Sample records for electrical resistivity variations

  1. Improved Geologic Interpretation of Non-invasive Electrical Resistivity Imaging from In-situ Samples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mucelli, A.; Aborn, L.; Jacob, R.; Malusis, M.; Evans, J.

    2016-12-01

    Non-invasive geophysical techniques are useful in characterizing the subsurface geology without disturbing the environment, however, the ability to interpret the subsurface is enhanced by invasive work. Since geologic materials have electrical resistivity values it allows for a geologic interpretation to be made based on variations of electrical resistivity measured by electrical resistivity imaging (ERI). This study focuses on the pre-characterization of the geologic subsurface from ERI collected adjacent to the Montandon Marsh, a wetland located near Lewisburg, PA within the West Branch of the Susquehanna River watershed. The previous invasive data, boreholes, indicate that the subsurface consists of limestone and shale bedrock overlain with sand and gravel deposits from glacial outwash and aeolian processes. The objective is to improve our understanding of the subsurface at this long-term hydrologic research site by using excavation results, specifically observed variations in geologic materials and electrical resistivity laboratory testing of subsurface samples. The pre-excavation ERI indicated that the shallow-most geologic material had a resistivity value of 100-500 ohm-m. In comparison, the laboratory testing indicated the shallow-most material had the same range of electrical resistivity values depending on saturation levels. The ERI also showed that there was an electrically conductive material, 7 to 70 ohm-m, that was interpreted to be clay and agreed with borehole data, however, the excavation revealed that at this depth range the geologic material varied from stratified clay to clay with cobbles to weathered residual clay. Excavation revealed that the subtle variations in the electrical conductive material corresponded well with the variations in the geologic material. We will use these results to reinterpret previously collected ERI data from the entire long-term research site.

  2. An alternative methodology for the analysis of electrical resistivity data from a soil gas study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johansson, Sara; Rosqvist, Hâkan; Svensson, Mats; Dahlin, Torleif; Leroux, Virginie

    2011-08-01

    The aim of this paper is to present an alternative method for the analysis of resistivity data. The methodology was developed during a study to evaluate if electrical resistivity can be used as a tool for analysing subsurface gas dynamics and gas emissions from landfills. The main assumption of this study was that variations in time of resistivity data correspond to variations in the relative amount of gas and water in the soil pores. Field measurements of electrical resistivity, static chamber gas flux and weather data were collected at a landfill in Helsingborg, Sweden. The resistivity survey arrangement consisted of nine lines each with 21 electrodes in an investigation area of 16 ×20 m. The ABEM Lund Imaging System provided vertical and horizontal resistivity profiles every second hour. The data were inverted in Res3Dinv using L1-norm-based optimization method with a standard least-squares formulation. Each horizontal soil layer was then represented as a linear interpolated raster model. Different areas underneath the gas flux measurement points were defined in the resistivity model of the uppermost soil layer, and the vertical extension of the zones could be followed at greater depths in deeper layer models. The average resistivity values of the defined areas were calculated and plotted on a time axis, to provide graphs of the variation in resistivity with time in a specific section of the ground. Residual variation of resistivity was calculated by subtracting the resistivity variations caused by the diurnal temperature variations from the measured resistivity data. The resulting residual resistivity graphs were compared with field data of soil moisture, precipitation, soil temperature and methane flux. The results of the study were qualitative, but promising indications of relationships between electrical resistivity and variations in the relative amount of gas and water in the soil pores were found. Even though more research and better data quality is necessary for verification of the results presented here, we conclude that this alternative methodology of working with resistivity data seems to be a valuable and flexible tool for this application.

  3. Solar-terrestrial coupling through atmospheric electricity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roble, R. G.; Hays, P. B.

    1979-01-01

    There are a number of measurements of electrical variations that suggest a solar-terrestrial influence on the global atmospheric electrical circuit. The measurements show variations associated with solar flares, solar magnetic sector boundary crossings, geomagnetic activity, aurorae, differences between ground current and potential gradients at high and low latitudes, and solar cycle variations. The evidence for each variation is examined. Both the experimental evidence and the calculations made with a global model of atmospheric electricity indicate that there is solar-terrestrial coupling through atmospheric electricity which operates by altering the global electric current and field distribution. A global redistribution of currents and fields can be caused by large-scale changes in electrical conductivity, by alteration of the columnar resistance between thunderstorm cloud tops and the ionosphere, or by both. If the columnar resistance is altered above thunderstorms, more current will flow in the global circuit, changing the ionospheric potential and basic circuit variables such as current density and electric fields. The observed variations of currents and fields during solar-induced disturbances are generally less than 50% of mean values near the earth's surface.

  4. Simulation of variation of apparent resistivity in resistivity surveys using finite difference modelling with Monte Carlo analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aguirre, E. E.; Karchewski, B.

    2017-12-01

    DC resistivity surveying is a geophysical method that quantifies the electrical properties of the subsurface of the earth by applying a source current between two electrodes and measuring potential differences between electrodes at known distances from the source. Analytical solutions for a homogeneous half-space and simple subsurface models are well known, as the former is used to define the concept of apparent resistivity. However, in situ properties are heterogeneous meaning that simple analytical models are only an approximation, and ignoring such heterogeneity can lead to misinterpretation of survey results costing time and money. The present study examines the extent to which random variations in electrical properties (i.e. electrical conductivity) affect potential difference readings and therefore apparent resistivities, relative to an assumed homogeneous subsurface model. We simulate the DC resistivity survey using a Finite Difference (FD) approximation of an appropriate simplification of Maxwell's equations implemented in Matlab. Electrical resistivity values at each node in the simulation were defined as random variables with a given mean and variance, and are assumed to follow a log-normal distribution. The Monte Carlo analysis for a given variance of electrical resistivity was performed until the mean and variance in potential difference measured at the surface converged. Finally, we used the simulation results to examine the relationship between variance in resistivity and variation in surface potential difference (or apparent resistivity) relative to a homogeneous half-space model. For relatively low values of standard deviation in the material properties (<10% of mean), we observed a linear correlation between variance of resistivity and variance in apparent resistivity.

  5. Spatial and temporal variations of thaw layer thickness and its controlling factors identified using time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography and hydro-thermal modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tran, Anh Phuong; Dafflon, Baptiste; Bisht, Gautam; Hubbard, Susan S.

    2018-06-01

    Quantitative understanding of controls on thaw layer thickness (TLT) dynamics in the Arctic peninsula is essential for predictive understanding of permafrost degradation feedbacks to global warming and hydrobiochemical processes. This study jointly interprets electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) measurements and hydro-thermal numerical simulation results to assess spatiotemporal variations of TLT and to determine its controlling factors in Barrow, Alaska. Time-lapse ERT measurements along a 35-m transect were autonomously collected from 2013 to 2015 and inverted to obtain soil electrical resistivity. Based on several probe-based TLT measurements and co-located soil electrical resistivity, we estimated the electrical resistivity thresholds associated with the boundary between the thaw layer and permafrost using a grid search optimization algorithm. Then, we used the obtained thresholds to derive the TLT from all soil electrical resistivity images. The spatiotemporal analysis of the ERT-derived TLT shows that the TLT at high-centered polygons (HCPs) is smaller than that at low-centered polygons (LCPs), and that both thawing and freezing occur earlier at the HCPs compared to the LCPs. In order to provide a physical explanation for dynamics in the thaw layer, we performed 1-D hydro-thermal simulations using the community land model (CLM). Simulation results showed that air temperature and precipitation jointly govern the temporal variations of TLT, while the topsoil organic content (SOC) and polygon morphology are responsible for its spatial variations. When the topsoil SOC and its thickness increase, TLT decreases. Meanwhile, at LCPs, a thicker snow layer and saturated soil contribute to a thicker TLT and extend the time needed for TLT to freeze and thaw. This research highlights the importance of combination of measurements and numerical modeling to improve our understanding spatiotemporal variations and key controls of TLT in cold regions.

  6. Thermal-electrical properties and resistance stability of silver coated yarns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yafang; Liu, Hao; Li, Xiaojiu

    2017-03-01

    Thermal-electrical properties and resistance stability of silver yarns was researched to evaluate the performance be a heating element. Three samples of silver coated yarns with different linear density and electrical resistivity, which obtained by market. Silver coated yarns were placed at the high temperature condition for ageing. The electrical resistances of yarns were increased with the ageing process. The infrared photography instrument was used to measurement the temperature variation of silver coated yarns by applied different current on. The result shows that the temperature rise with the power increases.

  7. Thermal and electrical contact conductance studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vansciver, S. W.; Nilles, M.

    1985-01-01

    Prediction of electrical and thermal contact resistance for pressed, nominally flat contacts is complicated by the large number of variables which influence contact formation. This is reflected in experimental results as a wide variation in contact resistances, spanning up to six orders of magnitude. A series of experiments were performed to observe the effects of oxidation and surface roughness on contact resistance. Electrical contact resistance and thermal contact conductance from 4 to 290 K on OFHC Cu contacts are reported. Electrical contact resistance was measured with a 4-wire DC technique. Thermal contact conductance was determined by steady-state longitudinal heat flow. Corrections for the bulk contribution ot the overall measured resistance were made, with the remaining resistance due solely to the presence of the contact.

  8. Potential of electrical resistivity tomography and muon density imaging to study spatio-temporal variations in the sub-surface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lesparre, Nolwenn; Cabrera, Justo; Courbet, Christelle

    2015-04-01

    We explore the capacity of electrical resistivity tomography and muon density imaging to detect spatio-temporal variations of the medium surrounding a regional fault crossing the underground platform of Tournemire (Aveyron, France). The studied Cernon fault is sub-vertical and intersects perpendicularly the tunnel of Tournemire and extends to surface. The fault separates clay and limestones layers of the Dogger from limestones layers of the Lias. The Cernon fault presents a thickness of a ten of meters and drives water from an aquifer circulating at the top of the Dogger clay layer to the tunnel. An experiment combining electrical resistivity imaging and muon density imaging was setup taking advantage of the tunnel presence. A specific array of electrodes were set up, adapted for the characterization of the fault. Electrodes were placed along the tunnel as well as at the surface above the tunnel on both sides of the fault in order to acquire data in transmission across the massif to better cover the sounded medium. Electrical resistivity is particularly sensitive to water presence in the medium and thus carry information on the main water flow paths and on the pore space saturation. At the same time a muon sensor was placed in the tunnel under the fault region to detect muons coming from the sky after their crossing of the rock medium. Since the muon flux is attenuated as function of the quantity of matter crossed, muons flux measurements supply information on the medium average density along muons paths. The sensor presents 961 angles of view so measurements performed from one station allows a comparison of the muon flux temporal variations along the fault as well as in the medium surrounding the fault. As the water saturation of the porous medium fluctuates through time the medium density might indeed present sensible variations as shown by gravimetric studies. During the experiment important rainfalls occurred leading variations of the medium properties affecting density and electrical resistivity physical parameters. We show with data sets acquired before and after an important rainfall event how muon density and electrical resistivity imaging may complementary characterize variations of the medium properties. The development of such innovative experiments for hydrogeophysical studies presents then the ability to supply new information on fluid dynamics in the sub-surface.

  9. Influence of temperature on the electrical conductivity of leachate from municipal solid waste.

    PubMed

    Grellier, Solenne; Robain, Henri; Bellier, Gérard; Skhiri, Nathalie

    2006-09-01

    A bioreactor landfill is designed to manage municipal solid waste, through accelerated waste biodegradation, and stabilisation of the process by means of the controlled addition of liquid, i.e. leachate recirculation. The measurement of electrical resistivity by Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) allows to monitor water content present in the bioreactors. Variations in electrical resistivity are linked to variations in moisture content and temperature. In order to overcome this ambiguity, two laboratory experiments were carried out to establish a relationship between temperature and electrical conductivity: the first set of measurements was made for leachate alone, whereas the second set was made with two different granular media saturated with leachate. Both experiments confirm a well known increase in conductivity of about 2% degrees C(-1). However, higher suspended matter concentrations lead to a lower dependence of electrical conductivity on temperature. Furthermore, for various porous media saturated with an identical leachate, the higher the specific surface of the granular matrix, the lower the effective bulk electrical conductivity. These observations show that a correct understanding of the electrical properties of liquids requires the nature and (in particular) the size of the electrical charge carriers to be taken into account.

  10. Long-term ERT monitoring of biogeochemical changes of an aged hydrocarbon contamination.

    PubMed

    Caterina, David; Flores Orozco, Adrian; Nguyen, Frédéric

    2017-06-01

    Adequate management of contaminated sites requires information with improved spatio-temporal resolution, in particular to assess bio-geochemical processes, such as the transformation and degradation of contaminants, precipitation of minerals or changes in groundwater geochemistry occurring during and after remediation procedures. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), a geophysical method sensitive to pore-fluid and pore-geometry properties, permits to gain quasi-continuous information about subsurface properties in real-time and has been consequently widely used for the characterization of hydrocarbon-impacted sediments. However, its application for the long-term monitoring of processes accompanying natural or engineered bioremediation is still difficult due to the poor understanding of the role that biogeochemical processes play in the electrical signatures. For in-situ studies, the task is further complicated by the variable signal-to-noise ratio and the variations of environmental parameters leading to resolution changes in the electrical images. In this work, we present ERT imaging results for data collected over a period of two years on a site affected by a diesel fuel contamination and undergoing bioremediation. We report low electrical resistivity anomalies in areas associated to the highest contaminant concentrations likely due transformations of the contaminant due to microbial activity and accompanying release of metabolic products. We also report large seasonal variations of the bulk electrical resistivity in the contaminated areas in correlation with temperature and groundwater level fluctuations. However, the amplitude of bulk electrical resistivity variations largely exceeds the amplitude expected given existing petrophysical models. Our results suggest that the variations in electrical properties are mainly controlled by microbial activity which in turn depends on soil temperature and hydrogeological conditions. Therefore, ERT can be suggested as a promising tool to track microbial activity during bioremediation even though further research is still needed to completely understand the bio-geochemical processes involved and their impact on electrical signatures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Long-term ERT monitoring of biogeochemical changes of an aged hydrocarbon contamination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caterina, David; Flores Orozco, Adrian; Nguyen, Frédéric

    2017-06-01

    Adequate management of contaminated sites requires information with improved spatio-temporal resolution, in particular to assess bio-geochemical processes, such as the transformation and degradation of contaminants, precipitation of minerals or changes in groundwater geochemistry occurring during and after remediation procedures. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), a geophysical method sensitive to pore-fluid and pore-geometry properties, permits to gain quasi-continuous information about subsurface properties in real-time and has been consequently widely used for the characterization of hydrocarbon-impacted sediments. However, its application for the long-term monitoring of processes accompanying natural or engineered bioremediation is still difficult due to the poor understanding of the role that biogeochemical processes play in the electrical signatures. For in-situ studies, the task is further complicated by the variable signal-to-noise ratio and the variations of environmental parameters leading to resolution changes in the electrical images. In this work, we present ERT imaging results for data collected over a period of two years on a site affected by a diesel fuel contamination and undergoing bioremediation. We report low electrical resistivity anomalies in areas associated to the highest contaminant concentrations likely due transformations of the contaminant due to microbial activity and accompanying release of metabolic products. We also report large seasonal variations of the bulk electrical resistivity in the contaminated areas in correlation with temperature and groundwater level fluctuations. However, the amplitude of bulk electrical resistivity variations largely exceeds the amplitude expected given existing petrophysical models. Our results suggest that the variations in electrical properties are mainly controlled by microbial activity which in turn depends on soil temperature and hydrogeological conditions. Therefore, ERT can be suggested as a promising tool to track microbial activity during bioremediation even though further research is still needed to completely understand the bio-geochemical processes involved and their impact on electrical signatures.

  12. Laboratory measurements of electrical resistivity versus water content on small soil cores

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Robain, H.; Camerlynck, C.; Bellier, G.; Tabbagh, A.

    2003-04-01

    The assessment of soil water content variations more and more leans on geophysical methods that are non invasive and that allow a high spatial sampling. Among the different methods, DC electrical imaging is moving forward. DC Electrical resistivity shows indeed strong seasonal variations that principally depend on soil water content variations. Nevertheless, the widely used Archie's empirical law [1], that links resistivity with voids saturation and water conductivity is not well suited to soil materials with high clay content. Furthermore, the shrinking and swelling properties of soil materials have to be considered. Hence, it is relevant to develop new laboratory experiments in order to establish a relation between electrical resistivity and water content taking into account the rheological and granulometrical specificities of soil materials. The experimental device developed in IRD laboratory allows to monitor simultaneously (i) the water content, (ii) the electrical resistivity and (iii) the volume of a small cylindrical soil core (100cm3) put in a temperature controlled incubator (30°C). It provides both the shrinkage curve of the soil core (voids volume versus water content) and the electrical resistivity versus water content curve The modelisation of the shrinkage curve gives for each moisture state the water respectively contained in macro and micro voids [2], and then allows to propose a generalized Archie's like law as following : 1/Rs = 1/Fma.Rma + 1/Fmi.Rmi and Fi = Ai/(Vi^Mi.Si^Ni) with Rs : the soil resistivity. Fma and Fmi : the so called "formation factor" for macro and micro voids, respectively. Rma and Rmi : the resistivity of the water contained in macro and micro voids, respectively. Vi : the volume of macro and micro voids, respectively. Si : the saturation of macro and micro voids, respectively. Ai, Mi and Ni : adjustment coefficients. The variations of Rmi are calculated, assuming that Rma is a constant. Indeed, the rise of ionic concentration in water may be neglected during the sewage of macro voids as it corresponds to a small quantity of water for the studied samples. Soil solid components are generally electrical insulators, the conduction of electrical current only lies on two phenomenon occurring in water : (i) volume conduction controlled by the electrolyte concentration in water and the geometrical characteristics of macro voids network ; (ii) surface conduction controlled by the double diffuse layer that depends on the solid-liquid interactions, the specific surface of clay minerals and the geometry of particles contacts. For the water contained in macro voids the preeminent phenomenon seems to be volume conduction while for the water contained in micro voids, it seems to be surface conduction. This hypothesis satisfyingly explains the shape of the electrical resistivity versus water content curves obtained for three different oxisols with clayey, clayey-sandy and sandy-clayey texture. [1] Archie G.E. 1942. The electrical resistivity log as an aid in determining some reservoirs characteristics. Trans. AIME, 146, 54-67. [2] Braudeau E. et al. 1999. New device and method for soil shrinkage curve measurement and characterization. S.S.S.A.J., 63(3), 525-535.

  13. Transport and magnetic properties of HITPERM alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pekala, K.; Latuch, J.; Pekala, M.; Skorvanek, I.; Jaskiewicz, P.

    2003-02-01

    Nanocrystalline HITPERM alloys Fe44.6Co43.3X7.4B3.7Cu1 (X = Nb, Zr, Hf) prepared by crystallization of amorphous precursors are studied by magnetization and electrical resistivity measurements for the first time. Structural and magnetic components of the electrical resistivity are separated. The electrical resistivity of the nanocrystalline α' (FeCo) phase calculated using the Maxwell Garnett relation proves strong electron scattering on the grain boundaries. The temperature variation of the crystalline fraction during the first crystallization stage is calculated for the Hf based alloy.

  14. A clustering approach applied to time-lapse ERT interpretation - Case study of Lascaux cave

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Shan; Sirieix, Colette; Riss, Joëlle; Malaurent, Philippe

    2017-09-01

    The Lascaux cave, located in southwest France, is one of the most important prehistoric cave in the world that shows Paleolithic paintings. This study aims to characterize the structure of the weathered epikarst setting located above the cave using Time-Lapse Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) combined with local hydrogeological and climatic environmental data. Twenty ERT profiles were carried out for two years and helped us to record the seasonal and spatial variations of the electrical resistivity of the hydraulic upstream area of the Lascaux cave. The 20 interpreted resistivity models were merged into a single synthetic model using a multidimensional statistical method (Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering). The individual blocks from the synthetic model associated with a similar resistivity variability were gathered into 7 clusters. We combined the resistivity temporal variations with climatic and hydrogeological data to propose a geo-electrical model that relates to a conceptual geological model. We provide a geological interpretation for each cluster regarding epikarst features. The superficial clusters (no 1 & 2) are linked to effective rainfall and trees, probably a fractured limestone. Another two clusters (no 6 & 7) are linked to detrital formations (sand and clay respectively). The cluster 3 may correspond to a marly limestone that forms a non-permeable horizon. Finally, the electrical behavior of the last two clusters (no 4 & 5) is correlated with the variation of flow rate; they may be a privileged feed zone of the flow in the cave.

  15. Estimation of CO2 saturation during both CO2 drainage and imbibition processes based on both seismic velocity and electrical resistivity measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jongwook; Nam, Myung Jin; Matsuoka, Toshifumi

    2013-10-01

    In order to monitor injected carbon dioxide (CO2), simultaneous measurements of seismic velocity and electrical resistivity are employed during the drainage (CO2 injection) and imbibition (water injection) processes of a Berea sandstone. Supercritical CO2 (10 MPa at 40 ºC) was injected into a water-saturated Berea sandstone in the drainage stage and monitored via simultaneous measurements. After the injection of supercritical CO2, fresh distilled water was injected into the CO2-injected sandstone during the imbibition stage. Electrical resistivity and P-wave velocity measurements acquired during the drainage and imbibition stages were employed to evaluate CO2 saturations (SCO2) based on the resistivity index and the Gassmann fluid-substitution equations, respectively. Comparing estimated values for SCO2 saturation against those from volume-derived SCO2, based on analysis on injected and drained fluid volumes in the drainage process, we conclude that Gassmann-Brie and resistivity index are suitable for the evaluation based on P-wave velocity and electrical resistivity, respectively. Rt-based estimation properly tracks the variation in SCO2 even when SCO2 is large (>0.15), while Vp-based estimation is sensitive to the variation in SCO2 when SCO2 is small (<0.1). Employing the Gassmann-Brie and resistivity index, estimation of variation in SCO2 based on the simultaneous measurements provides the upper and lower bounds of SCO2 even when SCO2 is large (>0.1), while properly estimating SCO2 when SCO2 is small (<0.1). Monitoring the CO2 imbibition process confirms residual CO2 saturation within the sample.

  16. The constant current loop: A new paradigm for resistance signal conditioning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, Karl F.

    1994-02-01

    A practical single constant current loop circuit for the signal conditioning of variable-resistance transducers has been synthesized, analyzed, and demonstrated. The strain gage and the resistance temperature detector are examples of variable-resistance sensors. Lead wires connect variable-resistance sensors to remotely located signal-conditioning hardware. The presence of lead wires in the conventional Wheatstone bridge signal-conditioning circuit introduces undesired effects that reduce the quality of the data from the remote sensors. A practical approach is presented for suppressing essentially all lead wire resistance effects while indicating only the change in resistance value. Theoretical predictions supported by laboratory testing confirm the following features of the approach: (1) dc response; (2) the electrical output is unaffected by extremely large variation in the resistance of any or all lead wires; (3) the electrical output remains zero for no change in gage resistance; (4) the electrical output is inherently linear with respect to gage resistance change; (5) the sensitivity is double that of a Wheatstone bridge circuit; and (6) the same excitation wires can serve multiple independent gages. An adaptation of current loop circuit is presented that simultaneously provides an output signal voltage directly proportional to transducer resistance change and provides temperature information that is unaffected by transducer and lead wire resistance variations. These innovations are the subject of NASA patent applications.

  17. The constant current loop: A new paradigm for resistance signal conditioning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, Karl F.

    1992-10-01

    A practical single constant current loop circuit for the signal conditioning of variable resistance transducers has been synthesized, analyzed, and demonstrated. The strain gage and the resistance temperature device are examples of variable resistance sensors. Lead wires connect variable resistance sensors to remotely located signal conditioning hardware. The presence of lead wires in the conventional Wheatstone bridge signal conditioning circuit introduces undesired effects that reduce the quality of the data from the remote sensors. A practical approach is presented for suppressing essentially all lead wire resistance effects while indicating only the change in resistance value. Theoretical predictions supported by laboratory testing confirm the following features of the approach: (1) dc response; (2) the electrical output is unaffected by extremely large variations in the resistance of any or all lead wires; (3) the electrical output remains zero for no change in gage resistance; (4) the electrical output is inherently linear with respect to gage resistance change; (5) the sensitivity is double that of a Wheatstone bridge circuit; and (6) the same excitation wires can serve multiple independent gages. An adaptation of current loop circuit is presented that simultaneously provides an output signal voltage directly proportional to transducer resistance change and provides temperature information that is unaffected by transducer and lead wire resistance variations. These innovations are the subject of NASA patent applications.

  18. The constant current loop: A new paradigm for resistance signal conditioning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, Karl F.

    A practical, single, constant-current loop circuit for the signal conditioning of variable-resistance transducers was synthesized, analyzed, and demonstrated. The strain gage and the resistance temperature device are examples of variable-resistance sensors. Lead wires connect variable-resistance sensors to remotely located signal-conditioning hardware. The presence of lead wires in the conventional Wheatstone bridge signal-conditioning circuit introduces undesired effects that reduce the quality of the data from the remote sensors. A practical approach is presented for suppressing essentially all lead wire resistance effects while indicating only the change in resistance value. Theoretical predictions supported by laboratory testing confirm the following features of the approach: (1) the dc response; (2) the electrical output is unaffected by extremely large variations in the resistance of any or all lead wires; (3) the electrical output remains zero for no change in gage resistance; (4) the electrical output is inherently linear with respect to gage resistance change; (5) the sensitivity is double that of a Wheatstone bridge circuit; and (6) the same excitation and sense wires can serve multiple independent gages. An adaptation of the current loop circuit is presented that simultaneously provides an output signal voltage directly proportional to transducer resistance change and provides temperature information that is unaffected by transducer and lead wire resistance variations. These innovations are the subject of NASA patent applications.

  19. The constant current loop: A new paradigm for resistance signal conditioning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, Karl F.

    1994-01-01

    A practical single constant current loop circuit for the signal conditioning of variable-resistance transducers has been synthesized, analyzed, and demonstrated. The strain gage and the resistance temperature detector are examples of variable-resistance sensors. Lead wires connect variable-resistance sensors to remotely located signal-conditioning hardware. The presence of lead wires in the conventional Wheatstone bridge signal-conditioning circuit introduces undesired effects that reduce the quality of the data from the remote sensors. A practical approach is presented for suppressing essentially all lead wire resistance effects while indicating only the change in resistance value. Theoretical predictions supported by laboratory testing confirm the following features of the approach: (1) dc response; (2) the electrical output is unaffected by extremely large variation in the resistance of any or all lead wires; (3) the electrical output remains zero for no change in gage resistance; (4) the electrical output is inherently linear with respect to gage resistance change; (5) the sensitivity is double that of a Wheatstone bridge circuit; and (6) the same excitation wires can serve multiple independent gages. An adaptation of current loop circuit is presented that simultaneously provides an output signal voltage directly proportional to transducer resistance change and provides temperature information that is unaffected by transducer and lead wire resistance variations. These innovations are the subject of NASA patent applications.

  20. The constant current loop: A new paradigm for resistance signal conditioning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, Karl F.

    1993-01-01

    A practical, single, constant-current loop circuit for the signal conditioning of variable-resistance transducers was synthesized, analyzed, and demonstrated. The strain gage and the resistance temperature device are examples of variable-resistance sensors. Lead wires connect variable-resistance sensors to remotely located signal-conditioning hardware. The presence of lead wires in the conventional Wheatstone bridge signal-conditioning circuit introduces undesired effects that reduce the quality of the data from the remote sensors. A practical approach is presented for suppressing essentially all lead wire resistance effects while indicating only the change in resistance value. Theoretical predictions supported by laboratory testing confirm the following features of the approach: (1) the dc response; (2) the electrical output is unaffected by extremely large variations in the resistance of any or all lead wires; (3) the electrical output remains zero for no change in gage resistance; (4) the electrical output is inherently linear with respect to gage resistance change; (5) the sensitivity is double that of a Wheatstone bridge circuit; and (6) the same excitation and sense wires can serve multiple independent gages. An adaptation of the current loop circuit is presented that simultaneously provides an output signal voltage directly proportional to transducer resistance change and provides temperature information that is unaffected by transducer and lead wire resistance variations. These innovations are the subject of NASA patent applications.

  1. An experimental approach of decoupling Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muhammed Sabeer N., A.; Paulson, Anju; Pradyumnan, P. P.

    2018-04-01

    The Thermoelectrics (TE) has drawn increased attention among renewable energy technologies. The performance of a thermoelectric material is quantified by a dimensionless thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT=S2σT/κ, where S and σ vary inversely each other. Thus, improvement in ZT is not an easy task. So, researchers have been trying different parameter variations during thin film processing to improve TE properties. In this work, tin nitride (Sn3N4) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by reactive RF magnetron sputtering and investigated its thermoelectric response. To decouple the covariance nature of Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity for the enhancement of power factor (S2σ), the nitrogen gas pressure during sputtering was reduced. Reduction in nitrogen gas pressure reduced both sputtering pressure and amount of nitrogen available for reaction during sputtering. This experimental approach of combined effect introduced preferred orientation and stoichiometric variations simultaneously in the sputtered Sn3N4 thin films. The scattering mechanism associated with these variations enhanced TE properties by independently drive the Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity parameters.

  2. A study of the effect of seasonal climatic factors on the electrical resistivity response of three experimental graves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jervis, John R.; Pringle, Jamie K.

    2014-09-01

    Electrical resistivity surveys have proven useful for locating clandestine graves in a number of forensic searches. However, some aspects of grave detection with resistivity surveys remain imperfectly understood. One such aspect is the effect of seasonal changes in climate on the resistivity response of graves. In this study, resistivity survey data collected over three years over three simulated graves were analysed in order to assess how the graves' resistivity anomalies varied seasonally and when they could most easily be detected. Thresholds were used to identify anomalies, and the ‘residual volume' of grave-related anomalies was calculated as the area bounded by the relevant thresholds multiplied by the anomaly's average value above the threshold. The residual volume of a resistivity anomaly associated with a buried pig cadaver showed evidence of repeating annual patterns and was moderately correlated with the soil moisture budget. This anomaly was easiest to detect between January and April each year, after prolonged periods of high net gain in soil moisture. The resistivity response of a wrapped cadaver was more complex, although it also showed evidence of seasonal variation during the third year after burial. We suggest that the observed variation in the graves' resistivity anomalies was caused by seasonal change in survey data noise levels, which was in turn influenced by the soil moisture budget. It is possible that similar variations occur elsewhere for sites with seasonal climate variations and this could affect successful detection of other subsurface features. Further research to investigate how different climates and soil types affect seasonal variation in grave-related resistivity anomalies would be useful.

  3. Small temperature coefficient of resistivity of graphene/graphene oxide hybrid membranes.

    PubMed

    Sun, Pengzhan; Zhu, Miao; Wang, Kunlin; Zhong, Minlin; Wei, Jinquan; Wu, Dehai; Zhu, Hongwei

    2013-10-09

    Materials with low temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) are of great importance in some areas, for example, highly accurate electronic measurement instruments and microelectronic integrated circuits. In this work, we demonstrated the ultrathin graphene-graphene oxide (GO) hybrid films prepared by layer-by-layer assembly with very small TCR (30-100 °C) in the air. Electrical response of the hybrid films to temperature variation was investigated along with the progressive reduction of GO sheets. The mechanism of electrical response to temperature variation of the hybrid film was discussed, which revealed that the interaction between graphene and GO and the chemical doping effect were responsible for the tunable control of its electrical response to temperature variation. The unique properties of graphene-GO hybrid film made it a promising candidate in many areas, such as high-end film electronic device and sensor applications.

  4. 4D inversion of time-lapse magnetotelluric data sets for monitoring geothermal reservoir

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nam, Myung Jin; Song, Yoonho; Jang, Hannuree; Kim, Bitnarae

    2017-06-01

    The productivity of a geothermal reservoir, which is a function of the pore-space and fluid-flow path of the reservoir, varies since the properties of the reservoir changes with geothermal reservoir production. Because the variation in the reservoir properties causes changes in electrical resistivity, time-lapse (TL) three-dimensional (3D) magnetotelluric (MT) methods can be applied to monitor the productivity variation of a geothermal reservoir thanks to not only its sensitivity to the electrical resistivity but also its deep depth of survey penetration. For an accurate interpretation of TL MT-data sets, a four-dimensional (4D) MT inversion algorithm has been developed to simultaneously invert all vintage data considering time-coupling between vintages. However, the changes in electrical resistivity of deep geothermal reservoirs are usually small generating minimum variation in TL MT responses. Maximizing the sensitivity of inversion to the changes in resistivity is critical in the success of 4D MT inversion. Thus, we further developed a focused 4D MT inversion method by considering not only the location of a reservoir but also the distribution of newly-generated fractures during the production. For the evaluation of the 4D MT algorithm, we tested our 4D inversion algorithms using synthetic TL MT-data sets.

  5. Entropy-variation with resistance in a quantized RLC circuit derived by the generalized Hellmann-Feynman theorem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fan, Hong-Yi; Xu, Xue-Xiang; Hu, Li-Yun

    2010-06-01

    By virtue of the generalized Hellmann-Feynman theorem for the ensemble average, we obtain the internal energy and average energy consumed by the resistance R in a quantized resistance-inductance-capacitance (RLC) electric circuit. We also calculate the entropy-variation with R. The relation between entropy and R is also derived. By the use of figures we indeed see that the entropy increases with the increment of R.

  6. On the use of statistical methods to interpret electrical resistivity data from the Eumsung basin (Cretaceous), Korea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Ji-Soo; Han, Soo-Hyung; Ryang, Woo-Hun

    2001-12-01

    Electrical resistivity mapping was conducted to delineate boundaries and architecture of the Eumsung Basin Cretaceous. Basin boundaries are effectively clarified in electrical dipole-dipole resistivity sections as high-resistivity contrast bands. High resistivities most likely originate from the basement of Jurassic granite and Precambrian gneiss, contrasting with the lower resistivities from infilled sedimentary rocks. The electrical properties of basin-margin boundaries are compatible with the results of vertical electrical soundings and very-low-frequency electromagnetic surveys. A statistical analysis of the resistivity sections is tested in terms of standard deviation and is found to be an effective scheme for the subsurface reconstruction of basin architecture as well as the surface demarcation of basin-margin faults and brittle fracture zones, characterized by much higher standard deviation. Pseudo three-dimensional architecture of the basin is delineated by integrating the composite resistivity structure information from two cross-basin E-W magnetotelluric lines and dipole-dipole resistivity lines. Based on statistical analysis, the maximum depth of the basin varies from about 1 km in the northern part to 3 km or more in the middle part. This strong variation supports the view that the basin experienced pull-apart opening with rapid subsidence of the central blocks and asymmetric cross-basinal extension.

  7. Geophysical and hydrologic studies of lake seepage variability

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Toran, Laura; Nyquist, Jonathan E.; Rosenberry, Donald O.; Gagliano, Michael P.; Mitchell, Natasha; Mikochik, James

    2014-01-01

    Variations in lake seepage were studied along a 130 m shoreline of Mirror Lake NH. Seepage was downward from the lake to groundwater; rates measured from 28 seepage meters varied from 0 to −282 cm/d. Causes of this variation were investigated using electrical resistivity surveys and lakebed sediment characterization. Two-dimensional (2D) resistivity surveys showed a transition in lakebed sediments from outwash to till that correlated with high- and low-seepage zones, respectively. However, the 2D survey was not able to predict smaller scale variations within these facies. In the outwash, fast seepage was associated with permeability variations in a thin (2 cm) layer of sediments at the top of the lakebed. In the till, where seepage was slower than that in the outwash, a three-dimensional resistivity survey mapped a point of high seepage associated with heterogeneity (lower resistivity and likely higher permeability). Points of focused flow across the sediment–water interface are difficult to detect and can transmit a large percentage of total exchange. Using a series of electrical resistivity geophysical methods in combination with hydrologic data to locate heterogeneities that affect seepage rates can help guide seepage meter placement. Improving our understanding of the causes and types of heterogeneity in lake seepage will provide better data for lake budgets and prediction of mass transfer of solutes or contaminants between lakes and groundwater.

  8. Manipulating the magnetism and resistance state of Mn:ZnO/Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 heterostructured films through electric fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yong-Chao; Wu, Jun; Pan, Hai-Yang; Wang, Jue; Wang, Guang-Hou; Liu, Jun-Ming; Wan, Jian-Guo

    2018-05-01

    Mn:ZnO/Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) heterostructured films have been prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si wafers by a sol-gel process. Nonvolatile and reversible manipulation of the magnetism and resistance by electric fields has been realized. Compared with the saturation magnetic moment (Ms) in the +3.0 V case, the modulation gain of Ms can reach 270% in the -3.0 V case at room temperature. The resistance change is attributed to the interfacial potential barrier height variation and the formation of an accumulation (or depletion) layer at the Mn:ZnO/PZT interface, which can be regulated by the ferroelectric polarization direction. The magnetism of Mn:ZnO originates from bound magnetic polarons. The mobile carrier variation in Mn:ZnO, owing to interfacial polarization coupling and the ferroelectric field effect, enables the electric manipulation of the magnetism in the Mn:ZnO/PZT heterostructured films. This work presents an effective method for modulating the magnetism of magnetic semiconductors and provides a promising avenue for multifunctional devices with both electric and magnetic functionalities.

  9. Electrical and optical percolations in PMMA/GNP composite films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arda, Ertan; Mergen, Ömer Bahadır; Pekcan, Önder

    2018-05-01

    Effects of graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) addition on the electrical conductivity and optical absorbance of poly(methyl methacrylate)/graphene nanoplatelet (PMMA/GNP) composite films were studied. Optical absorbance and two point probe resistivity techniques were used to determine the variations of the optical and electrical properties of the composites, respectively. Absorbance intensity, A, and surface resistivity, Rs, of the composite films were monitored as a function of GNP mass fraction (M) at room temperature. Absorbance intensity values of the composites were increased and surface resistivity values were decreased by increasing the content of GNP in the composite. Electrical and optical percolation thresholds of composite films were determined as Mσ = 27.5 wt.% and Mop = 26.6 wt.%, respectively. The conductivity and the optical results were attributed to the classical and site percolation theories, respectively. Optical (βop) and electrical (βσ) critical exponents were calculated as 0.40 and 1.71, respectively.

  10. Long-term electrical resistivity monitoring of recharge-induced contaminant plume behavior.

    PubMed

    Gasperikova, Erika; Hubbard, Susan S; Watson, David B; Baker, Gregory S; Peterson, John E; Kowalsky, Michael B; Smith, Meagan; Brooks, Scott

    2012-11-01

    Geophysical measurements, and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data in particular, are sensitive to properties that are related (directly or indirectly) to hydrological processes. The challenge is in extracting information from geophysical data at a relevant scale that can be used to gain insight about subsurface behavior and to parameterize or validate flow and transport models. Here, we consider the use of ERT data for examining the impact of recharge on subsurface contamination at the S-3 ponds of the Oak Ridge Integrated Field Research Challenge (IFRC) site in Tennessee. A large dataset of time-lapse cross-well and surface ERT data, collected at the site over a period of 12 months, is used to study time variations in resistivity due to changes in total dissolved solids (primarily nitrate). The electrical resistivity distributions recovered from cross-well and surface ERT data agrees well, and both of these datasets can be used to interpret spatiotemporal variations in subsurface nitrate concentrations due to rainfall, although the sensitivity of the electrical resistivity response to dilution varies with nitrate concentration. Using the time-lapse surface ERT data interpreted in terms of nitrate concentrations, we find that the subsurface nitrate concentration at this site varies as a function of spatial position, episodic heavy rainstorms (versus seasonal and annual fluctuations), and antecedent rainfall history. These results suggest that the surface ERT monitoring approach is potentially useful for examining subsurface plume responses to recharge over field-relevant scales. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Structure dependent resistivity and dielectric characteristics of tantalum oxynitride thin films produced by magnetron sputtering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cristea, D.; Crisan, A.; Cretu, N.; Borges, J.; Lopes, C.; Cunha, L.; Ion, V.; Dinescu, M.; Barradas, N. P.; Alves, E.; Apreutesei, M.; Munteanu, D.

    2015-11-01

    The main purpose of this work is to present and to interpret the change of electrical properties of TaxNyOz thin films, produced by DC reactive magnetron sputtering. Some parameters were varied during deposition: the flow of the reactive gases mixture (N2 and O2, with a constant concentration ratio of 17:3); the substrate voltage bias (grounded, -50 V or -100 V) and the substrate (glass, (1 0 0) Si or high speed steel). The obtained films exhibit significant differences. The variation of the deposition parameters induces variations of the composition, microstructure and morphology. These differences cause variation of the electrical resistivity essentially correlated with the composition and structural changes. The gradual decrease of the Ta concentration in the films induces amorphization and causes a raise of the resistivity. The dielectric characteristics of some of the high resistance TaxNyOz films were obtained in the samples with a capacitor-like design (deposited onto high speed steel, with gold pads deposited on the dielectric TaxNyOz films). Some of these films exhibited dielectric constant values higher than those reported for other tantalum based dielectric films.

  12. Assessing the applicability of the earth impedance method for in situ studies of tree root systems

    PubMed Central

    Urban, Josef; Bequet, Raphael; Mainiero, Raphael

    2011-01-01

    Several electrical methods have been introduced as non-invasive techniques to overcome the limited accessibility to root systems. Among them, the earth impedance method (EIM) represents the most recent development. Applying an electrical field between a cormus and the rooted soil, the EIM measures the absorptive root surface area (ARSA) from grounding resistance patterns. Allometric relationships suggested that this method was a valuable tool. Crucial assumptions for the applicability of the EIM, however, have not been tested experimentally. Focusing on tree root systems, the present study assesses the applicability of the EIM. Six hypotheses, deduced from the EIM approach, were tested in several experiments and the results were compared with conventional methods. None of the hypotheses could be verified and the results allow two major conclusions. First, in terms of an analogue electrical circuit, a tree-root–soil continuum appears as a serial circuit with xylem and soil resistance being the dominant components. Allometric variation in contact resistance, with the latter being the proxy for root surface area, are thus overruled by the spatial and seasonal variation of soil and xylem resistances. Second, in a tree-root–soil continuum, distal roots conduct only a negligible portion of the electric charge. Most of charge carriers leave the root system in the proximal parts of the root–soil interface. PMID:21273337

  13. Effect of the depth base along the vertical on the electrical parameters of a vertical parallel silicon solar cell in open and short circuit

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sahin, Gokhan; Kerimli, Genber

    2018-03-01

    This article presented a modeling study of effect of the depth base initiating on vertical parallel silicon solar cell's photovoltaic conversion efficiency. After the resolution of the continuity equation of excess minority carriers, we calculated the electrical parameters such as the photocurrent density, the photovoltage, series resistance and shunt resistances, diffusion capacitance, electric power, fill factor and the photovoltaic conversion efficiency. We determined the maximum electric power, the operating point of the solar cell and photovoltaic conversion efficiency according to the depth z in the base. We showed that the photocurrent density decreases with the depth z. The photovoltage decreased when the depth base increases. Series and shunt resistances were deduced from electrical model and were influenced and the applied the depth base. The capacity decreased with the depth z of the base. We had studied the influence of the variation of the depth z on the electrical parameters in the base.

  14. Electron scattering characteristics of polycrystalline metal transition films by in-situ electrical resistance measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trindade, I. G.; Leitão, D.; Fermento, R.; Pogorelev, Y.; Sousa, J. B.

    2009-08-01

    In-situ electrical resistance measurements were performed to obtain the scattering characteristics of very thin polycrystalline metal transition magnetic alloys grown by ion beam deposition (IBD) on specific underlayers. The experimental curves show size effects at small film thicknesses and important differences between Co 85Fe 15 and Ni 81Fe 19 thin layers grown on identical underlayers of Ta70 Å/Ru13 Å. The largest difference was observed in Ni 81Fe 19 films grown on underlayers of amorphous Ta70 Å. The experimental curves of electrical resistivity/conductivity variation with layer thickness were well fit within the Mayadas and Shatzkes (M-S) model, assuming specific formulations for grain growth with layer thickness.

  15. The effect of temperature and moisture on electrical resistance, strain sensitivity and crack sensitivity of steel fiber reinforced smart cement composite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teomete, Egemen

    2016-07-01

    Earthquakes, material degradations and other environmental factors necessitate structural health monitoring (SHM). Metal foil strain gages used for SHM have low durability and low sensitivity. These factors motivated researchers to work on cement based strain sensors. In this study, the effects of temperature and moisture on electrical resistance, compressive and tensile strain gage factors (strain sensitivity) and crack sensitivity were determined for steel fiber reinforced cement based composite. A rapid increase of electrical resistance at 200 °C was observed due to damage occurring between cement paste, aggregates and steel fibers. The moisture—electrical resistance relationship was investigated. The specimens taken out of the cure were saturated with water and had a moisture content of 9.49%. The minimum electrical resistance was obtained at 9% moisture at which fiber-fiber and fiber-matrix contact was maximum and the water in micro voids was acting as an electrolyte, conducting electrons. The variation of compressive and tensile strain gage factors (strain sensitivities) and crack sensitivity were investigated by conducting compression, split tensile and notched bending tests with different moisture contents. The highest gage factor for the compression test was obtained at optimal moisture content, at which electrical resistance was minimum. The tensile strain gage factor for split tensile test and crack sensitivity increased by decreasing moisture content. The mechanisms between moisture content, electrical resistance, gage factors and crack sensitivity were elucidated. The relations of moisture content with electrical resistance, gage factors and crack sensitivities have been presented for the first time in this study for steel fiber reinforced cement based composites. The results are important for the development of self sensing cement based smart materials.

  16. Investigation on strain sensing properties of carbon-based nanocomposites for structural aircraft applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2016-05-01

    The mechanical and electrical properties of a thermosetting epoxy resin particularly indicated for the realization of structural aeronautic components and reinforced with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs, at 0.3 wt%) are investigated for specimens subjected to cycles and different levels of applied strain (i.e. ɛ) loaded both in axial tension and flexural mode. It is found that the piezoresistive behavior of the resulting nanocomposite evaluated in terms of variation of the electrical resistance is strongly affected by the applied mechanical stress mainly due to the high sensibility and consequent rearrangement of the electrical percolating network formed by MWCNTs in the composite at rest or even under a small strain. In fact, the variations in electrical resistance that occur during the mechanical stress are correlated to the deformation exhibited by the nanocomposites. In particular, the overall response of electrical resistance of the composite is characterized by a linear increase with the strain at least in the region of elastic deformation of the material in which the gauge factor (i.e. G.F.) of the sensor is usually evaluated. Therefore, the present study aims at investigating the possible use of the nanotechnology for application of embedded sensor systems in composite structures thus having capability of self-sensing and of responding to the surrounding environmental changes, which are some fundamental requirements especially for structural aircraft monitoring applications.

  17. Low temperature electrical properties of some Pb-free solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kisiel, Ryszard; Pekala, Marek

    2006-03-01

    The electronic industry is engaged in developing Pb-free technologies for more than ten years. However till now not all properties of new solders are described. The aim of the paper is to present some electrical properties of new series of Pb-free solders (eutectic SnAg, near eutectic SnAgCu with and without Bi) in low temperature ranges 10 K to 273K. The following parameters were analyzed: electrical resistivity, temperature coefficient of resistance and thermoelectric power. The electrical resistivity at temperatures above 50 K is a monotonically rising function of temperature for Pb-free solders studied. The electrical resistivity of the Bi containing alloys is higher as compared to the remaining ones. The thermoelectric power values at room temperature are about -8 μV/K to -6 μV/K for Pb-free solders studied, being higher as compared to typical values -3 μVK of SnPb solder. The relatively low absolute values as well as the smooth and weak temperature variation of electrical resistivity in lead free solders enable the possible low temperature application. The moderate values of thermoelectric power around and above the room temperature show that when applying the solders studied the temperature should be kept as uniform as possible, in order to avoid spurious or noise voltages.

  18. Monitoring of Leachate Recirculation in a Bioreactor Using Electrical Resistivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grellier, S.; Bureau, N.; Robain, H.; Tabbagh, A.; Camerlynck, C.; Guerin, R.

    2004-05-01

    The bioreactor is a concept of waste landfill management consisting in speeding up the biodegradation by optimizing the moisture content through leachate recirculation. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is carried out with fast resistivity-meter (Syscal Pro, IRIS Instruments, developed in the framework of the research project CERBERE 01V0665-69, funded by the French Research Ministry) to monitor leachate recirculation. During a recirculation period waste moisture increases, so that electrical resistivity may decrease, but at the same time temperature and mineralization of both waste and leachate become intermixed. If waste temperature is much higher than leachate temperature electrical resistivity will not decrease as much as if the temperature difference was smaller. If leachate mineralization (i.e. leachate conductivity) is higher than that of wet waste in the landfill, electrical resistivity will tend to decrease. Otherwise for example after an addition of rain water into the leachate storage or in case of very wet waste, the resistivities of each medium (leachate and wet waste) can be almost the same, so that leachate mineralization will not have a great influence on waste resistivity. Resistivity measurements were performed during 85 minutes injection trials (with a discharge of 20 m3 h-1) where leachate was injected through a vertical borehole perforated between 1.85 and 4.15 m. Three first measurements are made during the injection (3, 30 and 60 minutes from the beginning of the injection) and the two other after the injection period (8 and 72 minutes after the end of the injection). Apparent and interpreted resistivity variations that occurred during injection trials, expressed as the relative differences (in %) between apparent, respectively interpreted, resistivity during injection and apparent, respectively interpreted, resistivity before injection (reference measurement) show the formation of a plume (a negative anomaly: resistivity decreases with increasing moisture content). The positive anomaly could be explained by an increasing of biogas proportion in waste porosity. For this experiment, leachate temperature is relatively cold (between 5 and 10° C, as the injection trials take place at the end of October), leachate conductivity is about 9200 μ S cm-1 (i.e. a resistivity of 1.1 Ω m) and waste resistivity in the borehole region is about 80 Ω m. This is a situation where the temperature difference between waste and leachate is large and the resistivity difference between waste and leachate is high. The resistivity variation is essentially due to waste moisture increase. ERT method allows leachate diffusion to be seen through the waste mass and the influence zone of the leachate recirculation system to be determined.

  19. The Influence of Basic Physical Properties of Soil on its Electrical Resistivity Value under Loose and Dense Condition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abidin, M. H. Z.; Ahmad, F.; Wijeyesekera, D. C.; Saad, R.

    2014-04-01

    Electrical resistivity technique has become a famous alternative tool in subsurface characterization. In the past, several interpretations of electrical resistivity results were unable to be delivered in a strong justification due to lack of appreciation of soil mechanics. Traditionally, interpreters will come out with different conclusion which commonly from qualitative point of view thus creating some uncertainty regarding the result reliability. Most engineers desire to apply any techniques in their project which are able to provide some clear justification with strong, reliable and meaningful results. In order to reduce the problem, this study presents the influence of basic physical properties of soil due to the electrical resistivity value under loose and dense condition. Two different conditions of soil embankment model were tested under electrical resistivity test and basic geotechnical test. It was found that the electrical resistivity value (ERV, ρ) was highly influenced by the variations of soil basic physical properties (BPP) with particular reference to moisture content (w), densities (ρbulk/dry), void ratio (e), porosity (η) and particle grain fraction (d) of soil. Strong relationship between ERV and BPP can be clearly presents such as ρ ∞ 1/w, ρ ∞ 1/ρbulk/dry, ρ ∞ e and ρ ∞ η. This study therefore contributes a means of ERV data interpretation using BPP in order to reduce ambiguity of ERV result and interpretation discussed among related persons such as geophysicist, engineers and geologist who applied these electrical resistivity techniques in subsurface profile assessment.

  20. Time constant determination for electrical equivalent of biological cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dubey, Ashutosh Kumar; Dutta-Gupta, Shourya; Kumar, Ravi; Tewari, Abhishek; Basu, Bikramjit

    2009-04-01

    The electric field interactions with biological cells are of significant interest in various biophysical and biomedical applications. In order to study such important aspect, it is necessary to evaluate the time constant in order to estimate the response time of living cells in the electric field (E-field). In the present study, the time constant is evaluated by considering the hypothesis of electrical analog of spherical shaped cells and assuming realistic values for capacitance and resistivity properties of cell/nuclear membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus. In addition, the resistance of cytoplasm and nucleoplasm was computed based on simple geometrical considerations. Importantly, the analysis on the basis of first principles shows that the average values of time constant would be around 2-3 μs, assuming the theoretical capacitance values and the analytically computed resistance values. The implication of our analytical solution has been discussed in reference to the cellular adaptation processes such as atrophy/hypertrophy as well as the variation in electrical transport properties of cellular membrane/cytoplasm/nuclear membrane/nucleoplasm.

  1. Characterization of subsurface stratigraphy along the lower American River floodplain using electrical resistivity, Sacramento, California, 2011

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burton, Bethany L.; Powers, Michael H.; Ball, Lyndsay B.

    2014-01-01

    In July 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, completed a geophysical survey using electrical resistivity along an approximately 6-mile reach of the lower American River in Sacramento, California, to map near-surface lithological variations. This survey is a part of a manifold and comprehensive study of river-flow dynamics and geologic boundary-property knowledge necessary to estimate scour potential and levee erosion risk. Data were acquired on the left (south or west) bank between river mile 5 and 10.7 as well as a short section on the right bank from river mile 5.4 to 6. Thirteen direct-current resistivity profiles and approximately 8.3 miles of capacitively coupled resisistivity data were acquired along accessible areas of the floodplain between the levee and river bank. Capacitively coupled resistivity was used as a reconnaissance tool, because it allowed for greater spatial coverage of data but with lower resolution and depth of investigation than the DC resistivity method. The study area contains Pleistocene-age alluvial deposits, dominated by gravels, sands, silts, and clays, that vary in both lateral extent and depth. Several generations of lithologic logs were used to help interpret resistivity variations observed in the resistivity models.

  2. Resistivity in Play-Doh: Time and Color Variations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fuse, Christopher; August, Brandon; Cannaday, Ashley; Barker, Casey

    2013-01-01

    The study of electricity and magnetism is fundamental to all first-year physics courses. Developing simple electricity laboratory experiences that are open ended and inquiry based can be difficult. We wished to create a lab experiment where the students have some control over the experimental design, data analysis is required, and students…

  3. Direct measurement of the resistivity weighting function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koon, D. W.; Chan, Winston K.

    1998-12-01

    We have directly measured the resistivity weighting function—the sensitivity of a four-wire resistance measurement to local variations in resistivity—for a square specimen of photoconducting material. This was achieved by optically perturbing the local resistivity of the specimen while measuring the effect of this perturbation on its four-wire resistance. The weighting function we measure for a square geometry with electrical leads at its corners agrees well with calculated results, displaying two symmetric regions of negative weighting which disappear when van der Pauw averaging is performed.

  4. 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.

  5. A method to improve tree water use estimates by distinguishing sapwood from heartwood using Electrical Resistivity Tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guyot, A.; Ostergaard, K.; Lenkopane, M.; Fan, J.; Lockington, D. A.

    2011-12-01

    Estimating whole-plant water use in trees requires reliable and accurate methods. Measuring sap velocity and extrapolating to tree water use is seen as the most commonly used. However, deducing the tree water use from sap velocity requires an estimate of the sapwood area. This estimate is the highest cause of uncertainty, and can reach more than 50 % of the uncertainty in the estimate of water use per day. Here, we investigate the possibility of using Electrical Resistivity Tomography to evaluate the sapwood area distribution in a plantation of Pinus elliottii. Electric resistivity tomographs of Pinus elliottii show a very typical pattern of electrical resistivity, which is highly correlated to sapwood and heartwood distribution. To identify the key factors controlling the variation of electrical resistivity, cross sections at breast height for ten trees have been monitored with electrical resistivity tomography. Trees have been cut down after the experiment to identify the heartwood/sapwood boundaries and to extract wood and sap samples. pH, electrolyte concentration and wood moisture content have then been analysed for these samples. Results show that the heartwood/sapwood patterns are highly correlated with electrical resistivity, and that the wood moisture content is the most influencing factor controlling the variability of the patterns. These results show that electric resistivity tomography could be used as a powerful tool to identify the sapwood area, and thus be used in combination with sapflow sensors to map tree water use at stand scale. However, if Pinus elliottii shows typical patterns, further work is needed to identify to see if there are species - specific characterictics as shown in previous works (, electrolyte gradients from the bark to the heartwood). Also, patterns of high resistivity in between needles positions, which are not correlated with either wood moisture content or sapwood, appear to be artifacts. Thus, inversion methods have also to be improved to take into account these measurements issues.

  6. Electrical Characteristics CuFe2O4 Thick Film Ceramics Made with Different Screen Size Utiizing Fe2O3 Nanopowder Derived from Yarosite for NTC Thermistor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wiendartun, Syarif, Dani Gustaman

    2010-10-01

    Fabrication of CuFe2O4 thick film ceramics utilizing Fe2O3 derived from yarosite using screen printing technique for NTC thermistor has been carried out. Effect of thickness variation due to different size of screen (screen 225; 300 and 375 mesh) has been studied. X-ray diffraction analyses (XRD) was done to know crystal structure and phases formation. SEM analyses was carried out to know microstructure of the films. Electrical properties characterization was done through measurement of electrical resistance at various temperatures (room temperature to 100° C). The XRD data showed that the films crystalize in tetragonal spinel. The SEM images showed that the screen with the smaller of the hole size, made the grain size was bigger. Electrical data showed that the larger the screen different size thickness variation (mesh), the larger the resistance, thermistor constant and sensitivity. From the electrical characteristics data, it was known that the electrical characteristics of the CuFe2O4 thick film ceramics followed the NTC characteristic. The value of B and RRT of the produced CuFe2O4 ceramics namely B = 3241-3484 K and RRT = 25.6-87.0 M Ohm, fitted market requirement.

  7. Electron transport in reduced graphene oxides in high electric field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jian, Wen-Bin; Lai, Jian-Jhong; Wang, Sheng-Tsung; Tsao, Rui-Wen; Su, Min-Chia; Tsai, Wei-Yu; Rosenstein, Baruch; Zhou, Xufeng; Liu, Zhaoping

    Due to a honeycomb structure, charge carriers in graphene exhibit quasiparticles of linear energy-momentum dispersion and phenomena of Schwinger pair creation may be explored. Because graphene is easily broken in high electric fields, single-layer reduced graphene oxides (rGO) are used instead. The rGO shows a small band gap while it reveals a graphene like behavior in high electric fields. Electron transport in rGO exhibits two-dimensional Mott's variable range hopping. The temperature behavior of resistance in low electric fields and the electric field behavior of resistance at low temperatures are all well explained by the Mott model. At temperatures higher than 200 K, the electric field behavior does not agree with the model while it shows a power law behavior with an exponent of 3/2, being in agreement with the Schwinger model. Comparing with graphene, the rGO is more sustainable to high electric field thus presenting a complete high-electric field behavior. When the rGO is gated away from the charge neutral point, the turn-on electric field of Schwinger phenomena is increased. A summary figure is given to present electric field behaviors and power law variations of resistances of single-layer rGO, graphene, and MoS2.

  8. The Effect of Valinomycin on the Electrical Properties of Solutions of Red Cell Lipids in n-Decane

    PubMed Central

    Andreoli, Thomas E.; Tosteson, Daniel C.

    1971-01-01

    This paper reports the electrical properties of thick lipid membranes in the absence and presence of valinomycin. The thick lipid membranes were formed by placing a solution of sheep red cell lipids in decane between two cellophane partitions which formed the interfaces between the membrane and the two aqueous bathing solutions. The DC electrical resistance of these structures was found to be directly proportional to the reciprocal of the concentration of lipids in the decane (CL). The limiting resistance, as (CL -1) approached zero, was 3 x 108 ohm-cm2. Resistance was also found to be linearly related to membrane thickness. The limiting resistance at zero thickness was again 1–3 x 108 ohm-cm2. These data are interpreted to indicate that the DC resistance of thick lipid membranes comprises two surface resistances (RS) at each interface with the aqueous bathing solutions, and a bulk resistance (RB) of the lipid-decane solution, arranged in series. Measurements of the effect of variations of area on resistance were consistent with this interpretation. Valinomycin reduced RS but had no effect on RB. Under certain conditions, thick lipid membranes containing valinomycin behaved like highly selective K+ electrodes. PMID:5553100

  9. 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.

  10. Complex Resistivity experiment of Methane Hydrate in Porous Media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Q.; Wang, C.

    2017-12-01

    Electric logging plays an important role in gas hydrate exploration and saturation estimation. However, due to the lack of specialized model, some classical models of petroleum industry were used to calculate the hydrate reserves such as Archie's law. But the widely used resistivity model is unable to characterize the electrical properties of hydrate bearing sediments comprehensively, while the complex resistivity method can reveal more details about the electric properties of gas hydrate porous media. In this paper, a series of electrochemical impedance spectroscope tests were carried out during methane hydrate formation and dissociation process in porous media with 3.5% brine. The hydrate saturation was controlled by decrease the pressure at certain temperature. At each saturation, complex resistivities with frequency of 0.1 Hz 1 MHz were acquired and the frequency dispersion characteristics were analyzed. Conclusion as below: 1. It exhibited remarkable frequency dispersion characteristics in hydrate porous media, especially when the frequency was below 10Hz. At certain hydrate saturation, the resistivity amplitude/real part/imaginary part decreased with frequency, but the resistivity variation trends were complicated with frequency: between 0.1- 2.3Hz, the resistivity amplitude and real part were decreased as hydrate saturation increasing; however when the frequency become higher, the resistivity were increased with hydrate saturation. 2. In the hydrate porous media test, the resistivity amplitude/real part/imaginary part didn't show a linear variation with hydrate saturation in the double logarithmic coordinate, so the Archie's law cannot get constant a, m parameters. Moreover, different frequency lead to different resistivity value at certain saturation, Archie's law parameters must be readjusted to certain logging method. 3. In this study the impedance spectroscopy of porous medium containing hydrate can be fitted through an equivalent circuit model with a resistor and capacitor in series, and the resultant complex resistivity model can be used to calculate the gas hydrate saturation which may provide a new way to predict hydrate reserves.

  11. Theoretical investigation on the magnetic and electric properties in TbSb compound through an anisotropic microscopic model

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

    Ranke, P. J. von, E-mail: von.ranke@uol.com.br; Ribeiro, P. O.; Alho, B. P.

    2016-05-14

    We report the strong correlations between the magnetoresistivity and the magnetic entropy change in the cubic antiferromagnetic TbSb compound. The theoretical investigation was performed through a microscopic model which takes into account the crystalline electrical field anisotropy, exchange coupling interactions between the up and down magnetic sublattices, and the Zeeman interaction. The easy magnetization directions changes from 〈001〉 to 〈110〉 and then to 〈111〉 observed experimentally was successfully theoretically described. Also, the calculation of the temperature dependence of electric resistivity showed good agreement with the experimental data. Theoretical predictions were calculated for the temperature dependence of the magnetic entropy andmore » resistivity changes upon magnetic field variation. Besides, the difference in the spin up and down sublattices resistivity was investigated.« less

  12. Performance of denitrifying microbial fuel cell subjected to variation in pH, COD concentration and external resistance.

    PubMed

    Li, Jin-Tao; Zhang, Shao-Hui; Hua, Yu-Mei

    2013-01-01

    The effects of pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration and external resistance on denitrifying microbial fuel cell were evaluated in terms of electricity generation characteristics and pollutant removal performance. The results showed that anodic influent with weakly alkaline or neutral pH and cathodic influent with weakly acidic pH favored pollutant removal and electricity generation. The suitable influent pH of the anode and cathode were found to be 7.5-8.0 and 6.0-6.5, respectively. In the presence of sufficient nitrate in the cathode, higher influent COD concentration led to more electricity generation and greater pollutant removal rates. With an anodic influent pH of 8.0 and a cathodic influent pH of 6.0, an influent COD concentration of 400 mg/L was deemed to be appropriate. Low external resistance favored nitrate and COD removal. The results suggest that operation of denitrifying microbial fuel cell at a lower external resistance would be desirable for pollutant removal but not electricity generation.

  13. 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.

  14. Evolution of Mechanical and Electrical Properties During Annealing of the Copper Wire Drawn

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zidani, M.; Messaoudi, S.; Baudin, T.; Derfouf, C.; Boulagroun, A.; Mathon, M. H.

    2011-12-01

    In this work, the evolution of mechanical and electrical properties and microstructure of industrial copper wire used for electrical cabling was characterized. This work is not limited to the interpretation of the microstructural characteristics of the wire-drawn state but also after different annealing treatments. For the lowest temperatures (160 °C and 200 °C), significant changes are not observed in the microstructure (grain size) in the weak deformed wire (28.5%). Instead, variations of some properties of the metal were observed (hardness and electrical resistivity). For strong deformation (61.4% and 84.59%), annealing, leads to recrystallization with a softening material. Let us note that the resistivity increases with deformation level and becomes higher after annealing at low temperature (200 °C).

  15. Effects of ultra-vacuum and space environment on contact ohmic resistance: LDEF experiment AO 138-11

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Assie, Jean-Pierre; Perotto, Alfred

    1992-01-01

    The FRECOPA experimentation of chemical resistance of electrical connector contacts, as described, has evidenced the detrimental time variations of nickel plated conductors and gilded copper contacts, irrespective of crimping storage or metal peening conditions. With a view to reorient aluminum technology a silvered aluminum conductor/gilded aluminum contact solution was evaluated.

  16. Module Six: Parallel Circuits; Basic Electricity and Electronics Individualized Learning System.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, DC.

    In this module the student will learn the rules that govern the characteristics of parallel circuits; the relationships between voltage, current, resistance and power; and the results of common troubles in parallel circuits. The module is divided into four lessons: rules of voltage and current, rules for resistance and power, variational analysis,…

  17. An Integrated Hydrogeologic and Geophysical Investigation to Characterize the Hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards Aquifer in an Area of Northeastern Bexar County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shah, Sachin D.; Smith, Bruce D.; Clark, Allan K.; Payne, Jason

    2008-01-01

    In August 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, did a hydrogeologic and geophysical investigation to characterize the hydrostratigraphy (hydrostratigraphic zones) and also the hydrogeologic features (karst features such as sinkholes and caves) of the Edwards aquifer in a 16-square-kilometer area of northeastern Bexar County, Texas, undergoing urban development. Existing hydrostratigraphic information, enhanced by local-scale geologic mapping in the area, and surface geophysics were used to associate ranges of electrical resistivities obtained from capacitively coupled (CC) resistivity surveys, frequency-domain electromagnetic (FDEM) surveys, time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) soundings, and two-dimensional direct-current (2D-DC) resistivity surveys with each of seven hydrostratigraphic zones (equivalent to members of the Kainer and Person Formations) of the Edwards aquifer. The principal finding of this investigation is the relation between electrical resistivity and the contacts between the hydrostratigraphic zones of the Edwards aquifer and the underlying Trinity aquifer in the area. In general, the TDEM data indicate a two-layer model in which an electrical conductor underlies an electrical resistor, which is consistent with the Trinity aquifer (conductor) underlying the Edwards aquifer (resistor). TDEM data also show the plane of Bat Cave fault, a well-known fault in the area, to be associated with a local, nearly vertical zone of low resistivity that provides evidence, although not definitive, for Bat Cave fault functioning as a flow barrier, at least locally. In general, the CC resistivity, FDEM survey, and 2D-DC resistivity survey data show a sharp electrical contrast from north to south, changing from high resistivity to low resistivity across Bat Cave fault as well as possible karst features in the study area. Interpreted karst features that show relatively low resistivity within a relatively high-resistivity area likely are attributable to clay or soil filling a sinkhole. In general, faults are inferred where lithologic incongruity indicates possible displacement. Along most inferred faults, displacement was not sufficient to place different members of the Kainer or Person Formations (hydrostratigraphic zones) adjacent across the inferred fault plane. In general, the Kainer Formation (hydrostratigraphic zones V through VIII) has a higher resistivity than the Person Formation (hydrostratigraphic zones II through IV). Although resistivity variations from the CC resistivity, FDEM, and 2D-DC resistivity surveys, with mapping information, were sufficient to allow surface mapping of the lateral extent of hydrostratigraphic zones in places, resistivity variations from TDEM data were not sufficient to allow vertical delineation of hydrostratigraphic zones; however, the Edwards aquifer-Trinity aquifer contact could be identified from the TDEM data.

  18. An Integration of Geophysical Methods to Explore Buried Structures on the Bench and in the Field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Booterbaugh, A. P.; Lachhab, A.

    2011-12-01

    In the following study, an integration of geophysical methods and devices were implemented on the bench and in the field to accurately identify buried structures. Electrical resistivity and ground penetrating radar methods, including both a fabricated electrical resistivity apparatus and an electrical resistivity device were all used in this study. The primary goal of the study was to test the accuracy and reliability of the apparatus which costs a fraction of the price of a commercially sold resistivity instrument. The apparatus consists of four electrodes, two multimeters, a 12-volt battery, a DC to AC inverter and wires. Using this apparatus, an electrical current, is injected into earth material through the outer electrodes and the potential voltage is measured across the inner electrodes using a multimeter. The recorded potential and the intensity of the current can then be used to calculate the apparent resistivity of a given material. In this study the Wenner array, which consists of four equally spaced electrodes, was used due to its higher accuracy and greater resolution when investigating lateral variations of resistivity in shallow depths. In addition, the apparatus was used with an electrical resistivity device and a ground penetrating radar unit to explore the buried building foundation of Gustavus Adolphus Hall located on Susquehanna University Campus, Selinsgrove, PA. The apparatus successfully produced consistent results on the bench level revealing the location of small bricks buried under a soil material. In the summer of 2010, seventeen electrical resistivity transects were conducted on the Gustavus Adolphus site where and revealed remnants of the foundation. In the summer of 2011, a ground penetrating radar survey and an electrical resistivity tomography survey were conducted to further explore the site. Together these methods identified the location of the foundation and proved that the apparatus was a reliable tool for regular use on the bench and in the field.

  19. Oxygen vacancy-driven evolution of structural and electrical properties in SrFeO 3₋δ thin films and a method of stabilization

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

    Enriquez, Erik M.; Chen, Aiping; Harrell, Zachary John

    Epitaxial SrFeO 3-δ (SFO) thin films have been grown on various substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The structural and electrical properties of SFO thin films are monitored with time in different atmospheres at room temperature, showing time-dependent crystal structure and electrical conductivity. The increased out-of-plane lattice parameter and resistivity over time are associated with the increased oxygen vacancies density in SFO thin films. The epitaxial strain plays an important role in determining the initial resistivity, and the sample environment determines the trend of resistivity change over time. An amorphous Al 2O 3 passivation layer has been found to be effectivemore » in stabilizing the structure and electrical properties of SFO thin films. Lastly, this work explores time dependent structure and properties variation in oxide films and provides a way to stabilize thin film materials that are sensitive to oxygen vacancies.« less

  20. Oxygen vacancy-driven evolution of structural and electrical properties in SrFeO 3₋δ thin films and a method of stabilization

    DOE PAGES

    Enriquez, Erik M.; Chen, Aiping; Harrell, Zachary John; ...

    2016-10-03

    Epitaxial SrFeO 3-δ (SFO) thin films have been grown on various substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The structural and electrical properties of SFO thin films are monitored with time in different atmospheres at room temperature, showing time-dependent crystal structure and electrical conductivity. The increased out-of-plane lattice parameter and resistivity over time are associated with the increased oxygen vacancies density in SFO thin films. The epitaxial strain plays an important role in determining the initial resistivity, and the sample environment determines the trend of resistivity change over time. An amorphous Al 2O 3 passivation layer has been found to be effectivemore » in stabilizing the structure and electrical properties of SFO thin films. Lastly, this work explores time dependent structure and properties variation in oxide films and provides a way to stabilize thin film materials that are sensitive to oxygen vacancies.« less

  1. Understanding electricity generation in osmotic microbial fuel cells through integrated experimental investigation and mathematical modeling.

    PubMed

    Qin, Mohan; Ping, Qingyun; Lu, Yaobin; Abu-Reesh, Ibrahim M; He, Zhen

    2015-11-01

    Osmotic microbial fuel cells (OsMFCs) are a new type of MFCs with integrating forward osmosis (FO). However, it is not well understood why electricity generation is improved in OsMFCs compared to regular MFCs. Herein, an approach integrating experimental investigation and mathematical model was adopted to address the question. Both an OsMFC and an MFC achieved similar organic removal efficiency, but the OsMFC generated higher current than the MFC with or without water flux, resulting from the lower resistance of FO membrane. Combining NaCl and glucose as a catholyte demonstrated that the catholyte conductivity affected the electricity generation in the OsMFC. A mathematical model of OsMFCs was developed and validated with the experimental data. The model predicated the variation of internal resistance with increasing water flux, and confirmed the importance of membrane resistance. Increasing water flux with higher catholyte conductivity could decrease the membrane resistance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Studies of electrical properties of low-resistivity sandstones based on digital rock technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yan, Weichao; Sun, Jianmeng; Zhang, Jinyan; Yuan, Weiguo; Zhang, Li; Cui, Likai; Dong, Huaimin

    2018-02-01

    Electrical properties are important parameters to quantitatively calculate water saturation in oil and gas reservoirs by well logging interpretation. It is usual that oil layers show high resistivity responses, while water layers show low-resistivity responses. However, there are low-resistivity oil zones that exist in many oilfields around the world, leading to difficulties for reservoir evaluation. In our research, we used digital rock technology to study different internal and external factors to account for low rock resistivity responses in oil layers. We first constructed three-dimensional digital rock models with five components based on micro-computed tomography technology and x-ray diffraction experimental results, and then oil and water distributions in pores were determined by the pore morphology method. When the resistivity of each component was assigned, rock resistivities were calculated by using the finite element method. We collected 20 sandstone samples to prove the effectiveness of our numerical simulation methods. Based on the control variate method, we studied the effects of different factors on the resistivity indexes and rock resistivities. After sensitivity analyses, we found the main factors which caused low rock resistivities in oil layers. For unfractured rocks, influential factors arranged in descending order of importance were porosity, clay content, temperature, water salinity, heavy mineral, clay type and wettability. In addition, we found that the resistivity index could not provide enough information to identify a low-resistivity oil zone by using laboratory rock-electric experimental results. These results can not only expand our understandings of the electrical properties of low-resistivity rocks from oil layers, but also help identify low-resistivity oil zones better.

  3. On hybridising lettuce seedlings with nanoparticles and the resultant effects on the organisms' electrical characteristics.

    PubMed

    Gizzie, Nina; Mayne, Richard; Patton, David; Kendrick, Paul; Adamatzky, Andrew

    2016-09-01

    Lettuce seedlings are attracting interest in the computing world due to their capacity to become hybrid circuit components, more specifically, in the creation of living 'wires'. Previous studies have shown that seedlings can be hybridised with gold nanoparticles and withstand mild electrical currents. In this study, lettuce seedlings were hybridised with a variety of metallic and non-metallic nanomaterials: carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, aluminium oxide and calcium phosphate. Toxic effects and the following electrical properties were monitored: mean potential, resistance and capacitance. Macroscopic observations revealed only slight deleterious health effects after administration with one variety of particle, aluminium oxide. Mean potential in calcium phosphate-hybridised seedlings showed a considerable increase when compared with the control, whereas those administered with graphene oxide showed a small decrease; there were no notable variations across the remaining treatments. Electrical resistance decreased substantially in graphene oxide-treated seedlings whereas slight increases were shown following calcium phosphate and carbon nanotubes applications. Capacitance showed no considerable variation across treated seedlings. These results demonstrate that use of some nanomaterials, specifically graphene oxide and calcium phosphate, may be towards biohybridisation purposes including the generation of living 'wires'. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Analysis of the Diurnal Variation of the Global Electric Circuit Obtained From Different Numerical Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jánský, Jaroslav; Lucas, Greg M.; Kalb, Christina; Bayona, Victor; Peterson, Michael J.; Deierling, Wiebke; Flyer, Natasha; Pasko, Victor P.

    2017-12-01

    This work analyzes different current source and conductivity parameterizations and their influence on the diurnal variation of the global electric circuit (GEC). The diurnal variations of the current source parameterizations obtained using electric field and conductivity measurements from plane overflights combined with global Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite data give generally good agreement with measured diurnal variation of the electric field at Vostok, Antarctica, where reference experimental measurements are performed. An approach employing 85 GHz passive microwave observations to infer currents within the GEC is compared and shows the best agreement in amplitude and phase with experimental measurements. To study the conductivity influence, GEC models solving the continuity equation in 3-D are used to calculate atmospheric resistance using yearly averaged conductivity obtained from the global circulation model Community Earth System Model (CESM). Then, using current source parameterization combining mean currents and global counts of electrified clouds, if the exponential conductivity is substituted by the conductivity from CESM, the peak to peak diurnal variation of the ionospheric potential of the GEC decreases from 24% to 20%. The main reason for the change is the presence of clouds while effects of 222Rn ionization, aerosols, and topography are less pronounced. The simulated peak to peak diurnal variation of the electric field at Vostok is increased from 15% to 18% from the diurnal variation of the global current in the GEC if conductivity from CESM is used.

  5. Use of electromagnetic-terrain conductivity and DC-resistivity profiling techniques for bedrock characterization at the 15th-of-May City extension, Cairo, Egypt

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aly, Said A.; Farag, Karam S. I.; Atya, Magdy A.; Badr, Mohamed A. M.

    2018-06-01

    A joint multi-spacing electromagnetic-terrain conductivity meter and DC-resistivity horizontal profiling survey was conducted at the anticipated eastern extensional area of the 15th-of-May City, southeastern Cairo, Egypt. The main objective of the survey was to highlight the applicability, efficiency, and reliability of utilizing such non-invasive surface techniques in a field like geologic mapping, and hence to image both the vertical and lateral electrical resistivity structures of the subsurface bedrock. Consequently, a total of reliable 6 multi-spacing electromagnetic-terrain conductivity meter and 7 DC-resistivity horizontal profiles were carried out between August 2016 and February 2017. All data sets were transformed-inverted extensively and consistently in terms of two-dimensional (2D) electrical resistivity smoothed-earth models. They could be used effectively and inexpensively to interpret the area's bedrock geologic sequence using the encountered consecutive electrically resistive and conductive anomalies. Notably, the encountered subsurface electrical resistivity structures, below all surveying profiles, are correlated well with the mapped geological faults in the field. They even could provide a useful understanding of their faulting fashion. Absolute resistivity values were not necessarily diagnostic, but their vertical and lateral variations could provide more diagnostic information about the layer lateral extensions and thicknesses, and hence suggested reliable geo-electric earth models. The study demonstrated that a detailed multi-spacing electromagnetic-terrain conductivity meter and DC-resistivity horizontal profiling survey can help design an optimal geotechnical investigative program, not only for the whole eastern extensional area of the 15th-of-May City, but also for the other new urban communities within the Egyptian desert.

  6. Van der Waals pressure sensors using reduced graphene oxide composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jung, Ju Ra; Ahn, Sung Il

    2018-04-01

    Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) films intercalated with various polymers were fabricated by reaction-based self-assembly, and their characteristics as vacuum pressure sensors based on van der Waals interactions were studied. At low temperature, the electrical resistances of the samples decrease linearly with increasing vacuum pressure, whereas at high temperature the variation of the electrical resistance shows secondary order curves. Among all samples, the poly vinyl alcohol intercalated RGO shows the highest sensitivity, being almost two times more sensitive than reference RGO. All samples show almost the same signal for repetitive sudden pressure changes, indicating reasonable reproducibility and durability.

  7. Generation and the role of dislocations in single-crystalline phase-change In 2 Se 3 nanowires under electrical pulses

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

    Mafi, Elham; Tao, Xin; Zhu, Wenguang

    2016-07-08

    Using single crystalline In2Se3 nanowires as a platform, we have studied the RESET switching (from low to high electrical resistance) in this phase-change material under electric pulses. Particularly, we correlated the atomic-scale structural evolutions with local electrical resistance variations, by performing transmission electron microscopy and scanning Kelvin probe microscopy on the same nanowires. By coupling the experimental results with density functional theory calculations, we show that the immobile dislocations generated via vacancy condensations are responsible for the RESET switching and that the material maintains the single crystallinity during the process. This new mechanism is fundamentally different from the crystalline-amorphous transition,more » which is commonly understood as the underlying process for the RESET switching in similar phase-change materials.« less

  8. CRSP, numerical results for an electrical resistivity array to detect underground cavities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amini, Amin; Ramazi, Hamidreza

    2017-03-01

    This paper is devoted to the application of the Combined Resistivity Sounding and Profiling electrode configuration (CRSP) to detect underground cavities. Electrical resistivity surveying is among the most favorite geophysical methods due to its nondestructive and economical properties in a wide range of geosciences. Several types of the electrode arrays are applied to detect different certain objectives. In one hand, the electrode array plays an important role in determination of output resolution and depth of investigations in all resistivity surveys. On the other hand, they have their own merits and demerits in terms of depth of investigations, signal strength, and sensitivity to resistivity variations. In this article several synthetic models, simulating different conditions of cavity occurrence, were used to examine the responses of some conventional electrode arrays and also CRSP array. The results showed that CRSP electrode configuration can detect the desired objectives with a higher resolution rather than some other types of arrays. Also a field case study was discussed in which electrical resistivity approach was conducted in Abshenasan expressway (Tehran, Iran) U-turn bridge site for detecting potential cavities and/or filling loose materials. The results led to detect an aqueduct tunnel passing beneath the study area.

  9. SEM viewing of gypsiferous material and study of their influence on electrical resistivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dafalla, M.; Fouzan, F. Al

    2012-04-01

    The gypsum rich material is often linked to the cavity formation due to the high solubility of cal-cium carbonate in the presence of acidic media. This work is dedicated to a close-up look to the structure of materials rich of gypsum and material of less or traces of sulfate ions. Electrical resistivity measurements were conducted along extended lines on sections involving cavities and the resulting profiles were examined for any changes. Forms and features of gypsum and minerals containing sulfates were studied and compared to sam-ples tested using SEM (scanning electron microscope). The chemical analyses (EDAX) using electron beam was carried out and the elements present within these samples were established. Quantitative chemical testing for some parameters including sulfate ions was carried out. Structural forms variation and changes are studied in view of the chemical composition. The electrical resistivity was measured using Syscal R1 electerical resis-tivity equipment for several spots near surface. Statistical correlations between sulfate ions content and elec-trical resistivity, for near surface soils, is presented. This study is aiming at utilizing the geophysical testing methods of sulfate rich soils and predicting future cavity formation in areas of high risk to cavities due to chemical weathering.

  10. A titania nanotube-array room-temperature sensor for selective detection of hydrogen at low concentrations.

    PubMed

    Varghese, Oomman K; Mor, Gopal K; Grimes, Craig A; Paulose, Maggie; Mukherjee, Niloy

    2004-09-01

    A tremendous variation in electrical resistance, from the semiconductor to metallic range, has been observed in titania nanotube arrays at room temperature, approximately 25 degrees C, in the presence of < or = 1000 ppm hydrogen gas. The nanotube arrays are fabricated by anodizing titanium foil in an aqueous electrolyte solution containing hydrofluoric acid and acetic acid. Subsequently, the arrays are coated with a 10 nm layer of palladium by evaporation. Electrical contacts are made by sputtering a 2 mm diameter platinum disk atop the Pd-coated nanotube array. These sensors exhibit a resistance variation of the order of 10(4) in the presence of 100 ppm hydrogen at 25 degrees C. The sensors demonstrate complete reversibility, repeatability, high selectivity, negligible drift and wide dynamic range. The nanoscale geometry of the nanotubes, in particular the points of tube-to-tube contact, is believed to be responsible for the outstanding hydrogen gas sensitivities.

  11. Coal Layer Identification using Electrical Resistivity Imaging Method in Sinjai Area South Sulawesi

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ilham Samanlangi, Andi

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this research is to image subsurface resistivity for coal identification in Panaikang Village, Sinjai, South Sulawesi.Resistivity measurements were conducted in 3 lines of length 400 meters and 300 meter using resistivity imaging, dipole-dipole configuration. Resistivity data was processed using Res2DInv software to image resistivity variation and interpret lithology. The research results shown that coal resistivity in Line is about 70-200 Ωm, Line 2 is about 70-90 Ωm, and Line 3 is about 70-200 Ωm with average thickness about 10 meters and distributed to the east of research area.

  12. Electro-thermal analysis of contact resistance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pandey, Nitin; Jain, Ishant; Reddy, Sudhakar; Gulhane, Nitin P.

    2018-05-01

    Electro-Mechanical characterization over copper samples are performed at the macroscopic level to understand the dependence of electrical contact resistance and temperature on surface roughness and contact pressure. For two different surface roughness levels of samples, six levels of load are selected and varied to capture the bulk temperature rise and electrical contact resistance. Accordingly, the copper samples are modelled and analysed using COMSOLTM as a simulation package and the results are validated by the experiments. The interface temperature during simulation is obtained using Mikic-Elastic correlation and by directly entering experimental contact resistance value. The load values are varied and then reversed in a similar fashion to capture the hysteresis losses. The governing equations & assumptions underlying these models and their significance are examined & possible justification for the observed variations are discussed. Equivalent Greenwood model is also predicted by mapping the results of the experiment.

  13. Magneto-transport in LaTi1-xMnxO3/SrTiO3 oxide heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Pramod; Dogra, Anjana; Budhani, R. C.

    2014-04-01

    We report the growth of ultrathin film of Mn doped LaTiO3 on TiO2 terminated SrTiO3 (001) substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and their electrical transport characteristics including magnetoresistance (MR). Though the replacement of Mn in LaTiO3 at the Ti site in dilute limit does not affect the metallic behaviour of films but variation in resistance is observed. Normalised resistance behaviour is explained on the basis of variation in charge carriers and increased interaction between Mn atoms in the system under investigation.

  14. Thermoelectric Properties of Bi Doped Tetrahedrite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prem Kumar, D. S.; Chetty, R.; Femi, O. E.; Chattopadhyay, K.; Malar, P.; Mallik, R. C.

    2017-05-01

    Bi doped tetrahedrites with nominal compositions of Cu12Sb4- x Bi x S13 ( x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) were synthesized by the solid state reaction method. Powder x-ray diffraction patterns confirmed that Cu12Sb4S13 (tetrahedrite structure) was the main phase, along with Cu3SbS4 and Cu3SbS3 as the secondary phases. Electron probe microanalysis provided the elemental composition of all the samples. It was confirmed that the main phase is the tetrahedrite phase with slight deviations in the stoichiometry. All the transport properties were measured between 423 K and 673 K. The electrical resistivity increased with an increase in Bi content for all the samples, possibly induced by the variation in the carrier concentration, which may be due to the influence of impurity phases. The increase in electrical resistivity with an increase in temperature indicates the degenerate semiconducting nature of the samples. The absolute Seebeck coefficient is positive throughout the temperature range indicating the p-type nature of the samples. The Seebeck coefficient for all the samples increased with an increase in Bi content as electrical resistivity. The variation of electrical resistivity and the Seebeck coefficient with doping can be attributed to the changes in the carrier concentration of the samples. The total thermal conductivity increases with an increase in temperature and decreases with an increase in the Bi content that could be due to the reduction in carrier thermal conductivity. The highest thermoelectric figure of merit ( zT) 0.84 at 673 K was obtained for the sample with x = 0.2 due to lower thermal conductivity (1.17 W/m K).

  15. Hydrogeochemical and vertical electrical soundings for groundwater investigations, Burg El-Arab area, Northwestern Coast of Egypt

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atwia, Mohamed G.; Abu-Heleika, Mohamed M.; El-Horiny, Mohamed M.

    2013-04-01

    An integrated geological, hydrochemical, and geoelectrical investigation of shallow groundwater occurrence in Burg El-Arab area, northwestern coastal zone of Egypt is carried out. Groundwater of oolitic limestone and clastic aquifers is the principal source of water supply for agriculture in the area. The purpose of this study is to describe the hydrogeologic characteristics of aquifers and to provide a general evaluation of the chemical quality of water in aquifers. Chemical analysis was used to evaluate the chemical characteristics of groundwater and assessment of water quality. Electrical soundings were employed to delineate different water bearing formations and the configuration of the interface between them. Thirty-four water samples were collected and chemically analyzed from the two main aquifers in the area. Groundwaters of oolitic limestone aquifer are dominated by NaCl and have average TDS of approximately 2830 mg/l. Groundwater samples from clastic aquifer are slightly weakly mineralized (TDS approximately 2700 mg/l) and dominated by CaSO4. The hydrochemical data indicate that the groundwater is of meteoric origin. The variation in the chemistry of water is thought to be related to the weathering of minerals of the water-bearing sediments, mixing with marine water, and leaching of fertilizers in the newly reclaimed areas. Groundwater of the area can be used for irrigation under special circumstances management as the sodium hazard is medium while the salinity hazard ranges from high to very high. Thirty-four profiles of vertical electrical soundings (VESs) were obtained in Burg El-Arab area to examine the variations of subsurface geology and associated groundwater chemistry. Resistivity and thickness of aquifers, resistivity of the unsaturated zone and depth to the confining bed have been delineated from the interpretation of electrical sounding data. The range of electrical resistivity values have been assigned to different layers by calibrating electrical resistivity with the borehole data. Results of the vertical electrical soundings and the hydrochemistry of the groundwater samples show that the brackish groundwater is dominated in the study area whereas the fresh groundwater is found as isolated patches in oolitic limestone aquifer.

  16. Solar modulation of atmospheric electrification through variation of the conductivity over thunderstorms

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Markson, R.

    1975-01-01

    It is suggested that variations of the current in the global atmospheric electrical circuit can be produced through regulation of the resistance between the tops of thunderclouds and the ionosphere. Long- and short-term changes in the conductivity of this region occur due to changes in the ionization rate resulting from solar activity. Previous suggestions that the phenomena might be due to conductivity variations in the fair weather part of the world or an influx of space charge to the upper atmosphere are discussed and considered unlikely. It might be possible to test the proposed mechanism by measuring the temporal variation of the ionospheric potential during distributed solar periods. Another approach would be to measure simultaneously the variation in ionization rate and electric current over thunderstorms. Several ways in which changes in atmospheric electrification might influence other meteorological phenomena are mentioned.

  17. Electrical and thermal behavior of unsaturated soils: experimental results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nouveau, Marie; Grandjean, Gilles; Leroy, Philippe; Philippe, Mickael; Hedri, Estelle; Boukcim, Hassan

    2016-05-01

    When soil is affected by a heat source, some of its properties are modified, and in particular, the electrical resistivity due to changes in water content. As a result, these changes affect the thermal properties of soil, i.e., its thermal conductivity and diffusivity. We experimentally examine the changes in electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity for four soils with different grain size distributions and clay content over a wide range of temperatures, from 20 to 100 °C. This temperature range corresponds to the thermal conditions in the vicinity of a buried high voltage cable or a geothermal system. Experiments were conducted at the field scale, at a geothermal test facility, and in the laboratory using geophysical devices and probing systems. The results show that the electrical resistivity decreases and the thermal conductivity increases with temperature up to a critical temperature depending on soil types. At this critical temperature, the air volume in the pore space increases with temperature, and the resulting electrical resistivity also increases. For higher temperatures , the thermal conductivity increases sharply with temperature up to a second temperature limit. Beyond it, the thermal conductivity drops drastically. This limit corresponds to the temperature at which most of the water evaporates from the soil pore space. Once the evaporation is completed, the thermal conductivity stabilizes. To explain these experimental results, we modeled the electrical resistivity variations with temperature and water content in the temperature range 20 - 100°C, showing that two critical temperatures influence the main processes occurring during heating at temperatures below 100 °C.

  18. Modified electrical survey for effective leakage detection at concrete hydraulic facilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Bomi; Oh, Seokhoon

    2018-02-01

    Three original electrode arrays for the effective leakage detection of concrete hydraulic facilities through electrical resistivity surveys are proposed: 'cross-potential', 'direct-potential' and modified tomography-like arrays. The main differences with respect to the commonly used arrays are that the current line-sources are separated from potential pole lines and floated upon the water. The potential pole lines are located directly next to the facility in order to obtain intuitive data and useful interpretations of the internal conditions of the hydraulic facility. This modified configuration of the array clearly displays the horizontal variation of the electrical field around the damaged zones of the concrete hydraulic facility, and any anomalous regions that might be found between potential poles placed across the facilities. In order to facilitate the interpretation of these modified electrical surveys, a new and creative way of presenting the measurements is also proposed and an inversion approach is provided for the modified tomography-like array. A numerical modeling and two field tests were performed to verify these new arrays and interpretation methods. The cross and direct potential array implied an ability to detect small variations of the potential field near the measurement poles. The proposed array showed the overall potential distribution across the hydraulic facility which may be used to assist in the search of trouble zones within the structure, in combination with the traditional electrical resistivity array.

  19. 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.

  20. Relaxation peak near 200 K in NiTi alloy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, J. S.; Schaller, R.; Benoit, W.

    1989-10-01

    Internal friction (IF), frequency ( f), electrical resistance ( R) and zero point movement of the torsion pendulum (ɛ) have been measured in near equi-atomic NiTi alloy in order to clarify the mechanism for the relaxation peak near 200 K. The height of the relaxation peak decreases successively with thermal cycling and settles down to a lower stable value in running 15 cycles. However, the electrical resistance of the sample shows a variation in contrast with the internal friction. Both of them will return to the initial state after a single annealing at 773 K for 1 h. The probable mechanism of this relaxation peak was discussed.

  1. An in-depth description of bipolar resistive switching in Cu/HfOx/Pt devices, a 3D kinetic Monte Carlo simulation approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aldana, S.; Roldán, J. B.; García-Fernández, P.; Suñe, J.; Romero-Zaliz, R.; Jiménez-Molinos, F.; Long, S.; Gómez-Campos, F.; Liu, M.

    2018-04-01

    A simulation tool based on a 3D kinetic Monte Carlo algorithm has been employed to analyse bipolar conductive bridge RAMs fabricated with Cu/HfOx/Pt stacks. Resistive switching mechanisms are described accounting for the electric field and temperature distributions within the dielectric. The formation and destruction of conductive filaments (CFs) are analysed taking into consideration redox reactions and the joint action of metal ion thermal diffusion and electric field induced drift. Filamentary conduction is considered when different percolation paths are formed in addition to other conventional transport mechanisms in dielectrics. The simulator was tuned by using the experimental data for Cu/HfOx/Pt bipolar devices that were fabricated. Our simulation tool allows for the study of different experimental results, in particular, the current variations due to the electric field changes between the filament tip and the electrode in the High Resistance State. In addition, the density of metallic atoms within the CF can also be characterized along with the corresponding CF resistance description.

  2. Electrical resistivity tomography to delineate greenhouse soil variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rossi, R.; Amato, M.; Bitella, G.; Bochicchio, R.

    2013-03-01

    Appropriate management of soil spatial variability is an important tool for optimizing farming inputs, with the result of yield increase and reduction of the environmental impact in field crops. Under greenhouses, several factors such as non-uniform irrigation and localized soil compaction can severely affect yield and quality. Additionally, if soil spatial variability is not taken into account, yield deficiencies are often compensated by extra-volumes of crop inputs; as a result, over-irrigation and overfertilization in some parts of the field may occur. Technology for spatially sound management of greenhouse crops is therefore needed to increase yield and quality and to address sustainability. In this experiment, 2D-electrical resistivity tomography was used as an exploratory tool to characterize greenhouse soil variability and its relations to wild rocket yield. Soil resistivity well matched biomass variation (R2=0.70), and was linked to differences in soil bulk density (R2=0.90), and clay content (R2=0.77). Electrical resistivity tomography shows a great potential in horticulture where there is a growing demand of sustainability coupled with the necessity of stabilizing yield and product quality.

  3. Electrical Characteristics CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} Thick Film Ceramics Made with Different Screen Size Utilizing Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} Nanopowder Derived from Yarosite for NTC Thermistor

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

    Wiendartun,; Syarif, Dani Gustaman

    2010-10-24

    Fabrication of CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thick film ceramics utilizing Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} derived from yarosite using screen printing technique for NTC thermistor has been carried out. Effect of thickness variation due to different size of screen (screen 225; 300 and 375 mesh) has been studied. X-ray diffraction analyses (XRD) was done to know crystal structure and phases formation. SEM analyses was carried out to know microstructure of the films. Electrical properties characterization was done through measurement of electrical resistance at various temperatures (room temperature to 100 deg. C). The XRD data showed that the films crystalize in tetragonal spinel. Themore » SEM images showed that the screen with the smaller of the hole size, made the grain size was bigger. Electrical data showed that the larger the screen different size thickness variation (mesh), the larger the resistance, thermistor constant and sensitivity. From the electrical characteristics data, it was known that the electrical characteristics of the CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} thick film ceramics followed the NTC characteristic. The value of B and R{sub RT} of the produced CuFe{sub 2}O{sub 4} ceramics namely B = 3241-3484 K and R{sub RT} = 25.6-87.0 M Ohm, fitted market requirement.« less

  4. Quantification of blood volume by electrical impedance tomography using a tissue-equivalent phantom.

    PubMed

    Sadleir, R; Fox, R

    1998-11-01

    An in vivo electrical impedance tomography (EIT) system was designed to accurately estimate quantities of intra-peritoneal blood in the abdominal cavity. For this it is essential that the response is relatively independent of the position of the high conductivity anomaly (blood) in the body. The sensitivity of the system to the introduction of blood-equivalent resistivity anomalies was assessed by using a cylindrical tissue-equivalent phantom. It was found that a satisfactorily uniform response of the system in both radial (transverse) and axial (longitudinal) directions in the phantom could be achieved by filtering resistivity profile images obtained by EIT measurement, and by using extended electrodes to collect data. Post-processing of single impedance images gave rise to a quantity denoted the resistivity index. A filter was then used to remove the remaining radial variation of the resistivity index. It was calculated by evaluating the resistivity index of a number of theoretically calculated images, and constructing a correction filter similar to those used to remove lens imperfections, such as coma, in optical components. The 30% increase in the resistivity index observed when an anomaly was moved to the maximum extent allowed by the filter calculation (0.75 of the phantom radius) was reduced by the filter to 6%. A study of the axial dependence observed in the resistivity index using electrodes extended in the axial direction by +/-5 cm found that the variation in resistivity index with axial position was about half of that observed using small circular electrodes similar to those used in the Sheffield mark I system.

  5. MT2D Inversion to Image the Gorda Plate Subduction Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lubis, Y. K.; Niasari, S. W.; Hartantyo, E.

    2018-04-01

    The magnetotelluric method is applicable for studying complicated geological structures because the subsurface electrical properties are strongly influenced by the electric and magnetic fields. This research located in the Gorda subduction zone beneath the North American continental plate. Magnetotelluric 2D inversion was used to image the variation of subsurface resistivity although the phase tensor analysis shows that the majority of dimensionality data is 3D. 19 MT sites were acquired from EarthScope/USArray Project. Wepresent the image of MT 2D inversion to exhibit conductivity distribution from the middle crust to uppermost asthenosphere at a depth of 120 kilometers. Based on the inversion, the overall data misfit value is 3.89. The Gorda plate subduction appears as a high resistive zone beneath the California. Local conductive features are found in the middle crust downward Klamath Mountain, Bonneville Lake, and below the eastern of Utah. Furthermore, mid-crustal is characterized by moderately resistive. Below the extensional Basin and Range province was related to highly resistive. The middle crust to the uppermost asthenosphere becomes moderately resistive. We conclude that the electrical parameters and the dimensionality of datain the shallow depth(about 22.319 km) beneath the North American platein accordance with surface geological features.

  6. Performance of Electricity Generation from Bryophyllum Leaf for Practical Utilisation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khan, Md. Kamrul Alam

    2017-01-01

    Constructing an affordable cost, environment friendly simplified electrical energy source with Pathor Kuchi Leaf (PKL) for power electrifications which will significantly upgrade the life style of 1.6 billion people especially, who live in rural areas of Bangladesh. However, one fifth of the world's population still lack access to electricity-well, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan). This innovative technology will meet essential requirements as lighting, telecommunication as well as information access. Electrodes are put into the Bryophyllum Pinnatum Leaf (BPL) or Pathor Kuchi Leaf (PKL) sap and they produce substantially sufficient amount of electricity to power energy consumed electronics and electrical appliances. CuSO4.5H2O solution is used as a secondary salt. The role of CuSO4.5H2O solution has been studied. The electrical and chemical properties, a very important factor for PKL electricity generation device have been studied in this research work. The electrical properties are: internal resistance, voltage regulation, energy efficiency, pulse performance, self discharge characteristics, discharge characteristics with load, capacity of the PKL cell, temperature characteristics and life cycle of the PKL cell. The chemical properties are: variation of voltage, current with the variation of [Zn2+], [Cu2+] and time. The performance of the production of the two bi-products (fertilizer and hydrogen gas production) has been studied. Variation of concentration of Zn2+ and Cu2+ with the variation of percentage of the I am grateful to the authority of the Science and technology ministry,Bangladesh for financial support during the research work.

  7. Low temperature synthesis and enhanced electrical properties by substitution of Al3+ and Cr3+ in Co-Ni nanoferrites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pervaiz, Erum; Gul, I. H.

    2013-10-01

    Aluminum and chromium substituted Co-Ni spinel nanoferrites were prepared by sol-gel auto combustion method. Structural parameters along with electrical and magnetic properties have been investigated in the present work. Crystallite sizes of nano ferrite estimated from the peak (311) lies in the range of 13-21 nm ±2 nm and compared with crystallite sizes calculated from Williamsons-Hall plots. DC electrical resistivity variations due to the concentration of aluminum and chromium in the host ferrite have been measured from 368 K to 573 K. Increase in the room temperature DC electrical resistivity was observed up to a concentration x=0.2 and then decreases for x >0.2. Dielectric parameters (real and imaginary part of complex permittivity, dielectric loss tangent) were studied as a function of frequency (20 Hz-5 MHz) and a decrease in the dielectric parameters was observed due to substitution of nickel, aluminum and chromium ions in cobalt nanoferrites. AC conductivity, complex impedance and complex electrical modulus were studied as a function of frequency for the conduction and relaxation mechanisms in the present ferrite system. Saturation magnetization, coercivity, canting angles and magneto crystalline anisotropy variations with composition were observed and presented for the present ferrites under an applied magnetic field of 10 kOe at room temperature. It was found that both magnetization and coercivity decreases with increase in the concentration of aluminum and chromium along with a decrease in the anisotropy parameters. High DC resistivity with low dielectric parameters of the present nanoferrites make them suitable for high frequency and electromagnetic wave absorbing devices. High purity mixed Co-Ni-Al-Cr nanoferrites have been prepared by sol-gel auto combustion method. DC electrical resistivity increases due to substitution of Al3+ and Cr3+. Complex permittivity decrease for Co-Ni-Al-Cr nanoferrites. Detailed AC response analysis has been presented for mixed Co-Ni-Al-Cr nanoferrites. Magnetization and coercively reduces for Al3+ and Cr3+ doped Co-Ni ferrite nanoparticles showing that material is becoming soft magnetic.

  8. 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...

  9. Remote sensing of freeze-thaw transitions in Arctic soils using the complex resistivity method

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

    Wu, Yuxin; Hubbard, Susan S; Ulrich, Craig

    2013-01-01

    Our ability to monitor freeze - thaw transitions is critical to developing a predictive understanding of biogeochemical transitions and carbon dynamics in high latitude environments. In this study, we conducted laboratory column experiments to explore the potential of the complex resistivity method for monitoring the freeze - thaw transitions of the arctic permafrost soils. Samples for the experiment were collected from the upper active layer of Gelisol soils at the Barrow Environmental Observatory, Barrow Alaska. Freeze - thaw transitions were induced through exposing the soil column to controlled temperature environments at 4 C and -20 C. Complex resistivity and temperaturemore » measurements were collected regularly during the freeze - thaw transitions using electrodes and temperature sensors installed along the column. During the experiments, over two orders of magnitude of resistivity variations were observed when the temperature was increased or decreased between -20 C and 0 C. Smaller resistivity variations were also observed during the isothermal thawing or freezing processes that occurred near 0 C. Single frequency electrical phase response and imaginary conductivity at 1 Hz were found to be exclusively related to the unfrozen water in the soil matrix, suggesting that these geophysical 24 attributes can be used as a proxy for the monitoring of the onset and progression of the freeze - thaw transitions. Spectral electrical responses and fitted Cole Cole parameters contained additional information about the freeze - thaw transition affected by the soil grain size distribution. Specifically, a shift of the observed spectral response to lower frequency was observed during isothermal thawing process, which we interpret to be due to sequential thawing, first from fine then to coarse particles within the soil matrix. Our study demonstrates the potential of the complex resistivity method for remote monitoring of freeze - thaw transitions in arctic soils. Although conducted at the laboratory scale, this study provides the foundation for exploring the potential of the complex resistivity signals for monitoring spatiotemporal variations of freeze - thaw transitions over field-relevant scales.« less

  10. Installation restoration research program: Assessment of geophysical methods for subsurface geologic mapping, cluster 13, Edgewood Area, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Final report

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

    Butler, D.K.; Sharp, M.K.; Sjostrom, K.J.

    1996-10-01

    Seismic refraction, electrical resistivity, and transient electromagnetic surveys were conducted at a portion of Cluster 13, Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Seismic refraction cross sections map the topsoil layer and the water table (saturated zone). The water table elevations from the seismic surveys correlate closely with water table elevations in nearby monitoring wells. Electrical resistivity cross sections reveal a very complicated distribution of sandy and clayey facies in the upper 10 - 15 m of the subsurface. A continuous surficial (topsoil) layer correlates with the surficial layer of the seismic section and nearby boring logs. The complexity andmore » details of the electrical resistivity cross section correlate well with boring and geophysical logs from nearby wells. The transient electromagnetic surveys map the Pleistocene-Cretaceous boundary, the saprolite, and the top of the Precambrian crystalline rocks. Conducting the transient electromagnetic surveys on a grid pattern allows the construction of a three-dimensional representation of subsurface geology (as represented by variations of electrical resistivity). Thickness and depth of the saprolitic layer and depth to top of the Precambrian rocks are consistent with generalized geologic cross sections for the Edgewood Area and depths projected from reported depths at the Aberdeen Proving Ground NW boundary using regional dips.« less

  11. Challenges of using electrical resistivity method to locate karst conduits-A field case in the Inner Bluegrass Region, Kentucky

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zhu, J.; Currens, J.C.; Dinger, J.S.

    2011-01-01

    Conduits serve as major pathways for groundwater flow in karst aquifers. Locating them from the surface, however, is one of the most challenging tasks in karst research. Geophysical methods are often deployed to help locate voids by mapping variations of physical properties of the subsurface. Conduits can cause significant contrasts of some physical properties that can be detected; other subsurface features such as water-bearing fractures often yield similar contrasts, which are difficult to distinguish from the effects of the conduits. This study used electrical resistivity method to search for an unmapped karst conduit that recharges Royal Spring in the Inner Bluegrass karst region, Kentucky, USA. Three types of resistivity techniques (surface 2D survey, quasi-3D survey, and time-lapse survey) were used to map and characterize resistivity anomalies. Some of the major anomalies were selected as drilling targets to verify the existence of the conduits. Drilling near an anomaly identified by an electrical resistivity profile resulted in successful penetration of a major water-filled conduit. The drilling results also suggest that, in this study area, low resistivity anomalies in general are associated with water-bearing features. However, differences in the anomaly signals between the water-filled conduit and other water-bearing features such as water-filled fracture zones were undistinguishable. The electrical resistivity method is useful in conduit detection by providing potential drilling targets. Knowledge of geology and hydrogeology about the site and professional judgment also played important roles in locating the major conduit. ?? 2011 Elsevier B.V.

  12. Using EarthScope magnetotelluric data to improve the resilience of the US power grid: rapid predictions of geomagnetically induced currents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schultz, A.; Bonner, L. R., IV

    2016-12-01

    Existing methods to predict Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs) in power grids, such as the North American Electric Reliability Corporation standard adopted by the power industry, require explicit knowledge of the electrical resistivity structure of the crust and mantle to solve for ground level electric fields along transmission lines. The current standard is to apply regional 1-D resistivity models to this problem, which facilitates rapid solution of the governing equations. The systematic mapping of continental resistivity structure from projects such as EarthScope reveals several orders of magnitude of lateral variations in resistivity on local, regional and continental scales, resulting in electric field intensifications relative to existing 1-D solutions that can impact GICs to first order. The computational burden on the ground resistivity/GIC problem of coupled 3-D solutions inhibits the prediction of GICs in a timeframe useful to protecting power grids. In this work we reduce the problem to applying a set of filters, recognizing that the magnetotelluric impedance tensors implicitly contain all known information about the resistivity structure beneath a given site, and thus provides the required relationship between electric and magnetic fields at each site. We project real-time magnetic field data from distant magnetic observatories through a robustly calculated multivariate transfer function to locations where magnetotelluric impedance tensors had previously been obtained. This provides a real-time prediction of the magnetic field at each of those points. We then project the predicted magnetic fields through the impedance tensors to obtain predictions of electric fields induced at ground level. Thus, electric field predictions can be generated in real-time for an entire array from real-time observatory data, then interpolated onto points representing a power transmission line contained within the array to produce a combined electric field prediction necessary for GIC prediction along that line. This method produces more accurate predictions of ground electric fields in conductively heterogeneous areas that are not limited by distance from the nearest observatory, while still retaining comparable computational speeds as existing methods.

  13. Contributions a l'etude et a l'application industrielle de la machine asynchrone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ouhrouche, Mohand-Ameziane

    The work presented in this thesis, done in the Electrical Drives Laboratory of Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, deals with the industrial applications of a three-phase induction machine (electrical drives and electricity generation). This thesis, characterized by its multidisciplinary content, has two major parts. The first one deals with the on-line and off-line parametric identification of the induction machine model necessary to achieve accurate vector control strategy. The second part, which is a resume of a research work sponsored by Hydro-Quebec, deals with the application of an induction machine in Asynchronous Non Utility Generators units (ANUG). As it is shown in the following, major scientific contributions are made in both two parts. In the first part of our research work, we propose a new speed sensorless vector control strategy for an induction machine, which is adaptive to the rotor resistance variations. The proposed control strategy is based on the Extended Kalman Filter approach and a decoupling controller which takes into account the rotor resistance variations. The consideration of coupled electrical and mechanical modes leads to a fifth order nonlinear model of the induction machine. The load torque is taken as a function of the rotor angular speed. The Extended Kalman Filter, based on the process's nonlinear (bilinear) model, estimate simultaneously the rotor resistance, angular speed and the flux vector from the startup to the steady state equilibrium point. The machine-converter-control system is implemented in MATLAB/SIMULINK environment and the obtained results confirm the robustness of the proposed scheme. As in the electrical drives erea, the induction machine is now widely used by small to medium power Non Utility Generator units (NUG) to produce electricity. In Quebec, these NUGs units are integrated into the Hydro-Quebec 25 kV distribution system via transformer which exhibit nonlinear characteristics. We have shown by using the ElectroMagnetic Program (EMTP) that, in some islanding scenarios, i.e. that the NUG unit is disconnected from the power grid, in addition to frequency variations, appearence of high an abnormal overvoltages, ferroresonance should occur. As a consequence, normal protective devices could fail to securely operate, which could cause serious damages to the equipment and the maintenance staff. This result, established for the first time , can be useful to improve the reliability of the NUGs units and is considered important by the power engineering community. This has led to a publication in the John Wiley & Sons Encyclopedia of Electrical and Electronics Engineering which will be available in February 1999 ( http://www.engr.wisc.edu/ ece/ece).

  14. Solfatara volcano subsurface imaging: two different approaches to process and interpret multi-variate data sets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bernardinetti, Stefano; Bruno, Pier Paolo; Lavoué, François; Gresse, Marceau; Vandemeulebrouck, Jean; Revil, André

    2017-04-01

    The need to reduce model uncertainty and produce a more reliable geophysical imaging and interpretations is nowadays a fundamental task required to geophysics techniques applied in complex environments such as Solfatara Volcano. The use of independent geophysical methods allows to obtain many information on the subsurface due to the different sensitivities of the data towards parameters such as compressional and shearing wave velocities, bulk electrical conductivity, or density. The joint processing of these multiple physical properties can lead to a very detailed characterization of the subsurface and therefore enhance our imaging and our interpretation. In this work, we develop two different processing approaches based on reflection seismology and seismic P-wave tomography on one hand, and electrical data acquired over the same line, on the other hand. From these data, we obtain an image-guided electrical resistivity tomography and a post processing integration of tomographic results. The image-guided electrical resistivity tomography is obtained by regularizing the inversion of the electrical data with structural constraints extracted from a migrated seismic section using image processing tools. This approach enables to focus the reconstruction of electrical resistivity anomalies along the features visible in the seismic section, and acts as a guide for interpretation in terms of subsurface structures and processes. To integrate co-registrated P-wave velocity and electrical resistivity values, we apply a data mining tool, the k-means algorithm, to individuate relationships between the two set of variables. This algorithm permits to individuate different clusters with the objective to minimize the sum of squared Euclidean distances within each cluster and maximize it between clusters for the multivariate data set. We obtain a partitioning of the multivariate data set in a finite number of well-correlated clusters, representative of the optimum clustering of our geophysical variables (P-wave velocities and electrical resistivities). The result is an integrated tomography that shows a finite number of homogeneous geophysical facies, and therefore permits to highlight the main geological features of the subsurface.

  15. Material variability as measured by low temperature electrical resistivity.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clark, A. F.; Tryon, P. V.

    1972-01-01

    Low temperature electrical resistivity was used to determine the material variability (1) between different manufacturers, (2) between different heats from the same manufacturer, and (3) within a given heat for Al 2024, Al-5% Mg alloys, Inconel 718, A286 stainless, and AISI 316. Generally, the coefficient of variation for solution annealed alloys ranged from 1.2 to 14% between manufacturers, 0.8 to 5.1% between heats, and 0.1 to 1.6% within a heat with stainless steels at the low ends and Al 2024 at the high ends. The variability is increased if the material is in a precipitation-hardened condition. A statistical analysis suggests that the variability within a heat is non-normal.

  16. Internal friction, Young's modulus, and electrical resistivity of submicrocrystalline titanium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kardashev, B. K.; Sapozhnikov, K. V.; Betekhtin, V. I.; Kadomtsev, A. G.; Narykova, M. V.

    2017-12-01

    The variation of the internal friction, Young's modulus, and electrical resistivity of two grades of polycrystalline titanium (VT1-0 and Grade 4) in the area of low temperatures (100-300 K) as depending on the initial structure and subsequent severe plastic deformation converting the material into the submicrocrystalline structural state in relation to the grain size is studied. The maximum of the internal friction is detected in submicrocrystalline titanium, which is interpreted as a Bordoni peak. All the studied characteristics are sensitive indicators for a nonequilibrium state of the grain boundaries after the deformation. The effect of the initial structure of the metal on its properties after the severe deformation is revealed.

  17. Two-dimensional finite element modelling of the neonatal head.

    PubMed

    Gibson, A; Bayford, R H; Holder, D S

    2000-02-01

    Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) could allow the early diagnosis of infant brain injury following birth asphyxia. The purpose of this work was to determine the effect of variations in skull, scalp or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) resistivity, as these vary in clinical conditions and could degrade image quality. These factors were investigated using finite element models of the adult and neonatal head. The results suggest that there is a wide range over which the resistivity of the neonatal skull has little effect on the sensitivity to a central impedance change. The scalp and CSF appear to shunt current away from the brain; when their resistivity was decreased from normal values, this shunting effect increased and caused a decrease in sensitivity to a central resistance change. The resistivity of neonatal skull has not, to our knowledge, been directly measured and will anyway vary within and between individuals; this work suggests that EIT will be relatively insensitive to variations in neonatal skull impedance.

  18. The advantages of complementing MT profiles in 3-D environments with geomagnetic transfer function and interstation horizontal magnetic transfer function data: results from a synthetic case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campanyà, Joan; Ogaya, Xènia; Jones, Alan G.; Rath, Volker; Vozar, Jan; Meqbel, Naser

    2016-12-01

    As a consequence of measuring time variations of the electric and the magnetic field, which are related to current flow and charge distribution, magnetotelluric (MT) data in 2-D and 3-D environments are not only sensitive to the geoelectrical structures below the measuring points but also to any lateral anomalies surrounding the acquisition site. This behaviour complicates the characterization of the electrical resistivity distribution of the subsurface, particularly in complex areas. In this manuscript we assess the main advantages of complementing the standard MT impedance tensor (Z) data with interstation horizontal magnetic tensor (H) and geomagnetic transfer function (T) data in constraining the subsurface in a 3-D environment beneath a MT profile. Our analysis was performed using synthetic responses with added normally distributed and scattered random noise. The sensitivity of each type of data to different resistivity anomalies was evaluated, showing that the degree to which each site and each period is affected by the same anomaly depends on the type of data. A dimensionality analysis, using Z, H and T data, identified the presence of the 3-D anomalies close to the profile, suggesting a 3-D approach for recovering the electrical resistivity values of the subsurface. Finally, the capacity for recovering the geoelectrical structures of the subsurface was evaluated by performing joint inversion using different data combinations, quantifying the differences between the true synthetic model and the models from inversion process. Four main improvements were observed when performing joint inversion of Z, H and T data: (1) superior precision and accuracy at characterizing the electrical resistivity values of the anomalies below and outside the profile; (2) the potential to recover high electrical resistivity anomalies that are poorly recovered using Z data alone; (3) improvement in the characterization of the bottom and lateral boundaries of the anomalies with low electrical resistivity; and (4) superior imaging of the horizontal continuity of structures with low electrical resistivity. These advantages offer new opportunities for the MT method by making the results from a MT profile in a 3-D environment more convincing, supporting the possibility of high-resolution studies in 3-D areas without expending a large amount of economical and computational resources, and also offering better resolution of targets with high electrical resistivity.

  19. Defects controlling electrical and optical properties of electrodeposited Bi doped Cu2O

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brandt, Iuri S.; Tumelero, Milton A.; Martins, Cesar A.; Plá Cid, Cristiani C.; Faccio, Ricardo; Pasa, André A.

    2018-04-01

    Doping leading to low electrical resistivity in electrodeposited thin films of Cu2O is a straightforward requirement for the construction of efficient electronic and energy devices. Here, Bi (7 at. %) doped Cu2O layers were deposited electrochemically onto Si(100) single-crystal substrates from aqueous solutions containing bismuth nitrate and cupric sulfate. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy shows that Bi ions in a Cu2O lattice have an oxidation valence of 3+ and glancing angle X-ray diffraction measurements indicated no presence of secondary phases. The reduction in the electrical resistivity from undoped to Bi-doped Cu2O is of 4 and 2 orders of magnitude for electrical measurements at 230 and 300 K, respectively. From variations in the lattice parameter and the refractive index, the electrical resistivity decrease is addressed to an increase in the density of Cu vacancies. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations supported the experimental findings. The DFT results showed that in a 6% Bi doped Cu2O cell, the formation of Cu vacancies is more favorable than in an undoped Cu2O one. Moreover, from DFT data was observed that there is an increase (decrease) of the Cu2O band gap (activation energy) for 6% Bi doping, which is consistent with the experimental results.

  20. Non-invasive determination of absolute lung resistivity in adults using electrical impedance tomography.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jie; Patterson, Robert

    2010-08-01

    Lung resistivity is a physiological parameter that describes the electrical characteristics of the lungs. Lung composition changes due to changes in the lung tissues, fluid and air volume. Various diseases that can cause a change in lung composition may be monitored by measuring lung resistivity. Currently, there is no accepted non-invasive method to measure lung resistivity. In this study, we presented a method and framework to non-invasively determine lung resistivity using electrical impedance tomography (EIT). By comparing actual measurements from subjects with data from a 3D human thorax model, an EIT image can be reconstructed to show a resistivity difference between the model and the subject. By adjusting the lung resistivity in the model, the resistivity difference in the lung regions can be reduced to near zero. This resistivity value then is the estimation of the lung resistivity of the subject. Using the proposed method, the lung resistivities of four normal adult males (43 +/- 13 years, 78 +/- 10 kg) in the supine position at air volumes starting at functional residual capacity (FRC--end expiration) and increasing in 0.5 l steps to 1.5 l were studied. The averaged lung resistivity changes 12.59%, from 1406 Omega cm to 1583 Omega cm, following the inspiration of 1.5 l air from FRC. The coefficients of variation (CV) of precision for the four subjects are less than 10%. The experiment was repeated five times at each air volume on a subject to test the reproducibility. The CVs are less than 3%. The results show that it is feasible to determine absolute lung resistivity using an EIT-based method.

  1. Improving our understanding of hydraulic-electrical relations: A case study of the surficial aquifer in Emirate Abu Dhabi

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ikard, Scott; Kress, Wade

    2016-01-01

    Transmissivity is a bulk hydraulic property that can be correlated with bulk electrical properties of an aquifer. In aquifers that are electrically-resistive relative to adjacent layers in a horizontally stratified sequence, transmissivity has been shown to correlate with bulk transverse resistance. Conversely, in aquifers that are electrically-conductive relative to adjacent layers, transmissivity has been shown to correlate with bulk longitudinal conductance. In both cases, previous investigations have relied on small datasets (on average less than eight observations) that have yielded coefficients of determination (R2) that are typically in the range of 0.6 to 0.7 to substantiate these relations. Compared to previous investigations, this paper explores hydraulic-electrical relations using a much larger dataset. Geophysical data collected from 26 boreholes in Emirate Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, are used to correlate transmissivity modeled from neutron porosity logs to the bulk electrical properties of the surficial aquifer that are computed from deep-induction logs. Transmissivity is found to be highly correlated with longitudinal conductance. An R2 value of 0.853 is obtained when electrical effects caused by variations in pore-fluid salinity are taken into consideration.

  2. Assessment of the Efficiency of Consolidation Treatment through Injections of Expanding Resins by Geotechnical Tests and 3D Electrical Resistivity Tomography

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    The design and execution of consolidation treatment of settled foundations by means of injection of polyurethane expanding resins require a proper investigation of the state of the foundation soil, in order to better identify anomalies responsible for the instability. To monitor the injection process, a procedure has been developed, which involves, in combination with traditional geotechnical tests, the application of a noninvasive, geophysical technique based on the electrical resistivity, which is strongly sensitive to presence of water or voids. Three-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography is a useful tool to produce effective 3D images of the foundation soils before, during, and after the injections. The achieved information allows designing the consolidation scheme and monitoring its effects on the treated volumes in real time. To better understand the complex processes induced by the treatment and to learn how variations of resistivity accompany increase of stiffness, an experiment was carried out in a full-scale test site. Injections of polyurethane expanding resin were performed as in real worksite conditions. Results confirm that the experimented approach by means of 3D resistivity imaging allows a reliable procedure of consolidation, and geotechnical tests demonstrate the increase of mechanical stiffness. PMID:26167521

  3. In situ monitoring magnetism and resistance of nanophase platinum upon electrochemical oxidation.

    PubMed

    Steyskal, Eva-Maria; Topolovec, Stefan; Landgraf, Stephan; Krenn, Heinz; Würschum, Roland

    2013-01-01

    Controlled tuning of material properties by external stimuli represents one of the major topics of current research in the field of functional materials. Electrochemically induced property tuning has recently emerged as a promising pathway in this direction making use of nanophase materials with a high fraction of electrode-electrolyte interfaces. The present letter reports on electrochemical property tuning of porous nanocrystalline Pt. Deeper insight into the underlying processes could be gained by means of a direct comparison of the charge-induced response of two different properties, namely electrical resistance and magnetic moment. For this purpose, four-point resistance measurements and SQUID magnetometry were performed under identical in situ electrochemical control focussing on the regime of electrooxidation. Fully reversible variations of the electrical resistance and the magnetic moment of 6% and 1% were observed upon the formation or dissolution of a subatomic chemisorbed oxygen surface layer, respectively. The increase of the resistance, which is directly correlated to the amount of deposited oxygen, is considered to be primarily caused by charge-carrier scattering processes at the metal-electrolyte interfaces. In comparison, the decrease of the magnetic moment upon positive charging appears to be governed by the electric field at the nanocrystallite-electrolyte interfaces due to spin-orbit coupling.

  4. Electrical resistivity tomography determines the spatial distribution of clay layer thickness and aquifer vulnerability, Kandal Province, Cambodia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uhlemann, Sebastian; Kuras, Oliver; Richards, Laura A.; Naden, Emma; Polya, David A.

    2017-10-01

    Despite being rich in water resources, many areas of South East Asia face difficulties in securing clean water supply. This is particularly problematic in regions with a rapidly growing population. In this study, the spatial variability of the thickness of a clay layer, controlling surface - groundwater interactions that affect aquifer vulnerability, was investigated using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). Data were acquired along two transects, showing significant differences in the imaged resistivities. Borehole samples were analyzed regarding particle density and composition, and linked to their resistivity. The obtained relationships were used to translate the field electrical resistivities into lithologies. Those revealed considerable variations in the thickness of the clay layer, ranging from 0 m up to 25 m. Geochemical data, highlighting zones of increased ingress of surface water into the groundwater, confirmed areas of discontinuities in the clay layer, which act as preferential flow paths. The results may guide urban planning of the Phnom Penh city expansion, in order to supply the growing population with safe water. The presented approach of using geophysics to estimate groundwater availability, accessibility, and vulnerability is not only applicable to Kandal Province, Cambodia, but also to many other areas of fast urbanization in South East Asia and beyond.

  5. Electrical and thermal properties of Cu-Ta films prepared by magnetron sputtering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, Wen; Fu, Licai; Zhu, Jiajun; Yang, Wulin; Sang, Jianquan; Li, Deyi; Zhou, Lingping

    2018-06-01

    The microstructure, electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of the sputtering deposited Cu-Ta films were investigated as a function of Ta content. The results showed that the amorphous phase formed between 20 at.% and 60 at.% Ta, and out of this range α-Cu(Ta) and β-Ta(Cu) solid solutions formed. Because the lattice distortion and β-Ta structure could significantly increase the probability of electron scattering, the electrical resistivity of the Cu-Ta films shows a 'N' type change with the increase of Ta content, and the inflection point appears at 50 at.% Ta and 60 at.% Ta respectively. As the thermal conductance is also dominated by electrons in metals films, an opposite variation tendency is found in the thermal conductivity of the Cu-Ta films. According to our knowledge, this is the first time to measure the thermal conductivity of Cu-Ta thin films.

  6. Effect of high pressure on the electrical resistivity of Ge-Te-In glasses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prasad, K. N. N.; Varma, G. Sreevidya; Rukmani, K.; Asokan, S.

    2015-06-01

    The variation in the electrical resistivity of the chalcogenide glasses Ge15Te85-xInx has been studied as a function of high pressure for pressures up to 8.5GPa. All the samples studied undergo a semi-conductor to metallic transition in a continuous manner at pressures between 1.5-2.5GPa. The transition pressure at which the samples turn metallic increases with increase in percentage of Indium. This increase is a direct consequence of the increase in network rigidity with the addition of Indium. At a constant pressure of 0.5GPa, the normalized resistivity shows some signature of the existence of the intermediate phase. Samples recovered after a pressure cycle remain amorphous suggesting that the semi-conductor to metallic transition arises from a reduction of the band gap due to pressure or the movement of the Fermi level into the conduction or valence band.

  7. Rietveld refinement and electrical properties of Ni-Zn spinel ferrites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hooda, Ashima; Sanghi, Sujata; Agarwal, Ashish; Khasa, Satish; Hooda, Bhawana

    2017-05-01

    NiFe2O4, ZnFe2O4, Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 spinel samples have been synthesized by conventional solid state reaction technique. Powder X-ray diffraction and Rietveld refinement revealed that the samples were single Spinel phase with space group fd3m. The average crystalline size (D), lattice constant (a), X-ray density (ρx), measured density (ρm) and Porosity (P) of prepared samples were determined from XRD data. The dc electrical resistivity (p) was measured as a function of temperature. The variations of ρ were explained on the basis of Verwey and de Bohr mechanism. The value of DC resistivity found to increase with increase Zn concentration.

  8. Feasibility of Autonomous Monitoring of CO2 Leakage in Aquifers: Results From Controlled Laboratory Experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Versteeg, R.; Leger, E.; Dafflon, B.

    2016-12-01

    Geologic sequestration of CO2 is one of the primary proposed approaches for reducing total atmospheric CO2 concentrations. MVAA (Monitoring, Verification, Accounting and Assessment) of CO2 sequestration is an essential part of the geologic CO2 sequestration cycle. MVAA activities need to meet multiple operational, regulatory and environmental objectives, including ensuring the protection of underground sources of drinking water. Anticipated negative consequences of CO2 leakage into groundwater, besides possible brine contamination and release of gaseous CO2, include a significant increase of dissolved CO2 into shallow groundwater systems, which will decrease groundwater pH and can potentially mobilize naturally occurring trace metals and ions that are commonly absorbed to or contained in sediments. Autonomous electrical geophysical monitoring in aquifers has the potential of allowing for rapid and automated detection of CO2 leakage. However, while the feasibility of such monitoring has been demonstrated by a number of different field experiments, automated interpretation of complex electrical resistivity data requires the development of quantitative relationships between complex electrical resistivity signatures and dissolved CO2 in the aquifer resulting from leakage Under a DOE SBIR funded effort we performed multiple tank scale experiments in which we investigated complex electrical resistivity signatures associated with dissolved CO2 plumes in saturated sediments. We also investigated the feasibility of distinguishing CO2 leakage signatures from signatures associated with other processes such as salt water movement, temperature variations and other variations in chemical or physical conditions. In addition to these experiments we also numerically modeled the tank experiments. These experiments showed that (a) we can distinguish CO2 leakage signatures from other signatures, (b) CO2 leakage signatures have a consistent characteristic, (c) laboratory experiments are in agreement with field results, and (d) we can numerically simulate the main characteristics of CO2 leakage and associated electrical geophysical signatures.

  9. Time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography: a powerful tool for landslide monitoring?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perrone, A.

    2011-12-01

    The extreme rainfall events and the quick snowmelt occurrences play an important role in the triggering of the landslides. The occurrence of one of these factors can determine the variation of water content in the first layers of the subsoil and as a consequence a quick soil saturation inducing both an increase in pore-water pressures and the overloaded of the slopes progressively collapsing. The electrical resistivity, self-potential, electromagnetic induction and GPR methods can be considered as the most appropriate for assessing the presence of water in the underground. Such methods allow us to study the behavior of water content over much wider and deeper areas than those offered by traditional methods (thermo-gravimetric, tensiometric, TDR, etc) based on spot measures and concerning small volumes. In particular, the Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), which has already proved to be a powerful tool both for the geometrical reconstruction of a landslide body (location of sliding surface, estimation of the thickness of the slide material) and the individuation of high water content areas, can be considered as an alternative tool to be employed for a qualitative and quantitative water content monitoring in the first layers of the subsoil. Indeed, time-lapse 2D ERT can be tested in order to gather information on the temporal and spatial patterns of water infiltration processes and water content variation. This work reports the preliminary results from a new prototype system planned to obtain time-lapse 2D ERTs, TDR and precipitation measurements in two landslide areas located in the Southern Apennine chain (Italy). The system was planned with the aim to estimate the variation of the resistivity parameter on a long period considering the water content variation, the rain water infiltration and the seasonal changes. The prototype system, linked to a pc used for storing data and managing the time interval acquisition, consists of: a resistivimeter connected to a multichannel cable, 48 steel electrodes buried in the soil at a depth of about 0.5 m at a distance of 1 or 5 m; a TDR system linked to 4 probes 20 cm length, buried at different depths along the same profile of the geoelectrical one; while a weather station consists of a rain gauge to quantify the amount of rain falling on that area, one sensor to measure the temperature and another to determine the speed and direction of the wind. At the beginning the time-lapse ERT were analysed to verify the functionality and stability of the system and to decide the measurement time intervals. After that, the statistical analysis of the results obtained was performed with the aim to define the water content variation in the first layers of the subsoil, in particular in the vadose zone. The results were compared with the TDR ones and the piezometric measurements were performed in the area thanks to the presence of equipped boreholes. The correlation between the variation of the parameters measured (electrical resistivity, water content and piezometric level) and the rain-gauge measurements was also considered. The preliminary results seem to be encouraged also if the analysis of the data acquired on a longer period could better highlight the capability of the system.

  10. Evaluation of physico-mechanical properties of clayey soils using electrical resistivity imaging technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kibria, Golam

    Resistivity imaging (RI) is a promising approach to obtaining continuous profile of soil subsurface. This method offers simple technique to identify moisture variation and heterogeneity of the investigated area. However, at present, only qualitative information of subsurface can be obtained using RI. A study on the quantification of geotechnical properties has become important for rigorous use of this method in the evaluation of geohazard potential and construction quality control of landfill liner system. Several studies have been performed to describe electrical resistivity of soil as a function of pore fluid conductivity and surface conductance. However, characterization tests on pore water and surface charge are not typically performed in a conventional geotechnical investigation. The overall objective of this study is to develop correlations between geotechnical parameters and electrical resistivity of soil, which would provide a mean to estimate geotechnical properties from RI. As a part of the study, multiple regression analyses were conducted to develop practically applicable models correlating resistivity with influential geotechnical parameters. The soil samples considered in this study were classified as highly plastic clay (CH) and low plasticity clay (CL) according to Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). Based on the physical tests, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis, kaolinite was identified as the dominant mineral with some traces of magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iron. Electrical resistivity tests were conducted on compacted clays and undisturbed samples under varied geotechnical conditions. The experimental results indicated that the degree of saturation substantially influenced electrical resistivity. Electrical resistivity decreased as much as 11 times from initial value for the increase of degree of saturation from 23 to 100% in the laboratory tests on compacted clays. In case of undisturbed soil samples, resistivity decreased as much as sixteen fold (49.4 to 3.2 Ohm-m) for an increase of saturation from 31 to 100%. Furthermore, the resistivity results were different for the specimens at a specific degree of saturation because of varied surface activity and isomorphous substitution of clayey soils. In addition to physical properties, compressibility of clays was correlated with electrical conductivity. Based on the investigation, it was determined that the electrical conductivity vs. pressure curves followed similar trends as e vs. logp curves. Multiple linear regression (MLR) models were developed for compacted and undisturbed samples using statistical analysis software SAS (2009). During model development, degree of saturation and CEC were selected as independent variables. The proposed models were validated using experimental results on a different set of samples. Moreover, the applicability of the models in the determination of degrees of saturation was evaluated using field RI tests.

  11. Tuning the resistive switching properties of TiO2-x films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghenzi, N.; Rozenberg, M. J.; Llopis, R.; Levy, P.; Hueso, L. E.; Stoliar, P.

    2015-03-01

    We study the electrical characteristics of TiO2-x-based resistive switching devices fabricated with different oxygen/argon flow ratio during the oxide thin film sputtering deposition. Upon minute changes in this fabrication parameter, three qualitatively different device characteristics were accessed in the same system, namely, standard bipolar resistive switching, electroforming-free devices, and devices with multi-step breakdown. We propose that small variations in the oxygen/ argon flow ratio result in relevant changes of the oxygen vacancy concentration, which is the key parameter determining the resistive switching behavior. The coexistence of percolative or non-percolative conductive filaments is also discussed. Finally, the hypothesis is verified by means of the temperature dependence of the devices in low resistance state.

  12. Use of small scale electrical resistivity tomography to identify soil-root interactions during deficit irrigation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vanella, D.; Cassiani, G.; Busato, L.; Boaga, J.; Barbagallo, S.; Binley, A.; Consoli, S.

    2018-01-01

    Plant roots activity affect the exchanges of mass and energy between the soil and atmosphere. However, it is challenging to monitor the activity of the root-zone because roots are not visible from the soil surface, and root systems undergo spatial and temporal variations in response to internal and external conditions. Therefore, measurements of the activity of root systems are interesting to ecohydrologists in general, and are especially important for specific applications, such as irrigation water management. This study demonstrates the use of small scale three-dimensional (3-D) electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) to monitor the root-zone of orange trees irrigated by two different regimes: (i) full rate, in which 100% of the crop evapotranspiration (ETc) is provided; and (ii) partial root-zone drying (PRD), in which 50% of ETc is supplied to alternate sides of the tree. We performed time-lapse 3-D ERT measurements on these trees from 5 June to 24 September 2015, and compared the long-term and short-term changes before, during, and after irrigation events. Given the small changes in soil temperature and pore water electrical conductivity, we interpreted changes of soil electrical resistivity from 3-D ERT data as proxies for changes in soil water content. The ERT results are consistent with measurements of transpiration flux and soil temperature. The changes in electrical resistivity obtained from ERT measurements in this case study indicate that root water uptake (RWU) processes occur at the 0.1 m scale, and highlight the impact of different irrigation schemes.

  13. Input impedance of coaxially fed rectangular microstrip antenna on electrically thick substrate

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Wei; Lee, Kai-Fong; Lee, R. Q.

    1993-01-01

    A full-wave spectral domain analysis has been used to obtain input-impedance results for a probe-fed rectangular-patch antenna, modeling the source as a magnetic-current frill. Multiple modes are used in the probe surface current to account for axial and azimuthal variations. It is established that maximum resistance is dependent on the substrate loss tangent. The axial variation of the probe current must be taken into account for substrate thicknesses greater than about 0.02 wavelengths.

  14. Enhancement of the optical and electrical properties of ITO thin films deposited by electron beam evaporation technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali, H. M.; Mohamed, H. A.; Mohamed, S. H.

    2005-08-01

    Indium tin oxide (ITO) is widely utilized in numerous industrial applications due to its unique combined properties of transparency to visible light and electrical conductivity. ITO films were deposited on glass substrates by an electron beam evaporation technique at room temperature from bulk samples, with different thicknesses. The film with 1500 Å thick was selected to perform annealing in the temperature range of 200 400 °C and annealing for varying times from 15 to 120 min at 400 °C. The X-ray diffraction of the films was analyzed in order to investigate its dependence on thickness, and annealing. Electrical and optical measurements were also carried out. Transmittance, optical energy gap, refractive index, carrier concentration, thermal emissivity and resistivity were investigated. It was found that the as-deposited films with different thicknesses were highly absorbing and have relatively poor electrical properties. The films become opaque with increasing the film thickness. After thermal annealing, the resistance decreases and a simultaneous variation in the optical transmission occurs. A transmittance value of 85.5% in the IR region and 82% in the visible region of the spectrum and a resistivity of 2.8 × 10-4 Ω Cm were obtained at annealing temperature of 400 °C for 120 min.

  15. Stroke volume obtained by electrical interrogation of the brachial artery: transbrachial electrical bioimpedance velocimetry.

    PubMed

    Bernstein, Donald P; Henry, Isaac C; Banet, Mathew J; Dittrich, Teri

    2012-04-01

    The goal of this study is to measure left ventricular stroke volume (SV) from the brachial artery (BA) using electrical bioimpedance. Doppler-derived SV was used for comparison. Twenty-nine healthy adults were recruited for study. Doppler echocardiographic-derived SV was obtained from the product of distal left ventricular outflow tract cross-sectional area and systolic velocity integral. SV from the BA was obtained by transbrachial electrical bioimpedance velocimetry (TBEV). Application of a current field across the left brachium was effected by injection of a constant magnitude, high frequency, low amperage, alternating current. Therein, a static voltage (U(0)) and pulsatile voltage change (ΔU(t)) were measured and converted to their corresponding impedances, Z(0) and ΔZ(t). TBEV-derived SV was obtained by multiplying a square root value of the normalized, acceleration-based, peak first time derivative of ΔZ(t) by a volume conductor and systolic flow time. Inter-method agreement was determined by the Bland-Altman method. To assess the contribution of blood resistivity variations to ΔZ(t), BA diameters were measured at end-diastole and peak systolic expansion. Results indicate that since the BA demonstrates parabolic, laminar flow, with minimal diameter changes, blood resistivity variations are likely responsible for the derived impedance changes. Bland-Altman analysis shows that SV is obtainable by TBEV from healthy humans at rest. © 2012 Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine

  16. In situ electron microscopy four-point electromechanical characterization of freestanding metallic and semiconducting nanowires.

    PubMed

    Bernal, Rodrigo A; Filleter, Tobin; Connell, Justin G; Sohn, Kwonnam; Huang, Jiaxing; Lauhon, Lincoln J; Espinosa, Horacio D

    2014-02-26

    Electromechanical coupling is a topic of current interest in nanostructures, such as metallic and semiconducting nanowires, for a variety of electronic and energy applications. As a result, the determination of structure-property relations that dictate the electromechanical coupling requires the development of experimental tools to perform accurate metrology. Here, a novel micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) that allows integrated four-point, uniaxial, electromechanical measurements of freestanding nanostructures in-situ electron microscopy, is reported. Coupled mechanical and electrical measurements are carried out for penta-twinned silver nanowires, their resistance is identified as a function of strain, and it is shown that resistance variations are the result of nanowire dimensional changes. Furthermore, in situ SEM piezoresistive measurements on n-type, [111]-oriented silicon nanowires up to unprecedented levels of ∼7% strain are demonstrated. The piezoresistance coefficients are found to be similar to bulk values. For both metallic and semiconducting nanowires, variations of the contact resistance as strain is applied are observed. These variations must be considered in the interpretation of future two-point electromechanical measurements. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Distributed electrical time domain reflectometry (ETDR) structural sensors: design models and proof-of-concept experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stastny, Jeffrey A.; Rogers, Craig A.; Liang, Chen

    1993-07-01

    A parametric design model has been created to optimize the sensitivity of the sensing cable in a distributed sensing system. The system consists of electrical time domain reflectometry (ETDR) signal processing equipment and specially designed sensing cables. The ETDR equipment sends a high-frequency electric pulse (in the giga hertz range) along the sensing cable. Some portion of the electric pulse will be reflected back to the ETDR equipment as a result of the variation of the cable impedance. The electric impedance variation in the sensing cable can be related to its mechanical deformation, such as cable elongation (change in the resistance), shear deformation (change in the capacitance), corrosion of the cable or the materials around the cable (change in inductance and capacitance), etc. The time delay, amplitude, and shape of the reflected pulse provides the means to locate, determine the magnitude, and indicate the nature of the change in the electrical impedance, which is then related to the distributed structural deformation. The sensing cables are an essential part of the health-monitoring system. By using the parametric design model, the optimum cable parameters can be determined for specific deformation. Proof-of-concept experiments also are presented in the paper to demonstrate the utility of an electrical TDR system in distributed sensing applications.

  18. 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.

  19. Rheometrical experiments with monitoring of resistivity: for a better understanding of the solid-fluid transition in clayey landslides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Carrière, Simon; Bièvre, Grégory; Chambon, Guillaume; Jongmans, Denis; Lebourg, Thomas; Larose, Eric

    2015-04-01

    Landslides are natural and complex phenomena which affect all types of geological formations and present a large variety of size, morphology and displacements rates. Among these phenomena, flow-like events in clay-rich formations are particularly complex due to the unpredictable acceleration and fluidization that characterize them. Because of their suddenness, such landslides constitute serious threat for population living in these areas. The forecast and the understanding of these events has then been an active topic of research in the scientific community during the past decades. In that respect, rheometrical experiments in the laboratory bring some insight into the processes occurring during the solid-fluid transition. In creep tests, the evolution of the shear strain rate is measured under constant levels of shear stress, allowing to follow changes in apparent viscosity with time and to observe fluidization. Rheometrical oscillatory tests have been designed to capture the evolution of the elastic shear modulus G (and hence the shear wave velocity Vs) during these creep phases. Previous results have shown that Vs exhibits a drop at the solid-fluid transition, with complex time-dependent effects which could lead, under transient loading, to the occurrence of Vs variations prior to the transition. A complementary way to understand the processes is to measure the electrical resistivity during these rheometrical tests. This parameter, which depends on the water content and salinity, as well as on the amount of clay particles, could also exhibit some changes before or during the solid-fluid transition. For that purpose, the metallic plates of the rotational rheometer have been replaced by new ones made in an electrically insulating material (PVC) with a configuration of four inserted circular electrodes. Rheometrical tests made with this new apparatus provide similar rheological results. For the electrical tests, the geometrical factor has been computed using Finite Element modeling and has also been experimentally measured with water samples of varying and known resistivities. A difference of less than 1% was obtained between the two approaches. First resistivity results obtained on the Trièves clay (French Alps) show a progressive, weak but significant variation in resistivity (5-6 percent) during creep tests. The comparison between the creep and resistivity curves suggests that the resistivity decreases when the apparent viscosity increases. Further experiments are underway on different clays sampled on several flow-like landslides and would allow to have a better insight in the electrical response of such material during the solid-fluid transition.

  20. Electric cartridge-type heater for producing a given non-uniform axial power distribution

    DOEpatents

    Clark, D.L.; Kress, T.S.

    1975-10-14

    An electric cartridge heater is provided to simulate a reactor fuel element for use in safety and thermal-hydraulic tests of model nuclear reactor systems. The electric heat-generating element of the cartridge heater consists of a specifically shaped strip of metal cut with variable width from a flat sheet of the element material. When spirally wrapped around a mandrel, the strip produces a coiled element of the desired length and diameter. The coiled element is particularly characterized by an electrical resistance that varies along its length due to variations in strip width. Thus, the cartridge heater is constructed such that it will produce a more realistic simulation of the actual nonuniform (approximately ''chopped'' cosine) power distribution of a reactor fuel element.

  1. Electrical Resistivity Studies Between Subarnarekha And Kansabati Rivers, Paschim Medinipur (W.B.), India: Implication To Groundwater Problems In The Area.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panda, K. P.; Jha, M. K.; Sharma, S. P.

    2017-12-01

    Various parts of the world face acute shortage of groundwater. To solve groundwater problems various approaches are followed. Interlinking of the river is one of the approaches. The southern part of the West Bengal province of India receives huge amount of rainfall (annual 1200mm). Instead of huge amount of rainfall some parts of the area are problematic for groundwater occurrence. Characterization of aquifer in this area is very important for sustainable development of water supply and artificial recharge schemes. Electrical resistivity survey was performed at regular interval from Kharagpur (north) to Subarnrekha River (south) to map the lithological variations in this area. It covers around 25 kilometers distance from Kharagpur with latitude and longitude (22°19'7.3"N 87°18'40"E) to Subarnrekha River (22°15'49.4" N 87°16'45.1" E). To locating a suitable area for artificial recharge and for the characterization of aquifers vertical electrical sounding is a robust method. Resistivity soundings were carried out with an interval of 2 to 3 kilometers. Subsurface resistivity distribution has been interpreted by using very fast simulated annealing (VFSA) global optimization technique. The study reveals that northern part of the area is problematic and does not have suitable aquifer systems. Resistivity distribution is suitable in the southern part of area and corresponds to clayey sand. Interpreted resistivity in the northern part of the area is relatively high and reveals impervious laterite layer. In southern part of the area resistivity varies between 5-10 Ohm-m at depth below 80 m. Based on the resistivity model different types of geologic units are classified and the zone of interests for aquifer has been demarcated.

  2. Delineation of contaminant plume for an inorganic contaminated site using electrical resistivity tomography: comparison with direct-push technique.

    PubMed

    Liao, Qing; Deng, Yaping; Shi, Xiaoqing; Sun, Yuanyuan; Duan, Weidong; Wu, Jichun

    2018-03-03

    Precise delineation of contaminant plume distribution is essential for effective remediation of contaminated sites. Traditional in situ investigation methods like direct-push (DP) sampling are accurate, but are usually intrusive and costly. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) method, as a non-invasive geophysical technique to map spatiotemporal changes in resistivity of the subsurface, is becoming increasingly popular in environmental science. However, the resolution of ERT for delineation of contaminant plumes still remains controversial. In this study, ERT and DP technique were both conducted at a real inorganic contaminated site. The reliability of the ERT method was validated by the direct comparisons of their investigation results that the resistivity acquired by ERT method is in accordance with the total dissolved solid concentration in groundwater and the overall variation of the total iron content in soil obtained by DP technique. After testifying the applicability of ERT method for contaminant identification, the extension of contaminant plume at the study site was revealed by supplementary ERT surveys conducted subsequently in the surrounding area of the contaminant source zone.

  3. Degradation of the electrical characteristics of MOS structures with erbium, gadolinium, and dysprosium oxides under the effect of an electric field

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

    Shalimova, M. B., E-mail: shamb@samsu.ru; Sachuk, N. V.

    2015-08-15

    The degradation of the characteristics of silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) structures with oxides of rare-earth elements under the effect of electric fields with intensities of 0.1–4 MV/cm during the course of electroforming is studied. A specific feature of electroforming consists in the possibility of multiple switching of the structures from the insulating state to the low-resistivity one and back. The temporal characteristics of the degradation of MOS structures during the course of electroforming are exponential. The current-voltage characteristics follow the power law in the range of 0.2–3 V; the effect of an electric field brings about a variation in the distributionmore » of the energy density of traps responsible for currents limited by space charge. It is established that multiple cycles of electroforming lead to an increase in the density of surface states at the Si-oxide interface and to a variation in the energy position of the trap levels, which affects the charge state of the traps.« less

  4. Active and passive electromagnetic sounding on comets and moons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Przyklenk, Anita; Auster, Hans-Ulrich

    We want to present the method of electromagnetic sounding on small extraterrestrial bodies to determine interior structures of those. Our sensors are perfectly suited for rover or lander missions, because they do not weight much (sum of all devices is approximately 600g) and can be easily installed at the bottom of a rover or at lander feet. The aim is to measure the material-specific complex resistivity, which depends on the electrical resistivity and electrical permittivity, for various sounding depth. This penetration depth depends on the 2 different operating modes. In the active mode, that is the so called Capacitive Resistivity (CR) method, the sounding depth is around a few meters. The CR is a purely electrical field measurement and works with a 4 electrode array. 2 of them are transmitter electrodes. They inject AC signals with frequencies between 100 Hz and 100 kHz into the subsurface. Then 2 receiver electrodes pick up the generated potentials. And a 4-point impedance can be calculated that depends on the electrical parameters among others [Grard, 1990a and b] [Kuras, 2002]. The second operating mode is the passive one. In the so called magneto telluric method the penetration depth depends on electrical parameters and can be in range of several 100m to km. Here, for excitation natural magnetic field variations are used. The magnetic field components are measured with our Fluxgate Magnetometer (FGM) (flight heritage: Rosetta, Venus Express, Themis,…). Induced electrical field components are measured again with the CR electrode array. Then the electromagnetic impedance can be derived, which depends on electrical resistivity among others. In the end, we want to discuss advantages and disadvantages of investigations during space missions compared to surveys on earth. As examples we have a closer look at the jovian moon Ganymede, the earth moon and the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and consider the applicability of electromagnetic sounding on this objects from a theoretical point of view.

  5. Leachate recirculation: moisture content assessment by means of a geophysical technique.

    PubMed

    Guérin, Roger; Munoz, Marie Laure; Aran, Christophe; Laperrelle, Claire; Hidra, Mustapha; Drouart, Eric; Grellier, Solenne

    2004-01-01

    Bioreactor technology is a waste treatment concept consisting in speeding up the biodegradation of landfilled waste by optimizing its moisture content through leachate recirculation. The measurement of variations in waste moisture content is critical in the design and control of bioreactors. Conventional methods such as direct physical sampling of waste reach their limits due to the interference with the waste matrix. This paper reviews geophysical measurements such as electrical direct current and electromagnetic slingram methods for measuring the electrical conductivity. Electrical conductivity is a property, which is linked to both moisture and temperature and can provide useful indications on the biodegradation environment in the waste mass. The study reviews three site experiments: a first experimentation shows the advantages (correlation between conductive anomaly and water seepage) but also the limits of geophysical interpretation; the two other sites allow the leachate recirculation to be tracked by studying the relative resistivity variation versus time from electrical 2D imaging. Even if some improvements are necessary to consider geophysical measurements as a real bioreactor monitoring tool, results are promising and could lead to the use of electrical 2D imaging in bioreactor designing.

  6. Electrically tunable transport and high-frequency dynamics in antiferromagnetic S r3I r2O7

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seinige, Heidi; Williamson, Morgan; Shen, Shida; Wang, Cheng; Cao, Gang; Zhou, Jianshi; Goodenough, John B.; Tsoi, Maxim

    2016-12-01

    We report dc and high-frequency transport properties of antiferromagnetic S r3I r2O7 . Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements show that the activation energy of this material can be tuned by an applied dc electrical bias. The latter allows for continuous variations in the sample resistivity of as much as 50% followed by a reversible resistive switching at higher biases. Such a switching is of high interest for antiferromagnetic applications in high-speed memory devices. Interestingly, we found the switching behavior to be strongly affected by a high-frequency (microwave) current applied to the sample. The microwaves at 3-7 GHz suppress the dc switching and produce resonancelike features that we tentatively associated with the dissipationless magnonics recently predicted to occur in antiferromagnetic insulators subject to ac electric fields. We have characterized the effects of microwave irradiation on electronic transport in S r3I r2O7 as a function of microwave frequency and power, strength and direction of external magnetic field, strength and polarity of applied dc bias, and temperature. Our observations support the potential of antiferromagnetic materials for high-speed/high-frequency spintronic applications.

  7. Microstructural analysis of mass transport phenomena in gas diffusion media for high current density operation in PEM fuel cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kotaka, Toshikazu; Tabuchi, Yuichiro; Mukherjee, Partha P.

    2015-04-01

    Cost reduction is a key issue for commercialization of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV). High current density operation is a solution pathway. In order to realize high current density operation, it is necessary to reduce mass transport resistance in the gas diffusion media commonly consisted of gas diffusion layer (GDL) and micro porous layer (MPL). However, fundamental understanding of the underlying mass transport phenomena in the porous components is not only critical but also not fully understood yet due to the inherent microstructural complexity. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of electron and oxygen transport in the GDL and MPL is conducted experimentally and numerically with three-dimensional (3D) microstructural data to reveal the structure-transport relationship. The results reveal that the mass transport in the GDL is strongly dependent on the local microstructural variations, such as local pore/solid volume fractions and connectivity. However, especially in the case of the electrical conductivity of MPL, the contact resistance between carbon particles is the dominant factor. This suggests that reducing the contact resistance between carbon particles and/or the number of contact points along the transport pathway can improve the electrical conductivity of MPL.

  8. Identifying Hydrologic Flowpaths on Arctic Hillslopes Using Electrical Resistivity and Self Potential

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Voytek, E.; Rushlow, C. R.; Godsey, S.; Singha, K.

    2015-12-01

    Shallow subsurface flow is a dominant process controlling hillslope runoff generation, soil development, and solute reaction and transport. Despite their importance, the location and geometry of flowpaths are difficult to determine. In arctic environments, shallow subsurface flowpaths are limited to a thin zone of seasonal thaw above continuous permafrost, which is traditionally assumed to mimic to surface topography. Here we use a combined approach of electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) and self-potential measurements (SP) to map shallow subsurface flowpaths in and around water tracks, drainage features common to arctic hillslopes. ERI measurements delineate thawed zones in the subsurface that control flowpaths, while SP is sensitive to groundwater flow. We find that areas of low electrical resistivity in the water tracks are deeper than manual thaw depth estimates and variations from surface topography. This finding suggests that traditional techniques significantly underestimate active layer thaw and the extent of the flowpath network on arctic hillslopes. SP measurements identify complex 3-D flowpaths in the thawed zone. Our results lay the groundwork for investigations into the seasonal dynamics, hydrologic connectivity, and climate sensitivity of spatially distributed flowpath networks on arctic hillslopes.

  9. Practical applications of current loop signal conditioning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, Karl F.

    1994-10-01

    This paper describes a variety of practical application circuits based on the current loop signal conditioning paradigm. Equations defining the circuit response are also provided. The constant current loop is a fundamental signal conditioning circuit concept that can be implemented in a variety of configurations for resistance-based transducers, such as strain gages and resistance temperature devices. The circuit features signal conditioning outputs which are unaffected by extremely large variations in lead wire resistance, direct current frequency response, and inherent linearity with respect to resistance change. Sensitivity of this circuit is double that of a Wheatstone bridge circuit. Electrical output is zero for resistance change equals zero. The same excitation and output sense wires can serve multiple transducers. More application arrangements are possible with constant current loop signal conditioning than with the Wheatstone bridge.

  10. Current loop signal conditioning: Practical applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Anderson, Karl F.

    1995-01-01

    This paper describes a variety of practical application circuits based on the current loop signal conditioning paradigm. Equations defining the circuit response are also provided. The constant current loop is a fundamental signal conditioning circuit concept that can be implemented in a variety of configurations for resistance-based transducers, such as strain gages and resistance temperature detectors. The circuit features signal conditioning outputs which are unaffected by extremely large variations in lead wire resistance, direct current frequency response, and inherent linearity with respect to resistance change. Sensitivity of this circuit is double that of a Wheatstone bridge circuit. Electrical output is zero for resistance change equals zero. The same excitation and output sense wires can serve multiple transducers. More application arrangements are possible with constant current loop signal conditioning than with the Wheatstone bridge.

  11. Tissue resistivity estimation in the presence of positional and geometrical uncertainties.

    PubMed

    Baysal, U; Eyüboğlu, B M

    2000-08-01

    Geometrical uncertainties (organ boundary variation and electrode position uncertainties) are the biggest sources of error in estimating electrical resistivity of tissues from body surface measurements. In this study, in order to decrease estimation errors, the statistically constrained minimum mean squared error estimation algorithm (MiMSEE) is constrained with a priori knowledge of the geometrical uncertainties in addition to the constraints based on geometry, resistivity range, linearization and instrumentation errors. The MiMSEE calculates an optimum inverse matrix, which maps the surface measurements to the unknown resistivity distribution. The required data are obtained from four-electrode impedance measurements, similar to injected-current electrical impedance tomography (EIT). In this study, the surface measurements are simulated by using a numerical thorax model. The data are perturbed with additive instrumentation noise. Simulated surface measurements are then used to estimate the tissue resistivities by using the proposed algorithm. The results are compared with the results of conventional least squares error estimator (LSEE). Depending on the region, the MiMSEE yields an estimation error between 0.42% and 31.3% compared with 7.12% to 2010% for the LSEE. It is shown that the MiMSEE is quite robust even in the case of geometrical uncertainties.

  12. Effects of atmospheric moisture on rock resistivity.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alvarez, R.

    1973-01-01

    This study examines the changes in resistivity of rock samples as induced by atmospheric moisture. Experiments were performed on samples of hematitic sandstone, pyrite, and galena. The sandstone underwent a change in resistivity of four orders of magnitude when it was measured in a vacuum of 500 ntorr and in air of 37% relative humidity. Pyrite and galena showed no variations in resistivity when they were measured under the same conditions. These results, plus others obtained elsewhere, indicate that rocks of the resistive type are affected in their electrical properties by atmospheric moisture, whereas rocks of the conductive type are not. The experimental evidence obtained is difficult to reconcile with a model of aqueous electrolytic conduction on the sample surface. It is instead suggested that adsorbed water molecules alter the surface resistivity in a manner similar to that observed in semiconductors and insulators.

  13. Thermal and Electrical Investigation of Conductive Polylactic Acid Based Filaments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dobre, R. A.; Marcu, A. E.; Drumea, A.; Vlădescu, M.

    2018-06-01

    Printed electronics gain momentum as the involved technologies become affordable. The ability to shape electrostatic dissipative materials in almost any form is useful. The idea to use a general-purpose 3D printer to manufacture the electrical interconnections for a circuit is very attractive. The advantage of using a 3D printed structure over other technologies are mainly the lower price, less requirements concerning storage and use conditions, and the capability to build thicker traces while maintaining flexibility. The main element allowing this to happen is a printing filament with conductive properties. The paper shows the experiments that were performed to determine the thermal and electrical properties of polylactic acid (PLA) based ESD dissipative filament. Quantitative results regarding the thermal behavior of the DC resistance and the variation of the equivalent parallel impedance model parameters (losses resistance, capacitance, impedance magnitude and phase angle) with frequency are shown.. Using these results, new applications like printed temperature sensors can be imagined.

  14. Electric Potential Variations on a Poplar: Beyond Electrokinetic Effects Associated With Sap Flow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gibert, D.; Le Mouël, J.; Lambs, L.; Nicollin, F.; Conil, F.; Perrier, F.

    2004-12-01

    Electric potential has been monitored since December 2003 in the roots and at two circumferences and one vertical profile in a standing poplar (Populus incognitus). Electric potential is sampled using 5 mm diameter stainless steel rods, inserted 5 mm deep in the cambium, and is referenced to an unpolarizable Petiau electrode installed 80 cm deep in the soil. Various types of signals are observed. Transient signals with long relaxation times affecting some electrodes simultaneously, may be contact potentials triggered by condensation and evaporation. Diurnal variations are observed which present a seasonal variation. During winter, diurnal variations depend on the measurement point, with variable amplitudes and sometimes anticorrelations between electrodes. By contrast, a stable and coherent organization is established in the spring, with larger amplitudes, and lasts during summer. Such signals have been reported previously (Koppan et al., 2000; Morat et al., 1994; Fensom, 1963), have been interpreted as electrokinetic effects associated with sap flow. However, a comparison of the electrical signals with a measurement of the sap flow by a heat flow method, shows that the electrical variation, although clearly correlated to sap flow, is not simply proportional to it. In a living system, electrokinetic effects, in addition to thermoelectrical effects, are probably modified significantly by additional electrochemical effects, such as membrane diffusion potentials, ion active transport by proteins, and action potentials. Such effects have been evidenced in laboratory experiments with plants (e.g., Fromm and Hei, 1998). Electric potential variations in trees may thus reveal mechanisms not accessible by other methods, and maybe reveal new aspects of the physics of living systems. A better understanding of the electrical response of trees to meteorological, chemical or biological forcing may improve the knowledge of transfer processes between the soil and the atmosphere. This is important for the modeling of water and carbon balance in relation to climate change, as well as of the contribution of trees to the migration, retention and dispersion of contaminants. Fensom, D. S., The bioelectric potentials of plants and their functional significance : V. Some daily and seasonal changes in the electrical potential and resistance of living trees, Canadian J. Botany, 41, 831-851, 1963. Fromm, J., and H. Fei, Electrical signaling and gas exchange in maize plants of drying soil, Plant Science, 132, 203-213, 1998. Koppan, A., L. Szarka, and V. Wesztergom, Annual fluctuation in amplitudes of daily variations of electrical signals measured in the trunk of a standing tree, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, 323, 559-563, 2000. Morat, P., J.-L. Le Mouël, and A. Granier, Electrical potential on a tree. A measurement of the sap flow ?, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, 317, 98-101, 1994.

  15. On the value of electrical resistivity tomography for monitoring leachate injection in solid state anaerobic digestion plants at farm scale.

    PubMed

    Degueurce, Axelle; Clément, Rémi; Moreau, Sylvain; Peu, Pascal

    2016-10-01

    Agricultural waste is a valuable resource for solid state anaerobic digestion (SSAD) thanks to its high solid content (>15%). Batch mode SSAD with leachate recirculation is particularly appropriate for such substrates. However, for successful degradation, the leachate must be evenly distributed through the substrate to improve its moisture content. To study the distribution of leachate in agricultural waste, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was performed. First, laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to check the reliability of this method to monitor infiltration of the leachate throughout the solid. Two representative mixtures of agricultural wastes were prepared: a "winter" mixture, with cattle manure, and a "summer" mixture, with cattle manure, wheat straw and hay. The influence of density and water content on electrical resistivity variations was assessed in the two mixtures. An increase in density was found to lead to a decrease in electrical resistivity: at the initial water content, resistivity decreased from 109.7 to 19.5Ω·m in the summer mixture and from 9.8 to 2.7Ω·m in the "winter" mixture with a respective increased in density of 0.134-0.269, and 0.311-0.577. Similarly, resistivity decreased with an increase in water content: for low densities, resistivity dropped from 109.7 to 7.1Ω·m and 9.8 to 4.0Ω·m with an increase in water content from 64 to 90w% and 74 to 93w% for "summer" and "winter" mixtures respectively. Second, a time-lapse ERT was performed in a farm-scale SSAD plant to monitor leachate infiltration. Results revealed very heterogeneous distribution of the leachate in the waste, with two particularly moist areas around the leachate injection holes. However, ERT was successfully applied in the SSAD plant, and produced a reliable 3D map of leachate infiltration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Heat capacity and transport measurements in sputtered niobium-zirconium multilayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Broussard, P. R.; Mael, D.

    1989-08-01

    We have studied the electrical resistivity and heat capacity for multilayers of niobium and zirconium prepared by magnetron sputtering for values of the bilayer period Λ varying from 4 to 950 Å. We find a transition in the thermal part of the resistivity that correlates with the coherent-to-incoherent transition seen in earlier work. The heat capacity data for the normal state show anomalous behavior for both the electronic coefficient γ and the Debye temperature. We also study the variation in Tc and the jump in the specific heat.

  17. 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.

  18. Exploration of buried carbonate aquifers by the inverse and forward modelling of the Controlled Source Audio-Magnetotelluric data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Šumanovac, Franjo; Orešković, Jasna

    2018-06-01

    On the selected cases, Gotalovec in the area of Pannonian basin and Baška in the Dinaridic karst area, that are representing a common hydrogeological model in both regions of Croatia, CSAMT data together with data of other geophysical methods (electrical resistivity tomography, electrical sounding and seismic reflection) enabled the definition of a reliable prognostic geological model. The model consists of carbonate aquifer which underlies an impermeable thick package of clastic deposits. There are great variations of the dolomitic aquifer depths in the Gotalovec area due to strong tectonic activity, while in the Baška area depth changes are caused by the layer folding. The CSAMT method provides the most complete data on lithological and structural relationships in cases of hydrogeological targets deeper than 100 m. Based on the presented models we can conclude that the CSAMT method can provide greater exploration depth than electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and can be considered as a fundamental geophysical method for exploration of buried carbonate aquifers, deeper than 100 m. But, the CSAMT research may demonstrate its advantages only in the case of very dense layout of CSAMT stations (25-50 m), due to the greater sensitivity to noise in relation to resistivity methods. Interpretation of CSAMT data is more complex in relation to resistivity methods, and a forward modelling method sometimes gives better results than an inversion due to possibility of the use of additional data acquired by other geophysical methods (ERT, electrical sounding and seismic reflection). At greater depths, the resolution of all electrical methods including the CSAMT method is significantly reduced, and seismic reflection can be very useful to resolve deeper lithological interfaces.

  19. Employment of single-diode model to elucidate the variations in photovoltaic parameters under different electrical and thermal conditions

    PubMed Central

    Hameed, Shilan S.; Aziz, Fakhra; Sulaiman, Khaulah; Ahmad, Zubair

    2017-01-01

    In this research work, numerical simulations are performed to correlate the photovoltaic parameters with various internal and external factors influencing the performance of solar cells. Single-diode modeling approach is utilized for this purpose and theoretical investigations are compared with the reported experimental evidences for organic and inorganic solar cells at various electrical and thermal conditions. Electrical parameters include parasitic resistances (Rs and Rp) and ideality factor (n), while thermal parameters can be defined by the cells temperature (T). A comprehensive analysis concerning broad spectral variations in the short circuit current (Isc), open circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF) and efficiency (η) is presented and discussed. It was generally concluded that there exists a good agreement between the simulated results and experimental findings. Nevertheless, the controversial consequence of temperature impact on the performance of organic solar cells necessitates the development of a complementary model which is capable of well simulating the temperature impact on these devices performance. PMID:28793325

  20. Estimation of Joule heating and its role in nonlinear electrical response of Tb0.5Sr0.5MnO3 single crystal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nhalil, Hariharan; Elizabeth, Suja

    2016-12-01

    Highly non-linear I-V characteristics and apparent colossal electro-resistance were observed in non-charge ordered manganite Tb0.5Sr0.5MnO3 single crystal in low temperature transport measurements. Significant changes were noticed in top surface temperature of the sample as compared to its base while passing current at low temperature. By analyzing these variations, we realize that the change in surface temperature (ΔTsur) is too small to have caused by the strong negative differential resistance. A more accurate estimation of change in the sample temperature was made by back-calculating the sample temperature from the temperature variation of resistance (R-T) data (ΔTcal), which was found to be higher than ΔTsur. This result indicates that there are large thermal gradients across the sample. The experimentally derived ΔTcal is validated with the help of a simple theoretical model and estimation of Joule heating. Pulse measurements realize substantial reduction in Joule heating. With decrease in sample thickness, Joule heating effect is found to be reduced. Our studies reveal that Joule heating plays a major role in the nonlinear electrical response of Tb0.5Sr0.5MnO3. By careful management of the duty cycle and pulse current I-V measurements, Joule heating can be mitigated to a large extent.

  1. Electrical resistivity and geotechnical assessment of subgrade soils in southwestern part of Nigeria

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adebisi, N. O.; Ariyo, S. O.; Sotikare, P. B.

    2016-07-01

    The subgrade soils in areas underlain by the slightly Migmatized to Non-migmatized Metasedimentary and Metaigneous rocks of Southwestern Nigeria have been considerably investigated. However, a serious research which employs electrical resistivity method for insight into the profile development, as well as estimation of resistance to deformation for predicting the stability of flexible highway pavements is yet to be carried out. In this study, Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) were carried out after a reconnaissance survey based on stable and unstable locations on the road. Index and strength tests related to road construction were also carried out on bulk samples obtained from stable and failed (unstable) locations of the Ago-Iwoye/Ishara highway. Results show mostly three (3) layers in the profiles with H, HK, and HKH curve types. The subgrade soils below the stable locations have better vertical and interval variations in the resistivities (89-1095 Ωm) to a depth of 3.4 m as against those from the failed portions. Those from the stable locations also have higher specific gravity (2.72), low-medium plasticity and A-2-6 kaolinitic clayey soils with higher compacted density (2090 kg/m3) compared to subgrade soils from the failed locations. On the basis of Califonia Bearing Ratio (CBR), subgrade soils at stable locations have greater strength than those obtained from failed locations. Estimated resistance to deformation (R-value) and resilient modulus (MR) proved to be the overriding parameters for predicting the stability of the flexible highway pavements.

  2. Disorder induced magnetism and electrical conduction in La doped Ca2FeMoO6 double perovskite

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poddar, Asok; Bhowmik, R. N.; Muthuselvam, I. Panneer

    2010-11-01

    We report the magnetism and electrical transport properties of La doped Ca2FeMoO6 double perovskite. Reduction in magnetic moment, nonmonotonic variation in magnetic ordering temperature (TC), increasing magnetic hardness, low temperature resistivity upturn, and loss of metallic conductivity are some of the major changes that we observed due to La doping induced disorder in double perovskite structure. The increase in magnetic disorder in La doped samples and its effect on TC is more consistent with the mean field theory. The modification in electronic band structure due to La doping is understood by establishing a correlation between the temperature dependence of electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power.

  3. Characterization of riverbed sediments hydraulic conductivity using slug tests and electrical resistivity tomography and induced polarization tomogrpahy.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, F.; Benoit, S.; Gommers, K.; Ghysels, G.; Hermans, T.; Huysmans, M.

    2017-12-01

    Hydraulic conductivity of river sediments ranges from values smaller than 10-9 m/s to values higher than 10-2 m/s, with a dominance in values between 10-7 m/s and 10-3 m/s. Both horizontal hydraulic conductivity and vertical hydraulic conductivity show spatial variation in a riverbed. The spatial variation in hydraulic conductivity is due to the influence of the sedimentary and geomorphological environment as well as the method of determination, including scale, size and imprecision of the applied method. The characterization of the spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity in riverbeds is important because of its effect on the interaction between river and groundwater. These river - groundwater interactions influence water resource management, water quality and functioning of the riparian ecosystem. It is necessary in the simulation of 3D flow between river and aquifer near the interface and thus, it also determines contaminant transport and biogeochemical modelling in this riparian or hyporheic zone. Different processes occur in this specific zone such as transport, degradation, transformation, precipitation and sorption of substances, all dependent on hydraulic conductivity. Several methods exist to determine the hydraulic conductivity in river beds, both direct and indirect methods, from field to laboratory experiments or numerical modelling, but the uncertainty on obtained K values is often large because of the large variability of K. In the recent years, research has been performed on the usefulness of geophysical methods on rivers, in particular Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Induced Polarization (IP). The implementation of ERT and IP in rivers provides a continuous image of the resistivity and chargeability of the subsurface, respectively, and can be used in several applications as proxies for hydraulic conductivity. This work reports and investigate a correlation between hydraulic conductivity measured by slug tests at an experimental site, and electrical resistivity, chargeability and normalized chargeability for riverbeds sediments.

  4. Electric field variations measured continuously in free air over a conductive thin zone in the tilted Lias-epsilon black shales near Osnabrück, Northwest Germany

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gurk, M.; Bosch, F. P.; Tougiannidis, N.

    2013-04-01

    Common studies on the static electric field distribution over a conductivity anomaly use the self-potential method. However, this method is time consuming and requires nonpolarizable electrodes to be placed in the ground. Moreover, the information gained by this method is restricted to the horizontal variations of the electric field. To overcome the limitation in the self-potential technique, we conducted a field experiment using a non conventional technique to assess the static electric field over a conductivity anomaly. We use two metallic potential probes arranged on an insulated boom with a separation of 126 cm. When placed into the electric field of the free air, a surface charge will be induced on each probe trying to equalize with the potential of the surrounding atmosphere. The use of a plasma source at both probes facilitated continuous and quicker measurement of the electric field in the air. The present study shows first experimental measurements with a modified potential probe technique (MPP) along a 600-meter-long transect to demonstrate the general feasibility of this method for studying the static electric field distribution over shallow conductivity anomalies. Field measurements were carried out on a test site on top of the Bramsche Massif near Osnabrück (Northwest Germany) to benefit from a variety of available near surface data over an almost vertical conductivity anomaly. High resolution self-potential data served in a numerical analysis to estimate the expected individual components of the electric field vector. During the experiment we found more anomalies in the vertical and horizontal components of the electric field than self-potential anomalies. These contrasting findings are successfully cross-validated with conventional near surface geophysical methods. Among these methods, we used self-potential, radiomagnetotelluric, electric resistivity tomography and induced polarization data to derive 2D conductivity models of the subsurface in order to infer the geometrical properties and the origin of the conductivity anomaly in the survey area. The presented study demonstrates the feasibility of electric field measurements in free air to detect and study near surface conductivity anomalies. Variations in Ez correlate well with the conductivity distribution obtained from resistivity methods. Compared to the self-potential technique, continuously free air measurements of the electric field are more rapid and of better lateral resolution combined with the unique ability to analyze vertical components of the electric field which are of particular importance to detect lateral conductivity contrasts. Mapping Ez in free air is a good tool to precisely map lateral changes of the electric field distribution in areas where SP generation fails. MPP offers interesting application in other geophysical techniques e.g. in time domain electromagnetics, DC and IP. With this method we were able to reveal a ca. 150 m broad zone of enhanced electric field strength.

  5. Magnetic field and pressure dependant resistivity behaviour of MnAs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Satya, A. T.; Amaladass, E. P.; Mani, Awadhesh

    2018-04-01

    The studies on the effect of magnetic field and external pressure on temperature dependant electrical resistivity behaviour of polycrystalline MnAs have been reported. At ambient pressure, ρ(T) shows a first order magnetic transition associated with change in sign of the temperature coefficient of resistivity from positive in the ferromagnetic (FM) phase to negative in the paramagnetic (PM) phase. The magneto resistance is negative and shows a peak at the FM transition temperature (T C ). The first order hysteresis width decreases with increase in magnetic field and the intersection of extrapolated linear variations of T C with field for the cooling and warming cycles enabled determination of the tricritical point. At high pressures, ρ(T) displays non monotonic variation exhibiting a low temperature minimum ({T}\\min L) and a high temperature maximum ({T}\\max H) accompanying broad thermal hysteresis above {T}\\min L. It is surmised that spin disorder scattering is responsible for the resistivity behaviour above {T}\\min L and the essential features of ρ(T) are qualitatively explained using Kasuya theoretical model. Below the {T}\\min L, ρ(T) follows linear logarithmic temperature dependence similar to the effect occurring due to Kondo type of scattering of conduction electrons with localised moments.

  6. Electrical Resistivity Imaging of Seawater Intrusion into the Monterey Bay Aquifer System.

    PubMed

    Pidlisecky, A; Moran, T; Hansen, B; Knight, R

    2016-03-01

    We use electrical resistivity tomography to obtain a 6.8-km electrical resistivity image to a depth of approximately 150 m.b.s.l. along the coast of Monterey Bay. The resulting image is used to determine the subsurface distribution of saltwater- and freshwater-saturated sediments and the geologic controls on fluid distributions in the region. Data acquisition took place over two field seasons in 2011 and 2012. To maximize our ability to image both vertical and horizontal variations in the subsurface, a combination of dipole-dipole, Wenner, Wenner-gamma, and gradient measurements were made, resulting in a large final dataset of approximately 139,000 data points. The resulting resistivity section extends to a depth of 150 m.b.s.l., and is used, in conjunction with the gamma logs from four coastal monitoring wells to identify four dominant lithologic units. From these data, we are able to infer the existence of a contiguous clay layer in the southern portion of our transect, which prevents downward migration of the saltwater observed in the upper 25 m of the subsurface to the underlying freshwater aquifer. The saltwater and brackish water in the northern portion of the transect introduce the potential for seawater intrusion into the hydraulically connected freshwater aquifer to the south, not just from the ocean, but also laterally from north to south. © 2015, National Ground Water Association.

  7. Hole-to-surface resistivity measurements at Gibson Dome (drill hole GD-1) Paradox basin, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Daniels, J.J.

    1984-01-01

    Hole-to-surface resistivity measurements were made in a deep drill hole (GD-1), in San Juan County, Utah, which penetrated a sequence of sandstone, shale, and evaporite. These measurements were made as part of a larger investigation to study the suitability of an area centered around the Gibson Dome structure for nuclear waste disposal. The magnitude and direction of the total electric field resulting from a current source placed in a drill hole is calculated from potential difference measurements for a grid of closely-spaced stations. A contour map of these data provides a detailed map of the distribution of the electric field away from the drill hole. Computation of the apparent resistivity from the total electric field helps to interpret the data with respect to the ideal situation of a layered earth. Repeating the surface measurements for different source depths gives an indication of variations in the geoelectric section with depth. The quantitative interpretation of the field data at Gibson Dome was hindered by the pressure of a conductive borehole fluid. However, a qualitative interpretation of the field data indicates the geoelectric section around drill hole GD-1 is not perfectly layered. The geoelectric section appears to dip to the northwest, and contains anomalies in the resistivity distribution that may be representative of localized thickening or folding of the salt layers.

  8. Real-time imaging of subarachnoid hemorrhage in piglets with electrical impedance tomography.

    PubMed

    Dai, Meng; Wang, Liang; Xu, Canhua; Li, Lianfeng; Gao, Guodong; Dong, Xiuzhen

    2010-09-01

    Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is one of the most severe medical emergencies in neurosurgery. Early detection or diagnosis would significantly reduce the rate of disability and mortality, and improve the prognosis of the patients. Although the present medical imaging techniques generally have high sensitivity to identify bleeding, the use of an additional, non-invasive imaging technique capable of continuously monitoring SAH is required to prevent contingent bleeding or re-bleeding. In this study, electrical impedance tomography (EIT) was applied to detect the onset of SAH modeled on eight piglets in real time, with the subsequent process being monitored continuously. The experimental SAH model was introduced by one-time injection of 5 ml fresh autologous arterial blood into the cisterna magna. Results showed that resistivity variations within the brain caused by the added blood could be detected using the EIT method and may be associated not only with the resistivity difference among brain tissues, but also with variations of cerebrospinal fluid dynamics. In conclusion, EIT has unique potential for use in clinical practice to provide invaluable real-time neuroimaging data for SAH after the improvement of electrode design, anisotropic realistic modeling and instrumentation.

  9. Effect of gadolinium dopant on structural, magneto-transport, magnetic and thermo-power of Pr0.8Sr0.2MnO3

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poojary, Thrapthi; Babu, P. D.; Sanil, Tejaswini; Daivajna, Mamatha D.

    2018-07-01

    In the present investigation structural, magneto-transport, magnetic and thermo-power measurements of Gadolinium (Gd) doped Pr0.8-xGdxSr0.2MnO3 (0, 0.2, 0.25 and 0.3) manganites have been done. All the samples are single phased with orthorhombic structure. Temperature variation of resistance exhibits a high temperature transition occurring at 156 K and a low temperature cusp at around 95 K for pristine sample. With Gd doping resistance behavior shows insulating behavior throughout the whole temperature range. Magneto-Resistance (MR%) increases with Gd doping. A huge increase in thermo-electric power is observed with Gd doping.

  10. Mild degradation processes in ZnO-based varistors: the role of Zn vacancies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ponce, M. A.; Macchi, C.; Schipani, F.; Aldao, C. M.; Somoza, A.

    2015-03-01

    The effects of a degradation process on the structural and electrical properties of ZnO-based varistors induced by the application of dc bias voltage were analysed. Capacitance and resistance measurements were carried out to electrically characterize the polycrystalline semiconductor before and after different degrees of mild degradation. Vacancies' changes in the varistors were studied with positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. Variations on the potential barrier height and effective doping concentration were determined by fitting the experimental data from impedance spectroscopy measurements. These results indicate two different stages in the degradation process consistent with vacancy-like concentration changes.

  11. Application of electrical and electromagnetic depth sounding in highly conductive sediments: The concept of vertical electrical anisotropy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Köhler, A.; Bahr, K.

    2010-12-01

    “Nördlinger Ries” is a meteorite crater in the Bavarian ‘Alb’ of Germany that was formed 15 million years ago, and subsequently filled with salty water. Evaporation resulted in an approximately 300 meter thick layer of young, highly conductive sediments. Audio-frequency Magnetotelluric (AMT) and geoelectric depth sounding (VES) techniques were used to analyze the electrical properties of these sediments. The apparent resistivities measured by the two methods are different, which can be explained by vertical electrical anisotropy (horizontal layering). Applying a joint forward modelling technique with resistivity variations found by a Monte Carlo method results in a best fit model containing a large number of layers, while separate inversions of the two data sets yield 3-layer models. Comparisons of the coefficient of anisotropy with drilling core samples demonstrate the reliability of the results. One difficulty of the AMT method is the low signal-to-noise ratio, because of the source’s deadband. Some suggestions for an “intelligent” processing are presented. Kerch (this session) is employing the result of the integrated conductivity as an input for 3D modelling of collected MT data.

  12. Migration of interfacial oxygen ions modulated resistive switching in oxide-based memory devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, C.; Gao, S.; Zeng, F.; Tang, G. S.; Li, S. Z.; Song, C.; Fu, H. D.; Pan, F.

    2013-07-01

    Oxides-based resistive switching memory induced by oxygen ions migration is attractive for future nonvolatile memories. Numerous works had focused their attentions on the sandwiched oxide materials for depressing the characteristic variations, but the comprehensive studies of the dependence of electrodes on the migration behavior of oxygen ions are overshadowed. Here, we investigated the interaction of various metals (Ni, Co, Al, Ti, Zr, and Hf) with oxygen atoms at the metal/Ta2O5 interface under electric stress and explored the effect of top electrode on the characteristic variations of Ta2O5-based memory device. It is demonstrated that chemically inert electrodes (Ni and Co) lead to the scattering switching characteristics and destructive gas bubbles, while the highly chemically active metals (Hf and Zr) formed a thick and dense interfacial intermediate oxide layer at the metal/Ta2O5 interface, which also degraded the resistive switching behavior. The relatively chemically active metals (Al and Ti) can absorb oxygen ions from the Ta2O5 film and avoid forming the problematic interfacial layer, which is benefit to the formation of oxygen vacancies composed conduction filaments in Ta2O5 film thus exhibit the minimum variations of switching characteristics. The clarification of oxygen ions migration behavior at the interface can lead further optimization of resistive switching performance in Ta2O5-based memory device and guide the rule of electrode selection for other oxide-based resistive switching memories.

  13. Electric-field assisted switching of magnetization in perpendicularly magnetized (Ga,Mn)As films at high temperatures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hailong; Ma, Jialin; Yu, Xueze; Yu, Zhifeng; Zhao, Jianhua

    2017-01-01

    The electric-field effects on the magnetism in perpendicularly magnetized (Ga,Mn)As films at high temperatures have been investigated. An electric-field as high as 0.6 V nm-1 is applied by utilizing a solid-state dielectric Al2O3 film as a gate insulator. The coercive field, saturation magnetization and magnetic anisotropy have been clearly changed by the gate electric-field, which are detected via the anomalous Hall effect. In terms of the Curie temperature, a variation of about 3 K is observed as determined by the temperature derivative of the sheet resistance. In addition, electrical switching of the magnetization assisted by a fixed external magnetic field at 120 K is demonstrated, employing the gate-controlled coercive field. The above experimental results have been attributed to the gate voltage modulation of the hole density in (Ga,Mn)As films, since the ferromagnetism in (Ga,Mn)As is carrier-mediated. The limited modulation magnitude of magnetism is found to result from the strong charge screening effect introduced by the high hole concentration up to 1.10  ×  1021 cm-3, while the variation of the hole density is only about 1.16  ×  1020 cm-3.

  14. Small scale monitoring of a bioremediation barrier using miniature electrical resistivity tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sentenac, Philippe; Hogson, Tom; Keenan, Helen; Kulessa, Bernd

    2015-04-01

    The aim of this study was to assess, in the laboratory, the efficiency of a barrier of oxygen release compound (ORC) to block and divert a diesel plume migration in a scaled aquifer model using miniature electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) as the monitoring system. Two plumes of contaminant (diesel) were injected in a soil model made of local sand and clay. The diesel plumes migration was imaged and monitored using a miniature resistivity array system that has proved to be accurate in soil resistivity variations in small-scaled models of soil. ERT results reflected the lateral spreading and diversion of the diesel plumes in the unsaturated zone. One of the contaminant plumes was partially blocked by the ORC barrier and a diversion and reorganisation of the diesel in the soil matrix was observed. The technique of time-lapse ERT imaging showed that a dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminant like diesel can be monitored through a bioremediation barrier and the technique is well suited to monitor the efficiency of the barrier. Therefore, miniature ERT as a small-scale modelling tool could complement conventional techniques, which require more expensive and intrusive site investigation prior to remediation.

  15. Electrical resistance tomography from measurements inside a steel cased borehole

    DOEpatents

    Daily, William D.; Schenkel, Clifford; Ramirez, Abelardo L.

    2000-01-01

    Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) produced from measurements taken inside a steel cased borehole. A tomographic inversion of electrical resistance measurements made within a steel casing was then made for the purpose of imaging the electrical resistivity distribution in the formation remotely from the borehole. The ERT method involves combining electrical resistance measurements made inside a steel casing of a borehole to determine the electrical resistivity in the formation adjacent to the borehole; and the inversion of electrical resistance measurements made from a borehole not cased with an electrically conducting casing to determine the electrical resistivity distribution remotely from a borehole. It has been demonstrated that by using these combined techniques, highly accurate current injection and voltage measurements, made at appropriate points within the casing, can be tomographically inverted to yield useful information outside the borehole casing.

  16. Wide range local resistance imaging on fragile materials by conducting probe atomic force microscopy in intermittent contact mode

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

    Vecchiola, Aymeric; Concept Scientific Instruments, ZA de Courtaboeuf, 2 rue de la Terre de Feu, 91940 Les Ulis; Unité Mixte de Physique CNRS-Thales UMR 137, 1 avenue Augustin Fresnel, 91767 Palaiseau

    An imaging technique associating a slowly intermittent contact mode of atomic force microscopy (AFM) with a home-made multi-purpose resistance sensing device is presented. It aims at extending the widespread resistance measurements classically operated in contact mode AFM to broaden their application fields to soft materials (molecular electronics, biology) and fragile or weakly anchored nano-objects, for which nanoscale electrical characterization is highly demanded and often proves to be a challenging task in contact mode. Compared with the state of the art concerning less aggressive solutions for AFM electrical imaging, our technique brings a significantly wider range of resistance measurement (over 10more » decades) without any manual switching, which is a major advantage for the characterization of materials with large on-sample resistance variations. After describing the basics of the set-up, we report on preliminary investigations focused on academic samples of self-assembled monolayers with various thicknesses as a demonstrator of the imaging capabilities of our instrument, from qualitative and semi-quantitative viewpoints. Then two application examples are presented, regarding an organic photovoltaic thin film and an array of individual vertical carbon nanotubes. Both attest the relevance of the technique for the control and optimization of technological processes.« less

  17. Marine electrical resistivity imaging of submarine groundwater discharge: Sensitivity analysis and application in Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Henderson, Rory; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Abarca, Elena; Harvey, Charles F.; Karam, Hanan N.; Liu, Lanbo; Lane, John W.

    2010-01-01

    Electrical resistivity imaging has been used in coastal settings to characterize fresh submarine groundwater discharge and the position of the freshwater/salt-water interface because of the relation of bulk electrical conductivity to pore-fluid conductivity, which in turn is a function of salinity. Interpretation of tomograms for hydrologic processes is complicated by inversion artifacts, uncertainty associated with survey geometry limitations, measurement errors, and choice of regularization method. Variation of seawater over tidal cycles poses unique challenges for inversion. The capabilities and limitations of resistivity imaging are presented for characterizing the distribution of freshwater and saltwater beneath a beach. The experimental results provide new insight into fresh submarine groundwater discharge at Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, East Falmouth, Massachusetts (USA). Tomograms from the experimental data indicate that fresh submarine groundwater discharge may shut down at high tide, whereas temperature data indicate that the discharge continues throughout the tidal cycle. Sensitivity analysis and synthetic modeling provide insight into resolving power in the presence of a time-varying saline water layer. In general, vertical electrodes and cross-hole measurements improve the inversion results regardless of the tidal level, whereas the resolution of surface arrays is more sensitive to time-varying saline water layer.

  18. Helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic geophysical survey data, Swedeburg and Sprague study areas, eastern Nebraska, May 2009

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, B.D.; Abraham, J.D.; Cannia, J.C.; Minsley, B.J.; Ball, L.B.; Steele, G.V.; Deszcz-Pan, M.

    2011-01-01

    This report is a release of digital data from a helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic survey conducted by Fugro Airborne Surveys in areas of eastern Nebraska as part of a joint hydrologic study by the Lower Platte North and Lower Platte South Natural Resources Districts, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The survey flight lines covered 1,418.6 line km (882 line mile). The survey was flown from April 22 to May 2, 2009. The objective of the contracted survey was to improve the understanding of the relation between surface water and groundwater systems critical to developing groundwater models used in management programs for water resources. The electromagnetic equipment consisted of six different coil-pair orientations that measured resistivity at separate frequencies from about 400 hertz to about 140,000 hertz. The electromagnetic data were converted to georeferenced electrical resistivity grids and maps for each frequency that represent different approximate depths of investigation for each survey area. The electrical resistivity data were input into a numerical inversion to estimate resistivity variations with depth. In addition to the electromagnetic data, total field magnetic data and digital elevation data were collected. Data released in this report consist of flight line data, digital grids, digital databases of the inverted electrical resistivity with depth, and digital maps of the apparent resistivity and total magnetic field. The range of subsurface investigation is comparable to the depth of shallow aquifers. The survey areas, Swedeburg and Sprague, were chosen based on results from test flights in 2007 in eastern Nebraska and needs of local water managers. The geophysical and hydrologic information from U.S. Geological Survey studies are being used by resource managers to develop groundwater resource plans for the area.

  19. Electrical resistivity imaging study of near-surface infiltration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lampousis, Angelos

    High resolution electrical resistivity images (ERI method) were obtained during vadose zone infiltration experiments on agricultural soils in cooperation with Cornell University's Agricultural Stewardship Program, Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, Extension Education Center, Riverhead, New York [ as well as Cornell University's Long Island Horticultural Research & Extension Center (LIHREC) in Riverhead, New York]. One natural soil was also studied. Infiltration was monitored by means of image analysis of two-dimensional array resistivity generated by a Syscal Kid Switch resistivity system (Griffiths et al., 1990). The data was inverted with the computer program RES2DINV (Loke, 2004). The agricultural soils considered were Riverhead sandy loam (RdA), Haven loam (HaA), and Bridgehampton silt loam (BgA). The natural site was located in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. The soils there are classified as Schoharie silty clay loam. The electrical images of the three sites were compared against established soil properties, including particle size distribution, available water capacity, and soluble salts (from the literature), as well as against site-specific soil samples and penetrometer data, which were collected along with the geophysical measurements. This research evaluates the potential of acquiring high resolution, non-destructive measurements of infiltration in the uppermost 1.5 meter of the vadose zone. The results demonstrate that resistivity differences can detect infiltration in soils typical of the north-eastern United States. Temporal and spatial variations of soil water content in the upper 1.5 meters (relevant to agriculture) of the subsurface can be monitored successfully and non-destructively with ERI. The sensitivity of the method is higher in subsurface environments that demonstrate high overall apparent resistivity values (e.g. high sand content). Under conditions of increased soil heterogeneity, instead of the formation of a continuous water plume as occurred in the homogeneous agricultural soils, the location of the infiltrated water seems to be highly influenced by the soil heterogeneity, and the water front is scattered into discontinuous layers and travels in additional directions. The geophysical results during infiltration correlate well with soil compaction data. It follows that the ERI method can be used as a proxy for soil compaction and water content variations in agricultural applications. In a natural environment, ERI successfully maps the tree root zone of mature trees. Applications include continuous water content monitoring in high value cash crops, such as viticulture (precision agriculture).

  20. Effect of pressure and magnetic field on the electrical resistivity of TbB6

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sakai, Takeshi; Oomi, Gendo; Kunii, Satoru

    2009-06-01

    Electrical resistivity of a single crystal of TbB6 was studied under hydrostatic pressures up to 2.1 GPa and magnetic fields up to 9 T. The Néel temperature, rN, decreases linearly with increasing pressure: \\ddiff lnTN/\\ddiff P = 3.14×10-2 GPa-1 at zero external field. This pressure dependence of TN weakens as external fields increase. At ambient pressure, the magnetoresistance at 4.2 K is positive up to 4.8 T and becomes negative above 4.8 T. The positive magnetoresistance observed at ambient pressure is suppressed by applying pressure, which enhances the negative magnetoresistance. These results are interpreted in terms of the reduction of the scattering of conduction electrons, due to disordered magnetic moment being suppressed by derealization of 4f electrons at high pressure, and the magnetic field variation of the large transition probability between the ground state and the excited levels.

  1. Prediction of beef carcass salable yield and trimmable fat using bioelectrical impedance analysis.

    PubMed

    Zollinger, B L; Farrow, R L; Lawrence, T E; Latman, N S

    2010-03-01

    Bioelectrical impedance technology (BIA) is capable of providing an objective method of beef carcass yield estimation with the rapidity of yield grading. Electrical resistance (Rs), reactance (Xc), impedance (I), hot carcass weight (HCW), fat thickness between the 12th and 13th ribs (FT), estimated percentage kidney, pelvic, and heart fat (KPH%), longissimus muscle area (LMA), length between electrodes (LGE) as well as three derived carcass values that included electrical volume (EVOL), reactive density (XcD), and resistive density (RsD) were determined for the carcasses of 41 commercially fed cattle. Carcasses were subsequently fabricated into salable beef products reflective of industry standards. Equations were developed to predict percentage salable carcass yield (SY%) and percentage trimmable fat (FT%). Resulting equations accounted for 81% and 84% of variation in SY% and FT%, respectively. These results indicate that BIA technology is an accurate predictor of beef carcass composition. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Hardware Model of a Shipboard Generator

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-19

    controller output PM motor power RM motor resistance Td derivative time constant Tf1 fuel valve time constant Tg1 governor time constant Tg2 governor...in speed, sending a response signal to the fuel valve that regulates gas turbine power. At this point, there is an inherent variation between the...basic response analysis [5]. 29 Electrical Power Rotor Inertia Amplifiers Fuel Valve Turbine Dynamics Rotational Friction and Windage

  3. Electrical and optical properties of ITO and ITO/Cr-doped ITO films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caricato, A. P.; Cesaria, M.; Luches, A.; Martino, M.; Maruccio, G.; Valerini, D.; Catalano, M.; Cola, A.; Manera, M. G.; Lomascolo, M.; Taurino, A.; Rella, R.

    2010-12-01

    In this paper we report on the effects of the insertion of Cr atoms on the electrical and optical properties of indium tin oxide (ITO) films to be used as electrodes in spin-polarized light-emitting devices. ITO films and ITO(80 nm)/Cr-doped ITO(20 nm) bilayers and Cr-doped ITO films with a thickness of 20 nm were grown by pulsed ArF excimer laser deposition. The optical, structural, morphological and electrical properties of ITO films and ITO/Cr-doped structures were characterized by UV-Visible transmission and reflection spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Hall-effect analysis. For the different investigations, the samples were deposited on different substrates like silica and carbon coated Cu grids. ITO films with a thickness of 100 nm, a resistivity as low as ˜4×10-4 Ω cm, an energy gap of ˜4.3 eV and an atomic scale roughness were deposited at room temperature without any post-deposition process. The insertion of Cr into the ITO matrix in the upper 20 nm of the ITO matrix induced variations in the physical properties of the structure like an increase of average roughness (˜0.4-0.5 nm) and resistivity (up to ˜8×10-4 Ω cm). These variations were correlated to the microstructure of the Cr-doped ITO films with particular attention to the upper 20 nm.

  4. Current-voltage hysteresis and dielectric properties of PVA coated MWCNT film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, Amit Kumar; Meikap, Ajit Kumar

    2017-12-01

    In this work, we have prepared polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coated multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) film by an in situ chemical oxidative preparation technique. The thermogravimetric analysis clearly explains the thermal degradation of pure polymer and polymer nanocomposite film. We have studied the AC electrical transport properties and current-voltage (I-V) characteristic of PVA-MWCNT composites within the temperature range 300 ≤ T ≤ 423 K and frequency range 150 Hz ≤ f ≤ 2 MHz. It is observed that the dielectric constant of the composite film increases significantly. The frequency variation of AC conductivity follows the power law ( ωS ) and a sharp transition from small polaron tunneling to correlated barrier hopping model is found. The imaginary part of electric modulus shows non-Debye type asymmetric behaviour. The impedance spectroscopy shows the negative temperature coefficient of resistance of the composite film. Nyquist plot of the composite film at different temperatures is established from impedance measurement. The current-voltage characteristic (under ± 20 V) shows hysteresis behaviour and field dependent resistance. We simulate the experimentally observed current density-electric field data with the established theory.

  5. Current-voltage hysteresis and dielectric properties of PVA coated MWCNT film

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, Amit Kumar; Meikap, Ajit Kumar

    2018-06-01

    In this work, we have prepared polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coated multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) film by an in situ chemical oxidative preparation technique. The thermogravimetric analysis clearly explains the thermal degradation of pure polymer and polymer nanocomposite film. We have studied the AC electrical transport properties and current-voltage (I-V) characteristic of PVA-MWCNT composites within the temperature range 300 ≤ T ≤ 423 K and frequency range 150 Hz ≤ f ≤ 2 MHz. It is observed that the dielectric constant of the composite film increases significantly. The frequency variation of AC conductivity follows the power law ( ωS ) and a sharp transition from small polaron tunneling to correlated barrier hopping model is found. The imaginary part of electric modulus shows non-Debye type asymmetric behaviour. The impedance spectroscopy shows the negative temperature coefficient of resistance of the composite film. Nyquist plot of the composite film at different temperatures is established from impedance measurement. The current-voltage characteristic (under ± 20 V) shows hysteresis behaviour and field dependent resistance. We simulate the experimentally observed current density-electric field data with the established theory.

  6. Monitoring groundwater-surface water interaction using time-series and time-frequency analysis of transient three-dimensional electrical resistivity changes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Timothy C.; Slater, Lee D.; Ntarlagiannis, Dimitris; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Elwaseif, Mehrez

    2012-01-01

    Time-lapse resistivity imaging is increasingly used to monitor hydrologic processes. Compared to conventional hydrologic measurements, surface time-lapse resistivity provides superior spatial coverage in two or three dimensions, potentially high-resolution information in time, and information in the absence of wells. However, interpretation of time-lapse electrical tomograms is complicated by the ever-increasing size and complexity of long-term, three-dimensional (3-D) time series conductivity data sets. Here we use 3-D surface time-lapse electrical imaging to monitor subsurface electrical conductivity variations associated with stage-driven groundwater-surface water interactions along a stretch of the Columbia River adjacent to the Hanford 300 near Richland, Washington, USA. We reduce the resulting 3-D conductivity time series using both time-series and time-frequency analyses to isolate a paleochannel causing enhanced groundwater-surface water interactions. Correlation analysis on the time-lapse imaging results concisely represents enhanced groundwater-surface water interactions within the paleochannel, and provides information concerning groundwater flow velocities. Time-frequency analysis using the Stockwell (S) transform provides additional information by identifying the stage periodicities driving groundwater-surface water interactions due to upstream dam operations, and identifying segments in time-frequency space when these interactions are most active. These results provide new insight into the distribution and timing of river water intrusion into the Hanford 300 Area, which has a governing influence on the behavior of a uranium plume left over from historical nuclear fuel processing operations.

  7. Circadian variations in biologically closed electrochemical circuits in Aloe vera and Mimosa pudica.

    PubMed

    Volkov, Alexander G; Baker, Kara; Foster, Justin C; Clemmons, Jacqueline; Jovanov, Emil; Markin, Vladislav S

    2011-04-01

    The circadian clock regulates a wide range of electrophysiological and developmental processes in plants. This paper presents, for the first time, the direct influence of a circadian clock on biologically closed electrochemical circuits in vivo. Here we show circadian variation of the plant responses to electrical stimulation. The biologically closed electrochemical circuits in the leaves of Aloe vera and Mimosa pudica, which regulate their physiology, were analyzed using the charge stimulation method. The electrostimulation was provided with different timing and different voltages. Resistance between Ag/AgCl electrodes in the leaf of Aloe vera was higher during the day than at night. Discharge of the capacitor in Aloe vera at night was faster than during the day. Discharge of the capacitor in a pulvinus of Mimosa pudica was faster during the day. The biologically closed electrical circuits with voltage gated ion channels in Mimosa pudica are also activated the next day, even in the darkness. These results show that the circadian clock can be maintained endogenously and has electrochemical oscillators, which can activate ion channels in biologically closed electrochemical circuits. We present the equivalent electrical circuits in both plants and their circadian variation to explain the experimental data. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Electrical resistance tomography during in-situ trichloroethylene remediation at the Savannah River Site

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Daily, W.; Ramirez, A.

    1995-04-01

    Electrical resistance tomography was used to monitor in-situ remediation processes for removal of volatile organic compounds from subsurface water and soil at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina. This work was designed to test the feasibility of injecting a weak mixture of methane in air as a metabolic carbon source for natural microbial populations which are capable of trichloroethylene degradation. Electrical resistance tomograms were constructed of the subsurface during the test to provide detailed images of the process. These images were made using an iterative reconstruction algorithm based on a finite element forward model and Newton-type least-squares minimization. Changes in the subsurface resistivity distribution were imaged by a pixel-by-pixel subtraction of images taken before and during the process. This differential tomography removed all static features of formation resistivity but clearly delineated dynamic features induced by remediation processes. The air-methane mixture was injected into the saturated zone and the intrained air migration paths were tomographically imaged by the increased resistivity of the path as air displaced formation water. We found the flow paths to be confined to a complex three-dimensional network of channels, some of which extended as far as 30 m from the injection well. These channels were not entirely stable over a period of months since new channels appeared to form with time. Also, the resistivity of the air injection paths increased with time. In another series of tests, resistivity images of water infiltration from the surface support similar conclusions about the preferential permeability paths in the vadose zone. In this case, the water infiltration front is confined to narrow channels which have a three-dimensional structure. Here, similar to air injection in the saturated zone, the water flow is controlled by local variations in formation permeability. However, temporal changes in these channels are minor, indicating that the permeable paths do not seem to be modified by continued infiltration.

  9. Designing skin response meter for psycho galvanic reflex

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dhokalia, Dhruv M.; Atreya, Parul; Kumar, Arun

    2011-12-01

    Human skin offers some resistance to current and voltage. This resistance changes with the emotional state of the body. The circuit proposed here measures changes in our skin resistance following changes in our mental state. In the relaxed state, the resistance offered by the skin is as high as 2 mega-ohms or more, which reduces to 500 kilo-ohms or less when the emotional stress is too high. The reduction in skin resistance is related to increased blood flow and permeability followed by the physiological changes during high stress. This increases the electrical conductivity of the skin. This circuit is useful to monitor the skin's response to relaxation techniques. It is very sensitive and shows response during a sudden moment of stress. Even a deep sigh will give response in the circuit. The circuit uses a sensitive amplifier to sense variations in the skin resistance. IC CA3140 is designed as a resistance- to-voltage converter that outputs varying voltage based on the skin's conductivity.

  10. Real-time imaging of cerebral infarction in rabbits using electrical impedance tomography.

    PubMed

    Yang, Bin; Shi, Xuetao; Dai, Meng; Xu, Canhua; You, Fushen; Fu, Feng; Liu, Ruigang; Dong, Xiuzhen

    2014-02-01

    To investigate the possible use of electrical impedance tomography (EIT) in monitoring focal cerebral infarction in a rabbit model. A model of focal cerebral infarction was established in eight New Zealand rabbits using a photochemical method without craniectomy. Focal cerebral infarction was confirmed by histopathological examination. Intracranial impedance variation was measured using 16 electrodes placed in a circle on the scalp. EIT images were obtained using a damped least-squares reconstruction algorithm. The average resistivity value (ARV) of the infarct region on EIT images was calculated to quantify relative resistivity changes. A symmetry index was calculated to evaluate the relative difference in resistivity between the two sides of the cerebrum. EIT images and ARV curves showed that impedance changes caused by cerebral infarction increased linearly with irradiation time. A difference in ARV was found between measurements taken before and after infarct induction. Focal cerebral infarction can be monitored by EIT in the proposed animal model. The results are sufficiently encouraging that the authors plan to extend this study to humans, after further technical improvements.

  11. Hydrothermal synthesis of doped lanthanum zirconate nanomaterials and the effect of V–Ge substitution on their structural, electrical and dielectric properties

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

    Farid, Muhammad Asim; Asghar, Muhammad Adnan; Ashiq, Muhammad Naeem, E-mail: naeemashiqqau@yahoo.com

    2014-11-15

    Graphical abstract: Variation of dielectric constant with frequency for all the synthesized materials. - Highlights: • Hydrothermal method has been successfully employed to synthesize the zirconates. • XRD confirmed the formation of required phase. • Increased electrical resistivity makes these materials useful for microwave devices. • Dielectric parameters of zirconates decrease with increasing frequency. • Dielectric constant decreases with increasing substituents concentration. - Abstract: A hydrothermal method was successfully employed for the synthesis of a series of vanadium and germanium co-doped pyrochlore lanthanum zirconates with composition La{sub 2−x}V{sub x}Zr{sub 2−y}Ge{sub y}O{sub 7} (where x, y = 0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75more » and 1.0). The XRD and FTIR analyses confirmed the formation of single phase except vanadium and germanium substituted samples and the crystallite sizes are in the range of 7–31 nm for V{sup 3+}–Ge{sup 4+} substituted samples. The theoretical compositions are confirmed by the ED-XRF studies. The room temperature electrical resistivity increase with the substituents concentration which suggests that the synthesized materials can be used for microwave devices as such devices required highly resistive materials. Dielectric properties were measured in the frequency range of 6 kHz to 1 MHz. The dielectric parameters decrease with increase in frequency. The DC resistivity data is in good agreement with the dielectric data.« less

  12. Methods and apparatus for measurement of the resistivity of geological formations from within cased boreholes

    DOEpatents

    Vail, W.B. III.

    1989-04-11

    Methods and apparatus are disclosed which allow measurement of the resistivity of a geological formation through borehole casing which may be surrounded by brine saturated cement. A.C. current is passed from an electrode in electrical contact with the interior of the borehole casing to an electrode on the surface of the earth. The A.C. voltage difference is measured between two additional vertically disposed electrodes on the interior of the casing which provides a measure of the resistivity of the geological formation. A calibration and nulling procedure is presented which minimizes the influence of variations in the thickness of the casing. The procedure also minimizes the influence of inaccurate placements of the additional vertically disposed electrodes. 3 figs.

  13. Methods and apparatus for measurement of the resistivity of geological formations from within cased boreholes

    DOEpatents

    Vail, III, William B.

    1989-01-01

    Methods and apparatus are disclosed which allow measurement of the resistivity of a geological formation through borehole casing which may be surrounded by brine saturated cement. A.C. current is passed from an electrode in electrical contact with the interior of the borehole casing to an electrode on the surface of the earth. The A.C. voltage difference is measured between two additional vertically disposed electrodes on the interior of the casing which provides a measure of the resistivity of the geological formation. A calibration and nulling procedure is presented which minimizes the influence of variations in the thickness of the casing. The procedure also minimizes the influence of inaccurate placements of the additional vertically disposed electrodes.

  14. Geophysical Investigation using Two Dimensional Electrical Resistivity Tomography method to delineate Subsurface Geological Structures at Dudhkoshi-II (230 MW) Hydroelectric Project, Solukhumbu District, Eastern Nepal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghimire, H.; Bhusal, U. C.; Khatiwada, B.; Pandey, D.

    2017-12-01

    Geophysical investigation using two dimensional electrical resistivity tomography (2D-ERT) method plays a significant role in determining the subsurface resistivity distribution by making measurement on the ground surface. This method was carried out at Dudhkoshi-II (230 MW) Hydroelectric Project, lies on Lesser Himalayan region of the Eastern Nepal to delineate the nature of the subsurface geology to assess its suitability for the construction of dam, desanding basin and powerhouse. The main objective of the proposed study consists of mapping vertical as well as horizontal variations of electrical resistivity to enable detection of the boundaries between unconsolidated materials and rocks of the different resistivity, possible geologic structures, such as possible presence of faults, fractures, and voids in intake and powerhouse area. For this purpose, the (WDJD-4 Multi-function Digital DC Resistivity/IP) equipment was used with Wenner array (60 electrodes). To fulfill these objectives of the study, the site area was mapped by Nine ERT profiles with different profile length and space between electrodes was 5 m. The depth of the investigation was 50 m. The acquired data were inverted to tomogram sections using tomographic inversion with RES2DINV commercial software. The Tomography sections show that the subsurface is classified into distinct geo-electric layers of dry unconsolidated overburden, saturated overburden, fractured rock and fresh bedrock of phyllites with quartzite and gneiss with different resistivity values. There were no voids and faults in the study area. Thickness of overburden at different region found to be different. Most of the survey area has bedrock of phyllites with quartzite; gneiss is also present in some location at intake area. Bedrock is found at the varies depth of 5-8 m at dam axis, 20-32 m at desanding basin and 3-10 m at powerhouse area. These results are confirmed and verified by using several boreholes data were drilled on the survey area. The results obtained from the study showed that the site is suitable for the construction of the proposed dam, desanding basin and powerhouse.

  15. Structure dependent electrical properties of Ni-Mg-Cu nano ferrites

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

    Choudhari, Nagabhushan J., E-mail: nagabhushanchoudhari@gmail.com; Kakati, Sushanth S.; Hiremath, Chidanandayya S.

    2016-05-06

    Nano ferrites with the general chemical formula Ni{sub 0.5}Mg{sub x}Cu{sub 1-x} Fe{sub 2}O{sub 4} were synthesized by chemical route. They were characterized by x-ray diffraction by powder method. The diffraction patterns confirm the formation of single phase ferrites. The particle size is calculated by Scherrer formula which varies between 20nm to 60nm. DC resistivity was measured as a function of composition from room temperature to 700{sup o} C by two probe method. These ferrites show higher resistivity than those synthesized by ceramic method, due to control over composition and morphology. This leads to the elimination of domain wall resonance somore » that the materials can work at higher frequencies. AC resistivity was measured as a function of frequency at room temperature. Dielectric dispersion obeys Maxwell - Wagner model, in accordance with Koop’s phenomenological theory. The variation of loss angle follows the variation of ac resistivity with frequency and composition. The change in ac conductivity with frequency obeys the power law σ{sub a} = B.ω{sup n}. Such a behavior suggests that conductivity is due to polarons in all the samples.« less

  16. Analysis and experiment on a self-sensing ionic polymer-metal composite actuator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nam, Doan Ngoc Chi; Ahn, Kyoung Kwan

    2014-07-01

    An ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuator is an electro-active polymer (EAP) that bends in response to a small applied electrical field as a result of the mobility of cations in the polymer network. This paper aims to develop a self-sensing actuator for practical use, since current sensing methods generally face limitations due to the compact size and mobility of the IPMC actuator. Firstly, the variation of surface resistance during bending operations is investigated. Then, the behavior of IPMC corresponding to the variation of surface resistance is mathematically analyzed. Based on the analysis results, a simple configuration to realize the self-sensing behavior is introduced. In this technique, the bending curvature of an IPMC can be obtained accurately by employing several feedback voltage signals along with the IPMC length. Finally, experimental evaluations proved the ability of the proposed scheme to estimate the bending behavior of IPMC actuators.

  17. Micro-electro-fluidic grids for nematodes: a lens-less, image-sensor-less approach for on-chip tracking of nematode locomotion.

    PubMed

    Liu, Peng; Martin, Richard J; Dong, Liang

    2013-02-21

    This paper reports on the development of a lens-less and image-sensor-less micro-electro-fluidic (MEF) approach for real-time monitoring of the locomotion of microscopic nematodes. The technology showed promise for overcoming the constraint of the limited field of view of conventional optical microscopy, with relatively low cost, good spatial resolution, and high portability. The core of the device was microelectrode grids formed by orthogonally arranging two identical arrays of microelectrode lines. The two microelectrode arrays were spaced by a microfluidic chamber containing a liquid medium of interest. As a nematode (e.g., Caenorhabditis elegans) moved inside the chamber, the invasion of part of its body into some intersection regions between the microelectrodes caused changes in the electrical resistance of these intersection regions. The worm's presence at, or absence from, a detection unit was determined by a comparison between the measured resistance variation of this unit and a pre-defined threshold resistance variation. An electronic readout circuit was designed to address all the detection units and read out their individual electrical resistances. By this means, it was possible to obtain the electrical resistance profile of the whole MEF grid, and thus, the physical pattern of the swimming nematode. We studied the influence of a worm's body on the resistance of an addressed unit. We also investigated how the full-frame scanning and readout rates of the electronic circuit and the dimensions of a detection unit posed an impact on the spatial resolution of the reconstructed images of the nematode. Other important issues, such as the manufacturing-induced initial non-uniformity of the grids and the electrotaxic behaviour of nematodes, were also studied. A drug resistance screening experiment was conducted by using the grids with a good resolution of 30 × 30 μm(2). The phenotypic differences in the locomotion behaviours (e.g., moving speed and oscillation frequency extracted from the reconstructed images with the help of software) between the wild-type (N2) and mutant (lev-8) C. elegans worms in response to different doses of the anthelmintic drug, levamisole, were investigated. The locomotive parameters obtained by the MEF grids agreed well with those obtained by optical microscopy. Therefore, this technology will benefit whole-animal assays by providing a structurally simple, potentially cost-effective device capable of tracking the movement and phenotypes of important nematodes in various microenvironments.

  18. Effect of vibro-impact exposure on intensity of geodynamic events in rock mass

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eremenko, AA; Timonin, VV; Bespalko, AA; Karpov, VN; Shtirts, VA

    2018-03-01

    Effect of vibrational impacts on rockburst-hazardous iron ore body and enclosing rocks is experimentally studied using the microseismic, electromagnetic, acoustic and electrometric methods. The nature of the change in the intensity of electrical resistance, and in electromagnetic and acoustic signals in a series of impacts is determined. The variation in the amplitude dispersion of spectral components of signals at different frequencies is described.

  19. Evaluation of the electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance for layers deposited via sputtering on stainless steel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blanco, J.; Salas, Y.; Jiménez, C.; Pineda, Y.; Bustamante, A.

    2017-12-01

    In some Engineering fields, we need that conductive materials have a mechanic performance and specific electrical for that they maintain conditions or corrosive attack if they are in the environment or if they are closed structure. The stainless steels have an inert film on their surface and it has the function to act in contrast to external agents who generates the corrosion, especially for stings, spoiling the film until to fail. We found a solution taking into account the electrical performance and the anticorrosive; into the process we put recovering of specific oxides on, stainless steel using the method of sputtering with Unbalanced Magnetron, (UBM) varying the oxygen in the reactive environment. The coating obtained had a thickness one micron approximately and we saw on serious structural uniformity [1]. The corrosion resistance was evaluated through the potentiodynamics polarization and electrochemical spectroscopy impedance in NACL according to the standard. The cathode protection is the most important method employed for the corrosion prevention of metallic structures in the soil or immersed on the water. The electrical resistivity was evaluated with the four points methods and it showed a behaviour of diode type in some substrates with a threshold potential in several volts. We noticed a simple resistance solution when it was analysed in the Nyquist graphics whit the Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy technique. With on equivalent circuit, for this reason we determinate a variation in the corrosion speed in almost two orders of magnitude when we analysed the potentiodynamics curve by Tafel approximation. The data obtained and analysed show that this type of surface modification maintains the conductivity condition at the interface, improving the resistance in relation whit the corrosion of these elements where the recovering allowed the ionic flow wished for overcoming threshold voltage, acting as an insulator in different cases.

  20. Time Lapse Electrical Resistivity to Connect Evapotranspiration and Groundwater Fluxes in the Critical Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jarvis, S. K.; Harmon, R. E.; Barnard, H. R.; Randall, J.; Singha, K.

    2017-12-01

    The critical zone (CZ)—an open system extending from canopy top to the base of groundwater—is a highly dynamic and heterogeneous environment. In forested terrain, trees make up a large component of the CZ. This work aims to quantify the connection between vegetation and subsurface water storage at a hillslope scale within a forested watershed in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon. To identify the mechanism(s) controlling the connection at the hillslope scale, we observe patterns in electrical conductivity using 2D-time lapse-DC resistivity. To compare inversions through time a representative error model was determined using L-curve criterion. Inverted data show high spatial variability in ground electrical conductivity and variation at both diel and seasonal timescales. These changes are most pronounced in areas corresponding to dense vegetation. The diel pattern in electrical conductivity is also observed in monitored sap flow sensors, water-level gauges, tensiometers, and sediment thermal probes. To quantify the temporal connection between these data over the course of the growing season a cross correlation analysis was conducted. Preliminary data show that over the course of the growing season transpiration becomes decoupled from both groundwater and soil moisture. Further decomposition of the inverted time lapse data will highlight spatial variability in electrical conductivity providing insight into the where, when, and how(s) of tree-modified subsurface storage.

  1. Electrical Resistivity Measurement of Petroleum Coke Powder by Means of Four-Probe Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rouget, G.; Majidi, B.; Picard, D.; Gauvin, G.; Ziegler, D.; Mashreghi, J.; Alamdari, H.

    2017-10-01

    Carbon anodes used in Hall-Héroult electrolysis cells are involved in both electrical and chemical processes of the cell. Electrical resistivity of anodes depends on electrical properties of its constituents, of which carbon coke aggregates are the most prevalent. Electrical resistivity of coke aggregates is usually characterized according to the ISO 10143 standardized test method, which consists of measuring the voltage drop in the bed of particles between two electrically conducing plungers through which the current is also applied. Estimation of the electrical resistivity of coke particles from the resistivity of particle bed is a challenging task and needs consideration of the contribution of the interparticle void fraction and the particle/particle contact resistances. In this work, the bed resistivity was normalized by subtracting the interparticle void fraction. Then, the contact size was obtained from discrete element method simulation and the contact resistance was calculated using Holm's theory. Finally, the resistivity of the coke particles was obtained from the bed resistivity.

  2. Thermal and Compositional Variation of Glassy Metal Structure Factors.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    From, Milton

    The x-ray total structure factor of the glassy -metal alloys Mg_{70}Zn_ {30}, Ca_{70}Mg_{30 } and Mg_{85.5}Cu _{14.5} has been measured at three temperatures: 9K, 150K, and 300K. The data have a statistical precision of about.8% and an absolute accuracy of roughly 3%. Percus-Yevick hard sphere structure factors may be fitted quite accurately to the data in the region of the first peak. In addition, the variation of the experimental structure factor with composition is found to be consistent with the Percus-Yevick theory. At low k values, Percus -Yevick and other theoretical model structure factors are in poor agreement with the data. Within experimental error, the temperature dependence of the structure factors is in agreement with the Debye plane wave phonon model of atomic vibrations. The measured structure factors are used to calculate the electrical resistivity from the Faber-Ziman equation. In most cases, the calculations yield both the correct magnitude of resistivity and sign of the temperature coefficient of resistivity.

  3. Analysis of the Effect of Module Thickness Reduction on Thermoelectric Generator Output

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brito, F. P.; Figueiredo, L.; Rocha, L. A.; Cruz, A. P.; Goncalves, L. M.; Martins, J.; Hall, M. J.

    2016-03-01

    Conventional thermoelectric generators (TEGs) used in applications such as exhaust heat recovery are typically limited in terms of power density due to their low efficiency. Additionally, they are generally costly due to the bulk use of rare-earth elements such as tellurium. If less material could be used for the same output, then the power density and the overall cost per kilowatt (kW) of electricity produced could drop significantly, making TEGs a more attractive solution for energy harvesting of waste heat. The present work assesses the effect of reducing the amount of thermoelectric (TE) material used (namely by reducing the module thickness) on the electrical output of conventional bismuth telluride TEGs. Commercial simulation packages (ANSYS CFX and thermal-electric) and bespoke models were used to simulate the TEGs at various degrees of detail. Effects such as variation of the thermal and electrical contact resistance and the component thickness and the effect of using an element supporting matrix (e.g., eggcrate) instead of having air conduction in void areas have been assessed. It was found that indeed it is possible to reduce the use of bulk TE material while retaining power output levels equivalent to thicker modules. However, effects such as thermal contact resistance were found to become increasingly important as the active TE material thickness was decreased.

  4. Structural, optical, and electrical properties of NiO-In composite films deposited by radio frequency cosputtering

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

    Chen, Sheng-Chi, E-mail: chensc@mail.mcut.edu.tw; Wen, Chao-Kuang; Lin, Yu-Chin

    2014-03-15

    In-doped NiO films with indium concentrations ranging from 0 to 30.3 at. % were deposited on glass substrates to investigate corresponding structural, optical, and electrical property variations. The x-ray diffraction patterns show that all films display only NiO peaks. When In atoms were added to NiO films, the NiO peaks shifted to lower angles, indicating that the lattice parameters of the films increased due to the larger In ions substituting for the smaller Ni ions. An electrical resistivity (ρ) too high to be measured occurred when the indium concentration in the NiO film was less than 15.6 at. %. Themore » ρ value dropped significantly to 0.06 Ω·cm as the indium concentration increased to 26.9 at. %. Upon further raising the In to 30.3 at. %, the ρ value decreased further to 0.01 Ω·cm. All the In-doped NiO films showed n-type conduction. The transmittance of undoped NiO film is as high as 96%. On raising the indium concentration to 15.6, 19.9, 26.9, and 30.3 at. %, the transmittances decreased further to 68%, 62%, 57%, and 47%, respectively. Introducing higher In concentrations improved the films’ thermal stability of electrical resistivity.« less

  5. Electron transport properties of bis[2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-pyridine]beryllium investigated by impedance spectroscopy

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

    Wang, Yanping; Chen, Jiangshan; Huang, Jinying

    2014-06-14

    The electron transport properties of bis[2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-pyridine] beryllium (Bepp{sub 2}) are investigated by impedance spectroscopy over a frequency range of 10 Hz to 13 MHz. The Cole-Cole plots demonstrate that the Bepp{sub 2}-based device can be represented by a single parallel resistance R{sub p} and capacitance C{sub p} network with a series resistance R{sub s}. The current-voltage characteristics and the variation of R{sub p} with applied bias voltage indicate the electron conduction of space-charge-limited current with exponential trap distributions in Bepp{sub 2}. It can be seen that the electron mobility exhibits strong field-dependence in low electric field region and almost saturate in highmore » electric field region. It is experimentally found that Bepp{sub 2} shows dispersion transport and becomes weak as the electric field increases. The activation energy is determined to be 0.043 eV by temperature-dependent conductivity, which is consistent with the result obtained from the temperature-dependent current density characteristics. The electron mobility reaches the orders of 10{sup −6}–10{sup −5} cm{sup 2} V{sup −1} s{sup −1}, depending on the electric field.« less

  6. Variations of electric resistance and H2 and Rn emissions of concrete blocks under increasing uniaxial compression

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    King, C.-Y.; Luo, G.

    1990-01-01

    Electric resistance and emissions of hydrogen and radon isotopes of concrete (which is somewhat similar to fault-zone materials) under increasing uniaxial compression were continuously monitored to check whether they show any pre- and post-failure changes that may correspond to similar changes reported for earthquakes. The results show that all these parameters generally begin to increase when the applied stresses reach 20% to 90% of the corresponding failure stresses, probably due to the occurrence and growth of dilatant microcracks in the specimens. The prefailure changes have different patterns for different specimens, probably because of differences in spatial and temporal distributions of the microcracks. The resistance shows large co-failure increases, and the gas emissions show large post-failure increases. The post-failure increase of radon persists longer and stays at a higher level than that of hydrogen, suggesting a difference in the emission mechanisms for these two kinds of gases. The H2 increase may be mainly due to chemical reaction at the crack surfaces while they are fresh, whereas the Rn increases may be mainly the result of the increased emanation area of such surfaces. The results suggest that monitoring of resistivity and gas emissions may be useful for predicting earthquakes and failures of concrete structures. ?? 1990 Birkha??user Verlag.

  7. One Year of Data of Scimpi Borehole Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Insua, T. L.; Moran, K.; Kulin, I.; Farrington, S.; Newman, J. B.; Riedel, M.; Scherwath, M.; Heesemann, M.; Pirenne, B.; Iturrino, G. J.; Masterson, W.; Furman, C.

    2014-12-01

    The Simple Cabled Instrument for Measuring Parameters In-Situ (SCIMPI) is a new subseafloor observatory designed to study dynamic processes in the subseabed using a simple and low-cost approach compared to a Circulation Obviation Retrofit Kit (CORK). SCIMPI was successfully installed at the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1416 during IODP Expedition 341S in May 2013. SCIMPI is designed to measure pore pressure, temperature and electrical resistivity over time in a borehole. The first SCIMPI prototype comprises nine modules joined in a single array by flexible cables. Multiple floats keep the system taut against a sinker bar weight located on SCIMPI and resting on the bottom of the borehole. All the modules record temperature and electrical resistivity, and three are also equipped with pressure sensors. Currently, SCIMPI operates as an autonomous instrument with a data logger that is recovered using an ROV. The second recovery of the SCIMPI data logger took place during the Ocean Networks Canada maintenance cruise, Wiring the Abyss 2014, on May 25th, 2014. The pressure sensor data show a stable trend in which tidal effects are observed in through the one year deployment. The temperature measurements in all the modules became stable over time with smaller variations over the last several months. The only temperature sensor differing from this trend is the shallowest, located at 8 meters below seafloor. This module shows a sudden spike of ~20°C that on April 5th, 2014, an event that was repeated several times from April 25th until recovery of modules. The electrical resistivity sensors show variations over time that could be related to gas hydrate dynamics at the Site. Interpretation of these data is speculative at this time but borehole-sealing processes as well as the formation of gas hydrate are potential processes influencing the recordings. SCIMPI will soon be connected to Ocean Networks Canada's NEPTUNE observatory at Clayoquot Slope node to provide real-time data from this subseafloor observatory.

  8. Electrical Methods: Resistivity Methods

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Surface electrical resistivity surveying is based on the principle that the distribution of electrical potential in the ground around a current-carrying electrode depends on the electrical resistivities and distribution of the surrounding soils and rocks.

  9. Recent studies of time variations of natural electromagnetic fields in Scotland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hutton, V. R. S.; Dawes, G.; Ingham, M.; Kirkwood, S.; Mbipom, E. W.; Sik, J.

    1981-01-01

    A series of geomagnetic induction studies has been undertaken in Scotland since 1973. It includes the operation of two geomagnetic arrays, one over northern Scotland and the other over southern Scotland, subsequent individual station and small-scale geomagnetic array studies, and three sets of magnetotelluric soundings which traverse Scotland from the Lewisian Foreland to the English border. The problems associated with the interpretation of induction data from an island located in the subauroral region are discussed qualitatively and the manner in which both coast and source field effects can be accounted for, is described. The geomagnetic deep sounding data (GDS) from all the observation sites have been collated, and examples of hypothetical event contour maps and traverses across the Great Glen and of individual events from the northern array are presented. They indicate that significant lateral variations in electrical conductivity structure within the crust and upper mantle are associated with the major geological faults in the region. Examples of the results of the magnetotelluric soundings are also presented, together with an outline of the procedure used for one- and two-dimensional modelling. Models of the geo-electric structure in both northern and southern Scotland have been obtained. These show distinctive features which are compatible with the qualitative interpretation of the magnetovariational data. For example, the major granitic blocks are highly resistive while regions of relatively low resistivity exist at upper crustal depths near the Great Glen, Highland boundary and Southern Uplands faults. A zone of low resistivity exists at lower crust-uppermost mantle depths throughout much of the region, the lowest value occurring under the Southern Uplands.

  10. Origins of low resistivity and Ge donor level in Ge ion-implanted ZnO bulk single crystals

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

    Kamioka, K.; Oga, T.; Izawa, Y.

    2013-12-04

    The energy level of Ge in Ge-ion implanted ZnO single crystals is studied by Hall-effect and photoluminescence (PL) methods. The variations in resistivity from ∼10{sup 3} Ωcm for un-implanted samples to ∼10{sup −2} Ωcm for as-implanted ones are observed. The resistivity is further decreased to ∼10{sup −3} Ωcm by annealing. The origins of the low resistivity are attributed to both the zinc interstitial (Zn{sub i}) related defects and the electrical activated Ge donor. An activation energy of Ge donors estimated from the temperature dependence of carrier concentration is 102 meV. In PL studies, the new peak at 372 nm (3.33more » eV) related to the Ge donor is observed in 1000 °C annealed samples.« less

  11. Specimen's plane misaligned installation solution based on charge fluctuation inside SEM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Haojian; Liu, Yanting; Yang, Yuanyuan; Wang, Panbing; Shen, Yajing

    2018-04-01

    Precise specimen's installation is a sticking point to ensure the characterization accuracy of the in-situ material property test. Although it is common knowledge that specimen's plane misaligned installation (PMI) would cause extra force loading during mechanical testing, there are few effective solutions available to deal with it at the current stage, especially during the in-situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test. Taking into consideration the charge fluctuation phenomenon under SEM, this paper proposes a highlight area variation (HAV) method for specimen deformation judgment, i.e., the specimen deformation is defined when the highlight area changes greater than 20% of the initial value of the specimen surface. Three types of specimens with different resistivities, i.e., human hair (electrical resistivity ˜3 × 1012 Ω cm), optical fiber (electrical resistivity ˜1017 Ω cm), and magnetic wire (electrical resistivity ˜2 × 10-5 Ω cm), are chosen to verify the effectiveness of the HAV method. Furthermore, combined with the developed robot-aided alignment system, the specimen's PMI problem can also be solved. In the demonstration, the human hair specimen is installed across two specimen stages and its in-situ twisting (in 360°) test is implemented. The results clearly indicate that the HAV method and the robot-aided alignment system are practical and reliable, and the specimen can be aligned on the same plane and installed precisely with accuracy up to 3 μm. This method will benefit the in-situ SEM material mechanical property test and has a significant impact in fundamental material research.

  12. Electrical Resistivity of Wire Arc Sprayed Zn and Cu Coatings for In-Mold-Metal-Spraying

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bobzin, K.; Öte, M.; Knoch, M. A.; Liao, X.; Hopmann, Ch; Ochotta, P.

    2018-06-01

    Electrical functionalities can be integrated into plastic parts by integrating thermally sprayed metal coatings into the non-conductive base material. Thermally sprayed conducting tracks for power and signal transmission are one example. In this case, the electrical resistance or resistivity of the coatings should be investigated. Therefore, the electrical resistivity of wire arc sprayed Zn and Cu coatings has been investigated. In case of Zn coatings, spray distance, gas pressure and wire diameter could be identified as significant influencing parameters on the electrical resistivity. In contrast, process gas, gas pressure and voltage do have a significant influence on the electrical resistivity of Cu coatings. Through the use of the In-Mold-Metal-Spraying method (IMMS), thermal degradation can be avoided by transferring thermally sprayed coating from a mold insert onto the plastic part. Therefore, the influence of the transfer process on the electrical resistance of the coatings has also been investigated.

  13. An experimental study on the thermal characteristics and heating effect of arc-fault from Cu core in residential electrical wiring fires

    PubMed Central

    Du, Jian-Hua; Zeng, Yi; Pan, Leng; Zhang, Ren-Cheng

    2017-01-01

    The characteristics of a series direct current (DC) arc-fault including both electrical and thermal parameters were investigated based on an arc-fault simulator to provide references for multi-parameter electrical fire detection method. Tests on arc fault behavior with three different initial circuit voltages, resistances and arc gaps were conducted, respectively. The influences of circuit conditions on arc dynamic image, voltage, current or power were interpreted. Also, the temperature rises of electrode surface and ambient air were studied. The results showed that, first, significant variations of arc structure and light emitting were observed under different conditions. A thin outer burning layer of vapor generated from electrodes with orange light was found due to the extremely high arc temperature. Second, with the increasing electrode gap in discharging, the arc power was shown to have a non monotonic relationship with arc length for constant initial circuit voltage and resistance. Finally, the temperature rises of electrode surface caused by heat transfer from arc were found to be not sensitive with increasing arc length due to special heat transfer mechanism. In addition, temperature of ambient air showed a large gradient in radial direction of arc. PMID:28797055

  14. An experimental study on the thermal characteristics and heating effect of arc-fault from Cu core in residential electrical wiring fires.

    PubMed

    Du, Jian-Hua; Tu, Ran; Zeng, Yi; Pan, Leng; Zhang, Ren-Cheng

    2017-01-01

    The characteristics of a series direct current (DC) arc-fault including both electrical and thermal parameters were investigated based on an arc-fault simulator to provide references for multi-parameter electrical fire detection method. Tests on arc fault behavior with three different initial circuit voltages, resistances and arc gaps were conducted, respectively. The influences of circuit conditions on arc dynamic image, voltage, current or power were interpreted. Also, the temperature rises of electrode surface and ambient air were studied. The results showed that, first, significant variations of arc structure and light emitting were observed under different conditions. A thin outer burning layer of vapor generated from electrodes with orange light was found due to the extremely high arc temperature. Second, with the increasing electrode gap in discharging, the arc power was shown to have a non monotonic relationship with arc length for constant initial circuit voltage and resistance. Finally, the temperature rises of electrode surface caused by heat transfer from arc were found to be not sensitive with increasing arc length due to special heat transfer mechanism. In addition, temperature of ambient air showed a large gradient in radial direction of arc.

  15. Pulsed laser deposited GeTe-rich GeTe-Sb2Te3 thin films

    PubMed Central

    Bouška, M.; Pechev, S.; Simon, Q.; Boidin, R.; Nazabal, V.; Gutwirth, J.; Baudet, E.; Němec, P.

    2016-01-01

    Pulsed laser deposition technique was used for the fabrication of Ge-Te rich GeTe-Sb2Te3 (Ge6Sb2Te9, Ge8Sb2Te11, Ge10Sb2Te13, and Ge12Sb2Te15) amorphous thin films. To evaluate the influence of GeTe content in the deposited films on physico-chemical properties of the GST materials, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction and reflectometry, atomic force microscopy, Raman scattering spectroscopy, optical reflectivity, and sheet resistance temperature dependences as well as variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements were used to characterize as-deposited (amorphous) and annealed (crystalline) layers. Upon crystallization, optical functions and electrical resistance of the films change drastically, leading to large optical and electrical contrast between amorphous and crystalline phases. Large changes of optical/electrical properties are accompanied by the variations of thickness, density, and roughness of the films due to crystallization. Reflectivity contrast as high as ~0.21 at 405 nm was calculated for Ge8Sb2Te11, Ge10Sb2Te13, and Ge12Sb2Te15 layers. PMID:27199107

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. Antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in the half-Heusler semimetal HoPdBi

    PubMed Central

    Pavlosiuk, Orest; Kaczorowski, Dariusz; Fabreges, Xavier; Gukasov, Arsen; Wiśniewski, Piotr

    2016-01-01

    We observed the coexistence of superconductivity and antiferromagnetic order in the single-crystalline ternary pnictide HoPdBi, a plausible topological semimetal. The compound orders antiferromagnetically at TN = 1.9 K and exhibits superconductivity below Tc = 0.7 K, which was confirmed by magnetic, electrical transport and specific heat measurements. The specific heat shows anomalies corresponding to antiferromagnetic ordering transition and crystalline field effect, but not to superconducting transition. Single-crystal neutron diffraction indicates that the antiferromagnetic structure is characterized by the propagation vector. Temperature variation of the electrical resistivity reveals two parallel conducting channels of semiconducting and metallic character. In weak magnetic fields, the magnetoresistance exhibits weak antilocalization effect, while in strong fields and temperatures below 50 K it is large and negative. At temperatures below 7 K Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations with two frequencies appear in the resistivity. These oscillations have non-trivial Berry phase, which is a distinguished feature of Dirac fermions. PMID:26728755

  19. Invariant protection of high-voltage electric motors of technological complexes at industrial enterprises at partial single-phase ground faults

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abramovich, B. N.; Sychev, Yu A.; Pelenev, D. N.

    2018-03-01

    Development results of invariant protection of high-voltage motors at incomplete single-phase ground faults are observed in the article. It is established that current protections have low action selectivity because of an inadmissible decrease in entrance signals during the shirt circuit occurrence in the place of transient resistance. The structural functional scheme and an algorithm of protective actions where correction of automatic zero sequence currents signals of the protected accessions implemented according to the level of incompleteness of ground faults are developed. It is revealed that automatic correction of zero sequence currents allows one to provide the invariance of sensitivity factor for protection under the variation conditions of a transient resistance in the place of damage. Application of invariant protection allows one to minimize damages in 6-10 kV electrical installations of industrial enterprises for a cause of infringement of consumers’ power supply and their system breakdown due to timely localization of emergency of ground faults modes.

  20. In-Situ Survey System of Resistive and Thermoelectric Properties of Either Pure or Mixed Materials in Thin Films Evaporated Under Ultra High Vacuum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lechevallier, L.; Le Huerou, J.-Y.; Richon, G.; Sarrau, J.-M.; Gouault, J.

    1995-04-01

    The study of thermoelectric and resistive in situ behaviours depending on temperature for thin films of either pure or composite materials obtained under ultra-high vacuum, is very interesting, since they can be used as strain gauges or superficial resistances. However, studies become particularly difficult when the measurements generate very low-level electrical signals. Indeed, these turn out to be hardly detectable because of the perturbations brought by the experimental environment. The apparatus described below allows for the measurement of resistance with a relative uncertainty of 2×10^{-4}, resistance variation with an absolute uncertainty of 2 mΩ and thermoelectric e.m.f. of about 2 μV. Films studied in the laboratory generally exhibit resistances lower than 100 Ω and resistance variations due to temperature variations of about a few ohms. So this device has sufficient technical characteristics for our studies. It can be connected to a PC, which allows for easy data collection and treatment. L'étude des comportements résistif et thermoélectrique in situ en fonction de la température de couches minces de matériaux simples ou composites obtenus en milieu raréfié s'avére intéressante en vue d'applications comme jauge de contrainte ou résistance superficielle mais particulièrement délicate lorsque les mesures donnent naissance à des signaux électriques de très faible amplitude. Ces derniers deviennent en effet difficilement décelables en raison des perturbations apportées par l'environnement expérimental. Le système qui est décrit ici permet de mesurer des résistances avec une certitude relative de 2×10^{-4} et d'apprécier des variations de résistance de 2 mΩ et des f.e.m. thermoélectriques de l'ordre de 2 μV. Les couches étudiées au laboratoire présentent généralement des résistances inférieures à 100 Ω et des variations de résistance dues aux variations de température de l'ordre de quelques Ω. Le dispositif de mesure présente donc des caractéristiques techniques suffisantes pour nos études. Connecté à un PC il permet l'acquisition des données et un traitement rapide.

  1. Diversification of intrinsic motoneuron electrical properties during normal development and botulinum toxin-induced muscle paralysis in early postnatal mice.

    PubMed

    Nakanishi, S T; Whelan, P J

    2010-05-01

    During early postnatal development, between birth and postnatal days 8-11, mice start to achieve weight-bearing locomotion. In association with the progression of weight-bearing locomotion there are presumed developmental changes in the intrinsic electrical properties of spinal -motoneurons. However, these developmental changes in the properties of -motoneuron properties have not been systematically explored in mice. Here, data are presented documenting the developmental changes of selected intrinsic motoneuron electrical properties, including statistically significant changes in action potential half-width, intrinsic excitability and diversity (quantified as coefficient of variation) of rheobase current, afterhyperpolarization half-decay time, and input resistance. In various adult mammalian preparations, the maintenance of intrinsic motoneuron electrical properties is dependent on activity and/or transmission-sensitive motoneuron-muscle interactions. In this study, we show that botulinum toxin-induced muscle paralysis led to statistically significant changes in the normal development of intrinsic motoneuron electrical properties in the postnatal mouse. This suggests that muscle activity during early neonatal life contributes to the development of normal motoneuron electrical properties.

  2. SnS thin films deposited by chemical bath deposition, dip coating and SILAR techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chaki, Sunil H.; Chaudhary, Mahesh D.; Deshpande, M. P.

    2016-05-01

    The SnS thin films were synthesized by chemical bath deposition (CBD), dip coating and successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) techniques. In them, the CBD thin films were deposited at two temperatures: ambient and 70 °C. The energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDAX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical spectroscopy techniques were used to characterize the thin films. The electrical transport properties studies on the as-deposited thin films were done by measuring the I-V characteristics, DC electrical resistivity variation with temperature and the room temperature Hall effect. The obtained results are deliberated in this paper.

  3. Influence of electrical resistivity and machining parameters on electrical discharge machining performance of engineering ceramics.

    PubMed

    Ji, Renjie; Liu, Yonghong; Diao, Ruiqiang; Xu, Chenchen; Li, Xiaopeng; Cai, Baoping; Zhang, Yanzhen

    2014-01-01

    Engineering ceramics have been widely used in modern industry for their excellent physical and mechanical properties, and they are difficult to machine owing to their high hardness and brittleness. Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is the appropriate process for machining engineering ceramics provided they are electrically conducting. However, the electrical resistivity of the popular engineering ceramics is higher, and there has been no research on the relationship between the EDM parameters and the electrical resistivity of the engineering ceramics. This paper investigates the effects of the electrical resistivity and EDM parameters such as tool polarity, pulse interval, and electrode material, on the ZnO/Al2O3 ceramic's EDM performance, in terms of the material removal rate (MRR), electrode wear ratio (EWR), and surface roughness (SR). The results show that the electrical resistivity and the EDM parameters have the great influence on the EDM performance. The ZnO/Al2O3 ceramic with the electrical resistivity up to 3410 Ω·cm can be effectively machined by EDM with the copper electrode, the negative tool polarity, and the shorter pulse interval. Under most machining conditions, the MRR increases, and the SR decreases with the decrease of electrical resistivity. Moreover, the tool polarity, and pulse interval affect the EWR, respectively, and the electrical resistivity and electrode material have a combined effect on the EWR. Furthermore, the EDM performance of ZnO/Al2O3 ceramic with the electrical resistivity higher than 687 Ω·cm is obviously different from that with the electrical resistivity lower than 687 Ω·cm, when the electrode material changes. The microstructure character analysis of the machined ZnO/Al2O3 ceramic surface shows that the ZnO/Al2O3 ceramic is removed by melting, evaporation and thermal spalling, and the material from the working fluid and the graphite electrode can transfer to the workpiece surface during electrical discharge machining ZnO/Al2O3 ceramic.

  4. Electrical Grounding - a Field for Geophysicists and Electrical Engineers Partnership

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Freire, P. F.; Pane, E.; Guaraldo, N.

    2012-12-01

    Technology for designing ground electrodes for high-voltage direct current transmission systems (HVDC) has being using in the last years, deep soil models based on a wide range of geophysical methods. These models shall include detailed representation of shallow soil, down to 100 meters, in order to allow the evaluation of the soil conditions where the ground electrodes will be buried. Also deep soil models are needed, to be used for the interference studies, which shall represent a soil volume of about 15 km deep and a surface area of about 15 to 30 km radius. Large facilities for power plants (hydroelectric and wind farms, for example) and industrial complexes (such as petrochemical plants) has become usual at the current stage of Brazil industrialization. Grounding mats for these facilities are made of a buried cooper mesh, interconnected to a wide variety of metallic masses, such as steel reinforced concrete foundations, ducts in general etc. These grounding systems may present dimensions with the order of hundreds of meters, and, at least in Brazil, are usually calculated by using electrical resistivity soil models, based on short spacing Wenner measurements (with maximum spacing of about 64 m.). The soil model shall be the best possible representation of the environment in which the grounding electrodes are immersed, for the purpose of calculation of resistance or for digital simulation. The model to be obtained is limited by the amount and quality of soil resistivity measurements are available, and the resources to be used in the calculations and simulations. Geophysics uses a wide range of technologies for exploring subsoil, ranging from surface measurements to wells logging - seismic, gravimetric, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic and radiometric. The electrical and electromagnetic methods includes various measurement techniques (Wenner, Schlumberger, TDEM, Magneto-telluric etc.), which together allow the development of complex resistivity soil models, layered stratified or showing lateral variations, ranging down to several tens of kilometers deep, reaching the crust-mantle interface (typically with the order of 30-40 km). This work aims to analyze the constraints of the current soil models being used for grounding electrodes design, and suggests the need of a soil modeling methodology compatible with large grounding systems. Concerning the aspects related to soil modeling, electrical engineers need to get aware of geophysics resources, such as: - geophysical techniques for soil electrical resistivity prospection (down to about 15 kilometers deep); and - techniques for converting field measured data, from many different geophysical techniques, into adequate soil models for grounding grid simulation. It is also important to equalize the basic knowledge for the professionals that are working together for the specific purpose of soil modeling for electrical grounding studies. The authors have experienced the situation of electrical engineers working with geophysicists, but it was not clear for the latter the effective need of the electrical engineers, and for the engineers it was unknown the available geophysical resources, and also, what to do convert the large amount of soil resistivity data into a reliable soil model.

  5. Magnetic, specific heat and electrical transport properties of Frank-Kasper cage compounds RTM2Al20 [R  =  Eu, Gd and La; TM  =  V, Ti

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, K. Ramesh; Nair, Harikrishnan S.; Christian, Reinke; Thamizhavel, A.; Strydom, André M.

    2016-11-01

    Single crystals of Frank-Kasper compounds RTM2Al20 (R  =  Eu, Gd and La; TM  =  V and Ti) were grown by self-flux method and their physical properties were investigated through magnetization (M), magnetic susceptibility (χ), specific heat (C P) and electrical resistivity (ρ) measurements. Powder x-ray diffraction studies and structural analysis showed that these compounds crystallize in the cubic crystal structure with the space group Fd\\bar{3}m . The magnetic susceptibility for the compounds EuTi2Al20 and GdTi2Al20 showed a sudden jump below the Néel temperature T N indicative of plausible double magnetic transition. Specific heat (C P) and electrical resistivity (ρ) measurements also confirm the first-order magnetic transition (FOMT) and possible double magnetic transitions. Temperature variation of heat capacity showed a sharp phase transition and huge C P value for the (Eu/Gd)Ti2Al20 compounds’ full width at half-maximum (FWHM) (<0.2 K) which is reminiscent of a first-order phase transition and a unique attribute among RTM2Al20 compounds. In contrast, linear variation of C P is observed in the ordered state for (Eu/Gd)V2Al20 compounds suggesting a λ-type transition. We observed clear anomaly between heating and cooling cycle in temperature-time relaxation curve for the compounds GdTi2Al20 (2.38 K) and EuTi2Al20 (3.2 K) which is indicating a thermal arrest due to the latent heat. The temperature variation of S mag for GdTi2Al20 saturates to a value 0.95R\\ln 8 while the other magnetic systems exhibited still lower entropy saturation values in the high temperature limit. ≤ft({{C}\\text{P}}-γ T\\right)/{{T}3} versus T plot showed a maximum near 27 K for all the compounds indicating the presence of low frequency Einstein modes of vibrations. Resistivity measurements showed that all the samples behave as normal Fermi liquid type compounds and ρ (T) due to electron-phonon scattering follows Bloch-Grüneisen-Mott relation in the paramagnetic region.

  6. Determination of Electrical Resistivity of Dry Coke Beds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eidem, P. A.; Tangstad, M.; Bakken, J. A.

    2008-02-01

    The electrical resistivity of the coke bed is of great importance when producing FeMn, SiMn, and FeCr in a submerged arc furnace. In these processes, a coke bed is situated below and around the electrode tip and consists of metallurgical coke, slag, gas, and metal droplets. Since the basic mechanisms determining the electrical resistivity of a coke bed is not yet fully understood, this investigation is focused on the resistivity of dry coke beds consisting of different carbonaceous materials, i.e., coke beds containing no slag or metal. A method that reliably compares the electrical bulk resistivity of different metallurgical cokes at 1500 °C to 1600 °C is developed. The apparatus is dimensioned for industrial sized materials, and the electrical resistivity of anthracite, charcoal, petroleum coke, and metallurgical coke has been measured. The resistivity at high temperatures of the Magnitogorsk coke, which has the highest resistivity of the metallurgical cokes investigated, is twice the resistivity of the Corus coke, which has the lowest electrical resistivity. Zdzieszowice and SSAB coke sort in between with decreasing resistivities in the respective order. The electrical resistivity of anthracite, charcoal, and petroleum coke is generally higher than the resistivity of the metallurgical cokes, ranging from about two to about eight times the resistivity of the Corus coke at 1450 °C. The general trend is that the bulk resistivity of carbon materials decreases with increasing temperature and increasing particle size.

  7. Theoretical relationship between elastic wave velocity and electrical resistivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Jong-Sub; Yoon, Hyung-Koo

    2015-05-01

    Elastic wave velocity and electrical resistivity have been commonly applied to estimate stratum structures and obtain subsurface soil design parameters. Both elastic wave velocity and electrical resistivity are related to the void ratio; the objective of this study is therefore to suggest a theoretical relationship between the two physical parameters. Gassmann theory and Archie's equation are applied to propose a new theoretical equation, which relates the compressional wave velocity to shear wave velocity and electrical resistivity. The piezo disk element (PDE) and bender element (BE) are used to measure the compressional and shear wave velocities, respectively. In addition, the electrical resistivity is obtained by using the electrical resistivity probe (ERP). The elastic wave velocity and electrical resistivity are recorded in several types of soils including sand, silty sand, silty clay, silt, and clay-sand mixture. The appropriate input parameters are determined based on the error norm in order to increase the reliability of the proposed relationship. The predicted compressional wave velocities from the shear wave velocity and electrical resistivity are similar to the measured compressional velocities. This study demonstrates that the new theoretical relationship may be effectively used to predict the unknown geophysical property from the measured values.

  8. State Waste Discharge Permit Application: Electric resistance tomography testing

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

    Not Available

    1994-04-01

    This permit application documentation is for a State Waste Discharge Permit issued in accordance with requirements of Washington Administrative Code 173-216. The activity being permitted is a technology test using electrical resistance tomography. The electrical resistance tomography technology was developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and has been used at other waste sites to track underground contamination plumes. The electrical resistance tomography technology measures soil electrical resistance between two electrodes. If a fluid contaminated with electrolytes is introduced into the soil, the soil resistance is expected to drop. By using an array of measurement electrodes in several boreholes, the arealmore » extent of contamination can be estimated. At the Hanford Site, the purpose of the testing is to determine if the electrical resistance tomography technology can be used in the vicinity of large underground metal tanks without the metal tank interfering with the test. It is anticipated that the electrical resistance tomography technology will provide a method for accurately detecting leaks from the bottom of underground tanks, such as the Hanford Site single-shell tanks.« less

  9. Unconventional resistivity at the border of metallic antiferromagnetism in NiS2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niklowitz, P. G.; Alireza, P. L.; Steiner, M. J.; Lonzarich, G. G.; Braithwaite, D.; Knebel, G.; Flouquet, J.; Wilson, J. A.

    2008-03-01

    We report low-temperature and high-pressure measurements of the electrical resistivity ρ(T) of the antiferromagnetic compound NiS2 in its high-pressure metallic state. The form of ρ(T,p) suggests the presence of a quantum phase transition at a critical pressure pc=76±5kbar . Near pc , the temperature variation of ρ(T) is similar to that observed in NiS2-xSex near the critical composition x=1 , where metallic antiferromagnetism is suppressed at ambient pressure. In both cases, ρ(T) varies approximately as T1.5 over a wide range below 100K . This lets us assume that the high-pressure metallic phase of stoichiometric NiS2 also develops itinerant antiferromagnetism, which becomes suppressed at pc . However, on closer analysis, the resistivity exponent in NiS2 exhibits an undulating variation with temperature not seen in NiSSe (x=1) . This difference in behavior may be due to the effects of spin-fluctuation scattering of charge carriers on cold and hot spots of the Fermi surface in the presence of quenched disorder, which is higher in NiSSe than in stoichiometric NiS2 .

  10. Observation of decreasing resistivity of amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide thin films with an increasing oxygen partial pressure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Anup K.; Adhikari, Sonachand; Gupta, Rajeev; Deepak

    2017-01-01

    We have investigated the electrical resistivity behavior in amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin films. It is well known that resistivity increases as the film is deposited at a higher and higher oxygen partial pressure; we also record the same. However, in process we have discovered a remarkable region, in the oxygen deficient condition, that the resistivity shows an inverse behavior. This leads to the possibility that resistive films, suitable for thin film transistors, can also be obtained in oxygen deficient deposition conditions. Optical spectroscopic investigation could discern between a-IGZO films grown in oxygen deficient and oxygen rich conditions. The related resistivity behavior could be correlated to the presence of sub-bandgap states in films deposited in oxygen deficiency. These subgap states appear to be due to defects arising from local variations around the cations or oxygen atoms. The likely cause is an increase in Ga relative to In around O atom and the nature of cation-cation interaction when an oxygen atom is missing.

  11. Complex resistivity signatures of ethanol in sand-clay mixtures

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Personna, Yves Robert; Slater, Lee; Ntarlagiannis, Dimitrios; Werkema, Dale D.; Szabo, Zoltan

    2013-01-01

    We performed complex resistivity (CR) measurements on laboratory columns to investigate changes in electrical properties as a result of varying ethanol (EtOH) concentration (0% to 30% v/v) in a sand–clay (bentonite) matrix. We applied Debye decomposition, a phenomenological model commonly used to fit CR data, to determine model parameters (time constant: τ, chargeability: m, and normalized chargeability: mn). The CR data showed a significant (P ≤ 0.001) time-dependent variation in the clay driven polarization response (~ 12 mrad) for 0% EtOH concentration. This temporal variation probably results from the clay–water reaction kinetics trending towards equilibrium in the sand–clay–water system. The clay polarization is significantly suppressed (P ≤ 0.001) for both measured phase (ϕ) and imaginary conductivity (σ″) with increasing EtOH concentration. Normalized chargeability consistently decreases (by up to a factor of ~ 2) as EtOH concentration increases from 0% to 10% and 10 to 20%, respectively. We propose that such suppression effects are associated with alterations in the electrical double layer (EDL) at the clay–fluid interface due to (a) strong EtOH adsorption on clay, and (b) complex intermolecular EtOH–water interactions and subsequent changes in ionic mobility on the surface in the EDL. Changes in the CR data following a change of the saturating fluid from EtOH 20% to plain water indicate strong hysteresis effects in the electrical response, which we attribute to persistent EtOH adsorption on clay. Our results demonstrate high sensitivity of CR measurements to clay–EtOH interactions in porous media, indicating the potential application of this technique for characterization and monitoring of ethanol contamination in sediments containing clays.

  12. Influence of Electrical Resistivity and Machining Parameters on Electrical Discharge Machining Performance of Engineering Ceramics

    PubMed Central

    Ji, Renjie; Liu, Yonghong; Diao, Ruiqiang; Xu, Chenchen; Li, Xiaopeng; Cai, Baoping; Zhang, Yanzhen

    2014-01-01

    Engineering ceramics have been widely used in modern industry for their excellent physical and mechanical properties, and they are difficult to machine owing to their high hardness and brittleness. Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is the appropriate process for machining engineering ceramics provided they are electrically conducting. However, the electrical resistivity of the popular engineering ceramics is higher, and there has been no research on the relationship between the EDM parameters and the electrical resistivity of the engineering ceramics. This paper investigates the effects of the electrical resistivity and EDM parameters such as tool polarity, pulse interval, and electrode material, on the ZnO/Al2O3 ceramic's EDM performance, in terms of the material removal rate (MRR), electrode wear ratio (EWR), and surface roughness (SR). The results show that the electrical resistivity and the EDM parameters have the great influence on the EDM performance. The ZnO/Al2O3 ceramic with the electrical resistivity up to 3410 Ω·cm can be effectively machined by EDM with the copper electrode, the negative tool polarity, and the shorter pulse interval. Under most machining conditions, the MRR increases, and the SR decreases with the decrease of electrical resistivity. Moreover, the tool polarity, and pulse interval affect the EWR, respectively, and the electrical resistivity and electrode material have a combined effect on the EWR. Furthermore, the EDM performance of ZnO/Al2O3 ceramic with the electrical resistivity higher than 687 Ω·cm is obviously different from that with the electrical resistivity lower than 687 Ω·cm, when the electrode material changes. The microstructure character analysis of the machined ZnO/Al2O3 ceramic surface shows that the ZnO/Al2O3 ceramic is removed by melting, evaporation and thermal spalling, and the material from the working fluid and the graphite electrode can transfer to the workpiece surface during electrical discharge machining ZnO/Al2O3 ceramic. PMID:25364912

  13. Influence of Chromium Doping on Electrical and Magnetic Behavior of Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lalitha, G.; Pavan Kumar, N.; Venugopal Reddy, P.

    2018-04-01

    With a view to understand the influence of chromium doping at the Mn site on the electrical and magnetic behavior of the Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 manganite system, a series of samples were prepared by the citrate sol-gel route method. The samples were characterized structurally by XRD. A systematic investigation of electrical resistivity over a temperature range 5-300 K was carried out mainly to understand the magneto-transport behavior in these materials. Studies on the variation of magnetization with temperature over a temperature range 80-330 K were undertaken. Investigation of magnetization at different magnetic fields at two different temperatures, viz. 80 and 300 K, was also carried out. The results show that chromium doping gave typical electrical and magnetic properties. It has been concluded that the coexistence of charge ordered and ferromagnetic phases induced by chromium doping plays an important role in the low-temperature behavior of the system.

  14. Iodine doped carbon nanotube cables exceeding specific electrical conductivity of metals

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Yao; Wei, Jinquan; Vajtai, Robert; Ajayan, Pulickel M.; Barrera, Enrique V.

    2011-01-01

    Creating highly electrically conducting cables from macroscopic aggregates of carbon nanotubes, to replace metallic wires, is still a dream. Here we report the fabrication of iodine-doped, double-walled nanotube cables having electrical resistivity reaching ∼10−7 Ω.m. Due to the low density, their specific conductivity (conductivity/weight) is higher than copper and aluminum and is only just below that of the highest specific conductivity metal, sodium. The cables exhibit high current-carrying capacity of 104∼105 A/cm2 and can be joined together into arbitrary length and diameter, without degradation of their electrical properties. The application of such nanotube cables is demonstrated by partly replacing metal wires in a household light bulb circuit. The conductivity variation as a function of temperature for the cables is five times smaller than that for copper. The high conductivity nanotube cables could find a range of applications, from low dimensional interconnects to transmission lines. PMID:22355602

  15. A numerical study on electrochemical transport of ions in calcium fluoride slag

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karimi-Sibaki, E.; Kharicha, A.; Wu, M.; Ludwig, A.

    2016-07-01

    Electrically resistive CaF 2-based slags are widely used in electroslag remelting (ESR) process to generate Joule heat for the melting of electrode. The electric current is conducted by ions (electrolyte) such as Ca +2 or F -, thus it is necessary to establish electrochemical models to study electrical behavior of slag. This paper presents a numerical model on electrochemical transport of ions in an arbitrary symmetrical (ZZ) and non-symmetrical (CaF2) stagnant electrolytes blocked by two parallel, planar electrodes. The dimensionless Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equations are solved to model electro-migration and diffusion of ions. The ions are considered to be inert that no Faradic reactions occur. Spatial variations of concentrations of ions, charge density and electric potential across the electrolyte are analyzed. It is shown that the applied potential has significant influence on the system response. At high applied voltage, the anodic potential drop near the electrode is significantly larger than cathodic potential drop in fully dissociated CaF2 electrolyte.

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. Characterizing submarine ground‐water discharge using fiber‐optic distributed temperature sensing and marine electrical resistivity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Henderson, Rory; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Lane, John W.; Harvey, Charles F.; Liu, Lanbo

    2008-01-01

    Submarine ground‐water discharge (SGD) contributes important solute fluxes to coastal waters. Pollutants are transported to coastal ecosystems by SGD at spatially and temporally variable rates. New approaches are needed to characterize the effects of storm‐event, tidal, and seasonal forcing on SGD. Here, we evaluate the utility of two geophysical methods‐fiber‐optic distributed temperature sensing (FO‐DTS) and marine electrical resistivity (MER)—for observing the spatial and temporal variations in SGD and the configuration of the freshwater/saltwater interface within submarine sediments. FO‐DTS and MER cables were permanently installed into the estuary floor on a transect extending 50 meters offshore under Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and nearly continuous data were collected for 4 weeks in summer 2007. Initial results indicate that the methods are extremely useful for monitoring changes in the complex estuarine environment. The FO‐DTS produced time‐series data at approximately 1‐meter increments along the length of the fiber at approximately 29‐second intervals. The temperature time‐series data show that the temperature at near‐shore locations appears to be dominated by a semi‐diurnal (tidal) signal, whereas the temperature at off‐shore locations is dominated by a diurnal signal (day/night heating and cooling). Dipole‐dipole MER surveys were completed about every 50 minutes, allowing for production of high‐resolution time‐lapse tomograms, which provide insight into the variations of the subsurface freshwater/saltwater interface. Preliminary results from the MER data show a high‐resistivity zone near the shore at low tide, indicative of SGD, and consistent with the FO‐DTS results.

  19. Static Behavior of Chalcogenide Based Programmable Metallization Cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rajabi, Saba

    Nonvolatile memory (NVM) technologies have been an integral part of electronic systems for the past 30 years. The ideal non-volatile memory have minimal physical size, energy usage, and cost while having maximal speed, capacity, retention time, and radiation hardness. A promising candidate for next-generation memory is ion-conducting bridging RAM which is referred to as programmable metallization cell (PMC), conductive bridge RAM (CBRAM), or electrochemical metallization memory (ECM), which is likely to surpass flash memory in all the ideal memory characteristics. A comprehensive physics-based model is needed to completely understand PMC operation and assist in design optimization. To advance the PMC modeling effort, this thesis presents a precise physical model parameterizing materials associated with both ion-rich and ion-poor layers of the PMC's solid electrolyte, so that captures the static electrical behavior of the PMC in both its low-resistance on-state (LRS) and high resistance off-state (HRS). The experimental data is measured from a chalcogenide glass PMC designed and manufactured at ASU. The static on- and off-state resistance of a PMC device composed of a layered (Ag-rich/Ag-poor) Ge30Se70 ChG film is characterized and modeled using three dimensional simulation code written in Silvaco Atlas finite element analysis software. Calibrating the model to experimental data enables the extraction of device parameters such as material bandgaps, workfunctions, density of states, carrier mobilities, dielectric constants, and affinities. The sensitivity of our modeled PMC to the variation of its prominent achieved material parameters is examined on the HRS and LRS impedance behavior. The obtained accurate set of material parameters for both Ag-rich and Ag-poor ChG systems and process variation verification on electrical characteristics enables greater fidelity in PMC device simulation, which significantly enhances our ability to understand the underlying physics of ChG-based resistive switching memory.

  20. A one-dimensional model of solid-earth electrical resistivity beneath Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Blum, Cletus; Love, Jeffrey J.; Pedrie, Kolby; Bedrosian, Paul A.; Rigler, E. Joshua

    2015-11-19

    An estimated one-dimensional layered model of electrical resistivity beneath Florida was developed from published geological and geophysical information. The resistivity of each layer is represented by plausible upper and lower bounds as well as a geometric mean resistivity. Corresponding impedance transfer functions, Schmucker-Weidelt transfer functions, apparent resistivity, and phase responses are calculated for inducing geomagnetic frequencies ranging from 10−5 to 100 hertz. The resulting one-dimensional model and response functions can be used to make general estimates of time-varying electric fields associated with geomagnetic storms such as might represent induction hazards for electric-power grid operation. The plausible upper- and lower-bound resistivity structures show the uncertainty, giving a wide range of plausible time-varying electric fields.

  1. Temperature dependence of electrical properties of gallium-nitride bulk single crystals doped with Mg and their evolution with annealing

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

    Litwin-Staszewska, E.; Suski, T.; Piotrzkowski, R.

    Comprehensive studies of the electrical properties of Mg-doped bulk GaN crystals, grown by high-pressure synthesis, were performed as a function of temperature up to 750{degree}C. Annealing of the samples in nitrogen ambient modifies qualitatively their resistivity values {rho} and the {rho}(T) variation. It was found that our material is characterized by a high concentration of oxygen-related donors and that the charge transport in the studied samples is determined by two types of states, one of shallow character (Mg-related state, E{sub A}{approximately}0.15eV), and the second one much more deep, E{sub 2}{approximately}0.95eV (above the valence band). Depending on the effective concentration ofmore » either states, different resistivities {rho} can be observed: lower resistivity ({rho}{lt}10{sup 4}{Omega}cm at ambient temperature) in samples with dominant E{sub A} states and very high resistivity ({rho}{gt}10{sup 6}{Omega}cm at ambient temperature) in samples with dominant E{sub 2} states. For the first type of samples, annealing at T{sub ann}{lt}500{degree}C leads to a decrease of their resistivity and is associated with an increase of the effective concentration of the shallow Mg acceptors. Annealing of both types of samples at temperatures between 600 and 750{degree}C leads to an increase of the deep state concentration. The presence of hydrogen ambient during annealing of the low-resistivity samples strongly influences their properties. The increase of the sample resistivity and an appearance of a local vibrational mode of hydrogen at 3125 cm{minus}1 were observed. These effects can be removed by annealing in hydrogen-free ambient. {copyright} 2001 American Institute of Physics.« less

  2. Electrical resistance tomography using steel cased boreholes as electrodes

    DOEpatents

    Daily, W.D.; Ramirez, A.L.

    1999-06-22

    An electrical resistance tomography method is described which uses steel cased boreholes as electrodes. The method enables mapping the electrical resistivity distribution in the subsurface from measurements of electrical potential caused by electrical currents injected into an array of electrodes in the subsurface. By use of current injection and potential measurement electrodes to generate data about the subsurface resistivity distribution, which data is then used in an inverse calculation, a model of the electrical resistivity distribution can be obtained. The inverse model may be constrained by independent data to better define an inverse solution. The method utilizes pairs of electrically conductive (steel) borehole casings as current injection electrodes and as potential measurement electrodes. The greater the number of steel cased boreholes in an array, the greater the amount of data is obtained. The steel cased boreholes may be utilized for either current injection or potential measurement electrodes. The subsurface model produced by this method can be 2 or 3 dimensional in resistivity depending on the detail desired in the calculated resistivity distribution and the amount of data to constrain the models. 2 figs.

  3. Electrical resistance tomography using steel cased boreholes as electrodes

    DOEpatents

    Daily, William D.; Ramirez, Abelardo L.

    1999-01-01

    An electrical resistance tomography method using steel cased boreholes as electrodes. The method enables mapping the electrical resistivity distribution in the subsurface from measurements of electrical potential caused by electrical currents injected into an array of electrodes in the subsurface. By use of current injection and potential measurement electrodes to generate data about the subsurface resistivity distribution, which data is then used in an inverse calculation, a model of the electrical resistivity distribution can be obtained. The inverse model may be constrained by independent data to better define an inverse solution. The method utilizes pairs of electrically conductive (steel) borehole casings as current injection electrodes and as potential measurement electrodes. The greater the number of steel cased boreholes in an array, the greater the amount of data is obtained. The steel cased boreholes may be utilized for either current injection or potential measurement electrodes. The subsurface model produced by this method can be 2 or 3 dimensional in resistivity depending on the detail desired in the calculated resistivity distribution and the amount of data to constain the models.

  4. Comparison of road load simulator test results with track tests on electric vehicle propulsion system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dustin, M. O.

    1983-01-01

    A special-purpose dynamometer, the road load simulator (RLS), is being used at NASA's Lewis Research Center to test and evaluate electric vehicle propulsion systems developed under DOE's Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Program. To improve correlation between system tests on the RLS and track tests, similar tests were conducted on the same propulsion system on the RLS and on a test track. These tests are compared in this report. Battery current to maintain a constant vehicle speed with a fixed throttle was used for the comparison. Scatter in the data was greater in the track test results. This is attributable to variations in tire rolling resistance and wind effects in the track data. It also appeared that the RLS road load, determined by coastdown tests on the track, was lower than that of the vehicle on the track. These differences may be due to differences in tire temperature.

  5. Influence of defects on the charge density wave of ([SnSe] 1+δ) 1(VSe 2) 1 ferecrystals

    DOE PAGES

    Falmbigl, Matthias; Putzky, Daniel; Ditto, Jeffrey; ...

    2015-07-14

    A series of ferecrystalline compounds ([SnSe] 1+δ) 1(VSe 2) 1 with varying Sn/V ratios were synthesized using the modulated elemental reactant technique. Temperature-dependent specific heat data reveal a phase transition at 102 K, where the heat capacity changes abruptly. An abrupt increase in electrical resistivity occurs at the same temperature, correlated with an abrupt increase in the Hall coefficient. Combined with the magnitude and nature of the specific heat discontinuity, this suggests that the transition is similar to the charge density wave transitions in transition metal dichalcogenides. An ordered intergrowth was formed over a surprisingly wide compositional range of Sn/Vmore » ratios of 0.89 ≤ 1 + δ ≤ 1.37. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy reveal the formation of various volume defects in the compounds in response to the nonstoichiometry. The electrical resistivity and Hall coefficient data of samples with different Sn/V ratios show systematic variation in the carrier concentration with the Sn/V ratio. There is no significant change in the onset temperature of the charge density wave transition, only a variation in the carrier densities before and after the transition. Given the sensitivity of the charge density wave transitions of transition metal dichalcogenides to variations in composition, it is very surprising that the charge density wave transition observed at 102 K for ([SnSe] 1.15) 1(VSe 2) 1 is barely influenced by the nonstoichiometry and structural defects. As a result, this might be a consequence of the two-dimensional nature of the structurally independent VSe 2 layers.« less

  6. A spatially adaptive total variation regularization method for electrical resistance tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Xizi; Xu, Yanbin; Dong, Feng

    2015-12-01

    The total variation (TV) regularization method has been used to solve the ill-posed inverse problem of electrical resistance tomography (ERT), owing to its good ability to preserve edges. However, the quality of the reconstructed images, especially in the flat region, is often degraded by noise. To optimize the regularization term and the regularization factor according to the spatial feature and to improve the resolution of reconstructed images, a spatially adaptive total variation (SATV) regularization method is proposed. A kind of effective spatial feature indicator named difference curvature is used to identify which region is a flat or edge region. According to different spatial features, the SATV regularization method can automatically adjust both the regularization term and regularization factor. At edge regions, the regularization term is approximate to the TV functional to preserve the edges; in flat regions, it is approximate to the first-order Tikhonov (FOT) functional to make the solution stable. Meanwhile, the adaptive regularization factor determined by the spatial feature is used to constrain the regularization strength of the SATV regularization method for different regions. Besides, a numerical scheme is adopted for the implementation of the second derivatives of difference curvature to improve the numerical stability. Several reconstruction image metrics are used to quantitatively evaluate the performance of the reconstructed results. Both simulation and experimental results indicate that, compared with the TV (mean relative error 0.288, mean correlation coefficient 0.627) and FOT (mean relative error 0.295, mean correlation coefficient 0.638) regularization methods, the proposed SATV (mean relative error 0.259, mean correlation coefficient 0.738) regularization method can endure a relatively high level of noise and improve the resolution of reconstructed images.

  7. Scaling Effect on Unipolar and Bipolar Resistive Switching of Metal Oxides

    PubMed Central

    Yanagida, Takeshi; Nagashima, Kazuki; Oka, Keisuke; Kanai, Masaki; Klamchuen, Annop; Park, Bae Ho; Kawai, Tomoji

    2013-01-01

    Electrically driven resistance change in metal oxides opens up an interdisciplinary research field for next-generation non-volatile memory. Resistive switching exhibits an electrical polarity dependent “bipolar-switching” and a polarity independent “unipolar-switching”, however tailoring the electrical polarity has been a challenging issue. Here we demonstrate a scaling effect on the emergence of the electrical polarity by examining the resistive switching behaviors of Pt/oxide/Pt junctions over 8 orders of magnitudes in the areas. We show that the emergence of two electrical polarities can be categorised as a diagram of an electric field and a cell area. This trend is qualitatively common for various oxides including NiOx, CoOx, and TiO2-x. We reveal the intrinsic difference between unipolar switching and bipolar switching on the area dependence, which causes a diversity of an electrical polarity for various resistive switching devices with different geometries. This will provide a foundation for tailoring resistive switching behaviors of metal oxides. PMID:23584551

  8. Analysis of one year time-lapse electrical data to unravel hydrological processes acting on a clayey landslide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gance, J.; Sailhac, P.; Malet, J.; Supper, R.; Jochum, B.; Ottowitz, D.; Grandjean, G.

    2013-12-01

    Movements of water in the topsoil (infiltration, run-off and evaporation) influence changes in slope stability which is the main controlling factor of landslide triggering (e.g. van Asch et al., 1999). Among the petrophysical parameters that can provide time-lapse sections of the topsoil, we consider the electrical conductivity for its sensitivity to soil water contents. Based on recent works which showed the possibility of monitoring the hydrological response of a clay-shale slope to a controlled rainfall experiment (Travelletti et al., 2012), we installed a permanent electrical monitoring experiment at the Super-Sauze landslide for long-term monitoring (one year) of natural meteorological events. We used the GEOMON4D resistivimeter, developed by the Austrian Geological Survey (Vienna, Austria) for experiments needing high rate of data acquisition, records of full signal samples for noise detection, remote controlled management and automatic data transfer (Supper et al., 2002, 2003 & 2004). The electrode positions varying with time, we installed two terrestrial optical cameras to characterize the changes in dipole geometry. Several hydrological sensors were installed along the profile to measure soil temperature, water temperature and conductivity, ground water level and soil humidity in the vadose zone. The main challenge is the processing of ca. 4.2 million of electrical resistivity data. In this difficult context, the potential factors influencing electrical resistivity with time without modification of soil saturation are the relative changes in the dipole geometry (linked to the displacement of the electrodes), changes in soil and water temperature, change in material porosity due to compaction/dilatation caused by the landslide movement. Therefore, before any inversion of data, we verify the presence of possible 3D effects, and assess the measurement accuracy and uncertainty. An apparent resistivity variation threshold, from which a modification of the saturation can be attributed, is determined. From those first results, we first investigate changes in the apparent resistivity. Responses to different hydrological processes (such as soil freezing/thawing, snow melting, high intensity rainfall, debris flow events) occurring during the monitoring period are detectable on the inversed resistivities over short periods. For example The results of the study highlight the difficulty to monitor hydrological changes on a clay-shale landslide, and will permit to improve such future device. Although a quantitative interpretation of the apparent resistivity is impossible, typical responses are clearly detectable and allows a first qualitative interpretation of hydrological changes in the landslide

  9. Use of electrical resistivity to detect underground mine voids in Ohio

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sheets, Rodney A.

    2002-01-01

    Electrical resistivity surveys were completed at two sites along State Route 32 in Jackson and Vinton Counties, Ohio. The surveys were done to determine whether the electrical resistivity method could identify areas where coal was mined, leaving air- or water-filled voids. These voids can be local sources of potable water or acid mine drainage. They could also result in potentially dangerous collapse of roads or buildings that overlie the voids. The resistivity response of air- or water-filled voids compared to the surrounding bedrock may allow electrical resistivity surveys to delineate areas underlain by such voids. Surface deformation along State Route 32 in Jackson County led to a site investigation, which included electrical resistivity surveys. Several highly resistive areas were identified using axial dipole-dipole and Wenner resistivity surveys. Subsequent drilling and excavation led to the discovery of several air-filled abandoned underground mine tunnels. A site along State Route 32 in Vinton County, Ohio, was drilled as part of a mining permit application process. A mine void under the highway was instrumented with a pressure transducer to monitor water levels. During a period of high water level, electrical resistivity surveys were completed. The electrical response was dominated by a thin, low-resistivity layer of iron ore above where the coal was mined out. Nearby overhead powerlines also affected the results.

  10. Evolution of the electrical resistivity anisotropy during saline tracer tests: insights from geoelectrical milli-fluidic experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jougnot, D.; Jimenez-Martinez, J.; Legendre, R.; Le Borgne, T.; Meheust, Y.; Linde, N.

    2017-12-01

    The use of time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography has been largely developed in environmental studies to remotely monitor water saturation and contaminant plumes migration. However, subsurface heterogeneities, and corresponding preferential transport paths, yield a potentially large anisotropy in the electrical properties of the subsurface. In order to study this effect, we have used a newly developed geoelectrical milli-fluidic experimental set-up with a flow cell that contains a 2D porous medium consisting of a single layer of cylindrical solid grains. We performed saline tracer tests under full and partial water saturations in that cell by jointly injecting air and aqueous solutions with different salinities. The flow cell is equipped with four electrodes to measure the bulk electrical resistivity at the cell's scale. The spatial distribution of the water/air phases and the saline solute concentration field in the water phase are captured simultaneously with a high-resolution camera by combining a fluorescent tracer with the saline solute. These data are used to compute the longitudinal and transverse effective electrical resistivity numerically from the measured spatial distributions of the fluid phases and the salinity field. This approach is validated as the computed longitudinal effective resistivities are in good agreement with the laboratory measurements. The anisotropy in electrical resistivity is then inferred from the computed longitudinal and transverse effective resistivities. We find that the spatial distribution of saline tracer, and potentially air phase, drive temporal changes in the effective resistivity through preferential paths or barriers for electrical current at the pore scale. The resulting heterogeneities in the solute concentrations lead to strong anisotropy of the effective bulk electrical resistivity, especially for partially saturated conditions. Therefore, considering the electrical resistivity as a tensor could improve our understanding of transport properties from field-scale time-lapse ERT.

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

    Eidem, P.A.; Tangstad, M.; Bakken, J.A.

    The electrical resistivity of the coke bed is of great importance when producing FeMn, SiMn, and FeCr in a submerged arc furnace. In these processes, a coke bed is situated below and around the electrode tip and consists of metallurgical coke, slag, gas, and metal droplets. Since the basic mechanisms determining the electrical resistivity of a coke bed is not yet fully understood, this investigation is focused on the resistivity of dry coke beds consisting of different carbonaceous materials, i.e., coke beds containing no slag or metal. A method that reliably compares the electrical bulk resistivity of different metallurgical cokesmore » at 1500{sup o} C to 1600{sup o}C is developed. The apparatus is dimensioned for industrial sized materials, and the electrical resistivity of anthracite, charcoal, petroleum coke, and metallurgical coke has been measured. The resistivity at high temperatures of the Magnitogorsk coke, which has the highest resistivity of the metallurgical cokes investigated, is twice the resistivity of the Corus coke, which has the lowest electrical resistivity. Zdzieszowice and SSAB coke sort in between with decreasing resistivities in the respective order. The electrical resistivity of anthracite, charcoal, and petroleum coke is generally higher than the resistivity of the metallurgical cokes, ranging from about two to about eight times the resistivity of the Corus coke at 1450{sup o}C. The general trend is that the bulk resistivity of carbon materials decreases with increasing temperature and increasing particle size.« less

  12. 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.

  13. Characterisation of electrical resistance for CMC Materials up to 1200 °C

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stäbler, T.; Böhrk, H.; Voggenreiter, H.

    2017-12-01

    Damage to thermal protection systems (TPS) during atmospheric re-entry is a severe safety issue, especially when considering re-usability of space transportation systems. There is a need for structural health monitoring systems and non-destructive inspection methods. However, damages are hard to detect. When ceramic matrix composites, in this case carbon fibre reinforced silicon carbide (C/C-SiC), are used as a TPS, the electrical properties of the present semiconductor material can be used for health monitoring, since the resistivity changes with damage, strain and temperature. In this work the electrical resistivity as a function of the material temperature is analysed eliminating effects of thermal electricity and the thermal coefficient of electrical resistance is determined. A sensor network is applied for locally and time resolved monitoring of the 300 mm x 120 mm x 3 mm panel shaped samples. Since the material is used for atmospheric re-entry it needs to be characterised for a wide range of temperatures, in this case as high as 1200 °C. Therefore, experiments in an inductively heated test bench were conducted. Firstly, a reference sample was used with thermocouples for characterising the temperature distribution across the sample surface. Secondly, electrical resistance under heat load was measured, time and spatially resolved. Results will be shown and discussed in terms of resistance dependence on temperature, thermal coefficient of electrical resistance, thermal electricity and electrical path orientation including an analysis on effective conducting cross section. Conversely, the thermal coefficient can also be used to determine the material temperature as a function of electrical resistance.

  14. A comparison of two types of neural network for weld quality prediction in small scale resistance spot welding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wan, Xiaodong; Wang, Yuanxun; Zhao, Dawei; Huang, YongAn

    2017-09-01

    Our study aims at developing an effective quality monitoring system in small scale resistance spot welding of titanium alloy. The measured electrical signals were interpreted in combination with the nugget development. Features were extracted from the dynamic resistance and electrode voltage curve. A higher welding current generally indicated a lower overall dynamic resistance level. A larger electrode voltage peak and higher change rate of electrode voltage could be detected under a smaller electrode force or higher welding current condition. Variation of the extracted features and weld quality was found more sensitive to the change of welding current than electrode force. Different neural network model were proposed for weld quality prediction. The back propagation neural network was more proper in failure load estimation. The probabilistic neural network model was more appropriate to be applied in quality level classification. A real-time and on-line weld quality monitoring system may be developed by taking advantages of both methods.

  15. Quantifying redox-induced Schottky barrier variations in memristive devices via in operando spectromicroscopy with graphene electrodes

    PubMed Central

    Baeumer, Christoph; Schmitz, Christoph; Marchewka, Astrid; Mueller, David N.; Valenta, Richard; Hackl, Johanna; Raab, Nicolas; Rogers, Steven P.; Khan, M. Imtiaz; Nemsak, Slavomir; Shim, Moonsub; Menzel, Stephan; Schneider, Claus Michael; Waser, Rainer; Dittmann, Regina

    2016-01-01

    The continuing revolutionary success of mobile computing and smart devices calls for the development of novel, cost- and energy-efficient memories. Resistive switching is attractive because of, inter alia, increased switching speed and device density. On electrical stimulus, complex nanoscale redox processes are suspected to induce a resistance change in memristive devices. Quantitative information about these processes, which has been experimentally inaccessible so far, is essential for further advances. Here we use in operando spectromicroscopy to verify that redox reactions drive the resistance change. A remarkable agreement between experimental quantification of the redox state and device simulation reveals that changes in donor concentration by a factor of 2–3 at electrode-oxide interfaces cause a modulation of the effective Schottky barrier and lead to >2 orders of magnitude change in device resistance. These findings allow realistic device simulations, opening a route to less empirical and more predictive design of future memory cells. PMID:27539213

  16. Quantifying redox-induced Schottky barrier variations in memristive devices via in operando spectromicroscopy with graphene electrodes.

    PubMed

    Baeumer, Christoph; Schmitz, Christoph; Marchewka, Astrid; Mueller, David N; Valenta, Richard; Hackl, Johanna; Raab, Nicolas; Rogers, Steven P; Khan, M Imtiaz; Nemsak, Slavomir; Shim, Moonsub; Menzel, Stephan; Schneider, Claus Michael; Waser, Rainer; Dittmann, Regina

    2016-08-19

    The continuing revolutionary success of mobile computing and smart devices calls for the development of novel, cost- and energy-efficient memories. Resistive switching is attractive because of, inter alia, increased switching speed and device density. On electrical stimulus, complex nanoscale redox processes are suspected to induce a resistance change in memristive devices. Quantitative information about these processes, which has been experimentally inaccessible so far, is essential for further advances. Here we use in operando spectromicroscopy to verify that redox reactions drive the resistance change. A remarkable agreement between experimental quantification of the redox state and device simulation reveals that changes in donor concentration by a factor of 2-3 at electrode-oxide interfaces cause a modulation of the effective Schottky barrier and lead to >2 orders of magnitude change in device resistance. These findings allow realistic device simulations, opening a route to less empirical and more predictive design of future memory cells.

  17. Quantifying redox-induced Schottky barrier variations in memristive devices via in operando spectromicroscopy with graphene electrodes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baeumer, Christoph; Schmitz, Christoph; Marchewka, Astrid; Mueller, David N.; Valenta, Richard; Hackl, Johanna; Raab, Nicolas; Rogers, Steven P.; Khan, M. Imtiaz; Nemsak, Slavomir; Shim, Moonsub; Menzel, Stephan; Schneider, Claus Michael; Waser, Rainer; Dittmann, Regina

    2016-08-01

    The continuing revolutionary success of mobile computing and smart devices calls for the development of novel, cost- and energy-efficient memories. Resistive switching is attractive because of, inter alia, increased switching speed and device density. On electrical stimulus, complex nanoscale redox processes are suspected to induce a resistance change in memristive devices. Quantitative information about these processes, which has been experimentally inaccessible so far, is essential for further advances. Here we use in operando spectromicroscopy to verify that redox reactions drive the resistance change. A remarkable agreement between experimental quantification of the redox state and device simulation reveals that changes in donor concentration by a factor of 2-3 at electrode-oxide interfaces cause a modulation of the effective Schottky barrier and lead to >2 orders of magnitude change in device resistance. These findings allow realistic device simulations, opening a route to less empirical and more predictive design of future memory cells.

  18. Characterizing Uncertainty In Electrical Resistivity Tomography Images Due To Subzero Temperature Variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herring, T.; Cey, E. E.; Pidlisecky, A.

    2017-12-01

    Time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is used to image changes in subsurface electrical conductivity (EC), e.g. due to a saline contaminant plume. Temperature variation also produces an EC response, which interferes with the signal of interest. Temperature compensation requires the temperature distribution and the relationship between EC and temperature, but this relationship at subzero temperatures is not well defined. The goal of this study is to examine how uncertainty in the subzero EC/temperature relationship manifests in temperature corrected ERT images, especially with respect to relevant plume parameters (location, contaminant mass, etc.). First, a lab experiment was performed to determine the EC of fine-grained glass beads over a range of temperatures (-20° to 20° C) and saturations. The measured EC/temperature relationship was then used to add temperature effects to a hypothetical EC model of a conductive plume. Forward simulations yielded synthetic field data to which temperature corrections were applied. Varying the temperature/EC relationship used in the temperature correction and comparing the temperature corrected ERT results to the synthetic model enabled a quantitative analysis of the error of plume parameters associated with temperature variability. Modeling possible scenarios in this way helps to establish the feasibility of different time-lapse ERT applications by quantifying the uncertainty associated with parameter(s) of interest.

  19. Graphene Aerogel Templated Fabrication of Phase Change Microspheres as Thermal Buffers in Microelectronic Devices.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xuchun; Li, Guangyong; Hong, Guo; Guo, Qiang; Zhang, Xuetong

    2017-11-29

    Phase change materials, changing from solid to liquid and vice versa, are capable of storing and releasing a large amount of thermal energy during the phase change, and thus hold promise for numerous applications including thermal protection of electronic devices. Shaping these materials into microspheres for additional fascinating properties is efficient but challenging. In this regard, a novel phase change microsphere with the design for electrical-regulation and thermal storage/release properties was fabricated via the combination of monodispersed graphene aerogel microsphere (GAM) and phase change paraffin. A programmable method, i.e., coupling ink jetting-liquid marbling-supercritical drying (ILS) techniques, was demonstrated to produce monodispersed graphene aerogel microspheres (GAMs) with precise size-control. The resulting GAMs showed ultralow density, low electrical resistance, and high specific surface area with only ca. 5% diameter variation coefficient, and exhibited promising performance in smart switches. The phase change microspheres were obtained by capillary filling of phase change paraffin inside the GAMs and exhibited excellent properties, such as low electrical resistance, high latent heat, well sphericity, and thermal buffering. Assembling the phase change microsphere into the microcircuit, we found that this tiny device was quite sensitive and could respond to heat as low as 0.027 J.

  20. In-situ measurement system

    DOEpatents

    Lord, David E.

    1983-01-01

    A multipurpose in situ underground measurement system comprising a plurality of long electrical resistance elements in the form of rigid reinforcing bars, each having an open loop "hairpin" configuration of shorter length than the other resistance elements. The resistance elements are arranged in pairs in a unitized structure, and grouted in place in the underground volume. The electrical resistance of each element and the difference in electrical resistance of the paired elements are obtained, which difference values may be used in analytical methods involving resistance as a function of temperature. A scanner sequentially connects the resistance-measuring apparatus to each individual pair of elements. A source of heating current is also selectively connectable for heating the elements to an initial predetermined temperature prior to electrical resistance measurements when used as an anemometer.

  1. 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.

  2. Use of electrical resistivity to detect underground mine voids in Ohio.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-01-01

    Electrical resistivity surveys were completed at : two sites along State Route 32 in Jackson and Vinton : Counties, Ohio. The surveys were done to : determine whether the electrical resistivity method : could identify areas where coal was mined, leav...

  3. Effect of ZnO buffer layer on phase transition properties of vanadium dioxide thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Huiqun; Li, Lekang; Li, Chunbo

    2016-03-01

    VO2 thin films were prepared on ZnO buffer layers by DC magnetron sputtering at room temperature using vanadium target and post annealing at 400 °C. The ZnO buffer layers with different thickness deposited on glass substrates by magnetron sputtering have a high visible and near infrared optical transmittance. The electrical resistivity and the phase transition properties of the VO2/ZnO composite thin films in terms of temperature were investigated. The results showed that the resistivity variation of VO2 thin film with ZnO buffer layer deposited for 35 min was 16 KΩ-cm. The VO2/ZnO composite thin films exhibit a reversible semiconductor-metal phase transition at 48 °C.

  4. Fault Zone Resistivity Structure and Monitoring at the Taiwan Chelungpu Drilling Project from AMT data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chiang, C.-W.; Unsworth, M. J.; Chen, C.-S.; Chen, C.-C.; Lin, A.-T.; Hsu, H.-L.

    2009-04-01

    The Chi-Chi earthquake occurred on September 21st, 1999 in the Western Foothills of central Taiwan. This Mw=7.6 earthquake produced a 90 km long surface rupture and caused severe damage across Taiwan. The coseismic displacement on the Chelungpu fault was one of the largest ever observed. The Taiwan Chelungpu drilling project (TCDP) began in 2003 and resulted in a 2,000 m well that recovered cores from the fault zone at A-hole and finished in 2005 with two boreholes (A-hole and B-hole) being completed. The Chelungpu fault that caused the Chi-Chi earthquake was observed in the core at a depth of 1,111 m (FAZ1111). Another fault zone (Sanyi Fault - FAZ1710) was observed at depths of 1,500~1,710 m. Since the electrical resistivity of rocks is sensitive to the presence of fluids, geophysical methods that remotely sense sub-surface resistivity, such as Magnetotellurics (MT), can be a powerful tool in investigating the fluid distribution in the shallow crust. The effectiveness of MT in imaging fault zones has been demonstrated by studies of the San Andreas Fault zone in California, the U.S. and elsewhere. In magnetotellurics, the depth of exploration increases as the signal frequency decreases. Thus for imaging shallow fault zone structure at the TCDP site, the higher frequency audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) method is the most suitable. In this paper, AMT data collected at the TCDP site from 2004 to 2006 are presented. Spatial and temporal variations are described and interpreted in terms of the tectonic setting. Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) measurements were used to investigate electrical resistivity structure at the TCDP site from 2004~2006. These data show a geoelectric strike direction of N15°E to N30°E. Inversion and forward modeling of the AMT data were used to generate a 1-D resistivity model that has a prominent low resistivity zone (< 10 ohm-m) between depths of 1,100 and 1,500 m. When combined with porosity measurements, the AMT measurements imply that the ground water has a resistivity of 0.55 ohm-m at the depth of the fault zone. Time variations in the measured AMT data were observed from 2004~2005 with maximum changes of 43% in apparent resistivity and 18° in phase. The change in apparent resistivity is greatest in the 1,000~100 Hz frequency band. These frequencies are sensitive to the resistivity structure of the upper 500 m of the hanging wall of the Chelungpu Fault. The decrease in resistivity over time appears to be robust and could be caused by an increase in porosity and a re-distribution of the groundwater.

  5. Resistive switching of Sn-doped In2O3/HfO2 core-shell nanowire: geometry architecture engineering for nonvolatile memory.

    PubMed

    Huang, Chi-Hsin; Chang, Wen-Chih; Huang, Jian-Shiou; Lin, Shih-Ming; Chueh, Yu-Lun

    2017-05-25

    Core-shell NWs offer an innovative approach to achieve nanoscale metal-insulator-metal (MIM) heterostructures along the wire radial direction, realizing three-dimensional geometry architecture rather than planar type thin film devices. This work demonstrated the tunable resistive switching characteristics of ITO/HfO 2 core-shell nanowires with controllable shell thicknesses by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) process for the first time. Compared to planar HfO 2 thin film device configuration, ITO/HfO 2 core-shell nanowire shows a prominent resistive memory behavior, including lower power consumption with a smaller SET voltage of ∼0.6 V and better switching voltage uniformity with variations (standard deviation(σ)/mean value (μ)) of V SET and V RESET from 0.38 to 0.14 and from 0.33 to 0.05 for ITO/HfO 2 core-shell nanowire and planar HfO 2 thin film, respectively. In addition, endurance over 10 3 cycles resulting from the local electric field enhancement can be achieved, which is attributed to geometry architecture engineering. The concept of geometry architecture engineering provides a promising strategy to modify the electric-field distribution for solving the non-uniformity issue of future RRAM.

  6. Evaluation and comparision of dc resistivity of NiZr x Co x Fe2-2x O4, Ni0.5Sn0.5Co x Mn x Fe2-2x O4, Mg1-x Ca x Ni y Fe2-y O4 and Mg1-x Ni x Co y Fe2-y O4 nanocrytalline materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali, Rajjab; Gilani, Zaheer Abbas; Shahzad Shifa, Muhammad; Asghar, H. M. Noor Ul Huda Khan; Azhar Khan, Muhammad; Naeem Anjum, Muhammad; Nauman Usmani, Muhammad; Farooq Warsi, Muhammad; Khawaja, Imtiaz U.

    2017-11-01

    Four series nanocrystalline ferrites with nominal composition, NiZr x Co x Fe2-2x O4 (x  =  0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) Ni0.5Sn0.5Co x Mn x Fe2-2x O4 (x  =  0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8), Mg1-x Ca x Ni y Fe2-y O4 (x  =  0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8; y  =  0, 04, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6) and Mg1-x Ni x Co y Fe2-y O4 (x,y  =  0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) have been fabricated using the microemulsion synthesis route. The synthesized materials are investigated for dc electrical resistivity measurements. The variation of dc electrical resistivity of these materials has been explainedon the basis of hopping mechanism of both holes and electrons.

  7. Adaptive approach for on-board impedance parameters and voltage estimation of lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Farmann, Alexander; Waag, Wladislaw; Sauer, Dirk Uwe

    2015-12-01

    Robust algorithms using reduced order equivalent circuit model (ECM) for an accurate and reliable estimation of battery states in various applications become more popular. In this study, a novel adaptive, self-learning heuristic algorithm for on-board impedance parameters and voltage estimation of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in electric vehicles is introduced. The presented approach is verified using LIBs with different composition of chemistries (NMC/C, NMC/LTO, LFP/C) at different aging states. An impedance-based reduced order ECM incorporating ohmic resistance and a combination of a constant phase element and a resistance (so-called ZARC-element) is employed. Existing algorithms in vehicles are much more limited in the complexity of the ECMs. The algorithm is validated using seven day real vehicle data with high temperature variation including very low temperatures (from -20 °C to +30 °C) at different Depth-of-Discharges (DoDs). Two possibilities to approximate both ZARC-elements with finite number of RC-elements on-board are shown and the results of the voltage estimation are compared. Moreover, the current dependence of the charge-transfer resistance is considered by employing Butler-Volmer equation. Achieved results indicate that both models yield almost the same grade of accuracy.

  8. Study of electrical resistivity on the location and identification of contamination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McCarty, B. D.

    1985-12-01

    Electrical resistance studies were conducted in two laboratory models to determine electrical resistivity relationships and to use those defined relationships to identify contamination spikes. A good correlation was established between resistance data and the composition of leachate and copper spiked leachate gelatin blocks under study. The major variable that could not be eliminated from this study which had the greatest effect on data was moisture content. This thesis contains a review of the theory and field application of electrical resistivity, a description of the experimental approach used, and a summary of the data collected.

  9. Determination of the electrical resistivity of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes by scanning probe microscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ageev, O. A.; Il'in, O. I.; Rubashkina, M. V.; Smirnov, V. A.; Fedotov, A. A.; Tsukanova, O. G.

    2015-07-01

    Techniques are developed to determine the resistance per unit length and the electrical resistivity of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VA CNTs) using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). These techniques are used to study the resistance of VA CNTs. The resistance of an individual VA CNT calculated with the AFM-based technique is shown to be higher than the resistance of VA CNTs determined by the STM-based technique by a factor of 200, which is related to the influence of the resistance of the contact of an AFM probe to VA CNTs. The resistance per unit length and the electrical resistivity of an individual VA CNT 118 ± 39 nm in diameter and 2.23 ± 0.37 μm in height that are determined by the STM-based technique are 19.28 ± 3.08 kΩ/μm and 8.32 ± 3.18 × 10-4 Ω m, respectively. The STM-based technique developed to determine the resistance per unit length and the electrical resistivity of VA CNTs can be used to diagnose the electrical parameters of VA CNTs and to create VA CNT-based nanoelectronic elements.

  10. Use of electrical resistivity to detect underground mine voids in Ohio : executive summary.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2002-01-01

    Electrical resistivity surveys were completed at two sites along State Route 32 in Jackson and Vinton Counties, Ohio. : The surveys were done to determine whether the electrical resistivity method could identify areas where coal was : mined, leaving ...

  11. Time-domain electromagnetic soundings collected in Dawson County, Nebraska, 2007-09

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Payne, Jason; Teeple, Andrew

    2011-01-01

    Between April 2007 and November 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Central Platte Natural Resources District, collected time-domain electro-magnetic (TDEM) soundings at 14 locations in Dawson County, Nebraska. The TDEM soundings provide information pertaining to the hydrogeology at each of 23 sites at the 14 locations; 30 TDEM surface geophysical soundings were collected at the 14 locations to develop smooth and layered-earth resistivity models of the subsurface at each site. The soundings yield estimates of subsurface electrical resistivity; variations in subsurface electrical resistivity can be correlated with hydrogeologic and stratigraphic units. Results from each sounding were used to calculate resistivity to depths of approximately 90-130 meters (depending on loop size) below the land surface. Geonics Protem 47 and 57 systems, as well as the Alpha Geoscience TerraTEM, were used to collect the TDEM soundings (voltage data from which resistivity is calculated). For each sounding, voltage data were averaged and evaluated statistically before inversion (inverse modeling). Inverse modeling is the process of creating an estimate of the true distribution of subsurface resistivity from the mea-sured apparent resistivity obtained from TDEM soundings. Smooth and layered-earth models were generated for each sounding. A smooth model is a vertical delineation of calculated apparent resistivity that represents a non-unique estimate of the true resistivity. Ridge regression (Interpex Limited, 1996) was used by the inversion software in a series of iterations to create a smooth model consisting of 24-30 layers for each sounding site. Layered-earth models were then generated based on results of smooth modeling. The layered-earth models are simplified (generally 1 to 6 layers) to represent geologic units with depth. Throughout the area, the layered-earth models range from 2 to 4 layers, depending on observed inflections in the raw data and smooth model inversions. The TDEM data collected were considered good results on the basis of root mean square errors calculated after inversion modeling, comparisons with borehole geophysical logging, and repeatability.

  12. Iron aluminide useful as electrical resistance heating elements

    DOEpatents

    Sikka, V.K.; Deevi, S.C.; Fleischhauer, G.S.; Hajaligol, M.R.; Lilly, A.C. Jr.

    1997-04-15

    The invention relates generally to aluminum containing iron-base alloys useful as electrical resistance heating elements. The aluminum containing iron-base alloys have improved room temperature ductility, electrical resistivity, cyclic fatigue resistance, high temperature oxidation resistance, low and high temperature strength, and/or resistance to high temperature sagging. The alloy has an entirely ferritic microstructure which is free of austenite and includes, in weight %, over 4% Al, {<=}1% Cr and either {>=}0.05% Zr or ZrO{sub 2} stringers extending perpendicular to an exposed surface of the heating element or {>=}0.1% oxide dispersoid particles. The alloy can contain 14-32% Al, {<=}2% Ti, {<=}2% Mo, {<=}1% Zr, {<=}1% C, {<=}0.1% B, {<=}30% oxide dispersoid and/or electrically insulating or electrically conductive covalent ceramic particles, {<=}1% rare earth metal, {<=}1% oxygen, {<=}3% Cu, balance Fe. 64 figs.

  13. Electrical resistivity characteristics of diesel oil-contaminated kaolin clay and a resistivity-based detection method.

    PubMed

    Liu, Zhibin; Liu, Songyu; Cai, Yi; Fang, Wei

    2015-06-01

    As the dielectric constant and conductivity of petroleum products are different from those of the pore water in soil, the electrical resistivity characteristics of oil-contaminated soil will be changed by the corresponding oil type and content. The contaminated soil specimens were manually prepared by static compaction method in the laboratory with commercial kaolin clay and diesel oil. The water content and dry density of the first group of soil specimens were controlled at 10 % and 1.58 g/cm(3). Corresponding electrical resistivities of the contaminated specimens were measured at the curing periods of 7, 14, and 28 and 90, 120, and 210 days on a modified oedometer cell with an LCR meter. Then, the electrical resistivity characteristics of diesel oil-contaminated kaolin clay were discussed. In order to realize a resistivity-based oil detection method, the other group of oil-contaminated kaolin clay specimens was also made and tested, but the initial water content, oil content, and dry density were controlled at 0~18 %, 0~18 %, 1.30~1.95 g/cm(3), respectively. Based on the test data, a resistivity-based artificial neural network (ANN) was developed. It was found that the electrical resistivity of kaolin clay decreased with the increase of oil content. Moreover, there was a good nonlinear relationship between electrical resistivity and corresponding oil content when the water content and dry density were kept constant. The decreasing velocity of the electrical resistivity of oil-contaminated kaolin clay was higher before the oil content of 12 % than after 12 %, which indicated a transition of the soil from pore water-controlled into oil-controlled electrical resistivity characteristics. Through microstructural analysis, the decrease of electrical resistivity could be explained by the increase of saturation degree together with the collapse of the electrical double layer. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) photos indicated that the diesel oil in kaolin clay normally had three kinds of effects including oil filling, coating, and bridging. Finally, a resistivity-based ANN model was established based on the database collected from the experiment data. The performance of the model was proved to be reasonably accepted, which puts forward a possible simple, economic, and effective tool to detect the oil content in contaminated clayey soils just with four basic parameters: wet density, dry density, measured moisture content, and electrical resistivity.

  14. Effect of Structural Relaxation on the In-Plane Electrical Resistance of Oxygen-Underdoped ReBaCuO (Re = Y, Ho) Single Crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vovk, Ruslan V.; Vovk, Nikolaj R.; Dobrovolskiy, Oleksandr V.

    2014-05-01

    The effect of jumpwise temperature variation and room-temperature storing on the basal-plane electrical resistivity of underdoped ReBaCuO (Re = Y, Ho) single crystals is investigated. Reducing the oxygen content has been revealed to lead to the phase segregation accompanied by both, labile component diffusion and structural relaxation in the sample volume. Room-temperature storing of single crystals with different oxygen hypostoichiometries leads to a substantial widening of the rectilinear segment in in conjunction with a narrowing of the temperature range of existence of the pseudogap state. It is established that the excess conductivity obeys an exponential law in a broad temperature range, while the pseudogap's temperature dependence is described satisfactory in the framework of the BCS-BEC crossover theory. Substituting yttrium with holmium essentially effects the charge distribution and the effective interaction in CuO planes, thereby stimulating disordering processes in the oxygen subsystem. This is accompanied by a notable shift of the temperature zones corresponding to transitions of the metal-insulator type and to the regime of manifestation of the pseudogap anomaly.

  15. Monitoring the excavation damaged zone by three-dimensional reconstruction of electrical resistivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lesparre, Nolwenn; Gibert, Dominique; Nicollin, Florence; Nussbaum, Christophe; Adler, Andy

    2013-11-01

    A damaged zone is formed during the excavation of underground galleries, altering the rock properties. From a perspective of nuclear waste storage in deep geological sites, there is a clear interest to monitor the rock properties in such zones. We constructed electrical resistivity tomograms as a function of time to monitor the damaged area in gallery 04 of the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory (Switzerland). Measurements were performed using electrode rings surrounding the gallery. The experience showed a heterogeneous distribution of damages around the gallery and their fast formation after the excavation. Two main areas were concerned by damage formation, located in regions where the bedding was tangential to the excavated gallery. Such regions represented an extension of about 2 m along the gallery walls and reached a depth of 1.5 m. Main damages were created during the next months following the excavation process. Slight variations were still observed 3 yr after the excavation that may be related to the gallery environmental condition fluctuation. The method applied here demonstrates the interest to monitor the whole region surrounding excavated galleries dedicated to host nuclear wastes.

  16. On the origin of residual strain in shape memory alloys: experimental investigation on evolutions in the microstructure of CuAlBe during complex thermomechanical loadings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barati, M.; Arbab Chirani, S.; Kadkhodaei, M.; Saint-Sulpice, L.; Calloch, S.

    2017-02-01

    The behaviors of shape memory alloys (SMAs) strongly depend on the presence of different phases: austenite, thermally-induced martensite and stress-induced martensite. Consequently, it is important to know the phase volume fraction of each phases and their evolution during thermomechanical loadings. In this work, a three-phase proportioning method based on electric resistivity variation of a CuAlBe SMA is proposed. Simple thermomechanical loadings (i. e. pseudoplasticity and pseudoelasticity), one-way shape memory effect, recovery stress, assisted two-way memory effect at different level of stress and cyclic pseudoelasticity tests are investigated. Based on the electric resistivity results, during each loading path, evolution of the microstructure is determined. The origin of residual strain observed during the considered thermomechanical loadings is discussed. A special attention is paid to two-way shape memory effect generated after considered cyclic loadings and its relation with the developed residual strain. These results permit to identify and to validate the macroscopic models of SMAs behaviors.

  17. In situ measurement system

    DOEpatents

    Lord, D.E.

    1980-11-24

    A multipurpose in situ underground measurement system comprising a plurality of long electrical resistance elements in the form of rigid reinforcing bars, each having an open loop hairpin configuration of shorter length than the other resistance elements. The resistance elements are arranged in pairs in a unitized structure, and grouted in place in the underground volume. Measurement means are provided for obtaining for each pair the electrical resistance of each element and the difference in electrical resistance of the paired elements, which difference values may be used in analytical methods involving resistance as a function of temperature. A scanner means sequentially connects the resistance-measuring apparatus to each individual pair of elements. A source of heating current is also selectively connectable for heating the elements to an initial predetermined temperature prior to electrical resistance measurements when used as an anemometer.

  18. Application of CTLM method combining interfacial structure characterization to investigate contact formation of silver paste metallization on crystalline silicon solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiong, Shenghu; Yuan, Xiao; Tong, Hua; Yang, Yunxia; Liu, Cui; Ye, Xiaojun; Li, Yongsheng; Wang, Xianhao; Luo, Lan

    2018-04-01

    Circular transmission line model (CTLM) measurements were applied to study the contact formation mechanism of the silver paste metallization on n-type emitter of crystalline silicon solar cells. The electrical performance parameters ρc,Rsk , and Lt , which are related to the physical and chemical states of the multiphase materials at the interface, were extracted from the CTLM measurements, and were found to be sensitive to sintering temperature. As the temperature increased from 585 °C to 780 °C, initially the ρc value decreased rapidly, then flattened out and increased slightly. The order of resistivity magnitude was restricted by the SiNx passivation layer in the early sintering stages, and relied on the carrier tunneling probability affected by the precipitated silver crystallites or colloids, emitter doping concentration and molten glass layer. Based on the calculations that the sheet resistance underneath the electrode was reduced form 110 Ω / □ to 0.186 Ω / □ , it could be inferred that there was formation of a highly conductive layer of silver crystallites and colloids contained glass on the emitter. The transfer length Lt exhibited a U-shaped variation along with the temperature, reflecting the variation of the interfacial electrical properties. Overall, this article shows that the CTLM method can become a new powerful tool for researchers to meet the challenges of silver paste metallization innovation for manufacturing high-efficiency silicon solar cells.

  19. Macro- and microscopic properties of strontium doped indium oxide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nikolaenko, Y. M.; Kuzovlev, Y. E.; Medvedev, Y. V.; Mezin, N. I.; Fasel, C.; Gurlo, A.; Schlicker, L.; Bayer, T. J. M.; Genenko, Y. A.

    2014-07-01

    Solid state synthesis and physical mechanisms of electrical conductivity variation in polycrystalline, strontium doped indium oxide In2O3:(SrO)x were investigated for materials with different doping levels at different temperatures (T = 20-300 °C) and ambient atmosphere content including humidity and low pressure. Gas sensing ability of these compounds as well as the sample resistance appeared to increase by 4 and 8 orders of the magnitude, respectively, with the doping level increase from zero up to x = 10%. The conductance variation due to doping is explained by two mechanisms: acceptor-like electrical activity of Sr as a point defect and appearance of an additional phase of SrIn2O4. An unusual property of high level (x = 10%) doped samples is a possibility of extraordinarily large and fast oxygen exchange with ambient atmosphere at not very high temperatures (100-200 °C). This peculiarity is explained by friable structure of crystallite surface. Friable structure provides relatively fast transition of samples from high to low resistive state at the expense of high conductance of the near surface layer of the grains. Microscopic study of the electro-diffusion process at the surface of oxygen deficient samples allowed estimation of the diffusion coefficient of oxygen vacancies in the friable surface layer at room temperature as 3 × 10-13 cm2/s, which is by one order of the magnitude smaller than that known for amorphous indium oxide films.

  20. Experimental investigation into the coupling effects of magnetic field, temperature and pressure on electrical resistivity of non-oriented silicon steel sheet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, Lijun; Yu, Guodong; Zou, Jibin; Xu, Yongxiang

    2018-05-01

    In order to analyze the performance of magnetic device which operate at high temperature and high pressure, such as submersible motor, oil well transformer, the electrical resistivity of non-oriented silicon steel sheets is necessary for precise analysis. But the reports of the examination of the measuring method suitable for high temperature up to 180 °C and high pressure up to 140 MPa are few. In this paper, a measurement system based on four-probe method and Archimedes spiral shape measurement specimens is proposed. The measurement system is suitable for measuring the electrical resistivity of unconventional specimens under high temperature and high pressure and can simultaneously consider the influence of the magnetic field on the electrical resistivity. It can be seen that the electrical resistivity of the non-oriented silicon steel sheets will fluctuate instantaneously when the magnetic field perpendicular to the conductive path of the specimens is loaded or removed. The amplitude and direction of the fluctuation are not constant. Without considering the effects of fluctuations, the electrical resistivity of the non-oriented silicon steel sheets is the same when the magnetic field is loaded or removed. And the influence of temperature on the electrical resistivity of the non-oriented silicon steel sheet is still the greatest even though the temperature and the pressure are coupled together. The measurement results also show that the electrical resistivity varies linearly with temperature, so the temperature coefficient of resistivity is given in the paper.

  1. Electrical structures in the northwest margin of the Junggar basin: Implications for its late Paleozoic geodynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Sheng; Xu, Yixian; Jiang, Li; Yang, Bo; Liu, Ying; Griffin, W. L.; Luo, Yong; Huang, Rong; Zhou, Yong; Zhang, Liangliang

    2017-10-01

    Recent geological, geochemical and geophysical data have inclined to support the presence of a remnant Paleozoic oceanic lithosphere beneath the Western Junggar, southwestern Chinese Altaids. However, regional high-resolution geophysical data have been rarely deployed to image its geometry, making it difficult to trace its evolution and final geodynamic setting. Presently, two magnetotelluric (MT) profiles are deployed across the northwest margin of the Junggar basin and the southern Darbut belt to image the electrical structure of the crust and lithospheric mantle. High-quality data at 102 sites and the quasi-2D indications of phase tensor skew angles and impedance phase ellipses for relatively short periods (up to 500 s) allow us to invert the two profile data by a 2-D scheme. The resistivity cross-section of a NW-SE striking LINE2 sheds light on a fossil intraoceanic subduction system, and reveals the Miaoergou intrusions as a bowl-like pluton, indicating that the multi-phase intrusions primarily formed in a post-collisional setting. The resistivity cross-section of striking NE-SW LINE1 reveals a possible oceanic slab with relatively lower resistivity underlying the low-resistivity sedimentary strata and high-resistivity mélange. Given that the profile of LINE1 cuts the out-rise zone of a subducted slab developed during the late Paleozoic, the 2-D resistivity model may thus represent the zone that have experienced heterogeneous deformation, reflecting subduction with barrier variation parallel to the ancient trench. Moreover, as shown in previous results, the new MT data also illustrate that the Darbut Fault is a thin-skinned structure, which has been erased at depths during the subsequent magmatism.

  2. An evaluation of the applicability of the telluric-electric and audio-magnetotelluric methods to mineral assessment on the Arabian Shield, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Flanigan, Vincent J.; Zablocki, Charles J.

    1984-01-01

    Feasibility studies of two electromagnetic methods were made in selected areas of the Jabal Hibshi (1:250,000) quadrangle, 26F, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in March of 1983. The methods tested were the natural source-field telluricelectric and audio-magnetotelluric methods developed and extensively used in recent years by the U.S. Geological Survey in some of its domestic programs related to geothermal and mineral resource assessment. Results from limited studies in the Meshaheed district, the Jabal as Silsilah ring complex, and across a portion of the Raha fault zone clearly demonstrate the appropriateness of these sub-regional scale, reconnaissance-type studies to mineral resource assessment. The favorable results obtained are largely attributed to distinctive and large contrasts in the electrical resistivity of the major rock types encountered. It appears that the predominant controlling factor governing the rock resistivities is the amount of contained clay minerals. Accordingly, unaltered (specifically, non-argillic) igneous and metamorphic rocks have very high resistivities; metasedimentary rocks of the Murdama group that contain several percent clay minerals have intermediate values of resistivity; and highly altered rocks, containing abundant clay minerals, have very low values of resistivity. Water-filled fracture porosity may be a secondary, but important, factor in some settings. However, influences from variations in interstitial or intercrystalline, water-filled porosity are probably small because these types of porosity are generally low. It is reasonable to expect similar results in other areas within the Arabian Shield.

  3. Impact of small-scale saline tracer heterogeneity on electrical resistivity monitoring in fully and partially saturated porous media: Insights from geoelectrical milli-fluidic experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jougnot, Damien; Jiménez-Martínez, Joaquín; Legendre, Raphaël; Le Borgne, Tanguy; Méheust, Yves; Linde, Niklas

    2018-03-01

    Time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is a geophysical method widely used to remotely monitor the migration of electrically-conductive tracers and contaminant plumes in the subsurface. Interpretations of time-lapse ERT inversion results are generally based on the assumption of a homogeneous solute concentration below the resolution limits of the tomogram depicting inferred electrical conductivity variations. We suggest that ignoring small-scale solute concentration variability (i.e., at the sub-resolution scale) is a major reason for the often-observed apparent loss of solute mass in ERT tracer studies. To demonstrate this, we developed a geoelectrical milli-fluidic setup where the bulk electric conductivity of a 2D analogous porous medium, consisting of cylindrical grains positioned randomly inside a Hele-Shaw cell, is monitored continuously in time while saline tracer tests are performed through the medium under fully and partially saturated conditions. High resolution images of the porous medium are recorded with a camera at regular time intervals, and provide both the spatial distribution of the fluid phases (aqueous solution and air), and the saline solute concentration field (where the solute consists of a mixture of salt and fluorescein, the latter being used as a proxy for the salt concentration). Effective bulk electrical conductivities computed numerically from the measured solute concentration field and the spatial distributions of fluid phases agree well with the measured bulk conductivities. We find that the effective bulk electrical conductivity is highly influenced by the connectivity of high electrical conductivity regions. The spatial distribution of air, saline tracer fingering, and mixing phenomena drive temporal changes in the effective bulk electrical conductivity by creating preferential paths or barriers for electrical current at the pore-scale. The resulting heterogeneities in the solute concentrations lead to strong anisotropy of the effective bulk electrical conductivity, especially for partially saturated conditions. We highlight how these phenomena contribute to the typically large apparent mass loss observed when conducting field-scale time-lapse ERT.

  4. A detection method of subrecent to recent tectonic activity in the anticlinal system of the northern Negev, Israel

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

    Zilberman, E.; Wachs, D.

    Geomorphological and geophysical methods combined with borehole information were employed to search for possible subrecent small-scale vertical movement along the anticlinal fold belt of the central Negev, Israel. Such tectonic deformation might indicate displacement on the buried reverse faults underneath the anticlines. Variations in the thickness of the alluvial fill in the study area, which are in accordance with the fold structures, could be an indication of recent folding activity along the anticlinal system. In order to detect these thickness variations in the alluvial fill, seismic refraction and electrical resistivity measurements were carries out along the valley of Nahal Besor,more » which crosses the anticlinal belt. The thickness variations of the alluvial fill along the valley were not found to indicate any significant tectonic movement along the anticlines during the Pleistocene. The thickest alluvium was found overlying a karst bedrock, hence karst relief is suggested to be responsible for these variations.« less

  5. Electrical test prediction using hybrid metrology and machine learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Breton, Mary; Chao, Robin; Muthinti, Gangadhara Raja; de la Peña, Abraham A.; Simon, Jacques; Cepler, Aron J.; Sendelbach, Matthew; Gaudiello, John; Emans, Susan; Shifrin, Michael; Etzioni, Yoav; Urenski, Ronen; Lee, Wei Ti

    2017-03-01

    Electrical test measurement in the back-end of line (BEOL) is crucial for wafer and die sorting as well as comparing intended process splits. Any in-line, nondestructive technique in the process flow to accurately predict these measurements can significantly improve mean-time-to-detect (MTTD) of defects and improve cycle times for yield and process learning. Measuring after BEOL metallization is commonly done for process control and learning, particularly with scatterometry (also called OCD (Optical Critical Dimension)), which can solve for multiple profile parameters such as metal line height or sidewall angle and does so within patterned regions. This gives scatterometry an advantage over inline microscopy-based techniques, which provide top-down information, since such techniques can be insensitive to sidewall variations hidden under the metal fill of the trench. But when faced with correlation to electrical test measurements that are specific to the BEOL processing, both techniques face the additional challenge of sampling. Microscopy-based techniques are sampling-limited by their small probe size, while scatterometry is traditionally limited (for microprocessors) to scribe targets that mimic device ground rules but are not necessarily designed to be electrically testable. A solution to this sampling challenge lies in a fast reference-based machine learning capability that allows for OCD measurement directly of the electrically-testable structures, even when they are not OCD-compatible. By incorporating such direct OCD measurements, correlation to, and therefore prediction of, resistance of BEOL electrical test structures is significantly improved. Improvements in prediction capability for multiple types of in-die electrically-testable device structures is demonstrated. To further improve the quality of the prediction of the electrical resistance measurements, hybrid metrology using the OCD measurements as well as X-ray metrology (XRF) is used. Hybrid metrology is the practice of combining information from multiple sources in order to enable or improve the measurement of one or more critical parameters. Here, the XRF measurements are used to detect subtle changes in barrier layer composition and thickness that can have second-order effects on the electrical resistance of the test structures. By accounting for such effects with the aid of the X-ray-based measurements, further improvement in the OCD correlation to electrical test measurements is achieved. Using both types of solution incorporation of fast reference-based machine learning on nonOCD-compatible test structures, and hybrid metrology combining OCD with XRF technology improvement in BEOL cycle time learning could be accomplished through improved prediction capability.

  6. Lipid and moisture content modeling of amphidromous Dolly Varden using bioelectrical impedance analysis

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stolarski, J.T.; Margraf, F.J.; Carlson, J.G.; Sutton, T.M.

    2014-01-01

    The physiological well-being or condition of fish is most commonly estimated from aspects of individual morphology. However, these metrics may be only weakly correlated with nutritional reserves stored as lipid, the primary form of accumulated energy in fish. We constructed and evaluated bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) models as an alternative method of assessing condition in amphidromous Dolly Varden Salvelinus malma collected from nearshore estuarine and lotic habitats of the Alaskan Arctic. Data on electrical resistance and reactance were collected from the lateral and ventral surfaces of 192 fish, and whole-body percent lipid and moisture content were determined using standard laboratory methods. Significant inverse relationships between temperature and resistance and reactance prompted the standardization of these data to a constant temperature using corrective equations developed herein. No significant differences in resistance or reactance were detected among spawning and nonspawning females after accounting for covariates, suggesting that electrical pathways do not intersect the gonads. Best-fit BIA models incorporating electrical variables calculated from the lateral and ventral surfaces produced the strongest associations between observed and model-predicted estimates of proximate content. These models explained between 6% and 20% more of the variability in laboratory-derived estimates of proximate content than models developed from single-surface BIA data and 32% more than models containing only length and weight data. While additional research is required to address the potential effects of methodological variation, bioelectrical impedance analysis shows promise as a way to provide high-quality, minimally invasive estimates of Dolly Varden lipid or moisture content in the field with only small increases in handling time.

  7. Corrosion resistant PEM fuel cell

    DOEpatents

    Fronk, Matthew Howard; Borup, Rodney Lynn; Hulett, Jay S.; Brady, Brian K.; Cunningham, Kevin M.

    2011-06-07

    A PEM fuel cell having electrical contact elements comprising a corrosion-susceptible substrate metal coated with an electrically conductive, corrosion-resistant polymer containing a plurality of electrically conductive, corrosion-resistant filler particles. The substrate may have an oxidizable metal first layer (e.g., stainless steel) underlying the polymer coating.

  8. Corrosion resistant PEM fuel cell

    DOEpatents

    Fronk, Matthew Howard; Borup, Rodney Lynn; Hulett, Jay S.; Brady, Brian K.; Cunningham, Kevin M.

    2002-01-01

    A PEM fuel cell having electrical contact elements comprising a corrosion-susceptible substrate metal coated with an electrically conductive, corrosion-resistant polymer containing a plurality of electrically conductive, corrosion-resistant filler particles. The substrate may have an oxidizable metal first layer (e.g., stainless steel) underlying the polymer coating.

  9. 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

  10. Structural, magnetic, optical, dielectric, electrical and modulus spectroscopic characteristics of ZnFe2O4 spinel ferrite nanoparticles synthesized via honey-mediated sol-gel combustion method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yadav, Raghvendra Singh; Kuřitka, Ivo; Vilcakova, Jarmila; Urbánek, Pavel; Machovsky, Michal; Masař, Milan; Holek, Martin

    2017-11-01

    This paper reports a honey-mediated green synthesis of ZnFe2O4 spinel ferrite nanoparticles and the effect of further annealing on structural, magnetic, optical, dielectric and electrical properties. X-ray diffraction study confirmed the well formation of ZnFe2O4 spinel ferrite crystal structure. Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the formation of spinel ferrite crystal structure. The scanning electron microscopy study revealed the formation of spherical morphology at lower annealing temperature with achieved particle size 30-60 nm, whereas, octahedral like morphology at higher annealing temperature with particle size 50-400 nm. Magnetization measurements were carried out using a vibrating sample magnetometer at room temperature. The estimated magnetic parameter such as saturation magnetization (Ms), remanence (Mr) and coercivity (Hc) showed variation in value with nano-crystallite size. The highest saturation magnetization (Ms) was 12.81 emu/g for as-synthesized ZnFe2O4 spinel ferrite nanoparticles, whereas, highest coercivity (Hc) was 25.77 Oe for ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles annealed at high temperature 1000 °C. UV-Visible reflectance spectroscopy showed the band gap variation from 1.90 eV to 2.14 eV with the increase of annealing temperature. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss were decreased with frequency showing the normal behavior of spinel ferrites. The variation in conductivity is explained in terms of the variation in microstructure and variation in the mobility of charge carriers associated with the cation redistribution induced by annealing or grain size. The modulus and impedance spectroscopy study revealed the influence of bulk grain and the grain boundary on the electrical resistance and capacitance of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles. The results presented in this work are helpful for green synthesis of well-controlled size, morphology and physical properties of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles.

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

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2017-06-01

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

  12. Iron aluminide useful as electrical resistance heating elements

    DOEpatents

    Sikka, Vinod K.; Deevi, Seetharama C.; Fleischhauer, Grier S.; Hajaligol, Mohammad R.; Lilly, Jr., A. Clifton

    1997-01-01

    The invention relates generally to aluminum containing iron-base alloys useful as electrical resistance heating elements. The aluminum containing iron-base alloys have improved room temperature ductility, electrical resistivity, cyclic fatigue resistance, high temperature oxidation resistance, low and high temperature strength, and/or resistance to high temperature sagging. The alloy has an entirely ferritic microstructure which is free of austenite and includes, in weight %, over 4% Al, .ltoreq.1% Cr and either .gtoreq.0.05% Zr or ZrO.sub.2 stringers extending perpendicular to an exposed surface of the heating element or .gtoreq.0.1% oxide dispersoid particles. The alloy can contain 14-32% Al, .ltoreq.2% Ti, .ltoreq.2% Mo, .ltoreq.1% Zr, .ltoreq.1% C, .ltoreq.0.1% B, .ltoreq.30% oxide dispersoid and/or electrically insulating or electrically conductive covalent ceramic particles, .ltoreq.1% rare earth metal, .ltoreq.1% oxygen, .ltoreq.3% Cu, balance Fe.

  13. Iron aluminide useful as electrical resistance heating elements

    DOEpatents

    Sikka, Vinod K.; Deevi, Seetharama C.; Fleischhauer, Grier S.; Hajaligol, Mohammad R.; Lilly, Jr., A. Clifton

    1999-01-01

    The invention relates generally to aluminum containing iron-base alloys useful as electrical resistance heating elements. The aluminum containing iron-base alloys have improved room temperature ductility, electrical resistivity, cyclic fatigue resistance, high temperature oxidation resistance, low and high temperature strength, and/or resistance to high temperature sagging. The alloy has an entirely ferritic microstructure which is free of austenite and includes, in weight %, over 4% Al, .ltoreq.1% Cr and either .gtoreq.0.05% Zr or ZrO.sub.2 stringers extending perpendicular to an exposed surface of the heating element or .gtoreq.0.1% oxide dispersoid particles. The alloy can contain 14-32% Al, .ltoreq.2% Ti, .ltoreq.2% Mo, .ltoreq.1% Zr, .ltoreq.1% C, .ltoreq.0.1% B, .ltoreq.30% oxide dispersoid and/or electrically insulating or electrically conductive covalent ceramic particles, .ltoreq.1% rare earth metal, .ltoreq.1% oxygen, .ltoreq.3% Cu, balance Fe.

  14. Iron aluminide useful as electrical resistance heating elements

    DOEpatents

    Sikka, Vinod K.; Deevi, Seetharama C.; Fleischhauer, Grier S.; Hajaligol, Mohammad R.; Lilly, Jr., A. Clifton

    2001-01-01

    The invention relates generally to aluminum containing iron-base alloys useful as electrical resistance heating elements. The aluminum containing iron-base alloys have improved room temperature ductility, electrical resistivity, cyclic fatigue resistance, high temperature oxidation resistance, low and high temperature strength, and/or resistance to high temperature sagging. The alloy has an entirely ferritic microstructure which is free of austenite and includes, in weight %, over 4% Al, .ltoreq.1% Cr and either .gtoreq.0.05% Zr or ZrO.sub.2 stringers extending perpendicular to an exposed surface of the heating element or .gtoreq.0.1% oxide dispersoid particles. The alloy can contain 14-32% Al, .ltoreq.2% Ti, .ltoreq.2% Mo, .ltoreq.1% Zr, .ltoreq.1% C, .ltoreq.0.1% B, .ltoreq.30% oxide dispersoid and/or electrically insulating or electrically conductive covalent ceramic particles, .ltoreq.1% rare earth metal, .ltoreq.1% oxygen, .ltoreq.3% Cu, balance Fe.

  15. Restrictive loads powered by separate or by common electrical sources

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Appelbaum, J.

    1989-01-01

    In designing a multiple load electrical system, the designer may wish to compare the performance of two setups: a common electrical source powering all loads, or separate electrical sources powering individual loads. Three types of electrical sources: an ideal voltage source, an ideal current source, and solar cell source powering resistive loads were analyzed for their performances in separate and common source systems. A mathematical proof is given, for each case, indicating the merit of the separate or common source system. The main conclusions are: (1) identical resistive loads powered by ideal voltage sources perform the same in both system setups, (2) nonidentical resistive loads powered by ideal voltage sources perform the same in both system setups, (3) nonidentical resistive loads powered by ideal current sources have higher performance in separate source systems, and (4) nonidentical resistive loads powered by solar cells have higher performance in a common source system for a wide range of load resistances.

  16. Surface electric fields for North America during historical geomagnetic storms

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wei, Lisa H.; Homeier, Nichole; Gannon, Jennifer L.

    2013-01-01

    To better understand the impact of geomagnetic disturbances on the electric grid, we recreate surface electric fields from two historical geomagnetic storms—the 1989 “Quebec” storm and the 2003 “Halloween” storms. Using the Spherical Elementary Current Systems method, we interpolate sparsely distributed magnetometer data across North America. We find good agreement between the measured and interpolated data, with larger RMS deviations at higher latitudes corresponding to larger magnetic field variations. The interpolated magnetic field data are combined with surface impedances for 25 unique physiographic regions from the United States Geological Survey and literature to estimate the horizontal, orthogonal surface electric fields in 1 min time steps. The induced horizontal electric field strongly depends on the local surface impedance, resulting in surprisingly strong electric field amplitudes along the Atlantic and Gulf Coast. The relative peak electric field amplitude of each physiographic region, normalized to the value in the Interior Plains region, varies by a factor of 2 for different input magnetic field time series. The order of peak electric field amplitudes (largest to smallest), however, does not depend much on the input. These results suggest that regions at lower magnetic latitudes with high ground resistivities are also at risk from the effect of geomagnetically induced currents. The historical electric field time series are useful for estimating the flow of the induced currents through long transmission lines to study power flow and grid stability during geomagnetic disturbances.

  17. 46 CFR 111.01-11 - Corrosion-resistant parts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Corrosion-resistant parts. 111.01-11 Section 111.01-11 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-11 Corrosion-resistant parts. Each enclosure and part of electric...

  18. 46 CFR 111.01-11 - Corrosion-resistant parts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Corrosion-resistant parts. 111.01-11 Section 111.01-11 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-11 Corrosion-resistant parts. Each enclosure and part of electric...

  19. 46 CFR 111.01-11 - Corrosion-resistant parts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Corrosion-resistant parts. 111.01-11 Section 111.01-11 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-11 Corrosion-resistant parts. Each enclosure and part of electric...

  20. 46 CFR 111.01-11 - Corrosion-resistant parts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Corrosion-resistant parts. 111.01-11 Section 111.01-11 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-11 Corrosion-resistant parts. Each enclosure and part of electric...

  1. Imaging of Ground Ice with Surface-Based Geophysics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-10-01

    terrains. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), in particular, has been effective for imaging ground ice. ERT measures the ability of materials to...13 2.2.1 Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT...Engineer Research and Development Center ERT Electrical Resistivity Tomography GPS Global Positioning System LiDAR Light Detection and Ranging SIPRE

  2. 46 CFR 111.01-11 - Corrosion-resistant parts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Corrosion-resistant parts. 111.01-11 Section 111.01-11 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-11 Corrosion-resistant parts. Each enclosure and part of electric...

  3. Electrical Resistivity Measurements: a Review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Yadunath

    World-wide interest on the use of ceramic materials for aerospace and other advanced engineering applications, has led to the need for inspection techniques capable of detecting unusually electrical and thermal anomalies in these compounds. Modern ceramic materials offer many attractive physical, electrical and mechanical properties for a wide and rapidly growing range of industrial applications; moreover specific use may be made of their electrical resistance, chemical resistance, and thermal barrier properties. In this review, we report the development and various techniques for the resistivity measurement of solid kind of samples.

  4. High-Temperature Electromechanical Characterization of AlN Single Crystals.

    PubMed

    Kim, Taeyang; Kim, Jinwook; Dalmau, Rafael; Schlesser, Raoul; Preble, Edward; Jiang, Xiaoning

    2015-10-01

    Hexagonal AlN is a non-ferroelectric material and does not have any phase transition up to its melting point (>2000°C), which indicates the potential use of AlN for high-temperature sensing. In this work, the elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric constants of AlN single crystals were investigated at elevated temperatures up to 1000°C by the resonance method. We used resonators of five different modes to obtain a complete set of material constants of AlN single crystals. The electrical resistivity of AlN at elevated temperature (1000°C) was found to be greater than 5 × 10(10) Ω · cm. The resonance frequency of the resonators, which was mainly determined by the elastic compliances, decreased linearly with increasing temperature, and was characterized by a relatively low temperature coefficient of frequency, in the range of -20 to -36 ppm/°C. For all the investigated resonator modes, the elastic constants and the electromechanical coupling factors exhibited excellent temperature stability, with small variations over the full temperature range, <11.2% and <17%, respectively. Of particular significance is that due to the pyroelectricity of AlN, both the dielectric and the piezoelectric constants had high thermal resistivity even at extreme high temperature (1000°C). Therefore, high electrical resistivity, temperature independence of electromechanical properties, as well as high thermal resistivity of the elastic, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties, suggest that AlN single crystals are a promising candidate for high-temperature piezoelectric sensing applications.

  5. CD uniformity control for thick resist process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Chi-hao; Liu, Yu-Lin; Wang, Weihung; Yang, Mars; Yang, Elvis; Yang, T. H.; Chen, K. C.

    2017-03-01

    In order to meet the increasing storage capacity demand and reduce bit cost of NAND flash memories, 3D stacked flash cell array has been proposed. In constructing 3D NAND flash memories, the higher bit number per area is achieved by increasing the number of stacked layers. Thus the so-called "staircase" patterning to form electrical connection between memory cells and word lines has become one of the primarily critical processes in 3D memory manufacture. To provide controllable critical dimension (CD) with good uniformity involving thick photo-resist has also been of particular concern for staircase patterning. The CD uniformity control has been widely investigated with relatively thinner resist associated with resolution limit dimension but thick resist coupling with wider dimension. This study explores CD uniformity control associated with thick photo-resist processing. Several critical parameters including exposure focus, exposure dose, baking condition, pattern size and development recipe, were found to strongly correlate with the thick photo-resist profile accordingly affecting the CD uniformity control. To minimize the within-wafer CD variation, the slightly tapered resist profile is proposed through well tailoring the exposure focus and dose together with optimal development recipe. Great improvements on DCD (ADI CD) and ECD (AEI CD) uniformity as well as line edge roughness were achieved through the optimization of photo resist profile.

  6. A Geophysical Characterization & Monitoring Strategy for Determining Hydrologic Processes in the Hyporheic Corridor at the Hanford 300-Area

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

    Slater, Lee; Day-Lewis, Frederick; Lane, John

    2011-08-31

    The primary objective of this research was to advance the prediction of solute transport between the Uranium contaminated Hanford aquifer and the Columbia River at the Hanford 300 Area by improving understanding of how fluctuations in river stage, combined with subsurface heterogeneity, impart spatiotemporal complexity to solute exchange along the Columbia River corridor. Our work explored the use of continuous waterborne electrical imaging (CWEI), in conjunction with fiber-optic distributed temperature sensor (FO-DTS) and time-lapse resistivity monitoring, to improve the conceptual model for how groundwater/surface water exchange regulates uranium transport. We also investigated how resistivity and induced polarization can be usedmore » to generate spatially rich estimates of the variation in depth to the Hanford-Ringold (H-R) contact between the river and the 300 Area Integrated Field Research Challenge (IFRC) site. Inversion of the CWEI datasets (a data rich survey containing {approx}60,000 measurements) provided predictions of the distributions of electrical resistivity and polarizability, from which the spatial complexity of the primary hydrogeologic units along the river corridor was reconstructed. Variation in the depth to the interface between the overlying coarse-grained, high permeability Hanford Formation and the underlying finer-grained, less permeable Ringold Formation, an important contact that limits vertical migration of contaminants, has been resolved along {approx}3 km of the river corridor centered on the IFRC site in the Hanford 300 Area. Spatial variability in the thickness of the Hanford Formation captured in the CWEI datasets indicates that previous studies based on borehole projections and drive-point and multi-level sampling likely overestimate the contributing area for uranium exchange within the Columbia River at the Hanford 300 Area. Resistivity and induced polarization imaging between the river and the 300 Area IFRC further imaged spatial variability in the depth to the Hanford-Ringold inland over a critical region where borehole information is absent, identifying evidence for a continuous depression in the H-R contact between the IFRC and the river corridor. Strong natural contrasts in temperature and specific conductance of river water compared to groundwater at this site, along with periodic river stage fluctuations driven by dam operations, were exploited to yield new insights into the dynamics of groundwater-surface water interaction. Whereas FO-DTS datasets have provided meter-scale measurements of focused groundwater discharge at the riverbed along the corridor, continuous resistivity monitoring has non-invasively imaged spatiotemporal variation in the resistivity inland driven by river stage fluctuations. Time series and time-frequency analysis of FO-DTS and 3D resistivity datasets has provided insights into the role of forcing variables, primarily daily dam operations, in regulating the occurrence of focused exchange at the riverbed and its extension inland. High amplitudes in the DTS and 3D resistivity signals for long periods that dominate the stage time series identify regions along the corridor where stage-driven exchange is preferentially focused. Our work has demonstrated how time-series analysis of both time-lapse resistivity and DTS datasets, in conjunction with resistivity/IP imaging of lithology, can improve understanding of groundwater-surface water exchange along river corridors, offering unique opportunities to connect stage-driven groundwater discharge observed with DTS on the riverbed to stage-driven groundwater and solute fluctuations captured with resistivity inland.« less

  7. FINAL PROJECT REPORT: A Geophysical Characterization & Monitoring Strategy for Determining Hydrologic Processes in the Hyporheic Corridor at the Hanford 300-Area

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

    Lee Slater

    2011-08-15

    The primary objective of this research was to advance the prediction of solute transport between the Uranium contaminated Hanford aquifer and the Columbia River at the Hanford 300 Area by improving understanding of how fluctuations in river stage, combined with subsurface heterogeneity, impart spatiotemporal complexity to solute exchange along the Columbia River corridor. Our work explored the use of continuous waterborne electrical imaging (CWEI), in conjunction with fiber-optic distributed temperature sensor (FO-DTS) and time-lapse resistivity monitoring, to improve the conceptual model for how groundwater/surface water exchange regulates uranium transport. We also investigated how resistivity and induced polarization can be usedmore » to generate spatially rich estimates of the variation in depth to the Hanford-Ringold (H-R) contact between the river and the 300 Area Integrated Field Research Challenge (IFRC) site. Inversion of the CWEI datasets (a data rich survey containing ~60,000 measurements) provided predictions of the distributions of electrical resistivity and polarizability, from which the spatial complexity of the primary hydrogeologic units along the river corridor was reconstructed. Variation in the depth to the interface between the overlying coarse-grained, high permeability Hanford Formation and the underlying finer-grained, less permeable Ringold Formation, an important contact that limits vertical migration of contaminants, has been resolved along ~3 km of the river corridor centered on the IFRC site in the Hanford 300 Area. Spatial variability in the thickness of the Hanford Formation captured in the CWEI datasets indicates that previous studies based on borehole projections and drive-point and multi-level sampling likely overestimate the contributing area for uranium exchange within the Columbia River at the Hanford 300 Area. Resistivity and induced polarization imaging between the river and the 300 Area IFRC further imaged spatial variability in the depth to the Hanford-Ringold inland over a critical region where borehole information is absent, identifying evidence for a continuous depression in the H-R contact between the IFRC and the river corridor. Strong natural contrasts in temperature and specific conductance of river water compared to groundwater at this site, along with periodic river stage fluctuations driven by dam operations, were exploited to yield new insights into the dynamics of groundwater-surface water interaction. Whereas FO-DTS datasets have provided meter-scale measurements of focused groundwater discharge at the riverbed along the corridor, continuous resistivity monitoring has non-invasively imaged spatiotemporal variation in the resistivity inland driven by river stage fluctuations. Time series and time-frequency analysis of FO-DTS and 3D resistivity datasets has provided insights into the role of forcing variables, primarily daily dam operations, in regulating the occurrence of focused exchange at the riverbed and its extension inland. High amplitudes in the DTS and 3D resistivity signals for long periods that dominate the stage time series identify regions along the corridor where stage-driven exchange is preferentially focused. Our work has demonstrated how time-series analysis of both time-lapse resistivity and DTS datasets, in conjunction with resistivity/IP imaging of lithology, can improve understanding of groundwater-surface water exchange along river corridors, offering unique opportunities to connect stage-driven groundwater discharge observed with DTS on the riverbed to stage-driven groundwater and solute fluctuations captured with resistivity inland.« less

  8. Evaluating the Sources of Graphene’s Resistivity Using Differential Conductance

    DOE PAGES

    Somphonsane, R.; Ramamoorthy, H.; He, G.; ...

    2017-09-04

    We explore the contributions to the electrical resistance of monolayer and bilayer graphene, revealing transitions between different regimes of charge carrier scattering. In monolayer graphene at low densities, a nonmonotonic variation of the resistance is observed as a function of temperature. Such behaviour is consistent with the influence of scattering from screened Coulomb impurities. At higher densities, the resistance instead varies in a manner consistent with the influence of scattering from acoustic and optical phonons. The crossover from phonon-, to charged-impurity, limited conduction occurs once the concentration of gate-induced carriers is reduced below that of the residual carriers. In bilayermore » graphene, the resistance exhibits a monotonic decrease with increasing temperature for all densities, with the importance of short-range impurity scattering resulting in a “universal” density-independent (scaled) conductivity at high densities. At lower densities, the conductivity deviates from this universal curve, pointing to the importance of thermal activation of carriers out of charge puddles. These various assignments, in both systems, are made possible by an approach of “differential-conductance mapping”, which allows us to suppress quantum corrections to reveal the underlying mechanisms governing the resistivity.« less

  9. Evaluating the Sources of Graphene’s Resistivity Using Differential Conductance

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

    Somphonsane, R.; Ramamoorthy, H.; He, G.

    We explore the contributions to the electrical resistance of monolayer and bilayer graphene, revealing transitions between different regimes of charge carrier scattering. In monolayer graphene at low densities, a nonmonotonic variation of the resistance is observed as a function of temperature. Such behaviour is consistent with the influence of scattering from screened Coulomb impurities. At higher densities, the resistance instead varies in a manner consistent with the influence of scattering from acoustic and optical phonons. The crossover from phonon-, to charged-impurity, limited conduction occurs once the concentration of gate-induced carriers is reduced below that of the residual carriers. In bilayermore » graphene, the resistance exhibits a monotonic decrease with increasing temperature for all densities, with the importance of short-range impurity scattering resulting in a “universal” density-independent (scaled) conductivity at high densities. At lower densities, the conductivity deviates from this universal curve, pointing to the importance of thermal activation of carriers out of charge puddles. These various assignments, in both systems, are made possible by an approach of “differential-conductance mapping”, which allows us to suppress quantum corrections to reveal the underlying mechanisms governing the resistivity.« less

  10. The Electrical Resistivity Structure of the Eastern Anatolian Collision Zone, Northeastern Anatolia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cengiz, Özlem; Tuǧrul Başokur, Ahmet; Tolak Çiftçi, Elif

    2016-04-01

    The Northeastern Anatolia is located at the intensely deformed Eastern Anatolian Collision Zone (EACZ), and its tectonic framework is characterized by the collision of the Arabian plate with Eurasian. Although extensive attention is given to understand the crustal and upper mantle processes at this convergent boundary, there is still an ongoing debate over the geodynamic processes of the region. In this study, we were specifically interested in the geoelectric properties and thus geodynamics of the crust beneath the EACZ. Magnetotelluric (MT) measurements were made on two profiles across the north of the EACZ in 1998 as part of a national project undertaken by the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO). MT data in the frequency range of 300-0.001 Hz were collected from 168 stations located along 78 km north to south and 47 km west to east profiles where direct convergence occurs between Arabian and Eurasian plates. Two and three-dimensional inversion algorithms were used to obtain resistivity models of the study area. According to these models, the upper crust consists of low resistivity sedimentary rocks (<30 Ωm) that are underlain by highly resistive (~500-1000 Ωm) crystalline basement rocks of the Eastern Anatolian Accretionary Complex and Pontides. While the upper and lower crustal resistivity at the northern part of the study area shows a layered structure, significant horizontal and vertical variations for the rest of the EACZ exists on resistivity models. The broad low resistivity zones (<50 Ωm) observed at mid and lower crustal levels throughout the EACZ. These fluid-rich regions along with high temperatures could indicate weak zones representing the locations of active deformation induced by continent-continent collision and correlate with volcanic centers in the region. The variation in the resistivity structure supports the southward subduction model with the resistive continental block and the deep conductive zones presumably corresponding to the oceanic crust.

  11. Experimental investigations on potassium permanganate doped polyvinyl alcohol - polyvinyl pyrrolidone blend

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Veena, G.; Lobo, Blaise

    2018-04-01

    Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) doped polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) - polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) blend films were prepared by solution casting technique, in the doping range varying from 0.01 wt % up to 4.70 wt %. The microstructural changes caused by doping, and the modified properties of these films were studied using Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and temperature dependent direct current (DC) electrical measurements. Temperature variation of electrical resistivity was found to obey Arrhenius relation, from which activation energy was determined. The study was supported by AFM scans, which showed an increase in surface roughness and the presence of spike-like structures, due to interaction of dopant with the polymeric blend. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) scans revealed two stages of degradation in KMnO4 doped PVA - PVP blend films.

  12. 30 CFR 7.407 - Test for flame resistance of electric cables and cable splices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Test for flame resistance of electric cables... Electric Cables, Signaling Cables, and Cable Splice Kits § 7.407 Test for flame resistance of electric... a minimum of 24 hours at a temperature of 70 ±10 °F (21.1 ±5.5 °C) and a relative humidity of 55 ±10...

  13. 30 CFR 7.407 - Test for flame resistance of electric cables and cable splices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Test for flame resistance of electric cables... Electric Cables, Signaling Cables, and Cable Splice Kits § 7.407 Test for flame resistance of electric... a minimum of 24 hours at a temperature of 70 ±10 °F (21.1 ±5.5 °C) and a relative humidity of 55 ±10...

  14. 30 CFR 7.407 - Test for flame resistance of electric cables and cable splices.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Test for flame resistance of electric cables... Electric Cables, Signaling Cables, and Cable Splice Kits § 7.407 Test for flame resistance of electric... a minimum of 24 hours at a temperature of 70 ±10 °F (21.1 ±5.5 °C) and a relative humidity of 55 ±10...

  15. Piezoelectric Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) Ring Shaped Contour-Mode MEMS Resonators

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kasambe, P. V.; Asgaonkar, V. V.; Bangera, A. D.; Lokre, A. S.; Rathod, S. S.; Bhoir, D. V.

    2018-02-01

    Flexibility in setting fundamental frequency of resonator independent of its motional resistance is one of the desired criteria in micro-electromechanical (MEMS) resonator design. It is observed that ring-shaped piezoelectric contour-mode MEMS resonators satisfy this design criterion than in case of rectangular plate MEMS resonators. Also ring-shaped contour-mode piezoelectric MEMS resonator has an advantage that its fundamental frequency is defined by in-plane dimensions, but they show variation of fundamental frequency with different Platinum (Pt) thickness referred as change in ratio of fNEW /fO . This paper presents the effects of variation in geometrical parameters and change in piezoelectric material on the resonant frequencies of Platinum piezoelectric-Aluminium ring-shaped contour-mode MEMS resonators and its electrical parameters. The proposed structure with Lead Zirconate Titanate (PZT) as the piezoelectric material was observed to be a piezoelectric material with minimal change in fundamental resonant frequency due to Platinum thickness variation. This structure was also found to exhibit extremely low motional resistance of 0.03 Ω as compared to the 31-35 Ω range obtained when using AlN as the piezoelectric material. CoventorWare 10 is used for the design, simulation and corresponding analysis of resonators which is Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis and design tool for MEMS devices.

  16. Dielectric and electromechanical properties of rare earth calcium oxyborate piezoelectric crystals at high temperatures.

    PubMed

    Yu, Fapeng; Zhang, Shujun; Zhao, Xian; Yuan, Duorong; Qin, Lifeng; Wang, Qing-Ming; Shrout, Thomas R

    2011-04-01

    The electrical resistivity, dielectric, and electromechanical properties of ReCa(4)O(BO(3))(3) (ReCOB; Re = Er, Y, Gd, Sm, Nd, Pr, and La) piezoelectric crystals were investigated as a function of temperature up to 1000 °C. Of the studied crystals, ErCOB and YCOB were found to possess extremely high resistivity (p): p > 3 × 10(7) ω.cm at 1000 °C. The property variation in ReCOB crystals is discussed with respect to their disordered structure. The highest electromechanical coupling factor κ(26) and piezoelectric coefficient d(26) at 1000°C, were achieved in PrCOB crystals, with values being on the order of 24.7% and 13.1 pC/N, respectively. The high thermal stability of the electromechanical properties, with variation less than 25%, together with the low dielectric loss (<46%) and high mechanical quality factor (>1500) at elevated temperatures of 1000 °C, make ErCOB, YCOB, and GdCOB crystals promising for ultrahigh temperature electromechanical applications. © 2011 IEEE

  17. Histamine and thrombin modulate endothelial focal adhesion through centripetal and centrifugal forces.

    PubMed Central

    Moy, A B; Van Engelenhoven, J; Bodmer, J; Kamath, J; Keese, C; Giaever, I; Shasby, S; Shasby, D M

    1996-01-01

    We examined the contribution of actin-myosin contraction to the modulation of human umbilical vein endothelial cell focal adhesion caused by histamine and thrombin. Focal adhesion was measured as the electrical resistance across a cultured monolayer grown on a microelectrode. Actin-myosin contraction was measured as isometric tension of cultured monolayers grown on a collagen gel. Histamine immediately decreased electrical resistance but returned to basal levels within 3-5 min. Histamine did not increase isometric tension. Thrombin also immediately decreased electrical resistance, but, however, resistance did not return to basal levels for 40-60 min. Thrombin also increased isometric tension, ML-7, an inhibitor of myosin light chain kinase, prevented increases in myosin light chain phosphorylation and increases in tension development in cells exposed to thrombin. ML-7 did not prevent a decline in electrical resistance in cells exposed to thrombin. Instead, ML-7 restored the electrical resistance to basal levels in a shorter period of time (20 min) than cells exposed to thrombin alone. Also, histamine subsequently increased electrical resistance to above basal levels, and thrombin initiated an increase in resistance during the time of peak tension development. Hence, histamine and thrombin modulate endothelial cell focal adhesion through centripetal and centrifugal forces. PMID:8613524

  18. Geophysical Images of the Shallow Hydrothermal Degassing at Solfatara (Phlegrean Fields, Italy)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Byrdina, S.; Vandemeulebrouck, J.; Cardellini, C.; Chiodini, G.; Legaz, A.; Camerlynck, C.; Lebourg, T.

    2014-12-01

    We present the results of an electric resistivity tomography (ERT) survey, combined with mappings of diffuse carbon dioxide flux, ground temperature and self-potential (SP) at Solfatara, the most active crater of Phlegrean Fields. Solfatara is characterized by an intense carbon dioxide degassing, fumarole activity, and ground deformation. This ensemble of methods is applied to image the hydrothermal system of Solfatara, to understand the geometry of the fluid circulation, and to define the extension of the hydrothermal plume at a high enough resolution for a quantitative modeling. ERT inversion results show Solfatara as a globally conductive structure, with resistivity in the range 1-200 Ohmm. Broad negative anomaly of self-potential in the inner part of Solfatara with a minimum in the area of Bocca Grande suggests a significant downward flow of condensing liquid water. Comparison between spatial variations of resistivity and gas flux indicates that resistivity changes at depth are related to gas saturation and fluid temperature. These variations delineate two plume structures: a liquid-dominated conductive plume below Fangaia mud-pool and a gas-dominated plume below Bocca Grande fumarole. The geometry of the Fangaia liquid-saturated plume is also imaged by a high resolution 3-D resistivity model. In order to estimate the permeability, we propose a 2-D axis-symmetric numerical model coupling Richards's equation for fluid flow in conditions of partial saturation with the resistivity calculation as function of saturation only. Alternatively, we apply the Dupuit equation to estimate the permeability of the shallow layer. Using these two approaches, we obtain the permeability of the shallow layer below Fangaia which ranges between (2 - 4) 10-14 m 2.

  19. Study of a splat cooled Cu-Zr-noncrystalline phase.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Revcolevschi, A.; Grant, N. J.

    1972-01-01

    By rapid quenching from the melt, using the splat forming gun technique, a noncrystalline phase has been obtained in a Cu-Zr alloy containing 60 at. % Cu. Upon heating, rapid crystallization of the samples takes place at 477 C with a heat release of about 700 cal per mol. The variation of the electrical resistivity of the samples with temperature confirms the transformation. Very high resolution electron microscopy studies of the structural changes of the samples upon heating are presented and show the gradual crystallization of the amorphous structure.

  20. Hole-to-surface resistivity measurements.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Daniels, J.J.

    1983-01-01

    Hole-to-surface resistivity measurements over a layered volcanic tuff sequence illustrate procedures for gathering, reducing, and interpreting hole-to-surface resistivity data. The magnitude and direction of the total surface electric field resulting from a buried current source is calculated from orthogonal potential difference measurements for a grid of closely spaced stations. A contour map of these data provides a detailed map of the distribution of the electric field away from the drill hole. Resistivity anomalies can be enhanced by calculating the difference between apparent resistivities calculated from the total surface electric field and apparent resistivities for a layered earth model.-from Author

  1. Circular chemiresistors for microchemical sensors

    DOEpatents

    Ho, Clifford K [Albuquerque, NM

    2007-03-13

    A circular chemiresistor for use in microchemical sensors. A pair of electrodes is fabricated on an electrically insulating substrate. The pattern of electrodes is arranged in a circle-filling geometry, such as a concentric, dual-track spiral design, or a circular interdigitated design. A drop of a chemically sensitive polymer (i.e., chemiresistive ink) is deposited on the insulating substrate on the electrodes, which spreads out into a thin, circular disk contacting the pair of electrodes. This circularly-shaped electrode geometry maximizes the contact area between the pair of electrodes and the polymer deposit, which provides a lower and more stable baseline resistance than with linear-trace designs. The circularly-shaped electrode pattern also serves to minimize batch-to-batch variations in the baseline resistance due to non-uniform distributions of conductive particles in the chemiresistive polymer film.

  2. Superconducting thermoelectric generator

    DOEpatents

    Metzger, J.D.; El-Genk, M.S.

    1998-05-05

    An apparatus and method for producing electricity from heat is disclosed. The present invention is a thermoelectric generator that uses materials with substantially no electrical resistance, often called superconductors, to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy without resistive losses. Preferably, an array of superconducting elements is encased within a second material with a high thermal conductivity. The second material is preferably a semiconductor. Alternatively, the superconducting material can be doped on a base semiconducting material, or the superconducting material and the semiconducting material can exist as alternating, interleaved layers of waferlike materials. A temperature gradient imposed across the boundary of the two materials establishes an electrical potential related to the magnitude of the temperature gradient. The superconducting material carries the resulting electrical current at zero resistivity, thereby eliminating resistive losses. The elimination of resistive losses significantly increases the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric device. 4 figs.

  3. Superconducting thermoelectric generator

    DOEpatents

    Metzger, J.D.; El-Genk, M.S.

    1996-01-01

    An apparatus and method for producing electricity from heat. The present invention is a thermoelectric generator that uses materials with substantially no electrical resistance, often called superconductors, to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy without resistive losses. Preferably, an array of superconducting elements is encased within a second material with a high thermal conductivity. The second material is preferably a semiconductor. Alternatively, the superconducting material can be doped on a base semiconducting material, or the superconducting material and the semiconducting material can exist as alternating, interleaved layers of waferlike materials. A temperature gradient imposed across the boundary of the two materials establishes an electrical potential related to the magnitude of the temperature gradient. The superconducting material carries the resulting electrical current at zero resistivity, thereby eliminating resistive losses. The elimination of resistive losses significantly increases the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric device.

  4. Superconducting thermoelectric generator

    DOEpatents

    Metzger, John D.; El-Genk, Mohamed S.

    1998-01-01

    An apparatus and method for producing electricity from heat. The present invention is a thermoelectric generator that uses materials with substantially no electrical resistance, often called superconductors, to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy without resistive losses. Preferably, an array of superconducting elements is encased within a second material with a high thermal conductivity. The second material is preferably a semiconductor. Alternatively, the superconducting material can be doped on a base semiconducting material, or the superconducting material and the semiconducting material can exist as alternating, interleaved layers of waferlike materials. A temperature gradient imposed across the boundary of the two materials establishes an electrical potential related to the magnitude of the temperature gradient. The superconducting material carries the resulting electrical current at zero resistivity, thereby eliminating resistive losses. The elimination of resistive losses significantly increases the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric device.

  5. Development of an Arduino-based electrical impedance tomography system with application to dam internal erosion detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Masi, Matteo; Ferdos, Farzad; Losito, Gabriella; Solari, Luca

    2016-04-01

    Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a technique for the imaging of the electrical properties of conductive materials. In EIT, the spatial distribution of the electrical resistivity or electrical conductivity within a domain is reconstructed using measurements made with electrodes placed at the boundaries of the domain. Data acquisition is typically made by applying an electrical current to the object under investigation using a set of electrodes, and measuring the developed voltage between the other electrodes. The tomographic image is then obtained using an inversion algorithm. This work describes the implementation of a simple and low cost 3D EIT measurement system suitable for laboratory-scale studies. The system was specifically developed for the time-lapse imaging of soil samples subjected to erosion processes during laboratory tests. The tests reproduce the process of internal erosion of soil particles by water flow within a granular media; this process is one of the most common causes of failure of earthen levees and embankment dams. The measurements needed strict requirements of speed and accuracy due to the varying time scale and magnitude of these processes. The developed EIT system consists of a PC which controls I/O cards (multiplexers) through the Arduino micro-controller, an external current generator, a digital acquisition device (DAQ), a power supply and the electrodes. The ease of programming of the Arduino interface greatly helped the implementation of custom acquisition software, increasing the overall flexibility of the system and the creation of specific acquisition schemes and configurations. The system works with a multi-electrode configuration of up to 48 channels but it was designed to be upgraded to an arbitrary large number of electrodes by connecting additional multiplexer cards (> 96 electrodes). The acquisition was optimized for multi-channel measurements so that the overall time of acquisition is dramatically reduced compared to the single channel instrumentation. The accuracy and operation were tested under different conditions. The results from preliminary tests show that the system is able to clearly identify objects discriminated by different resistivity. Furthermore, measurements carried out during internal erosion simulations demonstrate that even small variations in the electrical resistivity can be captured and these changes can be related to the erosion processes.

  6. Monitoring of interaction of low-frequency electric field with biological tissues upon optical clearing with optical coherence tomography.

    PubMed

    Peña, Adrián F; Doronin, Alexander; Tuchin, Valery V; Meglinski, Igor

    2014-08-01

    The influence of a low-frequency electric field applied to soft biological tissues ex vivo at normal conditions and upon the topical application of optical clearing agents has been studied by optical coherence tomography (OCT). The electro-kinetic response of tissues has been observed and quantitatively evaluated by the double correlation OCT approach, utilizing consistent application of an adaptive Wiener filtering and Fourier domain correlation algorithm. The results show that fluctuations, induced by the electric field within the biological tissues are exponentially increased in time. We demonstrate that in comparison to impedance measurements and the mapping of the temperature profile at the surface of the tissue samples, the double correlation OCT approach is much more sensitive to the changes associated with the tissues' electro-kinetic response. We also found that topical application of the optical clearing agent reduces the tissues' electro-kinetic response and is cooling the tissue, thus reducing the temperature induced by the electric current by a few degrees. We anticipate that dcOCT approach can find a new application in bioelectrical impedance analysis and monitoring of the electric properties of biological tissues, including the resistivity of high water content tissues and its variations.

  7. Relating the Electrical Resistance of Fresh Concrete to Mixture Proportions.

    PubMed

    Obla, K; Hong, R; Sherman, S; Bentz, D P; Jones, S Z

    2018-01-01

    Characterization of fresh concrete is critical for assuring the quality of our nation's constructed infrastructure. While fresh concrete arriving at a job site in a ready-mixed concrete truck is typically characterized by measuring temperature, slump, unit weight, and air content, here the measurement of the electrical resistance of a freshly cast cylinder of concrete is investigated as a means of assessing mixture proportions, specifically cement and water contents. Both cement and water contents influence the measured electrical resistance of a sample of fresh concrete: the cement by producing ions (chiefly K + , Na + , and OH - ) that are the main source of electrical conduction; and the water by providing the main conductive pathways through which the current travels. Relating the measured electrical resistance to attributes of the mixture proportions, such as water-cement ratio by mass ( w/c ), is explored for a set of eleven different concrete mixtures prepared in the laboratory. In these mixtures, w/c , paste content, air content, fly ash content, high range water reducer dosage, and cement alkali content are all varied. Additionally, concrete electrical resistance data is supplemented by measuring the resistivity of its component pore solution obtained from 5 laboratory-prepared cement pastes with the same proportions as their corresponding concrete mixtures. Only measuring the concrete electrical resistance can provide a prediction of the mixture's paste content or the product w*c ; conversely, when pore solution resistivity is also available, w/c and water content of the concrete mixture can be reasonably assessed.

  8. Relating the Electrical Resistance of Fresh Concrete to Mixture Proportions

    PubMed Central

    Obla, K.; Hong, R.; Sherman, S.; Bentz, D.P.; Jones, S.Z.

    2018-01-01

    Characterization of fresh concrete is critical for assuring the quality of our nation’s constructed infrastructure. While fresh concrete arriving at a job site in a ready-mixed concrete truck is typically characterized by measuring temperature, slump, unit weight, and air content, here the measurement of the electrical resistance of a freshly cast cylinder of concrete is investigated as a means of assessing mixture proportions, specifically cement and water contents. Both cement and water contents influence the measured electrical resistance of a sample of fresh concrete: the cement by producing ions (chiefly K+, Na+, and OH-) that are the main source of electrical conduction; and the water by providing the main conductive pathways through which the current travels. Relating the measured electrical resistance to attributes of the mixture proportions, such as water-cement ratio by mass (w/c), is explored for a set of eleven different concrete mixtures prepared in the laboratory. In these mixtures, w/c, paste content, air content, fly ash content, high range water reducer dosage, and cement alkali content are all varied. Additionally, concrete electrical resistance data is supplemented by measuring the resistivity of its component pore solution obtained from 5 laboratory-prepared cement pastes with the same proportions as their corresponding concrete mixtures. Only measuring the concrete electrical resistance can provide a prediction of the mixture’s paste content or the product w*c; conversely, when pore solution resistivity is also available, w/c and water content of the concrete mixture can be reasonably assessed. PMID:29882546

  9. Ab-initio study of liquid systems: Concentration dependence of electrical resistivity of binary liquid alloy Rb1-xCsx

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thakur, Anil; Sharma, Nalini; Chandel, Surjeet; Ahluwalia, P. K.

    2013-02-01

    The electrical resistivity (ρL) of Rb1-XCsX binary alloys has been made calculated using Troullier Martins ab-initio pseudopotentials. The present results of the electrical resistivity (ρL) of Rb1-XCsX binary alloys have been found in good agreement with the experimental results. These results suggest that ab-initio approach for calculating electrical resistivity is quite successful in explaining the electronic transport properties of binary Liquid alloys. Hence ab-initio pseudopotentials can be used instead of model pseudopotentials having problem of transferability.

  10. A method to investigate the electron scattering characteristics of ultrathin metallic films by in situ electrical resistance measurements.

    PubMed

    Trindade, I G; Fermento, R; Leitão, D; Sousa, J B

    2009-07-01

    In this article, a method to measure the electrical resistivity/conductivity of metallic thin films during layer growth on specific underlayers is described. The in situ monitoring of an underlayer electrical resistance, its change upon the incoming of new material atoms/molecules, and the growth of a new layer are presented. The method is easy to implement and allows obtaining in situ experimental curves of electrical resistivity dependence upon film thickness with a subatomic resolution, providing insight in film growth microstructure characteristics, specular/diffuse electron scattering surfaces, and optimum film thicknesses.

  11. Electrical resistivity of liquid lanthanides using charge hard sphere system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sonvane, Y. A.; Thakor, P. B.; Jani, A. R.

    2013-06-01

    In the present paper, we have studied electrical resistivity (ρ) of liquid lanthanides. To describe the structural information, the structure factor S(q) due to the charged hard sphere (CHS) reference systems is used along with our newly constructed model potential. To see the influence of exchange and correlation effect on the electrical resistivity (ρ) have used different local field correction functions like Hartree (H), Sarkar et al (S) and Taylor (T). Lastly we conclude that the proper choice of the model potential along with local field correction function plays a vital role to the study of the electrical resistivity (ρ).

  12. Direct-current resistivity profiling at the Pecos River Ecosystem Project study site near Mentone, Texas, 2006

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Teeple, Andrew; McDonald, Alyson K.; Payne, Jason; Kress, Wade H.

    2009-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Texas A&M University AgriLife, did a surface geophysical investigation at the Pecos River Ecosystem Project study site near Mentone in West Texas intended to determine shallow (to about 14 meters below the water [river] surface) subsurface composition (lithology) in and near treated (eradicated of all saltcedar) and control (untreated) riparian zone sites during June-August 2006. Land-based direct-current resistivity profiling was applied in a 240-meter section of the riverbank at the control site, and waterborne direct-current continuous resistivity profiling (CRP) was applied along a 2.279-kilometer reach of the river adjacent to both sites to collect shallow subsurface resistivity data. Inverse modeling was used to obtain a nonunique estimate of the true subsurface resistivity from apparent resistivity calculated from the field measurements. The land-based survey showed that the sub-surface at the control site generally is of relatively low resis-tivity down to about 4 meters below the water surface. Most of the section from about 4 to 10 meters below the water surface is of relatively high resistivity. The waterborne CRP surveys convey essentially the same electrical representation of the lithology at the control site to 10 meters below the water surface; but the CRP surveys show considerably lower resistivity than the land-based survey in the subsection from about 4 to 10 meters below the water surface. The CRP surveys along the 2.279-kilometer reach of the river adjacent to both the treated and control sites show the same relatively low resistivity zone from the riverbed to about 4 meters below the water surface evident at the control site. A slightly higher resistivity zone is observed from about 4 to 14 meters below the water surface along the upstream approximately one-half of the profile than along the downstream one-half. The variations in resistivity could not be matched to variations in lithology because sufficient rock samples were not available.

  13. Resistive foil edge grading for accelerator and other high voltage structures

    DOEpatents

    Caporaso, George J.; Sampayan, Stephen F.; Sanders, David M.

    2014-06-10

    In a structure or device having a pair of electrical conductors separated by an insulator across which a voltage is placed, resistive layers are formed around the conductors to force the electric potential within the insulator to distribute more uniformly so as to decrease or eliminate electric field enhancement at the conductor edges. This is done by utilizing the properties of resistive layers to allow the voltage on the electrode to diffuse outwards, reducing the field stress at the conductor edge. Preferably, the resistive layer has a tapered resistivity, with a lower resistivity adjacent to the conductor and a higher resistivity away from the conductor. Generally, a resistive path across the insulator is provided, preferably by providing a resistive region in the bulk of the insulator, with the resistive layer extending over the resistive region.

  14. Influence of tissue resistivities on neuromagnetic fields and electric potentials studied with a finite element model of the head.

    PubMed

    Haueisen, J; Ramon, C; Eiselt, M; Brauer, H; Nowak, H

    1997-08-01

    Modeling in magnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) requires knowledge of the in vivo tissue resistivities of the head. The aim of this paper is to examine the influence of tissue resistivity changes on the neuromagnetic field and the electric scalp potential. A high-resolution finite element method (FEM) model (452,162 elements, 2-mm resolution) of the human head with 13 different tissue types is employed for this purpose. Our main finding was that the magnetic fields are sensitive to changes in the tissue resistivity in the vicinity of the source. In comparison, the electric surface potentials are sensitive to changes in the tissue resistivity in the vicinity of the source and in the vicinity of the position of the electrodes. The magnitude (strength) of magnetic fields and electric surface potentials is strongly influenced by tissue resistivity changes, while the topography is not as strongly influenced. Therefore, an accurate modeling of magnetic field and electric potential strength requires accurate knowledge of tissue resistivities, while for source localization procedures this knowledge might not be a necessity.

  15. The effect of the geometry and material properties of a carbon joint produced by electron beam induced deposition on the electrical resistance of a multiwalled carbon nanotube-to-metal contact interface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rykaczewski, Konrad; Henry, Matthew R.; Kim, Song-Kil; Fedorov, Andrei G.; Kulkarni, Dhaval; Singamaneni, Srikanth; Tsukruk, Vladimir V.

    2010-01-01

    Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are promising candidates for yielding next generation electrical and electronic devices such as interconnects and tips for conductive force microscopy. One of the main challenges in MWNT implementation in such devices is the high contact resistance of the MWNT-metal electrode interface. Electron beam induced deposition (EBID) of an amorphous carbon interface has previously been demonstrated to simultaneously lower the electrical contact resistance and improve the mechanical characteristics of the MWNT-electrode connection. In this work, we investigate the influence of process parameters, such as the electron beam energy, current, geometry, and deposition time, on the EBID-made carbon joint geometry and electrical contact resistance. The influence of the composition of the deposited material on its resistivity is also investigated. The relative importance of each component of the contact resistance and the limiting factor of the overall electrical resistance of a MWNT-based interconnect is determined through a combination of a model analysis and comprehensive experiments.

  16. Induction heating apparatus and methods for selectively energizing an inductor in response to a measured electrical characteristic that is at least partially a function of a temperature of a material being heated

    DOEpatents

    Richardson, John G.; Morrison, John L.; Hawkes, Grant L.

    2006-07-04

    An induction heating apparatus includes a measurement device for indicating an electrical resistance of a material to be heated. A controller is configured for energizing an inductor in response to the indicated resistance. An inductor may be energized with an alternating current, a characteristic of which may be selected in response to an indicated electrical resistance. Alternatively, a temperature of the material may be indicated via measuring the electrical resistance thereof and a characteristic of an alternating current for energizing the inductor may be selected in response to the temperature. Energizing the inductor may minimize the difference between a desired and indicated resistance or the difference between a desired and indicated temperature. A method of determining a temperature of at least one region of at least one material to be induction heated includes correlating a measured electrical resistance thereof to an average temperature thereof.

  17. Risk analysis and detection of thrombosis by measurement of electrical resistivity of blood.

    PubMed

    Sapkota, Achyut; Asakura, Yuta; Maruyama, Osamu; Kosaka, Ryo; Yamane, Takashi; Takei, Masahiro

    2013-01-01

    Monitoring of thrombogenic process is very important in ventricular assistance devices (VADs) used as temporary or permanent measures in patients with advanced heart failure. Currently, there is a lack of a system which can perform a real-time monitoring of thrombogenic activity. Electrical signals vary according to the change in concentration of coagulation factors as well as the distribution of blood cells, and thus have potential to detect the thrombogenic process in an early stage. In the present work, we have made an assessment of an instrumentation system exploiting the electrical properties of blood. The experiments were conducted using bovine blood. Electrical resistance tomography with eight-electrode sensor was used to monitor the spatio-temporal change in electrical resistivity of blood in thrombogenic and non-thrombogenic condition. Under non-thrombogenic condition, the resistivity was uniform across the cross-section and average resistivity monotonically decreased with time before remaining almost flat. In contrary, under thrombogenic condition, there was non-uniform distribution across the cross-section, and average resistivity fluctuated with time.

  18. Effects of spatially variable resolution on field-scale estimates of tracer concentration from electrical inversions using Archie's law

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Singha, Kamini; Gorelick, Steven M.

    2006-01-01

    Two important mechanisms affect our ability to estimate solute concentrations quantitatively from the inversion of field-scale electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data: (1) the spatially variable physical processes that govern the flow of current as well as the variation of physical properties in space and (2) the overparameterization of inverse models, which requires the imposition of a smoothing constraint (regularization) to facilitate convergence of the inverse solution. Based on analyses of field and synthetic data, we find that the ability of ERT to recover the 3D shape and magnitudes of a migrating conductive target is spatially variable. Additionally, the application of Archie's law to tomograms from field ERT data produced solute concentrations that are consistently less than 10% of point measurements collected in the field and estimated from transport modeling. Estimates of concentration from ERT using Archie's law only fit measured solute concentrations if the apparent formation factor is varied with space and time and allowed to take on unreasonably high values. Our analysis suggests that the inability to find a single petrophysical relation in space and time between concentration and electrical resistivity is largely an effect of two properties of ERT surveys: (1) decreased sensitivity of ERT to detect the target plume with increasing distance from the electrodes and (2) the smoothing imprint of regularization used in inversion.

  19. Formation of Indium-Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films Using Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis: The Importance of the Water Content in the Aerosol Solution and the Substrate Temperature for Enhancing Electrical Transport.

    PubMed

    Biswal, Rajesh; Castañeda, Luis; Moctezuma, Rosario; Vega-Pérez, Jaime; Olvera, María De La Luz; Maldonado, Arturo

    2012-03-12

    Indium doped zinc oxide [ZnO:In] thin films have been deposited at 430°C on soda-lime glass substrates by the chemical spray technique, starting from zinc acetate and indium acetate. Pulverization of the solution was done by ultrasonic excitation. The variations in the electrical, structural, optical, and morphological characteristics of ZnO:In thin films, as a function of both the water content in the starting solution and the substrate temperature, were studied. The electrical resistivity of ZnO:In thin films is not significantly affected with the increase in the water content, up to 200 mL/L; further increase in water content causes an increase in the resistivity of the films. All films show a polycrystalline character, fitting well with the hexagonal ZnO wurtzite-type structure. No preferential growth in samples deposited with the lowest water content was observed, whereas an increase in water content gave rise to a (002) growth. The surface morphology of the films shows a consistency with structure results, as non-geometrical shaped round grains were observed in the case of films deposited with the lowest water content, whereas hexagonal slices, with a wide size distribution were observed in the other cases. In addition, films deposited with the highest water content show a narrow size distribution.

  20. Overview Of Impedance Sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abele, John E.

    1989-08-01

    Electrical impedance has been one of the many "tools of great promise" that physicians have employed in their quest to measure and/or monitor body function or physiologic events. So far, the expectations for its success have always exceeded its performance. In simplistic terms, physiologic impedance is a measure of the resistance in the volume between electrodes which changes as a function of changes in that volume, the relative impedance of that volume, or a combination of these two. The history and principles of electrical impedance are very nicely reviewed by Geddes and Baker in their textbook "Principles of Applied Biomedical Instrumentation". It is humbling, however, to note that Cremer recorded variations in electrical impedance in frog hearts as early as 1907. The list of potential applications includes the measurement of thyroid function, estrogen activity, galvanic skin reflex, respiration, blood flow by conductivity dilution, nervous activity and eye movement. Commercial devices employing impedance have been and are being used to measure respiration (pneumographs and apneamonitors), pulse volume (impedance phlebographs) and even noninvasive cardiac output.

  1. Electrical properties and transport mechanisms in phase change memory thin films of quasi-binary-line GeTe–Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} chalcogenide semiconductors

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

    Sherchenkov, A. A.; Kozyukhin, S. A., E-mail: sergkoz@igic.ras.ru; Lazarenko, P. I.

    The temperature dependences of the resistivity and current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of phase change memory thin films based on quasi-binary-line GeTe–Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} chalcogenide semiconductors Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}, GeSb{sub 2}Te{sub 5}, and GeSb{sub 4}Te{sub 7} are investigated. The effect of composition variation along the quasibinary line on the electrical properties and transport mechanisms of the thin films is studied. The existence of three ranges with different I–V characteristics is established. The position and concentration of energy levels controlling carrier transport are estimated. The results obtained show that the electrical properties of the thin films can significantly change during a shiftmore » along the quasi-binary line GeTe–Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3}, which is important for targeted optimization of the phase change memory technology.« less

  2. Electrically modulated capillary filling imbibition of nematic liquid crystals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dhar, Jayabrata; Chakraborty, Suman

    2018-04-01

    The flow of nematic liquid crystals (NLCs) in the presence of an electric field is typically characterized by the variation in its rheological properties due to transition in its molecular arrangements. Here, we bring out a nontrivial interplay of a consequent alteration in the resistive viscous effects and driving electrocapillary interactions, toward maneuvering the capillary filling dynamics over miniaturized scales. Considering a dynamic interplay of the relevant bulk and interfacial forces acting in tandem, our results converge nicely to previously reported experimental data. Finally, we attempt a scaling analysis to bring forth further insight to the reported observations. Our analysis paves the way for the development of microfluidic strategies with previously unexplored paradigms of interaction between electrical and fluidic phenomenon, providing with an augmented controllability on capillary filling as compared to tthose reported to be achievable by the existing strategies. This, in turn, holds utilitarian scopes in improved designs of functional capillarities in electro-optical systems, electrorheological utilities, electrokinetic flow control, as well as in interfacing and imaging systems for biomedical microdevices.

  3. Effects of sub-bandgap illumination on electrical properties and detector performances of CdZnTe:In

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

    Xu, Lingyan; Jie, Wanqi, E-mail: jwq@nwpu.edu.cn; Zha, Gangqiang, E-mail: zha-gq@hotmail.com

    2014-06-09

    The effects of sub-bandgap illumination on electrical properties of CdZnTe:In crystals and spectroscopic performances of the fabricated detectors were discussed. The excitation process of charge carriers through thermal and optical transitions at the deep trap could be described by the modified Shockley-Read-Hall model. The ionization probability of the deep donor shows an increase under illumination, which should be responsible for the variation of electrical properties within CdZnTe bulk materials with infrared (IR) irradiation. By applying Ohm's law, diffusion model and interfacial layer-thermionic-diffusion theory, we obtain the decrease of bulk resistivity and the increase of space charge density in the illuminatedmore » crystals. Moreover, the illumination induced ionization will further contribute to improving carrier transport property and charge collection efficiency. Consequently, the application of IR irradiation in the standard working environment is of great significance to improve the spectroscopic characteristics of CdZnTe radiation detectors.« less

  4. Coatings for graphite fibers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Galasso, F. S.; Scola, D. A.; Veltri, R. D.

    1980-01-01

    Graphite fibers released from composites during burning or an explosion caused shorting of electrical and electronic equipment. Silicon carbide, silica, silicon nitride and boron nitride were coated on graphite fibers to increase their electrical resistances. Resistances as high as three orders of magnitude higher than uncoated fiber were attained without any significant degradation of the substrate fiber. An organo-silicone approach to produce coated fibers with high electrical resistance was also used. Celion 6000 graphite fibers were coated with an organo-silicone compound, followed by hydrolysis and pyrolysis of the coating to a silica-like material. The shear and flexural strengths of composites made from high electrically resistant fibers were considerably lower than the shear and flexural strengths of composites made from the lower electrically resistant fibers. The lower shear strengths of the composites indicated that the coatings on these fibers were weaker than the coating on the fibers which were pyrolyzed at higher temperature.

  5. Spatially resolved mapping of electrical conductivity across individual domain (grain) boundaries in graphene.

    PubMed

    Clark, Kendal W; Zhang, X-G; Vlassiouk, Ivan V; He, Guowei; Feenstra, Randall M; Li, An-Ping

    2013-09-24

    All large-scale graphene films contain extended topological defects dividing graphene into domains or grains. Here, we spatially map electronic transport near specific domain and grain boundaries in both epitaxial graphene grown on SiC and CVD graphene on Cu subsequently transferred to a SiO2 substrate, with one-to-one correspondence to boundary structures. Boundaries coinciding with the substrate step on SiC exhibit a significant potential barrier for electron transport of epitaxial graphene due to the reduced charge transfer from the substrate near the step edge. Moreover, monolayer-bilayer boundaries exhibit a high resistance that can change depending on the height of substrate step coinciding at the boundary. In CVD graphene, the resistance of a grain boundary changes with the width of the disordered transition region between adjacent grains. A quantitative modeling of boundary resistance reveals the increased electron Fermi wave vector within the boundary region, possibly due to boundary induced charge density variation. Understanding how resistance change with domain (grain) boundary structure in graphene is a crucial first step for controlled engineering of defects in large-scale graphene films.

  6. Relationship Between the Global Electric Circuit and Electrified Cloud Parameters at Diurnal, Seasonal and Interannual Timescales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lavigne, Thomas

    In the early 1900's, J.W. Whipple began validating C.R. Wilson's Global Electric Circuit (GEC) hypothesis by correlating diurnal variations of global thunder days with diurnal variations of the fair weather electric field. This study applies 16+ years of Precipitation Feature (PF) data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), including lightning data from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS), alongside 12-years of electric field measurements from Vostok, Antarctica to further examine this relationship. Joint diurnal-seasonal variations of the electric field are compared with PF parameters that are potentially related to the GEC. The flash rate and volume of 30 dBZ between -5°C and -35°C variables are shown to have the best direct relationship to the electric field, with r2 values of 0.67 and 0.62, respectively. However, the Coefficient of Variation (COV) of the flash rate (28%) and the electric field (12%), display relatively large differences in the spread of the variables. The volume of 30 dBZ between -5°C and -35°C shows a closer amplitude agreement to the variance of the electric field (COV=17%). Furthermore, these relationships are analyzed during two different phases of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Results show different seasonal-diurnal variations of the electric field during ENSO phases, with enhancements in the electric field between January through April at 16-24 UTC in La Nina years. In all, similar variations have been found in the fair weather electric field, and the variation of properties of global PFs with high potential of electrification at diurnal, seasonal, and interannual timescales. These confirm the dominant role of the global thunderclouds and electrified clouds in the global electric circuit.

  7. 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...

  8. van der Pauw's Theorem on Sheet Resistance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bolt, Michael

    2017-01-01

    The sheet resistance of a conducting material of uniform thickness is analogous to the resistivity of a solid material and provides a measure of electrical resistance. In 1958, L. J. van der Pauw found an effective method for computing sheet resistance that requires taking two electrical measurements from four points on the edge of a simply…

  9. Microscopic histological characteristics of soft tissue sarcomas: analysis of tissue features and electrical resistance.

    PubMed

    Tosi, A L; Campana, L G; Dughiero, F; Forzan, M; Rastrelli, M; Sieni, E; Rossi, C R

    2017-07-01

    Tissue electrical conductivity is correlated with tissue characteristics. In this work, some soft tissue sarcomas (STS) excised from patients have been evaluated in terms of histological characteristics (cell size and density) and electrical resistance. The electrical resistance has been measured using the ex vivo study on soft tissue tumors electrical characteristics (ESTTE) protocol proposed by the authors in order to study electrical resistance of surgical samples excised by patients in a fixed measurement setup. The measurement setup includes a voltage pulse generator (700 V, 100 µs long at 5 kHz, period 200 µs) and an electrode with 7 needles, 20 mm-long, with the same distance arranged in a fixed hexagonal geometry. In the ESTTE protocol, the same voltage pulse sequence is applied to each different tumor mass and the corresponding resistance has been evaluated from voltage and current recorded by the equipment. For each tumor mass, a histological sample of the volume treated by means of voltage pulses has been taken for histological analysis. Each mass has been studied in order to identify the sarcoma type. For each histological sample, an image at 20× or 40× of magnification was acquired. In this work, the electrical resistance measured for each tumor has been correlated with tissue characteristics like the type, size and density of cells. This work presents a preliminary study to explore possible correlations between tissue characteristics and electrical resistance of STS. These results can be helpful to adjust the pulse voltage intensity in order to improve the electrochemotherapy efficacy on some histotype of STS.

  10. Temperature and volumetric water content petrophysical relationships in municipal solid waste for the interpretation of bulk electrical resistivity data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pilawski, Tamara; Dumont, Gaël; Nguyen, Frédéric

    2015-04-01

    Landfills pose major environmental issues including long-term methane emissions, and local pollution of soil and aquifers but can also be seen as potential energy resources and mining opportunities. Water content in landfills determine whether solid fractions can be separated and recycled, and controls the existence and efficiency of natural or enhanced biodegradation. Geophysical techniques, such as electrical and electromagnetic methods have proven successful in the detection and qualitative investigation of sanitary landfills. However, their interpretation in terms of quantitative water content estimates makes it more challenging due to the influence of parameters such as temperature, compaction, waste composition or pore fluid. To improve the confidence given to bulk electrical resistivity data and to their interpretation, we established temperature and volumetric water content petrophysical relationships that we tested on field and laboratory electrical resistivity measurements. We carried out two laboratory experiments on leachates and waste samples from a landfill located in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. We determined a first relationship between temperature and electrical resistivity with pure and diluted leachates by progressively increasing the temperature from 5°C to 65°C, and then cooling down to 5°C. The second relationship was obtained by measuring electrical resistivity on waste samples of different volumetric water contents. First, we used the correlations obtained from the experiments to compare electrical resistivity measurements performed in a landfill borehole and on reworked waste samples excavated at different depths. Electrical resistivities were measured every 20cm with an electromagnetic logging device (EM39) while a temperature profile was acquired with optic fibres. Waste samples were excavated every 2m in the same borehole. We filled experimental columns with these samples and measured electrical resistivities at laboratory temperature. We made corrections according to the temperature profile and to volumetric water contents obtained previously on undisturbed samples. Corrected values tended to be superimposed on those obtained in the field. Then, we calculated the water content of the different reworked waste samples using the correlation between volumetric water content correlation and electrical resistivity and we compared this value to the one measured at the laboratory. Both values were correlated satisfactorily. In conclusion, we show that bulk electrical resistivity measurements are very promising to quantify water content in landfills if temperature can be estimated independently. In future applications, electrical resistivity tomography coupled with distributed temperature sensing could give important estimates of water content of the waste and thus helping in dealing with problematics such as boosting biodegradation and stabilization of the waste, reducing risks of soil and aquifers pollution, landfill mining, and controlled production of methane.

  11. Characterization of zinc selenide single crystals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gerhardt, Rosario A.

    1996-01-01

    ZnSe single crystals of high quality and low impurity levels are desired for use as substrates in optoelectronic devices. This is especially true when the device requires the formation of homoepitaxial layers. While ZnSe is commercially available, it is at present extremely expensive due to the difficulty of growing single crystal boules with low impurity content and the resultant low yields. Many researchers have found it necessary to heat treat the crystals in liquid Zn in order to remove the impurities, lower the resistivity and activate the photoluminescence at room temperature. The physical vapor transport method (PVT) has been successfully used at MSFC to grow many single crystals of II-VI semiconducting materials including ZnSe. The main goal at NASA has been to try to establish the effect of gravity on the growth parameters. To this effect, crystals have been grown vertically upwards or horizontally. Both (111) and (110) oriented ZnSe crystals have been obtained via unseeded PVT growth. Preliminary characterization of the horizontally grown crystals has revealed that Cu is a major impurity and that the low temperature photoluminescence spectra is dominated by the copper peak. The ratio of the copper peak to the free exciton peak is being used to determine variations in composition throughout the crystal. It was the intent of this project to map the copper composition of various crystals via photoluminescence first, then measure their electrical resistivity and capacitance as a function of frequency before proceeding with a heat treatment designed to remove the copper impurities. However, equipment difficulties with the photoluminescence set up, having to establish a procedure for measuring the electrical properties of the as-grown crystals and time limitations made us re-evaluate the project goals. Vertically grown samples designated as ZnSe-25 were chosen to be measured electrically since they were not expected to show as much variation in their composition through their cross-section as the horizontally grown samples.

  12. Stretchable Conductive Elastomers for Soldier Biosensing Applications: Final Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-03-01

    public release; distribution is unlimited. 7 the electrical impedance tunability that we required. Representative data for resistance versus volume...Technology Directorate’s (VTD) electric field mediated morphing wing research effort. Fig. 5 Resistance values of EEG electrodes as a function of...extend the resistance range of the developed polymer EEG electrodes to potentially provide insight into defining an optimum electrical performance for

  13. Indications of vigor loss after fire in Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea) from electrical resistance measurements

    Treesearch

    T.E. Paysen; A.L. Koonce; E. Taylor; M.O. Rodriquez

    2006-01-01

    In May 1993, electrical resistance measurements were performed on trees in burned and unburned stands of Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea Mor.) in north-eastern Nicaragua to determine whether tree vigor was affected by fire. An Osmose model OZ-67 Shigometer with digital readout was used to collect the sample electrical resistance data. Computer-...

  14. Direct-current vertical electrical-resistivity soundings in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Westjohn, D.B.; Carter, P.J.

    1989-01-01

    Ninety-three direct-current vertical electrical-resistivity soundings were conducted in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from June through October 1987. These soundings were made to assist in mapping the depth to brine in areas where borehole resistivity logs and water-quality data are sparse or lacking. The Schlumberger array for placement of current and potential electrodes was used for each sounding. Vertical electrical-resistivity sounding field data, shifted and smoothed sounding data, and electric layers calculated using inverse modeling techniques are presented. Also included is a summary of the near-surface conditions and depths to conductors and resistors for each sounding location.

  15. Groundwater temperature estimation and modeling using hydrogeophysics.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, F.; Lesparre, N.; Hermans, T.; Dassargues, A.; Klepikova, M.; Kemna, A.; Caers, J.

    2017-12-01

    Groundwater temperature may be of use as a state variable proxy for aquifer heat storage, highlighting preferential flow paths, or contaminant remediation monitoring. However, its estimation often relies on scarce temperature data collected in boreholes. Hydrogeophysical methods such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and distributed temperature sensing (DTS) may provide more exhaustive spatial information of the bulk properties of interest than samples from boreholes. If a properly calibrated DTS reading provides direct measurements of the groundwater temperature in the well, ERT requires one to determine the fractional change per degree Celsius. One advantage of this petrophysical relationship is its relative simplicity: the fractional change is often found to be around 0.02 per degree Celcius, and represents mainly the variation of electrical resistivity due to the viscosity effect. However, in presence of chemical and kinetics effects, the variation may also depend on the duration of the test and may neglect reactions occurring between the pore water and the solid matrix. Such effects are not expected to be important for low temperature systems (<30 °C), at least for short experiments. In this contribution, we use different field experiments under natural and forced flow conditions to review developments for the joint use of DTS and ERT to map and monitor the temperature distribution within aquifers, to characterize aquifers in terms of heterogeneity and to better understand processes. We show how temperature time-series measurements might be used to constraint the ERT inverse problem in space and time and how combined ERT-derived and DTS estimation of temperature may be used together with hydrogeological modeling to provide predictions of the groundwater temperature field.

  16. Effects of Ge replacement in GeTe by Ag or Sb on the Seebeck coefficient and carrier concentration modified by local electron imbalance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Levin, E. M.; Howard, A.; Straszheim, W. E.

    2015-03-01

    XRD, SEM, EDS, 125Te NMR, Seebeck coefficient, and electrical resistivity of AgxGe50-xTe50 and SbxGe50-xTe50 alloys have been studied. Replacement of Ge in GeTe by Sb significantly increases the Seebeck coefficient, while replacement by Ag decreases it. These effects can be attributed to a change in carrier concentration observed via 125Te NMR spin-lattice relaxation measurements and NMR signal position, which mostly depends on the Knight shift. Variation in carrier concentration in AgxGe50-xTe50 and SbxGe50-xTe50 can be attributed to different electron configurations of valence electrons of Ag (4d105s1) and Sb (5s25p3) compared to that of Ge (4s24p2) resulting in local electron imbalances and changing the concentration of charge carrier (holes) generated by Ge vacancies. In contrast, our 125Te NMR and Seebeck coefficient data for Ag2Sb2Ge46Te50 are similar to those observed for GeTe. This shows that effects from Ag and Sb compensate each other and indicates the existence of [Ag +Sb] pairs. The effects of Ge replacement in GeTe by Ag, Sb, or [Ag +Sb] on rhombohedral lattice distortion also have been analyzed. Interplay between the Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity in these alloys results in variation of power factor; the value of 45 mW/cm K2, the highest among known tellurides, was found for Sb2Ge48Te50.

  17. Soil Moisture Monitoring using Surface Electrical Resistivity measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Calamita, Giuseppe; Perrone, Angela; Brocca, Luca; Straface, Salvatore

    2017-04-01

    The relevant role played by the soil moisture (SM) for global and local natural processes results in an explicit interest for its spatial and temporal estimation in the vadose zone coming from different scientific areas - i.e. eco-hydrology, hydrogeology, atmospheric research, soil and plant sciences, etc... A deeper understanding of natural processes requires the collection of data on a higher number of points at increasingly higher spatial scales in order to validate hydrological numerical simulations. In order to take the best advantage of the Electrical Resistivity (ER) data with their non-invasive and cost-effective properties, sequential Gaussian geostatistical simulations (sGs) can be applied to monitor the SM distribution into the soil by means of a few SM measurements and a densely regular ER grid of monitoring. With this aim, co-located SM measurements using mobile TDR probes (MiniTrase), and ER measurements, obtained by using a four-electrode device coupled with a geo-resistivimeter (Syscal Junior), were collected during two surveys carried out on a 200 × 60 m2 area. Two time surveys were carried out during which Data were collected at a depth of around 20 cm for more than 800 points adopting a regular grid sampling scheme with steps (5 m) varying according to logistic and soil compaction constrains. The results of this study are robust due to the high number of measurements available for either variables which strengthen the confidence in the covariance function estimated. Moreover, the findings obtained using sGs show that it is possible to estimate soil moisture variations in the pedological zone by means of time-lapse electrical resistivity and a few SM measurements.

  18. A data variance technique for automated despiking of magnetotelluric data with a remote reference

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

    Kappler, K.

    2011-02-15

    The magnetotelluric method employs co-located surface measurements of electric and magnetic fields to infer the local electrical structure of the earth. The frequency-dependent 'apparent resistivity' curves can be inaccurate at long periods if input data are contaminated - even when robust remote reference techniques are employed. Data despiking prior to processing can result in significantly more reliable estimates of long period apparent resistivities. This paper outlines a two-step method of automatic identification and replacement for spike-like contamination of magnetotelluric data; based on the simultaneity of natural electric and magnetic field variations at distant sites. This simultaneity is exploited both tomore » identify windows in time when the array data are compromised, and to generate synthetic data that replace observed transient noise spikes. In the first step, windows in data time series containing spikes are identified via intersite comparison of channel 'activity' - such as the variance of differenced data within each window. In the second step, plausible data for replacement of flagged windows is calculated by Wiener filtering coincident data in clean channels. The Wiener filters - which express the time-domain relationship between various array channels - are computed using an uncontaminated segment of array training data. Examples are shown where the algorithm is applied to artificially contaminated data, and to real field data. In both cases all spikes are successfully identified. In the case of implanted artificial noise, the synthetic replacement time series are very similar to the original recording. In all cases, apparent resistivity and phase curves obtained by processing the despiked data are much improved over curves obtained from raw data.« less

  19. Electrical studies at the proposed Wahmonie and Calico Hills nuclear waste sites, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hoover, D.B.; Chornack, Michael P.; Nervick, K.H.; Broker, M.M.

    1982-01-01

    Two sites in the southwest quadrant of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) were investigated as potential repositories for high-level nuclear waste. These are designated the Wahmonie and Calico Hills sites. The emplacement medium at both sites was to be an inferred intrusive body at shallow depth; the inference of the presence of the body was based on aeromagnetic and regional gravity data. This report summarizes results of Schlumberger VES, induced polarization dipole-dipole traverses and magnetotelluric soundings made in the vicinity of the sites in order to characterize the geoelectric section. At the Wahmonie site VES work identified a low resistivity unit at depth surrounding the inferred intrusive body. The low resistivity unit is believed to be either the argillite (Mississippian Eleana Formation) or a thick unit of altered volcanic rock (Tertiary). Good electrical contrast is provided between the low resistivity unit and a large volume of intermediate resistivity rock correlative with the aeromagnetic and gravity data. The intermediate resistivity unit (100-200 ohm-m) is believed to be the intrusive body. The resistivity values are very low for a fresh, tight intrusive and suggest significant fracturing, alteration and possible mineralization have occurred within the upper kilometer of rock. Induced polarization data supports the VES work, identifies a major fault on the northwest side of the inferred intrusive and significant potential for disseminated mineralization within the body. The mineralization potential is particularly significant because as late as 1928, a strike of high grade silver-gold ore was made at the site. The shallow electrical data at Calico Hills revealed no large volume high resistivity body that could be associated with a tight intrusive mass in the upper kilometer of section. A drill hole UE 25A-3 sunk to 762 m (2500 ft) at the site revealed only units of the Eleana argillite thermally metamorphosed below 396 m (1300 ft) and in part highly magnetic. Subsequent work has shown that much if not all of the magnetic and gravity anomalies can be attributed to the Eleana Formation. The alteration and doming, however, still argue for an intrusive but at greater depth than originally thought. The electrical, VES, and IP data show a complex picture due to variations in structure and alteration within the Eleana and surrounding volcanic units. These data do not suggest the presence of an intrusive in the upper kilometer of section. The magnetotelluric data however gives clear evidence for a thick, resistive body in the earth's crust below the site. While the interpreted depth is very poorly constrained due to noise and structural problems, the top of the resistive body is on the order of 2.5 km deep. The IP data also identifies area of increased polarizability at Calico Hills, which may also have future economic mineralization.

  20. Origin of negative resistance in anion migration controlled resistive memory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2018-03-01

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

  1. Low-temperature electrical resistivity of transition-metal carbides

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Allison, C. Y.; Finch, C. B.; Foegelle, M. D.; Modine, F. A.

    1988-10-01

    The electrical resistivities of single crystals of ZrC 0.93, VC 0.88, NbC 0.95, and TaC 0.99 were measured from liquid helium temperature to 350 K. The Bloch-Gruneisen theory of electrical resistivity gives a good fit to the zirconium carbide and the vanadium carbide measurements. In contrast, the resistivities of the two superconducting crystals, tantalum carbide and niobium carbide, show excellent agreement with the Wilson model. The appropriate model appears to depend upon the superconducting properties of the crystals.

  2. 46 CFR 111.01-17 - Voltage and frequency variations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ....01-17 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-17 Voltage and frequency variations. Unless otherwise stated, electrical equipment must function at variations of at least ±5 percent of rated frequency...

  3. 46 CFR 111.01-17 - Voltage and frequency variations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ....01-17 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-17 Voltage and frequency variations. Unless otherwise stated, electrical equipment must function at variations of at least ±5 percent of rated frequency...

  4. 46 CFR 111.01-17 - Voltage and frequency variations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ....01-17 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-17 Voltage and frequency variations. Unless otherwise stated, electrical equipment must function at variations of at least ±5 percent of rated frequency...

  5. 46 CFR 111.01-17 - Voltage and frequency variations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ....01-17 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-17 Voltage and frequency variations. Unless otherwise stated, electrical equipment must function at variations of at least ±5 percent of rated frequency...

  6. 46 CFR 111.01-17 - Voltage and frequency variations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ....01-17 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-17 Voltage and frequency variations. Unless otherwise stated, electrical equipment must function at variations of at least ±5 percent of rated frequency...

  7. A geophysical system combining electrical resistivity and spontaneous potential for detecting, delineating, and monitoring slope stability.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1991-01-01

    Various geophysical electrical measuring techniques, i.e., spontaneous potential (SP) terrain conductivity meter (TCM), and conventional electrical resistivity/conductivity (ER), were tested to determine their effectiveness in detecting, delineating,...

  8. Exploring the shallow structure of the San Ramón thrust fault in Santiago, Chile (~33.5° S), using active seismic and electric methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Díaz, D.; Maksymowicz, A.; Vargas, G.; Vera, E.; Contreras-Reyes, E.; Rebolledo, S.

    2014-08-01

    The crustal-scale west-vergent San Ramón thrust fault system, which lies at the foot of the main Andean Cordillera in central Chile, is a geologically active structure with manifestations of late Quaternary complex surface rupture on fault segments along the eastern border of the city of Santiago. From the comparison of geophysical and geological observations, we assessed the subsurface structural pattern that affects the sedimentary cover and rock-substratum topography across fault scarps, which is critical for evaluating structural models and associated seismic hazard along the related faults. We performed seismic profiles with an average length of 250 m, using an array of 24 geophones (Geode), with 25 shots per profile, to produce high-resolution seismic tomography to aid in interpreting impedance changes associated with the deformed sedimentary cover. The recorded travel-time refractions and reflections were jointly inverted by using a 2-D tomographic approach, which resulted in variations across the scarp axis in both the velocities and the reflections that are interpreted as the sedimentary cover-rock substratum topography. Seismic anisotropy observed from tomographic profiles is consistent with sediment deformation triggered by west-vergent thrust tectonics along the fault. Electrical soundings crossing two fault scarps were used to construct subsurface resistivity tomographic profiles, which reveal systematic differences between lower resistivity values in the hanging wall with respect to the footwall of the geological structure, and clearly show well-defined east-dipping resistivity boundaries. These boundaries can be interpreted in terms of structurally driven fluid content change between the hanging wall and the footwall of the San Ramón fault. The overall results are consistent with a west-vergent thrust structure dipping ~55° E in the subsurface beneath the piedmont sediments, with local complexities likely associated with variations in fault surface rupture propagation, fault splays and fault segment transfer zones.

  9. Monitoring an artificial tracer test within streambed sediments with time lapse underwater 3D ERT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clémence, Houzé; Marc, Pessel; Véronique, Durand; Toihir, Ali

    2017-04-01

    The stream-aquifer interface is considered a hotspot for environmental and ecological issues. Due to their complexity, the exchange mechanisms occurring between groundwater and surface water at this interface are not yet fully understood. Many studies have focused on the characterization of the two-dimensional distribution of an artificial tracer (generally injected into the stream) within and outside the streambed, but there is insufficient information about the 3D spatial distribution of the tracer fluxes and their temporal variations. We monitored the transport of an artificial solute tracer transport with 3D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) in order to improve the 3D spatial resolution in the imaging of the first tens of centimeters of streambed sediments and propose an innovative approach of the three-dimensional and temporal observation of the water fluxes. The hydro-geophysical field measurements were made on a small stream located within the Orgeval watershed (Seine et Marne, France). Using a resistivimeter connected to 180 electrodes, 3D electrical resistivity tomograms were made on a riverbed section, as a brine tracer was injected directly into the hyporheic zone. Before the tracer monitoring, the static 3D resistivity tomograms were consistent with the lithological heterogeneities identified at the site. However, this study defines some prerequisites to high-resolution 3D underwater resistivity measurements: for instance, a precise knowledge of an eventual weak electrode contact and a spatial resolution identical in every spatial direction. First results show a rapid development and persistence of a conductive plume around the injection point which disappears progressively after the injection. Within the sediments top layer, preferential flowpaths were highlighted due to the highly heterogeneous medium and hydraulic conductivity. The riverbed topography showed some pool-riffle sequences which conduct the formation of local entering and exiting zones. It seems clear that riverbed heterogeneities drive some local exchanges between surface water and pore water, despite the gaining condition of the stream. Moreover, inversion and data processing appear very sensitive to the boundary condition variations, such as the thickness and the resistivity of the water layer. This makes a quantitative interpretation of tracer fluxes within the hyporheic zone difficult. We demonstrate that for this type of study, knowledge of these conditions and precise monitoring of their fluctuations in time are required.

  10. A comparison of helicopter-borne electromagnetic systems for hydrogeologic studies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bedrosian, Paul A.; Schamper, Cyril; Auken, Esben

    2016-01-01

    The increased application of airborne electromagnetic surveys to hydrogeological studies is driving a demand for data that can consistently be inverted for accurate subsurface resistivity structure from the near surface to depths of several hundred metres. We present an evaluation of three commercial airborne electromagnetic systems over two test blocks in western Nebraska, USA. The selected test blocks are representative of shallow and deep alluvial aquifer systems with low groundwater salinity and an electrically conductive base of aquifer. The aquifer units show significant lithologic heterogeneity and include both modern and ancient river systems. We compared the various data sets to one another and inverted resistivity models to borehole lithology and to ground geophysical models. We find distinct differences among the airborne electromagnetic systems as regards the spatial resolution of models, the depth of investigation, and the ability to recover near-surface resistivity variations. We further identify systematic biases in some data sets, which we attribute to incomplete or inexact calibration or compensation procedures.

  11. Ultra-stretchable conductors based on buckled super-aligned carbon nanotube films.

    PubMed

    Yu, Yang; Luo, Shu; Sun, Li; Wu, Yang; Jiang, Kaili; Li, Qunqing; Wang, Jiaping; Fan, Shoushan

    2015-06-14

    Ultra-stretchable conductors are fabricated by coating super-aligned carbon nanotube (SACNT) films on pre-strained polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates and forming buckled SACNT structures on PDMS after release of the pre-strain. The parallel SACNT/PDMS conductors demonstrate excellent stability with normalized resistance changes of only 4.1% under an applied strain as high as 200%. The SACNT/PDMS conductors prepared with cross-stacked SACNT films show even lower resistance variation. The parallel SACNT/PDMS conductors exhibit high durability with a resistance increase of less than 5% after 10,000 cycles at 150% strain. In situ microscopic observations demonstrate that the buckled SACNT structures are straightened during the stretching process with reversible morphology evolution and thus the continuous SACNT conductive network can be protected from fracture. Due to the excellent electrical and mechanical properties of SACNT films and the formation of the buckled structure, SACNT/PDMS films exhibit high stretchability and durability, possessing great potential for use as ultra-stretchable conductors for wearable electronics, sensors, and energy storage devices.

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

    Wannamaker, Philip E.

    We have developed an algorithm for the inversion of magnetotelluric (MT) data to a 3D earth resistivity model based upon the finite element method. Hexahedral edge finite elements are implemented to accommodate discontinuities in the electric field across resistivity boundaries, and to accurately simulate topographic variations. All matrices are reduced and solved using direct solution modules which avoids ill-conditioning endemic to iterative solvers such as conjugate gradients, principally PARDISO for the finite element system and PLASMA for the parameter step estimate. Large model parameterizations can be handled by transforming the Gauss-Newton estimator to data-space form. Accuracy of the forward problemmore » and jacobians has been checked by comparison to integral equations results and by limiting asymptotes. Inverse accuracy and performance has been verified against the public Dublin Secret Test Model 2 and the well-known Mount St Helens 3D MT data set. This algorithm we believe is the most capable yet for forming 3D images of earth resistivity structure and their implications for geothermal fluids and pathways.« less

  13. Controlling the anomalous Hall effect by electric-field-induced piezo-strain in Fe40Pt60/(001)-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)0.67Ti0.33O3 multiferroic heterostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yuanjun; Yao, Yingxue; Chen, Lei; Huang, Haoliang; Zhang, Benjian; Lin, Hui; Luo, Zhenlin; Gao, Chen; Lu, Y. L.; Li, Xiaoguang; Xiao, Gang; Feng, Ce; Zhao, Y. G.

    2018-01-01

    Electric-field control of the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) was investigated in Fe40Pt60/(001)-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)0.67Ti0.33O3 (FePt/PMN-PT) multiferroic heterostructures at room temperature. It was observed that a very large Hall resistivity change of up to 23.9% was produced using electric fields under a magnetic field bias of 100 Oe. A pulsed electric field sequence was used to generate nonvolatile strain to manipulate the Hall resistivity. Two corresponding nonvolatile states with distinct Hall resistivities were achieved after the electric fields were removed, thus enabling the encoding of binary information for memory applications. These results demonstrate that the Hall resistivity can be reversibly switched in a nonvolatile manner using programmable electric fields. Two remanent magnetic states that were created by electric-field-induced piezo-strain from the PMN-PT were attributed to the nonvolatile and reversible properties of the AHE. This work suggests that a low-energy-consumption-based approach can be used to create nonvolatile resistance states for spintronic devices based on electric-field control of the AHE.

  14. Oxidation, carburization and/or sulfidation resistant iron aluminide alloy

    DOEpatents

    Sikka, Vinod K.; Deevi, Seetharama C.; Fleischhauer, Grier S.; Hajaligol, Mohammad R.; Lilly, Jr., A. Clifton

    2003-08-19

    The invention relates generally to aluminum containing iron-base alloys useful as electrical resistance heating elements. The aluminum containing iron-base alloys have improved room temperature ductility, electrical resistivity, cyclic fatigue resistance, high temperature oxidation resistance, low and high temperature strength, and/or resistance to high temperature sagging. The alloy has an entirely ferritic microstructure which is free of austenite and includes, in weight %, over 4% Al, .ltoreq.1% Cr and either .gtoreq.0.05% Zr or Zro.sub.2 stringers extending perpendicular to an exposed surface of the heating element or .gtoreq.0.1% oxide dispersoid particles. The alloy can contain 14-32% Al, .ltoreq.2% Ti, .ltoreq.2% Mo, .ltoreq.1% Zr, .ltoreq.1% C, .ltoreq.0.1% B. .ltoreq.30% oxide dispersoid and/or electrically insulating or electrically conductive covalent ceramic particles, .ltoreq.1% rare earth metal, .ltoreq.1% oxygen, .ltoreq.3% Cu, balance Fe.

  15. Detection and quantification of intraperitoneal fluid using electrical impedance tomography.

    PubMed

    Sadleir, R J; Fox, R A

    2001-04-01

    A prototype electrical impedance tomography system was evaluated prior to its use for the detection of intraperitoneal bleeding, with the assistance of patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The system was sensitive enough to detect small amounts of dialysis fluid appearing in subtractive images over short time periods. Uniform sensitivity to blood appearing anywhere within the abdominal cavity was produced using a post-reconstructive filter that corrected for changes in apparent resistivity of anomalies with their radial position. The image parameter used as an indication of fluid quantity, the resistivity index, varied approximately linearly with the quantity of fluid added. A test of the system's response to the introduction of conductive fluid out of the electrode plane (when a blood-equivalent fluid was added to the stomach) found that the sensitivity of the system was about half that observed in the electrode plane. Breathing artifacts were found to upset quantitative monitoring of intraperitoneal bleeding, but only on time scales short compared with the fluid administration rate. Longer term breathing changes, such as those due to variations in the functional residual capacity of the lungs, should ultimately limit the sensitivity over long time periods.

  16. Thermoelectric Performance of Na-Doped GeSe

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Recently, hole-doped GeSe materials have been predicted to exhibit extraordinary thermoelectric performance owing largely to extremely low thermal conductivity. However, experimental research on the thermoelectric properties of GeSe has received less attention. Here, we have synthesized polycrystalline Na-doped GeSe compounds, characterized their crystal structure, and measured their thermoelectric properties. The Seebeck coefficient decreases with increasing Na content up to x = 0.01 due to an increase in the hole carrier concentration and remains roughly constant at higher concentrations of Na, consistent with the electrical resistivity variation. However, the electrical resistivity is large for all samples, leading to low power factors. Powder X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectrometry results show the presence of a ternary impurity phase within the GeSe matrix for all doped samples, which suggests that the optimal carrier concentration cannot be reached by doping with Na. Nevertheless, the lattice thermal conductivity and carrier mobility of GeSe is similar to those of polycrystalline samples of the leading thermoelectric material SnSe, leading to quality factors of comparable magnitude. This implies that GeSe shows promise as a thermoelectric material if a more suitable dopant can be found. PMID:29302637

  17. Electrical Properties of Low Temperature Sintering Step-Down Multilayer Piezoelectric Transformer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoo, Juhyun; Kim, Kookjin; Jeong, Yeongho

    2007-06-01

    The multilayer structured ceramic transformers were sintered at the low temperature of 940 °C and manufactured with the size of 27 × 27 × 2.2 mm3, respectively, using 0.07Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.06Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.87Pb(Zr0.48Ti0.52)O3 (A-type) and 0.07Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.10Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.83Pb(Zr0.48Ti0.52)O3 (B-type) composition ceramics. And then, their electrical properties were investigated according to the variations of frequency and load resistance. The voltage step-up ratio of the transformers showed the maximum values at the vicinity of 69 kHz. At the load resistance of 100 Ω, A-type and B-type piezoelectric transformers showed the temperature rises of about 21 °C at the output power of 15 and 18 W, respectively. At B-type transformer with high effective electromechanical coupling factor (keff) and high piezoelectric constant (d33), lower temperature increase was relatively appeared.

  18. Geophysical and botanical monitoring of simulated graves in a tropical rainforest, Colombia, South America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Molina, Carlos Martin; Pringle, Jamie K.; Saumett, Miguel; Evans, Gethin T.

    2016-12-01

    In most Latin American countries there are significant numbers of missing people and forced disappearances, currently 80,000 only in Colombia. Successful detection of shallow buried human remains by forensic search teams is currently difficult in varying terrain and climates. Within this research we built four simulated clandestine burial styles in tropical rainforests, as this is a common scenario and depositional environment encountered in Latin America, to gain knowledge of optimum forensic geophysics detection techniques. The results of geophysically monitoring these burials using ground penetrating radar, magnetic susceptibility, bulk ground conductivity and electrical resistivity are presented from one to forty three weeks post-burial. Radar survey results with both the 250 MHz and 500 MHz frequency antennae showed good detection of modern simulated burials on 2D profiles and horizontal time slices but poor detection on the other simulated graves. Magnetic susceptibility, bulk ground conductivity and electrical resistivity results were generally poor at detecting the simulated targets. Observations of botanical variations on the test site show rapid regrowth of Malvaceae and Petiveria alliacea vegetation over all burials that are common in these forests, which can make detection more difficult.

  19. Electrical Switching of Perovskite Thin-Film Resistors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, Shangqing; Wu, Juan; Ignatiev, Alex

    2010-01-01

    Electronic devices that exploit electrical switching of physical properties of thin films of perovskite materials (especially colossal magnetoresistive materials) have been invented. Unlike some related prior devices, these devices function at room temperature and do not depend on externally applied magnetic fields. Devices of this type can be designed to function as sensors (exhibiting varying electrical resistance in response to varying temperature, magnetic field, electric field, and/or mechanical pressure) and as elements of electronic memories. The underlying principle is that the application of one or more short electrical pulse(s) can induce a reversible, irreversible, or partly reversible change in the electrical, thermal, mechanical, and magnetic properties of a thin perovskite film. The energy in the pulse must be large enough to induce the desired change but not so large as to destroy the film. Depending on the requirements of a specific application, the pulse(s) can have any of a large variety of waveforms (e.g., square, triangular, or sine) and be of positive, negative, or alternating polarity. In some applications, it could be necessary to use multiple pulses to induce successive incremental physical changes. In one class of applications, electrical pulses of suitable shapes, sizes, and polarities are applied to vary the detection sensitivities of sensors. Another class of applications arises in electronic circuits in which certain resistance values are required to be variable: Incorporating the affected resistors into devices of the present type makes it possible to control their resistances electrically over wide ranges, and the lifetimes of electrically variable resistors exceed those of conventional mechanically variable resistors. Another and potentially the most important class of applications is that of resistance-based nonvolatile-memory devices, such as a resistance random access memory (RRAM) described in the immediately following article, Electrically Variable Resistive Memory Devices (MFS-32511-1).

  20. Optimization and performance comparison for galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvesters with alternating-current and direct-current interface circuits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, Ting; Yan, Zhimiao; Lei, Hong

    2017-07-01

    Galloping-based piezoelectric energy harvesters scavenge small-scale wind energy and convert it into electrical energy. For piezoelectric energy harvesting with the same vibrational source (galloping) but different (alternating-current (AC) and direct-current (DC)) interfaces, general analytical solutions of the electromechanical coupled distributed parameter model are proposed. Galloping is theoretically proven to appear when the linear aerodynamic negative damping overcomes the electrical damping and mechanical damping. The harvested power is demonstrated as being done by the electrical damping force. Via tuning the load resistance to its optimal value for optimal or maximal electrical damping, the harvested power of the given structure with the AC/DC interface is maximized. The optimal load resistances and the corresponding performances of such two systems are compared. The optimal electrical damping are the same but with different optimal load resistances for the systems with the AC and DC interfaces. At small wind speeds where the optimal electrical damping can be realized by only tuning the load resistance, the performances of such two energy harvesting systems, including the minimal onset speeds to galloping, maximal harvested powers and corresponding tip displacements are almost the same. Smaller maximal electrical damping with larger optimal load resistance is found for the harvester with the DC interface when compared to those for the harvester with the AC interface. At large wind speeds when the maximal electrical damping rather than the optimal electrical damping can be reached by tuning the load resistance alone, the harvester with the AC interface circuit is recommended for a higher maximal harvested power with a smaller tip displacement. This study provides a method using the general electrical damping to connect and compare the performances of piezoelectric energy harvesters with same excitation source but different interfaces.

  1. Geoelectric precursors to strong earthquakes in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yulin, Zhao; Fuye, Qian

    1994-05-01

    The main results of searching for electrical precursors to strong earthquakes in China for the last 25 yr are presented. This comprises: the continuous twenty-year resistivity record before and after the great Tangshan earthquake of 1976; spatial and temporal variations in resistivity anomalies observed at more than 6 stations within 150 km of the Tangshan earthquake epicenter; the travel-time curve for the front of the resistivity precursor; and a method of intersection for predicting the epicenter location. These results reveal a number of interesting facts: (1) Resistivity measurements with accuracies of 0.5% or better for over 20 yr show that resistivity decreases of several percent, which began approximately 3 yr prior to the Tangshan earthquake, were larger than the background fluctuations and hence statistically significant. An outstanding example of an intermediate-term resistivity precursor is given. (2) The intermediate-term resistivity precursor decrease before Tangshan earthquake is such a pervasive phenomenon that the mean decrease, in percent, can be contoured on a map of the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan region. This shows the maximum decrease centered over the epicenter. (3) The anomalies in resistivity and self-potential, which began 2-0.5 months before the Tangshan main shock, had periods equal to that of the tidal waves M 2 and MS f, respectively, so that the associated anomalies can be identified as impending-earthquake precursors and a modal related to stress-displacement weakening is proposed.

  2. Mapping Aquifer Systems with Airborne Electromagnetics in the Central Valley of California.

    PubMed

    Knight, Rosemary; Smith, Ryan; Asch, Ted; Abraham, Jared; Cannia, Jim; Viezzoli, Andrea; Fogg, Graham

    2018-03-09

    The passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in California has highlighted a need for cost-effective ways to acquire the data used in building conceptual models of the aquifer systems in the Central Valley of California. One approach would be the regional implementation of the airborne electromagnetic (AEM) method. We acquired 104 line-kilometers of data in the Tulare Irrigation District, in the Central Valley, to determine the depth of investigation (DOI) of the AEM method, given the abundance of electrically conductive clays, and to assess the usefulness of the method for mapping the hydrostratigraphy. The data were high quality providing, through inversion of the data, models displaying the variation in electrical resistivity to a depth of approximately 500 m. In order to transform the resistivity models to interpreted sections displaying lithology, we established the relationship between resistivity and lithology using collocated lithology logs (from drillers' logs) and AEM data. We modeled the AEM response and employed a bootstrapping approach to solve for the range of values in the resistivity model corresponding to sand and gravel, mixed coarse and fine, and clay in the unsaturated and saturated regions. The comparison between the resulting interpretation and an existing cross section demonstrates that AEM can be an effective method for mapping the large-scale hydrostratigraphy of aquifer systems in the Central Valley. The methods employed and developed in this study have widespread application in the use of the AEM method for groundwater management in similar geologic settings. © 2018 The Authors. Groundwater published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of National Ground Water Association.

  3. Patient-Specific Detection of Cerebral Blood Flow Alterations as Assessed by Arterial Spin Labeling in Drug-Resistant Epileptic Patients

    PubMed Central

    Boscolo Galazzo, Ilaria; Storti, Silvia Francesca; Del Felice, Alessandra; Pizzini, Francesca Benedetta; Arcaro, Chiara; Formaggio, Emanuela; Mai, Roberto; Chappell, Michael; Beltramello, Alberto; Manganotti, Paolo

    2015-01-01

    Electrophysiological and hemodynamic data can be integrated to accurately and precisely identify the generators of abnormal electrical activity in drug-resistant focal epilepsy. Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL), a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique for quantitative noninvasive measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF), can provide a direct measure of variations in cerebral perfusion associated with the epileptic focus. In this study, we aimed to confirm the ASL diagnostic value in the identification of the epileptogenic zone, as compared to electrical source imaging (ESI) results, and to apply a template-based approach to depict statistically significant CBF alterations. Standard video-electroencephalography (EEG), high-density EEG, and ASL were performed to identify clinical seizure semiology and noninvasively localize the epileptic focus in 12 drug-resistant focal epilepsy patients. The same ASL protocol was applied to a control group of 17 healthy volunteers from which a normal perfusion template was constructed using a mixed-effect approach. CBF maps of each patient were then statistically compared to the reference template to identify perfusion alterations. Significant hypo- and hyperperfused areas were identified in all cases, showing good agreement between ASL and ESI results. Interictal hypoperfusion was observed at the site of the seizure in 10/12 patients and early postictal hyperperfusion in 2/12. The epileptic focus was correctly identified within the surgical resection margins in the 5 patients who underwent lobectomy, all of which had good postsurgical outcomes. The combined use of ESI and ASL can aid in the noninvasive evaluation of drug-resistant epileptic patients. PMID:25946055

  4. Groundwater Exploration in Baja California, Mexico, Using Audiomagnetotellurics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Antonio, R.; Arroyo, A.; Romo, J.; Vazquez, R.

    2007-12-01

    Guadalupe Valley, in Ensenada B. C. Mexico, basis of the winery industry of the region, is known by their climatic attributes for vineyard cultivation. In this place, the crop growing depends totally on underground water extracted of an aquifer contained in two separate small basins. In order to estimate the depth to water level, as well as the thickness of one of these basins, we carry out a geophysical survey using audio-magnetotellurics (AMT). We carried out five profiles in a frequency range between 1 Hz and 750 kHz to estimate the electrical conductivity of the ground. We know that this physical property is enhanced by the permeability as well as by the salinity of fluids in the aquifer. In contrast, the crystalline rocks forming the basement of the basin are very bad conductors of electricity. Based on the AMT observations we construct 2-D models of the ground resistivity distribution. Our results show a clear resistivity contrast between sediments and bedrock. The sediments have resistivity values that oscillate from 40 to 100 Ohm-m, associated with lithology and/or permeability changes. Some conductive bodies (5 to 15 Ohms-m) are observed at depths shallower that 150 m, which might be caused by the presence of water with higher salinity, or alternatively, by clay lens. The bottom of the basin has resistivity values larger than 300 Ohm-m typical of the granitic rocks composing the bedrock. The spatial variation of the basement depth suggests the presence a normal fault, in agreement with a graben structure proposed in former studies.

  5. 3D resistivity method to monitor degradation of an organic contaminant in sand boxes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandez, P. M.; Bloem, E.; Philippe, R.; French, H. K.

    2015-12-01

    Degradation of organic chemicals under various saturation conditions is a process highly relevant to protect groundwater. The redox potential drives the degradation of organic compounds. Its variation affects the water chemistry, gas release and responses of the geo-electrical signature. This study explores how non-invasive measurements sensitive to geo-electrical properties provides quantitative information about the in-situ redox situation. During this presentation, the preliminary results of a laboratory experiment to study the degradation of deicing chemicals with 3D resistivity and self-potential techniques, water samples will be shown. The experiment consists of sand boxes (1.0x0.5x0.4 m) to which both sides of each box is contaminated with propylene glycol, an aircraft deicing fluid, commonly used in Norwegian airports. Each source is placed near the water table with static conditions. At one side a conductor is placed, linking the contamination zone at the water table and the unsaturated zone with a low water content, to improve the degradation by facilitating the electron exchange. At the other side, degradation occurs under natural conditions. Each box is equipped with 288 electrodes, distributed on six faces to perform 3D resistivity measurements. In addition to the resistivity, self-potential measurements are taken from the sand surface. Six water wells are installed above and below the water table to provide more information on the degradation processes. Moreover, measurements of carbon dioxide on the surface are performed as higher concentrations are expected where the pollutant is degraded.

  6. Electric moisture meters for wood

    Treesearch

    William L. James

    1963-01-01

    Common methods of measuring the moisture content of wood are described briefly, and a short historical account of the development of electric moisture meters is given. Electrical properties of wood are discussed briefly, and the basic operation of the resistance type and the radio- frequency types of moisture meter is outlined. Data relating the electrical resistance...

  7. Effect of CFRC layers on the electrical properties and failure mode of RC beams strengthened with CFRC composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Sigang; Dai, Hongzhe; Wang, Wei

    2007-12-01

    This paper designs an innovative reinforced concrete (RC) beam strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced concrete (CFRC) composites. Six groups of test beams, five with different degrees of strengthening, achieved by changing the location and the thickness of the CFRC layer, and one virgin RC beam, were tested in four-point bending over a span of 3000 mm. We investigate the effect of the CFRC layer on the flexural performance and the electrical properties of the designed beams. The test results indicate that the CFRC strengthened RC beam exhibits improved electrical properties as well as better mechanical performance. Also, the location and the thickness of the CFRC layer affect the initial electrical resistance and other electrical properties of the beam. Relationships between electrical resistance, loading, deflection and cracks show that the increase in the electrical resistance can be used to monitor the extent of damage to the designed beam. Based on this discovery, a new health monitoring technique for RC structures is produced by means of electrical resistance measurements.

  8. Semiconductor bridge (SCB) igniter

    DOEpatents

    Bickes, Jr., Robert W.; Schwarz, Alfred C.

    1987-01-01

    In an explosive device comprising an explosive material which can be made to explode upon activation by activation means in contact therewith; electrical activation means adaptable for activating said explosive material such that it explodes; and electrical circuitry in operation association with said activation means; there is an improvement wherein said activation means is an electrical material which, at an elevated temperature, has a negative temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity and which has a shape and size and an area of contact with said explosive material sufficient that it has an electrical resistance which will match the resistance requirements of said associated electrical circuitry when said electrical material is operationally associated with said circuitry, and wherein said electrical material is polycrystalline; or said electrical material is crystalline and (a) is mounted on a lattice matched substrate or (b) is partially covered with an intimately contacting metallization area which defines its area of contact with said explosive material.

  9. Resistive field structures for semiconductor devices and uses therof

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

    Marinella, Matthew; DasGupta, Sandeepan; Kaplar, Robert

    The present disclosure relates to resistive field structures that provide improved electric field profiles when used with a semiconductor device. In particular, the resistive field structures provide a uniform electric field profile, thereby enhancing breakdown voltage and improving reliability. In example, the structure is a field cage that is configured to be resistive, in which the potential changes significantly over the distance of the cage. In another example, the structure is a resistive field plate. Using these resistive field structures, the characteristics of the electric field profile can be independently modulated from the physical parameters of the semiconductor device. Additionalmore » methods and architectures are described herein.« less

  10. Using electrical resistance tomography to map subsurface temperatures

    DOEpatents

    Ramirez, A.L.; Chesnut, D.A.; Daily, W.D.

    1994-09-13

    A method is provided for measuring subsurface soil or rock temperatures remotely using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). Electrical resistivity measurements are made using electrodes implanted in boreholes driven into the soil and/or at the ground surface. The measurements are repeated as some process changes the temperatures of the soil mass/rock mass. Tomographs of electrical resistivity are calculated based on the measurements using Poisson's equation. Changes in the soil/rock resistivity can be related to changes in soil/rock temperatures when: (1) the electrical conductivity of the fluid trapped in the soil's pore space is low, (2) the soil/rock has a high cation exchange capacity and (3) the temperature changes are sufficiently high. When these three conditions exist the resistivity changes observed in the ERT tomographs can be directly attributed to changes in soil/rock temperatures. This method provides a way of mapping temperature changes in subsurface soils remotely. Distances over which the ERT method can be used to monitor changes in soil temperature range from tens to hundreds of meters from the electrode locations. 1 fig.

  11. Using electrical resistance tomography to map subsurface temperatures

    DOEpatents

    Ramirez, Abelardo L.; Chesnut, Dwayne A.; Daily, William D.

    1994-01-01

    A method is provided for measuring subsurface soil or rock temperatures remotely using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). Electrical resistivity measurements are made using electrodes implanted in boreholes driven into the soil and/or at the ground surface. The measurements are repeated as some process changes the temperatures of the soil mass/rock mass. Tomographs of electrical resistivity are calculated based on the measurements using Poisson's equation. Changes in the soil/rock resistivity can be related to changes in soil/rock temperatures when: (1) the electrical conductivity of the fluid trapped in the soil's pore space is low, (2) the soil/rock has a high cation exchange capacity and (3) the temperature changes are sufficiently high. When these three conditions exist the resistivity changes observed in the ERT tomographs can be directly attributed to changes in soil/rock temperatures. This method provides a way of mapping temperature changes in subsurface soils remotely. Distances over which the ERT method can be used to monitor changes in soil temperature range from tens to hundreds of meters from the electrode locations.

  12. Subsurface Resistivity Structures in and Around Strike-Slip Faults - Electromagnetic Surveys and Drillings Across Active Faults in Central Japan -

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Omura, K.; Ikeda, R.; Iio, Y.; Matsuda, T.

    2005-12-01

    Electrical resistivity is important property to investigate the structure of active faults. Pore fluid affect seriously the electrical properties of rocks, subsurface electrical resistivity can be an indicator of the existence of fluid and distribution of pores. Fracture zone of fault is expected to have low resistivity due to high porosity and small gain size. Especially, strike-slip type fault has nearly vertical fracture zone and the fracture zone would be detected by an electrical survey across the fault. We performed electromagnetic survey across the strike-slip active faults in central Japan. At the same faults, we also drilled borehole into the fault and did downhole logging in the borehole. We applied MT or CSAMT methods onto 5 faults: Nojima fault which appeared on the surface by the 1995 Great Kobe earthquake (M=7.2), western Nagano Ohtaki area(1984 Nagano-ken seibu earthquake (M=6.8), the fault did not appeared on the surface), Neodani fault which appeared by the 1891 Nobi earthquake (M=8.0), Atera fault which seemed to be dislocated by the 1586 Tensyo earthquake (M=7.9), Gofukuji fault that is considered to have activated about 1200 years ago. The sampling frequencies of electrical and magnetic field were 2 - 1024Hz (10 frequencies) for CSAMT survey and 0.00055 - 384Hz (40 frequencies) for MT survey. The electromagnetic data were processed by standard method and inverted to 2-D resistivity structure along transects of the faults. Results of the survey were compared with downhole electrical logging data and observational descriptions of drilled cores. Fault plane of each fault were recognized as low resistivity region or boundary between relatively low and high resistivity region, except for Gofukuji fault. As for Gofukuji fault, fault was located in relatively high resistivity region. During very long elapsed time from the last earthquake, the properties of fracture zone of Gofukuji fault might changed from low resistivity properties as observed for other faults. Downhole electrical logging data were consistent to values of resistivity estimated by electromagnetic survey for each fault. The existence of relatively low and high resistivity regions in 2-D structure from electromagnetic survey was observed again by downhole logging at the correspondent portion in the borehole. Cores recovered from depthes where the electrical logging showed low resistivity were hardly fractured and altered from host rock which showed high resistivity. Results of electromagnetic survey, downhole electrical logging and observation of drilled cores were consistent to each other. In present case, electromagnetic survey is useful to explore the properties of fault fracture zone. In the further investigations, it is important to explore relationships among features of resistivity structure and geological and geophysical situations of the faults.

  13. Non-destructive reversible resistive switching in Cr doped Mott insulator Ca2RuO4: Interface vs bulk effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Shida; Williamson, Morgan; Cao, Gang; Zhou, Jianshi; Goodenough, John; Tsoi, Maxim

    2017-12-01

    A non-destructive reversible resistive switching is demonstrated in single crystals of Cr-doped Mott insulator Ca2RuO4. An applied electrical bias was shown to reduce the DC resistance of the crystal by as much as 75%. The original resistance of the sample could be restored by applying an electrical bias of opposite polarity. We have studied this resistive switching as a function of the bias strength, applied magnetic field, and temperature. A combination of 2-, 3-, and 4-probe measurements provide a means to distinguish between bulk and interfacial contributions to the switching and suggests that the switching is mostly an interfacial effect. The switching was tentatively attributed to electric-field driven lattice distortions which accompany the impurity-induced Mott transition. This field effect was confirmed by temperature-dependent resistivity measurements which show that the activation energy of this material can be tuned by an applied DC electrical bias. The observed resistance switching can potentially be used for building non-volatile memory devices like resistive random access memory.

  14. Modeling pore corrosion in normally open gold- plated copper connectors.

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

    Battaile, Corbett Chandler; Moffat, Harry K.; Sun, Amy Cha-Tien

    2008-09-01

    The goal of this study is to model the electrical response of gold plated copper electrical contacts exposed to a mixed flowing gas stream consisting of air containing 10 ppb H{sub 2}S at 30 C and a relative humidity of 70%. This environment accelerates the attack normally observed in a light industrial environment (essentially a simplified version of the Battelle Class 2 environment). Corrosion rates were quantified by measuring the corrosion site density, size distribution, and the macroscopic electrical resistance of the aged surface as a function of exposure time. A pore corrosion numerical model was used to predict bothmore » the growth of copper sulfide corrosion product which blooms through defects in the gold layer and the resulting electrical contact resistance of the aged surface. Assumptions about the distribution of defects in the noble metal plating and the mechanism for how corrosion blooms affect electrical contact resistance were needed to complete the numerical model. Comparisons are made to the experimentally observed number density of corrosion sites, the size distribution of corrosion product blooms, and the cumulative probability distribution of the electrical contact resistance. Experimentally, the bloom site density increases as a function of time, whereas the bloom size distribution remains relatively independent of time. These two effects are included in the numerical model by adding a corrosion initiation probability proportional to the surface area along with a probability for bloom-growth extinction proportional to the corrosion product bloom volume. The cumulative probability distribution of electrical resistance becomes skewed as exposure time increases. While the electrical contact resistance increases as a function of time for a fraction of the bloom population, the median value remains relatively unchanged. In order to model this behavior, the resistance calculated for large blooms has been weighted more heavily.« less

  15. Oxidation Resistance, Electrical and Thermal Conductivity, and Spectral Emittance of Fully Dense HfB2 and ZrB2 with SiC, TaSi2, and LaB6 Additives

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-01-26

    Resistance , Electrical and Thermal Conductivity, and Spectral Emittance of Fully Dense HfB2 and ZrB2 "With SiC, TaSi2, and LaB6 Additives Sb. GRANT NUMBER... RESISTANCE , ELECTRICAL AND THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY, AND SPECTRAL EMITTANCE OF FULLY DENSE HfB2 AND ZrB2 WITH SiC, TaSi2, AND LaB6 ADDITIVES Air Force Office...thickened regions with dry 220 grit SiC sandpaper so that a low- resistance electrical connection could be achieved. A handheld multimeter was used to measure

  16. Silicon Germanium Quantum Well Thermoelectrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davidson, Anthony Lee, III

    Today's growing energy demands require new technologies to provide high efficiency clean energy. Thermoelectrics that convert heat to electrical energy directly can provide a method for the automobile industry to recover waste heat to power vehicle electronics, hence improving fuel economy. If large enough efficiencies can be obtained then the internal combustion engine could even be replaced. Exhaust temperature for automotive application range from 400 to 800 K. In this temperature range the current state of the art materials are bulk Si1-xGex alloys. By alternating layers of Si and Si1-xGex alloy device performance may be enhanced through quantum well effects and variations in material thermal properties. In this study, superlattices designed for in-plane operation with varying period and crystallinity are examined to determine the effect on electrical and thermal properties. In-plane electrical resistivity of these materials was found to be below the bulk material at a similar doping at room temperature, confirming the role of quantum wells in electron transport. As period is reduced in the structures boundary scattering limits electron propagation leading to increased resistivity. The Seebeck coefficient measured at room temperature is higher than the bulk material, additionally lending proof to the effects of quantum wells. When examining cross-plane operation the low doping in the Si layers of the device produce high resistivity resulting from boundary scattering. Thermal conductivity was measured from 77 K up to 674 K and shows little variation due to periodicity and temperature, however an order of magnitude reduction over bulk Si1-xGex is shown in all samples. A model is developed that suggests a combination of phonon dispersion effects and strong boundary scattering. Further study of the phonon dispersion effects was achieved through the examination of the heat capacity by combining thermal diffusivity with thermal conductivity. All superlattices show a reduction in heat capacity when compared to Si, suggesting the importance of phonon dispersion effects due to the periodicity. The Debye model does not provide agreement with this result due to the inadequate treatment of optical phonons. Overall the results show that the design of the superlattice structures results in a thermoelectric that has improved efficiency at room temperature to the state of the art materials with the promise of increased efficiency at higher temperatures.

  17. Electrical properties of materials for high temperature strain gage applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brittain, John O.

    1989-01-01

    A study was done on the electrical resistance of materials that are potentially useful as resistance strain gages at high temperatures under static strain conditions. Initially a number of binary alloys were investigated. Later, third elements were added to these alloys, all of which were prepared by arc melting. Several transition metals were selected for experimentation, most prepared as thin films. Difficulties with electrical contacts thwarted efforts to extend measurements to the targeted 1000 C, but results obtained did suggest ways of improving the electrical resistance characteristics of certain materials.

  18. Electrical resistance of CNT-PEEK composites under compression at different temperatures

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Electrically conductive polymers reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have generated a great deal of scientific and industrial interest in the last few years. Advanced thermoplastic composites made of three different weight percentages (8%, 9%, and 10%) of multiwalled CNTs and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) were prepared by shear mixing process. The temperature- and pressure-dependent electrical resistance of these CNT-PEEK composites have been studied and presented in this paper. It has been found that electrical resistance decreases significantly with the application of heat and pressure. PMID:21711952

  19. The electrical resistance of gold-capped chromium thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ohashi, Masashi; Sawabu, Masaki; Ohashi, Kohei; Miyagawa, Masahiro; Maeta, Kae; Kubota, Takahide; Takanashi, Koki

    2018-03-01

    We studied the electrical resistance of polycrystalline chromium films capped by a gold layer. No anomaly was detected by resistance measurements of 10 nm thick film around room temperature, indicating that the antiferromagnetic interaction may be suppressed as decreasing the thickness of the chromium film. The sheet resistance Rs (T) curves differ from polycrystalline chromium films in previous studies because of the electrical current flows through a gold capping layer. On the other hand, the resistance drop is observed at T C = 1.15±0.05 K as that of polycrystalline chromium films in the previous report. It means that such resistance drop is not related to the chromium oxide layer on a polycrystalline chromium films. However, it is difficult to conclude that superconducting transition occurs because of the large residual resistance below the temperature where the resistance drop is observed.

  20. Structural, optical and high pressure electrical resistivity studies of pure NiO and Cu-doped NiO nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marselin, M. Abila; Jaya, N. Victor

    2016-04-01

    In this paper, pure NiO and Cu-doped NiO nanoparticles are prepared by co-precipitation method. The electrical resistivity measurements by applying high pressure on pure NiO and Cu-doped NiO nanoparticles were reported. The Bridgman anvil set up is used to measure high pressures up to 8 GPa. These measurements show that there is no phase transformation in the samples till the high pressure is reached. The samples show a rapid decrease in electrical resistivity up to 5 GPa and it remains constant beyond 5 GPa. The electrical resistivity and the transport activation energy of the samples under high pressure up to 8 GPa have been studied in the temperature range of 273-433 K using diamond anvil cell. The temperature versus electrical resistivity studies reveal that the samples behave like a semiconductor. The activation energies of the charge carriers depend on the size of the samples.

  1. 2015 WFNDEC eddy current benchmark modeling of impedance variation in coil due to a crack located at the plate edge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rocha, João Vicente; Camerini, Cesar; Pereira, Gabriela

    2016-02-01

    The 2015 World Federation of NDE Centers (WFNDEC) eddy current benchmark problem involves the inspection of two EDM notches placed at the edge of a conducting plate with a pancake coil that runs parallel to the plate's edge line. Experimental data consists of impedance variation measured with a precision LCR bridge as a XY scanner moves the coil. The authors are pleased to present the numerical results obtained with commercial FEM packages (OPERA 3-D). Values of electrical resistance and inductive reactance variation between base material and the region around the notch are plotted as function of the coil displacement over the plate. The calculations were made for frequencies of 1 kHz and 10 kHz and agreement between experimental and numerical results are excellent for all inspection conditions. Explanations are made about how the impedance is calculated as well as pros and cons of the presented methods.

  2. Germanium Resistance Thermometer For Subkelvin Temperatures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Castles, Stephen H.

    1993-01-01

    Improved germanium resistance thermometer measures temperatures as small as 0.01 K accurately. Design provides large area for electrical connections (to reduce electrical gradients and increase sensitivity to changes in temperatures) and large heat sink (to minimize resistance heating). Gold pads on top and bottom of germanium crystal distribute electrical current and flow of heat nearly uniformly across crystal. Less expensive than magnetic thermometers or superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID's) otherwise used.

  3. The Development and Application of Simulative Insulation Resistance Tester

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

    2018-02-01

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

  4. Relations among passive electrical properties of lumbar alpha-motoneurones of the cat.

    PubMed Central

    Gustafsson, B; Pinter, M J

    1984-01-01

    The relations among passive membrane properties have been examined in cat motoneurones utilizing exclusively electrophysiological techniques. A significant relation was found to exist between the input resistance and the membrane time constant. The estimated electrotonic length showed no evident tendency to vary with input resistance but did show a tendency to decrease with increasing time constant. Detailed analysis of this trend suggests, however, that a variation in dendritic geometry is likely to exist among cat motoneurones, such that the dendritic trees of motoneurones projecting to fast-twitch muscle units are relatively more expansive than those of motoneurones projecting to slow-twitch units. Utilizing an expression derived from the Rall neurone model, the total capacitance of the equivalent cylinder corresponding to a motoneurone has been estimated. With the assumption of a constant and uniform specific capacitance of 1 mu F/cm2, the resulting values have been used as estimates of cell surface area. These estimates agree well with morphologically obtained measurements from cat motoneurones reported by others. Both membrane time constant (and thus likely specific membrane resistivity) and electrotonic length showed little tendency to vary with surface area. However, after-hyperpolarization (a.h.p.) duration showed some tendency to vary such that cells with brief a.h.p. duration were, on average, larger than those with longer a.h.p. durations. Apart from motoneurones with the lowest values, axonal conduction velocity was only weakly related to variations in estimated surface area. Input resistance and membrane time constant were found to vary systematically with the a.h.p. duration. Analysis suggested that the major part of the increase in input resistance with a.h.p. duration was related to an increase in membrane resistivity and a variation in dendritic geometry rather than to differences in surface area among the motoneurones. The possible effects of imperfect electrode seals have been considered. According to an analysis of a passive membrane model, soma leaks caused by impalement injury will result in underestimates of input resistance and time constant and over-estimates of electrotonic length and total capacitance. Assuming a non-injured resting potential of -80 mV, a comparison of membrane potentials predicted by various relative leaks (leak conductance/input conductance) with those actually observed suggests that the magnitude of these errors in the present material will not unduly affect the presented results.+4 PMID:6520792

  5. Ultrasonic fatigue of SiC particle reinforced aluminum in the VHCF-regime

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wolf, M.; Wagner, G.; Eifler, D.

    At the WKK ultrasonic testing facilities (UTF) are used to perform fatigue experiments in the VHCF regime with a frequency of 20 kHz. These systems allow an on-line characterization of the actual fatigue state by changes of different process parameters such as generator power, displacement, temperature or frequency-response characteristic. Moreover the experiments can be interrupted at user defined events in order to investigate variations of the surface microstructure or changes in the electrical resistance of the specimens. The fatigue tests were realized as load increase tests as well as constant amplitude tests.

  6. Coaxial Electric Heaters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strekalov, Dmitry; Matsko, Andrey; Savchenkov, Anatoliy; Maleki, Lute

    2008-01-01

    Coaxial electric heaters have been conceived for use in highly sensitive instruments in which there are requirements for compact heaters but stray magnetic fields associated with heater electric currents would adversely affect operation. Such instruments include atomic clocks and magnetometers that utilize heated atomic-sample cells, wherein stray magnetic fields at picotesla levels could introduce systematic errors into instrument readings. A coaxial electric heater is essentially an axisymmetric coaxial cable, the outer conductor of which is deliberately made highly electrically resistive so that it can serve as a heating element. As in the cases of other axisymmetric coaxial cables, the equal magnitude electric currents flowing in opposite directions along the inner and outer conductors give rise to zero net magnetic field outside the outer conductor. Hence, a coaxial electric heater can be placed near an atomic-sample cell or other sensitive device. A coaxial electric heater can be fabricated from an insulated copper wire, the copper core of which serves as the inner conductor. For example, in one approach, the insulated wire is dipped in a colloidal graphite emulsion, then the emulsion-coated wire is dried to form a thin, uniform, highly electrically resistive film that serves as the outer conductor. Then the film is coated with a protective layer of high-temperature epoxy except at the end to be electrically connected to the power supply. Next, the insulation is stripped from the wire at that end. Finally, electrical leads from the heater power supply are attached to the exposed portions of the wire and the resistive film. The resistance of the graphite film can be tailored via its thickness. Alternatively, the film can be made from an electrically conductive paint, other than a colloidal graphite emulsion, chosen to impart the desired resistance. Yet another alternative is to tailor the resistance of a graphite film by exploiting the fact that its resistance can be changed permanently within about 10 percent by heating it to a temperature above 300 C. A coaxial heater, with electrical leads attached, that has been bent into an almost full circle for edge heating of a circular window is shown. (In the specific application, there is a requirement for a heated cell window, through which an optical beam enters the cell.)

  7. New method for path-length equalization of long single-mode fibers for interferometry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anderson, M.; Monnier, J. D.; Ozdowy, K.; Woillez, J.; Perrin, G.

    2014-07-01

    The ability to use single mode (SM) fibers for beam transport in optical interferometry offers practical advantages over conventional long vacuum pipes. One challenge facing fiber transport is maintaining constant differential path length in an environment where environmental thermal variations can lead to cm-level variations from day to night. We have fabricated three composite cables of length 470 m, each containing 4 copper wires and 3 SM fibers that operate at the astronomical H band (1500-1800 nm). Multiple fibers allow us to test performance of a circular core fiber (SMF28), a panda-style polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber, and a lastly a specialty dispersion-compensated PM fiber. We will present experimental results using precision electrical resistance measurements of the of a composite cable beam transport system. We find that the application of 1200 W over a 470 m cable causes the optical path difference in air to change by 75 mm (+/- 2 mm) and the resistance to change from 5.36 to 5.50Ω. Additionally, we show control of the dispersion of 470 m of fiber in a single polarization using white light interference fringes (λc=1575 nm, Δλ=75 nm) using our method.

  8. Subsurface imaging of carbon nanotube networks in polymers with DC-biased multifrequency dynamic atomic force microscopy.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Hank T; Barroso-Bujans, Fabienne; Herrero, Julio Gomez; Reifenberger, Ron; Raman, Arvind

    2013-04-05

    The characterization of dispersion and connectivity of carbon nanotube (CNT) networks inside polymers is of great interest in polymer nanocomposites in new material systems, organic photovoltaics, and in electrodes for batteries and supercapacitors. We focus on a technique using amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy (AM-AFM) in the attractive regime of operation, using both single and dual mode excitation, which upon the application of a DC tip bias voltage allows, via the phase channel, the in situ, nanoscale, subsurface imaging of CNT networks dispersed in a polymer matrix at depths of 10-100 nm. We present an in-depth study of the origins of phase contrast in this technique and demonstrate that an electrical energy dissipation mechanism in the Coulomb attractive regime is key to the formation of the phase contrast which maps the spatial variations in the local capacitance and resistance due to the CNT network. We also note that dual frequency excitation can, under some conditions, improve the contrast for such samples. These methods open up the possibility for DC-biased amplitude modulation AFM to be used for mapping the variations in local capacitance and resistance in nanocomposites with conducting networks.

  9. Improvement of electrical resistivity tomography for leachate injection monitoring.

    PubMed

    Clément, R; Descloitres, M; Günther, T; Oxarango, L; Morra, C; Laurent, J-P; Gourc, J-P

    2010-03-01

    Leachate recirculation is a key process in the scope of operating municipal waste landfills as bioreactors, which aims to increase the moisture content to optimize the biodegradation in landfills. Given that liquid flows exhibit a complex behaviour in very heterogeneous porous media, in situ monitoring methods are required. Surface time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is usually proposed. Using numerical modelling with typical 2D and 3D injection plume patterns and 2D and 3D inversion codes, we show that wrong changes of resistivity can be calculated at depth if standard parameters are used for time-lapse ERT inversion. Major artefacts typically exhibit significant increases of resistivity (more than +30%) which can be misinterpreted as gas migration within the waste. In order to eliminate these artefacts, we tested an advanced time-lapse ERT procedure that includes (i) two advanced inversion tools and (ii) two alternative array geometries. The first advanced tool uses invariant regions in the model. The second advanced tool uses an inversion with a "minimum length" constraint. The alternative arrays focus on (i) a pole-dipole array (2D case), and (ii) a star array (3D case). The results show that these two advanced inversion tools and the two alternative arrays remove almost completely the artefacts within +/-5% both for 2D and 3D situations. As a field application, time-lapse ERT is applied using the star array during a 3D leachate injection in a non-hazardous municipal waste landfill. To evaluate the robustness of the two advanced tools, a synthetic model including both true decrease and increase of resistivity is built. The advanced time-lapse ERT procedure eliminates unwanted artefacts, while keeping a satisfactory image of true resistivity variations. This study demonstrates that significant and robust improvements can be obtained for time-lapse ERT monitoring of leachate recirculation in waste landfills. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Improvement of electrical resistivity tomography for leachate injection monitoring

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

    Clement, R., E-mail: remi.clement@hmg.inpg.f; Descloitres, M.; Guenther, T., E-mail: Thomas.Guenther@liag-hannover.d

    2010-03-15

    Leachate recirculation is a key process in the scope of operating municipal waste landfills as bioreactors, which aims to increase the moisture content to optimize the biodegradation in landfills. Given that liquid flows exhibit a complex behaviour in very heterogeneous porous media, in situ monitoring methods are required. Surface time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is usually proposed. Using numerical modelling with typical 2D and 3D injection plume patterns and 2D and 3D inversion codes, we show that wrong changes of resistivity can be calculated at depth if standard parameters are used for time-lapse ERT inversion. Major artefacts typically exhibit significantmore » increases of resistivity (more than +30%) which can be misinterpreted as gas migration within the waste. In order to eliminate these artefacts, we tested an advanced time-lapse ERT procedure that includes (i) two advanced inversion tools and (ii) two alternative array geometries. The first advanced tool uses invariant regions in the model. The second advanced tool uses an inversion with a 'minimum length' constraint. The alternative arrays focus on (i) a pole-dipole array (2D case), and (ii) a star array (3D case). The results show that these two advanced inversion tools and the two alternative arrays remove almost completely the artefacts within +/-5% both for 2D and 3D situations. As a field application, time-lapse ERT is applied using the star array during a 3D leachate injection in a non-hazardous municipal waste landfill. To evaluate the robustness of the two advanced tools, a synthetic model including both true decrease and increase of resistivity is built. The advanced time-lapse ERT procedure eliminates unwanted artefacts, while keeping a satisfactory image of true resistivity variations. This study demonstrates that significant and robust improvements can be obtained for time-lapse ERT monitoring of leachate recirculation in waste landfills.« less

  11. An electrical impedance tomography (EIT) multi-electrode needle-probe device for local assessment of heterogeneous tissue impeditivity.

    PubMed

    Meroni, Davide; Maglioli, Camilla Carpano; Bovio, Dario; Greco, Francesco G; Aliverti, Andrea

    2017-07-01

    Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is an image reconstruction technique applied in medicine for the electrical imaging of living tissues. In literature there is the evidence that a large resistivity variation related to the differences of the human tissues exists. As a result of this interest for the electrical characterization of the biological samples, recently the attention is also focused on the identification and characterization of the human tissue, by studying the homogeneity of its structure. An 8 electrodes needle-probe device has been developed with the intent of identifying the structural inhomogeneities under the surface layers. Ex-vivo impeditivity measurements, by placing the needle-probe in 5 different patterns of fat and lean porcine tissue, were performed, and impeditivity maps were obtained by EIDORS open source software for image reconstruction in electrical impedance. The values composing the maps have been analyzed, pointing out a good tissue discrimination, and the conformity with the real images. We conclude that this device is able to perform impeditivity maps matching to reality for position and orientation. In all the five patterns presented is possible to identify and replicate correctly the heterogeneous tissue under test. This new procedure can be helpful to the medical staff to completely characterize the biological sample, in different unclear situations.

  12. Correlation between deep fluids, tremor and creep along the central San Andreas fault

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Becken, M.; Ritter, O.; Bedrosian, P.A.; Weckmann, U.

    2011-01-01

    The seismicity pattern along the San Andreas fault near Parkfield and Cholame, California, varies distinctly over a length of only fifty kilometres. Within the brittle crust, the presence of frictionally weak minerals, fault-weakening high fluid pressures and chemical weakening are considered possible causes of an anomalously weak fault northwest of Parkfield. Non-volcanic tremor from lower-crustal and upper-mantle depths is most pronounced about thirty kilometres southeast of Parkfield and is thought to be associated with high pore-fluid pressures at depth. Here we present geophysical evidence of fluids migrating into the creeping section of the San Andreas fault that seem to originate in the region of the uppermost mantle that also stimulates tremor, and evidence that along-strike variations in tremor activity and amplitude are related to strength variations in the lower crust and upper mantle. Interconnected fluids can explain a deep zone of anomalously low electrical resistivity that has been imaged by magnetotelluric data southwest of the Parkfield-Cholame segment. Near Cholame, where fluids seem to be trapped below a high-resistivity cap, tremor concentrates adjacent to the inferred fluids within a mechanically strong zone of high resistivity. By contrast, subvertical zones of low resistivity breach the entire crust near the drill hole of the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth, northwest of Parkfield, and imply pathways for deep fluids into the eastern fault block, coincident with a mechanically weak crust and the lower tremor amplitudes in the lower crust. Fluid influx to the fault system is consistent with hypotheses of fault-weakening high fluid pressures in the brittle crust.

  13. Kirchhoff and Ohm in action: solving electric currents in continuous extended media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dolinko, A. E.

    2018-03-01

    In this paper we show a simple and versatile computational simulation method for determining electric currents and electric potential in 2D and 3D media with arbitrary distribution of resistivity. One of the highlights of the proposed method is that the simulation space containing the distribution of resistivity and the points of external applied voltage are introduced by means of digital images or bitmaps, which easily allows simulating any phenomena involving distributions of resistivity. The simulation is based on the Kirchhoff’s laws of electric currents and it is solved by means of an iterative procedure. The method is also generalised to account for media with distributions of reactive impedance. At the end of this work, we show an example of application of the simulation, consisting in reproducing the response obtained with the geophysical method of electric resistivity tomography in presence of soil cracks. This paper is aimed at undergraduate or graduated students interested in computational physics and electricity and also researchers involved in the area of continuous electric media, which could find a simple and powerful tool for investigation.

  14. Interface and transport properties of metallization contacts to flat and wet-etching roughed N-polar n-type GaN.

    PubMed

    Wang, Liancheng; Liu, Zhiqiang; Guo, Enqing; Yang, Hua; Yi, Xiaoyan; Wang, Guohong

    2013-06-26

    The electrical characteristics of metallization contacts to flat (F-sample, without wet-etching roughed) and wet-etching roughed (R-sample) N-polar (Nitrogen-polar) n-GaN have been investigated. R-sample shows higher contact resistance (Rc) to Al/Ti/Au (~2.5 × 10(-5) Ω·cm(2)) and higher Schottky barriers height (SBH, ~0.386 eV) to Ni/Au, compared with that of F-sample (~1.3 × 10(-6) Ω·cm(2), ~0.154 eV). Reasons accounting for this discrepancy has been detail investigated and discussed: for R-sample, wet-etching process caused surface state and spontaneous polarization variation will degraded its electrical characteristics. Metal on R-sample shows smoother morphology, however, the effect of metal deposition state on electrical characteristics is negligible. Metallization contact area for both samples has also been further considered. Electrical characteristics of metallization contact to both samples show degradation upon annealing. The VLED chip (1 mm × 1 mm), which was fabricated on the basis of a hybrid scheme, coupling the advantage of F- and R-sample, shows the lowest forward voltage (2.75 V@350 mA) and the highest light output power.

  15. 3D linear inversion of magnetic susceptibility data acquired by frequency domain EMI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thiesson, J.; Tabbagh, A.; Simon, F.-X.; Dabas, M.

    2017-01-01

    Low induction number EMI instruments are able to simultaneously measure a soil's apparent magnetic susceptibility and electrical conductivity. This family of dual measurement instruments is highly useful for the analysis of soils and archeological sites. However, the electromagnetic properties of soils are found to vary over considerably different ranges: whereas their electrical conductivity varies from ≤ 0.1 to ≥ 100 mS/m, their relative magnetic permeability remains within a very small range, between 1.0001 and 1.01 SI. Consequently, although apparent conductivity measurements need to be inverted using non-linear processes, the variations of the apparent magnetic susceptibility can be approximated through the use of linear processes, as in the case of the magnetic prospection technique. Our proposed 3D inversion algorithm starts from apparent susceptibility data sets, acquired using different instruments over a given area. A reference vertical profile is defined by considering the mode of the vertical distributions of both the electrical resistivity and of the magnetic susceptibility. At each point of the mapped area, the reference vertical profile response is subtracted to obtain the apparent susceptibility variation dataset. A 2D horizontal Fourier transform is applied to these variation datasets and to the dipole (impulse) response of each instrument, a (vertical) 1D inversion is performed at each point in the spectral domain, and finally the resulting dataset is inverse transformed to restore the apparent 3D susceptibility variations. It has been shown that when applied to synthetic results, this method is able to correct the apparent deformations of a buried object resulting from the geometry of the instrument, and to restore reliable quantitative susceptibility contrasts. It also allows the thin layer solution, similar to that used in magnetic prospection, to be implemented. When applied to field data it initially delivers a level of contrast comparable to that obtained with a non-linear 3D inversion. Over four different sites, this method is able to produce, following an acceptably short computation time, realistic values for the lateral and vertical variations in susceptibility, which are significantly different to those given by a point-by-point 1D inversion.

  16. Detection de fuite dans les barrages en remblai par la methode de polarisation spontanee et par tomographie electrique: Cas de la jonction de deux barrages en remblai

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nzumotcha Tchoumkam, Linda Armelle

    The infiltration through the core of foundation of embankment dams is a problem which is worrying for safety and economical dams. The mechanism of infiltration can be progressive and can disturb the stability or the durability of the structures. Consequently, its evolution can undermine public security. Statistics made for 11192 embankment dams through the world showed that until 1986, 48% of damages have been caused by internal erosion. This internal erosion was generated by infiltration through the core or the foundation of embankment dam. Electrical, electromagnetic and thermometric methods are usually considered as investigation methods. The goal of this work is to study the sensibility of the self-potential method (S.P.) to detect seepage for the case of embankment dams. We used S.P jointly with electrical resistance tomography (ERT). To attain this objective, we acquired self-potential and resistivity data with periodic changes of the water level in the reservoir. These changes were made every spring (in November) and every summer (in April) at the emptying and impounding of the reservoir. For this project, measures have been conducted over a period of two years (2008-2010). Before that, thermometry, self-potential and magnetic methods were applied on the site to acquire information about seepage and its approximate position. Flow rate was also measured. In April 2010, injection of grout was used to clog seepage. The measurements allowed to represent the variation of potential with time and space. That permitted to make a distinction between different sources of self-potential signal. The mapping of the electric potential during the emptying and the impounding of the reservoir showed a negative anomaly which correlate to an outflow located in the upstream of the dam. The monitoring of the S.P. signal permitted to dissociate an anomaly zone which can be related to the site of injection of grout. The gradient of self-potential decreased with the increase of pressure gradient. We have computed the effective electro kinetic (EK) coupling coefficient of the dam from the variation of the potential with water level. Time-lapse ERT is used to control the variation of electrical conductivity of the material together with changes in water level. The anomaly in the time-lapse represented agrees with the outflow. We also propose a 3D numerical model to interpret the measurements in a semi-quantitative manner. Comparing between results of modeling and the survey data, differences are noted that can be explained in different ways. More work would be needed to elucidate those differences, in particular with the measurement strategy and the estimation of coupling coefficients. Nevertheless, the proposed approach allowed to underline different variations under the ground. These results have also been used to discuss the limitations of the self-potential method applied to detect seepage in the dam.

  17. Resistance probe for energetic particle dosimetry

    DOEpatents

    Wampler, W.R.

    A probe for determining the energy and flux of particles in a plasma comprises a carbon film adapted to be exposed to the plasma, the film having an electrical resistance which is related to the number of particles impacting the film, contacts for passing an electrical current throught the film, and contacts for determining the electrical resistance of the film. An improved method for determining the energy or flux of particles in a plasma is also disclosed.

  18. Resistance probe for energetic particle dosimetry

    DOEpatents

    Wampler, William R.

    1988-01-01

    A probe for determining the energy and flux of particles in a plasma comprises a carbon film adapted to be exposed to the plasma, the film havinmg an electrical resistance which is related to the number of particles impacting the film, contacts for passing an electrical current through the film, and contacts for determining the electrical resistance of the film. An improved method for determining the energy or flux of particles in a plasma is also disclosed.

  19. Electrically Variable Resistive Memory Devices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, Shangqing; Wu, Nai-Juan; Ignatiev, Alex; Charlson, E. J.

    2010-01-01

    Nonvolatile electronic memory devices that store data in the form of electrical- resistance values, and memory circuits based on such devices, have been invented. These devices and circuits exploit an electrically-variable-resistance phenomenon that occurs in thin films of certain oxides that exhibit the colossal magnetoresistive (CMR) effect. It is worth emphasizing that, as stated in the immediately preceding article, these devices function at room temperature and do not depend on externally applied magnetic fields. A device of this type is basically a thin film resistor: it consists of a thin film of a CMR material located between, and in contact with, two electrical conductors. The application of a short-duration, low-voltage current pulse via the terminals changes the electrical resistance of the film. The amount of the change in resistance depends on the size of the pulse. The direction of change (increase or decrease of resistance) depends on the polarity of the pulse. Hence, a datum can be written (or a prior datum overwritten) in the memory device by applying a pulse of size and polarity tailored to set the resistance at a value that represents a specific numerical value. To read the datum, one applies a smaller pulse - one that is large enough to enable accurate measurement of resistance, but small enough so as not to change the resistance. In writing, the resistance can be set to any value within the dynamic range of the CMR film. Typically, the value would be one of several discrete resistance values that represent logic levels or digits. Because the number of levels can exceed 2, a memory device of this type is not limited to binary data. Like other memory devices, devices of this type can be incorporated into a memory integrated circuit by laying them out on a substrate in rows and columns, along with row and column conductors for electrically addressing them individually or collectively.

  20. Electrical resistivity tomography for studying liquefaction induced by the May 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake (Mw = 6.1, northern Italy)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giocoli, A.; Quadrio, B.; Bellanova, J.; Lapenna, V.; Piscitelli, S.

    2014-04-01

    This work shows the result of an electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) survey carried out for imaging and characterizing the shallow subsurface affected by the coseismic effects of the Mw = 6.1 Emilia-Romagna (northern Italy) earthquake that occurred on 20 May 2012. The most characteristic coseismic effects were ground failure, lateral spreading and liquefaction that occurred extensively along the paleo-Reno River in the urban areas of San Carlo and Mirabello (southwestern portion of Ferrara Province). In total, six electrical resistivity tomographies were performed and calibrated with surface geological surveys, exploratory boreholes and aerial photo interpretations. This was one of first applications of the electrical resistivity tomography method in investigating coseismic liquefaction.

  1. Low temperature resistivity studies of SmB6: Observation of two-dimensional variable-range hopping conductivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Batkova, Marianna; Batko, Ivan; Gabáni, Slavomír; Gažo, Emil; Konovalova, Elena; Filippov, Vladimir

    2018-05-01

    We studied electrical resistance of a single-crystalline SmB6 sample with a focus on the region of the "low-temperature resistivity plateau". Our observations did not show any true saturation of the electrical resistance at temperatures below 3 K down to 70 mK. According to our findings, temperature dependence of the electrical conduction in a certain temperature interval above 70 mK can be decomposed into a temperature-independent term and a temperature-activated term that can be described by variable-range hopping formula for two-dimensional systems, exp [ -(T0 / T) 1 / 3 ]. Thus, our results indicate importance of hopping type of electrical transport in the near-surface region of SmB6.

  2. Transfer of Wire Arc-Sprayed Metal Coatings onto Plastic Parts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bobzin, K.; Öte, M.; Knoch, M. A.; Liao, X.; Hopmann, Ch.; Ochotta, P.

    2018-01-01

    By means of In-Mold-Metal-Spraying (IMMS), metal coatings deposited by means of arc spraying process (ASP) can be transferred onto plastic parts during injection molding, thus realizing an efficient production of metallized plastic parts. Parts produced by means of IMMS can be used in electrical applications. In the current study, the electrical resistivity of coatings applied with different feedstock materials was determined. As a starting point, pressurized air is used as atomizing gas for ASP. In contrast to Zn coatings, Cu coatings applied with pressurized air exhibit a significantly higher electrical resistivity in comparison with massive material. One possible reason is the more pronounced oxidation of Cu particles during ASP. Therefore, N2 and a mixture of N2 and H2 were used as atomizing gas. As a result, the electrical resistivity of coatings applied by means of IMMS could be significantly reduced. Furthermore, standoff distance, current and pressure of the atomizing gas were varied to investigate the influence of these process parameters on the electrical resistivity of Zn coatings using a full factorial experiment design with center point. It can be observed that the electrical resistivity of the Zn coatings increases with decreasing current and increasing standoff distance and pressure.

  3. Transfer of Wire Arc-Sprayed Metal Coatings onto Plastic Parts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bobzin, K.; Öte, M.; Knoch, M. A.; Liao, X.; Hopmann, Ch.; Ochotta, P.

    2017-12-01

    By means of In-Mold-Metal-Spraying (IMMS), metal coatings deposited by means of arc spraying process (ASP) can be transferred onto plastic parts during injection molding, thus realizing an efficient production of metallized plastic parts. Parts produced by means of IMMS can be used in electrical applications. In the current study, the electrical resistivity of coatings applied with different feedstock materials was determined. As a starting point, pressurized air is used as atomizing gas for ASP. In contrast to Zn coatings, Cu coatings applied with pressurized air exhibit a significantly higher electrical resistivity in comparison with massive material. One possible reason is the more pronounced oxidation of Cu particles during ASP. Therefore, N2 and a mixture of N2 and H2 were used as atomizing gas. As a result, the electrical resistivity of coatings applied by means of IMMS could be significantly reduced. Furthermore, standoff distance, current and pressure of the atomizing gas were varied to investigate the influence of these process parameters on the electrical resistivity of Zn coatings using a full factorial experiment design with center point. It can be observed that the electrical resistivity of the Zn coatings increases with decreasing current and increasing standoff distance and pressure.

  4. Electrical Resistance as a NDE Technique to Monitor Processing and Damage Accumulation in SiC/SiC Composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, Craig; Morscher, Gregory N.; Xia, Zhenhai

    2008-01-01

    Ceramic matrix composites are suitable for high temperature structural applications such as turbine airfoils and hypersonic thermal protection systems. The employment of these materials in such applications is limited by the ability to process components reliable and to accurately monitor and predict damage evolution that leads to failure under stressed-oxidation conditions. Current nondestructive methods such as ultrasound, x-ray, and thermal imaging are limited in their ability to quantify small scale, transverse, in-plane, matrix cracks developed over long-time creep and fatigue conditions. Electrical resistance of SiC/SiC composites is one technique that shows special promise towards this end. Since both the matrix and the fibers are conductive, changes in matrix or fiber properties should relate to changes in electrical conductivity along the length of a specimen or part. Initial efforts to quantify the electrical resistance of different fiber and different matrix SiC/SiC composites will be presented. Also, the effect of matrix cracking on electrical resistivity for several composite systems will be presented. The implications towards electrical resistance as a technique applied to composite processing, damage detection, and life-modeling will be discussed.

  5. Polarization-coupled tunable resistive behavior in oxide ferroelectric heterostructures

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

    Gruverman, Alexei; Tsymbal, Evgeny Y.; Eom, Chang-Beom

    2017-05-03

    This research focuses on investigation of the physical mechanism of the electrically and mechanically tunable resistive behavior in oxide ferroelectric heterostructures with engineered interfaces realized via a strong coupling of ferroelectric polarization with tunneling electroresistance and metal-insulator (M-I) transitions. This report describes observation of electrically conductive domain walls in semiconducting ferroelectrics, voltage-free control of resistive switching and demonstration of a new mechanism of electrical control of 2D electron gas (2DEG) at oxide interfaces. The research goals are achieved by creating strong synergy between cutting-edge fabrication of epitaxial single-crystalline complex oxides, nanoscale electrical characterization by scanning probe microscopy and theoretical modelingmore » of the observed phenomena. The concept of the ferroelectric devices with electrically and mechanically tunable nonvolatile resistance represents a new paradigm shift in realization of the next-generation of non-volatile memory devices and low-power logic switches.« less

  6. The electrical resistivity and percolation threshold of MWCNTs/polymer composites filled with a few aligned carbonyl iron particles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Shuai; Wang, Xiaojie

    2018-03-01

    Conductive polymer composites (CPCs) consist of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), a few carbonyl iron particles (CIPs) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are fabricated under a moderate magnetic field. The alignment of CIPs will change the structure of MWCNT network, and consequently the electrical properties of CPCs. The volume fraction of CIPs is fixed at 0.08 vol% at which CIPs will not directly participate in electric conduction. The electrical resistivity of CPCs and the changes of resistance versus strain are evaluated at various MWCNT volume fractions. The testing results show that a percolation threshold as low as 0.19 vol% is obtained due to the effect of aligned CIPs, comparing with 0.39 vol% of isotropic MWCNT/CIP/PDMS (prepared without magnetic field). Meanwhile, the anisotropic structure reduces the electrical resistivity by more than 80% when the MWCNT volume fractions is over the percolation threshold.

  7. Modeling Geoelectric Fields and Geomagnetically Induced Currents Around New Zealand to Explore GIC in the South Island's Electrical Transmission Network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Divett, T.; Ingham, M.; Beggan, C. D.; Richardson, G. S.; Rodger, C. J.; Thomson, A. W. P.; Dalzell, M.

    2017-10-01

    Transformers in New Zealand's South Island electrical transmission network have been impacted by geomagnetically induced currents (GIC) during geomagnetic storms. We explore the impact of GIC on this network by developing a thin-sheet conductance (TSC) model for the region, a geoelectric field model, and a GIC network model. (The TSC is composed of a thin-sheet conductance map with underlying layered resistivity structure.) Using modeling approaches that have been successfully used in the United Kingdom and Ireland, we applied a thin-sheet model to calculate the electric field as a function of magnetic field and ground conductance. We developed a TSC model based on magnetotelluric surveys, geology, and bathymetry, modified to account for offshore sediments. Using this representation, the thin sheet model gave good agreement with measured impedance vectors. Driven by a spatially uniform magnetic field variation, the thin-sheet model results in electric fields dominated by the ocean-land boundary with effects due to the deep ocean and steep terrain. There is a strong tendency for the electric field to align northwest-southeast, irrespective of the direction of the magnetic field. Applying this electric field to a GIC network model, we show that modeled GIC are dominated by northwest-southeast transmission lines rather than east-west lines usually assumed to dominate.

  8. Formation of Indium-Doped Zinc Oxide Thin Films Using Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis: The Importance of the Water Content in the Aerosol Solution and the Substrate Temperature for Enhancing Electrical Transport

    PubMed Central

    Biswal, Rajesh; Castañeda, Luis; Moctezuma, Rosario; Vega-Pérez, Jaime; De La Luz Olvera, María; Maldonado, Arturo

    2012-01-01

    Indium doped zinc oxide [ZnO:In] thin films have been deposited at 430°C on soda-lime glass substrates by the chemical spray technique, starting from zinc acetate and indium acetate. Pulverization of the solution was done by ultrasonic excitation. The variations in the electrical, structural, optical, and morphological characteristics of ZnO:In thin films, as a function of both the water content in the starting solution and the substrate temperature, were studied. The electrical resistivity of ZnO:In thin films is not significantly affected with the increase in the water content, up to 200 mL/L; further increase in water content causes an increase in the resistivity of the films. All films show a polycrystalline character, fitting well with the hexagonal ZnO wurtzite-type structure. No preferential growth in samples deposited with the lowest water content was observed, whereas an increase in water content gave rise to a (002) growth. The surface morphology of the films shows a consistency with structure results, as non-geometrical shaped round grains were observed in the case of films deposited with the lowest water content, whereas hexagonal slices, with a wide size distribution were observed in the other cases. In addition, films deposited with the highest water content show a narrow size distribution. PMID:28817056

  9. Mechanism for detecting NAPL using electrical resistivity imaging.

    PubMed

    Halihan, Todd; Sefa, Valina; Sale, Tom; Lyverse, Mark

    2017-10-01

    The detection of non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) related impacts in freshwater environments by electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) has been clearly demonstrated in field conditions, but the mechanism generating the resistive signature is poorly understood. An electrical barrier mechanism which allows for detecting NAPLs with ERI is tested by developing a theoretical basis for the mechanism, testing the mechanism in a two-dimensional sand tank with ERI, and performing forward modeling of the laboratory experiment. The NAPL barrier theory assumes at low bulk soil NAPL concentrations, thin saturated NAPL barriers can block pore throats and generate a detectable electrically resistive signal. The sand tank experiment utilized a photographic technique to quantify petroleum saturation, and to help determine whether ERI can detect and quantify NAPL across the water table. This experiment demonstrates electrical imaging methods can detect small quantities of NAPL of sufficient thickness in formations. The bulk volume of NAPL is not the controlling variable for the amount of resistivity signal generated. The resistivity signal is primarily due to a zone of high resistivity separate phase liquid blocking current flow through the fully NAPL saturated pores spaces. For the conditions in this tank experiment, NAPL thicknesses of 3.3cm and higher in the formation was the threshold for detectable changes in resistivity of 3% and greater. The maximum change in resistivity due to the presence of NAPL was an increase of 37%. Forward resistivity models of the experiment confirm the barrier mechanism theory for the tank experiment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. The effect of mechanical stress on electric resistance of nanographite-epoxy composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vovchenko, L.; Lazarenko, A.; Matzui, L.; Zhuravkov, A.

    2012-03-01

    The in-plane electric resistance Ra of composite materials (CMs) thermoexfoliated graphite(TEG)-epoxy resin(ED) under compression along compacting C-axis has been investigated by four-probe method. TEG content was 5-75 wt%. It was shown that specimens prepared by cold pressing are denser and reveal lower values of electric resistivity in comparison with specimens prepared by pouring. It was found that compression of the specimens leads to plastic deformation of specimens (εpl) and essential irreversible decrease of electric resistance during the first cycle of loading (up to 50 MPa), especially for the poured specimens with low density. Within the proposed model the contact resistance Rk between graphite particles in CM has been evaluated and it was shown that it increased with the decrease in TEG content in CM and depends on compacting method of CMs and the dispersity of graphite filler.

  11. Conductive Textiles via Vapor-Phase Polymerization of 3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene.

    PubMed

    Ala, Okan; Hu, Bin; Li, Dapeng; Yang, Chen-Lu; Calvert, Paul; Fan, Qinguo

    2017-08-30

    We fabricated electrically conductive textiles via vapor-phase polymerization of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) layers on cotton, cotton/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), cotton/Lycra, and PET fabrics. We then measured the electrical resistivity values of such PEDOT-coated textiles and analyzed the effect of water treatment on the electrical resistivity. Additionally, we tested the change in the electrical resistance of the conductive textiles under cyclic stretching and relaxation. Last, we characterized the uniformity and morphology of the conductive layer formed on the fabrics using scanning electron microscopy and electron-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.

  12. Research on HOPE communication and data processing equipment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yamamoto, Satoru; Kikuchi, Toshio

    1992-08-01

    An overview of the research on heat-resisting antenna is presented. Candidate heat-resisting antennas which were selected as the result of review on seven kinds of antenna are the antennas of micro strip, cavity, and horn types. Heat resistance characteristics of electric power supplying section (connectors) of heat-resisting antenna were studied. Heat cycling test and heat shock tests were conducted on the subject plugs and it was confirmed that they can be usable at - 80 C to + 200 C against - 65 C to + 125 C for the existing plugs. Fundamental electric data such as antenna pattern were acquired mating trial produced components simulating electric characteristics of heat-resisting antenna and trial-produced ceramic tiles.

  13. Rheodynamic model of cardiac pressure pulsations.

    PubMed

    Petrov, V G; Nikolov, S G

    1999-03-15

    To analyse parametrically (in terms of the qualitative theory of dynamical systems) the mechanical influence of inertia, resistance (positive and negative), elasticity and other global properties of the heart-muscle on the left ventricular pressure, an active rheodynamic model based on the Newtons's principles is proposed. The equation of motion of the heart mass centre is derived from an energy conservation law balancing the rate of mechanical (kinetic and potential) energy variation and the power of chemical energy influx and dissipative energy outflux. A corresponding dynamical system of two ordinary differential equations is obtained and parametrically analysed in physiological conditions. As a result, the following main conclusion is made: in physiological norm, because of the heart electrical activity, its equilibrium state is unstable and around it, mechanical self-oscillations emerge. In case the electrical activity ceases, an inverse phase reconstruction occurs during which the unstable equilibrium state of the system becomes stable and the self-oscillations disappear.

  14. Inverted-V events simultaneously observed with the Freja satellite and from the ground

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haerendel, G.; Frey, H. U.; Bauer, O. H.; Rieger, E.; Clemmons, J.; Boehm, M. H.; Wallis, D. D.; Lühr, H.

    The paper reports data received from the Freja satellite during two passes over broad auroral arc systems or inverted-V events above Gillam/Manitoba when special wide-angle CCD cameras were operated at this location in addition to the CANOPUS network. Detailed comparisons of the visible structures with modulations of the primary electron fluxes are performed. Motions of this fine structures are interpreted in terms of high-altitude electric fields shielded from the lower ionosphere. Simultaneous readings of current density, accelerating voltage and energy flux, the latter determined both from particle and auroral brightness measurements, are found to be internally consistent. We calculate from these data the effective resistance encountered by the electric currents and find agreement with the kinetic theory of the mirror impedance, if we allow for substantial variations in density and energy of the source electrons in the magnetosphere.

  15. Electrically resistive coating for remediation (regeneration) of a diesel particulate filter and method

    DOEpatents

    Phelps, Amanda C [Malibu, CA; Kirby, Kevin K [Calabasas Hills, CA; Gregoire, Daniel J [Thousand Oaks, CA

    2012-02-14

    A resistively heated diesel particulate filter (DPF). The resistively heated DPF includes a DPF having an inlet surface and at least one resistive coating on the inlet surface. The at least one resistive coating is configured to substantially maintain its resistance in an operating range of the DPF. The at least one resistive coating has a first terminal and a second terminal for applying electrical power to resistively heat up the at least one resistive coating in order to increase the temperature of the DPF to a regeneration temperature. The at least one resistive coating includes metal and semiconductor constituents.

  16. Concentration dependence of electrical resistivity of binary liquid alloy HgZn: Ab-initio study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Nalini; Thakur, Anil; Ahluwalia, P. K.

    2013-06-01

    The electrical resistivity of HgZn liquid alloy has been made calculated using Troullier and Martins ab-initio pseudopotential as a function of concentration. Hard sphere diameters of Hg and Zn are obtained through the inter-ionic pair potential have been used to calculate partial structure factors. Considering the liquid alloy to be a ternary mixture Ziman's formula for calculating the resistivity of binary liquid alloys, modified for complex formation, has been used. These results suggest that ab-initio approach for calculating electrical resistivity is quite successful in explaining the electronic transport properties of binary Liquid alloys.

  17. Modeling the electrical resistance of gold film conductors on uniaxially stretched elastomeric substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cao, Wenzhe; Görrn, Patrick; Wagner, Sigurd

    2011-05-01

    The electrical resistance of gold film conductors on polydimethyl siloxane substrates at stages of uniaxial stretching is measured and modeled. The surface area of a gold conductor is assumed constant during stretching so that the exposed substrate takes up all strain. Sheet resistances are calculated from frames of scanning electron micrographs by numerically solving for the electrical potentials of all pixels in a frame. These sheet resistances agree sufficiently well with values measured on the same conductors to give credence to the model of a stretchable network of gold links defined by microcracks.

  18. Electrical Resistance of Ceramic Matrix Composites for Damage Detection and Life-Prediction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, Craig; Morscher, Gregory N.; Xia, Zhenhai

    2008-01-01

    The electric resistance of woven SiC fiber reinforced SiC matrix composites were measured under tensile loading conditions. The results show that the electrical resistance is closely related to damage and that real-time information about the damage state can be obtained through monitoring of the resistance. Such self-sensing capability provides the possibility of on-board/in-situ damage detection or inspection of a component during "down time". The correlation of damage with appropriate failure mechanism can then be applied to accurate life prediction for high-temperature ceramic matrix composites.

  19. Silicon switching transistor with high power and low saturation voltage

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stonebraker, E.; Stoneburner, D.; Ferree, H.

    1973-01-01

    Assembly of two individually encapsulated silicon-chip transistors produces silicon power-transistor that has low electrical resistance and low thermal impedance. Electrical resistance and thermal impedance are low because of short lead lengths, and external contact surfaces are plated to reduce resistance at interfaces.

  20. Resistivity variations related to the large March 9, 1998 eruption at La Fournaise volcano inferred by continuous MT monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wawrzyniak, Pierre; Zlotnicki, Jacques; Sailhac, Pascal; Marquis, Guy

    2017-11-01

    The 2645 m-high La Fournaise volcano, located in the Southwest of Réunion Island (Indian Ocean), is a shield basaltic volcano where effusive eruptions generally occur along long fissures starting from the summit, alongside major fractures that characterize the eruptions' dynamism and effusivity. Between 1992 and 1998, the volcano underwent a quiet period during which few earthquakes were recorded. Minor seismic activity returned after 1997 and picked up in March 1998 during the 35 h preceding the March 9 eruption. From 1996, two autonomous stations (CSV and BAV) were installed on the volcano. CSV was located inside the Enclos Fouqué caldera while BAV was positioned 8.2 km NW of the volcano summit. Horizontal components of the electric and magnetic fields were sampled every 20 s. Continuous time-series were available from 1996 to 1999 at CSV, and from 1997 to March 1998 at BAV. Data have been processed using both single-station and remote-reference processing. Both results show apparent resistivity variations synchronous to the eruption. Time-lapse impedance estimates are computed on overlapping time windows of about two days at both stations. The only major decrease of the observed impedance coincides with the March 1998 eruption. At CSV, the resistivity started to drop about five days before the eruption, reached several local minima until April, and then slowly increased as the volcanic crisis reduced in activity. After the end of the crisis in September 1998, the apparent resistivity recovered its pre-crisis value. The time-lapse results also show variability in directionality: sharp and elongated phase tensor ellipse residuals appear during the eruption with a N105° orientation, suggesting the emergence of an almost NS-striking dyke. A 1D background model built from MT soundings performed during the quiet period (1996 to February 1998) on which a 3D NS-striking dyke was added shows a good agreement with phase tensor residuals and spatial distribution of the resistivity variations observed during the eruption.

  1. A 3-D view of field-scale fault-zone cementation from geologically ground-truthed electrical resistivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barnes, H.; Spinelli, G. A.; Mozley, P.

    2015-12-01

    Fault-zones are an important control on fluid flow, affecting groundwater supply, hydrocarbon/contaminant migration, and waste/carbon storage. However, current models of fault seal are inadequate, primarily focusing on juxtaposition and entrainment effects, despite the recognition that fault-zone cementation is common and can dramatically reduce permeability. We map the 3D cementation patterns of the variably cemented Loma Blanca fault from the land surface to ~40 m depth, using electrical resistivity and induced polarization (IP). The carbonate-cemented fault zone is a region of anomalously low normalized chargeability, relative to the surrounding host material. Zones of low-normalized chargeability immediately under the exposed cement provide the first ground-truth that a cemented fault yields an observable IP anomaly. Low-normalized chargeability extends down from the surface exposure, surrounded by zones of high-normalized chargeability, at an orientation consistent with normal faults in the region; this likely indicates cementation of the fault zone at depth, which could be confirmed by drilling and coring. Our observations are consistent with: 1) the expectation that carbonate cement in a sandstone should lower normalized chargeability by reducing pore-surface area and bridging gaps in the pore space, and 2) laboratory experiments confirming that calcite precipitation within a column of glass beads decreases polarization magnitude. The ability to characterize spatial variations in the degree of fault-zone cementation with resistivity and IP has exciting implications for improving predictive models of the hydrogeologic impacts of cementation within faults.

  2. Transdermal power transfer for recharging implanted drug delivery devices via the refill port.

    PubMed

    Evans, Allan T; Chiravuri, Srinivas; Gianchandani, Yogesh B

    2010-04-01

    This paper describes a system for transferring power across a transdermal needle into a smart refill port for recharging implantable drug delivery systems. The device uses a modified 26 gauge (0.46 mm outer diameter) Huber needle with multiple conductive elements designed to couple with mechanical springs in the septum of the refill port of a drug delivery device to form an electrical connection that can sustain the current required to recharge a battery during a reservoir refill session. The needle is fabricated from stainless steel coated with Parylene, and the refill port septum is made from micromachined stainless steel contact springs and polydimethylsiloxane. The device properties were characterized with dry and wet ambient conditions. The needle and port pair had an average contact resistance of less than 2 Omega when mated in either environment. Electrical isolation between the system, the liquid in the needle lumen, and surrounding material has been demonstrated. The device was used to recharge a NiMH battery with currents up to 500 mA with less than 15 degrees C of resistive heating. The system was punctured 100 times to provide preliminary information with regard to device longevity, and exhibited about 1 Omega variation in contact resistance. The results suggest that this needle and refill port system can be used in an implant to enable battery recharging. This allows for smaller batteries to be used and ultimately increases the volume efficiency of an implantable drug delivery device.

  3. Thickness and resistivity variations over the upper surface of the human skull.

    PubMed

    Law, S K

    1993-01-01

    A study of skull thickness and resistivity variations over the upper surface was made for an adult human skull. Physical measurements of thickness and qualitative analysis of photographs and CT scans of the skull were performed to determine internal and external features of the skull. Resistivity measurements were made using the four-electrode method and ranged from 1360 to 21400 Ohm-cm with an overall mean of 7560 +/- 4130 Ohm-cm. The presence of sutures was found to decrease resistivity substantially. The absence of cancellous bone was found to increase resistivity, particularly for samples from the temporal bone. An inverse relationship between skull thickness and resistivity was determined for trilayer bone (n = 12, p < 0.001). The results suggest that the skull cannot be considered a uniform layer and that local resistivity variations should be incorporated into realistic geometric and resistive head models to improve resolution in EEG. Influences of these variations on head models, methods for determining these variations, and incorporation into realistic head models, are discussed.

  4. Two different electrical properties can improve transoceanic cable-route mapping

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wynn, J.; McGinnis, T.

    2001-01-01

    Induced polarization (IP) measurements made in the marine environment were investigated to map and remotely characterize the top 6-10 meters of the seafloor. The continuous resistivity profiling with cone-penetrometer tests, providing important information to engineers planning transoceanic cable routes, was also described. The IP effect and resistivity were identified as the two electric properties to improve transoceanic cable-route mapping. The measurement of IP and resistivity was found to depend on electrical current.

  5. Electrical Resistivity of Vanadium and Zirconium.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-12-01

    general agreement on the temperature depodeace of the electrical resistivity. There are little good data from 300 VI to 1200 K. The recommended values...liquid region, are based on the compromise between the only two data sets available. due to Seydel and Fucks [91 (data set 1) and to Gathers et al. (101...555-600 (1928). 8. Block. F., ’The Electrical Resistance Law at Low Temperatures,’ Z. Phys.. 12.208-14 (1930). -𔄃. Seydel, U. and Fucke , W

  6. Electrical Resistivity Imaging Below Nuclear Waste Tank Farms at the Hanford Site

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rucker, D. F.; Levitt, M. T.

    2006-12-01

    The Hanford Site, a Department of Energy nuclear processing facility in eastern Washington, contains a complex series of radiological liquid waste disposal and storage facilities. The primary method of interim storage is the use of large single-shelled steel tanks with capacities of up to 3790 m3 (1 million gallons). The tanks are organized below ground into tank farms, with about 12 tanks per farm. The liquid waste within the tanks is primarily comprised of inorganic salts with minor constituents of heavy metals and radiological metals. The electrical properties of the radiological waste are significantly different to that of the surrounding engineered fill and native geologic formations. Over the past 60 years since the earliest tanks have been in use, many have been known to leak. An electrical resistivity survey was conducted within a tank farm to map the extent of the plumes resulting from historic leaks. Traditional surface-based electrical resistivity surveys resulted in unusable data due to the significant subsurface infrastructure that included a network of delivery pipes, wells, fences, and electrical discharge sources . HGI adapted the resistivity technique to include the site infrastructure as transceivers to augment data density and geometry. The results show a distribution of low resistivity values within the farm in areas that match known historic leak sites. The addition of site infrastructure as sensors demonstrates that the electrical resistivity technique can be used in highly industrial sites.

  7. Resistive spectroscopy coupled with non-contacting oscillator for detecting discontinuous-continuous transition of metallic films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakamura, N.; Ogi, H.

    2017-09-01

    In spectroscopic measurements, one measures responses of specimens to oscillating fields (including electric, magnetic, and stress fields) at different frequencies for characterizing the samples. In contrast, we develop spectroscopy where the response (loss) is measured by changing the electric resistance, named the resistive spectroscopy. In the resistive spectroscopy, an energy-loss peak appears when the resistance is changed. We here apply it for studying the morphological change of thin films. When a metallic material is deposited on a substrate, the morphological transition from discontinuous islands to the continuous film occurs. It accompanies a drastic change in the resistance of the deposited material because of the transition from an insulator to a conductor. We find that the energy-loss peak appears at the transition moment during deposition of Ag. The resistive spectroscopy we develop uses no electrodes; it adopts the electric field generated by a piezoelectric material vibrating at its resonant frequency beneath the substrate. It is observed that the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the resonance shows the peak during the deposition for high resistance substrates. The FWHM peak fails to be found for low resistance substrates, but it appears when the resonance frequency is increased. We propose an electrical-circuit model for explaining these observations.

  8. Apparatus for measuring Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity of small dimension samples using infrared microscope as temperature sensor.

    PubMed

    Jaafar, W M N Wan; Snyder, J E; Min, Gao

    2013-05-01

    An apparatus for measuring the Seebeck coefficient (α) and electrical resistivity (ρ) was designed to operate under an infrared microscope. A unique feature of this apparatus is its capability of measuring α and ρ of small-dimension (sub-millimeter) samples without the need for microfabrication. An essential part of this apparatus is a four-probe assembly that has one heated probe, which combines the hot probe technique with the Van der Pauw method for "simultaneous" measurements of the Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity. The repeatability of the apparatus was investigated over a temperature range of 40 °C-100 °C using a nickel plate as a standard reference. The results show that the apparatus has an uncertainty of ±4.9% for Seebeck coefficient and ±5.0% for electrical resistivity. The standard deviation of the apparatus against a nickel reference sample is -2.43 μVK(-1) (-12.5%) for the Seebeck coefficient and -0.4 μΩ cm (-4.6%) for the electrical resistivity, respectively.

  9. Study on strength estimation of soil cement used in the embedded pile method by electrical resistivity measurement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mochida, Y.; Sakurai, Y.; Indra, H.; Karimi, A. L.

    2017-11-01

    Problems caused by poor quality control and quality assurance of the pre-boring embedded pile construction, such as on domestic apartment house is still occurring nowadays. An adequate consideration for invisible risks inside or below the ground is important in pile foundation construction therefore the demand for advanced and reliable quality assurance is increase in the future. In this research, to understand the quality of the construction at early stage, the compressive strength of cement-soil mixture of pile construction after 28 days is estimated using electrical resistivity value of the mixture. More accurate measurement for electrical resistivity value is conducted by inserting the electrodes without using potassium chloride solution as a catalyst. The result showed that there is a certain tendency in the electric resistivity value at the early age regarding to the type of soil (sand, clay) mixed in. The most accurate estimation was achieved from the electric resistivity value at the first day and several days onwards, and from the compressive strength after 3 days.

  10. Small scale characterization of vine plant root zone via 3D electrical resistivity tomography and Mise-à-la-Masse method: a case study in a Bordeaux Vineyard

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mary, Benjamin; Peruzzo, Luca; Boaga, Jacopo; Schmutz, Myriam; Wu, Yuxin; Hubbard, Susan S.; Cassiani, Giorgio

    2017-04-01

    Nowadays, best viticulture practices require the joint interpretation of climate and soils data. However, information about the soil structure and subsoil processes is often lacking, as point measurements, albeit precise, cannot ensure sufficient spatial coverage and resolution. Non-invasive methods can provide spatially extensive, high resolution information that, supported by traditional point-like data, help complete the complex picture of subsoil static and dynamic reality. So far very little emphasis has been given to investigating the role of soil properties and even less of roots activity on winegrapes. Vine plant's root systems play an important role in providing the minerals to the plants, but also control the water uptake and thus the water state of the vines, which is a key factor determining the grape quality potential. In this contribution we report about the measurements conducted since June 2016 in a vineyard near Bordeaux (France, Pessac Leognan Chateau). Two neighbor plants of different sizes have been selected. In order to spot small scale soil variations and root zone physical structure at the vicinity of the vine plants, we applied a methodology using longitudinal 2D tomography, 3D borehole-based electrical resistivity tomography and a variation of the mise-à-la-masse method (MALM) to assess the effect of plant roots on the current injection in the ground. Time-lapse measurements are particularly informative about the plant dynamics, and the focus is particularly applied on this approach. The time-lapse 3D ERT and MALM results are presented, and the potential to assimilate these data into a hydrological model that can account for the root water uptake as a function of atmospheric conditions is discussed.

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

    Gul, R., E-mail: rubi786@yahoo.com; Alabama A&M University, Normal AL, 35762; Cui, Y.

    With the global shortage of {sup 3}He gas, researchers worldwide are looking for alternative materials for detecting neutrons. Among the candidate materials, semiconductors are attractive because of their light weight and ease in handling. Currently, we are looking into the suitability of boron arsenide (B{sub 12}As{sub 2}) for this specific application. As the first step in evaluating the material qualitatively, the photo-response of B{sub 12}As{sub 2} bulk crystals to light with different wavelengths was examined. The crystals showed photocurrent response to a band of 407- and 470- nm blue light. The maximum measured photoresponsivity and the photocurrent density at 0.7more » V for 470 nm blue light at room temperature were 0.25 A ⋅ W{sup −1} and 2.47 mA ⋅ cm{sup −2}, respectively. In addition to photo current measurements, the electrical properties as a function of temperature (range: 50-320 K) were measured. Reliable data were obtained for the low-temperature I-V characteristics, the temperature dependence of dark current and its density, and the resistivity variations with temperature in B{sub 12}As{sub 2} bulk crystals. The experiments showed an exponential dependence on temperature for the dark current, current density, and resistivity; these three electrical parameters, respectively, had a variation of a few nA to μA, 1-100 μA ⋅ cm{sup −2} and 7.6x10{sup 5}-7.7x10{sup 3} Ω ⋅ cm, for temperature increasing from 50 K to 320 K. The results from this study reported the first photoresponse and demonstrated that B{sub 12}As{sub 2} is a potential candidate for thermal-neutron detectors.« less

  12. Time-lapse 3-D electrical resistance tomography inversion for crosswell monitoring of dissolved and supercritical CO 2 flow at two field sites: Escatawpa and Cranfield, Mississippi, USA

    DOE PAGES

    Commer, Michael; Doetsch, Joseph; Dafflon, Baptiste; ...

    2016-06-01

    In this study, we advance the understanding of three-dimensional (3-D) electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) for monitoring long-term CO 2 storage by analyzing two previously published field time-lapse data sets. We address two important aspects of ERT inversion-the issue of resolution decay, a general impediment to the ERT method, and the issue of potentially misleading imaging artifacts due to 2-D model assumptions. The first study analyzes data from a shallow dissolved-CO 2 injection experiment near Escatawpa (Mississippi), where ERT data were collected in a 3-D crosswell configuration. Here, we apply a focusing approach designed for crosswell configurations to counteract resolution lossmore » in the inter-wellbore area, with synthetic studies demonstrating its effectiveness. The 3-D field data analysis reveals an initially southwards-trending flow path development and a dispersing plume development in the downgradient inter-well region. The second data set was collected during a deep (over 3 km) injection of supercritical CO 2 near Cranfield (Mississippi). Comparative 2-D and 3-D inversions reveal the projection of off-planar anomalies onto the cross-section, a typical artifact introduced by 2-D model assumptions. Conforming 3-D images from two different algorithms support earlier hydrological investigations, indicating a conduit system where flow velocity variations lead to a circumvention of a close observation well and an onset of increased CO 2 saturation downgradient from this well. We relate lateral permeability variations indicated by an independently obtained hydrological analysis to this consistently observed pattern in the CO 2 spatial plume evolution.« less

  13. Fully Electrical Modeling of Thermoelectric Generators with Contact Thermal Resistance Under Different Operating Conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siouane, Saima; Jovanović, Slaviša; Poure, Philippe

    2017-01-01

    The Seebeck effect is used in thermoelectric generators (TEGs) to supply electronic circuits by converting the waste thermal into electrical energy. This generated electrical power is directly proportional to the temperature difference between the TEG module's hot and cold sides. Depending on the applications, TEGs can be used either under constant temperature gradient between heat reservoirs or constant heat flow conditions. Moreover, the generated electrical power of a TEG depends not only on these operating conditions, but also on the contact thermal resistance. The influence of the contact thermal resistance on the generated electrical power have already been extensively reported in the literature. However, as reported in Park et al. (Energy Convers Manag 86:233, 2014) and Montecucco and Knox (IEEE Trans Power Electron 30:828, 2015), while designing TEG-powered circuit and systems, a TEG module is mostly modeled with a Thévenin equivalent circuit whose resistance is constant and voltage proportional to the temperature gradient applied to the TEG's terminals. This widely used simplified electrical TEG model is inaccurate and not suitable under constant heat flow conditions or when the contact thermal resistance is considered. Moreover, it does not provide realistic behaviour corresponding to the physical phenomena taking place in a TEG. Therefore, from the circuit designer's point of view, faithful and fully electrical TEG models under different operating conditions are needed. Such models are mainly necessary to design and evaluate the power conditioning electronic stages and the maximum power point tracking algorithms of a TEG power supply. In this study, these fully electrical models with the contact thermal resistance taken into account are presented and the analytical expressions of the Thévenin equivalent circuit parameters are provided.

  14. Continuous and embedded solutions for SHM of concrete structures using changing electrical potential in self-sensing cement-based composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Downey, Austin; Garcia-Macias, Enrique; D'Alessandro, Antonella; Laflamme, Simon; Castro-Triguero, Rafael; Ubertini, Filippo

    2017-04-01

    Interest in the concept of self-sensing structural materials has grown in recent years due to its potential to enable continuous low-cost monitoring of next-generation smart-structures. The development of cement-based smart sensors appears particularly well suited for monitoring applications due to their numerous possible field applications, their ease of use and long-term stability. Additionally, cement-based sensors offer a unique opportunity for structural health monitoring of civil structures because of their compatibility with new or existing infrastructure. Particularly, the addition of conductive carbon nanofillers into a cementitious matrix provides a self-sensing structural material with piezoresistive characteristics sensitive to deformations. The strain-sensing ability is achieved by correlating the external loads with the variation of specific electrical parameters, such as the electrical resistance or impedance. Selection of the correct electrical parameter for measurement to correlate with features of interest is required for the condition assessment task. In this paper, we investigate the potential of using altering electrical potential in cement-based materials doped with carbon nanotubes to measure strain and detect damage in concrete structures. Experimental validation is conducted on small-scale specimens including a steel-reinforced beam of conductive cement paste. Comparisons are made with constant electrical potential and current methods commonly found in the literature. Experimental results demonstrate the ability of the changing electrical potential at detecting features important for assessing the condition of a structure.

  15. Electrical Resistivity Measurement of Cu and Zn on the Pressure-Dependent Melting Boundary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Secco, R. A.; Ezenwa, I.; Yong, W.

    2016-12-01

    Understanding how the core cools through heat conduction and modelling the geodynamo requires knowledge of the thermal and electrical conductivity of solid and liquid Fe and its relevant alloys at high pressures. It has been proposed that electrical resistivity of a pure metal is constant along its P-dependent melting boundary (Stacey and Anderson, PEPI, 2001). If confirmed, this invariant behavior could serve as a practical tool for low P studies to assess electrical resistivity of Earth's core. Since Earth's inner core boundary (ICB) is a melting boundary of mainly Fe, measurements of electrical resistivity of Fe at the melting boundary, under any P, would serve as a proxy for the resistivity at the ICB. A revised treatment (Stacey and Loper, PEPI, 2007) accounted for s-d scattering in transition metals with unfilled d-bands and limited the proposal to metals with electrons of the same type in filled d-band metals. To test this proposal, we made high P, T measurements of electrical resistivity of d-band filled Cu and Zn in solid and liquid states. Experiments were carried out in a 1000 ton cubic anvil press up to 5 GPa and 300K above melting temperatures. Two thermocouples placed at opposite ends of the wire sample served as T probes as well as 4-wire resistance electrodes in a switched circuit. A polarity switch was used to remove any bias voltage measurement using thermocouple legs. Electron microprobe analyses were used to check the compositions of the recovered samples. The expected resistivity decrease with P and increase with T were found and comparisons with 1atm data are in very good agreement. Within the error of measurement, the resistivity values of Cu decrease along the melting boundary while Zn appears to support the hypothesis of constant resistivity along the melting boundary.

  16. Multiscale modeling of localized resistive heating in nanocrystalline metals subjected to electropulsing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Jingyi; Wang, G.-X.; Dong, Yalin; Ye, Chang

    2017-08-01

    Many electrically assisted processes have been reported to induce changes in microstructure and metal plasticity. To understand the physics-based mechanisms behind these interesting phenomena, however, requires an understanding of the interaction between the electric current and heterogeneous microstructure. In this work, multiscale modeling of the electric current flow in a nanocrystalline material is reported. The cellular automata method was used to track the nanoscale grain boundaries in the matrix. Maxwell's electromagnetic equations were solved to obtain the electrical potential distribution at the macro scale. Kirchhoff's circuit equation was solved to obtain the electric current flow at the micro/nano scale. The electric current distribution at two representative locations was investigated. A significant electric current concentration was observed near the grain boundaries, particularly near the triple junctions. This higher localized electric current leads to localized resistive heating near the grain boundaries. The electric current distribution could be used to obtain critical information such as localized resistive heating rate and extra system free energy, which are critical for explaining many interesting phenomena, including microstructure evolution and plasticity enhancement in many electrically assisted processes.

  17. Electrical resistivity tomography for studying liquefaction induced by the May 2012 Emilia-Romagna earthquake (Mw = 6.1, North Italy)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giocoli, A.; Quadrio, B.; Bellanova, J.; Lapenna, V.; Piscitelli, S.

    2013-10-01

    This work shows the result of an Electrical Resistivity Tomography survey carried out for imaging and characterizing the shallow subsurface affected by the coseismic effects of the Mw = 6.1 Emilia-Romagna (North Italy) earthquake occurred on 20 May 2012. The most characteristic coseismic effects were ground failure, lateral spreading and liquefaction that occurred extensively along the paleo-Reno river in the urban areas of San Carlo, a hamlet of Sant'Agostino municipality, and of Mirabello (south-western portion of the Ferrara Province). Totally, six Electrical Resistivity Tomography were performed and calibrated with surface geological surveys, exploratory borehole and aerial photo interpretations. This was one of the first applications of the Electrical Resistivity Tomography method in investigating coseismic liquefaction.

  18. Nonlocal electrical detection of spin accumulation generated by anomalous Hall effect in mesoscopic N i81F e19 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, Chuan; Chen, Shuhan; Cai, Yunjiao; Kandaz, Fatih; Ji, Yi

    2017-10-01

    Spin accumulation generated by the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in mesoscopic ferromagnetic N i81F e19 (permalloy, Py) films is detected electrically by a nonlocal method. The reciprocal phenomenon, the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE), can also be generated and detected all electrically in the same structure. For accurate quantitative analysis, a series of nonlocal AHE/ISHE structures and supplementary structures are fabricated on each sample substrate to account for statistical variations and to accurately determine all essential physical parameters in situ. By exploring Py thicknesses of 4, 8, and 12 nm, the Py spin diffusion length λPy is found to be much shorter than the film thicknesses. The product of λPy and the Py spin Hall angle αSH is determined to be independent of thickness and resistivity: αSHλPy=(0.066 ±0.009 ) nm at 5 K and (0.041 ±0.010 )nm at 295 K. These values are comparable to those obtained from mesoscopic Pt films.

  19. Characterization of thermally evaporated lead iodide films aimed for the detection of X-rays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caldeira Filho, A. M.; Mulato, M.

    2011-04-01

    Some semiconductor materials such as lead iodide (PbI2) have applications in the detection of ionizing radiation at room temperature using the direct detection method. In this work we investigate lead iodide films deposited by thermal evaporation. The morphology, structure, and electric properties were investigated as a function of deposition height, i.e. the distance between evaporation-boat and substrates. The results show a morphology of vertical leaves and X-ray diffraction shows just one preferential orientation along the direction 110. Energy dispersive spectroscopy reveals that the films are not stoichiometric, with excess iodine atoms. Electrical resistivity of about 108 Ω cm was measured. This is smaller than for the bulk due to structural defects. The values of activation energy for electric transport increase from 0.52 up to 1.1 eV with decreasing deposition height, what indicates that the best film is the one deposited at the shortest distance. Exposure under X-ray mammographic energy shows a linear behavior up to 500 mR. No variation in sensibility was observed between 22 and 30 kVp.

  20. Self-regulating proportionally controlled heating apparatus and technique

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strange, M. G. (Inventor)

    1975-01-01

    A self-regulating proportionally controlled heating apparatus and technique is provided wherein a single electrical resistance heating element having a temperature coefficient of resistance serves simultaneously as a heater and temperature sensor. The heating element is current-driven and the voltage drop across the heating element is monitored and a component extracted which is attributable to a change in actual temperature of the heating element from a desired reference temperature, so as to produce a resulting error signal. The error signal is utilized to control the level of the heater drive current and the actual heater temperature in a direction to reduce the noted temperature difference. The continuous nature of the process for deriving the error signal feedback information results in true proportional control of the heating element without the necessity for current-switching which may interfere with nearby sensitive circuits, and with no cyclical variation in the controlled temperature.

  1. Comparison of Tungsten and Molybdenum Based Emitters for Advanced Thermionic Space Nuclear Reactors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Hsing H.; Dickinson, Jeffrey W.; Klein, Andrew C.; Lamp, Thomas R.

    1994-07-01

    Variations to the Advanced Thermionic Initiative thermionic fuel element are analyzed. Analysis included neutronic modeling with MCNP for criticality determination and thermal power distribution, and thermionic performance modeling with TFEHX. Changes to the original ATI configuration include the addition of W-HfC wire to the emitter for high temperature creep resistance improvement and substitution of molybdenum for the tungsten base material. Results from MCNP showed that all the tungsten used in the coating and base material must be 100% W-184 to obtain criticality. The presence of molybdenum in the emitter base affects the neutronic performance of the TFE by increasing the emitter neutron absorption cross section. Due to the reduced thermal conductivity for the molybdenum based emitter, a higher temperature is obtained resulting in a greater electrical power production. The thermal conductivity and resistivity of the composite emitter region were derived for the W-Mo composite and used in TFEHX.

  2. A Limited In-Flight Evaluation of the Constant Current Loop Strain Measurement Method

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Olney, Candida D.; Collura, Joseph V.

    1997-01-01

    For many years, the Wheatstone bridge has been used successfully to measure electrical resistance and changes in that resistance. However, the inherent problem of varying lead wire resistance can cause errors when the Wheatstone bridge is used to measure strain in a flight environment. The constant current loop signal-conditioning card was developed to overcome that difficulty. This paper describes a limited evaluation of the constant current loop strain measurement method as used in the F-16XL ship 2 Supersonic Laminar Flow Control flight project. Several identical strain gages were installed in close proximity on a shock fence which was mounted under the left wing of the F- 1 6XL ship 2. Two strain gage bridges were configured using the constant current loop, and two were configured using the Wheatstone bridge circuitry. Flight data comparing the output from the constant current loop configured gages to that of the Wheatstone bridges with respect to signal output, error, and noise are given. Results indicate that the constant current loop strain measurement method enables an increased output, unaffected by lead wire resistance variations, to be obtained from strain gages.

  3. Temperature dependence of annealing on the contact resistance of MoS2 with graphene electrodes observed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Qin; Fang, Cizhe; Liu, Yan; Shao, Yao; Han, Genquan; Zhang, Jincheng; Hao, Yue

    2018-04-01

    Two-dimensional (2D) materials are promising candidates for atomically thin nanoelectronics. Among them, MoS2 has attracted considerable attention in the nanoscience and nanotechnology community owing to its unique characteristics including high electron mobility and intrinsic band gap. In this study, we experimentally explored the contact resistances of MoS2 films based on much layered graphene films as electrodes using the circular transmission line model (CTLM). The variation in the chemical composition of the material is thoroughly analyzed by Raman and X-ray photoelectric spectroscopy (XPS) measurements. Experimental results demonstrate that annealing followed by oxygen plasma treatment can effectively improve the contact resistance. Furthermore, the current-voltage curves measured after different annealing temperatures indicate good linear characteristics, which means a marked improvement in electrical property. Calculations show that a relatively low contact resistance of ˜4.177 kΩ (ignoring its size) without back gate voltage in a single-layer graphene/MoS2 structure at an optimal annealing temperature of 500 °C is achieved. This work about the effect of annealing temperature on contact resistance can also be employed for other 2D materials, which lays a foundation for further development of novel 2D material devices.

  4. Intrinsic electrical properties of LuFe2O4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lafuerza, Sara; García, Joaquín; Subías, Gloria; Blasco, Javier; Conder, Kazimierz; Pomjakushina, Ekaterina

    2013-08-01

    We here revisit the electrical properties of LuFe2O4, compound candidate for exhibiting multiferroicity. Measurements of dc electrical resistivity as a function of temperature, electric-field polarization measurements at low temperatures with and without magnetic field, and complex impedance as a function of both frequency and temperature were carried out in a LuFe2O4 single crystal, perpendicular and parallel to the hexagonal c axis, and in several ceramic polycrystalline samples. Resistivity measurements reveal that this material is a highly anisotropic semiconductor, being about two orders of magnitude more resistive along the c axis. The temperature dependence of the resistivity indicates a change in the conduction mechanism at TCO ≈ 320 K from thermal activation above TCO to variable range hopping below TCO. The resistivity values at room temperature are relatively small and are below 5000 Ω cm for all samples but we carried out polarization measurements at sufficiently low temperatures, showing that electric-field polarization curves are a straight line as expected for a paraelectric or antiferroelectric material. Furthermore, no differences are found in the polarization curves when a magnetic field is applied either parallel or perpendicular to the electric field. The analysis of the complex impedance data corroborates that the claimed colossal dielectric constant is a spurious effect mainly derived from the capacitance of the electrical contacts. Therefore, our data unequivocally evidence that LuFe2O4 is not ferroelectric.

  5. System and method to determine electric motor efficiency nonintrusively

    DOEpatents

    Lu, Bin [Kenosha, WI; Habetler, Thomas G [Snellville, GA; Harley, Ronald G [Lawrenceville, GA

    2011-08-30

    A system and method for nonintrusively determining electric motor efficiency includes a processor programed to, while the motor is in operation, determine a plurality of stator input currents, electrical input data, a rotor speed, a value of stator resistance, and an efficiency of the motor based on the determined rotor speed, the value of stator resistance, the plurality of stator input currents, and the electrical input data. The determination of the rotor speed is based on one of the input power and the plurality of stator input currents. The determination of the value of the stator resistance is based on at least one of a horsepower rating and a combination of the plurality of stator input currents and the electrical input data. The electrical input data includes at least one of an input power and a plurality of stator input voltages.

  6. 49 CFR 192.461 - External corrosion control: Protective coating.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... to effectively resist underfilm migration of moisture; (3) Be sufficiently ductile to resist cracking... is an electrically insulating type must also have low moisture absorption and high electrical...

  7. Electrical resistivity of ultrafine-grained copper with nanoscale growth twins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, X. H.; Lu, L.; Lu, K.

    2007-10-01

    We have investigated electrical resistivities of high-purity ultrafine-grained Cu containing different concentrations of nanoscale growth twins, but having identical grain size. The samples were synthesized by pulsed electrodeposition, wherein the density of twins was varied systematically by adjusting the processing parameters. The electrical resistivity of the Cu specimen with a twin spacing of 15nm at room temperature (RT) is 1.75μΩcm (the conductivity is about 97% IACS), which is comparable to that of coarse-grained (CG) pure Cu specimen. A reduction in twin density for the same grain size (with twin lamellar spacings of 35 and 90nm, respectively) results in an increment in electrical resistivity from 1.75to2.12μΩcm. However, the temperature coefficient of resistivity at RT for these Cu specimens is insensitive to the twin spacing and shows a consistent value of ˜3.78×10-3/K, which is slightly smaller than that of CG Cu (3.98×10-3/K). The increased electrical resistivities of the Cu samples were ascribed dominantly to the intrinsic grain boundary (GB) scattering, while the GB defects and GB energy would decrease with increasing twin density. Transmission electron microscope observations revealed the GB configuration difference from the Cu samples with various twin densities. Plastic deformation would induce an apparent increase in the resistivity. The higher of the twin density, the higher increment of RT resistivity was detected in the Cu specimens subjected to 40% rolling strain. Both the deviated twin boundaries and strained GBs may give rise to an increase in the resistivity.

  8. Synthesis and Electrical Resistivity of Nickel Polymethacrylate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chohan, M. H.; Khalid, A. H.; Zulfiqar, M.; Butt, P. K.; Khan, Farah; Hussain, Rizwan

    Synthesis of nickel polymethacrylate was carried out using methanolic solutions of sodium hydroxide and polymethacrylic acid. The electrical resistivity of the pellets made from Ni-polymethacrylate was measured at different voltages and temperatures. Results showed that the electrical resistivity of Ni-polymethacrylate decreases significantly with voltage in high temperature regions but the decrease is insignificant at temperatures nearing room temperature. The activation energy at low temperatures is approximately 0.8 eV whereas at high temperature it is in the range 0.21-0.27 eV.

  9. Electrical resistance oscillations during plastic deformation in A Ti-Al-Nb-Zr alloy at 4·2 K

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nikiforenko, V. N.; Lavrentev, F. F.

    1986-10-01

    The serrated plastic flow in titanium alloy containing 5% Al, 2·5% Zr and 2% Nb has been investigated by measuring its electrical resistance and applying selective chemical etching. The electrical resistance was found to oscillate under active deformation at 4·2 K. Analysis of the possible causes seems to indicate a dominant role of break by dislocation pile-ups through obstacles, viz second phase precipitates and grain boundaries.

  10. Improved contact resistance stability in a MEMS separable electrical connector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Larsson, M. P.

    2005-12-01

    A MEMS in-line separable electrical connector with improved contact resistance stability to thermal fluctuations and mating cycles is described. The design allows sliding, in-line connection between separate halves, inducing vertical deflections on a set of flexible conductors to establish stable electrical contacts. Features are present on both halves to ensure precise lateral and vertical self-alignment; preventing shorts and maintaining consistent conductor deflections. Characterisation on early prototypes revealed significant variability in contact resistance with thermal fluctuations and mating cycle history. As flexible conductors are multi-layered structures of Au supported by a thick structural layer of Ni, they undergo differential thermal expansion, introducing variability in contact resistance with temperature. Sliding contact wear during repeated mating leads to removal of portions of the Au surface coating, and electrical contact between underlying (non-noble) Ni layers. By using a harder Co-Au alloy as the contact surface layer and modifying the arrangement of constituent conductor layers to balance thermal stresses, improvements to both wear and thermal tolerance of contact resistance can be obtained. Devices implementing the above design modifications show stable contact resistance over 100 mating cycles and an increase in contact resistance of between 3.5 and 7% over a temperature rise of 60°C. The electrical performance improvements increase the attractiveness of the MEMS in-line separable connector concept for applications in portable electronics and MEMS integration.

  11. Electrical Resistance of SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites for Damage Detection and Life-Prediction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, Craig; Morscher, Gregory; Xia, Zhenhai

    2009-01-01

    Ceramic matrix composites (CMC) are suitable for high temperature structural applications such as turbine airfoils and hypersonic thermal protection systems due to their low density high thermal conductivity. The employment of these materials in such applications is limited by the ability to accurately monitor and predict damage evolution. Current nondestructive methods such as ultrasound, x-ray, and thermal imaging are limited in their ability to quantify small scale, transverse, in-plane, matrix cracks developed over long-time creep and fatigue conditions. CMC is a multifunctional material in which the damage is coupled with the material s electrical resistance, providing the possibility of real-time information about the damage state through monitoring of resistance. Here, resistance measurement of SiC/SiC composites under mechanical load at both room temperature monotonic and high temperature creep conditions, coupled with a modal acoustic emission technique, can relate the effects of temperature, strain, matrix cracks, fiber breaks, and oxidation to the change in electrical resistance. A multiscale model can in turn be developed for life prediction of in-service composites, based on electrical resistance methods. Results of tensile mechanical testing of SiC/SiC composites at room and high temperatures will be discussed. Data relating electrical resistivity to composite constituent content, fiber architecture, temperature, matrix crack formation, and oxidation will be explained, along with progress in modeling such properties.

  12. System and method to determine electric motor efficiency using an equivalent circuit

    DOEpatents

    Lu, Bin; Habetler, Thomas G.

    2015-10-27

    A system and method for determining electric motor efficiency includes a monitoring system having a processor programmed to determine efficiency of an electric motor under load while the electric motor is online. The determination of motor efficiency is independent of a rotor speed measurement. Further, the efficiency is based on a determination of stator winding resistance, an input voltage, and an input current. The determination of the stator winding resistance occurs while the electric motor under load is online.

  13. System and method to determine electric motor efficiency using an equivalent circuit

    DOEpatents

    Lu, Bin [Kenosha, WI; Habetler, Thomas G [Snellville, GA

    2011-06-07

    A system and method for determining electric motor efficiency includes a monitoring system having a processor programmed to determine efficiency of an electric motor under load while the electric motor is online. The determination of motor efficiency is independent of a rotor speed measurement. Further, the efficiency is based on a determination of stator winding resistance, an input voltage, and an input current. The determination of the stator winding resistance occurs while the electric motor under load is online.

  14. Resistivity behavior of hydrogen and liquid silane at high shock compression

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yi-Gao; Liu, Fu-Sheng; Liu, Qi-Jun

    2018-07-01

    To study the electrical properties of hydrogen rich compounds under extreme conditions, the electrical resistivity of density hydrogen and silane fluid was measured, respectively. The hydrogen sample was prepared by compressing pure hydrogen gas to 10 MPa in a coolant target system at the temperature of 77 K. The silane sample can be obtained with the same method. High-pressure and high-temperature experiments were performed using a two-stage light-gas gun. The electrical resistivity of the sample decreased with increasing pressure and temperature as expected. A minimum electrical resistivity value of 0.3 × 10-3 Ω cm at 138 GPa and 4100 K was obtained for silane. The minimum resistivity of hydrogen in the state of 102 GPa and 4300 K was 0.35 Ω cm. It showed that the measured electrical resistivity of the shock-compressed hydrogen was an order of magnitude higher than fluid silane at 50-90 GPa. However, beyond 100 GPa, the resistivity difference between silane and hydrogen was very minor. The carriers in the sample were hydrogen, and the concentration of hydrogen atoms in these two substances was close to each other. These results supported the theoretical prediction that silane was interpreted simply in terms of chemical decomposition into silicon nanoparticles and fluid hydrogen, and electrical conduction flows predominately dominated by the fluid hydrogen. In addition, the results also supported the theory of "chemical precompression", the existence of Sisbnd H bond helped to reduce the pressure of hydrogen metallization. These findings could lead the way for further metallic phases of hydrogen-rich materials and experimental studies.

  15. Resistance and internal electric field in cloud-to-ground lightning channel

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

    Cen, Jianyong; Yuan, Ping, E-mail: yuanp@nwnu.edu.cn; Xue, Simin

    2015-02-02

    Cloud-to-ground lightning with six return strokes has been recorded by slitless spectrograph and the system of fast antenna and slow antenna. The physical parameters of the discharge channel have been obtained based on the combination of spectra and synchronous radiated electric field. The resistance and internal electric field of the channel are studied as the focus in this paper. The results show that the resistances per unit length of the lightning channel are in the order of 10{sup −2}–10{sup −1 }Ω/m and the internal electric field strengths are in the order of 10{sup 3 }V/m.

  16. Compact chromium oxide thin film resistors for use in nanoscale quantum circuits

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

    Nash, C. R.; Fenton, J. C.; Constantino, N. G. N.

    We report on the electrical characterisation of a series of thin amorphous chromium oxide (CrO{sub x}) films, grown by dc sputtering, to evaluate their suitability for use as on-chip resistors in nanoelectronics. By increasing the level of oxygen doping, the room-temperature sheet resistance of the CrO{sub x} films was varied from 28 Ω/◻ to 32.6 kΩ/◻. The variation in resistance with cooling to 4.2 K in liquid helium was investigated; the sheet resistance at 4.2 K varied with composition from 65 Ω/◻ to above 20 GΩ/◻. All of the films measured displayed linear current–voltage characteristics at all measured temperatures. For on-chip devices for quantummore » phase-slip measurements using niobium–silicon nanowires, interfaces between niobium–silicon and chromium oxide are required. We also characterised the contact resistance for one CrO{sub x} composition at an interface with niobium–silicon. We found that a gold intermediate layer is favourable: the specific contact resistivity of chromium-oxide-to-gold interfaces was 0.14 mΩcm{sup 2}, much lower than the value for direct CrO{sub x} to niobium–silicon contact. We conclude that these chromium oxide films are suitable for use in nanoscale circuits as high-value resistors, with resistivity tunable by oxygen content.« less

  17. Anisotropy of electrical conductivity of the excavation damaged zone in the Mont Terri Underground Rock Laboratory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nicollin, Florence; Gibert, Dominique; Lesparre, Nolwenn; Nussbaum, Christophe

    2010-04-01

    Electrical resistivity measurements were performed to characterize the anisotropy of electrical resistivity of the excavation damaged zone (EDZ) at the end-face of a gallery in the Opalinus clay of the Mont Terri Underground Rock Laboratory (URL). The data were acquired with a combination of square arrays in 18 zones on the gallery's face and in two series of four boreholes perpendicular to the face. Each data set is independently inverted using simulated annealing to recover the resistivity tensor. Both the stability and the non-uniqueness of the inverse problem are discussed with synthetic examples. The inversion of the data shows that the face is split in two domains separated by a tectonic fracture, with different resistivity values but with a common orientation. The direction of the maximum resistivity is found perpendicular to the bedding plane, and the direction of minimum resistivity is contained in the face's plane. These results show that the geo-electrical structure of the EDZ is controlled by a combination of effects due to tectonics, stratigraphy, and recent fracturing produced by the excavation of the gallery.

  18. Sodium ion channel alkaloid resistance does not vary with toxicity in aposematic Dendrobates poison frogs: An examination of correlated trait evolution

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Ian J.

    2018-01-01

    Spatial heterogeneity in the strength or agents of selection can lead to geographic variation in ecologically important phenotypes. Many dendrobatid frogs sequester alkaloid toxins from their diets and often exhibit fixed mutations at NaV1.4, a voltage-gated sodium ion channel associated with alkaloid toxin resistance. Yet previous studies have noted an absence of resistance mutations in individuals from several species known to sequester alkaloid toxins, suggesting possible intraspecific variation for alkaloid resistance in these species. Toxicity and alkaloid profiles vary substantially between populations in several poison frog species (genus Dendrobates) and are correlated with variation in a suite of related traits such as aposematic coloration. If resistance mutations are costly, due to alterations of channel gating properties, we expect that low toxicity populations will have reduced frequencies and potentially even the loss of resistance alleles. Here, we examine whether intraspecific variation in toxicity in three dendrobatid frogs is associated with intraspecific variation in alleles conferring toxin resistance. Specifically, we examine two species that display marked variation in toxicity throughout their native ranges (Dendrobates pumilio and D. granuliferus) and one species with reduced toxicity in its introduced range (D. auratus). However, we find no evidence for population-level variation in alkaloid resistance at NaV1.4. In fact, contrary to previous studies, we found that alkaloid resistance alleles were not absent in any populations of these species. All three species exhibit fixed alkaloid resistance mutations throughout their ranges, suggesting that these mutations are maintained even when alkaloid sequestration is substantially reduced. PMID:29534110

  19. A two-axis micromachined silicon actuator with micrometer range electrostatic actuation and picometer sensitive capacitive detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ayela, F.; Bret, J. L.; Chaussy, J.; Fournier, T.; Ménégaz, E.

    2000-05-01

    This article presents an innovative micromachined silicon actuator. A 50-μm-thick silicon foil is anodically bonded onto a broached Pyrex substrate. A free standing membrane and four coplanar electrodes in close proximity are then lithographied and etched. The use of phosphorus doped silicon with low electrical resistivity allows the application of an electrostatic force between one electrode and the moving diaphragm. This plane displacement and the induced interelectrode variation are capacitively detected. Due to the very low electrical resistivity of the doped silicon, there is no need to metallize the vertical trenches of the device. No piezoelectric transducer takes place so that the mechanical device is free from any hysteretic or temperature dependance. The range of the possible actuation along the x and y axis is around 5 μm. The actual sensitivity is xn=0.54 Å/Hz1/2 and yn=0.14 Å/Hz1/2. The microengineering steps and the electronic setup devoted to design the actuator and to perform relative capacitive measurements ΔC/C=10-6 from an initial value C≈10-13 F are described. The elaborated tests and performances of the device are presented. As a conclusion, some experimental projects using this subnanometric sensitive device are mentioned.

  20. Toward increased reliability in the electric power industry: direct temperature measurement in transformers using fiber optic sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McDonald, Greg

    1998-09-01

    Optimal loading, prevention of catastrophic failures and reduced maintenance costs are some of the benefits of accurate determination of hot spot winding temperatures in medium and high power transformers. Temperature estimates obtained using current theoretical models are not always accurate. Traditional technology (IR, thermocouples...) are unsuitable or inadequate for direct measurement. Nortech fiber-optic temperature sensors offer EMI immunity and chemical resistance and are a proven solution to the problem. The Nortech sensor's measurement principle is based on variations in the spectral absorption of a fiber-mounted semiconductor chip and probes are interchangeable with no need for recalibration. Total length of probe + extension can be up to several hundred meters allowing system electronics to be located in the control room or mounted in the transformer instrumentation cabinet. All of the sensor materials withstand temperatures up to 250 degree(s)C and have demonstrated excellent resistance to the harsh transformer environment (hot oil, kerosene). Thorough study of the problem and industry collaboration in testing and installation allows Nortech to identify and meet the need for durable probes, leak-proof feedthroughs, standard computer interfaces and measurement software. Refined probe technology, the method's simplicity and reliable calibration are all assets that should lead to growing acceptance of this type of direct measuring in the electric power industry.

  1. Methods and apparatus for measurement of electronic properties of geological formations through borehole casing

    DOEpatents

    Vail, W.B. III.

    1991-08-27

    Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring electronic properties of geological formations and cement layers adjacent to cased boreholes including resistivities, polarization phenomena and dielectric constants. Current is passed from an electrode in electrical contact with the interior of the borehole casing to an electrode on the surface of the earth. At least three voltage measuring electrodes in electrical contact with the interior of the casing measure the voltage at various points thereon. The voltage differences between discrete pairs of the voltage measuring electrodes provide a measurement of the differential current conducted into the formation in the vicinity of those electrodes. These measurements facilitate calculation of the resistivities of the adjacent geological formations as well as an indication of whether cement is present. Measurements of the differential voltage response to transient currents provide a measurement of the polarization phenomena in formation as well as the capacitance of the casing in contact with the formation which is useful for determining whether oil and gas are present. Lithological characteristics of the formation such as the presence or absence of clay can also be determined. A calibration procedure is provided for minimizing errors induced by variations in the casing. The device also may be placed within the pipe attached to a drill bit while drilling open holes. 48 figures.

  2. Methods and apparatus for measurement of electronic properties of geological formations through borehole casing

    DOEpatents

    Vail, W.B. III.

    1989-11-21

    Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring electronic properties of geological formations and cement layers adjacent to cased boreholes including resistivities, polarization phenomena and dielectric constants. Current is passed from an electrode in electrical contact with the interior of the borehole casing to an electrode on the surface of the earth. At least three voltage measuring electrodes in electrical contact with the interior of the casing measure the voltage at various points thereon. The voltage differences between discrete pairs of the voltage measuring electrodes provide a measurement of differential current conducted into formation in the vicinity of those electrodes. These measurements facilitate calculation of the resistivities of the adjacent geological formations as well as an indication of whether cement is present. Measurements of the differential voltage response to transient currents provide a measurement of the polarization phenomena in formation as well as the capacitance of the casing in contact with the formation which is useful for determining whether oil and gas are present. Lithological characteristics of the formation such as the presence or absence of clay can also be determined. A calibration procedure is provided for minimizing errors induced by variations in the casing. The device also may be placed within the pipe attached to a drill bit while drilling open holes. 48 figs.

  3. Methods and apparatus for measurement of electronic properties of geological formations through borehole casing

    DOEpatents

    Vail, III, William B.

    1991-01-01

    Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring electronic properties of geological formations and cement layers adjacent to cased boreholes including resistivities, polarization phenomena and dielectric constants. Current is passed from an electrode in electrical contact with the interior of the borehole casing to an electrode on the surface of the earth. At least three voltage measuring electrodes in electrical contact with the interior of the casing measure the voltage at various points thereon. The voltage differences between discrete pairs of the voltage measuring electrodes provide a measurement of the differential current conducted into formation in the vicinity of those electrodes. These measurements facilitate calculation of the resistivities of the adjacent geological formations as well as an indication of whether cement is present. Measurements of the differential voltage response to transient currents provide a measurement of the polarization phenomena in formation as well as the capacitance of the casing in contact with the formation which is useful for determining whether oil and gas present. Lithological characteristics of the formation such as the pressence or absence of clay can also be determined. A calibration procedure is provided for minimizing errors induced by variations in the casing. The device also may be placed within the pipe attached to a drill bit while drilling open holes.

  4. Methods and apparatus for measurement of electronic properties of geological formations through borehole casing

    DOEpatents

    Vail, III, William B.

    1989-01-01

    Methods and apparatus are provided for measuring electronic properties of geological formations and cement layers adjacent to cased boreholes including resistivities, polarization phenomena and dielectric constants. Current is passed from an electrode in electrical contact with the interior of the borehole casing to an electrode on the surface of the earth. At least three voltage measuring electrodes in electrical contact with the interior of the casing measure the voltage at various points thereon. The voltage differences between discrete pairs of the voltage measuring electrodes provide a measurement of differential current conducted into formation in the vicinity of those electrodes. These measurements facilitate calculation of the resistivities of the adjacent geological formations as well as an indication of whether cement is present. Measurements of the differential voltage response to transient currents provide a measurement of the polarization phenomena in formation as well as the capacitance of the casing in contact with the formation which is useful for determining whether oil and gas are present. Lithological characteristics of the formation such as the presence or absence of clay can also be determined. A calibration procedure is provided for minimizing errors induced by variations in the casing. The device also may be placed within the pipe attached to a drill bit while drilling open holes.

  5. Dynamic thermal characteristics of heat pipe via segmented thermal resistance model for electric vehicle battery cooling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Feifei; Lan, Fengchong; Chen, Jiqing

    2016-07-01

    Heat pipe cooling for battery thermal management systems (BTMSs) in electric vehicles (EVs) is growing due to its advantages of high cooling efficiency, compact structure and flexible geometry. Considering the transient conduction, phase change and uncertain thermal conditions in a heat pipe, it is challenging to obtain the dynamic thermal characteristics accurately in such complex heat and mass transfer process. In this paper, a ;segmented; thermal resistance model of a heat pipe is proposed based on thermal circuit method. The equivalent conductivities of different segments, viz. the evaporator and condenser of pipe, are used to determine their own thermal parameters and conditions integrated into the thermal model of battery for a complete three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. The proposed ;segmented; model shows more precise than the ;non-segmented; model by the comparison of simulated and experimental temperature distribution and variation of an ultra-thin micro heat pipe (UMHP) battery pack, and has less calculation error to obtain dynamic thermal behavior for exact thermal design, management and control of heat pipe BTMSs. Using the ;segmented; model, the cooling effect of the UMHP pack with different natural/forced convection and arrangements is predicted, and the results correspond well to the tests.

  6. WATER STABILITY OF FILLED ELASTOMERS,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    ELECTRICAL INSULATION, *BUTYL RUBBER , ELASTOMERS, STABILITY, STABILITY, HYDROLYSIS, CURING AGENTS, ADDITIVES, WATER, ABSORPTION, THICKNESS, ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE, LEAKAGE(ELECTRICAL), DIFFUSION, TALC, ELECTRIC CABLES.

  7. Superconductive microstrip exhibiting negative differential resistivity

    DOEpatents

    Huebener, R.P.; Gallus, D.E.

    1975-10-28

    A device capable of exhibiting negative differential electrical resistivity over a range of values of current and voltage is formed by vapor- depositing a thin layer of a material capable of exhibiting superconductivity on an insulating substrate, establishing electrical connections at opposite ends of the deposited strip, and cooling the alloy into its superconducting range. The device will exhibit negative differential resistivity when biased in the current- induced resistive state.

  8. Electrical Properties of Materials for Elevated Temperature Resistance Strain Gage Application. Ph.D. Thesis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lei, Jih-Fen

    1987-01-01

    The objective was to study the electrical resistances of materials that are potentially useful as resistance strain gages at 1000 C. Transition metal carbides and nitrides, boron carbide and silicon carbide were selected for the experimental phase of this research. Due to their low temperature coefficient of resistance and good stability, TiC, ZrC, B sub 4 C and beta-SiC are suggested as good candidates for high temperature resistance strain gage applications.

  9. Corrosion-resistant, electrically-conductive plate for use in a fuel cell stack

    DOEpatents

    Carter, J David [Bolingbrook, IL; Mawdsley, Jennifer R [Woodridge, IL; Niyogi, Suhas [Woodridge, IL; Wang, Xiaoping [Naperville, IL; Cruse, Terry [Lisle, IL; Santos, Lilia [Lombard, IL

    2010-04-20

    A corrosion resistant, electrically-conductive, durable plate at least partially coated with an anchor coating and a corrosion resistant coating. The corrosion resistant coating made of at least a polymer and a plurality of corrosion resistant particles each having a surface area between about 1-20 m.sup.2/g and a diameter less than about 10 microns. Preferably, the plate is used as a bipolar plate in a proton exchange membrane (PEMFC) fuel cell stack.

  10. "Unexpected" behaviour of the internal resistance of a vanadium redox flow battery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rudolph, S.; Schröder, U.; Bayanov, I. M.; Hage-Packhäuser, S.

    2016-02-01

    This article presents the results of experimental and theoretical studies of energy losses owing to the internal resistance of vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). A dependence of the internal cell resistance (ICR) on the electric current was measured and calculated. During the cyclic operation of a test battery, the internal resistance was halved by increasing the electric current from 3 A to 9 A. This is due to a strongly non-linear dependence of an over-potential of the electrochemical reactions on the current density. However, the energy efficiency does not increase due to a squared dependence of the energy losses on the increasing electric current. The energy efficiency of the test battery versus the electric current was measured and simulated. The deviation between the simulation results and experimental data is less than ±3.5%.

  11. Electrical resistivity of liquid Na-alkali alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malan, Rajesh C.; Vora, Aditya M.

    2018-05-01

    The electrical resistivity (ρ) has been investigated for the liquid Na-alkali alloys. An effort is made to extend the applicability of the potential suggested by Fiolhais and co-workers to the liquid range for alkali group. The universal parameters of the potential are used for the entire calculation. Eight different screening functions proposed by Hartree (H), Hubbard and Sham (HS), Vashishtha and Shingwi (VS), Taylor (T), Ichimaru and Utsumi (IU), Farid et al. (F), Sarkar et al. (S) and Nagy (N) are used to study the electrical resistivity (ρ) of liquid Na-alkali alloys with well-known Faber-Ziman theory along with Percus-Yevic hard sphere (PYHS) reference system. The results of electrical resistivity (ρ) are found in qualitative agreement with experimental data for the Na-K and Na-Rb alloys than those for Na-Li and Na-Cs alloys.

  12. Assessment of groundwater vulnerability to leachate infiltration using electrical resistivity method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mosuro, G. O.; Omosanya, K. O.; Bayewu, O. O.; Oloruntola, M. O.; Laniyan, T. A.; Atobi, O.; Okubena, M.; Popoola, E.; Adekoya, F.

    2017-09-01

    This aim of this work is to assess the degree of leachate infiltration at a dumpsite in Agbara industrial estate, Southwestern Nigeria using electrical resistivity techniques. Around the dumpsite were 45 vertical electrical sounding (VES) stations and 3 electrical resistivity tomography profiles. Current electrode spread varied from 300 to 600 m for the electrical sounding. Electrode configuration includes Schlumberger and Wenner array for sounding and profiling. The state of leachate contamination was tested using parameters such as aquifer vulnerability index, overburden protective capacity and longitudinal unit conductance (S i) derived from the apparent resistivity values. Four principal geoelectric layers inferred from the VES data include the topsoil, sand, clayey sand, and clay/shale. Resistivity values for these layers vary from 3 to 1688, 203 to 3642 123 to 388, and 67 to 2201 Ω m with corresponding thickness of 0.8-2.4, 2.5-140, 3-26 m and infinity, respectively. The leachate plume occurs at a maximum depth of 10 m on the 2-D inverse models of real electrical resistivity with an average depth of infiltration being 6 m in the study area. The correlation between longitudinal conductance and overburden protective capacity show that aquifers around the dumpsite have poor protective capacity and are vulnerable to leachate contamination. Leachate infiltration is favored by the absence of lithological barriers such as clay which in the study area are either mixed with sand or positioned away from the aquifer.

  13. Detecting Defects Within Soil-Bentonite Slurry Cutoff Walls Using Electrical Resistivity Methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aborn, L.; Jacob, R. W.; Mucelli, A.

    2016-12-01

    Installed in the subsurface, vertical cutoff walls may limit groundwater movement. The effectiveness of these walls can be undermined by defects, for example high permeability material, within the wall. An efficient way of detecting these defects in a soil-bentonite slurry cutoff wall has yet to be established. We installed an approximately 200-meter long and 7-meter deep soil-bentonite slurry cutoff wall for the purposes of research. The wall was constructed adjacent to a natural wetland, the Montandon Marsh near Lewisburg, PA. The wall is composed of soil-bentonite backfill and was designed to be a typical low permeability material. We evaluate the capability of non-invasive geophysical techniques, specifically electrical resistivity, to detect high permeability defects that are expected to have higher electrical resistivity values than the backfill material. The laboratory measured electrical resistivity of the backfill used for construction was 12.27-ohm meters. During construction, designed defects of saturated fine-grained sand bags were deployed at different positions and depths within the wall. To create larger defects multiple bags were tied together. Laboratory resistivity testing of the sand and the filled sand bags indicates values between 125-ohm meters at full saturation and 285-ohm meters at partial saturation. Post construction, we collected electrical resistivity data using a 28-channel system along the centerline of the cutoff wall, which indicated the backfill material to have a resistivity value of 15-ohm meters. The electrical resistivity profile was affected by the sidewalls of the trench, as expected, which may explain the difference between laboratory results and field measurements. To minimize the sidewalls obscuring the defects, we developed electrodes that are pushed into the backfill at different depths to collect subsurface resistivity. Different arrays and electrode spacings are being tested. Our presentation will report the most effective method for detecting defects within a soil-bentonite cutoff wall.

  14. [Current status of noninvasive hemodynamics in hypertension].

    PubMed

    Waisman, G

    Hypertension is a haemodynamic disorder resulting from a persistent mismatch between cardiac output and peripheral resistance. Hypertension undergoes haemodynamic progression during its natural history. Impedance cardiography is a method of evaluating the cardiovascular system that obtains haemodynamic information from beat to beat through the analysis of variations in the impedance of the thorax on the passage of an electric current. Impedance cardiography unmasks the haemodynamic deterioration underlying the increase in blood pressure as age and systolic blood pressure increases. This method may help to improve blood pressure control through individualized treatment with reduction of peripheral resistance, maintenance of cardiac output or its increase, improvement of arterial compliance and preservation of organ-tissue perfusion. It is useful in the management of patients with resistant hypertension, since a greater percentage of patients controlled with changes in the treatment in relation to the haemodynamic measurements are obtained. Impedance cardiography is important and has prognostic utility in relation to a haemodynamic deterioration pattern and increased cardiovascular events. Copyright © 2017 SEH-LELHA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  15. Contact effects analyzed by a parameter extraction method based on a single bottom-gate/top-contact organic thin-film transistor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takagaki, Shunsuke; Yamada, Hirofumi; Noda, Kei

    2018-03-01

    Contact effects in organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) were examined by using our previously proposed parameter extraction method from the electrical characteristics of a single staggered-type device. Gate-voltage-dependent contact resistance and channel mobility in the linear regime were evaluated for bottom-gate/top-contact (BGTC) pentacene TFTs with active layers of different thicknesses, and for pentacene TFTs with contact-doped layers prepared by coevaporation of pentacene and tetrafluorotetracyanoquinodimethane (F4TCNQ). The extracted parameters suggested that the influence of the contact resistance becomes more prominent with the larger active-layer thickness, and that contact-doping experiments give rise to a drastic decrease in the contact resistance and a concurrent considerable improvement in the channel mobility. Additionally, the estimated energy distributions of trap density in the transistor channel probably reflect the trap filling with charge carriers injected into the channel regions. The analysis results in this study confirm the effectiveness of our proposed method, with which we can investigate contact effects and circumvent the influences of characteristic variations in OTFT fabrication.

  16. Reducing Uncertainty in the Distribution of Hydrogeologic Units within Volcanic Composite Units of Pahute Mesa Using High-Resolution 3-D Resistivity Methods, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rodriguez, Brian D.; Sweetkind, Don; Burton, Bethany L.

    2010-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at their Nevada Site Office (NSO) are addressing groundwater contamination resulting from historical underground nuclear testing through the Environmental Management program and, in particular, the Underground Test Area (UGTA) project. From 1951 to 1992, 828 underground nuclear tests were conducted at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) northwest of Las Vegas (DOE UGTA, 2003). Most of these tests were conducted hundreds of feet above the groundwater table; however, more than 200 of the tests were near, or within, the water table. This underground testing was limited to specific areas of the NTS including Pahute Mesa, Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain, Frenchman Flat, and Yucca Flat. Volcanic composite units make up much of the area within the Pahute Mesa Corrective Action Unit (CAU) at the NTS, Nevada. The extent of many of these volcanic composite units extends throughout and south of the primary areas of past underground testing at Pahute and Rainier Mesas. As situated, these units likely influence the rate and direction of groundwater flow and radionuclide transport. Currently, these units are poorly resolved in terms of their hydrologic properties introducing large uncertainties into current CAU-scale flow and transport models. In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with DOE and NNSA-NSO acquired three-dimensional (3-D) tensor magnetotelluric data at the NTS in Area 20 of Pahute Mesa CAU. A total of 20 magnetotelluric recording stations were established at about 600-m spacing on a 3-D array and were tied to ER20-6 well and other nearby well control (fig. 1). The purpose of this survey was to determine if closely spaced 3-D resistivity measurements can be used to characterize the distribution of shallow (600- to 1,500-m-depth range) devitrified rhyolite lava-flow aquifers (LFA) and zeolitic tuff confining units (TCU) in areas of limited drill hole control on Pahute Mesa within the Calico Hills zeolitic volcanic composite unit (VCU), an important hydrostratigraphic unit in Area 20. The resistivity response was evaluated and compared with existing well data and hydrogeologic unit tops from the current Pahute Mesa framework model. In 2008, the USGS processed and inverted the magnetotelluric data into a 3-D resistivity model. We interpreted nine depth slices and four west-east profile cross sections of the 3-D resistivity inversion model. This report documents the geologic interpretation of the 3-D resistivity model. Expectations are that spatial variations in the electrical properties of the Calico Hills zeolitic VCU can be detected and mapped with 3-D resistivity, and that these changes correlate to differences in rock permeability. With regard to LFA and TCU, electrical resistivity and permeability are typically related. Tuff confining units will typically have low electrical resistivity and low permeability, whereas LFA will have higher electrical resistivity and zones of higher fracture-related permeability. If expectations are shown to be correct, the method can be utilized by the UGTA scientists to refine the hydrostratigraphic unit (HSU) framework in an effort to more accurately predict radionuclide transport away from test areas on Pahute and Rainier Mesas.

  17. Electrical resistivity of substitutionally disordered hcp Fe-Si and Fe-Ni alloys: Chemically-induced resistivity saturation in the Earth's core

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gomi, Hitoshi; Hirose, Kei; Akai, Hisazumi; Fei, Yingwei

    2016-10-01

    The thermal conductivity of the Earth's core can be estimated from its electrical resistivity via the Wiedemann-Franz law. However, previously reported resistivity values are rather scattered, mainly due to the lack of knowledge with regard to resistivity saturation (violations of the Bloch-Grüneisen law and the Matthiessen's rule). Here we conducted high-pressure experiments and first-principles calculations in order to clarify the relationship between the resistivity saturation and the impurity resistivity of substitutional silicon in hexagonal-close-packed (hcp) iron. We measured the electrical resistivity of Fe-Si alloys (iron with 1, 2, 4, 6.5, and 9 wt.% silicon) using four-terminal method in a diamond-anvil cell up to 90 GPa at 300 K. We also computed the electronic band structure of substitutionally disordered hcp Fe-Si and Fe-Ni alloy systems by means of Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method with coherent potential approximation (KKR-CPA). The electrical resistivity was then calculated from the Kubo-Greenwood formula. These experimental and theoretical results show excellent agreement with each other, and the first principles results show the saturation behavior at high silicon concentration. We further calculated the resistivity of Fe-Ni-Si ternary alloys and found the violation of the Matthiessen's rule as a consequence of the resistivity saturation. Such resistivity saturation has important implications for core dynamics. The saturation effect places the upper limit of the resistivity, resulting in that the total resistivity value has almost no temperature dependence. As a consequence, the core thermal conductivity has a lower bound and exhibits a linear temperature dependence. We predict the electrical resistivity at the top of the Earth's core to be 1.12 ×10-6 Ωm, which corresponds to the thermal conductivity of 87.1 W/m/K. Such high thermal conductivity suggests high isentropic heat flow, leading to young inner core age (<0.85 Gyr old) and high initial core temperature. It also strongly suppresses thermal convection in the core, which results in no convective motion in inner core and possibly thermally stratified layer in the outer core.

  18. Control strategy for a variable-speed wind energy conversion system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jacob, A.; Veillette, D.; Rajagopalan, V.

    1979-01-01

    A control concept for a variable-speed wind energy conversion system is proposed, for which a self-exited asynchronous cage generator is used along with a system of thyristor converters. The control loops are the following: (1) regulation of the entrainment speed as function of available mechanical energy by acting on the resistance couple of the asynchronous generator; (2) control of electric power delivered to the asynchronous machine, functioning as a motor, for start-up of the vertical axis wind converter; and (3) limitation of the slip value, and by consequence, of the induction currents in the presence of sudden variations of input parameters.

  19. High temperature - low mass solar blanket

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mesch, H. G.

    1979-01-01

    Interconnect materials and designs for use with ultrathin silicon solar cells are discussed, as well as the results of an investigation of the applicability of parallel-gap resistance welding for interconnecting these cells. Data relating contact pull strength and cell electrical degradation to variations in welding parameters such as time, voltage and pressure are presented. Methods for bonding ultrathin cells to flexible substances and for bonding thin (75 micrometers) covers to these cells are described. Also, factors influencing fabrication yield and approaches for increasing yield are discussed. The results of vacuum thermal cycling and thermal soak tests on prototype ultrathin cell test coupons and one solar module blanket are presented.

  20. A flux monitoring method for easy and accurate flow rate measurement in pressure-driven flows.

    PubMed

    Siria, Alessandro; Biance, Anne-Laure; Ybert, Christophe; Bocquet, Lydéric

    2012-03-07

    We propose a low-cost and versatile method to measure flow rate in microfluidic channels under pressure-driven flows, thereby providing a simple characterization of the hydrodynamic permeability of the system. The technique is inspired by the current monitoring method usually employed to characterize electro-osmotic flows, and makes use of the measurement of the time-dependent electric resistance inside the channel associated with a moving salt front. We have successfully tested the method in a micrometer-size channel, as well as in a complex microfluidic channel with a varying cross-section, demonstrating its ability in detecting internal shape variations.

  1. Effect of aluminium substitution on the electrical properties of Ni-Zn nanoferrites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paramesh, D.; Vijaya Kumar, K.; Venkat Reddy, P.

    2017-12-01

    Nanoferrites of general formula Ni0.5 Zn0.5 Alx Fe2-x O4 (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0) synthesized by sol-gel auto combustion technique can be characterized by dielectric behaviour and AC conductivity studies with the help of LCR impedance meter. This paper gives an insight on variations in dielectric constant, dielectric loss with reference to frequency, temperature and Al3+ ion substitution and also the determination of DC resistivity, activation energy and Curie temperature by two probe experimental set-up.

  2. Method of imaging the electrical conductivity distribution of a subsurface

    DOEpatents

    Johnson, Timothy C.

    2017-09-26

    A method of imaging electrical conductivity distribution of a subsurface containing metallic structures with known locations and dimensions is disclosed. Current is injected into the subsurface to measure electrical potentials using multiple sets of electrodes, thus generating electrical resistivity tomography measurements. A numeric code is applied to simulate the measured potentials in the presence of the metallic structures. An inversion code is applied that utilizes the electrical resistivity tomography measurements and the simulated measured potentials to image the subsurface electrical conductivity distribution and remove effects of the subsurface metallic structures with known locations and dimensions.

  3. Effect of growth temperature on the electronic transport and anomalous Hall effect response in co-sputtered Co2FeSi thin films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yadav, Anjali; Chaudhary, Sujeet

    2015-11-01

    Co-sputtered Co2FeSi thin films are studied by varying the growth temperature (Ts) as a control parameter in terms of the appreciable change in the disorder. The effect of Ts on structural, magnetic, electrical, and magneto-transport properties was investigated. As Ts is increased from room temperature to 400 °C, an improvement in the crystallinity and atomic ordering are observed. These are found to be correlated with the associated reduction in residual resistivity ( ρ x x 0 ) from 410 to 88 μΩ cm, an increment in residual resistivity ratio (r) from 0.8 to 1.23, and an increase in saturation magnetization from 1074 to 1196 emu/cc. The spin wave stiffness constant in these films is found to increase with Ts, with a reasonably high value of 358 meVÅ2 at the optimum value of Ts of 400 °C. Further, the obtained high carrier concentration and mobility values (at 10 K) of ˜30 e-s/f.u. and ˜0.11 cm2 V-1 s-1 for the films deposited at Ts = 400 °C shows the presence of compensated Fermi surface. The transport properties are investigated qualitatively from the scaling of anomalous Hall resistivity ρx y s (T) with the longitudinal resistivity ρ x x ( T ) data, employing the extrinsic (skew- and side-jump scatterings) and intrinsic scattering contributions. The variation in the intrinsic scattering contributions observed via the variation in linear dependence of ρx y s on ρx x 2 with the change in Ts is found to be associated with the improvement in the crystallinity of these films.

  4. 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

  5. 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.

  6. Effects of Hall current and electrical resistivity on the stability of gravitating anisotropic quantum plasma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhakta, S.; Prajapati, R. P.

    2018-02-01

    The effects of Hall current and finite electrical resistivity are studied on the stability of uniformly rotating and self-gravitating anisotropic quantum plasma. The generalized Ohm's law modified by Hall current and electrical resistivity is used along with the quantum magnetohydrodynamic fluid equations. The general dispersion relation is derived using normal mode analysis and discussed in the parallel and perpendicular propagations. In the parallel propagation, the Jeans instability criterion, expression of critical Jeans wavenumber, and Jeans length are found to be independent of non-ideal effects and uniform rotation but in perpendicular propagation only rotation affects the Jeans instability criterion. The unstable gravitating mode modified by Bohm potential and the stable Alfven mode modified by non-ideal effects are obtained separately. The criterion of firehose instability remains unaffected due to the presence of non-ideal effects. In the perpendicular propagation, finite electrical resistivity and quantum pressure anisotropy modify the dispersion relation, whereas no effect of Hall current was observed in the dispersion characteristics. The Hall current, finite electrical resistivity, rotation, and quantum corrections stabilize the growth rate. The stability of the dynamical system is analyzed using the Routh-Hurwitz criterion.

  7. 4D ERT Monitoring of Subsurface Water Pipe Leakage During a Controlled Field Experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Inauen, C.; Chambers, J. E.; Wilkinson, P. B.; Meldrum, P.; Swift, R. T.; Uhlemann, S.; Gunn, D.; Dashwood, B.; Taxil, J.; Curioni, G.

    2016-12-01

    Locating and delineating leakage from subsurface pipelines is an important task for civil engineers. 4D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) allows changes in subsurface resistivity to be imaged at a high spatial and temporal resolution in a minimally invasive manner. It is therefore a promising tool to supplement conventional point-sensing techniques to monitor subsurface flow processes. To assess the efficacy of ERT for pipe leakage monitoring several controlled leak experiments were carried out at a test site in Blagdon, Bristol, UK. To simulate the leak, a plastic pipe with a hole was buried below a flat, grassed area at a depth of 0.7 m, representing a standard UK mains water pipe installation. The water table at the site lies well below the surface meaning that the experiment took entirely place in the vadose zone, where changes in resistivity are primarily sensitive to water content variations. The ERT array covered an area of 6.5m x 6.5m around the leak location. Data acquisition was carried out with the BGS PRIME (Proactive Infrastructure Monitoring and Evaluation) system, which facilitates remote scheduling and autonomous ERT data collection and transmission. To obtain the resistivity changes of the subsurface a 4D inversion was carried out using a Gauss-Newton approach with spatial and temporal smoothness constraints. We were able to reliably observe the onset, spread and cessation of the leakage. Measurements from in-situ soil sensors at several depths above and below the leak complemented the ERT data and allowed us to assess their reliability and directly relate them to hydrogeological processes. Moreover, through experimental tests with soil samples from the test area, a Waxman-Smits relation was obtained to directly convert the changes in electrical resistivity to gravimetric soil moisture content. With future experiments on the test site more work is planned towards survey optimization, automated processing and tracking of leakage plumes.

  8. Relationship between the global electric circuit and electrified cloud parameters at diurnal, seasonal, and interannual timescales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lavigne, Thomas; Liu, Chuntao; Deierling, Wiebke; Mach, Douglas

    2017-08-01

    In the early 1900s, J. W. Whipple began to validate C. T. R. Wilson's global electric circuit (GEC) hypothesis by correlating the diurnal variation of global thunder days with the diurnal variation of the fair weather electric field measured by the Carnegie Cruise. This study applies 16+ years of precipitation feature (PF) data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, including lightning data from the Lightning Imaging Sensor, alongside 12 years of electric field measurements from Vostok, Antarctica, to further examine this relationship. Joint diurnal-seasonal variations of the electric field are introduced and compared with a variety of PF parameters that are potentially related to the GEC. All tested PF parameters showed significant correlations to the electric field on the joint seasonal-diurnal timescale, with the flash rate and volume of 30 dBZ between the -5°C and -35°C isotherms showing the best linear correlations with R2 values of 0.67 and 0.62, respectively. Furthermore, these relationships are analyzed during the two different phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Results show different seasonal-diurnal variations of the electric field during El Niño and La Niña periods, with enhancements in the electric field between the months of January through April at 16-24 UTC in La Niña years. A similar trend is shown in global PF parameters, indicating relationships between the variations seen in the fair weather electric field and the variations of global PFs at diurnal, seasonal, and interannual timescales. This provides further evidence that PFs around the globe have a direct connection to the GEC.

  9. Improved corrosion inspection procedures for reinforced concrete bridges : electrical resistivity of concrete.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-07-01

    The effects of steel reinforcement and chloride-induced corrosion initiation on the electrical resistivity measurements using the Wenner : probe technique were studied experimentally on custom-designed reinforced concrete slabs. Investigation paramet...

  10. Optimal joule heating of the subsurface

    DOEpatents

    Berryman, James G.; Daily, William D.

    1994-01-01

    A method for simultaneously heating the subsurface and imaging the effects of the heating. This method combines the use of tomographic imaging (electrical resistance tomography or ERT) to image electrical resistivity distribution underground, with joule heating by electrical currents injected in the ground. A potential distribution is established on a series of buried electrodes resulting in energy deposition underground which is a function of the resistivity and injection current density. Measurement of the voltages and currents also permits a tomographic reconstruction of the resistivity distribution. Using this tomographic information, the current injection pattern on the driving electrodes can be adjusted to change the current density distribution and thus optimize the heating. As the heating changes conditions, the applied current pattern can be repeatedly adjusted (based on updated resistivity tomographs) to affect real time control of the heating.

  11. Using electrical resistivity tomography to differentiate sapwood from heartwood: application to conifers.

    PubMed

    Guyot, Adrien; Ostergaard, Kasper T; Lenkopane, Mothei; Fan, Junliang; Lockington, David A

    2013-02-01

    Estimating sapwood area is one of the main sources of error when upscaling point scale sap flow measurements to whole-tree water use. In this study, the potential use of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) to determine the sapwood-heartwood (SW-HW) boundary is investigated for Pinus elliottii Engelm var. elliottii × Pinus caribaea Morelet var. hondurensis growing in a subtropical climate. Specifically, this study investigates: (i) how electrical resistivity is correlated to either wood moisture content, or electrolyte concentration, or both, and (ii) how the SW-HW boundary is defined in terms of electrical resistivity. Tree cross-sections at breast height are analysed using ERT before being felled and the cross-section surface sampled for analysis of major electrolyte concentrations, wood moisture content and density. Electrical resistivity tomography results show patterns with high resistivities occurring in the inner part of the cross-section, with much lower values towards the outside. The high-resistivity areas were generally smaller than the low-resistivity areas. A comparison between ERT and actual SW area measured after felling shows a slope of the linear regression close to unity (=0.96) with a large spread of values (R(2) = 0.56) mostly due to uncertainties in ERT. Electrolyte concentrations along sampled radial transects (cardinal directions) generally showed no trend from the centre of the tree to the bark. Wood moisture content and density show comparable trends that could explain the resistivity patterns. While this study indicates the potential for application of ERT for estimating SW area, it shows that there remains a need for refinement in locating the SW-HW boundary (e.g., by improvement of the inversion method, or perhaps electrode density) in order to increase the robustness of the method.

  12. Electrical resistivity of CuAlMo thin films grown at room temperature by dc magnetron sputtering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Birkett, Martin; Penlington, Roger

    2016-07-01

    We report on the thickness dependence of electrical resistivity of CuAlMo films grown by dc magnetron sputtering on glass substrates at room temperature. The electrical resistance of the films was monitored in situ during their growth in the thickness range 10-1000 nm. By theoretically modelling the evolution of resistivity during growth we were able to gain an insight into the dominant electrical conduction mechanisms with increasing film thickness. For thicknesses in the range 10-25 nm the electrical resistivity is found to be a function of the film surface roughness and is well described by Namba’s model. For thicknesses of 25-40 nm the experimental data was most accurately fitted using the Mayadas and Shatkes model which accounts for grain boundary scattering of the conduction electrons. Beyond 40 nm, the thickness of the film was found to be the controlling factor and the Fuchs-Sonheimer (FS) model was used to fit the experimental data, with diffuse scattering of the conduction electrons at the two film surfaces. By combining the Fuchs and Namba (FN) models a suitable correlation between theoretical and experimental resistivity can be achieved across the full CuAlMo film thickness range of 10-1000 nm. The irreversibility of resistance for films of thickness >200 nm, which demonstrated bulk conductivity, was measured to be less than 0.03% following subjection to temperature cycles of -55 and +125 °C and the temperature co-efficient of resistance was less than ±15 ppm °C-1.

  13. Why 1D electrical resistivity techniques can result in inaccurate siting of boreholes in hard rock aquifers and why electrical resistivity tomography must be preferred: the example of Benin, West Africa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alle, Iboukoun Christian; Descloitres, Marc; Vouillamoz, Jean-Michel; Yalo, Nicaise; Lawson, Fabrice Messan Amen; Adihou, Akonfa Consolas

    2018-03-01

    Hard rock aquifers are of particular importance for supplying people with drinking water in Africa and in the world. Although the common use of one-dimensional (1D) electrical resistivity techniques to locate drilling site, the failure rate of boreholes is usually high. For instance, about 40% of boreholes drilled in hard rock aquifers in Benin are unsuccessful. This study investigates why the current use of 1D techniques (e.g. electrical profiling and electrical sounding) can result in inaccurate siting of boreholes, and checks the interest and the limitations of the use of two-dimensional (2D) Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT). Geophysical numerical modeling and comprehensive 1D and 2D resistivity surveys were carried out in hard rock aquifers in Benin. The experiments carried out at 7 sites located in different hard rock groups confirmed the results of the numerical modeling: the current use of 1D techniques can frequently leads to inaccurate siting, and ERT better reveals hydrogeological targets such as thick weathered zone (e.g. stratiform fractured layer and preferential weathering associated with subvertical fractured zone). Moreover, a cost analysis demonstrates that the use of ERT can save money at the scale of a drilling programme if ERT improves the success rate by only 5% as compared to the success rate obtained with 1D techniques. Finally, this study demonstrates, using the example of Benin, that the use of electrical resistivity profiling and sounding for siting boreholes in weathered hard rocks of western Africa should be discarded and replaced by the use of ERT technique, more efficient.

  14. Control of the electrical resistivity of Ni-Cr wires using low pressure chemical vapor deposition of tin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jun-Hyun; Bak, Jeong Geun; Lee, Kangtaek; Kim, Chang-Koo

    2018-01-01

    Control of the electrical resistivity of Ni-Cr wires is demonstrated using low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) of tin on the surface of the wire, after which the effects of the deposition temperature on the structural, morphological, and compositional characteristics of the tin-deposited Ni-Cr wires are investigated. As the deposition temperature is increased, the resistivity of the Ni-Cr wires increases in the temperature range 300-400 °C; then remains nearly constant as the temperature increased to 700 °C. The increase in the resistivity of the Ni-Cr wires is attributed to formation of Ni3Sn2 particulates on the surface of the wire. Compositional analysis shows that the pattern of change in the tin content with the deposition temperature is similar to that of resistivity with temperature, implying that the atomic content of tin on Ni-Cr directly affects the electrical resistivity.

  15. Temperature dependent electrical properties of polyaniline film grown on paper through aniline vapor polymerization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deb, K.; Bhowmik, K. L.; Bera, A.; Chattopadhyay, K. K.; Saha, B.

    2016-05-01

    Polyaniline thin film has been prepared on paper by aniline vapor deposition technique. Ferric chloride has been used as polymerizing agent in this approach. The prepared films were studied through electrical resistivity and optical properties measurements. The electrical resistivity of the polyaniline film shows significant temperature dependence. The resistance sharply falls with the increase in temperature. The optical absorbance measurements shows characteristics absorbance peak indicating the formation of conducting emeraldine salt form of polyaniline. The optical energy band gap of the film was calculated from the transmittance spectra. The optical energy band gap and electrical conductivity of the polyaniline film is well suited for their applications in electronic devices.

  16. Concentration Dependent Electrical Transport Properties of Ni-Cr Binary Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suthar, P. H.; Khambholja, S. G.; Thakore, B. Y.; Gajjar, P. N.; Jani, A. R.

    2011-07-01

    The concentration dependent electrical transport properties viz. electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity of liquid Ni-Cr alloys are computed at 1400 K temperature. The electrical resistivity has been studied according to Faber-Ziman model in wide range of Cr concentration. In the present work, the electron-ion interaction is incorporated through our well tested local model potential with screening function due to Sarkar et al.. [S] along with the Hartree [H] dielectric function. Good agreement is achieved between the presently calculated results of resistivity as well as thermal conductivity with the experimental data found in the literature, confirming the applicability of model potential and Faber-Ziman model for such a study.

  17. New Electrical Resistivity Tomography approach for karst cave characterization: Castello di Lepre karst cave (Marsico Nuovo, Southern Italy).

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guerriero, Merilisa; Capozzoli, Luigi; De Martino, Gregory; Perciante, Felice; Gueguen, Erwan; Rizzo, Enzo

    2017-04-01

    Geophysical methods are commonly applied to characterize karst cave. Several geophysical method are used such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), gravimetric prospecting (G), ground penetrating radar (GPR) and seismic methods (S), in order to provide information on cave geometry and subsurface geological structure. In detail, in some complex karst systems, each geophysical method can only give partial information if used in normal way due to a low resolution for deep target. In order to reduce uncertainty and avoid misinterpretations based on a normal use of the electrical resistivity tomography method, a new ERT approach has been applied in karst cave Castello di Lepre (Marsico Nuovo, Basilicata region, Italy) located in the Mezo-Cenozoic carbonate substratum of the Monti della Maddalena ridge (Southern Appenines). In detail, a cross-ERT acquisition system was applied in order to improve the resolution on the electrical resistivity distribution on the surrounding geological structure of a karst cave. The cross-ERT system provides a more uniform model resolution vertically, increasing the resolution of the surface resistivity imaging. The usual cross-ERT is made by electrode setting in two or more borehole in order to acquire the resistivity data distribution. In this work the cross-ERT was made between the electrodes located on surface and along a karst cave, in order to obtain an high resolution of the electrical resistivity distributed between the cave and the surface topography. Finally, the acquired cross-ERT is potentially well-suited for imaging fracture zones since electrical current flow in fractured rock is primarily electrolytic via the secondary porosity associated with the fractures.

  18. Influence of processing history on the mechanical properties and electrical resistivity of polycarbonate - multi-walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choong, Gabriel Y. H.; De Focatiis, Davide S. A.

    2015-05-01

    In this work we investigate the effects of compounding temperature and secondary melt processing on the mechanical response and electrical behaviour of polycarbonate filled with 3 wt% carbon nanotubes. The nanocomposites were melt compounded in an industrial setting at a range of temperatures, and subsequently injection moulded or compression moulded. The surface hardness, uniaxial tensile properties and electrical resistivity were measured. Secondary melt processing is found to be the dominant process in determining the final mechanical properties and resistivity of these materials.

  19. A variational theory of Hall effect of Anderson lattice model: Application to colossal magnetoresistance manganites (Re1-x Ax MnO3)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panwar, Sunil; Kumar, Vijay; Singh, Ishwar

    2017-10-01

    An anomalous Hall constant RH has been observed in various rare earth manganites doped with alkaline earths namely Re1-xAxMnO3 (where Re = La, Pr, Nd etc., and A = Ca, Sr, Ba etc.) which exhibit colossal magnetoresistance (CMR), metal- insulator transition and many other poorly understood phenomena. We show that this phenomenon of anomalous Hall constant can be understood using two band (ℓ-b) Anderson lattice model Hamiltonian alongwith (ℓ-b) hybridization recently studied by us for manganites in the strong electron-lattice Jahn-Teller (JT) coupling regime an approach similar to the two - fluid models. We use a variational method in this work to study the temperature variation of Hall constant RH (T) in these compounds. We have already used this variational method to study the zero field electrical resistivity ρ (T) and magnetic susceptibility of doped CMR manganites. In the present study, we find that the Hall constant RH (T) reduces with increasing magnetic field parameters h&m and the metal-insulator transition temperature (Tρ) shifts towards higher temperature region. We have also observed the role of the model parameters e.g. local Coulomb repulsion U, Hund's rule coupling JH between eg spins and t2g spins, ferromagnetic nearest neighbor exchange coupling JF between t2g core spins and hybridization Vk between ℓ-polarons and d-electrons on Hall constant RH (T) of these materials at different magnetic fields. Here we find that RH (T) for a particular value of h and m shows a rapid initial increase, followed by a sharp peak at low temperature say 50 K in our case and a slow decrease at high temperatures, resembling with the key feature of many CMR compounds like La0.8Ba0.2 MnO3.The magnitude of RH (T) reduces and the anomaly (sharp peak) in RH becomes broader and shifts towards higher temperature region on increasing Vk or JH or doping x and even vanishes on further increasing these parameters. Our results of anomalous Hall constant (RH) have same qualitative behavior as the zero-field electrical resistivity. Moreover Hall Constant (RH) shows positive values indicating that the carriers in these manganites are holes.

  20. Characterization of the Spatial and Temporal Variations of Submarine Groundwater Discharge Using Electrical Resistivity and Seepage Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Durand, Josephine Miryam Kalyanie

    Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) encompasses all fluids crossing the sediment/ocean interface, regardless of their origin, composition or driving forces. SGD provides a pathway for terrestrial contaminants that can significantly impact coastal ecosystems. Overexploitation of groundwater resources can decrease SGD which favors seawater intrusion at depth. Understanding SGD is therefore crucial for water quality and resource management. Quantifying SGD is challenging due to its diffuse and heterogeneous nature, in addition to significant spatio-temporal variations at multiple scales. In this thesis, an integrated approach combining electrical resistivity (ER) surveys, conductivity and temperature point measurements, seepage rates using manual and ultrasonic seepage meters, and pore fluid salinities was used to characterize SGD spatio-temporal variations and their implications for contaminant transport at several locations on Long Island, NY. The influence of surficial sediments on SGD distribution was investigated in Stony Brook Harbor. A low-permeability mud layer, actively depositing in the harbor, limits SGD at the shoreline, prevents mixing with seawater and channels a significant volume of freshwater offshore. SGD measured at locations without mud is high and indicates significant mixing between porewater and seawater. A 2D steady-state density-difference numerical model of the harbor was developed using SEAWAT and was validated by our field observations. Temporal variations of SGD due to semi-diurnal tidal forcing were studied in West Neck Bay, Shelter Island, using a 12-hr time-lapse ER survey together with continuous salinity and seepage measurements in the intertidal zone. The observed dynamic patterns of groundwater flux and salinity distribution disagree with published standard transient state numerical models, suggesting the need for developing more specific models of non-homogeneous anisotropic aquifers. SGD distribution and composition were characterized in Forge River, a tidal river that experiences chronic hypoxia due to nitrogen contamination. We found that nitrogen speciation and concentration are linked to different SGD regimes. Near shore sandy zones with high SGD show little nitrate reduction and constitute the major source of nitrogen input to surface waters. Offshore areas rich in silt and organic matter exhibit low SGD and higher denitrification. Dredging activities have altered the sediment distribution and subsequently have created preferential flow paths focusing freshwater discharge into the center of the river.

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