Wafer chamber having a gas curtain for extreme-UV lithography

DOEpatents

Kanouff, Michael P.; Ray-Chaudhuri, Avijit K.

2001-01-01

An EUVL device includes a wafer chamber that is separated from the upstream optics by a barrier having an aperture that is permeable to the inert gas. Maintaining an inert gas curtain in the proximity of a wafer positioned in a chamber of an extreme ultraviolet lithography device can effectively prevent contaminants from reaching the optics in an extreme ultraviolet photolithography device even though solid window filters are not employed between the source of reflected radiation, e.g., the camera, and the wafer. The inert gas removes the contaminants by entrainment.

Performance of a Micro-Strip Gas Chamber for event wise, high rate thermal neutron detection with accurate 2D position determination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mindur, B.; Alimov, S.; Fiutowski, T.; Schulz, C.; Wilpert, T.

2014-12-01

A two-dimensional (2D) position sensitive detector for neutron scattering applications based on low-pressure gas amplification and micro-strip technology was built and tested with an innovative readout electronics and data acquisition system. This detector contains a thin solid neutron converter and was developed for time- and thus wavelength-resolved neutron detection in single-event counting mode, which improves the image contrast in comparison with integrating detectors. The prototype detector of a Micro-Strip Gas Chamber (MSGC) was built with a solid natGd/CsI thermal neutron converter for spatial resolutions of about 100 μm and counting rates up to 107 neutrons/s. For attaining very high spatial resolutions and counting rates via micro-strip readout with centre-of-gravity evaluation of the signal amplitude distributions, a fast, channel-wise, self-triggering ASIC was developed. The front-end chips (MSGCROCs), which are very first signal processing components, are read out into powerful ADC-FPGA boards for on-line data processing and thereafter via Gigabit Ethernet link into the data receiving PC. The workstation PC is controlled by a modular, high performance dedicated software suite. Such a fast and accurate system is crucial for efficient radiography/tomography, diffraction or imaging applications based on high flux thermal neutron beam. In this paper a brief description of the detector concept with its operation principles, readout electronics requirements and design together with the signals processing stages performed in hardware and software are presented. In more detail the neutron test beam conditions and measurement results are reported. The focus of this paper is on the system integration, two dimensional spatial resolution, the time resolution of the readout system and the imaging capabilities of the overall setup. The detection efficiency of the detector prototype is estimated as well.

Portable automation of static chamber sample collection for quantifying soil gas flux

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The collection of soil gas flux using the static chamber method is labor intensive. The number of chambers that can be sampled in a given time period is limited by the spacing between chambers and the availability of trained research technicians. However, the static chamber method can limit spatial ...

Monitoring the Gas Composition of the NIFFTE Time Projection Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Towell, Travis; Travis Towell Collaboration

2017-09-01

The Neutron Induced Fission Fragment Tracking Experiment (NIFFTE) at Los Alamos National Laboratory(LANL) is using a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) to measure with high precision the cross section ratio of U238 to P239. When the neutron beam hits a target, it may emit fission fragments. As the fission fragments travels through the chamber, it ionizes the gas it passes through. Based on the time it takes for the ions to drift to the pad planes and the hit location of the ions, the path of fission fragments can be determined. Knowing the composition of the gas mixture is vital to accurately reconstruct the data. A Binary Gas Analyzer (BGA) is used to measure the gas composition. To confirm the accuracy of the BGA, varying amounts of nitrogen and carbon dioxide were flowed through a test gas system. Several tests were performed to validate that the BGA for our gas system is working properly. This poster will describe the test gas system setup, tests of the BGA, and elaborate on the main goals of the NIFFTE experiment.

Characterization of Gas Transport Properties of Fractured Rocks By Borehole and Chamber Tests.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimo, M.; Shimaya, S.; Maejima, T.

2014-12-01

Gas transport characteristics of fractured rocks is a great concern to variety of engineering applications such as underground storage of LPG, nuclear waste disposal, CCS and gas flooding in the oil field. Besides absolute permeability, relative permeability and capillary pressure as a function of water saturation have direct influences to the results of two phase flow simulation. However, number of the reported gas flow tests for fractured rocks are limited, therefore, the applicability of the conventional two-phase flow functions used for porous media, such as Mualem-van Genuchten model, to prediction of the gas transport in the fractured rock mass are not well understood. The authors conducted the two types of in-situ tests, with different scales, a borehole gas-injection test and a chamber gas-injection test in fractured granitic rock. These tests were conducted in the Cretaceous granitic rocks at the Namikata underground LPG storage cavern construction site in Ehime Prefecture in Japan, preceding to the cavern scale gas-tightness test. A borehole injection test was conducted using vertical and sub-vertical boreholes drilled from the water injection tunnel nearly at the depth of the top of the cavern, EL-150m. A new type downhole gas injection equipment that is capable to create a small 'cavern' within a borehole was developed. After performing a series of preliminary tests to investigate the hydraulic conductivity and gas-tightness, i.e. threshold pressure, gas injection tests were conducted under different gas pressure. Fig.1 shows an example of the test results From a chamber test using a air pressurizing chamber with volume of approximately166m3, the gas-tightness was confirmed within the uncertainty of 22Pa under the storage pressure of 0.7MPa, however, significant air leakage occurred possibly through an open fracture intersecting the chamber just after cavern pressure exceeds the initial hydrostatic pressure at the ceiling level of the chamber. Anomalies

30 CFR 77.303 - Hot gas inlet chamber dropout doors.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Section 77.303 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS, SURFACE COAL MINES AND SURFACE WORK AREAS OF UNDERGROUND... employ a hot gas inlet chamber shall be equipped with drop-out doors at the bottom of the inlet chamber...

Development of a new dynamic chamber system for measuring harmful gas emissions from composting livestock waste.

PubMed

Osada, T; Fukumoto, Y

2001-01-01

A dynamic chamber system consisting of a chamber covering a composting mixture (3 m in diameter, 2.2 m in height, 13 m3), a ventilator for suction of air into the chamber, and equipment to measure the gas composition and indicate temperature, was developed for evaluation of harmful gas emissions from such livestock waste composting. Fresh air was introduced through the space between the floor and the lower edge of the chamber, and exhaust gas was removed through an outlet placed on top of the chamber. NH3, CH4 and N2O concentrations in exhaust air from the chamber were measured by Infrared Photoacoustic Detector (IPD, multi gas monitor type 1312, INNOVA, Copenhagen, Denmark) at 5 minutes intervals. The system was evaluated with standard gas of NH3, CH4 and N2O. High recoveries of 98.5% (NH3, SD 6.25), 96.6% (CH4, SD 4.03) and 99.5% ( N2O, SD 2.68) were obtained for each gas emission in the chamber over 17-20 min. The measured values of those gases obtained by the IPD method and conventional method at the time of a composting examination of swine waste were measured, and the differences were only a few percent of the total emissions.

High-pressure gas quenching in cold chambers for increased cooling capacity

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

Segerberg, S.; Troell, E.

1996-12-31

Gas quenching for the hardening of steel parts is a lower-pollution alternative to quenching in quenchants such as oil or salt. As the surfaces of the cooled parts remain clean after gas quenching, there is no need to wash them after heat treatment, which reduces the consumption of oils and detergents. The fire risk and ventilation requirements of oil quenching are eliminated. In addition, some trials have shown that gas quenching has a positive effect on distortion, representing a saving in finishing work and thus a reduction in costs. Today, gas quenching is used almost solely in vacuum furnaces. Quenchingmore » is normally performed in the same chamber as heating, which means that besides quenching the batch, the quenching system must also remove heat from the heating elements and insulation of the furnace. Previous trials performed by IVF have shown that gas quenching with helium of ball bearing and carburizing steels (and other steels) in sizes up to 25 mm at pressures up to 20 bar in a vacuum furnace can achieve quenching rates and hardnesses similar to those achieved by hot quenching oils. This quenching performance is not, however, capable of dealing with larger sizes or lower-alloy steels. At IVF`s request, ALD Vacuum Technologies GmbH has developed a cold high-pressure gas quenching chamber that is independent of the furnace. As a result, there is no need to cool insulation or heating elements. Quenching can be carried out in the chamber at pressures of up to 40 bar for helium or up to 10 bar for nitrogen. The quenching chamber has been supplied to IVF, and has been used for experimental quenching of steel test pieces and components. Temperatures have been recorded by using some Inconel 600 test probes, {phi} 12,5 x 60 mm, with thermocouples in their centers.« less

Development and test of combustion chamber for Stirling engine heated by natural gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tie; Song, Xiange; Gui, Xiaohong; Tang, Dawei; Li, Zhigang; Cao, Wenyu

2014-04-01

The combustion chamber is an important component for the Stirling engine heated by natural gas. In the paper, we develop a combustion chamber for the Stirling engine which aims to generate 3˜5 kWe electric power. The combustion chamber includes three main components: combustion module, heat exchange cavity and thermal head. Its feature is that the structure can divide "combustion" process and "heat transfer" process into two apparent individual steps and make them happen one by one. Since natural gas can mix with air fully before burning, the combustion process can be easily completed without the second wind. The flame can avoid contacting the thermal head of Stirling engine, and the temperature fields can be easily controlled. The designed combustion chamber is manufactured and its performance is tested by an experiment which includes two steps. The experimental result of the first step proves that the mixture of air and natural gas can be easily ignited and the flame burns stably. In the second step of experiment, the combustion heat flux can reach 20 kW, and the energy utilization efficiency of thermal head has exceeded 0.5. These test results show that the thermal performance of combustion chamber has reached the design goal. The designed combustion chamber can be applied to a real Stirling engine heated by natural gas which is to generate 3˜5 kWe electric power.

[Comparison of eddy covariance and static chamber/gas chromatogram methods in measuring ecosystem respiration].

PubMed

Zheng, Ze-Mei; Yu, Gui-Rui; Sun, Xiao-Min; Cao, Guang-Min; Wang, Yue-Si; Du, Ming-Yuan; Li, Jun; Li, Ying-Nian

2008-02-01

Based on the measurement of carbon flux by the methods of eddy covariance and static chamber/gas chromatogram, a comparison was made between the two methods in evaluating ecosystem respiration over winter wheat (Triticum aestivum)--summer maize (Zea mays) double cropland and Kobresia humilis alpine meadow. The results showed that under the conditions of obtained data having good quality, nighttime ecosystem respiration from eddy covariance measurement was significantly agreed with that from static chamber/gas chromatogram measurement, with the correlation coefficients ranging from 0.95 to 0.98, and the daytime ecosystem respiration from these two measurements also had a good consistency though the static chamber/gas chromatogram measurement often produced higher values. The daily mean value of ecosystem respiration was significantly different between these two measurements, but the seasonal pattern was similar. For winter wheat-summer maize double cropland, the difference of mean air temperature inside and outside the chamber was 1.8 degrees C, and the daily mean value of ecosystem respiration across the whole study period was 30.3% lower in eddy covariance measurement than in static chamber/gas chromatogram measurement; while for alpine meadow, the difference of the mean air temperature was 1.9 degrees C, and the daily mean value of ecosystem respiration was 31.4% lower in eddy covariance measurement than in static chamber/gas chromatogram measurement. The variance between the daily mean values of ecosystem respiration obtained from the two measurements was higher in growing season than in dormant season.

Numerical evaluation of static-chamber measurements of soil-atmospheric gas exchange--Identification of physical processes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Healy, Richard W.; Striegl, Robert G.; Russell, Thomas F.; Hutchinson, Gordon L.; Livingston, Gerald P.

1996-01-01

The exchange of gases between soil and atmosphere is an important process that affects atmospheric chemistry and therefore climate. The static-chamber method is the most commonly used technique for estimating the rate of that exchange. We examined the method under hypothetical field conditions where diffusion was the only mechanism for gas transport and the atmosphere outside the chamber was maintained at a fixed concentration. Analytical and numerical solutions to the soil gas diffusion equation in one and three dimensions demonstrated that gas flux density to a static chamber deployed on the soil surface was less in magnitude than the ambient exchange rate in the absence of the chamber. This discrepancy, which increased with chamber deployment time and air-filled porosity of soil, is attributed to two physical factors: distortion of the soil gas concentration gradient (the magnitude was decreased in the vertical component and increased in the radial component) and the slow transport rate of diffusion relative to mixing within the chamber. Instantaneous flux density to a chamber decreased continuously with time; steepest decreases occurred so quickly following deployment and in response to such slight changes in mean chamber headspace concentration that they would likely go undetected by most field procedures. Adverse influences of these factors were reduced by mixing the chamber headspace, minimizing deployment time, maximizing the height and radius of the chamber, and pushing the rim of the chamber into the soil. Nonlinear models were superior to a linear regression model for estimating flux densities from mean headspace concentrations, suggesting that linearity of headspace concentration with time was not necessarily a good indicator of measurement accuracy.

The Gas Monitoring of the Besiii Drift Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xianggao; Chen, Chang; Chen, Yuanbo; Wu, Zhi; Gu, Yunting; Ma, Xiaoyan; Jin, Yan; Liu, Rongguang; Tang, Xiao; Wang, Lan; Zhu, Qiming

Two monitoring proportional counters (MPCs), installed at the inlet and outlet of the gas system of BESIII drift chamber (DC), were used to monitor the operation of the BESIII DC successfully and effectively as reported in this paper. The ratio of Gout/Gin (full energy photoelectron peak position of 55Fe 5.9 keV X-ray in inlet MPC as Gin and outlet MPC as Gout) is used as the main monitoring parameter. The MPC method is very useful for the gas detector system.

Degradation in the efficiency of glass Resistive Plate Chambers operated without external gas supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baesso, P.; Cussans, D.; Thomay, C.; Velthuis, J.; Burns, J.; Quillin, S.; Stapleton, M.; Steer, C.

2015-06-01

Resistive plate chambers (RPC) are particle detectors commonly used by the high energy physics community. Their normal operation requires a constant flow of gas mixture to prevent self-poisoning which reduces the chamber's capability to detect particles. We studied how quickly the efficiency of two RPCs drops when operated in sealed mode, i.e. without refreshing the gas mixture. The test aim is to determine how RPCs could be used as particle detectors in non-laboratory applications, such as those exploiting muon tomography for geological imaging or homeland security. The two sealed RPCs were operated in proportional mode for a period of more than three months, and their efficiencies were recorded continuously and analysed in 8-hours intervals. The results show that the efficiency drops on average by 0.79 ± 0.01 % every 24 hours of operation and returns close to the initial value after purging the old gas mixture and flushing the chambers with fresh gas.

Minimizing field time to get reasonable greenhouse gas flux estimates from many chambers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Greenhouse gas measurements from soil are typically derived from static chambers placed in several replicate field plots and in multiple locations within a plot. Inherent variability in emissions is due to a number of known and unknown factors. Getting robust emission estimates from numerous chamber...

Government gas vans and school gas chambers: preparedness and paranoia in Britain, 1936-1941.

PubMed

Moshenska, Gabriel

2010-01-01

In 1936 the Air Raid Precautions department of the British Home Office instigated a training programme in which members of the public, including school students, were systematically exposed to tear gas. Based around fixed and mobile gas chambers, this training aimed to educate the public in the value and efficacy of their gas masks. Drawing on documentary and oral historical sources, this paper examines the discrepancies between the stated form and aims of these tests, and their practical applications, including some excessively brutal training practices. In the last part of the paper I consider these variations in the context of both the gas panic and the moral panic about children's behaviour in wartime.

A two-cell chamber for measuring gas exchange in tree seedlings

Treesearch

Keith F. Jensen; Frederick W. Bender; Roberta G. Masters

1973-01-01

A two-celled chamber for measuring gas exchange in tree seedlings is described. Temperature is controlled within ± 0.5º C by means of a copper coil. The two cells are independent of one another, and one cell can be used as a preconditioning cell while gas exchange measurements are being made in the second cell.

A study of the polyethylene membrane used in diffusion chambers for radon gas concentration measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leung, S. Y. Y.; Nikezic, D.; Leung, J. K. C.; Yu, K. N.

2007-10-01

Solid-state nuclear track detectors (SSNTDs) in diffusion chambers have been routinely used for long-term measurements of radon gas concentrations. In usual practice, a filter is added across the top of the diffusion chamber to stop the progeny from entering. Thoron can also be deterred from entering the diffusion chamber by using a polyethylene (PE) membrane. However, the thickness of the PE membrane is rarely specified in the literature. In this paper, we will present our experimental results for a radon exposure that the number of alpha-particle tracks registered by the LR 115 SSNTD in a Karlsruhe diffusion chamber covered with one layer of PE membrane is actually enhanced. This is explained by enhanced deposition of radon progeny on the outside surface of the PE membrane and the insufficient thickness of the PE membrane to stop the alpha particles emitted from these deposited radon progeny to reach the SSNTD. We will present the PE thickness which can stop the alpha particles emitted from the deposited radon or thoron progeny. For the "twin diffusion chambers method", one of the diffusion chambers is covered with PE membranes. The optimal number of thickness of PE membranes will be determined, which allows the largest amount of radon gas to diffuse into the diffusion chamber while at the same time screening out the largest amount of thoron gas.

Wire chamber

DOEpatents

Atac, Muzaffer

1989-01-01

A wire chamber or proportional counter device, such as Geiger-Mueller tube or drift chamber, improved with a gas mixture providing a stable drift velocity while eliminating wire aging caused by prior art gas mixtures. The new gas mixture is comprised of equal parts argon and ethane gas and having approximately 0.25% isopropyl alcohol vapor.

Cell culture chamber with gas supply for prolonged recording of human neuronal cells on microelectrode array.

PubMed

Kreutzer, Joose; Ylä-Outinen, Laura; Mäki, Antti-Juhana; Ristola, Mervi; Narkilahti, Susanna; Kallio, Pasi

2017-03-15

Typically, live cell analyses are performed outside an incubator in an ambient air, where the lack of sufficient CO 2 supply results in a fast change of pH and the high evaporation causes concentration drifts in the culture medium. That limits the experiment time for tens of minutes. In many applications, e.g. in neurotoxicity studies, a prolonged measurement of extracellular activity is, however, essential. We demonstrate a simple cell culture chamber that enables stable culture conditions during prolonged extracellular recordings on a microelectrode array (MEA) outside an incubator. The proposed chamber consists of a gas permeable silicone structure that enables gas transfer into the chamber. We show that the culture chamber supports the growth of the human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived neurons both inside and outside an incubator. The structure provides very low evaporation, stable pH and osmolarity, and maintains strong signaling of hESC-derived neuronal networks over three-day MEA experiments. Existing systems are typically complex including continuous perfusion of medium or relatively large amount of gas to supply. The proposed chamber requires only a supply of very low flow rate (1.5ml/min) of non-humidified 5% CO 2 gas. Utilizing dry gas supply makes the proposed chamber simple to use. Using the proposed culture structure on top of MEA, we can maintain hESC-derived neural networks over three days outside an incubator. Technically, the structure requires very low flow rate of dry gas supporting, however, low evaporation and maintaining the pH of the culture. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selection of technology for the low calorific synthetic gas combustion in the gas turbine combustion chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippov, Prokopy; Levin, Evgeny; Ryzhkov, Alexander

2017-10-01

The leading gas turbines manufacturers are developing the technologies of the environmental friendly combustion of industrial and synthetic gases of low calorific values. In this case they are faced with critical problems concerning combustion stability assurance and the necessity of the gas turbines significant modernization due to the differences between the low calorific and natural gases. The numerical simulation results of the low calorific value synthetic gas combustion in the combustion chamber by means of different technologies are considered in the paper.

Chamber measurement of surface-atmosphere trace gas exchange: Numerical evaluation of dependence on soil, interfacial layer, and source/sink properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchinson, G. L.; Livingston, G. P.; Healy, R. W.; Striegl, R. G.

2000-04-01

We employed a three-dimensional finite difference gas diffusion model to simulate the performance of chambers used to measure surface-atmosphere trace gas exchange. We found that systematic errors often result from conventional chamber design and deployment protocols, as well as key assumptions behind the estimation of trace gas exchange rates from observed concentration data. Specifically, our simulations showed that (1) when a chamber significantly alters atmospheric mixing processes operating near the soil surface, it also nearly instantaneously enhances or suppresses the postdeployment gas exchange rate, (2) any change resulting in greater soil gas diffusivity, or greater partitioning of the diffusing gas to solid or liquid soil fractions, increases the potential for chamber-induced measurement error, and (3) all such errors are independent of the magnitude, kinetics, and/or distribution of trace gas sources, but greater for trace gas sinks with the same initial absolute flux. Finally, and most importantly, we found that our results apply to steady state as well as non-steady-state chambers, because the slow rate of gas diffusion in soil inhibits recovery of the former from their initial non-steady-state condition. Over a range of representative conditions, the error in steady state chamber estimates of the trace gas flux varied from -30 to +32%, while estimates computed by linear regression from non-steady-state chamber concentrations were 2 to 31% too small. Although such errors are relatively small in comparison to the temporal and spatial variability characteristic of trace gas exchange, they bias the summary statistics for each experiment as well as larger scale trace gas flux estimates based on them.

Chamber measurement of surface-atmosphere trace gas exchange--Numerical evaluation of dependence on soil interfacial layer, and source/sink products

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutchinson, G.L.; Livingston, G.P.; Healy, R.W.; Striegl, Robert G.

2000-01-01

We employed a three-dimensional finite difference gas diffusion model to simulate the performance of chambers used to measure surface-atmosphere tace gas exchange. We found that systematic errors often result from conventional chamber design and deployment protocols, as well as key assumptions behind the estimation of trace gas exchange rates from observed concentration data. Specifically, our simulationshowed that (1) when a chamber significantly alters atmospheric mixing processes operating near the soil surface, it also nearly instantaneously enhances or suppresses the postdeployment gas exchange rate, (2) any change resulting in greater soil gas diffusivity, or greater partitioning of the diffusing gas to solid or liquid soil fractions, increases the potential for chamber-induced measurement error, and (3) all such errors are independent of the magnitude, kinetics, and/or distribution of trace gas sources, but greater for trace gas sinks with the same initial absolute flux. Finally, and most importantly, we found that our results apply to steady state as well as non-steady-state chambers, because the slow rate of gas diffusion in soil inhibits recovery of the former from their initial non-steady-state condition. Over a range of representative conditions, the error in steady state chamber estimates of the trace gas flux varied from -30 to +32%, while estimates computed by linear regression from non-steadystate chamber concentrations were 2 to 31% too small. Although such errors are relatively small in comparison to the temporal and spatial variability characteristic of trace gas exchange, they bias the summary statistics for each experiment as well as larger scale trace gas flux estimates based on them.

Experimental and Numerical Research of a Novel Combustion Chamber for Small Gas Turbine Engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuma, J.; Kubata, J.; Betak, V.; Hybl, R.

2013-04-01

New combustion chamber concept (based on burner JETIS-JET Induced Swirl) for small gas turbine engine (up to 200kW) is presented in this article. The combustion chamber concept is based on the flame stabilization by the generated swirl swirl generated by two opposite tangentially arranged jet tubes in the intermediate zone, this arrangement replaces air swirler, which is very complicated and expensive part in the scope of small gas turbines with annular combustion chamber. The mixing primary jets are oriented partially opposite to the main exhaust gasses flow, this enhances hot product recirculation and fuel-air mixing necessary for low NOx production and flame stability. To evaluate the designed concept a JETIS burner demonstrator (methane fuel) was manufactured and atmospheric experimental measurements of CO, NOx for various fuel nozzles and jet tubes the configuration were done. Results of these experiments and comparison with CFD simulation are presented here. Practical application of the new chamber concept in small gas turbine liquid fuel combustor was evaluated (verified) on 3 nozzles planar combustor sector test rig at atmospheric conditions results of the experiment and numerical simulation are also presented.

Gas exchange in NASA's biomass production chamber - A preprototype closed human life support system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corey, Kenneth A.; Wheeler, Raymond M.

1992-01-01

The unique capabilities of the NASA biomass production chamber for monitoring and evaluating gas exchange rates are examined. Special emphasis is given to results with wheat and soybeans. The potential of the chamber as a preprototype of a closed human life support system is considered.

Evaluation of Gas-filled Ionization Chamber Method for Radon Measurement at Two Reference Facilities

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

Ishikawa, Tetsuo; Tokonami, Shinji; Kobayashi, Yosuke

2008-08-07

For quality assurance, gas-filled ionization chamber method was tested at two reference facilities for radon calibration: EML (USA) and PTB (Germany). Consequently, the radon concentrations estimated by the ionization chamber method were in good agreement with the reference radon concentrations provided by EML as well as PTB.

Production of sugarcane bagasse-based activated carbon for formaldehyde gas removal from potted plants exposure chamber.

PubMed

Mohamed, Elham F; El-Hashemy, Mohammed A; Abdel-Latif, Nasser M; Shetaya, Waleed H

2015-12-01

Agricultural wastes such as rice straw, sugar beet, and sugarcane bagasse have become a critical environmental issue due to growing agriculture demand. This study aimed to investigate the valorization possibility of sugarcane bagasse waste for activated carbon preparation. It also aimed to fully characterize the prepared activated carbon (BET surface area) via scanning electron microscope (SEM) and in terms of surface functional groups to give a basic understanding of its structure and to study the adsorption capacity of the sugarcane bagasse-based activated carbon using aqueous methylene blue (MB). The second main objective was to evaluate the performance of sugarcane bagasse-based activated carbon for indoor volatile organic compounds removal using the formaldehyde gas (HCHO) as reference model in two potted plants chambers. The first chamber was labeled the polluted chamber (containing formaldehyde gas without activated carbon) and the second was taken as the treated chamber (containing formaldehyde gas with activated carbon). The results indicated that the sugarcane bagasse-based activated carbon has a moderate BET surface area (557 m2/g) with total mesoporous volume and microporous volume of 0.310 and 0.273 cm3/g, respectively. The prepared activated carbon had remarkable adsorption capacity for MB. Formaldehyde removal rate was then found to be more than 67% in the treated chamber with the sugarcane bagasse-based activated carbon. The plants' responses for this application as dry weight, chlorophyll contents, and protein concentration were also investigated. Preparation of activated carbon from sugarcane bagasse (SCBAC) is a promising approach to produce cheap and efficient adsorbent for gas pollutants removal. It may be also a solution for the agricultural wastes problems in big cities, particularly in Egypt. MB adsorption tests suggest that the SCBAC have high adsorption capacity. Formaldehyde gas removal in the plant chambers indicates that the SCBAC have

Direct Measurements of Gas/Particle Partitioning and Mass Accommodation Coefficients in Environmental Chambers.

PubMed

Krechmer, Jordan E; Day, Douglas A; Ziemann, Paul J; Jimenez, Jose L

2017-10-17

Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) are a major contributor to fine particulate mass and wield substantial influences on the Earth's climate and human health. Despite extensive research in recent years, many of the fundamental processes of SOA formation and evolution remain poorly understood. Most atmospheric aerosol models use gas/particle equilibrium partitioning theory as a default treatment of gas-aerosol transfer, despite questions about potentially large kinetic effects. We have conducted fundamental SOA formation experiments in a Teflon environmental chamber using a novel method. A simple chemical system produces a very fast burst of low-volatility gas-phase products, which are competitively taken up by liquid organic seed particles and Teflon chamber walls. Clear changes in the species time evolution with differing amounts of seed allow us to quantify the particle uptake processes. We reproduce gas- and aerosol-phase observations using a kinetic box model, from which we quantify the aerosol mass accommodation coefficient (α) as 0.7 on average, with values near unity especially for low volatility species. α appears to decrease as volatility increases. α has historically been a very difficult parameter to measure with reported values varying over 3 orders of magnitude. We use the experimentally constrained model to evaluate the correction factor (Φ) needed for chamber SOA mass yields due to losses of vapors to walls as a function of species volatility and particle condensational sink. Φ ranges from 1-4.

Constraining Gas Diffusivity-Soil Water Content Relationships in Forest Soils Using Surface Chamber Fluxes and Depth Profiles of Multiple Trace Gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dore, J. E.; Kaiser, K.; Seybold, E. C.; McGlynn, B. L.

2012-12-01

Forest soils are sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere and can act as either sources or sinks of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), depending on redox conditions and other factors. Soil moisture is an important control on microbial activity, redox conditions and gas diffusivity. Direct chamber measurements of soil-air CO2 fluxes are facilitated by the availability of sensitive, portable infrared sensors; however, corresponding CH4 and N2O fluxes typically require the collection of time-course physical samples from the chamber with subsequent analyses by gas chromatography (GC). Vertical profiles of soil gas concentrations may also be used to derive CH4 and N2O fluxes by the gradient method; this method requires much less time and many fewer GC samples than the direct chamber method, but requires that effective soil gas diffusivities are known. In practice, soil gas diffusivity is often difficult to accurately estimate using a modeling approach. In our study, we apply both the chamber and gradient methods to estimate soil trace gas fluxes across a complex Rocky Mountain forested watershed in central Montana. We combine chamber flux measurements of CO2 (by infrared sensor) and CH4 and N2O (by GC) with co-located soil gas profiles to determine effective diffusivity in soil for each gas simultaneously, over-determining the diffusion equations and providing constraints on both the chamber and gradient methodologies. We then relate these soil gas diffusivities to soil type and volumetric water content in an effort to arrive at empirical parameterizations that may be used to estimate gas diffusivities across the watershed, thereby facilitating more accurate, frequent and widespread gradient-based measurements of trace gas fluxes across our study system. Our empirical approach to constraining soil gas diffusivity is well suited for trace gas flux studies over complex landscapes in general.

Modeling of natural acoustic frequencies of a gas-turbine plant combustion chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zubrilin, I. A.; Gurakov, N. I.; Zubrilin, R. A.; Matveev, S. G.

2017-05-01

The paper presents results of determination of natural acoustic frequencies of a gas-turbine plant annular combustion chamber model using 3D-simulation. At the beginning, a calculation procedure for determining natural acoustic frequencies of the gas-turbine plant combustion chamber was worked out. The effect of spatial inhomogeneity of the flow parameters (fluid composition, pressure, temperature) arising in combustion and some geometrical parameters (cooling holes of the flame tube walls) on the calculation results is studied. It is found that the change of the fluid composition in combustion affects the acoustic velocity not more than 5%; therefore, the air with a volume variable temperature can be taken as a working fluid in the calculation of natural acoustic frequencies. It is also shown that the cooling holes of the flame tube walls with diameter less than 2 mm can be neglected in the determination of the acoustic modes in the frequency range of up to 1000 Hz. This reduces the number of the grid-model elements by a factor of six in comparison with a model that considers all of the holes. Furthermore, a method of export of spatial inhomogeneity of the flow parameters from a CFD solver sector model to the annular combustion chamber model in a modal solver is presented. As a result of the obtained model calculation, acoustic modes of the combustion chamber in the frequency range of up to 1000 Hz are determined. For a standard engine condition, a potentially dangerous acoustic mode with a frequency close to the ripple frequency of the precessing vortex core, which is formed behind the burner device of this combustion chamber, is detected.

Measurements of Gas-Wall Partitioning of Oxidized Species in Environmental Smog Chambers and Teflon Sampling Lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krechmer, J.; Pagonis, D.; Ziemann, P. J.; Jimenez, J. L.

2015-12-01

Environmental "smog" chambers have played an integral role in atmospheric aerosol research for decades. Recently, many works have demonstrated that the loss of gas-phase material to fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) chamber walls can have significant effects on secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yield results. The effects of gas-wall partitioning on highly oxidized species is still controversial, however. In this work we performed a series of experiments examining the losses of oxidized gas-phase compounds that were generated in-situ­ in an environmental chamber. The loss of species to the walls was measured using three chemical ionization mass spectrometry techniques: proton-transfer-reaction (PTR), nitrate (NO3-) ion, and iodide (I-). Many oxidized species have wall loss timescales ranging between 15 to 45 minutes and scale according to the molecule's estimated saturation concentration c* and functional groups. By comparing results of the different techniques, and in particular by the use of the "wall-less" NO3- source, we find that measuring species with high chamber wall-loss rates is complicated by the use of a standard ion-molecule reaction (IMR) region, as well as long Teflon sampling lines, which can be important sinks for gas-phase species. This effect is observed even for semi-volatile species and could have significant effects on ambient sampling techniques that make highly time-resolved measurements using long sampling lines, such as eddy covariance measurements.

Technical note: drifting versus anchored flux chambers for measuring greenhouse gas emissions from running waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorke, A.; Bodmer, P.; Noss, C.; Alshboul, Z.; Koschorreck, M.; Somlai-Haase, C.; Bastviken, D.; Flury, S.; McGinnis, D. F.; Maeck, A.; Müller, D.; Premke, K.

2015-12-01

Stream networks have recently been discovered to be major but poorly constrained natural greenhouse gas (GHG) sources. A fundamental problem is that several measurement approaches have been used without cross-comparisons. Flux chambers represent a potentially powerful methodological approach if robust and reliable ways to use chambers on running water can be defined. Here we compare the use of anchored and freely drifting chambers on various streams with different flow velocities. The study clearly shows that (1) anchored chambers enhance turbulence under the chambers and thus elevate fluxes, (2) drifting chambers have a very small impact on the water turbulence under the chamber and thus generate more reliable fluxes, (3) the bias of the anchored chambers greatly depends on chamber design and sampling conditions, and (4) there is a promising method to reduce the bias from anchored chambers by using a flexible plastic foil collar to seal the chambers to the water surface, rather than having rigid chamber walls penetrating into the water. Altogether, these results provide novel guidance on how to apply flux chambers in running water, which will have important consequences for measurements to constrain the global GHG balances.

Optimal design of a combustion chamber of gas turbine engine by a Combustion chamber 1D-2D computer program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleksandrov, Y. B.; Mingazov, B. G.

2017-09-01

The paper shows a method of modeling and optimization of processes in combustion chambers of gas turbine engines using a computer program developed by a team at the Department of Jet Engines and Power Plants (DJEPP) of Technical University named after A N Tupolev KNRTU-KAI.

Technical Note: Drifting vs. anchored flux chambers for measuring greenhouse gas emissions from running waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorke, A.; Bodmer, P.; Noss, C.; Alshboul, Z.; Koschorreck, M.; Somlai, C.; Bastviken, D.; Flury, S.; McGinnis, D. F.; Maeck, A.; Müller, D.; Premke, K.

2015-09-01

Stream networks were recently discovered as major but poorly constrained natural greenhouse gas (GHG) sources. A fundamental problem is that several measurement approaches have been used without cross comparisons. Flux chambers represent a potentially powerful methodological approach if robust and reliable ways to use chambers on running water can be defined. Here we compare the use of anchored and freely drifting chambers on various streams having different flow velocities. The study clearly shows that (1) drifting chambers have a very small impact on the water turbulence under the chamber and thus generate more reliable fluxes, (2) anchored chambers enhance turbulence under the chambers and thus elevate fluxes, (3) the bias of the anchored chambers greatly depends on chamber design and sampling conditions, and (4) there is a promising method to reduce the bias from anchored chambers by using a flexible plastic foil seal to the water surface rather than having rigid chamber walls penetrating into the water. Altogether, these results provide novel guidance on how to apply flux chambers in running water, which will have important consequences for measurements to constrain the global GHG balances.

Gas turbine structural mounting arrangement between combustion gas duct annular chamber and turbine vane carrier

DOEpatents

Wiebe, David J.; Charron, Richard C.; Morrison, Jay A.

2016-10-18

A gas turbine engine ducting arrangement (10), including: an annular chamber (14) configured to receive a plurality of discrete flows of combustion gases originating in respective can combustors and to deliver the discrete flows to a turbine inlet annulus, wherein the annular chamber includes an inner diameter (52) and an outer diameter (60); an outer diameter mounting arrangement (34) configured to permit relative radial movement and to prevent relative axial and circumferential movement between the outer diameter and a turbine vane carrier (20); and an inner diameter mounting arrangement (36) including a bracket (64) secured to the turbine vane carrier, wherein the bracket is configured to permit the inner diameter to move radially with the outer diameter and prevent axial deflection of the inner diameter with respect to the outer diameter.

Determination of the air w-value in proton beams using ionization chambers with gas flow capability.

PubMed

Moyers, M F; Vatnitsky, S M; Miller, D W; Slater, J M

2000-10-01

The purpose of this work was to determine the w-value of air for protons using the paired gas method. Several plastic- and magnesium-walled chambers were used with air, synthetic air, nitrogen, and argon flowing gases. Using argon as a reference gas, the w-value of air was measured and ranged from 32.7 to 34.5 J/C for protons with energies encountered in radiotherapy. Using nitrogen as a reference gas, the w-value of air ranged from 35.2 to 35.4 J/C over the same range of proton energies. The w-value was found, at a given energy, to be independent of the ion chamber used. The uncertainty in these measurements was estimated at 5.2% at the 2sigma level. This uncertainty was dominated by the 4.4% uncertainty in the w-value of the reference gas.

Field Evaluation of Open System Chambers for Measuring Whole Canopy Gas Exchanges

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The ability to monitor whole canopy CO2 and H2O fluxes of crop plants in the field is needed for many research efforts ranging from plant breeding to the study of Climate Change effects on crops. Four portable, transparent, open system chambers for measuring canopy gas exchanges were field tested on...

Room chamber assessment of the pollutant emission properties of (nominally) low-emission unflued gas heaters.

PubMed

Brown, Stephen K; Mahoney, K John; Cheng, Min

2004-01-01

Pollutant emissions from unflued gas heaters were assessed in CSIRO's Room Dynamic Environmental Chamber. This paper describes the chamber assessment procedure and presents findings for major commercial heaters that are nominally "low-emission". The chamber was operated at controlled conditions of temperature, humidity, ventilation and air mixing, representative of those encountered in typical indoor environments. A fixed rate of heat removal from the chamber air ensured that the heaters operated at constant heating rates, typically approximately 6 MJ/h which simulated operation of a heater after warm-up in an insulated dwelling in south-east Australia. The pollutants assessed were nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, VOCs and respirable suspended particulates. One type of heater was lower emitting for nitrogen dioxide, but emitted greater amounts of carbon monoxide and formaldehyde (the latter becoming significant to indoor air quality). When operated with low line pressure or slight misalignment of the gas burner, this heater became a hazardous source of these pollutants. Emissions from the heaters changed little after continuous operation for up to 2 months. Unflued gas heaters have been popular as primary heating sources in Australian homes for many years due to their ease of installation and energy efficiency, with approximately 600,000 now installed in housing and schools. However, with concerns over potential health impacts to occupants, manufacturers have reduced the nitrogen dioxide emissions from unflued gas heaters in Australia over recent years. They have done so with a target level for nitrogen dioxide in indoor air of 300 p.p.b. This is somewhat higher than the ambient air (and WHO) guideline of 110 p.p.b. Several studies of child respiratory health show an impact of unflued gas combustion products. A full characterization of the combustion products is needed under conditions that simulate heater operation in practice-this study was

Effects of inlet distortion on gas turbine combustion chamber exit temperature profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maqsood, Omar Shahzada

Damage to a nozzle guide vane or blade, caused by non-uniform temperature distributions at the combustion chamber exit, is deleterious to turbine performance and can lead to expensive and time consuming overhaul and repair. A test rig was designed and constructed for the Allison 250-C20B combustion chamber to investigate the effects of inlet air distortion on the combustion chamber's exit temperature fields. The rig made use of the engine's diffuser tubes, combustion case, combustion liner, and first stage nozzle guide vane shield. Rig operating conditions simulated engine cruise conditions, matching the quasi-non-dimensional Mach number, equivalence ratio and Sauter mean diameter. The combustion chamber was tested with an even distribution of inlet air and a 4% difference in airflow at either side. An even distribution of inlet air to the combustion chamber did not create a uniform temperature profile and varying the inlet distribution of air exacerbated the profile's non-uniformity. The design of the combustion liner promoted the formation of an oval-shaped toroidal vortex inside the chamber, creating localized hot and cool sections separated by 90° that appeared in the exhaust. Uneven inlet air distributions skewed the oval vortex, increasing the temperature of the hot section nearest the side with the most mass flow rate and decreasing the temperature of the hot section on the opposite side. Keywords: Allison 250, Combustion, Dual-Entry, Exit Temperature Profile, Gas Turbine, Pattern Factor, Reverse Flow.

Comparative evaluation of gas-turbine engine combustion chamber starting and stalling characteristics for mechanical and air-injection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyatlov, I. N.

1983-01-01

The effectiveness of propellant atomization with and without air injection in the combustion chamber nozzle of a gas turbine engine is studied. Test show that the startup and burning performance of these combustion chambers can be improved by using an injection during the mechanical propellant atomization process. It is shown that the operational range of combustion chambers can be extended to poorer propellant mixtures by combined air injection mechanical atomization of the propellant.

A closed-chamber method to measure greenhouse gas fluxes from dry aquatic sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesmeister, Lukas; Koschorreck, Matthias

2017-06-01

Recent research indicates that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from dry aquatic sediments are a relevant process in the freshwater carbon cycle. However, fluxes are difficult to measure because of the often rocky substrate and the dynamic nature of the habitat. Here we tested the performance of different materials to seal a closed chamber to stony ground both in laboratory and field experiments. Using on-site material consistently resulted in elevated fluxes. The artefact was caused both by outgassing of the material and production of gas. The magnitude of the artefact was site dependent - the measured CO2 flux increased between 10 and 208 %. Errors due to incomplete sealing proved to be more severe than errors due to non-inert sealing material.Pottery clay as sealing material provided a tight seal between the chamber and the ground and no production of gases was detected. With this approach it is possible to get reliable gas fluxes from hard-substrate sites without using a permanent collar. Our test experiments confirmed that CO2 fluxes from dry aquatic sediments are similar to CO2 fluxes from terrestrial soils.

Flow-rate independent gas-mixing system for drift chambers, using solenoid valves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugano, K.

1991-03-01

We describe an inexpensive system for mixing argon and ethane gas for drift chambers which was used for an experiment at Fermilab. This system is based on the idea of intermittent mixing of gases with fixed mixing flow rates. A dual-action pressure switch senses the pressure in a mixed gas reservoir tank and operates solenoid valves to control mixing action and regulate reservoir pressure. This system has the advantages that simple controls accurately regulate the mixing ratio and that the mixing ratio is nearly flow-rate independent without readjustments. We also report the results of the gas analysis of various samplings, and the reliability of the system in long-term running.

Investigation of chamber methods and a micrometeorological mass balance method for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions from animal manure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Kyu-Hyun

Various measurement methods to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from manure storage or treatment facilities have been used. However, it is difficult to directly compare emission data measured with different methods, which causes uncertainties in national GHG inventories. In the micrometeorological mass balance (MMB) method, a gas flux consists of a horizontal mean flux (MF) and horizontal turbulent flux (TF) terms. In Chapter 2, methane (GH4 ) TF measurements obtained using a sonic anemometer and a tunable diode laser trace gas analyzer are presented. Contrary to previous studies in wind tunnels and flat-level field conditions, an overestimation of only 0.5% was observed by only considering the MF term. This means the MMB method without consideration of TF is suitable in complex field conditions with uneven topography, and farm buildings. In Chapter 3, the MMB method was compared to a floating chamber method. Of these, the floating chamber method has been extensively used for CH4 flux quantification. The MMB method, although providing advantages such as spatial integration of fluxes, requires fast response trace gas analyzers which are not widely available. The mean ratio of CH4 flux measured with the floating chamber method to that measured using the MMB method was 1.25, ranging from 1.07 to 1.83. Flux overestimation by the floating chamber could have been caused by location of the chamber and potential disturbances by the chamber. Frequent changes of the chamber location, use of several chambers, and/or avoiding chamber placement on 'hot spots' are recommended to decrease flux overestimation. In Chapter 4, CH4 fluxes measured with a mega chamber and eight small chambers during the in-vessel composting phase showed similar temporal variation, while nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes were, significantly lower for the small chambers. The ratios of CH4 fluxes measured with a mega chamber to eight small chambers during the in-vessel composting phase were 0.72 and 1

Gas-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation with gas gate

DOEpatents

Benson, David K.; Potter, Thomas F.

1994-06-07

Disclosed is a dynamic vacuum insulation comprising sidewalls enclosing an evacuated chamber and gas control means for releasing hydrogen gas into a chamber to increase gas molecule conduction of heat across the chamber and retrieving hydrogen gas from the chamber. The gas control means includes a metal hydride that absorbs and retains hydrogen gas at cooler temperatures and releases hydrogen gas at hotter temperatures; a hydride heating means for selectively heating the metal hydride to temperatures high enough to release hydrogen gas from the metal hydride; and gate means positioned between the metal hydride and the chamber for selectively allowing hydrogen to flow or not to flow between said metal hydride and said chamber.

Gas-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation with gas gate

DOEpatents

Benson, D.K.; Potter, T.F.

1994-06-07

Disclosed is a dynamic vacuum insulation comprising sidewalls enclosing an evacuated chamber and gas control means for releasing hydrogen gas into a chamber to increase gas molecule conduction of heat across the chamber and retrieving hydrogen gas from the chamber. The gas control means includes a metal hydride that absorbs and retains hydrogen gas at cooler temperatures and releases hydrogen gas at hotter temperatures; a hydride heating means for selectively heating the metal hydride to temperatures high enough to release hydrogen gas from the metal hydride; and gate means positioned between the metal hydride and the chamber for selectively allowing hydrogen to flow or not to flow between said metal hydride and said chamber. 25 figs.

Computation of Neutral Gas Flow from a Hall Thruster into a Vacuum Chamber

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-10-18

try to quantify these effects, the direct simulation Monte Carlo method is applied to model a cold flow of xenon gas expanding from a Hall thruster into...a vacuum chamber. The simulations are performed for the P5 Hall thruster operating in a large vacuum tank at the University of Michigan. Comparison

Iridium-Coated Rhenium Combustion Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, Steven J.; Tuffias, Robert H.; Rosenberg, Sanders D.

1994-01-01

Iridium-coated rhenium combustion chamber withstands operating temperatures up to 2,200 degrees C. Chamber designed to replace older silicide-coated combustion chamber in small rocket engine. Modified versions of newer chamber could be designed for use on Earth in gas turbines, ramjets, and scramjets.

Two chamber reaction furnace

DOEpatents

Blaugher, Richard D.

1998-05-05

A vertical two chamber reaction furnace. The furnace comprises a lower chamber having an independently operable first heating means for heating the lower chamber and a gas inlet means for admitting a gas to create an ambient atmosphere, and an upper chamber disposed above the lower chamber and having an independently operable second heating means for heating the upper chamber. Disposed between the lower chamber and the upper chamber is a vapor permeable diffusion partition. The upper chamber has a conveyor means for conveying a reactant there through. Of particular importance is the thallinating of long-length thallium-barium-calcium-copper oxide (TBCCO) or barium-calcium-copper oxide (BCCO) precursor tapes or wires conveyed through the upper chamber to thereby effectuate the deposition of vaporized thallium (being so vaporized as the first reactant in the lower chamber at a temperature between about 700.degree. and 800.degree. C.) on TBCCO or BCCO tape or wire (the second reactant) at its simultaneous annealing temperature in the upper chamber of about 800.degree. to 950.degree. C. to thereby replace thallium oxide lost from TBCCO tape or wire because of the high annealing temperature or to deposit thallium on BCCO tape or wire. Continuously moving the tape or wire provides a single-step process that effectuates production of long-length TBCCO superconducting product.

Two chamber reaction furnace

DOEpatents

Blaugher, R.D.

1998-05-05

A vertical two chamber reaction furnace is described. The furnace comprises a lower chamber having an independently operable first heating means for heating the lower chamber and a gas inlet means for admitting a gas to create an ambient atmosphere, and an upper chamber disposed above the lower chamber and having an independently operable second heating means for heating the upper chamber. Disposed between the lower chamber and the upper chamber is a vapor permeable diffusion partition. The upper chamber has a conveyor means for conveying a reactant there through. Of particular importance is the thallinating of long-length thallium-barium-calcium-copper oxide (TBCCO) or barium-calcium-copper oxide (BCCO) precursor tapes or wires conveyed through the upper chamber to thereby effectuate the deposition of vaporized thallium (being so vaporized as the first reactant in the lower chamber at a temperature between about 700 C and 800 C) on TBCCO or BCCO tape or wire (the second reactant) at its simultaneous annealing temperature in the upper chamber of about 800 to 950 C to thereby replace thallium oxide lost from TBCCO tape or wire because of the high annealing temperature or to deposit thallium on BCCO tape or wire. Continuously moving the tape or wire provides a single-step process that effectuates production of long-length TBCCO superconducting product. 2 figs.

Preliminary study of silica aerogel as a gas-equivalent material in ionization chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caresana, M.; Zorloni, G.

2017-12-01

Since about two decades, a renewed interest on aerogels has risen. These peculiar materials show fairly unique properties. Thus, they are under investigation for both scientific and commercial purposes and new optimized production processes are studied. In this work, the possibility of using aerogel in the field of radiation detection is explored. The idea is to substitute the gas filling in a ionization chamber with the aerogel. The material possesses a density about 100 times greater than ambient pressure air. Where as the open-pore structure should allow the charge carriers to move freely. Small hydrophobic silica aerogel samples were studied. A custom ionization chamber, capable of working both with aerogel or in the classic gas set up, was built. The response of the chamber in current mode was investigated using an X-ray tube. The results obtained showed, under proper conditions, an enhancement of about 60 times of the current signal in the aerogel configuration with respect to the classic gas one. Moreover, some unusual behaviours were observed, i.e. time inertia of the signal and super-/sub-linear current response with respect to the dose rate. While testing high electric fields, aerogel configuration seemed to enhance the Townsend's effects. In order to represent the observed trends, a trapping-detrapping model is proposed, which is capable to predict semi-empirically the steady state currents measured. The time evolution of the signal is semi-quantitatively represented by the same model. The coefficients estimated by the fits are in agreement with similar trapping problems in the literature. In particular, a direct comparison between the benchmark of the FET silica gates and aerogel case endorses the idea that the same type of phenomenon occurs in the studied case.

Multi-chamber deposition system

DOEpatents

Jacobson, Richard L.; Jeffrey, Frank R.; Westerberg, Roger K.

1989-10-17

A system for the simultaneous deposition of different coatings onto a thin web within a large volume vacuum chamber is disclosed which chamber is provided with a plurality of deposition chambers in which the different layers are deposited onto the film as its moves from a supply roll to a finished take-up roll of coated web. The deposition chambers provided within the large vacuum chamber are provided with separate seals which minimize back diffusion of any dopant gas from adjacent deposition chambers.

Multi-chamber deposition system

DOEpatents

Jacobson, Richard L.; Jeffrey, Frank R.; Westerberg, Roger K.

1989-06-27

A system for the simultaneous deposition of different coatings onto a thin web within a large volume vacuum chamber is disclosed which chamber is provided with a plurality of deposition chambers in which the different layers are deposited onto the film as its moves from a supply roll to a finished take-up roll of coated web. The deposition chambers provided within the large vacuum chamber are provided with separate seals which minimize back diffusion of any dopant gas from adjacent deposition chambers.

Vacuum chamber with a supersonic flow aerodynamic window

DOEpatents

Hanson, Clark L.

1982-01-01

A supersonic flow aerodynamic window, whereby a steam ejector situated in a primary chamber at vacuum exhausts superheated steam toward an orifice to a region of higher pressure, creating a barrier to the gas in the region of higher pressure which attempts to enter through the orifice. In a mixing chamber outside and in fluid communication with the primary chamber, superheated steam and gas are combined into a mixture which then enters the primary chamber through the orifice. At the point of impact of the ejector/superheated steam and the incoming gas/superheated steam mixture, a barrier is created to the gas attempting to enter the ejector chamber. This barrier, coupled with suitable vacuum pumping means and cooling means, serves to keep the steam ejector and primary chamber at a negative pressure, even though the primary chamber has an orifice to a region of higher pressure.

Vacuum chamber with a supersonic-flow aerodynamic window

DOEpatents

Hanson, C.L.

1980-10-14

A supersonic flow aerodynamic window is disclosed whereby a steam ejector situated in a primary chamber at vacuum exhausts superheated steam toward an orifice to a region of higher pressure, creating a barrier to the gas in the region of higher pressure which attempts to enter through the orifice. In a mixing chamber outside and in fluid communication with the primary chamber, superheated steam and gas are combined into a mixture which then enters the primary chamber through the orifice. At the point of impact of the ejector/superheated steam and the incoming gas/superheated steam mixture, a barrier is created to the gas attempting to enter the ejector chamber. This barrier, coupled with suitable vacuum pumping means and cooling means, serves to keep the steam ejector and primary chamber at a negative pressure, even though the primary chamber has an orifice to a region of higher pressure.

Improved wire chamber

DOEpatents

Atac, M.

1987-05-12

An improved gas mixture for use with proportional counter devices, such as Geiger-Mueller tubes and drift chambers. The improved gas mixture provides a stable drift velocity while eliminating wire aging caused by prior art gas mixtures. The new gas mixture is comprised of equal parts argon and ethane gas and having approximately 0.25% isopropyl alcohol vapor. 2 figs.

The carrier gas pressure effect in a laminar flow diffusion chamber, homogeneous nucleation of n-butanol in helium.

PubMed

Hyvärinen, Antti-Pekka; Brus, David; Zdímal, Vladimír; Smolík, Jiri; Kulmala, Markku; Viisanen, Yrjö; Lihavainen, Heikki

2006-06-14

Homogeneous nucleation rate isotherms of n-butanol+helium were measured in a laminar flow diffusion chamber at total pressures ranging from 50 to 210 kPa to investigate the effect of carrier gas pressure on nucleation. Nucleation temperatures ranged from 265 to 280 K and the measured nucleation rates were between 10(2) and 10(6) cm(-3) s(-1). The measured nucleation rates decreased as a function of increasing pressure. The pressure effect was strongest at pressures below 100 kPa. This negative carrier gas effect was also temperature dependent. At nucleation temperature of 280 K and at the same saturation ratio, the maximum deviation between nucleation rates measured at 50 and 210 kPa was about three orders of magnitude. At nucleation temperature of 265 K, the effect was negligible. Qualitatively the results resemble those measured in a thermal diffusion cloud chamber. Also the slopes of the isothermal nucleation rates as a function of saturation ratio were different as a function of total pressure, 50 kPa isotherms yielded the steepest slopes, and 210 kPa isotherms the shallowest slopes. Several sources of inaccuracies were considered in the interpretation of the results: uncertainties in the transport properties, nonideal behavior of the vapor-carrier gas mixture, and shortcomings of the used mathematical model. Operation characteristics of the laminar flow diffusion chamber at both under-and over-pressure were determined to verify a correct and stable operation of the device. We conclude that a negative carrier gas pressure effect is seen in the laminar flow diffusion chamber and it cannot be totally explained with the aforementioned reasons.

Vertical two chamber reaction furnace

DOEpatents

Blaugher, Richard D.

1999-03-16

A vertical two chamber reaction furnace. The furnace comprises a lower chamber having an independently operable first heating means for heating the lower chamber and a gas inlet means for admitting a gas to create an ambient atmosphere, and an upper chamber disposed above the lower chamber and having an independently operable second heating means for heating the upper chamber. Disposed between the lower chamber and the upper chamber is a vapor permeable diffusion partition. The upper chamber has a conveyor means for conveying a reactant there through. Of particular importance is the thallinating of long-length thallium-barium-calcium-copper oxide (TBCCO) or barium-calcium-copper oxide (BCCO) precursor tapes or wires conveyed through the upper chamber to thereby effectuate the deposition of vaporized thallium (being so vaporized as the first reactant in the lower chamber at a temperature between about 700.degree. and 800.degree. C.) on TBCCO or BCCO tape or wire (the second reactant) at its simultaneous annealing temperature in the upper chamber of about 800.degree. to 950.degree. C. to thereby replace thallium oxide lost from TBCCO tape or wire because of the high annealing temperature or to deposit thallium on BCCO tape or wire. Continuously moving the tape or wire provides a single-step process that effectuates production of long-length TBCCO superconducting product.

Vertical two chamber reaction furnace

DOEpatents

Blaugher, R.D.

1999-03-16

A vertical two chamber reaction furnace is disclosed. The furnace comprises a lower chamber having an independently operable first heating means for heating the lower chamber and a gas inlet means for admitting a gas to create an ambient atmosphere, and an upper chamber disposed above the lower chamber and having an independently operable second heating means for heating the upper chamber. Disposed between the lower chamber and the upper chamber is a vapor permeable diffusion partition. The upper chamber has a conveyor means for conveying a reactant there through. Of particular importance is the thallinating of long-length thallium-barium-calcium copper oxide (TBCCO) or barium-calcium-copper oxide (BCCO) precursor tapes or wires conveyed through the upper chamber to thereby effectuate the deposition of vaporized thallium (being so vaporized as the first reactant in the lower chamber at a temperature between about 700 and 800 C) on TBCCO or BCCO tape or wire (the second reactant) at its simultaneous annealing temperature in the upper chamber of about 800 to 950 C to thereby replace thallium oxide lost from TBCCO tape or wire because of the high annealing temperature or to deposit thallium on BCCO tape or wire. Continuously moving the tape or wire provides a single-step process that effectuates production of long-length TBCCO superconducting product. 2 figs.

Test stand for gas-discharge chamber of TEA CO2 lasers with pulse-periodical energy supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shorin, Vladimyr P.; Bystrov, N. D.; Zhuravlyov, O. A.; Nekrasov, V. V.

1997-05-01

Test stand for function optimization (incomposition of gas- dynamic circuit (GDC) of operating characteristics of full- size discharge chamber of flowing TEA carbon-dioxide lasers (power up to 100 kW) was created in Samara State Aerospace University (former Kuibyshev Aviation Institute). Test stand includes an inside-type GDC, low inductive generators of voltage pulses of preionization and main discharges, two-flow rate system of gas supply and noise immunity diagnostic system. Module construction of units of GDC, power supplies of preionization and main discharges allows to change configuration of stand's systems for providing given properties of gas flow and its energy supply. This test stand can also be used in servicing of laser system. The diagnostic system of this stand allows us to analyze energy properties of discharge by means of oscillographic measurements of voltage and current with following processing of discharges' volt- ampere characteristics by means of a computer; rate of non- stationary gas-dynamic disturbances in discharge gap of discharge chamber was measured by means of pulse holographic system (UlG-1M) with data processing of schliren- and interferogram (density fluctuation sensitivity approximately 10-2) and sensor measurement system of gas-dynamic shock and acoustics process with resonance frequency exceeding 100 kHz. Research results of process of plasma plate wave and channel structures interaction with mediums, including actuation non-stationary gas-dynamic flows, cavitation erosion of preionization electrodes' dielectric substructure, ancillary heating of channels by main volumetric discharge are presented as well.

Development of a Liquefied Noble Gas Time Projection Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesser, Ezra; White, Aaron; Aidala, Christine

2015-10-01

Liquefied noble gas detectors have been used for various applications in recent years for detecting neutrinos, neutrons, photons, and potentially dark matter. The University of Michigan is developing a detector with liquid argon to produce scintillation light and ionization electrons. Our data collection method will allow high-resolution energy measurement and spatial reconstruction of detected particles by using multi-pixel silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) and a cylindrical time projection chamber (TPC) with a multi-wire endplate. We have already designed a liquid argon condenser and purification unit surrounded by an insulating vacuum, constructed circuitry for temperature and pressure sensors, and created software to obtain high-accuracy sensor readouts. The status of detector development will be presented. Funded through the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project.

Ionization-chamber smoke detector system

DOEpatents

Roe, Robert F.

1976-10-19

This invention relates to an improved smoke-detection system of the ionization-chamber type. In the preferred embodiment, the system utilizes a conventional detector head comprising a measuring ionization chamber, a reference ionization chamber, and a normally non-conductive gas triode for discharging when a threshold concentration of airborne particulates is present in the measuring chamber. The improved system is designed to reduce false alarms caused by fluctuations in ambient temperature. Means are provided for periodically firing the gas discharge triode and each time recording the triggering voltage required. A computer compares each triggering voltage with its predecessor. The computer is programmed to energize an alarm if the difference between the two compared voltages is a relatively large value indicative of particulates in the measuring chamber and to disregard smaller differences typically resulting from changes in ambient temperature.

Liquid rocket engine self-cooled combustion chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Self-cooled combustion chambers are chambers in which the chamber wall temperature is controlled by methods other than fluid flow within the chamber wall supplied from an external source. In such chambers, adiabatic wall temperature may be controlled by use of upstream fluid components such as the injector or a film-coolant ring, or by internal flow of self-contained materials; e.g. pyrolysis gas flow in charring ablators, and the flow of infiltrated liquid metals in porous matrices. Five types of self-cooled chambers are considered in this monograph. The name identifying the chamber is indicative of the method (mechanism) by which the chamber is cooled, as follows: ablative; radiation cooled; internally regenerative (Interegen); heat sink; adiabatic wall. Except for the Interegen and heat sink concepts, each chamber type is discussed separately. A separate and final section of the monograph deals with heat transfer to the chamber wall and treats Stanton number evaluation, film cooling, and film-coolant injection techniques, since these subjects are common to all chamber types. Techniques for analysis of gas film cooling and liquid film cooling are presented.

CONTINUOUSLY SENSITIVE BUBBLE CHAMBER

DOEpatents

Good, R.H.

1959-08-18

A radiation detector of the bubble chamber class is described which is continuously sensitive and which does not require the complex pressure cycling equipment characteristic of prior forms of the chamber. The radiation sensitive element is a gas-saturated liquid and means are provided for establishing a thermal gradient across a region of the liquid. The gradient has a temperature range including both the saturation temperature of the liquid and more elevated temperatures. Thus a supersaturated zone is created in which ionizing radiations may give rise to visible gas bubbles indicative of the passage of the radiation through the liquid. Additional means are provided for replenishing the supply of gas-saturated liquid to maintaincontinuous sensitivity.

Design and performance of a dynaniic gas flux chamber.

PubMed

Reichman, Rivka; Rolston, Dennis E

2002-01-01

Chambers are commonly used to measure the emission of many trace gases and chemicals from soil. An aerodynamic (flow through) chamber was designed and fabricated to accurately measure the surface flux of trace gases. Flow through the chamber was controlled with a small vacuum at the outlet. Due to the design using fans, a partition plate, and aerodynamic ends, air is forced to sweep parallel and uniform over the entire soil surface. A fraction of the air flowing inside the chamber is sampled in the outlet. The air velocity inside the chamber is controlled by fan speed and outlet suction flow rate. The chamber design resulted in a uniform distribution of air velocity at the soil surface. Steady state flux was attained within 5 min when the outlet air suction rate was 20 L/min or higher. For expected flux rates, the presence of the chamber did not affect the measured fluxes at outlet suction rates of around 20 L/min, except that the chamber caused some cooling of the surface in field experiments. Sensitive measurements of the pressure deficit across the soil layer in conjunction with measured fluxes in the source box and chamber outlet show that the outflow rate must be controlled carefully to minimize errors in the flux measurements. Both over- and underestimation of the fluxes are possible if the outlet flow rate is not controlled carefully. For this design, the chamber accurately measured steady flux at outlet air suction rates of approximately 20 L/min when the pressure deficit within the chamber with respect to the ambient atmosphere ranged between 0.46 and 0.79 Pa.

Exposure chamber

DOEpatents

Moss, Owen R.

1980-01-01

A chamber for exposing animals, plants, or materials to air containing gases or aerosols is so constructed that catch pans for animal excrement, for example, serve to aid the uniform distribution of air throughout the chamber instead of constituting obstacles as has been the case in prior animal exposure chambers. The chamber comprises the usual imperforate top, bottom and side walls. Within the chamber, cages and their associated pans are arranged in two columns. The pans are spaced horizontally from the walls of the chamber in all directions. Corresponding pans of the two columns are also spaced horizontally from each other. Preferably the pans of one column are also spaced vertically from corresponding pans of the other column. Air is introduced into the top of the chamber and withdrawn from the bottom. The general flow of air is therefore vertical. The effect of the horizontal pans is based on the fact that a gas flowing past the edge of a flat plate that is perpendicular to the flow forms a wave on the upstream side of the plate. Air flows downwardly between the chamber walls and the outer edges of the pan. It also flows downwardly between the inner edges of the pans of the two columns. It has been found that when the air carries aerosol particles, these particles are substantially uniformly distributed throughout the chamber.

Gas mixture studies for streamer operated Resistive Plate Chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paoloni, A.; Longhin, A.; Mengucci, A.; Pupilli, F.; Ventura, M.

2016-06-01

Resistive Plate Chambers operated in streamer mode are interesting detectors in neutrino and astro-particle physics applications (like OPERA and ARGO experiments). Such experiments are typically characterized by large area apparatuses with no stringent requirements on detector aging and rate capabilities. In this paper, results of cosmic ray tests performed on a RPC prototype using different gas mixtures are presented, the principal aim being the optimization of the TetraFluoroPropene concentration in Argon-based mixtures. The introduction of TetraFluoroPropene, besides its low Global Warming Power, is helpful because it simplifies safety requirements allowing to remove also isobutane from the mixture. Results obtained with mixtures containing SF6, CF4, CO2, N2 and He are also shown, presented both in terms of detectors properties (efficiency, multiple-streamer probability and time resolution) and in terms of streamer characteristics.

Pulmonary cyst and cerebral arterial gas embolism in a hypobaric chamber: a case report.

PubMed

Cable, G G; Keeble, T; Wilson, G

2000-02-01

This is a report of an aircrew member who suffered a serious physiological incident in the form of pulmonary barotrauma and cerebral arterial gas embolism during hypobaric chamber training, and who subsequently was shown to have a cyst in the upper lobe of the left lung. The likely origin of the cyst is discussed, as well as the aeromedical disposition following thoracotomy and apical segmentectomy to remove the cyst.

Optimization of PECVD Chamber Cleans Through Fundamental Studies of Electronegative Fluorinated Gas Discharges.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langan, John

1996-10-01

The predominance of multi-level metalization schemes in advanced integrated circuit manufacturing has greatly increased the importance of plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) and in turn in-situ plasma chamber cleaning. In order to maintain the highest throughput for these processes the clean step must be as short as possible. In addition, there is an increasing desire to minimize the fluorinated gas usage during the clean, while maximizing its efficiency, not only to achieve lower costs, but also because many of the gases used in this process are global warming compounds. We have studied the fundamental properties of discharges of NF_3, CF_4, and C_2F6 under conditions relevant to chamber cleaning in the GEC rf reference cell. Using electrical impedance analysis and optical emission spectroscopy we have determined that the electronegative nature of these discharges defines the optimal processing conditions by controlling the power coupling efficiency and mechanisms of power dissipation in the discharge. Examples will be presented where strategies identified by these studies have been used to optimize actual manufacturing chamber clean processes. (This work was performed in collaboration with Mark Sobolewski, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Brian Felker, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.)

Development and application of noninvasive technology for study of combustion in a combustion chamber of gas turbine engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inozemtsev, A. A.; Sazhenkov, A. N.; Tsatiashvili, V. V.; Abramchuk, T. V.; Shipigusev, V. A.; Andreeva, T. P.; Gumerov, A. R.; Ilyin, A. N.; Gubaidullin, I. T.

2015-05-01

The paper formulates the issue of development of experimental base with noninvasive optical-electronic tools for control of combustion in a combustion chamber of gas turbine engine. The design and specifications of a pilot sample of optronic system are explained; this noninvasive system was created in the framework of project of development of main critical technologies for designing of aviation gas turbine engine PD-14. The testbench run data are presented.

Gas chromatography vs. quantum cascade laser-based N2O flux measurements using a novel chamber design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brümmer, Christian; Lyshede, Bjarne; Lempio, Dirk; Delorme, Jean-Pierre; Rüffer, Jeremy J.; Fuß, Roland; Moffat, Antje M.; Hurkuck, Miriam; Ibrom, Andreas; Ambus, Per; Flessa, Heinz; Kutsch, Werner L.

2017-03-01

Recent advances in laser spectrometry offer new opportunities to investigate the soil-atmosphere exchange of nitrous oxide. During two field campaigns conducted at a grassland site and a willow field, we tested the performance of a quantum cascade laser (QCL) connected to a newly developed automated chamber system against a conventional gas chromatography (GC) approach using the same chambers plus an automated gas sampling unit with septum capped vials and subsequent laboratory GC analysis. Through its high precision and time resolution, data of the QCL system were used for quantifying the commonly observed nonlinearity in concentration changes during chamber deployment, making the calculation of exchange fluxes more accurate by the application of exponential models. As expected, the curvature values in the concentration increase was higher during long (60 min) chamber closure times and under high-flux conditions (FN2O > 150 µg N m-2 h-1) than those values that were found when chambers were closed for only 10 min and/or when fluxes were in a typical range of 2 to 50 µg N m-2 h-1. Extremely low standard errors of fluxes, i.e., from ˜ 0.2 to 1.7 % of the flux value, were observed regardless of linear or exponential flux calculation when using QCL data. Thus, we recommend reducing chamber closure times to a maximum of 10 min when a fast-response analyzer is available and this type of chamber system is used to keep soil disturbance low and conditions around the chamber plot as natural as possible. Further, applying linear regression to a 3 min data window with rejecting the first 2 min after closure and a sampling time of every 5 s proved to be sufficient for robust flux determination while ensuring that standard errors of N2O fluxes were still on a relatively low level. Despite low signal-to-noise ratios, GC was still found to be a useful method to determine the mean the soil-atmosphere exchange of N2O on longer timescales during specific campaigns. Intriguingly

Gas shielding apparatus

DOEpatents

Brandt, D.

1984-06-05

An apparatus for preventing oxidation by uniformly distributing inert shielding gas over the weld area of workpieces such as pipes being welded together. The apparatus comprises a chamber and a gas introduction element. The chamber has an annular top wall, an annular bottom wall, an inner side wall and an outer side wall connecting the top and bottom walls. One side wall is a screen and the other has a portion defining an orifice. The gas introduction element has a portion which encloses the orifice and can be one or more pipes. The gas introduction element is in fluid communication with the chamber and introduces inert shielding gas into the chamber. The inert gas leaves the chamber through the screen side wall and is dispersed evenly over the weld area.

Gas shielding apparatus

DOEpatents

Brandt, D.

1985-12-31

An apparatus is disclosed for preventing oxidation by uniformly distributing inert shielding gas over the weld area of workpieces such as pipes being welded together. The apparatus comprises a chamber and a gas introduction element. The chamber has an annular top wall, an annular bottom wall, an inner side wall and an outer side wall connecting the top and bottom walls. One side wall is a screen and the other has a portion defining an orifice. The gas introduction element has a portion which encloses the orifice and can be one or more pipes. The gas introduction element is in fluid communication with the chamber and introduces inert shielding gas into the chamber. The inert gas leaves the chamber through the screen side wall and is dispersed evenly over the weld area. 3 figs.

Gas shielding apparatus

DOEpatents

Brandt, Daniel

1985-01-01

An apparatus for preventing oxidation by uniformly distributing inert shielding gas over the weld area of workpieces such as pipes being welded together. The apparatus comprises a chamber and a gas introduction element. The chamber has an annular top wall, an annular bottom wall, an inner side wall and an outer side wall connecting the top and bottom walls. One side wall is a screen and the other has a portion defining an orifice. The gas introduction element has a portion which encloses the orifice and can be one or more pipes. The gas introduction element is in fluid communication with the chamber and introduces inert shielding gas into the chamber. The inert gas leaves the chamber through the screen side wall and is dispersed evenly over the weld area.

Real-Time Measurements of Gas/Particle Partitioning of Semivolatile Organic Compounds into Different Probe Particles in a Teflon Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, X.; Day, D. A.; Ziemann, P. J.; Krechmer, J. E.; Jimenez, J. L.

2017-12-01

The partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) into and out of particles plays an essential role in secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation and evolution. Most atmospheric models treat the gas/particle partitioning as an equilibrium between bulk gas and particle phases, despite potential kinetic limitations and differences in thermodynamics as a function of SOA and pre-existing OA composition. This study directly measures the partitioning of oxidized compounds in a Teflon chamber in the presence of single component seeds of different phases and polarities, including oleic acid, squalane, dioctyl sebacate, pentaethylene glycol, dry/wet ammonium sulfate, and dry/wet sucrose. The oxidized compounds are generated by a fast OH oxidation of a series of alkanols under high nitric oxide conditions. The observed SOA mass enhancements are highest with oleic acid, and lowest with wet ammonium sulfate and sucrose. A chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) was used to measure the decay of gas-phase organic nitrates, which reflects uptake by particles and chamber walls. We observed clear changes in equilibrium timescales with varying seed concentrations and in equilibrium gas-phase concentrations across different seeds. In general, the gas evolution can be reproduced by a kinetic box model that considers partitioning and evaporation with particles and chamber walls, except for the wet sucrose system. The accommodation coefficient and saturation mass concentration of each species in the presence of each seed are derived using the model. The changes in particle size distributions and composition monitored by a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) and a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) are investigated to probe the SOA formation mechanism. Based on these results, the applicability of partitioning theory to these systems and the relevant quantitative parameters, including the dependencies on seed particle composition, will

Calculation of gas temperature at the outlet of the combustion chamber and in the air-gas channel of a gas-turbine unit by data of acceptance tests in accordance with ISO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostyuk, A. G.; Karpunin, A. P.

2016-01-01

This article describes a high accuracy method enabling performance of the calculation of real values of the initial temperature of a gas turbine unit (GTU), i.e., the gas temperature at the outlet of the combustion chamber, in a situation where manufacturers do not disclose this information. The features of the definition of the initial temperature of the GTU according to ISO standards were analyzed. It is noted that the true temperatures for high-temperature GTUs is significantly higher than values determined according to ISO standards. A computational procedure for the determination of gas temperatures in the air-gas channel of the gas turbine and cooling air consumptions over blade rims is proposed. As starting equations, the heat balance equation and the flow mixing equation for the combustion chamber are assumed. Results of acceptance GTU tests according to ISO standards and statistical dependencies of required cooling air consumptions on the gas temperature and the blade metal are also used for calculations. An example of the calculation is given for one of the units. Using a developed computer program, the temperatures in the air-gas channel of certain GTUs are calculated, taking into account their design features. These calculations are performed on the previously published procedure for the detailed calculation of the cooled gas turbine subject to additional losses arising because of the presence of the cooling system. The accuracy of calculations by the computer program is confirmed by conducting verification calculations for the GTU of the Mitsubishi Comp. and comparing results with published data of the company. Calculation data for temperatures were compared with the experimental data and the characteristics of the GTU, and the error of the proposed method is estimated.

A new plant chamber facility PLUS coupled to the atmospheric simulation chamber SAPHIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hohaus, T.; Kuhn, U.; Andres, S.; Kaminski, M.; Rohrer, F.; Tillmann, R.; Wahner, A.; Wegener, R.; Yu, Z.; Kiendler-Scharr, A.

2015-11-01

A new PLant chamber Unit for Simulation (PLUS) for use with the atmosphere simulation chamber SAPHIR (Simulation of Atmospheric PHotochemistry In a large Reaction Chamber) has been build and characterized at the Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Germany. The PLUS chamber is an environmentally controlled flow through plant chamber. Inside PLUS the natural blend of biogenic emissions of trees are mixed with synthetic air and are transferred to the SAPHIR chamber where the atmospheric chemistry and the impact of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) can be studied in detail. In PLUS all important enviromental parameters (e.g. temperature, PAR, soil RH etc.) are well-controlled. The gas exchange volume of 9.32 m3 which encloses the stem and the leafes of the plants is constructed such that gases are exposed to FEP Teflon film and other Teflon surfaces only to minimize any potential losses of BVOCs in the chamber. Solar radiation is simulated using 15 LED panels which have an emission strength up to 800 μmol m-2 s-1. Results of the initial characterization experiments are presented in detail. Background concentrations, mixing inside the gas exchange volume, and transfer rate of volatile organic compounds (VOC) through PLUS under different humidity conditions are explored. Typical plant characteristics such as light and temperature dependent BVOC emissions are studied using six Quercus Ilex trees and compared to previous studies. Results of an initial ozonolysis experiment of BVOC emissions from Quercus Ilex at typical atmospheric concentrations inside SAPHIR are presented to demonstrate a typical experimental set up and the utility of the newly added plant chamber.

A new plant chamber facility, PLUS, coupled to the atmosphere simulation chamber SAPHIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hohaus, T.; Kuhn, U.; Andres, S.; Kaminski, M.; Rohrer, F.; Tillmann, R.; Wahner, A.; Wegener, R.; Yu, Z.; Kiendler-Scharr, A.

2016-03-01

A new PLant chamber Unit for Simulation (PLUS) for use with the atmosphere simulation chamber SAPHIR (Simulation of Atmospheric PHotochemistry In a large Reaction Chamber) has been built and characterized at the Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Germany. The PLUS chamber is an environmentally controlled flow-through plant chamber. Inside PLUS the natural blend of biogenic emissions of trees is mixed with synthetic air and transferred to the SAPHIR chamber, where the atmospheric chemistry and the impact of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) can be studied in detail. In PLUS all important environmental parameters (e.g., temperature, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), soil relative humidity (RH)) are well controlled. The gas exchange volume of 9.32 m3 which encloses the stem and the leaves of the plants is constructed such that gases are exposed to only fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) Teflon film and other Teflon surfaces to minimize any potential losses of BVOCs in the chamber. Solar radiation is simulated using 15 light-emitting diode (LED) panels, which have an emission strength up to 800 µmol m-2 s-1. Results of the initial characterization experiments are presented in detail. Background concentrations, mixing inside the gas exchange volume, and transfer rate of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) through PLUS under different humidity conditions are explored. Typical plant characteristics such as light- and temperature- dependent BVOC emissions are studied using six Quercus ilex trees and compared to previous studies. Results of an initial ozonolysis experiment of BVOC emissions from Quercus ilex at typical atmospheric concentrations inside SAPHIR are presented to demonstrate a typical experimental setup and the utility of the newly added plant chamber.

Hot gas path component cooling system having a particle collection chamber

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

Miranda, Carlos Miguel; Lacy, Benjamin Paul

A cooling system for a hot gas path component includes a substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface defines at least one interior space. A passage is formed in the substrate between the outer surface and the inner surface. An access passage is formed in the substrate and extends from the outer surface to the inner space. The access passage is formed at a first acute angle to the passage and includes a particle collection chamber. The access passage is configured to channel a cooling fluid to the passage. Furthermore, the passage is configured tomore » channel the cooling fluid therethrough to cool the substrate.« less

Anterior chamber gas bubble emergence pattern during femtosecond LASIK-flap creation.

PubMed

Robert, Marie-Claude; Khreim, Nour; Todani, Amit; Melki, Samir A

2015-09-01

To characterise the emergence pattern of cavitation bubbles into the anterior chamber (AC) following femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK)-flap creation Retrospective review of patients undergoing femtosecond LASIK surgery at Boston Laser, a private refractive surgery practice in Boston, Massachusetts, between December 2008 and February 2014. Patient charts were reviewed to identify all cases with gas bubble migration into the AC. Surgical videos were examined and the location of bubble entry was recorded separately for right and left eyes. Five thousand one hundred and fifty-eight patients underwent femtosecond LASIK surgery. Air bubble migration into the AC, presumably via the Schlemm's canal and trabecular meshwork, occurred in 1% of cases. Patients with AC bubbles had an average age of 33±8 years with a measured LASIK flap thickness of 96±21 μm. The occurrence of gas bubbles impaired iris registration in 64% of cases. Gas bubbles appeared preferentially in the nasal or inferior quadrants for right (92% of cases) and left (100% of cases) eyes. This bubble emergence pattern is significantly different from that expected with a random distribution (p<0.0001) and did not seem associated with decentration of the femtosecond laser docking system. The migration of gas bubbles into the AC is a rare occurrence during femtosecond laser flap creation. The preferential emergence of gas bubbles into the nasal and inferior quadrants of the AC may indicate a distinctive anatomy of the nasal Schlemm's canal. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Design of Plant Gas Exchange Experiments in a Variable Pressure Growth Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corey, Kenneth A.

1996-01-01

Sustainable human presence in extreme environments such as lunar and martian bases will require bioregenerative components to human life support systems where plants are used for generation of oxygen, food, and water. Reduced atmospheric pressures will be used to minimize mass and engineering requirements. Few studies have assessed the metabolic and developmental responses of plants to reduced pressure and varied oxygen atmospheres. The first tests of hypobaric pressures on plant gas exchange and biomass production at the Johnson Space Center will be initiated in January 1996 in the Variable Pressure Growth Chamber (VPGC), a large, closed plant growth chamber rated for 10.2 psi. Experiments were designed and protocols detailed for two complete growouts each of lettuce and wheat to generate a general database for human life support requirements and to answer questions about plant growth processes in reduced pressure and varied oxygen environments. The central objective of crop growth studies in the VPGC is to determine the influence of reduced pressure and reduced oxygen on the rates of photosynthesis, dark respiration, evapotranspiration and biomass production of lettuce and wheat. Due to the constraint of one experimental unit, internal controls, called pressure transients, will be used to evaluate rates of CO2 uptake, O2 evolution, and H2O generation. Pressure transients will give interpretive power to the results of repeated growouts at both reduced and ambient pressures. Other experiments involve the generation of response functions to partial pressures of O2 and CO2 and to light intensity. Protocol for determining and calculating rates of gas exchange have been detailed. In order to build these databases and implement the necessary treatment combinations in short time periods, specific requirements for gas injections and removals have been defined. A set of system capability checks will include determination of leakage rates conducted prior to the actual crop

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia with multinucleated stromal giant cells is neither exceptional in gynecomastia nor characteristic of neurofibromatosis type 1.

PubMed

Pižem, Jože; Velikonja, Mojca; Matjašič, Alenka; Jerše, Maja; Glavač, Damjan

2015-04-01

Six cases of gynecomastia with pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) and multinucleated stromal giant cells (MSGC) associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) have been reported, and finding MSGC within PASH in gynecomastia has been suggested as being a characteristic of NF1. The frequency of PASH with MSGC in gynecomastia and its specificity for NF1 have not, however, been systematically studied. A total of 337 gynecomastia specimens from 215 patients, aged from 8 to 78 years (median, 22 years) were reevaluated for the presence of PASH with MSGC. Breast tissue samples of 25 patients were analyzed for the presence of an NF1 gene mutation using next generation sequencing. Rare MSGC, usually in the background of PASH, were noted at least unilaterally in 27 (13 %) patients; and prominent MSGC, always in the background of PASH, were noted in 8 (4 %) patients. The NF1 gene was mutated in only 1 (an 8-year-old boy with known NF1 and prominent MSGC) of the 25 tested patients, including 6 patients with prominent MSGC and 19 patients with rare MSGC. MSGC, usually in the background of PASH, are not characteristic of NF1.

Combustion-gas recirculation system

DOEpatents

Baldwin, Darryl Dean

2007-10-09

A combustion-gas recirculation system has a mixing chamber with a mixing-chamber inlet and a mixing-chamber outlet. The combustion-gas recirculation system may further include a duct connected to the mixing-chamber inlet. Additionally, the combustion-gas recirculation system may include an open inlet channel with a solid outer wall. The open inlet channel may extend into the mixing chamber such that an end of the open inlet channel is disposed between the mixing-chamber inlet and the mixing-chamber outlet. Furthermore, air within the open inlet channel may be at a pressure near or below atmospheric pressure.

Safety shield for vacuum/pressure-chamber windows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shimansky, R. A.; Spencer, R.

1980-01-01

Optically-clear shatter-resistant safety shield protects workers from implosion and explosion of vacuum and pressure windows. Plastic shield is inexpensive and may be added to vacuum chambers, pressure chambers, and gas-filling systems.

Making MUSIC: A multiple sampling ionization chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shumard, B.; Henderson, D. J.; Rehm, K. E.; Tang, X. D.

2007-08-01

A multiple sampling ionization chamber (MUSIC) was developed for use in conjunction with the Atlas scattering chamber (ATSCAT). This chamber was developed to study the (α, p) reaction in stable and radioactive beams. The gas filled ionization chamber is used as a target and detector for both particles in the outgoing channel (p + beam particles for elastic scattering or p + residual nucleus for (α, p) reactions). The MUSIC detector is followed by a Si array to provide a trigger for anode events. The anode events are gated by a gating grid so that only (α, p) reactions where the proton reaches the Si detector result in an anode event. The MUSIC detector is a segmented ionization chamber. The active length of the chamber is 11.95 in. and is divided into 16 equal anode segments (3.5 in. × 0.70 in. with 0.3 in. spacing between pads). The dead area of the chamber was reduced by the addition of a Delrin snout that extends 0.875 in. into the chamber from the front face, to which a mylar window is affixed. 0.5 in. above the anode is a Frisch grid that is held at ground potential. 0.5 in. above the Frisch grid is a gating grid. The gating grid functions as a drift electron barrier, effectively halting the gathering of signals. Setting two sets of alternating wires at differing potentials creates a lateral electric field which traps the drift electrons, stopping the collection of anode signals. The chamber also has a reinforced mylar exit window separating the Si array from the target gas. This allows protons from the (α, p) reaction to be detected. The detection of these protons opens the gating grid to allow the drift electrons released from the ionizing gas during the (α, p) reaction to reach the anode segment below the reaction.

Gas flow meter and method for measuring gas flow rate

DOEpatents

Robertson, Eric P.

2006-08-01

A gas flow rate meter includes an upstream line and two chambers having substantially equal, fixed volumes. An adjustable valve may direct the gas flow through the upstream line to either of the two chambers. A pressure monitoring device may be configured to prompt valve adjustments, directing the gas flow to an alternate chamber each time a pre-set pressure in the upstream line is reached. A method of measuring the gas flow rate measures the time required for the pressure in the upstream line to reach the pre-set pressure. The volume of the chamber and upstream line are known and fixed, thus the time required for the increase in pressure may be used to determine the flow rate of the gas. Another method of measuring the gas flow rate uses two pressure measurements of a fixed volume, taken at different times, to determine the flow rate of the gas.

Designing an Active Target Test Projection Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koci, James; Tan Ahn Collaboration, Dr.; Nicolas Dixneuf Collaboration

2015-10-01

The development of instrumentation in nuclear physics is crucial for advancing our ability to measure the properties of exotic nuclei. One limitation of the use of exotic nuclei in experiment is their very low production intensities. Recently, detectors, called active-target dectectors, have been developed to address this issue. Active-target detectors use a gas medium to image charged-particle tracks that are emitted in nuclear reactions. Last semester, I designed a vacuum chamber to be used in developing Micro-Pattern Gas detectors that will upgrade the capabilities of an active-target detector called the Prototype AT-TPC. With the exterior of the chamber complete, I have now been using an electric field modeling program, Garfield, developed by CERN to design a field cage to be placed within the vacuum chamber. The field cage will be a box-like apparatus consisting of two parallel metal plates connected with a resistor chain and attached to wires wrapped between them. The cage will provide a uniform electric field within the chamber to drift electrons from nuclear reactions down to the detector in the bottom of the chamber. These signals are then amplified by a proportional counter, and the data is sent to a computer. For the long term, we would like to incorporate a Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors in the interior of the chamber and eventually use the AT-TPC to examine various nuclei. Dr. Ahn is my advising professor.

The Impacts of Changes in Snowfall on Soil Greenhouse Gas Emissions Using an Automated Chamber System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruan, L.; Kahmark, K.; Robertson, G.

2012-12-01

Snow cover has decreased in many regions of the northern hemisphere and is projected to decrease further in most. The reduced snow cover may enhance soil freezing and increase the depth of frost. The frequency of freeze-thaw cycles is likely to increase due to the reduction of snowpack thickness. Freeze and thaw cycles can strongly affect soil C and N dynamics. The pulses of N2O and CO2 emissions from soil after thawing have been reported in various studies. However, most studies were based on the controlled laboratory conditions or low resolution static chamber methods in situ. Near-continuous automated chambers provide the temporal resolution needed for capturing short-lived pulses of greenhouse gases after intermittent melting events. We investigated the winter and spring response of soil greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4 and N2O) to changes of snow depth using an automated chamber system. This study was established in 2010 at the Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) in southwest Michigan. The plot was no till rotational (corn-soybean-wheat) cropland, most recently in corn. The experiment was a completely randomized design (CRD) with three levels of snow depth: ambient, double, and no snow. Each level had four replicates. Twelve automated chambers were randomly assigned to treatments and greenhouse gas fluxes measured 4 times per day in each plot. There were more freeze-thaw cycles in the no snow treatment than in the ambient and double snow treatments. Soil temperature at 5 cm depth was more variable in the no snow treatment than in the ambient and double snow treatments. CH4 fluxes were uniformly low with no significant difference across three treatments. CO2 showed expected seasonal changes with the highest emission in spring and lowest emissions through the winter. N2O peaks were higher in spring due to freeze thaw effects and cumulative N2O fluxes were substantially higher in the no snow treatment than in the ambient and double snow treatments.

Numerical simulation of magma chamber dynamics.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longo, Antonella; Papale, Paolo; Montagna, Chiara Paola; Vassalli, Melissa; Giudice, Salvatore; Cassioli, Andrea

2010-05-01

Magma chambers are characterized by periodic arrivals of deep magma batches that give origin to complex patterns of magma convection and mixing, and modify the distribution of physical quantities inside the chamber. We simulate the transient, 2D, multi-component homogeneous dynamics in geometrically complex dyke+chamber systems, by means of GALES, a finite element parallel C++ code solving mass, momentum and energy equations for multi-component homogeneous gas-liquid (± crystals) mixtures in compressible-to-incompressible flow conditions. Code validation analysis includes several cases from the classical engineering literature, corresponding to a variety of subsonic to supersonic gas-liquid flow regimes (see http://www.pi.ingv.it/~longo/gales/gales.html). The model allows specification of the composition of the different magmas in the domain, in terms of ten major oxides plus the two volatile species H2O and CO2. Gas-liquid thermodynamics are modeled by using the compositional dependent, non-ideal model in Papale et al. (Chem.. Geol., 2006). Magma properties are defined in terms of local pressure, temperature, and composition including volatiles. Several applications are performed within domains characterized by the presence of one or more magma chambers and one or more dykes, with different geometries and characteristic size from hundreds of m to several km. In most simulations an initial compositional interface is placed at the top of a feeding dyke, or at larger depth, with the deeper magma having a lower density as a consequence of larger volatile content. The numerical results show complex patterns of magma refilling in the chamber, with alternating phases of magma ingression and magma sinking from the chamber into the feeding dyke. Intense mixing takes place in feeding dykes, so that the new magma entering the chamber is always a mixture of the deep and the initially resident magma. Buoyant plume rise occurs through the formation of complex convective

Sealed Plant-Growth Chamber For Clinostat

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Christopher S.; Dreschel, Thomas W.

1993-01-01

Laboratory chamber for growing plants used to measure photosynthesis and respiration in simulated microgravity. Holds plant specimens while rotated on clinostat, see article, "Clinostat Delivers Power To Plant-Growth Cabinets" (KSC-11537). Provides way of comparing gas-exchange rates of plants rotated horizontally on clinostat with those of stationary or vertically rotated plants. Gas extracted for analysis without stopping clinostat. Chamber includes potlike base and cylindrical cover, both made of transparent acrylic pipe. Gasket forms seal between cover and bottom plate of base. Cover bolted to pot baseplate, which in turn bolted to clinostat.

Performance of a transpiration-regenerative cooled rocket thrust chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valler, H. W.

1979-01-01

The analysis, design, fabrication, and testing of a liquid rocket engine thrust chamber which is gas transpiration cooled in the high heat flux convergent portion of the chamber and water jacket cooled (simulated regenerative) in the barrel and divergent sections of the chamber are described. The engine burns LOX-hydrogen propellants at a chamber pressure of 600 psia. Various transpiration coolant flow rates were tested with resultant local hot gas wall temperatures in the 800 F to 1400 F range. The feasibility of transpiration cooling with hydrogen and helium, and the use of photo-etched copper platelets for heat transfer and coolant metering was successfully demonstrated.

Stackable multi-port gas nozzles

DOEpatents

Poppe, Steve; Rozenzon, Yan; Ding, Peijun

2015-03-03

One embodiment provides a reactor for material deposition. The reactor includes a chamber and at least one gas nozzle. The chamber includes a pair of susceptors, each having a front side and a back side. The front side mounts a number of substrates. The susceptors are positioned vertically so that the front sides of the susceptors face each other, and the vertical edges of the susceptors are in contact with each other, thereby forming a substantially enclosed narrow channel between the substrates mounted on different susceptors. The gas nozzle includes a gas-inlet component situated in the center and a detachable gas-outlet component stacked around the gas-inlet component. The gas-inlet component includes at least one opening coupled to the chamber, and is configured to inject precursor gases into the chamber. The detachable gas-outlet component includes at least one opening coupled to the chamber, and is configured to output exhaust gases from the chamber.

[Opacification of an intraocular lens: calcification of hydrophilic intraocular lenses after gas tamponade of the anterior chamber].

PubMed

Schmidinger, G; Pemp, B; Werner, L

2013-11-01

A patient with endothelial dystrophy was treated with Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) combined with cataract extraction and implantation of a hydrophilic intraocular lens (IOL, Lentis-L312, Oculentis) but visual acuity dropped from 0.15 logMAR to 0.52 logMAR 18 months later due to calcification of the IOL. With new methods of lamellar corneal transplantation being used more frequently the number of necessary anterior chamber tamponades with air/gas are increasing. In cataract cases in which a gas tamponade and transplantation might be necessary later on (cornea guttata), hydrophilic IOLs should be avoided.

Variable leak gas source

DOEpatents

Henderson, Timothy M.; Wuttke, Gilbert H.

1977-01-01

A variable leak gas source and a method for obtaining the same which includes filling a quantity of hollow glass micro-spheres with a gas, storing said quantity in a confined chamber having a controllable outlet, heating said chamber above room temperature, and controlling the temperature of said chamber to control the quantity of gas passing out of said controllable outlet. Individual gas filled spheres may be utilized for calibration purposes by breaking a sphere having a known quantity of a known gas to calibrate a gas detection apparatus.

Gas injected vacuum switch

DOEpatents

Hardin, K. Dan

1977-01-01

The disclosure relates to a gas injected vacuum switch comprising a housing having an interior chamber, a conduit for evacuating the interior chamber, within the chamber an anode and a cathode spaced from the anode, and a detonator for injecting electrically conductive gas into the chamber between the anode and the cathode to provide a current path therebetween.

Soap film gas flowmeter

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

Lalin, H.S.; Bermudez, J.E.; Fleming, W.T.

1987-09-08

A soap film gas flowmeter is described comprising: a flow tube having a hollow body with opposite open ends through which a soap film is propelled and a first closed chamber housing a soap solution. It also includes means for supporting the flow tube in a substantially vertical position with the open bottom end of the flow tube disposed in the first chamber above the soap solution; a second closed chamber into which the open top end of the flow tube extends and gas inlet means for introducing gas into the first chamber at a flow rate to be measuredmore » using the flowmeters. A gas exit means is included for discharging the gas introduced into the first chamber through the second chamber. Plus there are means for generating a single soap bubble from the soap solution substantially at the bottom end of the flow tube and a relatively large opening in the flowtube for providing an open passageway for inlet gas to pass through the flowtube when the bottom open end of the flowtube is covered by the soap solution.« less

Hermetic Seal Leak Detection Apparatus with Variable Size Test Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelley, Anthony R. (Inventor)

2015-01-01

The present invention is a versatile hermetic seal leak detection apparatus for testing hermetically sealed containers and devices for leaks without the need to create a custom or specially manufactured testing chamber conforming to the dimensions of the specific object under test. The size of the testing chamber may be mechanically adjusted by the novel use of bellows to reduce and optimize the amount of gas space in a test chamber which surrounds the hermetically sealed object under test. The present invention allows the size of the test chamber to be selectively adjusted during testing to provide an optimum test chamber gas space. The present invention may be further adapted to isolate and test specific portions of the hermetically sealed object under test for leaks.

Gas electron multiplier (GEM) enhanced ionization chamber for fluorescence detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaban, E. H.; Siddons, D. P.; Kuczewski, A.

2007-11-01

Detecting dilute elements in thin materials using extended X-ray absorption fluorescence spectroscopy (EXAFS) method requires a detector capable of high count rate and low noise. For detection of dilute elements, the fluorescence signal amplitude is often overcome by the presence of noise or background interference. In this paper we have used a gas ionization chamber enhanced by a gas electron multiplier (GEM) to amplify the primary ionized electrons due to the X-ray fluorescence of a dilute element. The GEM provides an essentially noise free electron amplification of the signal primary photoelectrons. It provides a larger output current prior to the electronic amplification, allowing a lower gain amplifier with lower electronic circuit noise contribution and hence improved S/ N ratio. In addition, since the signal is produced only by electrons, and not from ion motion, the detector is capable of recording rapidly changing signals. Iron in an arbitrary tree leaf was used as a test sample. This sample was measured using our detector SUBRSAB, and also with Lytle and passivated implanted planar silicon (PIPS) detectors. An improvement in the signal amplitude by a factor of 20 and a factor of 2 are recorded for the proposed detector with respect to the Lytle and PIPS detectors, respectively. Although the gain in signal over the PIPS detector is small for this detector, its lack of sensitivity to light and its low and temperature-independent dark current are further advantages.

Monte Carlo modeling of ion chamber performance using MCNP.

PubMed

Wallace, J D

2012-12-01

Ion Chambers have a generally flat energy response with some deviations at very low (<100 keV) and very high (>2 MeV) energies. Some improvements in the low energy response can be achieved through use of high atomic number gases, such as argon and xenon, and higher chamber pressures. This work looks at the energy response of high pressure xenon-filled ion chambers using the MCNP Monte Carlo package to develop geometric models of a commercially available high pressure ion chamber (HPIC). The use of the F6 tally as an estimator of the energy deposited in a region of interest per unit mass, and the underlying assumptions associated with its use are described. The effect of gas composition, chamber gas pressure, chamber wall thickness, and chamber holder wall thicknesses on energy response are investigated and reported. The predicted energy response curve for the HPIC was found to be similar to that reported by other investigators. These investigations indicate that improvements to flatten the overall energy response of the HPIC down to 70 keV could be achieved through use of 3 mm-thick stainless steel walls for the ion chamber.

Analytical Modeling of Weld Bead Shape in Dry Hyperbaric GMAW Using Ar-He Chamber Gas Mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azar, Amin S.; Ås, Sigmund K.; Akselsen, Odd M.

2013-03-01

Hyperbaric arc welding is a special application of joining the pipeline steels under seawater. In order to analyze the behavior of the arc under ambient pressure, a model is required to estimate the arc efficiency. A distributed point heat source model was employed. The simulated isotherms were calibrated iteratively to fit the actual bead cross section. Basic gas mixture rules and models were used to calculate the thermal properties of the low-temperature shielding gas under the ambient pressure of 10 bar. Nine bead-on-plate welds were deposited each of which under different Ar-He chamber gas compositions. The well-known correlation between arc efficiency (delivered heat) and the thermal conductivity was established for different gas mixtures. The arc efficiency was considered separately for the transverse and perpendicular heat sources. It was found that assigning single heat efficiency factor for the entire arc, which is usually below unity, causes a noticeable underestimation for the heat transfer in the perpendicular direction and a little overestimation in the transverse direction.

Effect of headspace mixing in static chambers and sampling protocol on calculated CH4 fluxes from soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juszczak, R.; Pihlatie, M.; Christiansen, J. R.; Giebels, M.; Schreiber, P.; Aaltonen, H.; Korhonen, J.; Rasilo, T.; Chojnicki, B. H.; Urbaniak, M.

2009-04-01

Closed static chambers are often used for greenhouse gas flux measurements from soils. The type of chamber, chamber handling and sampling protocol can influence the measurements. In most cases the calculated fluxes are suspected to be underestimated mainly because of reduction of gas diffusion from the soil to chamber headspace due to changed trace gas concentration gradient. Thus, fans are often applied to obtain better mixing of the air inside the chamber headspace and in turn reduce the negative effect of decreased concentration gradient. The open question is, however, to which extent the fluxes are changed by fans and whether they still remain underestimated or may even be overestimated? On the other hand, different sampling protocols are used assuming that they do not affect the flux measurements. To test different types of static chambers and different sampling procedures applied for measurement of greenhouse gas (CH4 and N2O) fluxes a chamber calibration campaign was organized at Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station in Southern Finland during August-October 2008. The main aim of the campaign was to quantitatively assess the uncertaintities and errors related to static chamber measurements. During this campaign static chambers were tested for 5 different CH4 and N2O flux levels with 3 different soil conditions (moisture and porosity) in a calibration tank described by Pumpanen et al. (2004). Among the different experiments, several special tests were carried out with the closed static chambers. Here, results of two special tests are presented to document whether 1) the air mixing inside the chamber headspace, 2) different sampling procedures influence the CH4 fluxes, and 3) how different calculation methods lead to varying results. Two static chambers of different volumes (65.5 and 195 liters) but with the same circular shape and surface area were connected to a LOS GATOS fats methane analyzer. The CH4 concentration inside the chamber headspace was monitored

Outgassing measurement of the aluminum alloy UHV chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyamoto, M.; Itoh, T.; Komaki, S.; Narushima, K.; Ishimaru, H.

1986-01-01

A large vacuum chamber (580 mm diameter) was fabricated from an aluminum alloy surface treated by a special process normally used on small chambers. The chamber was tested unbaked and baked at various temperatures, pressures, and holding periods. The chamber was filled with N2 gas, and the outgassing rate was measured after one hour. Then the ultimate pressure was measured. Outgassing rates for baked and unbaked groups were compared. It is concluded that the same surface treatment technique can be used on both large and small chambers produced by the same special extrusion process.

Elimination of boron memory effect in inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry by ammonia gas injection into the spray chamber during analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Ammar, Assad S.; Gupta, Rajesh K.; Barnes, Ramon M.

2000-06-01

Injection of 10-20 ml/min of ammonia gas into an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) spray chamber during boron determination eliminates the memory effect of a 1 μg/ml B solution within a 2-min washing time. Ammonia gas injection also reduces the boron blank by a factor of four and enhances the sensitivity by 33-90%. Boron detection limits are improved from 12 and 14 to 3 and 4 ng/ml, respectively, for two ICP-MS instruments. Trace boron concentrations in certified reference materials agree well using ammonia gas injection.

Monte Carlo calculation of energy deposition in ionization chambers for tritium measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhilin, Chen; Shuming, Peng; Dan, Meng; Yuehong, He; Heyi, Wang

2014-10-01

Energy deposition in ionization chambers for tritium measurements has been theoretically studied using Monte Carlo code MCNP 5. The influence of many factors, including carrier gas, chamber size, wall materials and gas pressure, has been evaluated in the simulations. It is found that β rays emitted by tritium deposit much more energy into chambers flowing through with argon than with deuterium in them, as much as 2.7 times higher at pressure 100 Pa. As chamber size gets smaller, energy deposition decreases sharply. For an ionization chamber of 1 mL, β rays deposit less than 1% of their energy at pressure 100 Pa and only 84% even if gas pressure is as high as 100 kPa. It also indicates that gold plated ionization chamber results in the highest deposition ratio while aluminum one leads to the lowest. In addition, simulations were validated by comparison with experimental data. Results show that simulations agree well with experimental data.

Gas laser with dual plasma mixing

DOEpatents

Pinnaduwage, L.A.

1999-04-06

A gas laser includes an enclosure forming a first chamber, a second chamber and a lasing chamber which communicates through a first opening to the first chamber and through a second opening to the second chamber. The lasing chamber has a pair of reflectors defining a Fabry-Perot cavity. Separate inlets enable different gases to be introduced into the first and second chambers. A first cathode within the first chamber is provided to produce positive ions which travel into the lasing chamber and a second cathode of a pin-hollow type within the second chamber is provided to produce negative ions which travel into the lasing chamber. A third inlet introduces a molecular gas into the lasing chamber, where the molecular gas becomes excited by the positive and negative ions and emits light which lases in the Fabry-Perot cavity. 2 figs.

Gas laser with dual plasma mixing

DOEpatents

Pinnaduwage, Lal A.

1999-01-01

A gas laser includes an enclosure forming a first chamber, a second chamber and a lasing chamber which communicates through a first opening to the first chamber and through a second opening to the second chamber. The lasing chamber has a pair of reflectors defining a Fabry-Perot cavity. Separate inlets enable different gases to be introduced into the first and second chambers. A first cathode within the first chamber is provided to produce positive ions which travel into the lasing chamber and a second cathode of a pin-hollow type within the second chamber is provided to produce negative ions which travel into the lasing chamber. A third inlet introduces a molecular gas into the lasing chamber, where the molecular gas becomes excited by the positive and negative ions and emits light which lases in the Fabry-Perot cavity.

Component greenhouse gas fluxes and radiative balance from two deltaic marshes in Louisiana: Pairing chamber techniques and eddy covariance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krauss, Ken W.; Holm, Guerry O.; Perez, Brian C.; McWhorter, David E.; Cormier, Nicole; Moss, Rebecca; Johnson, Darren; Neubauer, Scott C; Raynie, Richard C

2016-01-01

Coastal marshes take up atmospheric CO2 while emitting CO2, CH4, and N2O. This ability to sequester carbon (C) is much greater for wetlands on a per-area basis than from most ecosystems, facilitating scientific, political, and economic interest in their value as greenhouse gas sinks. However, the greenhouse gas balance of Gulf of Mexico wetlands is particularly understudied. We describe the net ecosystem exchange (NEEc) of CO2 and CH4 using eddy covariance (EC) in comparison with fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O using chambers from brackish and freshwater marshes in Louisiana, USA. From EC, we found that 182 g C m-2 y-1 was lost through NEEc from the brackish marsh. Of this, 11 g C m-2 y-1 resulted from net CH4 emissions and the remaining 171 g C m-2 y-1 resulted from net CO2 emissions. In contrast, -290 g C m2 y-1 was taken up through NEEc by the freshwater marsh, with 47 g C m-2 y-1 emitted as CH4 and -337 g C m-2 y-1 taken up as CO2. From chambers, we discovered that neither site had large fluxes of N2O. Sustained-flux greenhouse gas accounting metrics indicated that both marshes had a positive (warming) radiative balance, with the brackish marsh having a substantially greater warming effect than the freshwater marsh. That net respiratory emissions of CO2 and CH4 as estimated through chamber techniques were 2-4 times different from emissions estimated through EC requires additional understanding of the artifacts created by different spatial and temporal sampling footprints between techniques.

Rocket thrust chamber thermal barrier coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quentmeyer, R. J.

1985-01-01

Subscale rocket thrust chamber tests were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and durability of thin yttria stabilized zirconium oxide coatings applied to the thrust chamber hot-gas side wall. The fabrication consisted of arc plasma spraying the ceramic coating and bond coat onto a mandrell and then electrodepositing the copper thrust chamber wall around the coating. Chambers were fabricated with coatings .008, and .005 and .003 inches thick. The chambers were thermally cycled at a chamber pressure of 600 psia using oxygen-hydrogen as propellants and liquid hydrogen as the coolant. The thicker coatings tended to delaminate, early in the cyclic testing, down to a uniform sublayer which remained well adhered during the remaining cycles. Two chambers with .003 inch coatings were subjected to 1500 thermal cycles with no coating loss in the throat region, which represents a tenfold increase in life over identical chambers having no coatings. An analysis is presented which shows that the heat lost to the coolant due to the coating, in a rocket thrust chamber design having a coating only in the throat region, can be recovered by adding only one inch to the combustion chamber length.

Preliminary Results of an Altitude-Wind-Tunnel Investigation of an Axial-Flow Gas Turbine-Propeller Engine. 5; Combustion-Chamber Characterisitcs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geisenheyner, Robert M.; Berdysz, Joseph J.

1948-01-01

An investigation to determine the performance and operational characteristics of an axial-flow gas turbine-propeller engine was conducted in the Cleveland altitude wind tunnel. As part of this investigation, the combustion-chamber performance was determined at pressure altitudes from 5000 to 35,000 feet, compressor-inlet ram-pressure ratios of 1.00 and 1.09, and engine speeds from 8000 to 13,000 rpm. Combustion-chamber performance is presented as a function of corrected engine speed and corrected horsepower. For the range of corrected engine speeds investigated, overall total-pressure-loss ratio, cycle efficiency, and the fractional loss in cycle efficiency resulting from pressure losses in the combustion chambers were unaffected by a change in altitude or compressor-inlet ram-pressure ratio. For the range of corrected horsepowers investigated, the total-pressure-loss ratio and the fractional loss in cycle efficiency resulting from pressure losses in the combustion chambers decreased with an increase in corrected horsepower at a constant corrected engine speed. The combustion efficiency remained constant for the range of corrected horsepowers investigated at all corrected engine speeds.

Development of secondary chamber for tar cracking-improvement of wood pyrolysis performance in pre-vacuum chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siahaan, S.; Homma, H.; Homma, H.

2018-02-01

Energy crisis and global warming, in other words, climate change are critical topics discussed in various parts of the world. Global warming primarily result from too much emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. To mitigate global warming, or climate change and improve electrification in rural areas, wood pyrolysis technology is developed in a laboratory scale, of which gases are directly applicable to the gas engine generator. Our laboratory has developed a prototype of wood pyrolysis plant with a pre-vacuum chamber. However, tar yield was around 40 wt% of feedstock. This research aims to reduce tar yield by secondary tar cracking. For the secondary tar cracking, a secondary pre-vacuum chamber is installed after primary pre-vacuum chamber. Gases generated in the primary pre-vacuum chamber are lead into the secondary chamber that is heated up to 1000 K. This paper reports performance of the secondary chamber for secondary tar cracking in homogeneous mode and heterogeneous mode with char.

Plant growth chamber M design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prince, R. P.; Knott, W. M.

1986-01-01

Crop production is just one of the many processes involved in establishing long term survival of man in space. The benefits of integrating higher plants into the overall plan was recognized early by NASA through the Closed Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) program. The first step is to design, construct, and operate a sealed (gas, liquid, and solid) plant growth chamber. A 3.6 m diameter by 6.7 m high closed cylinder (previously used as a hypobaric vessel during the Mercury program) is being modified for this purpose. The chamber is mounted on legs with the central axis vertical. Entrance to the chamber is through an airlock. This chamber will be devoted entirely to higher plant experimentation. Any waste treatment, food processing or product storage studies will be carried on outside of this chamber. Its primary purpose is to provide input and output data on solids, liquids, and gases for single crop species and multiple species production using different nutrient delivery systems.

Multiwire proportional chamber development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doolittle, R. F.; Pollvogt, U.; Eskovitz, A. J.

1973-01-01

The development of large area multiwire proportional chambers, to be used as high resolution spatial detectors in cosmic ray experiments is described. A readout system was developed which uses a directly coupled, lumped element delay-line whose characteristics are independent of the MWPC design. A complete analysis of the delay-line and the readout electronic system shows that a spatial resolution of about 0.1 mm can be reached with the MWPC operating in the strictly proportional region. This was confirmed by measurements with a small MWPC and Fe-55 X-rays. A simplified analysis was carried out to estimate the theoretical limit of spatial resolution due to delta-rays, spread of the discharge along the anode wire, and inclined trajectories. To calculate the gas gain of MWPC's of different geometrical configurations a method was developed which is based on the knowledge of the first Townsend coefficient of the chamber gas.

Gas flow path for a gas turbine engine

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

Montgomery, Matthew D.; Charron, Richard C.; Snyder, Gary D.

A duct arrangement in a can annular gas turbine engine. The gas turbine engine has a gas delivery structure for delivering gases from a plurality of combustors to an annular chamber that extends circumferentially and is oriented concentric to a gas turbine engine longitudinal axis for delivering the gas flow to a first row of blades A gas flow path is formed by the duct arrangement between a respective combustor and the annular chamber for conveying gases from each combustor to the first row of turbine blades The duct arrangement includes at least one straight section having a centerline thatmore » is misaligned with a centerline of the combustor.« less

Assembly for directing combustion gas

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

Charron, Richard C.; Little, David A.; Snyder, Gary D.

2016-04-12

An arrangement is provided for delivering gases from a plurality of combustors of a can-annular gas turbine combustion engine to a first row of turbine blades including a first row of turbine blades. The arrangement includes a gas path cylinder, a cone and an integrated exit piece (IEP) for each combustor. Each IEP comprises an inlet chamber for receiving a gas flow from a respective combustor, and includes a connection segment. The IEPs are connected together to define an annular chamber extending circumferentially and concentric to an engine longitudinal axis, for delivering the gas flow to the first row ofmore » blades. A radiused joint extends radially inward from a radially outer side of the inlet chamber to an outer boundary of the annular chamber, and a flared fillet extends radially inward from a radially inner side of the inlet chamber to an inner boundary of the annular chamber.« less

Drift chambers on the basis of Mylar tube blocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budagov, Yu.; Chirikov-Zorin, I.; Golovanov, L.; Khazins, D.; Kuritsin, A.; Pukhov, O.; Zhukov, V.

1993-06-01

Prototypes of drift chambers constructed of Mylar tube blocks were tested. The purpose of developing tube blocks technology was to create long chambers (up to 3-4 m). Counting and drift characteristics of the chambers for different values of the gas pressure and different diameters of sense wires are presented. The lifetime of the chambers is determined. A photoeffect in the visible spectrum on the surface of the thin film aluminium cathode, which covers the Mylar tubes was observed.

Modeling Gas Exchange in a Closed Plant Growth Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cornett, J. D.; Hendrix, J. E.; Wheeler, R. M.; Ross, C. W.; Sadeh, W. Z.

1994-01-01

Fluid transport models for fluxes of water vapor and CO2 have been developed for one crop of wheat and three crops of soybean grown in a closed plant a growth chamber. Correspondence among these fluxes is discussed. Maximum fluxes of gases are provided for engineering design requirements of fluid recycling equipment in growth chambers. Furthermore, to investigate the feasibility of generalized crop models, dimensionless representations of water vapor fluxes are presented. The feasibility of such generalized models and the need for additional data are discussed.

Modeling gas exchange in a closed plant growth chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cornett, J. D.; Hendrix, J. E.; Wheeler, R. M.; Ross, C. W.; Sadeh, W. Z.

1994-01-01

Fluid transport models for fluxes of water vapor and CO2 have been developed for one crop of wheat and three crops of soybean grown in a closed plant growth chamber. Correspondence among these fluxes is discussed. Maximum fluxes of gases are provided for engineering design requirements of fluid recycling equipment in growth chambers. Furthermore, to investigate the feasibility of generalized crop models, dimensionless representations of water vapor fluxes are presented. The feasibility of such generalized models and the need for additional data are discussed.

A combined segmented anode gas ionization chamber and time-of-flight detector for heavy ion elastic recoil detection analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ström, Petter; Petersson, Per; Rubel, Marek; Possnert, Göran

2016-10-01

A dedicated detector system for heavy ion elastic recoil detection analysis at the Tandem Laboratory of Uppsala University is presented. Benefits of combining a time-of-flight measurement with a segmented anode gas ionization chamber are demonstrated. The capability of ion species identification is improved with the present system, compared to that obtained when using a single solid state silicon detector for the full ion energy signal. The system enables separation of light elements, up to Neon, based on atomic number while signals from heavy elements such as molybdenum and tungsten are separated based on mass, to a sample depth on the order of 1 μm. The performance of the system is discussed and a selection of material analysis applications is given. Plasma-facing materials from fusion experiments, in particular metal mirrors, are used as a main example for the discussion. Marker experiments using nitrogen-15 or oxygen-18 are specific cases for which the described improved species separation and sensitivity are required. Resilience to radiation damage and significantly improved energy resolution for heavy elements at low energies are additional benefits of the gas ionization chamber over a solid state detector based system.

Automated Electrostatics Environmental Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calle, Carlos; Lewis, Dean C.; Buchanan, Randy K.; Buchanan, Aubri

2005-01-01

The Mars Electrostatics Chamber (MEC) is an environmental chamber designed primarily to create atmospheric conditions like those at the surface of Mars to support experiments on electrostatic effects in the Martian environment. The chamber is equipped with a vacuum system, a cryogenic cooling system, an atmospheric-gas replenishing and analysis system, and a computerized control system that can be programmed by the user and that provides both automation and options for manual control. The control system can be set to maintain steady Mars-like conditions or to impose temperature and pressure variations of a Mars diurnal cycle at any given season and latitude. In addition, the MEC can be used in other areas of research because it can create steady or varying atmospheric conditions anywhere within the wide temperature, pressure, and composition ranges between the extremes of Mars-like and Earth-like conditions.

Analysis of flow field characteristics in IC equipment chamber based on orthogonal design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, W. F.; Yang, Y. Y.; Wang, C. N.

2017-01-01

This paper aims to study the influence of the configuration of processing chamber as a part of IC equipment on flow field characteristics. Four parameters, including chamber height, chamber diameter, inlet mass flow rate and outlet area, are arranged using orthogonally design method to study their influence on flow distribution in the processing chamber with the commercial software-Fluent. The velocity, pressure and temperature distribution above the holder were analysed respectively. The velocity difference value of the gas flow above the holder is defined as the evaluation criteria to evaluate the uniformity of the gas flow. The quantitative relationship between key parameters and the uniformity of gas flow was found through analysis of experimental results. According to our study, the chamber height is the most significant factor, and then follows the outlet area, chamber diameter and inlet mass flow rate. This research can provide insights into the study and design of configuration of etcher, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) equipment, and other systems with similar configuration and processing condition.

Weld Development for Aluminum Fission Chamber

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

Cross, Carl Edward; Martinez, Jesse Norris

2017-05-16

The Sigma welding team was approached to help fabricate a small fission chamber (roughly ½ inch dia. x ½ inch tall cylinder). These chambers are used as radiation sensors that contain small traces of radionuclides (Cf 252, U 235, and U 238) that serve to ionize gas atoms in addition to external radiation. When a voltage is applied within the chamber, the resulting ion flow can be calibrated and monitored. Aluminum has the advantage of not forming radioactive compounds when exposed to high external radiation (except from minor Na alloy content). Since aluminum has not been used before in thismore » application, this presented an unexplored challenge.« less

Thermal reactor. [liquid silicon production from silane gas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levin, H.; Ford, L. B. (Inventor)

1982-01-01

A thermal reactor apparatus and method of pyrolyticaly decomposing silane gas into liquid silicon product and hydrogen by-product gas is disclosed. The thermal reactor has a reaction chamber which is heated well above the decomposition temperature of silane. An injector probe introduces the silane gas tangentially into the reaction chamber to form a first, outer, forwardly moving vortex containing the liquid silicon product and a second, inner, rewardly moving vortex containing the by-product hydrogen gas. The liquid silicon in the first outer vortex deposits onto the interior walls of the reaction chamber to form an equilibrium skull layer which flows to the forward or bottom end of the reaction chamber where it is removed. The by-product hydrogen gas in the second inner vortex is removed from the top or rear of the reaction chamber by a vortex finder. The injector probe which introduces the silane gas into the reaction chamber is continually cooled by a cooling jacket.

External combustion engine having a combustion expansion chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duva, Anthony W.

1993-03-01

This patent application discloses an external combustion engine having a combustion expansion chamber. The engine includes a combustion chamber for generating a high-pressure, energized gas from a monopropellant fuel, and a cylinder for receiving the energized gas through a rotary valve to perform work on a cylinder disposed therein. A baffle plate is positioned between the combustion area and expansion area for reducing the pressure of the gas. The combustion area and expansion area are separated by a baffle plate having a flow area which is sufficiently large to eliminate the transmission of pressure pulsations from the combustion area to the expansion area while being small enough to provide for substantially complete combustion in the combustion area. The engine is particularly well suited for use in a torpedo.

BOREAS TGB-1 NSA SF6 Chamber Flux Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crill, Patrick; Varner, Ruth K.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Conrad, Sara K. (Editor)

2000-01-01

The BOREAS TGB-1 team made several chamber and tower measurements of trace gases at sites in the BOREAS NSA. This data set contains sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) dark chamber flux measurements at the NSA-OJP and NSA-YJP sites from 16-May through 13-Sep-1994. Gas samples were extracted approximately every 7 days from dark chambers and analyzed at the NSA lab facility. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files.

Methods and apparatus for cleaning objects in a chamber of an optical instrument by generating reactive ions using photon radiation

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

Klebanoff, Leonard E.; Delgado, Gildardo R.; Hollenshead, Jeromy T.

An optical instrument, including a chamber, an object exposed to an interior of the chamber, a source of low-pressure gas, the gas comprising at least one of low-pressure molecular hydrogen gas, low-pressure molecular oxygen and a low-pressure noble gas, the source of low pressure gas being fluidly coupled to the chamber, a low voltage source electrically coupled between the object and a remaining portion of the instrument that is exposed to the interior of the chamber so as to maintain the object at a low voltage relative to the remaining portion, and an EUV/VUV light source adapted to direct EUV/VUVmore » light through the low pressure gas in the chamber onto the object. In such a system, when the EUV/VUV light source is activated ions of the low-pressure gas are formed and directed to the object. The ions may be ions of Hydrogen, Oxygen or a noble gas.« less

GAS METERING PUMP

DOEpatents

George, C.M.

1957-12-31

A liquid piston gas pump is described, capable of pumping minute amounts of gas in accurately measurable quantities. The pump consists of a flanged cylindrical regulating chamber and a mercury filled bellows. Sealed to the ABSTRACTS regulating chamber is a value and having a gas inlet and outlet, the inlet being connected by a helical channel to the bellows. A gravity check valve is in the gas outlet, so the gas passes through the inlet and the helical channel to the bellows where the pumping action as well as the metering is accomplished by the actuation of the mercury filled bellows. The gas then flows through the check valve and outlet to any associated apparatus.

Some effects of cyclic induced deformation in rocket thrust chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hannum, N. P.; Quentmeyer, R. J.

1979-01-01

A test program to investigate the deformation process observed in the hot gas wall of rocket thrust chambers was conducted using three different liner materials. Five thrust chambers were cycled to failure using hydrogen and oxygen as propellants at a chamber pressure of 4.14 MN/m square (600 psia). The deformation was observed nondestructively at midlife points and destructively after failure occurred. The cyclic life results are presented with an accompanying discussion about the types of failure encountered. Data indicating the deformation of the thrust chamber liner as cycles are accumulated are presented for each of the test thrust chambers.

Multi-channel gas-delivery system

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

Rozenzon, Yan; Trujillo, Robert T.; Beese, Steven C.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a gas-delivery system for delivering reaction gas to a reactor chamber. The gas-delivery system includes a main gas-inlet port for receiving reaction gases and a gas-delivery plate that includes a plurality of gas channels. A gas channel includes a plurality of gas holes for allowing the reaction gases to enter the reactor chamber from the gas channel. The gas-delivery system further includes a plurality of sub-gas lines coupling together the main gas-inlet port and the gas-delivery plate, and a respective sub-gas line is configured to deliver a portion of the received reaction gasesmore » to a corresponding gas channel.« less

External combustor for gas turbine engine

DOEpatents

Santanam, Chandran B.; Thomas, William H.; DeJulio, Emil R.

1991-01-01

An external combustor for a gas turbine engine has a cyclonic combustion chamber into which combustible gas with entrained solids is introduced through an inlet port in a primary spiral swirl. A metal draft sleeve for conducting a hot gas discharge stream from the cyclonic combustion chamber is mounted on a circular end wall of the latter adjacent the combustible gas inlet. The draft sleeve is mounted concentrically in a cylindrical passage and cooperates with the passage in defining an annulus around the draft sleeve which is open to the cyclonic combustion chamber and which is connected to a source of secondary air. Secondary air issues from the annulus into the cyclonic combustion chamber at a velocity of three to five times the velocity of the combustible gas at the inlet port. The secondary air defines a hollow cylindrical extension of the draft sleeve and persists in the cyclonic combustion chamber a distance of about three to five times the diameter of the draft sleeve. The hollow cylindrical extension shields the drive sleeve from the inlet port to prevent discharge of combustible gas through the draft sleeve.

Coarse-grained discrete particle simulations of particle segregation in rotating fluidized beds in vortex chambers [Discrete particle simulations of particle segregation in rotating fluidized beds in vortex chambers

DOE PAGES

Verma, Vikrant; Li, Tingwen; De Wilde, Juray

2017-05-26

Vortex chambers allow the generation of rotating fluidized beds, offering high-G intensified gas-solid contact, gas-solids separation and solids-solids segregation. Focusing on binary particle mixtures and fixing the density and diameter of the heavy/large particles, transient batch CFD-coarse-grained DPM simulations were carried out with varying densities or sizes of the light/small particles to evaluate to what extent combining these three functionalities is possible within a vortex chamber of given design. Both the rate and quality of segregation were analyzed. Within a relatively wide density and size range, fast and efficient segregation takes place, with an inner and slower rotating bed ofmore » the lighter/small particles forming within the outer and faster rotating bed of the heavier/large particles. Simulations show that the contamination of the outer bed with lighter particles occurs more easily than contamination of the inner bed with heavier particles and increases with decreasing difference in size or density of the particles. Bubbling in the inner bed is observed with an inner bed of very low density or small particles. Porosity plots show that vortex chambers with a sufficient number of gas inlet slots have to be used to guarantee a uniform gas distribution and particle bed. Lastly, the flexibility of particle segregation in vortex chambers with respect to the gas flow rate is demonstrated.« less

Coarse-grained discrete particle simulations of particle segregation in rotating fluidized beds in vortex chambers [Discrete particle simulations of particle segregation in rotating fluidized beds in vortex chambers

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

Verma, Vikrant; Li, Tingwen; De Wilde, Juray

Vortex chambers allow the generation of rotating fluidized beds, offering high-G intensified gas-solid contact, gas-solids separation and solids-solids segregation. Focusing on binary particle mixtures and fixing the density and diameter of the heavy/large particles, transient batch CFD-coarse-grained DPM simulations were carried out with varying densities or sizes of the light/small particles to evaluate to what extent combining these three functionalities is possible within a vortex chamber of given design. Both the rate and quality of segregation were analyzed. Within a relatively wide density and size range, fast and efficient segregation takes place, with an inner and slower rotating bed ofmore » the lighter/small particles forming within the outer and faster rotating bed of the heavier/large particles. Simulations show that the contamination of the outer bed with lighter particles occurs more easily than contamination of the inner bed with heavier particles and increases with decreasing difference in size or density of the particles. Bubbling in the inner bed is observed with an inner bed of very low density or small particles. Porosity plots show that vortex chambers with a sufficient number of gas inlet slots have to be used to guarantee a uniform gas distribution and particle bed. Lastly, the flexibility of particle segregation in vortex chambers with respect to the gas flow rate is demonstrated.« less

An atmospheric exposure chamber for small animals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaser, R. M.; Weiss, H. S.; Pitt, J. F.; Grimard, M.

1982-01-01

The purpose of this project was to design a long-term environmental exposure chamber for small animals. This chamber is capable of producing hypoxic, normoxic and hyperoxic atmospheres which are closely regulated. The chamber, which is of the recycling type, is fashioned after clear plastic germ-free isolators. Oxygen concentration is set and controlled by a paramagnetic O2 analyzer and a 3-way solenoid valve. In this way either O2 or N2 may be provided to the system by way of negative O2 feedback. Relative humidity is maintained at 40-50 percent by a refrigeration type dryer. Carbon dioxide is absorbed by indicating soda lime. A diaphragm pump continuously circulates chamber gas at a high enough flow rate to prevent buildup of CO2 and humidity. This chamber has been used for numerous studies which involve prolonged exposure of small animals to various O2 concentrations.

Method for sequentially processing a multi-level interconnect circuit in a vacuum chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Routh, D. E.; Sharma, G. C. (Inventor)

1984-01-01

An apparatus is disclosed which includes a vacuum system having a vacuum chamber in which wafers are processed on rotating turntables. The vacuum chamber is provided with an RF sputtering system and a dc magnetron sputtering system. A gas inlet introduces various gases to the vacuum chamber and creates various gas plasma during the sputtering steps. The rotating turntables insure that the respective wafers are present under the sputtering guns for an average amount of time such that consistency in sputtering and deposition is achieved. By continuous and sequential processing of the wafers in a common vacuum chamber without removal, the adverse affects of exposure to atmospheric conditions are eliminated providing higher quality circuit contacts and functional device.

Polyport atmospheric gas sampler

DOEpatents

Guggenheim, S. Frederic

1995-01-01

An atmospheric gas sampler with a multi-port valve which allows for multi, sequential sampling of air through a plurality of gas sampling tubes mounted in corresponding gas inlet ports. The gas sampler comprises a flow-through housing which defines a sampling chamber and includes a gas outlet port to accommodate a flow of gases through the housing. An apertured sample support plate defining the inlet ports extends across and encloses the sampling chamber and supports gas sampling tubes which depend into the sampling chamber and are secured across each of the inlet ports of the sample support plate in a flow-through relation to the flow of gases through the housing during sampling operations. A normally closed stopper means mounted on the sample support plate and operatively associated with each of the inlet ports blocks the flow of gases through the respective gas sampling tubes. A camming mechanism mounted on the sample support plate is adapted to rotate under and selectively lift open the stopper spring to accommodate a predetermined flow of gas through the respective gas sampling tubes when air is drawn from the housing through the outlet port.

A smog chamber comparison of a microfluidic derivatization measurement of gas-phase glyoxal and methylglyoxal with other analytical techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, X.; Lewis, A. C.; Richard, A.; Baeza-Romero, M. T.; Adams, T. J.; Ball, S. M.; Daniels, M. J. S.; Goodall, I. C. A.; Monks, P. S.; Peppe, S.; Ródenas García, M.; Sánchez, P.; Muñoz, A.

2013-06-01

A microfluidic lab-on-a-chip derivatization technique has been developed to measure part per billion volume (ppbV) mixing ratios of gaseous glyoxal (GLY) and methylglyoxal (MGLY), and the method compared with other techniques in a smog chamber experiment. The method uses o-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl) hydroxylamine (PFBHA) as a derivatization reagent and a microfabricated planar glass micro-reactor comprising an inlet, gas and fluid splitting and combining channels, mixing junctions, and a heated capillary reaction microchannel. The enhanced phase contact area-to-volume ratio and the high heat transfer rate in the micro-reactor result in a fast and highly efficient derivatization reaction, generating an effluent stream ready for direct introduction to a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). A linear response for GLY was observed over a calibration range 0.7 to 400 ppbV, and for MGLY of 1.2 to 300 ppbV, when derivatized under optimal reaction conditions. The method detection limits (MDLs) were 80 pptV and 200 pptV for GLY and MGLY respectively, calculated as 3 times the standard deviation of the S/N of the blank sample chromatograms. These MDLs are below or close to typical concentrations in clean ambient air. The feasibility of the technique was assessed by applying the methodology under controlled conditions to quantify of α-dicarbonyls formed during the photo-oxidation of isoprene in a large scale outdoor atmospheric simulation chamber (EUPHORE). Good general agreement was seen between microfluidic measurements and Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR), Broad Band Cavity Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy (BBCEAS) and a detailed photochemical chamber box modelling calculation for both GLY and MGLY. Less good agreement was found with Proton-Transfer Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) and Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) derivatization methods for MGLY measurement.

Bakeout Chamber Within Vacuum Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, Daniel M.; Soules, David M.; Barengoltz, Jack B.

1995-01-01

Vacuum-bakeout apparatus for decontaminating and measuring outgassing from pieces of equipment constructed by mounting bakeout chamber within conventional vacuum chamber. Upgrade cost effective: fabrication and installation of bakeout chamber simple, installation performed quickly and without major changes in older vacuum chamber, and provides quantitative data on outgassing from pieces of equipment placed in bakeout chamber.

New drift chamber technology for high energy gamma-ray telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunter, Stanley D.; Cuddapah, Rajani

1990-08-01

Work to develop a low-power amplifier and discriminator for use on space qualifiable drift chambers is discussed. Consideration is given to the goals of the next generation of high-energy gamma-ray telescope design and to how the goals can be achieved using xenon gas drift chambers. The design and construction of a low power drift chamber amplifier and discriminator are described, and the design of a quad-time-to-amplitude converter is outlined.

Effects of outgassing of loader chamber walls on hydriding of thin films for commercial applications

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

Provo, James L., E-mail: jlprovo@verizon.net

2014-07-01

An important aspect of understanding industrial processing is to know the characteristics of the materials used in such processes. A study was performed to determine the effects of hydriding chamber material on the degree of hydriding for the commercial production of thin film hydride targets for various research universities, commercial companies, and government national laboratories. The goal was to increase the degree of hydriding of various thin film hydrides and to study the vacuum environment during air-exposure hydriding. For this purpose, dynamic residual gas analysis during deuterium gas hydride processing was utilized with erbium thin films, employing a special set-upmore » for direct dynamic hydride gas sampling during processing at elevated temperature and full loading gas pressure. Complete process data for (1) a copper–(1.83 wt. %)beryllium wet hydrogen fired passivated (600 °C–1 h) externally heated pipe hydriding chamber are reported. Dynamic residual gas analysis comparisons during hydriding are presented for hydriding chambers made from (2) alumina (99.8 wt. %), (3) copper (with an interior aluminum coating ∼10 k Å thick, and (4) for a stainless-steel air-fired passivated (900 °C–1 h) chamber. Dynamic data with deuterium gas in the chamber at the hydriding temperature (450 °C) showed the presence and growth of water vapor (D{sub 2}O) and related mixed ion species(H{sub 2}O{sup +}, HDO{sup +}, D{sub 2}O{sup +}, and OD{sup +}) from hydrogen isotope exchange reactions during the 1 h process time. Peaks at mass-to-charge ratios (i.e., m/e) of 12(C{sup +}), 16(CD{sub 2}{sup +}), 17(CHD{sub 2}{sup +}), and 18(CD{sub 3}{sup +}, OD{sup +}) increased for approximately the first half hour of a 1 h hydriding process and then approach steady state. Mass-to-charge peaks at 19(HDO{sup +}) and 20(D{sub 2}O{sup +}) continue to increase throughout the process cycle. Using the m/e = 20 (D{sub 2}O{sup +}) peak intensity from

Preliminary Results of an Altitude-Wind-Tunnel Investigation of a TG-100A Gas Turbine-Propeller Engine. V; Combustion-Chamber Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gensenheyner, Robert M.; Berdysz, Joseph J.

1947-01-01

An investigation to determine the performance and operational characteristics of the TG-1OOA gas turbine-propeller engine was conducted in the Cleveland altitude wind tunnel. As part of this investigation, the combustion-chamber performance was determined at pressure altitudes from 5000 to 35,000 feet, compressor-inlet rm-pressure ratios of 1.00 and 1.09, and engine speeds from 8000 to 13,000 rpm. Combustion-chamber performance is presented as a function of corrected engine speed and.correcte& horsepower. For the range of corrected engine speeds investigated, over-all total-pressure-loss ratio, cycle efficiency, ana the frac%ional loss in cycle efficiency resulting from pressure losses in the combustion chambers were unaffected by a change in altitude or compressor-inlet ram-pressure ratio. The scatter of combustion- efficiency data tended to obscure any effect of altitude or ram-pressure ratio. For the range of corrected horse-powers investigated, the total-pressure-loss ratio an& the fractional loss in cycle efficiency resulting from pressure losses in the combustion chambers decreased with an increase in corrected horsepower at a constant corrected engine speed. The combustion efficiency remained constant for the range of corrected horse-powers investigated at all corrected engine speeds.

High power gas laser amplifier

DOEpatents

Leland, Wallace T.; Stratton, Thomas F.

1981-01-01

A high power output CO.sub.2 gas laser amplifier having a number of sections, each comprising a plurality of annular pumping chambers spaced around the circumference of a vacuum chamber containing a cold cathode, gridded electron gun. The electron beam from the electron gun ionizes the gas lasing medium in the sections. An input laser beam is split into a plurality of annular beams, each passing through the sections comprising one pumping chamber.

Vapor Wall Deposition in Chambers: Theoretical Considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McVay, R.; Cappa, C. D.; Seinfeld, J.

2014-12-01

In order to constrain the effects of vapor wall deposition on measured secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yields in laboratory chambers, Zhang et al. (2014) varied the seed aerosol surface area in toluene oxidation and observed a clear increase in the SOA yield with increasing seed surface area. Using a coupled vapor-particle dynamics model, we examine the extent to which this increase is the result of vapor wall deposition versus kinetic limitations arising from imperfect accommodation of organic species into the particle phase. We show that a seed surface area dependence of the SOA yield is present only when condensation of vapors onto particles is kinetically limited. The existence of kinetic limitation can be predicted by comparing the characteristic timescales of gas-phase reaction, vapor wall deposition, and gas-particle equilibration. The gas-particle equilibration timescale depends on the gas-particle accommodation coefficient αp. Regardless of the extent of kinetic limitation, vapor wall deposition depresses the SOA yield from that in its absence since vapor molecules that might otherwise condense on particles deposit on the walls. To accurately extrapolate chamber-derived yields to atmospheric conditions, both vapor wall deposition and kinetic limitations must be taken into account.

Research on structural design and test technologies for a three-chamber launching device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jun, Wu; Qiushi, Yan; Ling, Xiao; Tieshuan, Zhuang; Chengyu, Yang

2016-07-01

A three-chamber launching device with improved acceleration is proposed and developed. As indicated by the damage generated during the pill and engineering protection tests, the proposed device is applicable as a high-speed launching platform for pills of different shapes and quality levels. Specifically, it can be used to investigate kinetic energy weapons and their highly destructive effects due to the resulting large bomb fragments. In the horizontal direction of the barrel, two auxiliary chambers are set at a certain distance from the main chamber. When the pill reaches the mouth of the auxiliary chambers, the charges in the auxiliary chambers are ignited by the high-temperature, high-pressure combustible gas trailing the pill. The combustible gas in the auxiliary chambers can resist the rear pressure of the pill and thus maintain the high pressure of the pill base. In this way, the required secondary acceleration of the pill is met. The proposed device features the advantage of launching a pill with high initial velocity under low bore pressure. Key techniques are proposed in the design of the device to address the problems related to the angle between the main chamber axis and the ancillary chamber axis, the overall design of a three-chamber barrel, the structural design of auxiliary propellant charge, the high-pressure combustible gas sealing technology, and the sabot and belt design. Results from the launching test verify the reasonable design of this device and its reliable structural sealing. Additionally, the stiffness and the strength of the barrel meet design requirements. Compared with the single-chamber launching device with the same caliber, the proposed device increases the average launching velocity by approximately 15% and the amount of muzzle kinetic energy by approximately 35%. Therefore, this equipment is capable of carrying out small-caliber, high-speed pill firing tests.

Method for sequentially processing a multi-level interconnect circuit in a vacuum chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Routh, D. E.; Sharma, G. C. (Inventor)

1982-01-01

The processing of wafer devices to form multilevel interconnects for microelectronic circuits is described. The method is directed to performing the sequential steps of etching the via, removing the photo resist pattern, back sputtering the entire wafer surface and depositing the next layer of interconnect material under common vacuum conditions without exposure to atmospheric conditions. Apparatus for performing the method includes a vacuum system having a vacuum chamber in which wafers are processed on rotating turntables. The vacuum chamber is provided with an RF sputtering system and a DC magnetron sputtering system. A gas inlet is provided in the chamber for the introduction of various gases to the vacuum chamber and the creation of various gas plasma during the sputtering steps.

The response of a scintillation counter below an emulsion chamber to heavy nucleus interactions in the chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burnett, T. H.; Dake, S.; Derrickson, J. H.; Fountain, W. F.; Fuki, M.; Gregory, J. C.; Hayashi, T.; Hayashi, T.; Holynski, R.; Iwai, J.;

PandaX-III: Searching for neutrinoless double beta decay with high pressure 136Xe gas time projection chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xun; Fu, ChangBo; Galan, Javier; Giboni, Karl; Giuliani, Franco; Gu, LingHui; Han, Ke; Ji, XiangDong; Lin, Heng; Liu, JiangLai; Ni, KaiXiang; Kusano, Hiroki; Ren, XiangXiang; Wang, ShaoBo; Yang, Yong; Zhang, Dan; Zhang, Tao; Zhao, Li; Sun, XiangMing; Hu, ShouYang; Jian, SiYu; Li, XingLong; Li, XiaoMei; Liang, Hao; Zhang, HuanQiao; Zhao, MingRui; Zhou, Jing; Mao, YaJun; Qiao, Hao; Wang, SiGuang; Yuan, Ying; Wang, Meng; Khan, Amir N.; Raper, Neill; Tang, Jian; Wang, Wei; Dong, JiaNing; Feng, ChangQing; Li, Cheng; Liu, JianBei; Liu, ShuBin; Wang, XiaoLian; Zhu, DanYang; Castel, Juan F.; Cebrián, Susana; Dafni, Theopisti; Garza, Javier G.; Irastorza, Igor G.; Iguaz, Francisco J.; Luzón, Gloria; Mirallas, Hector; Aune, Stephan; Berthoumieux, Eric; Bedfer, Yann; Calvet, Denis; d'Hose, Nicole; Delbart, Alain; Diakaki, Maria; Ferrer-Ribas, Esther; Ferrero, Andrea; Kunne, Fabienne; Neyret, Damien; Papaevangelou, Thomas; Sabatié, Franck; Vanderbroucke, Maxence; Tan, AnDi; Haxton, Wick; Mei, Yuan; Kobdaj, Chinorat; Yan, Yu-Peng

2017-06-01

Searching for the neutrinoless double beta decay (NLDBD) is now regarded as the topmost promising technique to explore the nature of neutrinos after the discovery of neutrino masses in oscillation experiments. PandaX-III (particle and astrophysical xenon experiment III) will search for the NLDBD of 136Xe at the China Jin Ping Underground Laboratory (CJPL). In the first phase of the experiment, a high pressure gas Time Projection Chamber (TPC) will contain 200 kg, 90% 136Xe enriched gas operated at 10 bar. Fine pitch micro-pattern gas detector (Microbulk Micromegas) will be used at both ends of the TPC for the charge readout with a cathode in the middle. Charge signals can be used to reconstruct the electron tracks of the NLDBD events and provide good energy and spatial resolution. The detector will be immersed in a large water tank to ensure 5 m of water shielding in all directions. The second phase, a ton-scale experiment, will consist of five TPCs in the same water tank, with improved energy resolution and better control over backgrounds.

Continuous soil VOCl measurements with automated flux chambers and micro-ECD gas chromatography coupled with the thermal desorption and cooled injection systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molodovskaya, M. S.; Svensson, T.; Pitts, A.; Delmonte, J.; Nesic, Z.; Oberg, G.

2010-12-01

The volatile organic chlorinated compounds (VOCl) are important components of the global chlorine budget. The origin of VOCl in the environment was for decades thought to be strictly anthropogenic. Over the past decade, a number of studies have however shown that VOCls are naturally formed in soil, and nowadays this source is recognized as a crucial part of the global biogeochemical chlorine cycle. The relative contribution of soil VOCl to the global chlorine cycle is however unclear, a key reason being that monitoring of soil VOCl is complicated by low concentrations and high variability of emission rates. Static chamber deployments coupled with canister gas sampling and gas chromatography (GC) analysis is the most commonly used method for quantifying VOCl emissions. Static chambers are however of limited use for estimating larger scale fluxes since the method is highly labor intensive (leading low sampling frequency). The poor data resolution resulting from these limitations can strongly bias the data extrapolation. Here, we report a method that would allow more continuous and precise VOCl flux measurements. The study has been carried out in a forest in British Columbia, Canada, using automated dynamic chambers and advanced GC technique. The chamber setup is based on a design that previously has been employed and proven successful for carbon dioxide and soil respiration measurements. The method includes a collar permanently inserted into the ground and an attached dome-shaped cover. The air from the closed chamber is pumped through the on-site sampling device. The cover opens and closes automatically between deployments (40 min in average), which helps to minimize the chamber supervision and obtain more continuous data. Soil VOCl concentrations are commonly at the ppt-level, much lower than atmospheric carbon dioxide, so necessary adjustments were made to the chamber system to pre-concentrate the compounds of interest. During each deployment, soil air from the

Testing fireproof materials in a combustion chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulhavy, Petr; Martinec, Tomas; Novak, Ondrej; Petru, Michal; Srb, Pavel

This article deals with a prototype concept, real experiment and numerical simulation of a combustion chamber, designed for testing fire resistance some new insulating composite materials. This concept of a device used for testing various materials, providing possibility of monitoring temperatures during controlled gas combustion. As a fuel for the combustion process propane butane mixture has been used and also several kinds of burners with various conditions of inlet air (forced, free) and fuel flows were tested. The tested samples were layered sandwich materials based on various materials or foams, used as fillers in fire shutters. The temperature distribution was measured by using thermocouples. A simulation of whole concept of experimental chamber has been carried out as the non-premixed combustion process in the commercial final volume sw Pyrosim. The result was to design chamber with a construction suitable, according to the international standards, achieve the required values (temperature in time). Model of the combustion based on a stoichiometric defined mixture of gas and the tested layered samples showed good conformity with experimental results - i.e. thermal distribution inside and heat release rate that has gone through the sample.

Evaluation of a dual-chamber kerosene-heater combustion technology. Topical report, June-December 1985

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

Kardas, A.

1987-10-01

A kerosene heater equipped with a dual-chamber combustor was procured, tested, and technically evaluated to determine its applicability to natural gas combustion. The kerosene heater was found to have nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO/sub 2/), and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions of 0.0)2, 0.006 and 0.02 lb/10/sup 6/ Btu input, respectively, much lower than those of blue-flame natural-gas combustors. A basic study was conducted to understand the interaction between kerosene combustion and the surrounding metal sleeves forming the dual chamber. Combustion characteristics of kerosene and natural gas were compared to formulate potential designs of low-emitting natural gas combustors. Three conceptsmore » were developed for low-emitting burners: an atmospheric burner to replace the kerosene wick in the dual chamber; the same concept with a powered vent; and a two-stage system equipped with a powered vent.« less

Experience Gained from Construction of Low-Emission Combustion Chambers for On-Land Large-Capacity Gas-Turbine Units: GT24/26

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulysova, L. A.; Vasil'ev, V. D.; Berne, A. L.; Gutnik, M. M.

2018-06-01

This article is the third in a planned series of articles devoted to the experience gained around the world in constructing low-emission combustion chambers for on-land large-capacity (above 250 MW) gas-turbine units (GTUs). The aim of this study is to generalize and analyze the ways in which different designers apply the fuel flow and combustion arrangement principles and the fuel feed control methods. The considered here GT24 and GT26 (GT24/26) gas-turbine units generating electric power at the 60 and 50 Hz frequencies, respectively, are fitted with burners of identical designs. Designed by ABB, these GTUs were previously manufactured by Alstom, and now they are produced by Ansaldo Energia. The efficiency of these GTUs reaches 41% at the 354 MW power output during operation in the simple cycle and 60.5% at the 505MW power output during operation in the combined cycle. Both GTUs comply with all requirements for harmful emissions. The compression ratio is equal to 35. In this article, a system is considered for two-stage fuel combustion in two sequentially arranged low-emission combustion chambers, one of which is placed upstream of the high-pressure turbine (CC1) and the other upstream of the low-pressure turbine (CC2). The article places the main focus on the CC2, which operates with a decreased content of oxygen in the oxidizer supplied to the burner inlets. The original designs of vortex generators and nozzles placed in the flow of hot combustion products going out from the high-pressure turbine are described in detail. The article also presents an original CC2 front plate cooling system, due to which a significantly smaller amount of air fed for cooling has been reached. The article also presents the pressure damping devices incorporated in the chamber, the use of which made it possible to obtain a significantly wider range of CC loads at which its low-emission operation is ensured. The fuel feed adjustment principles and the combustion control methods

Promoted-Combustion Chamber with Induction Heating Coil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, Erin; Hagood, Richard; Lowery, Freida; Herald, Stephen

2006-01-01

An improved promoted-combustion system has been developed for studying the effects of elevated temperatures on the flammability of metals in pure oxygen. In prior promoted-combustion chambers, initial temperatures of metal specimens in experiments have been limited to the temperatures of gas supplies, usually near room temperature. Although limited elevated temperature promoted-combustion chambers have been developed using water-cooled induction coils for preheating specimens, these designs have been limited to low-pressure operation due to the hollow induction coil. In contrast, the improved promoted-combustion chamber can sustain a pressure up to 10 kpsi (69 MPa) and, through utilization of a solid induction coil, is capable of preheating a metal specimen up to its melting point [potentially in excess of 2,000 F (approximately equal to 1,100 C)]. Hence, the improved promoted combustion chamber makes a greater range of physical conditions and material properties accessible for experimentation. The chamber consists of a vertical cylindrical housing with an inner diameter of 8 in. (20.32 cm) and an inner height of 20.4 in. (51.81 cm). A threaded, sealing cover at one end of the housing can be unscrewed to gain access for installing a specimen. Inlet and outlet ports for gases are provided. Six openings arranged in a helical pattern in the chamber wall contain sealed sapphire windows for viewing an experiment in progress. The base of the chamber contains pressure-sealed electrical connectors for supplying power to the induction coil. The connectors feature a unique design that prevents induction heating of the housing and the pressure sealing surfaces; this is important because if such spurious induction heating were allowed to occur, chamber pressure could be lost. The induction coil is 10 in. (25.4 cm) long and is fitted with a specimen holder at its upper end. At its lower end, the induction coil is mounted on a ceramic base, which affords thermal insulation to

Mimicking Mars: a vacuum simulation chamber for testing environmental instrumentation for Mars exploration.

PubMed

Sobrado, J M; Martín-Soler, J; Martín-Gago, J A

2014-03-01

We have built a Mars environmental simulation chamber, designed to test new electromechanical devices and instruments that could be used in space missions. We have developed this environmental system aiming at validating the meteorological station Rover Environment Monitoring Station of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission currently installed on Curiosity rover. The vacuum chamber has been built following a modular configuration and operates at pressures ranging from 1000 to 10(-6) mbars, and it is possible to control the gas composition (the atmosphere) within this pressure range. The device (or sample) under study can be irradiated by an ultraviolet source and its temperature can be controlled in the range from 108 to 423 K. As an important improvement with respect to other simulation chambers, the atmospheric gas into the experimental chamber is cooled at the walls by the use of liquid-nitrogen heat exchangers. This chamber incorporates a dust generation mechanism designed to study Martian-dust deposition while modifying the conditions of temperature, and UV irradiated.

Comparing Novel Multi-Gap Resistive Plate Chamber Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stien, Haley; EIC PID Consortium Collaboration

2016-09-01

Investigating nuclear structure has led to the fundamental theory of Quantum Chromodynamics. An Electron Ion Collider (EIC) is a proposed accelerator that would further these investigations. In order to prepare for the EIC, there is an active detector research and development effort. One specific goal is to achieve better particle identification via improved Time of Flight (TOF) detectors. A promising option is the Multi-Gap Resistive Plate Chamber (mRPC). These detectors are similar to the more traditional RPCs, but their active gas gaps have dividers to form several thinner gas gaps. These very thin and accurately defined gas gaps improve the timing resolution of the chamber, so the goal is to build an mRPC with the thinnest gaps to achieve the best possible timing resolution. Two different construction techniques have been employed to make two mRPCs. The first technique is to physically separate the gas gaps with sheets of glass that are .2mm thick. The second technique is to 3D print the layered gas gaps. A comparison of these mRPCs and their performances will be discussed and the latest data presented. This research was supported by US DOE MENP Grant DE-FG02-03ER41243.

Effects of a temporary HDPE cover on landfill gas emissions: multiyear evaluation with the static chamber approach at an Italian landfill.

PubMed

Capaccioni, Bruno; Caramiello, Cristina; Tatàno, Fabio; Viscione, Alessandro

2011-05-01

According to the European Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC and the related Italian Legislation ("D. Lgs. No. 36/2003"), monitoring and control procedures of landfill gas emissions, migration and external dispersions are clearly requested. These procedures could be particularly interesting in the operational circumstance of implementing a temporary cover, as for instance permitted by the Italian legislation over worked-out landfill sections, awaiting the evaluation of expected waste settlements. A possible quantitative approach for field measurement and consequential evaluation of landfill CO(2), CH(4) emission rates in pairs consists of the static, non-stationary accumulation chamber technique. At the Italian level, a significant and recent situation of periodical landfill gas emission monitoring is represented by the sanitary landfill for non-hazardous waste of the "Fano" town district, where monitoring campaigns with the static chamber have been annually conducted during the last 5 years (2005-2009). For the entire multiyear monitoring period, the resulting CO(2), CH(4) emission rates varied on the whole up to about 13,100g CO(2) m(-2)d(-1) and 3800 g CH(4) m(-2)d(-1), respectively. The elaboration of these landfill gas emission data collected at the "Fano" case-study site during the monitoring campaigns, presented and discussed in the paper, gives rise to a certain scientific evidence of the possible negative effects derivable from the implementation of a temporary HDPE cover over a worked-out landfill section, notably: the lateral migration and concentration of landfill gas emissions through adjacent, active landfill sections when hydraulically connected; and consequently, the increase of landfill gas flux velocities throughout the reduced overall soil cover surface, giving rise to a flowing through of CH(4) emissions without a significant oxidation. Thus, these circumstances are expected to cause a certain increase of the overall GHG emissions from the given

A smog chamber comparison of a microfluidic derivatisation measurement of gas-phase glyoxal and methylglyoxal with other analytical techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, xiaobing; Lewis, Alastair; Rickard, Andrew R.; Baeza-Romero, Maria Teresa; Adams, Thomas J.; Ball, Stephen M.; Goodall, Iain C. A.; Monks, Paul S.; Peppe, Salvatore; Ródenas García, Milagros; Sánchez, Pilar; Muñoz, Amalia

2014-05-01

A microfluidic lab-on-a-chip derivatisation technique has been developed to measure part per billion (ppbV) mixing ratios of gaseous glyoxal (GLY) and methylglyoxal (MGLY), and the method is compared with other techniques in a smog chamber experiment. The method uses o-(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl) hydroxylamine (PFBHA) as a derivatisation reagent and a microfabricated planar glass micro-reactor comprising an inlet, gas and fluid splitting and combining channels, mixing junctions, and a heated capillary reaction microchannel. The enhanced phase contact area-to-volume ratio and the high heat transfer rate in the micro-reactor result in a fast and highly efficient derivatisation reaction, generating an effluent stream ready for direct introduction to a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). A linear response for GLY was observed over a calibration range 0.7 to 400 ppbV, and for MGLY of 1.2 to 300 ppbV, when derivatised under optimal reaction conditions. The analytical performance shows good accuracy (6.6 % for GLY and 7.5 % for MGLY), suitable precision (< 12.0 %) and method detection limits (MDLs) (75 pptV for GLY and 185 pptV for MGLY) with a time resolution of 30 minutes. These MDLs are below or close to typical concentrations of these compounds observed in ambient air. The microfluidic derivatisation technique would be appropriate for ambient α-dicarbonyl measurements in a range of field environments based on its performance in a large-scale outdoor atmospheric simulation chamber (EUPHORE). The feasibility of the technique was assessed by applying the methodology to quantify of α-dicarbonyls formed during the photo-oxidation of isoprene in the EUPHORE chamber. Good correlations were found between microfluidic measurements and Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (FTIR) with the correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.84, Broad Band Cavity Enhanced Absorption Spectroscopy (BBCEAS) (r2 = 0.75), solid phase micro extraction (SPME) (r2 = 0.89), and a

Design, construction, prototype tests and performance of a vertex chamber for the MAC detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ash, W. W.; Band, H. R.; Bloom, E. D.; Bosman, M.; Camporesi, T.; Chadwick, G. B.; Delfino, M. C.; De Sangro, R.; Ford, W. T.; Gettner, M. W.; Goderre, G. P.; Godfrey, G. L.; Groom, D. E.; Hurst, R. B.; Johnson, J. R.; Lau, K. H.; Lavine, T. L.; Leedy, R. E.; Lippi, I.; Maruyama, T.; Messner, R. L.; Moromisato, J. H.; Moss, L. J.; Muller, F.; Nelson, H. N.; Peruzzi, I.; Piccolo, M.; Prepost, R.; Pyrlik, J.; Qi, N.; Read, A. L.; Ritson, D. M.; Rosenberg, L. J.; Shambroom, W. D.; Sleeman, J. C.; Smith, J. G.; Venuti, J. P.; Verdini, P. G.; Von Goeler, E.; Wald, H. B.; Weinstein, R.; Wiser, D. E.; Zdarko, R. W.

1987-11-01

The design considerations, construction techniques, prototype tests and performance characteristics of a pressurized drift chamber used in the MAC detector at PEP are described. The chamber consists of 324 aluminized mylar tubes of 6.9 mm diameter with wall thickness of 100 μm. With appropriate shielding it operates successfully at 4.6 cm from the beam line. It was simple to construct and was configured to permit any malfunctioning tubes to be remotely disconnected without affecting operation. The chamber operated without problems for two years in the PEP environment with a gas mixture of 49.5% argon, 49.5% CO 2, 1% CH 4, at 4 atm absolute pressure. The mean spatial resolution averaged over all tubes was 45 μm. The time to distance relation for this gas mixture, along with the geometric positioning of individual wires relative to the central tracking chamber, was obtained with data from Bhabha scattering events. We also describe resolution studies performed with a prototype chamber in a SLAC test beam. A wide range of gases, gas pressures, and electronic parameters were explored. These studies proved that resolutions in the 10-50 μm range were possible. Our experience demonstrates that chambers of this type provide high precision tracking and are particularly suited for operation in regions with difficult physical access and/or high ambient radiation levels.

Sniffle: a step forward to measure in situ CO 2 fluxes with the floating chamber technique

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

Ribas-Ribas, Mariana; Kilcher, Levi F.; Wurl, Oliver

Understanding how the ocean absorbs anthropogenic CO 2 is critical for predicting climate change. We designed Sniffle, a new autonomous drifting buoy with a floating chamber, to measure gas transfer velocities and air-sea CO 2 fluxes with high spatiotemporal resolution. Currently, insufficient in situ data exist to verify gas transfer parameterizations at low wind speeds (<4 m s -1), which leads to underestimation of gas transfer velocities and, therefore, of air-sea CO 2 fluxes. The Sniffle is equipped with a sensor to consecutively measure aqueous and atmospheric pCO 2 and to monitor increases or decreases of CO 2 inside themore » chamber. During autonomous operation, a complete cycle lasts 40 minutes, with a new cycle initiated after flushing the chamber. The Sniffle can be deployed for up to 15 hours at wind speeds up to 10 m s -1. Floating chambers often overestimate fluxes because they create additional turbulence at the water surface. We correct fluxes by measuring turbulence with two acoustic Doppler velocimeters, one positioned directly under the floating chamber and the other positioned sideways, to compare artificial disturbance caused by the chamber and natural turbulence. The first results of deployment in the North Sea during the summer of 2016 demonstrate that the new drifting buoy is a useful tool that can improve our understanding of gas transfer velocity with in situ measurements. At low and moderate wind speeds and different conditions, the results obtained indicate that the observed tidal basin was acting as a source of atmospheric CO 2. Wind speed and turbulence alone could not fully explain the variance in gas transfer velocity. We suggest therefore, that other factors like surfactants, rain or tidal current will have an impact on gas transfer parameterizations.« less

Sniffle: a step forward to measure in situ CO 2 fluxes with the floating chamber technique

DOE PAGES

Ribas-Ribas, Mariana; Kilcher, Levi F.; Wurl, Oliver

2018-01-09

Understanding how the ocean absorbs anthropogenic CO 2 is critical for predicting climate change. We designed Sniffle, a new autonomous drifting buoy with a floating chamber, to measure gas transfer velocities and air-sea CO 2 fluxes with high spatiotemporal resolution. Currently, insufficient in situ data exist to verify gas transfer parameterizations at low wind speeds (<4 m s -1), which leads to underestimation of gas transfer velocities and, therefore, of air-sea CO 2 fluxes. The Sniffle is equipped with a sensor to consecutively measure aqueous and atmospheric pCO 2 and to monitor increases or decreases of CO 2 inside themore » chamber. During autonomous operation, a complete cycle lasts 40 minutes, with a new cycle initiated after flushing the chamber. The Sniffle can be deployed for up to 15 hours at wind speeds up to 10 m s -1. Floating chambers often overestimate fluxes because they create additional turbulence at the water surface. We correct fluxes by measuring turbulence with two acoustic Doppler velocimeters, one positioned directly under the floating chamber and the other positioned sideways, to compare artificial disturbance caused by the chamber and natural turbulence. The first results of deployment in the North Sea during the summer of 2016 demonstrate that the new drifting buoy is a useful tool that can improve our understanding of gas transfer velocity with in situ measurements. At low and moderate wind speeds and different conditions, the results obtained indicate that the observed tidal basin was acting as a source of atmospheric CO 2. Wind speed and turbulence alone could not fully explain the variance in gas transfer velocity. We suggest therefore, that other factors like surfactants, rain or tidal current will have an impact on gas transfer parameterizations.« less

Expandable Purge Chambers Would Protect Cryogenic Fittings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Townsend, Ivan I., III

2004-01-01

Expandable ice-prevention and cleanliness-preservation (EIP-CP) chambers have been proposed to prevent the accumulation of ice or airborne particles on quick-disconnect (QD) fittings, or on ducts or tubes that contain cryogenic fluids. In the original application for which the EIP-CP chambers were conceived, there is a requirement to be able to disconnect and reconnect the QD fittings in rapid succession. If ice were to form on the fittings by condensation and freezing of airborne water vapor on the cold fitting surfaces, the ice could interfere with proper mating of the fittings, making it necessary to wait an unacceptably long time for the ice to thaw before attempting reconnection. By keeping water vapor away from the cold fitting surfaces, the EIP-CP chambers would prevent accumulation of ice, preserving the ability to reconnect as soon as required. Basically, the role of an EIP-CP chamber would be to serve as an enclosure for a flow of dry nitrogen gas that would keep ambient air away from QD cryogenic fittings. An EIP-CP chamber would be an inflatable device made of a fabriclike material. The chamber would be attached to an umbilical plate holding a cryogenic QD fitting.

Measurements of trace contaminants in closed-type plant cultivation chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tani, A.; Kiyota, M.; Aiga, I.; Nitta, K.; Tako, Y.; Ashida, A.; Otsubo, K.; Saito, T.

Trace contaminants generated in closed facilities can cause abnormal plant growth. We present measurement data of trace contaminants released from soils, plants, and construction materials. We mainly used two closed chambers, a Closed-type Plant and Mushroom Cultivation Chamber (PMCC) and Closed-type Plant Cultivation Equipment (CPCE). Although trace gas budgets from soils obtained in this experiment are only one example, the results indicate that the budgets of trace gases, as well as CO_2 and O_2, change greatly with the degree of soil maturation and are dependent on the kind of substances in the soil. Both in the PMCC and in the CPCE, trace gases such as dioctyl phthalate (DOP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene and xylene were detected. These gases seemed to be released from various materials used in the construction of these chambers. The degree of increase in these trace gas levels was dependent on the relationship between chamber capacity and plant quantity. Results of trace gas measurement in the PMCC, in which lettuce and shiitake mushroom were cultivated, showed that ethylene was released both from lettuce and from the mushroom culture bed. The release rates were about 90 ng bed^-1 h^-1 for the shiitake mushroom culture bed (volume is 1700 cm^3) and 4.1 ~ 17.3 ng dm^-2h^-1 (leaf area basis) for lettuce. Higher ethylene release rates per plant and per unit leaf area were observed in mature plants than in young plants.

Chamber for mechanical testing in H2 with observation by neutron scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connolly, Matthew; Bradley, Peter; Slifka, Andrew; Drexler, Elizabeth

2017-06-01

A gas-pressure chamber has been designed, constructed, and tested at a moderate pressure (3.4 MPa, 500 psi) and has the capability of mechanical loading of steel specimens for neutron scattering measurements. The chamber will allow a variety of in situ neutron scattering measurements: in particular, diffraction, quasielastic scattering, inelastic scattering, and imaging. The chamber is compatible with load frames available at the user facilities at the NIST Center for Neutron Research and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Spallation Neutron Source. A demonstration of neutron Bragg edge imaging using the chamber is presented.

Evaluation of carbon dioxide dissipation within a euthanasia chamber.

PubMed

Djoufack-Momo, Shelly M; Amparan, Ashlee A; Grunden, Beverly; Boivin, Gregory P-

2014-07-01

CO₂ euthanasia is used widely for small laboratory animals, such as rodents. A common necessity in many animal research facilities is to euthanize mice in sequential batches. We assessed the effects of several variables on the time it took for CO₂ to dissipate within a chamber. Using standard euthanasia time, changes in flow rate were compared between a slow 15% fill rate for 7 min, and a slow 15% followed by a rapid 50% filling for a total of 5 min. Additional variables assessed included the effects of opening the lid after the completion of chamber filling, turning the chamber over after completion of filling, and the use and removal of a cage from within the chamber. For all trials, CO₂ levels in the chambers peaked between 50% and 80%. After the gas was turned off, the concentration of CO₂ dropped to below 10% COv within 2 min, except when the lid was left on the chamber, where concentration levels remained above 10% after 20 min. CO₂ dissipation was significantly faster when the chamber was turned upside down after filling. Significant interaction effects occurred among the factors of cage presence within the chamber, flow rate, and chamber position. Only leaving the lid on the chamber had any practical implication for delaying CO₂ dissipation. We recommend that users allow 2 min for CO₂ to clear from the chamber before subsequent euthanasia procedures, unless the chamber is manipulated to increase the dissipation rate.

Device for precision measurement of speed of sound in a gas

DOEpatents

Kelner, Eric; Minachi, Ali; Owen, Thomas E.; Burzynski, Jr., Marion; Petullo, Steven P.

2004-11-30

A sensor for measuring the speed of sound in a gas. The sensor has a helical coil, through which the gas flows before entering an inner chamber. Flow through the coil brings the gas into thermal equilibrium with the test chamber body. After the gas enters the chamber, a transducer produces an ultrasonic pulse, which is reflected from each of two faces of a target. The time difference between the two reflected signals is used to determine the speed of sound in the gas.

Mimicking Mars: A vacuum simulation chamber for testing environmental instrumentation for Mars exploration

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

Sobrado, J. M., E-mail: sobradovj@inta.es; Martín-Soler, J.; Martín-Gago, J. A.

We have built a Mars environmental simulation chamber, designed to test new electromechanical devices and instruments that could be used in space missions. We have developed this environmental system aiming at validating the meteorological station Rover Environment Monitoring Station of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission currently installed on Curiosity rover. The vacuum chamber has been built following a modular configuration and operates at pressures ranging from 1000 to 10{sup −6} mbars, and it is possible to control the gas composition (the atmosphere) within this pressure range. The device (or sample) under study can be irradiated by an ultraviolet source andmore » its temperature can be controlled in the range from 108 to 423 K. As an important improvement with respect to other simulation chambers, the atmospheric gas into the experimental chamber is cooled at the walls by the use of liquid-nitrogen heat exchangers. This chamber incorporates a dust generation mechanism designed to study Martian-dust deposition while modifying the conditions of temperature, and UV irradiated.« less

Numerical analysis of whole-body cryotherapy chamber design improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yerezhep, D.; Tukmakova, A. S.; Fomin, V. E.; Masalimov, A.; Asach, A. V.; Novotelnova, A. V.; Baranov, A. Yu

2018-05-01

Whole body cryotherapy is a state-of-the-art method that uses cold for treatment and prevention of diseases. The process implies the impact of cryogenic gas on a human body that implements in a special cryochamber. The temperature field in the chamber is of great importance since local integument over-cooling may occur. Numerical simulation of WBC has been carried out. Chamber design modification has been proposed in order to increase the uniformity of the internal temperature field. The results have been compared with the ones obtained for a standard chamber design. The value of temperature gradient formed in the chamber containing curved wall with certain height has been decreased almost twice in comparison with the results obtained for the standard design. The modification proposed may increase both safety and comfort of cryotherapy.

Space shuttle orbit maneuvering engine reusable thrust chamber program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Senneff, J. M.

1975-01-01

Reusable thrust chamber and injector concepts were evaluated for the space shuttle orbit maneuvering engine (OME). Parametric engine calculations were carried out by computer program for N2O4/amine, LOX/amine and LOX/hydrocarbon propellant combinations for engines incorporating regenerative cooled and insulated columbium thrust chambers. The calculation methods are described including the fuel vortex film cooling method of combustion gas temperature control, and performance prediction. A method of acceptance of a regeneratively cooled heat rejection reduction using a silicone oil additive was also demonstrated by heated tube heat transfer testing. Regeneratively cooled thrust chamber operation was also demonstrated where the injector was characterized for the OME application with a channel wall regenerative thrust chamber. Bomb stability testing of the demonstration chambers/injectors demonstrated recovery for the nominal design of acoustic cavities. Cavity geometry changes were also evaluated to assess their damping margin. Performance and combustion stability was demonstrated of the originally developed 10 inch diameter combustion pattern operating in an 8 inch diameter thrust chamber.

Chamber and eddy covariance comparisons of alternate wetting and drying and continuous flood irrigation in mid-South rice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reba, M. L.; Fong, B.; Adviento-Borbe, A.; Runkle, B.

2016-12-01

The subtropical humid mid-south region produces nearly 75% of US rice. Rice cultivation contributes higher amounts of GHG emissions (CO2, CH4, and N2O) due to flooded field conditions. Accurate measurements of gas fluxes are important to regional and global climate models. A comparison between eddy covariance and static vented flux chamber measurement techniques is presented. These measurements were collected in two NE Arkansas commercial rice fields in 2015 and 2016 production seasons under two irrigation treatments: Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and continuous flood (CF) irrigation. AWD can reduce GHG emissions and water use compared to CF by introducing aerobic conditions that reduce methanogen activity and drained conditions decrease water loss due to seepage or evapotranspiration. N2O was measured only with vented chambers, while CO2 and CH4 were measured with both techniques. In the vented flux chamber technique, headspace gas sampling occurred at least once a week every 20 minutes for one hour of chamber closure. Gas Chromatograph equipped with ECD and FID were used to analyze gas concentrations. Eddy covariance used high frequency measurements wind and concentration measurements to determine fluxes. Chamber measurements were found to be more sensitive during seedling and early vegetative growth while eddy covariance was more sensitive after canopy closure during mid-vegetative to reproductive growth. Unlike eddy covariance which measured net CO2 exchange, flux chamber method measured only CO2 ecosystem respiration because flux measurements occurred using an opaque chamber material.

Evaluation of Carbon Dioxide Dissipation within a Euthanasia Chamber

PubMed Central

Djoufack-Momo, Shelly M; Amparan, Ashlee A; Grunden, Beverly; Boivin, Gregory P

2014-01-01

CO2 euthanasia is used widely for small laboratory animals, such as rodents. A common necessity in many animal research facilities is to euthanize mice in sequential batches. We assessed the effects of several variables on the time it took for CO2 to dissipate within a chamber. Using standard euthanasia time, changes in flow rate were compared between a slow 15% fill rate for 7 min, and a slow 15% followed by a rapid 50% filling for a total of 5 min. Additional variables assessed included the effects of opening the lid after the completion of chamber filling, turning the chamber over after completion of filling, and the use and removal of a cage from within the chamber. For all trials, CO2 levels in the chambers peaked between 50% and 80%. After the gas was turned off, the concentration of CO2 dropped to below 10% CO2 within 2 min, except when the lid was left on the chamber, where concentration levels remained above 10% after 20 min. CO2 dissipation was significantly faster when the chamber was turned upside down after filling. Significant interaction effects occurred among the factors of cage presence within the chamber, flow rate, and chamber position. Only leaving the lid on the chamber had any practical implication for delaying CO2 dissipation. We recommend that users allow 2 min for CO2 to clear from the chamber before subsequent euthanasia procedures, unless the chamber is manipulated to increase the dissipation rate. PMID:25199098

A chamber design for closed ecological systems research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartzkopf, H.; Stofan, P. E.

1981-01-01

A single-plant growth chamber is described which is closed with respect to nutrient and gas flows, in order to serve as a tool in the investigation of control over biological systems. Such control procedures are essential for the use of biological components in the development of a closed ecological life support system (CELSS). The chamber's design consists of two concentric clear plastic cylinders equipped with aeroponic feed tubing, a supporting platform for the plant and a set of sensors that includes an anemometer, thermistors, pressure and strain gauges, and humidity sensors.

Multiple volume compressor for hot gas engine

DOEpatents

Stotts, Robert E.

1986-01-01

A multiple volume compressor for use in a hot gas (Stirling) engine having a plurality of different volume chambers arranged to pump down the engine when decreased power is called for and return the working gas to a storage tank or reservoir. A valve actuated bypass loop is placed over each chamber which can be opened to return gas discharged from the chamber back to the inlet thereto. By selectively actuating the bypass valves, a number of different compressor capacities can be attained without changing compressor speed whereby the capacity of the compressor can be matched to the power available from the engine which is used to drive the compressor.

Chamber personnel's use of Nitrox 50 during hyperbaric oxygen treatment: a quality study--research report.

PubMed

Hansen, Marco B; Jansen, Tejs; Sifakis, Michael B; Hyldegaard, Ole; Jansen, Erik C

2013-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of using Nitrox 50 as breathing gas during attendance in a multiplace hyperbaric chamber. Paper logs between Jan.-Dec. 2011 were reviewed to analyze nitrogen gas-loading, actual bottom time, total bottom time and surface interval time. With the use of the Norwegian Diving Tables nitrogen gas-loading was converted to Repetitive Group Letters. Symptoms of decompression sickness and health problems related to hyperbaric exposures were registered at weekly staff meetings. The chamber personnel breathed chamber air or Nitrox 50. 1,207 hyperbaric exposures were distributed to five chamber attendants and technicians, 14 doctors, and six nurses. Nitrox 50 was inhaled on 978 occasions (81.0%). Median nitrogen gas-loading after first pressurization complied with Repetitive Group Letter A (range A-E), second to C (range A-F), third to D (range A-F), fourth to E (range C-H), fifth to F (range C-H), and sixth to E (range B-G). No symptoms of decompression sickness were reported (95% CI 0.00-0.33%). Breathing Nitrox 50 during repetitive hyperbaric sessions seems to be feasible and safe while meeting high demands in number of treatment sessions and patient flow and with fewer people employed in the hyperbaric unit.

The drift velocity monitoring system of the CMS barrel muon chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altenhöfer, Georg; Hebbeker, Thomas; Heidemann, Carsten; Reithler, Hans; Sonnenschein, Lars; Teyssier, Daniel

2018-04-01

The drift velocity is a key parameter of drift chambers. Its value depends on several parameters: electric field, pressure, temperature, gas mixture, and contamination, for example, by ambient air. A dedicated Velocity Drift Chamber (VDC) with 1-L volume has been built at the III. Phys. Institute A, RWTH Aachen, in order to monitor the drift velocity of all CMS barrel muon Drift Tube chambers. A system of six VDCs was installed at CMS and has been running since January 2011. We present the VDC monitoring system, its principle of operation, and measurements performed.

Flow chamber

DOEpatents

Morozov, Victor [Manassas, VA

2011-01-18

A flow chamber having a vacuum chamber and a specimen chamber. The specimen chamber may have an opening through which a fluid may be introduced and an opening through which the fluid may exit. The vacuum chamber may have an opening through which contents of the vacuum chamber may be evacuated. A portion of the flow chamber may be flexible, and a vacuum may be used to hold the components of the flow chamber together.

Method for gas-metal arc deposition

DOEpatents

Buhrmaster, Carol L.; Clark, Denis E.; Smartt, Herschel B.

1990-01-01

Method and apparatus for gas-metal arc deposition of metal, metal alloys, and metal matrix composites. The apparatus contains an arc chamber for confining a D.C. electrical arc discharge, the arc chamber containing an outlet orifice in fluid communication with a deposition chamber having a deposition opening in alignment wiht the orifice for depositing metal droplets on a coatable substrate. Metal wire is passed continuously into the arc chamber in alignment with the orifice. Electric arcing between the metal wire anode and the orifice cathode produces droplets of molten metal from the wire which pass through the orifice and into the deposition chamber for coating a substrate exposed at the deposition opening. When producing metal matrix composites, a suspension of particulates in an inert gas enters the deposition chamber via a plurality of feed openings below and around the orifice so that reinforcing particulates join the metal droplets to produce a uniform mixture which then coats the exposed substrate with a uniform metal matrix composite.

Apparatus for gas-metal arc deposition

DOEpatents

Buhrmaster, Carol L.; Clark, Denis E.; Smartt, Herschel B.

1991-01-01

Apparatus for gas-metal arc deposition of metal, metal alloys, and metal matrix composites. The apparatus contains an arc chamber for confining a D.C. electrical arc discharge, the arc chamber containing an outlet orifice in fluid communication with a deposition chamber having a deposition opening in alignment with the orifice for depositing metal droplets on a coatable substrate. Metal wire is passed continuously into the arc chamber in alignment with the orifice. Electric arcing between the metal wire anode and the orifice cathode produces droplets of molten metal from the wire which pass through the orifice and into the deposition chamber for coating a substrate exposed at the deposition opening. When producing metal matrix composites, a suspenion of particulates in an inert gas enters the deposition chamber via a plurality of feed openings below and around the orifice so that reinforcing particulates join the metal droplets to produce a uniform mixture which then coats the exposed substrate with a uniform metal matrix composite.

Ultrahigh vacuum/high pressure chamber for surface x-ray diffraction experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bernard, P.; Peters, K.; Alvarez, J.; Ferrer, S.

1999-02-01

We describe an ultrahigh vacuum chamber that can be internally pressurized to several bars and that is designed to perform surface x-ray diffraction experiments on solid-gas interfaces. The chamber has a cylindrical beryllium window that serves as the entrance and exit for the x rays. The sample surface can be ion bombarded with an ancillary ion gun and annealed to 1200 K.

Triple ionization chamber method for clinical dose monitoring with a Be-covered Li BNCT field.

PubMed

Nguyen, Thanh Tat; Kajimoto, Tsuyoshi; Tanaka, Kenichi; Nguyen, Chien Cong; Endo, Satoru

2016-11-01

Fast neutron, gamma-ray, and boron doses have different relative biological effectiveness (RBE). In boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), the clinical dose is the total of these dose components multiplied by their RBE. Clinical dose monitoring is necessary for quality assurance of the irradiation profile; therefore, the fast neutron, gamma-ray, and boron doses should be separately monitored. To estimate these doses separately, and to monitor the boron dose without monitoring the thermal neutron fluence, the authors propose a triple ionization chamber method using graphite-walled carbon dioxide gas (C-CO 2 ), tissue-equivalent plastic-walled tissue-equivalent gas (TE-TE), and boron-loaded tissue-equivalent plastic-walled tissue-equivalent gas [TE(B)-TE] chambers. To use this method for dose monitoring for a neutron and gamma-ray field moderated by D 2 O from a Be-covered Li target (Be-covered Li BNCT field), the relative sensitivities of these ionization chambers are required. The relative sensitivities of the TE-TE, C-CO 2 , and TE(B)-TE chambers to fast neutron, gamma-ray, and boron doses are calculated with the particle and heavy-ion transport code system (PHITS). The relative sensitivity of the TE(B)-TE chamber is calculated with the same method as for the TE-TE and C-CO 2 chambers in the paired chamber method. In the Be-covered Li BNCT field, the relative sensitivities of the ionization chambers to fast neutron, gamma-ray, and boron doses are calculated from the kerma ratios, mass attenuation coefficient tissue-to-wall ratios, and W-values. The Be-covered Li BNCT field consists of neutrons and gamma-rays which are emitted from a Be-covered Li target, and this resultant field is simulated by using PHITS with the cross section library of ENDF-VII. The kerma ratios and mass attenuation coefficient tissue-to-wall ratios are determined from the energy spectra of neutrons and gamma-rays in the Be-covered Li BNCT field. The W-value is calculated from recoil charged

Some effects of thermal-cycle-induced deformation in rocket thrust chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hannum, N. P.; Price, R. G., Jr.

1981-01-01

The deformation process observed in the hot gas side wall of rocket combustion chambers was investigaged for three different liner materials. Five thrust chambers were cycled to failure by using hydrogen and oxygen as propellants at a chamber pressure of 4.14 MN/cu m. The deformation was observed nondestructively at midlife points and destructively after failure occurred. The cyclic life results are presented with an accompanying discussion about the problems of life prediction associated with the types of failures encountered in the present work. Data indicating the deformation of the thrust chamber liner as cycles are accumulated are presented for each of the test thrust chambers. From these deformation data and observation of the failure sites it is evident that modeling the failure process as classic low cycle thermal fatigue is inadequate as a life prediction method.

Tobacco smoke aging in the presence of ozone: A room-sized chamber study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrick, Lauren M.; Sleiman, Mohamad; Dubowski, Yael; Gundel, Lara A.; Destaillats, Hugo

2011-09-01

Exposure to tobacco pollutants that linger indoors after smoking has taken place ( thirdhand smoke, THS) can occur over extended periods and is modulated by chemical processes involving atmospheric reactive species. This study investigates the role of ozone and indoor surfaces in chemical transformations of tobacco smoke residues. Gas and particle constituents of secondhand smoke (SHS) as well as sorbed SHS on chamber internal walls and model materials (cotton, paper, and gypsum wallboard) were characterized during aging. After smoldering 10 cigarettes in a 24-m 3 room size chamber, gas-phase nicotine was rapidly removed by sorption to chamber surfaces, and subsequently re-emitted during ventilation with clean air to a level of ˜10% that during the smoking phase. During chamber ventilation in the presence of ozone (180 ppb), ozone decayed at a rate of 5.6 h -1 and coincided with a factor of 5 less nicotine sorbed to wallboard. In the presence of ozone, no gas phase nicotine was detected as a result of re-emission, and higher concentrations of nicotine oxidation products were observed than when ventilation was performed with ozone-free air. Analysis of the model surfaces showed that heterogeneous nicotine-ozone reaction was faster on paper than cotton, and both were faster than on wallboard. However, wallboard played a dominant role in ozone-initiated reaction in the chamber due to its large total geometric surface area and sink potential compared to the other substrates. This study is the first to show in a room-sized environmental chamber that the heterogeneous ozone chemistry of sorbed nicotine generates THS constituents of concern, as observed previously in bench-top studies. In addition to the main oxidation products (cotinine, myosmine and N-methyl formamide), nicotine-1-oxide was detected for the first time.

Gas centrifuge purge method

DOEpatents

Theurich, Gordon R.

1976-01-01

1. In a method of separating isotopes in a high speed gas centrifuge wherein a vertically oriented cylindrical rotor bowl is adapted to rotate about its axis within an evacuated chamber, and wherein an annular molecular pump having an intake end and a discharge end encircles the uppermost portion of said rotor bowl, said molecular pump being attached along its periphery in a leak-tight manner to said evacuated chamber, and wherein end cap closure means are affixed to the upper end of said rotor bowl, and a process gas withdrawal and insertion system enters said bowl through said end cap closure means, said evacuated chamber, molecular pump and end cap defining an upper zone at the discharge end of said molecular pump, said evacuated chamber, molecular pump and rotor bowl defining a lower annular zone at the intake end of said molecular pump, a method for removing gases from said upper and lower zones during centrifuge operation with a minimum loss of process gas from said rotor bowl, comprising, in combination: continuously measuring the pressure in said upper zone, pumping gas from said lower zone from the time the pressure in said upper zone equals a first preselected value until the pressure in said upper zone is equal to a second preselected value, said first preselected value being greater than said second preselected value, and continuously pumping gas from said upper zone from the time the pressure in said upper zone equals a third preselected value until the pressure in said upper zone is equal to a fourth preselected value, said third preselected value being greater than said first, second and fourth preselected values.

Humoral immune responses to Pneumocystis jirovecii antigens in HIV-infected and uninfected young children with pneumocystis pneumonia.

PubMed

Djawe, Kpandja; Daly, Kieran R; Levin, Linda; Zar, Heather J; Walzer, Peter D

2013-01-01

Humoral immune responses in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and uninfected children with Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) are poorly understood. Consecutive children hospitalized with acute pneumonia, tachypnea, and hypoxia in South Africa were investigated for PcP, which was diagnosed by real-time polymerase chain reaction on lower respiratory tract specimens. Serum antibody responses to recombinant fragments of the carboxyl terminus of Pneumocystis jirovecii major surface glycoprotein (MsgC) were analyzed. 149 children were enrolled of whom 96 (64%) were HIV-infected. PcP occurred in 69 (72%) of HIV-infected and 14 (26%) of HIV-uninfected children. HIV-infected children with PcP had significantly decreased IgG antibodies to MsgC compared to HIV-infected patients without PcP, but had similar IgM antibodies. In contrast, HIV-uninfected children with PcP showed no change in IgG antibodies to MsgC, but had significantly increased IgM antibodies compared to HIV-uninfected children without PCP. Age was an independent predictor of high IgG antibodies, whereas PcP was a predictor of low IgG antibodies and high IgM antibodies. IgG and IgM antibody levels to the most closely related MsgC fragments were predictors of survival from PcP. Young HIV-infected children with PcP have significantly impaired humoral immune responses to MsgC, whereas HIV-uninfected children with PcP can develop active humoral immune responses. The children also exhibit a complex relationship between specific host factors and antibody levels to MsgC fragments that may be related to survival from PcP.

Method for gas-metal arc deposition

DOEpatents

Buhrmaster, C.L.; Clark, D.E.; Smartt, H.B.

1990-11-13

Method and apparatus for gas-metal arc deposition of metal, metal alloys, and metal matrix composites are disclosed. The apparatus contains an arc chamber for confining a D.C. electrical arc discharge, the arc chamber containing an outlet orifice in fluid communication with a deposition chamber having a deposition opening in alignment with the orifice for depositing metal droplets on a coatable substrate. Metal wire is passed continuously into the arc chamber in alignment with the orifice. Electric arcing between the metal wire anode and the orifice cathode produces droplets of molten metal from the wire which pass through the orifice and into the deposition chamber for coating a substrate exposed at the deposition opening. When producing metal matrix composites, a suspension of particulates in an inert gas enters the deposition chamber via a plurality of feed openings below and around the orifice so that reinforcing particulates join the metal droplets to produce a uniform mixture which then coats the exposed substrate with a uniform metal matrix composite. 1 fig.

A Model Parameter Extraction Method for Dielectric Barrier Discharge Ozone Chamber using Differential Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amjad, M.; Salam, Z.; Ishaque, K.

2014-04-01

In order to design an efficient resonant power supply for ozone gas generator, it is necessary to accurately determine the parameters of the ozone chamber. In the conventional method, the information from Lissajous plot is used to estimate the values of these parameters. However, the experimental setup for this purpose can only predict the parameters at one operating frequency and there is no guarantee that it results in the highest ozone gas yield. This paper proposes a new approach to determine the parameters using a search and optimization technique known as Differential Evolution (DE). The desired objective function of DE is set at the resonance condition and the chamber parameter values can be searched regardless of experimental constraints. The chamber parameters obtained from the DE technique are validated by experiment.

A facility for long-term Mars simulation experiments: the Mars Environmental Simulation Chamber (MESCH).

PubMed

Jensen, Lars Liengaard; Merrison, Jonathan; Hansen, Aviaja Anna; Mikkelsen, Karina Aarup; Kristoffersen, Tommy; Nørnberg, Per; Lomstein, Bente Aagaard; Finster, Kai

2008-06-01

We describe the design, construction, and pilot operation of a Mars simulation facility comprised of a cryogenic environmental chamber, an atmospheric gas analyzer, and a xenon/mercury discharge source for UV generation. The Mars Environmental Simulation Chamber (MESCH) consists of a double-walled cylindrical chamber. The double wall provides a cooling mantle through which liquid N(2) can be circulated. A load-lock system that consists of a small pressure-exchange chamber, which can be evacuated, allows for the exchange of samples without changing the chamber environment. Fitted within the MESCH is a carousel, which holds up to 10 steel sample tubes. Rotation of the carousel is controlled by an external motor. Each sample in the carousel can be placed at any desired position. Environmental data, such as temperature, pressure, and UV exposure time, are computer logged and used in automated feedback mechanisms, enabling a wide variety of experiments that include time series. Tests of the simulation facility have successfully demonstrated its ability to produce temperature cycles and maintain low temperature (down to -140 degrees C), low atmospheric pressure (5-10 mbar), and a gas composition like that of Mars during long-term experiments.

A Facility for Long-Term Mars Simulation Experiments: The Mars Environmental Simulation Chamber (MESCH)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jensen, Lars Liengaard; Merrison, Jonathan; Hansen, Aviaja Anna; Mikkelsen, Karina Aarup; Kristoffersen, Tommy; Nørnberg, Per; Lomstein, Bente Aagaard; Finster, Kai

2008-06-01

We describe the design, construction, and pilot operation of a Mars simulation facility comprised of a cryogenic environmental chamber, an atmospheric gas analyzer, and a xenon/mercury discharge source for UV generation. The Mars Environmental Simulation Chamber (MESCH) consists of a double-walled cylindrical chamber. The double wall provides a cooling mantle through which liquid N2 can be circulated. A load-lock system that consists of a small pressure-exchange chamber, which can be evacuated, allows for the exchange of samples without changing the chamber environment. Fitted within the MESCH is a carousel, which holds up to 10 steel sample tubes. Rotation of the carousel is controlled by an external motor. Each sample in the carousel can be placed at any desired position. Environmental data, such as temperature, pressure, and UV exposure time, are computer logged and used in automated feedback mechanisms, enabling a wide variety of experiments that include time series. Tests of the simulation facility have successfully demonstrated its ability to produce temperature cycles and maintain low temperature (down to -140°C), low atmospheric pressure (5 10 mbar), and a gas composition like that of Mars during long-term experiments.

BOREAS TGB-1/TGB-3 CH4 Chamber Flux Data over the NSA Fen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubier, Jill L.; Moore, Tim R.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Conrad, Sara K. (Editor)

2000-01-01

The BOREAS TGB-3 team collected methane (CH4) chamber flux measurements at the NSA fen site during May-September 1994 and June-October 1996. Gas samples were extracted approximately every 7 days from chambers and analyzed at the NSA lab facility. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files.

BOREAS TGB-1 NSA CH4 and CO2 Chamber Flux Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Conrad, Sara K. (Editor); Crill, Patrick; Varner, Ruth K.

2000-01-01

The BOREAS TGB-1 team made methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) dark chamber flux measurements at the NSA-OJP, NSA-OBS, NSA-BP, and NSA-YJP sites from 16-May-1994 through 13-Sep-1994. Gas samples were extracted approximately every 7 days from dark chambers and analyzed at the NSA lab facility. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files.

Prevention of Over-Pressurization During Combustion in a Sealed Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gokoglu, Suleyman A.; Niehaus, Justin E.; Olson, Sandra L.; Dietrich, Daniel L.; Ruff, Gary A.; Johnston, Michael C.

2012-01-01

The combustion of flammable material in a sealed chamber invariably leads to an initial pressure rise in the volume. The pressure rise is due to the increase in the total number of gaseous moles (condensed fuel plus chamber oxygen combining to form gaseous carbon dioxide and water vapor) and, most importantly, the temperature rise of the gas in the chamber. Though the rise in temperature and pressure would reduce with time after flame extinguishment due to the absorption of heat by the walls and contents of the sealed spacecraft, the initial pressure rise from a fire, if large enough, could lead to a vehicle over-pressure and the release of gas through the pressure relief valve. This paper presents a simple lumped-parameter model of the pressure rise in a sealed chamber resulting from the heat release during combustion. The transient model considers the increase in gaseous moles due to combustion, and heat transfer to the chamber walls by convection and radiation and to the fuel-sample holder by conduction, as a function of the burning rate of the material. The results of the model are compared to the pressure rise in an experimental chamber during flame spread tests as well as to the pressure falloff after flame extinguishment. The experiments involve flame spread over thin solid fuel samples. Estimates of the heat release rate profiles for input to the model come from the assumed stoichiometric burning of the fuel along with the observed flame spread behavior. The sensitivity of the model to predict maximum chamber pressure is determined with respect to the uncertainties in input parameters. Model predictions are also presented for the pressure profile anticipated in the Fire Safety-1 experiment, a material flammability and fire safety experiment proposed for the European Space Agency (ESA) Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). Computations are done for a range of scenarios including various initial pressures and sample sizes. Based on these results, various

BOREAS TGB-3 CH4 and CO2 Chamber Flux Data over NSA Upland Sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savage, Kathleen; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Conrad, Sara K. (Editor); Moore, Tim R.

2000-01-01

The BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study Trace Gas Biogeochemistry (BOREAS TGB-3) team collected methane and carbon dioxide (CH4, CO2) chamber flux measurements at the Northern Study Area (NSA) Fen, Old Black Spruce (OBS), Young Jack Pine (YJP), and auxiliary sites along Gillam Road and the 1989 burn site. Gas samples were extracted from chambers and analyzed at the NSA lab facility approximately every 7 days during May to September 1994 and June to October 1996. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files.

Density and mixture fraction measurements in a GO2/GH2 uni-element rocket chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moser, M. D.; Pal, S.; Santoro, R. J.

1994-01-01

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in gas/gas injectors for rocket combustion. Specifically, the proposed new concept of full-flow oxygen rich preburner systems calls for the injection of both oxygen and hydrogen into the main chamber as gaseous propellants. The technology base for gas/gas injection must mature before actual booster class systems can be designed and fabricated. Since the data base for gas/gas injection is limited to studies focusing on the global parameters of small reaction engines, there is a critical need for experiment programs that emphasize studying the mixing and combustion characteristics of GO2 and GH2 propellants from a uni-element injector point of view. The experimental study of the combusting GO2/GH2 propellant combination in a uni-element rocket chamber also provides a simplified environment, in terms of both geometry and chemistry, that can be used to verify and validate computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models.

USDA-ARS GRACEnet Project Protocols, Chapter 3. Chamber-based trace gas flux measurements4

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This protocol addresses N2O, CO2 and CH4 flux measurement by soil chamber methodology. The reactivities of other gasses of interest such as NOx O3, CO, and NH3 will require different chambers and associated instrumentation. Carbon dioxide is included as an analyte with this protocol; however, when p...

Investigation of particle and vapor wall-loss effects on controlled wood-smoke smog-chamber experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bian, Q.; May, A. A.; Kreidenweis, S. M.; Pierce, J. R.

2015-10-01

Smog chambers are extensively used to study processes that drive gas and particle evolution in the atmosphere. A limitation of these experiments is that particles and gas-phase species may be lost to chamber walls on shorter timescales than the timescales of the atmospheric processes being studied in the chamber experiments. These particle and vapor wall losses have been investigated in recent studies of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation, but they have not been systematically investigated in experiments of primary emissions from combustion. The semi-volatile nature of combustion emissions (e.g. from wood smoke) may complicate the behavior of particle and vapor wall deposition in the chamber over the course of the experiments due to the competition between gas/particle and gas/wall partitioning. Losses of vapors to the walls may impact particle evaporation in these experiments, and potential precursors for SOA formation from combustion may be lost to the walls, causing underestimations of aerosol yields. Here, we conduct simulations to determine how particle and gas-phase wall losses contributed to the observed evolution of the aerosol during experiments in the third Fire Lab At Missoula Experiment (FLAME III). We use the TwO-Moment Aerosol Sectional (TOMAS) microphysics algorithm coupled with the organic volatility basis set (VBS) and wall-loss formulations to examine the predicted extent of particle and vapor wall losses. We limit the scope of our study to the dark periods in the chamber before photo-oxidation to simplify the aerosol system for this initial study. Our model simulations suggest that over one-third of the initial particle-phase organic mass (41 %) was lost during the experiments, and over half of this particle-organic mass loss was from direct particle wall loss (65 % of the loss) with the remainder from evaporation of the particles driven by vapor losses to the walls (35 % of the loss). We perform a series of sensitivity tests to understand

Investigation of particle and vapor wall-loss effects on controlled wood-smoke smog-chamber experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bian, Q.; May, A. A.; Kreidenweis, S. M.; Pierce, J. R.

2015-06-01

Smog chambers are extensively used to study processes that drive gas and particle evolution in the atmosphere. A limitation of these experiments is that particles and gas-phase species may be lost to chamber walls on shorter timescales than the timescales of the atmospheric processes being studied in the chamber experiments. These particle and vapor wall losses have been investigated in recent studies of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation, but they have not been systematically investigated in experiments of primary emissions from combustion. The semi-volatile nature of combustion emissions (e.g. from wood smoke) may complicate the behavior of particle and vapor wall deposition in the chamber over the course of the experiments due to the competition between gas/particle and gas/wall partitioning. Losses of vapors to the walls may impact particle evaporation in these experiments, and potential precursors for SOA formation from combustion may be lost to the walls, causing underestimates of aerosol yields. Here, we conduct simulations to determine how particle and gas-phase wall losses contributed to the observed evolution of the aerosol during experiments in the third Fire Lab At Missoula Experiment (FLAME III). We use the TwO-Moment Aerosol Sectional (TOMAS) microphysics algorithm coupled with the organic volatility basis set (VBS) and wall-loss formulations to examine the predicted extent of particle and vapor wall losses. We limit the scope of our study to the dark periods in the chamber before photo-oxidation to simplify the aerosol system for this initial study. Our model simulations suggest that over one third of the initial particle-phase organic mass (36%) was lost during the experiments, and roughly half of this particle organic mass loss was from direct particle wall loss (56% of the loss) with the remainder from evaporation of the particles driven by vapor losses to the walls (44% of the loss). We perform a series of sensitivity tests to understand

Investigation of particle and vapor wall-loss effects on controlled wood-smoke smog-chamber experiments

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

Bian, Q.; May, A. A.; Kreidenweis, Sonia M.

Here, smog chambers are extensively used to study processes that drive gas and particle evolution in the atmosphere. A limitation of these experiments is that particles and gas-phase species may be lost to chamber walls on shorter timescales than the timescales of the atmospheric processes being studied in the chamber experiments. These particle and vapor wall losses have been investigated in recent studies of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation, but they have not been systematically investigated in experiments of primary emissions from combustion. The semi-volatile nature of combustion emissions (e.g. from wood smoke) may complicate the behavior of particle andmore » vapor wall deposition in the chamber over the course of the experiments due to the competition between gas/particle and gas/wall partitioning. Losses of vapors to the walls may impact particle evaporation in these experiments, and potential precursors for SOA formation from combustion may be lost to the walls, causing underestimations of aerosol yields. Here, we conduct simulations to determine how particle and gas-phase wall losses contributed to the observed evolution of the aerosol during experiments in the third Fire Lab At Missoula Experiment (FLAME III). We use the TwO-Moment Aerosol Sectional (TOMAS) microphysics algorithm coupled with the organic volatility basis set (VBS) and wall-loss formulations to examine the predicted extent of particle and vapor wall losses. We limit the scope of our study to the dark periods in the chamber before photo-oxidation to simplify the aerosol system for this initial study. Our model simulations suggest that over one-third of the initial particle-phase organic mass (41 %) was lost during the experiments, and over half of this particle-organic mass loss was from direct particle wall loss (65 % of the loss) with the remainder from evaporation of the particles driven by vapor losses to the walls (35 % of the loss). We perform a series of sensitivity tests

Effects of discharge chamber length on the negative ion generation in volume-produced negative hydrogen ion source

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

Chung, Kyoung-Jae; Jung, Bong-Ki; An, YoungHwa

2014-02-15

In a volume-produced negative hydrogen ion source, control of electron temperature is essential due to its close correlation with the generation of highly vibrationally excited hydrogen molecules in the heating region as well as the generation of negative hydrogen ions by dissociative attachment in the extraction region. In this study, geometric effects of the cylindrical discharge chamber on negative ion generation via electron temperature changes are investigated in two discharge chambers with different lengths of 7.5 cm and 11 cm. Measurements with a radio-frequency-compensated Langmuir probe show that the electron temperature in the heating region is significantly increased by reducingmore » the length of the discharge chamber due to the reduced effective plasma size. A particle balance model which is modified to consider the effects of discharge chamber configuration on the plasma parameters explains the variation of the electron temperature with the chamber geometry and gas pressure quite well. Accordingly, H{sup −} ion density measurement with laser photo-detachment in the short chamber shows a few times increase compared to the longer one at the same heating power depending on gas pressure. However, the increase drops significantly as operating gas pressure decreases, indicating increased electron temperatures in the extraction region degrade dissociative attachment significantly especially in the low pressure regime. It is concluded that the increase of electron temperature by adjusting the discharge chamber geometry is efficient to increase H{sup −} ion production as long as low electron temperatures are maintained in the extraction region in volume-produced negative hydrogen ion sources.« less

Residual gas analysis device

DOEpatents

Thornberg, Steven M [Peralta, NM

2012-07-31

A system is provided for testing the hermeticity of a package, such as a microelectromechanical systems package containing a sealed gas volume, with a sampling device that has the capability to isolate the package and breach the gas seal connected to a pulse valve that can controllably transmit small volumes down to 2 nanoliters to a gas chamber for analysis using gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy diagnostics.

A Technique for Murine Irradiation in a Controlled Gas Environment

PubMed Central

Walb, M. C.; Moore, J. E.; Attia, A.; Wheeler, K. T.; Miller, M. S.; Munley, M. T.

2013-01-01

NASA’s extra-vehicular activities (EVAs) involve exposure to high energy photons while breathing 100% oxygen. Using previously verified mouse models, our laboratory is studying whether low dose irradiation under these hyperoxic conditions could lead to an increase in carcinogenic potential. To simulate the environment astronauts encounter during an EVA, enclosed chambers were constructed that allowed for mouse movement, controlled gas conditions, and uniform radiation dose delivery. Custom-built gas chambers with input/output gas valves and dividers that allowed for uniform gas flow were used to keep 6 unanesthetized mice separated while they were irradiated. The chambers were supplied with 100% oxygen or air using ball valves linked together with T-splitters. A calibrated ion chamber was used to verify the radiation dose distribution across an entire chamber. Mice were placed in the gas environments for 0.5 h, irradiated with a 10 or 18 MV photon beam from a medical linear accelerator, and left in their gas environment for 2 h post-irradiation. We irradiated 200 mice (5 different doses between 0–1000 mGy) under normoxic or 100% oxygen conditions. For the next step of this research, these mice will be euthanized 9 months post-irradiation, and lung tumors will be counted and sized to determine if hyperoxia increases the carcinogenic effect for this model. PMID:22846321

Modeling and validation of single-chamber microbial fuel cell cathode biofilm growth and response to oxidant gas composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ou, Shiqi; Zhao, Yi; Aaron, Douglas S.; Regan, John M.; Mench, Matthew M.

2016-10-01

This work describes experiments and computational simulations to analyze single-chamber, air-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance and cathodic limitations in terms of current generation, power output, mass transport, biomass competition, and biofilm growth. Steady-state and transient cathode models were developed and experimentally validated. Two cathode gas mixtures were used to explore oxygen transport in the cathode: the MFCs exposed to a helium-oxygen mixture (heliox) produced higher current and power output than the group of MFCs exposed to air or a nitrogen-oxygen mixture (nitrox), indicating a dependence on gas-phase transport in the cathode. Multi-substance transport, biological reactions, and electrochemical reactions in a multi-layer and multi-biomass cathode biofilm were also simulated in a transient model. The transient model described biofilm growth over 15 days while providing insight into mass transport and cathodic dissolved species concentration profiles during biofilm growth. Simulation results predict that the dissolved oxygen content and diffusion in the cathode are key parameters affecting the power output of the air-cathode MFC system, with greater oxygen content in the cathode resulting in increased power output and fully-matured biomass.

Modeling and validation of single-chamber microbial fuel cell cathode biofilm growth and response to oxidant gas composition

DOE PAGES

Ou, Shiqi; Zhao, Yi; Aaron, Douglas S.; ...

2016-08-15

This work describes experiments and computational simulations to analyze single-chamber, air-cathode microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance and cathodic limitations in terms of current generation, power output, mass transport, biomass competition, and biofilm growth. Steady-state and transient cathode models were developed and experimentally validated. Two cathode gas mixtures were used to explore oxygen transport in the cathode: the MFCs exposed to a helium-oxygen mixture (heliox) produced higher current and power output than the group of MFCs exposed to air or a nitrogen-oxygen mixture (nitrox), indicating a dependence on gas-phase transport in the cathode. Multi-substance transport, biological reactions, and electrochemical reactions inmore » a multi-layer and multi-biomass cathode biofilm were also simulated in a transient model. The transient model described biofilm growth over 15 days while providing insight into mass transport and cathodic dissolved species concentration profiles during biofilm growth. Lastly, simulation results predict that the dissolved oxygen content and diffusion in the cathode are key parameters affecting the power output of the air-cathode MFC system, with greater oxygen content in the cathode resulting in increased power output and fully-matured biomass.« less

Request for Correction 12003 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Request for Correction by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for information in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting from the Petroleum Gas Industry that regarding methane emissions, volatile organic compounds, and hazardous air pollutants.

Annual Net Ecosystem Productivity of Wetlands: A Comparison of Automated and Manual Chamber Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burrows, E. H.; Bubier, J. L.; Mosedale, A.; Crill, P. M.

2001-05-01

Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide (CO2) was measured in a minerotrophic poor fen in southeastern New Hampshire during the 2000 growing season using two types of chamber methods. Instantaneous CO2 flux was measured with transparent lexan and teflon static climate controlled chambers by calculating the change in headspace CO2 concentration in the chamber over time. Once per week the flux was sampled from ten manually operated chambers using a LI-COR 6200 portable photosynthesis system, which included a LI-6250 infrared gas analyzer, connected to the chambers. Ten automated chambers were installed in May of 2000, sampling CO2 flux every three hours over the diurnal cycle using a LI-COR 6262 infrared gas analyzer. The chambers and collars were placed throughout the fen in order to sample the range of plant communities. The manual sampling was done during the middle of the day, but the rate of photosynthesis changes depending on the amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). In order to simulate varying light levels, shrouds blocking different amounts of light were placed over each manual chamber. An opaque shroud was used to measure respiration. NEE ranged from -13.0 to 12.5 μ mol CO2/m2/s in the manual chambers and -16.2 to 11.8 μ mol CO2/m2/s in the automated chambers for the mid-summer growing season. Manual respiration fluxes were measured under higher temperature regimes and the response of respiration to temperature will be factored in when comparing the two chamber techniques. Research during the summer of 2001 will also include diurnal measurements. Growing season net ecosystem productivity (NEP) will be estimated and compared for the two chamber systems. Several models will be used to estimate the flux when the manual chambers were not being sampled. The models will be based on biomass and dominant species in each chamber, and various environmental factors including water table, pH, relative humidity, PAR, air and peat temperature

Humoral Immune Responses to Pneumocystis jirovecii Antigens in HIV-Infected and Uninfected Young Children with Pneumocystis Pneumonia

PubMed Central

Djawe, Kpandja; Daly, Kieran R.; Walzer, Peter D.

2013-01-01

Background Humoral immune responses in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and uninfected children with Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) are poorly understood. Methods Consecutive children hospitalized with acute pneumonia, tachypnea, and hypoxia in South Africa were investigated for PcP, which was diagnosed by real-time polymerase chain reaction on lower respiratory tract specimens. Serum antibody responses to recombinant fragments of the carboxyl terminus of Pneumocystis jirovecii major surface glycoprotein (MsgC) were analyzed. Results 149 children were enrolled of whom 96 (64%) were HIV-infected. PcP occurred in 69 (72%) of HIV-infected and 14 (26%) of HIV-uninfected children. HIV-infected children with PcP had significantly decreased IgG antibodies to MsgC compared to HIV-infected patients without PcP, but had similar IgM antibodies. In contrast, HIV-uninfected children with PcP showed no change in IgG antibodies to MsgC, but had significantly increased IgM antibodies compared to HIV-uninfected children without PCP. Age was an independent predictor of high IgG antibodies, whereas PcP was a predictor of low IgG antibodies and high IgM antibodies. IgG and IgM antibody levels to the most closely related MsgC fragments were predictors of survival from PcP. Conclusions Young HIV-infected children with PcP have significantly impaired humoral immune responses to MsgC, whereas HIV-uninfected children with PcP can develop active humoral immune responses. The children also exhibit a complex relationship between specific host factors and antibody levels to MsgC fragments that may be related to survival from PcP. PMID:24386119

AEROSOL GROWTH IN A STEADY-STATE, CONTINUOUS FLOW CHAMBER: APPLICATION TO STUDIES OF SECONDARY AEROSOL FORMATION

EPA Science Inventory

An analytical solution for the steady-state aerosol size distribution achieved in a steady-state, continuous flow chamber is derived, where particle growth is occurring by gas-to-particle conversion and particle loss is occurring by deposition to the walls of the chamber. The s...

Portable Hyperbaric Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, William C. (Inventor); Locke, James P. (Inventor); DeLaFuente, Horacio (Inventor)

2001-01-01

A portable, collapsible hyperbaric chamber was developed. A toroidal inflatable skeleton provides initial structural support for the chamber, allowing the attendant and/or patient to enter the chamber. Oval hatches mate against bulkhead rings, and the hyperbaric chamber is pressurized. The hatches seal against an o-ring, and the internal pressure of the chamber provides the required pressure against the hatch to maintain an airtight seal. In the preferred embodiment, the hyperbaric chamber has an airlock to allow the attendant to enter and exit the patient chamber during treatment. Visual communication is provided through portholes in the patient and/or airlock chamber. Life monitoring and support systems are in communication with the interior of the hyperbaric chamber and/or airlock chamber through conduits and/or sealed feed-through connectors into the hyperbaric chamber.

Demonstration of a chamber for strain mapping of steel specimens under mechanical load in a hydrogen environment by synchrotron radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connolly, Matthew; Park, Jun-Sang; Bradley, Peter; Lauria, Damian; Slifka, Andrew; Drexler, Elizabeth

2018-06-01

We demonstrate a hydrogen gas chamber suitable for lattice strain measurements and capturing radiographs of a steel specimen under a mechanical load using high energy synchrotron x-rays. The chamber is suitable for static and cyclic mechanical loading. Experiments were conducted at the 1-ID-E end station of the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory. Diffraction patterns show a high signal-to-noise ratio suitable for lattice strain measurements for the specimen and with minimal scattering and overlap from the gas chamber manufactured from aluminum. In situ radiographs of a specimen in the hydrogen chamber show the ability to track a growing crack and to map the lattice strain around the crack with high spatial and strain resolution.

Investigation of thermal and temporal responses of ionization chambers in radiation dosimetry.

PubMed

AlMasri, Hussein; Funyu, Akira; Kakinohana, Yasumasa; Murayama, Sadayuki

2012-07-01

The ionization chamber is a primary dosimeter that is used in radiation dosimetry. Generally, the ion chamber response requires temperature/pressure correction according to the ideal gas law. However, this correction does not consider the thermal volume effect of chambers. The temporal and thermal volume effects of various chambers (CC01, CC13, NACP parallel-plate, PTW) with different wall and electrode materials have been studied in a water phantom. Measurements were done after heating the water with a suitable heating system, and chambers were submerged for a sufficient time to allow for temperature equilibrium. Temporal results show that all chambers equilibrate quickly in water. The equilibration time was between 3 and 5 min for all chambers. Thermal results show that all chambers expanded in response to heating except for the PTW, which contracted. This might be explained by the differences in the volumes of all chambers and also by the difference in wall material composition of PTW from the other chambers. It was found that the smallest chamber, CC01, showed the greatest expansion. The magnitude of the expansion was ~1, 0.8, and 0.9% for CC01, CC13, and parallel-plate chambers, respectively, in the temperature range of 295-320 K. The magnitude of the detected contraction was <0.3% for PTW in the same temperature range. For absolute dosimetry, it is necessary to make corrections for the ion chamber response, especially for small ion chambers like the CC01. Otherwise, room and water phantom temperatures should remain within a close range.

MEMS CLOSED CHAMBER HEAT ENGINE AND ELECTRIC GENERATOR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

A heat engine, preferably combined with an electric generator, and advantageously implemented using micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) technologies as an array of one or more individual heat engine/generators. The heat engine is based on a closed chamber containing a motive medium, preferably a gas; means for alternately enabling and disabling transfer of thermal energy from a heat source to the motive medium; and at least one movable side of the chamber that moves in response to thermally-induced expansion and contraction of the motive medium, thereby converting thermal energy to oscillating movement. The electrical generator is combined with the heat engine to utilize movement of the movable side to convert mechanical work to electrical energy, preferably using electrostatic interaction in a generator capacitor. Preferably at least one heat transfer side of the chamber is placed alternately into and out of contact with the heat source by a motion capacitor, thereby alternately enabling and disabling conductive transfer of heat to the motive medium.

Microwave off-gas treatment apparatus and process

DOEpatents

Schulz, Rebecca L.; Clark, David E.; Wicks, George G.

2003-01-01

The invention discloses a microwave off-gas system in which microwave energy is used to treat gaseous waste. A treatment chamber is used to remediate off-gases from an emission source by passing the off-gases through a susceptor matrix, the matrix being exposed to microwave radiation. The microwave radiation and elevated temperatures within the combustion chamber provide for significant reductions in the qualitative and quantitative emissions of the gas waste stream.

Technical note: Headspace analysis of explosive compounds using a novel sampling chamber.

PubMed

DeGreeff, Lauryn; Rogers, Duane A; Katilie, Christopher; Johnson, Kevin; Rose-Pehrsson, Susan

2015-03-01

The development of instruments and methods for explosive vapor detection is a continually evolving field of interest. A thorough understanding of the characteristic vapor signatures of explosive material is imperative for the development and testing of new and current detectors. In this research a headspace sampling chamber was designed to contain explosive materials for the controlled, reproducible sampling and characterization of vapors associated with these materials. In a detonation test, the chamber was shown to contain an explosion equivalent to three grams of trinitrotoluene (TNT) without damage to the chamber. The efficacy of the chamber in controlled headspace sampling was evaluated in laboratory tests with bulk explosive materials. Small quantities of TNT, triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD) were separately placed in the sampling chamber, and the headspace of each material was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with online cryogenic trapping to yield characteristic vapor signatures for each explosive compound. Chamber sampling conditions, temperature and sampling time, were varied to demonstrate suitability for precise headspace analysis. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Gas arc constriction for plasma arc welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGee, William F. (Inventor); Rybicki, Daniel J. (Inventor)

1994-01-01

A welding torch for plasma arc welding apparatus has an inert gas applied circumferentially about the arc column externally of the constricting nozzle so as to apply a constricting force on the arc after it has exited the nozzle orifice and downstream of the auxiliary shielding gas. The constricting inert gas is supplied to a plenum chamber about the body of the torch and exits through a series of circumferentially disposed orifices in an annular wall forming a closure at the forward end of the constricting gas plenum chamber. The constricting force of the circumferential gas flow about the arc concentrates and focuses the arc column into a more narrow and dense column of energy after exiting the nozzle orifice so that the arc better retains its energy density prior to contacting the workpiece.

Diel and seasonal nitrous oxide fluxes determined by floating chamber and gas transfer equation methods in agricultural irrigation watersheds in southeast China.

PubMed

Wu, Shuang; Chen, Jie; Li, Chen; Kong, Delei; Yu, Kai; Liu, Shuwei; Zou, Jianwen

2018-02-07

Agricultural nitrate leaching and runoff incurs high nitrogen loads in agricultural irrigation watersheds, constituting one of important sources of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N 2 O). Two independent sampling campaigns of N 2 O flux measurement over diel cycles and N 2 O flux measurements once a week over annual cycles were carried out in an agricultural irrigation watershed in southeast China using floating chamber (chamber-based) and gas transfer equation (model-based) methods. The diel and seasonal patterns of N 2 O fluxes did not differ between the two measurement methods. The diel variation in N 2 O fluxes was characterized by the pattern that N 2 O fluxes were greater during nighttime than daytime periods with a single flux peak at midnight. The diel variation in N 2 O fluxes was closely associated with water environment and chemistry. The time interval of 9:00-11:00 a.m. was identified to be the sampling time best representing daily N 2 O flux measurements in agricultural irrigation watersheds. Seasonal N 2 O fluxes showed large variation, with some flux peaks corresponding to agricultural irrigation and drainage episodes and heavy rainfall during the crop-growing period of May to November. On average, N 2 O fluxes calculated by model-based methods were 27% lower than those determined by the chamber-based techniques over diel or annual cycles. Overall, more measurement campaigns are highly needed to assess regional agricultural N 2 O budget with low uncertainties.

The Outdoor Atmospheric Simulation Chamber of Orleans-France (HELIOS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mellouki, A.; Véronique, D.; Grosselin, B.; Peyroux, F.; Benoit, R.; Ren, Y.; Idir, M.

2016-12-01

Atmospheric simulation chambers are among the most advanced tools for investigating the atmospheric processes to derive physico-chemical parameters which are required for air quality and climate models. Recently, the ICARE-CNRS at Orléans (France) has set up a new large outdoor simulation chamber, HELIOS. HELIOS is one of the most advanced simulation chambers in Europe. It is one of the largest outdoor chambers and is especially suited to processes studies performed under realistic atmospheric conditions. HELIOS is a large hemispherical outdoor simulation chamber (volume of 90 m3) positioned on the top of ICARE-CNRS building at Orléans (47°50'18.39N; 1°56'40.03E). The chamber is made of FEP film ensuring more than 90 % solar light transmission. The chamber is protected against severe meteorological conditions by a moveable "box" which contains a series of Xenon lamps enabling to conduct experiments using artificial light. This special design makes HELIOS a unique platform where experiments can be made using both types of irradiations. HELIOS is dedicated mainly to the investigation of the chemical processes under different conditions (sunlight, artificial light and dark). The platform allows conducting the same type of experiments under both natural and artificial light irradiation. The available large range of complementary and highly sensitive instruments allows investigating the radical chemistry, gas phase processes and aerosol formation under realistic conditions. The characteristics of HELIOS will be presented as well as the first series of experimental results obtained so far.

Inert gas ion thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramsey, W. D.

1980-01-01

Inert gas performance with three types of 12 cm diameter magnetoelectrostatic containment (MESC) ion thrusters was tested. The types tested included: (1) a hemispherical shaped discharge chamber with platinum cobalt magnets; (2) three different lengths of the hemispherical chambers with samarium cobalt magnets; and (3) three lengths of the conical shaped chambers with aluminum nickel cobalt magnets. The best argon performance was produced by a 8.0 cm long conical chamber with alnico magnets. The best xenon high mass utilization performance was obtained with the same 8.0 cm long conical thruster. The hemispherical thruster obtained 75 to 87% mass utilization at 185 to 205 eV/ion of singly charged ion equivalent beam.

Overview of the data analysis and new micro-pattern gas detector development for the Active Target Time Projection Chamber (AT-TPC) project.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayyad, Yassid; Mittig, Wolfgang; Bazin, Daniel; Cortesi, Marco

2017-07-01

The Active Target Time Projection Chamber (AT-TPC) project at the NSCL (National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University) is a novel active target detector tailored for low-energy nuclear reactions in inverse kinematics with radioactive ion beams. The AT-TPC allows for a full three dimensional reconstruction of the reaction and provides high luminosity without degradation of resolution by the thickness of the target. Since all the particles (and also the reaction vertex) are tracked inside the detector, the AT-TPC has full 4π efficiency. The AT-TPC can operate under a magnetic field (2 T) that improves the identification of the particles and the energy resolution through the measurement of the magnetic rigidity. Another important characteristic of the AT-TPC is the high-gain operation achieved by the hybrid thick Gas Electron Multipliers (THGEM)-Micromegas pad plane, that allow operation also in pure elemental gas. These two features make the AT-TPC a unique high resolution spectrometer with full acceptance for nuclear physics reactions. This work presents an overview of the project, focused on the data analysis and the development of new micro-pattern gas detectors.

Gas chromatography/matrix-isolation apparatus

DOEpatents

Reedy, G.T.

1986-06-10

A gas-sample collection device provides matrix isolation of individual gas bands from a gas chromatographic separation and for the spectroscopic analysis of the individual sample bands. The device includes a vacuum chamber containing a rotatably supported, specular carousel having at least one reflecting surface for holding a sample deposited thereon. A gas inlet is provided for depositing a mixture of sample and matrix material on the reflecting surface which is maintained at a sufficiently low temperature to cause solidification. A first parabolic mirror directs an incident beam of electromagnetic radiation, such as in the infrared (IR) spectrum, from a source onto the sample/matrix mixture while a second parabolic mirror directs a second beam of electromagnetic radiation reflected by the specular surface to an IR spectrometer for determining the absorption spectra of the sample material deposited on the reflecting surface. The pair of off-axis parabolic mirrors having a common focal point are positioned outside of the vacuum chamber and may be displaced in combination for improved beam positioning and alignment. The carousel is provided with an aperture for each reflecting surface to facilitate accurate positioning of the incident beam relative to the gas-samples under analysis. Improved gas-sample deposition is insured by the use of a long focal length stereomicroscope positioned outside of the vacuum chamber for monitoring sample formation through a window, while the sample collector is positioned outside of the zone bounded by the incident and reflected electromagnetic beams for improved sample access and monitoring. 10 figs.

Gas chromatography/matrix-isolation apparatus

DOEpatents

Reedy, Gerald T.

1986-01-01

A gas-sample collection device provides matrix isolation of individual gas bands from a gas chromatographic separation and for the spectroscopic analysis of the individual sample bands. The device includes a vacuum chamber containing a rotatably supported, specular carousel having at least one reflecting surface for holding a sample deposited thereon. A gas inlet is provided for depositing a mixture of sample and matrix material on the reflecting surface which is maintained at a sufficiently low temperature to cause solidification. A first parabolic mirror directs an incident beam of electromagnetic radiation, such as in the infrared (IR) spectrum, from a source onto the sample/matrix mixture while a second parabolic mirror directs a second beam of electromagnetic radiation reflected by the specular surface to an IR spectrometer for determining the absorption spectra of the sample material deposited on the reflecting surface. The pair of off-axis parabolic mirrors having a common focal point are positioned outside of the vacuum chamber and may be displaced in combination for improved beam positioning and alignment. The carousel is provided with an aperture for each reflecting surface to facilitate accurate positioning of the incident beam relative to the gas-samples under analysis. Improved gas-sample deposition is insured by the use of a long focal length stereomicroscope positioned outside of the vacuum chamber for monitoring sample formation through a window, while the sample collector is positioned outside of the zone bounded by the incident and reflected electromagnetic beams for improved sample access and monitoring.

Some potential errors in the measurement of mercury gas exchange at the soil surface using a dynamic flux chamber.

PubMed

Gillis, A; Miller, D R

2000-10-09

A series of controlled environment experiments were conducted to examine the use of a dynamic flux chamber to measure soil emission and absorption of total gaseous mercury (TGM). Uncertainty about the appropriate airflow rates through the chamber and chamber exposure to ambient wind are shown to be major sources of potential error. Soil surface mercury flux measurements over a range of chamber airflow rates showed a positive linear relationship between flux rates and airflow rate through the chamber. Mercury flux measurements using the chamber in an environmental wind tunnel showed that exposure of the system to ambient winds decreased the measured flux rates by 40% at a wind speed of 1.0 m s(-1) and 90% at a wind speed of 2 m s(-1). Wind tunnel measurements also showed that the chamber footprint was limited to the area of soil inside the chamber and there is little uncertainty of the footprint size in dry soil.

Measuring and predicting the emission rate of phthalate plasticizer from vinyl flooring in a specially-designed chamber.

PubMed

Xu, Ying; Liu, Zhe; Park, Jinsoo; Clausen, Per A; Benning, Jennifer L; Little, John C

2012-11-20

The emission of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) from vinyl flooring (VF) was measured in specially designed stainless steel chambers. In duplicate chamber studies, the gas-phase concentration in the chamber increased slowly and reached a steady state level of 0.8-0.9 μg/m(3) after about 20 days. By increasing the area of vinyl flooring and decreasing that of the stainless steel surface within the chamber, the time to reach steady state was significantly reduced, compared to a previous study (1 month versus 5 months). The adsorption isotherm of DEHP on the stainless steel chamber surfaces was explicitly measured using solvent extraction and thermal desorption. The strong partitioning of DEHP onto the stainless steel surface was found to follow a simple linear relationship. Thermal desorption resulted in higher recovery than solvent extraction. Investigation of sorption kinetics showed that it takes several weeks for the sorption of DEHP onto the stainless steel surface to reach equilibrium. The content of DEHP in VF was measured at about 15% (w/w) using pressurized liquid extraction. The independently measured or calculated parameters were used to validate an SVOC emission model, with excellent agreement between model prediction and the observed gas-phase DEHP chamber concentrations.

Gas turbine combustor exit piece with hinged connections

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

Charron, Richard C.; Pankey, William W.

2016-04-26

An exit piece (66) with an inlet throat (67) that conducts a combustion gas flow (36A) in a path (82) from a combustor (63) to an annular chamber (68) that feeds the first blade section (37) of a gas turbine (26). The exit piece further includes an outlet portion (69) that forms a circumferential segment of the annular chamber. The outlet portion interconnects with adjacent outlet portions by hinges (78A, 78B, 80A, 80B). Each hinge may have a hinge axis (82A, 82B) parallel to a centerline (21) of the turbine. Respective gas flows (36A) are configured by an assembly (60)more » of the exit pieces to converge on the feed chamber (68) into a uniform helical flow that drives the first blade section with minimal circumferential variations in force.« less

Method of fabricating a rocket engine combustion chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, Richard R. (Inventor); Mckechnie, Timothy N. (Inventor); Power, Christopher A. (Inventor); Daniel, Ronald L., Jr. (Inventor); Saxelby, Robert M. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A process for making a combustion chamber for a rocket engine wherein a copper alloy in particle form is injected into a stream of heated carrier gas in plasma form which is then projected onto the inner surface of a hollow metal jacket having the configuration of a rocket engine combustion chamber is described. The particles are in the plasma stream for a sufficient length of time to heat the particles to a temperature such that the particles will flatten and adhere to previously deposited particles but will not spatter or vaporize. After a layer is formed, cooling channels are cut in the layer, then the channels are filled with a temporary filler and another layer of particles is deposited.

A whole-plant chamber system for parallel gas exchange measurements of Arabidopsis and other herbaceous species.

PubMed

Kölling, Katharina; George, Gavin M; Künzli, Roland; Flütsch, Patrick; Zeeman, Samuel C

2015-01-01

Photosynthetic assimilation of carbon is a defining feature of the plant kingdom. The fixation of large amounts of carbon dioxide supports the synthesis of carbohydrates, which make up the bulk of plant biomass. Exact measurements of carbon assimilation rates are therefore crucial due to their impact on the plants metabolism, growth and reproductive success. Commercially available single-leaf cuvettes allow the detailed analysis of many photosynthetic parameters, including gas exchange, of a selected leaf area. However, these cuvettes can be difficult to use with small herbaceous plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana or plants having delicate or textured leaves. Furthermore, data from single leaves can be difficult to scale-up for a plant shoot with a complex architecture and tissues in different physiological states. Therefore, we constructed a versatile system-EGES-1-to simultaneously measure gas exchange in the whole shoots of multiple individual plants. Our system was designed to be able record data continuously over several days. The EGES-1 system yielded comparable measurements for eight plants for up to 6 days in stable, physiologically realistic conditions. The chambers seals have negligible permeability to carbon dioxide and the system is designed so as to detect any bulk-flow air leaks. We show that the system can be used to monitor plant responses to changing environmental conditions, such as changes in illumination or stress treatments, and to compare plants with phenotypically severe mutations. By incorporating interchangeable lids, the system could be used to measure photosynthetic gas exchange in several genera such as Arabidopsis, Nicotiana, Pisum, Lotus and Mesembryanthemum. EGES-1 can be introduced into a variety of growth facilities and measure gas exchange in the shoots diverse plant species grown in different growth media. It is ideal for comparing photosynthetic carbon assimilation of wild-type and mutant plants and/or plants undergoing

Method for microwave plasma assisted supersonic gas jet deposition of thin films

DOEpatents

Schmitt, J.J. III; Halpern, B.L.

1994-10-18

A thin film is formed on a substrate positioned in a vacuum chamber by use of a gas jet apparatus affixed to a vacuum chamber port and having an outer nozzle with an interior cavity into which carrier gas is fed, an inner nozzle located within the outer nozzle interior cavity into which reactant gas is introduced, a tip of the inner nozzle being recessed from the vacuum chamber port within the outer nozzle interior cavity, and a microwave discharge device configured about the apparatus for generating a discharge in the carrier gas and reactant gas only in a portion of the outer nozzle interior cavity extending from approximately the inner nozzle tip towards the vacuum chamber. A supersonic free jet of carrier gas transports vapor species generated in the microwave discharge to the surface of the substrate to form a thin film on the substrate. The substrate can be translated from the supersonic jet to a second supersonic jet in less time than needed to complete film formation so that the film is chemically composed of chemical reaction products of vapor species in the jets. 5 figs.

Method for microwave plasma assisted supersonic gas jet deposition of thin films

DOEpatents

Schmitt, III, Jerome J.; Halpern, Bret L.

1994-01-01

A thin film is formed on a substrate positioned in a vacuum chamber by use of a gas jet apparatus affixed to a vacuum chamber port and having an outer nozzle with an interior cavity into which carrier gas is fed, an inner nozzle located within the outer nozzle interior cavity into which reactant gas is introduced, a tip of the inner nozzle being recessed from the vacuum chamber port within the outer nozzle interior cavity, and a microwave discharge device configured about the apparatus for generating a discharge in the carrier gas and reactant gas only in a portion of the outer nozzle interior cavity extending from approximately the inner nozzle tip towards the vacuum chamber. A supersonic free jet of carrier gas transports vapor species generated in the microwave discharge to the surface of the substrate to form a thin film on the substrate. The substrate can be translated from the supersonic jet to a second supersonic jet in less time than needed to complete film formation so that the film is chemically composed of chemical reaction products of vapor species in the jets.

Experimental determination of turbulence in a GH2-GOX rocket combustion chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tou, P.; Russell, R.; Ohara, J.

1974-01-01

The intensity of turbulence and the Lagrangian correlation coefficient for a gaseous rocket combustion chamber have been determined from the experimental measurements of the tracer gas diffusion. A combination of Taylor's turbulent diffusion theory and Spalding's numerical method for solving the conservation equations of fluid mechanics was used to calculate these quantities. Taylor's theory was extended to consider the inhomogeneity of the turbulence field in the axial direction of the combustion chamber. An exponential function was used to represent the Lagrangian correlation coefficient. The results indicate that the maximum value of the intensity of turbulence is about 15% and the Lagrangian correlation coefficient drops to about 0.12 in one inch of the chamber length.

Emissions of organic compounds from produced water ponds II: Evaluation of flux chamber measurements with inverse-modeling techniques.

PubMed

Tran, Huy N Q; Lyman, Seth N; Mansfield, Marc L; O'Neil, Trevor; Bowers, Richard L; Smith, Ann P; Keslar, Cara

2018-07-01

In this study, the authors apply two different dispersion models to evaluate flux chamber measurements of emissions of 58 organic compounds, including C2-C11 hydrocarbons and methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol from oil- and gas-produced water ponds in the Uintah Basin. Field measurement campaigns using the flux chamber technique were performed at a limited number of produced water ponds in the basin throughout 2013-2016. Inverse-modeling results showed significantly higher emissions than were measured by the flux chamber. Discrepancies between the two methods vary across hydrocarbon compounds and are largest in alcohols due to their physical chemistries. This finding, in combination with findings in a related study using the WATER9 wastewater emission model, suggests that the flux chamber technique may underestimate organic compound emissions, especially alcohols, due to its limited coverage of the pond area and alteration of environmental conditions, especially wind speed. Comparisons of inverse-model estimations with flux chamber measurements varied significantly with the complexity of pond facilities and geometries. Both model results and flux chamber measurements suggest significant contributions from produced water ponds to total organic compound emission from oil and gas productions in the basin. This research is a component of an extensive study that showed significant amount of hydrocarbon emissions from produced water ponds in the Uintah Basin, Utah. Such findings have important meanings to air quality management agencies in developing control strategies for air pollution in oil and gas fields, especially for the Uintah Basin in which ozone pollutions frequently occurred in winter seasons.

Thief process for the removal of mercury from flue gas

DOEpatents

Pennline, Henry W.; Granite, Evan J.; Freeman, Mark C.; Hargis, Richard A.; O'Dowd, William J.

2003-02-18

A system and method for removing mercury from the flue gas of a coal-fired power plant is described. Mercury removal is by adsorption onto a thermally activated sorbent produced in-situ at the power plant. To obtain the thermally activated sorbent, a lance (thief) is inserted into a location within the combustion zone of the combustion chamber and extracts a mixture of semi-combusted coal and gas. The semi-combusted coal has adsorptive properties suitable for the removal of elemental and oxidized mercury. The mixture of semi-combusted coal and gas is separated into a stream of gas and semi-combusted coal that has been converted to a stream of thermally activated sorbent. The separated stream of gas is recycled to the combustion chamber. The thermally activated sorbent is injected into the duct work of the power plant at a location downstream from the exit port of the combustion chamber. Mercury within the flue gas contacts and adsorbs onto the thermally activated sorbent. The sorbent-mercury combination is removed from the plant by a particulate collection system.

GAS DISCHARGE DEVICES

DOEpatents

Arrol, W.J.; Jefferson, S.

1957-08-27

The construction of gas discharge devices where the object is to provide a gas discharge device having a high dark current and stabilized striking voltage is described. The inventors have discovered that the introduction of tritium gas into a discharge device with a subsequent electrical discharge in the device will deposit tritium on the inside of the chamber. The tritium acts to emit beta rays amd is an effective and non-hazardous way of improving the abovementioned discharge tube characteristics

Atmospheric-pressure plasma decontamination/sterilization chamber

DOEpatents

Herrmann, Hans W.; Selwyn, Gary S.

2001-01-01

An atmospheric-pressure plasma decontamination/sterilization chamber is described. The apparatus is useful for decontaminating sensitive equipment and materials, such as electronics, optics and national treasures, which have been contaminated with chemical and/or biological warfare agents, such as anthrax, mustard blistering agent, VX nerve gas, and the like. There is currently no acceptable procedure for decontaminating such equipment. The apparatus may also be used for sterilization in the medical and food industries. Items to be decontaminated or sterilized are supported inside the chamber. Reactive gases containing atomic and metastable oxygen species are generated by an atmospheric-pressure plasma discharge in a He/O.sub.2 mixture and directed into the region of these items resulting in chemical reaction between the reactive species and organic substances. This reaction typically kills and/or neutralizes the contamination without damaging most equipment and materials. The plasma gases are recirculated through a closed-loop system to minimize the loss of helium and the possibility of escape of aerosolized harmful substances.

Plasma Chamber Design and Fabrication Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parodi, B.; Bianchi, A.; Cucchiaro, A.; Coletti, A.; Frosi, P.; Mazzone, G.; Pizzuto, A.; Ramogida, G.; Coppi, B.

2006-10-01

A fabrication procedure for a typical Plasma Chamber (PC) sector has been developed to cover all the manufacturing phases, from the raw materials specification (including metallurgical processes) to the machining operations, acceptance procedures and vacuum tests. Basically, the sector is made of shaped elements (forged or rolled) welded together using special fixtures and then machined to achieve the final dimensional accuracy. An upgraded design of the plasma chamber's vertical support that can withstand the estimated electromagnetic loads (Eddy and Halo current plus horizontal net force resulting from the worst plasma disruption scenario VDE, Vertical Displacement Event) has been completed. The maintenance of the radial support can take place hands-on with a direct access from outside the cryostat. With the present design, vacuum tightness is achieved by welding conducted with automatic welding heads. On the outer surface of the PC a dedicated duct system, filled by helium gas, is included to cool down the PC to room temperature when needed.

CO2 and chamber effects on epidermal development in field grown peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Peanut, (Arachis hypogaea L.) cvar. C76–16, was grown either in the field, or in open gas exchange chambers under elevated or ambient CO2 concentrations. Stomatal density and other selected epidermal parameters associated with leaf development and gas exchange were measured on recently fully expande...

Method and apparatus for noble gas atom detection with isotopic selectivity

DOEpatents

Hurst, G. Samuel; Payne, Marvin G.; Chen, Chung-Hsuan; Parks, James E.

1984-01-01

Apparatus and methods of operation are described for determining, with isotopic selectivity, the number of noble gas atoms in a sample. The analysis is conducted within an evacuated chamber which can be isolated by a valve from a vacuum pumping system capable of producing a pressure of 10.sup.-8 Torr. Provision is made to pass pulses of laser beams through the chamber, these pulses having wavelengths appropriate for the resonance ionization of atoms of the noble gas under analysis. A mass filter within the chamber selects ions of a specific isotope of the noble gas, and means are provided to accelerate these selected ions sufficiently for implantation into a target. Specific types of targets are discussed. An electron measuring device produces a signal relatable to the number of ions implanted into the target and thus to the number of atoms of the selected isotope of the noble gas removed from the gas sample. The measurement can be continued until a substantial fraction, or all, of the atoms in the sample have been counted. Furthermore, additional embodiments of the apparatus are described for bunching the atoms of a noble gas for more rapid analysis, and for changing the target for repetitive cycling of the gas in the chamber. The number of repetitions of the cyclic steps depend upon the concentration of the isotope of interest, the separative efficiency of the mass filter, etc. The cycles are continued until a desired selectivity is achieved. Also described are components and a method of operation for a pre-enrichment operation for use when an introduction of a total sample would elevate the pressure within the chamber to levels in excess of those for operation of the mass filter, specifically a quadrupole mass filter. Specific examples of three noble gas isotope analyses are described.

Orientation-free and differentially pumped addition of a low-flux reactive gas beam to a surface analysis system.

PubMed

Harthcock, Colin; Jahanbekam, Abdolreza; Eskelsen, Jeremy R; Lee, David Y

2016-11-01

We describe an example of a piecewise gas chamber that can be customized to incorporate a low flux of gas-phase radicals with an existing surface analysis chamber for in situ and stepwise gas-surface interaction experiments without any constraint in orientation. The piecewise nature of this gas chamber provides complete angular freedom and easy alignment and does not require any modification of the existing surface analysis chamber. In addition, the entire gas-surface system is readily differentially pumped with the surface chamber kept under ultra-high-vacuum during the gas-surface measurements. This new design also allows not only straightforward reconstruction to accommodate the orientation of different surface chambers but also for the addition of other desired features, such as an additional pump to the current configuration. Stepwise interaction between atomic oxygen and a highly ordered pyrolytic graphite surface was chosen to test the effectiveness of this design, and the site-dependent O-atom chemisorption and clustering on the graphite surface were resolved by a scanning tunneling microscope in the nm-scale. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to further confirm the identity of the chemisorbed species on the graphite surface as oxygen.

Coaxial fuel and air premixer for a gas turbine combustor

DOEpatents

York, William D; Ziminsky, Willy S; Lacy, Benjamin P

2013-05-21

An air/fuel premixer comprising a peripheral wall defining a mixing chamber, a nozzle disposed at least partially within the peripheral wall comprising an outer annular wall spaced from the peripheral wall so as to define an outer air passage between the peripheral wall and the outer annular wall, an inner annular wall disposed at least partially within and spaced from the outer annular wall, so as to define an inner air passage, and at least one fuel gas annulus between the outer annular wall and the inner annular wall, the at least one fuel gas annulus defining at least one fuel gas passage, at least one air inlet for introducing air through the inner air passage and the outer air passage to the mixing chamber, and at least one fuel inlet for injecting fuel through the fuel gas passage to the mixing chamber to form an air/fuel mixture.

Veterans at Risk: The Health Effects of Mustard Gas and Lewisite

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

to Mustard Gas During WWII Testing Programs 370 F. Summary of the Department of the Army Report: Use of Volunteers in Chemical Agent Research 378 Key...concentrations of mustard agents or Lewisite in gas chambers or in field exercises over contaminated ground areas. The human subjects had experienced a...wide range of exposures to mustard agents or Lewisite, from mild (a drop of agent on the arm in "patch" tests) to quite severe (repeated gas chamber

Wide-range radioactive-gas-concentration detector

DOEpatents

Anderson, D.F.

1981-11-16

A wide-range radioactive-gas-concentration detector and monitor capable of measuring radioactive-gas concentrations over a range of eight orders of magnitude is described. The device is designed to have an ionization chamber sufficiently small to give a fast response time for measuring radioactive gases but sufficiently large to provide accurate readings at low concentration levels. Closely spaced parallel-plate grids provide a uniform electric field in the active region to improve the accuracy of measurements and reduce ion migration time so as to virtually eliminate errors due to ion recombination. The parallel-plate grids are fabricated with a minimal surface area to reduce the effects of contamination resulting from absorption of contaminating materials on the surface of the grids. Additionally, the ionization-chamber wall is spaced a sufficient distance from the active region of the ionization chamber to minimize contamination effects.

The Mobile Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scharfstein, Gregory; Cox, Russell

2012-01-01

A document discusses a simulation chamber that represents a shift from the thermal-vacuum chamber stereotype. This innovation, currently in development, combines the capabilities of space simulation chambers, the user-friendliness of modern-day electronics, and the modularity of plug-and-play computing. The Mobile Chamber is a customized test chamber that can be deployed with great ease, and is capable of bringing payloads at temperatures down to 20 K, in high vacuum, and with the desired metrology instruments integrated to the systems control. Flexure plans to lease Mobile Chambers, making them affordable for smaller budgets and available to a larger customer base. A key feature of this design will be an Apple iPad-like user interface that allows someone with minimal training to control the environment inside the chamber, and to simulate the required extreme environments. The feedback of thermal, pressure, and other measurements is delivered in a 3D CAD model of the chamber's payload and support hardware. This GUI will provide the user with a better understanding of the payload than any existing thermal-vacuum system.

BOREAS TF-3 Automated Chamber CO2 Flux Data from the NSA-OBS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goulden, Michael L.; Crill, Patrick M.; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Conrad, Sara (Editor)

2000-01-01

The BOReal Ecosystem Atmosphere Study Tower Flux (BOREAS TF-3) and Trace Gas Biogeochemistry (TGB-1) teams collected automated CO2 chamber flux data in their efforts to fully describe the CO2 flux at the Northern Study Area-Old Black Spruce (NSA-OBS) site. This data set contains fluxes of CO2 at the NSA-OBS site measured using automated chambers. In addition to reporting the CO2 flux, it reports chamber air temperature, moss temperature, and light levels during each measurement. The data set covers the period from 23-Sep-1995 through 26-Oct-1995 and from 28-May-1996 through 21-Oct-1996. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files.

45. AUXILIARY CHAMBER BETWEEN CHAMBER AND CONCRETE ENCLOSURE (LOCATION DDD), ...

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

45. AUXILIARY CHAMBER BETWEEN CHAMBER AND CONCRETE ENCLOSURE (LOCATION DDD), VIEW LOOKING EAST. LEAD ENCLOSED PIPING IS DRAIN FROM BOILER CHAMBER No. 1 - Shippingport Atomic Power Station, On Ohio River, 25 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, Shippingport, Beaver County, PA

Nonintrusive transceiver and method for characterizing temperature and velocity fields in a gas turbine combustor

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

DeSilva, Upul P.; Claussen, Heiko

An acoustic transceiver is implemented for measuring acoustic properties of a gas in a turbine engine combustor. The transceiver housing defines a measurement chamber and has an opening adapted for attachment to a turbine engine combustor wall. The opening permits propagation of acoustic signals between the gas in the turbine engine combustor and gas in the measurement chamber. An acoustic sensor mounted to the housing receives acoustic signals propagating in the measurement chamber, and an acoustic transmitter mounted to the housing creates acoustic signals within the measurement chamber. An acoustic measurement system includes at least two such transceivers attached tomore » a turbine engine combustor wall and connected to a controller.« less

Viscoelastic Tamponade Applied to the Ocular Surface for Enhanced Control of Gaseous Egress From the Anterior Chamber During Final Bubble Titration in DMEK Surgery: The "Polite" Burp.

PubMed

Sales, Christopher S; Fernandez, Ana Alzaga; Anwar, Zane

2018-07-01

To present a novel technique for enhancing the surgeon's control over the volume of air or gas that is "burped" from the anterior chamber during final bubble and intraocular pressure (IOP) titration in Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty. After ascertaining that the intracameral bubble is either too large and/or has rendered IOP too high, a bead of ophthalmic viscoelastic is applied to the ocular surface over a paracentesis incision, which is then depressed in the usual fashion to burp gas from the anterior chamber. The weight and viscosity of the viscoelastic create a tamponade that slows the egress of gas from the anterior chamber, thereby making it more controllable. If the bubble size or IOP needs to be reduced at the conclusion of the Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty procedure, application of ophthalmic viscoelastic over the paracentesis can enhance the surgeon's control over the volume of gas burped from the anterior chamber, thereby reducing the tendency to swing between a bubble that is too large or too small.

Sounding experiments of high pressure gas discharge

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

Biele, Joachim K.

A high pressure discharge experiment (200 MPa, 5{center_dot}10{sup 21} molecules/cm{sup 3}, 3000 K) has been set up to study electrically induced shock waves. The apparatus consists of the combustion chamber (4.2 cm{sup 3}) to produce high pressure gas by burning solid propellant grains to fill the electrical pump chamber (2.5 cm{sup 3}) containing an insulated coaxial electrode. Electrical pump energy up to 7.8 kJ at 10 kV, which is roughly three times of the gas energy in the pump chamber, was delivered by a capacitor bank. From the current-voltage relationship the discharge develops at rapidly decreasing voltage. Pressure at themore » combustion chamber indicating significant underpressure as well as overpressure peaks is followed by an increase of static pressure level. These data are not yet completely understood. However, Lorentz forces are believed to generate pinching with subsequent pinch heating, resulting in fast pressure variations to be propagated as rarefaction and shock waves, respectively. Utilizing pure axisymmetric electrode initiation rather than often used exploding wire technology in the pump chamber, repeatable experiments were achieved.« less

Environmental chamber for in situ dynamic control of temperature and relative humidity during x-ray scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salas-de la Cruz, David; Denis, Jeffrey G.; Griffith, Matthew D.; King, Daniel R.; Heiney, Paul A.; Winey, Karen I.

2012-02-01

We have designed, constructed, and evaluated an environmental chamber that has in situ dynamic control of temperature (25 to 90 °C) and relative humidity (0% to 95%). The compact specimen chamber is designed for x-ray scattering in transmission with an escape angle of 2θ = ±30°. The specimen chamber is compatible with a completely evacuated system such as the Rigaku PSAXS system, in which the specimen chamber is placed inside a larger evacuated chamber (flight path). It is also compatible with x-ray systems consisting of evacuated flight tubes separated by small air gaps for sample placement. When attached to a linear motor (vertical displacement), the environmental chamber can access multiple sample positions. The temperature and relative humidity inside the specimen chamber are controlled by passing a mixture of dry and saturated gas through the chamber and by heating the chamber walls. Alternatively, the chamber can be used to control the gaseous environment without humidity. To illustrate the value of this apparatus, we have probed morphology transformations in Nafion® membranes and a polymerized ionic liquid as a function of relative humidity in nitrogen.

The portable autonomous device on the basis straw-chambers for studying secondary space radiation in a soft x-ray range on board ISS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bondarenko, Valery; Shurshakov, Vyacheslav; Bondarenko, Valentina; Markina, Irina

The portable autonomous device for detection of soft x-ray radiation is described. Source of x-ray radiation is transition and brake radiations high-energy particles at passage through a material of a wall of the ISS and internal covering of the ship. A detecting elements of the device are gas proportional chambers of type straw in diameter 10 mm, length 140 mm. The wall chambers (cathode) is made from capton by thickness 70 microns. The anode of the chamber represents the gold-plated tungsten wire in diameter 30 microns. The general sensitive area of the detector is equal 110 cm2. Straw of the chambers (8 pieces) are connected consistently and are continuously blown by a gas mixture with a speed of 0,1 cm3/minute. The gas balloon in capacity of 200 cm3 under pressure 8 atm is used for flow. The device is capable to work long time in radiating fields. High radiating stability of the detector is reached by application of a radiation-steady material for manufacturing of chambers, constant gas flow during an irradiation and use of a clearing mixture on the basis of CF4. The electronic part of the device consists of the preamplifiers connected to chambers, the adder -splitter of analog signals, the spectrometer amplifier and amplitude - digitizer converter (ADC). From a splitter the signal acts on the discriminator for management ADC. Use of the discriminator allows to cut out registration of high-energy particles. The information is written on silicon disk.

System Would Regulate Low Gas Pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frazer, Robert E.

1994-01-01

System intended to maintain gases in containers at pressures near atmospheric. Includes ballast volume in form of underinflated balloon that communicates with working volume. Balloon housed in rigid chamber not subjected to extremes of temperature of working volume. Pressure in chamber surrounding balloon regulated at ambient atmospheric pressure or at constant small differential pressure above or below ambient. Expansion and contraction of balloon accommodates expansion or contraction of gas during operational heating or cooling in working volume, maintaining pressure in working volume at ambient or constant differential above or below ambient. Gas lost from system due to leakage or diffusion, low-pressure sensor responds, signaling valve actuators to supply more gas to working volume. If pressure rises too high, overpressure relief valve opens before excessive pressure damages system.

Portable instrument and method for detecting reduced sulfur compounds in a gas

DOEpatents

Gaffney, J.S.; Kelly, T.J.; Tanner, R.L.

1983-06-01

A portable real time instrument for detecting concentrations in the part per billion range of reduced sulfur compounds in a sample gas. Ozonized air or oxygen and reduced sulfur compounds in a sample gas stream react to produce chemiluminescence in a reaction chamber and the emitted light is filtered and observed by a photomultiplier to detect reduced sulfur compounds. Selective response to individual sulfur compounds is achieved by varying reaction chamber temperature and ozone and sample gas flows, and by the use of either air or oxygen as the ozone source gas.

Apparatus and method for excluding gas from a liquid

DOEpatents

Murphy, Jr., Robert J.

1985-01-01

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for preventing diffusion of a gas under high pressure into the bulk of a liquid filling a substantially closed chamber. This apparatus and method is particularly useful in connection with test devices for testing fluid characteristics under harsh conditions of extremely high pressure and high temperature. These devices typically pressurize the liquid by placing the liquid in pressure and fluid communication with a high pressure inert gas. The apparatus and method of the present invention prevent diffusion of the pressurizing gas into the bulk of the test liquid by decreasing the chamber volume at a rate sufficient to maintain the bulk of the liquid free of absorbed or dissolved gas by expelling that portion of the liquid which is contaminated by the pressurizing gas.

Ambient Air Pollution Associated with Suppressed Serologic Responses to Pneumocystis jirovecii in a Prospective Cohort of HIV-Infected Patients with Pneumocystis Pneumonia

PubMed Central

Blount, Robert J.; Djawe, Kpandja; Daly, Kieran R.; Jarlsberg, Leah G.; Fong, Serena; Balmes, John; Miller, Robert F.; Walzer, Peter D.; Huang, Laurence

2013-01-01

Background Ambient air pollution (AAP) may be associated with increased risk for Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). The mechanisms underlying this association remain uncertain. Objectives To determine if real-life exposures to AAP are associated with suppressed IgM antibody responses to P. jirovecii in HIV-infected (HIV+) patients with active PCP, and to determine if AAP, mediated by suppressed serologic responses to Pneumocystis, is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study in HIV+ patients residing in San Francisco and admitted to San Francisco General Hospital with microscopically confirmed PCP. Our AAP predictors were ambient air concentrations of particulate matter of < 10 µm in diameter (PM10) and < 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) measured immediately prior to hospital admission and 2 weeks prior to admission. Our primary outcomes were the IgM serologic responses to four recombinant P. jirovecii major surface glycoprotein (Msg) constructs: MsgC1, MsgC3, MsgC8, and MsgC9. Results Elevated PM10 and NO2 exposures immediately prior to and two weeks prior to hospital admission were associated with decreased IgM antibody responses to P. jirovecii Msg. For exposures immediately prior to admission, every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10 was associated with a 25 to 35% decrease in IgM responses to Msg (statistically significant for all the Msg constructs), and every 10 ppb increase in NO2 was associated with a 19-45% decrease in IgM responses to Msg (statistically significant for MsgC8 and MsgC9). Similar findings were seen with exposures two weeks prior to admission, but for fewer of the Msg constructs. Conclusions Real life exposures to PM10 and NO2 were associated with suppressed IgM responses to P. jirovecii Msg in HIV+ patients admitted with PCP, suggesting a mechanism of immunotoxicity by which AAP increases host susceptibility to pulmonary infection. PMID:24236202

Ambient air pollution associated with suppressed serologic responses to Pneumocystis jirovecii in a prospective cohort of HIV-infected patients with Pneumocystis pneumonia.

PubMed

Blount, Robert J; Djawe, Kpandja; Daly, Kieran R; Jarlsberg, Leah G; Fong, Serena; Balmes, John; Miller, Robert F; Walzer, Peter D; Huang, Laurence

2013-01-01

Ambient air pollution (AAP) may be associated with increased risk for Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP). The mechanisms underlying this association remain uncertain. To determine if real-life exposures to AAP are associated with suppressed IgM antibody responses to P. jirovecii in HIV-infected (HIV+) patients with active PCP, and to determine if AAP, mediated by suppressed serologic responses to Pneumocystis, is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. We conducted a prospective cohort study in HIV+ patients residing in San Francisco and admitted to San Francisco General Hospital with microscopically confirmed PCP. Our AAP predictors were ambient air concentrations of particulate matter of < 10 µm in diameter (PM10) and < 2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) measured immediately prior to hospital admission and 2 weeks prior to admission. Our primary outcomes were the IgM serologic responses to four recombinant P. jirovecii major surface glycoprotein (Msg) constructs: MsgC1, MsgC3, MsgC8, and MsgC9. Elevated PM10 and NO2 exposures immediately prior to and two weeks prior to hospital admission were associated with decreased IgM antibody responses to P. jirovecii Msg. For exposures immediately prior to admission, every 10 µg/m(3) increase in PM10 was associated with a 25 to 35% decrease in IgM responses to Msg (statistically significant for all the Msg constructs), and every 10 ppb increase in NO2 was associated with a 19-45% decrease in IgM responses to Msg (statistically significant for MsgC8 and MsgC9). Similar findings were seen with exposures two weeks prior to admission, but for fewer of the Msg constructs. Real life exposures to PM10 and NO2 were associated with suppressed IgM responses to P. jirovecii Msg in HIV+ patients admitted with PCP, suggesting a mechanism of immunotoxicity by which AAP increases host susceptibility to pulmonary infection.

Three-step approach for prediction of limit cycle pressure oscillations in combustion chambers of gas turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iurashev, Dmytro; Campa, Giovanni; Anisimov, Vyacheslav V.; Cosatto, Ezio

2017-11-01

Currently, gas turbine manufacturers frequently face the problem of strong acoustic combustion driven oscillations inside combustion chambers. These combustion instabilities can cause extensive wear and sometimes even catastrophic damages to combustion hardware. This requires prevention of combustion instabilities, which, in turn, requires reliable and fast predictive tools. This work presents a three-step method to find stability margins within which gas turbines can be operated without going into self-excited pressure oscillations. As a first step, a set of unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulations with the Flame Speed Closure (FSC) model implemented in the OpenFOAM® environment are performed to obtain the flame describing function of the combustor set-up. The standard FSC model is extended in this work to take into account the combined effect of strain and heat losses on the flame. As a second step, a linear three-time-lag-distributed model for a perfectly premixed swirl-stabilized flame is extended to the nonlinear regime. The factors causing changes in the model parameters when applying high-amplitude velocity perturbations are analysed. As a third step, time-domain simulations employing a low-order network model implemented in Simulink® are performed. In this work, the proposed method is applied to a laboratory test rig. The proposed method permits not only the unsteady frequencies of acoustic oscillations to be computed, but the amplitudes of such oscillations as well. Knowing the amplitudes of unstable pressure oscillations, it is possible to determine how these oscillations are harmful to the combustor equipment. The proposed method has a low cost because it does not require any license for computational fluid dynamics software.

Development of an environmental chamber for evaluating the performance of low-cost air quality sensors under controlled conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papapostolou, Vasileios; Zhang, Hang; Feenstra, Brandon J.; Polidori, Andrea

2017-12-01

A state-of-the-art integrated chamber system has been developed for evaluating the performance of low-cost air quality sensors. The system contains two professional grade chamber enclosures. A 1.3 m3 stainless-steel outer chamber and a 0.11 m3 Teflon-coated stainless-steel inner chamber are used to create controlled aerosol and gaseous atmospheres, respectively. Both chambers are temperature and relative humidity controlled with capability to generate a wide range of environmental conditions. The system is equipped with an integrated zero-air system, an ozone and two aerosol generation systems, a dynamic dilution calibrator, certified gas cylinders, an array of Federal Reference Method (FRM), Federal Equivalent Method (FEM), and Best Available Technology (BAT) reference instruments and an automated control and sequencing software. Our experiments have demonstrated that the chamber system is capable of generating stable and reproducible aerosol and gas concentrations at low, medium, and high levels. This paper discusses the development of the chamber system along with the methods used to quantitatively evaluate sensor performance. Considering that a significant number of academic and research institutions, government agencies, public and private institutions, and individuals are becoming interested in developing and using low-cost air quality sensors, it is important to standardize the procedures used to evaluate their performance. The information discussed herein provides a roadmap for entities who are interested in characterizing air quality sensors in a rigorous, systematic and reproducible manner.

Wide range radioactive gas concentration detector

DOEpatents

Anderson, David F.

1984-01-01

A wide range radioactive gas concentration detector and monitor which is capable of measuring radioactive gas concentrations over a range of eight orders of magnitude. The device of the present invention is designed to have an ionization chamber which is sufficiently small to give a fast response time for measuring radioactive gases but sufficiently large to provide accurate readings at low concentration levels. Closely spaced parallel plate grids provide a uniform electric field in the active region to improve the accuracy of measurements and reduce ion migration time so as to virtually eliminate errors due to ion recombination. The parallel plate grids are fabricated with a minimal surface area to reduce the effects of contamination resulting from absorption of contaminating materials on the surface of the grids. Additionally, the ionization chamber wall is spaced a sufficient distance from the active region of the ionization chamber to minimize contamination effects.

SSME main combustion chamber and nozzle flowfield analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farmer, R. C.; Wang, T. S.; Smith, S. D.; Prozan, R. J.

1986-01-01

An investigation is presented of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools which would accurately analyze main combustion chamber and nozzle flow. The importance of combustion phenomena and local variations in mixture ratio are fully appreciated; however, the computational aspects of the gas dynamics involved were the sole issues addressed. The CFD analyses made are first compared with conventional nozzle analyses to determine the accuracy for steady flows, and then transient analyses are discussed.

The Effect of the Air-Delivery Method on Parameters of the Precessing Vortex Core in a Hydrodynamic Vortex Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alekseenko, S. V.; Shtork, S. I.; Yusupov, R. R.

2018-03-01

The effect of the method of gas-phase injection into a swirled fluid flow on parameters of a precessing vortex core is studied experimentally. Conditions of the appearance of the vortex-core precession effect were modeled in a hydrodynamic sudden expansion vortex chamber. The dependences of the vortexcore precession frequency, flow-pulsation level, and full pressure differential in the vortex chamber on the consumption gas content in the flow have been obtained. The results of measurements permit one to determine optimum conditions for the most effective control of vortex-core precession.

Ultratrace detector for hand-held gas chromatography

DOEpatents

Andresen, Brian D.; Miller, Fred S.

1999-01-01

An ultratrace detector system for hand-held gas chromatography having high sensitivity, for example, to emissions generated during production of weapons, biological compounds, drugs, etc. The detector system is insensitive to water, air, helium, argon, oxygen, and C0.sub.2. The detector system is basically composed of a hand-held capillary gas chromatography (GC), an insulated heated redox-chamber, a detection chamber, and a vapor trap. For example, the detector system may use gas phase redox reactions and spectral absorption of mercury vapor. The gas chromatograph initially separates compounds that percolate through a bed of heated mercuric oxide (HgO) in a silica--or other metal--aerogel material which acts as an insulator. Compounds easily oxidized by HgO liberate atomic mercury that subsequently pass through a detection chamber which includes a detector cell, such as quartz, that is illuminated with a 254 nm ultra-violet (UV) mercury discharge lamp which generates the exact mercury absorption bands that are used to detect the liberated mercury atoms. Atomic mercury strongly absorbs 254 nm energy is therefore a specific signal for reducing compounds eluting from the capillary GC, whereafter the atomic mercury is trapped for example, in a silicon-aerogel trap.

Space Storable Propellant Performance Gas/Liquid Like-Doublet Injector Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falk, A. Y.

1972-01-01

A 30-month applied research program was conducted, encompassing an analytical, design, and experimental effort to relate injector design parameters to simultaneous attainment of high performance and component (injector/thrust chamber) compatibility for gas/liquid space-storable propellants. The gas/liquid propellant combination selected for study was FLOX (82.6% F2)/ambient temperature gaseous methane. The injector pattern characterized was the like-(self)-impinging doublet. Program effort was apportioned into four basic technical tasks: injector and thrust chamber design, injector and thrust chamber fabrication, performance evaluation testing, and data evaluation and reporting. Analytical parametric combustion analyses and cold flow distribution and atomization experiments were conducted with injector segment models to support design of injector/thrust chamber combinations for hot fire evaluation. Hot fire tests were conducted to: (1) optimize performance of the injector core elements, and (2) provide design criteria for the outer zone elements so that injector/thrust chamber compatibility could be achieved with only minimal performance losses.

Fixed dilated pupil (Urrets-Zavalia syndrome) after air/gas injection after deep lamellar keratoplasty for keratoconus.

PubMed

Maurino, Vincenzo; Allan, Bruce D S; Stevens, Julian D; Tuft, Stephen J

2002-02-01

To describe three cases of fixed dilated pupil and presumed iris ischemia (Urrets-Zavalia syndrome) after anterior chamber air/gas injection after deep lamellar keratoplasty for keratoconus. Interventional case series. Three eyes of three patients with keratoconus underwent deep lamellar keratoplasty and intraoperative or postoperative injection of air/gas in the anterior chamber to appose the host-donor lamellar graft interface. Urrets-Zavalia syndrome was diagnosed on clinical grounds in three cases and was associated with the Descemet membrane microperforation intraoperatively and introduction of air/gas into the anterior chamber intraoperatively or postoperatively. A fixed dilated pupil is an uncommon complication of penetrating keratoplasty for keratoconus that can also develop after deep lamellar keratoplasty. Leaving an air or gas bubble in the anterior chamber of a phakic eye after deep lamellar keratoplasty is a risk factor and should therefore be avoided.

Desulfurized gas production from vertical kiln pyrolysis

DOEpatents

Harris, Harry A.; Jones, Jr., John B.

1978-05-30

A gas, formed as a product of a pyrolysis of oil shale, is passed through hot, retorted shale (containing at least partially decomposed calcium or magnesium carbonate) to essentially eliminate sulfur contaminants in the gas. Specifically, a single chambered pyrolysis vessel, having a pyrolysis zone and a retorted shale gas into the bottom of the retorted shale zone and cleaned product gas is withdrawn as hot product gas near the top of such zone.

Streamlined calibrations of the ATLAS precision muon chambers for initial LHC running

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amram, N.; Ball, R.; Benhammou, Y.; Ben Moshe, M.; Dai, T.; Diehl, E. B.; Dubbert, J.; Etzion, E.; Ferretti, C.; Gregory, J.; Haider, S.; Hindes, J.; Levin, D. S.; Manilow, E.; Thun, R.; Wilson, A.; Weaverdyck, C.; Wu, Y.; Yang, H.; Zhou, B.; Zimmermann, S.

2012-04-01

The ATLAS Muon Spectrometer is designed to measure the momentum of muons with a resolution of dp/p=3% at 100 GeV and 10% at 1 TeV. For this task, the spectrometer employs 355,000 Monitored Drift Tubes (MDTs) arrayed in 1200 chambers. Calibration (RT) functions convert drift time measurements into tube-centered impact parameters for track segment reconstruction. RT functions depend on MDT environmental parameters and so must be appropriately calibrated for local chamber conditions. We report on the creation and application of a gas monitor system based calibration program for muon track reconstruction in the LHC startup phase.

Validation of High Aspect Ratio Cooling in a 89 kN (20,000 lb(sub f)) Thrust Combustion Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wadel, Mary F.; Meyer, Michael L.

1996-01-01

In order to validate the benefits of high aspect ratio cooling channels in a large scale rocket combustion chamber, a high pressure, 89 kN (20,000 lbf) thrust, contoured combustion chamber was tested in the NASA Lewis Research Center Rocket Engine Test Facility. The combustion chamber was tested at chamber pressures from 5.5 to 11.0 MPa (800-1600 psia). The propellants were gaseous hydrogen and liquid oxygen at a nominal mixture ratio of six, and liquid hydrogen was used as the coolant. The combustion chamber was extensively instrumented with 30 backside skin thermocouples, 9 coolant channel rib thermocouples, and 10 coolant channel pressure taps. A total of 29 thermal cycles, each with one second of steady state combustion, were completed on the chamber. For 25 thermal cycles, the coolant mass flow rate was equal to the fuel mass flow rate. During the remaining four thermal cycles, the coolant mass flow rate was progressively reduced by 5, 6, 11, and 20 percent. Computer analysis agreed with coolant channel rib thermocouples within an average of 9 percent and with coolant channel pressure drops within an average of 20 percent. Hot-gas-side wall temperatures of the chamber showed up to 25 percent reduction, in the throat region, over that of a conventionally cooled combustion chamber. Reducing coolant mass flow yielded a reduction of up to 27 percent of the coolant pressure drop from that of a full flow case, while still maintaining up to a 13 percent reduction in a hot-gas-side wall temperature from that of a conventionally cooled combustion chamber.

RE: Request for Correction, Technical Support Document, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) joins the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in its request for correction of information developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a background technical support document titled Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry

Studies with cathode drift chambers for the GlueX experiment at Jefferson Lab

DOE PAGES

Pentchev, L.; Barbosa, F.; Berdnikov, V.; ...

2017-04-22

A drift chamber system consisting of 24 1 m-diameter chambers with both cathode and wire readout (total of 12,672 channels) is operational in Hall D at Jefferson Lab (Virginia). Two cathode strip planes and one wire plane in each chamber register the same avalanche allowing the study of avalanche development, charge induction process, and strip resolution. We demonstrate a method for reconstructing the two-dimensional distribution of the avalanche “center-of-gravity” position around the wire from an 55Fe source with resolutions down to 30 μm. We estimate the azimuthal extent of the avalanche around the wire as a function of the totalmore » charge for an Ar/CO 2 gas mixture. By means of cluster counting using a modified 3 cm-gap chamber, we observe significant space charge effects within the same track, resulting in an extent of the avalanche along the wire.« less

Peltier-based cloud chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nar, Sevda Yeliz; Cakir, Altan

2018-02-01

Particles produced by nuclear decay, cosmic radiation and reactions can be identified through various methods. One of these methods that has been effective in the last century is the cloud chamber. The chamber makes visible cosmic particles that we are exposed to radiation per second. Diffusion cloud chamber is a kind of cloud chamber that is cooled by dry ice. This traditional model has some application difficulties. In this work, Peltier-based cloud chamber cooled by thermoelectric modules is studied. The new model provided uniformly cooled base of the chamber, moreover, it has longer lifetime than the traditional chamber in terms of observation time. This gain has reduced the costs which spent each time for cosmic particle observation. The chamber is an easy-to-use system according to traditional diffusion cloud chamber. The new model is portable, easier to make, and can be used in the nuclear physics experiments. In addition, it would be very useful to observe Muons which are the direct evidence for Lorentz contraction and time expansion predicted by Einsteins special relativity principle.

Calibration of the borated ion chamber at NIST reactor thermal column.

PubMed

Wang, Z; Hertel, N E; Lennox, A

2007-01-01

In boron neutron capture therapy and boron neutron capture enhanced fast neutron therapy, the absorbed dose of tissue due to the boron neutron capture reaction is difficult to measure directly. This dose can be computed from the measured thermal neutron fluence rate and the (10)B concentration at the site of interest. A borated tissue-equivalent (TE) ion chamber can be used to directly measure the boron dose in a phantom under irradiation by a neutron beam. Fermilab has two Exradin 0.5 cm(3) Spokas thimble TE ion chambers, one loaded with boron, available for such measurements. At the Fermilab Neutron Therapy Facility, these ion chambers are generally used with air as the filling gas. Since alpha particles and lithium ions from the (10)B(n,alpha)(7)Li reactions have very short ranges in air, the Bragg-Gray principle may not be satisfied for the borated TE ion chamber. A calibration method is described in this paper for the determination of boron capture dose using paired ion chambers. The two TE ion chambers were calibrated in the thermal column of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) research reactor. The borated TE ion chamber is loaded with 1,000 ppm of natural boron (184 ppm of (10)B). The NIST thermal column has a cadmium ratio of greater than 400 as determined by gold activation. The thermal neutron fluence rate during the calibration was determined using a NIST fission chamber to an accuracy of 5.1%. The chambers were calibrated at two different thermal neutron fluence rates: 5.11 x 10(6) and 4.46 x 10(7)n cm(-2) s(-1). The non-borated ion chamber reading was used to subtract collected charge not due to boron neutron capture reactions. An optically thick lithium slab was used to attenuate the thermal neutrons from the neutron beam port so the responses of the chambers could be corrected for fast neutrons and gamma rays in the beam. The calibration factor of the borated ion chamber was determined to be 1.83 x 10(9) +/- 5.5% (+/- 1sigma) n

The atomization and burning of biofuels in the combustion chambers of gas turbine engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maiorova, A. I.; Vasil'ev, A. Yu; Sviridenkov, A. A.; Chelebyan, O. G.

2017-11-01

The present work analyzes the effect of physical properties of liquid fuels with high viscosity (including biofuels) on the spray and burning characteristics. The study showed that the spray characteristics behind devices well atomized fuel oil, may significantly deteriorate when using biofuels, until the collapse of the fuel bubble. To avoid this phenomenon it is necessary to carry out the calculation of the fuel film form when designing the nozzles. As a result of this calculation boundary curves in the coordinates of the Reynolds number on fuel - the Laplace number are built, characterizing the transition from sheet breakup to spraying. It is shown that these curves are described by a power function with the same exponent for nozzles of various designs. The swirl of air surrounding the nozzle in the same direction, as the swirl of fuel film, can significantly improve the performance of atomization of highly viscous fuel. Moreover the value of the tangential air velocity has the determining influence on the film shape. For carrying out of hot tests in aviation combustor some embodiments of liquid fuels were proved and the most preferred one was chosen. Fire tests of combustion chamber compartment at conventional fuel has shown comprehensible characteristics, in particular wide side-altars of the stable combustion. The blended biofuel application makes worse combustion stability in comparison with kerosene. A number of measures was recommended to modernize the conventional combustors when using biofuels in gas turbine engines.

Modelling the contribution of biogenic volatile organic compounds to new particle formation in the Jülich plant atmosphere chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roldin, P.; Liao, L.; Mogensen, D.; Dal Maso, M.; Rusanen, A.; Kerminen, V.-M.; Mentel, T. F.; Wildt, J.; Kleist, E.; Kiendler-Scharr, A.; Tillmann, R.; Ehn, M.; Kulmala, M.; Boy, M.

2015-09-01

We used the Aerosol Dynamics gas- and particle-phase chemistry model for laboratory CHAMber studies (ADCHAM) to simulate the contribution of BVOC plant emissions to the observed new particle formation during photooxidation experiments performed in the Jülich Plant-Atmosphere Chamber and to evaluate how well smog chamber experiments can mimic the atmospheric conditions during new particle formation events. ADCHAM couples the detailed gas-phase chemistry from Master Chemical Mechanism with a novel aerosol dynamics and particle phase chemistry module. Our model simulations reveal that the observed particle growth may have either been controlled by the formation rate of semi- and low-volatility organic compounds in the gas phase or by acid catalysed heterogeneous reactions between semi-volatility organic compounds in the particle surface layer (e.g. peroxyhemiacetal dimer formation). The contribution of extremely low-volatility organic gas-phase compounds to the particle formation and growth was suppressed because of their rapid and irreversible wall losses, which decreased their contribution to the nano-CN formation and growth compared to the atmospheric situation. The best agreement between the modelled and measured total particle number concentration (R2 > 0.95) was achieved if the nano-CN was formed by kinetic nucleation involving both sulphuric acid and organic compounds formed from OH oxidation of BVOCs.

Three chamber negative ion source

DOEpatents

Leung, Ka-Ngo; Ehlers, Kenneth W.; Hiskes, John R.

1985-01-01

A negative ion vessel is divided into an excitation chamber, a negative ionization chamber and an extraction chamber by two magnetic filters. Input means introduces neutral molecules into a first chamber where a first electron discharge means vibrationally excites the molecules which migrate to a second chamber. In the second chamber a second electron discharge means ionizes the molecules, producing negative ions which are extracted into or by a third chamber. A first magnetic filter prevents high energy electrons from entering the negative ionization chamber from the excitation chamber. A second magnetic filter prevents high energy electrons from entering the extraction chamber from the negative ionizing chamber. An extraction grid at the end of the negative ion vessel attracts negative ions into the third chamber and accelerates them. Another grid, located adjacent to the extraction grid, carries a small positive voltage in order to inhibit positive ions from migrating into the extraction chamber and contour the plasma potential. Additional electrons can be suppressed from the output flux using ExB forces provided by magnetic field means and the extractor grid electric potential.

Design and study of the characteristics of a three electrode experimental ionization chamber for gamma ray dosimetry of spent fuel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmad, N.; Mirza, Nasir M.; Mirza, Sikander M.; Rashid, T.; Tufail, M.; Khan, Liaquat A.

1992-09-01

The ( I, V) characteristics of two and three electrode ionization chamber filled with argon gas have been studied. To determine the sensitivity and the response with increase in exposure rate, the chamber was tested with a 60Co commercial irradiator. The response is linear up to more than 1.5 krad/h. The experimentally measured sensitivity of the chamber is 1.849×10 -13 A/cm 3 per rad/h when the argon gas pressure in the chamber is 1.24 GPa (180 psi). The effect of transparency of the intermediate electrod on the saturation current due to 137Cs gamma-rays has also been studied. The experimental results show that the electrode with holes of small diameter acts as a better intermediate electrode as compared to the electrodes without holes or with holes of a larger diameter. The chamber has also been teste with fission product gamma-rays from spent fuel elements of a typical pool type research reactor. The results indicate that the presence of an intermediate electrode lowers the operating voltage by 50% and reduces the slope in the plateau region.

Propagation of a premixed flame in a divided-chamber combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cattolica, R. J.; Barr, P. K.; Mansour, N. N.

1989-01-01

Experimental observations on the propagation of lean premixed ethylene-air flames in a divided-chamber combustion vessel have been compared with the results of numerical simulations based on a flame sheet-vortex dynamics model in axisymmetric coordinates. Flame speeds were found to increase from 10-24 cm/s as the equivalence ratio was varied from 0.5-0.65 in the experiments. Using the associated increase in gas velocity with equivalence ratio, the estimated Reynolds number in the experiment was changed from 1870 to 8090. Good agreement between experimental and theoretical results was obtained for the prechamber flame propagation rates and for the spatial and temporal development of the flame in the main combustion chamber at the lowest Reynolds number.

A Lab Assembled Microcontroller-Based Sensor Module for Continuous Oxygen Measurement in Portable Hypoxia Chambers

PubMed Central

Mathupala, Saroj P.; Kiousis, Sam; Szerlip, Nicholas J.

2016-01-01

Background Hypoxia-based cell culture experiments are routine and essential components of in vitro cancer research. Most laboratories use low-cost portable modular chambers to achieve hypoxic conditions for cell cultures, where the sealed chambers are purged with a gas mixture of preset O2 concentration. Studies are conducted under the assumption that hypoxia remains unaltered throughout the 48 to 72 hour duration of such experiments. Since these chambers lack any sensor or detection system to monitor gas-phase O2, the cell-based data tend to be non-uniform due to the ad hoc nature of the experimental setup. Methodology With the availability of low-cost open-source microcontroller-based electronic project kits, it is now possible for researchers to program these with easy-to-use software, link them to sensors, and place them in basic scientific apparatus to monitor and record experimental parameters. We report here the design and construction of a small-footprint kit for continuous measurement and recording of O2 concentration in modular hypoxia chambers. The low-cost assembly (US$135) consists of an Arduino-based microcontroller, data-logging freeware, and a factory pre-calibrated miniature O2 sensor. A small, intuitive software program was written by the authors to control the data input and output. The basic nature of the kit will enable any student in biology with minimal experience in hobby-electronics to assemble the system and edit the program parameters to suit individual experimental conditions. Results/Conclusions We show the kit’s utility and stability of data output via a series of hypoxia experiments. The studies also demonstrated the critical need to monitor and adjust gas-phase O2 concentration during hypoxia-based experiments to prevent experimental errors or failure due to partial loss of hypoxia. Thus, incorporating the sensor-microcontroller module to a portable hypoxia chamber provides a researcher a capability that was previously available

A Lab Assembled Microcontroller-Based Sensor Module for Continuous Oxygen Measurement in Portable Hypoxia Chambers.

PubMed

Mathupala, Saroj P; Kiousis, Sam; Szerlip, Nicholas J

2016-01-01

Hypoxia-based cell culture experiments are routine and essential components of in vitro cancer research. Most laboratories use low-cost portable modular chambers to achieve hypoxic conditions for cell cultures, where the sealed chambers are purged with a gas mixture of preset O2 concentration. Studies are conducted under the assumption that hypoxia remains unaltered throughout the 48 to 72 hour duration of such experiments. Since these chambers lack any sensor or detection system to monitor gas-phase O2, the cell-based data tend to be non-uniform due to the ad hoc nature of the experimental setup. With the availability of low-cost open-source microcontroller-based electronic project kits, it is now possible for researchers to program these with easy-to-use software, link them to sensors, and place them in basic scientific apparatus to monitor and record experimental parameters. We report here the design and construction of a small-footprint kit for continuous measurement and recording of O2 concentration in modular hypoxia chambers. The low-cost assembly (US$135) consists of an Arduino-based microcontroller, data-logging freeware, and a factory pre-calibrated miniature O2 sensor. A small, intuitive software program was written by the authors to control the data input and output. The basic nature of the kit will enable any student in biology with minimal experience in hobby-electronics to assemble the system and edit the program parameters to suit individual experimental conditions. We show the kit's utility and stability of data output via a series of hypoxia experiments. The studies also demonstrated the critical need to monitor and adjust gas-phase O2 concentration during hypoxia-based experiments to prevent experimental errors or failure due to partial loss of hypoxia. Thus, incorporating the sensor-microcontroller module to a portable hypoxia chamber provides a researcher a capability that was previously available only to labs with access to sophisticated (and

Long-life micro vacuum chamber for a micromachined cryogenic cooler

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

Cao, Haishan, E-mail: H.Cao@utwente.nl, E-mail: HaishanCao@gmail.com; Vermeer, Cristian H.; Vanapalli, Srinivas

2015-11-15

Micromachined cryogenic coolers can be used for cooling small electronic devices to improve their performance. However, for reaching cryogenic temperatures, they require a very good thermal insulation from the warm environment. This is established by a vacuum space that for adequate insulation has to be maintained at a pressure of 0.01 Pa or lower. In this paper, the challenge of maintaining a vacuum chamber with a volume of 3.6 × 10{sup −5} m{sup 3} and an inner wall area of 8.1 × 10{sup −3} m{sup 2} at a pressure no higher than 0.01 Pa for five years is theoretically analyzed. The possiblemore » sources of gas, the mechanisms by which these gases enter the vacuum space and their effects on the pressure in the vacuum chamber are discussed. In a long-duration experiment with four stainless steel chambers of the above dimensions and equipped with a chemical getter, the vacuum pressures were monitored for a period of two years. In that period, the measured pressure increase stayed within 0.01 Pa. This study can be used to guide the design of long-lifetime micro vacuum chambers that operate without continuous mechanical pumping.« less

Numerical investigations of cooling holes system role in the protection of the walls of a gas turbine combustion chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Sik Ali, Ahlem; Kriaa, Wassim; Mhiri, Hatem; Bournot, Philippe

2012-05-01

Numerical simulations in a gas turbine Swirl stabilized combustor were conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a cooling system in the protection of combustor walls. The studied combustion chamber has a high degree of geometrical complexity related to the injection system as well as the cooling system based on a big distribution of small holes (about 3,390 holes) bored on the flame tube walls. Two cases were considered respectively the flame tube without and with its cooling system. The calculations were carried out using the industrial CFD code FLUENT 6.2. The various simulations made it possible to highlight the role of cooling holes in the protection of the flame tube walls against the high temperatures of the combustion products. In fact, the comparison between the results of the two studied cases demonstrated that the walls temperature can be reduced by about 800°C by the mean of cooling holes technique.

Trigger drift chamber for the upgraded mark II detector at PEP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, W. T.; Smith, J. G.; Wagner, S. R.; Weber, P.; White, S. L.; Alvarez, M.; Calviño, F.; Fernandez, E.

1987-04-01

A small cylindrical track detector was built as an array of single-wire drift cells with aluminized mylar cathode tubes. Point measurement resolution of ˜ 90 μm was achieved with a drift gas of 50% argon-50% ethane at atmospheric pressure. The chamber construction, electronics, and calibration are discussed. Performance results from PEP colliding-beam data are presented.

Calculation of the mixing chamber of an ejector chemical oxygen - iodine laser

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

Zagidullin, M V; Nikolaev, V D

2001-06-30

Gas parameters are calculated at the outlet of the mixing chamber of an ejector chemical oxygen-iodine laser with a nozzle unit consisting of nozzles of three types, which provides a total pressure of the active medium that substantially exceeds a pressure in the generator of singlet oxygen. This technique of forming the laser active medium substantially facilitates the ejection of the exhaust gas to the atmosphere by using a diffuser and single-stage vacuum systems based on water circulating pumps. (lasers, active media)

Detailed Measurement of ORSC Main Chamber Injector Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedard, Michael J.

resulted in more acoustic energy into higher frequency modes, while the flat-face geometry excited modes closer to the fundamental longitudinal mode frequency and its harmonics. Multi-scale analysis techniques were used to investigate intermittency and the range of physical scales present in measured signals. Flame light emission measurements confirmed the presence of flame holding in the injector recess in both configurations. Analysis of dynamics in light emission signals showed flame response at the chamber acoustic resonance frequency in addition to non-acoustic modes associated with mixing shear layer dynamics in the injector recess. The first known benchmark quality data sets of such injector dynamics were recorded in each configuration to enable pressure-based validation of high fidelity models of gas-centered swirl coaxial injectors. This work presents a critical contribution to development of validated combustion dynamics predictive tools and to the understanding of gas-centered swirl coaxial injector elements.

Greenhouse gas balance of a Scots pine forest using biometric, eddy covariance and chamber measurements.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gielen, Bert; De Vos, Bruno; Papale, Dario; Janssens, Ivan

2013-04-01

In recent years, the status of forests as sources or sinks of carbon has received much attention. Nonetheless, evidence-based long-term estimates of the magnitude of the carbon sequestration in forests are still scarce. In this study we present two independent estimates of net carbon sequestration in a temperate Scots pine dominated forest ecosystem over a 9 year period (2002-2010) and in addition, to determine the full greenhouse gas balance, the first results of automated chamber measurements of N2O and CH4. First, the net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) was estimated from net ecosystem CO2 exchange as measured by the eddy covariance technique (NECBEC). To this end, the eddy covariance estimates were combined with non-CO2 carbon fluxes such as DOC leaching and VOC emissions. The second approach to determine the carbon sequestration was based on the changes in the ecosystem carbon stocks over time (NECBSC). For this NECBSC estimate, two assessments of the ecosystem carbon stocks (2002 and 2010) were compared. Results showed that the eddy covariance approach estimated a net uptake of 2.4 ± 1.25 tC ha-1 yr-1, while the stock based approach suggested a carbon sink of 1.8 ± 1.20 tC ha-1 yr-1. No significant change was observed in the mineral soil carbon, while the carbon stock of the litter layer slightly decreased. Phytomass was thus the main carbon sink (2.1 tC ha-1 yr-1) in the pine forest, predominantly in the stems (1.3 tC ha-1 yr-1). The fact that stem wood is the main carbon sink within the ecosystem implies that the future harvesting has the potential to fully offset the CO2 uptake by this Scots pine forest. Estimates of the impact of N2O and CH4 emissions from the soil on the total greenhouse gas budget will be presented.

The atmosphere simulation chamber SAPHIR: a tool for the investigation of photochemistry.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brauers, T.; Bohn, B.; Johnen, F.-J.; Rohrer, R.; Rodriguez Bares, S.; Tillmann, R.; Wahner, A.

2003-04-01

On the campus of the Forschungszentrum Jülich we constructed SAPHIR (Simulation of Atmospheric PHotochemistry In a large Reaction Chamber) which was accomplished in fall 2001. The chamber consists of a 280-m^3 double-wall Teflon bag of cylindrical shape that is held by a steel frame. Typically 75% of the outside actinic flux (290~nm~--~420~nm) is available inside the chamber. A louvre system allows switching between full sun light and dark within 40 s giving the opportunity to study relaxation processes of the photo chemical system. The SAPHIR chamber is equipped with a comprehensive set of sensitive instruments including the measurements of OH, HO_2, CO, hydrocarbons, aldehydes, nitrogen-oxides and solar radiation. Moreover, the modular concept of SAPHIR allows fast and flexible integration of new instruments and techniques. In this paper we will show the unique and new features of the SAPHIR chamber, namely the clean air supply and high purity water vapor supply providing a wide range of trace gas concentrations being accessible through the experiments. We will also present examples from the first year of SAPHIR experiment showing the scope of application from high quality instrument inter-comparison and kinetic studies to the simulation of complex mixtures of trace gases at ambient concentrations.

IONIZATION CHAMBER

DOEpatents

Redman, W.C.; Shonka, F.R.

1958-02-18

This patent describes a novel ionization chamber which is well suited to measuring the radioactivity of the various portions of a wire as the wire is moved at a uniform speed, in order to produce the neutron flux traverse pattern of a reactor in which the wire was previously exposed to neutron radiation. The ionization chamber of the present invention is characterized by the construction wherein the wire is passed through a tubular, straight electrode and radiation shielding material is disposed along the wire except at an intermediate, narrow area where the second electrode of the chamber is located.

Effects of humidity on sterilization of Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores with plasma-excited neutral gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsui, Kei; Ikenaga, Noriaki; Sakudo, Noriyuki

2015-06-01

We investigate the effects of relative humidity on the sterilization process using a plasma-excited neutral gas that uniformly sterilizes both the space and inner wall of the reactor chamber at atmospheric pressure. Only reactive neutral species such as plasma-excited gas molecules and radicals were separated from the plasma and sent to the reactor chamber for chemical sterilization. The plasma source gas is nitrogen mixed with 0.1% oxygen, and the relative humidity in the source gas is controlled by changing the mixing ratio of water vapor. The relative humidity near the sample in the reactor chamber is controlled by changing the sample temperature. As a result, the relative humidity near the sample should be kept in the range from 60 to 90% for the sterilization of Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores. When the relative humidity in the source gas increases from 30 to 90%, the sterilization effect is enhanced by the same degree.

50. BOILER CHAMBER No. 1, LOOKING SOUTHEAST BETWEEN CHAMBER AND ...

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

50. BOILER CHAMBER No. 1, LOOKING SOUTHEAST BETWEEN CHAMBER AND ENCLOSURE (LOCATION III) - Shippingport Atomic Power Station, On Ohio River, 25 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, Shippingport, Beaver County, PA

61. BOILER CHAMBER No. 2, LOOKING SOUTHWEST BETWEEN CHAMBER AND ...

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

61. BOILER CHAMBER No. 2, LOOKING SOUTHWEST BETWEEN CHAMBER AND CONCRETE ENCLOSURE (LOCATION PPP) - Shippingport Atomic Power Station, On Ohio River, 25 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, Shippingport, Beaver County, PA

72. VISITOR'S CENTER, MODEL OF BOILER CHAMBER, AUXILIARY CHAMBER, REACTOR ...

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

72. VISITOR'S CENTER, MODEL OF BOILER CHAMBER, AUXILIARY CHAMBER, REACTOR AND CANAL (LOCATION T) - Shippingport Atomic Power Station, On Ohio River, 25 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, Shippingport, Beaver County, PA

Gas turbine exhaust nozzle. [for noise reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Straight, D. M. (Inventor)

1973-01-01

An elongated hollow string is disposed in an exhaust nozzle combustion chamber and communicates with an air source through hollow struts at one end. The other end of the string is bell-mouth shaped and extends over the front portion of a nozzle plug. The bell-mouth may be formed by pivotally mounted flaps or leaves which are used to vary the exhaust throat area and the area between the plug and the leaves. Air from the engine inlet flows into the string and also between the combustion chamber and a housing disposed around the chamber. The air cools the plug and serves as a low velocity inner core of secondary gas to provide noise reduction for the primary exhaust gas while the other air, when it exits from the nozzle, forms an outer low velocity layer to further reduce noise. The structure produces increased thrust in a turbojet or turbofan engine.

41. AUXILIARY CHAMBER, CONCRETE ENCLOSURE CHAMBER AIR LOCK (EXTERIOR), LOOKING ...

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

41. AUXILIARY CHAMBER, CONCRETE ENCLOSURE CHAMBER AIR LOCK (EXTERIOR), LOOKING NORTHEAST FROM SOUTHWEST CORNER (LOCATION AAA) - Shippingport Atomic Power Station, On Ohio River, 25 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, Shippingport, Beaver County, PA

Detection system for a gas chromatograph

DOEpatents

Hayes, John M.; Small, Gerald J.

1984-01-01

A method and apparatus are described for the quantitative analysis of vaporizable compounds, and in particular of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which may be induced to fluoresce. The sample to be analyzed is injected into a gas chromatography column and is eluted through a narrow orifice into a vacuum chamber. The free expansion of the eluted sample into the vacuum chamber creates a supersonic molecular beam in which the sample molecules are cooled to the extent that the excited vibrational and rotational levels are substantially depopulated. The cooled molecules, when induced to fluoresce by laser excitation, give greatly simplified spectra suitable for analytical purposes. The laser induced fluorimetry provides great selectivity, and the gas chromatograph provides quantitative transfer of the sample to the molecular beam.

Directional Dark Matter Detector Prototype (Time Projection Chamber)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver-Mallory, Kelsey; Garcia-Sciveres, Maurice; Kadyk, John; Lopex-Thibodeaux, Mayra

2013-04-01

The time projection chamber is a mature technology that has emerged as a promising candidate for the directional detection of the WIMP particle. In order to utilize this technology in WIMP detection, the operational parameters must be chosen in the non-ideal regime. A prototype WIMP detector with a 10cm field cage, double GEM amplification, and ATLAS FEI3 pixel chip readout was constructed for the purpose of investigating effects of varying gas pressure in different gas mixtures. The rms radii of ionization clusters of photoelectrons caused by X-rays from a Fe-55 source were measured for several gas pressures between 760torr and 99torr in Ar(70)/ CO2(30), CF4, He(80)/Isobutane(20), and He(80)/CF4(20) mixtures. Average radii were determined from distributions of the data for each gas mixture and pressure, and revealed a negative correlation between pressure and radius in Ar(70)/CO2(30) and He(80)/Isobutane(20) mixtures. Investigation of the pressure-radius measurements are in progress using distributions of photoelectron and auger electron practical ranges (Univ. of Pisa) and diffusion, using the Garfield Monte Carlo program.

Test program to provide confidence in liquid oxygen cooling of hydrocarbon fueled rocket thrust chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armstrong, E. S.

1986-01-01

An experimental program has been planned at the NASA Lewis Research Center to build confidence in the feasibility of liquid oxygen cooling for hydrocarbon fueled rocket engines. Although liquid oxygen cooling has previously been incorporated in test hardware, more runtime is necessary to gain confidence in this concept. In the previous tests, small oxygen leaks developed at the throat of the thrust chamber and film cooled the hot-gas side of the chamber wall without resulting in catastrophic failure. However, more testing is necessary to demonstrate that a catastrophic failure would not occur if cracks developed further upstream between the injector and the throat, where the boundary layer has not been established. Since under normal conditions cracks are expected to form in the throat region of the thrust chamber, cracks must be initiated artificially in order to control their location. Several methods of crack initiation are discussed in this report. Four thrust chambers, three with cracks and one without, should be tested. The axial location of the cracks should be varied parametrically. Each chamber should be instrumented to determine the effects of the cracks, as well as the overall performance and durability of the chambers.

NOVEL CHAMBER DESIGN FOR AN IN-VACUUM CRYO-COOLED MINI-GAP UNDULATOR.

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

HU, J.-P.; FOERSTER, C.L.; SKARITKA, J.R.

2006-05-24

A stainless steel, Ultra-High Vacuum (UHV) chamber, featuring a large vertical rectangular port (53''W by 16''H), has been fabricated to house the one-meter magnet assembly of a newly installed undulator insertion device for beamline X-25 at the National Synchrotron Light Source. To achieve UHV, the new chamber is equipped with a differential ion pump, NEG pump, nude ion gauge, residual gas analyzer, and an all metal roughing valve. Temperature of the magnet assembly is maintained below 90 C during vacuum bake. The large rectangular port cover is sealed to the main flange of the chamber using a one-piece flat aluminummore » gasket and special sealing surfaces developed exclusively by Nor-Cal Products, Inc. The large flange provides easy access to the gap of the installed magnet girders for in situ magnetic measurements and shimming. Special window ports were designed into the cover and chamber for manipulation of optical micrometers external to the chamber to provide precise measurements of the in-vacuum magnet gap. The vacuum chamber assembly features independently vacuum-isolated feedthroughs that can be used for either water-or-cryogenic refrigeration-cooling of the monolithic magnet girders. This would allow for cryogenic-cooled permanent magnet operation and has been successfully tested within temperature range of +100 C to -150 C. Details of the undulator assembly for beamline X-25 is described in the paper.« less

Detecting special nuclear material using a neutron time projection chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carosi, G.; Bernstein, A.; Bowden, N.; Burke, J.; Carter, D.; Foxe, M.; Heffner, M.; Jovanovic, I.; Mintz, J.; O'Malley, P.

2010-02-01

Time projection chambers are 3-dimensional charged particle cameras based on drifting ionization tracks at a known velocity onto an electronic readout plane. These instruments are capable of detecting fast neutrons which are unique signatures of special nuclear material with low natural background rates. Here we describe a neutron Time Projection Chamber (nTPC) developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) which has demonstrated directional sensitivity to fission neutrons along with high rejection of background gamma-ray and electron events. Using a combination hydrogen/methane drift gas at several atmospheres we've demonstrated the ability to point to a Cf-252 source simulating 6kg of weapons grade plutonium at 10's of meters with one hour integration time. Plans for future field deployable devices will also be outlined. )

Turbulence in a gaseous hydrogen-liquid oxygen rocket combustion chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lebas, J.; Tou, P.; Ohara, J.

1975-01-01

The intensity of turbulence and the Lagrangian correlation coefficient for a LOX-GH2 rocket combustion chamber was determined from experimental measurements of tracer gas diffusion. A combination of Taylor's turbulent diffusion theory and a numerical method for solving the conservation equations of fluid mechanics was used to calculate these quantities. Taylor's theory was extended to consider the inhomogeneity of the turbulence field in the axial direction of the combustion chamber, and an exponential function was used to represent the Lagrangian correlation coefficient. The results indicate that the value of the intensity of turbulence reaches a maximum of 14% at a location about 7" downstream from the injector. The Lagrangian correlation coefficient associated with this value is given by the above exponential expression where alpha = 10,000/sec.

Etching Rate of Silicon Dioxide Using Chlorine Trifluoride Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miura, Yutaka; Kasahara, Yu; Habuka, Hitoshi; Takechi, Naoto; Fukae, Katsuya

2009-02-01

The etching rate behavior of silicon dioxide (SiO2, fused silica) using chlorine trifluoride (ClF3) gas is studied at substrate temperatures between 573 and 1273 K at atmospheric pressure in a horizontal cold-wall reactor. The etching rate increases with the ClF3 gas concentration, and the overall reaction is recognized to be of the first order. The change of the etching rate with increasing substrate temperature is nonlinear, and the etching rate tends to approach a constant value at temperatures exceeding 1173 K. The overall rate constant is estimated by numerical calculation, taking into account the transport phenomena in the reactor, including the chemical reaction at the substrate surface. The activation energy obtained in this study is 45.8 kJ mol-1, and the rate constant is consistent with the measured etching rate behavior. A reactor system in which there is minimum etching of the fused silica chamber by ClF3 gas can be achieved using an IR lamp heating unit and a chamber cooling unit to maintain a sufficiently low temperature of the chamber wall.

44. AUXILIARY CHAMBER BETWEEN CHAMBER AND CONCRETE ENCLOSURE (LOCATION CCC), ...

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

44. AUXILIARY CHAMBER BETWEEN CHAMBER AND CONCRETE ENCLOSURE (LOCATION CCC), LOOKING NORTHEAST SHOWING DRAIN PIPE FROM SUMP - Shippingport Atomic Power Station, On Ohio River, 25 miles Northwest of Pittsburgh, Shippingport, Beaver County, PA

Sectoral combustor for burning low-BTU fuel gas

DOEpatents

Vogt, Robert L.

1980-01-01

A high-temperature combustor for burning low-BTU coal gas in a gas turbine is disclosed. The combustor includes several separately removable combustion chambers each having an annular sectoral cross section and a double-walled construction permitting separation of stresses due to pressure forces and stresses due to thermal effects. Arrangements are described for air-cooling each combustion chamber using countercurrent convective cooling flow between an outer shell wall and an inner liner wall and using film cooling flow through liner panel grooves and along the inner liner wall surface, and for admitting all coolant flow to the gas path within the inner liner wall. Also described are systems for supplying coal gas, combustion air, and dilution air to the combustion zone, and a liquid fuel nozzle for use during low-load operation. The disclosed combustor is fully air-cooled, requires no transition section to interface with a turbine nozzle, and is operable at firing temperatures of up to 3000.degree. F. or within approximately 300.degree. F. of the adiabatic stoichiometric limit of the coal gas used as fuel.

Thermal stresses investigation of a gas turbine blade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gowreesh, S.; Pravin, V. K.; Rajagopal, K.; Veena, P. H.

2012-06-01

The analysis of structural and thermal stress values that are produced while the turbine is operating are the key factors of study while designing the next generation gas turbines. The present study examines structural, thermal, modal analysis of the first stage rotor blade of a two stage gas turbine. The design features of the turbine segment of the gas turbine have been taken from the preliminary design of a power turbine for maximization of an existing turbojet engine with optimized dump gap of the combustion chamber, since the allowable temperature on the turbine blade dependents on the hot gas temperatures from the combustion chamber. In the present paper simplified 3-D Finite Element models are developed with governing boundary conditions and solved using the commercial FEA software ANSYS. As the temperature has a significant effect on the overall stress on the rotor blades, a detail study on mechanical and thermal stresses are estimated and evaluated with the experimental values.

Long term performance studies of large oil-free bakelite resistive plate chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganai, R.; Roy, A.; Shiroya, M. K.; Agarwal, K.; Ahammed, Z.; Choudhury, S.; Chattopadhyay, S.

2016-09-01

Several high energy physics and neutrino physics experiments worldwide require large-size RPCs to cover wide acceptances. The muon tracking systems in the Iron calorimeter (ICAL) experiment in the India based Neutrino Observatory (INO), India and the near detector in Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) at Fermilab are two such examples. A single gap bakelite RPC of dimension 240 cm × 120 cm, with gas gap of 0.2 cm, has been built and tested at Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata, using indigenous materials procured from the local market. No additional lubricant, like oil has been used on the electrode surfaces for smoothening. The chamber is in operation for > 365 days. We have tested the chamber for its long term operation. The leakage current, bulk resistivity, efficiency, noise rate and time resolution of the chamber have been found to be quite stable during the testing peroid. It has shown an efficiency > 95% with an average time resolution of ~ 0.83 ns at the point of measurement at ~ 8700 V throughout the testing period. Details of the long term performance of the chamber have been discussed.

Apparatus for adjusting and maintaining the humidity of gas at a constant value within a closed system

DOEpatents

Abernathy, Bethel R.; Walters, Ronald R.

1986-01-01

The humidity of a gas within a closed system is maintained at constant level by providing a saturated salt solution within a lower chamber in communication with an upper chamber conjointly defined by upper and lower container sections in sealing contact with each other to establish a closed container. A partition wall separates the salt solution from the test region in the upper chamber. A tube extending through the partition plate allows humidified gas to pass from the lower to the upper chamber. A glass wool plug or membranous material within the tube prevents migration of salt into the test region.

Apparatus for adjusting and maintaining the humidity of gas at a constant value within a closed system

DOEpatents

Abernathy, B.R.; Walters, R.R.

1985-08-05

The humidity of a gas within a closed system is maintained at constant level by providing a saturated salt solution within a lower chamber in communication with an upper chamber conjointly defined by upper and lower container sections in sealing contact with each other to establish a closed container. A partition wall separates the salt solution from the test region in the upper chamber. A tube extending through the partition plate allows humidified gas to pass from the lower to the upper chamber. A glass wool plug or membranous material within the tube prevents migration of salt into the test region.

CONTINUOUS ROTATION SCATTERING CHAMBER

DOEpatents

Verba, J.W.; Hawrylak, R.A.

1963-08-01

An evacuated scattering chamber for use in observing nuclear reaction products produced therein over a wide range of scattering angles from an incoming horizontal beam that bombards a target in the chamber is described. A helically moving member that couples the chamber to a detector permits a rapid and broad change of observation angles without breaching the vacuum in the chamber. Also, small inlet and outlet openings are provided whose size remains substantially constant. (auth)

Blast from pressurized carbon dioxide released into a vented atmospheric chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, P. M.; Gaathaug, A. V.; Bjerketvedt, D.; Vaagsaether, K.

2018-03-01

This study describes the blast from pressurized carbon dioxide (CO2) released from a high-pressure reservoir into an openly vented atmospheric chamber. Small-scale experiments with pure vapor and liquid/vapor mixtures were conducted and compared with simulations. A motivation was to investigate the effects of vent size and liquid content on the peak overpressure and impulse response in the atmospheric chamber. The comparison of vapor-phase CO2 test results with simulations showed good agreement. This numerical code described single-phase gas dynamics inside a closed chamber, but did not model any phase transitions. Hence, the simulations described a vapor-only test into an unvented chamber. Nevertheless, the simulations reproduced the incident shock wave, the shock reflections, and the jet release inside the atmospheric chamber. The rapid phase transition did not contribute to the initial shock strength in the current test geometry. The evaporation rate was too low to contribute to the measured peak overpressure that was in the range of 15-20 kPa. The simulation results produced a calculated peak overpressure of 12 kPa. The liquid tests showed a significantly higher impulse compared to tests with pure vapor. Reducing the vent opening from 0.1 to 0.01 m2 resulted in a slightly higher impulse calculated at 100 ms. The influence of the vent area on the calculated impulse was significant in the vapor-phase tests, but not so clear in the liquid/vapor mixture tests.

Heated probe diagnostic inside of the gas aggregation nanocluster source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolpakova, Anna; Shelemin, Artem; Kousal, Jaroslav; Kudrna, Pavel; Tichy, Milan; Biederman, Hynek; Surface; Plasma Science Team

2016-09-01

Gas aggregation cluster sources (GAS) usually operate outside common working conditions of most magnetrons and the size of nanoparticles created in GAS is below that commonly studied in dusty plasmas. Therefore, experimental data obtained inside the GAS are important for better understanding of process of nanoparticles formation. In order to study the conditions inside the gas aggregation chamber, special ``diagnostic GAS'' has been constructed. It allows simultaneous monitoring (or spatial profiling) by means of optical emission spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and probe diagnostic. Data obtained from Langmuir and heated probes map the plasma parameters in two dimensions - radial and axial. Titanium has been studied as an example of metal for which the reactive gas in the chamber starts nanoparticles production. Three basic situations were investigated: sputtering from clean titanium target in argon, sputtering from partially pre-oxidized target and sputtering with oxygen introduced into the discharge. It was found that during formation of nanoparticles the plasma parameters differ strongly from the situation without nanoparticles. These experimental data will support the efforts of more realistic modeling of the process. Czech Science Foundation 15-00863S.

Combustor with fuel preparation chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zelina, Joseph (Inventor); Myers, Geoffrey D. (Inventor); Srinivasan, Ram (Inventor); Reynolds, Robert S. (Inventor)

2001-01-01

An annular combustor having fuel preparation chambers mounted in the dome of the combustor. The fuel preparation chamber comprises an annular wall extending axially from an inlet to an exit that defines a mixing chamber. Mounted to the inlet are an air swirler and a fuel atomizer. The air swirler provides swirled air to the mixing chamber while the atomizer provides a fuel spray. On the downstream side of the exit, the fuel preparation chamber has an inwardly extending conical wall that compresses the swirling mixture of fuel and air exiting the mixing chamber.

Test Methodologies for Hydrogen Sensor Performance Assessment: Chamber vs. Flow Through Test Apparatus: Preprint

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

Buttner, William J; Hartmann, Kevin S; Schmidt, Kara

Certification of hydrogen sensors to standards often prescribes using large-volume test chambers [1, 2]. However, feedback from stakeholders such as sensor manufacturers and end-users indicate that chamber test methods are often viewed as too slow and expensive for routine assessment. Flow through test methods potentially are an efficient, cost-effective alternative for sensor performance assessment. A large number of sensors can be simultaneously tested, in series or in parallel, with an appropriate flow through test fixture. The recent development of sensors with response times of less than 1s mandates improvements in equipment and methodology to properly capture the performance of thismore » new generation of fast sensors; flow methods are a viable approach for accurate response and recovery time determinations, but there are potential drawbacks. According to ISO 26142 [1], flow through test methods may not properly simulate ambient applications. In chamber test methods, gas transport to the sensor can be dominated by diffusion which is viewed by some users as mimicking deployment in rooms and other confined spaces. Alternatively, in flow through methods, forced flow transports the gas to the sensing element. The advective flow dynamics may induce changes in the sensor behaviour relative to the quasi-quiescent condition that may prevail in chamber test methods. One goal of the current activity in the JRC and NREL sensor laboratories [3, 4] is to develop a validated flow through apparatus and methods for hydrogen sensor performance testing. In addition to minimizing the impact on sensor behaviour induced by differences in flow dynamics, challenges associated with flow through methods include the ability to control environmental parameters (humidity, pressure and temperature) during the test and changes in the test gas composition induced by chemical reactions with upstream sensors. Guidelines on flow through test apparatus design and protocols for the

Theoretical and experimental analysis of a multiphase screw pump, handling gas-liquid mixtures with very high gas volume fractions

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

Raebiger, K.; Faculty of Advanced Technology, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, Wales; Maksoud, T.M.A.

In the investigation of the pumping behaviour of multiphase screw pumps, handling gas-liquid mixtures with very high gas volume fractions, theoretical and experimental analyses were performed. A new theoretical screw pump model was developed, which calculates the time-dependent conditions inside the several chambers of a screw pump as well as the exchange of mass and energy between these chambers. By means of the performed experimental analysis, the screw pump model was verified, especially at very high gas volume fractions from 90% to 99%. The experiments, which were conducted with the reference fluids water and air, can be divided mainly intomore » the determination of the steady state pumping behaviour on the one hand and into the analysis of selected transient operating conditions on the other hand, whereas the visualisation of the leakage flows through the circumferential gaps was rounded off the experimental analysis. (author)« less

Filament wound rocket motor chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The design, analysis, fabrication and testing of a Kevlar-49/HBRF-55A filament wound chamber is reported. The chamber was fabricated and successfully tested to 80% of the design burst pressure. Results of the data reduction and analysis from the hydrotest indicate that the chamber design and fabrication techniques used for the chamber were adequate and the chamber should perform adequately in a static test.

Annular-Cross-Section CFE Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharnez, Rizwan; Sammons, David W.

1994-01-01

Proposed continuous-flow-electrophoresis (CFE) chamber of annular cross section offers advantages over conventional CFE chamber, and wedge-cross-section chamber described in "Increasing Sensitivity in Continuous-Flow Electrophoresis" (MFS-26176). In comparison with wedge-shaped chamber, chamber of annular cross section virtually eliminates such wall effects as electro-osmosis and transverse gradients of velocity. Sensitivity enhanced by incorporating gradient maker and radial (collateral) flow.

COMPASS - COMparative Particle formation in the Atmosphere using portable Simulation chamber Study techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonn, B.; Sun, S.; Haunold, W.; Sitals, R.; van Beesel, E.; dos Santos, L.; Nillius, B.; Jacobi, S.

2013-12-01

In this study we report the set-up of a novel twin chamber technique that uses the comparative method and establishes an appropriate connection of atmospheric and laboratory methods to broaden the tools for investigations. It is designed to study the impact of certain parameters and gases on ambient processes, such as particle formation online, and can be applied in a large variety of conditions. The characterisation of both chambers proved that both chambers operate identically, with a residence time xT (COMPASS1) = 26.5 ± 0.3 min and xT (COMPASS2) = 26.6 ± 0.4 min, at a typical flow rate of 15 L min-1 and a gas leak rate of (1.6 ± 0.8) × 10-5 s-1. Particle loss rates were found to be larger (due to the particles' stickiness to the chamber walls), with an extrapolated maximum of 1.8 × 10-3 s-1 at 1 nm, i.e. a hundredfold of the gas leak rate. This latter value is associated with sticky non-volatile gaseous compounds, too. Comparison measurement showed no significant differences. Therefore operation under atmospheric conditions is trustworthy. To indicate the applicability and the benefit of the system, a set of experiments was conducted under different conditions, i.e. urban and remote, enhanced ozone and terpenes as well as reduced sunlight. In order to do so, an ozone lamp was applied to enhance ozone in one of two chambers; the measurement chamber was protected from radiation by a first-aid cover and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were added using a small additional flow and a temperature-controlled oven. During the elevated ozone period, ambient particle number and volume increased substantially at urban and remote conditions, but by a different intensity. Protection of solar radiation displayed a clear negative effect on particle number, while terpene addition did cause a distinct daily pattern. E.g. adding β pinene particle number concentration rose by 13% maximum at noontime, while no significant effect was observable during darkness. Therefore

Commissioning of the Active-Target Time Projection Chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradt, J.; Bazin, D.; Abu-Nimeh, F.; Ahn, T.; Ayyad, Y.; Beceiro Novo, S.; Carpenter, L.; Cortesi, M.; Kuchera, M. P.; Lynch, W. G.; Mittig, W.; Rost, S.; Watwood, N.; Yurkon, J.

2017-12-01

The Active-Target Time Projection Chamber (AT-TPC) was recently built and commissioned at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University. This gas-filled detector uses an active-target design where the gas acts as both the tracking medium and the reaction target. Operating inside a 2T solenoidal magnetic field, the AT-TPC records charged particle tracks that can be reconstructed to very good energy and angular resolutions. The near- 4 π solid angle coverage and thick target of the detector are well-suited to experiments with low secondary beam intensities. In this paper, the design and instrumentation of theAT-TPC are described along with the methods used to analyze the data it produces. A simulation of the detector's performance and some results from its commissioning with a radioactive 46Ar beam are also presented.

Development of burners for afterburning chambers of heat-recovery boilers at cogeneration stations equipped with combined-cycle plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khomenok, L. A.

2007-09-01

Problems related to efficient afterburning of fuel in the medium of gas-turbine unit exhaust gases, as well as new design arrangements of gas-jet burners used in the chambers for afterburning fuel in heat-recovery boilers at cogeneration stations equipped with combined-cycle plants, are considered. Results obtained from comparative experimental investigations of different gas-jet flame stabilizers at a test facility are presented, and the advantages of jet-ejector stabilizers are demonstrated.

Injector design guidelines for gas/liquid propellant systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falk, A. Y.; Burick, R. J.

1973-01-01

Injector design guidelines are provided for gas/liquid propellant systems. Information was obtained from a 30-month applied research program encompassing an analytical, design, and experimental effort to relate injector design parameters to simultaneous attainment of high performance and component (injector/thrust chamber) compatibility for gas/liquid space storable propellants. The gas/liquid propellant combination studied was FLOX (82.6% F2)/ ambient temperature gaseous methane. Design criteria that provide for simultaneous attainment of high performance and chamber compatibility are presented for both injector types. Parametric data are presented that are applicable for the design of circular coaxial and like-doublet injectors that operate with design parameters similar to those employed. However, caution should be exercised when applying these data to propellant combinations whose elements operate in ranges considerably different from those employed in this study.

HATCH CONNECTING TEMPERED AIR CHAMBER AND HOT AIR CHAMBER OF ...

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

HATCH CONNECTING TEMPERED AIR CHAMBER AND HOT AIR CHAMBER OF PLENUM WITH ATTACHED DRAFT REGULATOR. - Hot Springs National Park, Bathhouse Row, Superior Bathhouse: Mechanical & Piping Systems, State Highway 7, 1 mile north of U.S. Highway 70, Hot Springs, Garland County, AR

Controls on gas transfer velocities in a large river

EPA Science Inventory

The emission of biogenic gases from large rivers can be an important component of regional greenhouse gas budgets. However, emission rate estimates are often poorly constrained due to uncertainties in the air-water gas exchange rate. We used the floating chamber method to estim...

Indoor Secondary Pollutants from Household Product Emissions inthe Presence of Ozone: A Bench-Scale Chamber Study

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

Destaillats, Hugo; Lunden, Melissa M.; Singer, Brett C.

2005-10-01

Ozone-driven chemistry is a major source of indoor secondary pollutants of health concern. This study investigates secondary air pollutants formed from reactions between constituents of household products and ozone. Gas-phase product emissions were introduced along with ozone at constant rates into a 198-L Teflon-lined reaction chamber. Gas-phase concentrations of reactive terpenoids and oxidation products were measured. Formaldehyde was a predominant oxidation byproduct for the three studied products, with yields under most conditions of 20-30% with respect to ozone consumed. Acetaldehyde, acetone, glycolaldehyde, formic acid and acetic acid were each also detected for two or three of the products. Immediately uponmore » mixing of reactants, a scanning mobility particle sizer detected particle nucleation events that were followed by a significant degree of ultrafine particle growth. The production of secondary gaseous pollutants and particles depended primarily on the ozone level and was influenced by other parameters such as the air-exchange rate. Hydroxyl radical concentrations in the range 0.04-200 x 10{sup 5} molecules cm{sup -3} were measured. OH concentrations were observed to vary strongly with residual ozone level in the chamber, which was in the range 1-25 ppb, as is consistent with expectations from a simplified kinetic model. In a separate test, we exposed the dry residue of two products to ozone in the chamber and observed the formation of gas-phase and particle-phase secondary oxidation products.« less

Improved switching reliability achieved in HfOx based RRAM with mountain-like surface-graphited carbon layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Ye; Ding, Wentao; Wang, Zhongqiang; Xu, Haiyang; Zhao, Xiaoning; Li, Xuhong; Liu, Weizhen; Ma, Jiangang; Liu, Yichun

2018-05-01

In this work, we demonstrated an effective method to improve the switching reliability of HfOx based RRAM device by inserting mountain-like surface-graphited carbon (MSGC) layer. The MSGC layer was fabricated through thermal annealing of amorphous carbon (a-C) film with high sp2 proportion (49.7%) under 500 °C on Pt substrate, whose characteristics were validated by XPS and Raman spectrums. The local electric-field (LEF) was enhanced around the nanoscale tips of MSGC layer due to large surface curvature, which leads to simplified CFs and localization of resistive switching region. It takes responsibility to the reduction of high/low resistance states (HRS/LRS) fluctuation from 173.8%/64.9% to 23.6%/6.5%, respectively. In addition, the resulting RRAM devices exhibited fast switching speed (<65 ns), good retention (>104 s at 85 °C) and low cycling degradation. This method could be promising to develop reliable and repeatable high-performance RRAM for practical applications.

A System for Controlling the Oxygen Content of a Gas Produced by Combustion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, J. J.; Davis, W. T.; Puster, R. L. (Inventor)

1984-01-01

A mixture of air, CH4 and OH(2) is burned in a combustion chamber to produce a product gas in the test section. The OH(2) content of the product gas is compared with the OH(2) content of reference air in an OH(2) sensor. If there is a difference an error signal is produced at the output of a control circuit which by the means of a solenoid valve, regulates the flow of OH(2) into the combustion chamber to make the error signal zero. The product gas in the test section has the same oxygen content as air.

Laboratory Measurements of Oxygen Gas Release from Basaltic Minerals Exposed to UV- Radiation: Implications for the Viking Gas Exchange Experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurowitz, J. A.; Yen, A. S.

2007-12-01

The biology experiments onboard the Viking Landers determined that the Martian soils at Chryse and Utopia Planitia contain an unknown chemical compound of a highly oxidizing nature. The Gas Exchange Experiments (GEx) demonstrated that the humidification of a 1-cc Martian soil sample resulted in the production of as much as 790 nanomoles of oxygen gas. Yen et al. (2000) have provided experimental evidence that superoxide radicals can be generated on plagioclase feldspar (labradorite) grain surfaces by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light in the presence of oxygen gas. Adsorbed superoxide radicals are thought to react readily with water vapor, and produce oxygen gas in quantities sufficient to explain the Viking GEx results. Direct evidence for the formation of oxygen gas, however, was not provided in the experiments of Yen et al (2000). Accordingly, the motivation of this study is to determine whether superoxide radicals adsorbed on labradorite surfaces are capable of producing oxygen gas upon exposure to water vapor. We have constructed an experimental apparatus that is capable of monitoring oxygen gas release from basaltic mineral powders that have been exposed to UV-radiation under Martian atmospheric pressure conditions. The apparatus consists of a stainless-steel vacuum chamber with a UV- transparent window where sample radiation exposures are performed. The vacuum chamber has multiple valved ports for injection of gases and water vapor. The vacuum chamber is connected via a precision leak valve to a quadrupole mass spectrometer, which measures changes in the composition of the headspace gases over our mineral samples. We will report on the results of our experiments, which are aimed at detecting and quantifying oxygen gas release from UV-exposed basaltic mineral samples using this new experimental facility. These results will further constrain whether superoxide ions adsorbed on mineral surfaces provide a viable explanation for the Viking GEx results, which have

A multiple chamber, semicontinuous, crop carbon dioxide exchange system: design, calibration, and data interpretation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

van Iersel, M. W.; Bugbee, B.

2000-01-01

Long-term, whole crop CO2 exchange measurements can be used to study factors affecting crop growth. These factors include daily carbon gain, cumulative carbon gain, and carbon use efficiency, which cannot be determined from short-term measurements. We describe a system that measures semicontinuously crop CO2 exchange in 10 chambers over a period of weeks or months. Exchange of CO2 in every chamber can be measured at 5 min intervals. The system was designed to be placed inside a growth chamber, with additional environmental control provided by the individual gas exchange chambers. The system was calibrated by generating CO2 from NaHCO3 inside the chambers, which indicated that accuracy of the measurements was good (102% and 98% recovery for two separate photosynthesis systems). Since the systems measure net photosynthesis (P-net, positive) and dark respiration(R-dark, negative), the data can be used to estimate gross photosynthesis, daily carbon gain, cumulative carbon gain, and carbon use efficiency. Continuous whole-crop measurements are a valuable tool that complements leaf photosynthesis measurements. Multiple chambers allow for replication and comparison among several environmental or cultural treatments that may affect crop growth. Example data from a 2 week study with petunia (Petunia x hybrida Hort. Vilm.-Andr.) are presented to illustrate some of the capabilities of this system.

Advanced Small Rocket Chambers. Basic Program and Option 2: Fundamental Processes and Material Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jassowski, Donald M.

1993-01-01

Propellants, chamber materials, and processes for fabrication of small high performance radiation cooled liquid rocket engines were evaluated to determine candidates for eventual demonstration in flight-type thrusters. Both storable and cryogenic propellant systems were considered. The storable propellant systems chosen for further study were nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer with either hydrazine or monomethylhydrazine as fuel. The cryogenic propellants chosen were oxygen with either hydrogen or methane as fuel. Chamber material candidates were chemical vapor deposition (CVD) rhenium protected from oxidation by CVD iridium for the chamber hot section, and film cooled wrought platinum-rhodium or regeneratively cooled stainless steel for the front end section exposed to partially reacted propellants. Laser diagnostics of the combustion products near the hot chamber surface and measurements at the surface layer were performed in a collaborative program at Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA. The Material Sample Test Apparatus, a laboratory system to simulate the combustion environment in terms of gas and material temperature, composition, and pressure up to 6 Atm, was developed for these studies. Rocket engine simulator studies were conducted to evaluate the materials under simulated combustor flow conditions, in the diagnostic test chamber. These tests used the exhaust species measurement system, a device developed to monitor optically species composition and concentration in the chamber and exhaust by emission and absorption measurements.

Hydrogen rich gas generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houseman, J.; Rupe, J. H.; Kushida, R. O. (Inventor)

1976-01-01

A process and apparatus is described for producing a hydrogen rich gas by injecting air and hydrocarbon fuel at one end of a cylindrically shaped chamber to form a mixture and igniting the mixture to provide hot combustion gases by partial oxidation of the hydrocarbon fuel. The combustion gases move away from the ignition region to another region where water is injected to be turned into steam by the hot combustion gases. The steam which is formed mixes with the hot gases to yield a uniform hot gas whereby a steam reforming reaction with the hydrocarbon fuel takes place to produce a hydrogen rich gas.

Effects of Chamber Pressure and Partial Pressure of Water Vapor on Secondary Drying in Lyophilization.

PubMed

Searles, James A; Aravapalli, Sridhar; Hodge, Cody

2017-10-01

Secondary drying is the final step of lyophilization before stoppering, during which water is desorbed from the product to yield the final moisture content. We studied how chamber pressure and partial pressure of water vapor during this step affected the time course of water content of aqueous solutions of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in glass vials. The total chamber pressure had no effect when the partial pressure of water vapor was very low. However, when the vapor phase contained a substantial fraction of water vapor, the PVP moisture content was much higher. We carried out dynamic vapor sorption experiments (DVS) to demonstrate that the higher PVP moisture content was a straightforward result of the higher water vapor content in the lyophilizer. The results highlight that the partial pressure of water vapor is extremely important during secondary drying in lyophilization, and that lower chamber pressure set points for secondary drying may sometimes be justified as a strategy for ensuring low partial pressure of water vapor, especially for lyophilizers that do not inject dry gas to control pressure. These findings have direct application for process transfers/scale ups from freeze-dryers that do not inject dry gas for pressure control to those that do, and vice versa.

Analysis of turbojet combustion chamber performances based on flow field simplified mathematical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rotaru, Constantin

2017-06-01

In this paper are presented some results about the study of combustion chamber geometrical configurations that are found in aircraft gas turbine engines. The main focus of this paper consists in a study of a new configuration of the aircraft engine combustion chamber with an optimal distribution of gas velocity in front of the turbine. This constructive solution could allow a lower engine rotational speed, a lower temperature in front of the first stage of the turbine and the possibility to increase the turbine pressure ratio. The Arrhenius relationship, which describes the basic dependencies of the reaction rate on pressure, temperature and concentration has been used. and the CFD simulations were made with jet A fuel (which is presented in the Fluent software database) for an annular flame tube with 24 injectors. The temperature profile at the turbine inlet exhibits nonuniformity due to the number of fuel injectors used in the circumferential direction, the spatial nonuniformity in dilution air cooling and mixing characteristics as well as other secondary flow patterns and instabilities that are set up in the flame tube.

An environmental chamber system for prolonged metabolic studies on small animals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, J. P.; Huston, L. J.; Simmons, J. B., II; Clarkson, D. P.; Martz, W. W.; Schatte, C. L.

1973-01-01

Measurement of metabolic adaptation to marginally stressful environments requires both precise regulation of a variety of atmospheric factors for extended periods of time and the capacity to employ sensitive parameters in an undisturbed subject. This paper describes a metabolic chamber system which can simultaneously maintain groups of small animals in two completely separate closed environments having different pressures, temperatures and gas compositions for an indefinite period. Oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, food and water consumption and animal activity cycles can be continuously monitored and quantified 24 h per day while the animals are in an unrestrained state. Each chamber can be serviced and the animals handled, injected and sacrificed without subjecting them to barometric stress. Several unique electrical and mechanical components allow semi-automated data collection on a continuous basis for indefinite periods of time.

RADIATION MONITOR CONTAINING TWO CONCENTRIC IONIZATION CHAMBERS AND MEANS FOR INSULATING THE SEPARATE CHAMBERS

DOEpatents

Braestrup, C.B.; Mooney, R.T.

1964-01-21

This invention relates to a portable radiation monitor containing two concentric ionization chambers which permit the use of standard charging and reading devices. It is particularly adapted as a personnel x-ray dosimeter and to this end comprises a small thin walled, cylindrical conductor forming an inner energy dependent chamber, a small thin walled, cylindrical conductor forming an outer energy independent chamber, and polymeric insulation means which insulates said chambers from each other and holds the chambers together with exposed connections in a simple, trouble-free, and compact assembly substantially without variation in directional response. (AEC)

Vibrating-chamber levitation systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barmatz, M. B.; Granett, D.; Lee, M. C. (Inventor)

1985-01-01

Systems are described for the acoustic levitation of objects, which enable the use of a sealed rigid chamber to avoid contamination of the levitated object. The apparatus includes a housing forming a substantially closed chamber, and means for vibrating the entire housing at a frequency that produces an acoustic standing wave pattern within the chamber.

Seedling-Size Fumigation Chambers

Treesearch

Keith F. Jensen; Frederick W. Bender

1977-01-01

The design of fumigation chambers is described. Each chamber has individual temperature, humidity, light, and pollutant control. Temperature is variable from 15 to 35ºC and controlled within ± 1ºC. Humidity is variable from 25 to 95 percent and controlled within ± 3 percent. Seedlings have been successfully grown in these chambers...

Sleeve reaction chamber system

DOEpatents

Northrup, M Allen [Berkeley, CA; Beeman, Barton V [San Mateo, CA; Benett, William J [Livermore, CA; Hadley, Dean R [Manteca, CA; Landre, Phoebe [Livermore, CA; Lehew, Stacy L [Livermore, CA; Krulevitch, Peter A [Pleasanton, CA

2009-08-25

A chemical reaction chamber system that combines devices such as doped polysilicon for heating, bulk silicon for convective cooling, and thermoelectric (TE) coolers to augment the heating and cooling rates of the reaction chamber or chambers. In addition the system includes non-silicon-based reaction chambers such as any high thermal conductivity material used in combination with a thermoelectric cooling mechanism (i.e., Peltier device). The heat contained in the thermally conductive part of the system can be used/reused to heat the device, thereby conserving energy and expediting the heating/cooling rates. The system combines a micromachined silicon reaction chamber, for example, with an additional module/device for augmented heating/cooling using the Peltier effect. This additional module is particularly useful in extreme environments (very hot or extremely cold) where augmented heating/cooling would be useful to speed up the thermal cycling rates. The chemical reaction chamber system has various applications for synthesis or processing of organic, inorganic, or biochemical reactions, including the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or other DNA reactions, such as the ligase chain reaction.

Bubble chambers for experiments in nuclear astrophysics

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

DiGiovine, B.; Henderson, D.; Holt, R. J.

A bubble chamber has been developed to be used as an active target system for low energy nuclear astrophysics experiments. Adopting ideas from dark matter detection with superheated liquids, a detector system compatible with gamma-ray beams has been developed. This detector alleviates some of the limitations encountered in standard measurements of the minute cross sections of interest to stellar environments. While the astrophysically relevant nuclear reaction processes at hydrostatic burning temperatures are dominated by radiative captures, in this experimental scheme we measure the time reversed processes. Such photodisintegrations allow us to compute the radiative capture cross sections when transitions tomore » excited states of the reaction products are negligible. Due to the transformation of phase space, the photodisintegration cross-sections are up to two orders of magnitude higher. The main advantage of the new target-detector system is a density several orders of magnitude higher than conventional gas targets. Also, the detector is virtually insensitive to the gamma-ray beam itself, thus allowing us to detect only the products of the nuclear reaction of interest. The development and the operation as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the bubble chamber are discussed.« less

The role of volatiles in magma chamber dynamics.

PubMed

Huppert, Herbert E; Woods, Andrew W

2002-12-05

Many andesitic volcanoes exhibit effusive eruption activity, with magma volumes as large as 10(7)-10(9) m(3) erupted at rates of 1-10 m(3) x s(-1) over periods of years or decades. During such eruptions, many complex cycles in eruption rates have been observed, with periods ranging from hours to years. Longer-term trends have also been observed, and are thought to be associated with the continuing recharge of magma from deep in the crust and with waning of overpressure in the magma reservoir. Here we present a model which incorporates effects due to compressibility of gas in magma. We show that the eruption duration and volume of erupted magma may increase by up to two orders of magnitude if the stored internal energy associated with dissolved volatiles can be released into the magma chamber. This mechanism would be favoured in shallow chambers or volatile-rich magmas and the cooling of magma by country rock may enhance this release of energy, leading to substantial increases in eruption rate and duration.

Cyclic fatigue analysis of rocket thrust chambers. Volume 1: OFHC copper chamber low cycle fatigue

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, R. W.

1974-01-01

A three-dimensional finite element elasto-plastic strain analysis was performed for the throat section of a regeneratively cooled rocket combustion chamber. The analysis employed the RETSCP finite element computer program. The analysis included thermal and pressure loads, and the effects of temperature dependent material properties, to determine the strain range corresponding to the chamber operating cycle. The analysis was performed for chamber configuration and operating conditions corresponding to a hydrogen-oxygen combustion chamber which was fatigue tested to failure. The computed strain range at typical chamber operating conditions was used in conjunction with oxygen-free, high-conductivity (OHFC) copper isothermal fatigue test data to predict chamber low-cycle fatigue life.

System development and early biological tests in NASA's biomass production chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, R. M.; Mackowiak, C. L.; Dreschel, T. W.; Sager, J. C.; Prince, R. P.; Knott, W. M.; Hinkle, C. R.; Strayer, R. F.

1990-01-01

The Biomass Production Chamber at Kennedy Space Center was constructed to conduct large scale plant growth studies for NASA's CELSS program. Over the past four years, physical systems and computer control software have been continually upgraded and the degree of atmospheric leakage from the chamber has decreased from about 40 to 5 percent of the total volume per day. Early tests conducted with a limited degree of closure showed that total crop (wheat) growth from the best trays was within 80 percent of reported optimal yields for similar light levels. Yields from subsequent tests under more tightly closed conditions have not been as good--up to only 65 percent of optimal yields. Yields appear to have decreased with increasing closure, yet potential problems exist in cultural techniques and further studies are warranted. With the ability to tightly seal the chamber, quantitative data were gathered on CO2 and water exchange rates. Results showed that stand photosynthesis and transpiration reached a peak near 25 days after planting, soon after full vegetative ground cover was established. In the final phase of testing when atmospheric closure was the highest, ethylene gas levels in the chamber rose from about 10 to nearly 120 ppb. Evidence suggests that the ethylene originated from the wheat plants themselves and may have caused an epinastic rolling of the leaves, but no apparent detrimental effects on whole plant function.

Development of a Hybrid Gas Detector/Phoswich for Hard X-Ray Astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pimperl, M. M.; Ramsey, B. D.; Austin, R. A.; Minamitani, T.; Weisskopf, M. C.; Grindlay, J. E.; Lum, K. S. K.; Manandhar, R. P.

1994-01-01

A hybrid detector is under development for use as a balloon-borne instrument in hard x-ray astronomy. The detector provides broad band coverage by coupling an optical avalanche chamber to a phoswich. The optical avalanche chamber yields superior instrument response at low energies while the scintillator takes over at the higher energies where the gas becomes transparent: at 25 keV, the addition of the gas chamber improves the energy resolution by a factor of 2.5 and the spatial resolution by a factor of 10 as compared to the stand-alone response of the phoswich. A half-scale prototype instrument is being constructed for test purposes and to help resolve a number of design questions involving the coupling of the two components.

Tubular copper thrust chamber design study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masters, A. I.; Galler, D. E.

1992-01-01

The use of copper tubular thrust chambers is particularly important in high performance expander cycle space engines. Tubular chambers have more surface area than flat wall chambers, and this extra surface area provides enhanced heat transfer for additional energy to power the cycle. This paper was divided into two sections: (1) a thermal analysis and sensitivity study; and (2) a preliminary design of a selected thrust chamber configuration. The thermal analysis consisted of a statistical optimization to determine the optimum tube geometry, tube booking, thrust chamber geometry, and cooling routing to achieve the maximum upper limit chamber pressure for a 25,000 pound thrust engine. The preliminary design effort produced a layout drawing of a tubular thrust chamber that is three inches shorter than the Advanced Expander Test Bed (AETB) milled channel chamber but is predicted to provide a five percent increase in heat transfer. Testing this chamber in the AETB would confirm the inherent advantages of tubular chamber construction and heat transfer.

Year-round measurements of CH4 exchange in a forested drained peatland using automated chambers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korkiakoski, Mika; Koskinen, Markku; Penttilä, Timo; Arffman, Pentti; Ojanen, Paavo; Minkkinen, Kari; Laurila, Tuomas; Lohila, Annalea

2016-04-01

Pristine peatlands are usually carbon accumulating ecosystems and sources of methane (CH4). Draining peatlands for forestry increases the thickness of the oxic layer, thus enhancing CH4 oxidation which leads to decreased CH4 emissions. Closed chambers are commonly used in estimating the greenhouse gas exchange between the soil and the atmosphere. However, the closed chamber technique alters the gas concentration gradient making the concentration development against time non-linear. Selecting the correct fitting method is important as it can be the largest source of uncertainty in flux calculation. We measured CH4 exchange rates and their diurnal and seasonal variations in a nutrient-rich drained peatland located in southern Finland. The original fen was drained for forestry in 1970s and now the tree stand is a mixture of Scots pine, Norway spruce and Downy birch. Our system consisted of six transparent polycarbonate chambers and stainless steel frames, positioned on different types of field and moss layer. During winter, the frame was raised above the snowpack with extension collars and the height of the snowpack inside the chamber was measured regularly. The chambers were closed hourly and the sample gas was sucked into a cavity ring-down spectrometer and analysed for CH4, CO2 and H2O concentration with 5 second time resolution. The concentration change in time in the beginning of a closure was determined with linear and exponential fits. The results show that linear regression systematically underestimated the CH4 flux when compared to exponential regression by 20-50 %. On the other hand, the exponential regression seemed not to work reliably with small fluxes (< 3.5 μg CH4 m-2 h-1): using exponential regression in such cases typically resulted in anomalously large fluxes and high deviation. Due to these facts, we recommend first calculating the flux with the linear regression and, if the flux is high enough, calculate the flux again using the exponential

Propagation of a premixed flame in a divided-chamber combustor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cattolica, R. J.; Barr, P. K.; Mansour, N. N.

1987-01-01

The propagation of premixed ethylene-air mixtures (of 0.5, 0.525, 0.55, and 0.65 equivalence ratios) in a divided-chamber combustor was investigated. The vessel, divided by a small cylindrical prechamber, had optical access (for laser-schlieren videography) and was instrumented by a pressure transducer. For the Reynolds numbers of 1870, 2300, and 2830, the observed spatial development of the laminar flames showed that the flame position and shape could be scaled by a characteristic time, based on the burned gas flame speed and the length of the prechamber. Above a Reynolds number of 4330, this scaling breaks down the appearance of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities. The observed flame propagation was compared with predictions obtained with a numerical model of flame propagation. The calculated spatial and temporal development of the flame in the main combustion chamber agreed with the experimental observations only for the lowest Reynolds number (1870).

Biomass production chamber air analysis of wheat study (BWT931)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batten, J. H.; Peterson, B. V.; Berdis, E.; Wheeler, E. M.

1993-01-01

NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) biomass production chamber at John F. Kennedy Space Center provides a test bed for bioregenerative studies using plants to provide food, oxygen, carbon dioxide removal, and potable water to humans during long term space travel. Growing plants in enclosed environments has brought about concerns regarding the level of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) emitted from plants and the construction materials that make up the plant growth chambers. In such closed systems, the potential exists for some VOC's to reach toxic levels and lead to poor plant growth, plant death, or health problems for human inhabitants. This study characterized the air in an enclosed environment in which wheat cv. Yocora Rojo was grown. Ninty-four whole air samples were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry throughout the eighty-four day planting. VOC emissions from plants and materials were characterized and quantified.

Indoor secondary pollutants from household product emissions in the presence of ozone: A bench-scale chamber study.

PubMed

Destaillats, Hugo; Lunden, Melissa M; Singer, Brett C; Coleman, Beverly K; Hodgson, Alfred T; Weschler, Charles J; Nazaroff, William W

2006-07-15

Ozone-driven chemistry is a source of indoor secondary pollutants of potential health concern. This study investigates secondary air pollutants formed from reactions between constituents of household products and ozone. Gas-phase product emissions were introduced along with ozone at constant rates into a 198-L Teflon-lined reaction chamber. Gas-phase concentrations of reactive terpenoids and oxidation products were measured. Formaldehyde was a predominant oxidation byproduct for the three studied products, with yields for most conditions of 20-30% with respect to ozone consumed. Acetaldehyde, acetone, glycolaldehyde, formic acid, and acetic acid were each also detected for two or three of the products. Immediately upon mixing of reactants, a scanning mobility particle sizer detected particle nucleation events that were followed by a significant degree of secondary particle growth. The production of secondary gaseous pollutants and particles depended primarily on the ozone level and was influenced by other parameters such as the air-exchange rate. Hydroxyl radical concentrations in the range 0.04-200 x 10(5) molecules cm(-3) were determined by an indirect method. OH concentrations were observed to vary strongly with residual ozone level in the chamber, which was in the range 1-25 ppb, as is consistent with expectations from a simplified kinetic model. In a separate chamber study, we exposed the dry residue of two products to ozone and observed the formation of gas-phase and particle-phase secondary oxidation products.

Effect of residual gas on structural, electrical and mechanical properties of niobium films deposited by magnetron sputtering deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lanruo; Zhong, Yuan; Li, Jinjin; Cao, Wenhui; Zhong, Qing; Wang, Xueshen; Li, Xu

2018-04-01

Magnetron sputtering is an important method in the superconducting thin films deposition. The residual gas inside the vacuum chamber will directly affect the quality of the superconducting films. In this paper, niobium films are deposited by magnetron sputtering under different chamber residual gas conditions. The influence of baking and sputtering process on residual gas are studied as well. Surface morphology, electrical and mechanical properties of the films are analysed. The residual gas analysis result before the sputtering process could be regarded as a reference condition to achieve high quality superconducting thin films.

Lifetime Estimation of a Time Projection Chamber X-ray Polarimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, Joanne E.; Black, J. Kevin; Brieda, Lubos; Dickens, Patsy L.; deGarcia, Kristina Montt; Hawk, Douglas L.; Hayato, Asami; Jahoda, Keith; Mohammed, Jelila

2013-01-01

The Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer (GEMS) X-ray polarimeter Instrument (XPI) was designed to measure the polarization of 23 sources over the course of its 9 month mission. The XPI design consists of two telescopes each with a polarimeter assembly at the focus of a grazing incidence mirror. To make sensitive polarization measurements the GEMS Polarimeter Assembly (PA) employed a gas detection system based on a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) technique. Gas detectors are inherently at risk of degraded performance arising from contamination from outgassing of internal detector components or due to loss of gas. This paper describes the design and the materials used to build a prototype of the flight polarimeter with the required GEMS lifetime. We report the results from outgassing measurements of the polarimeter subassemblies and assemblies, enclosure seal tests, life tests, and performance tests that demonstrate that the GEMS lifetime is achievable. Finally we report performance measurements and the lifetime enhancement from the use of a getter.

Comparison of High Aspect Ratio Cooling Channel Designs for a Rocket Combustion Chamber with Development of an Optimized Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wadel, Mary F.

1998-01-01

An analytical investigation on the effect of high aspect ratio (height/width) cooling channels, considering different coolant channel designs, on hot-gas-side wall temperature and coolant pressure drop for a liquid hydrogen cooled rocket combustion chamber, was performed. Coolant channel design elements considered were: length of combustion chamber in which high aspect ratio cooling was applied, number of coolant channels, and coolant channel shape. Seven coolant channel designs were investigated using a coupling of the Rocket Thermal Evaluation code and the Two-Dimensional Kinetics code. Initially, each coolant channel design was developed, without consideration for fabrication, to reduce the hot-gas-side wall temperature from a given conventional cooling channel baseline. These designs produced hot-gas-side wall temperature reductions up to 22 percent, with coolant pressure drop increases as low as 7.5 percent from the baseline. Fabrication constraints for milled channels were applied to the seven designs. These produced hot-gas-side wall temperature reductions of up to 20 percent, with coolant pressure drop increases as low as 2 percent. Using high aspect ratio cooling channels for the entire length of the combustion chamber had no additional benefit on hot-gas-side wall temperature over using high aspect ratio cooling channels only in the throat region, but increased coolant pressure drop 33 percent. Independent of coolant channel shape, high aspect ratio cooling was able to reduce the hot-gas-side wall temperature by at least 8 percent, with as low as a 2 percent increase in coolant pressure drop. ne design with the highest overall benefit to hot-gas-side wall temperature and minimal coolant pressure drop increase was the design which used bifurcated cooling channels and high aspect ratio cooling in the throat region. An optimized bifurcated high aspect ratio cooling channel design was developed which reduced the hot-gas-side wall temperature by 18 percent and

Electrochemical CO2 Reduction via Gas-Phase Catholyte

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Brittany E.; Nesbitt, Nathan T.; D'Imperio, Luke A.; Naughton, Jeffrey R.; Courtney, Dave T.; Shepard, Steve; Burns, Michael J.; Vermaas, David A.; Smith, Wilson A.; Naughton, Michael J.

Reducing CO2 to CO through electrolysis, for the eventual conversion to hydrocarbons, provides a path towards utility-scale seasonal storage of renewable energy. Electrochemical reduction of CO2 has previously been achieved using a two chamber system. The chambers are typically separated by a semipermeable Nafion membrane, with an oxygen evolution catalyst anode on one side, a gold cathode on the other, and a solution containing CO2 on both sides. If instead, CO2 gas was in the second chamber, the reaction should yield more CO formed from CO2 at a given overpotential; this would result from the increased concentration of CO2 at the cathode surface and more facile mass transport of the CO and CO2. With liquid in one chamber and gas in the other, electrolysis is performed by integrating the cathode onto the semipermeable Nafion membrane. This membrane electrode assembly is fabricated via nanoimprint lithography (NIL), simultaneously achieving high active surface area and permeability. Challenges to the Nafion NIL process, and the performance of the system in CO2 reduction, will be presented. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship under Grant No. (DGE-1258923).

Monitoring soil greenhouse gas emissions from managed grasslands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz-Pinés, Eugenio; Lu, Haiyan; Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus; Kiese, Ralf

2014-05-01

Grasslands in Central Europe are of enormous social, ecological and economical importance. They are intensively managed, but the influence of different common practices (i.e. fertilization, harvesting) on the total greenhouse gas budget of grasslands is not fully understood, yet. In addition, it is unknown how these ecosystems will react due to climate change. Increasing temperatures and changing precipitation will likely have an effect on productivity of grasslands and on bio-geo-chemical processes responsible for emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). In the frame of the TERENO Project (www.tereno.net), a long-term observatory has been implemented in the Ammer catchment, southern Germany. Acting as an in situ global change experiment, 36 big lysimeters (1 m2 section, 150 cm height) have been translocated along an altitudinal gradient, including three sites ranging from 600 to 860 meters above sea level. In addition, two treatments have been considered, corresponding to different management intensities. The overall aim of the pre-alpine TERENO observatory is improving our understanding of the consequences of climate change and management on productivity, greenhouse gas balance, soil nutritional status, nutrient leaching and hydrology of grasslands. Two of the sites are equipped with a fully automated measurement system in order to continuously and accurately monitor the soil-atmosphere greenhouse gas exchange. Thus, a stainless steel chamber (1 m2 section, 80 cm height) is controlled by a robotized system. The chamber is hanging on a metal structure which can move both vertically and horizontally, so that the chamber is able to be set onto each of the lysimeters placed on the field. Furthermore, the headspace of the chamber is connected with a gas tube to a Quantum Cascade Laser, which continuously measures CO2, CH4, N2O and H2O mixing ratios. The chamber acts as a static chamber and sets for 15 minutes onto each lysimeter

Deflagration-to-Detonation Transition Control by Nanosecond Gas Discharges

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-04-07

Report 3. DATES COVERED (From – To) 1 April 2007 - 18 August 09 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Deflagration-To- Detonation Transition Control By Nanosecond...SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT During the current project, an extensive experimental study of detonation initiation by high{voltage...nanosecond gas discharges has been performed in a smooth detonation tube with different discharge chambers and various discharge cell numbers. The chambers

The GlueX central drift chamber: Design and performance

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

Van Haarlem, Y; Barbosa, F; Dey, B

2010-10-01

Tests and studies concerning the design and performance of the GlueX Central Drift Chamber (CDC) are presented. A full-scale prototype was built to test and steer the mechanical and electronic design. Small scale prototypes were constructed to test for sagging and to do timing and resolution studies of the detector. These studies were used to choose the gas mixture and to program a Monte Carlo simulation that can predict the detector response in an external magnetic field. Particle identification and charge division possibilities were also investigated.

Discussion of thermal extraction chamber concepts for Lunar ISRU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfeiffer, Matthias; Hager, Philipp; Parzinger, Stephan; Dirlich, Thomas; Spinnler, Markus; Sattelmayer, Thomas; Walter, Ulrich

The Exploration group of the Institute of Astronautics (LRT) of the Technische Universitüt a München focuses on long-term scenarios and sustainable human presence in space. One of the enabling technologies in this long-term perspective is in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). When dealing with the prospect of future manned missions to Moon and Mars the use of ISRU seems useful and intended. The activities presented in this paper focus on Lunar ISRU. This basically incorporates both the exploitation of Lunar oxygen from natural rock and the extraction of solar wind implanted particles (SWIP) from regolith dust. Presently the group at the LRT is examining possibilities for the extraction of SWIPs, which may provide several gaseous components (such as H2 and N2) valuable to a human presence on the Moon. As a major stepping stone in the near future a Lunar demonstrator/ verification experiment payload is being designed. This experiment, LUISE (LUnar ISru Experiment), will comprise a thermal process chamber for heating regolith dust (grain size below 500m), a solar thermal power supply, a sample distribution unit and a trace gas analysis. The first project stage includes the detailed design and analysis of the extraction chamber concepts and the thermal process involved in the removal of SWIP from Lunar Regolith dust. The technique of extracting Solar Wind volatiles from Regolith has been outlined by several sources. Heating the material to a threshold value seems to be the most reasonable approach. The present paper will give an overview over concepts for thermal extraction chambers to be used in the LUISE project and evaluate in detail the pros and cons of each concept. The special boundary conditions set by solar thermal heating of the chambers as well as the material properties of Regolith in a Lunar environment will be discussed. Both greatly influence the design of the extraction chamber. The performance of the chamber concepts is discussed with respect to the

Lean stability augmentation study. [on gas turbine combustion chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcvey, J. B.; Kennedy, J. B.

1979-01-01

An analytical conceptual design study and an experimental test program were conducted to investigate techniques and develop technology for improving the lean combustion limits of premixing, prevaporizing combustors applicable to gas turbine engine main burners. The use of hot gas pilots, catalyzed flameholder elements, and heat recirculation to augment lean stability limits was considered in the conceptual design study. Tests of flameholders embodying selected concepts were conducted at a pressure of 10 arm and over a range of entrance temperatures simulating conditions to be encountered during stratospheric cruise. The tests were performed using an axisymmetric flametube test rig having a nominal diameter of 10.2 cm. A total of sixteen test configurations were examined in which lean blowout limits, pollutant emission characteristics, and combustor performance were evaluated. The use of a piloted perforated plate flameholder employing a pilot fuel flow rate equivalent to 4 percent of the total fuel flow at a simulated cruise condition resulted in a lean blowout equivalence ratio of less than 0.25 with a design point (T sub zero = 600k, Phi = 0.6) NOx emission index of less than 1.0 g/kg.

Design and laboratory testing of a chamber device to measure total flux of volatile organic compounds from the unsaturated zone under natural conditions.

PubMed

Tillman, Fred D; Smith, James A

2004-11-01

To determine if an aquifer contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has potential for natural remediation, all natural processes affecting the fate and transport of VOCs in the subsurface must be identified and quantified. This research addresses the quantification of air-phase volatile organic compounds (VOCs) leaving the unsaturated zone soil gas and entering the atmosphere-including the additional flux provided by advective soil-gas movement induced by barometric pumping. A simple and easy-to-use device for measuring VOC flux under natural conditions is presented. The vertical flux chamber (VFC) was designed using numerical simulations and evaluated in the laboratory. Mass-balance numerical simulations based on continuously stirred tank reactor equations (CSTR) provided information on flux measurement performance of several sampling configurations with the final chamber configuration measuring greater than 96% of model-simulated fluxes. A laboratory device was constructed to evaluate the flux chamber under both diffusion-only and advection-plus-diffusion transport conditions. The flux chamber measured an average of 82% of 15 diffusion-only fluxes and an average of 95% of 15 additional advection-plus-diffusion flux experiments. The vertical flux chamber has the capability of providing reliable measurement of VOC flux from the unsaturated zone under both diffusion and advection transport conditions.

Method for treatment of tar-bearing fuel gas

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

Frauen, L.L.; Kasper, S.

1986-01-07

A process is described of producing a fuel gas which contains condensable tar vapor when it leaves a gasifier, the improvement wherein the tar-bearing gases are treated to remove tar therefrom. The process consists of: (a) continuously conducting hot fuel gas from a gasifier to and discharging it into a spray chamber where the hot tar-bearing gas is contacted with a fine spray of water thereby cooling the tar vapor and evaporating the water to produce a fog-like dispersion of tar in an atmosphere of fuel gas with the temperature in the spray chamber maintained above the dew point ofmore » water; (b) continuously transferring the fuel gas and the dispersion of tar and water to an electrostatic precipitator and precipitating therein at least most of the condensed tar as a liquid; (c) removing the liquid tar so precipitated and conducting at least most of it to a tar burner; (d) burning the tar with no more than the stoichiometric supply of oxygen provided by air to produce oxygen-free and tar-free hot combustion gases; (e) conducting the hot combustion gases directly into a mixer into which the fuel gas and water vapor flows from the precipitator, thereby adding to the fuel gas the sensible heat of the combustion gases; and (f) conducting the mixture so produced to a place of use as a hot fuel gas mixture.« less

BOREAS TGB-5 CO2, CH4 and CO Chamber Flux Data Over the NSA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, Roger; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Conrad, Sara K. (Editor); Zepp, Richard

2000-01-01

The BOReal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study Trace Gas Biogeochemistry (BOREAS TGB-5) team collected a variety of trace gas concentration and flux measurements at several NSA sites. This data set contains carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and carbon monoxide (CO) chamber flux measurements conducted in 1994 at upland forest sites that experienced stand-replacement fires. These measurements were acquired to understand the impact of fires on soil biogeochemistry and related changes in trace gas exchange in boreal forest soils. Relevant ancillary data, including data concerning the soil temperature, solar irradiance, and information from nearby un-burned control sites, are included to provide a basis for modeling the regional impacts of fire and climate changes on trace gas biogeochemistry. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files.

Monte Carlo calculations of electron beam quality conversion factors for several ion chamber types.

PubMed

Muir, B R; Rogers, D W O

2014-11-01

To provide a comprehensive investigation of electron beam reference dosimetry using Monte Carlo simulations of the response of 10 plane-parallel and 18 cylindrical ion chamber types. Specific emphasis is placed on the determination of the optimal shift of the chambers' effective point of measurement (EPOM) and beam quality conversion factors. The EGSnrc system is used for calculations of the absorbed dose to gas in ion chamber models and the absorbed dose to water as a function of depth in a water phantom on which cobalt-60 and several electron beam source models are incident. The optimal EPOM shifts of the ion chambers are determined by comparing calculations of R50 converted from I50 (calculated using ion chamber simulations in phantom) to R50 calculated using simulations of the absorbed dose to water vs depth in water. Beam quality conversion factors are determined as the calculated ratio of the absorbed dose to water to the absorbed dose to air in the ion chamber at the reference depth in a cobalt-60 beam to that in electron beams. For most plane-parallel chambers, the optimal EPOM shift is inside of the active cavity but different from the shift determined with water-equivalent scaling of the front window of the chamber. These optimal shifts for plane-parallel chambers also reduce the scatter of beam quality conversion factors, kQ, as a function of R50. The optimal shift of cylindrical chambers is found to be less than the 0.5 rcav recommended by current dosimetry protocols. In most cases, the values of the optimal shift are close to 0.3 rcav. Values of kecal are calculated and compared to those from the TG-51 protocol and differences are explained using accurate individual correction factors for a subset of ion chambers investigated. High-precision fits to beam quality conversion factors normalized to unity in a beam with R50 = 7.5 cm (kQ (')) are provided. These factors avoid the use of gradient correction factors as used in the TG-51 protocol although a

Method of introducing additive into a reaction gas flow

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

Michelfelder, S.; Chughtai, M.Y.

1984-04-03

A method of continuously introducing additive, which is conveyed by gaseous and/or liquid carriers, into a turbulent reaction gas flow in the combustion chamber of a steam generator having dry ash withdrawal for selective removal, in a dry manner, of environmentally harmful gaseous noxious materials, such as sulfur, chlorine, and chlorine compounds, which are contained in a hot reaction gas flow which results after a complete or incomplete flame combustion of solid, liquid, or gaseous fuels. Depending upon the additive introduced, heat is stored and/or used for decomposition reactions. The additive, is first introduced at one or more input locations,more » due to locally different pressure conditions in the combustion chamber, into one or more recirculation flows which are within the system and are closed. The additive is subsequently withdrawn from these recirculation flows and is introduced into the reaction gas flow.« less

Use of relativistic rise in ionization chambers for measurement of high energy heavy nuclei

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barthelmy, S. D.; Israel, M. H.; Klarmann, J.; Vogel, J. S.

1983-01-01

A balloon-borne instrument has been constructed to measure the energy spectra of cosmic-ray heavy nuclei in the range of about 0.3 to about 100 GeV/amu. It makes use of the relativistic rise portion of the Bethe-Bloch curve in ionization chambers for energy determination in the 10- to 100-GeV/amu interval. The instrument consists of six layers of dual-gap ionization chambers for energy determination above 10 GeV/amu. Charge is determined with a NE114 scintillator and a Pilot 425 plastic Cerenkov counter. A CO2 gas Cerenkov detector (1 atm; threshold of 30 GeV/amu) calibrates the ion chambers in the relativistic rise region. The main emphasis of the instrument is the determination of the change of the ratio of Iron (26) to the Iron secondaries (21-25) in the energy range of 10 to 100 GeV/amu. Preliminary data from a balloon flight in the fall of 1982 from Palestine, TX is presented.

A multichannel automated chamber system for continuous measurement of forest soil CO2 efflux.

PubMed

Liang, Naishen; Inoue, Gen; Fujinuma, Yasumi

2003-08-01

We developed a fast-response multi-chamber system for measuring soil-surface CO2 efflux (Fc). The chambers (90 x 90 x 50 cm, L x W x H) had lids that opened and closed automatically, and were connected in parallel to a single CO2 analyzer equipped with a 16-channel gas sampler. Between measurements the chamber lids were raised to allow precipitation and leaf litter to reach the enclosed soil surface. When a chamber was closed, it was ventilated with well-buffered ambient air (125 l min-1) that entered by an inlet on one chamber sidewall and exited through a large vent on the opposite sidewall. The pressure difference between the inside and outside of the chamber was less than 0.22 Pa. Two additional mixing fans maintained an air speed of 0.3 +/- 0.1 m s-1 at 20 cm above the soil surface. Air was withdrawn continuously from the inlets and outlets of each chamber, and fed sequentially to an infrared CO2 analyzer. With this system, we measured Fc in a 40-year-old temperate Pinus densiflora Sieb. & Zucc. forest from February 8 to May 30, 2001. Mean Fc increased steadily from 0.9 micro mol m-2 s-1 at the beginning of February to 4.6 micro mol m-2 s-1 by the end of May. There was a statistically significant correlation between Fc and surface soil temperature (r = 0.896; P < 0.0001), and the Q10 value was 2.8. Spatial variation of Fc was higher in the non-growing season than in the growing season. Measurements were not interrupted by either rain or snow.

Gas-dynamic modeling of gas flow in semi-closed space including channel surface fluctuation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrova, E. N.; Salnikov, A. F.

2016-10-01

In this article frequency interaction conditions, that affect on acoustic stability of solid-propellant rocket engine (SPRE) action, and its influence on level change of pressure fluctuations with longitudinal gas oscillations in the combustion chamber (CC) are considered. Studies of CC in the assessment of the operating rocket engine stability are reported.

Simultaneous, single-pulse, synchrotron x-ray imaging and diffraction under gas gun loading

DOE PAGES

Fan, D.; Huang, J. W.; Zeng, X. L.; ...

2016-05-23

We develop a mini gas gun system for simultaneous, single-pulse, x-ray diffraction and imaging under high strain-rate loading at the beamline 32-ID of the Advanced Photon Source. In order to increase the reciprocal space covered by a small-area detector, a conventional target chamber is split into two chambers: a narrowed measurement chamber and a relief chamber. The gas gun impact is synchronized with synchrotron x-ray pulses and high-speed cameras. Depending on a camera’s capability, multiframe imaging and diffraction can be achieved. The proof-of-principle experiments are performed on single-crystal sapphire. The diffraction spots and images during impact are analyzed to quantifymore » lattice deformation and fracture; diffraction peak broadening is largely caused by fracture-induced strain inhomogeneity. Finally, our results demonstrate the potential of such multiscale measurements for revealing and understanding high strain-rate phenomena at dynamic extremes.« less

Simultaneous, single-pulse, synchrotron x-ray imaging and diffraction under gas gun loading

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

Fan, D.; Luo, S. N., E-mail: sluo@pims.ac.cn; Key Laboratory of Advanced Technologies of Materials, Ministry of Education, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610031

We develop a mini gas gun system for simultaneous, single-pulse, x-ray diffraction and imaging under high strain-rate loading at the beamline 32-ID of the Advanced Photon Source. In order to increase the reciprocal space covered by a small-area detector, a conventional target chamber is split into two chambers: a narrowed measurement chamber and a relief chamber. The gas gun impact is synchronized with synchrotron x-ray pulses and high-speed cameras. Depending on a camera’s capability, multiframe imaging and diffraction can be achieved. The proof-of-principle experiments are performed on single-crystal sapphire. The diffraction spots and images during impact are analyzed to quantifymore » lattice deformation and fracture; fracture is dominated by splitting cracks followed by wing cracks, and diffraction peaks are broadened likely due to mosaic spread. Our results demonstrate the potential of such multiscale measurements for studying high strain-rate phenomena at dynamic extremes.« less

Simultaneous, single-pulse, synchrotron x-ray imaging and diffraction under gas gun loading

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

Fan, D.; Huang, J. W.; Zeng, X. L.

We develop a mini gas gun system for simultaneous, single-pulse, x-ray diffraction and imaging under high strain-rate loading at the beamline 32-ID of the Advanced Photon Source. In order to increase the reciprocal space covered by a small-area detector, a conventional target chamber is split into two chambers: a narrowed measurement chamber and a relief chamber. The gas gun impact is synchronized with synchrotron x-ray pulses and high-speed cameras. Depending on a camera’s capability, multiframe imaging and diffraction can be achieved. The proof-of-principle experiments are performed on single-crystal sapphire. The diffraction spots and images during impact are analyzed to quantifymore » lattice deformation and fracture; diffraction peak broadening is largely caused by fracture-induced strain inhomogeneity. Finally, our results demonstrate the potential of such multiscale measurements for revealing and understanding high strain-rate phenomena at dynamic extremes.« less

Negative Ion Time Projection Chamber operation with SF6 at nearly atmospheric pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baracchini, E.; Cavoto, G.; Mazzitelli, G.; Murtas, F.; Renga, F.; Tomassini, S.

2018-04-01

We present the measurement of negative ion drift velocities and mobilities for innovative particle tracking detectors using gas mixtures based on SF6. This gas has recently received attention in the context of directional Dark Matter searches, thanks to its high Fluorine content, reduced diffusion and multiple species of charge carriers, which allow for full detector fiducialization. Our measurements, performed with a 5 cm drift distance Negative Ion Time Projection Chamber, show the possibility of negative ion operation in pure SF6 between 75 and 150 Torr with triple thin GEM amplification, confirming the attractive potentialities of this gas. Above all, our results with the mixture He:CF4:SF6 360:240:10 Torr demonstrate for the first time the feasibility of SF6‑ negative ion drift and gas gain in He at nearly atmospheric pressure, opening very interesting prospects for the next generation of directional Dark Matter detectors.

Does Plant Biomass Manipulation in Static Chambers Affect Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Soils?

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

Collier, Sarah M.; Dean, Andrew P.; Oates, Lawrence G.

One of the most widespread approaches for measurement of greenhouse gas emissions from soils involves the use of static chambers. This method is relatively inexpensive, is easily replicated, and is ideally suited to plot-based experimental systems. Among its limitations is the loss of detection sensitivity with increasing chamber height, which creates challenges for deployment in systems including tall vegetation. It is not always possible to avoid inclusion of plants within chambers or to extend chamber height to fully accommodate plant growth. Thus, in many systems, such as perennial forages and biomass crops, plants growing within static chambers must either bemore » trimmed or folded during lid closure. Currently, data on how different types of biomass manipulation affect measured results is limited. For this study, we compare the effects of cutting vs. folding of biomass on nitrous oxide measurements in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) systems. We report only limited evidence of treatment effects during discrete sampling events and little basis for concern that effects may intensify over time as biomass manipulation is repeatedly imposed. However, nonsignificant treatment effects that were consistently present amounted to significant overall trends in three out of the four systems studied. Such minor disparities in flux could amount to considerable quantities over time, suggesting that caution should be exercised when comparing cumulative emission values from studies using different biomass manipulation strategies.« less

Does Plant Biomass Manipulation in Static Chambers Affect Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Soils?

DOE PAGES

Collier, Sarah M.; Dean, Andrew P.; Oates, Lawrence G.; ...

2016-01-22

One of the most widespread approaches for measurement of greenhouse gas emissions from soils involves the use of static chambers. This method is relatively inexpensive, is easily replicated, and is ideally suited to plot-based experimental systems. Among its limitations is the loss of detection sensitivity with increasing chamber height, which creates challenges for deployment in systems including tall vegetation. It is not always possible to avoid inclusion of plants within chambers or to extend chamber height to fully accommodate plant growth. Thus, in many systems, such as perennial forages and biomass crops, plants growing within static chambers must either bemore » trimmed or folded during lid closure. Currently, data on how different types of biomass manipulation affect measured results is limited. For this study, we compare the effects of cutting vs. folding of biomass on nitrous oxide measurements in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) systems. We report only limited evidence of treatment effects during discrete sampling events and little basis for concern that effects may intensify over time as biomass manipulation is repeatedly imposed. However, nonsignificant treatment effects that were consistently present amounted to significant overall trends in three out of the four systems studied. Such minor disparities in flux could amount to considerable quantities over time, suggesting that caution should be exercised when comparing cumulative emission values from studies using different biomass manipulation strategies.« less

Improved Rhenium Thrust Chambers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Dell, John Scott

2015-01-01

Radiation-cooled bipropellant thrust chambers are being considered for ascent/ descent engines and reaction control systems on various NASA missions and spacecraft, such as the Mars Sample Return and Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV). Currently, iridium (Ir)-lined rhenium (Re) combustion chambers are the state of the art for in-space engines. NASA's Advanced Materials Bipropellant Rocket (AMBR) engine, a 150-lbf Ir-Re chamber produced by Plasma Processes and Aerojet Rocketdyne, recently set a hydrazine specific impulse record of 333.5 seconds. To withstand the high loads during terrestrial launch, Re chambers with improved mechanical properties are needed. Recent electrochemical forming (EL-Form"TM") results have shown considerable promise for improving Re's mechanical properties by producing a multilayered deposit composed of a tailored microstructure (i.e., Engineered Re). The Engineered Re processing techniques were optimized, and detailed characterization and mechanical properties tests were performed. The most promising techniques were selected and used to produce an Engineered Re AMBR-sized combustion chamber for testing at Aerojet Rocketdyne.

Healthcare Worker Occupation and Immune Response to Pneumocystis jirovecii

PubMed Central

Daly, Kieran R.; Jarlsberg, Leah G.; Koch, Judy V.; Swartzman, Alexandra; Roth, Brenna M.; Walzer, Peter D.; Huang, Laurence

2009-01-01

The reservoir and mode of transmission of Pneumocystis jirovecii remain uncertain. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 126 San Francisco General Hospital staff in clinical (n = 103) and nonclinical (n = 23) occupations to assess whether occupational exposure was associated with immune responses to P. jirovecii. We examined antibody levels by ELISA for 3 overlapping fragments that span the P. jirovecii major surface glycoprotein (Msg): MsgA, MsgB, and MsgC1. Clinical occupation participants had higher geometric mean antibody levels to MsgC1 than did nonclinical occupation participants (21.1 vs. 8.2, p = 0.004); clinical occupation was an independent predictor of higher MsgC1 antibody levels (parameter estimate = 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.29–1.48, p = 0.003). In contrast, occupation was not significantly associated with antibody responses to either MsgA or MsgB. Healthcare workers may have occupational exposure to P. jirovecii. Humans may be a reservoir for P. jirovecii and may transmit it from person to person. PMID:19861050

National Ignition Facility Target Chamber

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

Wavrik, R W; Cox, J R; Fleming, P J

2000-10-05

On June 11, 1999 the Department of Energy dedicated the single largest piece of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore, California. The ten (10) meter diameter aluminum target high vacuum chamber will serve as the working end of the largest laser in the world. The output of 192 laser beams will converge at the precise center of the chamber. The laser beams will enter the chamber in two by two arrays to illuminate 10 millimeter long gold cylinders called hohlraums enclosing 2 millimeter capsule containing deuterium, tritium and isotopes of hydrogen. The twomore » isotopes will fuse, thereby creating temperatures and pressures resembling those found only inside stars and in detonated nuclear weapons, but on a minute scale. The NIF Project will serve as an essential facility to insure safety and reliability of our nation's nuclear arsenal as well as demonstrating inertial fusion's contribution to creating electrical power. The paper will discuss the requirements that had to be addressed during the design, fabrication and testing of the target chamber. A team from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and LLNL with input from industry performed the configuration and basic design of the target chamber. The method of fabrication and construction of the aluminum target chamber was devised by Pitt-Des Moines, Inc. (PDM). PDM also participated in the design of the chamber in areas such as the Target Chamber Realignment and Adjustment System, which would allow realignment of the sphere laser beams in the event of earth settlement or movement from a seismic event. During the fabrication of the target chamber the sphericity tolerances had to be addressed for the individual plates. Procedures were developed for forming, edge preparation and welding of individual plates. Construction plans were developed to allow the field construction of the target chamber to occur parallel to other NIF construction activities. This was

29 CFR 1910.253 - Oxygen-fuel gas welding and cutting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... prohibited in outside generator houses or inside generator rooms. (D) Water shall not be supplied through a... chamber shall always be flushed out with water, renewing the water supply in accordance with the.... Workmen in charge of the oxygen or fuel-gas supply equipment, including generators, and oxygen or fuel-gas...

The Active Target Time Projection Chamber at NSCL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bazin, D.; Bradt, J.; Ayyad, Y.; Mittig, W.; Ahn, T.; Beceiro-Novo, S.; Carpenter, L.; Cortesi, M.; Fritsch, A.; Kolata, J. J.; Lynch, W.; Watwood, N.

2017-11-01

Reactions in inverse kinematics close to the Coulomb barrier offer unique opportunities to study exotic nuclei, but they are plagued by the difficulty to efficiently and precisely measure the characteristics of the emerging particles. The Active Target Time Projection Chamber (AT-TPC) offers an elegant solution to this dilemma. In this device, the detector gas of the time projection chamber is at the same time the target in which nuclear reactions take place. The use of this new paradigm offers several advantages over conventional inert target methods, the most significant being the ability to increase the luminosity of experiments without loss of resolution. The AT-TPC and some results obtained on resonant α scattering to explore the clustering properties of neutron-rich nuclei are presented, as well as fusion cross section results using a 10Be radioactive beam. In addition, the first re-accelerated radioactive beam experiment using the fully commissioned ReA3 linac was conducted recently at the NSCL with the AT-TPC, where proton resonant scattering of a 4.6 MeV/u 46Ar beam was used to measure the neutron single-particle strength in 47Ar.

Sensitive glow discharge ion source for aerosol and gas analysis

DOEpatents

Reilly, Peter T. A. [Knoxville, TN

2007-08-14

A high sensitivity glow discharge ion source system for analyzing particles includes an aerodynamic lens having a plurality of constrictions for receiving an aerosol including at least one analyte particle in a carrier gas and focusing the analyte particles into a collimated particle beam. A separator separates the carrier gas from the analyte particle beam, wherein the analyte particle beam or vapors derived from the analyte particle beam are selectively transmitted out of from the separator. A glow discharge ionization source includes a discharge chamber having an entrance orifice for receiving the analyte particle beam or analyte vapors, and a target electrode and discharge electrode therein. An electric field applied between the target electrode and discharge electrode generates an analyte ion stream from the analyte vapors, which is directed out of the discharge chamber through an exit orifice, such as to a mass spectrometer. High analyte sensitivity is obtained by pumping the discharge chamber exclusively through the exit orifice and the entrance orifice.

Metal explosion chambers: designing, manufacturing, application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoyanovskii, O. I.; Zlobin, B. S.; Shtertser, A. A.; Meshcheryakov, Y. P.

2017-10-01

Designing of explosion chambers is based on research investigations of the chamber body stress-strain state, which is determined by numerical computation and experimentally by the strain gage technique. Studies show that chamber bottoms are the most loaded elements, and maximal stresses arise in chamber poles. Increasing the shell thickness around poles by welding-in an insert is a simple and saving way to solve this problem. There are structural solutions, enabling reliable hermetic closure and preventing leakage of detonation products from the chamber. Explosion chambers are employed in scientific research and in different industrial applications: explosive welding and hardening, synthesis of new materials, disposal of expired ammunition, and etc.

Functional mathematical model of a hydrogen-driven combustion chamber for a scramjet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latypov, A. F.

2015-09-01

A functional mathematical model of a hydrogen-driven combustion chamber for a scramjet is described. The model is constructed with the use of one-dimensional steady gas-dynamic equations and parametrization of the channel configuration and the governing parameters (fuel injection into the flow, fuel burnout along the channel, dissipation of kinetic energy, removal of some part of energy generated by gases for modeling cooling of channel walls by the fuel) with allowance for real thermophysical properties of the gases. Through parametric calculations, it is found that fuel injection in three cross sections of the channel consisting of segments with weak and strong expansion ensures a supersonic velocity of combustion products in the range of free-stream Mach numbers M∞ = 6-12. It is demonstrated that the angle between the velocity vectors of the gaseous hydrogen flow and the main gas flow can be fairly large in the case of distributed injection of the fuel. This allows effective control of the mixing process. It is proposed to use the exergy of combustion products as a criterion of the efficiency of heat supply in the combustion chamber. Based on the calculated values of exergy, the critical free-stream Mach number that still allows scramjet operation is estimated.

The combustion behavior of diesel/CNG mixtures in a constant volume combustion chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firmansyah; Aziz, A. R. A.; Heikal, M. R.

2015-12-01

The stringent emissions and needs to increase fuel efficiency makes controlled auto-ignition (CAI) based combustion an attractive alternative for the new combustion system. However, the combustion control is the main obstacles in its development. Reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) that employs two fuels with significantly different in reactivity proven to be able to control the combustion. The RCCI concept applied in a constant volume chamber fuelled with direct injected diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) was tested. The mixture composition is varied from 0 - 100% diesel/CNG at lambda 1 with main data collection are pressure profile and combustion images. The results show that diesel-CNG mixture significantly shows better combustion compared to diesel only. It is found that CNG is delaying the diesel combustion and at the same time assisting in diesel distribution inside the chamber. This combination creates a multipoint ignition of diesel throughout the chamber that generate very fast heat release rate and higher maximum pressure. Furthermore, lighter yellow color of the flame indicates lower soot production in compared with diesel combustion.

Microrespirometer chamber for determinations of viability in cell and organ cultures.

PubMed Central

Gabridge, M G

1976-01-01

The effects of chemical, physical, and infectious cytotoxic agents on primary and cultured cells were evaluated by measurements of oxygen uptake for various time periods. A newly developed respirometer used a Clark oxygen electrode in a 1.0-ml chamber, with provisions for constant mixing and for temperature control of both the sample and electrode chambers. The device was unique because the electrode and instrumentation were provided by a clinical blood-gas analyzer. Oxygen uptake by blank controls was negligible, whereas cells and tissue consumed oxygen at rates of approximately 1 to 5 mul/h in a dose- and temperature-dependent fashion. Cyanide, heat, and freeze-thaw lysis reduced the oxygen uptake to less than 0.6 mul/mg per h. Infection of trachea organ cultures with Mycoplasma pneumoniae significantly reduced relative ciliary activity, tetrazolium reduction capacity, and oxygen consumption in a coordinated fashion. Images PMID:985826

Computational model for fuel component supply into a combustion chamber of LRE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teterev, A. V.; Mandrik, P. A.; Rudak, L. V.; Misyuchenko, N. I.

2017-12-01

A 2D-3D computational model for calculating a flow inside jet injectors that feed fuel components to a combustion chamber of a liquid rocket engine is described. The model is based on the gasdynamic calculation of compressible medium. Model software provides calculation of both one- and two-component injectors. Flow simulation in two-component injectors is realized using the scheme of separate supply of “gas-gas” or “gas-liquid” fuel components. An algorithm for converting a continuous liquid medium into a “cloud” of drops is described. Application areas of the developed model and the results of 2D simulation of injectors to obtain correction factors in the calculation formulas for fuel supply are discussed.

Scaling study of the combustion performance of gas—gas rocket injectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiao-Wei; Cai, Guo-Biao; Jin, Ping

2011-10-01

To obtain the key subelements that may influence the scaling of gas—gas injector combustor performance, the combustion performance subelements in a liquid propellant rocket engine combustor are initially analysed based on the results of a previous study on the scaling of a gas—gas combustion flowfield. Analysis indicates that inner wall friction loss and heat-flux loss are two key issues in gaining the scaling criterion of the combustion performance. The similarity conditions of the inner wall friction loss and heat-flux loss in a gas—gas combustion chamber are obtained by theoretical analyses. Then the theoretical scaling criterion was obtained for the combustion performance, but it proved to be impractical. The criterion conditions, the wall friction and the heat flux are further analysed in detail to obtain the specific engineering scaling criterion of the combustion performance. The results indicate that when the inner flowfields in the combustors are similar, the combustor wall shear stress will have similar distributions qualitatively and will be directly proportional to pc0.8dt-0.2 quantitatively. In addition, the combustion peformance will remain unchanged. Furthermore, multi-element injector chambers with different geometric sizes and at different pressures are numerically simulated and the wall shear stress and combustion efficiencies are solved and compared with each other. A multielement injector chamber is designed and hot-fire tested at several chamber pressures and the combustion performances are measured in a total of nine hot-fire tests. The numerical and experimental results verified the similarities among combustor wall shear stress and combustion performances at different chamber pressures and geometries, with the criterion applied.

Differential photo-acoustic gas cell based on LTCC for ppm gas sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keränen, K.; Kautio, K.; Ollila, J.; Heikkinen, M.; Kauppinen, I.; Kuusela, T.; Matveev, B.; McNie, M. E.; Jenkins, R. M.; Karioja, P.

2010-02-01

Silicon MEMS cantilever-based photoacoustic technology allows for the sensing of ultra low gas concentrations with very wide dynamic range. The sensitivity enhancement is achieved with a cantilever microphone system in which the cantilever displacement is probed with an optical interferometer providing a pico-meter resolution. In the gas sensor, the silicon cantilever microphone is placed in a two-chamber differential gas cell. By monitoring differential pressure changes between the two chambers, the differential cell operates as a differential infra-red detector for optical absorption signals through a measurement and reference path. The differential pressure signal is proportional to gas concentration in the optical measurement path. We have designed, implemented and tested a differential photo-acoustic gas cell based on Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) multilayer substrate technology. Standard LTCC technology enables implementation of 2.5D structures including holes, cavities and channels into the electronic substrate. The implemented differential photoacoustic gas cell structure includes two 10 mm long cylindrical cells, diameter of 2.4 mm. Reflectance measurements of the cell showed that reflectivity of the substrate material can be improved by a factor 15 - 90 in the 3 - 8 μm spectral region using gold or silver paste coatings. A transparent window is required in the differential gas cell structure in order to probe the displacement of the silicon cantilever. The transparent sapphire window was sealed to the LTCC substrate using two methods: screen printed Au80/Sn20 solder paste and pre-attached glass solder paste (Diemat DM2700P/H848). Both methods were shown to provide hermetic sealing of sapphire windows to LTCC substrate. The measured He-leak rate for the 10 sealed test samples implemented using glass paste were under 2.0 ×10-9 atm×cm3/s, which meets the requirement for the leak rate according to MIL-STD 883. The achieved hermeticity level

Combustion Stability Analyses for J-2X Gas Generator Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hulka, J. R.; Protz, C. S.; Casiano, M. J.; Kenny, R. J.

2010-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen rocket engine for upper stage and trans-lunar applications of the Ares vehicles for the Constellation program. This engine, designated the J-2X, is a higher pressure, higher thrust variant of the Apollo-era J-2 engine. Development was contracted to Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in 2006. Over the past several years, development of the gas generator for the J-2X engine has progressed through a variety of workhorse injector, chamber, and feed system configurations. Several of these configurations have resulted in injection-coupled combustion instability of the gas generator assembly at the first longitudinal mode of the combustion chamber. In this paper, the longitudinal mode combustion instabilities observed on the workhorse test stand are discussed in detail. Aspects of this combustion instability have been modeled at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center with several codes, including the Rocket Combustor Interaction Design and Analysis (ROCCID) code and a new lumped-parameter MatLab model. To accurately predict the instability characteristics of all the chamber and injector geometries and test conditions, several features of the submodels in the ROCCID suite of calculations required modification. Finite-element analyses were conducted of several complicated combustion chamber geometries to determine how to model and anchor the chamber response in ROCCID. A large suite of sensitivity calculations were conducted to determine how to model and anchor the injector response in ROCCID. These modifications and their ramification for future stability analyses of this type are discussed in detail. The lumped-parameter MatLab model of the gas generator assembly was created as an alternative calculation to the ROCCID methodology. This paper also describes this model and the stability calculations.

Design and performance of the KSC Biomass Production Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prince, Ralph P.; Knott, William M.; Sager, John C.; Hilding, Suzanne E.

1987-01-01

NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System program has instituted the Kennedy Space Center 'breadboard' project of which the Biomass Production Chamber (BPC) presently discussed is a part. The BPC is based on a modified hypobaric test vessel; its design parameters and operational parameters have been chosen in order to meet a wide range of plant-growing objectives aboard future spacecraft on long-duration missions. A control and data acquisition subsystem is used to maintain a common link between the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, the illumination system, the gas-circulation system, and the nutrient delivery and monitoring subsystems.

Three-gas detection system with IR optical sensor based on NDIR technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Qiulin; Tang, Licheng; Yang, Mingliang; Xue, Chenyang; Zhang, Wendong; Liu, Jun; Xiong, Jijun

2015-11-01

In this paper, a three-gas detection system with a environmental parameter compensation method is proposed based on Non-dispersive infra-red (NDIR) technique, which can be applied to detect multi-gas (methane, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide). In this system, an IR source and four single-channel pyroelectric sensors are integrated in the miniature optical gas chamber successfully. Inner wall of the chamber coated with Au film is designed as paraboloids. The infrared light is reflected twice before reaching to detectors, thus increasing optical path. Besides, a compensation method is presented to overcome the influence in variation of environment (ambient temperature, humidity and pressure), thus leading to improve the accuracy in gas detection. Experimental results demonstrated that detection ranges are 0-50,000 ppm for CH4, 0-44,500 ppm for CO, 0-48,000 ppm for CO2 and the accuracy is ±0.05%.

Plasma processes in inert gas thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufman, H. R.; Robinson, R. S.

1979-01-01

Inert gas thrusters, particularly with large diameters, have continued to be of interest for space propulsion applications. Two plasma processes are treated in this study: electron diffusion across magnetic fields and double ion production in inert-gas thrusters. A model is developed to describe electron diffusion across a magnetic field that is driven by both density and potential gradients, with Bohm diffusion used to predict the diffusion rate. This model has applications to conduction across magnetic fields inside a discharge chamber, as well as through a magnetic baffle region used to isolate a hollow cathode from the main chamber. A theory for double ion production is presented, which is not as complete as the electron diffusion theory described, but it should be a useful tool for predicting double ion sputter erosion. Correlations are developed that may be used, without experimental data, to predict double ion densities for the design of new and especially larger ion thrusters.

Numerical analysis of the hot-gas-side and coolant-side heat transfer in liquid rocket engine combustors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Ten-See; Van, Luong

1992-01-01

The objective of this paper are to develop a multidisciplinary computational methodology to predict the hot-gas-side and coolant-side heat transfer and to use it in parametric studies to recommend optimized design of the coolant channels for a regeneratively cooled liquid rocket engine combustor. An integrated numerical model which incorporates CFD for the hot-gas thermal environment, and thermal analysis for the liner and coolant channels, was developed. This integrated CFD/thermal model was validated by comparing predicted heat fluxes with those of hot-firing test and industrial design methods for a 40 k calorimeter thrust chamber and the Space Shuttle Main Engine Main Combustion Chamber. Parametric studies were performed for the Advanced Main Combustion Chamber to find a strategy for a proposed combustion chamber coolant channel design.

Method for detecting and distinguishing between specific types of environmental radiation using a high pressure ionization chamber with pulse-mode readout

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

Degtiarenko, Pavel V.

An environmental radiation detector for detecting and distinguishing between all types of environmental radiation, including photons, charged particles, and neutrons. A large volume high pressure ionization chamber (HPIC) includes BF.sub.3 gas at a specific concentration to render the radiation detector sensitive to the reactions of neutron capture in Boron-10 isotope. A pulse-mode readout is connected to the ionization chamber capable of measuring both the height and the width of the pulse. The heavy charged products of the neutron capture reaction deposit significant characteristic energy of the reaction in the immediate vicinity of the reaction in the gas, producing a signalmore » with a pulse height proportional to the reaction energy, and a narrow pulse width corresponding to the essentially pointlike energy deposition in the gas. Readout of the pulse height and the pulse width parameters of the signals enables distinguishing between the different types of environmental radiation, such as gamma (x-rays), cosmic muons, and neutrons.« less

Laboratory-based validation of the baseline sensors of the ITER diagnostic residual gas analyzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klepper, C. C.; Biewer, T. M.; Marcus, C.; Andrew, P.; Gardner, W. L.; Graves, V. B.; Hughes, S.

2017-10-01

The divertor-specific ITER Diagnostic Residual Gas Analyzer (DRGA) will provide essential information relating to DT fusion plasma performance. This includes pulse-resolving measurements of the fuel isotopic mix reaching the pumping ducts, as well as the concentration of the helium generated as the ash of the fusion reaction. In the present baseline design, the cluster of sensors attached to this diagnostic's differentially pumped analysis chamber assembly includes a radiation compatible version of a commercial quadrupole mass spectrometer, as well as an optical gas analyzer using a plasma-based light excitation source. This paper reports on a laboratory study intended to validate the performance of this sensor cluster, with emphasis on the detection limit of the isotopic measurement. This validation study was carried out in a laboratory set-up that closely prototyped the analysis chamber assembly configuration of the baseline design. This includes an ITER-specific placement of the optical gas measurement downstream from the first turbine of the chamber's turbo-molecular pump to provide sufficient light emission while preserving the gas dynamics conditions that allow for \\textasciitilde 1 s response time from the sensor cluster [1].

Investigation of Sterilization Mechanism for Geobacillus stearothermophilus Spores with Plasma-Excited Neutral Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsui, Kei; Ikenaga, Noriaki; Sakudo, Noriyuki

2015-09-01

We investigate the mechanism of the sterilization with plasma-excited neutral gas that uniformly sterilizes both the space and inner wall of the reactor chamber at atmospheric pressure. Only reactive neutral species such as plasma-excited gas molecules and radicals are separated from the plasma and sent to the reactor chamber for chemical sterilization. The plasma source gas uses humidified mixture of nitrogen and oxygen. Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores and tyrosine which is amino acid are treated by the plasma-excited neutral gas. Shape change of the treated spore is observed by SEM, and chemical modification of the treated tyrosine is analyzed by HPLC. As a result, the surface of the treated spore shows depression. Hydroxylation and nitration of tyrosine are shown after the treatment. For these reasons, we believe that the sterilization with plasma-excited neutral gas results from the deformation of spore structure due to the chemical modification of amino acid.

A simple fast pulse gas valve using a dynamic pressure differential as the primary closing mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, J. C.; Hwang, D. Q.; Horton, R. D.; Rogers, J. H.; Raman, R.

1993-06-01

In this article we describe a simple fast pulse gas valve developed for use in a plasma discharge experiment. The valve delivers 1017-1019 molecules per pulse varied by changing the voltage on the electromagnetic driver power supply. Valve pulse widths are observed to be less than 300 μs full width at half maximum with a rise time of less than 100 μs resulting in a maximum gas flow rate of ˜1022 molecules per second. An optical transmission technique was used to determine the mechanical opening and closing characteristics of the valve piston. A fast ionization gauge (FIG) was used for diagnosis of the temporal character of the gas pulse while the total gas throughput was determined by measuring the change in pressure per pulse in a small test chamber with a convectron tube gauge. Calibration of the FIG was accomplished by comparing the net change in pressure in a large chamber as measured by the FIG to the net change in pressure in a small test chamber as measured by the convectron tube gauge.

Apparatus For Metal/Inert-Gas Welding In Vacuum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stocks, C. O.

1994-01-01

Metal/inert-gas welding-torch assembly operates in vacuum. Plasma generated in interior chamber and focused onto workpiece in vacuum. Pinch rollers feed wire to weld puddle. Controlled flow of plasma reduces dispersal in vacuum, preventing extinction.

Study of the dE/dx resolution of a GEM Readout Chamber prototype for the upgrade of the ALICE TPC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathis, Andreas

2018-02-01

The ALICE Collaboration is planning a major upgrade of its central barrel detectors to be able to cope with the increased LHC luminosity beyond 2020. For the TPC, this implies a replacement of the currently used gated MWPCs (Multi-Wire Proportional Chamber) by GEM (Gas Electron Multiplier) based readout chambers. In order to prove, that the present particle identification capabilities via measurement of the specific energy loss are retained after the upgrade, a prototype of the ALICE IROC (Inner Readout Chamber) has been evaluated in a test beam campaign at the CERN PS. The dE/dx resolution of the prototype has been proven to be fully compatible with the current MWPCs.

Fuel injection staged sectoral combustor for burning low-BTU fuel gas

DOEpatents

Vogt, Robert L.

1981-01-01

A high-temperature combustor for burning low-BTU coal gas in a gas turbine is described. The combustor comprises a plurality of individual combustor chambers. Each combustor chamber has a main burning zone and a pilot burning zone. A pipe for the low-BTU coal gas is connected to the upstream end of the pilot burning zone; this pipe surrounds a liquid fuel source and is in turn surrounded by an air supply pipe; swirling means are provided between the liquid fuel source and the coal gas pipe and between the gas pipe and the air pipe. Additional preheated air is provided by counter-current coolant air in passages formed by a double wall arrangement of the walls of the main burning zone communicating with passages of a double wall arrangement of the pilot burning zone; this preheated air is turned at the upstream end of the pilot burning zone through swirlers to mix with the original gas and air input (and the liquid fuel input when used) to provide more efficient combustion. One or more fuel injection stages (second stages) are provided for direct input of coal gas into the main burning zone. The countercurrent air coolant passages are connected to swirlers surrounding the input from each second stage to provide additional oxidant.

Fuel injection staged sectoral combustor for burning low-BTU fuel gas

DOEpatents

Vogt, Robert L.

1985-02-12

A high-temperature combustor for burning low-BTU coal gas in a gas turbine is described. The combustor comprises a plurality of individual combustor chambers. Each combustor chamber has a main burning zone and a pilot burning zone. A pipe for the low-BTU coal gas is connected to the upstream end of the pilot burning zone: this pipe surrounds a liquid fuel source and is in turn surrounded by an air supply pipe: swirling means are provided between the liquid fuel source and the coal gas pipe and between the gas pipe and the air pipe. Additional preheated air is provided by counter-current coolant air in passages formed by a double wall arrangement of the walls of the main burning zone communicating with passages of a double wall arrangement of the pilot burning zone: this preheated air is turned at the upstream end of the pilot burning zone through swirlers to mix with the original gas and air input (and the liquid fuel input when used) to provide more efficient combustion. One or more fuel injection stages (second stages) are provided for direct input of coal gas into the main burning zone. The countercurrent air coolant passages are connected to swirlers surrounding the input from each second stage to provide additional oxidant.

Exposure chamber measurements of mass transfer and partitioning at the plant/air interface.

PubMed

Maddalena, Randy L; McKone, Thomas E; Kado, Norman Y

2002-08-15

Dynamic measures of air and vegetation concentrations in an exposure chamber and a two-box mass balance model are used to quantify factors that control the rate and extent of chemical partitioning between vegetation and the atmosphere. A continuous stirred flow-through exposure chamber was used to investigate the gas-phase transfer of pollutants between air and plants. A probabilistic two-compartment mass balance model of plant/air exchange within the exposure chamber was developed and used with measured concentrations from the chamber to simultaneously evaluate partitioning (Kpa), overall mass transfer across the plant/air interface (Upa), and loss rates in the atmosphere (Ra) and aboveground vegetation (Rp). The approach is demonstrated using mature Capsicum annuum (bell pepper) plants exposed to phenanthrene (PH), anthracene (AN), fluoranthene (FL) and pyrene (PY). Measured values of log Kpa (V[air]/V[fresh plant]) were 5.7, 5.7, 6.0, and 6.2 for PH, AN, FL, and PY, respectively. Values of Upa (m d(-1)) under the conditions of this study ranged from 42 for PH to 119 for FL. After correcting for wall effects, the estimated reaction half-lives in air were 3, 9, and 25 h for AN, FL and PY. Reaction half-lives in the plant compartment were 17, 6, 17, and 5 d for PH, AN, FL, and PY, respectively. The combined use of exposure chamber measurements and models provides a robust tool for simultaneously measuring several different transfer factors that are important for modeling the uptake of pollutants into vegetation.

Design of a prototype tri-electrode ion-chamber for megavoltage X-ray imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samant, Sanjiv S.; Gopal, Arun; Jain, Jinesh; Xia, Junyi; DiBianca, Frank A.

2007-04-01

High-energy (megavoltage) X-ray imaging is widely used in industry (e.g., aerospace, construction, material sciences) as well as in health care (radiation therapy). One of the fundamental problems with megavoltage imaging is poor contrast and spatial resolution in the detected images due to the dominance of Compton scattering at megavoltage X-ray energies. Therefore, although megavoltage X-rays can be used to image highly attenuating objects that cannot be imaged at kilovoltage energies, the former does not provide the high image quality that is associated with the latter. A high contrast and spatial resolution detector for high-energy X-ray fields called the kinestatic charge detector (KCD) is presented here. The KCD is a tri-electrode ion-chamber based on highly pressurized noble gas. The KCD operates in conjunction with a strip-collimated X-ray beam (for high scatter rejection) to scan across the imaging field. Its thick detector design and unique operating principle provides enhanced charge signal integration for high quality imaging (quantum efficiency ˜50%) despite the unfavorable implications of high-energy X-ray interactions on image quality. The proposed design for a large-field prototype KCD includes a cylindrical pressure chamber along with 576 signal-collecting electrodes capable of resolving at 2 mm -1. The collecting electrodes are routed out of the chamber through the flat end-cap, thereby optimizing the mechanical strength of the chamber. This article highlights the simplified design of the chamber using minimal components for simple assembly. In addition, fundamental imaging measurements and estimates of ion recombination that were performed on a proof-of-principle test chamber are presented. The imaging performance of the prototype KCD was found to be an order-of-magnitude greater than commercial phosphor screen based flat-panel systems, demonstrating the potential for high-quality megavoltage imaging for a variety of industrial applications.

Hot-filament chemical vapor deposition chamber and process with multiple gas inlets

DOEpatents

Deng, Xunming; Povolny, Henry S.

2004-06-29

A thin film deposition method uses a vacuum confinement cup that employs a dense hot filament and multiple gas inlets. At least one reactant gas is introduced into the confinement cup both near and spaced apart from the heated filament. An electrode inside the confinement cup is used to generate plasma for film deposition. The method is used to deposit advanced thin films (such as silicon based thin films) at a high quality and at a high deposition rate.

Technical Note: Intercomparison of formaldehyde measurements at the atmosphere simulation chamber SAPHIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wisthaler, A.; Apel, E. C.; Bossmeyer, J.; Hansel, A.; Junkermann, W.; Koppmann, R.; Meier, R.; Müller, K.; Solomon, S. J.; Steinbrecher, R.; Tillmann, R.; Brauers, T.

2008-04-01

The atmosphere simulation chamber SAPHIR at the Research Centre Jülich was used to test the suitability of state-of-the-art analytical instruments for the measurement of gas-phase formaldehyde (HCHO) in air. Five analyzers based on four different sensing principles were deployed: a differential optical absorption spectrometer (DOAS), cartridges for 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) derivatization followed by off-line high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, two different types of commercially available wet chemical sensors based on Hantzsch fluorimetry, and a proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS). A new optimized mode of operation was used for the PTR-MS instrument which significantly enhanced its performance for online HCHO detection at low absolute humidities. The instruments were challenged with typical ambient levels of HCHO ranging from zero to several ppb. Synthetic air of high purity and particulate-filtered ambient air were used as sample matrices in the atmosphere simulation chamber onto which HCHO was spiked under varying levels of humidity and ozone. Measurements were compared to mixing ratios calculated from the chamber volume and the known amount of HCHO injected into the chamber; measurements were also compared between the different instruments. The formal and blind intercomparison exercise was conducted under the control of an independent referee. A number of analytical problems associated with the experimental set-up and with individual instruments were identified, the overall agreement between the methods was fair.

Multi-property characterization chamber for geophysical-hydrological investigations of hydrate bearing sediments

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

Seol, Yongkoo, E-mail: Yongkoo.Seol@netl.doe.gov; Choi, Jeong-Hoon; Dai, Sheng

With the increase in the interest of producing natural gas from methane hydrates as well as potential risks of massive hydrate dissociation in the context of global warming, studies have recently shifted from pure hydrate crystals to hydrates in sediments. Such a research focus shift requires a series of innovative laboratory devices that are capable of investigating various properties of hydrate-bearing sediments (HBS). This study introduces a newly developed high pressure testing chamber, i.e., multi-property characterization chamber (MPCC), that allows simultaneous investigation of a series of fundamental properties of HBS, including small-strain stiffness (i.e., P- and S-waves), shear strength, large-strainmore » deformation, stress-volume responses, and permeability. The peripheral coolant circulation system of the MPCC permits stable and accurate temperature control, while the core holder body, made of aluminum, enables X-ray computer tomography scanning to be easily employed for structural and morphological characterization of specimens. Samples of hydrate-bearing sediments are held within a rubber sleeve inside the chamber. The thick sleeve is more durable and versatile than thin membranes while also being much softer than oedometer-type chambers that are incapable of enabling flow tests. Bias introduced by the rubber sleeve during large deformation tests are also calibrated both theoretically and experimentally. This system provides insight into full characterization of hydrate-bearing sediments in the laboratory, as well as pressure core technology in the field.« less

Atmospheric degradation of lindane and 1,3-dichloroacetone in the gas phase. Studies at the EUPHORE simulation chamber.

PubMed

Vera, Teresa; Borrás, Esther; Chen, Jianmin; Coscollá, Clara; Daële, Véronique; Mellouki, Abdelwahid; Ródenas, Milagros; Sidebottom, Howard; Sun, Xiaomin; Yusá, Vicent; Zhang, Xue; Muñoz, Amalia

2015-11-01

The gas-phase degradation of lindane (γ-isomer of hexachlorocyclohexane) towards OH radical was investigated under atmospheric conditions at the large outdoor European simulation chamber (EUPHORE) in Valencia, Spain. The rate coefficient for the reaction of hydroxyl radicals with lindane was measured using a conventional relative rate technique leading to a value of kOH(lindane)=(6.4±1.6)×10(-13) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) at 300±5 K and atmospheric pressure. The results suggest that the tropospheric lifetime of lindane with respect to OH radicals is approximately 20 days. The product distribution studies on the OH-initiated oxidation of lindane provided evidence that the major initial carbon-containing oxidation product is pentachlorocyclohexanone. 1,3-Dichloroacetone was employed as a model compound for pentachlorocyclohexanone, and an investigation of its photolysis and reaction with OH radicals under atmospheric conditions was carried out. The data indicate that the atmospheric degradation of pentachlorocyclohexanone would be relatively rapid, and would not form persistent organic compounds. Theoretical study was also employed to calculate possible degradation pathways. Mechanism for reaction of lindane with OH radicals is proposed, and C-Cl bond cleavage is discussed. OH abstraction is considered to be a reasonable way for Cl to escape during degradation. The atmospheric implications of the use of lindane as an insecticide are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving the accuracy of ionization chamber dosimetry in small megavoltage x-ray fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNiven, Andrea L.

The dosimetry of small x-ray fields is difficult, but important, in many radiation therapy delivery methods. The accuracy of ion chambers for small field applications, however, is limited due to the relatively large size of the chamber with respect to the field size, leading to partial volume effects, lateral electronic disequilibrium and calibration difficulties. The goal of this dissertation was to investigate the use of ionization chambers for the purpose of dosimetry in small megavoltage photon beams with the aim of improving clinical dose measurements in stereotactic radiotherapy and helical tomotherapy. A new method for the direct determination of the sensitive volume of small-volume ion chambers using micro computed tomography (muCT) was investigated using four nominally identical small-volume (0.56 cm3) cylindrical ion chambers. Agreement between their measured relative volume and ionization measurements (within 2%) demonstrated the feasibility of volume determination through muCT. Cavity-gas calibration coefficients were also determined, demonstrating the promise for accurate ion chamber calibration based partially on muCT. The accuracy of relative dose factor measurements in 6MV stereotactic x-ray fields (5 to 40mm diameter) was investigated using a set of prototype plane-parallel ionization chambers (diameters of 2, 4, 10 and 20mm). Chamber and field size specific correction factors ( CSFQ ), that account for perturbation of the secondary electron fluence, were calculated using Monte Carlo simulation methods (BEAM/EGSnrc simulations). These correction factors (e.g. CSFQ = 1.76 (2mm chamber, 5mm field) allow for accurate relative dose factor (RDF) measurement when applied to ionization readings, under conditions of electronic disequilibrium. With respect to the dosimetry of helical tomotherapy, a novel application of the ion chambers was developed to characterize the fan beam size and effective dose rate. Characterization was based on an adaptation of the

Vacuum Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weeks, J. L.; Todd, D. T.; Wooten, J. R.

1997-01-01

A two-year program investigated vacuum gas tungsten arc welding (VGTAW) as a method to modify or improve the weldability of normally difficult-to-weld materials. After a vacuum chamber and GTAW power supply were modified, several difficult-to-weld materials were studied and key parameters developed. Finally, Incoloy 903 weld overlays were produced without microfissures.

Analyses of Longitudinal Mode Combustion Instability in J-2X Gas Generator Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hulka, J. R.; Protz, C. S.; Casiano, M. J.; Kenny, R. J.

2011-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne are developing a liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen rocket engine for future upper stage and trans-lunar applications. This engine, designated the J-2X, is a higher pressure, higher thrust variant of the Apollo-era J-2 engine. The contract for development was let to Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in 2006. Over the past several years, development of the gas generator for the J-2X engine has progressed through a variety of workhorse injector, chamber, and feed system configurations on the component test stand at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Several of the initial configurations resulted in combustion instability of the workhorse gas generator assembly at a frequency near the first longitudinal mode of the combustion chamber. In this paper, several aspects of these combustion instabilities are discussed, including injector, combustion chamber, feed system, and nozzle influences. To ensure elimination of the instabilities at the engine level, and to understand the stability margin, the gas generator system has been modeled at the NASA MSFC with two techniques, the Rocket Combustor Interaction Design and Analysis (ROCCID) code and a lumped-parameter MATLAB(TradeMark) model created as an alternative calculation to the ROCCID methodology. To correctly predict the instability characteristics of all the chamber and injector geometries and test conditions as a whole, several inputs to the submodels in ROCCID and the MATLAB(TradeMark) model were modified. Extensive sensitivity calculations were conducted to determine how to model and anchor a lumped-parameter injector response, and finite-element and acoustic analyses were conducted on several complicated combustion chamber geometries to determine how to model and anchor the chamber response. These modifications and their ramification for future stability analyses of this type are discussed.

Development of a large inert gas ion thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steiner, G.

1982-01-01

A 30 cm inert gas electrostatic ion thruster has been developed, exhibiting excellent performance. In the development, the effective anode area was reduced by altering the magnetic field geometry to improve plasma containment, consistent with operational stability. The propellant introduction scheme has the effect of 'folding' the discharge chamber without the increased wall loss penalty associated with a longer chamber. These features contribute to a low discharge cost (eV/ion) versus mass utilization characteristic which remains relatively flat even to high mass utilizations.

Evaluation of Start Transient Oscillations with the J-2X Engine Gas Generator Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hulka, J. R.; Morgan, C. J.; Casiano, M. J.

2015-01-01

During development of the gas generator for the liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen propellant J-2X rocket engine, distinctive and oftentimes high-amplitude pressure oscillations and hardware vibrations occurred during the start transient of nearly every workhorse gas generator assembly test, as well as during many tests of engine system hardware. These oscillations appeared whether the steady-state conditions exhibited stable behavior or not. They occurred similarly with three different injector types, and with every combustion chamber configuration tested, including chamber lengths ranging over a 5:1 range, several different nozzle types, and with or without a side branch line simulating a turbine spin start gas supply line. Generally, two sets of oscillations occurred, one earlier in the start transient and at higher frequencies, and the other almost immediately following and at lower frequencies. Multiple dynamic pressure measurements in the workhorse combustion chambers indicated that the oscillations were associated with longitudinal acoustic modes of the combustion chambers, with the earlier and higher frequency oscillation usually related to the second longitudinal acoustic mode and the later and lower frequency oscillation usually related to the first longitudinal acoustic mode. Given that several early development gas generator assemblies exhibited unstable behavior at frequencies near the first longitudinal acoustic modes of longer combustion chambers, the start transient oscillations are presumed to provide additional insight into the nature of the combustion instability mechanisms. Aspects of the steadystate oscillations and combustion instabilities from development and engine system test programs have been reported extensively in the three previous JANNAF Liquid Propulsion Subcommittee meetings (see references below). This paper describes the hardware configurations, start transient sequence operations, and transient and dynamic test data during the start

A hydrogen-oxygen rocket engine coolant passage design program (RECOP) for fluid-cooled thrust chambers and nozzles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tomsik, Thomas M.

1994-01-01

The design of coolant passages in regeneratively cooled thrust chambers is critical to the operation and safety of a rocket engine system. Designing a coolant passage is a complex thermal and hydraulic problem requiring an accurate understanding of the heat transfer between the combustion gas and the coolant. Every major rocket engine company has invested in the development of thrust chamber computer design and analysis tools; two examples are Rocketdyne's REGEN code and Aerojet's ELES program. In an effort to augment current design capabilities for government and industry, the NASA Lewis Research Center is developing a computer model to design coolant passages for advanced regeneratively cooled thrust chambers. The RECOP code incorporates state-of-the-art correlations, numerical techniques and design methods, certainly minimum requirements for generating optimum designs of future space chemical engines. A preliminary version of the RECOP model was recently completed and code validation work is in progress. This paper introduces major features of RECOP and compares the analysis to design points for the first test case engine; the Pratt & Whitney RL10A-3-3A thrust chamber.

Chemical Discrimination in Turbulent Gas Mixtures with MOX Sensors Validated by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Fonollosa, Jordi; Rodríguez-Luján, Irene; Trincavelli, Marco; Vergara, Alexander; Huerta, Ramón

2014-01-01

Chemical detection systems based on chemo-resistive sensors usually include a gas chamber to control the sample air flow and to minimize turbulence. However, such a kind of experimental setup does not reproduce the gas concentration fluctuations observed in natural environments and destroys the spatio-temporal information contained in gas plumes. Aiming at reproducing more realistic environments, we utilize a wind tunnel with two independent gas sources that get naturally mixed along a turbulent flow. For the first time, chemo-resistive gas sensors are exposed to dynamic gas mixtures generated with several concentration levels at the sources. Moreover, the ground truth of gas concentrations at the sensor location was estimated by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We used a support vector machine as a tool to show that chemo-resistive transduction can be utilized to reliably identify chemical components in dynamic turbulent mixtures, as long as sufficient gas concentration coverage is used. We show that in open sampling systems, training the classifiers only on high concentrations of gases produces less effective classification and that it is important to calibrate the classification method with data at low gas concentrations to achieve optimal performance. PMID:25325339

Chemical discrimination in turbulent gas mixtures with MOX sensors validated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Fonollosa, Jordi; Rodríguez-Luján, Irene; Trincavelli, Marco; Vergara, Alexander; Huerta, Ramón

2014-10-16

Chemical detection systems based on chemo-resistive sensors usually include a gas chamber to control the sample air flow and to minimize turbulence. However, such a kind of experimental setup does not reproduce the gas concentration fluctuations observed in natural environments and destroys the spatio-temporal information contained in gas plumes. Aiming at reproducing more realistic environments, we utilize a wind tunnel with two independent gas sources that get naturally mixed along a turbulent flow. For the first time, chemo-resistive gas sensors are exposed to dynamic gas mixtures generated with several concentration levels at the sources. Moreover, the ground truth of gas concentrations at the sensor location was estimated by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We used a support vector machine as a tool to show that chemo-resistive transduction can be utilized to reliably identify chemical components in dynamic turbulent mixtures, as long as sufficient gas concentration coverage is used. We show that in open sampling systems, training the classifiers only on high concentrations of gases produces less effective classification and that it is important to calibrate the classification method with data at low gas concentrations to achieve optimal performance.

Experimental determination of the turbulence in a liquid rocket combustion chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hara, J.; Smith, L. O.; Partus, F. P.

1972-01-01

The intensity of turbulence and the Lagrangian correlation coefficient for a liquid rocket combustion chamber were determined experimentally using the tracer gas diffusion method. The results indicate that the turbulent diffusion process can be adequately modeled by the one-dimensional Taylor theory; however, the numerical values show significant disagreement with previously accepted values. The intensity of turbulence is higher by a factor of about two, while the Lagrangian correlation coefficient which was assumed to be unity in the past is much less than unity.

Design characteristics of a heat pipe test chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, Karl W.; Jang, J. Hoon; Yu, Juin S.

1992-01-01

LeRC has designed a heat pipe test facility which will be used to provide data for validating heat pipe computer codes. A heat pipe test chamber that uses helium gas for enhancing heat transfer was investigated. The conceptual design employs the technique of guarded heating and guarded cooling to facilitate accurate measurements of heat transfer rates to the evaporator and from the condenser. The design parameters are selected for a baseline heat pipe made of stainless steel with an inner diameter of 38.10 mm and a wall thickness of 1.016 mm. The heat pipe operates at a design temperature of 1000 K with an evaporator radial heat flux of 53 W/sq. cm.

International intercomparison of measuring instruments for radon/thoron gas and radon short-lived daughter products in the NRPI Prague.

PubMed

Jílek, K; Hýža, M; Kotík, L; Thomas, J; Tomášek, L

2014-07-01

During the 7th European Conference on Protection Against Radon at Home and at Work held in the autumn of 2013 in Prague, the second intercomparison of measuring instruments for radon and its short-lived decay products and the first intercomparison of radon/thoron gas discriminative passive detectors in mix field of radon/thoron were organised by and held at the Natural Radiation Division of the National Radiation Protection Institute (NRPI) in Prague. In total, 14 laboratories from 11 different countries took part in the 2013 NRPI intercomparison. They submitted both continuous monitors for the measurement of radon gas and equivalent equilibrium radon concentration in a big NRPI chamber (48 m3) and sets of passive detectors including radon/thoron discriminative for the measurement of radon gas in the big chamber and thoron gas in a small thoron chamber (150 dm3). © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Three-dimensional numerical simulation of a continuously rotating detonation in the annular combustion chamber with a wide gap and separate delivery of fuel and oxidizer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frolov, S. M.; Dubrovskii, A. V.; Ivanov, V. S.

2016-07-01

The possibility of integrating the Continuous Detonation Chamber (CDC) in a gas turbine engine (GTE) is demonstrated by means of three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations, i. e., the feasibility of the operation process in the annular combustion chamber with a wide gap and with separate feeding of fuel (hydrogen) and oxidizer (air) is proved computationally. The CDC with an upstream isolator damping pressure disturbances propagating towards the compressor is shown to exhibit a gain in the total pressure of 15% as compared with the same combustion chamber operating in the deflagration mode.

A Spark Chamber With Thin Electrodes and a Study of the Position of the Alignment Point; KAMERA S TONKIMI ELEKTRODAMI IZUCHENIE POLOZHENIYA TOCHKI SPRYAMLENIYA ISKRY

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

Legar, F.; Nikanorov, V.I.; Peter, G.

1964-01-01

A technique for making the foil electrodes with twosided working surface for spark chambers is described. Some characteristics of spark chambers with thin electrodes are given. The variation of the distance from the negative electrode to the alignment point of a spark with the energy of the detected particles and the angie of their passage through the charaber was studied. It is shown that with the increasing initial density of the gas ionization in the chamber the Townsend coefficient a becomes greater due to the charge interaction of avalanches. (auth)