyte conductivity and the electrolyte concentration. A good linear response of conductivity to concentration was obtained for solutions whose difference in concentrations were less than 27 mM. The new system holds great promise for precision mixing in microfluidic devices using electrically driven flows.

Extrinsic contributions to the dielectric response in sintered BaTiO3 nanostructures in paraelectric and ferroelectric regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaffari, G. Hassnain; Rehman, Atiq ur; Iqbal, Asad M.; Awan, M. S.; Saleemi, Mohsin

2017-11-01

Post sintering studies of BaTiO3 (BTO) nanoparticles are presented in detail. Bulk nanostructures were prepared via three different compaction processes, namely, uniaxial cold pressing (UCP), Cold Isostatic Pressing (CIP) and Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). Effect of compaction technique on microstructures have been investigated and correlated with electrical response for each sample. In addition to the transport properties, temperature and frequency dependent dielectric response of variously sintered samples and bulk counterpart was recorded. Several aspects have been identified that are essential to be taken into account in order to completely understand physical processes. Drastically distinct features were observed in paraelectric (PE) regime well above ferroelectric (FE)-PE transition temperature. These features include intra grain conduction with a reduction in the magnitude of PE to FE peak dielectric constant magnitude. Role of strain, grain boundary conduction associated with observation of Maxwell Wagner relaxation and hopping conduction in dielectric and ferroelectric response have been observed and discussed. Densification with presence of oxygen vacancies, significantly enhances conductivity associated with the hopping of the carriers, in turn deteriorated ferroelectric response.

The effect of filler aspect ratio on the electromagnetic properties of carbon-nanofibers reinforced composites

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

De Vivo, B.; Lamberti, P.; Spinelli, G., E-mail: gspinelli@unisa.it

2015-08-14

The effect of filler aspect ratio on the electromagnetic properties of epoxy-amine resin reinforced with carbon nanofibers is here investigated. A heat treatment at 2500 °C of carbon nanofibers seems to increase their aspect ratio with respect to as-received ones most likely due to a lowering of structural defects and the improvement of the graphene layers within the dixie cup conformation. These morphological differences revealed by Raman's spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy analyses may be responsible for the different electrical properties of the resulting composites. The DC characterization of the nanofilled material highlights an higher electrical conductivity and a lower electricalmore » percolation threshold for the heat-treated carbon nanofibers based composites. In fact, the electrical conductivity is about 0.107 S/m and 1.36 × 10{sup −3} S/m for the nanocomposites reinforced with heat-treated and as received fibers, respectively, at 1 wt. % of nanofiller loading, while the electrical percolation threshold falls in the range [0.05–0.32]wt. % for the first nanocomposites and above 0.64 wt. % for the latter. Moreover, also a different frequency response is observed since the critical frequency, which is indicative of the transition from a resistive to a capacitive-type behaviour, shifts forward of about one decade at the same filler loading. The experimental results are supported by theoretical and simulation studies focused on the role of the filler aspect ratio on the electrical properties of the nanocomposites.« less

Low damage electrical modification of 4H-SiC via ultrafast laser irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, Minhyung; Cahyadi, Rico; Wendorf, Joseph; Bowen, Willie; Torralva, Ben; Yalisove, Steven; Phillips, Jamie

2018-04-01

The electrical properties of 4H-SiC under ultrafast laser irradiation in the low fluence regime (<0.50 J/cm2) are presented. The appearance of high spatial frequency laser induced periodic surface structures is observed at a fluence near 0.25 J/cm2 and above, with variability in environments like in air, nitrogen, and a vacuum. In addition to the formation of periodic surface structures, ultrafast laser irradiation results in possible surface oxidation and amorphization of the material. Lateral conductance exhibits orders of magnitude increase, which is attributed to either surface conduction or modification of electrical contact properties, depending on the initial material conductivity. Schottky barrier formation on ultrafast laser irradiated 4H-SiC shows an increase in the barrier height, an increase in the ideality factor, and sub-bandgap photovoltaic responses, suggesting the formation of photo-active point defects. The results suggest that the ultrafast laser irradiation technique provides a means of engineering spatially localized structural and electronic modification of wide bandgap materials such as 4H-SiC with relatively low surface damage via low temperature processing.

Spontaneous formation of electric current sheets and the origin of solar flares

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Low, B. C.; Wolfson, R.

1988-01-01

It is demonstrated that the continuous boundary motion of a sheared magnetic field in a tenuous plasma with an infinite electrical conductivity can induce the formation of multiple electric current sheets in the interior plasma. In response to specific footpoint displacements, the quadrupolar magnetic field considered is shown to require the formation of multiple electric current sheets as it achieves a force-free state. Some of the current sheets are found to be of finite length, running along separatrix lines of force which separate lobes of magnetic flux. It is suggested that current sheets in the form of infinitely thin magnetic shear layers may be unstable to resistive tearing, a process which may have application to solar flares.

Review paper: progress in the field of conducting polymers for tissue engineering applications.

PubMed

Bendrea, Anca-Dana; Cianga, Luminita; Cianga, Ioan

2011-07-01

This review focuses on one of the most exciting applications area of conjugated conducting polymers, which is tissue engineering. Strategies used for the biocompatibility improvement of this class of polymers (including biomolecules' entrapment or covalent grafting) and also the integrated novel technologies for smart scaffolds generation such as micropatterning, electrospinning, self-assembling are emphasized. These processing alternatives afford the electroconducting polymers nanostructures, the most appropriate forms of the materials that closely mimic the critical features of the natural extracellular matrix. Due to their capability to electronically control a range of physical and chemical properties, conducting polymers such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, and polythiophene and/or their derivatives and composites provide compatible substrates which promote cell growth, adhesion, and proliferation at the polymer-tissue interface through electrical stimulation. The activities of different types of cells on these materials are also presented in detail. Specific cell responses depend on polymers surface characteristics like roughness, surface free energy, topography, chemistry, charge, and other properties as electrical conductivity or mechanical actuation, which depend on the employed synthesis conditions. The biological functions of cells can be dramatically enhanced by biomaterials with controlled organizations at the nanometer scale and in the case of conducting polymers, by the electrical stimulation. The advantages of using biocompatible nanostructures of conducting polymers (nanofibers, nanotubes, nanoparticles, and nanofilaments) in tissue engineering are also highlighted.

High conductance surge cable

DOEpatents

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

1998-12-08

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

Bioelectrical Impedance Methods for Noninvasive Health Monitoring: A Review

PubMed Central

Bera, Tushar Kanti

2014-01-01

Under the alternating electrical excitation, biological tissues produce a complex electrical impedance which depends on tissue composition, structures, health status, and applied signal frequency, and hence the bioelectrical impedance methods can be utilized for noninvasive tissue characterization. As the impedance responses of these tissue parameters vary with frequencies of the applied signal, the impedance analysis conducted over a wide frequency band provides more information about the tissue interiors which help us to better understand the biological tissues anatomy, physiology, and pathology. Over past few decades, a number of impedance based noninvasive tissue characterization techniques such as bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), electrical impedance plethysmography (IPG), impedance cardiography (ICG), and electrical impedance tomography (EIT) have been proposed and a lot of research works have been conducted on these methods for noninvasive tissue characterization and disease diagnosis. In this paper BIA, EIS, IPG, ICG, and EIT techniques and their applications in different fields have been reviewed and technical perspective of these impedance methods has been presented. The working principles, applications, merits, and demerits of these methods has been discussed in detail along with their other technical issues followed by present status and future trends. PMID:27006932

Electrohydrodynamics of a particle-covered drop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouriemi, Malika; Vlahovska, Petia

2014-11-01

We study the dynamics of a drop nearly-completely covered with a particle monolayer in a uniform DC electric field. The weakly conducting fluid system consists of a silicon oil drop suspended in castor oil. A broad range of particle sizes, conductivities, and shapes is explored. In weak electric fields, the presence of particles increases drop deformation compared to a particle-free drop and suppresses the electrohydrodynamic flow. Very good agreement is observed between the measured drop deformation and the small deformation theory derived for surfactant-laden drops (Nganguia et al., 2013). In stronger electric fields, where drops are expected to undergo Quincke rotation (Salipante and Vlahovska, 2010), the presence of the particles greatly decreases the threshold for rotation and the stationary tilted drop configuration observed for clean drop is replaced by a spinning drop with either a wobbling inclination or a very low inclination. These behaviors resemble the predicted response of rigid ellipsoids in uniform electric fields. At even stronger electric fields, the particles can form dynamic wings or the drop implodes. The similar behavior of particle-covered and surfactant-laden drops provides new insights into understanding stability of Pickering emulsions. Supported by NSF-CBET 1437545.

Methylammonium lead iodide grain boundaries exhibit depth-dependent electrical properties

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

MacDonald, Gordon A.; Yang, Mengjin; Berweger, Samuel

In this paper, the nanoscale through-film and lateral photo-response and conductivity of large-grained methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI 3) thin films are studied. In perovskite solar cells (PSC), these films result in efficiencies >17%. The grain boundaries (GBs) show high resistance at the top surface of the film, and act as an impediment to photocurrent collection. However, lower resistance pathways between grains exist below the top surface of the film, indicating that there exists a depth-dependent resistance of GBs (R GB(z)). Furthermore, lateral conductivity measurements indicate that R GB(z) exhibits GB-to-GB heterogeneity. These results indicate that increased photocurrent collection along GBsmore » is not a prerequisite for high-efficiency PSCs. Rather, better control of depth-dependent GB electrical properties, and an improvement in the homogeneity of the GB-to-GB electrical properties, must be managed to enable further improvements in PSC efficiency. Finally, these results refute the implicit assumption seen in the literature that the electrical properties of GBs, as measured at the top surface of the perovskite film, necessarily reflect the electrical properties of GBs within the thickness of the film.« less

Electrical Signals in Prayer Plants (Marantaceae)? Insights into the Trigger Mechanism of the Explosive Style Movement

PubMed Central

Jerominek, Markus; Claßen-Bockhoff, Regine

2015-01-01

The explosive pollination mechanism of the prayer plants (Marantaceae) is unique among plants. After a tactile stimulus by a pollinator, the style curls up rapidly and mediates pollen exchange. It is still under discussion whether this explosive movement is released electrophysiologically, i.e. by a change in the membrane potential (as in Venus flytrap), or purely mechanically. In the present study, electrophysiological experiments are conducted to clarify the mechanism. Artificial release experiments (chemical and electrical) and electrophysiological measurements were conducted with two phylogenetically distant species, Goeppertia bachemiana (E. Morren) Borchs. & S. Suárez and Donax canniformis (G. Forst.) K. Schum. Electric responses recorded after style release by extracellular measurements are characterised as variation potentials due to their long repolarization phase and lack of self-perpetuation. In both species, chemical and electric stimulations do not release the style movement. It is concluded that the style movement in Marantaceae is released mechanically by relieving the tissue pressure. Accordingly, the variation potential is an effect of the movement and not its cause. The study exemplarily shows that fast movements in plants are not necessarily initiated by electric changes of the membrane as known from the Venus flytrap. PMID:25997015

Electrical signals in prayer plants (marantaceae)? Insights into the trigger mechanism of the explosive style movement.

PubMed

Jerominek, Markus; Claßen-Bockhoff, Regine

2015-01-01

The explosive pollination mechanism of the prayer plants (Marantaceae) is unique among plants. After a tactile stimulus by a pollinator, the style curls up rapidly and mediates pollen exchange. It is still under discussion whether this explosive movement is released electrophysiologically, i.e. by a change in the membrane potential (as in Venus flytrap), or purely mechanically. In the present study, electrophysiological experiments are conducted to clarify the mechanism. Artificial release experiments (chemical and electrical) and electrophysiological measurements were conducted with two phylogenetically distant species, Goeppertia bachemiana (E. Morren) Borchs. & S. Suárez and Donax canniformis (G. Forst.) K. Schum. Electric responses recorded after style release by extracellular measurements are characterised as variation potentials due to their long repolarization phase and lack of self-perpetuation. In both species, chemical and electric stimulations do not release the style movement. It is concluded that the style movement in Marantaceae is released mechanically by relieving the tissue pressure. Accordingly, the variation potential is an effect of the movement and not its cause. The study exemplarily shows that fast movements in plants are not necessarily initiated by electric changes of the membrane as known from the Venus flytrap.

Methylammonium lead iodide grain boundaries exhibit depth-dependent electrical properties

DOE PAGES

MacDonald, Gordon A.; Yang, Mengjin; Berweger, Samuel; ...

2016-09-23

In this paper, the nanoscale through-film and lateral photo-response and conductivity of large-grained methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI 3) thin films are studied. In perovskite solar cells (PSC), these films result in efficiencies >17%. The grain boundaries (GBs) show high resistance at the top surface of the film, and act as an impediment to photocurrent collection. However, lower resistance pathways between grains exist below the top surface of the film, indicating that there exists a depth-dependent resistance of GBs (R GB(z)). Furthermore, lateral conductivity measurements indicate that R GB(z) exhibits GB-to-GB heterogeneity. These results indicate that increased photocurrent collection along GBsmore » is not a prerequisite for high-efficiency PSCs. Rather, better control of depth-dependent GB electrical properties, and an improvement in the homogeneity of the GB-to-GB electrical properties, must be managed to enable further improvements in PSC efficiency. Finally, these results refute the implicit assumption seen in the literature that the electrical properties of GBs, as measured at the top surface of the perovskite film, necessarily reflect the electrical properties of GBs within the thickness of the film.« less

A novel single-stranded DNA detection method based on organic semiconductor heterojunction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Wen; Liu, Hongbo; Zhang, Xia; Zhang, Hao; Chen, Xiong; Wang, Jun

2016-12-01

We demonstrate a novel DNA detection method with low-cost and disposable advantages by utilizing F16CuPc/CuPc planar organic heterojunction device. Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules have been well immobilized on the surface of CuPc film observed by atomic force microscopy, producing an obvious electrical response of the device. The conductivity of the organic heterojunction film was significantly increased by ssDNA immobilization because ssDNA molecules brought additional positive charges at heterojunction interface. Furthermore, the thickness dependence of CuPc upper layer on the electrical response was studied to optimize the sensitivity. This study will be helpful for the development of organic heterojunction based biosensors.

Method of Fault Detection and Rerouting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2013-01-01

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

Electro-Conductive Membranes for Permeation Enhancement and Fouling Mitigation: A Short Review

PubMed Central

Pantuso, Elvira; De Filpo, Giovanni; Nicoletta, Fiore Pasquale

2017-01-01

The research on electro-conductive membranes has expanded in recent years. These membranes have strong prospective as key components in next generation water treatment plants because they are engineered in order to enhance their performance in terms of separation, flux, fouling potential, and permselectivity. The present review summarizes recent developments in the preparation of electro-conductive membranes and the mechanisms of their response to external electric voltages in order to obtain an improvement in permeation and mitigation in the fouling growth. In particular, this paper deals with the properties of electro-conductive polymers and the preparation of electro-conductive polymer membranes with a focus on responsive membranes based on polyaniline, polypyrrole and carbon nanotubes. Then, some examples of electro-conductive membranes for permeation enhancement and fouling mitigation by electrostatic repulsion, hydrogen peroxide generation and electrochemical oxidation will be presented. PMID:28788091

Quantifying microbe-mineral interactions leading to remotely detectable induced polarization signals

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

Ntarlagiannis, Dimitrios; Moysey, Stephen; Dean, Delphine

2013-11-14

The objective of this project was to investigate controls on induced polarization responses in porous media. The approach taken in the project was to compare electrical measurements made on mineral surfaces with atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques to observations made at the column-scale using traditional spectral induced polarization measurements. In the project we evaluated a number of techniques for investigating the surface properties of materials, including the development of a new AFM measurement protocol that utilizes an external electric field to induce grain-scale polarizations that can be probed using a charged AFM tip. The experiments we performed focused on idealizedmore » systems (i.e., glass beads and silica gel) where we could obtain the high degree of control needed to understand how changes in the pore environment, which are determined by biogeochemical controls in the subsurface, affect mechanisms contributing to complex electrical conductivity, i.e., conduction and polarization, responses. The studies we performed can be classified into those affecting the chemical versus physical properties of the grain surface and pore space. Chemical alterations of the surface focused on evaluating how changes in pore fluid pH and ionic composition control surface conduction. These were performed as column flow through experiments where the pore fluid was exchanged in a column of silica gel. Given that silica gel has a high surface area due to internal grain porosity, high-quality data could be obtained where the chemical influences on the surface are clearly apparent and qualitatively consistent with theories of grain (i.e., Stern layer) polarization controlled by electrostatic surface sorption processes (i.e., triple layer theory). Quantitative fitting of the results by existing process-based polarization models (e.g., Leroy et al., 2008) has been less successful, however, due to what we have attributed to differences between existing models developed for spherical grains versus the actual geometry associated with the nano-pores in the silica gel, though other polarization processes, e.g., proton hopping along the surface (Skold et al., 2013), may also be a contributing factor. As an alternative model-independent approach to confirming the link between surface sorption and SIP we initiated a study that will continue (unfunded) beyond the completion of this project to independently measure the accumulation of gamma emitting isotopes on the silica gel during the SIP monitoring experiments. Though our analyses of the project data are ongoing, our preliminary analyses are generally supportive of the grain (Stern layer) polarization theory of SIP. Experiments focused on evaluating the impact of physical modifications of the medium on polarization included etching and biotic and abiotic facilitated precipitation of carbonate and iron oxides to alter the roughness and electrical conductivity of the surfaces. These experiments were performed for both silica gel and glass beads, the latter of which lacked the interior porosity and high surface area of the silica gel. The results appear to be more nuanced that the chemical modifications of the system. In general, however, it was found that deposition of iron oxides and etching had relatively minimal or negative impacts on the polarization response of the medium, whereas carbonate coatings increased the polarization response. These results were generally consistent with changes in surface charge observed via AFM. Abiotic and biotic column flow through experiments demonstrated that precipitation of carbonate within the medium significantly impacted the real and imaginary conductivity over time in a manner generally consistent with the carbonate precipitation as observed from the batch grain coating experiments. Biotic effects were not observed to provide distinctly different signatures, but may have contributed to differences in the rate of changes observed with SIP. AFM was used in a variety of different ways to investigate the grain surfaces throughout the course of the project. Standard imaging methods were used to evaluate surface roughness and charge density, which showed that these data could provide qualitative insights about consistency between surface trends and the electrical behavior at the column scale (for the case of glass beads). Polarization and conductive force microscopy (PCFM) measurements were developed by the original project PI (Treavor Kendall), which illustrated the importance of the initial few monolayers of water on the mineral surface for producing surface conductivity. The technique allowed for initial local estimates of complex electrical conductivity on mineral surfaces, but could not be pursued after Kendall left the project due to phase locking limitations with the AFM instrument at Clemson and an inability to perform measurements in solution, which limited their value for linking the measurements to column-scale SIP responses. As a result, co-PI Dean developed a new methodology for making AFM measurements within an externally applied electric field. In this method, the charged tip of an AFM probe is brought within the proximity of a polarization domain while an external electric field is applied to the sample. The premise of the approach is that the tip will be attracted to or rebound from charge accumulations on the surface, which allow for detection of the local polarization response. Initial experiments showed promise in terms of the general trends of responses observed, though we have not yet been able to develop a quantitative interpretation technique that can be applied to predicting column scale responses.« less

Quantifying Microbe-Mineral Interactions Leading to Remotely Detectable Induced Polarization Signals (Final Project Report)

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

Moysey, Stephen; Dean, Delphine; Dimitrios, Ntarlagiannis

2013-11-13

The objective of this project was to investigate controls on induced polarization responses in porous media. The approach taken in the project was to compare electrical measurements made on mineral surfaces with atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques to observations made at the column-scale using traditional spectral induced polarization measurements. In the project we evaluated a number of techniques for investigating the surface properties of materials, including the development of a new AFM measurement protocol that utilizes an external electric field to induce grain-scale polarizations that can be probed using a charged AFM tip. The experiments we performed focused on idealizedmore » systems (i.e., glass beads and silica gel) where we could obtain the high degree of control needed to understand how changes in the pore environment, which are determined by biogeochemical controls in the subsurface, affect mechanisms contributing to complex electrical conductivity, i.e., conduction and polarization, responses. The studies we performed can be classified into those affecting the chemical versus physical properties of the grain surface and pore space. Chemical alterations of the surface focused on evaluating how changes in pore fluid pH and ionic composition control surface conduction. These were performed as column flow through experiments where the pore fluid was exchanged in a column of silica gel. Given that silica gel has a high surface area due to internal grain porosity, high-quality data could be obtained where the chemical influences on the surface are clearly apparent and qualitatively consistent with theories of grain (i.e., Stern layer) polarization controlled by electrostatic surface sorption processes (i.e., triple layer theory). Quantitative fitting of the results by existing process-based polarization models (e.g., Leroy et al., 2008) has been less successful, however, due to what we have attributed to differences between existing models developed for spherical grains versus the actual geometry associated with the nano-pores in the silica gel, though other polarization processes, e.g., proton hopping along the surface (Skold et al., 2013), may also be a contributing factor. As an alternative model-independent approach to confirming the link between surface sorption and SIP we initiated a study that will continue (unfunded) beyond the completion of this project to independently measure the accumulation of gamma emitting isotopes on the silica gel during the SIP monitoring experiments. Though our analyses of the project data are ongoing, our preliminary analyses are generally supportive of the grain (Stern layer) polarization theory of SIP. Experiments focused on evaluating the impact of physical modifications of the medium on polarization included etching and biotic and abiotic facilitated precipitation of carbonate and iron oxides to alter the roughness and electrical conductivity of the surfaces. These experiments were performed for both silica gel and glass beads, the latter of which lacked the interior porosity and high surface area of the silica gel. The results appear to be more nuanced that the chemical modifications of the system. In general, however, it was found that deposition of iron oxides and etching had relatively minimal or negative impacts on the polarization response of the medium, whereas carbonate coatings increased the polarization response. These results were generally consistent with changes in surface charge observed via AFM. Abiotic and biotic column flow through experiments demonstrated that precipitation of carbonate within the medium significantly impacted the real and imaginary conductivity over time in a manner generally consistent with the carbonate precipitation as observed from the batch grain coating experiments. Biotic effects were not observed to provide distinctly different signatures, but may have contributed to differences in the rate of changes observed with SIP. AFM was used in a variety of different ways to investigate the grain surfaces throughout the course of the project. Standard imaging methods were used to evaluate surface roughness and charge density, which showed that these data could provide qualitative insights about consistency between surface trends and the electrical behavior at the column scale (for the case of glass beads). Polarization and conductive force microscopy (PCFM) measurements were developed by the original project PI (Treavor Kendall), which illustrated the importance of the initial few monolayers of water on the mineral surface for producing surface conductivity. The technique allowed for initial local estimates of complex electrical conductivity on mineral surfaces, but could not be pursued after Kendall left the project due to phase locking limitations with the AFM instrument at Clemson and an inability to perform measurements in solution, which limited their value for linking the measurements to column-scale SIP responses. As a result, co-PI Dean developed a new methodology for making AFM measurements within an externally applied electric field. In this method, the charged tip of an AFM probe is brought within the proximity of a polarization domain while an external electric field is applied to the sample. The premise of the approach is that the tip will be attracted to or rebound from charge accumulations on the surface, which allow for detection of the local polarization response. Initial experiments showed promise in terms of the general trends of responses observed, though we have not yet been able to develop a quantitative interpretation technique that can be applied to predicting column scale responses.« less

Micro-machined thin film hydrogen gas sensor, and method of making and using the same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DiMeo, Jr., Frank (Inventor); Bhandari, Gautam (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A hydrogen sensor including a thin film sensor element formed, e.g., by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD), on a microhotplate structure. The thin film sensor element includes a film of a hydrogen-interactive metal film that reversibly interacts with hydrogen to provide a correspondingly altered response characteristic, such as optical transmissivity, electrical conductance, electrical resistance, electrical capacitance, magnetoresistance, photoconductivity, etc., relative to the response characteristic of the film in the absence of hydrogen. The hydrogen-interactive metal film may be overcoated with a thin film hydrogen-permeable barrier layer to protect the hydrogen-interactive film from deleterious interaction with non-hydrogen species. The hydrogen sensor of the invention may be usefully employed for the detection of hydrogen in an environment susceptible to the incursion or generation of hydrogen and may be conveniently configured as a hand-held apparatus.

Effect of rotating electric field on 3D complex (dusty) plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wörner, L.; Nosenko, V.; Ivlev, A. V.; Zhdanov, S. K.; Thomas, H. M.; Morfill, G. E.; Kroll, M.; Schablinski, J.; Block, D.

2011-06-01

The effect of rotating electric field on 3D particle clusters suspended in rf plasma was studied experimentally. Spheroidal clusters were suspended inside a glass box mounted on the lower horizontal rf electrode, with gravity partially balanced by thermophoretic force. Clusters rotated in the horizontal plane, in response to rotating electric field that was created inside the box using conducting coating on its inner surfaces ("rotating wall" technique). Cluster rotation was always in the direction of applied field and had a shear in the vertical direction. The angular speed of rotation was 104-107 times lower than applied frequency. The experiment is compared to a recent theory.

Electric-field control of conductance in metal quantum point contacts by electric-double-layer gating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibata, K.; Yoshida, K.; Daiguji, K.; Sato, H.; , T., Ii; Hirakawa, K.

2017-10-01

An electric-field control of quantized conductance in metal (gold) quantum point contacts (QPCs) is demonstrated by adopting a liquid-gated electric-double-layer (EDL) transistor geometry. Atomic-scale gold QPCs were fabricated by applying the feedback-controlled electrical break junction method to the gold nanojunction. The electric conductance in gold QPCs shows quantized conductance plateaus and step-wise increase/decrease by the conductance quantum, G0 = 2e2/h, as EDL-gate voltage is swept, demonstrating a modulation of the conductance of gold QPCs by EDL gating. The electric-field control of conductance in metal QPCs may open a way for their application to local charge sensing at room temperature.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-11-01

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

Stacked switchable element and diode combination with a low breakdown switchable element

DOEpatents

Wang, Qi [Littleton, CO; Ward, James Scott [Englewood, CO; Hu, Jian [Englewood, CO; Branz, Howard M [Boulder, CO

2012-06-19

A device (10) comprises a semiconductor diode (12) and a switchable element (14) positioned in stacked adjacent relationship. The semiconductor diode (12) and the switchable element (14) are electrically connected in series with one another. The switchable element (14) is switchable from a low-conductance state to a high-conductance state in response to the application of a low-density forming current and/or a low voltage.

Compositos CNTs/bioceramico para a estimulacao eletrica ossea in situ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mata, Diogo Miguel Rodrigues Marinho da

The present thesis aims to develop a biocompatible and electroconductor bone graft containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that allows the in situ regeneration of bone cells by applying pulsed external electrical stimuli. The CNTs were produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) by a semi-continuous method with a yield of 500 mg/day. The deposition parameters were optimised to obtain high pure CNTs 99.96% with controlled morphologies, fundamental requisites for the biomedical application under study. The chemical functionalisation of CNTs was also optimised to maximise their processability and biocompatibility. The CNTs were functionalised by the Diels-Alder cycloaddition of 1,3-butadiene. The biological behaviour of the functionalised CNTs was evaluated in vitro with the osteoblastic cells line MG63 and in vivo, by subcutaneous implantation in rats. The materials did not induce an expressed inflammatory response, but the functionalised CNTs showed a superior in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility than the non-functionalised ones. Composites of ceramic matrix, of bioglass (Glass) and hydroxyapatite (HA), reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNT/Glass/HA) were processed by a wet approach. The incorporation of just 4.4 vol% of CNTs allowed the increase of 10 orders of magnitude of the electrical conductivity of the matrix. In vitro studies with MG63 cells show that the CNT/Glass/HA composites guarantee the adhesion and proliferation of bone cells, and stimulate their phenotype expression, namely the alkaline phosphate (ALP). The interactions between the composite materials and the culture medium (α-MEM), under an applied electrical external field, were studied by scanning vibrating electrode technique. An increase of the culture medium electrical conductivity and the electrical field confinement in the presence of the conductive samples submerged in the medium was demonstrated. The in vitro electrical stimulation of MG63 cells on the conductive composites promotes the increase of the cell metabolic activity and DNA content by 130% and 60%, relatively to the non-stimulated condition, after only 3 days of daily stimulation of 15 μA for 15 min. Moreover, the osteoblastic gene expression for Runx2, osteocalcin (OC) and ALP was enhanced by 80%, 50% and 25%, after 5 days of stimulation. Instead, for dielectric materials, the stimulus delivering was less efficient, giving an equal or lower cellular response than the non-stimulated condition. The proposed electroconductive bone grafts offer exciting possibilities in bone regeneration strategies by delivering in situ electrical stimulus to cells and consequent control of the new bone tissue formation rate. It is expected that conductive smart biomaterials might turn the selective bone electrotherapy of clinical relevance by decreasing the postoperative healing times.

Thermoreversible Morphology and Conductivity of a Conjugated Polymer Network Embedded in Block Copolymer Self-Assemblies

DOE PAGES

Han, Youngkyu; Carrillo, Jan-Michael Y.; Zhang, Zhe; ...

2016-07-19

Self-assembly of block copolymers provides numerous opportunities to create functional materials, utilizing self-assembled microdomains with a variety of morphology and periodic architectures as templates for functional nanofillers. Here new progress is reported toward the fabrication of thermally responsive and electrically conductive polymeric self-assemblies made from a water-soluble poly(thiophene) derivative with short poly(ethylene oxide) side chains and Pluronic L62 block copolymer solution in water. The structural and electrical properties of conjugated polymer-embedded self-assembled architectures are investigated by combining small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering, coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, and impedance spectroscopy. The L62 solution template organizes the conjugated polymers by stably incorporatingmore » them into the hydrophilic domains thus inhibiting aggregation. The changing morphology of L62 during the micellarto- lamellar phase transition defines the embedded conjugated polymer network. As a result, the conductivity is strongly coupled to the structural change of the templating L62 phase and exhibits thermally reversible behavior with no signs of quenching of the conductivity at high temperature. In conclusion, this study shows promise for enabling more flexibility in processing and utilizing water-soluble conjugated polymers in aqueous solutions for self-assembly based fabrication of stimuli-responsive nanostructures and sensory materials.« less

Thermoreversible Morphology and Conductivity of a Conjugated Polymer Network Embedded in Block Copolymer Self-Assemblies

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

Han, Youngkyu; Carrillo, Jan-Michael Y.; Zhang, Zhe

Self-assembly of block copolymers provides numerous opportunities to create functional materials, utilizing self-assembled microdomains with a variety of morphology and periodic architectures as templates for functional nanofillers. Here new progress is reported toward the fabrication of thermally responsive and electrically conductive polymeric self-assemblies made from a water-soluble poly(thiophene) derivative with short poly(ethylene oxide) side chains and Pluronic L62 block copolymer solution in water. The structural and electrical properties of conjugated polymer-embedded self-assembled architectures are investigated by combining small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering, coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, and impedance spectroscopy. The L62 solution template organizes the conjugated polymers by stably incorporatingmore » them into the hydrophilic domains thus inhibiting aggregation. The changing morphology of L62 during the micellarto- lamellar phase transition defines the embedded conjugated polymer network. As a result, the conductivity is strongly coupled to the structural change of the templating L62 phase and exhibits thermally reversible behavior with no signs of quenching of the conductivity at high temperature. In conclusion, this study shows promise for enabling more flexibility in processing and utilizing water-soluble conjugated polymers in aqueous solutions for self-assembly based fabrication of stimuli-responsive nanostructures and sensory materials.« less

Electrical conductivity modeling in fractal non-saturated porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, W.; Cai, J.; Hu, X.; Han, Q.

2016-12-01

The variety of electrical conductivity in non-saturated conditions is important to study electric conduction in natural sedimentary rocks. The electrical conductivity in completely saturated porous media is a porosity-function representing the complex connected behavior of single conducting phases (pore fluid). For partially saturated conditions, the electrical conductivity becomes even more complicated since the connectedness of pore. Archie's second law is an empirical electrical conductivity-porosity and -saturation model that has been used to predict the formation factor of non-saturated porous rock. However, the physical interpretation of its parameters, e.g., the cementation exponent m and the saturation exponent n, remains questionable. On basis of our previous work, we combine the pore-solid fractal (PSF) model to build an electrical conductivity model in non-saturated porous media. Our theoretical porosity- and saturation-dependent models contain endmember properties, such as fluid electrical conductivities, pore fractal dimension and tortuosity fractal dimension (representing the complex degree of electrical flowing path). We find the presented model with non-saturation-dependent electrical conductivity datasets indicate excellent match between theory and experiments. This means the value of pore fractal dimension and tortuosity fractal dimension change from medium to medium and depends not only on geometrical properties of pore structure but also characteristics of electrical current flowing in the non-saturated porous media.

One year analysis of time-lapse electrical data on a clayey landslide: identification of elementary hydrological processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gance, Julien; Sailhac, Pascal; Malet, Jean-Philippe; Supper, Robert; Jochum, Birgit; Ottowittz, David; Grandjean, Gilles

2014-05-01

Water infiltration, evaporation and runoff are responsible of changes in the topsoil water content and can influence slope stability which is very often the main controlling factor of landslide triggering. In this work, time-lapse monitoring of electrical conductivity is used to observe variations in soil water contents. Based on recent work which demonstrated the possibility of monitoring the hydrological response of a clayey slope to controlled rainfall experiments, we installed an electrical monitoring system at the Super-Sauze landslide for long-term observation. We used the GEOMON4D resistivimeter (developed by the Austrian Geological Surve) and specifically designed for experiments needing high rate of data acquisition, records of full signal samples for noise detection, remote controlled management and automatic data transfer. The electrode positions varying with time, we installed two cameras to control the position of the electrodes. Several hydrological sensors were also installed along the profile to measure soil temperature, groundwater temperature, groundwater level, groundwater conductivity and soil humidity. The challenge is the processing of 4.2 million of electrical resistivity data. In this difficult context, the possible factors controlling changes in resistivity values are the movement of the electrodes, the soil and water temperature, the change of porosity due to compaction and the soil degree of saturation. Therefore, before any inversion, the presence of possible 3D effects, and the measurement accuracy and uncertainty are assessed. A threshold in apparent resistivity change that could correspond to a change in soil saturation is determined. From those results, we investigate variations in the apparent resistivity. Responses to different hydrological processes (soil freezing/thawing, snow-melting, intense rainfall) occurring during the period of study are detected on resistivity values inversed on short periods.

Formative Research in the Production of Television for Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Edward L.

The Children's Television Workshop (CTW), responsible for the programs "Sesame Street" and "The Electric Company", conducted extensive research into the systematic use of television to promote the social, emotional, and intellectual growth of young children. Working without precedents in the field of formative research…

International Aerospace and Ground Conference on Lightning and Static Electricity. 1984 technical papers. Supplement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The indirect effects of lightning on digital systems, ground system protection, and the corrosion properties of conductive materials are addressed. The responses of a UH-60A helicopter and tactical shelters to lightning and nuclear electromagnetic pulses are discussed.

Analytical solution of electromagnetic radiation by a vertical electric dipole inside the earth and the effect of atmospheric electrical conductivity inhomogeneity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosayebidorcheh, Taha; Hosseinibalam, Fahimeh; Hassanzadeh, Smaeyl

2017-11-01

In this paper, the effect of atmospheric electrical conductivity on the electromagnetic waves radiated by a vertical electric dipole located in the earth, near the surface of the earth, is investigated. As far as electrical conductivity is concerned, the atmosphere is divided into three areas, in which the electrical conductivity changes with altitude. The Maxwell equations in these areas are investigated as well. Using the differential transform method, the differential equation is solved in a way that atmospheric electrical conductivity is variable. Solving the problem in these areas indicates that electrical conductivity in the middle and lower areas of atmosphere may be ignored. However, in the upper areas of atmosphere, the magnitude of the magnetic field in the ionosphere at a frequency of 10 kHz at night is five times smaller when electrical conductivity is considered compared to when it is neglected.

Electrical resistivity tomography as monitoring tool for unsaturated zone transport: an example of preferential transport of deicing chemicals.

PubMed

Wehrer, Markus; Lissner, Heidi; Bloem, Esther; French, Helen; Totsche, Kai Uwe

2014-01-01

Non-invasive spatially resolved monitoring techniques may hold the key to observe heterogeneous flow and transport behavior of contaminants in soils. In this study, time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was employed during an infiltration experiment with deicing chemical in a small field lysimeter. Deicing chemicals like potassium formate, which frequently impact soils on airport sites, were infiltrated during snow melt. Chemical composition of seepage water and the electrical response was recorded over the spring period 2010. Time-lapse electrical resistivity tomographs are able to show the infiltration of the melt water loaded with ionic constituents of deicing chemicals and their degradation product hydrogen carbonate. The tomographs indicate early breakthrough behavior in parts of the profile. Groundtruthing with pore fluid conductivity and water content variations shows disagreement between expected and observed bulk conductivity. This was attributed to the different sampling volume of traditional methods and ERT due to a considerable fraction of immobile water in the soil. The results show that ERT can be used as a soil monitoring tool on airport sites if assisted by common soil monitoring techniques.

Anatomical and morphogenetic analysis of seismoelectric conversion patterns at geological units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kröger, B.; Kemna, A.

2012-04-01

Characterisation of the hydraulic properties of a reservoir, such as porosity and permeability, and their spatial distribution plays an important role in many subsurface geophysical investigations. A fully developed seismoelectric exploration method is very appealing since it would offer the potential to directly determine these parameters in field-scale applications. In fluid-saturated rocks, seismic waves can generate electromagnetic fields, due to electrokinetic coupling mechanisms at the fluid-mineral interface. Using numerical modelling, we investigated the spatio-temporal occurrence and evolution of the seismoelectric effects that occur in spatially confined lithological units. Such geometries may represent clay lenses embedded in an aquifer or petroleum deposits in a host rock. For the modelling, we use a simplified time-domain formulation of the coupled physical problem and its efficient implementation in a 2D finite-element framework. Two occurring seismoelectric phenomena are investigated: (1) the co-seismic field associated with the seismic displacement at each point and (2) the interface response generated at layer boundaries. To gain insight into the morphogenetic field behaviour of the seismoelectric effects, we run numerical simulations using several material parameter set-ups for various target geometries. Accordingly, we varied both the thickness of the confined units and the value of the electrical bulk conductivity in the considered media. The analysis of the seismoelectric effects revealed an important difference in the generation of the interface response at either electrically conductive or resistive units. We find that the contrast in the electrical bulk conductivity between the host rock and the target geological unit controls the shape and structure of the seismoelectric conversion patterns. Our results show that the seismoelectric interface response captures both the petrophysical and geometrical characteristics of the converting geological unit. The considered models indicate the general potential of using the seismoelectric interface response for reservoir characterisation in hydrogeological or hydrocarbon exploration studies.

Electrical Conductivity Distributions in Discrete Fluid-Filled Fractures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, S. C.; Ahmmed, B.; Knox, H. A.; Johnson, T.; Dunbar, J. A.

2017-12-01

It is commonly asserted that hydraulic fracturing enhances permeability by generating new fractures in the reservoir. Furthermore, it is assumed that in the fractured system predominant flow occurs in these newly formed and pre-existing fractures. Among the phenomenology that remains enigmatic are fluid distributions inside fractures. Therefore, determining fluid distribution and their associated temporal and spatial evolution in fractures is critical for safe and efficient hydraulic fracturing. Previous studies have used both forward modeling and inversion of electrical data to show that a geologic system consisting of fluid filled fractures has a conductivity distribution, where fractures act as electrically conductive bodies when the fluids are more conductive than the host material. We will use electrical inversion for estimating electrical conductivity distribution within multiple fractures from synthetic and measured data. Specifically, we will use data and well geometries from an experiment performed at Blue Canyon Dome in Socorro, NM, which was used as a study site for subsurface technology, engineering, and research (SubTER) funded by DOE. This project used a central borehole for energetically stimulating the system and four monitoring boreholes, emplaced in the cardinal directions. The electrical data taken during this project used 16 temporary electrodes deployed in the stimulation borehole and 64 permanent electrodes in the monitoring wells (16 each). We present results derived using E4D from scenarios with two discrete fractures, thereby discovering the electric potential response of both spatially and temporarily variant fluid distribution and the resolution of fluid and fracture boundaries. These two fractures have dimensions of 3m × 0.01m × 7m and are separated by 1m. These results can be used to develop stimulation and flow tests at the meso-scale that will be important for model validation. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-mission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

Inferences about Membrane Properties from Electrical Noise Measurements

PubMed Central

Stevens, Charles F.

1972-01-01

Four sources of electrical noise in biological membranes, each with a different physical basis, are discussed; the analysis of each type of noise potentially yields a different sort of information about membrane properties. (a) From the thermal noise spectrum, the passive membrane impedance may be obtained, so that thermal noise measurements are essentially equivalent to the type of since wave analysis carried out by Cole and Curtis. (b) If adequately high frequency measurements could be made, the shot noise spectrum should give information about the average motion of a single ion within the membrane. (c) The number of charge carriers and single ion mobilities within the membrane can possibly be inferred from measurements of noise with a 1/f spectrum. Available data indicate, for example, that increases in axon membrane conductance are not achieved by modulations in the mobility of ions within the membrane. (d) Fluctuations arising from the mechanisms normally responsible for membrane conductance changes can produce a type of electrical noise. Analysis of such conductance fluctuations provides a way to assess the validity of various microscopic models for the behavior of individual channels. Two different probabilistic interpretations of the Hodgkin-Huxley equations are investigated here and shown to yield different predictions about the spectrum of conductance fluctuations; thus, appropriate noise measurements may serve to eliminate certain classes of microscopic models for membrane conductance changes. Further, it is shown how the analysis of conductance fluctuations can, in some circumstances, provide an estimate of the conductance of a single channel. PMID:5044577

Some physiological responses of wheat and bean to soil salinity at low matric suctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khatar, Mahnaz; Mohammadi, Mohammad Hossein; Shekari, Farid

2017-01-01

The effect of soil matric suction (2-33 kPa) and salinity (soil solution electrical conductivity 0.7-8 dS m-1 for bean and 2-20 dS m-1 for wheat) on some physiological characteristics of bean and wheat in a clay loam soil under greenhouse condition was investigated. The results showed that the leaf chlorophyll content index and potassium concentration decrease under salinity stress and increase with matric suction from 2 to 33 kPa suction for both plants. The wheat chlorophyll content index declines during the stress spell but bean chlorophyll content index remains nearly constant. The lowest values of the content of soluble sugars and the highest values of leaf proline content are observed at2 kPa matric suction (highest aeration stress) for bean and wheat. As matric suction increases from 2 to 6 kPa, the soluble sugars increases and proline content decreases significantly and then soluble sugars decreases and proline content increases until 10 kPa suction, and the soluble sugars remains nearly constant at the higher matric suctions for both plants. While the electrical conductivity effect on the soluble sugars is not significant, the values of proline content for both crop increase significantly with electrical conductivity. It was shown that the aeration stress can result in more considerable and rapid physiological responses, in comparison with salinity stress. There is a strong correlation between wheat and bean chlorophyll content index and potassium concentration under salinity and aeration stresses.

Conductive fabric seal

DOEpatents

Livesay, Ronald Jason; Mason, Brandon William; Kuhn, Michael Joseph; Rowe, Nathan Carl

2017-04-04

Disclosed are several examples of a system and method for detecting if an article is being tampered with. Included is a covering made of a substrate that is coated with a layer of an electrically conductive material that forms an electrically conductive surface having an electrical resistance. The covering is configured to at least partially encapsulate the article such that the article cannot be tampered with, without modifying the electrical resistance of the electrically conductive surface of the covering. A sensing device is affixed to the electrically conductive surface of the covering and the sensing device monitors the condition of the covering by producing a signal that is indicative of the electrical resistance of the electrically conductive surface of the covering. A measured electrical resistance that differs from a nominal electrical resistance is indicative of a covering that is being tampered with and an alert is communicated to an observer.

Conductive fabric seal

DOEpatents

Livesay, Ronald Jason; Mason, Brandon William; Kuhn, Michael Joseph; Rowe, Nathan Carl

2015-10-13

Disclosed are several examples of a system and method for detecting if an article is being tampered with. Included is a covering made of a substrate that is coated with a layer of an electrically conductive material that forms an electrically conductive surface having an electrical resistance. The covering is configured to at least partially encapsulate the article such that the article cannot be tampered with, without modifying the electrical resistance of the electrically conductive surface of the covering. A sensing device is affixed to the electrically conductive surface of the covering and the sensing device monitors the condition of the covering by producing a signal that is indicative of the electrical resistance of the electrically conductive surface of the covering. A measured electrical resistance that differs from a nominal electrical resistance is indicative of a covering that is being tampered with and an alert is communicated to an observer.

An analysis of electrical conductivity model in saturated porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, J.; Wei, W.; Qin, X.; Hu, X.

2017-12-01

Electrical conductivity of saturated porous media has numerous applications in many fields. In recent years, the number of theoretical methods to model electrical conductivity of complex porous media has dramatically increased. Nevertheless, the process of modeling the spatial conductivity distributed function continues to present challenges when these models used in reservoirs, particularly in porous media with strongly heterogeneous pore-space distributions. Many experiments show a more complex distribution of electrical conductivity data than the predictions derived from the experiential model. Studies have observed anomalously-high electrical conductivity of some low-porosity (tight) formations compared to more- porous reservoir rocks, which indicates current flow in porous media is complex and difficult to predict. Moreover, the change of electrical conductivity depends not only on the pore volume fraction but also on several geometric properties of the more extensive pore network, including pore interconnection and tortuosity. In our understanding of electrical conductivity models in porous media, we study the applicability of several well-known methods/theories to electrical characteristics of porous rocks as a function of pore volume, tortuosity and interconnection, to estimate electrical conductivity based on the micro-geometrical properties of rocks. We analyze the state of the art of scientific knowledge and practice for modeling porous structural systems, with the purpose of identifying current limitations and defining a blueprint for future modeling advances. We compare conceptual descriptions of electrical current flow processes in pore space considering several distinct modeling approaches. Approaches to obtaining more reasonable electrical conductivity models are discussed. Experiments suggest more complex relationships between electrical conductivity and porosity than experiential models, particularly in low-porosity formations. However, the available theoretical models combined with simulations do provide insight to how microscale physics affects macroscale electrical conductivity in porous media.

Effect of carbon nanofillers on the microstructure and electromechanical properties of electroactive polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sigamani, Nirmal Shankar

Both ionic and electronic electroactive polymers (EAPs) have displayed great potential as actuators. Current ionic EAPs have limited practical application due to their slow response time and their low blocked force; furthermore, their ion transport-based mechanism necessitates the presence of an electrolyte, which complicates issues of packaging and device lifetime. On the other hand, despite the advantages of electronic EAPs such as their efficient electromechanical coupling and relatively rapid response time, there are major obstacles blocking their transition to application as well; most notably, they require high actuation voltages (threshold voltage needed to generate electroactive strain) and they have low blocked stress (the stress at which the actuator stops moving). Hence, the main objective of this study was to develop a new kind of polymer nanocomposite for actuator applications that would exhibit simultaneous improvement in both electromechanical response and strain energy density. As a first step, we investigated the impact of the 2-dimensional GO and reduced GO on the electromechanical response of PVDF, a polar polymer. The 1 wt % reduced-GO-PVDF nanocomposites showed a tremendous improvement in dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity. The dielectric permittivity at 1 KHz increased almost eight fold, while the electrical conductivity showed an increase of four orders of magnitude in comparison to the corresponding values for the unmodified PVDF. The reduced GO-PVDF polymer films showed a bending actuation response with a DC electric field, thus demonstrating its potential as EAP. The mechanism responsible for this bending actuation response is determined to be electrostriction, because the strain (S11) exhibited a quadratic response with the applied electric field while Joule heating and Maxwell stress effects were shown to be negligible. Although coefficient of electrostriction of reduced GO-PVDF is higher than most of the existing electroactive polymers, the relatively high electrical conductivity and low breakdown limits their use for practical applications. So next step was to exploit the advantages of a conductive carbon nanostructure while controlling its network to better impact its electrical properties which could also lead to higher breakdown strength. Based on the promising impact of hybrid nanofillers on the ferroelectric polymer PVDF, a similar polymer with a relaxor ferroelectric character is considered owing to its higher inherent electroactive response and higher breakdown strength. Given that it is not broadly studied, there was a need to understand structure-property relationship of the PVDF TrFE CTFE terpolymer. Hence, the effect of processing conditions (such as annealing times and isothermal crystallization temperatures) on the microstructure and the subsequent electromechanical properties were analyzed. This structure-property analysis helped to understand the relation between the different types of crystalline phases and the degrees of crystallinity as well as to observe crystal sizes as they relate to the electric field induced strain. As a final step, the effect of the hybrid SWNT/GO on both microstructure and electromechanical properties of the terpolymer were studied. The hybrid nanofillers were chemically modified to form a covalent bond between them to improve their interaction. The morphology of the hybrid nanofillers after the chemical modification was studied for two different chemical modification routes: one using thionyl chloride, other using NHS and EDAC as catalysts. Of the two methods, the NHS and EDAC catalyst method showed a strong uniform interaction, confirmed by SEM images and FTIR results, with a shift in the peak to 1630 cm-1. Finally, the effect of hybrid SWNT and GO on the electromechanical properties were studied and, interestingly, the hybrid terpolymer nanocomposite film showed a lower electroactive strain compared to pure terpolymer at the same applied electric field. WAXS and DSC results suggest that this reduction is partly due to the change in the crystallinity and to the SWNT hindrance effect on the crystalline phase transformation which is responsible for the electroactive strain. In this dissertation, it was successfully shown that using hybrid SWNT-GO both high coefficient of electrostriction (increase by 60 %) and high breakdown strength (140 MV/m) can be achieved by exploiting the actuation capabilities of SWNT in PVDF while GO acted as insulative filler. Also, the type of the fillers in the nanocomposites route had a strong influence on the actuation mechanism of relaxor ferroelectric polymers. The microstructure-property study highlights the importance of choosing the right type of nanofillers for further advancement in the field of EAPs. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

Origin of temperature dependent conduction of current from n-4H-SiC into silicon dioxide films at high electric fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, An; Xu, Xingliang; Zhang, Lin; Li, Zhiqiang; Li, Juntao; Dai, Gang

2018-02-01

The conduction of current from n-4H-SiC into pyrogenic and dry oxidized films is studied. Anomalous current conduction was observed at a high electric field above 8 MV/cm for dry oxidized metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors, which cannot be interpreted in the framework of pure Fowler-Nordheim tunneling. The temperature-dependent current measurement and density of interface trap estimated from the hi-lo method for the SiO2/4H-SiC interface revealed that the combined current conduction of Fowler-Nordheim and Poole-Frenkel emission is responsible for the current conduction in both pyrogenic and dry oxidized MOS capacitors. Furthermore, the origin of temperature dependent current conduction is the Poole-Frenkel emission via the carbon pair defect trap level at 1.3 eV below the conduction band edge of SiO2. In addition, with the dry oxidized capacitors, the enhanced temperature dependent current above 8 MV/cm is attributed to the PF emission via a trap level at 1.47 eV below the conduction band edge of SiO2, which corresponds to another configuration of a carbon pair defect in SiO2 films.

High conductance surge cable

DOEpatents

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

1998-01-01

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

Development of a nerve conduction technique for the recurrent laryngeal nerve.

PubMed

J Kim, Sang; G Lee, Dae; Kwon, Jeong-Yi

2014-12-01

To develop a reliable and safe laryngeal nerve conduction technique and to obtain consistent parameters as normal reference values. A prospective single-arm study. A nerve conduction test was performed on the contralateral normal side in 42 patients with unilateral vocal fold palsy. The recording was performed in the intact thyroarytenoid muscle using a monopolar needle. The electrical stimulation using a 37-mm monopolar needle was applied 3 cm below the lower margin of the cricoid cartilage, just lateral to the trachea and medial to the carotid artery, and its intensity was gradually increased until the amplitude of the electrical response reached the maximum level. The latency of the evoked muscle response was acquired at the first evoked waveform deflection from the baseline. The average latency of the recurrent laryngeal nerves was 1.98 ± 0.26 ms. The latencies showed normal distribution according to the quantile-quantile plot and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (P = .098). There was no significant difference in latencies between the right and left recurrent laryngeal nerves. Anthropometric factors including height and weight did not show any correlation with the latencies. We developed a reliable and safe laryngeal nerve conduction technique and obtained normal reference values for the recurrent laryngeal nerve conduction study. This laryngeal nerve conduction study can be an additional tool for detecting recurrent laryngeal nerve injury if it is performed in combination with the conventional laryngeal electromyography. 4. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

AC and DC electrical behavior of MWCNT/epoxy nanocomposite near percolation threshold: Equivalent circuits and percolation limits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alizadeh Sahraei, Abolfazl; Ayati, Moosa; Baniassadi, Majid; Rodrigue, Denis; Baghani, Mostafa; Abdi, Yaser

2018-03-01

This study attempts to comprehensively investigate the effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the AC and DC electrical conductivity of epoxy nanocomposites. The samples (0.2, 0.3, and 0.5 wt. % MWCNT) were produced using a combination of ultrason and shear mixing methods. DC measurements were performed by continuous measurement of the current-voltage response and the results were analyzed via a numerical percolation approach, while for the AC behavior, the frequency response was studied by analyzing phase difference and impedance in the 10 Hz to 0.2 MHz frequency range. The results showed that the dielectric parameters, including relative permittivity, impedance phase, and magnitude, present completely different behaviors for the frequency range and MWCNT weight fractions studied. To better understand the nanocomposites electrical behavior, equivalent electric circuits were also built for both DC and AC modes. The DC equivalent networks were developed based on the current-voltage curves, while the AC equivalent circuits were proposed by using an optimization problem according to the impedance magnitude and phase at different frequencies. The obtained equivalent electrical circuits were found to be highly useful tools to understand the physical mechanisms involved in MWCNT filled polymer nanocomposites.

Electric stimulation at 448 kHz promotes proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

PubMed

Hernández-Bule, María Luisa; Paíno, Carlos Luis; Trillo, María Ángeles; Úbeda, Alejandro

2014-01-01

Capacitive-resistive electric transfer (CRET) is a non invasive electrothermal therapy that applies electric currents within the 400 kHz - 450 kHz frequency range to the treatment of musculoskeletal lesions. Evidence exists that electric currents and electric or magnetic fields can influence proliferative and/or differentiating processes involved in tissue regeneration. This work investigates proliferative responses potentially underlying CRET effects on tissue repair. XTT assay, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and Western Blot analyses were conducted to asses viability, proliferation and differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) from healthy donors, after short, repeated (5 m On/4 h Off) in vitro stimulation with a 448-kHz electric signal currently used in CRET therapy, applied at a subthermal dose of 50 μA/mm(2) RESULTS: The treatment induced PCNA and ERK1/2 upregulation, together with significant increases in the fractions of ADSC undergoing cycle phases S, G2 and M, and enhanced cell proliferation rate. This proliferative effect did not compromise the multipotential ability of ADSC for subsequent adipogenic, chondrogenic or osteogenic differentiation. These data identify cellular and molecular phenomena potentially underlying the response to CRET and indicate that CRET-induced lesion repair could be mediated by stimulation of the proliferation of stem cells present in the injured tissues. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Apparatus for Use in Determining Surface Conductivity at Microwave Frequencies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hearn, Chase P. (Inventor)

1995-01-01

An apparatus is provided for use in determining surface conductivity of a flat or shaped conductive material at microwave frequencies. A plate has an electrically conductive surface with first and second holes passing through the plate. An electrically conductive material under test (MUT) is maintained in a spaced apart relationship with the electrically conductive surface of the plate by one or more nonconductive spacers. A first coupling loop is electrically shielded within the first hole while a second coupling loop is electrically shielded within the second hole. A dielectric resonator element is positioned between the first and second coupling loops, while also being positioned closer to the MUT than the electrically conductive surface of the plate. Microwave energy at an operating frequency f is supplied from a signal source to the first coupling loop while microwave energy received at the second coupling loop is measured. The apparatus is capable of measuring the Q-factor of the dielectric resonator situated in the 'cavity' existing between the electrically conductive surface of the plate and the MUT. Surface conductivity of the electrically conductive surface can be determined via interpolation using: 1 ) the measured Q-factor with the electrically conductive surface in place, and 2) the measured Q-factor when the MUT is replaced with reference standards having known surface conductivities.

Magnetic induction constraints on electrical conductivity within Europa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bills, B. G.; Vance, S.

2017-12-01

We examine the problem of inferring radial variations in electrical conductivity within Europa, from measurements of the magnetic field induced within Europa by its motion through Jupiter's magnetic field. The Europa Clipper mission is expected to make multiple encounters with Europa, sampling several periods at which significant magnetic induction forcing occurs. Most previous analyses have considered a simple 3-layer model of Europa's internal structure, with an insulating core, a uniform conductivity ocean, and an insulating ice shell, and have only examined responses at 2 forcing periods. We attempt to address the broader issues of what level of detail can be inferred from plausible estimates of induced field response at several additional forcing periods. We will present results of an analysis of the periods and amplitudes of magnetic field variations at Europa, and at the Europa Clipper spacecraft. It appears likely that useful information on the induction response will be attained at 6 forcing frequencies, spanning the interval from 1 to just over 15 cycles per orbital period, in Europa's motion about Jupiter. The range of periods is 5.6 to 85 hours. The induced field diffuses into the interior, and signals at longer periods penetrate more deeply. Having measurements at a range of forcing periods thus helps resolve radial structure. Even if the ocean is well mixed and has uniform salinity, there will be some depth-dependent variations in electrical conductivity due to temperature and pressure variations. Much larger variations would be present if the ocean were stably stratified, with a denser brine underlying a fresher upper layer. While vigorous convection within the ocean would likely mix and homogenize the water column, a stratified ocean is at least possible. Could such a feature of the ocean be detected via magnetic induction? Also, the conductivities in the ice shell above, and silicate layer beneath the ocean are expected to be substantially smaller than in a salty ocean. However, they are not zero. We will consider the extent to which these regions might also be interrogated via magnetic induction.

Response of surface-to-borehole SOTEM method on 2D earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Weiying; Younis Khan, Muhammad; Xue, Guoqiang

2017-08-01

Borehole TEM methods are mostly based on a ground loop source. In this paper, we propose a new surface-to-borehole SOTEM method that uses a horizontal grounded-wire source. In this method, the transmitter is deployed on the ground near a borehole and the receiver is moved along the borehole to record the transient signal. In order to gain a basic understanding of this method, we analyzed the response characteristics of a rectangular body in a homogeneous half space based on a pure two-dimensional (2D) modeling scheme. The electric field and magnetic field (time derivative) are obtained by using 2D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) modeling. We demonstrated that the targets—especially the conductive targets—can be reflected according to the borehole SOTEM responses. The location and the electrical properties of the targets can also be estimated by qualitatively analyzing the response curves. However, the anomalous amplitude is weakened when the surface layer contains local inhomogeneous bodies or exhibits a conductive overburden. Compared with a loop source borehole TEM, electromagnetic fields for a borehole SOTEM decay more slowly and show greater sensitivity to anomalous bodies. This study provides aid for further data interpretation, and also indicates that surface-to-borehole SOTEM is an effective method for underground detection.

Electric signalling in fruit trees in response to water applications and light-darkness conditions.

PubMed

Gurovich, Luis A; Hermosilla, Paulo

2009-02-15

A fundamental property of all living organisms is the generation and conduction of electrochemical impulses throughout their different tissues and organs, resulting from abiotic and biotic changes in environmental conditions. In plants and animals, signal transmission can occur over long and short distances, and it can correspond to intra- and inter-cellular communication mechanisms that determine the physiological behaviour of the organism. Rapid plant and animal responses to environmental changes are associated with electrical excitability and signalling. The same molecules and pathways are used to drive physiological responses, which are characterized by movement (physical displacement) in animals and by continuous growth in plants. In the field of environmental plant electrophysiology, automatic and continuous measurements of electrical potential differences (DeltaEP) between plant tissues can be effectively used to study information transport mechanisms and physiological responses that result from external stimuli on plants. A critical mass of data on electrical behaviour in higher plants has accumulated in the last 5 years, establishing plant neurobiology as the most recent discipline of plant science. In this work, electrical potential differences were monitored continuously using Ag/AgCl microelectrodes, which were inserted 15mm deep into sapwood at various positions in the trunks of several fruit-bearing trees. Electrodes were referenced to an unpolarisable Ag/AgCl microelectrode, which was installed 5cm deep in the soil. Systematic patterns of DeltaEP during day-night cycles and at different conditions of soil water availability are discussed as alternative tools to assess early plant stress conditions. This research relates to the adaptive response of trees to soil water availability and light-darkness cycles.

Geophysical Sensing Applications on Claypan Soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Maps of apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) of the soil profile are widely used in precision agriculture practice and research. A number of ECa sensors are commercially available, each with a unique response function (i.e., the relative contribution of soil at each depth to the integrated ECa rea...

Temperature effects on polymer-carbon composite sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lim, J. R.; Homer, M. L.; Manatt, K.; Kisor, A.; Lara, L.; Jewell, A. D.; Shevade, A.; Ryan, M. A.

2003-01-01

At JPL we have investigated the effects of temperature on polymer-carbon black composite sensors. While the electrical properties of polymer composites have been studied, with mechanisms of conductivity described by connectivity and tunneling, it is not fully understood how these properties affect sensor characteristics and responses.

Thin film devices used as oxygen partial pressure sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Canady, K. S.; Wortman, J. J.

1970-01-01

Electrical conductivity of zinc oxide films to be used in an oxygen partial pressure sensor is measured as a function of temperature, oxygen partial pressure, and other atmospheric constituents. Time response following partial pressure changes is studied as a function of temperature and environmental changes.

Strengthening of Cu–Ni–Si alloy using high-pressure torsion and aging

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

Lee, Seungwon, E-mail: chominamlsw@gmail.com; WPI, International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research; Matsunaga, Hirotaka

2014-04-01

An age-hardenable Cu–2.9%Ni–0.6%Si alloy was subjected to high-pressure torsion. Aging behavior was investigated in terms of hardness, electrical conductivity and microstructural features. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the grain size is refined to ∼ 150 nm and the Vickers microhardness was significantly increased through the HPT processing. Aging treatment of the HPT-processed alloy led to a further increase in the hardness. Electrical conductivity is also improved with the aging treatment. It was confirmed that the simultaneous strengthening by grain refinement and fine precipitation is achieved while maintaining high electrical conductivity. Three dimensional atom probe analysis including high-resolution transmission electron microscopymore » revealed that nanosized precipitates having compositions of a metastable Cu{sub 3}Ni{sub 5}Si{sub 2} phase and a stable NiSi phase were formed in the Cu matrix by aging of the HPT-processed samples and these particles are responsible for the additional increase in strength after the HPT processing. - Highlights: • Grain refinement is achieved in Corson alloy the size of ∼150nm by HPT. • Aging at 300°C after HPT leads to further increase in the mechanical property. • Electrical conductivity reaches 40% IACS after aging for 100 h. • 3D-APT revealed the formation of nanosized-precipitates during aging treatment. • Simultaneous hardening in both grain refinement and precipitation is achieved.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2014-06-01

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

Recent Progress in Understanding the Shock Response of Ferroelectric Ceramics*

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setchell, Robert E.

2001-06-01

Ferroelectric ceramics exhibit a permanent remanent polarization, and the use of shock depoling of these materials to achieve pulsed sources of electrical power was proposed in the late 1950s. During the following twenty years, extensive studies were conducted to examine the shock response of ferroelectric ceramics primarily based on lead zirconate titanate (PZT). Under limited conditions, relatively simple analytical models were found to adequately describe the observed electrical behavior. In general, however, the studies indicated a complex behavior involving finite-rate depoling kinetics with stress and field dependencies. Dielectric relaxation and shock-induced conductivity were also suggested. Unfortunately, few experimental studies were undertaken over the next twenty years, and the development of more comprehensive models was inhibited. In recent years, a strong interest in advancing numerical simulation capabilities has motivated new experimental studies and corresponding model development. More than seventy gas gun experiments have examined several ferroelectric ceramics, with most experiments on lead zirconate titanate having a Zr:Ti ratio of 95:5 and modified with 2ferroelectric but is near an antiferroelectric phase boundary, and depoling results from a shock-driven phase transition. Experiments have examined unpoled, normally poled, and axially poled PZT 95/5 over broad ranges of shock pressure and peak electric field. The extensive base of new data provides quantitative insights into the stress and field dependencies of depoling kinetics and dielectric properties, and is being actively utilized to develop and refine material response models used in numerical simulations of pulsed power devices.

Method and apparatus for probing relative volume fractions

DOEpatents

Jandrasits, Walter G.; Kikta, Thomas J.

1998-01-01

A relative volume fraction probe particularly for use in a multiphase fluid system includes two parallel conductive paths defining therebetween a sample zone within the system. A generating unit generates time varying electrical signals which are inserted into one of the two parallel conductive paths. A time domain reflectometer receives the time varying electrical signals returned by the second of the two parallel conductive paths and, responsive thereto, outputs a curve of impedance versus distance. An analysis unit then calculates the area under the curve, subtracts the calculated area from an area produced when the sample zone consists entirely of material of a first fluid phase, and divides this calculated difference by the difference between an area produced when the sample zone consists entirely of material of the first fluid phase and an area produced when the sample zone consists entirely of material of a second fluid phase. The result is the volume fraction.

Method and apparatus for probing relative volume fractions

DOEpatents

Jandrasits, W.G.; Kikta, T.J.

1998-03-17

A relative volume fraction probe particularly for use in a multiphase fluid system includes two parallel conductive paths defining therebetween a sample zone within the system. A generating unit generates time varying electrical signals which are inserted into one of the two parallel conductive paths. A time domain reflectometer receives the time varying electrical signals returned by the second of the two parallel conductive paths and, responsive thereto, outputs a curve of impedance versus distance. An analysis unit then calculates the area under the curve, subtracts the calculated area from an area produced when the sample zone consists entirely of material of a first fluid phase, and divides this calculated difference by the difference between an area produced when the sample zone consists entirely of material of the first fluid phase and an area produced when the sample zone consists entirely of material of a second fluid phase. The result is the volume fraction. 9 figs.

Joint inversion of satellite-detected tidal and magnetospheric signals constrains electrical conductivity and water content of the upper mantle and transition zone.

PubMed

Grayver, A V; Munch, F D; Kuvshinov, A V; Khan, A; Sabaka, T J; Tøffner-Clausen, L

2017-06-28

We present a new global electrical conductivity model of Earth's mantle. The model was derived by using a novel methodology, which is based on inverting satellite magnetic field measurements from different sources simultaneously. Specifically, we estimated responses of magnetospheric origin and ocean tidal magnetic signals from the most recent Swarm and CHAMP data. The challenging task of properly accounting for the ocean effect in the data was addressed through full three-dimensional solution of Maxwell's equations. We show that simultaneous inversion of magnetospheric and tidal magnetic signals results in a model with much improved resolution. Comparison with laboratory-based conductivity profiles shows that obtained models are compatible with a pyrolytic composition and a water content of 0.01 wt% and 0.1 wt% in the upper mantle and transition zone, respectively.

Conductive network formation of carbon nanotubes in elastic polymer microfibers and its effect on the electrical conductance: Experiment and simulation

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

Cho, Hyun Woo; Kim, Jeongmin; Sung, Bong June, E-mail: jjpark@chonnam.ac.kr, E-mail: bjsung@sogang.ac.kr

We investigate how the electrical conductance of microfibers (made of polymers and conductive nanofillers) decreases upon uniaxial deformation by performing both experiments and simulations. Even though various elastic conductors have been developed due to promising applications for deformable electronic devices, the mechanism at a molecular level for electrical conductance change has remained elusive. Previous studies proposed that the decrease in electrical conductance would result from changes in either distances or contact numbers between conductive fillers. In this work, we prepare microfibers of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)/polyvinyl alcohol composites and investigate the electrical conductance and the orientation of SWCNTs uponmore » uniaxial deformation. We also perform extensive Monte Carlo simulations, which reproduce experimental results for the relative decrease in conductance and the SWCNTs orientation. We investigate the electrical networks of SWCNTs in microfibers and find that the decrease in the electrical conductance upon uniaxial deformation should be attributed to a subtle change in the topological structure of the electrical network.« less

Electric contributions to magnetic force microscopy response from graphene and MoS{sub 2} nanosheets

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

Li, Lu Hua, E-mail: luhua.li@deakin.edu.au; Chen, Ying

Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) signals have recently been detected from whole pieces of mechanically exfoliated graphene and molybdenum disulfide (MoS{sub 2}) nanosheets, and magnetism of the two nanomaterials was claimed based on these observations. However, non-magnetic interactions or artefacts are commonly associated with MFM signals, which make the interpretation of MFM signals not straightforward. A systematic investigation has been done to examine possible sources of the MFM signals from graphene and MoS{sub 2} nanosheets and whether the MFM signals can be correlated with magnetism. It is found that the MFM signals have significant non-magnetic contributions due to capacitive and electrostaticmore » interactions between the nanosheets and conductive cantilever tip, as demonstrated by electric force microscopy and scanning Kevin probe microscopy analyses. In addition, the MFM signals of graphene and MoS{sub 2} nanosheets are not responsive to reversed magnetic field of the magnetic cantilever tip. Therefore, the observed MFM response is mainly from electric artefacts and not compelling enough to correlate with magnetism of graphene and MoS{sub 2} nanosheets.« less

Geophysical data integration, stochastic simulation and significance analysis of groundwater responses using ANOVA in the Chicot Aquifer system, Louisiana, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rahman, A.; Tsai, F.T.-C.; White, C.D.; Carlson, D.A.; Willson, C.S.

2008-01-01

Data integration is challenging where there are different levels of support between primary and secondary data that need to be correlated in various ways. A geostatistical method is described, which integrates the hydraulic conductivity (K) measurements and electrical resistivity data to better estimate the K distribution in the Upper Chicot Aquifer of southwestern Louisiana, USA. The K measurements were obtained from pumping tests and represent the primary (hard) data. Borehole electrical resistivity data from electrical logs were regarded as the secondary (soft) data, and were used to infer K values through Archie's law and the Kozeny-Carman equation. A pseudo cross-semivariogram was developed to cope with the resistivity data non-collocation. Uncertainties in the auto-semivariograms and pseudo cross-semivariogram were quantified. The groundwater flow model responses by the regionalized and coregionalized models of K were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results indicate that non-collocated secondary data may improve estimates of K and affect groundwater flow responses of practical interest, including specific capacity and drawdown. ?? Springer-Verlag 2007.

Temperature gating and competing temperature-dependent effects in DNA molecular wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wibowo, Denni; Narenji, Alaleh; Kassegne, Sam

2017-02-01

While recent research in electron-transport mechanism on a double strands DNA seems to converge into a consensus, experiments in direct electrical measurements on a long DNA molecules still lead to a conflicting result This study is the continuation of our previous research in electrical characterization of DNA molecular wires, where we furtherly investigate the effects of temperature on the electrical conductivity of DNA molecular wires by measuring its impedance response. We found that at higher temperatures, the expected increase in charge hopping mechanism may account for the decrease in impedance (and hence increase in conductivity) supporting the 'charge hopping mechanism' theory. UV light exposure, on the other hand, causes damage to GC base pairs reducing the path available for hopping mechanism and hence resulting in increased impedance - this again supporting the 'charge hopping mechanism' theory. We also report that λ-DNA molecular wires have differing impedance responses at two temperature regimes: impedance increases between 4 °C - 40 °C and then decreases between 40 °C - melting point (˜110 °C), after which λ-DNA denatures resulting in no current transduction. We submit that the low impedance of λ-DNA molecular wires observed at moderate to high frequencies may have significant implications to the field of DNA-based bionanoelectronics.

Power module assembly

DOEpatents

Campbell, Jeremy B [Torrance, CA; Newson, Steve [Redondo Beach, CA

2011-11-15

A power module assembly of the type suitable for deployment in a vehicular power inverter, wherein the power inverter has a grounded chassis, is provided. The power module assembly comprises a conductive base layer electrically coupled to the chassis, an insulating layer disposed on the conductive base layer, a first conductive node disposed on the insulating layer, a second conductive node disposed on the insulating layer, wherein the first and second conductive nodes are electrically isolated from each other. The power module assembly also comprises a first capacitor having a first electrode electrically connected to the conductive base layer, and a second electrode electrically connected to the first conductive node, and further comprises a second capacitor having a first electrode electrically connected to the conductive base layer, and a second electrode electrically connected to the second conductive node.

Influence of wearing latex gloves on electric pulp tester readings in children.

PubMed

Holan, G

1993-12-01

Electric pulp testers operated by completing an electric circuit. Latex examination gloves have been claimed to interrupt this circuit and lead to false-negative results. This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of wearing latex gloves on electric pulp tester (EPT) readings. The pulps of 80 maxillary permanent incisors of 22 children 10-13 1/2 years old were tested using the Pelton & Crane 'Vitapulp' instrument. Each tooth was tested twice: with gloves and with bare hands. Teeth failing to respond to the EPT without gloves were excluded from the study. All EPT readings ranged between 1 and 9.5. Five teeth gave the same responses with gloved and ungloved hands. Only five teeth did not respond when gloves were worn, and all of these gave readings near the top of the EPT scale when tested without gloves. The other 70 teeth presented significantly higher readings with gloves than without gloves. It is concluded that removal of examination gloves during the operation of the EPT is necessary only if no response is obtained.

Eddy current sensor concepts for the Bridgman growth of semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dharmasena, Kumar P.; Wadley, Haydn N. G.

1997-03-01

Electromagnetic finite element methods have been used to identify eddy current sensor designs for monitoring CdTe vertical Bridgman crystal growth. A model system consisting of pairs of silicon cylinders with electrical conductivities similar to those of solid and liquid CdTe has been used to evaluate the multifrequency response of several sensors designed for locating and characterizing the curvature of liquid-solid interfaces during vertical Bridgman growth. At intermediate frequencies (100-800 kHz), the sensor's imaginary impedance monotonically increases as interfacial curvature changes from concave to convex or the interface location moves upwards through the sensor. The experimental data are in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. At higher test frequencies (˜ 5 MHz), the test circuit's parasitics contribute to the sensor's response. Even so, the predicted trends with interface location/curvature were found to be still preserved, and the experiments confirm that the sensor's high frequency response depends more on interface location and has only a small sensitivity to curvature. Multifrequency data obtained from these types of sensors have the potential to separately discriminate the location and the shape of liquid-solid interfaces during the vertical Bridgman growth of CdTe and other semiconductor materials of higher electrical conductivity.

Dielectric Rheo-SANS: An Instrument for the Simultaneous Interrogation of Rheology, Microstructure and Electronic Properties of Complex Fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Norman; Richards, Jeffrey; Hipp, Julie; Butler, Paul

In situ measurements are an increasingly important tool to inform the complex relationship between nanoscale properties and macroscopic measurements. For conducting colloidal suspensions, we seek intrinsic relationships between the measured electrical and mechanical response of a material both in quiescence and under applied shear. These relationships can be used to inform the development of new materials with enhanced electrical and mechanical performance. In order to study these relationships, we have developed a dielectric rheology instrument that is compatible with small angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments. This Dielectric RheoSANS instrument consists of a Couette geometry mounted on an ARES G2 strain controlled rheometer enclosed in a modified Forced Convection Oven (FCO). In this talk, we outline the development of the Dielectric RheoSANS instruments and demonstrate its operation using two systems - a suspension of carbon black particles in propylene carbonate and poly(3-hexylthiophene) organogel - where there is interest in how shear influences the microstructure state of the material. By monitoring the conductivity and rheological response of these materials at the same time, we can capture the entire evolution of the material response to an applied deformation. NCNR NIST Cooperative Agreement #70NANB12H239.

The piezoresistive effect in graphene-based polymeric composites.

PubMed

Tamburrano, A; Sarasini, F; De Bellis, G; D'Aloia, A G; Sarto, M S

2013-11-22

The strain-dependent electrical resistance of polyvinyl ester-based composites filled with different weight fractions of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) has been experimentally investigated. The GNP synthesis and nanocomposite fabrication process have been optimized in order to obtain highly homogeneous filler dispersion and outstanding electrical properties. The produced nanocomposites showed a low percolation threshold of 0.226 wt% and electrical conductivity of nearly 10 S m(-1) at only 4 wt% of GNPs. The piezoresistive response of thin nanocomposite laminae has been assessed by measuring the variation of the electrical resistance as a function of the flexural strain in three-point bending tests under both quasi-static monotonic and dynamic cyclic loading conditions. The obtained results showed higher strain sensitivity than traditional metal foil strain gauges or recently investigated carbon-based nanocomposite films.

Electrically-conductive proppant and methods for making and using same

DOEpatents

Cannan, Chad; Roper, Todd; Savoy, Steve; Mitchell, Daniel R.

2016-09-06

Electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles and methods for producing such electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles from an alumina-containing raw material. Methods for using such electrically-conductive sintered, substantially round and spherical particles in hydraulic fracturing operations.

Conductivity versus Dielectric Mechanisms for Electrorheology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, L. C.

1997-03-01

Electrorheological (ER) fluids are continuously and rapidly controllable by an electric field. Controllability of these materials permits the construction of novel intelligent systems such as semiactively controlled shock absorbers and vibration dampers, tunable composite beams and panels, and even reconfigurable Braille arrays. The eventual success of these applications depends in part on developing improved ER fluids, which requires a fundamental understanding of the physics and chemistry of these materials. ER fluids generally consist of highly polarizable colloidal particles suspended in an insulating oil. Particles are typically 1-10 microns in diameter and can be of a wide variety of materials including zeolites, barium titanate, conducting polymers, and oxide-coated metals. Electric fields of magnitude 1-5 kV/mm induce particle chaining and concomitant shear stresses of order 1 kPa. Recent experiments (J. M. Ginder and S. L. Ceccio, J. Rheol. 39, 211 (1995)) using square-wave electric-field excitation have helped to elucidate the mechanisms of ER activity. Immediately after a step-function increase of electric field, chaining occurs due to particle-particle forces arising from dielectric polarization (dipoles and higher multipoles), i.e., it is controlled by the dielectric mismatch between particles and fluid. On a longer time scale, currents flow in the fluid and in the particles so that the forces are eventually dominated by the conductivity mismatch. Characteristic times for the transition between the two regimes are 10-50 ms. Likewise, in the frequency domain, conductivity mismatch dominates the dc response of ER fluids whereas dielectric effects dominate for high frequencies. A theory of ER fluids is given including a model for non-linear effects at high electric fields.

Investigation of dust transport on the lunar surface in laboratory plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X.; Horanyi, M.; Robertson, S. H.

2009-12-01

There has been much evidence indicating dust levitation and transport on or near the lunar surface. Dust mobilization is likely to be caused by electrostatic forces acting on small lunar dust particles that are charged by UV radiation and solar wind plasma. To learn about the basic physical process, we investigated the dynamics of dust grains on a conducting surface in laboratory plasmas. The first experiment was conducted with a dust pile (JSC-Mars-1) sitting on a negatively biased surface in plasma. The dust pile spread and formed a diffusing dust ring. Dust hopping was confirmed by noticing grains on protruding surfaces. The electrostatic potential distributions measured above the dust pile show an outward pointing electrostatic force and a non-monotonic sheath above the dust pile, indicating a localized upward electrostatic force responsible for lifting dust off the surface. The second experiment was conducted with a dust pile sitting on an electrically floating conducting surface in plasma with an electron beam. Potential measurements show a horizontal electric field at the dust/surface boundary and an enhanced vertical electric field in the sheath above the dust pile when the electron beam current is set to be comparable to the Bohm ion current. Secondary electrons emitted from the surfaces play an important role in this case.

Electrical Resistance Based Damage Modeling of Multifunctional Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hart, Robert James

In the current thesis, the 4-probe electrical resistance of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites is utilized as a metric for sensing low-velocity impact damage. A robust method has been developed for recovering the directionally dependent electrical resistivities using an experimental line-type 4-probe resistance method. Next, the concept of effective conducting thickness was uniquely applied in the development of a brand new point-type 4-probe method for applications with electrically anisotropic materials. An extensive experimental study was completed to characterize the 4-probe electrical resistance of CFRP specimens using both the traditional line-type and new point-type methods. Leveraging the concept of effective conducting thickness, a novel method was developed for building 4-probe electrical finite element (FE) models in COMSOL. The electrical models were validated against experimental resistance measurements and the FE models demonstrated predictive capabilities when applied to CFRP specimens with varying thickness and layup. These new models demonstrated a significant improvement in accuracy compared to previous literature and could provide a framework for future advancements in FE modeling of electrically anisotropic materials. FE models were then developed in ABAQUS for evaluating the influence of prescribed localized damage on the 4-probe resistance. Experimental data was compiled on the impact response of various CFRP laminates, and was used in the development of quasi- static FE models for predicting presence of impact-induced delamination. The simulation-based delamination predictions were then integrated into the electrical FE models for the purpose of studying the influence of realistic damage patterns on electrical resistance. When the size of the delamination damage was moderate compared to the electrode spacing, the electrical resistance increased by less than 1% due to the delamination damage. However, for a specimen with large delamination extending beyond the electrode locations, the oblique resistance increased by 30%. This result suggests that for damage sensing applications, the spacing of electrodes relative to the size of the delamination is important. Finally CT image data was used to model 3-D void distributions and the electrical response of such specimens were compared to models with no voids. As the void content increased, the electrical resistance increased non-linearly. The relationship between void content and electrical resistance was attributed to a combination of three factors: (i) size and shape, (ii) orientation, and (iii) distribution of voids. As a whole, the current thesis provides a comprehensive framework for developing predictive, resistance-based damage sensing models for CFRP laminates of various layup and thickness.

Electric and hybrid electric vehicles: A technology assessment based on a two-stage Delphi study

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

Vyas, A.D.; Ng, H.K.; Santini, D.J.

1997-12-01

To address the uncertainty regarding future costs and operating attributes of electric and hybrid electric vehicles, a two stage, worldwide Delphi study was conducted. Expert opinions on vehicle attributes, current state of the technology, possible advancements, costs, and market penetration potential were sought for the years 2000, 2010, and 2020. Opinions related to such critical components as batteries, electric drive systems, and hybrid vehicle engines, as well as their respective technical and economic viabilities, were also obtained. This report contains descriptions of the survey methodology, analytical approach, and results of the analysis of survey data, together with a summary ofmore » other factors that will influence the degree of market success of electric and hybrid electric vehicle technologies. Responses by industry participants, the largest fraction among all the participating groups, are compared with the overall responses. An evaluation of changes between the two Delphi stages is also summarized. An analysis of battery replacement costs for various types is summarized, and variable operating costs for electric and hybrid vehicles are compared with those of conventional vehicles. A market penetration analysis is summarized, in which projected market shares from the survey are compared with predictions of shares on the basis of two market share projection models that use the cost and physical attributes provided by the survey. Finally, projections of market shares beyond the year 2020 are developed by use of constrained logit models of market shares, statistically fitted to the survey data.« less

Experimental study on the responsivity enhancement of Mn1.56Co0.96Ni0.48O4 detector under moderate bias field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wei; Hou, Yun; Gao, Yan Qing; Zhang, Leibo; Huang, Zhi Ming

2011-08-01

As a typical thermal sensitive material, Mn1.56Co0.96Ni0.48O4 (MCN) has achieved widely applications in uncooled bolometer. In this paper, we report that a large increase in electrical conductivity of MCN is obtained with moderate electric-field strengths (E~103V/cm) applied at room temperature (about 300K). Great enhancement in the responsivity is observed when operating with a proper electric bias field, which corresponds to a threshold voltage VTh. MCN bulk materials are prepared by using the sintering method. Micro MCN detector is fabricated by scribing the bulk material into pieces sized 200×100×10μm. The detector is clinged to an Al2O3 substrate with some electrical insulated epoxy glue which is mounted onto a Cu sink. The surrounding temperature is controlled precisely by a temperature controller with a precision of 1mK. Voltage-current characteristics at 270-330K are carefully examined. Different sweeping speeds of the bias-voltage are applied in different orders so as to find out a proper scanning rate, in which the electrical measurement is proceeded in a state of quasi-thermal equilibrium. According to quasi-thermal equilibrium and the time dependent nominal D.C. power, the temperature increase during the measurement is estimated. The conduction mechanism can be well explained with small polaron theory. Empirical equations are used to describe the thermal dynamic process in the pulsed mode, and the process is also simply simulated via numerical calculations. The experimental results and simulation works will be of some referential value to future studies in uncooled microbolometer made in transition metal oxides.

Wireless Fluid Level Measuring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2007-01-01

A level-sensing probe positioned in a tank is divided into sections with each section including (i) a fluid-level capacitive sensor disposed along the length thereof, (ii) an inductor electrically coupled to the capacitive sensor, (iii) a sensor antenna positioned for inductive coupling to the inductor, and (iv) an electrical conductor coupled to the sensor antenna. An electrically non-conductive housing accessible from a position outside of the tank houses antennas arrayed in a pattern. Each antenna is electrically coupled to the electrical conductor from a corresponding one of the sections. A magnetic field response recorder has a measurement head with transceiving antennas arrayed therein to correspond to the pattern of the housing's antennas. When a measurement is to be taken, the measurement head is mechanically coupled to the housing so that each housing antenna is substantially aligned with a specific one of the transceiving antennas.

Magnetoelectrical control of nonreciprocal microwave response in a multiferroic helimagnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iguchi, Yusuke; Nii, Yoichi; Onose, Yoshinori

Control of physical property in terms of external fields is essential for contemporary technologies. The conductance can be controlled by a gate electric field in a field effect transistor, which is a main component of the integrated circuit. Optical phenomena induced by an electric field such as electroluminescence and electrochromism are useful for display and other technologies. Control of microwave propagation seems also imperative for future wireless communication technology. Microwave properties in solids are dominated mostly by magnetic excitations, which cannot be easily controlled by an electric field. One of the solutions for this problem is utilizing magnetically induced ferroelectrics (multiferroics). Here we show that microwave nonreciprocity, which is difference between oppositely propagating microwaves, can be reversed by the external electric field in a multiferroic helimagnet Ba2Mg2Fe12O22. This result offers a new avenue for the electrical control of microwave properties.

Magnetoelectrical control of nonreciprocal microwave response in a multiferroic helimagnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iguchi, Y.; Nii, Y.; Onose, Y.

2017-05-01

The control of physical properties by external fields is essential in many contemporary technologies. For example, conductance can be controlled by a gate electric field in a field effect transistor, which is a main component of integrated circuits. Optical phenomena induced by an electric field such as electroluminescence and electrochromism are useful for display and other technologies. Control of microwave propagation is also important for future wireless communication technology. Microwave properties in solids are dominated mostly by magnetic excitations, which cannot be easily controlled by an electric field. One solution to this problem is to use magnetically induced ferroelectrics (multiferroics). Here we show that microwave nonreciprocity, that is, different refractive indices for microwaves propagating in opposite directions, could be reversed by an external electric field in a multiferroic helimagnet Ba2Mg2Fe12O22. This approach offers an avenue for the electrical control of microwave properties.

Boosting electrical conductivity in a gel-derived material by nanostructuring with trace carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canevet, David; Pérez Del Pino, Angel; Amabilino, David B.; Sallé, Marc

2011-07-01

An organogelator with two distinct π-functional units is able to incorporate carbon nanotubes into its mesh of fibres in the gel state. The morphology of the material derived from this nanocomposite after evaporation of the solvent is a complex mesh of fibres which is clearly different from the pure gelator. This feature indicates a role of the nanotubes in assisting the formation of a fibre structure in the gel thanks to their interaction with the pyrene units in the organogelator. The nanocomposite conducts electricity once the p-type gelator is doped with iodine vapour. The change in morphology caused by the carbon material increases the conductivity of the material compared with the purely organic conducting system. It is remarkable that this improvement in the physical property is caused by an extremely small proportion of the carbon material (only present at a ratio of 0.1% w/w). The practically unique properties of TTF unit allow measurements with both doped and undoped materials with conducting atomic force microscopy which have demonstrated that the carbon nanotubes are not directly responsible for the increased conductivity.An organogelator with two distinct π-functional units is able to incorporate carbon nanotubes into its mesh of fibres in the gel state. The morphology of the material derived from this nanocomposite after evaporation of the solvent is a complex mesh of fibres which is clearly different from the pure gelator. This feature indicates a role of the nanotubes in assisting the formation of a fibre structure in the gel thanks to their interaction with the pyrene units in the organogelator. The nanocomposite conducts electricity once the p-type gelator is doped with iodine vapour. The change in morphology caused by the carbon material increases the conductivity of the material compared with the purely organic conducting system. It is remarkable that this improvement in the physical property is caused by an extremely small proportion of the carbon material (only present at a ratio of 0.1% w/w). The practically unique properties of TTF unit allow measurements with both doped and undoped materials with conducting atomic force microscopy which have demonstrated that the carbon nanotubes are not directly responsible for the increased conductivity. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Details concerning the preparation of 1-SWCNTs composite. See DOI: 10.1039/c1nr10235d

Experimental Study on the Electrical Conductivity of Pyroxene Andesite at High Temperature and High Pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hui, KeShi; Dai, LiDong; Li, HePing; Hu, HaiYing; Jiang, JianJun; Sun, WenQing; Zhang, Hui

2017-03-01

The electrical conductivity of pyroxene andesite was in situ measured under conditions of 1.0-2.0 GPa and 673-1073 K using a YJ-3000t multi-anvil press and Solartron-1260 Impedance/Gain-phase analyzer. Experimental results indicate that the electrical conductivities of pyroxene andesite increase with increasing temperature, and the electrical conductivities decrease with the rise of pressure, and the relationship between electrical conductivity ( σ) and temperature ( T) conforms to an Arrhenius relation within a given pressure and temperature range. When temperature rises up to 873-923 K, the electrical conductivities of pyroxene andesite abruptly increase, and the activation enthalpy increases at this range, which demonstrates that pyroxene andesite starts to dehydrate. By the virtue of the activation enthalpy (0.35-0.42 eV) and the activation volume (-6.75 ± 1.67 cm3/mole) which characterizes the electrical properties of sample after dehydration, we consider that the conduction mechanism is the small polaron conduction before and after dehydration, and that the rise of carrier concentration is the most important reason of increased electrical conductivity.

Electrically conductive cellulose composite

DOEpatents

Evans, Barbara R.; O'Neill, Hugh M.; Woodward, Jonathan

2010-05-04

An electrically conductive cellulose composite includes a cellulose matrix and an electrically conductive carbonaceous material incorporated into the cellulose matrix. The electrical conductivity of the cellulose composite is at least 10 .mu.S/cm at 25.degree. C. The composite can be made by incorporating the electrically conductive carbonaceous material into a culture medium with a cellulose-producing organism, such as Gluconoacetobacter hansenii. The composites can be used to form electrodes, such as for use in membrane electrode assemblies for fuel cells.

Room-temperature voltage tunable phonon thermal conductivity via reconfigurable interfaces in ferroelectric thin films.

PubMed

Ihlefeld, Jon F; Foley, Brian M; Scrymgeour, David A; Michael, Joseph R; McKenzie, Bonnie B; Medlin, Douglas L; Wallace, Margeaux; Trolier-McKinstry, Susan; Hopkins, Patrick E

2015-03-11

Dynamic control of thermal transport in solid-state systems is a transformative capability with the promise to propel technologies including phononic logic, thermal management, and energy harvesting. A solid-state solution to rapidly manipulate phonons has escaped the scientific community. We demonstrate active and reversible tuning of thermal conductivity by manipulating the nanoscale ferroelastic domain structure of a Pb(Zr0.3Ti0.7)O3 film with applied electric fields. With subsecond response times, the room-temperature thermal conductivity was modulated by 11%.

Response of three soil water sensors to variable solution electrical conductivity in different soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Commercial dielectric soil water sensors may improve management of irrigated agriculture by providing continuous field soil water information. Use of these sensors is partly limited by sensor sensitivity to variations in soil salinity and texture, which force expensive, time consuming, soil specific...

An origin of good electrical conduction in La{sub 4}BaCu{sub 5}O{sub 13+δ}

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

Mori, Daiki; Asai, Shinichiro; Terasaki, Ichiro, E-mail: terra@cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp

2015-07-21

We have prepared a set of polycrystalline samples of the metallic copper oxide La{sub 4}BaCu{sub 5−x}Co{sub x}O{sub 13+δ} (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.35) and have measured the resistivity from 4 to 800 K. All the resistivities show metallic temperature dependence with a small magnitude less than 2 mΩ cm at 800 K, indicating that the metallic conduction is robust against impurities. The robust metallic conduction further suggests that this class of oxide is a promising candidate for electrical leads at high temperature, which might replace platinum. A detailed measurement and analysis on the Hall resistivity have revealed that at least two components are responsible for the electricalmore » conduction, in which a large number of electrons of moderate mobility coexist with a much smaller number of holes of extremely high mobility. This large electron density well screens the impurity potential and retains the metallic conduction against 7% impurity doping.« less

Inositol trisphosphate mediates cloned muscarinic receptor-activated conductances in transfected mouse fibroblast A9 L cells.

PubMed Central

Jones, S V; Barker, J L; Goodman, M B; Brann, M R

1990-01-01

1. The mechanism by which cloned m1 and m3 muscarinic receptor subtypes activate Ca2+-dependent channels was investigated with whole-cell and cell-attached patch-clamp recording techniques and with Fura-2 Ca2+ indicator dye measurements in cultured A9 L cells transfected with rat m1 and m3 cDNAs. 2. The Ca2+-dependent K+ and Cl- currents induced by muscarinic receptor stimulation were dependent on GTP. Responses were reduced when GTP was excluded from the intracellular recording solution or when GDP-beta-S was added. Intracellular GTP-gamma-S activated spontaneous fluctuations and permitted only one acetylcholine-(ACh) induced current response. These results implicate GTP-binding proteins (G protein) in the signal transduction pathway. This G protein is probably not pertussis toxin-sensitive as the ACh-induced electrical response was not abolished by pertussis toxin treatment. 3. Cell-attached single-channel recordings revealed activation of ion channels within the patch during application of ACh outside the patch, implying that second messengers might be involved in the ACh-induced response. Two types of K+ channel were activated, a discrete channel of 36 pS and channel activity calculated to be about 5 pS. 4. Application of 8-bromo cyclic AMP or 1-oleoyl-1,2-acetylglycerol (OAG) produced no electrical response and did not affect the ACh-induced responses. Phorbol myristic acetate (PMA) evoked no electrical response, but reduced the ACh-induced responses. 5. Inclusion of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) in the intracellular pipette solution activated outward currents at -50 mV associated with an increase in conductance. The IP3-induced current response reversed polarity at -65 mV and showed a dependence on K+. Increasing the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) from 20 nM to 1 microM also induced an outward current response associated with an increase in conductance. Inclusion of inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate (IP4) in the intracellular solution had no effect on the A9 L cells. 6. Fura-2 measurements revealed ACh-induced increases in Cai2+. The Ca2+ responses were abolished by atropine showing that they were muscarinic in nature. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ did not affect the initial ACh-induced increase in Cai2+ but subsequent Cai2+ responses to ACh were depressed, suggesting depletion of Ca2+ intracellular stores. Residual though small responses continued to be elicited by ACh. Barium (5 mM) had little effect and cobalt slightly reduced the ACh-induced Ca2+ response. 7. The ACh-induced currents recorded at -50 mV were unaffected by removal of extracellular Ca2+.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS) Images Fig. 9 Fig. 10 PMID:1693402

Current Transport Properties of Monolayer Graphene/n-Si Schottky Diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathak, C. S.; Garg, Manjari; Singh, J. P.; Singh, R.

2018-05-01

The present work reports on the fabrication and the detailed macroscopic and nanoscale electrical characteristics of monolayer graphene/n-Si Schottky diodes. The temperature dependent electrical transport properties of monolayer graphene/n-Si Schottky diodes were investigated. Nanoscale electrical characterizations were carried out using Kelvin probe force microscopy and conducting atomic force microscopy. Most the values of ideality factor and barrier height are found to be in the range of 2.0–4.4 and 0.50–0.70 eV for monolayer graphene/n-Si nanoscale Schottky contacts. The tunneling of electrons is found to be responsible for the high value of ideality factor for nanoscale Schottky contacts.

Enhanced solar-blind responsivity of photodetectors based on cubic MgZnO films via gallium doping.

PubMed

Xie, Xiuhua; Zhang, Zhenzhong; Li, Binghui; Wang, Shuangpeng; Jiang, Mingming; Shan, Chongxin; Zhao, Dongxu; Chen, Hongyu; Shen, Dezhen

2014-01-13

We report on gallium (Ga) doped cubic MgZnO films, which have been grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. It was demonstrated that Ga doping improves the n-type conduction of the cubic MgZnO films. A two-orders of magnitude enhancement in lateral n-type conduction have been achieved for the cubic MgZnO films. The responsivity of the cubic MgZnO-based photodetector has been also enhanced. Depletion region electric field intensity enhanced model was adopted to explain the improvement of quantum efficiency in Ga doped MgZnO-based detectors.

Experimental analysis of electrical properties of composite materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiala, L.; Rovnaník, P.; Černý, R.

2017-02-01

Dry cement-based composites are electrically non-conductive materials that behave in electric field like dielectrics. However, a relatively low amount of electrically conductive admixture significantly increases the electrical conductivity which extends applicability of such materials in practice. Therefore, they can be used as self-monitoring sensors controlling development of cracks; as sensors monitoring moisture content or when treated by an external electrical voltage as heat sources used for deicing of material's surface layer. Alkali-activated aluminosilicates (AAA), as competing materials to cement-based materials, are intensively investigated in the present due to their superior durability and environmental impact. Whereas the electrical properties of AAA are similar to those cement-based, they can be enhanced in the same way. In both cases, it is crucial to find a reasonable amount of electrically conductive phase to design composites with a sufficient electrical conductivity at an affordable price. In this paper, electrical properties of composites based on AAA binder and electrically conductive admixture represented by carbon nanotubes (CNT) are investigated. Measurements of electrical properties are carried out by means of 2-probes DC technique on nine types of samples; reference sample without the conductive phase and samples with CNT admixture in amount of 0.1 % - 2.5 % by vol. A significant increase of the electrical conductivity starts from the amount of 0.5 % CNT admixture and in case of 2.5 % CNT is about three orders of magnitude higher compared to the reference sample.

Lunisolar Tides Influence on Electrical Conductivity of the Earth's Crust in the Territory of Kola Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhamaletdinov, A. A.; Shevtsov, A. N.; Korotkova, T. G.

2018-05-01

The results of studying the influence of lunisolar tides on the electrical conductivity of the Earth's crust in the territory of the Kola Peninsula are presented. Along with the results obtained by the authors, the data of other researchers are also considered. All the studies are based on the analysis of the field produced by the Zevs facility transmitting extremely low frequency (ELF) signals at 82-83 Hz. The measurements were carried out in different years at the Avva-Guba (1998), Lovozero (2009), and Imandra-Varzuga polygon (IVP) monitoring sites (2013) located 180, 90, and 160 km from the transmitter, respectively. The negative correlation between the tides and crustal electrical resistivity is revealed at all the points. This means that tidal rises of the Earth's surface are accompanied by a decrease in resistivity and vice versa. The overview shows that the higher the resistivity of separate Earth's crustal blocks the higher the relative amplitudes of the corresponding tidal responses that are observed.

A droplet in the inter-electrode gap during gas metal arc welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemchinsky, Valerian

2011-11-01

Electrical current flowing through a metallic droplet after its detachment from the wire anode during gas metal arc welding (GMAW) is considered. Although the droplet has much higher electrical conductivity compared with the conductivity of the surrounding plasma, current cannot enter the droplet freely since doing so demands igniting of the cathode spot responsible for electron emission. A new mechanism of current flow through a metallic droplet is suggested: one part of the droplet has a potential, which is slightly below the floating potential; this part of the droplet collects ions from the plasma. The remaining portion of the droplet has a potential difference, which is slightly above the floating one. The latter section collects electrons which recombine with the ions collected by the rest of the droplet's surface. The maximum electric current that can flow through the droplet is estimated. It is shown that this current is on the order of a few tens of amperes.

Hydroxyapatite with Permanent Electrical Polarization: Preparation, Characterization, and Response against Inorganic Adsorbates.

PubMed

Rivas, Manuel; Del Valle, Luis J; Armelin, Elaine; Bertran, Oscar; Turon, Pau; Puiggalí, Jordi; Alemán, Carlos

2018-04-16

Permanently polarized hydroxyapatite (HAp) particles have been prepared by applying a constant DC of 500 V at 1000 °C for 1 h to the sintered mineral. This process causes important chemical changes, as the formation of OH - defects (vacancies), the disappearance of hydrogenophosphate ions at the mineral surface layer, and structural variations reflected by the increment of the crystallinity. As a consequence, the electrochemical properties and electrical conductivity of the polarized mineral increase noticeably compared with as-prepared and sintered samples. Moreover, these increments remain practically unaltered after several months. In addition, permanent polarization favours significantly the ability of HAp to adsorb inorganic bioadsorbates in comparison with as-prepared and sintered samples. The adsorbates cause a significant increment of the electrochemical stability and electrical conductivity with respect to bare polarized HAp, which may have many implications for biomedical applications of permanently polarized HAp. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Chiral electric separation effect in the quark-gluon plasma

DOE PAGES

Jiang, Yin; Liao, Jinfeng; Huang, Xu-Guang

2015-02-02

In this paper we introduce and compute a new transport coefficient for the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) at very high temperature. This new coefficient σ χe, the CESE (Chiral Electric Separation Effect) conductivity, quantifies the amount of axial current J A that is generated in response to an externally applied electric field eE: J A=σ χe(eE). Starting with a rather general argument in the kinetic theory framework, we show how a characteristic structure σ χe∝μμ5 emerges, which also indicates the CESE as an anomalous transport effect occurring only in a parity-odd environment with nonzero axial charge density μ5 ≠ 0. Usingmore » the Hard-Thermal-Loop framework, the CESE conductivity for the QGP is found to be σ χe = (#)TT rfQ eQ A/g⁴ln(1/g) μμ5/T² to the leading-log accuracy with the numerical constant (#) depending on favor content, e.g., (#)=14.5163 for u, d light flavors.« less

Interaction of excitable waves emitted from two defects by pulsed electric fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jiang-Xing; Zhang, Han; Qiao, Li-Yan; Liang, Hong; Sun, Wei-Gang

2018-01-01

In response to a pulsed electric field, spatial distributed heterogeneities in excitable media can serve as nucleation sites for the generation of intramural electrical waves, a phenomenon called as ;wave emission from heterogeneities; (WEH effect). Heterogeneities in cardiac tissue strongly influence each other in the WEH effect. We study the WEH effect in a medium possessing two defects. The role of two defects and their interaction by pulsed DC electric fields (DEF) and rotating electric fields (REF) are investigated. The direction of the applied electric field plays a major role not only in the minimum electrical field necessary to originate wave propagation, but also in the degree of influences of nearby defects. The distance between two defects, i.e. the density of defects, also play an important role in the WEH effect. Generally, the REF is better than the DEF when pulsed electric fields are applied. These results may contribute to the improved application of WEH, especially in older patients with fibrosis and scarring, which are accompanied by a higher incidence of conductivity discontinuities.

Photovoltaic roofing tile systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melchior, B.

The integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems in architecture is discussed. A PV-solar roofing tile system with polymer concrete base; PV-roofing tile with elastomer frame profiles and aluminum profile frames; contact technique; and solar cell modules measuring technique are described. Field tests at several places were conducted on the solar generator, electric current behavior, battery station, electric installation, power conditioner, solar measuring system with magnetic bubble memory technique, data transmission via telephone modems, and data processing system. The very favorable response to the PV-compact system proves the commercial possibilities of photovoltaic integration in architecture.

Method of forming an electrically conductive cellulose composite

DOEpatents

Evans, Barbara R [Oak Ridge, TN; O'Neill, Hugh M [Knoxville, TN; Woodward, Jonathan [Ashtead, GB

2011-11-22

An electrically conductive cellulose composite includes a cellulose matrix and an electrically conductive carbonaceous material incorporated into the cellulose matrix. The electrical conductivity of the cellulose composite is at least 10 .mu.S/cm at 25.degree. C. The composite can be made by incorporating the electrically conductive carbonaceous material into a culture medium with a cellulose-producing organism, such as Gluconoacetobacter hansenii. The composites can be used to form electrodes, such as for use in membrane electrode assemblies for fuel cells.

Thermal properties of alkali-activated aluminosilicates with CNT admixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zmeskal, Oldrich; Trhlikova, Lucie; Fiala, Lukas; Florian, Pavel; Cerny, Robert

2017-07-01

Material properties of electrically conductive cement-based materials with increased attention paid on electric and thermal properties were often studied in the last years. Both electric and thermal properties play an important role thanks to their possible utilization in various practical applications (e.g. snow-melting systems or building structures monitoring systems without the need of an external monitoring system). The DC/AC characteristics depend significantly on the electrical resistivity and the electrical capacity of bulk materials. With respect to the DC/AC characteristics of cement-based materials, such materials can be basically classified as electric insulators. In order to enhance them, various conductive admixtures such as those based on different forms of carbon, can be used. Typical representatives of carbon-based admixtures are carbon nanotubes (CNT), carbon fibers (CF), graphite powder (GP) and carbon black (CB). With an adequate amount of such admixtures, electric properties significantly change and new materials with higher added value can be prepared. However, other types of materials can be enhanced in the same way. Alkali-activated aluminosilicates (AAA) based on blast furnace slag are materials with high compressive strength comparable with cement-based materials. Moreover, the price of slag is lower than of Portland cement. Therefore, this paper deals with the study of thermal properties of this promising material with different concentrations of CNT. Within the paper a simple method of basic thermal parameters determination based on the thermal transient response to a heat power step is presented.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2007-01-01

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

Utilization of Neurophysiological Protocols to Characterize Soldier Response to Irritant Gases. Phase 1.

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-02-15

electrical activity mapping procedures. It is necessary to employ approximately 20 electrodes to conduct full- scale brain mapping procedures, using a...animal groups, likewise, showed no observable differences in the animal’s exploratory behavior, nuzzle response, lid-corneal and ear reflexes, pain ...SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE ENVIRONICS SERIES 100 GAS STANDARDS GENERATOR Accuracy of Flow 0.15 % of Full Scale Linearity 0.15 % of Full Scale Repeatability 0.10

Influence of uncertainties of the empirical models for inferring the E-region electric fields at the dip equator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moro, Juliano; Denardini, Clezio Marcos; Resende, Laysa Cristina Araújo; Chen, Sony Su; Schuch, Nelson Jorge

2016-06-01

Daytime E-region electric fields play a crucial role in the ionospheric dynamics at the geomagnetic dip latitudes. Due to their importance, there is an interest in accurately measuring and modeling the electric fields for both climatological and near real-time studies. In this work, we present the daytime vertical ( Ez) and eastward ( Ey) electric fields for a reference quiet day (February 7, 2001) at the São Luís Space Observatory, Brazil (SLZ, 2.31°S, 44.16°W). The component Ez is inferred from Doppler shifts of type II echoes (gradient drift instability) and the anisotropic factor, which is computed from ion and electron gyro frequencies as well as ion and electron collision frequencies with neutral molecules. The component Ey depends on the ratio of Hall and Pedersen conductivities and Ez. A magnetic field-line-integrated conductivity model is used to obtain the anisotropic factor for calculating Ez and the ionospheric conductivities for calculating Ey. This model uses the NRLMSISE-00, IRI-2007, and IGRF-11 empirical models as input parameters for neutral atmosphere, ionosphere, and geomagnetic field, respectively. Consequently, it is worth determining the uncertainties (or errors) in Ey and Ez associated with these empirical model outputs in order to precisely define the confidence limit for the estimated electric field components. For this purpose, errors of ±10 % were artificially introduced in the magnitude of each empirical model output before estimating Ey and Ez. The corresponding uncertainties in the ionospheric conductivity and electric field are evaluated considering the individual and cumulative contribution of the artificial errors. The results show that the neutral densities and temperature may be responsible for the largest changes in Ey and Ez, followed by changes in the geomagnetic field intensity and electron and ions compositions.

The effect of different surfactants/plastisizers on the electrical behavior of CNT nano-modified cement mortars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalla, P. T.; Alafogianni, P.; Tragazikis, I. K.; Exarchos, D. A.; Dassios, K.; Barkoula, N.-M.; Matikas, T. E.

2015-03-01

Cement-based materials have in general low electrical conductivity. Electrical conductivity is the measure of the ability of the material to resist the passage of electrical current. The addition of a conductive admixture such as Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) in a cement-based material increases the conductivity of the structure. This research aims to characterize nano-modified cement mortars with MWCNT reinforcements. Such nano-composites would possess smartness and multi-functionality. Multifunctional properties include electrical, thermal and piezo-electric characteristics. One of these properties, the electrical conductivity, was measured using a custom made apparatus that allows application of known D.C. voltage on the nano-composite. In this study, the influence of different surfactants/plasticizers on CNT nano-modified cement mortar specimens with various concentrations of CNTs (0.2% wt. cement CNTs - 0.8% wt. cement CNTs) on the electrical conductivity is assessed.

In vivo mapping of current density distribution in brain tissues during deep brain stimulation (DBS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sajib, Saurav Z. K.; Oh, Tong In; Kim, Hyung Joong; Kwon, Oh In; Woo, Eung Je

2017-01-01

New methods for in vivo mapping of brain responses during deep brain stimulation (DBS) are indispensable to secure clinical applications. Assessment of current density distribution, induced by internally injected currents, may provide an alternative method for understanding the therapeutic effects of electrical stimulation. The current flow and pathway are affected by internal conductivity, and can be imaged using magnetic resonance-based conductivity imaging methods. Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) is an imaging method that can enable highly resolved mapping of electromagnetic tissue properties such as current density and conductivity of living tissues. In the current study, we experimentally imaged current density distribution of in vivo canine brains by applying MREIT to electrical stimulation. The current density maps of three canine brains were calculated from the measured magnetic flux density data. The absolute current density values of brain tissues, including gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid were compared to assess the active regions during DBS. The resulting current density in different tissue types may provide useful information about current pathways and volume activation for adjusting surgical planning and understanding the therapeutic effects of DBS.

T-Tubular Electrical Defects Contribute to Blunted β-Adrenergic Response in Heart Failure.

PubMed

Crocini, Claudia; Coppini, Raffaele; Ferrantini, Cecilia; Yan, Ping; Loew, Leslie M; Poggesi, Corrado; Cerbai, Elisabetta; Pavone, Francesco S; Sacconi, Leonardo

2016-09-03

Alterations of the β-adrenergic signalling, structural remodelling, and electrical failure of T-tubules are hallmarks of heart failure (HF). Here, we assess the effect of β-adrenoceptor activation on local Ca(2+) release in electrically coupled and uncoupled T-tubules in ventricular myocytes from HF rats. We employ an ultrafast random access multi-photon (RAMP) microscope to simultaneously record action potentials and Ca(2+) transients from multiple T-tubules in ventricular cardiomyocytes from a HF rat model of coronary ligation compared to sham-operated rats as a control. We confirmed that β-adrenergic stimulation increases the frequency of Ca(2+) sparks, reduces Ca(2+) transient variability, and hastens the decay of Ca(2+) transients: all these effects are similarly exerted by β-adrenergic stimulation in control and HF cardiomyocytes. Conversely, β-adrenergic stimulation in HF cells accelerates a Ca(2+) rise exclusively in the proximity of T-tubules that regularly conduct the action potential. The delayed Ca(2+) rise found at T-tubules that fail to conduct the action potential is instead not affected by β-adrenergic signalling. Taken together, these findings indicate that HF cells globally respond to β-adrenergic stimulation, except at T-tubules that fail to conduct action potentials, where the blunted effect of the β-adrenergic signalling may be directly caused by the lack of electrical activity.

Electromagnetic interference filter for automotive electrical systems

DOEpatents

Herron, Nicholas Hayden; Carlson, Douglas S; Tang, David; Korich, Mark D

2013-07-02

A filter for an automotive electrical system includes a substrate having first and second conductive members. First and second input terminals are mounted to the substrate. The first input terminal is electrically connected to the first conductive member, and the second input terminal is electrically connected to the second conductive member. A plurality of capacitors are mounted to the substrate. Each of the capacitors is electrically connected to at least one of the first and second conductive members. First and second power connectors are mounted to the substrate. The first power connector is electrically connected to the first conductive member, and the second power connector is electrically connected to the second conductive member. A common mode choke is coupled to the substrate and arranged such that the common mode choke extends around at least a portion of the substrate and the first and second conductive members.

Ultrahigh Oxidation Resistance and High Electrical Conductivity in Copper-Silver Powder.

PubMed

Li, Jiaxiang; Li, Yunping; Wang, Zhongchang; Bian, Huakang; Hou, Yuhang; Wang, Fenglin; Xu, Guofu; Liu, Bin; Liu, Yong

2016-12-22

The electrical conductivity of pure Cu powder is typically deteriorated at elevated temperatures due to the oxidation by forming non-conducting oxides on surface, while enhancing oxidation resistance via alloying is often accompanied by a drastic decline of electrical conductivity. Obtaining Cu powder with both a high electrical conductivity and a high oxidation resistance represents one of the key challenges in developing next-generation electrical transferring powder. Here, we fabricate a Cu-Ag powder with a continuous Ag network along grain boundaries of Cu particles and demonstrate that this new structure can inhibit the preferential oxidation in grain boundaries at elevated temperatures. As a result, the Cu-Ag powder displays considerably high electrical conductivity and high oxidation resistance up to approximately 300 °C, which are markedly higher than that of pure Cu powder. This study paves a new pathway for developing novel Cu powders with much enhanced electrical conductivity and oxidation resistance in service.

Investigation of the electrical characteristics of electrically conducting yarns and fabrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akbarov, R. D.; Baymuratov, B. H.; Akbarov, D. N.; Ilhamova, M.

2017-11-01

Electro-conductive textile materials and products are used presently giving solutions to the problems, related to static electricity, electromagnetic shielding and electromagnetic radiation. Thus a study of their electro-physical characteristics, character of conductivity, possibility of forecasting of electric parameters etc has a substantial value. This work shows the possibility of production electro-conducting textile materials with stable anti-static properties by introduction of electro-conducting yarn into the structure of fabrics. The results of the research, directed to the study of the electro-physical characteristics of electroconducting yarn and fabrics, are influenced by the frequent washing of polyester fabrics containing the different amounts of electro-conducting filaments in the composition. This article reviews the results of the related research, of the electrical characteristics of the yarn and fabric, of the effect of multiple water treatments on the electrical properties of polyester fabrics, containing in their composition different amounts of electrically conductive yarns.

Semiclassical theory of Hall viscosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biswas, Rudro

2014-03-01

Hall viscosity is an intriguing stress response in quantum Hall systems and is predicted to be observable via the conductivity in an inhomogeneous electric field. This has been studied extensively using a range of techniques, such as adiabatic transport, effective field theories, and Kubo formulae. All of these are, however, agnostic as to the distinction between strongly correlated quantum Hall states and non-interacting ones, where the effect arises due to the fundamental non-commuting nature of velocities and orbit positions in a magnetic field. In this talk I shall develop the semiclassical theory of quantized cyclotron orbits drifting in an applied inhomogeneous electric field and use it to provide a clear physical picture of how single particle properties in a magnetic field contribute to the Hall viscosity-dependence of the conductivity.

Ultrafast and ultrasensitive hydrogen sensors based on self-assembly monolayer promoted 2-dimensional palladium nanoclusters

DOEpatents

Xu, Tao; Zach, Michael P.; Xiao, Zhili

2007-02-06

A device and method of making same. The device or hydrogen detector has a non-conducting substrate with a metal film capable of absorbing hydrogen to form a stable metal hydride. The metal film is being on the threshold of percolation and is connected to mechanism for sensing a change in electrical resistance in response to the presence of hydrogen in contact with the metal film which causes an increase in conductivity.

Ultrafast and ultrasensitive hydrogen sensors based on self-assembly monolayer promoted 2-dimensional palladium nanoclusters

DOEpatents

Xu, Tao [Darien, IL; Zach, Michael P [Darien, IL; Xiao, Zhili [Naperville, IL

2008-06-24

A device and method of making same. The device or hydrogen detector has a non-conducting substrate with a metal film capable of absorbing hydrogen to form a stable metal hydride. The metal film is on the threshold of percolation and is connected to mechanism for sensing a change in electrical resistance in response to the presence of hydrogen in contact with the metal film which causes an increase in conductivity.

Diagnostic relevance of transcranial magnetic and electric stimulation of the facial nerve in the management of facial palsy.

PubMed

Nowak, Dennis A; Linder, Stefan; Topka, Helge

2005-09-01

Earlier investigations have suggested that isolated conduction block of the facial nerve to transcranial magnetic stimulation early in the disorder represents a very sensitive and potentially specific finding in Bell's palsy differentiating the disease from other etiologies. Stimulation of the facial nerve was performed electrically at the stylomastoid foramen and magnetically at the labyrinthine segment of the Fallopian channel within 3 days from symptom onset in 65 patients with Bell's palsy, five patients with Zoster oticus, one patient with neuroborreliosis and one patient with nuclear facial nerve palsy due to multiple sclerosis. Absence or decreased amplitudes of muscle responses to early transcranial magnetic stimulation was not specific for Bell's palsy, but also evident in all cases of Zoster oticus and in the case of neuroborreliosis. Amplitudes of electrically evoked muscle responses were more markedly reduced in Zoster oticus as compared to Bell's palsy, most likely due to a more severe degree of axonal degeneration. The degree of amplitude reduction of the muscle response to electrical stimulation reliably correlated with the severity of facial palsy. Transcranial magnetic stimulation in the early diagnosis of Bell's palsy is less specific than previously thought. While not specific with respect to the etiology of facial palsy, transcranial magnetic stimulation seems capable of localizing the site of lesion within the Fallopian channel. Combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation, early electrical stimulation of the facial nerve at the stylomastoid foramen may help to establish correct diagnosis and prognosis.

Electrical contact arrangement for a coating process

DOEpatents

Kabagambe, Benjamin; McCamy, James W; Boyd, Donald W

2013-09-17

A protective coating is applied to the electrically conductive surface of a reflective coating of a solar mirror by biasing a conductive member having a layer of a malleable electrically conductive material, e.g. a paste, against a portion of the conductive surface while moving an electrodepositable coating composition over the conductive surface. The moving of the electrodepositable coating composition over the conductive surface includes moving the solar mirror through a flow curtain of the electrodepositable coating composition and submerging the solar mirror in a pool of the electrodepositable coating composition. The use of the layer of a malleable electrically conductive material between the conductive member and the conductive surface compensates for irregularities in the conductive surface being contacted during the coating process thereby reducing the current density at the electrical contact area.

Characterization of Contact and Bulk Thermal Resistance of Laminations for Electric Machines

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

Cousineau, Emily; Bennion, Kevin; Devoto, Douglas

Thermal management for electric motors is important as the automotive industry continues to transition to more electrically dominant vehicle propulsion systems. The transition to more electrically dominant propulsion systems leads to higher-power duty cycles for electric-drive systems. Thermal constraints place significant limitations on how electric motors ultimately perform. As thermal management improves, there will be a direct trade-off among motor performance, efficiency, cost, and the sizing of electric motors to operate within the thermal constraints. During the development of thermal finite element analysis models and computational fluid dynamics models for electric motors, it was found that there was a lackmore » of open literature detailing the thermal properties of key materials common in electric motors that are significant in terms of heat removal. The lack of available literature, coupled with the strong interest from industry in the passive-stack thermal measurement results, led to experiments to characterize the thermal contact resistance between motor laminations. We examined four lamination materials, including the commonly used 26 gauge and 29 gauge M19 materials, the HF10 and Arnon 7 materials. These latter two materials are thinner and reduce eddy currents responsible for core losses. We measured the thermal conductivity of the lamination materials and the thermal contact resistance between laminations in a stack, as well as investigated factors affecting contact resistance between laminations such as the contact pressure and surface finish. Lamination property data will be provided and we also develop a model to estimate the through-stack thermal conductivity for materials beyond those that were directly tested in this work. For example, at a clamping pressure of 138 kPa, the 29 gauge M19 material has a through-stack thermal conductivity of 1.68 W/m-K, and the contact resistance between laminations was measured to be 193 mm^2-K/W. The measured bulk thermal conductivity for the M19 29 gauge material is 21.0 W/m-K. Density and specific heat were measured to be 7450 kg/m^3 and 463 J/kg-K, respectively. These results are helping, and will continue to help engineers and researchers in the design and development of motors.« less

Mitigating Space Weather Impacts on the Power Grid in Real-Time: Applying 3-D EarthScope Magnetotelluric Data to Forecasting Reactive Power Loss in Power Transformers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultz, A.; Bonner, L. R., IV

2017-12-01

Current efforts to assess risk to the power grid from geomagnetic disturbances (GMDs) that result in geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) seek to identify potential "hotspots," based on statistical models of GMD storm scenarios and power distribution grounding models that assume that the electrical conductivity of the Earth's crust and mantle varies only with depth. The NSF-supported EarthScope Magnetotelluric (MT) Program operated by Oregon State University has mapped 3-D ground electrical conductivity structure across more than half of the continental US. MT data, the naturally occurring time variations in the Earth's vector electric and magnetic fields at ground level, are used to determine the MT impedance tensor for each site (the ratio of horizontal vector electric and magnetic fields at ground level expressed as a complex-valued frequency domain quantity). The impedance provides information on the 3-D electrical conductivity structure of the Earth's crust and mantle. We demonstrate that use of 3-D ground conductivity information significantly improves the fidelity of GIC predictions over existing 1-D approaches. We project real-time magnetic field data streams from US Geological Survey magnetic observatories into a set of linear filters that employ the impedance data and that generate estimates of ground level electric fields at the locations of MT stations. The resulting ground electric fields are projected to and integrated along the path of power transmission lines. This serves as inputs to power flow models that represent the power transmission grid, yielding a time-varying set of quasi-real-time estimates of reactive power loss at the power transformers that are critical infrastructure for power distribution. We demonstrate that peak reactive power loss and hence peak risk for transformer damage from GICs does not necessarily occur during peak GMD storm times, but rather depends on the time-evolution of the polarization of the GMD's inducing fields and the complex ground (3-D) electric field response, and the resulting alignment of the ground electric fields with the power transmission line paths. This is informing our efforts to provide a set of real-time tools for power grid operators to use in mitigating damage from space weather events.

High electric field conduction in low-alkali boroaluminosilicate glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dash, Priyanka; Yuan, Mengxue; Gao, Jun; Furman, Eugene; Lanagan, Michael T.

2018-02-01

Electrical conduction in silica-based glasses under a low electric field is dominated by high mobility ions such as sodium, and there is a transition from ionic transport to electronic transport as the electric field exceeds 108 V/m at low temperatures. Electrical conduction under a high electric field was investigated in thin low-alkali boroaluminosilicate glass samples, showing nonlinear conduction with the current density scaling approximately with E1/2, where E is the electric field. In addition, thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) characterization was carried out on room-temperature electrically poled glass samples, and an anomalous discharging current flowing in the same direction as the charging current was observed. High electric field conduction and TSDC results led to the conclusion that Poole-Frenkel based electronic transport occurs in the mobile-cation-depleted region adjacent to the anode, and accounts for the observed anomalous current.

Electric conductivity for laboratory and field monitoring of induced partial saturation (IPS) in sands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazemiroodsari, Hadi

Liquefaction is loss of shear strength in fully saturated loose sands caused by build-up of excess pore water pressure, during moderate to large earthquakes, leading to catastrophic failures of structures. Currently used liquefaction mitigation measures are often costly and cannot be applied at sites with existing structures. An innovative, practical, and cost effective liquefaction mitigation technique titled "Induced Partial Saturation" (IPS) was developed by researchers at Northeastern University. The IPS technique is based on injection of sodium percarbonate solution into fully saturated liquefaction susceptible sand. Sodium percarbonate dissolves in water and breaks down into sodium and carbonate ions and hydrogen peroxide which generates oxygen gas bubbles. Oxygen gas bubbles become trapped in sand pores and therefore decrease the degree of saturation of the sand, increase the compressibility of the soil, thus reduce its potential for liquefaction. The implementation of IPS required the development and validation of a monitoring and evaluation technique that would help ensure that the sands are indeed partially saturated. This dissertation focuses on this aspect of the IPS research. The monitoring system developed was based on using electric conductivity fundamentals and probes to detect the transport of chemical solution, calculate degree of saturation of sand, and determine the final zone of partial saturation created by IPS. To understand the fundamentals of electric conductivity, laboratory bench-top tests were conducted using electric conductivity probes and small specimens of Ottawa sand. Bench-top tests were used to study rate of generation of gas bubbles due to reaction of sodium percarbonate solution in sand, and to confirm a theory based on which degree of saturation were calculated. In addition to bench-top tests, electric conductivity probes were used in a relatively large sand specimen prepared in a specially manufactured glass tank. IPS was implemented in the prepared specimen to validate the numerical simulation model and explore the use of conductivity probes to detect the transport of chemical solution, estimate degree of saturation achieved due to injection of chemical solution, and evaluate final zone of partial saturation. The conductivity probe and the simulation results agreed well. To study the effect of IPS on liquefaction response of the sand specimen, IPS was implemented in a large (2-story high) sand specimen prepared in the laminar box of NEES Buffalo and then the specimen was subjected to harmonic shaking. Electric conductivity probes were used in the specimen treatment by controlling the duration and spacing of injection of the chemical solution, in monitoring the transport of chemical solution, in the estimation of zone of partial saturation achieved, and in the estimation of degree of saturation achieved due to implementation of IPS. The conductivity probes indicated partial saturation of the specimen. The shaking tests results confirmed the partial saturation state of the sand specimen. In addition, to the laboratory works, electric conductivity probes were used in field implementation of IPS in a pilot test at the Wildlife Liquefaction Array (WLA) of NEES UCSB site. The conductivity probes in the field test helped decide the optimum injection pressure, the injection tube spacing, and the degree of saturation that could be achieved in the field. The various laboratory and field tests confirmed that electric conductivity and the probes devised and used can be invaluable in the implementation of IPS, by providing information regarding transport of the chemical solution, the spacing of injection tubes, duration of injection, and the zone and degree of partial saturation caused by IPS.

Unmasking local activity within local field potentials (LFPs) by removing distal electrical signals using independent component analysis.

PubMed

Whitmore, Nathan W; Lin, Shih-Chieh

2016-05-15

Local field potentials (LFPs) are commonly thought to reflect the aggregate dynamics in local neural circuits around recording electrodes. However, we show that when LFPs are recorded in awake behaving animals against a distal reference on the skull as commonly practiced, LFPs are significantly contaminated by non-local and non-neural sources arising from the reference electrode and from movement-related noise. In a data set with simultaneously recorded LFPs and electroencephalograms (EEGs) across multiple brain regions while rats perform an auditory oddball task, we used independent component analysis (ICA) to identify signals arising from electrical reference and from volume-conducted noise based on their distributed spatial pattern across multiple electrodes and distinct power spectral features. These sources of distal electrical signals collectively accounted for 23-77% of total variance in unprocessed LFPs, as well as most of the gamma oscillation responses to the target stimulus in EEGs. Gamma oscillation power was concentrated in volume-conducted noise and was tightly coupled with the onset of licking behavior, suggesting a likely origin of muscle activity associated with body movement or orofacial movement. The removal of distal signal contamination also selectively reduced correlations of LFP/EEG signals between distant brain regions but not within the same region. Finally, the removal of contamination from distal electrical signals preserved an event-related potential (ERP) response to auditory stimuli in the frontal cortex and also increased the coupling between the frontal ERP amplitude and neuronal activity in the basal forebrain, supporting the conclusion that removing distal electrical signals unmasked local activity within LFPs. Together, these results highlight the significant contamination of LFPs by distal electrical signals and caution against the straightforward interpretation of unprocessed LFPs. Our results provide a principled approach to identify and remove such contamination to unmask local LFPs. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Unmasking local activity within local field potentials (LFPs) by removing distal electrical signals using independent component analysis

PubMed Central

Whitmore, Nathan W.; Lin, Shih-Chieh

2016-01-01

Local field potentials (LFPs) are commonly thought to reflect the aggregate dynamics in local neural circuits around recording electrodes. However, we show that when LFPs are recorded in awake behaving animals against a distal reference on the skull as commonly practiced, LFPs are significantly contaminated by non-local and non-neural sources arising from the reference electrode and from movement-related noise. In a data set with simultaneously recorded LFPs and electroencephalograms (EEGs) across multiple brain regions while rats perform an auditory oddball task, we used independent component analysis (ICA) to identify signals arising from electrical reference and from volume-conducted noise based on their distributed spatial pattern across multiple electrodes and distinct power spectral features. These sources of distal electrical signals collectively accounted for 23–77% of total variance in unprocessed LFPs, as well as most of the gamma oscillation responses to the target stimulus in EEGs. Gamma oscillation power was concentrated in volume-conducted noise and was tightly coupled with the onset of licking behavior, suggesting a likely origin of muscle activity associated with body movement or orofacial movement. The removal of distal signal contamination also selectively reduced correlations of LFP/EEG signals between distant brain regions but not within the same region. Finally, the removal of contamination from distal electrical signals preserved an event-related potential (ERP) response to auditory stimuli in the frontal cortex and also increased the coupling between the frontal ERP amplitude and neuronal activity in the basal forebrain, supporting the conclusion that removing distal electrical signals unmasked local activity within LFPs. Together, these results highlight the significant contamination of LFPs by distal electrical signals and caution against the straightforward interpretation of unprocessed LFPs. Our results provide a principled approach to identify and remove such contamination to unmask local LFPs. PMID:26899209

Micro-valve using induced-charge electrokinetic motion of Janus particle.

PubMed

Daghighi, Yasaman; Li, Dongqing

2011-09-07

A new micro-valve using the electrokinetic motion of a Janus particle is introduced in this paper. A Janus particle with a conducting hemisphere and a non-conducting hemisphere is placed in a junction of several microchannels. Under an applied electric field, the induced-charge electrokinetic flow around the conducting side of the Janus particle forms vortices. The vortices push the particle moving forwards to block the entrance of a microchannel. By switching the direction of the applied electric field, the motion of the Janus particle can be changed to block different microchannels. This paper develops a theoretical model and conducts numerical simulations of the three-dimensional transient motion of the Janus particle. The results show that this Janus particle-based micro-valve is feasible for switching and controlling the flow rate in a microfluidic chip. This method is simple in comparison with other types of micro-valve methods. It is easy for fabrication, for operation control, and has a fast response time. To better understand the micro-valve functions, comparisons with a non-conducting particle and a fully conducting particle were made. Results proved that only a Janus particle can fulfill the requirements of such a micro-valve.

An investigation of conducted and radiated emissions from a hollow-cathode plasma contactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buchholtz, Brett W.; Wilbur, Paul J.

1993-07-01

An investigation conducted on the electrical interference induced by the operation of a hollow-cathode plasma contractor in a ground-based facility is described. The types of electrical interference, or noise, which are important to Space Station Freedom designers are classified as either conducted or radiated emissions. The procedures required to perform conducted and radiated emission measurements on a plasma contactor are examined. The experimental data obtained are typically examined in the frequency domain (i.e. amplitudes of the noise fluctuations versus frequency). Results presented indicate the conducted emissions, which are the current fluctuations from the contactor into the space station wiring, are affected by operating parameters such as expellant flow rate and discharge current. The radiated emissions, which are the electromagnetic waves induced and emitted by the contactor, appear to be influenced by the contactor emission current. Other experimental results suggest possible sources which are responsible for the observed noise. For example, the influence of the plasma environment downstream from the contactor on noise emission levels is described. In addition, a brief discussion is given on the correlation between conducted and radiated emissions and the mechanisms through which both are influenced by the plasma downstream of the contactor.

An investigation of conducted and radiated emissions from a hollow-cathode plasma contactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buchholtz, Brett W.; Wilbur, Paul J.

1993-01-01

An investigation conducted on the electrical interference induced by the operation of a hollow-cathode plasma contractor in a ground-based facility is described. The types of electrical interference, or noise, which are important to Space Station Freedom designers are classified as either conducted or radiated emissions. The procedures required to perform conducted and radiated emission measurements on a plasma contactor are examined. The experimental data obtained are typically examined in the frequency domain (i.e. amplitudes of the noise fluctuations versus frequency). Results presented indicate the conducted emissions, which are the current fluctuations from the contactor into the space station wiring, are affected by operating parameters such as expellant flow rate and discharge current. The radiated emissions, which are the electromagnetic waves induced and emitted by the contactor, appear to be influenced by the contactor emission current. Other experimental results suggest possible sources which are responsible for the observed noise. For example, the influence of the plasma environment downstream from the contactor on noise emission levels is described. In addition, a brief discussion is given on the correlation between conducted and radiated emissions and the mechanisms through which both are influenced by the plasma downstream of the contactor.

Capillary zone electrophoresis-mass spectrometer interface

DOEpatents

D'Silva, Arthur

1996-08-06

A device for providing equal electrical potential between two loci unconnected by solid or liquid electrical conducts is provided. The device comprises a first electrical conducting terminal, a second electrical conducting terminal connected to the first terminal by a rigid dielectric structure, and an electrically conducting gas contacting the first and second terminals. This device is particularly suitable for application in the electrospray ionization interface between a capillary zone electrophoresis apparatus and a mass spectrometer.

An electrical method for the measurement of the thermal and electrical conductivity of reduced graphene oxide nanostructures.

PubMed

Schwamb, Timo; Burg, Brian R; Schirmer, Niklas C; Poulikakos, Dimos

2009-10-07

This paper introduces an electrical four-point measurement method enabling thermal and electrical conductivity measurements of nanoscale materials. The method was applied to determine the thermal and electrical conductivity of reduced graphene oxide flakes. The dielectrophoretically deposited samples exhibited thermal conductivities in the range of 0.14-2.87 W m(-1) K(-1) and electrical conductivities in the range of 6.2 x 10(2)-6.2 x 10(3) Omega(-1) m(-1). The measured properties of each flake were found to be dependent on the duration of the thermal reduction and are in this sense controllable.

THz characterization and demonstration of visible-transparent/terahertz-functional electromagnetic structures in ultra-conductive La-doped BaSnO3 Films.

PubMed

Arezoomandan, Sara; Prakash, Abhinav; Chanana, Ashish; Yue, Jin; Mao, Jieying; Blair, Steve; Nahata, Ajay; Jalan, Bharat; Sensale-Rodriguez, Berardi

2018-02-23

We report on terahertz characterization of La-doped BaSnO 3 (BSO) thin-films. BSO is a transparent complex oxide material, which has attracted substantial interest due to its large electrical conductivity and wide bandgap. The complex refractive index of these films is extracted in the 0.3 to 1.5 THz frequency range, which shows a metal-like response across this broad frequency window. The large optical conductivity found in these films at terahertz wavelengths makes this material an interesting platform for developing electromagnetic structures having a strong response at terahertz wavelengths, i.e. terahertz-functional, while being transparent at visible and near-IR wavelengths. As an example of such application, we demonstrate a visible-transparent terahertz polarizer.

Facile Fabrication of Electrically Conductive Low-Density Polyethylene/Carbon Fiber Tubes for Novel Smart Materials via Multiaxial Orientation.

PubMed

Li, Yijun; Nie, Min; Wang, Qi

2018-01-10

Electromechanical sensors are indispensable components in functional devices and robotics application. However, the fabrication of the sensors still maintains a challenging issue that high percolation threshold and easy failure of conductive network are derived from uniaxial orientation of conductive fillers in practical melt processing. Herein, we reported a facile fabrication method to prepare a multiaxial low-density polyethylene (LDPE)/carbon fibers (CFs) tube with bidirectional controllable electrical conductivity and sensitive strain-responsive performance via rotation extrusion technology. The multidimensional helical flow is confirmed in the reverse rotation extrusion, and the CFs readily respond to the flow field leading to a multiaxial orientation in the LDPE matrix. In contrast to uniaxial LDPE/CF composites, which perform a "head to head" conjunction, multiaxial-orientated CF networks exhibit a unique multilayer structure in which the CFs with distinct orientation direction intersect in the interface, endowing the LDPE/CF composites with a low percolation threshold (15 wt %) to those of the uniaxial ones (∼35 wt %). The angles between two axes play a vital role in determining the density of the conductive networks in the interface, which is predominant in tuning the bending-responsive behaviors with a gauge factor range from 12.5 to 56.3 and the corresponding linear respond region from ∼15 to ∼1%. Such a superior performance of conductive LDPE/CF tube confirms that the design of multiaxial orientation paves a novel way to facile fabrication of advanced cost-effective CF-based smart materials, shedding light on promising applications such as smart materials and intelligent engineering monitoring.

Temperature and frequency response of conductivity in Ag2S doped chalcogenide glassy semiconductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojha, Swarupa; Das, Anindya Sundar; Roy, Madhab; Bhattacharya, Sanjib

2018-06-01

The electric conductivity of chalcogenide glassy semiconductor xAg2S-(1-x)(0.5S-0.5Te) has been presented here as a function of temperature and frequency. Formation of different nanocrystallites has been confirmed from X-ray diffraction study. It is also noteworthy that average size of nanocrystallites decreases with the increase of dislocation density. Dc conductivity data have been interpreted using Mott's model and Greaves's model in low and high temperature regions respectively. Ac conductivity above the room temperature has been analyzed using Meyer-Neldel (MN) conduction rule. It is interestingly noted that Correlated Barrier Hopping (CBH) model is the most appropriate conduction mechanism for x = 0.35, where pairs of charge carrier are considered to hop over the potential barrier between the sites via thermal activation. To interpret experimental data for x = 0.45, modified non-overlapping small polaron tunnelling (NSPT) model is supposed to be appropriate model due to tunnelling through grain boundary. The conductivity spectra at various temperatures have been analyzed using Almond-West Formalism (power law model). Scaling of conductivity spectra reveals that electrical relaxation process of charge carriers (polaron) is temperature independent but depends upon the composition of the present chalcogenide glassy system.

Electrical stimulation systems for cardiac tissue engineering

PubMed Central

Tandon, Nina; Cannizzaro, Christopher; Chao, Pen-Hsiu Grace; Maidhof, Robert; Marsano, Anna; Au, Hoi Ting Heidi; Radisic, Milica; Vunjak-Novakovic, Gordana

2009-01-01

We describe a protocol for tissue engineering of synchronously contractile cardiac constructs by culturing cardiac cells with the application of pulsatile electrical fields designed to mimic those present in the native heart. Tissue culture is conducted in a customized chamber built to allow for cultivation of (i) engineered three-dimensional (3D) cardiac tissue constructs, (ii) cell monolayers on flat substrates or (iii) cells on patterned substrates. This also allows for analysis of the individual and interactive effects of pulsatile electrical field stimulation and substrate topography on cell differentiation and assembly. The protocol is designed to allow for delivery of predictable electrical field stimuli to cells, monitoring environmental parameters, and assessment of cell and tissue responses. The duration of the protocol is 5 d for two-dimensional cultures and 10 d for 3D cultures. PMID:19180087

Electrical condition monitoring method for polymers

DOEpatents

Watkins, Jr., Kenneth S.; Morris, Shelby J [Hampton, VA; Masakowski, Daniel D [Worcester, MA; Wong, Ching Ping [Duluth, GA; Luo, Shijian [Boise, ID

2008-08-19

An electrical condition monitoring method utilizes measurement of electrical resistivity of an age sensor made of a conductive matrix or composite disposed in a polymeric structure such as an electrical cable. The conductive matrix comprises a base polymer and conductive filler. The method includes communicating the resistivity to a measuring instrument and correlating resistivity of the conductive matrix of the polymeric structure with resistivity of an accelerated-aged conductive composite.

Carbon-Nanotube Conductive Layers for Thin-Film Solar Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.

2005-01-01

Thin, transparent layers comprising mats of carbon nanotubes have been proposed for providing lateral (that is, inplane) electrical conductivities for collecting electric currents from the front surfaces of the emitter layers of thin-film solar photovoltaic cells. Traditionally, thin, semitransparent films of other electrically conductive materials (usually, indium tin oxide, zinc oxide, or cadmium sulfide) have been used for this purpose. As in the cases of the traditional semitransparent conductive films, the currents collected by the nanotube layers would, in turn, be further collected by front metal contact stripes. Depending on details of a specific solar-cell design, the layer of carbon nanotubes would be deposited in addition to, or instead of, a semitransparent layer of one of these traditional conductive materials (see figure). The proposal is expected to afford the following advantages: The electrical conductivity of the carbon- nanotube layer would exceed that of the corresponding semitransparent layer of traditional electrically conductive material. The greater electrical conductivity of the carbon-nanotube layer would make it possible to retain adequate lateral electrical conductivity while reducing the thickness of, or eliminating entirely, the traditional semitransparent conductive layer. As a consequence of thinning or elimination of the traditional semitransparent conductive layer, less light would be absorbed, so that more of the incident light would be available for photovoltaic conversion. The greater electrical conductivity of the carbon-nanotube layer would make it possible to increase the distance between front metal contact stripes, in addition to (or instead of) thinning or eliminating the layer of traditional semitransparent conductive material. Consequently, the fraction of solar-cell area shadowed by front metal contact stripes would be reduced again, making more of the incident light available for photovoltaic conversion. The electrical conductivities of individual carbon nanotubes can be so high that the mat of carbon nanotubes could be made sparse enough to be adequately transparent while affording adequate lateral electrical conductivity of the mat as a whole. The thickness of the nanotube layer would be chosen so that the layer would contribute significant lateral electrical conductivity, yet would be as nearly transparent as possible to incident light. A typical thickness for satisfying these competing requirements is expected to lie between 50 and 100 nm. The optimum thickness must be calculated by comparing the lateral electrical conductivity, the distance between front metal stripes, and the amount of light lost by absorption in the nanotube layer.

Electrical conductivity of electrolytes applicable to natural waters from 0 to 100 degrees C

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCleskey, R. Blaine

2011-01-01

The electrical conductivities of 34 electrolyte solutions found in natural waters ranging from (10-4 to 1) mol•kg-1 in concentration and from (5 to 90) °C have been determined. High-quality electrical conductivity data for numerous electrolytes exist in the scientific literature, but the data do not span the concentration or temperature ranges of many electrolytes in natural waters. Methods for calculating the electrical conductivities of natural waters have incorporated these data from the literature, and as a result these methods cannot be used to reliably calculate the electrical conductivity over a large enough range of temperature and concentration. For the single-electrolyte solutions, empirical equations were developed that relate electrical conductivity to temperature and molality. For the 942 molar conductivity determinations for single electrolytes from this study, the mean relative difference between the calculated and measured values was 0.1 %. The calculated molar conductivity was compared to literature data, and the mean relative difference for 1978 measurements was 0.2 %. These data provide an improved basis for calculating electrical conductivity for most natural waters.

Hydroxyapatite Nanowire-Based All-Weather Flexible Electrically Conductive Paper with Superhydrophobic and Flame-Retardant Properties.

PubMed

Chen, Fei-Fei; Zhu, Ying-Jie; Xiong, Zhi-Chao; Dong, Li-Ying; Chen, Feng; Lu, Bing-Qiang; Yang, Ri-Long

2017-11-15

How to survive under various harsh working conditions is a key challenge for flexible electronic devices because their performances are always susceptible to environments. Herein, we demonstrate the novel design and fabrication of a new kind of the all-weather flexible electrically conductive paper based on ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires (HNs) with unique combination of the superhydrophobic surface, electrothermal effect, and flame retardancy. The superhydrophobic surface with water repellency stabilizes the electrically conductive performance of the paper in water. For example, the electrical current through the superhydrophobic paper onto which water droplets are deposited shows a little change (0.38%), and the electrical performance is steady as well even when the paper is immersed in water for 120 s (just 3.65% change). In addition, the intrinsic electrothermal effect of the electrically conductive paper can efficiently heat the paper to reach a high temperature, for example, 224.25 °C, within 10 s. The synergistic effect between the electrothermal effect and superhydrophobic surface accelerates the melting and removal of ice on the heated electrically conductive paper. Deicing efficiency of the heated superhydrophobic electrically conductive paper is ∼4.5 times that of the unheated superhydrophobic electrically conductive paper and ∼10.4 times that of the heated superhydrophilic paper. More importantly, benefiting from fire-resistant ultralong HNs, thermally stable Ketjen black, and Si-O backbone of poly(dimethylsiloxane), we demonstrate the stable and continuous service of the as-prepared electrically conductive paper in the flame for as long as 7 min. The electrical performance of the electrically conductive paper after flame treatment can maintain as high as 90.60% of the original value. The rational design of the electrically conductive paper with suitable building materials and structure demonstrated here will give an inspiration for the development of new kinds of all-weather flexible electronic devices that can work under harsh conditions.

Investigation of the factors responsible for burns during MRI.

PubMed

Dempsey, M F; Condon, B; Hadley, D M

2001-04-01

Numerous reported burn injuries have been sustained during clinical MRI procedures. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible factors that may be responsible for such burns. Experiments were performed to investigate three possible mechanisms for causing heating in copper wire during MRI: direct electromagnetic induction in a conductive loop, induction in a resonant conducting loop, and electric field resonant coupling with a wire (the antenna effect). Maximum recorded temperature rises were 0.6 degrees C for the loop, 61.1 degrees C for the resonant loop, and 63.5 degrees C for the resonant antenna. These experimental findings suggest that, contrary to common belief, it is unlikely that direct induction in a conductive loop will result in thermal injury. Burn incidents are more likely to occur due to the formation of resonant conducting loops and from extended wires forming resonant antenna. The characteristics of resonance should be considered when formulating safety guidelines.

Fire Alarm Wallpaper Based on Fire-Resistant Hydroxyapatite Nanowire Inorganic Paper and Graphene Oxide Thermosensitive Sensor.

PubMed

Chen, Fei-Fei; Zhu, Ying-Jie; Chen, Feng; Dong, Li-Ying; Yang, Ri-Long; Xiong, Zhi-Chao

2018-04-24

Wallpaper with multiple functions, such as fire resistance and an automatic alarm in fire disasters, will be attractive for the interior decoration of houses. Herein, we report a smart fire alarm wallpaper prepared using fire-resistant inorganic paper based on ultralong hydroxyapatite nanowires (HNs) and graphene oxide (GO) thermosensitive sensors. At room temperature, the GO thermosensitive sensor is in a state of electrical insulation; however, it becomes electrically conductive at high temperatures. In a fire disaster, high temperature will rapidly remove the oxygen-containing groups of GO, leading to the transformation process of GO from an electrically insulated state into an electrically conductive one. In this way, the alarm lamp and alarm buzzer connected with the GO thermosensitive sensor will send out the alerts to people immediately for taking emergency actions. After the surface modification with polydopamine of GO (PGO), the sensitivity and flame retardancy of the GO thermosensitive sensor are further improved, resulting in a low responsive temperature (126.9 °C), fast response (2 s), and sustained working time in the flame (at least 5 min). Compared with combustible commercial wallpaper, the smart fire alarm wallpaper based on HNs and GO (or PGO) is superior owing to excellent nonflammability and high-temperature resistance of HNs, which can protect the GO (or PGO) thermosensitive sensor from the flames. The smart fire alarm wallpaper can be processed into various shapes, dyed with different colors, and printed with the commercial printer and thus has promising applications in high-safety interior decoration of houses.

Evaluation of Soft Tissue Sarcoma Tumors Electrical Conductivity Anisotropy Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging for Numerical Modeling on Electroporation.

PubMed

Ghazikhanlou-Sani, K; Firoozabadi, S M P; Agha-Ghazvini, L; Mahmoodzadeh, H

2016-06-01

There is many ways to assessing the electrical conductivity anisotropy of a tumor. Applying the values of tissue electrical conductivity anisotropy is crucial in numerical modeling of the electric and thermal field distribution in electroporation treatments. This study aims to calculate the tissues electrical conductivity anisotropy in patients with sarcoma tumors using diffusion tensor imaging technique. A total of 3 subjects were involved in this study. All of patients had clinically apparent sarcoma tumors at the extremities. The T1, T2 and DTI images were performed using a 3-Tesla multi-coil, multi-channel MRI system. The fractional anisotropy (FA) maps were performed using the FSL (FMRI software library) software regarding the DTI images. The 3D matrix of the FA maps of each area (tumor, normal soft tissue and bone/s) was reconstructed and the anisotropy matrix was calculated regarding to the FA values. The mean FA values in direction of main axis in sarcoma tumors were ranged between 0.475-0.690.  With assumption of isotropy of the electrical conductivity, the FA value of electrical conductivity at each X, Y and Z coordinate axes would be equal to 0.577. The gathered results showed that there is a mean error band of 20% in electrical conductivity, if the electrical conductivity anisotropy not concluded at the calculations. The comparison of FA values showed that there is a significant statistical difference between the mean FA value of tumor and normal soft tissues (P<0.05). DTI is a feasible technique for the assessment of electrical conductivity anisotropy of tissues.  It is crucial to quantify the electrical conductivity anisotropy data of tissues for numerical modeling of electroporation treatments.

Monitoring of cell and tissue responses to photodynamic therapy by electrical impedance spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molckovsky, A.; Wilson, B. C.

2001-04-01

Electrical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) monitoring of photodynamic therapy (PDT) was investigated in vivo in rat liver and in vitro in multicellular spheroids. Liver impedance was continuously measured with two needle electrodes before, during and up to 3 hours following Photofrin-PDT. EIS spectra were altered immediately after PDT, with significant changes in conductivity at ~10 kHz, and in permittivity at ~30 kHz and 1 MHz. The change in permittivity at high frequencies was related to oedema, while low-frequency effects were attributed to cell necrosis and vascular changes. Photofrin-PDT-treated spheroids showed dose-dependent decreases in permittivity and conductivity at frequencies above 10 and 100 kHz, respectively. Histology showed concomitant development of a damaged rim containing sparsely distributed cells with compromised membranes and lightly staining cytoplasm. Different EIS responses to apoptotic versus necrotic modes of cell death further verified the sensitivity of impedance to purely cellular changes in the spheroid model. In conclusion, EIS sensitivity to PDT-induced damage, at both the cell and tissue level, varies with dose and time, and can be correlated qualitatively to biological changes.

Electric field responsive origami structures using electrostriction-based active materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, Saad; Arrojado, Erika; Sigamani, Nirmal; Ounaies, Zoubeida

2015-04-01

The objective of origami engineering is to combine origami principles with advanced materials to yield active origami shapes, which fold and unfold in response to external stimuli. We are investigating the use of P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE), a relaxor ferroelectric terpolymer, to realize origami-inspired folding and unfolding of structures and to actuate so-called action origami structures. To accomplish these two objectives, we have explored different approaches to the P(VDF-TrFECTFE) polymer actuator construction, ranging from unimorph to multilayered stacks. Electromechanical characterization of the terpolymer-based actuators is conducted with a focus on free strain, force-displacement and blocked force. Moreover dynamic thickness strains of P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) terpolymer at different frequencies ranging from 0.1Hz to 10Hz is also measured. Quantifying the performance of terpolymer-based actuators is important to the design of action origami structures. Following these studies, action origami prototypes based on catapult, flapping butterfly wings and barking fox are actuated and characterization of these prototypes are conducted by studying impact of various parameters such as electric field magnitude and frequency, number of active layers, and actuator dimensions.

Recent Progress in Understanding the Shock Response of Ferroelectric Ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setchell, R. E.

2002-07-01

Ferroelectric ceramics exhibit a permanent remanent polarization, and shock depoling of these materials to achieve pulsed sources of electrical power was proposed in the late 1950s. During the following twenty years, extensive studies were conducted to examine the shock response of ferroelectric ceramics primarily based on lead zirconate titanate (PZT). Under limited conditions, relatively simple analytical models were found to adequately describe the observed electrical behavior. A more complex behavior was indicated over broader conditions, however, resulting in the incorporation of shock-induced conductivity and dielectric relaxation into analytical models. Unfortunately, few experimental studies were undertaken over the next twenty years, and the development of more comprehensive models was inhibited. In recent years, a strong interest in advancing numerical simulation capabilities has motivated new experimental studies and corresponding model development. More than seventy gas gun experiments have examined several ferroelectric ceramics, with most experiments on lead zirconate titanate having a Zr:Ti ratio of 95:5 and modified with 2% niobium (PZT 95/5). This material is nominally ferroelectric but is near an antiferroelectric phase boundary, and depoling results from a shock-driven phase transition. Experiments have examined unpoled, normally poled, and axially poled PZT 95/5 over broad ranges of shock pressure and peak electric field. The extensive base of new data provides quantitative insights into both the stress and field dependencies of depoling kinetics, and the significance of pore collapse at higher stresses. The results are being actively utilized to develop and refine material response models used in numerical simulations of pulsed power devices.

Dynamic current-current susceptibility in three-dimensional Dirac and Weyl semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thakur, Anmol; Sadhukhan, Krishanu; Agarwal, Amit

2018-01-01

We study the linear response of doped three-dimensional Dirac and Weyl semimetals to vector potentials, by calculating the wave-vector- and frequency-dependent current-current response function analytically. The longitudinal part of the dynamic current-current response function is then used to study the plasmon dispersion and the optical conductivity. The transverse response in the static limit yields the orbital magnetic susceptibility. In a Weyl semimetal, along with the current-current response function, all these quantities are significantly impacted by the presence of parallel electric and magnetic fields (a finite E .B term) and can be used to experimentally explore the chiral anomaly.

Grain boundary dominated electrical conductivity in ultrananocrystalline diamond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiora, Neda; Mertens, Michael; Brühne, Kai; Fecht, Hans-Jörg; Tran, Ich C.; Willey, Trevor; van Buuren, Anthony; Biener, Jürgen; Lee, Jun-Sik

2017-10-01

N-type electrically conductive ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films were deposited using the hot filament chemical vapor deposition technique with a gas mixture of H2, CH4 and NH3. Depending on the deposition temperature and ammonia feed gas concentration, which serves as a nitrogen source, room temperature electrical conductivities in the order of 10-2 to 5 × 101 S/cm and activation energies in the meV range were achieved. In order to understand the origin of the enhanced electrical conductivity and clarify the role of ammonia addition to the process gas, a set of UNCD films was grown by systematically varying the ammonia gas phase concentration. These samples were analyzed with respect to their morphology and electrical properties as well as their carbon and nitrogen bonding environments. Temperature dependent electrical conductivity measurements (300-1200 K) show that the electrical conductivity of the samples increases with temperature. The near edge x-ray absorption fine structure measurements reveal that the electrical conductivity of the UNCD films does not correlate directly with ammonia addition, but depends on the total amount of sp2 bonded carbon in the deposited films.

Lightning Protection and Detection System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mielnik, John J. (Inventor); Woodard, Marie (Inventor); Smith, Laura J. (Inventor); Wang, Chuantong (Inventor); Koppen, Sandra V. (Inventor); Dudley, Kenneth L. (Inventor); Szatkowski, George N. (Inventor); Nguyen, Truong X. (Inventor); Ely, Jay J. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

A lightning protection and detection system includes a non-conductive substrate material of an apparatus; a sensor formed of a conductive material and deposited on the non-conductive substrate material of the apparatus. The sensor includes a conductive trace formed in a continuous spiral winding starting at a first end at a center region of the sensor and ending at a second end at an outer corner region of the sensor, the first and second ends being open and unconnected. An electrical measurement system is in communication with the sensor and receives a resonant response from the sensor, to perform detection, in real-time, of lightning strike occurrences and damage therefrom to the sensor and the non-conductive substrate material.

Perfume Fragrance Discrimination Using Resistance And Capacitance Responses Of Polymer Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lima, John Paul Hempel; Vandendriessche, Thomas; Fonseca, Fernando J.; Lammertyn, Jeroen; Nicolai, Bart M.; de Andrade, Adnei Melges

2009-05-01

This work shows a comparison between electrical resistance and capacitance responses of ethanol and five different fragrances using an electronic nose based on conducting polymers. Gas chromatography—mass spectrometry (GC-MS) measurements were performed to evaluate the main differences between the analytes. It is shown that although the fragrances are quite similar in their compositions the sensors are able to discriminate them through PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and ANNs (Artificial Neural Network) analysis.

Effects of microscale damage evolution on piezoresistive sensing in nanocomposite bonded explosives under dynamic loading via electromechanical peridynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prakash, Naveen; Seidel, Gary D.

2018-01-01

Polymer bonded explosives can sustain microstructural damage due to accidental impact, which may reduce their operational reliability or even cause unwanted ignition leading to detonation of the explosive. Therefore a nanocomposite piezoresistivity based sensing solution is discussed here that employs a carbon nanotube based nanocomposite binder in the explosive material by which in situ real-time sensing can be obtained. A coupled electromechanical peridynamics code is used to numerically obtain the piezoresistive response of such a material under dynamic conditions, which allows one to capture damage initiation and propagation mechanisms due to stress waves. The relative change in resistance at three locations along the length of the microstructure is monitored, and found to correlate well with deformation and damage mechanisms within the material. This response can depend on many factors, such as carbon nanotube content, electrical conductivity of the grain, impact velocity and fracture properties, which are explored through numerical simulations. For example, it is found that the piezoresistive response is highly dependent on preferential pathways of electrical current , i.e. the phase through which the current flows, which is in turn affected by the conductivity of the grain and the specific pattern of damage. It is found that the results qualitatively agree with experimental data on the dynamic piezoresistive response of nanocomposites and look promising as a sensing mechanism for explosive materials.

Hot wire needle probe for thermal conductivity detection

DOEpatents

Condie, Keith Glenn; Rempe, Joy Lynn; Knudson, Darrell lee; Daw, Joshua Earl; Wilkins, Steven Curtis; Fox, Brandon S.; Heng, Ban

2015-11-10

An apparatus comprising a needle probe comprising a sheath, a heating element, a temperature sensor, and electrical insulation that allows thermal conductivity to be measured in extreme environments, such as in high-temperature irradiation testing. The heating element is contained within the sheath and is electrically conductive. In an embodiment, the heating element is a wire capable of being joule heated when an electrical current is applied. The temperature sensor is contained within the sheath, electrically insulated from the heating element and the sheath. The electrical insulation electrically insulates the sheath, heating element and temperature sensor. The electrical insulation fills the sheath having electrical resistance capable of preventing electrical conduction between the sheath, heating element, and temperature sensor. The control system is connected to the heating element and the temperature sensor.

Maximum on the Electrical Conductivity Polytherm of Molten TeCl4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salyulev, Alexander B.; Potapov, Alexei M.

2017-05-01

The electrical conductivity of molten TeCl4 was measured up to 761K, i.e. 106 degrees above the normal boiling point of the salt. For the first time it was found that TeCl4 electrical conductivity polytherm has a maximum. It was recorded at 705K (κmax=0.245 Sm/cm), whereupon the conductivity decreases as the temperature rises. The activation energy of electrical conductivity was calculated.

Stress sensitive electricity based on Ag/cellulose nanofiber aerogel for self-reporting.

PubMed

Yao, Qiufang; Fan, Bitao; Xiong, Ye; Wang, Chao; Wang, Hanwei; Jin, Chunde; Sun, Qingfeng

2017-07-15

A self-reporting aerogel toward stress sensitive slectricity (SSE) was presented using an interconnected 3D fibrous network of Ag nanoparticles/cellulose nanofiber aerogel (Ag/CNF), which was prepared via combined routes of silver mirror reaction and ultrasonication. Sphere-like Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) with mean diameter of 74nm were tightly anchored in the cellulose nanofiber through by the coherent interfaces as the conductive materials. The as-prepared Ag/CNF as a self-reporting material for SSE not only possessed quick response and sensitivity, but also be easily recovered after 100th compressive cycles without plastic deformation or degradation in compressive strength. Consequently, Ag/CNF could play a viable role in self-reporting materials as a quick electric-stress responsive sensor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Terahertz emission and spectroscopy on InN epilayer and nanostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, H.; Pan, C.-L.; Gwo, S.

2009-02-01

We report a comprehensive study on THz emission and spectroscopy of indium nitride (InN) films and its nanorod arrays grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy technique. For the enhancement of THz emission from InN, we demonstrated two method; firstly using nanorod arrays, which have large surface area for optical absorption and THz emission, and secondly using nonpolar InN film, of which the electric field is along the sample surface. We propose that a "screened" photo-Dember effect due to narrow surface electron accumulation layer of InN is responsible for the nanorod-size-dependent enhancement from InN nanorods. The primary THz radiation mechanism of nonpolar InN is found to be due to the acceleration of photoexcited carriers under the polarization-induced in-plane electric field. THz time-domain spectroscopy has been used to investigate THz conductivity and dielectric response of InN nanorod arrays and epitaxial film. The complex THz conductivity of InN film is well fitted by the Drude model, while the negative imaginary conductivity of the InN nanorods can be described by using a non-Drude model, which includes a preferential backward scattering due to defects in InN nanorods, or a Coulombic restoring force from charged defects.

Experimental and numerical investigation of the effective electrical conductivity of nitrogen-doped graphene nanofluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehrali, Mohammad; Sadeghinezhad, Emad; Rashidi, Mohammad Mehdi; Akhiani, Amir Reza; Tahan Latibari, Sara; Mehrali, Mehdi; Metselaar, Hendrik Simon Cornelis

2015-06-01

Electrical conductivity is an important property for technological applications of nanofluids that have not been widely investigated, and few studies have been concerned about the electrical conductivity. In this study, nitrogen-doped graphene (NDG) nanofluids were prepared using the two-step method in an aqueous solution of 0.025 wt% Triton X-100 as a surfactant at several concentrations (0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 wt%). The electrical conductivity of the aqueous NDG nanofluids showed a linear dependence on the concentration and increased up to 1814.96 % for a loading of 0.06 wt% NDG nanosheet. From the experimental data, empirical models were developed to express the electrical conductivity as functions of temperature and concentration. It was observed that increasing the temperature has much greater effect on electrical conductivity enhancement than increasing the NDG nanosheet loading. Additionally, by considering the electrophoresis of the NDG nanosheets, a straightforward electrical conductivity model is established to modulate and understand the experimental results.

Ultrahigh Oxidation Resistance and High Electrical Conductivity in Copper-Silver Powder

PubMed Central

Li, Jiaxiang; Li, Yunping; Wang, Zhongchang; Bian, Huakang; Hou, Yuhang; Wang, Fenglin; Xu, Guofu; Liu, Bin; Liu, Yong

2016-01-01

The electrical conductivity of pure Cu powder is typically deteriorated at elevated temperatures due to the oxidation by forming non-conducting oxides on surface, while enhancing oxidation resistance via alloying is often accompanied by a drastic decline of electrical conductivity. Obtaining Cu powder with both a high electrical conductivity and a high oxidation resistance represents one of the key challenges in developing next-generation electrical transferring powder. Here, we fabricate a Cu-Ag powder with a continuous Ag network along grain boundaries of Cu particles and demonstrate that this new structure can inhibit the preferential oxidation in grain boundaries at elevated temperatures. As a result, the Cu-Ag powder displays considerably high electrical conductivity and high oxidation resistance up to approximately 300 °C, which are markedly higher than that of pure Cu powder. This study paves a new pathway for developing novel Cu powders with much enhanced electrical conductivity and oxidation resistance in service. PMID:28004839

System and method for evaluating a wire conductor

DOEpatents

Panozzo, Edward; Parish, Harold

2013-10-22

A method of evaluating an electrically conductive wire segment having an insulated intermediate portion and non-insulated ends includes passing the insulated portion of the wire segment through an electrically conductive brush. According to the method, an electrical potential is established on the brush by a power source. The method also includes determining a value of electrical current that is conducted through the wire segment by the brush when the potential is established on the brush. The method additionally includes comparing the value of electrical current conducted through the wire segment with a predetermined current value to thereby evaluate the wire segment. A system for evaluating an electrically conductive wire segment is also disclosed.

Reversible temperature regulation of electrical and thermal conductivity using liquid–solid phase transitions

PubMed Central

Zheng, Ruiting; Gao, Jinwei; Wang, Jianjian; Chen, Gang

2011-01-01

Reversible temperature tuning of electrical and thermal conductivities of materials is of interest for many applications, including seasonal regulation of building temperature, thermal storage and sensors. Here we introduce a general strategy to achieve large contrasts in electrical and thermal conductivities using first-order phase transitions in percolated composite materials. Internal stress generated during a phase transition modulates the electrical and thermal contact resistances, leading to large contrasts in the electrical and thermal conductivities at the phase transition temperature. With graphite/hexadecane suspensions, the electrical conductivity changes 2 orders of magnitude and the thermal conductivity varies up to 3.2 times near 18 °C. The generality of the approach is also demonstrated in other materials such as graphite/water and carbon nanotube/hexadecane suspensions. PMID:21505445

Reversible temperature regulation of electrical and thermal conductivity using liquid-solid phase transitions.

PubMed

Zheng, Ruiting; Gao, Jinwei; Wang, Jianjian; Chen, Gang

2011-01-01

Reversible temperature tuning of electrical and thermal conductivities of materials is of interest for many applications, including seasonal regulation of building temperature, thermal storage and sensors. Here we introduce a general strategy to achieve large contrasts in electrical and thermal conductivities using first-order phase transitions in percolated composite materials. Internal stress generated during a phase transition modulates the electrical and thermal contact resistances, leading to large contrasts in the electrical and thermal conductivities at the phase transition temperature. With graphite/hexadecane suspensions, the electrical conductivity changes 2 orders of magnitude and the thermal conductivity varies up to 3.2 times near 18 °C. The generality of the approach is also demonstrated in other materials such as graphite/water and carbon nanotube/hexadecane suspensions.

Depositing bulk or micro-scale electrodes

DOEpatents

Shah, Kedar G.; Pannu, Satinderpall S.; Tolosa, Vanessa; Tooker, Angela C.; Sheth, Heeral J.; Felix, Sarah H.; Delima, Terri L.

2016-11-01

Thicker electrodes are provided on microelectronic device using thermo-compression bonding. A thin-film electrical conducting layer forms electrical conduits and bulk depositing provides an electrode layer on the thin-film electrical conducting layer. An insulating polymer layer encapsulates the electrically thin-film electrical conducting layer and the electrode layer. Some of the insulating layer is removed to expose the electrode layer.

Negative electric susceptibility and magnetism from translational invariance and rotational invariance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koo, Je Huan

2015-02-01

In this work we investigate magnetic effects in terms of the translational and rotational invariances of magnetisation. Whilst Landau-type diamagnetism originates from translational invariance, a new diamagnetism could result from rotational invariance. Translational invariance results in only conventional Landau-type diamagnetism, whereas rotational invariance can induce a paramagnetic susceptibility for localised electrons and also a new kind of diamagnetism that is specific to conducting electrons. In solids, the moving electron shows a paramagnetic susceptibility but the surrounding screening of electrons may produce a new diamagnetic response by Lenz's law, resulting in a total susceptibility that tends to zero. For electricity, similar behaviours are obtained. We also derive the DC-type negative electric susceptibility via two methods in analogy with Landau diamagnetism.

Variable Anisotropic Brain Electrical Conductivities in Epileptogenic Foci

PubMed Central

Mandelkern, M.; Bui, D.; Salamon, N.; Vinters, H. V.; Mathern, G. W.

2010-01-01

Source localization models assume brain electrical conductivities are isotropic at about 0.33 S/m. These assumptions have not been confirmed ex vivo in humans. This study determined bidirectional electrical conductivities from pediatric epilepsy surgery patients. Electrical conductivities perpendicular and parallel to the pial surface of neocortex and subcortical white matter (n = 15) were measured using the 4-electrode technique and compared with clinical variables. Mean (±SD) electrical conductivities were 0.10 ± 0.01 S/m, and varied by 243% from patient to patient. Perpendicular and parallel conductivities differed by 45%, and the larger values were perpendicular to the pial surface in 47% and parallel in 40% of patients. A perpendicular principal axis was associated with normal, while isotropy and parallel principal axes were linked with epileptogenic lesions by MRI. Electrical conductivities were decreased in patients with cortical dysplasia compared with non-dysplasia etiologies. The electrical conductivity values of freshly excised human brain tissues were approximately 30% of assumed values, varied by over 200% from patient to patient, and had erratic anisotropic and isotropic shapes if the MRI showed a lesion. Understanding brain electrical conductivity and ways to non-invasively measure them are probably necessary to enhance the ability to localize EEG sources from epilepsy surgery patients. PMID:20440549

Do intensity ratings and skin conductance responses reliably discriminate between different stimulus intensities in experimentally induced pain?

PubMed

Breimhorst, Markus; Sandrock, Stephan; Fechir, Marcel; Hausenblas, Nadine; Geber, Christian; Birklein, Frank

2011-01-01

The present study addresses the question whether pain-intensity ratings and skin conductance responses (SCRs) are able to detect different intensities of phasic painful stimuli and to determine the reliability of this discrimination. For this purpose, 42 healthy participants of both genders were assigned to either electrical, mechanical, or laser heat-pain stimulation (each n = 14). A whole range of single brief painful stimuli were delivered on the right volar forearm of the dominant hand in a randomized order. Pain-intensity ratings and SCRs were analyzed. Using generalizability theory, individual and gender differences were the main contributors to the variability of both intensity ratings and SCRs. Most importantly, we showed that pain-intensity ratings are a reliable measure for the discrimination of different pain stimulus intensities in the applied modalities. The reliability of SCR was adequate when mechanical and heat stimuli were tested but failed for the discrimination of electrical stimuli. Further studies are needed to reveal the reason for this lack of accuracy for SCRs when applying electrical pain stimuli. Our study could help researchers to better understand the relationship between pain and activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Pain researchers are furthermore encouraged to consider individual and gender differences when measuring pain intensity and the concomitant SCRs in experimental settings. Copyright © 2011 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Laboratory derived constraints on electrical conductivity beneath Slave craton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagdassarov, Nikolai S.; Kopylova, Maya G.; Eichert, Sandrine

2007-04-01

The depth profile of the electrical conductivity, σ(d), beneath the Central Slave craton (Canada) has been reconstructed with the help of laboratory measurements carried out on peridotite xenoliths. σ(T) of xenoliths was determined in the piston-cylinder apparatus at 1 and 2 GPa and from 600 to 1150 °C. σ(T) of xenoliths follows the Arrhenius dependence with the activation energy, E, varying from 2.10 to 1.44 eV depending on temperature range and the Mg-number. The calculated xenolith geotherm and the suggested lithology beneath the Central Slave have been used to constrain σ(d) as follows: σ(d) in the crust varies between 0.5×10-5 and 10-3 S/m; the lithospheric σ(d) sharply decreases below the Moho at 39.4 km to 0.5×10-8 S/m, which corresponds to 460 °C, and then gradually increases with the depth d to 0.5×10-2 S/m. The modeled MT-response of the constrained σ(d) profile has been compared with MT-observations [Jones, A.G., Lezaeta, P., Ferguson, I.J., Chave, A.D., Evans, R.L., Garcia, X., Spratt J., 2003. The electrical structure of the Slave craton. Lithos, 71, 505-527]. The general trend of the calculated MT-response based on the σ(d) model mimics the MT-inversion of the field data from the Central Slave.

Field Experience with and Potential for Multi-time Scale Grid Transactions from Responsive Commercial Buildings

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

Piette, Mary Ann; Kiliccote, Sila; Ghatikar, Girish

2014-08-01

The need for and concepts behind demand response are evolving. As the electric system changes with more intermittent renewable electric supply systems, there is a need to allow buildings to provide more flexible demand. This paper presents results from field studies and pilots, as well as engineering estimates of the potential capabilities of fast load responsiveness in commercial buildings. We present a sector wide analysis of flexible loads in commercial buildings, which was conducted to improve resource planning and determine which loads to evaluate in future demonstrations. These systems provide important capabilities for future transactional systems. The field analysis ismore » based on results from California, plus projects in the northwest and east coast. End-uses considered include heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting. The timescales of control include day-ahead, as well as day-of, 10-minute ahead and even faster response. This technology can provide DR signals on different times scales to interact with responsive building loads. We describe the latency of the control systems in the building and the round trip communications with the wholesale grid operators.« less

Coated carbon nanotube array electrodes

DOEpatents

Ren, Zhifeng; Wen, Jian; Chen, Jinghua; Huang, Zhongping; Wang, Dezhi

2006-12-12

The present invention provides conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) electrode materials comprising aligned CNT substrates coated with an electrically conducting polymer, and the fabrication of electrodes for use in high performance electrical energy storage devices. In particular, the present invention provides conductive CNTs electrode material whose electrical properties render them especially suitable for use in high efficiency rechargeable batteries. The present invention also provides methods for obtaining surface modified conductive CNT electrode materials comprising an array of individual linear, aligned CNTs having a uniform surface coating of an electrically conductive polymer such as polypyrrole, and their use in electrical energy storage devices.

Coated carbon nanotube array electrodes

DOEpatents

Ren, Zhifeng [Newton, MA; Wen, Jian [Newton, MA; Chen, Jinghua [Chestnut Hill, MA; Huang, Zhongping [Belmont, MA; Wang, Dezhi [Wellesley, MA

2008-10-28

The present invention provides conductive carbon nanotube (CNT) electrode materials comprising aligned CNT substrates coated with an electrically conducting polymer, and the fabrication of electrodes for use in high performance electrical energy storage devices. In particular, the present invention provides conductive CNTs electrode material whose electrical properties render them especially suitable for use in high efficiency rechargeable batteries. The present invention also provides methods for obtaining surface modified conductive CNT electrode materials comprising an array of individual linear, aligned CNTs having a uniform surface coating of an electrically conductive polymer such as polypyrrole, and their use in electrical energy storage devices.

Hybrid absorbers composed of Fe3O4 thin film and magnetic composite sheet and enhancement of conduction noise absorption on a microstrip line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sung-Soo

2015-05-01

In response to develop wide-band noise absorbers with an improved low-frequency performance, this study investigates hybrid absorbers that are composed of conductive Fe3O4 thin film and magnetic composite sheets. The Fe3O4 films prepared via reactive sputtering exhibit a typical value of electrical resistivity of ≃10-4 Ωm. Rubber composites with flaky Fe-Si-Al particles of a high permeability and high permittivity are used as the magnetic sheet functioning as an electromagnetic shield barrier. Microstrip lines with a characteristic impedance of 50 Ω are used to measure the noise absorbing properties. For the Fe3O4 film with a low surface resistance and covered by the magnetic sheet, approximately 80% power absorption can be obtained at 1 GHz, which is significantly higher than that of the original magnetic sheet or Fe3O4 film. The high power absorption of the hybrid absorber is attributed to the enhanced ohmic loss of the Fe3O4 film through increased electric field strength bounded by the upper magnetic composite sheet. The noise absorption is further enhanced through increasing the electrical conductivity of the film containing more conductive phase (Fe3O4 + Fe), which can be prepared in a reduced oxygen partial pressure during reactive sputtering.

Thermal conductor for high-energy electrochemical cells

DOEpatents

Hoffman, Joseph A.; Domroese, Michael K.; Lindeman, David D.; Radewald, Vern E.; Rouillard, Roger; Trice, Jennifer L.

2000-01-01

A thermal conductor for use with an electrochemical energy storage device is disclosed. The thermal conductor is attached to one or both of the anode and cathode contacts of an electrochemical cell. A resilient portion of the conductor varies in height or position to maintain contact between the conductor and an adjacent wall structure of a containment vessel in response to relative movement between the conductor and the wall structure. The thermal conductor conducts current into and out of the electrochemical cell and conducts thermal energy between the electrochemical cell and thermally conductive and electrically resistive material disposed between the conductor and the wall structure. The thermal conductor may be fabricated to include a resilient portion having one of a substantially C-shaped, double C-shaped, Z-shaped, V-shaped, O-shaped, S-shaped, or finger-shaped cross-section. An elastomeric spring element may be configured so as to be captured by the resilient conductor for purposes of enhancing the functionality of the thermal conductor. The spring element may include a protrusion that provides electrical insulation between the spring conductor and a spring conductor of an adjacently disposed electrochemical cell in the presence of relative movement between the cells and the wall structure. The thermal conductor may also be fabricated from a sheet of electrically conductive material and affixed to the contacts of a number of electrochemical cells.

Waveform difference between skin conductance and skin potential responses in relation to electrical and evaporative properties of skin.

PubMed

Tronstad, Christian; Kalvøy, Håvard; Grimnes, Sverre; Martinsen, Ørjan G

2013-11-01

The shapes of skin conductance (SC) and skin potential (SP) responses are often similar, but can also be very different due to an unexplained cause. Using a new method to measure SC and SP simultaneously at the same electrode, this difference was investigated in a new way by comparing their temporal peak differences. SC, SP, skin susceptance (SS), and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were recorded from 40 participants during relaxation and stress. The SP response could peak anywhere between the onset of an SC response to some time after the peak of an SC response. This peak time difference was associated with the magnitude of the SCR, the hydration of the skin, and the filling of the sweat ducts. Interpretation of the results in light of existing biophysical theories suggests that this peak difference may indicate the hydraulic capacity state of the sweat ducts at the time of a response. Copyright © 2013 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Multi-Dimensional Damage Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibson, Tracy L. (Inventor); Williams, Martha K. (Inventor); Roberson, Luke B. (Inventor); Lewis, Mark E. (Inventor); Snyder, Sarah J. (Inventor); Medelius, Pedro J. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

Methods and systems may provide for a structure having a plurality of interconnected panels, wherein each panel has a plurality of detection layers separated from one another by one or more non-detection layers. The plurality of detection layers may form a grid of conductive traces. Additionally, a monitor may be coupled to each grid of conductive traces, wherein the monitor is configured to detect damage to the plurality of interconnected panels in response to an electrical property change with respect to one or more of the conductive traces. In one example, the structure is part of an inflatable space platform such as a spacecraft or habitat.

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

Constable, S.A.; Orange, Arnold S.; Hoversten, G. Michael

Induction in electrically conductive seawater attenuates themagnetotelluric (MT) fields and, coupled with a minimum around 1 Hz inthe natural magnetic field spectrum, leads to a dramatic loss of electricand magnetic field power on the sea floor at periods shorter than 1000 s,For this reason the marine MT method traditionally has been used only atperiods of 10(3) to 10(5) s to probe deep mantle structure; rarely does asea-floor MT response extend to a 100-s period. To be useful for mappingcontinental shelf structure at depths relevant to petroleum exploration,however, MT measurements need to be made at periods between 1 and 1000 s.Thismore » can be accomplished using ac-coupled sensors, induction coils forthe magnetic field, and an electric field amplifier developed for marinecontrolled-source applications. The electrically quiet sea floor allowsthe attenuated electric field to be amplified greatly before recording;in deep (l-km) water, motional noise in magnetic field sensors appearsnot to be a problem. In shallower water, motional noise does degrade themagnetic measurement, but sea-floor magnetic records can be replaced byland recordings, producing an effective sea-surface MT response. Fieldtrials of such equipment in l-km-deep water produced good-quality MTresponses at periods of 3 to 1000 s: in shallower water, responses to afew hertz can be obtained. Using an autonomous sea-floor data loggerdeveloped at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, marine surveys of 50 to100 sites are feasible.« less

Ceramic substrate including thin film multilayer surface conductor

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

Wolf, Joseph Ambrose; Peterson, Kenneth A.

2017-05-09

A ceramic substrate comprises a plurality of ceramic sheets, a plurality of inner conductive layers, a plurality of vias, and an upper conductive layer. The ceramic sheets are stacked one on top of another and include a top ceramic sheet. The inner conductive layers include electrically conductive material that forms electrically conductive features on an upper surface of each ceramic sheet excluding the top ceramic sheet. The vias are formed in each of the ceramic sheets with each via being filled with electrically conductive material. The upper conductive layer includes electrically conductive material that forms electrically conductive features on anmore » upper surface of the top ceramic sheet. The upper conductive layer is constructed from a stack of four sublayers. A first sublayer is formed from titanium. A second sublayer is formed from copper. A third sublayer is formed from platinum. A fourth sublayer is formed from gold.« less

Self-catalytic growth of unmodified gold nanoparticles as conductive bridges mediated gap-electrical signal transduction for DNA hybridization detection.

PubMed

Zhang, Jing; Nie, Huagui; Wu, Zhan; Yang, Zhi; Zhang, Lijie; Xu, Xiangju; Huang, Shaoming

2014-01-21

A simple and sensitive gap-electrical biosensor based on self-catalytic growth of unmodified gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as conductive bridges has been developed for amplifying DNA hybridization events. In this strategy, the signal amplification degree of such conductive bridges is closely related to the variation of the glucose oxidase (GOx)-like catalytic activity of AuNPs upon interaction with single- and double-stranded DNA (ssDNA and dsDNA), respectively. In the presence of target DNA, the obtained dsDNA product cannot adsorb onto the surface of AuNPs due to electrostatic interaction, which makes the unmodified AuNPs exhibit excellent GOx-like catalytic activity. Such catalytic activity can enlarge the diameters of AuNPs in the glucose and HAuCl4 solution and result in a connection between most of the AuNPs and a conductive gold film formation with a dramatically increased conductance. For the control sample, the catalytic activity sites of AuNPs are fully blocked by ssDNA due to the noncovalent interaction between nucleotide bases and AuNPs. Thus, the growth of the assembled AuNPs will not happen and the conductance between microelectrodes will be not changed. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the developed strategy exhibited a sensitive response to target DNA with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Moreover, this strategy was also demonstrated to provide excellent differentiation ability for single-nucleotide polymorphism. Such performances indicated the great potential of this label-free electrical strategy for clinical diagnostics and genetic analysis under real biological sample separation.

Attenuated geophysical signatures associated with ongoing remediation efforts at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Oscoda, Michigan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Che-Alota, V.; Atekwana, E. A.; Sauck, W. A.; Nolan, J. T.; Slater, L. D.

2007-12-01

Previous geophysical investigations (1996, 1997, 2003, and 2004) conducted at the decommissioned Wurtsmith Air Force Base former Fire Training Cell (FT-02) showed a clearly defined high conductivity anomaly associated with hydrocarbon contaminants in the vadose zone and ground water near the source area. The source of the geophysical anomalies was attributed to biogeochemical modifications of the contaminated zone resulting from intrinsic bioremediation. During these previous surveys, ground penetrating radar (GPR) data showed a zone of attenuated GPR reflections extending from the vadose zone to below the water table. Self potential data (SP) data defined a positive anomaly coincident with the hydrochemically defined plume, while electrical resistivity data showed anomalously high conductivity within the zone of impact. In 2007, another integrated geophysical study of the site was conducted. GPR, SP, electrical resistivity, and induced polarization surveys were conducted with expectations of achieving similar results as the past surveys. However, preliminary assessment of the data shows a marked decrease in electrical conductivity and SP response over the plume. GPR data still showed the attenuated signals, but the zone of attenuation was only observed below the water table. We attribute the attenuation of the observed geophysical anomalies to ongoing soil vapor extraction initiated in 2003. Significant removal of the contaminant mass by the vapor extraction system has altered the subsurface biogeochemical conditions and these changes were documented by the 2007 geophysical and geochemical data. The results of this study show that the attenuation of the contaminant plume is detectable with geophysical methods.

Estimates of olivine-basaltic melt electrical conductivity using a digital rock physics approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Kevin J.; Montési, Laurent G. J.; Zhu, Wen-lu

2015-12-01

Estimates of melt content beneath fast-spreading mid-ocean ridges inferred from magnetotelluric tomography (MT) vary between 0.01 and 0.10. Much of this variation may stem from a lack of understanding of how the grain-scale melt geometry influences the bulk electrical conductivity of a partially molten rock, especially at low melt fraction. We compute bulk electrical conductivity of olivine-basalt aggregates over 0.02 to 0.20 melt fraction by simulating electric current in experimentally obtained partially molten geometries. Olivine-basalt aggregates were synthesized by hot-pressing San Carlos olivine and high-alumina basalt in a solid-medium piston-cylinder apparatus. Run conditions for experimental charges were 1.5 GPa and 1350 °C. Upon completion, charges were quenched and cored. Samples were imaged using synchrotron X-ray micro-computed tomography (μ-CT). The resulting high-resolution, 3-dimensional (3-D) image of the melt distribution constitutes a digital rock sample, on which numerical simulations were conducted to estimate material properties. To compute bulk electrical conductivity, we simulated a direct current measurement by solving the current continuity equation, assuming electrical conductivities for olivine and melt. An application of Ohm's Law yields the bulk electrical conductivity of the partially molten region. The bulk electrical conductivity values for nominally dry materials follow a power-law relationship σbulk = Cσmeltϕm with fit parameters m = 1.3 ± 0.3 and C = 0.66 ± 0.06. Laminar fluid flow simulations were conducted on the same partially molten geometries to obtain permeability, and the respective pathways for electrical current and fluid flow over the same melt geometry were compared. Our results indicate that the pathways for flow fluid are different from those for electric current. Electrical tortuosity is lower than fluid flow tortuosity. The simulation results are compared to existing experimental data, and the potential influence of volatiles and melt films on electrical conductivity of partially molten rocks is discussed.

Observatory geoelectric fields induced in a two-layer lithosphere during magnetic storms

USGS Publications Warehouse

Love, Jeffrey J.; Swidinsky, Andrei

2015-01-01

We report on the development and validation of an algorithm for estimating geoelectric fields induced in the lithosphere beneath an observatory during a magnetic storm. To accommodate induction in three-dimensional lithospheric electrical conductivity, we analyze a simple nine-parameter model: two horizontal layers, each with uniform electrical conductivity properties given by independent distortion tensors. With Laplace transformation of the induction equations into the complex frequency domain, we obtain a transfer function describing induction of observatory geoelectric fields having frequency-dependent polarization. Upon inverse transformation back to the time domain, the convolution of the corresponding impulse-response function with a geomagnetic time series yields an estimated geoelectric time series. We obtain an optimized set of conductivity parameters using 1-s resolution geomagnetic and geoelectric field data collected at the Kakioka, Japan, observatory for five different intense magnetic storms, including the October 2003 Halloween storm; our estimated geoelectric field accounts for 93% of that measured during the Halloween storm. This work demonstrates the need for detailed modeling of the Earth’s lithospheric conductivity structure and the utility of co-located geomagnetic and geoelectric monitoring.

Why does the Conductivity of a Nickel Catalyst Increase during Sulfidation? An Exemplary Study Using an In Operando Sensor Device.

PubMed

Fremerey, Peter; Jess, Andreas; Moos, Ralf

2015-10-23

In order to study the sulfidation of a catalyst fixed bed, an in operando single pellet sensor was designed. A catalyst pellet from the fixed bed was electrically contacted and its electrical response was correlated with the catalyst behavior. For the sulfidation tests, a nickel catalyst was used and was sulfidized with H₂S. This catalyst had a very low conductivity in the reduced state. During sulfidation, the conductivity of the catalyst increased by decades. A reaction from nickel to nickel sulfide occurred. This conductivity increase by decades during sulfidation had not been expected since both nickel and nickel sulfides behave metallic. Only by assuming a percolation phenomenon that originates from a volume increase of the nickel contacts when reacting to nickel sulfides, this effect can be explained. This assumption was supported by sulfidation tests with differently nickel loaded catalysts and it was quantitatively estimated by a general effective media theory. The single pellet sensor device for in operando investigation of sulfidation can be considered as a valuable tool to get further insights into catalysts under reaction conditions.

Photovoltaic device having light transmitting electrically conductive stacked films

DOEpatents

Weber, Michael F.; Tran, Nang T.; Jeffrey, Frank R.; Gilbert, James R.; Aspen, Frank E.

1990-07-10

A light transmitting electrically conductive stacked film, useful as a light transmitting electrode, including a first light transmitting electrically conductive layer, having a first optical thickness, a second light transmitting layer, having a second optical thickness different from the optical thickness of the first layer, and an electrically conductive metallic layer interposed between and in initimate contact with the first and second layers.

Electric moisture meters for wood

Treesearch

William L. James

1988-01-01

Electric moisture meters for wood measure electric conductance (resistance) or dielectric properties, which vary fairly consistently with moisture content when it is less than 30 percent. The two major classes of electric moisture meters are the conductance (resistance) type and the dielectric type. Conductance-t ype meters use penetrating electrodes that measure in a...

Superior piezoelectric composite films: taking advantage of carbon nanomaterials.

PubMed

Saber, Nasser; Araby, Sherif; Meng, Qingshi; Hsu, Hung-Yao; Yan, Cheng; Azari, Sara; Lee, Sang-Heon; Xu, Yanan; Ma, Jun; Yu, Sirong

2014-01-31

Piezoelectric composites comprising an active phase of ferroelectric ceramic and a polymer matrix have recently found numerous sensory applications. However, it remains a major challenge to further improve their electromechanical response for advanced applications such as precision control and monitoring systems. We here investigated the incorporation of graphene platelets (GnPs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), each with various weight fractions, into PZT (lead zirconate titanate)/epoxy composites to produce three-phase nanocomposites. The nanocomposite films show markedly improved piezoelectric coefficients and electromechanical responses (50%) besides an enhancement of ~200% in stiffness. The carbon nanomaterials strengthened the impact of electric field on the PZT particles by appropriately raising the electrical conductivity of the epoxy. GnPs have been proved to be far more promising in improving the poling behavior and dynamic response than MWNTs. The superior dynamic sensitivity of GnP-reinforced composite may be caused by the GnPs' high load transfer efficiency arising from their two-dimensional geometry and good compatibility with the matrix. The reduced acoustic impedance mismatch resulting from the improved thermal conductance may also contribute to the higher sensitivity of GnP-reinforced composite. This research pointed out the potential of employing GnPs to develop highly sensitive piezoelectric composites for sensing applications.

Thresholds of arsenic toxicity to Eisenia fetida in field-collected agricultural soils exposed to copper mining activities in Chile.

PubMed

Bustos, Víctor; Mondaca, Pedro; Verdejo, José; Sauvé, Sébastien; Gaete, Hernán; Celis-Diez, Juan L; Neaman, Alexander

2015-12-01

Several previous studies highlighted the importance of using field-collected soils-and not artificially-contaminated soils-for ecotoxicity tests. However, the use of field-collected soils presents several difficulties for interpretation of results, due to the presence of various contaminants and unavoidable differences in the physicochemical properties of the tested soils. The objective of this study was to estimate thresholds of metal toxicity in topsoils of 24 agricultural areas historically contaminated by mining activities in Chile. We performed standardized earthworm reproduction tests (OECD 222 and ISO 11268-2) with Eisenia fetida. Total soil concentrations of Cu, As, Zn, and Pb were in the ranges of 82-1295 mg kg(-1), 7-41 mg kg(-1), 86-345 mg kg(-1), and 25-97 mg kg(-1), respectively. In order to differentiate between the effects of different metals, we used regression analysis between soil metal concentrations and earthworm responses, as well as between metal concentrations in earthworm tissues and earthworm responses. Based on regression analysis, we concluded that As was a metal of prime concern for Eisenia fetida in soils affected by Cu mining activities, while Cu exhibited a secondary effect. In contrast, the effects of Zn and Pb were not significant. Soil electrical conductivity was another significant contributor to reproduction toxicity in the studied soils, forcing its integration in the interpretation of the results. By using soils with electrical conductivity ≤ 0.29 dS m(-1) (which corresponds to EC50 of salt toxicity to Eisenia fetida), it was possible to isolate the effect of soil salinity on earthworm reproduction. Despite the confounding effects of Cu, it was possible to determine EC10, EC25 and EC50 values for total soil As at 8 mg kg(-1), 14 mg kg(-1) and 22 mg kg(-1), respectively, for the response of the cocoon production. However, it was not possible to determine these threshold values for juvenile production. Likewise, we were able to determine EC10, EC25 and EC50 of earthworm tissue As of 38 mg kg(-1), 47 mg kg(-1), and 57 mg kg(-1), respectively, for the response of the cocoon production. Finally, we determined the no-observed effect concentration of tissue As in E. fetida of 24 mg kg(-1). Thus, earthworm reproduction test is applicable for assessment of metal toxicity in field-collected soils with low electrical conductivity, while it might have a limited applicability in soils with high electrical conductivity because the salinity-induced toxicity will hinder the interpretation of the results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wood Ash Induced pH Changes Strongly Affect Soil Bacterial Numbers and Community Composition

PubMed Central

Bang-Andreasen, Toke; Nielsen, Jeppe T.; Voriskova, Jana; Heise, Janine; Rønn, Regin; Kjøller, Rasmus; Hansen, Hans C. B.; Jacobsen, Carsten S.

2017-01-01

Recirculation of wood ash from energy production to forest soil improves the sustainability of this energy production form as recycled wood ash contains nutrients that otherwise would be lost at harvest. In addition, wood-ash is beneficial to many soils due to its inherent acid-neutralizing capabilities. However, wood ash has several ecosystem-perturbing effects like increased soil pH and pore water electrical conductivity both known to strongly impact soil bacterial numbers and community composition. Studies investigating soil bacterial community responses to wood ash application remain sparse and the available results are ambiguous and remain at a general taxonomic level. Here we investigate the response of bacterial communities in a spruce forest soil to wood ash addition corresponding to 0, 5, 22, and 167 t wood ash ha-1. We used culture-based enumerations of general bacteria, Pseudomonas and sporeforming bacteria combined with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to valuate soil bacterial responses to wood ash application. Results showed that wood ash addition strongly increased soil pH and electrical conductivity. Soil pH increased from acidic through neutral at 22 t ha-1 to alkaline at 167 t ha-1. Bacterial numbers significantly increased up to a wood ash dose of 22 t ha-1 followed by significant decrease at 167 t ha-1 wood ash. The soil bacterial community composition changed after wood ash application with copiotrophic bacteria responding positively up to a wood ash dose of 22 t ha-1 while the adverse effect was seen for oligotrophic bacteria. Marked changes in bacterial community composition occurred at a wood ash dose of 167 t ha-1 with a single alkaliphilic genus dominating. Additionally, spore-formers became abundant at an ash dose of 167 t ha-1 whereas this was not the case at lower ash doses. Lastly, bacterial richness and diversity strongly decreased with increasing amount of wood ash applied. All of the observed bacterial responses can be directly explained by the wood ash induced changes in pH, electrical conductivity and the addition of wood ash inherent nutrients. PMID:28804476

Wood Ash Induced pH Changes Strongly Affect Soil Bacterial Numbers and Community Composition.

PubMed

Bang-Andreasen, Toke; Nielsen, Jeppe T; Voriskova, Jana; Heise, Janine; Rønn, Regin; Kjøller, Rasmus; Hansen, Hans C B; Jacobsen, Carsten S

2017-01-01

Recirculation of wood ash from energy production to forest soil improves the sustainability of this energy production form as recycled wood ash contains nutrients that otherwise would be lost at harvest. In addition, wood-ash is beneficial to many soils due to its inherent acid-neutralizing capabilities. However, wood ash has several ecosystem-perturbing effects like increased soil pH and pore water electrical conductivity both known to strongly impact soil bacterial numbers and community composition. Studies investigating soil bacterial community responses to wood ash application remain sparse and the available results are ambiguous and remain at a general taxonomic level. Here we investigate the response of bacterial communities in a spruce forest soil to wood ash addition corresponding to 0, 5, 22, and 167 t wood ash ha -1 . We used culture-based enumerations of general bacteria, Pseudomonas and sporeforming bacteria combined with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to valuate soil bacterial responses to wood ash application. Results showed that wood ash addition strongly increased soil pH and electrical conductivity. Soil pH increased from acidic through neutral at 22 t ha -1 to alkaline at 167 t ha -1 . Bacterial numbers significantly increased up to a wood ash dose of 22 t ha -1 followed by significant decrease at 167 t ha -1 wood ash. The soil bacterial community composition changed after wood ash application with copiotrophic bacteria responding positively up to a wood ash dose of 22 t ha -1 while the adverse effect was seen for oligotrophic bacteria. Marked changes in bacterial community composition occurred at a wood ash dose of 167 t ha -1 with a single alkaliphilic genus dominating. Additionally, spore-formers became abundant at an ash dose of 167 t ha -1 whereas this was not the case at lower ash doses. Lastly, bacterial richness and diversity strongly decreased with increasing amount of wood ash applied. All of the observed bacterial responses can be directly explained by the wood ash induced changes in pH, electrical conductivity and the addition of wood ash inherent nutrients.

High frequency vibration characteristics of electric wheel system under in-wheel motor torque ripple

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Yu; Zuo, Shuguang; Wu, Xudong; Duan, Xianglei

2017-07-01

With the introduction of in-wheel motor, the electric wheel system encounters new vibration problems brought by motor torque ripple excitation. In order to analyze new vibration characteristics of electric wheel system, torque ripple of in-wheel motor based on motor module and vector control system is primarily analyzed, and frequency/order features of the torque ripple are discussed. Then quarter vehicle-electric wheel system (QV-EWS) dynamics model based on the rigid ring tire assumption is established and the main parameters of the model are identified according to tire free modal test. Modal characteristics of the model are further analyzed. The analysis indicates that torque excitation of in-wheel motor is prone to arouse horizontal vibration, in which in-phase rotational, anti-phase rotational and horizontal translational modes of electric wheel system mainly participate. Based on the model, vibration responses of the QV-EWS under torque ripple are simulated. The results show that unlike vertical low frequency (lower than 20 Hz) vibration excited by road roughness, broadband torque ripple will arouse horizontal high frequency (50-100 Hz) vibration of electric wheel system due to participation of the three aforementioned modes. To verify the theoretical analysis, the bench experiment of electric wheel system is conducted and vibration responses are acquired. The experiment demonstrates the high frequency vibration phenomenon of electric wheel system and the measured order features as well as main resonant frequencies agree with simulation results. Through theoretical modeling, analysis and experiments this paper reveals and explains the high frequency vibration characteristics of electric wheel system, providing references for the dynamic analysis, optimal design of QV-EWS.

Electrically-Conductive Polyaramid Cable And Fabric

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orban, Ralph F.

1988-01-01

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

Effect of process parameters on microstructure and electrical conductivity during FSW of Al-6101 and Pure Copper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Nidhi; Khan, Zahid A.; Siddiquee, Arshad Noor; Shihab, Suha K.; Atif Wahid, Mohd

2018-04-01

Copper (Cu) is predominantly used material as a conducting element in electrical and electronic components due to its high conductivity. Aluminum (Al) being lighter in weight and more conductive on weight basis than that of Cu is able to replace or partially replace Cu to make lighter and cost effective electrical components. Conventional methods of joining Al to Cu, such as, fusion welding process have many shortcomings. Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid state welding process which overcomes the shortcoming of the fusion welding. FSW parameters affect the mechanical and electrical properties of the joint. This study aims to evaluate the effect of different process parameters such as shoulder diameter, pin offset, welding and rotational speed on the microstructure and electrical conductivity of the dissimilar Al-Cu joint. FSW is performed using cylindrical pin profile, and four process parameters. Each parameter at different levels is varied according to Taguchi’s L18 standard orthogonal array. It is found that the electrical conductivity of the FSWed joints are equal to that of aluminum at all the welded sections. FSW is found to be an effective technique to join Al to Cu without compromising with the electrical properties. However, the electrical conductivity gets influenced by the process parameters in the stir zone. The optimal combination of the FSW parameters for maximum electrical conductivity is determined. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique applied on stir zone suggests that the rotational speed and tool pin offset are the significant parameters to influence the electrical conductivity.

A new solution of measuring thermal response of prestressed concrete bridge girders for structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, Pengcheng; Borchani, Wassim; Hasni, Hassene; Lajnef, Nizar

2017-08-01

This study develops a novel buckling-based mechanism to measure the thermal response of prestressed concrete bridge girders under continuous temperature changes for structural health monitoring. The measuring device consists of a bilaterally constrained beam and a piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride transducer that is attached to the beam. Under thermally induced displacement, the slender beam is buckled. The post-buckling events are deployed to convert the low-rate and low-frequency excitations into localized high-rate motions and, therefore, the attached piezoelectric transducer is triggered to generate electrical signals. Attaching the measuring device to concrete bridge girders, the electrical signals are used to detect the thermal response of concrete bridges. Finite element simulations are conducted to obtain the displacement of prestressed concrete girders under thermal loads. Using the thermal-induced displacement as input, experiments are carried out on a 3D printed measuring device to investigate the buckling response and corresponding electrical signals. A theoretical model is developed based on the nonlinear Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and large deformation assumptions to predict the buckling mode transitions of the beam. Based on the presented theoretical model, the geometry properties of the measuring device can be designed such that its buckling response is effectively controlled. Consequently, the thermally induced displacement can be designed as limit states to detect excessive thermal loads on concrete bridge girders. The proposed solution sufficiently measures the thermal response of concrete bridges.

Method and apparatus for probing relative volume fractions

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

Jandrasits, W.G.; Kikta, T.J.

1996-12-31

A relative volume fraction probe particularly for use in a multiphase fluid system includes two parallel conductive paths defining there between a sample zone within the system. A generating unit generates time varying electrical signals which are inserted into one of the two parallel conductive paths. A time domain reflectometer receives the time varying electrical signals returned by the second of the two parallel conductive paths and, responsive thereto, outputs a curve of impedance versus distance. An analysis unit then calculates the area under the curve, subtracts the calculated area from an area produced when the sample zone consists entirelymore » of material of a first fluid phase, and divides this calculated difference by the difference between an area produced when the sample zone consists entirely of material of the first fluid phase and an area produced when the sample zone consists entirely of material of a second fluid phase. The result is the volume fraction.« less

Investigation of gate-diode degradation in normally-off p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors

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

Ťapajna, M., E-mail: milan.tapajna@savba.sk; Kuzmík, J.; Hilt, O.

2015-11-09

Gate diode conduction mechanisms were analyzed in normally-off p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistors grown on Si wafers before and after forward bias stresses. Electrical characterization of the gate diodes indicates forward current to be limited by channel electrons injected through the AlGaN/p-GaN triangular barrier promoted by traps. On the other hand, reverse current was found to be consistent with carrier generation-recombination processes in the AlGaN layer. Soft breakdown observed after ∼10{sup 5 }s during forward bias stress at gate voltage of 7 V was attributed to formation of conductive channel in p-GaN/AlGaN gate stack via trap generation and percolation mechanism, likely due tomore » coexistence of high electric field and high forward current density. Possible enhancement of localized conductive channels originating from spatial inhomogeneities is proposed to be responsible for the degradation.« less

The long-term resistance mechanisms, critical irrigation threshold and relief capacity shown by Eugenia myrtifolia plants in response to saline reclaimed water.

PubMed

Acosta-Motos, José Ramón; Hernández, José Antonio; Álvarez, Sara; Barba-Espín, Gregorio; Sánchez-Blanco, María Jesús

2017-02-01

Salts present in irrigation water are serious problems for commercial horticulture, particularly in semi-arid regions. Reclaimed water (RW) typically contains, among others elements, high levels of salts, boron and heavy metal. Phytotoxic ion accumulation in the substrate has been linked to different electric conductivities of the treatments. Based on these premises, we studied the long-term effect of three reclaimed water treatments with different saline concentrations on Eugenia myrtifolia plants. We also looked at the ability of these plants to recover when no drainage was applied. The RW with the highest electric conductivity (RW3, EC = 6.96 dS m -1 ) provoked a number of responses to salinity in these plants, including: 1) accumulation and extrusion of phytotoxic ions in roots; 2) a decrease in the shoot/root ratio, leaf area, number of leaves; 3) a decrease in root hydraulic conductivity, leaf water potential, the relative water content of leaves, leaf stomatal conductance, the leaf photosynthetic rate, water-use efficiency and accumulated evapotranspiration in order to limit water loss; and 4) changes in the antioxidant defence mechanisms. These different responses induced oxidative stress, which can explain the damage caused in the membranes, leading to the death of RW3 plants during the relief period. The behaviour observed in RW2 plants was slightly better compared with RW3 plants, although at the end of the experiment about 55% of the RW2 plants also died, however RW containing low salinity level (RW1, EC = 2.97 dS m -1 ) can be effective for plant irrigation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Minimizing radiation damage in nonlinear optical crystals

DOEpatents

Cooke, D.W.; Bennett, B.L.; Cockroft, N.J.

1998-09-08

Methods are disclosed for minimizing laser induced damage to nonlinear crystals, such as KTP crystals, involving various means for electrically grounding the crystals in order to diffuse electrical discharges within the crystals caused by the incident laser beam. In certain embodiments, electrically conductive material is deposited onto or into surfaces of the nonlinear crystals and the electrically conductive surfaces are connected to an electrical ground. To minimize electrical discharges on crystal surfaces that are not covered by the grounded electrically conductive material, a vacuum may be created around the nonlinear crystal. 5 figs.

Low frequency electric field variations during HF transmissions on a mother-daughter rocket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenberg, T. J.; Maynard, M. C.; Holtet, J. A.; Karlsen, N. O.; Egeland, A.; Moe, T. E.; Troim, J.

1977-01-01

HF wave propagation experiments were conducted on Mother-Daughter rockets in the polar ionosphere. Swept frequency transmissions from the Mother, nominally covering the range from 0.5 to 5 MHz in both CW and pulse modes, are received by the Daughter. In the most recent rocket of the series, the Mother also contained an AC electric field spectrometer covering the frequency range from 10 Hz to 100 kHz in four decade bands. The low frequency response of the ionosphere with respect to waves emitted from the onboard HF transmitter is examined.

Continuous-flow trapping and localized enrichment of micro- and nano-particles using induced-charge electrokinetics.

PubMed

Zhao, Cunlu; Yang, Chun

2018-02-14

In this work, we report an effective microfluidic technique for continuous-flow trapping and localized enrichment of micro- and nano-particles by using induced-charge electrokinetic (ICEK) phenomena. The proposed technique utilizes a simple microfluidic device that consists of a straight microchannel and a conducting strip attached to the bottom wall of the microchannel. Upon application of the electric field along the microchannel, the conducting strip becomes polarized to introduce two types of ICEK phenomena, the ICEK flow vortex and particle dielectrophoresis, and they are identified by a theoretical model formulated in this study to be jointly responsible for the trapping of particles over the edge of the conducting strip. Our experiments showed that successful trapping requires an AC/DC combined electric field: the DC component is mainly to induce electroosmotic flow for transporting particles to the trapping location; the AC component induces ICEK phenomena over the edge of the conducting strip for particle trapping. The performance of the technique is examined with respect to the applied electric voltage, AC frequency and the particle size. We observed that the trapped particles form a narrow band (nearly a straight line) defined by the edge of the conducting strip, thereby allowing localized particle enrichment. For instance, we found that under certain conditions a high particle enrichment ratio of 200 was achieved within 30 seconds. We also demonstrated that the proposed technique was able to trap particles from several microns down to several tens of nanometer. We believe that the proposed ICEK trapping would have great flexibility that the trapping location can be readily varied by controlling the location of the patterned conducting strip and multiple-location trapping can be expected with the use of multiple conducting strips.

Nature of Dielectric Properties, Electric Modulus and AC Electrical Conductivity of Nanocrystalline ZnIn2Se4 Thin Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Nahass, M. M.; Attia, A. A.; Ali, H. A. M.; Salem, G. F.; Ismail, M. I.

2018-02-01

The structural characteristics of thermally deposited ZnIn2Se4 thin films were indexed utilizing x-ray diffraction as well as scanning electron microscopy techniques. Dielectric properties, electric modulus and AC electrical conductivity of ZnIn2Se4 thin films were examined in the frequency range from 42 Hz to 106 Hz. The capacitance, conductance and impedance were measured at different temperatures. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss decrease with an increase in frequency. The maximum barrier height was determined from the analysis of the dielectric loss depending on the Giuntini model. The real part of the electric modulus revealed a constant maximum value at higher frequencies and the imaginary part of the electric modulus was characterized by the appearance of dielectric relaxation peaks. The AC electrical conductivity obeyed the Jonscher universal power law. Correlated barrier hopping model was the appropriate mechanism for AC conduction in ZnIn2Se4 thin films. Estimation of the density of states at the Fermi level and activation energy, for AC conduction, was carried out based on the temperature dependence of AC electrical conductivity.

Grain boundary dominated electrical conductivity in ultrananocrystalline diamond

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

Wiora, Neda; Mertens, Michael; Bruhne, Kai

Here, N-type electrically conductive ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films were deposited using the hot filament chemical vapor deposition technique with a gas mixture of H 2, CH 4 and NH 3. Depending on the deposition temperature and ammonia feed gas concentration, which serves as a nitrogen source, room temperature electrical conductivities in the order of 10 –2 to 5 × 10 1S/cm and activation energies in the meV range were achieved. In order to understand the origin of the enhanced electrical conductivity and clarify the role of ammonia addition to the process gas, a set of UNCD films was grown bymore » systematically varying the ammonia gas phase concentration. These samples were analyzed with respect to their morphology and electrical properties as well as their carbon and nitrogen bonding environments. Temperature dependent electrical conductivity measurements (300–1200 K) show that the electrical conductivity of the samples increases with temperature. The near edge x-ray absorption fine structure measurements reveal that the electrical conductivity of the UNCD films does not correlate directly with ammonia addition, but depends on the total amount of sp2 bonded carbon in the deposited films.« less

Grain boundary dominated electrical conductivity in ultrananocrystalline diamond

DOE PAGES

Wiora, Neda; Mertens, Michael; Bruhne, Kai; ...

2017-10-09

Here, N-type electrically conductive ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films were deposited using the hot filament chemical vapor deposition technique with a gas mixture of H 2, CH 4 and NH 3. Depending on the deposition temperature and ammonia feed gas concentration, which serves as a nitrogen source, room temperature electrical conductivities in the order of 10 –2 to 5 × 10 1S/cm and activation energies in the meV range were achieved. In order to understand the origin of the enhanced electrical conductivity and clarify the role of ammonia addition to the process gas, a set of UNCD films was grown bymore » systematically varying the ammonia gas phase concentration. These samples were analyzed with respect to their morphology and electrical properties as well as their carbon and nitrogen bonding environments. Temperature dependent electrical conductivity measurements (300–1200 K) show that the electrical conductivity of the samples increases with temperature. The near edge x-ray absorption fine structure measurements reveal that the electrical conductivity of the UNCD films does not correlate directly with ammonia addition, but depends on the total amount of sp2 bonded carbon in the deposited films.« less

Gasket Assembly for Sealing Mating Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bryant, Melvin A., III (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A pair of substantially opposed mating surfaces are joined to each other and sealed in place by means of an electrically-conductive member which is placed in proximity to the mating surfaces. The electrically-conductive member has at least one element secured thereto which is positioned to contact the mating surfaces, and which softens when the electrically-conductive member is heated by passing an electric current therethrough. The softened element conforms to the mating surfaces, and upon cooling of the softened element the mating surfaces are joined together in an effective seal. Of particular significance is an embodiment of the electrically-conductive member which is a gasket having an electrically-conductive gasket base and a pair of the elements secured to opposite sides of the gasket base. This embodiment is positioned between the opposed mating surfaces to be joined to each other. Also significant is an embodiment of the electrically-conductive member which is an electrically-conductive sleeve having an element secured to its inner surface. This embodiment surrounds cylindrical members the bases of which are the substantially opposed mating surfaces to be joined, and the element on the inner surface of the sleeve contacts the outer surfaces of the cylindrical members.

Anisotropic electrical and thermal conductivity in Bi2AE2Co2O8+δ [AE = Ca, Sr1-xBax (x = 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0)] single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Song-Tao; Zhang, Bin-Bin; Xiong, Ye; Lv, Yang-Yang; Yao, Shu-Hua; Chen, Y. B.; Zhou, Jian; Zhang, Shan-Tao; Chen, Yan-Feng

2015-09-01

Bi2AE2Co2O8+δ (AE represents alkaline earth), constructed by stacking of rock-salt Bi2AE2O4 and triangle CoO2 layers alternatively along c-axis, is one of promising thermoelectric oxides. The most impressive feature of Bi2AE2Co2O8+δ, as reported previously, is their electrical conductivity mainly lying along CoO2 plane, adjusting Bi2AE2O4 layer simultaneously manipulates both thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. It in turn optimizes thermoelectric performance of these materials. In this work, we characterize the anisotropic thermal and electrical conductivity along both ab-plane and c-direction of Bi2AE2Co2O8+δ (AE = Ca, Sr, Ba, Sr1-xBax) single crystals. The results substantiate that isovalence replacement in Bi2AE2Co2O8+δ remarkably modifies their electrical property along ab-plane; while their thermal conductivity along ab-plane only has a slightly difference. At the same time, both the electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity along c-axis of these materials also have dramatic changes. Certainly, the electrical resistance along c-axis is too high to be used as thermoelectric applications. These results suggest that adjusting nano-block Bi2AE2O4 layer in Bi2AE2Co2O8+δ cannot modify the thermal conductivity along high electrical conductivity plane (ab-plane here). The evolution of electrical property is discussed by Anderson localization and electron-electron interaction U. And the modification of thermal conductivity along c-axis is attributed to the microstructure difference. This work sheds more light on the manipulation of the thermal and electrical conductivity in the layered thermoelectric materials.

Electrohydrodynamics of a compound vesicle under an AC electric field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priti Sinha, Kumari; Thaokar, Rochish M.

2017-07-01

Compound vesicles are relevant as simplified models for biological cells as well as in technological applications such as drug delivery. Characterization of these compound vesicles, especially the inner vesicle, remains a challenge. Similarly their response to electric field assumes importance in light of biomedical applications such as electroporation. Fields lower than that required for electroporation cause electrodeformation in vesicles and can be used to characterize their mechanical and electrical properties. A theoretical analysis of the electrohydrodynamics of a compound vesicle with outer vesicle of radius R o and an inner vesicle of radius λ {{R}o} , is presented. A phase diagram for the compound vesicle is presented and elucidated using detailed plots of electric fields, free charges and electric stresses. The electrohydrodynamics of the outer vesicle in a compound vesicle shows a prolate-sphere and prolate-oblate-sphere shape transitions when the conductivity of the annular fluid is greater than the outer fluid, and vice-versa respectively, akin to single vesicle electrohydrodynamics reported in the literature. The inner vesicle in contrast shows sphere-prolate-sphere and sphere-prolate-oblate-sphere transitions when the inner fluid conductivity is greater and smaller than the annular fluid, respectively. Equations and methodology are provided to determine the bending modulus and capacitance of the outer as well as the inner membrane, thereby providing an easy way to characterize compound vesicles and possibly biological cells.

Rod electrical coupling is controlled by a circadian clock and dopamine in mouse retina

PubMed Central

Jin, Nan Ge; Chuang, Alice Z; Masson, Philippe J; Ribelayga, Christophe P

2015-01-01

Key points Rod photoreceptors play a key role in vision in dim light; in the mammalian retina, although rods are anatomically connected or coupled by gap junctions, a type of electrical synapse, the functional importance and regulation of rod coupling has remained elusive. We have developed a new technique in the mouse: perforated patch-clamp recording of rod inner segments in isolated intact retinae maintained by superfusion. We find that rod electrical coupling is controlled by a circadian clock and dopamine, and is weak during the day and stronger at night. The results also indicate that the signal-to-noise ratio for a dim light response is increased at night because of coupling. Our observations will provide a framework for understanding the daily variations in human vision as well as the basis of specific retinal malfunctions. Abstract Rod single-photon responses are critical for vision in dim light. Electrical coupling via gap junction channels shapes the light response properties of vertebrate photoreceptors, but the regulation of rod coupling and its impact on the single-photon response have remained unclear. To directly address these questions, we developed a perforated patch-clamp recording technique and recorded from single rod inner segments in isolated intact neural mouse retinae, maintained by superfusion. Experiments were conducted at different times of the day or under constant environmental conditions, at different times across the circadian cycle. We show that rod electrical coupling is regulated by a circadian clock and dopamine, so that coupling is weak during the day and strong at night. Altogether, patch-clamp recordings of single-photon responses in mouse rods, tracer coupling, receptive field measurements and pharmacological manipulations of gap junction and dopamine receptor activity provide compelling evidence that rod coupling is modulated in a circadian manner. These data are consistent with computer modelling. At night, single-photon responses are smaller due to coupling, but the signal-to-noise ratio for a dim (multiphoton) light response is increased at night because of signal averaging between coupled rods. PMID:25616058

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

PubMed

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

2015-12-16

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

A dielectrophoresis-impedance method for protein detection and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamad, Ahmad Sabry; Hamzah, Roszymah; Hoettges, Kai F.; Hughes, Michael Pycraft

2017-01-01

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) has increasingly been used for the assessment of the electrical properties of molecular scale objects including proteins, DNA, nanotubes and nanowires. However, whilst techniques have been developed for the electrical characterisation of frequency-dependent DEP response, biomolecular study is usually limited to observation using fluorescent markers, limiting its applicability as a characterisation tool. In this paper we present a label-free, impedance-based method of characterisation applied to the determination of the electrical properties of colloidal protein molecules, specifically Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). By monitoring the impedance between electrodes as proteins collect, it is shown to be possible to observe multi-dispersion behaviour. A DEP dispersion exhibited at 400 kHz is attributable to the orientational dispersion of the molecule, whilst a second, higher-frequency dispersion is attributed to a Maxwell-Wagner type dispersion; changes in behaviour with medium conductivity suggest that this is strongly influenced by the electrical double layer surrounding the molecule.

Mathematical modeling of electrical activity of uterine muscle cells.

PubMed

Rihana, Sandy; Terrien, Jeremy; Germain, Guy; Marque, Catherine

2009-06-01

The uterine electrical activity is an efficient parameter to study the uterine contractility. In order to understand the ionic mechanisms responsible for its generation, we aimed at building a mathematical model of the uterine cell electrical activity based upon the physiological mechanisms. First, based on the voltage clamp experiments found in the literature, we focus on the principal ionic channels and their cognate currents involved in the generation of this electrical activity. Second, we provide the methodology of formulations of uterine ionic currents derived from a wide range of electrophysiological data. The model is validated step by step by comparing simulated voltage-clamp results with the experimental ones. The model reproduces successfully the generation of single spikes or trains of action potentials that fit with the experimental data. It allows analyzing ionic channels implications. Likewise, the calcium-dependent conductance influences significantly the cellular oscillatory behavior.

Experimental methods of actuation, characterization and prototyping of hydrogels for bioMEMS/NEMS applications.

PubMed

Khaleque, T; Abu-Salih, S; Saunders, J R; Moussa, W

2011-03-01

As a member of the smart polymer material group, stimuli responsive hydrogels have achieved a wide range of applications in microfluidic devices, micro/nano bio and environmental sensors, biomechanics and drug delivery systems. To optimize the utilization of a hydrogel in various micro and nano applications it is essential to have a better understanding of its mechanical and electrical properties. This paper presents a review of the different techniques used to determine a hydrogel's mechanical properties, including tensile strength, compressive strength and shear modulus and the electrical properties including electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity. Also explored the effect of various prototyping factors and the mechanisms by which these factors are used to alter the mechanical and electrical properties of a hydrogel. Finally, this review discusses a wide range of hydrogel fabrication techniques and methods used, to date, to actuate this family of smart polymer material.

Electrically conductive material

DOEpatents

Singh, Jitendra P.; Bosak, Andrea L.; McPheeters, Charles C.; Dees, Dennis W.

1993-01-01

An electrically conductive material for use in solid oxide fuel cells, electrochemical sensors for combustion exhaust, and various other applications possesses increased fracture toughness over available materials, while affording the same electrical conductivity. One embodiment of the sintered electrically conductive material consists essentially of cubic ZrO.sub.2 as a matrix and 6-19 wt. % monoclinic ZrO.sub.2 formed from particles having an average size equal to or greater than about 0.23 microns. Another embodiment of the electrically conductive material consists essentially at cubic ZrO.sub.2 as a matrix and 10-30 wt. % partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) formed from particles having an average size of approximately 3 microns.

Organometallic Polymeric Conductors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Youngs, Wiley J.

1997-01-01

For aerospace applications, the use of polymers can result in tremendous weight savings over metals. Suitable polymeric materials for some applications like EMI shielding, spacecraft grounding, and charge dissipation must combine high electrical conductivity with long-term environmental stability, good processability, and good mechanical properties. Recently, other investigators have reported hybrid films made from an electrically conductive polymer combined with insulating polymers. In all of these instances, the films were prepared by infiltrating an insulating polymer with a precursor for a conductive polymer (either polypyrrole or polythiophene), and oxidatively polymerizing the precursor in situ. The resulting composite films have good electrical conductivity, while overcoming the brittleness inherent in most conductive polymers. Many aerospace applications require a combination of properties. Thus, hybrid films made from polyimides or other engineering resins are of primary interest, but only if conductivities on the same order as those obtained with a polystyrene base could be obtained. Hence, a series of experiments was performed to optimize the conductivity of polyimide-based composite films. The polyimide base chosen for this study was Kapton. 3-MethylThiophene (3MT) was used for the conductive phase. Three processing variables were identified for producing these composite films, namely time, temperature, and oxidant concentration for the in situ oxidation. Statistically designed experiments were used to examine the effects of these variables and synergistic/interactive effects among variables on the electrical conductivity and mechanical strength of the films. Multiple linear regression analysis of the tensile data revealed that temperature and time have the greatest effect on maximum stress. The response surface of maximum stress vs. temperature and time (for oxidant concentration at 1.2 M) is shown. Conductivity of the composite films was measured for over 150 days in air at ambient temperature. The conductivity of the films dropped only half an order of magnitude in that time. Films aged under vacuum at ambient temperature diminished slightly in conductivity in the first day, but did not change thereafter. An experimental design approach will be applied to maximize the efficiency of the laboratory effort. The material properties (initial and long term) will also be monitored and assessed. The experimental results will add to the existing database for electrically conductive polymer materials. Attachments: 1) Synthesis Crystal Structure, and Polymerization of 1,2:5,6:9,10-Tribenzo-3,7,11,13-tetradehydro(14) annulene. 2) Reinvestigation of the Photocyclization of 1,4-Phenylene Bis(phenylmaleic anhydride): Preparation and Structure of (5)Helicene 5,6:9,10-Dianhydride. 3) Preparation and Structure Charecterization of a Platinum Catecholate Complex Containing Two 3-Ethynyltheophone Groups. and 4) Rigid-Rod Polymers Based on Noncoplanar 4,4'-Biphenyldiamines: A Review of Polymer Properties vs Configuration of Diamines.

Subsurface imaging of water electrical conductivity, hydraulic permeability and lithology at contaminated sites by induced polarization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maurya, P. K.; Balbarini, N.; Møller, I.; Rønde, V.; Christiansen, A. V.; Bjerg, P. L.; Auken, E.; Fiandaca, G.

2018-05-01

At contaminated sites, knowledge about geology and hydraulic properties of the subsurface and extent of the contamination is needed for assessing the risk and for designing potential site remediation. In this study, we have developed a new approach for characterizing contaminated sites through time-domain spectral induced polarization. The new approach is based on: (1) spectral inversion of the induced polarization data through a reparametrization of the Cole-Cole model, which disentangles the electrolytic bulk conductivity from the surface conductivity for delineating the contamination plume; (2) estimation of hydraulic permeability directly from the inverted parameters using a laboratory-derived empirical equation without any calibration; (3) the use of the geophysical imaging results for supporting the geological modelling and planning of drilling campaigns. The new approach was tested on a data set from the Grindsted stream (Denmark), where contaminated groundwater from a factory site discharges to the stream. Two overlapping areas were covered with seven parallel 2-D profiles each, one large area of 410 m × 90 m (5 m electrode spacing) and one detailed area of 126 m × 42 m (2 m electrode spacing). The geophysical results were complemented and validated by an extensive set of hydrologic and geologic information, including 94 estimates of hydraulic permeability obtained from slug tests and grain size analyses, 89 measurements of water electrical conductivity in groundwater, and four geological logs. On average the IP-derived and measured permeability values agreed within one order of magnitude, except for those close to boundaries between lithological layers (e.g. between sand and clay), where mismatches occurred due to the lack of vertical resolution in the geophysical imaging. An average formation factor was estimated from the correlation between the imaged bulk conductivity values and the water conductivity values measured in groundwater, in order to convert the imaging results from bulk conductivity to water conductivity. The geophysical models were actively used for supporting the geological modelling and the imaging of hydraulic permeability and water conductivity allowed for a better discrimination of the clay/lignite lithology from the pore water conductivity. Furthermore, high water electrical conductivity values were found in a deep confined aquifer, which is separated by a low-permeability clay layer from a shallow aquifer. No contamination was expected in this part of the confined aquifer, and confirmation wells were drilled in the zone of increased water electrical conductivity derived from the geophysical results. Water samples from the new wells showed elevated concentrations of inorganic compounds responsible for the increased water electrical conductivity in the confined aquifer and high concentrations of xenobiotic organic contaminants such as chlorinated ethenes, sulfonamides and barbiturates.

Electrical response of liquid crystal cells doped with multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

García-García, Amanda; Vergaz, Ricardo; Algorri, José Francisco; Quintana, Xabier; Otón, José Manuel

2015-01-01

The inclusion of nanoparticles modifies a number of fundamental properties of many materials. Doping of nanoparticles in self-organized materials such as liquid crystals may be of interest for the reciprocal interaction between the matrix and the nanoparticles. Elongated nanoparticles and nanotubes can be aligned and reoriented by the liquid crystal, inducing noticeable changes in their optical and electrical properties. In this work, cells of liquid crystal doped with high aspect ratio multi-walled carbon nanotubes have been prepared, and their characteristic impedance has been studied at different frequencies and excitation voltages. The results demonstrate alterations in the anisotropic conductivity of the samples with the applied electric field, which can be followed by monitoring the impedance evolution with the excitation voltage. Results are consistent with a possible electric contact between the coated substrates of the LC cell caused by the reorientation of the nanotubes. The reversibility of the doped system upon removal of the electric field is quite low.

Investigation of the Optimum Farming Temperature for Grifola frondosa and Growth Promotion using the Bio-Electric Potential as an Index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanagibashi, Hideyuki; Hirama, Junji; Matsuda, Masato; Miyamoto, Toshio

The purpose of this study was to investigate the optimum farming conditions for mushrooms from the view point of engineering field. As the bio-electric potential of mushrooms is considered to be closely related to the activation of mushroom cells, this relationship has been used to analyze the dependence of the morphogenetic characteristics of Grifola frondosa on farming temperatures (from 16 to 22 degree C). The experimental results indicated that a maximum response was exhibited, with correspondingly favorable morphogenesis obtained at 18 degree C. Based on the experimental results, including those in a previous study, it was assumed that the larger the bio-electric potential becomes, the higher the growth yield reaches. In order to support this assumption, growth promotion was conducted by intentionally activating the bio-electric potential within the mushrooms by stimulating them with short bursts of illumination. The resulting observation of growth promotion permitted the conclusion that the bio-electric potential can, indeed, be regarded as an index of growth.

Softened Mechanical Properties of Graphene Induced by Electric Field.

PubMed

Huang, Peng; Guo, Dan; Xie, Guoxin; Li, Jian

2017-10-11

The understanding on the mechanical properties of graphene under the applications of physical fields is highly relevant to the reliability and lifetime of graphene-based nanodevices. In this work, we demonstrate that the application of electric field could soften the mechanical properties of graphene dramatically on the basis of the conductive AFM nanoindentation method. It has been found that the Young's modulus and fracture strength of graphene nanosheets suspended on the holes almost stay the same initially and then exhibit a sharp drop when the normalized electric field strength increases to be 0.18 ± 0.03 V/nm. The threshold voltage of graphene nanosheets before the onset of fracture under the fixed applied load increases with the thickness. Supported graphene nanosheets can sustain larger electric field under the same applied load than the suspended ones. The excessively regional Joule heating caused by the high electric current under the applied load is responsible for the electromechanical failure of graphene. These findings can provide a beneficial guideline for the electromechanical applications of graphene-based nanodevices.

Enhanced structural stability and photo responsiveness of CH 3NH 3SnI 3 perovskite via pressure-induced amorphization and recrystallization

DOE PAGES

Lu, Xujie; Wang, Yonggang; Stoumpos, Constantinos C.; ...

2016-10-01

An organic–inorganic halide CH 3NH 3SnI 3 perovskite with significantly improved structural stability is obtained via pressure-induced amorphization and recrystallization. In situ high-pressure resistance measurements reveal an increased electrical conductivity by 300% in the pressure-treated perovskite. Photocurrent measurements also reveal a substantial enhancement in visible-light responsiveness. In conclusion, the mechanism underlying the enhanced properties is shown to be associated with the pressure-induced structural modification.

Thermal Response Turbine Shroud.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-11-01

AD-AO82 754. GENERAL ELECTRIC CO CINCINNATI OH AIRCRAFT ENGINE GROUP F/G 21/5 THERMAL RESPONSE TURBINE SHROUO.(UI NOV 79 C N GAY F33615-7B-C-2071...SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES IS. IEV WORDS (C..tIam. ON guinea 80410 Itf08M 8". 1~0 &VU~ b lma n-M-) Clearance Shroud Clearance Control Turbine Shroud engine / aircrafte ...compressor Active Clearance Control Systems (ACC) de-signed for aircraft gas turbine engine applications. The study vas conducted by personnel of the

Contact-independent electrical conductance measurement

DOEpatents

Mentzel, Tamar S.; MacLean, Kenneth; Kastner, Marc A.; Ray, Nirat

2017-01-24

Electrical conductance measurement system including a one-dimensional semiconducting channel, with electrical conductance sensitive to electrostatic fluctuations, in a circuit for measuring channel electrical current. An electrically-conductive element is disposed at a location at which the element is capacitively coupled to the channel; a midpoint of the element aligned with about a midpoint of the channel, and connected to first and second electrically-conductive contact pads that are together in a circuit connected to apply a changing voltage across the element. The electrically-conductive contact pads are laterally spaced from the midpoint of the element by a distance of at least about three times a screening length of the element, given in SI units as (K.di-elect cons..sub.0/e.sup.2D(E.sub.F)).sup.1/2, where K is the static dielectric constant, .di-elect cons..sub.0 is the permittivity of free space, e is electron charge, and D(E.sub.F) is the density of states at the Fermi energy for the element.

High permittivity polyaniline-barium titanate nanocomposites with excellent electromagnetic interference shielding response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saini, Parveen; Arora, Manju; Gupta, Govind; Gupta, Bipin Kumar; Singh, Vidya Nand; Choudhary, Veena

2013-05-01

Organic conductive polymers are at the forefront of materials science research because of their diverse applications built around their interesting and unique properties. This work reports for the first time a correlation between the structural, electrical, and electromagnetic properties of polyaniline (PANI)-tetragonal BaTiO3 (TBT) nanocomposites prepared by in-situ emulsion polymerization. XRD studies and HRTEM micrographs of these nanocomposites clearly revealed the incorporation of TBT nanoparticles in the conducting PANI matrix. EPR and XPS measurements reveal that increase in loading level of BaTiO3 results in a reduction of the doping level of PANI. The Ku-Band (12.4-18 GHz) network analysis of these composites shows exceptional microwave shielding response with absorption dominated total shielding effectiveness (SET) value of -71.5 dB (blockage of more than 99.99999% of incident radiation) which is the highest value reported in the literature. Such a high attenuation level, which critically depends on the fraction of BaTiO3 is attributed to optimized dielectric and electrical attributes. This demonstrates the possibility of using these materials in stealth technology and for making futuristic radar absorbing materials (RAMs).Organic conductive polymers are at the forefront of materials science research because of their diverse applications built around their interesting and unique properties. This work reports for the first time a correlation between the structural, electrical, and electromagnetic properties of polyaniline (PANI)-tetragonal BaTiO3 (TBT) nanocomposites prepared by in-situ emulsion polymerization. XRD studies and HRTEM micrographs of these nanocomposites clearly revealed the incorporation of TBT nanoparticles in the conducting PANI matrix. EPR and XPS measurements reveal that increase in loading level of BaTiO3 results in a reduction of the doping level of PANI. The Ku-Band (12.4-18 GHz) network analysis of these composites shows exceptional microwave shielding response with absorption dominated total shielding effectiveness (SET) value of -71.5 dB (blockage of more than 99.99999% of incident radiation) which is the highest value reported in the literature. Such a high attenuation level, which critically depends on the fraction of BaTiO3 is attributed to optimized dielectric and electrical attributes. This demonstrates the possibility of using these materials in stealth technology and for making futuristic radar absorbing materials (RAMs). Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00634d

Conducting single-molecule magnet materials.

PubMed

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

2018-05-11

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

The electrical conductivity of in vivo human uterine fibroids.

PubMed

DeLonzor, Russ; Spero, Richard K; Williams, Joseph J

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the value of electrical conductivity that can be used for numerical modelling in vivo radiofrequency ablation (RFA) treatments of human uterine fibroids. No experimental electrical conductivity data have previously been reported for human uterine fibroids. In this study electrical data (voltage) from selected in vivo clinical procedures on human uterine fibroids were used to numerically model the treatments. Measured versus calculated power dissipation profiles were compared to determine uterine fibroid electrical conductivity. Numerical simulations were conducted utilising a wide range of values for tissue thermal conductivity, heat capacity and blood perfusion coefficient. The simulations demonstrated that power dissipation was insensitive to the exact values of these parameters for the simulated geometry, treatment duration, and power level. Consequently, it was possible to determine tissue electrical conductivity without precise knowledge of the values for these parameters. Results of this study showed that an electrical conductivity for uterine fibroids of 0.305 S/m at 37°C and a temperature coefficient of 0.2%/°C can be used for modelling Radio Frequency Ablation of human uterine fibroids at a frequency of 460 kHz for temperatures from 37°C to 100°C.

Penetration of Nonstationary Ionospheric Electric Fields into Lower Atmospheric Layers in the Global Electric Circuit Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morozov, V. N.

2018-01-01

The problem of the penetration of nonstationary ionospheric electric fields into the lower atmospheric layers is considered based on the model of the global electric circuit in the Earth's atmosphere. For the equation of the electric field potential, a solution that takes into account exponential variation in the electrical conductivity with height has been obtained. Analysis of the solution made it possible to reveal three cases of the dependence of the solution on height. The first case (the case of high frequencies) corresponds to the Coulomb approximation, when the electrical conductivity of the atmosphere can be neglected. In the case of low frequencies (when the frequency of changes in the ionosphere potential is less than the quantity reciprocal to the time of electric relaxation of the atmosphere), a quasi-stationary regime, in which the variation in the electric potential of the atmosphere is determined by the electric conduction currents, occurs. In the third case, due to the increase in the electrical conductivity of the atmosphere, two spherical regions appear: with the Coulomb approximation in the lower region and conduction currents in the upper one. For these three cases, formulas for estimating the electric field strength near the Earth's surface have been obtained.

Reactive conductors for increased efficiency of exploding foil initiators and other detonators

DOEpatents

Morris, Christopher J.; Wilkins, Paul; May, Chadd; Zakar, Eugene

2015-05-05

Provided among other things are reactive energetic material systems used for conductors in detonators for increased efficiencies. According to an embodiment, a detonator may include: a conductor including at least two constituents including (i) an electrically conductive constituent, and (ii) an electrically non-conductive constituent, that when subjected to sufficient electrical energy, result in an exothermic reaction; and a flyer plate having a non-conductive surface in contact with said conductor. When the sufficient electrical energy is supplied to said conductor, rapid heating and vaporization of at least a portion of the conductor occurs so as to explosively drive at least a portion of the flyer plate away from said conductor. In an embodiment, a multilayer conductor may be formed of alternating layers of at least one electrically conductive layer, and at least one electrically non-conductive layer, that when subjected to sufficient electrical energy, result in an exothermic reaction.

Investigation of the heating behavior of carbide-bonded graphene coated silicon wafer used for hot embossing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Gao; Li, Lihua; Lee, Wing Bun; Ng, Man Cheung; Chan, Chang Yuen

2018-03-01

A recently developed carbide-bonded graphene (CBG) coated silicon wafer was found to be an effective micro-patterned mold material for implementing rapid heating in hot embossing processes owing to its superior electrical and thermal conductivity, in addition to excellent mechanical properties. To facilitate the achievement of precision temperature control in the hot embossing, the heating behavior of a CBG coated silicon wafer sample was experimentally investigated. First, two groups of controlled experiments were conducted for quantitatively evaluating the influence of the main factors such as the vacuum pressure and gaseous environment (vacuum versus nitrogen) on its heating performance. The electrical and thermal responses of this sample under a voltage of 60 V were then intensively analyzed, and revealed that it had somewhat semi-conducting properties. Further, we compared its thermal profiles under different settings of the input voltage and current limiting threshold. Moreover, the strong temperature dependence of electrical resistance for this material was observed and determined. Ultimately, the surface temperature of CBG coated silicon wafer could be as high as 1300 ℃, but surprisingly the graphene coating did not detach from the substrate under such an elevated temperature due to its strong thermal coupling with the silicon wafer.

NREL Paves the Way to Commercialization of Silicon Ink (Fact Sheet)

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

Not Available

In 2008, Innovalight, a start-up company in Sunnyvale, California, invented a liquid form of silicon, called Silicon Ink. It contains silicon nanoparticles that are suspended evenly within the solution. Those nanoparticles contain dopant atoms that can be driven into silicon solar cells, which changes the conductivity of the silicon and creates the internal electric fields that are needed to turn photons into electrons -- and thus into electricity. The ink is applied with a standard screen printer, already commonly used in the solar industry. The distinguishing feature of Silicon Ink is that it can be distributed in exact concentrations inmore » precisely the correct locations on the surface of the solar cell. This allows most of the surface to be lightly doped, enhancing its response to blue light, while heavily doping the area around the electrical contacts, raising the conductivity in that area to allow the contact to work more efficiently. The accuracy and uniformity of the ink distribution allows the production of solar cells that achieve higher power production at a minimal additional cost.« less

Small-scale electrical resistivity tomography of wet fractured rocks.

PubMed

LaBrecque, Douglas J; Sharpe, Roger; Wood, Thomas; Heath, Gail

2004-01-01

This paper describes a series of experiments that tested the ability of the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) method to locate correctly wet and dry fractures in a meso-scale model. The goal was to develop a method of monitoring the flow of water through a fractured rock matrix. The model was a four by six array of limestone blocks equipped with 28 stainless steel electrodes. Dry fractures were created by placing pieces of vinyl between one or more blocks. Wet fractures were created by injecting tap water into a joint between blocks. In electrical terms, the dry fractures are resistive and the wet fractures are conductive. The quantities measured by the ERT system are current and voltage around the outside edge of the model. The raw ERT data were translated to resistivity values inside the model using a three-dimensional Occam's inversion routine. This routine was one of the key components of ERT being tested. The model presented several challenges. First, the resistivity of both the blocks and the joints was highly variable. Second, the resistive targets introduced extreme changes the software could not precisely quantify. Third, the abrupt changes inherent in a fracture system were contrary to the smoothly varying changes expected by the Occam's inversion routine. Fourth, the response of the conductive fractures was small compared to the background variability. In general, ERT was able to locate correctly resistive fractures. Problems occurred, however, when the resistive fracture was near the edges of the model or when multiple fractures were close together. In particular, ERT tended to position the fracture closer to the model center than its true location. Conductive fractures yielded much smaller responses than the resistive case. A difference-inversion method was able to correctly locate these targets.

Electrode Processes and Aspects Relating to Cell EMF, Current, and Cell Components in Operating Electrochemical Cells: Precollege and College Student Interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogude, N. A.; Bradleu, J. D.

1996-12-01

Four areas that present difficulty among high school pupils and tertiary level students in relation to the processes that take place in operating electrochemical cells were identified (1). These are (i) conduction in the electrolyte, (ii) electrical neutrality, (iii) electrode processes and terminology, and (iv) aspects relating to cell emf, current, and cell components. A 20-item questionnaire was designed to determine how widespread misconceptions in these areas were. The prevalence and possible causes of misconceptions in two of the four areas - namely, conduction in the electrolyte and electrical neutrality - were reported (2). In this paper, we report on the difficulties experienced by students in relation to electrode processes and terminology and aspects of cell components, cell emf, and current. In relation to electrode processes and terminology, excerpts from interviews with precollege and college students as well as the responses of a larger group of students are discussed. The discussion relating to cell components, cell emf, and current presents a response to standard textbook questions by precollege and college students and interviews conducted with postgraduate higher diploma in education (HDE-PG) students. The interviews were conducted with postgraduate students after the precollege and college students were unable to verbalize their views, especially on cell emf and current. The possible causes of the misunderstandings and the questions used to elicit the misunderstandings in these two areas are presented.

Development of a new medium frequency EM device: Mapping soil water content variations using electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kessouri, P.; Buvat, S.; Tabbagh, A.

2012-12-01

Both electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity of soil are influenced by its water content. Dielectric permittivity is usually measured in the high frequency range, using GPR or TDR, where the sensitivity to water content is high. However, its evaluation is limited by a low investigation depth, especially for clay rich soils. Electrical conductivity is closely related not only to soil water content, but also to clay content and soil structure. A simultaneous estimation of these electrical parameters can allow the mapping of soil water content variations for an investigation depth close to 1m. In order to estimate simultaneously both soil electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity, an electromagnetic device working in the medium frequency range (between 100 kHz and 10 MHz) has been designed. We adopted Slingram geometry for the EM prototype: its PERP configuration (vertical transmission loop Tx and horizontal measuring loop Rx) was defined using 1D ground models. As the required investigation depth is around 1m, the coil spacing was fixed to 1.2m. This prototype works in a frequency range between 1 and 5 MHz. After calibration, we tested the response of prototype to objects with known properties. The first in situ measurements were led on experimental sites with different types of soils and different water content variations (artificially created or natural): sandy alluvium on a plot of INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research) in Orléans (Centre, France), a clay-loam soil on an experimental site in Estrée-Mons (Picardie, France) and fractured limestone at the vicinity of Grand (Vosges, France). In the case of the sandy alluvium, the values of dielectric permittivity measured are close to those of HF permittivity and allow the use of existing theoretical models to determine the soil water content. For soils containing higher amount of clay, the coupled information brought by the electrical conductivity and the dielectric permittivity is used. Variations of water content detected by the EM prototype are confirmed by additional DC electrical profiling and direct mass water content measurements along depth. For the clay-loam soil, containing more than 20% of clay, the relative dielectric permittivity values, ranging from 63 to 138, are much higher than those expected in the high frequency range (above 20 MHz, the highest measured permittivity is equal to 81 for water). In the medium frequency range, those values are very likely due to interfacial polarization. This effect, also known as Maxwell-Wagner polarization, should increase with the soil clay content. The first measuring trial is coherent with the gravimetric water content as well as DC electrical profiling measurements. For a clay rich soil, the EM prototype is able to detect water content variations for an investigation depth close to 1m with both electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity in the medium frequency range. Other field experiments are scheduled to confirm these results on other types of soils.

Electrochemical Device Comprising an Electrically-Conductive, Selectively-Permeable Membrane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laicer, Castro S. T. (Inventor); Mittelsteadt, Cortney K. (Inventor); Harrison, Katherine E. (Inventor); McPheeters, Bryn M. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

An electrochemical device, such as a fuel cell or an electrolyzer. In one embodiment, the electrochemical device includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), an anodic gas diffusion medium in contact with the anode of the MEA, a cathodic gas diffusion medium in contact with the cathode, a first bipolar plate in contact with the anodic gas diffusion medium, and a second bipolar plate in contact with the cathodic gas diffusion medium. Each of the bipolar plates includes an electrically-conductive, non-porous, liquid-permeable, substantially gas-impermeable membrane in contact with its respective gas diffusion medium, the membrane including a solid polymer electrolyte and a non-particulate, electrically-conductive material, such as carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, and/or metal nanowires. In addition, each bipolar plate also includes an electrically-conductive fluid chamber in contact with the electrically-conductive, selectively-permeable membrane and further includes a non-porous and electrically-conductive plate in contact with the fluid chamber.

Downhole data transmission system

DOEpatents

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

2006-06-20

A system for transmitting data through a string of downhole components. In one aspect, the system includes first and second magnetically conductive, electrically insulating elements at both ends of the component. Each element includes a first U-shaped trough with a bottom, first and second sides and an opening between the two sides. Electrically conducting coils are located in each trough. An electrical conductor connects the coils in each component. In operation, a varying current applied to a first coil in one component generates a varying magnetic field in the first magnetically conductive, electrically insulating element, which varying magnetic field is conducted to and thereby produces a varying magnetic field in the second magnetically conductive, electrically insulating element of a connected component, which magnetic field thereby generates a varying electrical current in the second coil in the connected component.

Downhole Data Transmission System

DOEpatents

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

2003-12-30

A system for transmitting data through a string of downhole components. In one aspect, the system includes first and second magnetically conductive, electrically insulating elements at both ends of the component. Each element includes a first U-shaped trough with a bottom, first and second sides and an opening between the two sides. Electrically conducting coils are located in each trough. An electrical conductor connects the coils in each component. In operation, a varying current applied to a first coil in one component generates a varying magnetic field in the first magnetically conductive, electrically insulating element, which varying magnetic field is conducted to and thereby produces a varying magnetic field in the second magnetically conductive, electrically insulating element of a connected component, which magnetic field thereby generates a varying electrical current in the second coil in the connected component.

The direct-current response of electrically conducting fractures excited by a grounded current source

DOE PAGES

Weiss, Chester J.; Aldridge, David F.; Knox, Hunter A.; ...

2016-05-01

Hydraulic fracture stimulation of low permeability reservoir rocks is an established and cross–cutting technology for enhancing hydrocarbon production in sedimentary formations and increasing heat exchange in crystalline geothermal systems. Whereas the primary measure of success is the ability to keep the newly generated fractures sufficiently open, long–term reservoir management requires a knowledge of the spatial extent, morphology, and distribution of the fractures — knowledge primarily informed by microseismic and ground deformation monitoring. To minimize the uncertainty associated with interpreting such data, we investigate through numerical simulation the usefulness of direct-current (DC) resistivity data for characterizing subsurface fractures with elevated electricalmore » conductivity by considering a geophysical experiment consisting of a grounded current source deployed in a steel cased borehole. In doing so, the casing efficiently energizes the fractures with steady current. Finite element simulations of this experiment for a horizontal well intersecting a small set of vertical fractures indicate that the fractures manifest electrically in (at least) two ways: (1) a local perturbation in electric potential proximal to the fracture set, with limited farfield expression and (2) an overall reduction in the electric potential along the borehole casing due to enhanced current flow through the fractures into the surrounding formation. The change in casing potential results in a measurable effect that can be observed far from fractures themselves. Under these conditions, our results suggest that farfield, timelapse measurements of DC potentials can be interpreted by simple, linear inversion for a Coulomb charge distribution along the borehole path, including a local charge perturbation due to the fractures. As a result, this approach offers an inexpensive method for detecting and monitoring the time-evolution of electrically conducting fractures while ultimately providing an estimate of their effective conductivity — the latter providing an important measure independent of seismic methods on fracture shape, size, and hydraulic connectivity.« less

The direct-current response of electrically conducting fractures excited by a grounded current source

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

Weiss, Chester J.; Aldridge, David F.; Knox, Hunter A.

Hydraulic fracture stimulation of low permeability reservoir rocks is an established and cross–cutting technology for enhancing hydrocarbon production in sedimentary formations and increasing heat exchange in crystalline geothermal systems. Whereas the primary measure of success is the ability to keep the newly generated fractures sufficiently open, long–term reservoir management requires a knowledge of the spatial extent, morphology, and distribution of the fractures — knowledge primarily informed by microseismic and ground deformation monitoring. To minimize the uncertainty associated with interpreting such data, we investigate through numerical simulation the usefulness of direct-current (DC) resistivity data for characterizing subsurface fractures with elevated electricalmore » conductivity by considering a geophysical experiment consisting of a grounded current source deployed in a steel cased borehole. In doing so, the casing efficiently energizes the fractures with steady current. Finite element simulations of this experiment for a horizontal well intersecting a small set of vertical fractures indicate that the fractures manifest electrically in (at least) two ways: (1) a local perturbation in electric potential proximal to the fracture set, with limited farfield expression and (2) an overall reduction in the electric potential along the borehole casing due to enhanced current flow through the fractures into the surrounding formation. The change in casing potential results in a measurable effect that can be observed far from fractures themselves. Under these conditions, our results suggest that farfield, timelapse measurements of DC potentials can be interpreted by simple, linear inversion for a Coulomb charge distribution along the borehole path, including a local charge perturbation due to the fractures. As a result, this approach offers an inexpensive method for detecting and monitoring the time-evolution of electrically conducting fractures while ultimately providing an estimate of their effective conductivity — the latter providing an important measure independent of seismic methods on fracture shape, size, and hydraulic connectivity.« less

Simulating the interplay between plasma transport, electric field, and magnetic field in the near-earth nightside magnetosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gkioulidou, Malamati

The convection electric field resulting from the coupling of the Earth's magnetosphere with the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) drives plasma in the tail plasma sheet earthward. This transport and the resulting energy storage in the near Earth plasma sheet are important for setting up the conditions that lead to major space weather disturbances, such as storms and substorms. Penetration of plasma sheet particles into the near-Earth magnetosphere in response to enhanced convection is crucial to the development of the Region 2 field-aligned current system and large-scale magnetosphere-ionosphere (M-I) coupling, which results in the shielding of the convection electric field. In addition to the electric field, plasma transport is also strongly affected by the magnetic field, which is distinctly different from dipole field in the inner plasma sheet and changes with plasma pressure in maintaining force balance. The goal of this dissertation is to investigate how the plasma transport into the inner magnetosphere is affected by the interplay between plasma, electric field and magnetic field. For this purpose, we conduct simulations using the Rice Convection Model (RCM), which self-consistently calculates the electric field resulting from M-I coupling. In order to quantitatively evaluate the interplay, we improved the RCM simulations by establishing realistic plasma sheet particle sources, by incorporating it with a modified Dungey force balance magnetic field solver (RCM-Dungey runs), and by adopting more realistic electron loss rates. We found that plasma sheet particle sources strongly affect the shielding of the convection electric field, with a hotter and more tenuous plasma sheet resulting in less shielding than a colder and denser one and thus in more earthward penetration of the plasma sheet. The Harang reversal, which is closely associated with the shielding of the convection electric field and the earthward penetration of low-energy protons, is found to be located at lower latitudes and extend more dawnward for a hotter and more tenuous plasma sheet. In comparison with simulation runs under an empirical but not force balance magnetic field from the Tsyganenko 96 model, the simulation results show that transport under force-balanced magnetic field results in weaker pressure gradients and thus weaker R2 FAC in the near-earth region, weaker shielding of the penetration electric field and, as a result, more earthward penetration of plasma sheet protons and electrons with their inner edges being closer together and more azimuthally symmetric. To evaluate the effect of electron loss rate on ionospheric conductivity, a major contributing factor to M-I coupling, we run RCM-Dungey with a more realistic, MLT dependent electron loss rate established from observed wave activity. Comparing our results with those using a strong diffusion everywhere rate, we found that under the MLT dependent loss rate, the dawn-dusk asymmetry in the precipitating electron energy fluxes agrees better with statistical DMSP observations. The more realistic loss rate is much weaker than the strong diffusion limit in the inner magnetosphere. This allows high-energy electrons in the inner magnetosphere to remain much longer and produce substantial conductivity at lower latitudes. The higher conductivity at lower latitudes under the MLT dependent loss rate results in less efficient shielding in response to an enhanced convection electric field, and thus to deeper penetration of the ion plasma sheet into the inner magnetosphere than under the strong diffusion everywhere rate.

Electrical property heterogeneity at transparent conductive oxide/organic semiconductor interfaces: mapping contact ohmicity using conducting-tip atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

MacDonald, Gordon A; Veneman, P Alexander; Placencia, Diogenes; Armstrong, Neal R

2012-11-27

We demonstrate mapping of electrical properties of heterojunctions of a molecular semiconductor (copper phthalocyanine, CuPc) and a transparent conducting oxide (indium-tin oxide, ITO), on 20-500 nm length scales, using a conductive-probe atomic force microscopy technique, scanning current spectroscopy (SCS). SCS maps are generated for CuPc/ITO heterojunctions as a function of ITO activation procedures and modification with variable chain length alkyl-phosphonic acids (PAs). We correlate differences in small length scale electrical properties with the performance of organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) based on CuPc/C(60) heterojunctions, built on these same ITO substrates. SCS maps the "ohmicity" of ITO/CuPc heterojunctions, creating arrays of spatially resolved current-voltage (J-V) curves. Each J-V curve is fit with modified Mott-Gurney expressions, mapping a fitted exponent (γ), where deviations from γ = 2.0 suggest nonohmic behavior. ITO/CuPc/C(60)/BCP/Al OPVs built on nonactivated ITO show mainly nonohmic SCS maps and dark J-V curves with increased series resistance (R(S)), lowered fill-factors (FF), and diminished device performance, especially near the open-circuit voltage. Nearly optimal behavior is seen for OPVs built on oxygen-plasma-treated ITO contacts, which showed SCS maps comparable to heterojunctions of CuPc on clean Au. For ITO electrodes modified with PAs there is a strong correlation between PA chain length and the degree of ohmicity and uniformity of electrical response in ITO/CuPc heterojunctions. ITO electrodes modified with 6-8 carbon alkyl-PAs show uniform and nearly ohmic SCS maps, coupled with acceptable CuPc/C(60)OPV performance. ITO modified with C14 and C18 alkyl-PAs shows dramatic decreases in FF, increases in R(S), and greatly enhanced recombination losses.

3D imaging of soil apparent electrical conductivity from VERIS data using a 1D spatially constrained inversion algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jesús Moral García, Francisco; Rebollo Castillo, Francisco Javier; Monteiro Santos, Fernando

2016-04-01

Maps of apparent electrical conductivity of the soil are commonly used in precision agriculture to indirectly characterize some important properties like salinity, water, and clay content. Traditionally, these studies are made through an empirical relationship between apparent electrical conductivity and properties measured in soil samples collected at a few locations in the experimental area and at a few selected depths. Recently, some authors have used not the apparent conductivity values but the soil bulk conductivity (in 2D or 3D) calculated from measured apparent electrical conductivity through the application of an inversion method. All the published works used data collected with electromagnetic (EM) instruments. We present a new software to invert the apparent electrical conductivity data collected with VERIS 3100 and 3150 (or the more recent version with three pairs of electrodes) using the 1D spatially constrained inversion method (1D SCI). The software allows the calculation of the distribution of the bulk electrical conductivity in the survey area till a depth of 1 m. The algorithm is applied to experimental data and correlations with clay and water content have been established using soil samples collected at some boreholes. Keywords: Digital soil mapping; inversion modelling; VERIS; soil apparent electrical conductivity.

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

PubMed

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

2017-05-03

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

Differential and directional effects of perfusion on electrical and thermal conductivities in liver.

PubMed

Podhajsky, Ronald J; Yi, Ming; Mahajan, Roop L

2009-01-01

Two different measurement probes--an electrical probe and a thermal conductivity probe--were designed, fabricated, calibrated, and used in experimental studies on a pig liver model that was designed to control perfusion rates. These probes were fabricated by photolithography and mounted in 1.5-mm diameter catheters. We measured the local impedance and thermal conductivity, respectively, of the artificially perfused liver at different flow rates and, by rotating the probes, in different directions. The results show that both the local electrical conductivity and the thermal conductivity varied location to location, that thermal conductivity increased with decreased distance to large blood vessels, and that significant directional differences exist in both electrical and thermal conductivities. Measurements at different perfusion rates demonstrated that both the local electrical and local thermal conductivities increased linearly with the square root of perfusion rate. These correlations may be of great value to many energy-based biomedical applications.

Capillary zone electrophoresis-mass spectrometer interface

DOEpatents

D`Silva, A.

1996-08-06

A device for providing equal electrical potential between two loci unconnected by solid or liquid electrical conductors is provided. The device comprises a first electrical conducting terminal, a second electrical conducting terminal connected to the first terminal by a rigid dielectric structure, and an electrically conducting gas contacting the first and second terminals. This device is particularly suitable for application in the electrospray ionization interface between a capillary zone electrophoresis apparatus and a mass spectrometer. 1 fig.

A percolation approach to study the high electric field effect on electrical conductivity of insulating polymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benallou, Amina; Hadri, Baghdad; Martinez-Vega, Juan; El Islam Boukortt, Nour

2018-04-01

The effect of percolation threshold on the behaviour of electrical conductivity at high electric field of insulating polymers has been briefly investigated in literature. Sometimes the dead ends links are not taken into account in the study of the electric field effect on the electrical properties. In this work, we present a theoretical framework and Monte Carlo simulation of the behaviour of the electric conductivity at high electric field based on the percolation theory using the traps energies levels which are distributed according to distribution law (uniform, Gaussian, and power-law). When a solid insulating material is subjected to a high electric field, and during trapping mechanism the dead ends of traps affect with decreasing the electric conductivity according to the traps energies levels, the correlation length of the clusters, the length of the dead ends, and the concentration of the accessible positions for the electrons. A reasonably good agreement is obtained between simulation results and the theoretical framework.

A percolation model for electrical conduction in wood with implications for wood-water relations

Treesearch

Samuel L. Zelinka; Samuel V. Glass; Donald S. Stone

2008-01-01

The first models used to describe electrical conduction in cellulosic materials involved conduction pathways through free water. These models were abandoned in the middle of the 20th century. This article re-evaluates the theory of conduction in wood by using a percolation model that describes electrical conduction in terms of overlapping paths of loosely bound or...

Low-frequency dynamic response of the bismuth strontium ferrite (Bi,Sr)FeO3- x

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pronin, A. A.; Torgashev, V. I.; Bush, A. A.; Gorshunov, B. P.; Volkov, A. A.; Prokhorov, A. S.

2009-03-01

Broad-range measurements of the dynamic response of polycrystalline samples of the (Bi,Sr)FeO3- x perovskite-like solid solution are performed over a frequency range from 10 Hz to 1 GHz at temperatures of 100-300 K for the first time. The colossal dielectric constant effect and the influence of electric contacts on the results of measurements are considered. It is shown that the frequency dependences of the permittivity and dynamic conductivity of (Bi,Sr)FeO3- x samples can be described within the universal dielectric response model.

The tunable wettability in multistimuli-responsive smart graphene surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Shanhong; Pu, Jibin; Zhang, Xiaoqian; Wang, Liping; Xue, Qunji

2013-01-01

The tunable wettability of smart graphene films onto stainless steel substrates with a multi-response to different environmental stimuli has been investigated including light irradiation, pH, electric field, and annealing temperature. Conductive graphene film exhibited the controllable transition from water-repellent to water-loving characteristic in response to different environment fields, which primarily resulted from the morpho-chemically synergistic effect as well as the restoration of electronic stucture. Based on the fundamental theories of wettability, mechanisms in switching from hydrophobicity to hydrophilicity for smart graphene surface including thermal chemistry, electrostatic, photo-induced surface chemistry, solvent, and pH methods were presented.

Generalized analytic solutions and response characteristics of magnetotelluric fields on anisotropic infinite faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bing, Xue; Yicai, Ji

2018-06-01

In order to understand directly and analyze accurately the detected magnetotelluric (MT) data on anisotropic infinite faults, two-dimensional partial differential equations of MT fields are used to establish a model of anisotropic infinite faults using the Fourier transform method. A multi-fault model is developed to expand the one-fault model. The transverse electric mode and transverse magnetic mode analytic solutions are derived using two-infinite-fault models. The infinite integral terms of the quasi-analytic solutions are discussed. The dual-fault model is computed using the finite element method to verify the correctness of the solutions. The MT responses of isotropic and anisotropic media are calculated to analyze the response functions by different anisotropic conductivity structures. The thickness and conductivity of the media, influencing MT responses, are discussed. The analytic principles are also given. The analysis results are significant to how MT responses are perceived and to the data interpretation of the complex anisotropic infinite faults.

Thermal Control and Enhancement of Heat Transport Capacity of Two-Phase Loops With Electrohydrodynamic Conduction Pumping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seyed-Yagoobi, J.; Didion, J.; Ochterbeck, J. M.; Allen, J.

2000-01-01

There are three kinds of electrohydrodynamics (EHD) pumping based on Coulomb force: induction pumping, ion-drag pumping, and pure conduction pumping. EHD induction pumping relies on the generation of induced charges. This charge induction in the presence of an electric field takes place due to a non-uniformity in the electrical conductivity of the fluid which can be caused by a non-uniform temperature distribution and/or an inhomogeneity of the fluid (e.g. a two-phase fluid). Therefore, induction pumping cannot be utilized in an isothermal homogeneous liquid. In order to generate Coulomb force, a space charge must be generated. There are two main mechanisms for generating a space charge in an isothermal liquid. The first one is associated with the ion injection at a metal/liquid interface and the related pumping is referred to as ion-drag pumping. Ion-drag pumping is not desirable because it can deteriorate the electrical properties of the working fluid. The second space charge generation mechanism is associated with the heterocharge layers of finite thickness in the vicinity of the electrodes. Heterocharge layers result from dissociation of the neutral electrolytic species and recombination of the generated ions. This type of pumping is referred to as pure conduction pumping. This project investigates the EHD pumping through pure conduction phenomenon. Very limited work has been conducted in this field and the majority of the published papers in this area have mistakenly assumed that the electrostriction force was responsible for the net flow generated in an isothermal liquid. The main motivation behind this study is to investigate an EHD conduction pump for a two-phase loop to be operated in the microgravity environment. The pump is installed in the liquid return passage (isothermal liquid) from the condenser section to the evaporator section. Unique high voltage and ground electrodes have been designed that generate sufficient pressure heads with very low electric power requirements making the EHD conduction pumping attractive to applications such as two-phase systems (e.g. capillary pumped loops and heat pipes). Currently, the EHD conduction pump performance is being tested on a two-phase loop under various operating conditions in the laboratory environment. The simple non-mechanical and lightweight design of the EHD pump combined with the rapid control of performance by varying the applied electric field, low power consumption, and reliability offer significant advantages over other pumping mechanisms; particularly in reduced gravity applications.

In vivo electrical conductivity of hepatic tumours.

PubMed

Haemmerich, Dieter; Staelin, S T; Tsai, J Z; Tungjitkusolmun, S; Mahvi, D M; Webster, J G

2003-05-01

Knowledge of electrical tissue conductivity is necessary to determine deposition of electromagnetic energy and can further be used to diagnostically differentiate between normal and neoplastic tissue. We measured 17 rats with a total of 24 tumours of the K12/TRb rat colon cancer cell line. In each animal we measured in vivo hepatic tumour and normal tissue conductivity at seven frequencies from 10 Hz to 1 MHz, at different tumour stages between 6 and 12 weeks after induction. Conductivity of normal liver tissue was 1.26 +/- 0.15 mS cm(-1) at 10 Hz, and 4.61 +/- 0.42 mS cm(-1) at 1 MHz. Conductivity of tumour was 2.69 +/- 0.91 mS cm(-1) at 10 Hz, and 5.23 +/- 0.82 mS cm(-1) at 1 MHz. Conductivity was significantly different between normal and tumour tissue (p < 0.05). We determined the percentage of necrosis and fibrosis at the measurement site. We fitted the conductivity data to the Cole-Cole model. For the tumour data we determined Spearman's correlation coefficients between the Cole-Cole parameters and age, necrosis, fibrosis and tumour volume and found significant correlation between necrosis and the Cole-Cole parameters (p < 0.05). We conclude that necrosis within the tumour and the associated membrane breakdown is likely responsible for the observed change in conductivity.

Electrically conductive material

DOEpatents

Singh, J.P.; Bosak, A.L.; McPheeters, C.C.; Dees, D.W.

1993-09-07

An electrically conductive material is described for use in solid oxide fuel cells, electrochemical sensors for combustion exhaust, and various other applications possesses increased fracture toughness over available materials, while affording the same electrical conductivity. One embodiment of the sintered electrically conductive material consists essentially of cubic ZrO[sub 2] as a matrix and 6-19 wt. % monoclinic ZrO[sub 2] formed from particles having an average size equal to or greater than about 0.23 microns. Another embodiment of the electrically conductive material consists essentially at cubic ZrO[sub 2] as a matrix and 10-30 wt. % partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) formed from particles having an average size of approximately 3 microns. 8 figures.

(1) Majorana fermions in pinned vortices; (2) Manipulating and probing Majorana fermions using superconducting circuits; and (3) Controlling a nanowire spin-orbit qubit via electric-dipole spin resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nori, Franco

2014-03-01

We study a heterostructure which consists of a topological insulator and a superconductor with a hole. This system supports a robust Majorana fermion state bound to the vortex core. We study the possibility of using scanning tunneling spectroscopy (i) to detect the Majorana fermion in this setup and (ii) to study excited states bound to the vortex core. The Majorana fermion manifests itself as an H-dependent zero-bias anomaly of the tunneling conductance. The excited states spectrum differs from the spectrum of a typical Abrikosov vortex, providing additional indirect confirmation of the Majorana state observation. We also study how to manipulate and probe Majorana fermions using super-conducting circuits. In we consider a semiconductor nanowire quantum dot with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), which can be used to achieve a spin-orbit qubit. In contrast to a spin qubit, the spin-orbit qubit can respond to an external ac electric field, i.e., electric-dipole spin resonance. We develop a theory that can apply in the strong SOC regime. We find that there is an optimal SOC strength ηopt = √ 2/2, where the Rabi frequency induced by the ac electric field becomes maximal. Also, we show that both the level spacing and the Rabi frequency of the spin-orbit qubit have periodic responses to the direction of the external static magnetic field. These responses can be used to determine the SOC in the nanowire. FN is partly supported by the RIKEN CEMS, iTHES Project, MURI Center for Dynamic Magneto-Optics, JSPS-RFBR Contract No. 12-02-92100, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S), MEXT Kakenhi on Quantum Cybernetics, and the JSPS via its FIRST program.

Electricity and Water Conservation on College and University Campuses in Response to National Competitions among Dormitories: Quantifying Relationships between Behavior, Conservation Strategies and Psychological Metrics

PubMed Central

Petersen, John E.; Frantz, Cynthia M.; Shammin, Md. Rumi; Yanisch, Tess M.; Tincknell, Evan; Myers, Noel

2015-01-01

“Campus Conservation Nationals” (CCN) is a recurring, nation-wide electricity and water-use reduction competition among dormitories on college campuses. We conducted a two year empirical study of the competition’s effects on resource consumption and the relationship between conservation, use of web technology and various psychological measures. Significant reductions in electricity and water use occurred during the two CCN competitions examined (n = 105,000 and 197,000 participating dorm residents respectively). In 2010, overall reductions during the competition were 4% for electricity and 6% for water. The top 10% of dorms achieved 28% and 36% reductions in electricity and water respectively. Participation was larger in 2012 and reductions were slightly smaller (i.e. 3% electricity). The fact that no seasonal pattern in electricity use was evident during non-competition periods suggests that results are attributable to the competition. Post competition resource use data collected in 2012 indicates that conservation behavior was sustained beyond the competition. Surveys were used to assess psychological and behavioral responses (n = 2,900 and 2,600 in 2010 and 2012 respectively). Electricity reductions were significantly correlated with: web visitation, specific conservation behaviors, awareness of the competition, motivation and sense of empowerment. However, participants were significantly more motivated than empowered. Perceived benefits of conservation were skewed towards global and future concerns while perceived barriers tended to be local. Results also suggest that competitions may be useful for “preaching beyond the choir”–engaging those who might lack prior intrinsic or political motivation. Although college life is distinct, certain conclusions related to competitions, self-efficacy, and motivation and social norms likely extend to other residential settings. PMID:26672599

Electricity and Water Conservation on College and University Campuses in Response to National Competitions among Dormitories: Quantifying Relationships between Behavior, Conservation Strategies and Psychological Metrics.

PubMed

Petersen, John E; Frantz, Cynthia M; Shammin, Md Rumi; Yanisch, Tess M; Tincknell, Evan; Myers, Noel

2015-01-01

"Campus Conservation Nationals" (CCN) is a recurring, nation-wide electricity and water-use reduction competition among dormitories on college campuses. We conducted a two year empirical study of the competition's effects on resource consumption and the relationship between conservation, use of web technology and various psychological measures. Significant reductions in electricity and water use occurred during the two CCN competitions examined (n = 105,000 and 197,000 participating dorm residents respectively). In 2010, overall reductions during the competition were 4% for electricity and 6% for water. The top 10% of dorms achieved 28% and 36% reductions in electricity and water respectively. Participation was larger in 2012 and reductions were slightly smaller (i.e. 3% electricity). The fact that no seasonal pattern in electricity use was evident during non-competition periods suggests that results are attributable to the competition. Post competition resource use data collected in 2012 indicates that conservation behavior was sustained beyond the competition. Surveys were used to assess psychological and behavioral responses (n = 2,900 and 2,600 in 2010 and 2012 respectively). Electricity reductions were significantly correlated with: web visitation, specific conservation behaviors, awareness of the competition, motivation and sense of empowerment. However, participants were significantly more motivated than empowered. Perceived benefits of conservation were skewed towards global and future concerns while perceived barriers tended to be local. Results also suggest that competitions may be useful for "preaching beyond the choir"-engaging those who might lack prior intrinsic or political motivation. Although college life is distinct, certain conclusions related to competitions, self-efficacy, and motivation and social norms likely extend to other residential settings.

Analysis of the axisymmetric indentation of a semi-infinite piezoelectric material: The evaluation of the contact stiffness and the effective piezoelectric constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Fuqian

2008-04-01

A general solution of the axisymmetric indentation is obtained in the closed form for a semi-infinite, transverse isotropic piezoelectric material by a rigid-conducting indenter of arbitrary-axisymmetric profile. Explicit relationships are derived for dependences of the indentation depth and the indentation-induced charge on indentation force and applied electrical potential. Simple formulas are obtained for contact stiffness and effective piezoelectric constant, which can be used in indentation test and piezoresponse force microscopy to analyze the elastic and piezoelectric responses of piezoelectric materials. Depending on the direction of electric field (the potential difference), the electric field can either increase or suppress indentation deformation. The corresponding results are given for cylindrical, conical, and paraboloidal indenters.

Transmission of electric fields due to distributed cloud charges in the atmosphere-ionosphere system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paul, Suman; De, S. S.; Haldar, D. K.; Guha, G.

2017-10-01

The transmission of electric fields in the lower atmosphere by thunder clouds with a suitable charge distribution profile has been modeled. The electromagnetic responses of the atmosphere are presented through Maxwell's equations together with a time-varying source charge distribution. The conductivities are taken to be exponentially graded function of altitude. The radial and vertical electric field components are derived for isotropic, anisotropic and thundercloud regions. The analytical solutions for the total Maxwell's current which flows from the cloud into the ionosphere under DC and quasi-static conditions are obtained for isotropic region. We found that the effect of charge distribution in thunderclouds produced by lightning discharges diminishes rapidly with increasing altitudes. Also, it is found that time to reach Maxwell's currents a maximum is higher for higher altitudes.

All diamond self-aligned thin film transistor

DOEpatents

Gerbi, Jennifer [Champaign, IL

2008-07-01

A substantially all diamond transistor with an electrically insulating substrate, an electrically conductive diamond layer on the substrate, and a source and a drain contact on the electrically conductive diamond layer. An electrically insulating diamond layer is in contact with the electrically conductive diamond layer, and a gate contact is on the electrically insulating diamond layer. The diamond layers may be homoepitaxial, polycrystalline, nanocrystalline or ultrananocrystalline in various combinations.A method of making a substantially all diamond self-aligned gate transistor is disclosed in which seeding and patterning can be avoided or minimized, if desired.

Perforation patterned electrical interconnects

DOEpatents

Frey, Jonathan

2014-01-28

This disclosure describes systems and methods for increasing the usable surface area of electrical contacts within a device, such as a thin film solid state device, through the implementation of electrically conductive interconnects. Embodiments described herein include the use of a plurality of electrically conductive interconnects that penetrate through a top contact layer, through one or more multiple layers, and into a bottom contact layer. The plurality of conductive interconnects may form horizontal and vertical cross-sectional patterns. The use of lasers to form the plurality of electrically conductive interconnects from reflowed layer material further aids in the manufacturing process of a device.

Capacitor discharge process for welding braided cable

DOEpatents

Wilson, Rick D.

1995-01-01

A capacitor discharge process for welding a braided cable formed from a plurality of individual cable strands to a solid metallic electrically conductive member comprises the steps of: (a) preparing the electrically conductive member for welding by bevelling one of its end portions while leaving an ignition projection extending outwardly from the apex of the bevel; (b) clamping the electrically conductive member in a cathode fixture; (c) connecting the electrically conductive member clamped in the cathode fixture to a capacitor bank capable of being charged to a preselected voltage value; (d) preparing the braided cable for welding by wrapping one of its end portions with a metallic sheet to form a retaining ring operable to maintain the individual strands of the braided cable in fixed position within the retaining ring; (e) clamping the braided cable and the retaining ring as a unit in an anode fixture so that the wrapped end portion of the braided cable faces the ignition projection of the electrically conductive member; and (f) moving the cathode fixture towards the anode fixture until the ignition projection of the electrically conductive member contacts the end portion of the braided cable thereby allowing the capacitor bank to discharge through the electrically conductive member and through the braided cable and causing the electrically conductive member to be welded to the braided cable via capacitor discharge action.

Simplified Calculation of the Electrical Conductivity of Composites with Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, S. G.; Aniskevich, A.; Kulakov, V.

2018-03-01

The electrical conductivity of two groups of polymer nanocomposites filled with the same NC7000 carbon nanotubes (CNTs) beyond the percolation threshold is described with the help of simple formulas. Different manufacturing process of the nanocomposites led to different CNT network structures, and, as a consequence, their electrical conductivity, at the same CNT volume, differed by two orders of magnitude. The relation between the electrical conductivity and the volume content of CNTs of the first group of composites (with a higher electrical conductivity) is described assuming that the CNT network structure is close to a statistically homogeneous one. The formula for this case, derived on the basis of a self-consistent model, includes only two parameters: the effective longitudinal electrical conductivity of CNT and the percolation threshold (the critical value of CNT volume content). These parameters were determined from two experimental points of electrical conductivity as a function of the volume fraction of CNTs. The second group of nanocomposites had a pronounced agglomerative structure, which was confirmed by microscopy data. To describe the low electrical conductivity of this group of nanocomposites, a formula based on known models of micromechanics is proposed. Two parameters of this formula were determined from experimental data of the first group, but the other two — of the second group of nanocomposites. A comparison of calculation and experimental relations confirmed the practical expediency of using the approach described.

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

PubMed

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

2018-08-10

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

Simulation of action potential propagation in plants.

PubMed

Sukhov, Vladimir; Nerush, Vladimir; Orlova, Lyubov; Vodeneev, Vladimir

2011-12-21

Action potential is considered to be one of the primary responses of a plant to action of various environmental factors. Understanding plant action potential propagation mechanisms requires experimental investigation and simulation; however, a detailed mathematical model of plant electrical signal transmission is absent. Here, the mathematical model of action potential propagation in plants has been worked out. The model is a two-dimensional system of excitable cells; each of them is electrically coupled with four neighboring ones. Ion diffusion between excitable cell apoplast areas is also taken into account. The action potential generation in a single cell has been described on the basis of our previous model. The model simulates active and passive signal transmission well enough. It has been used to analyze theoretically the influence of cell to cell electrical conductivity and H(+)-ATPase activity on the signal transmission in plants. An increase in cell to cell electrical conductivity has been shown to stimulate an increase in the length constant, the action potential propagation velocity and the temperature threshold, while the membrane potential threshold being weakly changed. The growth of H(+)-ATPase activity has been found to induce the increase of temperature and membrane potential thresholds and the reduction of the length constant and the action potential propagation velocity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.