The Load Capability of Piezoelectric Single Crystal Actuators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, Tian-Bing; Su, Ji; Jiang, Xiaoning; Rehrig, Paul W.; Hackenberger, Wesley S.

2007-01-01

Piezoelectric lead magnesium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) single crystal is one of the most promising materials for electromechanical device applications due to its high electrical field induced strain and high electromechanical coupling factor. PMN-PT single crystal-based multilayer stack actuators and multilayer stack-based flextensional actuators have exhibited high stroke and high displacement-voltage ratios. The actuation capabilities of these two actuators were evaluated using a newly developed method based upon a laser vibrometer system under various loading conditions. The measured displacements as a function of mechanical loads at different driving voltages indicate that the displacement response of the actuators is approximately constant under broad ranges of mechanical load. The load capabilities of these PMN-PT single crystal-based actuators and the advantages of the capability for applications will be discussed.

Miniature x-ray source

DOEpatents

Trebes, James E.; Bell, Perry M.; Robinson, Ronald B.

2000-01-01

A miniature x-ray source utilizing a hot filament cathode. The source has a millimeter scale size and is capable of producing broad spectrum x-ray emission over a wide range of x-ray energies. The miniature source consists of a compact vacuum tube assembly containing the hot filament cathode, an anode, a high voltage feedthru for delivering high voltage to the cathode, a getter for maintaining high vacuum, a connector for initial vacuum pump down and crimp-off, and a high voltage connection for attaching a compact high voltage cable to the high voltage feedthru. At least a portion of the vacuum tube wall is fabricated from highly x-ray transparent materials, such as sapphire, diamond, or boron nitride.

Bidirectional dc-to-dc Power Converter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griesbach, C. R.

1986-01-01

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

Design of a High Voltage Power Supply Providing a Force Field for a Fluid Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herty, Frank

2005-05-01

As part of the GeoFlow fluid experiment an ac high voltage power supply (HVPS) is used to establish high electrical fields on fluids based on silicon oil. The non- conductive fluid is encapsulated between two spherical electrodes. This experiment cell assembly acts essentially as a capacitive load.The GeoFlow HVPS is an integrated ac high voltage source capable to provide up to 10kVRMS on capacitive loads up to 100pF.This paper presents major design challenges and solutions regarding the high voltage transformer and its driver electronics. Particular high voltage problems like corona effects and dielectric losses are discussed and countermeasures are presented.

Cermet insert high voltage holdoff improvement for ceramic/metal vacuum devices

DOEpatents

Ierna, W.F.

1986-03-11

An improved metal-to-ceramic seal is provided wherein the ceramic body of the seal contains an integral region of cermet material in electrical contact with the metallic member, e.g., an electrode, of the seal. The seal is useful in high voltage vacuum devices, e.g., vacuum switches, and increases the high-voltage holdoff capabilities of such devices. A method of fabricating such seals is also provided.

Cermet insert high voltage holdoff for ceramic/metal vacuum devices

DOEpatents

Ierna, William F.

1987-01-01

An improved metal-to-ceramic seal is provided wherein the ceramic body of the seal contains an integral region of cermet material in electrical contact with the metallic member, e.g., an electrode, of the seal. The seal is useful in high voltage vacuum devices, e.g., vacuum switches, and increases the high-voltage holdoff capabilities of such devices. A method of fabricating such seals is also provided.

Experiments with high-voltage insulators in the presence of tritium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

1991-02-01

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

High voltage solar array experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennerud, K. L.

1974-01-01

The interaction between the components of a high voltage solar array and a simulated space plasma is studied to obtain data for the design of a high voltage solar array capable of 15kW at 2 to 16kV. Testing was conducted in a vacuum chamber 1.5-m long by 1.5-m diameter having a plasma source which simulated the plasma conditions existing in earth orbit between 400 nautical miles and synchronous altitude. Test samples included solar array segments pinholes in insulation covering high voltage electrodes, and plain dielectric samples. Quantitative data are presented in the areas of plasma power losses, plasma and high voltage induced damage, and dielectric properties. Limitations of the investigation are described.

Development of design technique for vacuum insulation in large size multi-aperture multi-grid accelerator for nuclear fusion.

PubMed

Kojima, A; Hanada, M; Tobari, H; Nishikiori, R; Hiratsuka, J; Kashiwagi, M; Umeda, N; Yoshida, M; Ichikawa, M; Watanabe, K; Yamano, Y; Grisham, L R

2016-02-01

Design techniques for the vacuum insulation have been developed in order to realize a reliable voltage holding capability of multi-aperture multi-grid (MAMuG) accelerators for fusion application. In this method, the nested multi-stage configuration of the MAMuG accelerator can be uniquely designed to satisfy the target voltage within given boundary conditions. The evaluation of the voltage holding capabilities of each acceleration stages was based on the previous experimental results about the area effect and the multi-aperture effect. Since the multi-grid effect was found to be the extension of the area effect by the total facing area this time, the total voltage holding capability of the multi-stage can be estimated from that per single stage by assuming the stage with the highest electric field, the total facing area, and the total apertures. By applying these consideration, the analysis on the 3-stage MAMuG accelerator for JT-60SA agreed well with the past gap-scan experiments with an accuracy of less than 10% variation, which demonstrated the high reliability to design MAMuG accelerators and also multi-stage high voltage bushings.

High fidelity studies of exploding foil initiator bridges, Part 1: Experimental method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowden, Mike; Neal, William

2017-01-01

Simulations of high voltage detonators, such as Exploding Bridgewire (EBW) and Exploding Foil Initiators (EFI), have historically been simple, often empirical, one-dimensional models capable of predicting parameters such as current, voltage and in the case of EFIs, flyer velocity. Correspondingly, experimental methods have in general been limited to the same parameters. With the advent of complex, first principles magnetohydrodynamic codes such as ALEGRA and ALE-MHD, it is now possible to simulate these components in three dimensions, predicting a much greater range of parameters than before. A significant improvement in experimental capability was therefore required to ensure these simulations could be adequately validated. In this first paper of a three part study, the experimental method for determining the current, voltage, flyer velocity and multi-dimensional profile of detonator components is presented. This improved capability, along with high fidelity simulations, offer an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the processes behind the functioning of EBW and EFI detonators.

Laboratory 15 kV high voltage solar array facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kolecki, J. C.; Gooder, S. T.

1976-01-01

The laboratory high voltage solar array facility is a photoelectric power generating system. Consisting of nine modules with over 23,000 solar cells, the facility is capable of delivering more than a kilowatt of power. The physical and electrical characteristics of the facility are described.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baum, E. A.

1969-01-01

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

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1984-01-01

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

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bearden, Douglas

2007-01-01

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

PV source based high voltage gain current fed converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-11-01

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

Analysis and Research on the effect of the Operation of Small Hydropower in the Regional Power Grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ang, Fu; Guangde, Dong; Xiaojun, Zhu; Ruimiao, Wang; Shengyi, Zhu

2018-03-01

The analysis of reactive power balance and voltage of power network not only affects the system voltage quality, but also affects the economic operation of power grid. In the calculation of reactive power balance and voltage analysis in the past, the problem of low power and low system voltage has been the concern of people. When small hydropower stations in the wet period of low load, the analysis of reactive power surplus and high voltage for the system, if small hydropower unit the capability of running in phase is considered, it can effectively solve the system low operation voltage of the key point on the high side.

Miniature x-ray source

DOEpatents

Trebes, James E.; Stone, Gary F.; Bell, Perry M.; Robinson, Ronald B.; Chornenky, Victor I.

2002-01-01

A miniature x-ray source capable of producing broad spectrum x-ray emission over a wide range of x-ray energies. The miniature x-ray source comprises a compact vacuum tube assembly containing a cathode, an anode, a high voltage feedthru for delivering high voltage to the anode, a getter for maintaining high vacuum, a connection for an initial vacuum pump down and crimp-off, and a high voltage connection for attaching a compact high voltage cable to the high voltage feedthru. At least a portion of the vacuum tube wall is highly x-ray transparent and made, for example, from boron nitride. The compact size and potential for remote operation allows the x-ray source, for example, to be placed adjacent to a material sample undergoing analysis or in proximity to the region to be treated for medical applications.

Programmable high-output-impedance, large-voltage compliance, microstimulator for low-voltage biomedical applications.

PubMed

Farahmand, Sina; Maghami, Mohammad Hossein; Sodagar, Amir M

2012-01-01

This paper reports on the design of a programmable, high output impedance, large voltage compliance microstimulator for low-voltage biomedical applications. A 6-bit binary-weighted digital to analog converter (DAC) is used to generate biphasic stimulus current pulses. A compact current mirror with large output voltage compliance and high output resistance conveys the current pulses to the target tissue. Designed and simulated in a standard 0.18µm CMOS process, the microstimulator circuit is capable of delivering a maximum stimulation current of 160µA to a 10-kΩ resistive load. Operated at a 1.8-V supply voltage, the output stage exhibits a voltage compliance of 1.69V and output resistance of 160MΩ at full scale stimulus current. Layout of the core microelectrode circuit measures 25.5µm×31.5µm.

Development of design technique for vacuum insulation in large size multi-aperture multi-grid accelerator for nuclear fusion

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

Kojima, A., E-mail: kojima.atsushi@jaea.go.jp; Hanada, M.; Tobari, H.

Design techniques for the vacuum insulation have been developed in order to realize a reliable voltage holding capability of multi-aperture multi-grid (MAMuG) accelerators for fusion application. In this method, the nested multi-stage configuration of the MAMuG accelerator can be uniquely designed to satisfy the target voltage within given boundary conditions. The evaluation of the voltage holding capabilities of each acceleration stages was based on the previous experimental results about the area effect and the multi-aperture effect. Since the multi-grid effect was found to be the extension of the area effect by the total facing area this time, the total voltagemore » holding capability of the multi-stage can be estimated from that per single stage by assuming the stage with the highest electric field, the total facing area, and the total apertures. By applying these consideration, the analysis on the 3-stage MAMuG accelerator for JT-60SA agreed well with the past gap-scan experiments with an accuracy of less than 10% variation, which demonstrated the high reliability to design MAMuG accelerators and also multi-stage high voltage bushings.« less

Experimental Evaluation and Comparison of Thermal Conductivity of High-Voltage Insulation Materials for Vacuum Electronic Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suresh, C.; Srikrishna, P.

2017-07-01

Vacuum electronic devices operate with very high voltage differences between their sub-assemblies which are separated by very small distances. These devices also emit large amounts of heat that needs to be dissipated. Hence, there exists a requirement for high-voltage insulators with good thermal conductivity for voltage isolation and efficient heat dissipation. However, these voltage insulators are generally poor conductors of heat. In the present work, an effort has been made to obtain good high-voltage insulation materials with substantial improvement in their thermal conductivity. New mixtures of composites were formed by blending varying percentages (by volumes) of aluminum nitride powders with that of neat room-temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone elastomer compound. In this work, a thermal conductivity test setup has been devised for the quantification of the thermal conductivity of the insulators. The thermal conductivities and high-voltage isolation capabilities of various blended composites were quantified and were compared with that of neat RTV to evaluate the relative improvement.

Solution-processable alumina: PVP nanocomposite dielectric layer for high-performance organic thin-film transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Hui; Kong, Xiao; Li, Yiran; Kuang, Peng; Tao, Silu

2018-03-01

In this article, we have investigated the effect of nanocomposite gate dielectric layer built by alumina (Al2O3) and poly(4-vinyphenol) (PVP) with solution method which could enhance the dielectric capability and decrease the surface polarity. Then, we used modify layer to optimize the surface morphology of dielectric layer to further improve the insulation capability, and finally we fabricated the high-performance and low-voltage organic thin-film transistors by using this nanocomposite dielectric layer. The result shows that the devices with Al2O3:10%PVP dielectric layer with a modified layer exhibited a mobility of 0.49 cm2/Vs, I on/Ioff ratio of 7.8 × 104, threshold voltage of - 1.2 V, sub-threshold swing of 0.3 V/dec, and operating voltage as low as - 4 V. The improvement of devices performance was owing to the good insulation capability, appropriate capacitance of dielectric layer, and preferable interface contact, smaller crystalline size of active layer.

Compact high voltage solid state switch

DOEpatents

Glidden, Steven C.

2003-09-23

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

Irradiation apparatus

DOEpatents

Goldie, C.H.; Fernald, R.A.

1974-01-29

An apparatus for introducing ionizing radiation into compressed gas insulation systems, such as high-voltage generators or transmission lines to smooth out electrical discontinuities, particularly those caused by foreign particulates that produce high gradients, and to increase the voltage holding capability of the system is described. The apparatus of the invention may also be used to regulate and stabilize the voltage of the system by varying the amount of applied load. A corona discharge device may also be used in conjunction with the invention. (Official Gazette)

High-voltage nano-oxidation in deionized water and atmospheric environments by atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Huang, Jen-Ching; Chen, Chung-Ming

2012-01-01

This study used atomic force microscopy (AFM), metallic probes with a nanoscale tip, and high-voltage generators to investigate the feasibility of high-voltage nano-oxidation processing in deionized water (DI water) and atmospheric environments. Researchers used a combination of wire-cutting and electrochemical etching to transform a 20-μm-thick stainless steel sheet into a conductive metallic AFM probe with a tip radius of 60 nm, capable of withstanding high voltages. The combination of AFM, high-voltage generators, and nanoscale metallic probes enabled nano-oxidation processing at 200 V in DI water environments, producing oxides up to 66.6 nm in height and 467.03 nm in width. Oxides produced through high-voltage nano-oxidation in atmospheric environments were 117.29 nm in height and 551.28 nm in width, considerably exceeding the dimensions of those produced in DI water. An increase in the applied bias voltage led to an apparent logarithmic increase in the height of the oxide dots in the range of 200-400 V. The performance of the proposed high-voltage nano-oxidation technique was relatively high with seamless integration between the AFM machine and the metallic probe fabricated in this study. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Simulation study of a new inverse-pinch high Coulomb transfer switch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, S. H.

1984-01-01

A simulation study of a simplified model of a high coulomb transfer switch is performed. The switch operates in an inverse pinch geometry formed by an all metal chamber, which greatly reduces hot spot formations on the electrode surfaces. Advantages of the switch over the conventional switches are longer useful life, higher current capability and lower inductance, which improves the characteristics required for a high repetition rate switch. The simulation determines the design parameters by analytical computations and comparison with the experimentally measured risetime, current handling capability, electrode damage, and hold-off voltages. The parameters of initial switch design can be determined for the anticipated switch performance. Results are in agreement with the experiment results. Although the model is simplified, the switch characteristics such as risetime, current handling capability, electrode damages, and hold-off voltages are accurately determined.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2011-01-01

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

Planar LTCC transformers for high voltage flyback converters.

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

Schofield, Daryl; Schare, Joshua M.; Glass, Sarah Jill

This paper discusses the design and use of low-temperature (850 C to 950 C) co-fired ceramic (LTCC) planar magnetic flyback transformers for applications that require conversion of a low voltage to high voltage (> 100V) with significant volumetric constraints. Measured performance and modeling results for multiple designs showed that the LTCC flyback transformer design and construction imposes serious limitations on the achievable coupling and significantly impacts the transformer performance and output voltage. This paper discusses the impact of various design factors that can provide improved performance by increasing transformer coupling and output voltage. The experiments performed on prototype units demonstratedmore » LTCC transformer designs capable of greater than 2 kV output. Finally, the work investigated the effect of the LTCC microstructure on transformer insulation. Although this paper focuses on generating voltages in the kV range, the experimental characterization and discussion presented in this work applies to designs requiring lower voltage.« less

Evaluation of high temperature dielectric films for high voltage power electronic applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suthar, J. L.; Laghari, J. R.

1992-01-01

Three high temperature films, polyimide, Teflon perfluoroalkoxy and poly-P-xylene, were evaluated for possible use in high voltage power electronic applications, such as in high energy density capacitors, cables and microelectronic circuits. The dielectric properties, including permittivity and dielectric loss, were obtained in the frequency range of 50 Hz to 100 kHz at temperatures up to 200 C. The dielectric strengths at 60 Hz were determined as a function of temperature to 250 C. Confocal laser microscopy was performed to diagnose for voids and microimperfections within the film structure. The results obtained indicate that all films evaluated are capable of maintaining their high voltage properties, with minimal degradation, at temperatures up to 200 C. However, above 200 C, they lose some of their electrical properties. These films may therefore become viable candidates for high voltage power electronic applications at high temperatures.

High fidelity studies of exploding foil initiator bridges, Part 2: Experimental results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neal, William; Bowden, Mike

2017-01-01

Simulations of high voltage detonators, such as Exploding Bridgewire (EBW) and Exploding Foil Initiators (EFI), have historically been simple, often empirical, one-dimensional models capable of predicting parameters such as current, voltage, and in the case of EFIs, flyer velocity. Experimental methods have correspondingly generally been limited to the same parameters. With the advent of complex, first principles magnetohydrodynamic codes such as ALEGRA MHD, it is now possible to simulate these components in three dimensions and predict greater range of parameters than before. A significant improvement in experimental capability was therefore required to ensure these simulations could be adequately verified. In this second paper of a three part study, data is presented from a flexible foil EFI header experiment. This study has shown that there is significant bridge expansion before time of peak voltage and that heating within the bridge material is spatially affected by the microstructure of the metal foil.

High voltage testing for the Majorana Demonstrator

DOE PAGES

Abgrall, N.; Arnquist, I. J.; Avignone, III, F. T.; ...

2016-04-04

The Majorana Collaboration is constructing the Majorana Demonstrator, an ultra-low background, 44-kg modular high-purity Ge (HPGe) detector array to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 76Ge. The phenomenon of surface micro-discharge induced by high-voltage has been studied in the context of the Majorana Demonstrator. This effect can damage the front-end electronics or mimic detector signals. To ensure the correct performance, every high-voltage cable and feedthrough must be capable of supplying HPGe detector operating voltages as high as 5 kV without exhibiting discharge. R&D measurements were carried out to understand the testing system and determine the optimum design configuration of themore » high-voltage path, including different improvements of the cable layout and feedthrough flange model selection. Every cable and feedthrough to be used at the Majorana Demonstrator was characterized and the micro-discharge effects during the Majorana Demonstrator commissioning phase were studied. Furthermore, a stable configuration has been achieved, and the cables and connectors can supply HPGe detector operating voltages without exhibiting discharge.« less

High voltage testing for the Majorana Demonstrator

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

Abgrall, N.; Arnquist, Isaac J.; Avignone, F. T.

2016-07-01

The Majorana Collaboration is constructing theMajorana Demonstrator, an ultra-low background, 44-kg modular high-purity Ge (HPGe) detector array to search for neutrinoless double-beta decay in 76Ge. The phenomenon of surface micro-discharge induced by high-voltage has been studied in the context of theMajorana Demonstrator. This effect can damage the front-end electronics or mimic detector signals. To ensure the correct performance, every high-voltage cable and feedthrough must be capable of supplying HPGe detector operating voltages as high as 5 kV without exhibiting discharge. R&D measurements were carried out to understand the testing system and determine the optimum design configuration of the high-voltage path,more » including different improvements of the cable layout and feedthrough flange model selection. Every cable and feedthrough to be used at the Majorana Demonstrator was characterized and the micro-discharge effects during theMajorana Demonstrator commissioning phase were studied. A stable configuration has been achieved, and the cables and connectors can supply HPGe detector operating voltages without exhibiting discharge.« less

Design of a fast computer-based partial discharge diagnostic system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliva, Jose R.; Karady, G. G.; Domitz, Stan

1991-01-01

Partial discharges cause progressive deterioration of insulating materials working in high voltage conditions and may lead ultimately to insulator failure. Experimental findings indicate that deterioration increases with the number of discharges and is consequently proportional to the magnitude and frequency of the applied voltage. In order to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms of deterioration produced by partial discharges, instrumentation capable of individual pulse resolution is required. A new computer-based partial discharge detection system was designed and constructed to conduct long duration tests on sample capacitors. This system is capable of recording large number of pulses without dead time and producing valuable information related to amplitude, polarity, and charge content of the discharges. The operation of the system is automatic and no human supervision is required during the testing stage. Ceramic capacitors were tested at high voltage in long duration tests. The obtained results indicated that the charge content of partial discharges shift towards high levels of charge as the level of deterioration in the capacitor increases.

Ion extraction capabilities of two-grid accelerator systems. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1984-01-01

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

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhao; Liu, Yaoning

2018-03-01

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

EMP Vulnerabilities of Telecommunications Facilities and Their Relevance to EMP Protection Standards

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

capacitor must be capable of withstanding surges of two and one-half times the rated voltage with a rise time of the surge to half crest voltage of 4...n Executive Summary This report identifies and categorizes the reasons for High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) vulnerability of terrestrial...for the design, installation and maintenance of telecommunication facilities. 1.1 Background High- altitude EMP (HEMP) vulnerabilities and effects

Performance Characterization of a Novel Plasma Thruster to Provide a Revolutionary Operationally Responsive Space Capability with Micro- and Nano-Satellites

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-24

and radiation resistance of rare earth permanent magnets for applications such as ion thrusters and high efficiency Stirling Radioisotope Generators...from Electron Transitioning Discharge Current Discharge Power Discharge Voltage Θ Divergence Angle Earths Gravity at Sea Level...Hall effect thruster HIVAC High Voltage Hall Accelerator LEO Low Earth Orbit LDS Laser Displacement System LVDT Linear variable differential

Application of the electroosmotic effect for thrust generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Thomas Edward

The present work focuses on demonstrating the capabilities of electroosmotic pumps, (EOP) to generate thrust. An underwater glider was successfully propelled by electroosmosis for the first time published - at 0.85 inches per second. Asymmetric AC voltage pulsing proved to produce higher flow rates then equivalent DC pumps for the same average voltage. Ultra-short pulsing proved 100 nanosecond rise times in EOP are possible, which surpassed published predictions by three orders of magnitude. Theories behind efficiency losses of high power EOP were investigated. Direct measurement of effective voltage at the face of a membrane is the most accurate way to determine voltage drop across the electrolyte of an EOP. Forced convection lowered efficiency of the EOP for low voltages by preventing capacitance charging, but proved to prolong pump life during high power application.

Hierarchical Control Scheme for Improving Transient Voltage Recovery of a DFIG-Based WPP

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

Kim, Jinho; Muljadi, Eduard; Kang, Yong Cheol

Modern grid codes require that wind power plants (WPPs) inject reactive power according to the voltage dip at a point of interconnection (POI). This requirement helps to support a POI voltage during a fault. However, if a fault is cleared, the POI and wind turbine generator (WTG) voltages are likely to exceed acceptable levels unless the WPP reduces the injected reactive power quickly. This might deteriorate the stability of a grid by allowing the disconnection of WTGs to avoid any damage. This paper proposes a hierarchical control scheme of a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG)-based WPP. The proposed scheme aims tomore » improve the reactive power injecting capability during the fault and suppress the overvoltage after the fault clearance. To achieve the former, an adaptive reactive power-to-voltage scheme is implemented in each DFIG controller so that a DFIG with a larger reactive power capability will inject more reactive power. To achieve the latter, a washout filter is used to capture a high frequency component contained in the WPP voltage, which is used to remove the accumulated values in the proportional-integral controllers. Test results indicate that the scheme successfully supports the grid voltage during the fault, and recovers WPP voltages without exceeding the limit after the fault clearance.« less

Adjustable, High Voltage Pulse Generator with Isolated Output for Plasma Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-09-01

Eagle Harbor Technologies (EHT), Inc. has developed a high voltage pulse generator with isolated output for etch, sputtering, and ion implantation applications within the materials science and semiconductor processing communities. The output parameters are independently user adjustable: output voltage (0 - 2.5 kV), pulse repetition frequency (0 - 100 kHz), and duty cycle (0 - 100%). The pulser can drive loads down to 200 Ω. Higher voltage pulsers have also been tested. The isolated output allows the pulse generator to be connected to loads that need to be biased. These pulser generators take advantage modern silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. These new solid-state switches decrease the switching and conduction losses while allowing for higher switching frequency capabilities. This pulse generator has applications for RF plasma heating; inductive and arc plasma sources; magnetron driving; and generation of arbitrary pulses at high voltage, high current, and high pulse repetition frequency. This work was supported in part by a DOE SBIR.

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

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

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

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

Adaptive Q–V Scheme for the Voltage Control of a DFIG-Based Wind Power Plant

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

Kim, Jinho; Seok, Jul-Ki; Muljadi, Eduard

Wind generators within a wind power plant (WPP) will produce different amounts of active power because of the wake effect, and therefore, they have different reactive power capabilities. This paper proposes an adaptive reactive power to the voltage (Q-V) scheme for the voltage control of a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG)-based WPP. In the proposed scheme, the WPP controller uses a voltage control mode and sends a voltage error signal to each DFIG. The DFIG controller also employs a voltage control mode utilizing the adaptive Q-V characteristics depending on the reactive power capability such that a DFIG with a largermore » reactive power capability will inject more reactive power to ensure fast voltage recovery. Test results indicate that the proposed scheme can recover the voltage within a short time, even for a grid fault with a small short-circuit ratio, by making use of the available reactive power of a WPP and differentiating the reactive power injection in proportion to the reactive power capability. This will, therefore, help to reduce the additional reactive power and ensure fast voltage recovery.« less

High throughput ion-channel pharmacology: planar-array-based voltage clamp.

PubMed

Kiss, Laszlo; Bennett, Paul B; Uebele, Victor N; Koblan, Kenneth S; Kane, Stefanie A; Neagle, Brad; Schroeder, Kirk

2003-02-01

Technological advances often drive major breakthroughs in biology. Examples include PCR, automated DNA sequencing, confocal/single photon microscopy, AFM, and voltage/patch-clamp methods. The patch-clamp method, first described nearly 30 years ago, was a major technical achievement that permitted voltage-clamp analysis (membrane potential control) of ion channels in most cells and revealed a role for channels in unimagined areas. Because of the high information content, voltage clamp is the best way to study ion-channel function; however, throughput is too low for drug screening. Here we describe a novel breakthrough planar-array-based HT patch-clamp technology developed by Essen Instruments capable of voltage-clamping thousands of cells per day. This technology provides greater than two orders of magnitude increase in throughput compared with the traditional voltage-clamp techniques. We have applied this method to study the hERG K(+) channel and to determine the pharmacological profile of QT prolonging drugs.

Advanced control of neutral beam injected power in DIII-D

DOE PAGES

Pawley, Carl J.; Crowley, Brendan J.; Pace, David C.; ...

2017-03-23

In the DIII-D tokamak, one of the most powerful techniques to control the density, temperature and plasma rotation is by eight independently modulated neutral beam sources with a total power of 20 MW. The rapid modulation requires a high degree of reproducibility and precise control of the ion source plasma and beam acceleration voltage. Recent changes have been made to the controls to provide a new capability to smoothly vary the beam current and beam voltage during a discharge, while maintaining the modulation capability. The ion source plasma inside the arc chamber is controlled through feedback from the Langmuir probesmore » measuring plasma density near the extraction end. To provide the new capability, the plasma control system (PCS) has been enabled to change the Langmuir probe set point and the beam voltage set point in real time. When the PCS varies the Langmuir set point, the plasma density is directly controlled in the arc chamber, thus changing the beam current (perveance) and power going into the tokamak. Alternately, the PCS can sweep the beam voltage set point by 20 kV or more and adjust the Langmuir probe setting to match, keeping the perveance constant and beam divergence at a minimum. This changes the beam power and average neutral particle energy, which changes deposition in the tokamak plasma. The ion separating magnetic field must accurately match the beam voltage to protect the beam line. To do this, the magnet current control accurately tracks the beam voltage set point. In conclusion, these new capabilities allow continuous in-shot variation of neutral beam ion energy to complement« less

Trap Healing for High-Performance Low-Voltage Polymer Transistors and Solution-Based Analog Amplifiers on Foil.

PubMed

Pecunia, Vincenzo; Nikolka, Mark; Sou, Antony; Nasrallah, Iyad; Amin, Atefeh Y; McCulloch, Iain; Sirringhaus, Henning

2017-06-01

Solution-processed semiconductors such as conjugated polymers have great potential in large-area electronics. While extremely appealing due to their low-temperature and high-throughput deposition methods, their integration in high-performance circuits has been difficult. An important remaining challenge is the achievement of low-voltage circuit operation. The present study focuses on state-of-the-art polymer thin-film transistors based on poly(indacenodithiophene-benzothiadiazole) and shows that the general paradigm for low-voltage operation via an enhanced gate-to-channel capacitive coupling is unable to deliver high-performance device behavior. The order-of-magnitude longitudinal-field reduction demanded by low-voltage operation plays a fundamental role, enabling bulk trapping and leading to compromised contact properties. A trap-reduction technique based on small molecule additives, however, is capable of overcoming this effect, allowing low-voltage high-mobility operation. This approach is readily applicable to low-voltage circuit integration, as this work exemplifies by demonstrating high-performance analog differential amplifiers operating at a battery-compatible power supply voltage of 5 V with power dissipation of 11 µW, and attaining a voltage gain above 60 dB at a power supply voltage below 8 V. These findings constitute an important milestone in realizing low-voltage polymer transistors for solution-based analog electronics that meets performance and power-dissipation requirements for a range of battery-powered smart-sensing applications. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development of 2.8 V Ketjen black supercapacitors with high rate capabilities for AC line filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoo, Yongju; Park, Jinwoo; Kim, Min-Seop; Kim, Woong

2017-08-01

Supercapacitors are generally more compact than conventional bulky aluminum electrolytic capacitors (AECs). Replacement of AECs with supercapacitors can lead to miniaturization of electronic devices. However, even state-of-the-art supercapacitors developed in laboratories are superior to or competitive with AECs only in low voltage applications (<∼40 V). In order to improve the voltage limits of current supercapacitors, we have incorporated Ketjen black (KB) as an electrode material. Utilizing the open pore structure and the graphitic nature of KB, we demonstrate that the voltage limit can be extended to 53 V. The KB supercapacitor exhibits excellent areal capacitance, cell voltage, and phase angle values of ∼574 μF cm-2, 2.8 V, and ∼-80°, respectively. In addition, we demonstrate that an AC line filtering circuit with three supercapacitors connected in series can extend the application voltage without significant sacrifice in rate capability (ϕ ∼ -77° at 120 Hz). On the other hand, KBs are much less expensive than carbon materials previously demonstrated for AC line filtering and hence are very attractive for practical applications. We believe that this demonstration of high-performance supercapacitors made from low-cost carbon materials is both scientifically interesting and important for practical applications.

High fidelity studies of exploding foil initiator bridges, Part 3: ALEGRA MHD simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neal, William; Garasi, Christopher

2017-01-01

Simulations of high voltage detonators, such as Exploding Bridgewire (EBW) and Exploding Foil Initiators (EFI), have historically been simple, often empirical, one-dimensional models capable of predicting parameters such as current, voltage, and in the case of EFIs, flyer velocity. Experimental methods have correspondingly generally been limited to the same parameters. With the advent of complex, first principles magnetohydrodynamic codes such as ALEGRA and ALE-MHD, it is now possible to simulate these components in three dimensions, and predict a much greater range of parameters than before. A significant improvement in experimental capability was therefore required to ensure these simulations could be adequately verified. In this third paper of a three part study, the experimental results presented in part 2 are compared against 3-dimensional MHD simulations. This improved experimental capability, along with advanced simulations, offer an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the processes behind the functioning of EBW and EFI detonators.

Electrical insulation design requirements and reliability goals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, R. G., Jr.

1983-11-01

The solar cells in a photovoltaic module which must be electrically isolated from module exterior surfaces to satisfy a variety of safety and operating considerations are discussed. The performance and reliability of the insulation system are examined. Technical requirements involve the capability of withstanding the differential voltage from the solar cells to the module frame. The maximum system voltage includes consideration of maximum open circuit array voltages achieved under low-temperature, high-irradiance conditions, and transient overvoltages due to system feedback of lightning transients. The latter is bounded by the characteristics of incorporated voltage limiting devices such as MOVs.

Fully synthetic taped insulation cables

DOEpatents

Forsyth, E.B.; Muller, A.C.

1983-07-15

The present invention is a cable which, although constructed from inexpensive polyolefin tapes and using typical impregnating oils, furnishes high voltage capability up to 765 kV, and has such excellent dielectric characteristics and heat transfer properties that it is capable of operation at capacities equal to or higher than presently available cables at a given voltage. This is accomplished by using polyethylene, polybutene or polypropylene insulating tape which has been specially processed to attain properties which are not generally found in these materials, but are required for their use in impregnated electrical cables. Chief among these properties is compatibility with impregnating oil.

A Compound Algorithm for Maximum Power Point Tracking Used in Laser Power Beaming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Cheng; Liu, Qiang; Gao, Shan; Teng, Yun; Cheng, Lin; Yu, Chengtao; Peng, Kai

2018-03-01

With the high voltage intelligent substation developing in a pretty high speed, more and more artificial intelligent techniques have been incorporated into the power devices to meet the automation needs. For the sake of the line maintenance staff’s safety, the high voltage isolating switch draws great attention among the most important power devices because of its capability of connecting and disconnecting the high voltage circuit. However, due to the very high level voltage of the high voltage isolating switch’s working environment, the power supply system of the surveillance devices could suffer from great electromagnetic interference. Laser power beaming exhibits its merits in such situation because it can provide steady power from a distance despite the day or the night. Then the energy conversion efficiency arises as a new concern. To make as much use of the laser power as possible, our work mainly focuses on extracting maximum power from the photovoltaic (PV) panel. In this paper, we proposed a neural network based algorithm which relates both the intrinsic and the extrinsic features of the PV panel to the proportion of the voltage at the maximum power point (MPP) to the open circuit voltage of the PV panel. Simulations and experiments were carried out to verify the validness of our algorithm.

A high-precision voltage source for EIT

PubMed Central

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

2006-01-01

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

Investigation of a compact coaxially fed switched oscillator.

PubMed

Wang, Yuwei; Chen, Dongqun; Zhang, Jiande; Cao, Shengguang; Li, Da; Liu, Chebo

2013-09-01

To generate a relative high frequency mesoband microwave, a compact coaxially fed transmission line switched oscillator with high voltage capability is investigated. The characteristic impedance and voltage capability of the low impedance transmission line (LITL) have been analyzed. It is shown that the working voltage of the oscillator can reach up to 200 kV when it is filled by pressurized nitrogen and charged by a nanosecond driving source. By utilizing a commercial electromagnetic simulation code, the transient performance of the switched oscillator with a lumped resistance load is simulated. It is illustrated that the center frequency of the output signal reaches up to ~0.6 GHz when the spark gap practically closes with a single channel. Besides, the influence of the closing mode and rapidity of the spark gap, the permittivity of the insulator at the output end of the LITL, and the load impedance on the transient performance of the designed oscillator has been analyzed in quantification. Finally, the good transient performance of the switched oscillator has been preliminarily proved by the experiment.

Generation of electrical power

DOEpatents

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

1976-01-01

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

Factors affecting the open-circuit voltage and electrode kinetics of some iron/titanium/redox flow cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, M. A.; Gahn, R. F.

1977-01-01

The effect of acid concentration on the performance of the iron-titanium redox flow cell was studied. When the acidity was increased, open-circuit voltages decreased on the titanium side but load voltages increased due to decreased polarization. The best load voltage occurs when there is high acidity on the titanium side coupled with low acidity on the iron side, but such cells show voltage losses with repeated cycling because of the diffusion of acid through the membrane. No membrane tested has been found capable of maintaining the differences in acidity. Chelating agents show some promise in reducing polarization at the Ti electrode and thus improving energy efficiency.

Single phase inverter for a three phase power generation and distribution system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindena, S. J.

1976-01-01

A breadboard design of a single-phase inverter with sinusoidal output voltage for a three-phase power generation and distribution system was developed. The three-phase system consists of three single-phase inverters, whose output voltages are connected in a delta configuration. Upon failure of one inverter the two remaining inverters will continue to deliver three-phase power. Parallel redundancy as offered by two three-phase inverters is substituted by one three-phase inverter assembly with high savings in volume, weight, components count and complexity, and a considerable increase in reliability. The following requirements must be met: (1) Each single-phase, current-fed inverter must be capable of being synchronized to a three-phase reference system such that its output voltage remains phaselocked to its respective reference voltage. (2) Each single-phase, current-fed inverter must be capable of accepting leading and lagging power factors over a range from -0.7 through 1 to +0.7.

A Novel Concept for a Deformable Membrane Mirror for Correction of Large Amplitude Aberrations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Jim; Patrick, Brian

2006-01-01

Very large, light weight mirrors are being developed for applications in space. Due to launch mass and volume restrictions these mirrors will need to be much more flexible than traditional optics. The use of primary mirrors with these characteristics will lead to requirements for adaptive optics capable of correcting wave front errors with large amplitude relatively low spatial frequency aberrations. The use of low modulus membrane mirrors actuated with electrostatic attraction forces is a potential solution for this application. Several different electrostatic membrane mirrors are now available commercially. However, as the dynamic range requirement of the adaptive mirror is increased the separation distance between the membrane and the electrodes must increase to accommodate the required face sheet deformations. The actuation force applied to the mirror decreases inversely proportional to the square of the separation distance; thus for large dynamic ranges the voltage requirement can rapidly increase into the high voltage regime. Experimentation with mirrors operating in the KV range has shown that at the higher voltages a serious problem with electrostatic field cross coupling between actuators can occur. Voltage changes on individual actuators affect the voltage of other actuators making the system very difficult to control. A novel solution has been proposed that combines high voltage electrodes with mechanical actuation to overcome this problem. In this design an array of electrodes are mounted to a backing structure via light weight large dynamic range flextensional actuators. With this design the control input becomes the separation distance between the electrode and the mirror. The voltage on each of the actuators is set to a uniform relatively high voltage, thus the problem of cross talk between actuators is avoided and the favorable distributed load characteristic of electrostatic actuation is retained. Initial testing and modeling of this concept demonstrates that this is an attractive concept for increasing the dynamic range capability of electrostatic deformable mirrors.

A novel photonic oscillator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yao, X. S.; Maleki, L.

1995-01-01

We report a novel oscillator for photonic RF systems. This oscillator is capable of generating high-frequency signals up to 70 GHz in both electrical and optical domains and is a special voltage-controlled oscillator with an optical output port. It can be used to make a phase-locked loop (PLL) and perform all functions that a PLL is capable of for photonic systems. It can be synchronized to a reference source by means of optical injection locking, electrical injection locking, and PLL. It can also be self-phase locked and self-injection locked to generate a high-stability photonic RF reference. Its applications include high-frequency reference regeneration and distribution, high-gain frequency multiplication, comb-frequecy and square-wave generation, carrier recovery, and clock recovery. We anticipate that such photonic voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) will be as important to photonic RF systems as electrical VCOs are to electrical RF systems.

Challenges and approaches for high-voltage spinel lithium-ion batteries.

PubMed

Kim, Jung-Hyun; Pieczonka, Nicholas P W; Yang, Li

2014-07-21

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries have been developed for electric vehicle (EV) applications, owing to their high energy density. Recent research and development efforts have been devoted to finding the next generation of cathode materials for Li-ion batteries to extend the driving distance of EVs and lower their cost. LiNi(0.5)Mn(1.5)O(4) (LNMO) high-voltage spinel is a promising candidate for a next-generation cathode material based on its high operating voltage (4.75 V vs. Li), potentially low material cost, and excellent rate capability. Over the last decade, much research effort has focused on achieving a fundamental understanding of the structure-property relationship in LNMO materials. Recent studies, however, demonstrated that the most critical barrier for the commercialization of high-voltage spinel Li-ion batteries is electrolyte decomposition and concurrent degradative reactions at electrode/electrolyte interfaces, which results in poor cycle life for LNMO/graphite full cells. Despite scattered reports addressing these processes in high-voltage spinel full cells, they have not been consolidated into a systematic review article. With this perspective, emphasis is placed herein on describing the challenges and the various approaches to mitigate electrolyte decomposition and other degradative reactions in high-voltage spinel cathodes in full cells. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A high voltage pulse generator based on silicon-controlled rectifier for field-reversed configuration experiment.

PubMed

Lin, Munan; Liu, Ming; Zhu, Guanghui; Wang, Yanpeng; Shi, Peiyun; Sun, Xuan

2017-08-01

A high voltage pulse generator based on a silicon-controlled rectifier has been designed and implemented for a field reversed configuration experiment. A critical damping circuit is used in the generator to produce the desired pulse waveform. Depending on the load, the rise time of the output trigger signal can be less than 1 μs, and the peak amplitudes of trigger voltage and current are up to 8 kV and 85 A in a single output. The output voltage can be easily adjusted by changing the voltage on a capacitor of the generator. In addition, the generator integrates an electrically floating heater circuit so it is capable of triggering either pseudosparks (TDI-type hydrogen thyratron) or ignitrons. Details of the circuits and their implementation are described in the paper. The trigger generator has successfully controlled the discharging sequence of the pulsed power supply for a field reversed configuration experiment.

A high voltage pulse generator based on silicon-controlled rectifier for field-reversed configuration experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Munan; Liu, Ming; Zhu, Guanghui; Wang, Yanpeng; Shi, Peiyun; Sun, Xuan

2017-08-01

A high voltage pulse generator based on a silicon-controlled rectifier has been designed and implemented for a field reversed configuration experiment. A critical damping circuit is used in the generator to produce the desired pulse waveform. Depending on the load, the rise time of the output trigger signal can be less than 1 μs, and the peak amplitudes of trigger voltage and current are up to 8 kV and 85 A in a single output. The output voltage can be easily adjusted by changing the voltage on a capacitor of the generator. In addition, the generator integrates an electrically floating heater circuit so it is capable of triggering either pseudosparks (TDI-type hydrogen thyratron) or ignitrons. Details of the circuits and their implementation are described in the paper. The trigger generator has successfully controlled the discharging sequence of the pulsed power supply for a field reversed configuration experiment.

Electro-optic high voltage sensor

DOEpatents

Davidson, James R.; Seifert, Gary D.

2003-09-16

A small sized electro-optic voltage sensor capable of accurate measurement of high voltages without contact with a conductor or voltage source is provided. When placed in the presence of an electric field, the sensor receives an input beam of electromagnetic radiation. A polarization beam displacer separates the input beam into two beams with orthogonal linear polarizations and causes one linearly polarized beam to impinge a crystal at a desired angle independent of temperature. The Pockels effect elliptically polarizes the beam as it travels through the crystal. A reflector redirects the beam back through the crystal and the beam displacer. On the return path, the polarization beam displacer separates the elliptically polarized beam into two output beams of orthogonal linear polarization. The system may include a detector for converting the output beams into electrical signals and a signal processor for determining the voltage based on an analysis of the output beams.

The investigation of a compact auto-connected wire-wrapped pulsed transformer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuwei; Zhang, Jiande; Chen, Dongqun; Cao, Shengguang; Li, Da; Zhang, Tianyang

2012-05-01

For the power conditioning circuit used to deliver power efficiently from flux compression generator (FCG) to the load with high impedance, an air-cored and wire-wrapped transformer convenient in coaxial connection to the other parts is investigated. To reduce the size and enhance the performance, an auto-connection is adopted. A fast and simple model is used to calculate the electrical parameters of the transformer. To evaluate the high voltage capability, the voltages across turns and the electric field distribution in the transformer are investigated. The calculated and the measured electrical parameters of the transformer show good agreements. And the safe operating voltage is predicted to exceed 500 kV. In the preliminary experiments, the transformer is tested in a power conditioning circuit with a capacitive power supply. It is demonstrated that the output voltage of the transformer reaches -342 kV under the input voltage of -81 kV.

The investigation of a compact auto-connected wire-wrapped pulsed transformer.

PubMed

Wang, Yuwei; Zhang, Jiande; Chen, Dongqun; Cao, Shengguang; Li, Da; Zhang, Tianyang

2012-05-01

For the power conditioning circuit used to deliver power efficiently from flux compression generator (FCG) to the load with high impedance, an air-cored and wire-wrapped transformer convenient in coaxial connection to the other parts is investigated. To reduce the size and enhance the performance, an auto-connection is adopted. A fast and simple model is used to calculate the electrical parameters of the transformer. To evaluate the high voltage capability, the voltages across turns and the electric field distribution in the transformer are investigated. The calculated and the measured electrical parameters of the transformer show good agreements. And the safe operating voltage is predicted to exceed 500 kV. In the preliminary experiments, the transformer is tested in a power conditioning circuit with a capacitive power supply. It is demonstrated that the output voltage of the transformer reaches -342 kV under the input voltage of -81 kV.

New approaches to provide ride-through for critical loads in electric power distribution systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montero-Hernandez, Oscar C.

2001-07-01

The extensive use of electronic circuits has enabled modernization, automation, miniaturization, high quality, low cost, and other achievements regarding electric loads in the last decades. However, modern electronic circuits and systems are extremely sensitive to disturbances from the electric power supply. In fact, the rate at which these disturbances happen is considerable as has been documented in recent years. In response to the power quality concerns presented previously, this dissertation is proposing new approaches to provide ride-through for critical loads during voltage disturbances with emphasis on voltage sags. In this dissertation, a new approach based on an AC-DC-AC system is proposed to provide ride-through for critical loads connected in buildings and/or an industrial system. In this approach, a three-phase IGBT inverter with a built in Dc-link voltage regulator is suitably controlled along with static by-pass switches to provide continuous power to critical loads. During a disturbance, the input utility source is disconnected and the power from the inverter is connected to the load. The remaining voltage in the AC supply is converted to DC and compensated before being applied to the inverter and the load. After detecting normal utility conditions, power from the utility is restored to the critical load. In order to achieve an extended ride-through capability a second approach is introduced. In this case, the Dc-link voltage regulator is performed by a DC-DC Buck-Boost converter. This new approach has the capability to mitigate voltage variations below and above the nominal value. In the third approach presented in this dissertation, a three-phase AC to AC boost converter is investigated. This converter provides a boosting action for the utility input voltages, right before they are applied to the load. The proposed Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control strategy ensures independent control of each phase and compensates for both single-phase or poly-phase voltage sags. Algorithms capable of detecting voltage disturbances such as voltage sags, voltage swells, flicker, frequency change, and harmonics in a fast and reliable way are investigated and developed in this dissertation as an essential part of the approaches previously described. Simulation and experimental work has been done to validate the feasibility of all approaches under the most common voltage disturbances such as single-phase voltage sags and three-phase voltage sags.

High-resolution simultaneous voltage and Ca2+ imaging

PubMed Central

Vogt, Kaspar E; Gerharz, Stephan; Graham, Jeremy; Canepari, Marco

2011-01-01

Combining voltage and Ca2+ imaging allows the correlation of electrical and chemical activity at sub-cellular level. Here we describe a novel apparatus designed to obtain simultaneous voltage and Ca2+ measurements with single-trial resolution from sites as small as a few microns. These measurements can be obtained with negligible optical cross-talk between the two signals and negligible photo-damage of the preparation. The capability of the technique was assessed recording either from individual neurons in brain slices or from networks of cultured neurons. The present achievements open the gate to many novel physiological investigations requiring simultaneous measurement of voltage and Ca2+ signals. PMID:21115640

Hydrogenated TiO 2@reduced graphene oxide sandwich-like nanosheets for high voltage supercapacitor applications

DOE PAGES

Pham, Viet Hung; Nguyen-Phan, Thuy-Duong; Tong, Xiao; ...

2017-10-09

Hydrogenated TiO 2 has recently attracted considerable attention as potential electrode materials for supercapacitors due to its abundance, low cost, high conductivity, remarkable rate capability, and outstanding long-term cycling stability. In this paper, we demonstrate the synthesis of hydrogenated TiO 2 nanoparticles anchored on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (HTG) in the form of sandwich-like nanosheet composites. Further, we explored their implementation as electrode materials for high voltage, symmetric supercapacitors, operating in the voltage window of 0–1.8 V. The HTGs were prepared by a sol-gel method, followed by hydrogenation in the temperature range 300–500 °C. Of the prepared composites, HTG preparedmore » at 400 °C exhibited the largest specific capacitance of 51 F g -1 at the current density of 1.0 A g -1 and excellent rate capability with 82.5% capacitance retention as the current density increased 40-fold, from 0.5 to 20.0 A g -1. HTG's excellent rate capability was attributed to its sandwich-like nanostructure, in which ultrasmall hydrogenated TiO 2 nanoparticles densely anchored onto both surfaces of the two-dimensional reduced graphene oxide sheets. Moreover, HTG-based supercapacitors also exhibited long-term cycling stability with the retention over 80% of its initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles. Finally, these properties suggest that HTG is a promising electrode material for the scalable manufacture of high-performance supercapacitors.« less

Hydrogenated TiO 2@reduced graphene oxide sandwich-like nanosheets for high voltage supercapacitor applications

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

Pham, Viet Hung; Nguyen-Phan, Thuy-Duong; Tong, Xiao

Hydrogenated TiO 2 has recently attracted considerable attention as potential electrode materials for supercapacitors due to its abundance, low cost, high conductivity, remarkable rate capability, and outstanding long-term cycling stability. In this paper, we demonstrate the synthesis of hydrogenated TiO 2 nanoparticles anchored on reduced graphene oxide nanosheets (HTG) in the form of sandwich-like nanosheet composites. Further, we explored their implementation as electrode materials for high voltage, symmetric supercapacitors, operating in the voltage window of 0–1.8 V. The HTGs were prepared by a sol-gel method, followed by hydrogenation in the temperature range 300–500 °C. Of the prepared composites, HTG preparedmore » at 400 °C exhibited the largest specific capacitance of 51 F g -1 at the current density of 1.0 A g -1 and excellent rate capability with 82.5% capacitance retention as the current density increased 40-fold, from 0.5 to 20.0 A g -1. HTG's excellent rate capability was attributed to its sandwich-like nanostructure, in which ultrasmall hydrogenated TiO 2 nanoparticles densely anchored onto both surfaces of the two-dimensional reduced graphene oxide sheets. Moreover, HTG-based supercapacitors also exhibited long-term cycling stability with the retention over 80% of its initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles. Finally, these properties suggest that HTG is a promising electrode material for the scalable manufacture of high-performance supercapacitors.« less

Analysis of a modular generator for high-voltage, high-frequency pulsed applications, using low voltage semiconductors (< 1 kV) and series connected step-up (1:10) transformers.

PubMed

Redondo, L M; Fernando Silva, J; Margato, E

2007-03-01

This article discusses the operation of a modular generator topology, which has been developed for high-frequency (kHz), high-voltage (kV) pulsed applications. The proposed generator uses individual modules, each one consisting of a pulse circuit based on a modified forward converter, which takes advantage of the required low duty cycle to operate with a low voltage clamp reset circuit for the step-up transformer. This reduces the maximum voltage on the semiconductor devices of both primary and secondary transformer sides. The secondary winding of each step-up transformer is series connected, delivering a fraction of the total voltage. Each individual pulsed module is supplied via an isolation transformer. The assembled modular laboratorial prototype, with three 5 kV modules, 800 V semiconductor switches, and 1:10 step-up transformers, has 80% efficiency, and is capable of delivering, into resistive loads, -15 kV1 A pulses with 5 micros width, 10 kHz repetition rate, with less than 1 micros pulse rise time. Experimental results for resistive loads are presented and discussed.

A high-voltage cardiac stimulator for field shocks of a whole heart in a bath

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mashburn, David N.; Hinkson, Stephen J.; Woods, Marcella C.; Gilligan, Jonathan M.; Holcomb, Mark R.; Wikswo, John P.

2007-10-01

Defibrillators are a critical tool for treating heart disease; however, the mechanisms by which they halt fibrillation are still not fully understood and are the subject of ongoing research. Clinical defibrillators do not provide the precise control of shock timing, duration, and voltage or other features needed for detailed scientific inquiry, and there are few, if any, commercially available units designed for research applications. For this reason, we have developed a high-voltage, programmable, capacitive-discharge stimulator optimized to deliver defibrillation shocks with precise timing and voltage control to an isolated animal heart, either in air or in a bath. This stimulator is capable of delivering voltages of up to 500V and energies of nearly 100J with timing accuracy of a few microseconds and with rise and fall times of 5μs or less and is controlled only by two external timing pulses and a control computer that sets the stimulation parameters via a LABVIEW interface. Most importantly, the stimulator has circuits to protect the high-voltage circuitry and the operator from programming and input-output errors. This device has been tested and used successfully in field shock experiments on rabbit hearts as well as other protocols requiring high voltage.

Compact high voltage, high peak power, high frequency transformer for converter type modulator applications.

PubMed

Reghu, T; Mandloi, V; Shrivastava, Purushottam

2016-04-01

The design and development of a compact high voltage, high peak power, high frequency transformer for a converter type modulator of klystron amplifiers is presented. The transformer has been designed to operate at a frequency of 20 kHz and at a flux swing of ±0.6 T. Iron (Fe) based nanocrystalline material has been selected as a core for the construction of the transformer. The transformer employs a specially designed solid Teflon bobbin having 120 kV insulation for winding the high voltage secondary windings. The flux swing of the core has been experimentally found by plotting the hysteresis loop at actual operating conditions. Based on the design, a prototype transformer has been built which is per se a unique combination of high voltage, high frequency, and peak power specifications. The transformer was able to provide 58 kV (pk-pk) at the secondary with a peak power handling capability of 700 kVA. The transformation ratio was 1:17. The performance of the transformer is also presented and discussed.

A compact nanosecond pulse generator for DBD tube characterization.

PubMed

Rai, S K; Dhakar, A K; Pal, U N

2018-03-01

High voltage pulses of very short duration and fast rise time are required for generating uniform and diffuse plasma under various operating conditions. Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) has been generated by high voltage pulses of short duration and fast rise time to produce diffuse plasma in the discharge gap. The high voltage pulse power generators have been chosen according to the requirement for the DBD applications. In this paper, a compact solid-state unipolar pulse generator has been constructed for characterization of DBD plasma. This pulsar is designed to provide repetitive pulses of 315 ns pulse width, pulse amplitude up to 5 kV, and frequency variation up to 10 kHz. The amplitude of the output pulse depends on the dc input voltage. The output frequency has been varied by changing the trigger pulse frequency. The pulsar is capable of generating pulses of positive or negative polarity by changing the polarity of pulse transformer's secondary. Uniform and stable homogeneous dielectric barrier discharge plasma has been produced successfully in a xenon DBD tube at 400-mbar pressure using the developed high voltage pulse generator.

A compact nanosecond pulse generator for DBD tube characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rai, S. K.; Dhakar, A. K.; Pal, U. N.

2018-03-01

High voltage pulses of very short duration and fast rise time are required for generating uniform and diffuse plasma under various operating conditions. Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) has been generated by high voltage pulses of short duration and fast rise time to produce diffuse plasma in the discharge gap. The high voltage pulse power generators have been chosen according to the requirement for the DBD applications. In this paper, a compact solid-state unipolar pulse generator has been constructed for characterization of DBD plasma. This pulsar is designed to provide repetitive pulses of 315 ns pulse width, pulse amplitude up to 5 kV, and frequency variation up to 10 kHz. The amplitude of the output pulse depends on the dc input voltage. The output frequency has been varied by changing the trigger pulse frequency. The pulsar is capable of generating pulses of positive or negative polarity by changing the polarity of pulse transformer's secondary. Uniform and stable homogeneous dielectric barrier discharge plasma has been produced successfully in a xenon DBD tube at 400-mbar pressure using the developed high voltage pulse generator.

Voltage-Dependent Charge Storage in Cladded Zn0.56Cd0.44Se Quantum Dot MOS Capacitors for Multibit Memory Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, J.; Lingalugari, M.; Al-Amoody, F.; Jain, F.

2013-11-01

As conventional memories approach scaling limitations, new storage methods must be utilized to increase Si yield and produce higher on-chip memory density. Use of II-VI Zn0.56Cd0.44Se quantum dots (QDs) is compatible with epitaxial gate insulators such as ZnS-ZnMgS. Voltage-dependent charging effects in cladded Zn0.56Cd0.44Se QDs are presented in a conventional metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitor structure. Charge storage capabilities in Si and ZnMgS QDs have been reported by various researchers; this work is focused on II-VI material Zn0.56Cd0.44Se QDs nucleated using photoassisted microwave plasma metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Using capacitance-voltage hysteresis characterization, the multistep charging and discharging capabilities of the QDs at room temperature are presented. Three charging states are presented within a 10 V charging voltage range. These characteristics exemplify discrete charge states in the QD layer, perfect for multibit, QD-functionalized high-density memory applications. Multiple charge states with low operating voltage provide device characteristics that can be used for multibit storage by allowing varying charges to be stored in a QD layer based on the applied "write" voltage.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-10-01

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

Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Driven by PWM Inverter with Voltage Booster with Regenerating Capability Augmented by Double-Layer Capacitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Kichiro; Shinohara, Katsuji; Furukawa, Shinya

An interior permanent magnet (IPM) motor drive system which has regenerating capability augmented by double-layer capacitors is proposed. The motor is driven by a PWM inverter with voltage booster. The voltage booster is used to control the dc link voltage in high speed region to improve the system efficiency. Furthermore, the double-layer capacitor as a storage element is combined with the PWM inverter with voltage booster to gain the efficiency for the regenerating operation. In this system, normally, the regenerative power does not return to a battery directly but is stored in the double-layer capacitors for the next motoring action to suppress the excessive regenerative current to battery, and the regenerative power returns to the battery when the regenerative energy is larger than a certain value. The charging current to the battery is controlled to a constant value to extend the life-time of the battery. The transient and steady state characteristics of the system for 1.5kW IPM motor are investigated by both simulation and experiment. Finally, the effectiveness of the system is demonstrated by the simulated and experimental results.

Development of a soft untethered robot using artificial muscle actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Jiawei; Qin, Lei; Lee, Heow Pueh; Zhu, Jian

2017-04-01

Soft robots have attracted much interest recently, due to their potential capability to work effectively in unstructured environment. Soft actuators are key components in soft robots. Dielectric elastomer actuators are one class of soft actuators, which can deform in response to voltage. Dielectric elastomer actuators exhibit interesting attributes including large voltage-induced deformation and high energy density. These attributes make dielectric elastomer actuators capable of functioning as artificial muscles for soft robots. It is significant to develop untethered robots, since connecting the cables to external power sources greatly limits the robots' functionalities, especially autonomous movements. In this paper we develop a soft untethered robot based on dielectric elastomer actuators. This robot mainly consists of a deformable robotic body and two paper-based feet. The robotic body is essentially a dielectric elastomer actuator, which can expand or shrink at voltage on or off. In addition, the two feet can achieve adhesion or detachment based on the mechanism of electroadhesion. In general, the entire robotic system can be controlled by electricity or voltage. By optimizing the mechanical design of the robot (the size and weight of electric circuits), we put all these components (such as batteries, voltage amplifiers, control circuits, etc.) onto the robotic feet, and the robot is capable of realizing autonomous movements. Experiments are conducted to study the robot's locomotion. Finite element method is employed to interpret the deformation of dielectric elastomer actuators, and the simulations are qualitatively consistent with the experimental observations.

A programmable power processor for high power space applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lanier, J. R., Jr.; Graves, J. R.; Kapustka, R. E.; Bush, J. R., Jr.

1982-01-01

A Programmable Power Processor (P3) has been developed for application in future large space power systems. The P3 is capable of operation over a wide range of input voltage (26 to 375 Vdc) and output voltage (24 to 180 Vdc). The peak output power capability is 18 kW (180 V at 100 A). The output characteristics of the P3 can be programmed to any voltage and/or current level within the limits of the processor and may be controlled as a function of internal or external parameters. Seven breadboard P3s and one 'flight-type' engineering model P3 have been built and tested both individually and in electrical power systems. The programmable feature allows the P3 to be used in a variety of applications by changing the output characteristics. Test results, including efficiency at various input/output combinations, transient response, and output impedance, are presented.

Silicon Carbide Emitter Turn-Off Thyristor

DOE PAGES

Wang, Jun; Wang, Gangyao; Li, Jun; ...

2008-01-01

A novel MOS-conmore » trolled SiC thyristor device, the SiC emitter turn-off thyristor (ETO) is a promising technology for future high-voltage switching applications because it integrates the excellent current conduction capability of a SiC thyristor with a simple MOS-control interface. Through unity-gain turn-off, the SiC ETO also achieves excellent Safe Operation Area (SOA) and faster switching speeds than silicon ETOs. The world's first 4.5-kV SiC ETO prototype shows a forward voltage drop of 4.26 V at 26.5  A / cm 2 current density at room and elevated temperatures. Tested in an inductive circuit with a 2.5 kV DC link voltage and a 9.56-A load current, the SiC ETO shows a fast turn-off time of 1.63 microseconds and a low 9.88 mJ turn-off energy. The low switching loss indicates that the SiC ETO could operate at about 4 kHz if 100  W / cm 2 conduction and the 100  W / cm 2 turn-off losses can be removed by the thermal management system. This frequency capability is about 4 times higher than 4.5-kV-class silicon power devices. The preliminary demonstration shows that the SiC ETO is a promising candidate for high-frequency, high-voltage power conversion applications, and additional developments to optimize the device for higher voltage (>5 kV) and higher frequency (10 kHz) are needed.« less

Electro-optic high voltage sensor

DOEpatents

Davidson, James R.; Seifert, Gary D.

2002-01-01

A small sized electro-optic voltage sensor capable of accurate measurement of high levels of voltages without contact with a conductor or voltage source is provided. When placed in the presence of an electric field, the sensor receives an input beam of electromagnetic radiation into the sensor. A polarization beam displacer serves as a filter to separate the input beam into two beams with orthogonal linear polarizations. The beam displacer is oriented in such a way as to rotate the linearly polarized beams such that they enter a Pockels crystal having at a preferred angle of 45 degrees. The beam displacer is therefore capable of causing a linearly polarized beam to impinge a crystal at a desired angle independent of temperature. The Pockels electro-optic effect induces a differential phase shift on the major and minor axes of the input beam as it travels through the Pockels crystal, which causes the input beam to be elliptically polarized. A reflecting prism redirects the beam back through the crystal and the beam displacer. On the return path, the polarization beam displacer separates the elliptically polarized beam into two output beams of orthogonal linear polarization representing the major and minor axes. The system may include a detector for converting the output beams into electrical signals, and a signal processor for determining the voltage based on an analysis of the output beams. The output beams are amplitude modulated by the frequency of the electric field and the amplitude of the output beams is proportional to the magnitude of the electric field, which is related to the voltage being measured.

Simulation design of uniform low turn-on voltage and high reverse blocking AlGaN/GaN power field effect rectifier with trench heterojunction anode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fangzhou; Chen, Wanjun; Wang, Zeheng; Sun, Ruize; Wei, Jin; Li, Xuan; Shi, Yijun; Jin, Xiaosheng; Xu, Xiaorui; Chen, Nan; Zhou, Qi; Zhang, Bo

2017-05-01

To achieve uniform low turn-on voltage and high reverse blocking capability, an AlGaN/GaN power field effect rectifier with trench heterojunction anode (THA-FER) is proposed and investigated in this work which includes only simulated data and no real experimental result. VT has a low saturation value when trench height (HT) is beyond 300 nm, confirming it is possible to control the VT accurately without precisely controlling the HT in the THA-FER. Meanwhile, high HT anode reduces reverse leakage current and yields high breakdown voltage (VB). A superior high Baliga's Figure of Merits (BFOM = VB2/Ron,sp, Ron,sp is specific-on resistance) of 1228 MW/cm2 reveals the THA-FER caters for the demands of high efficiency GaN power applications.

Investigation of a compact coaxially fed switched oscillator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuwei; Chen, Dongqun; Zhang, Jiande; Cao, Shengguang; Li, Da; Liu, Chebo

2013-09-01

To generate a relative high frequency mesoband microwave, a compact coaxially fed transmission line switched oscillator with high voltage capability is investigated. The characteristic impedance and voltage capability of the low impedance transmission line (LITL) have been analyzed. It is shown that the working voltage of the oscillator can reach up to 200 kV when it is filled by pressurized nitrogen and charged by a nanosecond driving source. By utilizing a commercial electromagnetic simulation code, the transient performance of the switched oscillator with a lumped resistance load is simulated. It is illustrated that the center frequency of the output signal reaches up to ˜0.6 GHz when the spark gap practically closes with a single channel. Besides, the influence of the closing mode and rapidity of the spark gap, the permittivity of the insulator at the output end of the LITL, and the load impedance on the transient performance of the designed oscillator has been analyzed in quantification. Finally, the good transient performance of the switched oscillator has been preliminarily proved by the experiment.

High-voltage positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries

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

Li, Wangda; Song, Bohang; Manthiram, Arumugam

The ever-growing demand for advanced rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in portable electronics and electric vehicles has spurred intensive research efforts over the past decade. The key to sustaining the progress in Li-ion batteries lies in the quest for safe, low-cost positive electrode (cathode) materials with desirable energy and power capabilities. One approach to boost the energy and power densities of batteries is to increase the output voltage while maintaining a high capacity, fast charge–discharge rate, and long service life. Here, this review gives an account of the various emerging high-voltage positive electrode materials that have the potential to satisfy these requirementsmore » either in the short or long term, including nickel-rich layered oxides, lithium-rich layered oxides, high-voltage spinel oxides, and high-voltage polyanionic compounds. The key barriers and the corresponding strategies for the practical viability of these cathode materials are discussed along with the optimization of electrolytes and other cell components, with a particular emphasis on recent advances in the literature. Finally, a concise perspective with respect to plausible strategies for future developments in the field is also provided.« less

High-voltage positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries

DOE PAGES

Li, Wangda; Song, Bohang; Manthiram, Arumugam

2017-04-25

The ever-growing demand for advanced rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in portable electronics and electric vehicles has spurred intensive research efforts over the past decade. The key to sustaining the progress in Li-ion batteries lies in the quest for safe, low-cost positive electrode (cathode) materials with desirable energy and power capabilities. One approach to boost the energy and power densities of batteries is to increase the output voltage while maintaining a high capacity, fast charge–discharge rate, and long service life. Here, this review gives an account of the various emerging high-voltage positive electrode materials that have the potential to satisfy these requirementsmore » either in the short or long term, including nickel-rich layered oxides, lithium-rich layered oxides, high-voltage spinel oxides, and high-voltage polyanionic compounds. The key barriers and the corresponding strategies for the practical viability of these cathode materials are discussed along with the optimization of electrolytes and other cell components, with a particular emphasis on recent advances in the literature. Finally, a concise perspective with respect to plausible strategies for future developments in the field is also provided.« less

Lightweight IMM PV Flexible Blanket Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spence, Brian

2015-01-01

Deployable Space Systems (DSS) has developed an inverted metamorphic multijunction (IMM) photovoltaic (PV) integrated modular blanket assembly (IMBA) that can be rolled or z-folded. This IMM PV IMBA technology enables a revolutionary flexible PV blanket assembly that provides high specific power, exceptional stowed packaging efficiency, and high-voltage operation capability. DSS's technology also accommodates standard third-generation triple junction (ZTJ) PV device technologies to provide significantly improved performance over the current state of the art. This SBIR project demonstrated prototype, flight-like IMM PV IMBA panel assemblies specifically developed, designed, and optimized for NASA's high-voltage solar array missions.

Test Results From a Simulated High-Voltage Lunar Power Transmission Line

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birchenough, Arthur; Hervol, David

2008-01-01

The Alternator Test Unit (ATU) in the Lunar Power System Facility (LPSF) located at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio was modified to simulate high-voltage transmission capability. The testbed simulated a 1 km transmission cable length from the ATU to the LPSF using resistors and inductors installed between the distribution transformers. Power factor correction circuitry was used to compensate for the reactance of the distribution system to improve the overall power factor. This test demonstrated that a permanent magnet alternator can successfully provide high-frequency ac power to a lunar facility located at a distance.

Test Results from a Simulated High Voltage Lunar Power Transmission Line

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birchenough, Arthur; Hervol, David

2008-01-01

The Alternator Test Unit (ATU) in the Lunar Power System Facility (LPSF) located at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, OH was modified to simulate high voltage transmission capability. The testbed simulated a 1 km transmission cable length from the ATU to the LPSF using resistors and inductors installed between the distribution transformers. Power factor correction circuitry was used to compensate for the reactance of the distribution system to improve the overall power factor. This test demonstrated that a permanent magnet alternator can successfully provide high frequency AC power to a lunar facility located at a distance.

Fluorination Induced the Surface Segregation of High Voltage Spinel on Lithium-Rich Layered Cathodes for Enhanced Rate Capability in Lithium Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Jin, Yi-Chun; Duh, Jenq-Gong

2016-02-17

This study is aimed to explore the effect of fluoride doping and the associated structural transformation on lithium-rich layered cathode materials. The polymeric fluoride source is first adopted for synthesizing lithium intercalated oxide through a newly developed organic precipitation process. A heterostructured spinel/layered composite cathode material is obtained after appreciable fluorination and a superior rate capability is successfully achieved. The fluoride dopant amount and the surface spinel phase are evidenced and systematically examined by various structural spectroscopy and electrochemical analysis. It appears the reversible Ni(2+/4+) redox couple at high voltage regime around 4.8 V because of the formation of spinel LiNi1/2Mn3/2O4 phase. The mechanism of "layer to spinel" phase transformation is discussed in detail.

High voltage capability electrical coils insulated with materials containing SF.sub.6 gas

DOEpatents

Lanoue, Thomas J.; Zeise, Clarence L.; Wagenaar, Loren; Westervelt, Dean C.

1988-01-01

A coil is made having a plurality of layers of adjacent metal conductor windings subject to voltage stress, where the windings have insulation therebetween containing a small number of minute disposed throughout its cross-section, where the voids are voids filled with SF.sub.6 gas to substitute for air or other gaseous materials in from about 60% to about 95% of the cross-sectional void volume in the insulation, thus incorporating an amount of SF.sub.6 gas in the cross-section of the insulation effective to substantially increase corona inception voltages.

Evaluation of high-voltage, high-power, solid-state remote power controllers for amps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callis, Charles P.

1987-01-01

The Electrical Power Branch at Marshall Space Flight Center has a Power System Development Facility where various power circuit breadboards are tested and evaluated. This project relates to the evaluation of a particular remote power controller (RPC) energizing high power loads. The Facility equipment permits the thorough testing and evaluation of high-voltage, high-power solid-state remote power controllers. The purpose is to evaluate a Type E, 30 Ampere, 200 V dc remote power controller. Three phases of the RPC evaluation are presented. The RPC is evaluated within a low-voltage, low-power circuit to check its operational capability. The RPC is then evaluated while performing switch/circuit breaker functions within a 200 V dc, 30 Ampere power circuit. The final effort of the project relates to the recommended procedures for installing these RPC's into the existing Autonomously Managed Power System (AMPS) breadboard/test facility at MSFC.

High resolution separations of charge variants and disulfide isomers of monoclonal antibodies and antibody drug conjugates using ultra-high voltage capillary electrophoresis with high electric field strength.

PubMed

Henley, W Hampton; He, Yan; Mellors, J Scott; Batz, Nicholas G; Ramsey, J Michael; Jorgenson, James W

2017-11-10

Ultra-high voltage capillary electrophoresis with high electric field strength has been applied to the separation of the charge variants, drug conjugates, and disulfide isomers of monoclonal antibodies. Samples composed of many closely related species are difficult to resolve and quantify using traditional analytical instrumentation. High performance instrumentation can often save considerable time and effort otherwise spent on extensive method development. Ideally, the resolution obtained for a given CE buffer system scales with the square root of the applied voltage. Currently available commercial CE instrumentation is limited to an applied voltage of approximately 30kV and a maximum electric field strength of 1kV/cm due to design limitations. The instrumentation described here is capable of safely applying potentials of at least 120kV with electric field strengths over 2000V/cm, potentially doubling the resolution of the best conventional CE buffer/capillary systems while decreasing analysis time in some applications. Separations of these complex mixtures using this new instrumentation demonstrate the potential of ultra-high voltage CE to identify the presence of previously unresolved components and to reduce analysis time for complex mixtures of antibody variants and drug conjugates. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Low-Voltage and High Uniformity Nano-Electro-Mechanical System Tunable Color Filter Based on Subwavelength Grating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honma, Hiroaki; Takahashi, Kazuhiro; Ishida, Makoto; Sawada, Kazuaki

2012-11-01

This paper reports on the construction of a nano-electro-mechanical system (NEMS) tunable color filter based on a subwavelength grating with high color uniformity and a low drive voltage. We recently proposed a ground-voltage-ground (GVG)-type tunable color filter with a parallel-plate actuator with three pairs of electrodes to decrease the crosstalk due to the electrostatic attractive force between each pair of actuators. Our finite element method (FEM) simulation results indicate that the drive voltage is decreased by 10 V, as compared to that of the previously reported GV type. The proposed structure was fabricated using a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The color tuning capability of the device was demonstrated by applying a drive voltage of 6.7 V. The reflected light intensity was decreased by 34% at a wavelength of 680 nm. Color uniformity was also obtained in the filter area by reducing the variation of the displacement on the one-dimensional actuator arrays.

High-voltage subnanosecond dielectric breakdown

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mankowski, John Jerome

Current interests in ultrawideband radar sources are in the microwave regime, which correspond to voltage pulse risetimes less than a nanosecond. Some new sources, including the Phillips Laboratory Hindenberg series of hydrogen gas switched pulsers use hydrogen at hundreds of atmospheres of pressure in the switch. Unfortunately, the published data of electrical breakdown of gas and liquid media at these time lengths are relatively scarce. A study was conducted on the electrical breakdown properties of liquid and gas dielectrics at subnanosecond and nanoseconds. Two separate voltage sources with pulse risetimes less than 400 ps were developed. Diagnostic probes were designed and tested for their capability of detecting high voltage pulses at these fast risetimes. A thorough investigation into E-field strengths of liquid and gas dielectrics at breakdown times ranging from 0.4 to 5 ns was performed. The voltage polarity dependence on breakdown strength is observed. Streak camera images of streamer formation were taken. The effect of ultraviolet radiation, incident upon the gap, on statistical lag time was determined.

Development of in-situ high-voltage and high-temperature stressing capability on atomic force microscopy platform

DOE PAGES

Xiao, Chuanxiao; Jiang, Chun-Sheng; Johnston, Steve; ...

2017-10-18

Reliability has become an increasingly important issue as photovoltaic technologies mature. However, researching reliability at the nanometer scale is in its infancy; in particular, in-situ studies have not been reported to date. Here, to investigate potential-induced degradation (PID) of solar cell modules, we have developed an in-situ stressing capability with applied high voltage (HV) and high temperature (HT) on an atomic force microscopy (AFM) platform. We designed a sample holder to simultaneously accommodate 1000-V HV and 200 degrees C HT stressing. Three technical challenges have been overcome along with the development: thermal drift at HT, HV interference with measurement, andmore » arc discharge caused by HV. We demonstrated no observable measurement artifact under the stress conditions. Based on our in-situ stressing AFM, Kelvin probe force microscopy potential imaging revealed the evolution of electrical potential across the junction along with the PID stressing time, which provides vital information to further study the PID mechanism.« less

Development of in-situ high-voltage and high-temperature stressing capability on atomic force microscopy platform

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

Xiao, Chuanxiao; Jiang, Chun-Sheng; Johnston, Steve

Reliability has become an increasingly important issue as photovoltaic technologies mature. However, researching reliability at the nanometer scale is in its infancy; in particular, in-situ studies have not been reported to date. Here, to investigate potential-induced degradation (PID) of solar cell modules, we have developed an in-situ stressing capability with applied high voltage (HV) and high temperature (HT) on an atomic force microscopy (AFM) platform. We designed a sample holder to simultaneously accommodate 1000-V HV and 200 degrees C HT stressing. Three technical challenges have been overcome along with the development: thermal drift at HT, HV interference with measurement, andmore » arc discharge caused by HV. We demonstrated no observable measurement artifact under the stress conditions. Based on our in-situ stressing AFM, Kelvin probe force microscopy potential imaging revealed the evolution of electrical potential across the junction along with the PID stressing time, which provides vital information to further study the PID mechanism.« less

Reconfigurable ultra-thin film GDNMOS device for ESD protection in 28 nm FD-SOI technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Athanasiou, Sotirios; Legrand, Charles-Alexandre; Cristoloveanu, Sorin; Galy, Philippe

2017-02-01

We propose a novel ESD protection device (GDNMOS: Gated Diode merged NMOS) fabricated with 28 nm UTBB FD-SOI high-k metal gate technology. By modifying the combination of the diode and transistor gate stacks, the robustness of the device is optimized, achieving a maximum breakdown voltage (VBR) of 4.9 V. In addition, modifications of the gate length modulate the trigger voltage (Vt1) with a minimum value of 3.5 V. Variable electrostatic doping (gate-induced) in diode and transistor body enables reconfigurable operation. A lower doping of the base enhances the bipolar gain, leading to thyristor behavior. This innovative architecture demonstrates excellent capability for high-voltage protection while maintaining a latch-up free behavior.

Conduction-coupled Tesla transformer.

PubMed

Reed, J L

2015-03-01

A proof-of-principle Tesla transformer circuit is introduced. The new transformer exhibits the high voltage-high power output signal of shock-excited transformers. The circuit, with specification of proper circuit element values, is capable of obtaining extreme oscillatory voltages. The primary and secondary portions of the circuit communicate solely by conduction. The destructive arcing between the primary and secondary inductors in electromagnetically coupled transformers is ubiquitous. Flashover is eliminated in the new transformer as the high-voltage inductors do not interpenetrate and so do not possess an annular volume of electric field. The inductors are remote from one another. The high voltage secondary inductor is isolated in space, except for a base feed conductor, and obtains earth by its self-capacitance to the surroundings. Governing equations, for the ideal case of no damping, are developed from first principles. Experimental, theoretical, and circuit simulator data are presented for the new transformer. Commercial high-temperature superconductors are discussed as a means to eliminate the counter-intuitive damping due to small primary inductances in both the electromagnetic-coupled and new conduction-coupled transformers.

Control model design to limit DC-link voltage during grid fault in a dfig variable speed wind turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nwosu, Cajethan M.; Ogbuka, Cosmas U.; Oti, Stephen E.

2017-08-01

This paper presents a control model design capable of inhibiting the phenomenal rise in the DC-link voltage during grid- fault condition in a variable speed wind turbine. Against the use of power circuit protection strategies with inherent limitations in fault ride-through capability, a control circuit algorithm capable of limiting the DC-link voltage rise which in turn bears dynamics that has direct influence on the characteristics of the rotor voltage especially during grid faults is here proposed. The model results so obtained compare favorably with the simulation results as obtained in a MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. The generated model may therefore be used to predict near accurately the nature of DC-link voltage variations during fault given some factors which include speed and speed mode of operation, the value of damping resistor relative to half the product of inner loop current control bandwidth and the filter inductance.

Carrier velocity effect on carbon nanotube Schottky contact

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

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

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

Performance of Li-Ion Cells Under Battery Voltage Charge Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, Gopalakrishna M.; Vaidyanathan, Hari; Day, John H. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

A study consisting of electrochemical characterization and Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) cycling of Li-Ion cells from three vendors was initiated in 1999 to determine the cycling performance and to infuse the new technology in the future NASA missions. The 8-cell batteries included in this evaluation are prismatic cells manufactured by Mine Safety Appliances Company (MSA), cylindrical cells manufactured by SAFT and prismatic cells manufactured by Yardney Technical Products, Inc. (YTP). The three batteries were cycle tested in the LEO regime at 40% depth of discharge, and under a charge control technique that consists of battery voltage clamp with a current taper. The initial testing was conducted at 20 C; however, the batteries were cycled also intermittently at low temperatures. YTP 20 Ah cells consisted of mixed-oxide (Co and Ni) positive, graphitic carbon negative, LIPF6 salt mixed with organic carbonate solvents. The battery voltage clamp was 32 V. The low temperature cycling tests started after 4575 cycles at 20 C. The cells were not capable of cycling. at low temperature since the charge acceptance at battery level was poor. There was a cell in the battery that showed too high an end-of-charge (EOC) voltage thereby limiting the ability to charge the rest of the cells in the battery. The battery has completed 6714 cycles. SAFT 12 Ah cells consisted of mixed-oxide (Co and NO positive, graphitic carbon negative, LiPF6 salt mixed with organic carbonate solvents. The battery voltage clamp was for 30.8 V. The low temperature cycling tests started after 4594 cycles at 20 C. A cell that showed low end of discharge (EOD) and EOC voltages and three other cells that showed higher EOC voltages limited the charge acceptance at the selected voltage limit during charge. The cells were capable of cycling at 10 C and 0 C but the charge voltage limit had to be increased to 34.3 V (4.3 V per cell). The low temperature cycling may have induced poor chargeability since the voltage had to be increased to achieve the required charge input. The battery has completed 6226 cycles. MSA 10 Ah cells consisted of Co oxide positive, graphitic carbon negative, LiPF6 salt mixed with organic carbonate solvents. The battery voltage clamp was 30.8 V. The low temperature cycling tests were started after 2182 cycles at 20 C. The cells were capable of cycling at 10 C and 0 C. Like SAFT, the voltage limit on charge had to be increased to 36 V (4.5 V per cell). There was a cell (cell S/N 13) in the battery that showed poor performance features such as low EOD voltage and high EOC voltage. The battery has completed 3441 cycles. A reconditioning procedure that consisted of C15 charge to a taper current of C/100 and C/20 discharge improved the voltage behavior of SAFT and MSA cells with no significant effect on YTP cells. We have demonstrated that the charge operation with VT clamp at battery rather than at cell level is feasible for onboard Li-Ion battery operation.

Electro-optic voltage sensor for sensing voltage in an E-field

DOEpatents

Woods, G.K.; Renak, T.W.

1999-04-06

A miniature electro-optic voltage sensor system capable of accurate operation at high voltages is disclosed. The system employs a transmitter, a sensor disposed adjacent to but out of direct electrical contact with a conductor on which the voltage is to be measured, a detector, and a signal processor. The transmitter produces a beam of electromagnetic radiation which is routed into the sensor where the beam undergoes the Pockels electro-optic effect. The electro-optic effect causes phase shifting in the beam, which is in turn converted to a pair of independent beams, from which the voltage of a system based on its E-field is determined when the two beams are normalized by the signal processor. The sensor converts the beam by splitting the beam in accordance with the axes of the beam`s polarization state (an ellipse whose ellipticity varies between -1 and +1 in proportion to voltage) into at least two AM signals. These AM signals are fed into a signal processor and processed to determine the voltage between a ground conductor and the conductor on which voltage is being measured. 18 figs.

Electro-optic voltage sensor for sensing voltage in an E-field

DOEpatents

Woods, Gregory K.; Renak, Todd W.

1999-01-01

A miniature electro-optic voltage sensor system capable of accurate operation at high voltages. The system employs a transmitter, a sensor disposed adjacent to but out of direct electrical contact with a conductor on which the voltage is to be measured, a detector, and a signal processor. The transmitter produces a beam of electromagnetic radiation which is routed into the sensor where the beam undergoes the Pockels electro-optic effect. The electro-optic effect causes phase shifting in the beam, which is in turn converted to a pair of independent beams, from which the voltage of a system based on its E-field is determined when the two beams are normalized by the signal processor. The sensor converts the beam by splitting the beam in accordance with the axes of the beam's polarization state (an ellipse whose ellipticity varies between -1 and +1 in proportion to voltage) into at least two AM signals. These AM signals are fed into a signal processor and processed to determine the voltage between a ground conductor and the conductor on which voltage is being measured.

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

PubMed

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

2013-07-01

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

Daikin Advanced Lithium Ion Battery Technology – High Voltage Electrolyte - REVISED

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

Sunstrom, Joseph; Hendershot, Ron E.

An evaluation of high voltage electrolytes which contain fluorochemicals as solvents/additive has been completed with the objective of formulating a safe, stable electrolyte capable of operation to 4.6 V. Stable cycle performance has been demonstrated in LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 (NMC111)/graphite cells to 4.5 V. The ability to operate at high voltage results in significant energy density gain (>30%) which would manifest as longer battery life resulting in higher range for electric vehicles. Alternatively, a higher energy density battery can be made smaller without sacrificing existing energy. In addition, the fluorinated electrolytes examined showed better safety performance when tested in abuse conditions. Themore » results are promising for future advanced battery development for vehicles as well as other applications.« less

Advanced nickel-hydrogen cell configuration study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Long-term trends in the evolution of space power technology point toward increased payload power demand which in turn translates into both higher battery system charge storage capability and higher operating voltages. State of the art nickel-hydrogen cells of the 50 to 60 Wh size, packaged in individual pressure vessels, are capable of meeting the required cycle life for a wide range of anticipated operating conditions; however, they provided several drawbacks to battery system integrated efforts. Because of size, high voltage/high power systems require integrating hundreds of cells into the operating system. Packaging related weight and volume inefficiencies degrade the energy density and specific energy of individual cells currently at 30 Wh/cudm and 40 Wh/kg respectively. In addition, the increased parts count and associated handling significantly affect the overall battery related costs. Spacecraft battery systems designers within industry and Government realize that to reduce weight, volume, and cost requires increases in the capacity of nickel-hydrogen cells.

An adaptable multiple power source for mass spectrometry and other scientific instruments.

PubMed

Lin, T-Y; Anderson, G A; Norheim, R V; Prost, S A; LaMarche, B L; Leach, F E; Auberry, K J; Smith, R D; Koppenaal, D W; Robinson, E W; Paša-Tolić, L

2015-09-01

An Adaptable Multiple Power Source (AMPS) system has been designed and constructed. The AMPS system can provide up to 16 direct current (DC) (±400 V; 5 mA), 4 radio frequency (RF) (two 500 VPP sinusoidal signals each, 0.5-5 MHz) channels, 2 high voltage sources (±6 kV), and one ∼40 W, 250 °C temperature-regulated heater. The system is controlled by a microcontroller, capable of communicating with its front panel or a computer. It can assign not only pre-saved fixed DC and RF signals but also profiled DC voltages. The AMPS system is capable of driving many mass spectrometry components and ancillary devices and can be adapted to other instrumentation/engineering projects.

Power supply standardization and optimization study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ware, C. L.; Ragusa, E. V.

1972-01-01

A comprehensive design study of a power supply for use in the space shuttle and other space flight applications is presented. The design specifications are established for a power supply capable of supplying over 90 percent of the anticipated voltage requirements for future spacecraft avionics systems. Analyses and tradeoff studies were performed on several alternative design approaches to assure that the selected design would provide near optimum performance of the planned applications. The selected design uses a dc-to-dc converter incorporating regenerative current feedback with a time-ratio controlled duty cycle to achieve high efficiency over a wide variation in input voltage and output loads. The packaging concept uses an expandable mainframe capable of accommodating up to six inverter/regulator modules with one common input filter module.

Synthesis Mechanism of Low-Voltage Praseodymium Oxide Doped Zinc Oxide Varistor Ceramics Prepared Through Modified Citrate Gel Coating

PubMed Central

Abdullah, Wan Rafizah Wan; Zakaria, Azmi; Ghazali, Mohd Sabri Mohd

2012-01-01

High demands on low-voltage electronics have increased the need for zinc oxide (ZnO) varistors with fast response, highly non-linear current-voltage characteristics and energy absorption capabilities at low breakdown voltage. However, trade-off between breakdown voltage and grain size poses a critical bottle-neck in the production of low-voltage varistors. The present study highlights the synthesis mechanism for obtaining praseodymium oxide (Pr6O11) based ZnO varistor ceramics having breakdown voltages of 2.8 to 13.3 V/mm through employment of direct modified citrate gel coating technique. Precursor powder and its ceramics were examined by means of TG/DTG, FTIR, XRD and FESEM analyses. The electrical properties as a function of Pr6O11 addition were analyzed on the basis of I-V characteristic measurement. The breakdown voltage could be adjusted from 0.01 to 0.06 V per grain boundary by controlling the amount of Pr6O11 from 0.2 to 0.8 mol%, without alteration of the grain size. The non-linearity coefficient, α, varied from 3.0 to 3.5 and the barrier height ranged from 0.56 to 0.64 eV. Breakdown voltage and α lowering with increasing Pr6O11 content were associated to reduction in the barrier height caused by variation in O vacancies at grain boundary. PMID:22606043

Synthesis mechanism of low-voltage praseodymium oxide doped zinc oxide varistor ceramics prepared through modified citrate gel coating.

PubMed

Abdullah, Wan Rafizah Wan; Zakaria, Azmi; Ghazali, Mohd Sabri Mohd

2012-01-01

High demands on low-voltage electronics have increased the need for zinc oxide (ZnO) varistors with fast response, highly non-linear current-voltage characteristics and energy absorption capabilities at low breakdown voltage. However, trade-off between breakdown voltage and grain size poses a critical bottle-neck in the production of low-voltage varistors. The present study highlights the synthesis mechanism for obtaining praseodymium oxide (Pr(6)O(11)) based ZnO varistor ceramics having breakdown voltages of 2.8 to 13.3 V/mm through employment of direct modified citrate gel coating technique. Precursor powder and its ceramics were examined by means of TG/DTG, FTIR, XRD and FESEM analyses. The electrical properties as a function of Pr(6)O(11) addition were analyzed on the basis of I-V characteristic measurement. The breakdown voltage could be adjusted from 0.01 to 0.06 V per grain boundary by controlling the amount of Pr(6)O(11) from 0.2 to 0.8 mol%, without alteration of the grain size. The non-linearity coefficient, α, varied from 3.0 to 3.5 and the barrier height ranged from 0.56 to 0.64 eV. Breakdown voltage and α lowering with increasing Pr(6)O(11) content were associated to reduction in the barrier height caused by variation in O vacancies at grain boundary.

Charge injection and transport properties of an organic light-emitting diode

PubMed Central

Juhasz, Peter; Nevrela, Juraj; Micjan, Michal; Novota, Miroslav; Uhrik, Jan; Stuchlikova, Lubica; Jakabovic, Jan; Harmatha, Ladislav

2016-01-01

Summary The charge behavior of organic light emitting diode (OLED) is investigated by steady-state current–voltage technique and impedance spectroscopy at various temperatures to obtain activation energies of charge injection and transport processes. Good agreement of activation energies obtained by steady-state and frequency-domain was used to analyze their contributions to the charge injection and transport. We concluded that charge is injected into the OLED device mostly through the interfacial states at low voltage region, whereas the thermionic injection dominates in the high voltage region. This comparison of experimental techniques demonstrates their capabilities of identification of major bottleneck of charge injection and transport. PMID:26925351

Investigation of the Effect of Temperature and Light Emission from Silicon Photomultiplier Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruiz Castruita, Daniel; Ramos, Daniel; Hernandez, Victor; Niduaza, Rommel; Konx, Adrian; Fan, Sewan; Fatuzzo, Laura; Ritt, Stefan

2015-04-01

The silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) is an extremely sensitive light detector capable of measuring very dim light and operates as a photon-number resolving detector. Its high gain comes from operating at slightly above the breakdown voltage, which is also accompanied by a high dark count rate. At this conference poster session we describe our investigation of using SiPMs, the multipixel photon counters (MPPC) from Hamamatsu, as readout detectors for development in a cosmic ray scintillating detector array. Our research includes implementation of a novel design that automatically adjusts for the bias voltage to the MPPC detectors to compensate for changes in the ambient temperature. Furthermore, we describe our investigations for the MPPC detector characteristics at different bias voltages, temperatures and light emission properties. To measure the faint light emitted from the MPPC we use a photomultiplier tube capable of detecting single photons. Our data acquisition setup consists of a 5 Giga sample/second waveform digitizer, the DRS4, triggered to capture the MPPC detector waveforms. Analysis of the digitized waveforms, using the CERN package PAW, would be discussed and presented. US Department of Education Title V Grant PO31S090007.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-05-01

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

Electro-optical voltage sensor head

DOEpatents

Woods, Gregory K.

1998-01-01

A miniature electro-optic voltage sensor system capable of accurate operation at high voltages. The system employs a transmitter, a sensor disposed adjacent to but out of direct electrical contact with a conductor on which the voltage is to be measured, a detector, and a signal processor. The transmitter produces a beam of electromagnetic radiation which is routed into the sensor where the beam undergoes the Pockels electro-optic effect. The electro-optic effect causes phase shifting in the beam, which is in turn converted to a pair of independent beams, from which the voltage of a system based on its E-field is determined when the two beams are normalized by the signal processor. The sensor converts the beam by splitting the beam in accordance with the axes of the beam's polarization state (an ellipse whose ellipticity varies between -1 and +1 in proportion to voltage) into at least two AM signals. These AM signals are fed into a signal processor and processed to determine the voltage between a ground conductor and the conductor on which voltage is being measured.

Electro-optical voltage sensor head

DOEpatents

Woods, G.K.

1998-03-24

A miniature electro-optic voltage sensor system capable of accurate operation at high voltages is disclosed. The system employs a transmitter, a sensor disposed adjacent to but out of direct electrical contact with a conductor on which the voltage is to be measured, a detector, and a signal processor. The transmitter produces a beam of electromagnetic radiation which is routed into the sensor where the beam undergoes the Pockels electro-optic effect. The electro-optic effect causes phase shifting in the beam, which is in turn converted to a pair of independent beams, from which the voltage of a system based on its E-field is determined when the two beams are normalized by the signal processor. The sensor converts the beam by splitting the beam in accordance with the axes of the beam`s polarization state (an ellipse whose ellipticity varies between -1 and +1 in proportion to voltage) into at least two AM signals. These AM signals are fed into a signal processor and processed to determine the voltage between a ground conductor and the conductor on which voltage is being measured. 6 figs.

Electro-optic voltage sensor with Multiple Beam Splitting

DOEpatents

Woods, Gregory K.; Renak, Todd W.; Crawford, Thomas M.; Davidson, James R.

2000-01-01

A miniature electro-optic voltage sensor system capable of accurate operation at high voltages without use of the dedicated voltage dividing hardware. The invention achieves voltage measurement without significant error contributions from neighboring conductors or environmental perturbations. The invention employs a transmitter, a sensor, a detector, and a signal processor. The transmitter produces a beam of electromagnetic radiation which is routed into the sensor. Within the sensor the beam undergoes the Pockels electro-optic effect. The electro-optic effect produces a modulation of the beam's polarization, which is in turn converted to a pair of independent conversely-amplitude-modulated signals, from which the voltage of the E-field is determined by the signal processor. The use of converse AM signals enables the signal processor to better distinguish signal from noise. The sensor converts the beam by splitting the beam in accordance with the axes of the beam's polarization state (an ellipse) into at least two AM signals. These AM signals are fed into a signal processor and processed to determine the voltage between a ground conductor and the conductor on which voltage is being measured.

An electroviscous damper

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nikolajsen, Jorgen L.; Hoque, M. S.

1989-01-01

A new type of vibration damper for rotor systems was developed and tested. The damper contains electroviscous fluid which solidifies and provides Coulomb damping when an electric voltage is imposed across the fluid. The damping capacity is controlled by the voltage. The damper was incorporated in a flexible rotor system and found to be able to damp out high levels of unbalanced excitation. Other proven advantages include controllability, simplicity, and no requirement for oil supply. Still unconfirmed are the capabilities to eliminate critical speeds and to suppress rotor instabilities.

Utility-Scale Solar Power Converter: Agile Direct Grid Connect Medium Voltage 4.7-13.8 kV Power Converter for PV Applications Utilizing Wide Band Gap Devices

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

None

Solar ADEPT Project: Satcon is developing a compact, lightweight power conversion device that is capable of taking utility-scale solar power and outputting it directly into the electric utility grid at distribution voltage levels—eliminating the need for large transformers. Transformers “step up” the voltage of the power that is generated by a solar power system so it can be efficiently transported through transmission lines and eventually “stepped down” to usable voltages before it enters homes and businesses. Power companies step up the voltage because less electricity is lost along transmission lines when the voltage is high and current is low. Satcon’smore » new power conversion devices will eliminate these heavy transformers and connect a utility-scale solar power system directly to the grid. Satcon’s modular devices are designed to ensure reliability—if one device fails it can be bypassed and the system can continue to run.« less

High-rate/high-temperature capability of a single-layer zicar-separator nickel-hydrogen cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, James R.

1995-01-01

A 50 Ampere-hour nickel-hydrogen cell with a single-layer Zircar separator stack design was fully charged and then discharged at a 2C current rate to an end voltage of 1 volt. This extreme test resulted in high temperatures which were recorded at three locations on the cell, i.e., the cell wall, the boss (barrel of the compression seal), and a terminal. The results provide new information about the high-temperature and high-discharge-rate capabilities of nickel-hydrogen cells. This information also adds to the growing data base for single-layer zirconium-oxide-cloth (Zircar) separator cell designs.

An Efficient Modulation Strategy for Cascaded Photovoltaic Systems Suffering From Module Mismatch

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

Wang, Cheng; Zhang, Kai; Xiong, Jian

Modular multilevel cascaded converter (MMCC) is a promising technique for medium/high-voltage high-power photovoltaic systems due to its modularity, scalability, and capability of distributed maximum power point tracking (MPPT) etc. However, distributed MPPT under module-mismatch might polarize the distribution of ac output voltages as well as the dc-link voltages among the modules, distort grid currents, and even cause system instability. For the better acceptance in practical applications, such issues need to be well addressed. Based on mismatch degree that is defined to consider both active power distribution and maximum modulation index, this paper presents an efficient modulation strategy for a cascaded-H-bridge-basedmore » MMCC under module mismatch. It can operate in loss-reducing mode or range-extending mode. By properly switching between the two modes, performance indices such as system efficiency, grid current quality, and balance of dc voltages, can be well coordinated. In this way, the MMCC system can maintain high-performance over a wide range of operating conditions. As a result, effectiveness of the proposed modulation strategy is proved with experiments.« less

An Efficient Modulation Strategy for Cascaded Photovoltaic Systems Suffering From Module Mismatch

DOE PAGES

Wang, Cheng; Zhang, Kai; Xiong, Jian; ...

2017-09-26

Modular multilevel cascaded converter (MMCC) is a promising technique for medium/high-voltage high-power photovoltaic systems due to its modularity, scalability, and capability of distributed maximum power point tracking (MPPT) etc. However, distributed MPPT under module-mismatch might polarize the distribution of ac output voltages as well as the dc-link voltages among the modules, distort grid currents, and even cause system instability. For the better acceptance in practical applications, such issues need to be well addressed. Based on mismatch degree that is defined to consider both active power distribution and maximum modulation index, this paper presents an efficient modulation strategy for a cascaded-H-bridge-basedmore » MMCC under module mismatch. It can operate in loss-reducing mode or range-extending mode. By properly switching between the two modes, performance indices such as system efficiency, grid current quality, and balance of dc voltages, can be well coordinated. In this way, the MMCC system can maintain high-performance over a wide range of operating conditions. As a result, effectiveness of the proposed modulation strategy is proved with experiments.« less

Measurements of plasma profiles using a fast swept Langmuir probe in the VINETA-II magnetic reconnection experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shesterikov, I.; Von Stechow, A.; Grulke, O.; Stenzel, R.; Klinger, T.

2017-07-01

A fast-swept Langmuir probe capable to be biased at a high voltages has been constructed and successfully operated at the VINETA-II magnetic reconnection experiment. The presented circuit has two main features beneficial for fast transient parameter changes in laboratory experiments as, e.g., plasma guns or magnetic reconnection: the implementation simplicity and the high voltage sweep range. This work presents its design and performance for time-dependent measurements of VINETA-II plasmas. The probe is biased with a sinusoidal voltage at a fixed frequency. Current - voltage characteristics are measured along the falling and rising slopes of the probe bias. The sweep frequency is fsweep= 150 kHz. The spatiotemporal evolution of radial plasma profiles is obtained by evaluation of the probe characteristics. The plasma density measurements agree with those derived from a microwave interferometer, demonstrating the reliability of the measurements. As a model plasma system, a plasma gun discharge with typical pulse times of 60 μ s is chosen.

Charging-choke circuit with a crowbar for precision control of voltage

DOEpatents

Praeg, W.F.

1975-11-25

The operation of a circuit using a charging choke to obtain dc voltages is improved by constructing the circuit to be capable of producing a higher voltage than the desired value and crowbarring the charging choke when the load voltage reaches the desired value.

High-voltage spark carbon-fiber sticky-tape data analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yang, L. C.; Hull, G. G.

1980-01-01

An efficient method for detecting carbon fibers collected on a stick tape monitor was developed. The fibers were released from a simulated crash fire situation containing carbon fiber composite material. The method utilized the ability of the fiber to initiate a spark across a set of alternately biased high voltage electrodes to electronically count the number of fiber fragments collected on the tape. It was found that the spark, which contains high energy and is of very short duration, is capable of partially damaging or consuming the fiber fragments. It also creates a mechanical disturbance which ejects the fiber from the grid. Both characteristics were helpful in establishing a single discharge pulse for each fiber segment.

Hot-carrier-induced current capability degradation and optimization for lateral IGBT on thick SOI substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chunwei; Li, Yang; Yue, Wenjing; Fu, Xiaoqian; Li, Zhiming

2018-07-01

In this paper, the hot-carrier-induced current capability degradation of a 600 V lateral insulated gate bipolar transistor (LIGBT) on thick silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate is investigated. Our experiments found that, for the SOI-LIGBT, the worst stress condition is the maximum gate voltage (Vgmax) condition and the current degradation is dominated by the damages in the channel region under the Vgmax stress condition. However, further analyses show that the influence of channel region damages on the collector current degradation increases with the increase of measured collector voltage and is maximum in the current saturation region. Therefore, in our opinion, the hot-carrier-induced current capability degradation of the SOI-LIGBT should be evaluated by the degradation of saturation current under the Vgmax stress condition. In addition, a novel SOI-LIGBT structure with an external p-type region was also proposed, which can alleviate the damage in the channel region by reducing the lateral electric field peak. Our experimental results demonstrate that the proposed structure could optimize the hot-carrier reliability effectively with the other characteristics maintained. He is currently a lecturer at the University of Jinan, Jinan, China. His research interests include power electronics, high voltage devices and the electronics reliability.

AN ENGINEERING SOLUTION TO THE RHIC BEAM ABORT KICKER UPGRADE.

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

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

2004-05-23

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

DD fusion neutron production at UW-Madison using IEC devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fancher, Aaron; Michalak, Matt; Kulcinski, Gerald; Santarius, John; Bonomo, Richard

2017-10-01

An inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) device using spherical, gridded electrodes at high voltage accelerates deuterium ions, allowing for neutrons to be produced within the device from DD fusion reactions. The effects of the device cathode voltage (30-170 kV), current (30-100 mA), and pressure (0.15-1.25 mTorr) on the neutron production rate have been measured. New high voltage capabilities have resulted in the achievement of a steady state neutron production rate of 3.3x108 n/s at 175 kV, 100 mA, and 1.0 mTorr of deuterium. Applications of IEC devices include the production of DD neutrons to detect chemical explosives and special nuclear materials using active interrogation methods. Research supported by US Dept. of Homeland Security Grant 2015-DN-077-AR1095 and the Grainger Foundation.

Multi-KW dc distribution system technology research study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dawson, S. G.

1978-01-01

The Multi-KW DC Distribution System Technology Research Study is the third phase of the NASA/MSFC study program. The purpose of this contract was to complete the design of the integrated technology test facility, provide test planning, support test operations and evaluate test results. The subjet of this study is a continuation of this contract. The purpose of this continuation is to study and analyze high voltage system safety, to determine optimum voltage levels versus power, to identify power distribution system components which require development for higher voltage systems and finally to determine what modifications must be made to the Power Distribution System Simulator (PDSS) to demonstrate 300 Vdc distribution capability.

An 11 cm long atmospheric pressure cold plasma plume for applications of plasma medicine

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

Lu Xinpei; Jiang Zhonghe; Xiong Qing

2008-02-25

In this letter, a room temperature atmospheric pressure plasma jet device is reported. The high voltage electrode of the device is covered by a quartz tube with one end closed. The device, which is driven by a kilohertz ac power supply, is capable of generating a plasma plume up to 11 cm long in the surrounding room air. The rotational and vibrational temperatures of the plasma plume are 300 and 2300 K, respectively. A simple electrical model shows that, when the plasma plume is contacted with a human, the voltage drop on the human is less than 66 V formore » applied voltage of 5 kV (rms)« less

Control System for the LLNL Kicker Pulse Generator

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

Watson, J A; Anaya, R M; Cook, E G

2002-06-18

A solid-state high voltage pulse generator with multi-pulse burst capability, very fast rise and fall times, pulse width agility, and amplitude modulation capability for use with high speed electron beam kickers has been designed and tested at LLNL. A control system calculates a desired waveform to be applied to the kicker based on measured electron beam displacement then adjusts the pulse generators to provide the desired waveform. This paper presents the design of the control system and measure performance data from operation on the ETA-11 accelerator at LLNL.

Monolithic control components for high power mm-waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, A.; Goodrich, J.; Moroney, W.; Wheeler, D.

1985-09-01

Monolithic PIN diode arrays are shown to provide significant advances in switching ratios, bandwidth, and high-power capability for millimeter control applications The PIN diodes are arranged in a series/parallel configuration and form an electronically controlled window for switching RF power by applying DC voltage. At Ka band, an SPST switch using the window array (WINAR) design typically has 0.6 dB insertion loss and 22 dB isolation over the 26.5 to 40.0 GHz band. The switch has over 500 W peak power and 25 W average power capability.

Ground/bonding for Large Space System Technology (LSST). [of metallic and nonmetallic structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunbar, W. G.

1980-01-01

The influence of the environment and extravehicular activity remote assembly operations on the grounding and bonding of metallic and nonmetallic structures is discussed. Grounding and bonding philosophy is outlined for the electrical systems and electronic compartments which contain high voltage, high power electrical and electronic equipment. The influence of plasma and particulate on the system was analyzed and the effects of static buildup on the spacecraft electrical system discussed. Conceptual grounding bonding designs are assessed for capability to withstand high current arcs to ground from a high voltage conductor and electromagnetic interference. Also shown were the extravehicular activities required of the space station and or supply spacecraft crew members to join and inspect the ground system using manual on remote assembly construction.

Cables and connectors for Large Space System Technology (LSST)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunbar, W. G.

1980-01-01

The effect of the environment and extravehicular activity/remote assembly operations on the cables and connectors for spacecraft with metallic and/or nonmetallic structures was examined. Cable and connector philosophy was outlined for the electrical systems and electronic compartments which contain high-voltage, high-power electrical and electronic equipment. The influence of plasma and particulates on the system is analyzed and the effect of static buildup on the spacecraft electrical system discussed. Conceptual cable and connector designs are assessed for capability to withstand high current and high voltage without danger of arcs and electromagnetic interference. The extravehicular activites required of the space station and/or supply spacecraft crew members to join and inspect the electrical system, using manual or remote assembly construction are also considered.

Ground/bonding for Large Space System Technology (LSST)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunbar, W. G.

1980-04-01

The influence of the environment and extravehicular activity remote assembly operations on the grounding and bonding of metallic and nonmetallic structures is discussed. Grounding and bonding philosophy is outlined for the electrical systems and electronic compartments which contain high voltage, high power electrical and electronic equipment. The influence of plasma and particulate on the system was analyzed and the effects of static buildup on the spacecraft electrical system discussed. Conceptual grounding bonding designs are assessed for capability to withstand high current arcs to ground from a high voltage conductor and electromagnetic interference. Also shown were the extravehicular activities required of the space station and or supply spacecraft crew members to join and inspect the ground system using manual on remote assembly construction.

29 CFR 1926.97 - Electrical protective equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... glove. (2) Electrical requirements. (i) Equipment shall be capable of withstanding the ac proof-test voltage specified in Table E-1 or the dc proof-test voltage specified in Table E-2. (A) The proof test shall reliably indicate that the equipment can withstand the voltage involved. (B) The test voltage...

New controller for high voltage converter modulator at spallation neutron source

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

Wezensky, Mark W; Brown, David L; Lee, Sung-Woo

2017-01-01

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) has developed a new control system for the High Voltage Convertor Modulator (HVCM) at the SNS to replace the original control system which is approaching obsolescence. The original system was based on controllers for similar high voltage systems that were already in use [1]. The new controller, based on National Instruments PXI/FlexRIO Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) platform, offers enhancements such as modular construction, flexibility and non-proprietary software. The new controller also provides new capabilities like various methods for modulator pulse flattening, waveform capture, and first fault detection. This paper will discuss the design ofmore » the system, including the human machine interface, based on lessons learned at the SNS and other projects. It will also discuss performance and other issues related to its operation in an accelerator facility which requires high availability. To date, 73% of the operational HVCMs have been upgraded to with the new controller, and the remainder are scheduled for completion by mid-2017.« less

Sensitivity of 30-cm mercury bombardment ion thruster characteristics to accelerator grid design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rawlin, V. K.

1978-01-01

The design of ion optics for bombardment thrusters strongly influences overall performance and lifetime. The operation of a 30 cm thruster with accelerator grid open area fractions ranging from 43 to 24 percent, was evaluated and compared with experimental and theoretical results. Ion optics properties measured included the beam current extraction capability, the minimum accelerator grid voltage to prevent backstreaming, ion beamlet diameter as a function of radial position on the grid and accelerator grid hole diameter, and the high energy, high angle ion beam edge location. Discharge chamber properties evaluated were propellant utilization efficiency, minimum discharge power per beam amp, and minimum discharge voltage.

High sensitivity field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chavarria, Mario A.; Matheoud, Alessandro V.; Marmillod, Philippe; Liu, Youjiang; Kong, Deyi; Brugger, Jürgen; Boero, Giovanni

2017-03-01

A high sensitivity field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometer (FAIMS) was designed, fabricated, and tested. The main components of the system are a 10.6 eV UV photoionization source, an ion filter driven by a high voltage/high frequency n-MOS inverter circuit, and a low noise ion detector. The ion filter electronics are capable to generate square waveforms with peak-to-peak voltages up to 1000 V at frequencies up to 1 MHz with adjustable duty cycles. The ion detector current amplifier has a gain up to 1012 V/A with an effective equivalent input noise level down to about 1 fA/Hz1/2 during operation with the ion filter at the maximum voltage and frequency. The FAIMS system was characterized by detecting different standard chemical compounds. Additionally, we investigated the use of a synchronous modulation/demodulation technique to improve the signal-to-noise ratio in FAIMS measurements. In particular, we implemented the modulation of the compensation voltage with the synchronous demodulation of the ion current. The analysis of the measurements at low concentration levels led to an extrapolated limit of detection for acetone of 10 ppt with an averaging time of 1 s.

Advanced medium-voltage bidirectional dc-dc conversion systems for future electric energy delivery and management systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Haifeng

2011-12-01

The distributed renewable energy generation and utilization are constantly growing, and are expected to be integrated with the conventional grid. The growing pressure for innovative solutions will demand power electronics to take an even larger role in future electric energy delivery and management systems, since power electronics are required for the conversion and control of electric energy by most dispersed generation systems Furthermore, power electronics systems can provide additional intelligent energy management, grid stability and power quality capabilities. Medium-voltage isolated dc-dc converter will become one of the key interfaces for grid components with moderate power ratings. To address the demand of medium voltage (MV) and high power capability for future electric energy delivery and management systems, the power electronics community and industry have been reacting in two different ways: developing semiconductor technology or directly connecting devices in series/parallel to reach higher nominal voltages and currents while maintaining conventional converter topologies; and by developing new converter topologies with traditional semiconductor technology, known as multilevel converters or modular converters. The modular approach uses the well-known, mature, and cheaper power semiconductor devices by adopting new converter topologies. The main advantages of the modular approach include: significant improvement in reliability by introducing desired level of redundancy; standardization of components leading to reduction in manufacturing cost and time; power systems can be easily reconfigured to support varying input-output specifications; and possibly higher efficiency and power density of the overall system. Input-series output-parallel (ISOP) modular configuration is a good choice to realize MV to low voltage (LV) conversion for utility application. However, challenges still remain. First of all, for the high-frequency MV utility application, the low switching loss and conduction loss are must-haves for high efficiency, while bidirectional power flow capability is a must for power management requirement. To address the demand, the phase-shift dual-halfbridge (DHB) is proposed as the constituent module of ISOP configuration for MV application. The proposed ISOP DHB converter employs zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) technique combined with LV MOSFETs to achieve low switching and conduction losses under high frequency operation, and therefore high efficiency and high power density, and bidirectional power flow as well. Secondly, a large load range of high efficiency is desired rather than only a specific load point due to the continuous operation and large load variation range of utility application, which is of high importance because of the rising energy cost. This work proposes a novel DHB converter with an adaptive commutation inductor. By utilizing an adaptive inductor as the main energy transfer element, the output power can be controlled by not only the phase shift but also the commutation inductance, which allows the circulating energy to be optimized for different load conditions to maintain ZVS under light load conditions and minimize additional conduction losses under heavy load conditions as well. As a result, the efficiency at both light and heavy load can be significantly improved compared with the conventional DHB converter, and therefore extended high-efficiency range can be achieved. In addition, current stress of switch devices can be reduced. The theoretical analysis is presented and validated by the experimental results on a 50 kHz, 1 kW dc-dc converter module. Thirdly, input-voltage sharing and output-current sharing are critical to assure the advantages of the ISOP modular configuration. To solve this issue, an identically distributed control scheme is proposed in this work. The proposed control scheme, using only one distributed voltage loop to realize both input-voltage and output-current sharing, provides plug-and-play capability, possible high-level fault tolerance, and easy implementation. Another unique advantage of the proposed ISOP DHB converter is the power rating can be easily extended further by directly connecting multiple ISOP DHB converters in input-parallel-outparallel (IPOP) while no additional control is needed. The proposed control scheme is elaborated using the large-signal average model. Further, the stability of the control schemes is analyzed in terms of the constituent modules' topology as well as the configuration, and then an important fact that the stability of control scheme depends on not only the configuration but also the constituent module topology is first revealed in this work. Finally, the simulation and experimental results of an ISOP DHB converter consisting of three modules are presented to verify the proposed control scheme and the high frequency high efficiency operation.

Microchip amplifier for in vitro, in vivo, and automated whole cell patch-clamp recording

PubMed Central

Kolb, Ilya; Kodandaramaiah, Suhasa B.; Chubykin, Alexander A.; Yang, Aimei; Bear, Mark F.; Boyden, Edward S.; Forest, Craig R.

2014-01-01

Patch clamping is a gold-standard electrophysiology technique that has the temporal resolution and signal-to-noise ratio capable of reporting single ion channel currents, as well as electrical activity of excitable single cells. Despite its usefulness and decades of development, the amplifiers required for patch clamping are expensive and bulky. This has limited the scalability and throughput of patch clamping for single-ion channel and single-cell analyses. In this work, we have developed a custom patch-clamp amplifier microchip that can be fabricated using standard commercial silicon processes capable of performing both voltage- and current-clamp measurements. A key innovation is the use of nonlinear feedback elements in the voltage-clamp amplifier circuit to convert measured currents into logarithmically encoded voltages, thereby eliminating the need for large high-valued resistors, a factor that has limited previous attempts at integration. Benchtop characterization of the chip shows low levels of current noise [1.1 pA root mean square (rms) over 5 kHz] during voltage-clamp measurements and low levels of voltage noise (8.2 μV rms over 10 kHz) during current-clamp measurements. We demonstrate the ability of the chip to perform both current- and voltage-clamp measurement in vitro in HEK293FT cells and cultured neurons. We also demonstrate its ability to perform in vivo recordings as part of a robotic patch-clamping system. The performance of the patch-clamp amplifier microchip compares favorably with much larger commercial instrumentation, enabling benchtop commoditization, miniaturization, and scalable patch-clamp instrumentation. PMID:25429119

Electro-optic voltage sensor with beam splitting

DOEpatents

Woods, Gregory K.; Renak, Todd W.; Davidson, James R.; Crawford, Thomas M.

2002-01-01

The invention is a miniature electro-optic voltage sensor system capable of accurate operation at high voltages without use of the dedicated voltage dividing hardware typically found in the prior art. The invention achieves voltage measurement without significant error contributions from neighboring conductors or environmental perturbations. The invention employs a transmitter, a sensor, a detector, and a signal processor. The transmitter produces a beam of electromagnetic radiation which is routed into the sensor. Within the sensor the beam undergoes the Pockels electro-optic effect. The electro-optic effect produces a modulation of the beam's polarization, which is in turn converted to a pair of independent conversely-amplitude-modulated signals, from which the voltage of the E-field is determined by the signal processor. The use of converse AM signals enables the signal processor to better distinguish signal from noise. The sensor converts the beam by splitting the beam in accordance with the axes of the beam's polarization state (an ellipse) into at least two AM signals. These AM signals are fed into a signal processor and processed to determine the voltage between a ground conductor and the conductor on which voltage is being measured.

Easily disassembled electrical connector for high voltage, high frequency connections

DOEpatents

Milner, Joseph R.

1994-01-01

An easily accessible electrical connector capable of rapid assembly and disassembly wherein a wide metal conductor sheet may be evenly contacted over the entire width of the conductor sheet by opposing surfaces on the connector which provide an even clamping pressure against opposite surfaces of the metal conductor sheet using a single threaded actuating screw.

Self-Substitution and the Temperature Effects on the Electrochemical Performance in the High Voltage Cathode System LiMn 1.5+xNi 0.5-xO 4 (x = 0.1)

DOE PAGES

Xu, Yun; Zhao, Mingyang; Khalid, Syed; ...

2017-05-09

The high voltage cathode material, LiMn 1.6Ni 0.4O 4, was prepared by a polymer-assisted method. The novelty of this paper is the substitution of Ni with Mn, which already exists in the crystal structure instead of other isovalent metal ion dopants which would result in capacity loss. The electrochemical performance testing including stability and rate capability was evaluated. The temperature was found to impose a change on the valence and structure of the cathode materials. Specifically, manganese tends to be reduced at a high temperature of 800 °C and leads to structural changes. The manganese substituted LiMn 1.5Ni 0.5O 4more » (LMN) has proved to be a good candidate material for Li-ion battery cathodes displaying good rate capability and capacity retention. Finally, the cathode materials processed at 550 °C showed a stable performance with negligible capacity loss for 400 cycles.« less

Power Processing for a Conceptual Project Prometheus Electric Propulsion System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scina, Joseph E., Jr.; Aulisio, Michael; Gerber, Scott S.; Hewitt, Frank; Miller, Leonard; Elbuluk, Malik; Pinero, Luis R. (Technical Monitor)

2005-01-01

NASA has proposed a bold mission to orbit and explore the moons of Jupiter. This mission, known as the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO), would significantly increase NASA s capability to explore deep space by making use of high power electric propulsion. One electric propulsion option under study for JIMO is an ion propulsion system. An early version of an ion propulsion system was successfully used on NASA's Deep Space 1 mission. One concept for an ion thruster system capable of meeting the current JIMO mission requirement would have individual thrusters that are 16 to 25 kW each and require voltages as high as 8.0 kV. The purpose of this work is to develop power processing schemes for delivering the high voltage power to the spacecraft ion thrusters based upon a three-phase AC distribution system. In addition, a proposed DC-DC converter topology is presented for an ion thruster ancillary supply based upon a DC distribution system. All specifications discussed in this paper are for design convenience and are speculative in nature.

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

DOEpatents

Hill, Jr., Homer M.

1976-01-01

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

Design, fabrication, and operation of dished accelerator grids on a 30-cm ion thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rawlin, V. K.; Banks, B. A.; Byers, D. C.

1972-01-01

Several closely-space dished accelerator grid systems were fabricated and tested on a 30-cm diameter mercury bombardment thruster and they appear to be a solution to the stringent requirements imposed by the near-term, high-thrust, low specific impulse electric propulsion missions. The grids were simultaneously hydroformed and then simultaneously stress relieved. The ion extraction capability and discharge chamber performance were studied as the total accelerating voltage, the ratio of net-to-total voltage, grid spacing, and dish direction were varied.

Testing and failure analysis to improve screening techniques for hermetically sealed metallized film capacitors for low energy applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Effective screening techniques are evaluated for detecting insulation resistance degradation and failure in hermetically sealed metallized film capacitors used in applications where low capacitor voltage and energy levels are common to the circuitry. A special test and monitoring system capable of rapidly scanning all test capacitors and recording faults and/or failures is examined. Tests include temperature cycling and storage as well as low, medium, and high voltage life tests. Polysulfone film capacitors are more heat stable and reliable than polycarbonate film units.

SEM-based overlay measurement between via patterns and buried M1 patterns using high-voltage SEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasumi, Kazuhisa; Inoue, Osamu; Okagawa, Yutaka; Shao, Chuanyu; Leray, Philippe; Halder, Sandip; Lorusso, Gian; Jehoul, Christiane

2017-03-01

The miniaturization of semiconductors continues, importance of overlay measurement is increasing. We measured overlay with analysis SEM called Miracle Eye which can output ultrahigh acceleration voltage in 1998. Meanwhile, since 2006, we have been working on SEM based overlay measurement and developed overlay measurement function of the same layer using CD-SEM. Then, we evaluated overlay of the same layer pattern after etching. This time, in order to measure overlay after lithography, we evaluated the see-through overlay using high voltage SEM CV5000 released in October 2016. In collaboration between imec and Hitachi High-Technologies, we evaluated repeatability, TIS of SEM-OVL as well as correlation between SEM-OVL and Opt-OVL in the M1@ADI and V0@ADI process. Repeatability and TIS results are reasonable and SEM-OVL has good correlation with Opt-OVL. By overlay measurement using CV 5000, we got the following conclusions. (1)SEM_OVL results of both M1 and V0 at ADI show good correlation to OPT_OVL. (2)High voltage SEM can prove the measurement capability of a small pattern(Less than 1 2um) like device that can be placed in-die area. (3)"In-die SEM based overlay" shows possibility for high order control of scanner

High-frequency graphene voltage amplifier.

PubMed

Han, Shu-Jen; Jenkins, Keith A; Valdes Garcia, Alberto; Franklin, Aaron D; Bol, Ageeth A; Haensch, Wilfried

2011-09-14

While graphene transistors have proven capable of delivering gigahertz-range cutoff frequencies, applying the devices to RF circuits has been largely hindered by the lack of current saturation in the zero band gap graphene. Herein, the first high-frequency voltage amplifier is demonstrated using large-area chemical vapor deposition grown graphene. The graphene field-effect transistor (GFET) has a 6-finger gate design with gate length of 500 nm. The graphene common-source amplifier exhibits ∼5 dB low frequency gain with the 3 dB bandwidth greater than 6 GHz. This first AC voltage gain demonstration of a GFET is attributed to the clear current saturation in the device, which is enabled by an ultrathin gate dielectric (4 nm HfO(2)) of the embedded gate structures. The device also shows extrinsic transconductance of 1.2 mS/μm at 1 V drain bias, the highest for graphene FETs using large-scale graphene reported to date.

Solar Array Sails: Possible Space Plasma Environmental Effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackey, Willie R.

2005-01-01

An examination of the interactions between proposed "solar sail" propulsion systems with photovoltaic energy generation capabilities and the space plasma environments. Major areas of interactions ere: Acting from high voltage arrays, ram and wake effects, V and B current loops and EMI. Preliminary analysis indicates that arcing will be a major risk factor for voltages greater than 300V. Electron temperature enhancement in the wake will be produce noise that can be transmitted via the wake echo process. In addition, V and B induced potential will generate sheath voltages with potential tether like breakage effects in the thin film sails. Advocacy of further attention to these processes is emphasized so that plasma environmental mitigation will be instituted in photovoltaic sail design.

Self-assembled Li 3V 2(PO 4) 3/reduced graphene oxide multilayer composite prepared by sequential adsorption

DOE PAGES

Kim, Myeong-Seong; Bak, Seong-Min; Lee, Suk-Woo; ...

2017-09-26

Here in this paper, we report on Li 3V 2(PO 4) 3 (LVP)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) multilayer composites prepared via a sequential adsorption method and subsequent heat treatment, and their use as cathodes for high-rate lithium-ion batteries. The sequential adsorption process includes adsorbing oppositely charged components of anionic inorganic species and cationic head of a surfactant adsorbed to graphite oxide sheets, which is a key step in the fabrication of the LVP/rGO multilayer composites. The multilayer structure has open channels between the highly conductive rGO layers while achieving a relatively high tap density, which could effectively improve the rate capability.more » Consequently, the LVP/rGO multilayer composites exhibit a high tap density (0.6 g cm -3) and good electrochemical properties. Specifically, in the voltage range of 3.0–4.3 V, the composite exhibits a specific capacity of 131 mAh g -1 at 0.1C, a good rate capabilities (88% capacity retention at 60C), and long cycling performance (97% capacity retention after 500 cycles at 10C). Moreover, in the extended voltage range of 3.0–4.8 V, it exhibits a high specific capacity of 185 mAh g -1 at 0.2C, a good rate capability (66% capacity retention at 30C), and stable cycling performance (96% capacity retention after 500 cycles at 10C).« less

Self-assembled Li 3V 2(PO 4) 3/reduced graphene oxide multilayer composite prepared by sequential adsorption

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

Kim, Myeong-Seong; Bak, Seong-Min; Lee, Suk-Woo

Here in this paper, we report on Li 3V 2(PO 4) 3 (LVP)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) multilayer composites prepared via a sequential adsorption method and subsequent heat treatment, and their use as cathodes for high-rate lithium-ion batteries. The sequential adsorption process includes adsorbing oppositely charged components of anionic inorganic species and cationic head of a surfactant adsorbed to graphite oxide sheets, which is a key step in the fabrication of the LVP/rGO multilayer composites. The multilayer structure has open channels between the highly conductive rGO layers while achieving a relatively high tap density, which could effectively improve the rate capability.more » Consequently, the LVP/rGO multilayer composites exhibit a high tap density (0.6 g cm -3) and good electrochemical properties. Specifically, in the voltage range of 3.0–4.3 V, the composite exhibits a specific capacity of 131 mAh g -1 at 0.1C, a good rate capabilities (88% capacity retention at 60C), and long cycling performance (97% capacity retention after 500 cycles at 10C). Moreover, in the extended voltage range of 3.0–4.8 V, it exhibits a high specific capacity of 185 mAh g -1 at 0.2C, a good rate capability (66% capacity retention at 30C), and stable cycling performance (96% capacity retention after 500 cycles at 10C).« less

Superconcentrated electrolytes for a high-voltage lithium-ion battery

PubMed Central

Wang, Jianhui; Yamada, Yuki; Sodeyama, Keitaro; Chiang, Ching Hua; Tateyama, Yoshitaka; Yamada, Atsuo

2016-01-01

Finding a viable electrolyte for next-generation 5 V-class lithium-ion batteries is of primary importance. A long-standing obstacle has been metal-ion dissolution at high voltages. The LiPF6 salt in conventional electrolytes is chemically unstable, which accelerates transition metal dissolution of the electrode material, yet beneficially suppresses oxidative dissolution of the aluminium current collector; replacing LiPF6 with more stable lithium salts may diminish transition metal dissolution but unfortunately encounters severe aluminium oxidation. Here we report an electrolyte design that can solve this dilemma. By mixing a stable lithium salt LiN(SO2F)2 with dimethyl carbonate solvent at extremely high concentrations, we obtain an unusual liquid showing a three-dimensional network of anions and solvent molecules that coordinate strongly to Li+ ions. This simple formulation of superconcentrated LiN(SO2F)2/dimethyl carbonate electrolyte inhibits the dissolution of both aluminium and transition metal at around 5 V, and realizes a high-voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4/graphite battery that exhibits excellent cycling durability, high rate capability and enhanced safety. PMID:27354162

Pulse switching for high energy lasers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laudenslager, J. B.; Pacala, T. J. (Inventor)

1981-01-01

A saturable inductor switch for compressing the width and sharpening the rise time of high voltage pulses from a relatively slow rise time, high voltage generator to an electric discharge gas laser (EDGL) also provides a capability for efficient energy transfer from a high impedance primary source to an intermediate low impedance laser discharge network. The switch is positioned with respect to a capacitive storage device, such as a coaxial cable, so that when a charge build-up in the storage device reaches a predetermined level, saturation of the switch inductor releases or switches energy stored in the capactive storage device to the EDGL. Cascaded saturable inductor switches for providing output pulses having rise times of less than ten nanoseconds and a technique for magnetically biasing the saturable inductor switch are disclosed.

Voltage controlling mechanisms in low resistivity silicon solar cells: A unified approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weizer, V. G.; Swartz, C. K.; Hart, R. E.; Godlewski, M. P.

1984-01-01

An experimental technique capable of resolving the dark saturation current into its base and emitter components is used as the basis of an analysis in which the voltage limiting mechanisms were determined for a variety of high voltage, low resistivity silicon solar cells. The cells studied include the University of Florida hi-low emitter cell, the NASA and the COMSAT multi-step diffused cells, the Spire Corporation ion-implanted emitter cell, and the University of New South Wales MINMIS and MINP cells. The results proved to be, in general, at variance with prior expectations. Most surprising was the finding that the MINP and the MINMIS voltage improvements are due, to a considerable extent, to a previously unrecognized optimization of the base component of the saturation current. This result is substantiated by an independent analysis of the material used to fabricate these devices.

Voltage controlling mechanisms in low resistivity silicon solar cells - A unified approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weizer, V. G.; Swartz, C. K.; Hart, R. E.; Godlewski, M. P.

1984-01-01

An experimental technique capable of resolving the dark saturation current into its base and emitter components is used as the basis of an analysis in which the voltage limiting mechanisms were determined for a variety of high voltage, low resistivity silicon solar cells. The cells studied include the University of Florida hi-low emitter cell, the NASA and the COMSAT multi-step diffused cells, the Spire Corporation ion-implanted emitter cell, and the University of New South Wales MINMIS and MINP cells. The results proved to be, in general, at variance with prior expectations. Most surprising was the finding that the MINP and the MINMIS voltage improvements are due, to a considerable extent, to a previously unrecognized optimization of the base component of the saturation current. This result is substantiated by an independent analysis of the material used to fabricate these devices.

49 CFR 180.407 - Requirements for test and inspection of specification cargo tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... constructed of mild steel or high-strength, low-alloy steel, that create air cavities adjacent to the tank...) Equipment must consist of: (A) A high frequency spark tester capable of producing sufficient voltage to...; and (C) A steel calibration coupon 30.5 cm × 30.5 cm (12 inches × 12 inches) covered with the same...

49 CFR 180.407 - Requirements for test and inspection of specification cargo tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... constructed of mild steel or high-strength, low-alloy steel, that create air cavities adjacent to the tank...) Equipment must consist of: (A) A high frequency spark tester capable of producing sufficient voltage to...; and (C) A steel calibration coupon 30.5 cm × 30.5 cm (12 inches × 12 inches) covered with the same...

49 CFR 180.407 - Requirements for test and inspection of specification cargo tanks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... constructed of mild steel or high-strength, low-alloy steel, that create air cavities adjacent to the tank...) Equipment must consist of: (A) A high frequency spark tester capable of producing sufficient voltage to...; and (C) A steel calibration coupon 30.5 cm × 30.5 cm (12 inches × 12 inches) covered with the same...

Easily disassembled electrical connector for high voltage, high frequency connections

DOEpatents

Milner, J.R.

1994-05-10

An easily accessible electrical connector capable of rapid assembly and disassembly is described wherein a wide metal conductor sheet may be evenly contacted over the entire width of the conductor sheet by opposing surfaces on the connector which provide an even clamping pressure against opposite surfaces of the metal conductor sheet using a single threaded actuating screw. 13 figures.

LOW-LOSS CABLE AND METHOD OF FABRICATION

DOEpatents

McCarthy, R.L. et al.

1960-09-27

A radiation-resistant coaxial electrical cable capable of carrying very small currents at high voltages with little leakage is described. The cable comprises an inner axial conductor separated from an outer coaxial tubular conductor by annular layer of fibrous silica insulation. The silica insulation is formed by leaching boron from spun horosilicate glass and then heat treating the silica at a high temperature.

Low Voltage Low Light Imager and Photodetector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nikzad, Shouleh (Inventor); Martin, Chris (Inventor); Hoenk, Michael E. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

Highly efficient, low energy, low light level imagers and photodetectors are provided. In particular, a novel class of Della-Doped Electron Bombarded Array (DDEBA) photodetectors that will reduce the size, mass, power, complexity, and cost of conventional imaging systems while improving performance by using a thinned imager that is capable of detecting low-energy electrons, has high gain, and is of low noise.

AC HTS Transmission Cable for Integration into the Future EHV Grid of the Netherlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuijderduin, R.; Chevtchenko, O.; Smit, J. J.; Aanhaanen, G.; Melnik, I.; Geschiere, A.

Due to increasing power demand, the electricity grid of the Netherlands is changing. The future grid must be capable to transmit all the connected power. Power generation will be more decentralized like for instance wind parks connected to the grid. Furthermore, future large scale production units are expected to be installed near coastal regions. This creates some potential grid issues, such as: large power amounts to be transmitted to consumers from west to east and grid stability. High temperature superconductors (HTS) can help solving these grid problems. Advantages to integrate HTS components at Extra High Voltage (EHV) and High Voltage (HV) levels are numerous: more power with less losses and less emissions, intrinsic fault current limiting capability, better control of power flow, reduced footprint, etc. Today's main obstacle is the relatively high price of HTS. Nevertheless, as the price goes down, initial market penetration for several HTS components is expected by year 2015 (e.g.: cables, fault current limiters). In this paper we present a design of intrinsically compensated EHV HTS cable for future grid integration. Discussed are the parameters of such cable providing an optimal power transmission in the future network.

Modular high-voltage bias generator powered by dual-looped self-adaptive wireless power transmission.

PubMed

Xie, Kai; Huang, An-Feng; Li, Xiao-Ping; Guo, Shi-Zhong; Zhang, Han-Lu

2015-04-01

We proposed a modular high-voltage (HV) bias generator powered by a novel transmitter-sharing inductive coupled wireless power transmission technology, aimed to extend the generator's flexibility and configurability. To solve the problems caused through an uncertain number of modules, a dual-looped self-adaptive control method is proposed that is capable of tracking resonance frequency while maintaining a relatively stable induction voltage for each HV module. The method combines a phase-locked loop and a current feedback loop, which ensures an accurate resonance state and a relatively constant boost ratio for each module, simplifying the architecture of the boost stage and improving the total efficiency. The prototype was built and tested. The input voltage drop of each module is less than 14% if the module number varies from 3 to 10; resonance tracking is completed within 60 ms. The efficiency of the coupling structure reaches up to 95%, whereas the total efficiency approaches 73% for a rated output. Furthermore, this technology can be used in various multi-load wireless power supply applications.

Development of a solar charged laboratory bench power supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayara, W. A.; Omotosho, T. V.; Usikalu, M. R.; Singh, M. S. J.; Suparta, W.

2017-05-01

This product is an improvement on available DC laboratory bench power supply. It is capable of delivering low voltage Alternating Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) to carry out basic laboratory experiment for both secondary schools and also at higher education institutions. The power supply is capable of delivering fixed DC voltages of 5V, 9V, 12V, variable voltage of between 1.25-30V and a 12V AC voltage. Also Incorporated is a USB port that allows for charging cell phones and other mobile devices, and a dedicated 12V DC output to power 5-7 Watt LED bulb to provide illumination in the laboratory for the instructor who may need to work at night in the absence of utility power.

Improvement of voltage holding capability in the 500 keV negative ion source for JT-60SA.

PubMed

Tanaka, Y; Hanada, M; Kojima, A; Akino, N; Shimizu, T; Ohshima, K; Inoue, T; Watanabe, K; Taniguchi, M; Kashiwagi, M; Umeda, N; Tobari, H; Grisham, L R

2010-02-01

Voltage holding capability of JT-60 negative ion source that has a large electrostatic negative ion accelerator with 45 cm x 1.1 m acceleration grids was experimentally examined and improved to realize 500 keV, 22 A, and 100 s D- ion beams for JT-60 Super Advanced. The gap lengths in the acceleration stages were extended to reduce electric fields in a gap between the large grids and at the corner of the support flanges from the original 4-5 to 3-4 kV/mm. As a result, the voltage holding capability without beam acceleration has been successfully improved from 400 to 500 kV. The pulse duration to hold 500 kV reached 40 s of the power supply limitation.

47 CFR 80.959 - Radiotelephone transmitter.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... watts into 50 ohms nominal resistance when operated with its rated supply voltage. The transmitter must... capability of the transmitter, measurements of primary supply voltage and transmitter output power must be... voltage measured at the power input terminals to the transmitter terminated in a matching artificial load...

Voltage sensing systems and methods for passive compensation of temperature related intrinsic phase shift

DOEpatents

Davidson, James R.; Lassahn, Gordon D.

2001-01-01

A small sized electro-optic voltage sensor capable of accurate measurement of high levels of voltages without contact with a conductor or voltage source is provided. When placed in the presence of an electric field, the sensor receives an input beam of electromagnetic radiation into the sensor. A polarization beam displacer serves as a filter to separate the input beam into two beams with orthogonal linear polarizations. The beam displacer is oriented in such a way as to rotate the linearly polarized beams such that they enter a Pockels crystal at a preferred angle of 45 degrees. The beam displacer is therefore capable of causing a linearly polarized beam to impinge a crystal at a desired angle independent of temperature. The Pockels electro-optic effect induces a differential phase shift on the major and minor axes of the input beam as it travels through the Pockels crystal, which causes the input beam to be elliptically polarized. A reflecting prism redirects the beam back through the crystal and the beam displacer. On the return path, the polarization beam displacer separates the elliptically polarized beam into two output beams of orthogonal linear polarization representing the major and minor axes. In crystals that introduce a phase differential attributable to temperature, a compensating crystal is provided to cancel the effect of temperature on the phase differential of the input beam. The system may include a detector for converting the output beams into electrical signals, and a signal processor for determining the voltage based on an analysis of the output beams. The output beams are amplitude modulated by the frequency of the electric field and the amplitude of the output beams is proportional to the magnitude of the electric field, which is related to the voltage being measured.

Advanced Power Sources for Space Missions

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-01

Range indicate that extremely high power levels hav- ing fast time-ramping capabilities must be provided during the tests. Only highly efficient prime...system efficiency results from advantages in thermal storage versus battery storage and from the increased conversion efficiency of a solar-dynamic... thermal manage- ment, power flow, and voltage levels, and may be in the same power range already experienced in the very- high -power radar and fusion

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

PubMed

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

2011-11-30

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

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-01-01

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

MATLAB implementation of a dynamic clamp with bandwidth >125 KHz capable of generating INa at 37°C

PubMed Central

Clausen, Chris; Valiunas, Virginijus; Brink, Peter R.; Cohen, Ira S.

2012-01-01

We describe the construction of a dynamic clamp with bandwidth >125 KHz that utilizes a high performance, yet low cost, standard home/office PC interfaced with a high-speed (16 bit) data acquisition module. High bandwidth is achieved by exploiting recently available software advances (code-generation technology, optimized real-time kernel). Dynamic-clamp programs are constructed using Simulink, a visual programming language. Blocks for computation of membrane currents are written in the high-level matlab language; no programming in C is required. The instrument can be used in single- or dual-cell configurations, with the capability to modify programs while experiments are in progress. We describe an algorithm for computing the fast transient Na+ current (INa) in real time, and test its accuracy and stability using rate constants appropriate for 37°C. We then construct a program capable of supplying three currents to a cell preparation: INa, the hyperpolarizing-activated inward pacemaker current (If), and an inward-rectifier K+ current (IK1). The program corrects for the IR drop due to electrode current flow, and also records all voltages and currents. We tested this program on dual patch-clamped HEK293 cells where the dynamic clamp controls a current-clamp amplifier and a voltage-clamp amplifier controls membrane potential, and current-clamped HEK293 cells where the dynamic clamp produces spontaneous pacing behavior exhibiting Na+ spikes in otherwise passive cells. PMID:23224681

Improved multi-level capability in Si3N4-based resistive switching memory using continuous gradual reset switching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sungjun; Park, Byung-Gook

2017-01-01

In this letter, we compare three different types of reset switching behavior in a bipolar resistive random-access memory (RRAM) system that is housed in a Ni/Si3N4/Si structure. The abrupt, step-like gradual and continuous gradual reset transitions are largely determined by the low-resistance state (LRS). For abrupt reset switching, the large conducting path shows ohmic behavior or has a weak nonlinear current-voltage (I-V) characteristics in the LRS. For gradual switching, including both the step-like and continuous reset types, trap-assisted direct tunneling is dominant in the low-voltage regime, while trap-assisted Fowler-Nordheim tunneling is dominant in the high-voltage regime, thus causing nonlinear I-V characteristics. More importantly, we evaluate the multi-level capabilities of the two different gradual switching types, including both step-like and continuous reset behavior, using identical and incremental voltage conditions. Finer control of the conductance level with good uniformity is achieved in continuous gradual reset switching when compared to that in step-like gradual reset switching. For continuous reset switching, a single conducting path, which initially has a tunneling gap, gradually responds to pulses with even and identical amplitudes, while for step-like reset switching, the multiple conducting paths only respond to incremental pulses to obtain effective multi-level states.

Delayed avalanche breakdown of high-voltage silicon diodes: Various structures exhibit different picosecond-range switching behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brylevskiy, Viktor; Smirnova, Irina; Gutkin, Andrej; Brunkov, Pavel; Rodin, Pavel; Grekhov, Igor

2017-11-01

We present a comparative study of silicon high-voltage diodes exhibiting the effect of delayed superfast impact-ionization breakdown. The effect manifests itself in a sustainable picosecond-range transient from the blocking to the conducting state and occurs when a steep voltage ramp is applied to the p+-n-n+ diode in the reverse direction. Nine groups of diodes with graded and abrupt pn-junctions have been specially fabricated for this study by different techniques from different Si substrates. Additionally, in two groups of these structures, the lifetime of nonequilibrium carriers was intentionally reduced by electron irradiation. All diodes have identical geometrical parameters and similar stationary breakdown voltages. Our experimental setup allows measuring both device voltage and current during the kilovolt switching with time resolution better than 50 ps. Although all devices are capable of forming a front with kilovolt amplitude and 100 ps risetime in the in-series load, the structures with graded pn-junctions have anomalously large residual voltage. The Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy study of all diode structures has been performed in order to evaluate the effect of deep centers on device performance. It was found that the presence of deep-level electron traps negatively correlates with parameters of superfast switching, whereas a large concentration of recombination centers created by electron irradiation has virtually no influence on switching characteristics.

Potential damage to dc superconducting magnets due to high frequency electromagnetic waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gabriel, G. J.; Burkhart, J. A.

1977-01-01

Studies of a d.c. superconducting magnet coil indicate that the large coil behaves as a straight waveguide structure. Voltages between layers within the coil sometimes exceeded those recorded at terminals where protective resistors are located. Protection of magnet coils against these excessive voltages could be accomplished by impedance matching throughout the coil system. The wave phenomenon associated with superconducting magnetic coils may create an instability capable of converting the energy of a quiescent d.c. superconducting coil into dissipative a.c. energy, even in cases when dielectric breakdown does not take place.

Metal vapor arc switch electromagnetic accelerator technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mongeau, P. P.

1984-01-01

A multielectrode device housed in an insulator vacuum vessel, the metal vapor vacuum switch has high power capability and can hold off voltages up to the 100 kilovolt level. Such switches can be electronically triggered and can interrupt or commutate at a zero current crossing. The physics of arc initiation, arc conduction, and interruption are examined, including material considerations; inefficiencies; arc modes; magnetic field effects; passive and forced extinction; and voltage recovery. Heating, electrode lifetime, device configuration, and external circuit configuration are discussed. The metal vapor vacuum switch is compared with SCRs, GTOs, spark gaps, ignitrons, and mechanical breakers.

Light-weight DC to very high voltage DC converter

DOEpatents

Druce, Robert L.; Kirbie, Hugh C.; Newton, Mark A.

1998-01-01

A DC-DC converter capable of generating outputs of 100 KV without a transformer comprises a silicon opening switch (SOS) diode connected to allow a charging current from a capacitor to flow into an inductor. When a specified amount of charge has flowed through the SOS diode, it opens up abruptly; and the consequential collapsing field of the inductor causes a voltage and current reversal that is steered into a load capacitor by an output diode. A switch across the series combination of the capacitor, inductor, and SOS diode closes to periodically reset the SOS diode by inducing a forward-biased current.

A High Voltage Asymmetric Waveform Generator for FAIMS

PubMed Central

Canterbury, Jesse D.; Gladden, James; Buck, Lon; Olund, Roy; MacCoss, Michael J.

2010-01-01

High field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) has been used increasingly in recent years as an additional method of ion separation and selection prior to mass spectrometry. The FAIMS electrodes are relatively simple to design and fabricate for laboratories wishing to implement their own FAIMS designs. However, construction of the electronics apparatus needed to produce the required high magnitude asymmetric electric field oscillating at a frequency of several hundred kilohertz is not trivial. Here we present an entirely custom-built electronics setup capable of supplying the required waveforms and voltages. The apparatus is relatively simple and inexpensive to implement. We also present data acquired on this system demonstrating the use of FAIMS as a gas phase ion filter interface to an ion trap mass spectrometer. PMID:20332067

Improvement of voltage holding capability in the 500 keV negative ion source for JT-60SA

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

Tanaka, Y.; Hanada, M.; Kojima, A.

2010-02-15

Voltage holding capability of JT-60 negative ion source that has a large electrostatic negative ion accelerator with 45 cmx1.1 m acceleration grids was experimentally examined and improved to realize 500 keV, 22 A, and 100 s D{sup -} ion beams for JT-60 Super Advanced. The gap lengths in the acceleration stages were extended to reduce electric fields in a gap between the large grids and at the corner of the support flanges from the original 4-5 to 3-4 kV/mm. As a result, the voltage holding capability without beam acceleration has been successfully improved from 400 to 500 kV. The pulsemore » duration to hold 500 kV reached 40 s of the power supply limitation.« less

A Robust Hybrid Zn-Battery with Ultralong Cycle Life.

PubMed

Li, Bing; Quan, Junye; Loh, Adeline; Chai, Jianwei; Chen, Ye; Tan, Chaoliang; Ge, Xiaoming; Hor, T S Andy; Liu, Zhaolin; Zhang, Hua; Zong, Yun

2017-01-11

Advanced batteries with long cycle life and capable of harnessing more energies from multiple electrochemical reactions are both fundamentally interesting and practically attractive. Herein, we report a robust hybrid zinc-battery that makes use of transition-metal-based redox reaction (M-O-OH → M-O, M = Ni and Co) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to deliver more electrochemical energies of comparably higher voltage with much longer cycle life. The hybrid battery was constructed using an integrated electrode of NiCo 2 O 4 nanowire arrays grown on carbon-coated nickel foam, coupled with a zinc plate anode in alkaline electrolyte. Benefitted from the M-O/M-O-OH redox reactions and rich ORR active sites in NiCo 2 O 4 , the battery has concurrently exhibited high working voltage (by M-O-OH → M-O) and high energy density (by ORR). The good oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity of the electrode and the reversible M-O ↔ M-O-OH reactions also enabled smooth recharging of the batteries, leading to excellent cycling stabilities. Impressively, the hybrid batteries maintained highly stable charge-discharge voltage profile under various testing conditions, for example, almost no change was observed over 5000 cycles at a current density of 5 mA cm -2 after some initial stabilization. With merits of higher working voltage, high energy density, and ultralong cycle life, such hybrid batteries promise high potential for practical applications.

Low-voltage operating flexible ferroelectric organic field-effect transistor nonvolatile memory with a vertical phase separation P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE)/PS dielectric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Meili; Xiang, Lanyi; Xu, Ting; Wang, Wei; Xie, Wenfa; Zhou, Dayu

2017-10-01

Future flexible electronic systems require memory devices combining low-power operation and mechanical bendability. However, high programming/erasing voltages, which are universally needed to switch the storage states in previously reported ferroelectric organic field-effect transistor (Fe-OFET) nonvolatile memories (NVMs), severely prevent their practical applications. In this work, we develop a route to achieve a low-voltage operating flexible Fe-OFET NVM. Utilizing vertical phase separation, an ultrathin self-organized poly(styrene) (PS) buffering layer covers the surface of the ferroelectric polymer layer by one-step spin-coating from their blending solution. The ferroelectric polymer with a low coercive field contributes to low-voltage operation in the Fe-OFET NVM. The polymer PS contributes to the improvement of mobility, attributing to screening the charge scattering and decreasing the surface roughness. As a result, a high performance flexible Fe-OFET NVM is achieved at the low P/E voltages of ±10 V, with a mobility larger than 0.2 cm2 V-1 s-1, a reliable P/E endurance over 150 cycles, stable data storage retention capability over 104 s, and excellent mechanical bending durability with a slight performance degradation after 1000 repetitive tensile bending cycles at a curvature radius of 5.5 mm.

Performance analysis of electronic power transformer based on neuro-fuzzy controller.

PubMed

Acikgoz, Hakan; Kececioglu, O Fatih; Yildiz, Ceyhun; Gani, Ahmet; Sekkeli, Mustafa

2016-01-01

In recent years, electronic power transformer (EPT), which is also called solid state transformer, has attracted great interest and has been used in place of the conventional power transformers. These transformers have many important functions as high unity power factor, low harmonic distortion, constant DC bus voltage, regulated output voltage and compensation capability. In this study, proposed EPT structure contains a three-phase pulse width modulation rectifier that converts 800 Vrms AC to 2000 V DC bus at input stage, a dual active bridge converter that provides 400 V DC bus with 5:1 high frequency transformer at isolation stage and a three-phase two level inverter that is used to obtain AC output at output stage. In order to enhance dynamic performance of EPT structure, neuro fuzzy controllers which have durable and nonlinear nature are used in input and isolation stages instead of PI controllers. The main aim of EPT structure with the proposed controller is to improve the stability of power system and to provide faster response against disturbances. Moreover, a number of simulation results are carried out to verify EPT structure designed in MATLAB/Simulink environment and to analyze compensation ability for voltage harmonics, voltage flicker and voltage sag/swell conditions.

Manufacturing Methods and Techniques for Miniature High Voltage Hybrid Multiplier Modules

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-05-06

technologies and materials,, and to demonstrate the production line capability to fabricate at the rate of 125 acceptable units per 40 hour week. - iv...Miraloma Avenue Anaheim, CA 92803 Dr. Andrew Tlcki1 Nitron Cornoratlon 10420 Bubb Road Cunertino, CA 95014 S I Commander RAt)C * ATTN: RBRII/Mr. J. Brauer

Non-iterative Voltage Stability

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

Makarov, Yuri V.; Vyakaranam, Bharat; Hou, Zhangshuan

2014-09-30

This report demonstrates promising capabilities and performance characteristics of the proposed method using several power systems models. The new method will help to develop a new generation of highly efficient tools suitable for real-time parallel implementation. The ultimate benefit obtained will be early detection of system instability and prevention of system blackouts in real time.

Cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry microscope mode mass spectrometry imaging.

PubMed

Kiss, András; Smith, Donald F; Jungmann, Julia H; Heeren, Ron M A

2013-12-30

Microscope mode imaging for secondary ion mass spectrometry is a technique with the promise of simultaneous high spatial resolution and high-speed imaging of biomolecules from complex surfaces. Technological developments such as new position-sensitive detectors, in combination with polyatomic primary ion sources, are required to exploit the full potential of microscope mode mass spectrometry imaging, i.e. to efficiently push the limits of ultra-high spatial resolution, sample throughput and sensitivity. In this work, a C60 primary source was combined with a commercial mass microscope for microscope mode secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. The detector setup is a pixelated detector from the Medipix/Timepix family with high-voltage post-acceleration capabilities. The system's mass spectral and imaging performance is tested with various benchmark samples and thin tissue sections. The high secondary ion yield (with respect to 'traditional' monatomic primary ion sources) of the C60 primary ion source and the increased sensitivity of the high voltage detector setup improve microscope mode secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. The analysis time and the signal-to-noise ratio are improved compared with other microscope mode imaging systems, all at high spatial resolution. We have demonstrated the unique capabilities of a C60 ion microscope with a Timepix detector for high spatial resolution microscope mode secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Performance of the NEXT Engineering Model Power Processing Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinero, Luis R.; Hopson, Mark; Todd, Philip C.; Wong, Brian

2007-01-01

The NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) project is developing an advanced ion propulsion system for future NASA missions for solar system exploration. An engineering model (EM) power processing unit (PPU) for the NEXT project was designed and fabricated by L-3 Communications under contract with NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). This modular PPU is capable of processing up from 0.5 to 7.0 kW of output power for the NEXT ion thruster. Its design includes many significant improvements for better performance over the state-of-the-art PPU. The most significant difference is the beam supply which is comprised of six modules and capable of very efficient operation through a wide voltage range because of innovative features like dual controls, module addressing, and a high current mode. The low voltage power supplies are based on elements of the previously validated NASA Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Application Readiness (NSTAR) PPU. The highly modular construction of the PPU resulted in improved manufacturability, simpler scalability, and lower cost. This paper describes the design of the EM PPU and the results of the bench-top performance tests.

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

Posch, J.

Systems and philosophies perceived on a grand scale, encompassing new ideas, are often characterized as a dream. But in fact, such dreams often lead to the first step to fruitful development. This article is based on a preliminary study of the existing electrical high-tension networks of Western Europe, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union - which, as explained herein, may be merged into a multinational energy supply system. Such a system would constitute a completely interconnected Eurasian Power Grid. The idea of a Eurasian super grid, spanning from the Atlantic to the Ural and Siberia, is not new. Various studiesmore » have been conducted by both western Europe and the Soviet Union on this topic. Our world is currently in an era of extra high voltage (EHV) and ultra high voltage (UHV) electrical systems. This translates into existing UHV lines of 1150 kV which have already been proven in successful operation. Such UHV systems are capable of transmitting thousands of megawatts over a distance of a 1000 miles. Furthermore, national boundaries are not more a hindrance than the challenge of interconnecting complete networks into an overall synchronized working system with load exchange capabilities in all directions.« less

O3-type Na(Mn₀.₂₅Fe₀.₂₅Co₀.₂₅Ni₀.₂₅)O₂: a quaternary layered cathode compound for rechargeable Na ion batteries

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

Li, Xi; Zhou, Yong-Ning; Wu, Di

2014-12-01

We report a new layered Na(Mn₀.₂₅Fe₀.₂₅Co₀.₂₅Ni₀.₂₅)O₂ compound with O3 oxygen stacking. It delivers 180 mAh/g initial discharge capacity and 578 Wh/kg specific energy density with good cycling capability at high cutoff voltage. In situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows a reversible structure evolution of O3-P3-O3'-O3'' upon Na de-intercalation. The excellent capacity and cycling performance at high cutoff voltage make it an important model system for studying the general issue of capacity fading in layered Na cathode compounds.

Modeling and strain gauging of eddy current repulsion deicing systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Samuel O.

1993-01-01

Work described in this paper confirms and extends work done by Zumwalt, et al., on a variety of in-flight deicing systems that use eddy current repulsion for repelling ice. Two such systems are known as electro-impulse deicing (EIDI) and the eddy current repulsion deicing strip (EDS). Mathematical models for these systems are discussed for their capabilities and limitations. The author duplicates a particular model of the EDS. Theoretical voltage, current, and force results are compared directly to experimental results. Dynamic strain measurements results are presented for the EDS system. Dynamic strain measurements near EDS or EIDI coils are complicated by the high magnetic fields in the vicinity of the coils. High magnetic fields induce false voltage signals out of the gages.

Advanced Lithium-ion Batteries with High Specific Energy and Improved Safety for Nasa's Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

West, William; Smart, Marshall; Soler, Jess; Krause, Charlie; Hwang, Constanza; Bugga, Ratnakumar

2012-01-01

High Energy Materials ( Cathodes, anodes and high voltage and safe electrolyte are required to meet the needs of the future space missions. A. Cathodes: The layered layered composites of of Li2MnO3 and LiMO2 are promising Power capability of the materials, however requires further improvement. Suitable morphology is critical for good performance and high tap (packing) density. Surface coatings help in the interfacial kinetics and stability. B. Electrolytes: Small additions of Flame Retardant Additives improves flammability without affecting performance (Rate and cycle life). 1.0 M in EC+EMC+TPP was shown to have good performance against the high voltage cathode; Performance demonstrated in large capacity prototype MCMB- LiNiCoO2 Cells. Formulations with higher proportions are looking promising. Still requires further validation through abuse tests (e.g., on 18650 cells).

Ultra-compliant liquid metal electrodes with in-plane self-healing capability for dielectric elastomer actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yang; Gao, Meng; Mei, Shengfu; Han, Yanting; Liu, Jing

2013-08-01

The method of directly printing liquid metal films as highly conductive and super compliant electrodes for dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) was proposed and experimentally demonstrated with working mechanisms interpreted. Such soft electrodes enable DE film to approach its maximum strain and stress at relatively low voltages. Further, its unique capability of achieving two-dimensional in-plane self-healing by merely actuating the DEA was disclosed, which would allow actuators more tolerant to fault and resilient to abusive environments. This high performance actuator has important value in a wide spectrum of situations ranging from artificial muscle, flexible electronics to smart clothing etc.

Flexible solid-state symmetric supercapacitors based on MnO2 nanofilms with high rate capability and long cyclability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Lingxia; Li, Ruizhi; Guo, Junling; Zhou, Cheng; Zhang, Wenpei; Wang, Chong; Huang, Yu; Li, Yuanyuan; Liu, Jinping

2013-08-01

Flexible solid-state symmetric supercapacitor was fabricated using MnO2 nanofilms growing directly on carbon cloth as the electrodes and PVA/H3PO4 gel as the electrolyte/separator. The device can be operated at a stable cell-voltage up to 1.4 V, obviously larger than that of conventional solid-state symmetric supercapacitors (≤1 V). It exhibited excellent rate capability with a scan rate as high as 20 V s-1 and a long cyclability (˜60000 cycles) even under severe mechanical deformation. The charge storage mechanism at different scan rates was also quantitatively analyzed.

High-energy non-rechargeable batteries and their applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higgins, Robert; Kruger, Ken

1990-04-01

Many of the more recently developed high energy battery systems employ Li anodes, which are capable of energy densities of 700 W h/kg and shelf power-losses of less than 3 percent/yr. It has been noted, however, that some Li-based systems exhibit 'voltage sag' during storage and pose some safety problems in cases of inadvertent abuse. The two highest energy-output yielding of the current Li systems, namely Li/CF(x) spiral cells and Li/thionyl chloride liquid cathode cells, are presented and compared with a Zn/AgO electrochemical (aqueous) battery system which, although of older design, is still capable of substantial energy densities.

An LMS Programming Scheme and Floating-Gate Technology Enabled Trimmer-Less and Low Voltage Flame Detection Sensor.

PubMed

Iglesias-Rojas, Juan Carlos; Gomez-Castañeda, Felipe; Moreno-Cadenas, Jose Antonio

2017-06-14

In this paper, a Least Mean Square (LMS) programming scheme is used to set the offset voltage of two operational amplifiers that were built using floating-gate transistors, enabling a 0.95 V RMS trimmer-less flame detection sensor. The programming scheme is capable of setting the offset voltage over a wide range of values by means of electron injection. The flame detection sensor consists of two programmable offset operational amplifiers; the first amplifier serves as a 26 μV offset voltage follower, whereas the second amplifier acts as a programmable trimmer-less voltage comparator. Both amplifiers form the proposed sensor, whose principle of functionality is based on the detection of the electrical changes produced by the flame ionization. The experimental results show that it is possible to measure the presence of a flame accurately after programming the amplifiers with a maximum of 35 LMS-algorithm iterations. Current commercial flame detectors are mainly used in absorption refrigerators and large industrial gas heaters, where a high voltage AC source and several mechanical trimmings are used in order to accurately measure the presence of the flame.

An LMS Programming Scheme and Floating-Gate Technology Enabled Trimmer-Less and Low Voltage Flame Detection Sensor

PubMed Central

Iglesias-Rojas, Juan Carlos; Gomez-Castañeda, Felipe; Moreno-Cadenas, Jose Antonio

2017-01-01

In this paper, a Least Mean Square (LMS) programming scheme is used to set the offset voltage of two operational amplifiers that were built using floating-gate transistors, enabling a 0.95 VRMS trimmer-less flame detection sensor. The programming scheme is capable of setting the offset voltage over a wide range of values by means of electron injection. The flame detection sensor consists of two programmable offset operational amplifiers; the first amplifier serves as a 26 μV offset voltage follower, whereas the second amplifier acts as a programmable trimmer-less voltage comparator. Both amplifiers form the proposed sensor, whose principle of functionality is based on the detection of the electrical changes produced by the flame ionization. The experimental results show that it is possible to measure the presence of a flame accurately after programming the amplifiers with a maximum of 35 LMS-algorithm iterations. Current commercial flame detectors are mainly used in absorption refrigerators and large industrial gas heaters, where a high voltage AC source and several mechanical trimmings are used in order to accurately measure the presence of the flame. PMID:28613250

Power Quality Improvement Using an Enhanced Network-Side-Shunt-Connected Dynamic Voltage Restorer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fereidouni, Alireza; Masoum, Mohammad A. S.; Moghbel, Moayed

2015-10-01

Among the four basic dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) topologies, the network-side shunt-connected DVR (NSSC-DVR) has a relatively poor performance and is investigated in this paper. A new configuration is proposed and implemented for NSSC-DVR to enhance its performance in compensating (un)symmetrical deep and long voltage sags and mitigate voltage harmonics. The enhanced NSSC-DVR model includes a three-phase half-bridge semi-controlled network-side-shunt-connected rectifier and a three-phase full-bridge series-connected inverter implemented with a back-to-back configuration through a bidirectional buck-boost converter. The network-side-shunt-connected rectifier is employed to inject/draw the required energy by NSSC-DVR to restore the load voltage to its pre-fault value under sag/swell conditions. The buck-boost converter is responsible for maintaining the DC-link voltage of the series-connected inverter at its designated value in order to improve the NSSC-DVR capability in compensating deep and long voltage sags/swells. The full-bridge series-connected inverter permits to compensate unbalance voltage sags containing zero-sequence component. The harmonic compensation of the load voltage is achieved by extracting harmonics from the distorted network voltage using an artificial neural network (ANN) method called adaptive linear neuron (Adaline) strategy. Detailed simulations are performed by SIMULINK/MATLAB software for six case studies to verify the highly robustness of the proposed NSSC-DVR model under various conditions.

Experimental Investigation of the Effect of the Driving Voltage of an Electroadhesion Actuator.

PubMed

Koh, Keng Huat; Sreekumar, M; Ponnambalam, S G

2014-06-25

This paper investigates the effect of driving voltage on the attachment force of an electroadhesion actuator, as the existing literature on the saturation of the adhesive force at a higher electric field is incomplete. A new type of electroadhesion actuator using normally available materials, such as aluminum foil, PVC tape and a silicone rubber sheet used for keyboard protection, has been developed with a simple layered structure that is capable of developing adhesive force consistently. The developed actuator is subjected to the experiment for the evaluation of various test surfaces; aluminum, brick, ceramic, concrete and glass. The driving high voltage is varied in steps to determine the characteristics of the output holding force. Results show a quadratic relation between F (adhesion force) and V (driving voltage) within the 2 kV range. After this range, the F - V responses consistently show a saturation trend at high electric fields. Next, the concept of the leakage current that can occur in the dielectric material and the corona discharge through air has been introduced. Results show that the voltage level, which corresponds to the beginning of the supply current, matches well with the beginning of the force saturation. With the confirmation of this hypothesis, a working model for electroadhesion actuation is proposed. Based on the experimental results, it is proposed that such a kind of actuator can be driven within a range of optimum high voltage to remain electrically efficient. This practice is recommended for the future design, development and characterization of electroadhesion actuators for robotic applications.

Experimental Investigation of the Effect of the Driving Voltage of an Electroadhesion Actuator

PubMed Central

Koh, Keng Huat; Sreekumar, M.; Ponnambalam, S. G.

2014-01-01

This paper investigates the effect of driving voltage on the attachment force of an electroadhesion actuator, as the existing literature on the saturation of the adhesive force at a higher electric field is incomplete. A new type of electroadhesion actuator using normally available materials, such as aluminum foil, PVC tape and a silicone rubber sheet used for keyboard protection, has been developed with a simple layered structure that is capable of developing adhesive force consistently. The developed actuator is subjected to the experiment for the evaluation of various test surfaces; aluminum, brick, ceramic, concrete and glass. The driving high voltage is varied in steps to determine the characteristics of the output holding force. Results show a quadratic relation between F (adhesion force) and V (driving voltage) within the 2 kV range. After this range, the F-V responses consistently show a saturation trend at high electric fields. Next, the concept of the leakage current that can occur in the dielectric material and the corona discharge through air has been introduced. Results show that the voltage level, which corresponds to the beginning of the supply current, matches well with the beginning of the force saturation. With the confirmation of this hypothesis, a working model for electroadhesion actuation is proposed. Based on the experimental results, it is proposed that such a kind of actuator can be driven within a range of optimum high voltage to remain electrically efficient. This practice is recommended for the future design, development and characterization of electroadhesion actuators for robotic applications. PMID:28788114

A Smart Load Interface and Voltage Regulator for Electrostatic Vibration Energy Harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedier, Mohammed; Basset, Philippe; Galayko, Dimitri

2016-11-01

This paper presents a new implementation in ams 0.35μm HV technology of a complete energy management system for an electrostatic vibrational energy harvester (e-VEH). It is based on the Bennet's doubler architecture and includes a load voltage regulator (LVR) and a smart Load Interface (LI) that are self-controlled with internal voltages for maximum power point tracking (MMPT). The CMOS implementation makes use of an energy harvester that is capable of producing up to 1.8μW at harmonic excitation, given its internal voltage is kept within its optimum. An intermediate LI stage and its controller makes use of a high side switch with zero static power level shifter, and a low power hysteresis comparator. A full circuit level simulation with a VHDL-AMS model of the e-VEH presented was successfully achieved, indicating that the proposed load interface controller consumes less than 100nW average power. Moreover, a LVR regulates the buffer and discharge the harvested energy into a generic resistive load maintaining the voltage within a nominal value of 2 Volts.

Electro-optic voltage sensor for sensing voltage in an E-field

DOEpatents

Davidson, James R.; Crawford, Thomas M.; Seifert, Gary D.

2002-03-26

A miniature electro-optic voltage sensor and system capable of accurate operation at high voltages has a sensor body disposed in an E-field. The body receives a source beam of electromagnetic radiation. A polarization beam displacer separates the source light beam into two beams with orthogonal linear polarizations. A wave plate rotates the linear polarization to rotated polarization. A transducer utilizes Pockels electro-optic effect and induces a differential phase shift on the major and minor axes of the rotated polarization in response to the E-field. A prism redirects the beam back through the transducer, wave plate, and polarization beam displacer. The prism also converts the rotated polarization to circular or elliptical polarization. The wave plate rotates the major and minor axes of the circular or elliptical polarization to linear polarization. The polarization beam displacer separates the beam into two beams of orthogonal linear polarization representing the major and minor axes. The system may have a transmitter for producing the beam of electro-magnetic radiation; a detector for converting the two beams into electrical signals; and a signal processor for determining the voltage.

Post-Test Inspection of NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster Long-Duration Test Hardware: Discharge Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shastry, Rohit; Soulas, George C.

2016-01-01

The NEXT Long-Duration Test is part of a comprehensive thruster service life assessment intended to demonstrate overall throughput capability, validate service life models, quantify wear rates as a function of time and operating condition, and identify any unknown life-limiting mechanisms. The test was voluntarily terminated in February 2014 after demonstrating 51,184 hours of high-voltage operation, 918 kg of propellant throughput, and 35.5 MN-s of total impulse. The post-test inspection of the thruster hardware began shortly afterwards with a combination of non-destructive and destructive analysis techniques, and is presently nearing completion. This paper presents relevant results of the post-test inspection for the discharge chamber as well as other miscellaneous components such as the high-voltage propellant isolators and electrical cabling. Comparison of magnetic field measurements taken during pretest and post-test inspections indicate that the field strength did not degrade, consistent with performance data obtained during the test. Inspection of discharge chamber mesh samples show a deposition coating primarily composed of grid material that is approximately 15 micrometers in thickness. This thickness is well within the retention capability of the mesh and is therefore not expected to present any issues. Approximately 3.1 grams of deposition flakes were found at the bottom of the discharge chamber, composed primarily of grid material and carbon. Calculated size histograms of these flakes indicate that 99% have a maximum dimension of 200 micrometers or smaller, which is significantly less than the ion optics grid gap. Larger flakes that are capable of causing a grid-to-grid short will be analyzed to determine if their formation will occur in flight or is a facility effect. The high-voltage propellant isolators as well as numerous other electrical insulators were inspected and no evidence of arcing or any other issues were found.

Kalman filter for onboard state of charge estimation and peak power capability analysis of lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Guangzhong; Wei, Jingwen; Chen, Zonghai

2016-10-01

To evaluate the continuous and instantaneous load capability of a battery, this paper describes a joint estimator for state-of-charge (SOC) and state-of-function (SOF) of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) based on Kalman filter (KF). The SOC is a widely used index for remain useful capacity left in a battery. The SOF represents the peak power capability of the battery. It can be determined by real-time SOC estimation and terminal voltage prediction, which can be derived from impedance parameters. However, the open-circuit-voltage (OCV) of LiFePO4 is highly nonlinear with SOC, which leads to the difficulties in SOC estimation. To solve these problems, this paper proposed an onboard SOC estimation method. Firstly, a simplified linearized equivalent-circuit-model is developed to simulate the dynamic characteristics of a battery, where the OCV is regarded as a linearized function of SOC. Then, the system states are estimated based on the KF. Besides, the factors that influence peak power capability are analyzed according to statistical data. Finally, the performance of the proposed methodology is demonstrated by experiments conducted on a LiFePO4 LIBs under different operating currents and temperatures. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach is suitable for battery onboard SOC and SOF estimation.

Bidirectional converter for high-efficiency fuel cell powertrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fardoun, Abbas A.; Ismail, Esam H.; Sabzali, Ahmad J.; Al-Saffar, Mustafa A.

2014-03-01

In this paper, a new wide conversion ratio step-up and step-down converter is presented. The proposed converter is derived from the conventional Single Ended Primary Inductor Converter (SEPIC) topology and it is integrated with a capacitor-diode voltage multiplier, which offers a simple structure, reduced electromagnetic interference (EMI), and reduced semiconductors' voltage stresses. Other advantages include: continuous input and output current, extended step-up and step-down voltage conversion ratio without extreme low or high duty-cycle, simple control circuitry, and near-zero input and output ripple currents compared to other converter topologies. The low charging/discharging current ripple and wide gain features result in a longer life-span and lower cost of the energy storage battery system. In addition, the "near-zero" ripple capability improves the fuel cell durability. Theoretical analysis results obtained with the proposed structure are compared with other bi-direction converter topologies. Simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the performance of the proposed bi-directional converter.

Development and fabrication of an augmented power transistor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geisler, M. J.; Hill, F. E.; Ostop, J. A.

1983-01-01

The development of device design and processing techniques for the fabrication of an augmented power transistor capable of fast switching and high voltage power conversion is discussed. The major device goals sustaining voltages in the range of 800 to 1000 V at 80 A and 50 A, respectively, at a gain of 14. The transistor switching rise and fall times were both to have been less than 0.5 microseconds. The development of a passivating glass technique to shield the device high voltage junction from moisture and ionic contaminants is discussed as well as the development of an isolated package that separates the thermal and electrical interfaces. A new method was found to alloy the transistors to the molybdenum disc at a relatively low temperature. The measured electrical performance compares well with the predicted optimum design specified in the original proposed design. A 40 mm diameter transistor was fabricated with seven times the emitter area of the earlier 23 mm diameter device.

Interleaved power converter

DOEpatents

Zhu, Lizhi

2007-11-13

A power converter architecture interleaves full bridge converters to alleviate thermal management problems in high current applications, and may, for example, double the output power capability while reducing parts count and costs. For example, one phase of a three phase inverter is shared between two transformers, which provide power to a rectifier such as a current doubler rectifier to provide two full bridge DC/DC converters with three rather than four high voltage inverter legs.

Polyimide encapsulated lithium-rich cathode material for high voltage lithium-ion battery.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Lu, Qingwen; Fang, Jianhua; Wang, Jiulin; Yang, Jun; NuLi, Yanna

2014-10-22

Lithium-rich materials represented by xLi2MnO3·(1 - x)LiMO2 (M = Mn, Co, Ni) are attractive cathode materials for lithium-ion battery due to their high specific energy and low cost. However, some drawbacks of these materials such as poor cycle and rate capability remain to be addressed before applications. In this study, a thin polyimide (PI) layer is coated on the surface of Li1.2Ni0.13Mn0.54Co0.13O2 (LNMCO) by a polyamic acid (PAA) precursor with subsequently thermal imidization process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) results confirm the successful formation of a PI layer (∼3 nm) on the surface of LNMCO without destruction of its main structure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra show a slight shift of the Mn valence state from Mn(IV) to Mn(III) in the PI-LNMCO treated at 450 °C, elucidating that charge transfer takes place between the PI layer and LNMCO surface. Electrochemical performances of LNMCO including cyclic stability and rate capability are evidently improved by coating a PI nanolayer, which effectively separates the cathode material from the electrolyte and stabilizes their interface at high voltage.

Ultraconcentrated Sodium Bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide-Based Electrolytes for High-Performance Sodium Metal Batteries.

PubMed

Lee, Jaegi; Lee, Yongwon; Lee, Jeongmin; Lee, Sang-Min; Choi, Jeong-Hee; Kim, Hyungsub; Kwon, Mi-Sook; Kang, Kisuk; Lee, Kyu Tae; Choi, Nam-Soon

2017-02-01

We present an ultraconcentrated electrolyte composed of 5 M sodium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide in 1,2-dimethoxyethane for Na metal anodes coupled with high-voltage cathodes. Using this electrolyte, a very high Coulombic efficiency of 99.3% at the 120th cycle for Na plating/stripping is obtained in Na/stainless steel (SS) cells with highly reduced corrosivity toward Na metal and high oxidation durability (over 4.9 V versus Na/Na + ) without corrosion of the aluminum cathode current collector. Importantly, the use of this ultraconcentrated electrolyte results in substantially improved rate capability in Na/SS cells and excellent cycling performance in Na/Na symmetric cells without the increase of polarization. Moreover, this ultraconcentrated electrolyte exhibits good compatibility with high-voltage Na 4 Fe 3 (PO 4 ) 2 (P 2 O 7 ) and Na 0.7 (Fe 0.5 Mn 0.5 )O 2 cathodes charged to high voltages (>4.2 V versus Na/Na + ), resulting in outstanding cycling stability (high reversible capacity of 109 mAh g -1 over 300 cycles for the Na/Na 4 Fe 3 (PO 4 ) 2 (P 2 O 7 ) cell) compared with the conventional dilute electrolyte, 1 M NaPF 6 in ethylene carbonate/propylene carbonate (5/5, v/v).

Ionic liquid hybrids: Progress toward non-corrosive electrolytes with high-voltage oxidation stability for magnesium-ion based batteries

DOE PAGES

Huie, Matthew M.; Cama, Christina A.; Smith, Paul F.; ...

2016-10-01

Magnesium – ion batteries have the potential for high energy density but require new types of electrolytes for practical application. Ionic liquid (IL) electrolytes offer the opportunity for increased safety and broader voltage windows relative to traditional electrolytes. We present here a systematic study of both the conductivity and oxidative stability of hybrid electrolytes consisting of eleven ILs mixed with dipropylene glycol dimethylether (DPGDME) or acetonitrile (ACN) cosolvents and magnesium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (Mg(TFSI) 2). Our study finds a correlation of higher conductivity of ILs with unsaturated rings and short carbon chain lengths, but by contrast, these ILs also exhibited lower oxidationmore » voltage limits. For the cosolvent additive, although glymes have a demonstrated capability of coordination with Mg 2+ ions, a decrease in conductivity compared to acetonitrile hybrid electrolytes was observed. Lastly, when cycled within the appropriate voltage range, the IL-hybrid electrolytes that show the highest conductivity provide the best cathode magnesiation current densities and lowest polarization as demonstrated with a Mg 0.15MnO 2 and Mg 0.07V 2O 5 cathodes.« less

Performance analysis of cascaded h-bridge multilevel inverter using mixed switching frequency with various dc-link voltages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Citarsa, I. B. F.; Satiawan, I. N. W.; Wiryajati, I. K.; Supriono

2016-01-01

Multilevel inverters have been widely used in many applications since the technology is advantageous to increase the converter capability as well as to improve the output voltage quality. According to the applied switching frequency, multilevel modulations can be subdivided into three classes, i.e: fundamental switching frequency, high switching frequency and mixed switching frequency. This paper investigates the performance of cascaded H-bridge (CHB) multilevel inverter that is modulated using mixed switching frequency (MSF) PWM with various dc-link voltage ratios. The simulation results show the nearly sinusoidal load output voltages are successfully achieved. It is revealed that there is improvement in output voltages quality in terms of THD and low-order harmonics content. The CHB inverter that is modulated using MSF PWM with equal dc-link voltage ratio (½ Vdc: ½ Vdc) produces output voltage with the lowest low-order harmonics (less than 1% of fundamental) while the CHB inverter that is modulated using MSF PWM with un-equal dc-link voltage ratio (2/3 Vdc: 1/3 Vdc) produces a 7-level output voltage with the lowest THD (16.31%) compared to the other PWM methods. Improvement of the output voltage quality here is also in line with improvement of the number of available levels provided in the output voltage. Here only 2 cells H-bridge inverter (contain 8 switches) are needed to produce a 7- level output voltage, while in the conventional CHB inverter at least 3 cells of H-bridge inverter (contain 12 switches) are needed to produce a 7-level output voltage. Hence it is valuable in term of saving number of component.

Room temperature operation of electro-optical bistability in the edge-emitting tunneling-collector transistor laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, M.; Holonyak, N.; Wang, C. Y.

2017-09-01

Optical bistable devices are fundamental to digital photonics as building blocks of switches, logic gates, and memories in future computer systems. Here, we demonstrate both optical and electrical bistability and capability for switching in a single transistor operated at room temperature. The electro-optical hysteresis is explained by the interaction of electron-hole (e-h) generation and recombination dynamics with the cavity photon modulation in different switching paths. The switch-UP and switch-DOWN threshold voltages are determined by the rate difference of photon generation at the base quantum-well and the photon absorption via intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling controlled by the collector voltage. Thus, the transistor laser electro-optical bistable switching is programmable with base current and collector voltage, and the basis for high speed optical logic processors.

Performance of the Micropower Voltage Reference ADR3430 Under Extreme Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, Richard L.; Hammoud, Ahmad

2011-01-01

Electronic systems designed for use in space exploration systems are expected to be exposed to harsh temperatures. For example, operation at cryogenic temperatures is anticipated in space missions such as polar craters of the moon (-223 C), James Webb Space Telescope (-236 C), Mars (-140 C), Europa (-223 C), Titan (-178 C), and other deep space probes away from the sun. Similarly, rovers and landers on the lunar surface, and deep space probes intended for the exploration of Venus are expected to encounter high temperature extremes. Electronics capable of operation under extreme temperatures would not only meet the requirements of future spacebased systems, but would also contribute to enhancing efficiency and improving reliability of these systems through the elimination of the thermal control elements that present electronics need for proper operation under the harsh environment of space. In this work, the performance of a micropower, high accuracy voltage reference was evaluated over a wide temperature range. The Analog Devices ADR3430 chip uses a patented voltage reference architecture to achieve high accuracy, low temperature coefficient, and low noise in a CMOS process [1]. The device combines two voltages of opposite temperature coefficients to create an output voltage that is almost independent of ambient temperature. It is rated for the industrial temperature range of -40 C to +125 C, and is ideal for use in low power precision data acquisition systems and in battery-powered devices. Table 1 shows some of the manufacturer s device specifications.

A high-stability scanning tunneling microscope achieved by an isolated tiny scanner with low voltage imaging capability.

PubMed

Wang, Qi; Hou, Yubin; Wang, Junting; Lu, Qingyou

2013-11-01

We present a novel homebuilt scanning tunneling microscope (STM) with high quality atomic resolution. It is equipped with a small but powerful GeckoDrive piezoelectric motor which drives a miniature and detachable scanning part to implement coarse approach. The scanning part is a tiny piezoelectric tube scanner (industry type: PZT-8, whose d31 coefficient is one of the lowest) housed in a slightly bigger polished sapphire tube, which is riding on and spring clamped against the knife edges of a tungsten slot. The STM so constructed shows low back-lashing and drifting and high repeatability and immunity to external vibrations. These are confirmed by its low imaging voltages, low distortions in the spiral scanned images, and high atomic resolution quality even when the STM is placed on the ground of the fifth floor without any external or internal vibration isolation devices.

Characterization of Low Noise, Precision Voltage Reference REF5025-HT Under Extreme Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, Richard; Hammoud, Ahmad

2010-01-01

The performance of Texas Instruments precision voltage reference REF5025-HT was assessed under extreme temperatures. This low noise, 2.5 V output chip is suitable for use in high temperature down-hole drilling applications, but no data existed on its performance at cryogenic temperatures. The device was characterized in terms of output voltage and supply current at different input voltage levels as a function of temperature between +210 C and -190 C. Line and load regulation characteristics were also established at six load levels and at different temperatures. Restart capability at extreme temperatures and the effects of thermal cycling, covering the test temperature range, on its operation and stability were also investigated. Under no load condition, the voltage reference chip exhibited good stability in its output over the temperature range of -50 C to +200 C. Outside that temperature range, output voltage did change as temperature was changed. For example, at the extreme temperatures of +210 C and - 190 C, the output level dropped to 2.43 V and 2.32 V, respectively as compared to the nominal value of 2.5 V. At cryogenic test temperatures of -100 C and -150 C the output voltage dropped by about 20%. The quiescent supply current of the voltage reference varied slightly with temperature but remained close to its specified value. In terms of line regulation, the device exhibited excellent stability between -50 C and +150 C over the entire input voltage range and load levels. At the other test temperatures, however, while line regulation became poor at cryogenic temperatures of -100 C and below, it suffered slight degradation at the extreme high temperature but only at the high load level of 10 mA. The voltage reference also exhibited very good load regulation with temperature down to -100 C, but its output dropped sharply at +210 C only at the heavy load of 10 mA. The semiconductor chip was able restart at the extreme temperatures of -190 C and +210 C, and the limited thermal cycling did not influence its characteristics and had no impact on its packaging as no structural or physical damage was observed.

Light-weight DC to very high voltage DC converter

DOEpatents

Druce, R.L.; Kirbie, H.C.; Newton, M.A.

1998-06-30

A DC-DC converter capable of generating outputs of 100 KV without a transformer comprises a silicon opening switch (SOS) diode connected to allow a charging current from a capacitor to flow into an inductor. When a specified amount of charge has flowed through the SOS diode, it opens up abruptly; and the consequential collapsing field of the inductor causes a voltage and current reversal that is steered into a load capacitor by an output diode. A switch across the series combination of the capacitor, inductor, and SOS diode closes to periodically reset the SOS diode by inducing a forward-biased current. 1 fig.

Performance and Environmental Test Results of the High Voltage Hall Accelerator Engineering Development Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamhawi, Hani; Haag, Thomas; Huang, Wensheng; Shastry, Rohit; Pinero, Luis; Peterson, Todd; Mathers, Alex

2012-01-01

NASA Science Mission Directorate's In-Space Propulsion Technology Program is sponsoring the development of a 3.5 kW-class engineering development unit Hall thruster for implementation in NASA science and exploration missions. NASA Glenn and Aerojet are developing a high fidelity high voltage Hall accelerator that can achieve specific impulse magnitudes greater than 2,700 seconds and xenon throughput capability in excess of 300 kilograms. Performance, plume mappings, thermal characterization, and vibration tests of the high voltage Hall accelerator engineering development unit have been performed. Performance test results indicated that at 3.9 kW the thruster achieved a total thrust efficiency and specific impulse of 58%, and 2,700 sec, respectively. Thermal characterization tests indicated that the thruster component temperatures were within the prescribed material maximum operating temperature limits during full power thruster operation. Finally, thruster vibration tests indicated that the thruster survived the 3-axes qualification full-level random vibration test series. Pre and post-vibration test performance mappings indicated almost identical thruster performance. Finally, an update on the development progress of a power processing unit and a xenon feed system is provided.

Integrally regulated solar array demonstration using an Intel 8080 microprocessor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petrik, E. J.

1977-01-01

A concept for regulating the voltage of a solar array by using a microprocessor to effect discrete voltage changes was demonstrated. Eight shorting switches were employed to regulate a simulated array at set-point voltages between 10,000 and 15,000 volts. The demonstration showed that the microprocessor easily regulated the solar array output voltage independently of whether or not the switched cell groups were binary sized in voltage. In addition, the microprocessor provided logic memory capability to perform additional tasks such as locating and insolating a faulty switch.

Electroluminescent devices formed using semiconductor nanocrystals as an electron transport media and method of making such electroluminescent devices

DOEpatents

Alivisatos, A. Paul; Colvin, Vickie

1996-01-01

An electroluminescent device is described, as well as a method of making same, wherein the device is characterized by a semiconductor nanocrystal electron transport layer capable of emitting visible light in response to a voltage applied to the device. The wavelength of the light emitted by the device may be changed by changing either the size or the type of semiconductor nanocrystals used in forming the electron transport layer. In a preferred embodiment the device is further characterized by the capability of emitting visible light of varying wavelengths in response to changes in the voltage applied to the device. The device comprises a hole processing structure capable of injecting and transporting holes, and usually comprising a hole injecting layer and a hole transporting layer; an electron transport layer in contact with the hole processing structure and comprising one or more layers of semiconductor nanocrystals; and an electron injecting layer in contact with the electron transport layer for injecting electrons into the electron transport layer. The capability of emitting visible light of various wavelengths is principally based on the variations in voltage applied thereto, but the type of semiconductor nanocrystals used and the size of the semiconductor nanocrystals in the layers of semiconductor nanometer crystals may also play a role in color change, in combination with the change in voltage.

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

Usman, Yasir; Kim, Jinho; Muljadi, Eduard

Wake effects cause wind turbine generators (WTGs) within a wind power plant (WPP) to produce different levels of active power and subsequent reactive power capabilities. Further, the impedance between a WTG and the point of interconnection (POI)-which depends on the distance between them-impacts the WPP's reactive power injection capability at the POI. This paper proposes a voltage control scheme for a WPP based on the available reactive current of the doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) and its impacts on the POI to improve the reactive power injection capability of the WPP. In this paper, a design strategy for modifying the gainmore » of DFIG controller is suggested and the comprehensive properties of these control gains are investigated. In the proposed scheme, the WPP controller, which operates in a voltage control mode, sends the command signal to the DFIGs based on the voltage difference at the POI. The DFIG controllers, which operate in a voltage control mode, employ a proportional controller with a limiter. The gain of the proportional controller is adjusted depending on the available reactive current of the DFIG and the series impedance between the DFIG and the POI. The performance of the proposed scheme is validated for various disturbances such as a reactive load connection and grid fault using an EMTP-RV simulator. Furthermore, simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme promptly recovers the POI voltage by injecting more reactive power after a disturbance than the conventional scheme.« less

Conditioning of BPM pickup signals for operations of the Duke storage ring with a wide range of single-bunch current

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Wei; Li, Jing-Yi; Huang, Sen-Lin; Z. Wu, W.; Hao, H.; P., Wang; K. Wu, Y.

2014-10-01

The Duke storage ring is a dedicated driver for the storage ring based oscillator free-electron lasers (FELs), and the High Intensity Gamma-ray Source (HIGS). It is operated with a beam current ranging from about 1 mA to 100 mA per bunch for various operations and accelerator physics studies. High performance operations of the FEL and γ-ray source require a stable electron beam orbit, which has been realized by the global orbit feedback system. As a critical part of the orbit feedback system, the electron beam position monitors (BPMs) are required to be able to precisely measure the electron beam orbit in a wide range of the single-bunch current. However, the high peak voltage of the BPM pickups associated with high single-bunch current degrades the performance of the BPM electronics, and can potentially damage the BPM electronics. A signal conditioning method using low pass filters is developed to reduce the peak voltage to protect the BPM electronics, and to make the BPMs capable of working with a wide range of single-bunch current. Simulations and electron beam based tests are performed. The results show that the Duke storage ring BPM system is capable of providing precise orbit measurements to ensure highly stable FEL and HIGS operations.

NEXT Ion Thruster Performance Dispersion Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soulas, George C.; Patterson, Michael J.

2008-01-01

The NEXT ion thruster is a low specific mass, high performance thruster with a nominal throttling range of 0.5 to 7 kW. Numerous engineering model and one prototype model thrusters have been manufactured and tested. Of significant importance to propulsion system performance is thruster-to-thruster performance dispersions. This type of information can provide a bandwidth of expected performance variations both on a thruster and a component level. Knowledge of these dispersions can be used to more conservatively predict thruster service life capability and thruster performance for mission planning, facilitate future thruster performance comparisons, and verify power processor capabilities are compatible with the thruster design. This study compiles the test results of five engineering model thrusters and one flight-like thruster to determine unit-to-unit dispersions in thruster performance. Component level performance dispersion analyses will include discharge chamber voltages, currents, and losses; accelerator currents, electron backstreaming limits, and perveance limits; and neutralizer keeper and coupling voltages and the spot-to-plume mode transition flow rates. Thruster level performance dispersion analyses will include thrust efficiency.

High Voltage Magnesium-ion Battery Enabled by Nanocluster Mg3Bi2 Alloy Anode in Noncorrosive Electrolyte.

PubMed

Tan, Yi-Hong; Yao, Wei-Tang; Zhang, Tianwen; Ma, Tao; Lu, Lei-Lei; Zhou, Fei; Yao, Hong-Bin; Yu, Shu-Hong

2018-05-03

Currently, developing high voltage (beyond 2 V) rechargeable Mg-ion batteries still remains a great challenge owing to the limit of corrosive electrolyte and low compatibility of anode material. Here we report a facile one step solid state alloying route to synthesize nanoclustered Mg 3 Bi 2 alloy as a high-performance anode to build up a 2 V Mg-ion battery using noncorrosive electrolyte. The fabricated nanoclustered Mg 3 Bi 2 anode delivers a high reversible specific capacity (360 mAh g -1 ) with excellent stability (90.7% capacity retention over 200 cycles) and high Coulombic efficiency (average 98%) at 0.1 A g -1 . The good performance is attributed to the stable nanostructures, which effectively accommodate the reversible Mg 2+ ion insertion/deinsertion without losing electric contact among clusters. Significantly, the nanoclustered Mg 3 Bi 2 anode can be coupled with high voltage cathode Prussian Blue to assemble a full cell using noncorrosive electrolyte, showing a stable cycling (88% capacity retention over 200 cycles at 0.2 A g -1 ) and good rate capability (103 mAh g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 and 58 mAh g -1 at 2 A g -1 ). The energy and power density of the as-fabricated full cell can reach up to 81 Wh kg -1 and 2850 W kg -1 , respectively, which are both the highest values among the reported Mg-ion batteries using noncorrosive electrolytes. This study demonstrates a cost-effective route to fabricate stable and high voltage rechargeable Mg-ion battery potentially for grid-scale energy storage.

Study of switching transients in high frequency converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zinger, Donald S.; Elbuluk, Malik E.; Lee, Tony

1993-01-01

As the semiconductor technologies progress rapidly, the power densities and switching frequencies of many power devices are improved. With the existing technology, high frequency power systems become possible. Use of such a system is advantageous in many aspects. A high frequency ac source is used as the direct input to an ac/ac pulse-density-modulation (PDM) converter. This converter is a new concept which employs zero voltage switching techniques. However, the development of this converter is still in its infancy stage. There are problems associated with this converter such as a high on-voltage drop, switching transients, and zero-crossing detecting. Considering these problems, the switching speed and power handling capabilities of the MOS-Controlled Thyristor (MCT) makes the device the most promising candidate for this application. A complete insight of component considerations for building an ac/ac PDM converter for a high frequency power system is addressed. A power device review is first presented. The ac/ac PDM converter requires switches that can conduct bi-directional current and block bi-directional voltage. These bi-directional switches can be constructed using existing power devices. Different bi-directional switches for the converter are investigated. Detailed experimental studies of the characteristics of the MCT under hard switching and zero-voltage switching are also presented. One disadvantage of an ac/ac converter is that turn-on and turn-off of the switches has to be completed instantaneously when the ac source is at zero voltage. Otherwise shoot-through current or voltage spikes can occur which can be hazardous to the devices. In order for the devices to switch softly in the safe operating area even under non-ideal cases, a unique snubber circuit is used in each bi-directional switch. Detailed theory and experimental results for circuits using these snubbers are presented. A current regulated ac/ac PDM converter built using MCT's and IGBT's is evaluated.

PWM Inverter with Voltage Boosters with Regenerating Capability Augmented by Electric Double-Layer Capacitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamamoto, Kichiro; Imakiire, Akihiro; Iimori, Kenichi

An interior permanent magnet (IPM) motor drive system which has regenerating capability augmented by electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) is proposed. In the proposed system, EDLCs are arranged in series with batteries so that a lesser number of the EDLCs and batteries will be required. The proposed system has two bi-directional voltage boosters: one is for both the batteries and EDLCs to control the dc-link voltage of a PWM inverter and the other is for only the EDLCs and is used to control the energy flow from and to the EDLCs. In this paper, a strategy to control the energy flow to and from the EDLCs is explained and its effectiveness is confirmed by simulation and experimental results. Furthermore, the efficiencies of the voltage booster, inverter, PM motor, and whole system are measured for the system with the basic configuration, i.e., which consists of only one bi-directional voltage booster and PWM inverter. Then, the steady-state characteristics are determined. Finally, the efficiency of the voltage boosters in the proposed system is determined, and the advantage of the proposed PM motor drive system is discussed.

Bipolar lead acid battery development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eskra, Michael; Vidas, Robin; Miles, Ronald; Halpert, Gerald; Attia, Alan; Perrone, David

1991-01-01

A modular bipolar battery configuration is under development at Johnson Control, Inc. (JCI) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The battery design, incorporating proven lead acid electrochemistry, yields a rechargeable, high-power source that is light weight and compact. This configuration offers advantages in power capability, weight, and volume over conventional monopolar batteries and other battery chemistries. The lead acid bipolar battery operates in a sealed, maintenance-free mode allowing for maximum application flexibility. It is ideal for high-voltage and high-power applications.

Voltage control for a wind power plant based on the available reactive current of a DFIG and its impacts on the point of interconnection

DOE PAGES

Usman, Yasir; Kim, Jinho; Muljadi, Eduard; ...

2016-01-01

Wake effects cause wind turbine generators (WTGs) within a wind power plant (WPP) to produce different levels of active power and subsequent reactive power capabilities. Further, the impedance between a WTG and the point of interconnection (POI)-which depends on the distance between them-impacts the WPP's reactive power injection capability at the POI. This paper proposes a voltage control scheme for a WPP based on the available reactive current of the doubly-fed induction generators (DFIGs) and its impacts on the POI to improve the reactive power injection capability of the WPP. In this paper, a design strategy for modifying the gainmore » of DFIG controller is suggested and the comprehensive properties of these control gains are investigated. In the proposed scheme, the WPP controller, which operates in a voltage control mode, sends the command signal to the DFIGs based on the voltage difference at the POI. The DFIG controllers, which operate in a voltage control mode, employ a proportional controller with a limiter. The gain of the proportional controller is adjusted depending on the available reactive current of the DFIG and the series impedance between the DFIG and the POI. The performance of the proposed scheme is validated for various disturbances such as a reactive load connection and grid fault using an EMTP-RV simulator. Furthermore, simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme promptly recovers the POI voltage by injecting more reactive power after a disturbance than the conventional scheme.« less

Process for diffusing metallic coatings into ceramics to improve their voltage withstanding capabilities

DOEpatents

Miller, H. Craig; Zuhr, Herbert F.

1978-01-01

The disclosure relates to a method for diffusing a coating of manganese powder and titanium powder into a ceramic to improve its voltage hold off withstanding capability. The powder coated ceramic is fired for from about 30 to about 90 minutes within about one atmosphere of wet hydrogen at a temperature within the range of from about 1450.degree. to about 1520.degree. C to cause the mixture to penetrate into the ceramic to a depth on the order of a millimeter.

Evaluation of the ruggedness of power DMOS transistor from electro-thermal simulation of UIS behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donoval, Daniel; Vrbicky, Andrej; Marek, Juraj; Chvala, Ales; Beno, Peter

2008-06-01

High-voltage power MOSFETs have been widely used in switching mode power supply circuits as output drivers for industrial and automotive electronic control systems. However, as the device size is reduced, the energy handling capability is becoming a very important issue to be addressed together with the trade-off between the series on-resistance RON and breakdown voltage VBR. Unclamped inductive switching (UIS) condition represents the circuit switching operation for evaluating the "ruggedness", which characterizes the device capability to handle high avalanche currents during the applied stress. In this paper we present an experimental method which modifies the standard UIS test and allows extraction of the maximum device temperature after the applied standard stress pulse vanishes. Corresponding analysis and non-destructive prediction of the ruggedness of power DMOSFETs devices supported by advanced 2-D mixed mode electro-thermal device and circuit simulation under UIS conditions using calibrated physical models is provided also. The results of numerical simulation are in a very good correlation with experimental characteristics and contribute to their physical interpretation by identification of the mechanism of heat generation and heat source location and continuous temperature extraction.

Evaluation of a miniature magnetostrictive actuator using Galfenol under tensile stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueno, Toshiyuki; Miura, Hidemitsu; Yamada, Sotoshi

2011-02-01

We are, at present, developing miniature actuators using an iron-gallium alloy (Galfenol). Galfenol is an iron-based magnetostrictive material with magnetostriction exceeding 200 ppm, Young's modulus of 70 GPa and a high relative permeability (>100). The advantages of an actuator using this material are capability of miniaturization, stability against external force, low voltage driving and high power. In this study, a miniature vibrator using an E core of Galfenol under tensile stress up to 20 MPa was investigated. The vibrator did not fracture and maintained the magnetostriction even under a high tensile stress. In addition, the resonance frequency, unchanged under the tensile stress, was lower than the cutoff frequency, hence the vibrator can be driven with a low voltage even in resonance driving. The temperature rise in resonance driving was low and creep was not observed in resonance driving under tensile stress. The vibrator will be applicable in flat panel or bone conductive speakers.

A compact, smart Langmuir Probe control module for MAST-Upgrade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lovell, J.; Stephen, R.; Bray, S.; Naylor, G.; Elmore, S.; Willett, H.; Peterka, M.; Dimitrova, M.; Havranek, A.; Hron, M.; Sharples, R.

2017-11-01

A new control module for the MAST-Upgrade Langmuir Probe system has been developed. It is based on a Xilinx Zynq FPGA, which allows for excellent configurability and ease of retrieving data. The module is capable of arbitrary bias voltage waveform generation, and digitises current and voltage readings from 16 probes. The probes are biased and measured one at a time in a time multiplexed fashion, with the multiplexing sequence completely configurable. In addition, simultaneous digitisation of the floating potential of all unbiased probes is possible. A suite of these modules, each coupled with a high voltage amplifier, enables biasing and digitisation of 640 Langmuir Probes in the MAST-Upgrade Super-X divertor. The system has been successfully tested on the York Linear Plasma Device and on the COMPASS tokamak. It will be installed on MAST-Upgrade ready for operations in 2018.

Low-threshold voltage ultraviolet light-emitting diodes based on (Al,Ga)N metal-insulator-semiconductor structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Yu-Han; Towe, Elias

2017-12-01

Al-rich III-nitride-based deep-ultraviolet (UV) (275-320 nm) light-emitting diodes are plagued with a low emission efficiency and high turn-on voltages. We report Al-rich (Al,Ga)N metal-insulator-semiconductor UV light-emitting Schottky diodes with low turn-on voltages of <3 V, which are about half those of typical (Al,Ga)N p-i-n diodes. Our devices use a thin AlN film as the insulator and an n-type Al0.58Ga0.42N film as the semiconductor. To improve the efficiency, we inserted a GaN quantum-well structure between the AlN insulator and the n-type Al x Ga1- x N semiconductor. The benefits of the quantum-well structure include the potential to tune the emission wavelength and the capability to confine carriers for more efficient radiative recombination.

Review of biased solar arraay. Plasma interaction studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, N. J.

1981-01-01

The Solar Electric Propulsion System (SEPS) is proposed for a variety of space missions. Power for operating SEPS is obtained from large solar array wings capable of generating tens of kilowatts of power. To minimize resistive losses in the solar array bus lines, the array is designed to operate at voltages up to 400 volts. This use of high voltage can increase interactions between the biased solar cell interconnects and plasma environments. With thrusters operating, the system ground is maintained at space plasma potential which exposes large areas of the arrays at the operating voltages. This can increase interactions with both the natural and enhanced charged particle environments. Available data on interactions between biased solar array surfaces and plasma environments are summarized. The apparent relationship between collection phenomena and solar cell size and effects of array size on interactions are discussed. The impact of these interactions on SEPS performance is presented.

Ultrahigh surface area meso/microporous carbon formed with self-template for high-voltage aqueous supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jie; Hu, Jiangtao; Zhu, Min; Zhao, Yan; Chen, Haibiao; Pan, Feng

2017-10-01

A new hierarchically porous carbon has been synthesized with self-template of silica phase from a commercial silicone resin by pyrolysis and subsequent NaOH activation. The obtained carbon materials achieve an ultrahigh specific surface area (2896 m2 g-1) with abundant mesopores. The C800 sample demonstrates excellent performance in supercapacitors, with a high capacitance of 322 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 and outstanding rate capability (182 F g-1 at 100 A g-1) in a three-electrode system using 6.0 mol L-1 KOH electrolyte. The energy density is improved by widening the voltage window using 1.0 mol L-1 alkali metal nitrate solutions (LiNO3, NaNO3, KNO3) in which the strong solvation of alkali metal cations and nitrate anions effectively reduce the activity of water. In a symmetric supercapacitor, the maximum operating voltage is essentially restricted by the potential of positive electrode and the total capacitance is dominated by the capacitance of the anion at the positive electrode. The symmetric supercapacitors based on C800 deliver a high energy density of 22.4 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 0.23 kW kg-1 in 1.0 mol L-1 LiNO3 with a voltage of 1.8 V and long-term stability with a retention of 89.87% after 10000 cycles.

A novel control strategy for enhancing the LVRT and voltage support capabilities of DFIG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Yangwu; Zhang, Bin; Liang, Liqing; Cui, Ting

2018-02-01

A novel integrated control strategy is proposed in this paper to enhance the low voltage ride through capacity for the double-fed induction generator by equipping an energy storage system. The energy storage system is installed into the DC-link capacitor of the DFIG and used to control the DC-link voltage during normal or transient operations. The energy storage device will absorb or compensate the power difference between the captured wind power and the power injected to the grid during the normal and transient period, and the grid side converter can be free from maintaining the voltage stability of the DC-link capacitor. Thus, the grid-side converter is changed to reactive power support while the rotor-side converter is used to control the maximum power production during normal operation. The grid-side converter and rotor-side converter will act as reactive power sources to further enhance the voltage support capability of double-fed induction generator during the transient period. Numerical Simulation are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed control designs.

Experimental Verification of a Dynamic Voltage Restorer Capable of Significantly Reducing an Energy-Storage Element

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jimichi, Takushi; Fujita, Hideaki; Akagi, Hirofumi

This paper deals with a dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) characterized by installing the shunt converter at the load side. The DVR can compensate for the load voltage when a voltage sag appears in the supply voltage. An existing DVR requires a large capacitor bank or other energy-storage elements such as double-layer capacitors or batteries. The DVR presented in this paper requires only a small dc capacitor intended for smoothing the dc-link voltage. Moreover, three control methods for the series converter are compared and discussed to reduce the series-converter rating, paying attention to the zero-sequence voltages included in the supply voltage and the compensating voltage. Experimental results obtained from a 200-V, 5-kW laboratory system are shown to verify the viability of the system configuration and the control methods.

High-voltage lateral double-implanted MOSFETs implemented on high-purity semi-insulating 4H-SiC substrates with gate field plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seok, Ogyun; Kim, Hyoung Woo; Moon, Jeong Hyun; Lee, Hyun-Su; Bahng, Wook

2018-06-01

Lateral double-implanted MOSFETs (LDIMOSFETs) fabricated on on-axis high-purity semi-insulating (HPSI) 4H-SiC substrates with gate field plates have been demonstrated for the enhancement of reverse blocking capability. The effects of gate field plate on LDIMOSFET were analyzed by simulation and experimental methods. The electric field concentration at the gate edge was successfully suppressed by a gate field plate. A high breakdown voltage of 934 V and a figure of merit of 14.6 MW/cm2 were achieved at L FP of 2 µm and L drift of 15 µm, while those of the conventional device without a gate field plate were 744 V and 13.3 MW/cm2, respectively. Also, the fabricated device shows stable blocking characteristics at a high temperature of 250 °C. The drain leakage was increased by only 22% at 250 °C compared with that at room temperature.

RADIATION COUNTER

DOEpatents

Goldsworthy, W.W.

1958-02-01

This patent relates to a radiation counter, and more particularly, to a scintillation counter having high uniform sensitivity over a wide area and capable of measuring alpha, beta, and gamma contamination over wide energy ranges, for use in quickly checking the contami-nation of personnel. Several photomultiplier tubes are disposed in parallel relationship with a light tight housing behind a wall of scintillation material. Mounted within the housing with the photomultipliers are circuit means for producing an audible sound for each pulse detected, and a range selector developing a voltage proportional to the repetition rate of the detected pulses and automatically altering its time constant when the voltage reaches a predetermined value, so that manual range adjustment of associated metering means is not required.

Performance of (CoPC)n catalyst in active lithium-thionyl chloride cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shah, Pinakin M.

1990-01-01

An experimental study was conducted with anode limited D size cells to characterize the performance of an active lithium-thionyl chloride (Li/SOCl2) system using the polymeric cobalt phthalocyanine, (CoPC)n, catalyst in carbon cathodes. The author describes the results of this experiment with respect to initial voltage delays, operating voltages, and capacities. The effectiveness of the preconditioning methods evolved to alleviate passivation effects on storage are also discussed. The results clearly demonstrated the superior high rate capability of cells with the catalyst. The catalyst did not adversely impact the performance of cells after active storage for up to 6 months, while retaining its beneficial influences.

High-Energy-Density Electrolytic Capacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yen, Shiao-Ping S.; Lewis, Carol R.

1993-01-01

Reductions in weight and volume make new application possible. Supercapacitors and improved ultracapacitors advanced electrolytic capacitors developed for use as electric-load-leveling devices in such applications as electric vehicle propulsion systems, portable power tools, and low-voltage pulsed power supplies. One primary advantage: offer power densities much higher than storage batteries. Capacitors used in pulse mode, with short charge and discharge times. Derived from commercially available ultracapacitors. Made of lightweight materials; incorporate electrode/electrolyte material systems capable of operation at voltages higher than previous electrode/electrolyte systems. By use of innovative designs and manufacturing processes, made in wide range of rated capacitances and in rated operating potentials ranging from few to several hundred volts.

A non-volatile organic electrochemical device as a low-voltage artificial synapse for neuromorphic computing

DOE PAGES

van de Burgt, Yoeri; Lubberman, Ewout; Fuller, Elliot J.; ...

2017-02-20

The brain is capable of massively parallel information processing while consuming only ~1- 100 fJ per synaptic event. Inspired by the efficiency of the brain, CMOS-based neural architectures and memristors are being developed for pattern recognition and machine learning. However, the volatility, design complexity and high supply voltages for CMOS architectures, and the stochastic and energy-costly switching of memristors complicate the path to achieve the interconnectivity, information density, and energy efficiency of the brain using either approach. Here we describe an electrochemical neuromorphic organic device (ENODe) operating with a fundamentally different mechanism from existing memristors. ENODe switches at low energymore » (<10 pJ for 10 3 μm 2 devices) and voltage, displays >500 distinct, non-volatile conductance states within a ~1 V range, and achieves high classification accuracy when implemented in neural network simulations. Plastic ENODEs are also fabricated on flexible substrates enabling the integration of neuromorphic functionality in stretchable electronic systems. Mechanical flexibility makes ENODes compatible with 3D architectures, opening a path towards extreme interconnectivity comparable to the human brain.« less

A non-volatile organic electrochemical device as a low-voltage artificial synapse for neuromorphic computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van de Burgt, Yoeri; Lubberman, Ewout; Fuller, Elliot J.; Keene, Scott T.; Faria, Grégorio C.; Agarwal, Sapan; Marinella, Matthew J.; Alec Talin, A.; Salleo, Alberto

2017-04-01

The brain is capable of massively parallel information processing while consuming only ~1-100 fJ per synaptic event. Inspired by the efficiency of the brain, CMOS-based neural architectures and memristors are being developed for pattern recognition and machine learning. However, the volatility, design complexity and high supply voltages for CMOS architectures, and the stochastic and energy-costly switching of memristors complicate the path to achieve the interconnectivity, information density, and energy efficiency of the brain using either approach. Here we describe an electrochemical neuromorphic organic device (ENODe) operating with a fundamentally different mechanism from existing memristors. ENODe switches at low voltage and energy (<10 pJ for 103 μm2 devices), displays >500 distinct, non-volatile conductance states within a ~1 V range, and achieves high classification accuracy when implemented in neural network simulations. Plastic ENODes are also fabricated on flexible substrates enabling the integration of neuromorphic functionality in stretchable electronic systems. Mechanical flexibility makes ENODes compatible with three-dimensional architectures, opening a path towards extreme interconnectivity comparable to the human brain.

A non-volatile organic electrochemical device as a low-voltage artificial synapse for neuromorphic computing.

PubMed

van de Burgt, Yoeri; Lubberman, Ewout; Fuller, Elliot J; Keene, Scott T; Faria, Grégorio C; Agarwal, Sapan; Marinella, Matthew J; Alec Talin, A; Salleo, Alberto

2017-04-01

The brain is capable of massively parallel information processing while consuming only ∼1-100 fJ per synaptic event. Inspired by the efficiency of the brain, CMOS-based neural architectures and memristors are being developed for pattern recognition and machine learning. However, the volatility, design complexity and high supply voltages for CMOS architectures, and the stochastic and energy-costly switching of memristors complicate the path to achieve the interconnectivity, information density, and energy efficiency of the brain using either approach. Here we describe an electrochemical neuromorphic organic device (ENODe) operating with a fundamentally different mechanism from existing memristors. ENODe switches at low voltage and energy (<10 pJ for 10 3  μm 2 devices), displays >500 distinct, non-volatile conductance states within a ∼1 V range, and achieves high classification accuracy when implemented in neural network simulations. Plastic ENODes are also fabricated on flexible substrates enabling the integration of neuromorphic functionality in stretchable electronic systems. Mechanical flexibility makes ENODes compatible with three-dimensional architectures, opening a path towards extreme interconnectivity comparable to the human brain.

High Energy Density Li-ion Cells for EV’s Based on Novel, High Voltage Cathode Material Systems

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

Kepler, Keith D.; Slater, Michael

This Li-ion cell technology development project had three objectives: to develop advanced electrode materials and cell components to enable stable high-voltage operation; to design and demonstrate a Li-ion cell using these materials that meets the PHEV40 performance targets; and to design and demonstrate a Li-ion cell using these materials that meets the EV performance targets. The major challenge to creating stable high energy cells with long cycle life is system integration. Although materials that can give high energy cells are known, stabilizing them towards long-term cycling in the presence of other novel cell components is a major challenge. The majormore » technical barriers addressed by this work include low cathode specific energy, poor electrolyte stability during high voltage operation, and insufficient capacity retention during deep discharge for Si-containing anodes. Through the course of this project, Farasis was able to improve capacity retention of NCM materials for 4.4+ V operation, through both surface treatment and bulk-doping approaches. Other material advances include increased rate capability and of HE-NCM materials through novel synthesis approach, doubling the relative capacity at 1C over materials synthesized using standard methods. Silicon active materials proved challenging throughout the project and ultimately were the limiting factor in the energy density vs. cycle life trade off. By avoiding silicon anodes for the lower energy PHEV design, we manufactured cells with intermediate energy density and long cycle life under high voltage operation for PHEV applications. Cells with high energy density for EV applications were manufactured targeting a 300 Wh/kg design and were able to achieve > 200 cycles.« less

High voltage spinel oxides for Li-ion batteries: From the material research to the application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patoux, Sébastien; Daniel, Lise; Bourbon, Carole; Lignier, Hélène; Pagano, Carole; Le Cras, Frédéric; Jouanneau, Séverine; Martinet, Sébastien

Li-ion batteries are already used in many nomad applications, but improvement of this technology is still necessary to be durably introduced on new markets such as electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) or eventually photovoltaic solar cells. Modification of the nature of the active materials of electrodes is the most challenging and innovative aspect. High voltage spinel oxides for Li-ion batteries, with general composition LiMn 2- xM xO 4 (M a transition metal element), may be used to face increasing power source demand. It should be possible to obtain up to 240 Wh kg -1 at cell level when combining a nickel manganese spinel oxide with graphite (even more with silicon/carbon nanocomposites at the anode). Specific composition and material processing have to be selected with care, as discussed in this paper. It is demonstrated that 'LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O 4' and LiNi 0.4Mn 1.6O 4 have remarkable properties such as high potential, high energy density, good cycle life and high rate capability. Choice of the electrolyte is also of primary importance in order to prevent its degradation at high voltage in contact with active surfaces. We showed that a few percents of additive in the electrolyte were suitable for protecting the positive electrode/electrolyte interface, and reducing the self-discharge. High voltage materials are also possibly interesting to be used in safe and high power Li-ion cells. In this case, the negative electrode may be made of Li 4Ti 5O 12 or TiO 2 to give a '3 V' system.

Recording membrane potential changes through photoacoustic voltage sensitive dye

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Haichong K.; Kang, Jeeun; Yan, Ping; Abou, Diane S.; Le, Hanh N. D.; Thorek, Daniel L. J.; Kang, Jin U.; Gjedde, Albert; Rahmim, Arman; Wong, Dean F.; Loew, Leslie M.; Boctor, Emad M.

2017-03-01

Monitoring of the membrane potential is possible using voltage sensitive dyes (VSD), where fluorescence intensity changes in response to neuronal electrical activity. However, fluorescence imaging is limited by depth of penetration and high scattering losses, which leads to low sensitivity in vivo systems for external detection. In contrast, photoacoustic (PA) imaging, an emerging modality, is capable of deep tissue, noninvasive imaging by combining near infrared light excitation and ultrasound detection. In this work, we develop the theoretical concept whereby the voltage-dependent quenching of dye fluorescence leads to a reciprocal enhancement of PA intensity. Based on this concept, we synthesized a novel near infrared photoacoustic VSD (PA-VSD) whose PA intensity change is sensitive to membrane potential. In the polarized state, this cyanine-based probe enhances PA intensity while decreasing fluorescence output in a lipid vesicle membrane model. With a 3-9 μM VSD concentration, we measured a PA signal increase in the range of 5.3 % to 18.1 %, and observed a corresponding signal reduction in fluorescence emission of 30.0 % to 48.7 %. A theoretical model successfully accounts for how the experimental PA intensity change depends on fluorescence and absorbance properties of the dye. These results not only demonstrate the voltage sensing capability of the dye, but also indicate the necessity of considering both fluorescence and absorbance spectral sensitivities in order to optimize the characteristics of improved photoacoustic probes. Together, our results demonstrate photoacoustic sensing as a potential new modality for sub-second recording and external imaging of electrophysiological and neurochemical events in the brain.

Hardening measures for bipolar transistors against microwave-induced damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chai, Chang-Chun; Ma, Zhen-Yang; Ren, Xing-Rong; Yang, Yin-Tang; Zhao, Ying-Bo; Yu, Xin-Hai

2013-06-01

In the present paper we study the influences of the bias voltage and the external components on the damage progress of a bipolar transistor induced by high-power microwaves. The mechanism is presented by analyzing the variation in the internal distribution of the temperature in the device. The findings show that the device becomes less vulnerable to damage with an increase in bias voltage. Both the series diode at the base and the relatively low series resistance at the emitter, Re, can obviously prolong the burnout time of the device. However, Re will aid damage to the device when the value is sufficiently high due to the fact that the highest hot spot shifts from the base-emitter junction to the base region. Moreover, the series resistance at the base Rb will weaken the capability of the device to withstand microwave damage.

Power capability evaluation for lithium iron phosphate batteries based on multi-parameter constraints estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yujie; Pan, Rui; Liu, Chang; Chen, Zonghai; Ling, Qiang

2018-01-01

The battery power capability is intimately correlated with the climbing, braking and accelerating performance of the electric vehicles. Accurate power capability prediction can not only guarantee the safety but also regulate driving behavior and optimize battery energy usage. However, the nonlinearity of the battery model is very complex especially for the lithium iron phosphate batteries. Besides, the hysteresis loop in the open-circuit voltage curve is easy to cause large error in model prediction. In this work, a multi-parameter constraints dynamic estimation method is proposed to predict the battery continuous period power capability. A high-fidelity battery model which considers the battery polarization and hysteresis phenomenon is presented to approximate the high nonlinearity of the lithium iron phosphate battery. Explicit analyses of power capability with multiple constraints are elaborated, specifically the state-of-energy is considered in power capability assessment. Furthermore, to solve the problem of nonlinear system state estimation, and suppress noise interference, the UKF based state observer is employed for power capability prediction. The performance of the proposed methodology is demonstrated by experiments under different dynamic characterization schedules. The charge and discharge power capabilities of the lithium iron phosphate batteries are quantitatively assessed under different time scales and temperatures.

Combinatorial mutagenesis of the voltage-sensing domain enables the optical resolution of action potentials firing at 60 Hz by a genetically encoded fluorescent sensor of membrane potential.

PubMed

Piao, Hong Hua; Rajakumar, Dhanarajan; Kang, Bok Eum; Kim, Eun Ha; Baker, Bradley J

2015-01-07

ArcLight is a genetically encoded fluorescent voltage sensor using the voltage-sensing domain of the voltage-sensing phosphatase from Ciona intestinalis that gives a large but slow-responding optical signal in response to changes in membrane potential (Jin et al., 2012). Fluorescent voltage sensors using the voltage-sensing domain from other species give faster yet weaker optical signals (Baker et al., 2012; Han et al., 2013). Sequence alignment of voltage-sensing phosphatases from different species revealed conserved polar and charged residues at 7 aa intervals in the S1-S3 transmembrane segments of the voltage-sensing domain, suggesting potential coil-coil interactions. The contribution of these residues to the voltage-induced optical signal was tested using a cassette mutagenesis screen by flanking each transmembrane segment with unique restriction sites to allow for the testing of individual mutations in each transmembrane segment, as well as combinations in all four transmembrane segments. Addition of a counter charge in S2 improved the kinetics of the optical response. A double mutation in the S4 domain dramatically reduced the slow component of the optical signal seen in ArcLight. Combining that double S4 mutant with the mutation in the S2 domain yielded a probe with kinetics <10 ms. Optimization of the linker sequence between S4 and the fluorescent protein resulted in a new ArcLight-derived probe, Bongwoori, capable of resolving action potentials in a hippocampal neuron firing at 60 Hz. Additional manipulation of the voltage-sensing domain could potentially lead to fluorescent sensors capable of optically resolving neuronal inhibition and subthreshold synaptic activity. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/350372-15$15.00/0.

Adaptive Hierarchical Voltage Control of a DFIG-Based Wind Power Plant for a Grid Fault

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

Kim, Jinho; Muljadi, Eduard; Park, Jung-Wook

This paper proposes an adaptive hierarchical voltage control scheme of a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG)-based wind power plant (WPP) that can secure more reserve of reactive power (Q) in the WPP against a grid fault. To achieve this, each DFIG controller employs an adaptive reactive power to voltage (Q-V) characteristic. The proposed adaptive Q-V characteristic is temporally modified depending on the available Q capability of a DFIG; it is dependent on the distance from a DFIG to the point of common coupling (PCC). The proposed characteristic secures more Q reserve in the WPP than the fixed one. Furthermore, it allowsmore » DFIGs to promptly inject up to the Q limit, thereby improving the PCC voltage support. To avert an overvoltage after the fault clearance, washout filters are implemented in the WPP and DFIG controllers; they can prevent a surplus Q injection after the fault clearance by eliminating the accumulated values in the proportional-integral controllers of both controllers during the fault. Test results demonstrate that the scheme can improve the voltage support capability during the fault and suppress transient overvoltage after the fault clearance under scenarios of various system and fault conditions; therefore, it helps ensure grid resilience by supporting the voltage stability.« less

CREE: Making the Switch

ScienceCinema

Grider, David; Palmer, John

2018-05-11

CREE, with the help of ARPA-E funding, has developed a Silicon Carbide (SIC) transistor which can be used to create solid state transformers capable of meeting the unique needs of the emerging smart grid. SIC transistors are different from common silicon computer chips in that they handle grid scale voltages with ease and their high frequency switching is well suited to the intermittent nature of renewable energy generation.

A 500 A device characterizer utilizing a pulsed-linear amplifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacouture, Shelby; Bayne, Stephen

2016-02-01

With the advent of modern power semiconductor switching elements, the envelope defining "high power" is an ever increasing quantity. Characterization of these semiconductor power devices generally falls into two categories: switching, or transient characteristics, and static, or DC characteristics. With the increasing native voltage and current levels that modern power devices are capable of handling, characterization equipment meant to extract quasi-static IV curves has not kept pace, often leaving researchers with no other option than to construct ad hoc curve tracers from disparate pieces of equipment. In this paper, a dedicated 10 V, 500 A curve tracer was designed and constructed for use with state of the art high power semiconductor switching and control elements. The characterizer is a physically small, pulsed power system at the heart of which is a relatively high power linear amplifier operating in a switched manner in order to deliver well defined square voltage pulses. These actively shaped pulses are used to obtain device's quasi-static DC characteristics accurately without causing any damage to the device tested. Voltage and current waveforms from each pulse are recorded simultaneously by two separate high-speed analog to digital converters and averaged over a specified interval to obtain points in the reconstructed IV graph.

A high-performance supercapacitor electrode based on N-doped porous graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Shuge; Liu, Zhen; Zhao, Bote; Zeng, Jianhuang; Hu, Hao; Zhang, Qiaobao; Chen, Dongchang; Qu, Chong; Dang, Dai; Liu, Meilin

2018-05-01

The development of high-performance supercapacitors (SCs) often faces some contradictory and competing requirements such as excellent rate capability, long cycling life, and high energy density. One effective strategy is to explore electrode materials of high capacitance, electrode architectures of fast charge and mass transfer, and electrolytes of wide voltage window. Here we report a facile and readily scalable strategy to produce high-performance N-doped graphene with a high specific capacitance (∼390 F g-1). A symmetric SC device with a wide voltage window of 3.5 V is also successfully fabricated based on the N-doped graphene electrode. More importantly, the as-assembled symmetric SC delivers a high energy density of 55 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 1800 W kg-1 while maintaining superior cycling life (retaining 96.6% of the initial capacitance after 20,000 cycles). Even at a power density as high as 8800 W kg-1, it still retains an energy density of 29 Wh kg-1, higher than those of previously reported graphene-based symmetric SCs.

An ultra-thin, un-doped NiO hole transporting layer of highly efficient (16.4%) organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells.

PubMed

Seo, Seongrok; Park, Ik Jae; Kim, Myungjun; Lee, Seonhee; Bae, Changdeuck; Jung, Hyun Suk; Park, Nam-Gyu; Kim, Jin Young; Shin, Hyunjung

2016-06-02

NiO is a wide band gap p-type oxide semiconductor and has potential for applications in solar energy conversion as a hole-transporting layer (HTL). It also has good optical transparency and high chemical stability, and the capability of aligning the band edges to the perovskite (CH3NH3PbI3) layers. Ultra-thin and un-doped NiO films with much less absorption loss were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) with highly precise control over thickness without any pinholes. Thin enough (5-7.5 nm in thickness) NiO films with the thickness of few time the Debye length (LD = 1-2 nm for NiO) show enough conductivities achieved by overlapping space charge regions. The inverted planar perovskite solar cells with NiO films as HTLs exhibited the highest energy conversion efficiency of 16.40% with high open circuit voltage (1.04 V) and fill factor (0.72) with negligible current-voltage hysteresis.

Advanced thermopower wave in novel ZnO nanostructures/fuel composite.

PubMed

Lee, Kang Yeol; Hwang, Hayoung; Choi, Wonjoon

2014-09-10

Thermopower wave is a new concept of energy conversion from chemical to thermal to electrical energy, produced from the chemical reaction in well-designed hybrid structures between nanomaterials and combustible fuels. The enhancement and optimization of energy generation is essential to make it useful for future applications. In this study, we demonstrate that simple solution-based synthesized zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures, such as nanorods and nanoparticles are capable of generating high output voltage from thermopower waves. In particular, an astonishing improvement in the output voltage (up to 3 V; average 2.3 V) was achieved in a ZnO nanorods-based composite film with a solid fuel (collodion, 5% nitrocellulose), which generated an exothermic chemical reaction. Detailed analyses of thermopower waves in ZnO nanorods- and cube-like nanoparticles-based hybrid composites have been reported in which nanostructures, output voltage profile, wave propagation velocities, and surface temperature have been characterized. The average combustion velocities for a ZnO nanorods/fuel and a ZnO cube-like nanoparticles/fuel composites were 40.3 and 30.0 mm/s, while the average output voltages for these composites were 2.3 and 1.73 V. The high output voltage was attributed to the amplified temperature in intermixed composite of ZnO nanostructures and fuel due to the confined diffusive heat transfer in nanostructures. Moreover, the extended interfacial areas between ZnO nanorods and fuel induced large amplification in the dynamic change of the chemical potential, and it resulted in the enhanced output voltage. The differences of reaction velocity and the output voltage between ZnO nanorods- and ZnO cube-like nanoparticles-based composites were attributed to variations in electron mobility and grain boundary, as well as thermal conductivities of ZnO nanorods and particles. Understanding this astonishing increase and the variation of the output voltage and reaction velocity, precise ZnO nanostructures, will help in formulating specific strategies for obtaining enhanced energy generation from thermopower waves.

Dual design resistor for high voltage conditioning and transmission lines

DOEpatents

Siggins, Timothy Lynn [Newport News, VA; Murray, Charles W [Hayes, VA; Walker, Richard L [Norfolk, VA

2007-01-23

A dual resistor for eliminating the requirement for two different value resistors. The dual resistor includes a conditioning resistor at a high resistance value and a run resistor at a low resistance value. The run resistor can travel inside the conditioning resistor. The run resistor is capable of being advanced by a drive assembly until an electrical path is completed through the run resistor thereby shorting out the conditioning resistor and allowing the lower resistance run resistor to take over as the current carrier.

Slope seeking for autonomous lift improvement by plasma surface discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benard, Nicolas; Moreau, Eric; Griffin, John; Cattafesta, Louis N., III

2010-05-01

The present paper describes an experimental investigation of closed-loop separation control using plasma actuators. The post-stall-separated flow over a NACA 0015 airfoil is controlled using a single dielectric barrier discharge actuator located at the leading edge. Open-loop measurements are first performed to highlight the effects of the voltage amplitude on the control authority for freestream velocities of 10-30 m/s (chord Re = 1.3 × 105 to 4 × 105). The results indicate that partial or full reattachment can be achieved and motivate the choice of the slope seeking approach as the control algorithm. A single-input/single-output algorithm is used to autonomously seek the optimal voltage required to achieve the control objective (full flow reattachment associated with maximum lift). The paper briefly introduces the concept of slope seeking, and a detailed parameterization of the controller is considered. Static (fixed speed) closed-loop experiments are then discussed, which demonstrate the capability of the algorithm. In each case, the flow can be reattached in an autonomous fashion. The last part of the paper demonstrates the robustness of the gradient-based, model-free scheme for dynamic freestream conditions. This paper highlights the capability of slope seeking to autonomously achieve high lift when used to drive the voltage of a plasma actuator. It also describes the advantages and drawbacks of such a closed-loop approach.

Voltage controlled spintronic devices for logic applications

DOEpatents

You, Chun-Yeol; Bader, Samuel D.

2001-01-01

A reprogrammable logic gate comprising first and second voltage-controlled rotation transistors. Each transistor comprises three ferromagnetic layers with a spacer and insulating layer between the first and second ferromagnetic layers and an additional insulating layer between the second and third ferromagnetic layers. The third ferromagnetic layer of each transistor is connected to each other, and a constant external voltage source is applied to the second ferromagnetic layer of the first transistor. As input voltages are applied to the first ferromagnetic layer of each transistor, the relative directions of magnetization of the ferromagnetic layers and the magnitude of the external voltage determines the output voltage of the gate. By altering these parameters, the logic gate is capable of behaving as AND, OR, NAND, or NOR gates.

Power conditioning using dynamic voltage restorers under different voltage sag types.

PubMed

Saeed, Ahmed M; Abdel Aleem, Shady H E; Ibrahim, Ahmed M; Balci, Murat E; El-Zahab, Essam E A

2016-01-01

Voltage sags can be symmetrical or unsymmetrical depending on the causes of the sag. At the present time, one of the most common procedures for mitigating voltage sags is by the use of dynamic voltage restorers (DVRs). By definition, a DVR is a controlled voltage source inserted between the network and a sensitive load through a booster transformer injecting voltage into the network in order to correct any disturbance affecting a sensitive load voltage. In this paper, modelling of DVR for voltage correction using MatLab software is presented. The performance of the device under different voltage sag types is described, where the voltage sag types are introduced using the different types of short-circuit faults included in the environment of the MatLab/Simulink package. The robustness of the proposed device is evaluated using the common voltage sag indices, while taking into account voltage and current unbalance percentages, where maintaining the total harmonic distortion percentage of the load voltage within a specified range is desired. Finally, several simulation results are shown in order to highlight that the DVR is capable of effective correction of the voltage sag while minimizing the grid voltage unbalance and distortion, regardless of the fault type.

Power conditioning using dynamic voltage restorers under different voltage sag types

PubMed Central

Saeed, Ahmed M.; Abdel Aleem, Shady H.E.; Ibrahim, Ahmed M.; Balci, Murat E.; El-Zahab, Essam E.A.

2015-01-01

Voltage sags can be symmetrical or unsymmetrical depending on the causes of the sag. At the present time, one of the most common procedures for mitigating voltage sags is by the use of dynamic voltage restorers (DVRs). By definition, a DVR is a controlled voltage source inserted between the network and a sensitive load through a booster transformer injecting voltage into the network in order to correct any disturbance affecting a sensitive load voltage. In this paper, modelling of DVR for voltage correction using MatLab software is presented. The performance of the device under different voltage sag types is described, where the voltage sag types are introduced using the different types of short-circuit faults included in the environment of the MatLab/Simulink package. The robustness of the proposed device is evaluated using the common voltage sag indices, while taking into account voltage and current unbalance percentages, where maintaining the total harmonic distortion percentage of the load voltage within a specified range is desired. Finally, several simulation results are shown in order to highlight that the DVR is capable of effective correction of the voltage sag while minimizing the grid voltage unbalance and distortion, regardless of the fault type. PMID:26843975

High stored-energy breakdown tests on electrodes made of stainless steel, copper, titanium and molybdenum

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

Esch, H. P. L. de, E-mail: hubert.de-esch@cea.fr; Simonin, A.; Grand, C.

2015-04-08

IRFM have conducted resilience tests on electrodes made of Cu, stainless steel 304L, Ti and Mo against breakdowns up to 170 kV and 300 J. The tests of the 10×10 cm{sup 2} electrodes have been performed at an electrode distance d=11 mm under vacuum (P∼5×10{sup −6} mbar). No great difference in voltage holding between the materials could be identified; all materials could reach a voltage holding between 140 and 170 kV over the 11 mm gap, i.e. results scatter within a ±10% band. After exposure to ∼10000 seconds of high-voltage (HV) on-time, having accumulated ∼1000 breakdowns, the electrodes were inspected. The anodes were covered with largemore » and small craters. The rugosity of the anodes had increased substantially, that of the cathodes to a lesser extent. The molybdenum electrodes are least affected, but this does not show in their voltage holding capability. It is hypothesized that penetrating high-energy electrons from the breakdown project heat below the surface of the anode and cause a micro-explosion of material when melting point is exceeded. Polished electrodes have also been tested. The polishing results in a substantially reduced breakdown rate in the beginning, but after having suffered a relatively small number (∼100) of breakdowns, the polished electrodes behaved the same as the unpolished ones.« less

A variable capacitance based modeling and power capability predicting method for ultracapacitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Chang; Wang, Yujie; Chen, Zonghai; Ling, Qiang

2018-01-01

Methods of accurate modeling and power capability predicting for ultracapacitors are of great significance in management and application of lithium-ion battery/ultracapacitor hybrid energy storage system. To overcome the simulation error coming from constant capacitance model, an improved ultracapacitor model based on variable capacitance is proposed, where the main capacitance varies with voltage according to a piecewise linear function. A novel state-of-charge calculation approach is developed accordingly. After that, a multi-constraint power capability prediction is developed for ultracapacitor, in which a Kalman-filter-based state observer is designed for tracking ultracapacitor's real-time behavior. Finally, experimental results verify the proposed methods. The accuracy of the proposed model is verified by terminal voltage simulating results under different temperatures, and the effectiveness of the designed observer is proved by various test conditions. Additionally, the power capability prediction results of different time scales and temperatures are compared, to study their effects on ultracapacitor's power capability.

Adsorption and diffusion of mono, di, and trivalent ions on two-dimensional TiS2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samad, Abdus; Shafique, Aamir; Shin, Young-Han

2017-04-01

A comparative study of the monovalent (Li, Na, and K) and multivalent (Be, Mg, Ca, and Al) metal ion adsorption and diffusion on an electronically semi-metallic two-dimensional nanosheet of 1T structured TiS2 is presented here to contribute to the search for abundant, cheap, and nontoxic ingredients for efficient rechargeable metal ion batteries. The total formation energy of the metal ion adsorption and the Bader charge analysis show that the divalent Mg and Ca ions can have a charge storage density double that of the monovalent Li, Na, and K ions, while the Be and Al ions form metallic clusters even at a low adsorption density because of their high bulk energies. The adsorption of Mg ions shows the lowest averaged open circuit voltage (0.13 V). The activation energy barriers for the diffusion of metal ions on the surface of the monolayer successively decrease from Li to K and Be to Ca. Mg and Ca, being divalent, are capable of storing a higher power density than Li while K and Na have a higher rate capability than the Li ions. Therefore, rechargeable Li ion batteries can be totally or partially replaceable by Mg ion batteries, where high power density and high cell voltage are required, while the abundant, cheap, and fast Na ions can be used for green grid applications.

Voltage-induced reduction of graphene oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faucett, Austin C.

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

Performance capabilities of the 8-cm mercury ion thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mantenieks, M. A.

1981-01-01

A preliminary characterization of the performance capabilities of the 8-cm thruster in order to initiate an evaluation of its application to LSS propulsion requirements is presented. With minor thruster modifications, the thrust was increased by about a factor of four while the discharge voltage was reduced from 39 to 22 volts. The thruster was operated over a range of specific impulse of 1950 to 3040 seconds and a maximum total efficiency of about 54 percent was attained. Preliminary analysis of component lifetimes, as determined by temperature and spectroscopic line intensity measurements, indicated acceptable thruster lifetimes are anticipated at the high power level operation.

System and method for charging electrochemical cells in series

DOEpatents

DeLuca, William H.; Hornstra, Jr, Fred; Gelb, George H.; Berman, Baruch; Moede, Larry W.

1980-01-01

A battery charging system capable of equalizing the charge of each individual cell at a selected full charge voltage includes means for regulating charger current to first increase current at a constant rate until a bulk charging level is achieved or until any cell reaches a safe reference voltage. A system controller then begins to decrease the charging rate as long as any cell exceeds the reference voltage until an equalization current level is reached. At this point, the system controller activates a plurality of shunt modules to permit shunting of current around any cell having a voltage exceeding the reference voltage. Leads extending between the battery of cells and shunt modules are time shared to permit alternate shunting of current and voltage monitoring without the voltage drop caused by the shunt current. After each cell has at one time exceeded the reference voltage, the charging current is terminated.

Open-circuit voltage improvements in low-resistivity solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Godlewski, M. P.; Klucher, T. M.; Mazaris, G. A.; Weizer, V. G.

1979-01-01

Mechanisms limiting the open-circuit voltage in 0.1 ohm-cm solar cells were investigated. It was found that a rather complicated multistep diffusion process could produce cells with significantly improved voltages. The voltage capabilities of various laboratory cells were compared independent of their absorption and collection efficiencies. This was accomplished by comparing the cells on the basis of their saturation currents or, equivalently, comparing their voltage outputs at a constant current-density level. The results show that for both the Lewis diffused emitter cell and the Spire ion-implanted emitter cell the base component of the saturation current is voltage controlling. The evidence for the University of Florida cells, although not very conclusive, suggests emitter control of the voltage in this device. The data suggest further that the critical voltage-limiting parameter for the Lewis cell is the electron mobility in the cell base.

Silicon Carbide Sensors and Electronics for Harsh Environment Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Laura J.

2007-01-01

Silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor has been studied for electronic and sensing applications in extreme environment (high temperature, extreme vibration, harsh chemical media, and high radiation) that is beyond the capability of conventional semiconductors such as silicon. This is due to its near inert chemistry, superior thermomechanical and electronic properties that include high breakdown voltage and wide bandgap. An overview of SiC sensors and electronics work ongoing at NASA Glenn Research Center (NASA GRC) will be presented. The main focus will be two technologies currently being investigated: 1) harsh environment SiC pressure transducers and 2) high temperature SiC electronics. Work highlighted will include the design, fabrication, and application of SiC sensors and electronics, with recent advancements in state-of-the-art discussed as well. These combined technologies are studied for the goal of developing advanced capabilities for measurement and control of aeropropulsion systems, as well as enhancing tools for exploration systems.

Three-volt lithium-ion battery with Li[Ni 1/2Mn 3/2]O 4 and the zero-strain insertion material of Li[Li 1/3Ti 5/3]O 4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ariyoshi, Kingo; Yamamoto, Satoshi; Ohzuku, Tsutomu

A 3 V lithium-ion cell with Li[Ni 1/2Mn 3/2]O 4 ( Fd 3¯m ; a=8.17 Å) and the zero-strain insertion material of Li[Li 1/3Ti 5/3]O 4 ( Fd 3¯m ; a=8.36 Å) was examined with an emphasis on rate-capability and cycle life. This cell showed a quite flat operating voltage of 3.2 V with excellent cycleability. Accelerated cycle tests indicated that 83% of the initial capacity was delivered and stored even after 1100 cycles. Although the calculated energy density of a Li[Li 1/3Ti 5/3]O 4/Li[Ni 1/2Mn 3/2]O 4 cell was about 250 Wh kg -1 or 1000 Wh dm -3 based on the active material weight or volume, the 3 V lithium-ion battery exhibited positive characteristic features, such as flatness in operating voltage, high rate capability, and cycle life.

An Adaptable Multiple Power Source for Mass Spectrometry and other Scientific Instruments

DOE PAGES

Lin, Tzu-Yung; Anderson, Gordon A.; Norheim, Randolph V.; ...

2015-09-18

Power supplies are commonly used in the operation of many types of scientific equipment, including mass spectrometers and ancillary instrumentation. A generic modern mass spectrometer comprises an ionization source, such as electrospray ionization (ESI), ion transfer devices such as ion funnels and multipole ion guides, and ion signal detection apparatus. Very often such platforms include, or are interfaced with ancillary elements in order to manipulate samples before or after ionization. In order to operate such scientific instruments, numerous direct current (DC) channels and radio frequency (RF) signals are required, along with other controls such as temperature regulation. In particular, DCmore » voltages in the range of ±400 V, along with MHz range RF signals with peak-to-peak amplitudes in the hundreds of volts range are commonly used to transfer ionized samples under vacuum. Additionally, an ESI source requires a high voltage (HV) DC source capable of producing several thousand volts and heaters capable of generating temperatures up to 300°C. All of these signals must be properly synchronized and managed in order to carry out ion trapping, accumulation and detection.« less

Impact of scaling voltage and size on the performance of Side-contacted Field Effect Diode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Touchaei, Behnam Jafari; Manavizadeh, Negin

2018-05-01

Side-contacted Fild Effect Diode (S-FED), with low leakage current and high Ion/Ioff ratio, has been recently introduced to suppress short channel effects in nanoscale regime. The voltage and size scalability of S-FEDs and effects on the power consumption, propagation delay time, and power delay product have been studied in this article. The most attractive properties are related to channel length to channel thickness ratio in the S-FED which reduces in comparison with MOSFET significantly, while gates control over the channel improve and the off-state current reduces dramatically. This promising advantage is not only capable to improve important S-FED's characteristics such as subthreshold slope but also eliminate Latch-up and floating body effect.

Biomimetic Beetle-Inspired Flapping Air Vehicle Actuated by Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite Actuator.

PubMed

Zhao, Yang; Xu, Di; Sheng, Jiazheng; Meng, Qinglong; Wu, Dezhi; Wang, Lingyun; Xiao, Jingjing; Lv, Wenlong; Chen, Qinnan; Sun, Daoheng

2018-01-01

During the last decades, the ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) received much attention because of its potential capabilities, such as large displacement and flexible bending actuation. In this paper, a biomimetic flapping air vehicle was proposed by combining the superiority of ionic polymer metal composite with the bionic beetle flapping principle. The blocking force was compared between casted IPMC and IPMC. The flapping state of the wing was investigated and the maximum displacement and flapping angle were measured. The flapping displacement under different voltage and frequency was tested. The flapping displacement of the wing and the support reaction force were measured under different frequency by experiments. The experimental results indicate that the high voltage and low frequency would get large flapping displacement.

Note: a 3-stage stacked Blumlein using ceramic for energy storage.

PubMed

Wang, Songsong; Shu, Ting; Yang, Hanwu

2013-02-01

We have developed a novel stacked Blumlein with high compactness by using ceramic for energy storage. The total volume of this stacked Blumlein is only 320 × 100 × 185 mm(3). By triggering 3 spark gaps simultaneously, the developed stacked Blumlein is capable of producing a rectangular pulse with a voltage multiplication. A 32 ns quasi-rectangular pulse of 11.4 kV is measured across a 10 Ω dummy load when the 3-stage stacked Blumlein is DC charged up to 4 kV. The voltage multiplication is about 2.9, and the energy efficiency is about 96%. Simulation results indicate that vacuum or transformer oil is appropriate to be the insulation medium for the stacked Blumlein.

Note: A 3-stage stacked Blumlein using ceramic for energy storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Songsong; Shu, Ting; Yang, Hanwu

2013-02-01

We have developed a novel stacked Blumlein with high compactness by using ceramic for energy storage. The total volume of this stacked Blumlein is only 320 × 100 × 185 mm3. By triggering 3 spark gaps simultaneously, the developed stacked Blumlein is capable of producing a rectangular pulse with a voltage multiplication. A 32 ns quasi-rectangular pulse of 11.4 kV is measured across a 10 Ω dummy load when the 3-stage stacked Blumlein is DC charged up to 4 kV. The voltage multiplication is about 2.9, and the energy efficiency is about 96%. Simulation results indicate that vacuum or transformer oil is appropriate to be the insulation medium for the stacked Blumlein.

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

PubMed Central

Tsai, Cheng-Tao; Tseng, Sheng-Yu

2013-01-01

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

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

PubMed

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

2013-01-01

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

Development of an Omnidirectional-Capable Electromagnetic Shock Wave Generator for Lipolysis

PubMed Central

Lin, San Yih

2017-01-01

Traditional methods for adipose tissue removal have progressed from invasive methods such as liposuction to more modern methods of noninvasive lipolysis. This research entails the development and evaluation of an omnidirectional-capable flat-coil electromagnetic shock wave generator (EMSWG) for lipolysis. The developed EMSWG has the advantage of omnidirectional-capable operation. This capability increases the eventual clinical usability by adding three designed supports to the aluminum disk of the EMSWG to allow omnidirectional operation. The focal pressures of the developed EMSWG for different operating voltages were measured, and its corresponding energy intensities were calculated. The developed EMSWG was mounted in a downward orientation for lipolysis and evaluated as proof of concept. In vitro tests on porcine fatty tissues have been carried out. It is found that at a 6 kV operating voltage with 1500 shock wave exposures, a 2 cm thick subcutaneous hypodermis of porcine fatty tissue can be ruptured, resulting in a damaged area of 1.39 mm2. At a 6.5 kV operating voltage with 2000 shock wave exposures, the damaged area is increased to about 5.20 mm2, which can be enlarged by changing the focal point location, resulting in significant lipolysis for use in clinical applications. PMID:29065664

Development of an Omnidirectional-Capable Electromagnetic Shock Wave Generator for Lipolysis.

PubMed

Chang, Ming Hau; Lin, San Yih

2017-01-01

Traditional methods for adipose tissue removal have progressed from invasive methods such as liposuction to more modern methods of noninvasive lipolysis. This research entails the development and evaluation of an omnidirectional-capable flat-coil electromagnetic shock wave generator (EMSWG) for lipolysis. The developed EMSWG has the advantage of omnidirectional-capable operation. This capability increases the eventual clinical usability by adding three designed supports to the aluminum disk of the EMSWG to allow omnidirectional operation. The focal pressures of the developed EMSWG for different operating voltages were measured, and its corresponding energy intensities were calculated. The developed EMSWG was mounted in a downward orientation for lipolysis and evaluated as proof of concept. In vitro tests on porcine fatty tissues have been carried out. It is found that at a 6 kV operating voltage with 1500 shock wave exposures, a 2 cm thick subcutaneous hypodermis of porcine fatty tissue can be ruptured, resulting in a damaged area of 1.39 mm 2 . At a 6.5 kV operating voltage with 2000 shock wave exposures, the damaged area is increased to about 5.20 mm 2 , which can be enlarged by changing the focal point location, resulting in significant lipolysis for use in clinical applications.

Potential damage to DC superconducting magnets due to the high frequency electromagnetic waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gabriel, G. J.

1977-01-01

Experimental data are presented in support of the hypothesis that a dc superconducting magnet coil does not behave strictly as an inductor, but as a complicated electrodynamic device capable of supporting electromagnetic waves. Travel times of nanosecond pulses and evidence of sinusoidal standing waves were observed on a prototype four-layer solenoidal coil at room temperature. Ringing observed during switching transients appears as a sequence of multiple reflected square pulses whose durations are related to the layer lengths. With sinusoidal excitation of the coil, the voltage amplitude between a pair of points on the coil exhibits maxima at those frequencies such that the distance between these points is an odd multiple of half wavelength in free space. Evidence indicates that any disturbance, such as that resulting from switching or sudden fault, initiates multiple reflections between layers, thus raising the possibility for sufficiently high voltages to cause breakdown.

SERT 2 thruster space restart, 1974

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerslake, W. R.; Finke, R. C.

1975-01-01

The results of testing the flight thrusters on the SERT spacecraft during the 1974 test period are presented. The most notable result was the clearing of the high voltage short from thruster 2 and the successful stable operation of its ion beam. Test periods were limited to 70 minutes or less by earth eclipse of the spacecraft solar array and by ground station coverage limitations. Thruster 2 was restarted 26 times with an ion beam produced 21 times. The high voltage short remains in thruster 1, but the cathodes were restarted 12 times to demonstrate continued restart capability. The propellant feed systems, power processors, and spacecraft ancillary equipment were demonstrated to be functional after 4 1/2 years in space. In addition to the thruster tests, a neutralizer cathode was operated separately to demonstrate that the potential level of a spacecraft could be controlled by the neutralizer alone.

Energy output of a single outer hair cell: Effect of resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwasa, Kuni H.

2018-05-01

The ability of the mammalian ear in processing high frequency sounds, up to ˜100 kHz, is based on the capability of outer hair cells (OHCs) in responding to stimulation at high frequencies. These cells show a unique motility in their cell body coupled with charge movement. With this motile element, voltage changes generated by stimuli at their hair bundles drive the cell body and that, in turn, amplifies the signal. In vitro experiments show that the movement of these charges significantly increases the membrane capacitance, limiting the motile activity by an additional attenuation of voltage changes. It was found, however, that such an effect is due to the absence of mechanical load. In the presence of mechanical load, particularly inertial load, such as under in vivo conditions, the movement of motile charges should reduce the membrane capacitance, enhancing the mechanical power output.

Nanothermometer Based on Resonant Tunneling Diodes: From Cryogenic to Room Temperatures.

PubMed

Pfenning, Andreas; Hartmann, Fabian; Rebello Sousa Dias, Mariama; Castelano, Leonardo Kleber; Süßmeier, Christoph; Langer, Fabian; Höfling, Sven; Kamp, Martin; Marques, Gilmar Eugenio; Worschech, Lukas; Lopez-Richard, Victor

2015-06-23

Sensor miniaturization together with broadening temperature sensing range are fundamental challenges in nanothermometry. By exploiting a large temperature-dependent screening effect observed in a resonant tunneling diode in sequence with a GaInNAs/GaAs quantum well, we present a low dimensional, wide range, and high sensitive nanothermometer. This sensor shows a large threshold voltage shift of the bistable switching of more than 4.5 V for a temperature raise from 4.5 to 295 K, with a linear voltage-temperature response of 19.2 mV K(-1), and a temperature uncertainty in the millikelvin (mK) range. Also, when we monitor the electroluminescence emission spectrum, an optical read-out control of the thermometer is provided. The combination of electrical and optical read-outs together with the sensor architecture excel the device as a thermometer with the capability of noninvasive temperature sensing, high local resolution, and sensitivity.

Development of high-performing semiconducting polymers for organic electrochemical transistors (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielsen, Christian

2016-11-01

The organic electrochemical transistor (OECT), capable of amplifying small electrical signals in an aqueous environment, is an ideal device to utilize in organic bioelectronic applications involving for example neural interfacing and diagnostics. Currently, most OECTs are fabricated with commercially available conducting poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-based suspensions such as PEDOT:PSS and are therefore operated in depletion mode giving rise to devices that are permanently on with non-optimal operational voltage. With the aim to develop and utilize efficient accumulation mode OECT devices, we discuss here our recent results regarding the design, synthesis and performance of novel intrinsic semiconducting polymers. Covering key aspects such as ion and charge transport in the bulk semiconductor and operational voltage and stability of the materials and devices, we have elucidated important structure-property relationships. We illustrate the improvements this approach has afforded in the development of high performance accumulation mode OECT materials.

A Tesla-pulse forming line-plasma opening switch pulsed power generator.

PubMed

Novac, B M; Kumar, R; Smith, I R

2010-10-01

A pulsed power generator based on a high-voltage Tesla transformer which charges a 3.85 Ω/55 ns water-filled pulse forming line to 300 kV has been developed at Loughborough University as a training tool for pulsed power students. The generator uses all forms of insulation specific to pulsed power technology, liquid (oil and water), gas (SF(6)), and magnetic insulation in vacuum, and a number of fast voltage and current sensors are implemented for diagnostic purposes. A miniature (centimeter-size) plasma opening switch has recently been coupled to the output of the pulse forming line, with the overall system comprising the first phase of a program aimed at the development of a novel repetitive, table-top generator capable of producing 15 GW pulses for high power microwave loads. Technical details of all the generator components and the main experimental results obtained during the program and demonstrations of their performance are presented in the paper, together with a description of the various diagnostic tools involved. In particular, it is shown that the miniature plasma opening switch is capable of reducing the rise time of the input current while significantly increasing the load power. Future plans are outlined in the conclusions.

Bias-field controlled phasing and power combination of gyromagnetic nonlinear transmission lines

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

Reale, D. V., E-mail: david.reale@ttu.edu; Bragg, J.-W. B.; Gonsalves, N. R.

2014-05-15

Gyromagnetic Nonlinear Transmission Lines (NLTLs) generate microwaves through the damped gyromagnetic precession of the magnetic moments in ferrimagnetic material, and are thus utilized as compact, solid-state, frequency agile, high power microwave (HPM) sources. The output frequency of a NLTL can be adjusted by control of the externally applied bias field and incident voltage pulse without physical alteration to the structure of the device. This property provides a frequency tuning capability not seen in many conventional e-beam based HPM sources. The NLTLs developed and tested are mesoband sources capable of generating MW power levels in the L, S, and C bandsmore » of the microwave spectrum. For an individual NLTL the output power at a given frequency is determined by several factors including the intrinsic properties of the ferrimagnetic material and the transmission line structure. Hence, if higher power levels are to be achieved, it is necessary to combine the outputs of multiple NLTLs. This can be accomplished in free space using antennas or in a transmission line via a power combiner. Using a bias-field controlled delay, a transient, high voltage, coaxial, three port, power combiner was designed and tested. Experimental results are compared with the results of a transient COMSOL simulation to evaluate combiner performance.« less

Design and development of a low-cost biphasic charge-balanced functional electric stimulator and its clinical validation.

PubMed

Shendkar, Chandrashekhar; Lenka, Prasanna K; Biswas, Abhishek; Kumar, Ratnesh; Mahadevappa, Manjunatha

2015-10-01

Functional electric stimulators that produce near-ideal, charge-balanced biphasic stimulation waveforms with interphase delay are considered safer and more efficacious than conventional stimulators. An indigenously designed, low-cost, portable FES device named InStim is developed. It features a charge-balanced biphasic single channel. The authors present the complete design, mathematical analysis of the circuit and the clinical evaluation of the device. The developed circuit was tested on stroke patients affected by foot drop problems. It was tested both under laboratory conditions and in clinical settings. The key building blocks of this circuit are low dropout regulators, a DC-DC voltage booster and a single high-power current source OP-Amp with current-limiting capabilities. This allows the device to deliver high-voltage, constant current, biphasic pulses without the use of a bulky step-up transformer. The advantages of the proposed design over the currently existing devices include improved safety features (zero DC current, current-limiting mechanism and safe pulses), waveform morphology that causes less muscle fatigue, cost-effectiveness and compact power-efficient circuit design with minimal components. The device is also capable of producing appropriate ankle dorsiflexion in patients having foot drop problems of various Medical Research Council scale grades.

Bias-field controlled phasing and power combination of gyromagnetic nonlinear transmission lines.

PubMed

Reale, D V; Bragg, J-W B; Gonsalves, N R; Johnson, J M; Neuber, A A; Dickens, J C; Mankowski, J J

2014-05-01

Gyromagnetic Nonlinear Transmission Lines (NLTLs) generate microwaves through the damped gyromagnetic precession of the magnetic moments in ferrimagnetic material, and are thus utilized as compact, solid-state, frequency agile, high power microwave (HPM) sources. The output frequency of a NLTL can be adjusted by control of the externally applied bias field and incident voltage pulse without physical alteration to the structure of the device. This property provides a frequency tuning capability not seen in many conventional e-beam based HPM sources. The NLTLs developed and tested are mesoband sources capable of generating MW power levels in the L, S, and C bands of the microwave spectrum. For an individual NLTL the output power at a given frequency is determined by several factors including the intrinsic properties of the ferrimagnetic material and the transmission line structure. Hence, if higher power levels are to be achieved, it is necessary to combine the outputs of multiple NLTLs. This can be accomplished in free space using antennas or in a transmission line via a power combiner. Using a bias-field controlled delay, a transient, high voltage, coaxial, three port, power combiner was designed and tested. Experimental results are compared with the results of a transient COMSOL simulation to evaluate combiner performance.

Power Amplifier Linearizer for High Frequency Medical Ultrasound Applications

PubMed Central

Choi, Hojong; Jung, Hayong; Shung, K. Kirk

2015-01-01

Power amplifiers (PAs) are used to produce high-voltage excitation signals to drive ultrasonic transducers. A larger dynamic range of linear PAs allows higher contrast resolution, a highly desirable characteristic in ultrasonic imaging. The linearity of PAs can be improved by reducing the nonlinear harmonic distortion components of high-voltage output signals. In this paper, a linearizer circuit is proposed to reduce output signal harmonics when working in conjunction with a PA. The PA performance with and without the linearizer was measured by comparing the output power 1-dB compression point (OP1dB), and the second- and third-order harmonic distortions (HD2 and HD3, respectively). The results show that the PA with the linearizer circuit had higher OP1dB (31.7 dB) and lower HD2 (−61.0 dB) and HD3 (−42.7 dB) compared to those of the PA alone (OP1dB (27.1 dB), HD2 (−38.2 dB), and HD3 (−36.8 dB)) at 140 MHz. A pulse-echo measurement was also performed to further evaluate the capability of the linearizer circuit. The HD2 of the echo signal received by the transducer using a PA with the linearizer (−24.8 dB) was lower than that obtained for the PA alone (−16.6 dB). The linearizer circuit is capable of improving the linearity performance of PA by lowering harmonic distortions. PMID:26622209

Modular, Reconfigurable, High-Energy Systems Stepping Stones

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howell, Joe T.; Carrington, Connie K.; Mankins, John C.

2005-01-01

Modular, Reconfigurable, High-Energy Systems are Stepping Stones to provide capabilities for energy-rich infrastructure strategically located in space to support a variety of exploration scenarios. Abundant renewable energy at lunar or L1 locations could support propellant production and storage in refueling scenarios that enable affordable exploration. Renewable energy platforms in geosynchronous Earth orbits can collect and transmit power to satellites, or to Earth-surface locations. Energy-rich space technologies also enable the use of electric-powered propulsion systems that could efficiently deliver cargo and exploration facilities to remote locations. A first step to an energy-rich space infrastructure is a 100-kWe class solar-powered platform in Earth orbit. The platform would utilize advanced technologies in solar power collection and generation, power management and distribution, thermal management, and electric propulsion. It would also provide a power-rich free-flying platform to demonstrate in space a portfolio of technology flight experiments. This paper presents a preliminary design concept for a 100-kWe solar-powered satellite with the capability to flight-demonstrate a variety of payload experiments and to utilize electric propulsion. State-of-the-art solar concentrators, highly efficient multi-junction solar cells, integrated thermal management on the arrays, and innovative deployable structure design and packaging make the 100-kW satellite feasible for launch on one existing launch vehicle. Higher voltage arrays and power management and distribution (PMAD) systems reduce or eliminate the need for massive power converters, and could enable direct- drive of high-voltage solar electric thrusters.

Racetrack-shape fixed field induction accelerator for giant cluster ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takayama, Ken; Adachi, Toshikazu; Wake, Masayoshi; Okamura, Katsuya

2015-05-01

A novel scheme for a racetrack-shape fixed field induction accelerator (RAFFIA) capable of accelerating extremely heavy cluster ions (giant cluster ions) is described. The key feature of this scheme is rapid induction acceleration by localized induction cells. Triggering the induction voltages provided by the signals from the circulating bunch allows repeated acceleration of extremely heavy cluster ions. The given RAFFIA example is capable of realizing the integrated acceleration voltage of 50 MV per acceleration cycle. Using 90° bending magnets with a reversed field strip and field gradient is crucial for assuring orbit stability in the RAFFIA.

Development of a novel configuration for a MEMS transducer for low bias and high resolution imaging applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emadi, Tahereh Arezoo; Buchanan, Douglas A.

2014-03-01

A robust capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer has been developed. In this novel configuration, a stack of two deflectable membranes are suspended over a fixed bottom electrode. Similar to conventional capacitive ultrasonic transducers, a generated electrostatic force between the electrodes causes the membranes to deflect and vibrate. However, in this new configuration the transducer effective cavity height is reduced due to the deflection of two membranes. Therefore, the transducer spring constant is more susceptible to bias voltage, which in return reduces the required bias voltage. The transducers have been produced employing a MEMS sacrificial technique where two different membrane anchoring (curved- and flat- anchors) structures, with similar membrane radii were fabricated. Highly doped polysilicon was used as the membrane material. The resonant frequencies of the two transducers have been investigated. It was found that the transducers with curved membrane anchors exhibits a larger resonant frequency shift compared to the transducers with flat membranes for a given bias voltage. Comparison has been made between the spring constant of the flat membrane transducer and that of a conventional single membrane transducer. It is shown that the multiple moving membrane transducer exhibits a larger reduction in the spring constant compared to the conventional transducer, when driven with the same bias voltage. This results in a transducer with a higher power generation capability and sensitivity.

Nickel hydrogen bipolar battery electrode design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Puglisi, V. J.; Russell, P.; Verrier, D.; Hall, A.

1985-01-01

The preferred approach of the NASA development effort in nickel hydrogen battery design utilizes a bipolar plate stacking arrangement to obtain the required voltage-capacity configuration. In a bipolar stack, component designs must take into account not only the typical design considerations such as voltage, capacity and gas management, but also conductivity to the bipolar (i.e., intercell) plate. The nickel and hydrogen electrode development specifically relevant to bipolar cell operation is discussed. Nickel oxide electrodes, having variable type grids and in thicknesses up to .085 inch are being fabricated and characterized to provide a data base. A selection will be made based upon a system level tradeoff. Negative (hydrpogen) electrodes are being screened to select a high performance electrode which can function as a bipolar electrode. Present nickel hydrogen negative electrodes are not capable of conducting current through their cross-section. An electrode was tested which exhibits low charge and discharge polarization voltages and at the same time is conductive. Test data is presented.

Chapter 11.2: Inverters, Power Optimizers, and Microinverters

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

Deline, Christopher A

Inverters span a wide range of sizes, topologies, and connection voltages: from utility-scale megawatt inverters to string inverters. Switch-mode power conversion relies on high frequency chopping of DC signal to periodically charge and discharge energy storage elements, such as inductors and capacitors. Additional circuit components are required to address practical issues in inverters such as voltage ripple and harmonic distortion. Inverters are beginning to incorporate components with a bandgap above should be 3 eV, such as SiC and GaN. Photovoltaic (PV) modules respond dynamically to changing temperature and irradiation conditions. Thus, maximum DC power extraction requires periodic adjustment of themore » PV voltage and current operating point. An inverter's total efficiency is measured by the product of its conversion efficiency and the maximum-power-point tracking (MPPT) efficiency. This chapter lists the primary functions of inverters that include auxiliary capabilities, such as monitoring of DC and AC performance, and other error reporting.« less

Electrical Identification and Selective Microstimulation of Neuronal Compartments Based on Features of Extracellular Action Potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radivojevic, Milos; Jäckel, David; Altermatt, Michael; Müller, Jan; Viswam, Vijay; Hierlemann, Andreas; Bakkum, Douglas J.

2016-08-01

A detailed, high-spatiotemporal-resolution characterization of neuronal responses to local electrical fields and the capability of precise extracellular microstimulation of selected neurons are pivotal for studying and manipulating neuronal activity and circuits in networks and for developing neural prosthetics. Here, we studied cultured neocortical neurons by using high-density microelectrode arrays and optical imaging, complemented by the patch-clamp technique, and with the aim to correlate morphological and electrical features of neuronal compartments with their responsiveness to extracellular stimulation. We developed strategies to electrically identify any neuron in the network, while subcellular spatial resolution recording of extracellular action potential (AP) traces enabled their assignment to the axon initial segment (AIS), axonal arbor and proximal somatodendritic compartments. Stimulation at the AIS required low voltages and provided immediate, selective and reliable neuronal activation, whereas stimulation at the soma required high voltages and produced delayed and unreliable responses. Subthreshold stimulation at the soma depolarized the somatic membrane potential without eliciting APs.

Operation of a voltage source converter at increased utility voltage

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

Kaura, V.; Blasko, V.

1997-01-01

The operation of a voltage source converter (VSC) with regeneration capability, controllable power factor, and low distortion of utility currents is analyzed at increased utility voltage. Increase in the utility voltage causes a VSC to saturate and enter a nonlinear mode of operation. To operate under elevated utility, two steps are taken: (1) a pulse width modulation (PWM) algorithm is implemented which extends the linear region of operation by 15% and (2) a PWM saturation regulator is used to control the reactive current at higher utility voltages. The PWM algorithm reduces the switching losses by at least 33% and themore » effect of blanking time by one-third. All analytical results are experimentally verified on a 100 kW three-phase VSC.« less

Sequential power-up circuit

DOEpatents

Kronberg, James W.

1992-01-01

A sequential power-up circuit for starting several electrical load elements in series to avoid excessive current surge, comprising a voltage ramp generator and a set of voltage comparators, each comparator having a different reference voltage and interfacing with a switch that is capable of turning on one of the load elements. As the voltage rises, it passes the reference voltages one at a time and causes the switch corresponding to that voltage to turn on its load element. The ramp is turned on and off by a single switch or by a logic-level electrical signal. The ramp rate for turning on the load element is relatively slow and the rate for turning the elements off is relatively fast. Optionally, the duration of each interval of time between the turning on of the load elements is programmable.

A high output voltage flexible piezoelectric nanogenerator using porous lead-free KNbO3 nanofibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganeshkumar, Rajasekaran; Cheah, Chin Wei; Xu, Ruize; Kim, Sang-Gook; Zhao, Rong

2017-07-01

Self-powered nanodevices for applications such as sensor networks and IoTs are among the emerging technologies in electronics. Piezoelectric nanogenerators (P-NGs) that harvest energy from mechanical stimuli are highly valuable in the development of self-sufficient nanosystems. Despite progress in the development of P-NGs, the use of porous perovskite ferroelectric nanofibers was barely considered or discussed. In this letter, a flexible high output nanogenerator is fabricated using a nanocomposite comprising porous potassium niobate (KNbO3) nanofibers and polydimethylsiloxane. When a compressive force was applied to as-fabricated P-NG, a peak-to-peak output voltage of ˜16 V and a maximum closed circuit current of 230 nA were obtained, which are high enough to realize self-powered nanodevices. In addition, due to their porosity and non-toxic nature, KNbO3 nanofibers may be used as an alternative to the dominant lead-based piezoelectric devices. Besides the high output performance of the device, multifunctional capability, flexible design, and cost-effective construction of the as-fabricated P-NG can be crucial to large-scale deployment of autonomous devices.

Development of a 33 kV, 20 A long pulse converter modulator for high average power klystron

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

Reghu, T.; Mandloi, V.; Shrivastava, Purushottam

Research, design, and development of high average power, long pulse modulators for the proposed Indian Spallation Neutron Source are underway at Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology. With this objective, a prototype of long pulse modulator capable of delivering 33 kV, 20 A at 5 Hz repetition rate has been designed and developed. Three Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) based switching modules driving high frequency, high voltage transformers have been used to generate high voltage output. The IGBT based switching modules are shifted in phase by 120° with respect to each other. The switching frequency is 25 kHz. Pulses ofmore » 1.6 ms pulse width, 80 μs rise time, and 70 μs fall time have been achieved at the modulator output. A droop of ±0.6% is achieved using a simple segmented digital droop correction technique. The total fault energy transferred to the load during fault has been measured by conducting wire burn tests and is found to be within 3.5 J.« less

Development of a 33 kV, 20 A long pulse converter modulator for high average power klystron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reghu, T.; Mandloi, V.; Shrivastava, Purushottam

2014-05-01

Research, design, and development of high average power, long pulse modulators for the proposed Indian Spallation Neutron Source are underway at Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology. With this objective, a prototype of long pulse modulator capable of delivering 33 kV, 20 A at 5 Hz repetition rate has been designed and developed. Three Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) based switching modules driving high frequency, high voltage transformers have been used to generate high voltage output. The IGBT based switching modules are shifted in phase by 120° with respect to each other. The switching frequency is 25 kHz. Pulses of 1.6 ms pulse width, 80 μs rise time, and 70 μs fall time have been achieved at the modulator output. A droop of ±0.6% is achieved using a simple segmented digital droop correction technique. The total fault energy transferred to the load during fault has been measured by conducting wire burn tests and is found to be within 3.5 J.

High Voltage Dielectrophoretic and Magnetophoretic Hybrid Integrated Circuit / Microfluidic Chip

PubMed Central

Issadore, David; Franke, Thomas; Brown, Keith A.; Hunt, Thomas P.; Westervelt, Robert M.

2010-01-01

A hybrid integrated circuit (IC) / microfluidic chip is presented that independently and simultaneously traps and moves microscopic objects suspended in fluid using both electric and magnetic fields. This hybrid chip controls the location of dielectric objects, such as living cells and drops of fluid, on a 60 × 61 array of pixels that are 30 × 38 μm2 in size, each of which can be individually addressed with a 50 V peak-to-peak, DC to 10 MHz radio frequency voltage. These high voltage pixels produce electric fields above the chip’s surface with a magnitude , resulting in strong dielectrophoresis (DEP) forces . Underneath the array of DEP pixels there is a magnetic matrix that consists of two perpendicular sets of 60 metal wires running across the chip. Each wire can be sourced with 120 mA to trap and move magnetically susceptible objects using magnetophoresis (MP). The DEP pixel array and magnetic matrix can be used simultaneously to apply forces to microscopic objects, such as living cells or lipid vesicles, that are tagged with magnetic nanoparticles. The capabilities of the hybrid IC / microfluidic chip demonstrated in this paper provide important building blocks for a platform for biological and chemical applications. PMID:20625468

High Voltage Dielectrophoretic and Magnetophoretic Hybrid Integrated Circuit / Microfluidic Chip.

PubMed

Issadore, David; Franke, Thomas; Brown, Keith A; Hunt, Thomas P; Westervelt, Robert M

2009-12-01

A hybrid integrated circuit (IC) / microfluidic chip is presented that independently and simultaneously traps and moves microscopic objects suspended in fluid using both electric and magnetic fields. This hybrid chip controls the location of dielectric objects, such as living cells and drops of fluid, on a 60 × 61 array of pixels that are 30 × 38 μm(2) in size, each of which can be individually addressed with a 50 V peak-to-peak, DC to 10 MHz radio frequency voltage. These high voltage pixels produce electric fields above the chip's surface with a magnitude , resulting in strong dielectrophoresis (DEP) forces . Underneath the array of DEP pixels there is a magnetic matrix that consists of two perpendicular sets of 60 metal wires running across the chip. Each wire can be sourced with 120 mA to trap and move magnetically susceptible objects using magnetophoresis (MP). The DEP pixel array and magnetic matrix can be used simultaneously to apply forces to microscopic objects, such as living cells or lipid vesicles, that are tagged with magnetic nanoparticles. The capabilities of the hybrid IC / microfluidic chip demonstrated in this paper provide important building blocks for a platform for biological and chemical applications.

Revisiting the open-framework zinc hexacyanoferrate: The role of ternary electrolyte and sodium-ion intercalation mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Lei; Chen, Liang; Zhang, Jun; Jiang, Ping; Liu, Zhaoping

2018-03-01

Non-flammable rechargeable aqueous sodium-ion batteries (RASB) made from natural abundant resources offer promising opportunities in large-scale energy storage, yet the low energy density as well as low voltage output and the limited cycle life hinder their practical applications. Here, we develop a high-voltage RASB based on rhombohedral zinc hexacyanoferrate as cathode materials, carbon-coated NaTi2(PO4)3 as anode materials and ternary NaClO4-H2O-polyethylene glycol (Na-H2O-PEG) as electrolyte to overcome these drawbacks. Such an RASB can deliver a high voltage output of 1.6 V with a specific energy density of 59 Wh kg-1 based on the total mass of active electrode materials. In addition, it possesses an excellent rate capability as an ultra-capacitor (2.7 kW kg-1). The capacity retention more than 91% is obtained after 100 cycles. Finally, a reversible phase transformation between rhombohedral Zn3[Fe(CN)6]2 and rhombohedral Na2Zn3[Fe(CN)6]2 that are accompanied by the insertion/extraction of sodium ion in zinc hexacyanoferrate is unveiled.

Durability-enhanced two-dimensional hole gas of C-H diamond surface for complementary power inverter applications

PubMed Central

Kawarada, Hiroshi; Yamada, Tetsuya; Xu, Dechen; Tsuboi, Hidetoshi; Kitabayashi, Yuya; Matsumura, Daisuke; Shibata, Masanobu; Kudo, Takuya; Inaba, Masafumi; Hiraiwa, Atsushi

2017-01-01

Complementary power field effect transistors (FETs) based on wide bandgap materials not only provide high-voltage switching capability with the reduction of on-resistance and switching losses, but also enable a smart inverter system by the dramatic simplification of external circuits. However, p-channel power FETs with equivalent performance to those of n-channel FETs are not obtained in any wide bandgap material other than diamond. Here we show that a breakdown voltage of more than 1600 V has been obtained in a diamond metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) FET with a p-channel based on a two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG). Atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al2O3 induces the 2DHG ubiquitously on a hydrogen-terminated (C-H) diamond surface and also acts as both gate insulator and passivation layer. The high voltage performance is equivalent to that of state-of-the-art SiC planar n-channel FETs and AlGaN/GaN FETs. The drain current density in the on-state is also comparable to that of these two FETs with similar device size and VB. PMID:28218234

Durability-enhanced two-dimensional hole gas of C-H diamond surface for complementary power inverter applications.

PubMed

Kawarada, Hiroshi; Yamada, Tetsuya; Xu, Dechen; Tsuboi, Hidetoshi; Kitabayashi, Yuya; Matsumura, Daisuke; Shibata, Masanobu; Kudo, Takuya; Inaba, Masafumi; Hiraiwa, Atsushi

2017-02-20

Complementary power field effect transistors (FETs) based on wide bandgap materials not only provide high-voltage switching capability with the reduction of on-resistance and switching losses, but also enable a smart inverter system by the dramatic simplification of external circuits. However, p-channel power FETs with equivalent performance to those of n-channel FETs are not obtained in any wide bandgap material other than diamond. Here we show that a breakdown voltage of more than 1600 V has been obtained in a diamond metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) FET with a p-channel based on a two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG). Atomic layer deposited (ALD) Al 2 O 3 induces the 2DHG ubiquitously on a hydrogen-terminated (C-H) diamond surface and also acts as both gate insulator and passivation layer. The high voltage performance is equivalent to that of state-of-the-art SiC planar n-channel FETs and AlGaN/GaN FETs. The drain current density in the on-state is also comparable to that of these two FETs with similar device size and V B .

Guanidinium: A Route to Enhanced Carrier Lifetime and Open-Circuit Voltage in Hybrid Perovskite Solar Cells.

PubMed

De Marco, Nicholas; Zhou, Huanping; Chen, Qi; Sun, Pengyu; Liu, Zonghao; Meng, Lei; Yao, En-Ping; Liu, Yongsheng; Schiffer, Andy; Yang, Yang

2016-02-10

Hybrid perovskites have shown astonishing power conversion efficiencies owed to their remarkable absorber characteristics including long carrier lifetimes, and a relatively substantial defect tolerance for solution-processed polycrystalline films. However, nonradiative charge carrier recombination at grain boundaries limits open circuit voltages and consequent performance improvements of perovskite solar cells. Here we address such recombination pathways and demonstrate a passivation effect through guanidinium-based additives to achieve extraordinarily enhanced carrier lifetimes and higher obtainable open circuit voltages. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements yield carrier lifetimes in guanidinium-based films an order of magnitude greater than pure-methylammonium counterparts, giving rise to higher device open circuit voltages and power conversion efficiencies exceeding 17%. A reduction in defect activation energy of over 30% calculated via admittance spectroscopy and confocal fluorescence intensity mapping indicates successful passivation of recombination/trap centers at grain boundaries. We speculate that guanidinium ions serve to suppress formation of iodide vacancies and passivate under-coordinated iodine species at grain boundaries and within the bulk through their hydrogen bonding capability. These results present a simple method for suppressing nonradiative carrier loss in hybrid perovskites to further improve performances toward highly efficient solar cells.

Listening to membrane potential: photoacoustic voltage-sensitive dye recording.

PubMed

Zhang, Haichong K; Yan, Ping; Kang, Jeeun; Abou, Diane S; Le, Hanh N D; Jha, Abhinav K; Thorek, Daniel L J; Kang, Jin U; Rahmim, Arman; Wong, Dean F; Boctor, Emad M; Loew, Leslie M

2017-04-01

Voltage-sensitive dyes (VSDs) are designed to monitor membrane potential by detecting fluorescence changes in response to neuronal or muscle electrical activity. However, fluorescence imaging is limited by depth of penetration and high scattering losses, which leads to low sensitivity in vivo systems for external detection. By contrast, photoacoustic (PA) imaging, an emerging modality, is capable of deep tissue, noninvasive imaging by combining near-infrared light excitation and ultrasound detection. Here, we show that voltage-dependent quenching of dye fluorescence leads to a reciprocal enhancement of PA intensity. We synthesized a near-infrared photoacoustic VSD (PA-VSD), whose PA intensity change is sensitive to membrane potential. In the polarized state, this cyanine-based probe enhances PA intensity while decreasing fluorescence output in a lipid vesicle membrane model. A theoretical model accounts for how the experimental PA intensity change depends on fluorescence and absorbance properties of the dye. These results not only demonstrate PA voltage sensing but also emphasize the interplay of both fluorescence and absorbance properties in the design of optimized PA probes. Together, our results demonstrate PA sensing as a potential new modality for recording and external imaging of electrophysiological and neurochemical events in the brain.

Reliability of ionic polymer metallic composite for opto-mechanical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Chung-Yi; Su, Guo-Dung J.

2014-09-01

Electroactive polymer (EAP) is capable of exhibiting large shape changes in response to electrical stimulation. EAPs can produce large deformation with lower applied voltage for actuation applications. IPMC (Ionic Polymer Metal Composite) is a well-known ionic EAPs. It has numerous attractive advantages, such as low electrical energy consumption and light weight. The mechanism of IPMC actuator is due to the ionic diffusion when the voltage gradient is applied, so that the type of ionic solution has a large impact on the physical properties of IPMC. In this paper, the reliability tests of IPMC with non-aqueous ionic solution are demonstrated. Pt-IPMC with LiOH aqueous solution exhibits the best maximum displacement, but the water in LiOH solution is electrolyzed because of the low electrolysis voltage 1.23 V of water. To improve electrolysis problems and the operation time in the air, proper solvents including high electrolysis voltage and low vapor pressure should be considered. The reliability tests focus on the durability of IPMC in the air. The surface resistance, tip displacement and response time of IPMC are presented. More improvements of IPMC fabrication, such as Ag-IPMC, was developed in this paper.

Listening to membrane potential: photoacoustic voltage-sensitive dye recording

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Haichong K.; Yan, Ping; Kang, Jeeun; Abou, Diane S.; Le, Hanh N. D.; Jha, Abhinav K.; Thorek, Daniel L. J.; Kang, Jin U.; Rahmim, Arman; Wong, Dean F.; Boctor, Emad M.; Loew, Leslie M.

2017-04-01

Voltage-sensitive dyes (VSDs) are designed to monitor membrane potential by detecting fluorescence changes in response to neuronal or muscle electrical activity. However, fluorescence imaging is limited by depth of penetration and high scattering losses, which leads to low sensitivity in vivo systems for external detection. By contrast, photoacoustic (PA) imaging, an emerging modality, is capable of deep tissue, noninvasive imaging by combining near-infrared light excitation and ultrasound detection. Here, we show that voltage-dependent quenching of dye fluorescence leads to a reciprocal enhancement of PA intensity. We synthesized a near-infrared photoacoustic VSD (PA-VSD), whose PA intensity change is sensitive to membrane potential. In the polarized state, this cyanine-based probe enhances PA intensity while decreasing fluorescence output in a lipid vesicle membrane model. A theoretical model accounts for how the experimental PA intensity change depends on fluorescence and absorbance properties of the dye. These results not only demonstrate PA voltage sensing but also emphasize the interplay of both fluorescence and absorbance properties in the design of optimized PA probes. Together, our results demonstrate PA sensing as a potential new modality for recording and external imaging of electrophysiological and neurochemical events in the brain.

Method to Remove Particulate Matter from Dusty Gases at Low Pressures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calle, Carlos; Clements, J. Sid

2012-01-01

Future human exploration of Mars will rely on local Martian resources to reduce the mass, cost, and risk of space exploration launched from Earth. NASA's In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Project seeks to produce mission consumables from local Martian resources, such as atmospheric gas. The Martian atmosphere, however, contains dust particles in the 2-to-10 -micrometer range. These dust particles must be removed before the Martian atmospheric gas can be processed. The low pressure of the Martian atmosphere, at 5 to 10 mbars, prevents the development of large voltages required for a standard electrostatic precipitator. If the voltage is increased too much, the corona transitions into a glow/streamer discharge unsuitable for the operation of a precipitator. If the voltage is not large enough, the dust particles are not sufficiently charged and the field is not strong enough to drive the particles to the collector. A method using electrostatic fields has been developed to collect dust from gaseous environments at low pressures, specifically carbon dioxide at pressures around 5 to 10 mbars. This method, commonly known as electrostatic precipitation, is a mature technology in air at one atmosphere. In this case, the high voltages required for the method to work can easily be achieved. However, in carbon dioxide at low pressures, such as those found on Mars, large voltages are not possible. The innovation reported here consists of two concentric cylindrical electrodes set at specific potential difference that generate an electric field that produces a corona capable of imparting an electrostatic charge to the incoming dust particles. The strength of the field is carefully balanced so as to produce a stable charging corona at 5 to 10 mbars, and is also capable of imparting a force to the particles that drives them to the collecting electrode. There are only two possible ways that dust can be removed from Martian atmospheric gas intakes: with this electrostatic precipitator design, and with the use of filters. However, filters require upstream compression of the gas to be treated because the atmospheric pressure on Mars is too close to vacuum to use a vacuum pump downstream to the filter to draw the gas through the filter. The electrostatic precipitator is the best and more efficient solution for this environment. No other precipitator designs have been developed for the environment of Mars due to the challenges of the low atmospheric pressure. Dust particles are charged using corona generation around the high-voltage discharge electrode, which ionizes gas molecules. Since the atmospheric gas intakes for the ISRU processing chambers will likely be cylindrical, cylindrical precipitator geometry was chosen. The electrostatic precipitator design presented here removes simulated Martian dust particles in the required range in a simulated Martian atmospheric environment. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curves taken for the nine precipitator configurations at 9 mbars of pressure showed that a cylindrical collecting electrode 7.0 cm in diameter with a concentric positive high voltage electrode 100 m thick provides the best range of voltage and charging corona current. This precipitator design is effective for the size of the dust particles expected in the Martian atmosphere. Mass determination, as well as microscopic images and particle size distributions of dust collected on a silicon wafer placed directly below the precipitator with the field on and off, showed excellent initial results.

Available Transfer Capability Determination Using Hybrid Evolutionary Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jirapong, Peeraool; Ongsakul, Weerakorn

2008-10-01

This paper proposes a new hybrid evolutionary algorithm (HEA) based on evolutionary programming (EP), tabu search (TS), and simulated annealing (SA) to determine the available transfer capability (ATC) of power transactions between different control areas in deregulated power systems. The optimal power flow (OPF)-based ATC determination is used to evaluate the feasible maximum ATC value within real and reactive power generation limits, line thermal limits, voltage limits, and voltage and angle stability limits. The HEA approach simultaneously searches for real power generations except slack bus in a source area, real power loads in a sink area, and generation bus voltages to solve the OPF-based ATC problem. Test results on the modified IEEE 24-bus reliability test system (RTS) indicate that ATC determination by the HEA could enhance ATC far more than those from EP, TS, hybrid TS/SA, and improved EP (IEP) algorithms, leading to an efficient utilization of the existing transmission system.

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

Madrak, R.; Wildman, D.

The key elements have been constructed for a fast chopper system capable of removing single 2.5 MeV proton bunches spaced at 325 MHz. The average chopping rate is ~ 1 MHz. The components include a pulse delaying microstrip structure for deflecting the beam, high voltage (1.2 kV) fast (ns rise time) pulsers, and an associated wideband combiner. Various designs for the deflecting structures have been studied. Measurements of the microstrip structures' coverage factors and pulse shapes are presented.

Long range alpha particle detector

DOEpatents

MacArthur, Duncan W.; Wolf, Michael A.; McAtee, James L.; Unruh, Wesley P.; Cucchiara, Alfred L.; Huchton, Roger L.

1993-01-01

An alpha particle detector capable of detecting alpha radiation from distant sources. In one embodiment, a high voltage is generated in a first electrically conductive mesh while a fan draws air containing air molecules ionized by alpha particles through an air passage and across a second electrically conductive mesh. The current in the second electrically conductive mesh can be detected and used for measurement or alarm. The detector can be used for area, personnel and equipment monitoring.

Long range alpha particle detector

DOEpatents

MacArthur, D.W.; Wolf, M.A.; McAtee, J.L.; Unruh, W.P.; Cucchiara, A.L.; Huchton, R.L.

1993-02-02

An alpha particle detector capable of detecting alpha radiation from distant sources. In one embodiment, a high voltage is generated in a first electrically conductive mesh while a fan draws air containing air molecules ionized by alpha particles through an air passage and across a second electrically conductive mesh. The current in the second electrically conductive mesh can be detected and used for measurement or alarm. The detector can be used for area, personnel and equipment monitoring.

Prospects for spinel-stabilized, high-capacity lithium-ion battery cathodes

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

Croy, Jason R.; Park, Joong Sun; Shin, Youngho

Herein we report early results on efforts to optimize the electrochemical performance of a cathode composed of a lithium- and manganese-rich “layered-layered-spinel” material for lithium-ion battery applications. Pre-pilot scale synthesis leads to improved particle properties compared with lab-scale efforts, resulting in high capacities (≳200 mAh/g) and good energy densities (>700 Wh/kg) in tests with lithium-ion cells. Subsequent surface modifications give further improvements in rate capabilities and high-voltage stability. These results bode well for advances in the performance of this class of lithium- and manganese-rich cathode materials.

Prospects for spinel-stabilized, high-capacity lithium-ion battery cathodes

DOE PAGES

Croy, Jason R.; Park, Joong Sun; Shin, Youngho; ...

2016-10-13

Herein we report early results on efforts to optimize the electrochemical performance of a cathode composed of a lithium- and manganese-rich “layered-layered-spinel” material for lithium-ion battery applications. Pre-pilot scale synthesis leads to improved particle properties compared with lab-scale efforts, resulting in high capacities (≳200 mAh/g) and good energy densities (>700 Wh/kg) in tests with lithium-ion cells. Subsequent surface modifications give further improvements in rate capabilities and high-voltage stability. These results bode well for advances in the performance of this class of lithium- and manganese-rich cathode materials.

Experimental Verification of Application of Looped System and Centralized Voltage Control in a Distribution System with Renewable Energy Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanai, Yuji; Hayashi, Yasuhiro; Matsuki, Junya

The line voltage control in a distribution network is one of the most important issues for a penetration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). A loop distribution network configuration is an effective solution to resolve voltage and distribution loss issues concerned about a penetration of RES. In this paper, for a loop distribution network, the authors propose a voltage control method based on tap change control of LRT and active/reactive power control of RES. The tap change control of LRT takes a major role of the proposed voltage control. Additionally the active/reactive power control of RES supports the voltage control when voltage deviation from the upper or lower voltage limit is unavoidable. The proposed method adopts SCADA system based on measured data from IT switches, which are sectionalizing switch with sensor installed in distribution feeder. In order to check the validity of the proposed voltage control method, experimental simulations using a distribution system analog simulator “ANSWER” are carried out. In the simulations, the voltage maintenance capability in the normal and the emergency is evaluated.

Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Development for Electric Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mercer, Carolyn R.; Kerslake, Thomas W.; Scheidegger, Robert J.; Woodworth, Andrew A.; Lauenstein, Jean-Marie

2015-01-01

NASA is developing technologies to prepare for human exploration missions to Mars. Solar electric propulsion (SEP) systems are expected to enable a new cost effective means to deliver cargo to the Mars surface. Nearer term missions to Mars moons or near-Earth asteroids can be used to both develop and demonstrate the needed technology for these future Mars missions while demonstrating new capabilities in their own right. This presentation discusses recent technology development accomplishments for high power, high voltage solar arrays and power management that enable a new class of SEP missions.

Biomimetic Beetle-Inspired Flapping Air Vehicle Actuated by Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite Actuator

PubMed Central

Zhao, Yang; Xu, Di; Sheng, Jiazheng; Meng, Qinglong; Wu, Dezhi; Wang, Lingyun; Xiao, Jingjing; Lv, Wenlong; Sun, Daoheng

2018-01-01

During the last decades, the ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) received much attention because of its potential capabilities, such as large displacement and flexible bending actuation. In this paper, a biomimetic flapping air vehicle was proposed by combining the superiority of ionic polymer metal composite with the bionic beetle flapping principle. The blocking force was compared between casted IPMC and IPMC. The flapping state of the wing was investigated and the maximum displacement and flapping angle were measured. The flapping displacement under different voltage and frequency was tested. The flapping displacement of the wing and the support reaction force were measured under different frequency by experiments. The experimental results indicate that the high voltage and low frequency would get large flapping displacement. PMID:29682006

A Responsive Battery with Controlled Energy Release.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaopeng; Gao, Jian; Cheng, Zhihua; Chen, Nan; Qu, Liangti

2016-11-14

A new type of responsive battery with the fascinating feature of pressure perceptibility has been developed, which can spontaneously, timely and reliably control the power outputs (e.g., current and voltage) in response to pressure changes. The device design is based on the structure of the Zn-air battery, in which graphene-coated sponge serves as pressure-sensitive air cathode that endows the whole system with the capability of self-controlled energy release. The responsive batteries exhibit superior battery performance with high open-circuit voltage (1.3 V), and competitive areal capacity of 1.25 mAh cm -2 . This work presents an important move towards next-generation intelligent energy storage devices with energy management function. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A CMOS Time-Resolved Fluorescence Lifetime Analysis Micro-System

PubMed Central

Rae, Bruce R.; Muir, Keith R.; Gong, Zheng; McKendry, Jonathan; Girkin, John M.; Gu, Erdan; Renshaw, David; Dawson, Martin D.; Henderson, Robert K.

2009-01-01

We describe a CMOS-based micro-system for time-resolved fluorescence lifetime analysis. It comprises a 16 × 4 array of single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) fabricated in 0.35 μm high-voltage CMOS technology with in-pixel time-gated photon counting circuitry and a second device incorporating an 8 × 8 AlInGaN blue micro-pixellated light-emitting diode (micro-LED) array bump-bonded to an equivalent array of LED drivers realized in a standard low-voltage 0.35 μm CMOS technology, capable of producing excitation pulses with a width of 777 ps (FWHM). This system replaces instrumentation based on lasers, photomultiplier tubes, bulk optics and discrete electronics with a PC-based micro-system. Demonstrator lifetime measurements of colloidal quantum dot and Rhodamine samples are presented. PMID:22291564

Sequential power-up circuit

DOEpatents

Kronberg, J.W.

1992-06-02

A sequential power-up circuit for starting several electrical load elements in series to avoid excessive current surge, comprising a voltage ramp generator and a set of voltage comparators, each comparator having a different reference voltage and interfacing with a switch that is capable of turning on one of the load elements. As the voltage rises, it passes the reference voltages one at a time and causes the switch corresponding to that voltage to turn on its load element. The ramp is turned on and off by a single switch or by a logic-level electrical signal. The ramp rate for turning on the load element is relatively slow and the rate for turning the elements off is relatively fast. Optionally, the duration of each interval of time between the turning on of the load elements is programmable. 2 figs.

Differentially-driven MEMS spatial light modulator

DOEpatents

Stappaerts, Eddy A.

2004-09-14

A MEMS SLM and an electrostatic actuator associated with a pixel in an SLM. The actuator has three electrodes: a lower electrode; an upper electrode fixed with respect to the lower electrode; and a center electrode suspended and actuable between the upper and lower electrodes. The center electrode is capable of resiliently-biasing to restore the center electrode to a non-actuated first equilibrium position, and a mirror is operably connected to the center electrode. A first voltage source provides a first bias voltage across the lower and center electrodes and a second voltage source provides a second bias voltage across the upper and center electrodes, with the first and second bias voltages determining the non-actuated first equilibrium position of the center electrode. A third voltage source provides a variable driver voltage across one of the lower/center and upper/center electrode pairs in series with the corresponding first or second bias voltage, to actuate the center electrode to a dynamic second equilibrium position.

High pressure optical combustion probe

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

Woodruff, S.D.; Richards, G.A.

1995-06-01

The Department of Energy`s Morgantown Energy Technology Center has developed a combustion probe for monitoring flame presence and heat release. The technology involved is a compact optical detector of the OH radical`s UV fluorescence. The OH Monitor/Probe is designed to determine the flame presence and provide a qualitative signal proportional to the flame intensity. The probe can be adjusted to monitor a specific volume in the combustion zone to track spatial fluctuations in the flame. The probe is capable of nanosecond time response and is usually slowed electronically to fit the flame characteristics. The probe is a sapphire rod inmore » a stainless steel tube which may be inserted into the combustion chamber and pointed at the flame zone. The end of the sapphire rod is retracted into the SS tube to define a narrow optical collection cone. The collection cone may be adjusted to fit the experiment. The fluorescence signal is collected by the sapphire rod and transmitted through a UV transmitting, fused silica, fiber optic to the detector assembly. The detector is a side window photomultiplier (PMT) with a 310 run line filter. A Hamamatsu photomultiplier base combined with a integral high voltage power supply permits this to be a low voltage device. Electronic connections include: a power lead from a modular DC power supply for 15 VDC; a control lead for 0-1 volts to control the high voltage level (and therefore gain); and a lead out for the actual signal. All low voltage connections make this a safe and easy to use device while still delivering the sensitivity required.« less

Self-Nulling Eddy Current Probe for Surface and Subsurface Flaw Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wincheski, B.; Fulton, J. P.; Nath, S.; Namkung, M.; Simpson, J. W.

1994-01-01

An eddy current probe which provides a null-signal in the presence of unflawed material without the need for any balancing circuitry has been developed at NASA Langley Research Center. Such a unique capability of the probe reduces set-up time, eliminates tester configuration errors, and decreases instrumentation requirements. The probe is highly sensitive to surface breaking fatigue cracks, and shows excellent resolution for the measurement of material thickness, including material loss due to corrosion damage. The presence of flaws in the material under test causes an increase in the extremely stable and reproducible output voltage of the probe. The design of the probe and some examples illustrating its flaw detection capabilities are presented.

Increasing the High Voltage Capabilities and Exploring Parameter Space of an Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion Neutron Source for the Detection of Chemical Explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michalak, Matthew K.

The objectives of the work presented here include understanding key operating principles and providing precise data sets that can be used to test inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) fusion theory and optimize IEC device operation. The underlying physical behavior was separated from superficial trends observed in an IEC device at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW). The effects of changing voltage (30-170 kV) and current (30-100 mA) were thoroughly explored, pressure effects (0.15-1.25 mTorr) were mapped, and the effect of impurities in the system was quantified. The most challenging part of this work was designing a high voltage feedthrough that could reliably operate at higher voltages for far longer times than previously attained. A system to detect conventional explosives using fusion neutrons was also designed, constructed, and tested. Precise data sets were created by taking into account and minimizing the effects of short and long term trends in the experiment. Detailed meter current scans were taken that showed a linear relationship of the neutron production rate with current. Cathode voltage scans were slightly greater than linear in the neutron rate from 30 to 170 kV, but the rate increase diminished to near linear as 170 kV was approached. A new high voltage feedthrough was designed that surpassed the performance of past UW IEC lab feedthroughs and shows promise for long duration operation at still higher voltages. Limitations of other equipment in the IEC lab prevented testing the feedthrough to voltages above 175 kV. A more robust construction of the feedthrough and reducing the consequences of a feedthrough failure were also important design criteria that were met. A detector array was made to detect explosives via the 10.8 MeV neutron capture prompt gamma from nitrogen. Signals from four separate detectors were combined to make the individual detectors act similar to one large detector. The detector signals were both summed and combined to compare the performance of the two methods. An overwhelming background radiation signal and insufficient time resolution were two factors that led to the combined signal not performing as well as the summed signal.

Design of a nickel-hydrogen battery simulator for the NASA EOS testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gur, Zvi; Mang, Xuesi; Patil, Ashok R.; Sable, Dan M.; Cho, Bo H.; Lee, Fred C.

1992-01-01

The hardware and software design of a nickel-hydrogen (Ni-H2) battery simulator (BS) with application to the NASA Earth Observation System (EOS) satellite is presented. The battery simulator is developed as a part of a complete testbed for the EOS satellite power system. The battery simulator involves both hardware and software components. The hardware component includes the capability of sourcing and sinking current at a constant programmable voltage. The software component includes the capability of monitoring the battery's ampere-hours (Ah) and programming the battery voltage according to an empirical model of the nickel-hydrogen battery stored in a computer.

Improvement of voltage holding and high current beam acceleration by MeV accelerator for ITER NB

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

Taniguchi, M.; Kashiwagi, M.; Inoue, T.

Voltage holding of -1 MV is an essential issue in development of a multi-aperture multi-grid (MAMuG) negative ion accelerator, of which target is to accelerate 200 A/m{sup 2} H{sup -} ion beam up to the energy of 1 MeV for several tens seconds. Review of voltage holding results ever obtained with various geometries of the accelerators showed that the voltage holding capability was about a half of designed value based on the experiment obtained from ideal small electrode. This is considered due to local electric field concentration in the accelerators, such as edge and steps between multi-aperture grids and itsmore » support structures. Based on the detailed investigation with electric field analysis, accelerator was modified to reduce the electric field concentration by reshaping the support structures and expanding the gap length between the grid supports. After the modifications, the accelerator succeeded in sustaining -1 MV for more than one hour in vacuum. Improvement of the voltage holding characteristics progressed the energy and current accelerated by the MeV accelerator. Up to 2010, beam parameters achieved by the MAMuG accelerator were increased to 879 keV, 0.36 A (157 A/m{sup 2}) at perveance matched condition and 937 keV, 0.33 A (144 A/m{sup 2}) slightly under perveance.« less

Insulation Requirements of High-Voltage Power Systems in Future Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Qureshi, A. Haq; Dayton, James A., Jr.

1995-01-01

The scope, size, and capability of the nation's space-based activities are limited by the level of electrical power available. Long-term projections show that there will be an increasing demand for electrical power in future spacecraft programs. The level of power that can be generated, conditioned, transmitted, and used will have to be considerably increased to satisfy these needs, and increased power levels will require that transmission voltages also be increased to minimize weight and resistive losses. At these projected voltages, power systems will not operate satisfactorily without the proper electrical insulation. Open or encapsulated power supplies are currently used to keep the volume and weight of space power systems low and to protect them from natural and induced environmental hazards. Circuits with open packaging are free to attain the pressure of the outer environment, whereas encapsulated circuits are imbedded in insulating materials, which are usually solids, but could be liquids or gases. Up to now, solid insulation has usually been chosen for space power systems. If the use of solid insulation is continued, when voltages increase, the amount of insulation for encapsulation also will have to increase. This increased insulation will increase weight and reduce system reliability. Therefore, non-solid insulation media must be examined to satisfy future spacecraft power and voltage demands. In this report, we assess the suitability of liquid, space vacuum, and gas insulation for space power systems.

Design of power electronics for TVC EMA systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelms, R. Mark

1993-01-01

The Composite Development Division of the Propulsion Laboratory at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is currently developing a class of electromechanical actuators (EMA's) for use in space transportation applications such as thrust vector control (TVC) and propellant control valves (PCV). These high power servomechanisms will require rugged, reliable, and compact power electronic modules capable of modulating several hundred amperes of current at up to 270 volts. MSFC has selected the brushless dc motor for implementation in EMA's. This report presents the results of an investigation into the applicability of two new technologies, MOS-controlled thyristors (MCT's) and pulse density modulation (PDM), to the control of brushless dc motors in EMA systems. MCT's are new power semiconductor devices, which combine the high voltage and current capabilities of conventional thyristors and the low gate drive requirements of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET's). The commanded signals in a PDM system are synthesized using a series of sinusoidal pulses instead of a series of square pulses as in a pulse width modulation (PWM) system. A resonant dc link inverter is employed to generate the sinusoidal pulses in the PDM system. This inverter permits zero-voltage switching of all semiconductors which reduces switching losses and switching stresses. The objectives of this project are to develop and validate an analytical model of the MCT device when used in high power motor control applications and to design, fabricate, and test a prototype electronic circuit employing both MCT and PDM technology for controlling a brushless dc motor.

High-voltage leak detection of a parenteral proteinaceous solution product packaged in form-fill-seal plastic laminate bags. Part 2. Method performance as a function of heat seal defects, product-package refrigeration, and package plastic laminate lot.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Mats; Damgaard, Rasmus; Buus, Peter; Mulhall, Brian; Guazzo, Dana Morton

2013-01-01

Part 1 of this three-part research series detailed the development and validation of a high-voltage leak detection test (HVLD, also known as an electrical conductivity and capacitance test) for verifying the container-closure integrity of a small-volume laminate plastic bag containing an aqueous solution formulation of the rapid-acting insulin analogue, insulin aspart (NovoRapid®/NovoLog®) by Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsværd, Denmark. Leak detection capability was verified using positive controls each with a single laser-drilled hole in the bag film face. In this Part 2, HVLD leak detection capability was further explored in four separate studies. Study 1 investigated the ability of HVLD to detect weaknesses and/or gaps in the bag heat seal. Study 2 checked the HVLD detection of bag holes in packages stored 4 days at ambient conditions followed by 17 days at refrigeration. Study 3 examined HVLD test results for packages tested when cold. Study 4 compared HVLD test results as a function of bag plastic film lots. The final Part 3 of this series will report the impact of HVLD exposure on product visual appearance and chemical stability. In Part 1 of this three-part series, a leak test method based on electrical conductivity and capacitance, also called high-voltage leak detection (HVLD), was used to find leaks in small plastic bags filled with a solution for injection of the rapid-acting insulin analogue, insulin aspart (NovoRapid®/NovoLog®) by Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsværd, Denmark. In this Part 2, HVLD leak detection capability was further explored in four separate studies. Study 1 investigated the ability of HVLD to detect bag heat seal leaks. Study 2 checked HVLD's ability to detect bag holes after a total of 21 days at ambient plus refrigerated temperatures. Study 3 looked to see if HVLD results changed for packages tested when still cold. Study 4 compared HVLD results for multiple bag plastic film lots. The final Part 3 of this series will report any evidence of drug component degradation caused by HVLD exposure.

Pulsed high voltage electric discharge disinfection of microbially contaminated liquids.

PubMed

Anpilov, A M; Barkhudarov, E M; Christofi, N; Kop'ev, V A; Kossyi, I A; Taktakishvili, M I; Zadiraka, Y

2002-01-01

To examine the use of a novel multielectrode slipping surface discharge (SSD) treatment system, capable of pulsed plasma discharge directly in water, in killing micro-organisms. Potable water containing Escherichia coli and somatic coliphages was treated with pulsed electric discharges generated by the SSD. The SSD system was highly efficient in the microbial disinfection of water with a low energy utilization (eta approximately 10-4 kW h l-1). The SSD treatment was effective in the destruction of E. coli and its coliphages through the generation of u.v. radiation, ozone and free radicals. The non-thermal treatment method can be used for the eradication of micro-organisms in a range of contaminated liquids, including milk, negating the use of pasteurization. The method utilizes multipoint electric discharges capable of treating large volumes of liquid under static and flowing regimes.

FET charge sensor and voltage probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, P. A., Jr. (Inventor)

1986-01-01

A MOSFET structure having a biased gate covered with an insulator is described. The insulator is of such a thickness as to render the structure capable of giving a measure of accumulated charge. The structure is also capable of being used in a stacked structure as a particle spectrometer.

Fully industrialised single photon avalanche diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pellegrini, S.; Rae, B.

2017-05-01

Single Photon Avalanche diodes (SPADs) were first realized more than five decades ago[1][1], and have now been industrialized for mass production in the 130 nm CMOS technology node by STMicroelectronics (STM). In this paper we present the latest STM SPAD with an excellent NIR photon detection probability (>5% at 850nm), a dark count rate median of 100 cps at room temperature and a low breakdown voltage of 14.2V. The dead time of the SPAD is approximately 25 ns, leading to a maximum count rate of 40 Mcps. Thanks to the 130 nm gate length of the CMOS technology used and the associated high digital gate density, complex digital signal processing can be implemented allowing fully integrated systems to be realized. The low bias required by the SPAD makes it possible for voltage generation to be achieved on-chip (e.g. charge pumped). We introduce our first generation time-of-flight system (VL6180) based on the STM SPAD technology, which is capable of ranging up to 60 cm in 60 ms. Ranging capabilities and accuracy are measured using a set of moving targets with reflectance of 5%, 17% and 88% in a fully automated test bed. To the best of our knowledge this was the first high volume SPAD-based device. To our knowledge this is the first time details of SPAD performance over production volumes and lifetime have been presented.

Temperature-Dependent Short-Circuit Capability of Silicon Carbide Power MOSFETs

DOE PAGES

Wang, Zhiqiang; Shi, Xiaojie; Tolbert, Leon M.; ...

2016-02-01

Our paper presents a comprehensive short-circuit ruggedness evaluation and numerical investigation of up-to-date commercial silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. The short-circuit capability of three types of commercial 1200-V SiC MOSFETs is tested under various conditions, with case temperatures from 25 to 200 degrees C and dc bus voltages from 400 to 750 V. It is found that the commercial SiC MOSFETs can withstand short-circuit current for only several microseconds with a dc bus voltage of 750 V and case temperature of 200 degrees C. Moreover, the experimental short-circuit behaviors are compared, and analyzed through numerical thermal dynamic simulation. Specifically, an electrothermalmore » model is built to estimate the device internal temperature distribution, considering the temperature-dependent thermal properties of SiC material. Based on the temperature information, a leakage current model is derived to calculate the main leakage current components (i.e., thermal, diffusion, and avalanche generation currents). Finally, numerical results show that the short-circuit failure mechanisms of SiC MOSFETs can be thermal generation current induced thermal runaway or high-temperature-related gate oxide damage.« less

Estimating power capability of aged lithium-ion batteries in presence of communication delays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fridholm, Björn; Wik, Torsten; Kuusisto, Hannes; Klintberg, Anton

2018-04-01

Efficient control of electrified powertrains requires accurate estimation of the power capability of the battery for the next few seconds into the future. When implemented in a vehicle, the power estimation is part of a control loop that may contain several networked controllers which introduces time delays that may jeopardize stability. In this article, we present and evaluate an adaptive power estimation method that robustly can handle uncertain health status and time delays. A theoretical analysis shows that stability of the closed loop system can be lost if the resistance of the model is under-estimated. Stability can, however, be restored by filtering the estimated power at the expense of slightly reduced bandwidth of the signal. The adaptive algorithm is experimentally validated in lab tests using an aged lithium-ion cell subject to a high power load profile in temperatures from -20 to +25 °C. The upper voltage limit was set to 4.15 V and the lower voltage limit to 2.6 V, where significant non-linearities are occurring and the validity of the model is limited. After an initial transient when the model parameters are adapted, the prediction accuracy is within ± 2 % of the actually available power.

High-Efficiency Nested Hall Thrusters for Robotic Solar System Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hofer, Richard R.

2013-01-01

This work describes the scaling and design attributes of Nested Hall Thrusters (NHT) with extremely large operational envelopes, including a wide range of throttleability in power and specific impulse at high efficiency (>50%). NHTs have the potential to provide the game changing performance, powerprocessing capabilities, and cost effectiveness required to enable missions that cannot otherwise be accomplished. NHTs were first identified in the electric propulsion community as a path to 100- kW class thrusters for human missions. This study aimed to identify the performance capabilities NHTs can provide for NASA robotic and human missions, with an emphasis on 10-kW class thrusters well-suited for robotic exploration. A key outcome of this work has been the identification of NHTs as nearly constant-efficiency devices over large power throttling ratios, especially in direct-drive power systems. NHT systems sized for robotic solar system exploration are predicted to be capable of high-efficiency operation over nearly their entire power throttling range. A traditional Annular Hall Thruster (AHT) consists of a single annular discharge chamber where the propellant is ionized and accelerated. In an NHT, multiple annular channels are concentrically stacked. The channels can be operated in unison or individually depending on the available power or required performance. When throttling an AHT, performance must be sacrificed since a single channel cannot satisfy the diverse design attributes needed to maintain high thrust efficiency. NHTs can satisfy these requirements by varying which channels are operated and thereby offer significant benefits in terms of thruster performance, especially under deep power throttling conditions where the efficiency of an AHT suffers since a single channel can only operate efficiently (>50%) over a narrow power throttling ratio (3:1). Designs for 10-kW class NHTs were developed and compared with AHT systems. Power processing systems were considered using either traditional Power Processing Units (PPU) or Direct Drive Units (DDU). In a PPU-based system, power from the solar arrays is transformed from the low voltage of the arrays to the high voltage needed by the thruster. In a DDU-based system, power from the solar arrays is fed to the thruster without conversion. DDU-based systems are attractive for their simplicity since they eliminate the most complex and expensive part of the propulsion system. The results point to the strong potential of NHTs operating with either PPUs or DDUs to benefit robotic and human missions through their unprecedented power and specific impulse throttling capabilities. NHTs coupled to traditional PPUs are predicted to offer high-efficiency (>50%) power throttling ratios 320% greater than present capabilities, while NHTs with direct-drive power systems (DDU) could exceed existing capabilities by 340%. Because the NHT-DDU approach is implicitly low-cost, NHT-DDU technology has the potential to radically reduce the cost of SEP-enabled NASA missions while simultaneously enabling unprecedented performance capability.

Mining Protein Evolution for Insights into Mechanisms of Voltage-Dependent Sodium Channel Auxiliary Subunits.

PubMed

Molinarolo, Steven; Granata, Daniele; Carnevale, Vincenzo; Ahern, Christopher A

2018-02-21

Voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) beta (β) subunits have been called the "overachieving" auxiliary ion channel subunit. Indeed, these subunits regulate the trafficking of the sodium channel complex at the plasma membrane and simultaneously tune the voltage-dependent properties of the pore-forming alpha-subunit. It is now known that VGSC β-subunits are capable of similar modulation of multiple isoforms of related voltage-gated potassium channels, suggesting that their abilities extend into the broader voltage-gated channels. The gene family for these single transmembrane immunoglobulin beta-fold proteins extends well beyond the traditional VGSC β1-β4 subunit designation, with deep roots into the cell adhesion protein family and myelin-related proteins - where inherited mutations result in a myriad of electrical signaling disorders. Yet, very little is known about how VGSC β-subunits support protein trafficking pathways, the basis for their modulation of voltage-dependent gating, and, ultimately, their role in shaping neuronal excitability. An evolutionary approach can be useful in yielding new clues to such functions as it provides an unbiased assessment of protein residues, folds, and functions. An approach is described here which indicates the greater emergence of the modern β-subunits roughly 400 million years ago in the early neurons of Bilateria and bony fish, and the unexpected presence of distant homologues in bacteriophages. Recent structural breakthroughs containing α and β eukaryotic sodium channels containing subunits suggest a novel role for a highly conserved polar contact that occurs within the transmembrane segments. Overall, a mixture of approaches will ultimately advance our understanding of the mechanism for β-subunit interactions with voltage-sensor containing ion channels and membrane proteins.

Estimating the effects of harmonic voltage fluctuations on the temperature rise of squirrel-cage motors

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

Emanuel, A.E.

1991-03-01

This article presents a preliminary analysis of the effect of randomly varying harmonic voltages on the temperature rise of squirrel-cage motors. The stochastic process of random variations of harmonic voltages is defined by means of simple statistics (mean, standard deviation, type of distribution). Computational models based on a first-order approximation of the motor losses and on the Monte Carlo method yield results which prove that equipment with large thermal time-constant is capable of withstanding for a short period of time larger distortions than THD = 5%.

Pulse power applications of silicon diodes in EML capacitive pulsers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dethlefsen, Rolf; McNab, Ian; Dobbie, Clyde; Bernhardt, Tom; Puterbaugh, Robert; Levine, Frank; Coradeschi, Tom; Rinaldi, Vito

1993-01-01

Crowbar diodes are used for increasing the energy transfer from capacitive pulse forming networks. They also prevent voltage reversal on the energy storage capacitors. 52 mm diameter diodes with a 5 kV reverse blocking voltage, rated 40 kA were successfully used for the 32 MJ SSG rail gun. An uprated diode with increased current capability and a 15 kV reverse blocking voltage has been developed. Transient thermal analysis has predicted the current ratings for different pulse length. Analysis verification is obtained from destructive testing.

Relating Silicon Carbide Avalanche Breakdown Diode Design to Pulsed-Energy Capability

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

Relating Silicon Carbide Avalanche Breakdown Diode Design to Pulsed- Energy Capability Damian Urciuoli, Miguel Hinojosa, and Ronald Green US...were pulse tested in an inductive load circuit at peak powers of over 110 kW. Total pulsed- energy dissipation was kept nearly the same among the...voltages about which design provides the highest pulsed- energy capability. Keywords: Avalanche; Breakdown; Diode; Silicon Carbide Introduction

Effect of ethylene glycol bis (propionitrile) ether (EGBE) on the performance and interfacial chemistry of lithium-rich layered oxide cathode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Pengbo; Xu, Mengqing; Zheng, Xiongwen; Zhu, Yunmin; Liao, Youhao; Xing, Lidan; Huang, Qiming; Wan, Huaping; Yang, Yongjun; Li, Weishan

2016-10-01

Ethylene glycol bis (propionitrile) ether (EGBE) is used as an electrolyte additive to improve the cycling stability and rate capability of Li/Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 cells at high operating voltage (4.8 V). After 150 cycles, cells with 1.0 wt% of EGBE containing electrolyte have remarkable cycling performance, 89.0% capacity retention; while the cells with baseline electrolyte only remain 67.4% capacity retention. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and computation results demonstrate that EGBE preferably oxidizes on the cathode surface compared to the LiPF6/carbonate electrolyte. In order to further understand the effects of EGBE on Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 cathode upon cycling at high voltage, electrochemical behaviors and ex-situ surface analysis of Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 are investigated via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), scanning electron spectroscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and inductive coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The improved cycling performance can be attributed to more stable and robust surface layer yield via incorporation of EGBE, which mitigates the oxidation of electrolyte on the cathode electrode, and also inhibits the dissolution of bulk transition metal ions as well upon cycling at high voltage.

Pado, a fluorescent protein with proton channel activity can optically monitor membrane potential, intracellular pH, and map gap junctions.

PubMed

Kang, Bok Eum; Baker, Bradley J

2016-04-04

An in silico search strategy was developed to identify potential voltage-sensing domains (VSD) for the development of genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs). Using a conserved charge distribution in the S2 α-helix, a single in silico search yielded most voltage-sensing proteins including voltage-gated potassium channels, voltage-gated calcium channels, voltage-gated sodium channels, voltage-gated proton channels, and voltage-sensing phosphatases from organisms ranging from mammals to bacteria and plants. A GEVI utilizing the VSD from a voltage-gated proton channel identified from that search was able to optically report changes in membrane potential. In addition this sensor was capable of manipulating the internal pH while simultaneously reporting that change optically since it maintains the voltage-gated proton channel activity of the VSD. Biophysical characterization of this GEVI, Pado, demonstrated that the voltage-dependent signal was distinct from the pH-dependent signal and was dependent on the movement of the S4 α-helix. Further investigation into the mechanism of the voltage-dependent optical signal revealed that inhibiting the dimerization of the fluorescent protein greatly reduced the optical signal. Dimerization of the FP thereby enabled the movement of the S4 α-helix to mediate a fluorescent response.

Pado, a fluorescent protein with proton channel activity can optically monitor membrane potential, intracellular pH, and map gap junctions

PubMed Central

Kang, Bok Eum; Baker, Bradley J.

2016-01-01

An in silico search strategy was developed to identify potential voltage-sensing domains (VSD) for the development of genetically encoded voltage indicators (GEVIs). Using a conserved charge distribution in the S2 α-helix, a single in silico search yielded most voltage-sensing proteins including voltage-gated potassium channels, voltage-gated calcium channels, voltage-gated sodium channels, voltage-gated proton channels, and voltage-sensing phosphatases from organisms ranging from mammals to bacteria and plants. A GEVI utilizing the VSD from a voltage-gated proton channel identified from that search was able to optically report changes in membrane potential. In addition this sensor was capable of manipulating the internal pH while simultaneously reporting that change optically since it maintains the voltage-gated proton channel activity of the VSD. Biophysical characterization of this GEVI, Pado, demonstrated that the voltage-dependent signal was distinct from the pH-dependent signal and was dependent on the movement of the S4 α-helix. Further investigation into the mechanism of the voltage-dependent optical signal revealed that inhibiting the dimerization of the fluorescent protein greatly reduced the optical signal. Dimerization of the FP thereby enabled the movement of the S4 α-helix to mediate a fluorescent response. PMID:27040905

Device Performance | Photovoltaic Research | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Device Performance Device Performance PV Calibrations Blog Check out the latest updates from the PV than 190 person-years. Capabilities Our capabilities for measuring key performance parameters of solar cells and modules include the use of various solar simulators and tools to measure current-voltage and

Mixed Electronic and Ionic Conductor-Coated Cathode Material for High-Voltage Lithium Ion Battery.

PubMed

Shim, Jae-Hyun; Han, Jung-Min; Lee, Joon-Hyung; Lee, Sanghun

2016-05-18

A lithium ionic conductor, Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP), is introduced as a coating material on the surface of Mg-doped LiCoO2 to improve electrochemical performances for high-voltage (4.5 V) lithium ion batteries. Structure, morphology, elemental distribution, and electrical properties of the materials are thoroughly characterized by SEM, TEM, EELS, EDS, and C-AFM. The coating layer is electrically conductive with the aid of Mg ions which are used as a dopant for the active materials; therefore, this mixed electronic ionic conductor strongly enhances the electrochemical performances of initial capacity, cycling property, and rate capability. The LATP coating layer also demonstrates very promising applicability for 4.4 V prismatic full cells with graphite anode, which correspond to the 4.5 V half-cells with lithium anode. The 2900 mA h full cells show 85% of capacity retention after 500 cycles and more than 60% after 700 cycles.

Simulations of radiation-damaged 3D detectors for the Super-LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennicard, D.; Pellegrini, G.; Fleta, C.; Bates, R.; O'Shea, V.; Parkes, C.; Tartoni, N.

2008-07-01

Future high-luminosity colliders, such as the Super-LHC at CERN, will require pixel detectors capable of withstanding extremely high radiation damage. In this article, the performances of various 3D detector structures are simulated with up to 1×1016 1 MeV- neq/cm2 radiation damage. The simulations show that 3D detectors have higher collection efficiency and lower depletion voltages than planar detectors due to their small electrode spacing. When designing a 3D detector with a large pixel size, such as an ATLAS sensor, different electrode column layouts are possible. Using a small number of n+ readout electrodes per pixel leads to higher depletion voltages and lower collection efficiency, due to the larger electrode spacing. Conversely, using more electrodes increases both the insensitive volume occupied by the electrode columns and the capacitive noise. Overall, the best performance after 1×1016 1 MeV- neq/cm2 damage is achieved by using 4-6 n+ electrodes per pixel.

Improved operation of graded-channel SOI nMOSFETs down to liquid helium temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavanello, Marcelo Antonio; de Souza, Michelly; Ribeiro, Thales Augusto; Martino, João Antonio; Flandre, Denis

2016-11-01

This paper presents the operation of Graded-Channel (GC) Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) nMOSFETs at low temperatures down to liquid helium temperature in comparison to standard uniformly doped transistors. Devices from two different technologies have been measured and show that the mobility increase rate with temperature for GC SOI transistors is similar to uniformly doped devices for temperatures down to 90 K. However, at liquid helium temperature the rate of mobility increase is larger in GC SOI than in standard devices because of the different mobility scattering mechanisms. The analog properties of GC SOI devices have been investigated down to 4.16 K and show that because of its better transconductance and output conductance, an intrinsic voltage gain improvement with temperature is also obtained for devices in the whole studied temperature range. GC devices are also capable of reducing the impact ionization due to the high electric field in the drain region, increasing the drain breakdown voltage of fully-depleted SOI MOSFETs at any studied temperature and the kink voltage at 4.16 K.

Temperature and Humidity Sensor Powered by an Individual Microbial Fuel Cell in a Power Management System.

PubMed

Zheng, Qi; Xiong, Lei; Mo, Bing; Lu, Weihong; Kim, Suki; Wang, Zhenyu

2015-09-11

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are of increasing interest as bioelectrochemical systems for decomposing organic materials and converting chemical energy into electricity. The main challenge for this technology is that the low power and voltage of the devices restricts the use of MFCs in practical applications. In this paper, a power management system (PMS) is developed to store the energy and export an increased voltage. The designed PMS successfully increases the low voltage generated by an individual MFC to a high potential of 5 V, capable of driving a wireless temperature and humidity sensor based on nRF24L01 data transmission modules. With the PMS, MFCs can intermittently power the sensor for data transmission to a remote receiver. It is concluded that even an individual MFC can supply the energy required to power the sensor and telemetry system with the designed PMS. The presented PMS can be widely used for unmanned environmental monitoring such as wild rivers, lakes, and adjacent water areas, and offers promise for further advances in MFC technology.

Temperature and Humidity Sensor Powered by an Individual Microbial Fuel Cell in a Power Management System

PubMed Central

Zheng, Qi; Xiong, Lei; Mo, Bing; Lu, Weihong; Kim, Suki; Wang, Zhenyu

2015-01-01

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are of increasing interest as bioelectrochemical systems for decomposing organic materials and converting chemical energy into electricity. The main challenge for this technology is that the low power and voltage of the devices restricts the use of MFCs in practical applications. In this paper, a power management system (PMS) is developed to store the energy and export an increased voltage. The designed PMS successfully increases the low voltage generated by an individual MFC to a high potential of 5 V, capable of driving a wireless temperature and humidity sensor based on nRF24L01 data transmission modules. With the PMS, MFCs can intermittently power the sensor for data transmission to a remote receiver. It is concluded that even an individual MFC can supply the energy required to power the sensor and telemetry system with the designed PMS. The presented PMS can be widely used for unmanned environmental monitoring such as wild rivers, lakes, and adjacent water areas, and offers promise for further advances in MFC technology. PMID:26378546

Compact, Intelligent, Digitally Controlled IGBT Gate Drivers for a PEBB-Based ILC Marx Modulator

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

Nguyen, M.N.; Burkhart, C.; Olsen, J.J.

2010-06-07

SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has built and is currently operating a first generation prototype Marx klystron modulator to meet ILC specifications. Under development is a second generation prototype, aimed at improving overall performance, serviceability, and manufacturability as compared to its predecessor. It is designed around 32 cells, each operating at 3.75 kV and correcting for its own capacitor droop. Due to the uniqueness of this application, high voltage gate drivers needed to be developed for the main 6.5 kV and droop correction 1.7 kV IGBTs. The gate driver provides vital functions such as protection of the IGBT from over-voltage andmore » over-current, detection of gate-emitter open and short circuit conditions, and monitoring of IGBT degradation (based on collector-emitter saturation voltage). Gate drive control, diagnostic processing capabilities, and communication are digitally implemented using an FPGA. This paper details the design of the gate driver circuitry, component selection, and construction layout. In addition, experimental results are included to illustrate the effectiveness of the protection circuit.« less

Genetically expressed voltage sensor ArcLight for imaging large scale cortical activity in the anesthetized and awake mouse

PubMed Central

Borden, Peter Y.; Ortiz, Alex D.; Waiblinger, Christian; Sederberg, Audrey J.; Morrissette, Arthur E.; Forest, Craig R.; Jaeger, Dieter; Stanley, Garrett B.

2017-01-01

Abstract. With the recent breakthrough in genetically expressed voltage indicators (GEVIs), there has been a tremendous demand to determine the capabilities of these sensors in vivo. Novel voltage sensitive fluorescent proteins allow for direct measurement of neuron membrane potential changes through changes in fluorescence. Here, we utilized ArcLight, a recently developed GEVI, and examined the functional characteristics in the widely used mouse somatosensory whisker pathway. We measured the resulting evoked fluorescence using a wide-field microscope and a CCD camera at 200 Hz, which enabled voltage recordings over the entire cortical region with high temporal resolution. We found that ArcLight produced a fluorescent response in the S1 barrel cortex during sensory stimulation at single whisker resolution. During wide-field cortical imaging, we encountered substantial hemodynamic noise that required additional post hoc processing through noise subtraction techniques. Over a period of 28 days, we found clear and consistent ArcLight fluorescence responses to a simple sensory input. Finally, we demonstrated the use of ArcLight to resolve cortical S1 sensory responses in the awake mouse. Taken together, our results demonstrate the feasibility of ArcLight as a measurement tool for mesoscopic, chronic imaging. PMID:28491905

Modeling, control, and simulation of battery storage photovoltaic-wave energy hybrid renewable power generation systems for island electrification in Malaysia.

PubMed

Samrat, Nahidul Hoque; Bin Ahmad, Norhafizan; Choudhury, Imtiaz Ahmed; Bin Taha, Zahari

2014-01-01

Today, the whole world faces a great challenge to overcome the environmental problems related to global energy production. Most of the islands throughout the world depend on fossil fuel importation with respect to energy production. Recent development and research on green energy sources can assure sustainable power supply for the islands. But unpredictable nature and high dependency on weather conditions are the main limitations of renewable energy sources. To overcome this drawback, different renewable sources and converters need to be integrated with each other. This paper proposes a standalone hybrid photovoltaic- (PV-) wave energy conversion system with energy storage. In the proposed hybrid system, control of the bidirectional buck-boost DC-DC converter (BBDC) is used to maintain the constant dc-link voltage. It also accumulates the excess hybrid power in the battery bank and supplies this power to the system load during the shortage of hybrid power. A three-phase complex vector control scheme voltage source inverter (VSI) is used to control the load side voltage in terms of the frequency and voltage amplitude. Based on the simulation results obtained from Matlab/Simulink, it has been found that the overall hybrid framework is capable of working under the variable weather and load conditions.

Development of Vibration-Based Piezoelectric Raindrop Energy Harvesting System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Chin Hong; Dahari, Zuraini

2017-03-01

The trend of finding new means to harvest energy has triggered numerous researches to explore the potential of raindrop energy harvesting. This paper presents an investigation on raindrop energy harvesting which compares the performance of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) cantilever and bridge structure transducers and the development of a raindrop energy harvesting system. The parameters which contribute to the output voltage such as droplet size, droplets released at specific heights and dimensions of PVDF transducers are analyzed. Based on the experimental results, the outcomes have shown that the bridge structure transducer generated a higher voltage than the cantilever. Several dimensions have been tested and it was found that the 30 mm × 4 mm × 25 μm bridge structure transducer generated a relatively high AC open-circuit voltage, which is 4.22 V. The power generated by the bridge transducer is 18 μW across a load of 330 kΩ. The transducer is able to drive up a standard alternative current (AC) to direct current (DC) converter (full-wave bridge rectifier). It generated a DC voltage, V DC of 8.7 mV and 229 pW across a 330 kΩ resistor per drop. It is also capable to generate 9.3 nJ in 20 s from an actual rain event.

Modeling, Control, and Simulation of Battery Storage Photovoltaic-Wave Energy Hybrid Renewable Power Generation Systems for Island Electrification in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Samrat, Nahidul Hoque; Ahmad, Norhafizan Bin; Choudhury, Imtiaz Ahmed; Taha, Zahari Bin

2014-01-01

Today, the whole world faces a great challenge to overcome the environmental problems related to global energy production. Most of the islands throughout the world depend on fossil fuel importation with respect to energy production. Recent development and research on green energy sources can assure sustainable power supply for the islands. But unpredictable nature and high dependency on weather conditions are the main limitations of renewable energy sources. To overcome this drawback, different renewable sources and converters need to be integrated with each other. This paper proposes a standalone hybrid photovoltaic- (PV-) wave energy conversion system with energy storage. In the proposed hybrid system, control of the bidirectional buck-boost DC-DC converter (BBDC) is used to maintain the constant dc-link voltage. It also accumulates the excess hybrid power in the battery bank and supplies this power to the system load during the shortage of hybrid power. A three-phase complex vector control scheme voltage source inverter (VSI) is used to control the load side voltage in terms of the frequency and voltage amplitude. Based on the simulation results obtained from Matlab/Simulink, it has been found that the overall hybrid framework is capable of working under the variable weather and load conditions. PMID:24892049

Low-voltage electron microscopy of polymer and organic molecular thin films.

PubMed

Drummy, Lawrence F; Yang, Junyan; Martin, David C

2004-06-01

We have demonstrated the capabilities of a novel low-voltage electron microscope (LVEM) for imaging polymer and organic molecular thin films. The LVEM can operate in transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron diffraction modes. The microscope operates at a nominal accelerating voltage of 5 kV and fits on a tabletop. A detailed discussion of the electron-sample interaction processes is presented, and the mean free path for total electron scattering was calculated to be 15 nm for organic samples at 5 kV. The total end point dose for the destruction of crystallinity at 5 kV was estimated at 5 x 10(-4) and 3.5 x 10(-2) C/cm2 for polyethylene and pentacene, respectively. These values are significantly lower than those measured at voltages greater than 100 kV. A defocus series of colloidal gold particles allowed us to estimate the experimental contrast transfer function of the microscope. Images taken of several organic materials have shown high contrast for low atomic number elements and a resolution of 2.5 nm. The materials studied here include thin films of the organic semiconductor pentacene, triblock copolymer films, single-molecule dendrimers, electrospun polymer fibers and gold nanoparticles. Copyright 2004 Elsevier B.V.

Technical Study of a Standalone Photovoltaic–Wind Energy Based Hybrid Power Supply Systems for Island Electrification in Malaysia

PubMed Central

Samrat, Nahidul Hoque; Ahmad, Norhafizan; Choudhury, Imtiaz Ahmed; Taha, Zahari

2015-01-01

Energy is one of the most important factors in the socioeconomic development of a country. In a developing country like Malaysia, the development of islands is mostly related to the availability of electric power. Power generated by renewable energy sources has recently become one of the most promising solutions for the electrification of islands and remote rural areas. But high dependency on weather conditions and the unpredictable nature of these renewable energy sources are the main drawbacks. To overcome this weakness, different green energy sources and power electronic converters need to be integrated with each other. This study presents a battery storage hybrid standalone photovoltaic-wind energy power supply system. In the proposed standalone hybrid system, a DC-DC buck-boost bidirectional converter controller is used to accumulates the surplus hybrid power in the battery bank and supplies this power to the load during the hybrid power shortage by maintaining the constant dc-link voltage. A three-phase voltage source inverter complex vector control scheme is used to control the load side voltage in terms of the voltage amplitude and frequency. Based on the simulation results obtained from MATLAB/Simulink, it has been found that the overall hybrid framework is capable of working under variable weather and load conditions. PMID:26121032

Technical Study of a Standalone Photovoltaic-Wind Energy Based Hybrid Power Supply Systems for Island Electrification in Malaysia.

PubMed

Samrat, Nahidul Hoque; Ahmad, Norhafizan; Choudhury, Imtiaz Ahmed; Taha, Zahari

2015-01-01

Energy is one of the most important factors in the socioeconomic development of a country. In a developing country like Malaysia, the development of islands is mostly related to the availability of electric power. Power generated by renewable energy sources has recently become one of the most promising solutions for the electrification of islands and remote rural areas. But high dependency on weather conditions and the unpredictable nature of these renewable energy sources are the main drawbacks. To overcome this weakness, different green energy sources and power electronic converters need to be integrated with each other. This study presents a battery storage hybrid standalone photovoltaic-wind energy power supply system. In the proposed standalone hybrid system, a DC-DC buck-boost bidirectional converter controller is used to accumulates the surplus hybrid power in the battery bank and supplies this power to the load during the hybrid power shortage by maintaining the constant dc-link voltage. A three-phase voltage source inverter complex vector control scheme is used to control the load side voltage in terms of the voltage amplitude and frequency. Based on the simulation results obtained from MATLAB/Simulink, it has been found that the overall hybrid framework is capable of working under variable weather and load conditions.

Ga2O3 Schottky rectifiers with 1 ampere forward current, 650 V reverse breakdown and 26.5 MW.cm-2 figure-of-merit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jiancheng; Ren, F.; Tadjer, Marko; Pearton, S. J.; Kuramata, A.

2018-05-01

A key goal for Ga2O3 rectifiers is to achieve high forward currents and high reverse breakdown voltages. Field-plated β-Ga2O3 Schottky rectifiers with area 0.01 cm2, fabricated on 10 μm thick, lightly-doped drift regions (1.33 x 1016 cm-3) on heavily-doped (3.6 x 1018 cm-3) substrates, exhibited forward current density of 100A.cm-2 at 2.1 V, with absolute current of 1 A at this voltage and a reverse breakdown voltage (VB) of 650V. The on-resistance (RON) was 1.58 x 10-2 Ω.cm2, producing a figure of merit (VB2/RON) of 26.5 MW.cm-2. The Schottky barrier height of the Ni was 1.04 eV, with an ideality factor of 1.02. The on/off ratio was in the range 3.3 x 106 - 5.7 x 109 for reverse biases between 5 and 100V. The reverse recovery time was ˜30 ns for switching from +2V to -5V. The results show the capability of β-Ga2O3 rectifiers to achieve exceptional performance in both forward and reverse bias conditions.

Effects of 60-Heartz electric and magnetic fields on implanted cardiac pacemakers. Final report. [Hazards of power transmission line frequencies

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

Bridges, J.E.; Frazier, M.J.

1979-09-01

The effects of 60-Hz electric and magnetic fields of exta-high voltage (EHV) transmission lines on the performance of implanted cardiac pacemakers were studied by: (1) in vitro bench tests of a total of thirteen cardiac pacemakers; (2) in vivo tests of six implanted cardiac pacemakers in baboons; and (3) non-hazardous skin measurement tests on four humans. Analytical methods were developed to predict the thresholds of body current and electric fields capable of affecting normal pacemaker operation in humans. The field strengths calculated to alter implanted pacemaker performance were compared with the range of maximum electric and magnetic field strengths amore » human would normally encounter under transmission lines of various voltages. Results indicate that the electric field or body current necessary to alter the normal operation of pacemakers is highly dependent on the type of pacemaker and the location of the implanted electrodes. However, cardiologists have not so far detected harmful effects of pacemaker reversion to the asynchronous mode in current types of pacemakers and with present methods of implantation. Such interferences can be eliminated by using advanced pacemakers less sensitive to 60-Hz voltages or by using implantation lead arrangements less sensitive to body current.« less

Power system voltage stability and agent based distribution automation in smart grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Cuong Phuc

2011-12-01

Our interconnected electric power system is presently facing many challenges that it was not originally designed and engineered to handle. The increased inter-area power transfers, aging infrastructure, and old technologies, have caused many problems including voltage instability, widespread blackouts, slow control response, among others. These problems have created an urgent need to transform the present electric power system to a highly stable, reliable, efficient, and self-healing electric power system of the future, which has been termed "smart grid". This dissertation begins with an investigation of voltage stability in bulk transmission networks. A new continuation power flow tool for studying the impacts of generator merit order based dispatch on inter-area transfer capability and static voltage stability is presented. The load demands are represented by lumped load models on the transmission system. While this representation is acceptable in traditional power system analysis, it may not be valid in the future smart grid where the distribution system will be integrated with intelligent and quick control capabilities to mitigate voltage problems before they propagate into the entire system. Therefore, before analyzing the operation of the whole smart grid, it is important to understand the distribution system first. The second part of this dissertation presents a new platform for studying and testing emerging technologies in advanced Distribution Automation (DA) within smart grids. Due to the key benefits over the traditional centralized approach, namely flexible deployment, scalability, and avoidance of single-point-of-failure, a new distributed approach is employed to design and develop all elements of the platform. A multi-agent system (MAS), which has the three key characteristics of autonomy, local view, and decentralization, is selected to implement the advanced DA functions. The intelligent agents utilize a communication network for cooperation and negotiation. Communication latency is modeled using a user-defined probability density function. Failure-tolerant communication strategies are developed for agent communications. Major elements of advanced DA are developed in a completely distributed way and successfully tested for several IEEE standard systems, including: Fault Detection, Location, Isolation, and Service Restoration (FLISR); Coordination of Distributed Energy Storage Systems (DES); Distributed Power Flow (DPF); Volt-VAR Control (VVC); and Loss Reduction (LR).

A High Performance Piezoelectric Sensor for Dynamic Force Monitoring of Landslide.

PubMed

Li, Ming; Cheng, Wei; Chen, Jiangpan; Xie, Ruili; Li, Xiongfei

2017-02-17

Due to the increasing influence of human engineering activities, it is important to monitor the transient disturbance during the evolution process of landslide. For this purpose, a high-performance piezoelectric sensor is presented in this paper. To adapt the high static and dynamic stress environment in slope engineering, two key techniques, namely, the self-structure pressure distribution method (SSPDM) and the capacitive circuit voltage distribution method (CCVDM) are employed in the design of the sensor. The SSPDM can greatly improve the compressive capacity and the CCVDM can quantitatively decrease the high direct response voltage. Then, the calibration experiments are conducted via the independently invented static and transient mechanism since the conventional testing machines cannot match the calibration requirements. The sensitivity coefficient is obtained and the results reveal that the sensor has the characteristics of high compressive capacity, stable sensitivities under different static preload levels and wide-range dynamic measuring linearity. Finally, to reduce the measuring error caused by charge leakage of the piezoelectric element, a low-frequency correction method is proposed and experimental verified. Therefore, with the satisfactory static and dynamic properties and the improving low-frequency measuring reliability, the sensor can complement dynamic monitoring capability of the existing landslide monitoring and forecasting system.

Evaluation of Fairchild's Gate Drive Optocoupler, Type FOD3150, Under Wide Temperature Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, Richard; Hammoud, Adhad; Panko, Scott

2010-01-01

An optocoupler is a semiconductor device that is used to transfer a signal between different parts of a circuit that need to be electrically isolated from one another - for example, where a high voltage is to be switched with a low voltage control signal. Optocouplers often can be used in place of relays. These optocouplers utilize an infrared LED (light emitting diode) and a photodetector such as a silicon controlled rectifier or photosensitive silicon diode for the transfer of the electronic signal between components of a circuit by means of a short optical transmission channel. For maximum coupling, the wave-length responses of the LED and the detector should be very similar. In switch-mode power supply applications, optocouplers offer advantages over transformers by virtue of simpler circuit design, reduced weight, and DC coupling capability. The effects of extreme temperature exposure and thermal cycling on the performance of a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) optocoupler, Fairchild FOD3150, were evaluated in this work. This 1.0 A output current, high noise immunity gate drive optocoupler utilizes an aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) LED, is capable of driving most 800V/20A IGBT/MOSFETs, and is suited for fast switching in motor control inverter applications and high performance power systems. Some of the specifications of the isolator chip are listed. The device was evaluated in terms of output response, output rise (t(sub r)) and fall times (t(sub f)), and propagation delays (using a 50% level between input and output during low to high (t(sub PLH)) and high to low (t(sub PLH)) transitions). The output supply current was also obtained. These parameters were recorded at various test temperatures between -190 C and +110 C.

Development of a breadboard design of a high-performance, high-reliability switching regulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindena, S. J.

1975-01-01

A comparison of two potential conversion methods, the series inverter and the inductive energy transfer (IET) conversion technique, is presented. The investigations showed that a characteristic of the series inverter circuit (high equalizing current values in each half cycle) could not be accomplished with available components, and the investigations continued with the IET circuit only. An IET circuit system was built with the use of computer-aided design in a 2, 4, and 8 stage configuration, and these stages were staggered 180, 90, and 45 degrees, respectively. All stages were pulsewidth modulated to regulate over an input voltage range from 200 to 400 volts dc at a regulated output voltage of 56 volts. The output power capability was 100 to 500 watts for the 2 and 8 stage configuration and 50 to 250 watts for the 4 stage configuration. Equal control of up to eight 45 degree staggered stages was accomplished through the use of a digital-to-analog control circuit. Equal power sharing of all stages was achieved through a new technique using an inductively coupled balancing circuit. Conclusions are listed.

The role of ionic liquid electrolyte in an aluminum–graphite electrochemical cell

DOE PAGES

Agiorgousis, Michael L.; Sun, Yi -Yang; Zhang, Shengbai

2017-02-17

Using first-principles calculations and molecular dynamics simulation, we study the working mechanism in an aluminum–graphite electrochemical cell, which was recently reported to exhibit attractive performance. We exclude the possibility of Al 3+ cation intercalation into graphite as in standard Li-ion batteries. Instead, we show that the AlCl 4 – anion intercalation mechanism is thermodynamically feasible. By including the ionic liquid electrolyte in the overall redox reaction, we are able to reproduce the high voltage observed in experiment. The active involvement of electrolyte in the reaction suggests that the evaluation of energy density needs to take the electrolyte into consideration. Here,more » our proposed structural model is consistent with the new peaks appearing in X-ray diffraction from the intercalation compound. The high rate capability is explained by the ultralow diffusion barriers of the AlCl 4 intercalant. With the clarified working mechanism, it becomes clear that the high voltage of the Al–graphite cell is a result of the thermodynamic instability of the AlCl 4-intercalated graphite.« less

Application of HFCT and UHF Sensors in On-Line Partial Discharge Measurements for Insulation Diagnosis of High Voltage Equipment

PubMed Central

Álvarez, Fernando; Garnacho, Fernando; Ortego, Javier; Sánchez-Urán, Miguel Ángel

2015-01-01

Partial discharge (PD) measurements provide valuable information for assessing the condition of high voltage (HV) insulation systems, contributing to their quality assurance. Different PD measuring techniques have been developed in the last years specially designed to perform on-line measurements. Non-conventional PD methods operating in high frequency bands are usually used when this type of tests are carried out. In PD measurements the signal acquisition, the subsequent signal processing and the capability to obtain an accurate diagnosis are conditioned by the selection of a suitable detection technique and by the implementation of effective signal processing tools. This paper proposes an optimized electromagnetic detection method based on the combined use of wideband PD sensors for measurements performed in the HF and UHF frequency ranges, together with the implementation of powerful processing tools. The effectiveness of the measuring techniques proposed is demonstrated through an example, where several PD sources are measured simultaneously in a HV installation consisting of a cable system connected by a plug-in terminal to a gas insulated substation (GIS) compartment. PMID:25815452

Fiber Fabry-Perot sensors for detection of partial discharges in power transformers.

PubMed

Yu, Bing; Kim, Dae Woong; Deng, Jiangdong; Xiao, Hai; Wang, Anbo

2003-06-01

A diaphragm-based interferometric fiberoptic sensor that uses a low-coherence light source was designed and tested for on-line detection of the acoustic waves generated by partial discharges inside high-voltage power transformers. The sensor uses a fused-silica diaphragm and a single-mode optical fiber encapsulated in a fused-silica glass tube to form an extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer, which is interrogated by low-coherence light. Test results indicate that these fiber optic acoustic sensors are capable of faithfully detecting acoustic signals propagating inside transformer oil with high sensitivity and wide bandwidth.

Monolithic FET structures for high-power control component applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shifrin, Mitchell B.; Katzin, Peter J.; Ayasli, Yalcin

1989-12-01

A monolithic FET switch is described that can be integrated with other monolithic functions or used as a discrete component in a microwave integrated circuit structure. This device increases the power-handling capability of the conventional single FET switch by an order of magnitude. It does this by overcoming the breakdown voltage limitation of the FET device. The design, fabrication, and performance of two high-power control components using these circuits are described as examples of the implementation of this technology. They are an L-band terminated single-pole, single-throw (SPST) switch and an L-band limiter).

Direct model-based predictive control scheme without cost function for voltage source inverters with reduced common-mode voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jae-Chang; Moon, Sung-Ki; Kwak, Sangshin

2018-04-01

This paper presents a direct model-based predictive control scheme for voltage source inverters (VSIs) with reduced common-mode voltages (CMVs). The developed method directly finds optimal vectors without using repetitive calculation of a cost function. To adjust output currents with the CMVs in the range of -Vdc/6 to +Vdc/6, the developed method uses voltage vectors, as finite control resources, excluding zero voltage vectors which produce the CMVs in the VSI within ±Vdc/2. In a model-based predictive control (MPC), not using zero voltage vectors increases the output current ripples and the current errors. To alleviate these problems, the developed method uses two non-zero voltage vectors in one sampling step. In addition, the voltage vectors scheduled to be used are directly selected at every sampling step once the developed method calculates the future reference voltage vector, saving the efforts of repeatedly calculating the cost function. And the two non-zero voltage vectors are optimally allocated to make the output current approach the reference current as close as possible. Thus, low CMV, rapid current-following capability and sufficient output current ripple performance are attained by the developed method. The results of a simulation and an experiment verify the effectiveness of the developed method.

30 CFR 75.826 - High-voltage trailing cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false High-voltage trailing cables. 75.826 Section 75...-Voltage Longwalls § 75.826 High-voltage trailing cables. High-voltage trailing cables must: (a) Meet existing trailing cable requirements and the approval requirements of the high-voltage continuous mining...

Design and implementation of a wireless (Bluetooth) four channel bio-instrumentation amplifier and digital data acquisition device with user-selectable gain, frequency, and driven reference.

PubMed

Cosmanescu, Alin; Miller, Benjamin; Magno, Terence; Ahmed, Assad; Kremenic, Ian

2006-01-01

A portable, multi-purpose Bio-instrumentation Amplifier and Data AcQuisition device (BADAQ) capable of measuring and transmitting EMG and EKG signals wirelessly via Bluetooth is designed and implemented. Common topologies for instrumentation amplifiers and filters are used and realized with commercially available, low-voltage, high precision operational amplifiers. An 8-bit PIC microcontroller performs 10-bit analog-to-digital conversion of the amplified and filtered signals and controls a Bluetooth transceiver capable of wirelessly transmitting the data to any Bluetooth enabled device. Electrical isolation between patient/subject, circuitry, and ancillary equipment is achieved by optocoupling components. The design focuses on simplicity, portability, and affordability.

Unity power factor converter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wester, Gene W. (Inventor)

1980-01-01

A unity power factor converter capable of effecting either inversion (dc-to-dc) or rectification (ac-to-dc), and capable of providing bilateral power control from a DC source (or load) through an AC transmission line to a DC load (or source) for power flow in either direction, is comprised of comparators for comparing the AC current i with an AC signal i.sub.ref (or its phase inversion) derived from the AC ports to generate control signals to operate a switch control circuit for high speed switching to shape the AC current waveform to a sine waveform, and synchronize it in phase and frequency with the AC voltage at the AC ports, by selectively switching the connections to a series inductor as required to increase or decrease the current i.

Unitaxial constant velocity microactuator

DOEpatents

McIntyre, Timothy J.

1994-01-01

A uniaxial drive system or microactuator capable of operating in an ultra-high vacuum environment. The mechanism includes a flexible coupling having a bore therethrough, and two clamp/pusher assemblies mounted in axial ends of the coupling. The clamp/pusher assemblies are energized by voltage-operated piezoelectrics therewithin to operatively engage the shaft and coupling causing the shaft to move along its rotational axis through the bore. The microactuator is capable of repeatably positioning to sub-manometer accuracy while affording a scan range in excess of 5 centimeters. Moreover, the microactuator generates smooth, constant velocity motion profiles while producing a drive thrust of greater than 10 pounds. The system is remotely controlled and piezoelectrically driven, hence minimal thermal loading, vibrational excitation, or outgassing is introduced to the operating environment.

A biophysical model examining the role of low-voltage-activated potassium currents in shaping the responses of vestibular ganglion neurons.

PubMed

Hight, Ariel E; Kalluri, Radha

2016-08-01

The vestibular nerve is characterized by two broad groups of neurons that differ in the timing of their interspike intervals; some fire at highly regular intervals, whereas others fire at highly irregular intervals. Heterogeneity in ion channel properties has been proposed as shaping these firing patterns (Highstein SM, Politoff AL. Brain Res 150: 182-187, 1978; Smith CE, Goldberg JM. Biol Cybern 54: 41-51, 1986). Kalluri et al. (J Neurophysiol 104: 2034-2051, 2010) proposed that regularity is controlled by the density of low-voltage-activated potassium currents (IKL). To examine the impact of IKL on spike timing regularity, we implemented a single-compartment model with three conductances known to be present in the vestibular ganglion: transient sodium (gNa), low-voltage-activated potassium (gKL), and high-voltage-activated potassium (gKH). Consistent with in vitro observations, removing gKL depolarized resting potential, increased input resistance and membrane time constant, and converted current step-evoked firing patterns from transient (1 spike at current onset) to sustained (many spikes). Modeled neurons were driven with a time-varying synaptic conductance that captured the random arrival times and amplitudes of glutamate-driven synaptic events. In the presence of gKL, spiking occurred only in response to large events with fast onsets. Models without gKL exhibited greater integration by responding to the superposition of rapidly arriving events. Three synaptic conductance were modeled, each with different kinetics to represent a variety of different synaptic processes. In response to all three types of synaptic conductance, models containing gKL produced spike trains with irregular interspike intervals. Only models lacking gKL when driven by rapidly arriving small excitatory postsynaptic currents were capable of generating regular spiking. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Reinjection laser oscillator and method

DOEpatents

McLellan, Edward J.

1984-01-01

A uv preionized CO.sub.2 oscillator with integral four-pass amplifier capable of providing 1 to 5 GW laser pulses with pulse widths from 0.1 to 0.5 ns full width at half-maximum (FWHM) is described. The apparatus is operated at any pressure from 1 atm to 10 atm without the necessity of complex high voltage electronics. The reinjection technique employed gives rise to a compact, efficient system that is particularly immune to alignment instabilities with a minimal amount of hardware and complexity.

A Solid-State Fault Current Limiting Device for VSC-HVDC Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larruskain, D. Marene; Zamora, Inmaculada; Abarrategui, , Oihane; Iturregi, Araitz

2013-08-01

Faults in the DC circuit constitute one of the main limitations of voltage source converter VSC-HVDC systems, as the high fault currents can damage seriously the converters. In this article, a new design for a fault current limiter (FCL) is proposed, which is capable of limiting the fault current as well as interrupting it, isolating the DC grid. The operation of the proposed FCL is analysed and verified with the most usual faults that can occur in overhead lines.

Project Echo: Antenna Steering System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klahn, R.; Norton, J. A.; Githens, J. A.

1961-01-01

The Project Echo communications experiment employed large, steerable,transmitting and receiving antennas at the ground terminals. It was necessary that these highly directional antennas be continuously and accurately pointed at the passing satellite. This paper describes a new type of special purpose data converter for directing narrow-beam communication antennas on the basis of predicted information. The system is capable of converting digital input data into real-time analog voltage commands with a dynamic accuracy of +/- 0.05 degree, which meets the requirements of the present antennas.

Variable Frequency Operations of an Offshore Wind Power Plant with HVDC-VSC: Preprint

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

Gevorgian, V.; Singh, M.; Muljadi, E.

2011-12-01

In this paper, a constant Volt/Hz operation applied to the Type 1 wind turbine generator. Various control aspects of Type 1 generators at the plant level and at the turbine level will be investigated. Based on DOE study, wind power generation may reach 330 GW by 2030 at the level of penetration of 20% of the total energy production. From this amount of wind power, 54 GW of wind power will be generated at offshore wind power plants. The deployment of offshore wind power plants requires power transmission from the plant to the load center inland. Since this power transmissionmore » requires submarine cable, there is a need to use High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission. Otherwise, if the power is transmitted via alternating current, the reactive power generated by the cable capacitance may cause an excessive over voltage in the middle of the transmission distance which requires unnecessary oversized cable voltage breakdown capability. The use of HVDC is usually required for transmission distance longer than 50 kilometers of submarine cables to be economical. The use of HVDC brings another advantage; it is capable of operating at variable frequency. The inland substation will be operated to 60 Hz synched with the grid, the offshore substation can be operated at variable frequency, thus allowing the wind power plant to be operated at constant Volt/Hz. In this paper, a constant Volt/Hz operation applied to the Type 1 wind turbine generator. Various control aspects of Type 1 generators at the plant level and at the turbine level will be investigated.« less

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

Xu, Yun; Zhao, Mingyang; Khalid, Syed

The high voltage cathode material, LiMn 1.6Ni 0.4O 4, was prepared by a polymer-assisted method. The novelty of this paper is the substitution of Ni with Mn, which already exists in the crystal structure instead of other isovalent metal ion dopants which would result in capacity loss. The electrochemical performance testing including stability and rate capability was evaluated. The temperature was found to impose a change on the valence and structure of the cathode materials. Specifically, manganese tends to be reduced at a high temperature of 800 °C and leads to structural changes. The manganese substituted LiMn 1.5Ni 0.5O 4more » (LMN) has proved to be a good candidate material for Li-ion battery cathodes displaying good rate capability and capacity retention. Finally, the cathode materials processed at 550 °C showed a stable performance with negligible capacity loss for 400 cycles.« less

An open-source laser electronics suite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pisenti, Neal C.; Reschovsky, Benjamin J.; Barker, Daniel S.; Restelli, Alessandro; Campbell, Gretchen K.

2016-05-01

We present an integrated set of open-source electronics for controlling external-cavity diode lasers and other instruments in the laboratory. The complete package includes a low-noise circuit for driving high-voltage piezoelectric actuators, an ultra-stable current controller based on the design of, and a high-performance, multi-channel temperature controller capable of driving thermo-electric coolers or resistive heaters. Each circuit (with the exception of the temperature controller) is designed to fit in a Eurocard rack equipped with a low-noise linear power supply capable of driving up to 5 A at +/- 15 V. A custom backplane allows signals to be shared between modules, and a digital communication bus makes the entire rack addressable by external control software over TCP/IP. The modular architecture makes it easy for additional circuits to be designed and integrated with existing electronics, providing a low-cost, customizable alternative to commercial systems without sacrificing performance.

Ultrathin spinel membrane-encapsulated layered lithium-rich cathode material for advanced Li-ion batteries.

PubMed

Wu, Feng; Li, Ning; Su, Yuefeng; Zhang, Linjing; Bao, Liying; Wang, Jing; Chen, Lai; Zheng, Yu; Dai, Liqin; Peng, Jingyuan; Chen, Shi

2014-06-11

Lack of high-performance cathode materials has become a technological bottleneck for the commercial development of advanced Li-ion batteries. We have proposed a biomimetic design and versatile synthesis of ultrathin spinel membrane-encapsulated layered lithium-rich cathode, a modification by nanocoating. The ultrathin spinel membrane is attributed to the superior high reversible capacity (over 290 mAh g(-1)), outstanding rate capability, and excellent cycling ability of this cathode, and even the stubborn illnesses of the layered lithium-rich cathode, such as voltage decay and thermal instability, are found to be relieved as well. This cathode is feasible to construct high-energy and high-power Li-ion batteries.

Method and apparatus for altering material

DOEpatents

Stinnett, Regan W.; Greenly, John B.

2002-01-01

Methods and apparatus for thermally altering the near surface characteristics of a material are described. In particular, a repetitively pulsed ion beam system comprising a high energy pulsed power source and an ion beam generator are described which are capable of producing single species high voltage ion beams (0.25-2.5 MeV) at 1-1000 kW average power and over extended operating cycles (10.sup.8). Irradiating materials with such high energy, repetitively pulsed ion beams can yield surface treatments including localized high temperature anneals to melting, both followed by rapid thermal quenching to ambient temperatures to achieve both novel and heretofore commercially unachievable physical characteristics in a near surface layer of material.

Method and apparatus for altering material

DOEpatents

Stinnett, Regan W.; Greenly, John B.

1995-01-01

Methods and apparatus for thermally altering the near surface characteristics of a material are described. In particular, a repetitively pulsed ion beam system comprising a high energy pulsed power source and an ion beam generator are described which are capable of producing single species high voltage ion beams (0.25-2.5 MeV) at 1-1000 kW average power and over extended operating cycles (10.sup.8). Irradiating materials with such high energy, repetitively pulsed ion beams can yield surface treatments including localized high temperature anneals to melting, both followed by rapid thermal quenching to ambient temperatures to achieve both novel and heretofore commercially unachievable physical characteristics in a near surface layer of material.

Method and apparatus for altering material

DOEpatents

Stinnett, Regan W.; Greenly, John B.

2002-02-05

Methods and apparatus for thermally altering the near surface characteristics of a material are described. In particular, a repetitively pulsed ion beam system comprising a high energy pulsed power source and an ion beam generator are described which are capable of producing single species high voltage ion beams (0.25-2.5 MeV) at 1-1000 kW average power and over extended operating cycles (10.sup.8). Irradiating materials with such high energy, repetitively pulsed ion beams can yield surface treatments including localized high temperature anneals to melting, both followed by rapid thermal quenching to ambient temperatures to achieve both novel and heretofore commercially unachievable physical characteristics in a near surface layer of material.

Low voltage to high voltage level shifter and related methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mentze, Erik J. (Inventor); Buck, Kevin M. (Inventor); Hess, Herbert L. (Inventor); Cox, David F. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

A shifter circuit comprises a high and low voltage buffer stages and an output buffer stage. The high voltage buffer stage comprises multiple transistors arranged in a transistor stack having a plurality of intermediate nodes connecting individual transistors along the stack. The transistor stack is connected between a voltage level being shifted to and an input voltage. An inverter of this stage comprises multiple inputs and an output. Inverter inputs are connected to a respective intermediate node of the transistor stack. The low voltage buffer stage has an input connected to the input voltage and an output, and is operably connected to the high voltage buffer stage. The low voltage buffer stage is connected between a voltage level being shifted away from and a lower voltage. The output buffer stage is driven by the outputs of the high voltage buffer stage inverter and the low voltage buffer stage.

A zinc phthalocyanine based periodic mesoporous organosilica exhibiting charge transfer to fullerenes.

PubMed

Auras, Florian; Li, Yan; Löbermann, Florian; Döblinger, Markus; Schuster, Jörg; Peter, Laurence M; Trauner, Dirk; Bein, Thomas

2014-11-10

Periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) materials offer a strategy to position molecular semiconductors within a highly defined, porous network. We developed thin films of a new semiconducting zinc phthalocyanine-bridged PMO exhibiting a face-centered orthorhombic pore structure with an average pore diameter of 11 nm. The exceptional degree of order achieved with this PMO enabled us to create thin films consisting of a single porous domain throughout their entire thickness, thus providing maximal accessibility for subsequent incorporation of a complementary phase. The phthalocyanine building blocks inside the pore walls were found to be well-aggregated, enabling electronic conductivity and extending the light-harvesting capabilities to the near IR region. Ordered 3D heterojunctions capable of promoting photo-induced charge transfer were constructed by impregnation of the PMO with a fullerene derivative. When integrated into a photovoltaic device, the infiltrated PMO is capable of producing a high open-circuit voltage and a considerable photocurrent, which represents a significant step towards potential applications of PMOs in optoelectronics. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A computer assisted intelligent storm outage evaluator for power distribution systems

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

Balakrishnan, R.; Pahwa, A.

1990-07-01

The lower voltage part of the power distribution system (primary and secondary sub-systems) does not have the provision for real-time status feedback, and as a result evaluation of outages is an extremely difficult task, especially during system emergencies caused by tornadoes and ice-storms. In this paper, a knowledge based approach is proposed for evaluation of storm related outages in the distribution systems. At the outset, binary voltage sensors capable of transmitting the real-time voltage on/off symptoms are recommended to be installed at strategic locations in the distribution system.

A test technique for measuring lightning-induced voltages on aircraft electrical circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walko, L. C.

1974-01-01

The development of a test technique used for the measurement of lightning-induced voltages in the electrical circuits of a complete aircraft is described. The resultant technique utilizes a portable device known as a transient analyzer capable of generating unidirectional current impulses similar to lightning current surges, but at a lower current level. A linear relationship between the magnitude of lightning current and the magnitude of induced voltage permitted the scaling up of measured induced values to full threat levels. The test technique was found to be practical when used on a complete aircraft.

Solid state d.c. power controller design philosophies and their evaluation.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maus, L. G.; Williams, D. E.

1972-01-01

Evaluation of remote power controllers (RPC), which has enhanced knowledge of the capabilities of various design philosophies and has indicated certain limitations that RPC's exhibit. Additionally, this activity has clearly emphasized that certain RPC design parameters merit further consideration in development. The major design parameters to be analyzed in more detail are the rates of change of the rise and fall times of the output current. The major reason why transient voltages and currents should be reduced is the minimization of the reverse collector-to-emitter voltage. The requirement for higher bus voltage coupled with the present problem of improving the efficiency of power control points out the urgent need for improvement and advancement of higher current, voltage, and gain power semiconductors.

Electrostatic artificial eyelid actuator as an analog micromirror device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodwin, Scott H.; Dausch, David E.; Solomon, Steven L.; Lamvik, Michael K.

2005-05-01

An electrostatic MEMS actuator is described for use as an analog micromirror device (AMD) for high performance, broadband, hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) scene generation. Current state-of-the-art technology is based on resistively heated pixel arrays. As these arrays drive to the higher scene temperatures required by missile defense scenarios, the power required to drive the large format resistive arrays will ultimately become prohibitive. Existing digital micromirrors (DMD) are, in principle, capable of generating the required scene irradiances, but suffer from limited dynamic range, resolution and flicker effects. An AMD would be free of these limitations, and so represents a viable alternative for high performance UV/VIS/IR scene generation. An electrostatic flexible film actuator technology, developed for use as "artificial eyelid" shutters for focal plane sensors to protect against damaging radiation, is suitable as an AMD for analog control of projection irradiance. In shutter applications, the artificial eyelid actuator contained radius of curvature as low as 25um and operated at high voltage (>200V). Recent testing suggests that these devices are capable of analog operation as reflective microcantilever mirrors appropriate for scene projector systems. In this case, the device would possess larger radius and operate at lower voltages (20-50V). Additionally, frame rates have been measured at greater than 5kHz for continuous operation. The paper will describe the artificial eyelid technology, preliminary measurements of analog test pixels, and design aspects related to application for scene projection systems. We believe this technology will enable AMD projectors with at least 5122 spatial resolution, non-temporally-modulated output, and pixel response times of <1.25ms.

Performance evaluation and bacteria analysis of AFB-MFC enriched with high-strength synthetic wastewater.

PubMed

Huang, Jian-sheng; Guo, Yong; Yang, Ping; Li, Chong-ming; Gao, Hui; Feng, Li; Zhang, Yun

2014-01-01

In order to study the performance and bacterial communities of an anaerobic fluidized bed microbial fuel cell (AFB-MFC) system, the 16S rDNA gene sequencing was applied, and high-strength synthetic wastewater was treated by the AFB-MFC system. The high-strength synthetic wastewater, in which the concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrite nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen were above 19,000, 2,516-3,871 and 927-1,427 mg/L, was treated by the AFB-MFC system. The removal efficiency of COD, nitrite nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen reached 70-89, 98 and 98%, while the maximum voltage was 394 mV. The bacteria analysis revealed the presence of Alistipes putredinis, Carnobacterium sp., Victivallis vadensis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Thauera sp., Parabacteroides merdae, Parvimonas micra, Parabacteroides sp., and Desulfomicrobium baculatum in the anode chamber. In addition, the Klebsiella pneumoniae was observed to have the capability of organic degradation and electricity generation, while the Thauera sp. has the capability of denitrification.

Second-order sliding mode control for DFIG-based wind turbines fault ride-through capability enhancement.

PubMed

Benbouzid, Mohamed; Beltran, Brice; Amirat, Yassine; Yao, Gang; Han, Jingang; Mangel, Hervé

2014-05-01

This paper deals with the fault ride-through capability assessment of a doubly fed induction generator-based wind turbine using a high-order sliding mode control. Indeed, it has been recently suggested that sliding mode control is a solution of choice to the fault ride-through problem. In this context, this paper proposes a second-order sliding mode as an improved solution that handle the classical sliding mode chattering problem. Indeed, the main and attractive features of high-order sliding modes are robustness against external disturbances, the grids faults in particular, and chattering-free behavior (no extra mechanical stress on the wind turbine drive train). Simulations using the NREL FAST code on a 1.5-MW wind turbine are carried out to evaluate ride-through performance of the proposed high-order sliding mode control strategy in case of grid frequency variations and unbalanced voltage sags. Copyright © 2014 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Helium Ion Beam Microscopy for Copper Grain Identification in BEOL Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Boom, Ruud J. J.; Parvaneh, Hamed; Voci, Dave; Huynh, Chuong; Stern, Lewis; Dunn, Kathleen A.; Lifshin, Eric

2009-09-01

Grain size determination in advanced metallization structures requires a technique with resolution ˜2 nm, with a high signal-to-noise ratio and high orientation-dependant contrast for unambiguous identification of grain boundaries. Ideally, such a technique would also be capable of high-throughput and rapid time-to-knowledge. The Helium Ion Microscope (HIM) offers one possibility for achieving these aims in a single platform. This article compares the performance of the HIM with Focused Ion Beam, Scanning Electron and Transmission Electron Microscopes, in terms of achievable image resolution and contrast, using plan-view and cross-sectional imaging of electroplated samples. Although the HIM is capable of sub-nanometer beam diameter, the low signal-to-noise ratio in the images necessitates signal averaging, which degrades the measured image resolution to 6-8 nm. Strategies for improving S/N are discussed in light of the trade-off between beam current and probe size, accelerating voltage, and dwell time.

30 CFR 77.800 - High-voltage circuits; circuit breakers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... devices to provide protection against under voltage, grounded phase, short circuit and overcurrent. High... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false High-voltage circuits; circuit breakers. 77.800... COAL MINES Surface High-Voltage Distribution § 77.800 High-voltage circuits; circuit breakers. High...

Prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch coronary angiography with third-generation dual-source CT at 70 kVp tube voltage: feasibility, image quality, radiation dose, and effect of iterative reconstruction.

PubMed

Hell, Michaela M; Bittner, Daniel; Schuhbaeck, Annika; Muschiol, Gerd; Brand, Michael; Lell, Michael; Uder, Michael; Achenbach, Stephan; Marwan, Mohamed

2014-01-01

Low tube voltage reduces radiation exposure in coronary CT angiography (CTA). Using 70 kVp tube potential has so far not been possible because CT systems were unable to provide sufficiently high tube current with low voltage. We evaluated feasibility, image quality (IQ), and radiation dose of coronary CTA using a third-generation dual-source CT system capable of producing 450 mAs tube current at 70 kVp tube voltage. Coronary CTA was performed in 26 consecutive patients with suspected coronary artery disease, selected for body weight <100 kg and heart rate <60 beats/min. High-pitch spiral acquisition was used. Filtered back projection (FBP) and iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithms were applied. IQ was assessed using a 4-point rating scale (1 = excellent, 4 = nondiagnostic) and objective parameters. Mean age was 62 ± 9 years (46% males; mean body mass index, 27.7 ± 3.8 kg/m(2); mean heart rate, 54 ± 5 beats/min). Mean dose-length product was 20.6 ± 1.9 mGy × cm; mean estimated effective radiation dose was 0.3 ± 0.03 mSv. Diagnostic IQ was found in 365 of 367 (FBP) and 366 of 367 (IR) segments (P nonsignificant). IQ was rated "excellent" in 53% (FBP) and 86% (IR) segments (P = .001) and "nondiagnostic" in 2 (FBP) and 1 segment (IR) (P nonsignificant). Mean IQ score was lesser in FBP vs IR (1.5 ± 0.4 vs 1.1 ± 0.2; P < .001). Image noise was lower in IR vs FBP (60 ± 10 HU vs 74 ± 8 HU; P < .001). In patients <100 kg and with a regular heart rate <60 beats/min, third-generation dual-source CT using high-pitch spiral acquisition and 70 kVp tube voltage is feasible and provides both robust IQ and very low radiation exposure. Copyright © 2014 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improved Transient and Steady-State Performances of Series Resonant ZCS High-Frequency Inverter-Coupled Voltage Multiplier Converter with Dual Mode PFM Control Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Enhui; Gamage, Laknath; Ishitobi, Manabu; Hiraki, Eiji; Nakaoka, Mutsuo

The A variety of switched-mode high voltage DC power supplies using voltage-fed type or current-fed type high-frequency transformer resonant inverters using MOS gate bipolar power transistors; IGBTs have been recently developed so far for a medical-use X-ray high power generator. In general, the high voltage high power X-ray generator using voltage-fed high frequency inverter with a high voltage transformer link has to meet some performances such as (i) short rising period in start transient of X-ray tube voltage (ii) no overshoot transient response in tube voltage, (iii) minimized voltage ripple in periodic steady-state under extremely wide load variations and filament heater current fluctuation conditions of the X-ray tube. This paper presents two lossless inductor snubber-assisted series resonant zero current soft switching high-frequency inverter using a diode-capacitor ladder type voltage multiplier called Cockcroft-Walton circuit, which is effectively implemented for a high DC voltage X-ray power generator. This DC high voltage generator which incorporates pulse frequency modulated series resonant inverter using IGBT power module packages is based on the operation principle of zero current soft switching commutation scheme under discontinuous resonant current and continuous resonant current transition modes. This series capacitor compensated for transformer resonant power converter with a high frequency transformer linked voltage boost multiplier can efficiently work a novel selectively-changed dual mode PFM control scheme in order to improve the start transient and steady-state response characteristics and can completely achieve stable zero current soft switching commutation tube filament current dependent for wide load parameter setting values with the aid of two lossless inductor snubbers. It is proved on the basis of simulation and experimental results in which a simple and low cost control implementation based on selectively-changed dual-mode PFM for high-voltage X-ray DC-DC power converter with a voltage multiplier strategy has some specified voltage pattern tracking voltage response performances under rapid rising time and no overshoot in start transient tube voltage as well as the minimized steady-state voltage ripple in tube voltage.

Low power, scalable multichannel high voltage controller

DOEpatents

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

2006-03-14

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

Low power, scalable multichannel high voltage controller

DOEpatents

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

2008-03-25

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

30 CFR 77.810 - High-voltage equipment; grounding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false High-voltage equipment; grounding. 77.810... COAL MINES Surface High-Voltage Distribution § 77.810 High-voltage equipment; grounding. Frames, supporting structures, and enclosures of stationary, portable, or mobile high-voltage equipment shall be...

A consistent approach to estimate the breakdown voltage of high voltage electrodes under positive switching impulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arevalo, L.; Wu, D.; Jacobson, B.

2013-08-01

The main propose of this paper is to present a physical model of long air gap electrical discharges under positive switching impulses. The development and progression of discharges in long air gaps are attributable to two intertwined physical phenomena, namely, the leader channel and the streamer zone. Experimental studies have been used to develop empirical and physical models capable to represent the streamer zone and the leader channel. The empirical ones have led to improvements in the electrical design of high voltage apparatus and insulation distances, but they cannot take into account factors associated with fundamental physics and/or the behavior of materials. The physical models have been used to describe and understand the discharge phenomena of laboratory and lightning discharges. However, because of the complex simulations necessary to reproduce real cases, they are not in widespread use in the engineering of practical applications. Hence, the aim of the work presented here is to develop a model based on physics of the discharge capable to validate and complement the existing engineering models. The model presented here proposes a new geometrical approximation for the representation of the streamer and the calculation of the accumulated electrical charge. The model considers a variable streamer region that changes with the temporal and spatial variations of the electric field. The leader channel is modeled using the non local thermo-equilibrium equations. Furthermore, statistical delays before the inception of the first corona, and random distributions to represent the tortuous nature of the path taken by the leader channel were included based on the behavior observed in experimental tests, with the intention of ensuring the discharge behaved in a realistic manner. For comparison purposes, two different gap configurations were simulated. A reasonable agreement was found between the physical model and the experimental test results.

Underlying Physics of Conductive Polymer Composites and Force Sensing Resistors (FSRs) under Static Loading Conditions

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Conductive polymer composites are manufactured by randomly dispersing conductive particles along an insulating polymer matrix. Several authors have attempted to model the piezoresistive response of conductive polymer composites. However, all the proposed models rely upon experimental measurements of the electrical resistance at rest state. Similarly, the models available in literature assume a voltage-independent resistance and a stress-independent area for tunneling conduction. With the aim of developing and validating a more comprehensive model, a test bench capable of exerting controlled forces has been developed. Commercially available sensors—which are manufactured from conductive polymer composites—have been tested at different voltages and stresses, and a model has been derived on the basis of equations for the quantum tunneling conduction through thin insulating film layers. The resistance contribution from the contact resistance has been included in the model together with the resistance contribution from the conductive particles. The proposed model embraces a voltage-dependent behavior for the composite resistance, and a stress-dependent behavior for the tunneling conduction area. The proposed model is capable of predicting sensor current based upon information from the sourcing voltage and the applied stress. This study uses a physical (non-phenomenological) approach for all the phenomena discussed here. PMID:28906467

Experimental study on the 300W class planar type solid oxide fuel cell stack: Investigation for appropriate fuel provision control and the transient capability of the cell performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, Y.; Brus, G.; Kimijima, S.; Szmyd, J. S.

2012-11-01

The present paper reports the experimental study on the dynamic behavior of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The cell stack consists of planar type cells with standard power output 300W. A Major subject of the present study is characterization of the transient response to the electric current change, assuming load-following operation. The present studies particularly focus on fuel provision control to the load change. Optimized fuel provision improves power generation efficiency. However, the capability of SOFC must be restricted by a few operative parameters. Fuel utilization factor, which is defined as the ratio of the consumed fuel to the supplied fuel is adopted for a reference in the control scheme. The fuel flow rate was regulated to keep the fuel utilization at 50%, 60% and 70% during the current ramping. Lower voltage was observed with the higher fuel utilization, but achieved efficiency was higher. The appropriate mass flow control is required not to violate the voltage transient behavior. Appropriate fuel flow manipulation can contribute to moderate the overshoot on the voltage that may appear to the current change. The overshoot on the voltage response resulted from the gradual temperature behavior in the SOFC stack module.

Modular high voltage power supply for chemical analysis

DOEpatents

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

2007-01-09

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

Modular high voltage power supply for chemical analysis

DOEpatents

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

2010-05-04

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

Modular high voltage power supply for chemical analysis

DOEpatents

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

2008-07-15

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

An inherent curvature-compensated voltage reference using non-linearity of gate coupling coefficient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hande, Vinayak; Shojaei Baghini, Maryam

2015-08-01

A novel current-mode voltage reference circuit which is capable of generating sub-1 V output voltage is presented. The proposed architecture exhibits the inherent curvature compensation ability. The curvature compensation is achieved by utilizing the non-linear behavior of gate coupling coefficient to compensate non-linear temperature dependence of base-emitter voltage. We have also utilized the developments in CMOS process to reduce power and area consumption. The proposed voltage reference is analyzed theoretically and compared with other existing methods. The circuit is designed and simulated in 180 nm mixed-mode CMOS UMC technology which gives a reference level of 246 mV. The minimum required supply voltage is 1 V with maximum current drawn of 9.24 μA. A temperature coefficient of 9 ppm/°C is achieved over -25 to 125 °C temperature range. The reference voltage varies by ±11 mV across process corners. The reference circuit shows the line sensitivity of 0.9 mV/V with area consumption of 100 × 110 μm2

Time-resolved magnetic spectrometer measurements of the SABRE positive polarity magnetically insulated transmission line voltage

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

Menge, P.R.; Cuneo, M.E.; Hanson, D.L.

A magnetic spectrometer has been fielded on the coaxial magnetically insulated transmission line (MITL) of the SABRE ten-cavity inductive voltage adder operated in positive polarity (6 MV, 300 kA, 50 ns). Located 1 m upstream from an extraction ion diode, this diagnostic is capable of measuring the SABRE voltage pulse with a 2 ns resolution. Ions (protons and carbon) from either a flashover or plasma gun source are accelerated from the inner anode across the gap to the outer cathode and into a drift tube terminated by the magnetic spectrometer. The magnetically deflected ions are recorded on up to sixteenmore » PIN diodes (diameter = 1 mm, thickness = 35 {mu}). The voltage waveform is produced from the time-of-flight information. Results confirm previous observations of a vacuum wave precursor separated from the magnetically insulated wave. Verification of upstream precursor erosion techniques are possible with this instrument. Measurements of peak voltage show good agreement with other time-integrated voltage diagnostics. Comparisons with theoretical voltage predictions derived from a flow impedance model of MITL behavior will be presented.« less

The voltage sensor of excitation–contraction coupling in mammals: Inactivation and interaction with Ca2+

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

In skeletal muscle, the four-helix voltage-sensing modules (VSMs) of CaV1.1 calcium channels simultaneously gate two Ca2+ pathways: the CaV1.1 pore itself and the RyR1 calcium release channel in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Here, to gain insight into the mechanism by which VSMs gate RyR1, we quantify intramembrane charge movement associated with VSM activation (sensing current) and gated Ca2+ release flux in single muscle cells of mice and rats. As found for most four-helix VSMs, upon sustained depolarization, rodent VSMs lose the ability to activate Ca2+ release channels opening; their properties change from a functionally capable mode, in which the mobile sensor charge is called charge 1, to an inactivated mode, charge 2, with a voltage dependence shifted toward more negative voltages. We find that charge 2 is promoted and Ca2+ release inactivated when resting, well-polarized muscle cells are exposed to low extracellular [Ca2+] and that the opposite occurs in high [Ca2+]. It follows that murine VSMs are partly inactivated at rest, which establishes the reduced availability of voltage sensing as a pathogenic mechanism in disorders of calcemia. We additionally find that the degree of resting inactivation is significantly different in two mouse strains, which underscores the variability of voltage sensor properties and their vulnerability to environmental conditions. Our studies reveal that the resting and activated states of VSMs are equally favored by extracellular Ca2+. Promotion by an extracellular species of two states of the VSM that differ in the conformation of the activation gate requires the existence of a second gate, inactivation, topologically extracellular and therefore accessible from outside regardless of the activation state. PMID:29021148

30 CFR 77.804 - High-voltage trailing cables; minimum design requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false High-voltage trailing cables; minimum design... OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Surface High-Voltage Distribution § 77.804 High-voltage trailing cables; minimum design requirements. (a) High-voltage trailing cables used in resistance grounded systems shall be...

30 CFR 75.833 - Handling high-voltage trailing cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Handling high-voltage trailing cables. 75.833... High-Voltage Longwalls § 75.833 Handling high-voltage trailing cables. (a) Cable handling. (1) Miners must not handle energized trailing cables unless they are wearing high-voltage insulating gloves, which...

30 CFR 77.804 - High-voltage trailing cables; minimum design requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false High-voltage trailing cables; minimum design... OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Surface High-Voltage Distribution § 77.804 High-voltage trailing cables; minimum design requirements. (a) High-voltage trailing cables used in resistance grounded systems shall be...

30 CFR 77.804 - High-voltage trailing cables; minimum design requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false High-voltage trailing cables; minimum design... OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Surface High-Voltage Distribution § 77.804 High-voltage trailing cables; minimum design requirements. (a) High-voltage trailing cables used in resistance grounded systems shall be...

30 CFR 77.804 - High-voltage trailing cables; minimum design requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false High-voltage trailing cables; minimum design... OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Surface High-Voltage Distribution § 77.804 High-voltage trailing cables; minimum design requirements. (a) High-voltage trailing cables used in resistance grounded systems shall be...

Peapod-like Li3 VO4 /N-Doped Carbon Nanowires with Pseudocapacitive Properties as Advanced Materials for High-Energy Lithium-Ion Capacitors.

PubMed

Shen, Laifa; Lv, Haifeng; Chen, Shuangqiang; Kopold, Peter; van Aken, Peter A; Wu, Xiaojun; Maier, Joachim; Yu, Yan

2017-07-01

Lithium ion capacitors are new energy storage devices combining the complementary features of both electric double-layer capacitors and lithium ion batteries. A key limitation to this technology is the kinetic imbalance between the Faradaic insertion electrode and capacitive electrode. Here, we demonstrate that the Li 3 VO 4 with low Li-ion insertion voltage and fast kinetics can be favorably used for lithium ion capacitors. N-doped carbon-encapsulated Li 3 VO 4 nanowires are synthesized through a morphology-inheritance route, displaying a low insertion voltage between 0.2 and 1.0 V, a high reversible capacity of ≈400 mAh g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 , excellent rate capability, and long-term cycling stability. Benefiting from the small nanoparticles, low energy diffusion barrier and highly localized charge-transfer, the Li 3 VO 4 /N-doped carbon nanowires exhibit a high-rate pseudocapacitive behavior. A lithium ion capacitor device based on these Li 3 VO 4 /N-doped carbon nanowires delivers a high energy density of 136.4 Wh kg -1 at a power density of 532 W kg -1 , revealing the potential for application in high-performance and long life energy storage devices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High-speed, random-access fluorescence microscopy: I. High-resolution optical recording with voltage-sensitive dyes and ion indicators.

PubMed

Bullen, A; Patel, S S; Saggau, P

1997-07-01

The design and implementation of a high-speed, random-access, laser-scanning fluorescence microscope configured to record fast physiological signals from small neuronal structures with high spatiotemporal resolution is presented. The laser-scanning capability of this nonimaging microscope is provided by two orthogonal acousto-optic deflectors under computer control. Each scanning point can be randomly accessed and has a positioning time of 3-5 microseconds. Sampling time is also computer-controlled and can be varied to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. Acquisition rates up to 200k samples/s at 16-bit digitizing resolution are possible. The spatial resolution of this instrument is determined by the minimal spot size at the level of the preparation (i.e., 2-7 microns). Scanning points are selected interactively from a reference image collected with differential interference contrast optics and a video camera. Frame rates up to 5 kHz are easily attainable. Intrinsic variations in laser light intensity and scanning spot brightness are overcome by an on-line signal-processing scheme. Representative records obtained with this instrument by using voltage-sensitive dyes and calcium indicators demonstrate the ability to make fast, high-fidelity measurements of membrane potential and intracellular calcium at high spatial resolution (2 microns) without any temporal averaging.

High-speed, random-access fluorescence microscopy: I. High-resolution optical recording with voltage-sensitive dyes and ion indicators.

PubMed Central

Bullen, A; Patel, S S; Saggau, P

1997-01-01

The design and implementation of a high-speed, random-access, laser-scanning fluorescence microscope configured to record fast physiological signals from small neuronal structures with high spatiotemporal resolution is presented. The laser-scanning capability of this nonimaging microscope is provided by two orthogonal acousto-optic deflectors under computer control. Each scanning point can be randomly accessed and has a positioning time of 3-5 microseconds. Sampling time is also computer-controlled and can be varied to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. Acquisition rates up to 200k samples/s at 16-bit digitizing resolution are possible. The spatial resolution of this instrument is determined by the minimal spot size at the level of the preparation (i.e., 2-7 microns). Scanning points are selected interactively from a reference image collected with differential interference contrast optics and a video camera. Frame rates up to 5 kHz are easily attainable. Intrinsic variations in laser light intensity and scanning spot brightness are overcome by an on-line signal-processing scheme. Representative records obtained with this instrument by using voltage-sensitive dyes and calcium indicators demonstrate the ability to make fast, high-fidelity measurements of membrane potential and intracellular calcium at high spatial resolution (2 microns) without any temporal averaging. Images FIGURE 6 PMID:9199810

A rocket-borne electrostatic analyzer for measurement of energetic particle flux

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pozzi, M. A.; Smith, L. G.; Voss, H. D.

1979-01-01

A rocket-borne electrostatic analyzer experiment is described. It is used to measure energetic particle flux (0.9 to 14 keV) in the nighttime midlatitude E region. Energetic particle precipitation is believed to be a significant nighttime ionization source, particularly during times of high geomagnetic activity. The experiment was designed for use in the payload of a Nike Apache sounding rocket. The electrostatic analyzer employs two cylindrical parallel plates subtending a central angle of 90 deg. The voltage waveform supplied to the plates is a series of steps synchronized to the spin of the payload during flight. Both positive and negative voltages are provided, extending the detection capabilities of the instrument to both electrons and protons (and positive ions). The development, construction and operation of the instrument is described together with a preliminary evaluation of its performance in a rocket flight.

Development of gait segmentation methods for wearable foot pressure sensors.

PubMed

Crea, S; De Rossi, S M M; Donati, M; Reberšek, P; Novak, D; Vitiello, N; Lenzi, T; Podobnik, J; Munih, M; Carrozza, M C

2012-01-01

We present an automated segmentation method based on the analysis of plantar pressure signals recorded from two synchronized wireless foot insoles. Given the strict limits on computational power and power consumption typical of wearable electronic components, our aim is to investigate the capability of a Hidden Markov Model machine-learning method, to detect gait phases with different levels of complexity in the processing of the wearable pressure sensors signals. Therefore three different datasets are developed: raw voltage values, calibrated sensor signals and a calibrated estimation of total ground reaction force and position of the plantar center of pressure. The method is tested on a pool of 5 healthy subjects, through a leave-one-out cross validation. The results show high classification performances achieved using estimated biomechanical variables, being on average the 96%. Calibrated signals and raw voltage values show higher delays and dispersions in phase transition detection, suggesting a lower reliability for online applications.

Rear surface effects in high efficiency silicon solar cells

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

Wenham, S.R.; Robinson, S.J.; Dai, X.

1994-12-31

Rear surface effects in PERL solar cells can lead not only to degradation in the short circuit current and open circuit voltage, but also fill factor. Three mechanisms capable of changing the effective rear surface recombination velocity with injection level are identified, two associated with oxidized p-type surfaces, and the third with two dimensional effects associated with a rear floating junction. Each of these will degrade the fill factor if the range of junction biases corresponding to the rear surface transition, coincides with the maximum power point. Despite the identified non idealities, PERL cells with rear floating junctions (PERF cells)more » have achieved record open circuit voltages for silicon solar cells, while simultaneously achieving fill factor improvements relative to standard PERL solar cells. Without optimization, a record efficiency of 22% has been demonstrated for a cell with a rear floating junction. The results of both theoretical and experimental studies are provided.« less

Design and Development of Non-Contact Bio-Potential Electrodes for Pervasive Health Monitoring Applications.

PubMed

Portelli, Anthony J; Nasuto, Slawomir J

2017-01-01

For the advent of pervasive bio-potential monitoring, it will be necessary to utilize a combination of cheap, quick to apply, low-noise electrodes and compact electronics with wireless technologies. Once available, all electrical activity resulting from the processes of the human body could be actively and constantly monitored without the need for cumbersome application and maintenance. This could significantly improve the early diagnosis of a range of different conditions in high-risk individuals, opening the possibility for new treatments and interventions as conditions develop. This paper presents the design and implementation of compact, non-contact capacitive bio-potential electrodes utilising a low impedance current-to-voltage configuration and a bootstrapped voltage follower, demonstrating results applicable to research applications for capacitive electrocardiography and capacitive electromyography. The presented electrodes use few components, have a small surface area and are capable of acquiring a range of bio-potential signals.

Feasibility and limitations of anti-fuses based on bistable non-volatile switches for power electronic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erlbacher, T.; Huerner, A.; Bauer, A. J.; Frey, L.

2012-09-01

Anti-fuse devices based on non-volatile memory cells and suitable for power electronic applications are demonstrated for the first time using silicon technology. These devices may be applied as stand alone devices or integrated using standard junction-isolation into application-specific and smart-power integrated circuits. The on-resistance of such devices can be permanently switched by nine orders of magnitude by triggering the anti-fuse with a positive voltage pulse. Extrapolation of measurement data and 2D TCAD process and device simulations indicate that 20 A anti-fuses with 10 mΩ can be reliably fabricated in 0.35 μm technology with a footprint of 2.5 mm2. Moreover, this concept offers distinguished added-values compared to existing mechanical relays, e.g. pre-test, temporary and permanent reset functions, gradual turn-on mode, non-volatility, and extendibility to high voltage capability.

Toward Wireless Health Monitoring via an Analog Signal Compression-Based Biosensing Platform.

PubMed

Zhao, Xueyuan; Sadhu, Vidyasagar; Le, Tuan; Pompili, Dario; Javanmard, Mehdi

2018-06-01

Wireless all-analog biosensor design for the concurrent microfluidic and physiological signal monitoring is presented in this paper. The key component is an all-analog circuit capable of compressing two analog sources into one analog signal by the analog joint source-channel coding (AJSCC). Two circuit designs are discussed, including the stacked-voltage-controlled voltage source (VCVS) design with the fixed number of levels, and an improved design, which supports a flexible number of AJSCC levels. Experimental results are presented on the wireless biosensor prototype, composed of printed circuit board realizations of the stacked-VCVS design. Furthermore, circuit simulation and wireless link simulation results are presented on the improved design. Results indicate that the proposed wireless biosensor is well suited for sensing two biological signals simultaneously with high accuracy, and can be applied to a wide variety of low-power and low-cost wireless continuous health monitoring applications.

Design and Development of Non-Contact Bio-Potential Electrodes for Pervasive Health Monitoring Applications

PubMed Central

Portelli, Anthony J.; Nasuto, Slawomir J.

2017-01-01

For the advent of pervasive bio-potential monitoring, it will be necessary to utilize a combination of cheap, quick to apply, low-noise electrodes and compact electronics with wireless technologies. Once available, all electrical activity resulting from the processes of the human body could be actively and constantly monitored without the need for cumbersome application and maintenance. This could significantly improve the early diagnosis of a range of different conditions in high-risk individuals, opening the possibility for new treatments and interventions as conditions develop. This paper presents the design and implementation of compact, non-contact capacitive bio-potential electrodes utilising a low impedance current-to-voltage configuration and a bootstrapped voltage follower, demonstrating results applicable to research applications for capacitive electrocardiography and capacitive electromyography. The presented electrodes use few components, have a small surface area and are capable of acquiring a range of bio-potential signals. PMID:28045439

Strength of the phase change materials on loading with the products of electric explosion of conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savenkov, Georgiy; Morozov, Viktor; Kats, Victor

2018-05-01

Results of the experimentation on the destruction of the phase change materials (beeswax and paraffin) by the electric explosion of conductors are presented. The process of the explosion of copper and nickel titanium wires in both pure PCM and its mixture with nonosized additives of cuprous oxide is analyzed. The effect of this additive on the process of the expansion of the electric-discharge plasma during the electric explosion of conductors and on the strength of composite materials is demonstrated. The piezoprobe-based method of measurement of the radial pressure during samples destruction is developed. The experiments made it possible to determine the dimensions of the melting channel formed inside the samples during the explosion and the subsequent expansion of the electric-discharge plasma. The experiments are performed on the generator of short-term high-voltage pulses capable to shape the voltage of (10-24) kV.

Electrochemical Characterization of Vanadium Pentoxide (V 2O5) And Activated Carbon (AC) Electrodes in Multivalent Aluminum Nitrate (Al(NO3)3) Electrolyte for Battery-Type Hybrid Supercapacitor Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solanki, Ketan Subhash

Hybrid supercapacitors (HSC) have been extensively investigated for enhanced charge storage capacity (Yoo, et al. 2014). Although Li-ion batteries are known for high energy density, but their limited power density has driven the research toward developing hybrid supercapacitors (Jayalakshmi and Balasubramanian 2008). They combine non-faradic properties of electric double layer capacitors (EDLC) and faradic properties of pseudocapacitors to provide high energy density without compromising high Power density (Yoo, et al. 2014) (Lukatskaya, Dunn and Gogotsi 2016). In HSC, one electrode will store energy by double layer mechanism whereas the other stores through redox intercalation or surface redox reactions (Lukatskaya, Dunn and Gogotsi 2016) (Karthikeyan, et al. 2010). In this study, we have examined the electrochemical characteristics of vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) and activated carbon (AC) in an aqueous multivalent aluminum nitrate (nonhydrate, Al(NO3)3) electrolyte for viable electrode applications in battery-type hybrid supercapacitors, also known as supercapattery. A Specific capacitance of 340 Fg -1 was obtained at a scanning rate of 10 mV/s. Although this configuration showed promising storage and cyclability capability but the voltage for intercalation of Al3+ ions occurred below zero voltage. Hence, right selection of electrodes for such configurations may help in obtaining intercalation and de-intercalation voltages above zero volt and thereby result in a viable practical application with better performance.

Electronic Power Conditioner for Ku-band Travelling Wave Tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowstubha, Palle; Krishnaveni, K.; Ramesh Reddy, K.

2017-04-01

A highly sophisticated regulated power supply is known as electronic power conditioner (EPC) is required to energise travelling wave tubes (TWTs), which are used as RF signal amplifiers in satellite payloads. The assembly consisting of TWT and EPC together is known as travelling wave tube amplifier (TWTA). EPC is used to provide isolated and conditioned voltage rails with tight regulation to various electrodes of TWT and makes its RF performance independent of solar bus variations which are caused due to varying conditions of eclipse and sunlit. The payload mass and their power consumption is mainly due to the existence of TWTAs that represent about 35 % of total mass and about 70-90 % (based on the type of satellite application) of overall dc power consumption. This situation ensures a continuous improvement in the design of TWTAs and their associated EPCs to realize more efficient and light products. Critical technologies involved in EPCs are design and configuration, closed loop regulation, component and material selection, energy limiting of high voltage (HV) outputs and potting of HV card etc. This work addresses some of these critical technologies evolved in realizing and testing the state of art of EPC and it focuses on the design of HV supply with a HV and high power capability, up to 6 kV and 170 WRF, respectively required for a space TWTA. Finally, an experimental prototype of EPC with a dc power of 320 W provides different voltages required by Ku-band TWT in open loop configuration.

An ultrafast programmable electrical tester for enabling time-resolved, sub-nanosecond switching dynamics and programming of nanoscale memory devices.

PubMed

Shukla, Krishna Dayal; Saxena, Nishant; Manivannan, Anbarasu

2017-12-01

Recent advancements in commercialization of high-speed non-volatile electronic memories including phase change memory (PCM) have shown potential not only for advanced data storage but also for novel computing concepts. However, an in-depth understanding on ultrafast electrical switching dynamics is a key challenge for defining the ultimate speed of nanoscale memory devices that demands for an unconventional electrical setup, specifically capable of handling extremely fast electrical pulses. In the present work, an ultrafast programmable electrical tester (PET) setup has been developed exceptionally for unravelling time-resolved electrical switching dynamics and programming characteristics of nanoscale memory devices at the picosecond (ps) time scale. This setup consists of novel high-frequency contact-boards carefully designed to capture extremely fast switching transient characteristics within 200 ± 25 ps using time-resolved current-voltage measurements. All the instruments in the system are synchronized using LabVIEW, which helps to achieve various programming characteristics such as voltage-dependent transient parameters, read/write operations, and endurance test of memory devices systematically using short voltage pulses having pulse parameters varied from 1 ns rise/fall time and 1.5 ns pulse width (full width half maximum). Furthermore, the setup has successfully demonstrated strikingly one order faster switching characteristics of Ag 5 In 5 Sb 60 Te 30 (AIST) PCM devices within 250 ps. Hence, this novel electrical setup would be immensely helpful for realizing the ultimate speed limits of various high-speed memory technologies for future computing.

An ultrafast programmable electrical tester for enabling time-resolved, sub-nanosecond switching dynamics and programming of nanoscale memory devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukla, Krishna Dayal; Saxena, Nishant; Manivannan, Anbarasu

2017-12-01

Recent advancements in commercialization of high-speed non-volatile electronic memories including phase change memory (PCM) have shown potential not only for advanced data storage but also for novel computing concepts. However, an in-depth understanding on ultrafast electrical switching dynamics is a key challenge for defining the ultimate speed of nanoscale memory devices that demands for an unconventional electrical setup, specifically capable of handling extremely fast electrical pulses. In the present work, an ultrafast programmable electrical tester (PET) setup has been developed exceptionally for unravelling time-resolved electrical switching dynamics and programming characteristics of nanoscale memory devices at the picosecond (ps) time scale. This setup consists of novel high-frequency contact-boards carefully designed to capture extremely fast switching transient characteristics within 200 ± 25 ps using time-resolved current-voltage measurements. All the instruments in the system are synchronized using LabVIEW, which helps to achieve various programming characteristics such as voltage-dependent transient parameters, read/write operations, and endurance test of memory devices systematically using short voltage pulses having pulse parameters varied from 1 ns rise/fall time and 1.5 ns pulse width (full width half maximum). Furthermore, the setup has successfully demonstrated strikingly one order faster switching characteristics of Ag5In5Sb60Te30 (AIST) PCM devices within 250 ps. Hence, this novel electrical setup would be immensely helpful for realizing the ultimate speed limits of various high-speed memory technologies for future computing.

Status of high temperature superconductor cable and fault current limiter projects at American Superconductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maguire, J. F.; Yuan, J.

2009-10-01

This paper will describe the status of three key programs currently underway at American Superconductor Corp. The first program is the LIPA project which is a transmission voltage high temperature superconducting cable program, with funding support from the US Department of Energy. The 600 m cable, capable of carrying 574 MVA, was successfully installed and commissioned in LIPA grid on April 22, 2008. An overview of the project, system level design details and operational data will be provided. In addition, the status of the newly awarded LIPA II project will be described. The second program is Project Hydra, with funding support from the US Department of Homeland Security, to design, develop and demonstrate an HTS cable with fault current limiting functionality. The cable is 300 m long and is being designed to carry 96 MVA at a distribution level voltage of 13.8 kV. The cable will be permanently installed and energized in Manhattan, New York in 2010. The initial status of Project Hydra will be presented. The final program to be discussed is a transmission voltage, high temperature superconducting fault current limiter funded by the US DOE. The project encompasses the design, construction and test of a 115 kV FCL for power transmission within a time frame of 4-5 years. Installation and testing are planned for a Southern California Edison substation. A project overview and progress under the first phase will be reported.

Electrical Oscillations in Two-Dimensional Microtubular Structures

PubMed Central

Cantero, María del Rocío; Perez, Paula L.; Smoler, Mariano; Villa Etchegoyen, Cecilia; Cantiello, Horacio F.

2016-01-01

Microtubules (MTs) are unique components of the cytoskeleton formed by hollow cylindrical structures of αβ tubulin dimeric units. The structural wall of the MT is interspersed by nanopores formed by the lateral arrangement of its subunits. MTs are also highly charged polar polyelectrolytes, capable of amplifying electrical signals. The actual nature of these electrodynamic capabilities remains largely unknown. Herein we applied the patch clamp technique to two-dimensional MT sheets, to characterize their electrical properties. Voltage-clamped MT sheets generated cation-selective oscillatory electrical currents whose magnitude depended on both the holding potential, and ionic strength and composition. The oscillations progressed through various modes including single and double periodic regimes and more complex behaviours, being prominent a fundamental frequency at 29 Hz. In physiological K+ (140 mM), oscillations represented in average a 640% change in conductance that was also affected by the prevalent anion. Current injection induced voltage oscillations, thus showing excitability akin with action potentials. The electrical oscillations were entirely blocked by taxol, with pseudo Michaelis-Menten kinetics and a KD of ~1.29 μM. The findings suggest a functional role of the nanopores in the MT wall on the genesis of electrical oscillations that offer new insights into the nonlinear behaviour of the cytoskeleton. PMID:27256791

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

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

Kertesz, Vilmos; Van Berkel, Gary J

2011-01-01

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

Dispatching power system for preventive and corrective voltage collapse problem in a deregulated power system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alemadi, Nasser Ahmed

Deregulation has brought opportunities for increasing efficiency of production and delivery and reduced costs to customers. Deregulation has also bought great challenges to provide the reliability and security customers have come to expect and demand from the electrical delivery system. One of the challenges in the deregulated power system is voltage instability. Voltage instability has become the principal constraint on power system operation for many utilities. Voltage instability is a unique problem because it can produce an uncontrollable, cascading instability that results in blackout for a large region or an entire country. In this work we define a system of advanced analytical methods and tools for secure and efficient operation of the power system in the deregulated environment. The work consists of two modules; (a) contingency selection module and (b) a Security Constrained Optimization module. The contingency selection module to be used for voltage instability is the Voltage Stability Security Assessment and Diagnosis (VSSAD). VSSAD shows that each voltage control area and its reactive reserve basin describe a subsystem or agent that has a unique voltage instability problem. VSSAD identifies each such agent. VS SAD is to assess proximity to voltage instability for each agent and rank voltage instability agents for each contingency simulated. Contingency selection and ranking for each agent is also performed. Diagnosis of where, why, when, and what can be done to cure voltage instability for each equipment outage and transaction change combination that has no load flow solution is also performed. A security constrained optimization module developed solves a minimum control solvability problem. A minimum control solvability problem obtains the reactive reserves through action of voltage control devices that VSSAD determines are needed in each agent to obtain solution of the load flow. VSSAD makes a physically impossible recommendation of adding reactive generation capability to specific generators to allow a load flow solution to be obtained. The minimum control solvability problem can also obtain solution of the load flow without curtailing transactions that shed load and generation as recommended by VSSAD. A minimum control solvability problem will be implemented as a corrective control, that will achieve the above objectives by using minimum control changes. The control includes; (1) voltage setpoint on generator bus voltage terminals; (2) under load tap changer tap positions and switchable shunt capacitors; and (3) active generation at generator buses. The minimum control solvability problem uses the VSSAD recommendation to obtain the feasible stable starting point but completely eliminates the impossible or onerous recommendation made by VSSAD. This thesis reviews the capabilities of Voltage Stability Security Assessment and Diagnosis and how it can be used to implement a contingency selection module for the Open Access System Dispatch (OASYDIS). The OASYDIS will also use the corrective control computed by Security Constrained Dispatch. The corrective control would be computed off line and stored for each contingency that produces voltage instability. The control is triggered and implemented to correct the voltage instability in the agent experiencing voltage instability only after the equipment outage or operating changes predicted to produce voltage instability have occurred. The advantages and the requirements to implement the corrective control are also discussed.

Low Power, High Voltage Power Supply with Fast Rise/Fall Time

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bearden, Douglas B. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

A low power, high voltage power supply system includes a high voltage power supply stage and a preregulator for programming the power supply stage so as to produce an output voltage which is a predetermined fraction of a desired voltage level. The power supply stage includes a high voltage, voltage doubler stage connected to receive the output voltage from the preregulator and for, when activated, providing amplification of the output voltage to the desired voltage level. A first feedback loop is connected between the output of the preregulator and an input of the preregulator while a second feedback loop is connected between the output of the power supply stage and the input of the preregulator.

Low power, high voltage power supply with fast rise/fall time

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bearden, Douglas B. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

A low power, high voltage power supply system includes a high voltage power supply stage and a preregulator for programming the power supply stage so as to produce an output voltage which is a predetermined fraction of a desired voltage level. The power supply stage includes a high voltage, voltage doubler stage connected to receive the output voltage from the preregulator and for, when activated, providing amplification of the output voltage to the desired voltage level. A first feedback loop is connected between the output of the preregulator and an input of the preregulator while a second feedback loop is connected between the output of the power supply stage and the input of the preregulator.

Resonant-tunneling oscillators and multipliers for submillimeter receivers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sollner, T. C. L. Gerhard

1988-01-01

Resonant tunneling through double-barrier heterostructures has attracted increasing interest recently, largely because of the fast charge transport it provides. In addition, the negative differential resistance regions that exist in the current-voltage (I-V) curve (peak-to-valley ratios of 3.5:1 at room temperature, and nearly 10:1 at 77 K, were measured) suggest that high-speed devices based on the character of the I-V curve should be possible. For example, the negative differential resistance region is capable of providing the gain necessary for high-frequency oscillations. In the laboratory attempts were made to increase the frequency and power of these oscillators and to demonstrate several different high-frequency devices.

30 CFR 75.705 - Work on high-voltage lines; deenergizing and grounding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Work on high-voltage lines; deenergizing and... Work on high-voltage lines; deenergizing and grounding. [Statutory Provisions] High-voltage lines, both..., except that repairs may be permitted, in the case of energized surface high-voltage lines, if such...

30 CFR 75.813 - High-voltage longwalls; scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false High-voltage longwalls; scope. 75.813 Section 75.813 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Underground High-Voltage Distribution High-Voltage Longwalls § 75.813 High-voltage...

30 CFR 75.813 - High-voltage longwalls; scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false High-voltage longwalls; scope. 75.813 Section 75.813 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Underground High-Voltage Distribution High-Voltage Longwalls § 75.813 High-voltage...

AAO2: a general purpose CCD controller for the AAT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waller, Lew; Barton, John; Mayfield, Don; Griesbach, Jason

2004-09-01

The Anglo-Australian Observatory has developed a 2nd generation optical CCD controller to replace an earlier controller used now for almost twenty years. The new AAO2 controller builds on the considerable experience gained with the first controller, the new technologies now available and the techniques developed and successfully implemented in AAO's IRIS2 detector controller. The AAO2 controller has been designed to operate a wide variety of detectors and to achieve as near to detector limited performance as possible. It is capable of reading out CCDs with one, two or four output amplifiers, each output having its own video processor and high speed 16-bit ADC. The video processor is a correlated double sampler that may be switched between low noise dual slope integration or high speed clamp and sample modes. Programmable features include low noise DAC biases, horizontal clocks with DAC controllable levels and slopes and vertical clocks with DAC controllable arbitrary waveshapes. The controller uses two DSPs; one for overall control and the other for clock signal generation, which is highly programmable, with downloadable sequences of waveform patterns. The controller incorporates a precision detector temperature controller and provides accurate exposure time control. Telemetry is provided of all DAC generated voltages, many derived voltages, power supply voltages, detector temperature and detector identification. A high speed, full duplex fibre optic interface connects the controller to a host computer. The modular design uses six to ten circuit boards, plugged in to common backplanes. Two backplanes separate noisy digital signals from low noise analog signals.

A New CuO-Fe2 O3 -Mesocarbon Microbeads Conversion Anode in a High-Performance Lithium-Ion Battery with a Li1.35 Ni0.48 Fe0.1 Mn1.72 O4 Spinel Cathode.

PubMed

Di Lecce, Daniele; Verrelli, Roberta; Campanella, Daniele; Marangon, Vittorio; Hassoun, Jusef

2017-04-10

A ternary CuO-Fe 2 O 3 -mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) conversion anode was characterized and combined with a high-voltage Li 1.35 Ni 0.48 Fe 0.1 Mn 1.72 O 4 spinel cathode in a lithium-ion battery of relevant performance in terms of cycling stability and rate capability. The CuO-Fe 2 O 3 -MCMB composite was prepared by using high-energy milling, a low-cost pathway that leads to a crystalline structure and homogeneous submicrometrical morphology as revealed by XRD and electron microscopy. The anode reversibly exchanges lithium ions through the conversion reactions of CuO and Fe 2 O 3 and by insertion into the MCMB carbon. Electrochemical tests, including impedance spectroscopy, revealed a conductive electrode/electrolyte interface that enabled the anode to achieve a reversible capacity value higher than 500 mAh g -1 when cycled at a current of 120 mA g -1 . The remarkable stability of the CuO-Fe 2 O 3 -MCMB electrode and the suitable characteristics in terms of delivered capacity and voltage-profile retention allowed its use in an efficient full lithium-ion cell with a high-voltage Li 1.35 Ni 0.48 Fe 0.1 Mn 1.72 O 4 cathode. The cell had a working voltage of 3.6 V and delivered a capacity of 110 mAh g cathode -1 with a Coulombic efficiency above 99 % after 100 cycles at 148 mA g cathode -1 . This relevant performances, rarely achieved by lithium-ion systems that use the conversion reaction, are the result of an excellent cell balance in terms of negative-to-positive ratio, favored by the anode composition and electrochemical features. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Neutron bursts from long laboratory sparks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochkin, P.; Lehtinen, N. G.; Montanya, J.; Van Deursen, A.; Ostgaard, N.

2016-12-01

Neutron emission in association with thunderstorms and lightning discharges was reported by different investigators from ground-based observation platforms. In both cases such emission is explained by photonuclear reaction, since high-energy gamma-rays in sufficient fluxes are routinely detected from both, lightning and thunderclouds. The required gamma-rays are presumably generated by high-energy electrons in Bremsstrahlung process after their acceleration via cold and/or relativistic runaway mechanisms. This phenomenon attracted moderate scientific attention until fast neutron bursts (up to 10 MeV) from long 1 MV laboratory sparks have been reported. Clearly, with such relatively low applied voltage the electrons are unable to accelerate to the energies required for photo/electro disintegration. Moreover, all known elementary neutron generation processes are not capable to explain this emission right away. We performed an independent laboratory experiment on long sparks with the aim to confirm or disprove the neutron emission from them. The experimental setup was assembled at High-Voltage Laboratory in Barcelona and contained a Marx generator in a cone-cone spark gap configuration. The applied voltage was as low as 800 kV and the gap distance was only 60 cm. Two ns-fast cameras were located near the gap capturing short-exposure images of the pre-breakdown phenomenon at the expected neutron generation time. A plastic scintillation detector sensitive to neutrons was covered in 11 cm of lead and placed near the spark gap. The detector was calibrated and showed good performance in neutron detection. Apart of it, voltage, currents through both electrodes, and three X-ray detectors were also monitored in sophisticated measuring system. We will give an overview of the previous experimental and theoretical work in this topic, and present the results of our new experimental campaign. The conclusions are based on good signal-to-noise ratio measurements and are substantiated by high-contrast images.

30 CFR 75.807 - Installation of high-voltage transmission cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Installation of high-voltage transmission...-Voltage Distribution § 75.807 Installation of high-voltage transmission cables. [Statutory Provisions] All underground high-voltage transmission cables shall be installed only in regularly inspected air courses and...

Defect design of insulation systems for photovoltaic modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mon, G. R.

1981-01-01

A defect-design approach to sizing electrical insulation systems for terrestrial photovoltaic modules is presented. It consists of gathering voltage-breakdown statistics on various thicknesses of candidate insulation films where, for a designated voltage, module failure probabilities for enumerated thickness and number-of-layer film combinations are calculated. Cost analysis then selects the most economical insulation system. A manufacturing yield problem is solved to exemplify the technique. Results for unaged Mylar suggest using fewer layers of thicker films. Defect design incorporates effects of flaws in optimal insulation system selection, and obviates choosing a tolerable failure rate, since the optimization process accomplishes that. Exposure to weathering and voltage stress reduces the voltage-withstanding capability of module insulation films. Defect design, applied to aged polyester films, promises to yield reliable, cost-optimal insulation systems.

Triple Hybrid Energy Harvesting Interface Electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uluşan, H.; Chamanian, S.; Pathirana, W. M. P. R.; Zorlu, Ö.; Muhtaroğlu, A.; Külah, H.

2016-11-01

This study presents a novel triple hybrid system that combines simultaneously generated power from thermoelectric (TE), vibration-based electromagnetic (EM) and piezoelectric (PZT) harvesters for a relatively high power supply capability. In the proposed solution each harvesting source utilizes a distinct power management circuit that generates a DC voltage suitable for combining the three parallel supplies. The circuits are designed and implemented in 180 nm standard CMOS technology, and are terminated with a schottky diode to avoid reverse current flow. The harvested AC signal from the EM harvester is rectified with a self-powered AC-DC doubler, which utilizes active diode structures to minimize the forward- bias voltage drop. The PZT interface electronics utilizes a negative voltage converter as the first stage, followed by synchronous power extraction and DC-to-DC conversion through internal switches, and an external inductor. The ultra-low voltage DC power harvested by the TE generator is stepped up through a charge-pump driven by an LC oscillator with fully- integrated center-tapped differential inductors. Test results indicate that hybrid energy harvesting circuit provides more than 1 V output for load resistances higher than 100 kΩ (10 μW) where the stand-alone harvesting circuits are not able to reach 1 V output. This is the first hybrid harvester circuit that simultaneously extracts energy from three independent sources, and delivers a single DC output.

Identification of the primary compensating defect level responsible for determining blocking voltage of vertical GaN power diodes

DOE PAGES

King, M. P.; Kaplar, R. J.; Dickerson, J. R.; ...

2016-10-31

Electrical performance and characterization of deep levels in vertical GaN P-i-N diodes grown on low threading dislocation density (~10 4 –10 6 cm –2) bulk GaN substrates are investigated. The lightly doped n drift region of these devices is observed to be highly compensated by several prominent deep levels detected using deep level optical spectroscopy at E c-2.13, 2.92, and 3.2 eV. A combination of steady-state photocapacitance and lighted capacitance-voltage profiling indicates the concentrations of these deep levels to be N t = 3 × 10 12, 2 × 10 15, and 5 × 10 14 cm –3, respectively. Themore » E c-2.92 eV level is observed to be the primary compensating defect in as-grown n-type metal-organic chemical vapor deposition GaN, indicating this level acts as a limiting factor for achieving controllably low doping. The device blocking voltage should increase if compensating defects reduce the free carrier concentration of the n drift region. Understanding the incorporation of as-grown and native defects in thick n-GaN is essential for enabling large V BD in the next-generation wide-bandgap power semiconductor devices. Furthermore, controlling the as-grown defects induced by epitaxial growth conditions is critical to achieve blocking voltage capability above 5 kV.« less

Experimental investigations of argon spark gap recovery times by developing a high voltage double pulse generator.

PubMed

Reddy, C S; Patel, A S; Naresh, P; Sharma, Archana; Mittal, K C

2014-06-01

The voltage recovery in a spark gap for repetitive switching has been a long research interest. A two-pulse technique is used to determine the voltage recovery times of gas spark gap switch with argon gas. First pulse is applied to the spark gap to over-volt the gap and initiate the breakdown and second pulse is used to determine the recovery voltage of the gap. A pulse transformer based double pulse generator capable of generating 40 kV peak pulses with rise time of 300 ns and 1.5 μs FWHM and with a delay of 10 μs-1 s was developed. A matrix transformer topology is used to get fast rise times by reducing L(l)C(d) product in the circuit. Recovery Experiments have been conducted for 2 mm, 3 mm, and 4 mm gap length with 0-2 bars pressure for argon gas. Electrodes of a sparkgap chamber are of rogowsky profile type, made up of stainless steel material, and thickness of 15 mm are used in the recovery study. The variation in the distance and pressure effects the recovery rate of the spark gap. An intermediate plateu is observed in the spark gap recovery curves. Recovery time decreases with increase in pressure and shorter gaps in length are recovering faster than longer gaps.

Optimal Design of a Resonance-Based Voltage Boosting Rectifier for Wireless Power Transmission.

PubMed

Lim, Jaemyung; Lee, Byunghun; Ghovanloo, Maysam

2018-02-01

This paper presents the design procedure for a new multi-cycle resonance-based voltage boosting rectifier (MCRR) capable of delivering a desired amount of power to the load (PDL) at a designated high voltage (HV) through a loosely-coupled inductive link. This is achieved by shorting the receiver (Rx) LC-tank for several cycles to harvest and accumulate the wireless energy in the RX inductor before boosting the voltage by breaking the loop and transferring the energy to the load in a quarter cycle. By optimizing the geometries of the transmitter (Tx) and Rx coils and the number of cycles, N , for energy harvesting, through an iterative design procedure, the MCRR can achieve the highest PDL under a given set of design constraints. Governing equations in the MCRR operation are derived to identify key specifications and the design guidelines. Using an exemplary set of specs, the optimized MCRR was able to generate 20.9 V DC across a 100 kΩ load from a 1.8 V p , 6.78 MHz sinusoid input in the ISM-band at a Tx/Rx coil separation of 1.3 cm, power transfer efficiency (PTE) of 2.2%, and N = 9 cycles. At the same coil distance and loading, coils optimized for a conventional half-wave rectifier (CHWR) were able to reach only 13.6 V DC from the same source.

30 CFR 75.800 - High-voltage circuits; circuit breakers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... shall be equipped with devices to provide protection against under-voltage grounded phase, short circuit... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false High-voltage circuits; circuit breakers. 75.800... § 75.800 High-voltage circuits; circuit breakers. [Statutory Provisions] High-voltage circuits entering...

30 CFR 75.802 - Protection of high-voltage circuits extending underground.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Protection of high-voltage circuits extending...-Voltage Distribution § 75.802 Protection of high-voltage circuits extending underground. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, high-voltage circuits extending underground and supplying...

30 CFR 75.802 - Protection of high-voltage circuits extending underground.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Protection of high-voltage circuits extending...-Voltage Distribution § 75.802 Protection of high-voltage circuits extending underground. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, high-voltage circuits extending underground and supplying...

30 CFR 75.802 - Protection of high-voltage circuits extending underground.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Protection of high-voltage circuits extending...-Voltage Distribution § 75.802 Protection of high-voltage circuits extending underground. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, high-voltage circuits extending underground and supplying...

Transformer current sensor for superconducting magnetic coils

DOEpatents

Shen, S.S.; Wilson, C.T.

1985-04-16

The present invention is a current transformer for operating currents larger than 2kA (two kiloamps) that is capable of detecting a millivolt level resistive voltage in the presence of a large inductive voltage. Specifically, the present invention includes substantially cylindrical primary turns arranged to carry a primary current and substantially cylindrical secondary turns arranged coaxially with and only partially within the primary turns, the secondary turns including an active winding and a dummy winding, the active and dummy windings being coaxial, longitudinally separated and arranged to mutually cancel voltages excited by commonly experienced magnetic fields, the active winding but not the dummy winding being arranged within the primary turns.

Four-point probe measurements using current probes with voltage feedback to measure electric potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lüpke, Felix; Cuma, David; Korte, Stefan; Cherepanov, Vasily; Voigtländer, Bert

2018-02-01

We present a four-point probe resistance measurement technique which uses four equivalent current measuring units, resulting in minimal hardware requirements and corresponding sources of noise. Local sample potentials are measured by a software feedback loop which adjusts the corresponding tip voltage such that no current flows to the sample. The resulting tip voltage is then equivalent to the sample potential at the tip position. We implement this measurement method into a multi-tip scanning tunneling microscope setup such that potentials can also be measured in tunneling contact, allowing in principle truly non-invasive four-probe measurements. The resulting measurement capabilities are demonstrated for \

A pH sensor with a double-gate silicon nanowire field-effect transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, Jae-Hyuk; Kim, Jee-Yeon; Seol, Myeong-Lok; Baek, David J.; Guo, Zheng; Kim, Chang-Hoon; Choi, Sung-Jin; Choi, Yang-Kyu

2013-02-01

A pH sensor composed of a double-gate silicon nanowire field-effect transistor (DG Si-NW FET) is demonstrated. The proposed DG Si-NW FET allows the independent addressing of the gate voltage and hence improves the sensing capability through an application of asymmetric gate voltage between the two gates. One gate is a driving gate which controls the current flow, and the other is a supporting gate which amplifies the shift of the threshold voltage, which is a sensing metric, and which arises from changes in the pH. The pH signal is also amplified through modulation of the gate oxide thickness.

NEUTRON SOURCE

DOEpatents

Foster, J.S. Jr.

1960-04-19

A compact electronic device capable of providing short time high density outputs of neutrons is described. The device of the invention includes an evacuated vacuum housing adapted to be supplied with a deuterium, tritium, or other atmosphere and means for establishing an electrical discharge along a path through the gas. An energized solenoid is arranged to constrain the ionized gas (plasma) along the path. An anode bearing adsorbed or adherent target material is arranged to enclose the constrained plasma. To produce neutrons a high voltage is applied from appropriate supply means between the plasma and anode to accelerate ions from the plasma to impinge upcn the target material, e.g., comprising deuterium.

A Heated Tube Facility for Rocket Coolant Channel Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, James M.; Pease, Gary M.; Meyer, Michael L.

1995-01-01

The capabilities of a heated tube facility used for testing rocket engine coolant channels at the NASA Lewis Research Center are presented. The facility uses high current, low voltage power supplies to resistively heat a test section to outer wall temperatures as high as 730 C (1350 F). Liquid or gaseous nitrogen, gaseous helium, or combustible liquids can be used as the test section coolant. The test section is enclosed in a vacuum chamber to minimize heat loss to the surrounding system. Test section geometry, size, and material; coolant properties; and heating levels can be varied to generate heat transfer and coolant performance data bases.

Graded junction termination extensions for electronic devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merrett, J. Neil (Inventor); Isaacs-Smith, Tamara (Inventor); Sheridan, David C. (Inventor); Williams, John R. (Inventor)

2006-01-01

A graded junction termination extension in a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor device and method of its fabrication using ion implementation techniques is provided for high power devices. The properties of silicon carbide (SiC) make this wide band gap semiconductor a promising material for high power devices. This potential is demonstrated in various devices such as p-n diodes, Schottky diodes, bipolar junction transistors, thyristors, etc. These devices require adequate and affordable termination techniques to reduce leakage current and increase breakdown voltage in order to maximize power handling capabilities. The graded junction termination extension disclosed is effective, self-aligned, and simplifies the implementation process.

Graded junction termination extensions for electronic devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merrett, J. Neil (Inventor); Isaacs-Smith, Tamara (Inventor); Sheridan, David C. (Inventor); Williams, John R. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

A graded junction termination extension in a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor device and method of its fabrication using ion implementation techniques is provided for high power devices. The properties of silicon carbide (SiC) make this wide band gap semiconductor a promising material for high power devices. This potential is demonstrated in various devices such as p-n diodes, Schottky diodes, bipolar junction transistors, thyristors, etc. These devices require adequate and affordable termination techniques to reduce leakage current and increase breakdown voltage in order to maximize power handling capabilities. The graded junction termination extension disclosed is effective, self-aligned, and simplifies the implementation process.

Variable-speed wind power system with improved energy capture via multilevel conversion

DOEpatents

Erickson, Robert W.; Al-Naseem, Osama A.; Fingersh, Lee Jay

2005-05-31

A system and method for efficiently capturing electrical energy from a variable-speed generator are disclosed. The system includes a matrix converter using full-bridge, multilevel switch cells, in which semiconductor devices are clamped to a known constant DC voltage of a capacitor. The multilevel matrix converter is capable of generating multilevel voltage wave waveform of arbitrary magnitude and frequencies. The matrix converter can be controlled by using space vector modulation.

Application of voltage oriented control technique in a fully renewable, wind powered, autonomous system with storage capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondylis, Georgios P.; Vokas, Georgios A.; Anastasiadis, Anestis G.; Konstantinopoulos, Stavros A.

2017-02-01

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the technological feasibility of a small autonomous network, with electricity storage capability, which is completely electrified by wind energy. The excess energy produced, with respect to the load requirements, is sent to the batteries for storage. When the energy produced by the wind generator is not sufficient, load's energy requirement is covered by the battery system, ensuring, however, that voltage, frequency and other system characteristics are within the proper boundaries. For the purpose of this study, a Voltage Oriented Control system has been developed in order to monitor the autonomous operation and perform the energy management of the network. This system manages the power flows between the load and the storage system by properly controlling the Pulse Width Modulation pulses in the converter, thus ensuring power flows are adequate and frequency remains under control. The experimental results clearly indicate that a stand-alone wind energy system based on battery energy storage system is feasible and reliable. This paves the way for fully renewable and zero emission energy schemes.

Ultra-low-energy analog straintronics using multiferroic composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Kuntal

2014-03-01

Multiferroic devices, i.e., a magnetostrictive nanomagnet strain-coupled with a piezoelectric layer, are promising as binary switches for ultra-low-energy digital computing in beyond Moore's law era [Roy, K. Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 173110 (2013), Roy, K. et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 99, 063108 (2011), Phys. Rev. B 83, 224412 (2011), Scientific Reports (Nature Publishing Group) 3, 3038 (2013), J. Appl. Phys. 112, 023914 (2012)]. We show here that such multiferroic devices, apart from performing digital computation, can be also utilized for analog computing purposes, e.g., voltage amplification, filter etc. The analog computing capability is conceived by considering that magnetization's mean orientation shifts gradually although nanomagnet's potential minima changes abruptly. Using tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) measurement, a continuous output voltage while varying the input voltage can be produced. Stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation in the presence of room-temperature (300 K) thermal fluctuations is solved to demonstrate the analog computing capability of such multiferroic devices. This work was supported in part by FAME, one of six centers of STARnet, a Semiconductor Research Corporation program sponsored by MARCO and DARPA.

Development and Characterization of High-Efficiency, High-Specific Impulse Xenon Hall Thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hofer, Richard R.; Jacobson, David (Technical Monitor)

2004-01-01

This dissertation presents research aimed at extending the efficient operation of 1600 s specific impulse Hall thruster technology to the 2000 to 3000 s range. Motivated by previous industry efforts and mission studies, the aim of this research was to develop and characterize xenon Hall thrusters capable of both high-specific impulse and high-efficiency operation. During the development phase, the laboratory-model NASA 173M Hall thrusters were designed and their performance and plasma characteristics were evaluated. Experiments with the NASA-173M version 1 (v1) validated the plasma lens magnetic field design. Experiments with the NASA 173M version 2 (v2) showed there was a minimum current density and optimum magnetic field topography at which efficiency monotonically increased with voltage. Comparison of the thrusters showed that efficiency can be optimized for specific impulse by varying the plasma lens. During the characterization phase, additional plasma properties of the NASA 173Mv2 were measured and a performance model was derived. Results from the model and experimental data showed how efficient operation at high-specific impulse was enabled through regulation of the electron current with the magnetic field. The electron Hall parameter was approximately constant with voltage, which confirmed efficient operation can be realized only over a limited range of Hall parameters.

A High Performance Piezoelectric Sensor for Dynamic Force Monitoring of Landslide

PubMed Central

Li, Ming; Cheng, Wei; Chen, Jiangpan; Xie, Ruili; Li, Xiongfei

2017-01-01

Due to the increasing influence of human engineering activities, it is important to monitor the transient disturbance during the evolution process of landslide. For this purpose, a high-performance piezoelectric sensor is presented in this paper. To adapt the high static and dynamic stress environment in slope engineering, two key techniques, namely, the self-structure pressure distribution method (SSPDM) and the capacitive circuit voltage distribution method (CCVDM) are employed in the design of the sensor. The SSPDM can greatly improve the compressive capacity and the CCVDM can quantitatively decrease the high direct response voltage. Then, the calibration experiments are conducted via the independently invented static and transient mechanism since the conventional testing machines cannot match the calibration requirements. The sensitivity coefficient is obtained and the results reveal that the sensor has the characteristics of high compressive capacity, stable sensitivities under different static preload levels and wide-range dynamic measuring linearity. Finally, to reduce the measuring error caused by charge leakage of the piezoelectric element, a low-frequency correction method is proposed and experimental verified. Therefore, with the satisfactory static and dynamic properties and the improving low-frequency measuring reliability, the sensor can complement dynamic monitoring capability of the existing landslide monitoring and forecasting system. PMID:28218673

In-line charge-trapping characterization of dielectrics for sub-0.5-um CMOS technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Pradip K.; Chacon, Carlos M.; Ma, Yi; Horner, Gregory

1997-09-01

The advent of ultra-large and giga-scale-integration (ULSI/GSI) has placed considerable emphasis on the development of new gate oxides and interlevel dielectrics capable of meeting strict performance and reliability requirements. The costs and demands associated with ULSI fabrication have in turn fueled the need for cost-effective, rapid and accurate in-line characterization techniques for evaluating dielectric quality. The use of non-contact surface photovoltage characterization techniques provides cost-effective rapid feedback on dielectric quality, reducing costs through the reutilization of control wafers and the elimination of processing time. This technology has been applied to characterize most of the relevant C-V parameters, including flatband voltage (Vfb), density of interface traps (Dit), mobile charge density (Qm), oxide thickness (Tox), oxide resistivity (pox) and total charge (Qtot) for gate and interlevel (ILO) oxides. A novel method of measuring tunneling voltage by this technique on various gate oxides is discussed. For ILO, PECVD and high density plasma dielectrics, surface voltage maps are also presented. Measurements of near-surface silicon quality are described, including minority carrier generation lifetime, and examples of their application in diagnosing manufacturing problems.

Hybrid polymer composite membrane for an electromagnetic (EM) valveless micropump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Said, Muzalifah Mohd; Yunas, Jumril; Bais, Badariah; Azlan Hamzah, Azrul; Yeop Majlis, Burhanuddin

2017-07-01

In this paper, we report on a hybrid membrane used as an actuator in an electromagnetically driven valveless micropump developed using MEMS processes. The membrane structure consists of the combination of a magnetic polymer composite membrane and an attached bulk permanent magnet which is expected to have a compact structure and a strong magnetic force with maintained membrane flexibility. A soft polymeric material made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is initially mixed with neodymium magnetic particles (NdFeB) to form a magnetic polymer composite membrane. The membrane is then bonded with the PDMS based microfluidic part, developed using soft lithography process. The developed micropump was tested in terms of the actuator membrane deflection capability and the fluidic flow of the injected fluid sample through the microfluidic channel. The experimental results show that the magnetic composite actuator membrane with an attached bulk permanent magnet is capable of producing a maximum membrane deflection of up to 106 µm. The functionality test of the electromagnetic (EM) actuator for fluid pumping purposes was done by supplying an AC voltage with various amplitudes, signal waves and frequencies. A wide range of sample injection rates from a few µl min-1 to tens of nl min-1 was achieved with a maximum flow rate of 6.6 µl min-1. The injection flow rate of the EM micropump can be controlled by adjusting the voltage amplitude and frequency supplied to the EM coil, to control the membrane deflection in the pump chamber. The designed valveless EM micropump has a very high potential to enhance the drug delivery system capability in biomedical applications.

Calibration of Voltage Transformers and High- Voltage Capacitors at NIST

PubMed Central

Anderson, William E.

1989-01-01

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) calibration service for voltage transformers and high-voltage capacitors is described. The service for voltage transformers provides measurements of ratio correction factors and phase angles at primary voltages up to 170 kV and secondary voltages as low as 10 V at 60 Hz. Calibrations at frequencies from 50–400 Hz are available over a more limited voltage range. The service for high-voltage capacitors provides measurements of capacitance and dissipation factor at applied voltages ranging from 100 V to 170 kV at 60 Hz depending on the nominal capacitance. Calibrations over a reduced voltage range at other frequencies are also available. As in the case with voltage transformers, these voltage constraints are determined by the facilities at NIST. PMID:28053409

Short- and longtime stability of therapeutic ultrasound reference sources for dosimetry and exposimetry purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haller, J.; Wilkens, V.

2017-03-01

The objective of this work was to create highly stable therapeutic ultrasound fields with well-known exposimetry and dosimetry parameters that are reproducible and hence predictable with well-known uncertainties. Such well- known and reproducible fields would allow validation and secondary calibrations of different measuring capabilities, which is already a widely accepted strategy for diagnostic fields. For this purpose, a reference setup was established that comprises two therapeutic ultrasound sources (one High-Intensity Therapeutic Ultrasound (HITU) source and one physiotherapy-like source), standard rf electronics for signal creation, and computer-controlled feedback to stabilize the input voltage. The short- and longtime stability of the acoustic output were evaluated - for the former, measurements over typical laboratory measurement time periods (i.e. some seconds or minutes) of the input voltage stability with and without feedback control were performed. For the latter, measurements of typical acoustical exposimetry parameters were performed bimonthly over one year. The measurement results show that the short- and the longtime stability of the reference setup are very good and that it is especially significantly improved in comparison to a setup without any feedback control.

Signal enhancement in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using fast square-pulse discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobral, H.; Robledo-Martinez, A.

2016-10-01

A fast, high voltage square-shaped electrical pulse initiated by laser ablation was investigated as a means to enhance the analytical capabilities of laser Induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The electrical pulse is generated by the discharge of a charged coaxial cable into a matching impedance. The pulse duration and the stored charge are determined by the length of the cable. The ablation plasma was produced by hitting an aluminum target with a nanosecond 532-nm Nd:YAG laser beam under variable fluence 1.8-900 J cm- 2. An enhancement of up to one order of magnitude on the emission signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved with the spark discharge assisted laser ablation. Besides, this increment is larger for ionized species than for neutrals. LIBS signal is also increased with the discharge voltage with a tendency to saturate for high laser fluences. Electron density and temperature evolutions were determined from time delays of 100 ns after laser ablation plasma onset. Results suggest that the spark discharge mainly re-excites the laser produced plume.

Characterization of a High Current, Long Life Hollow Cathode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanNoord, Jonathan L.; Kamhawi, Hani; McEwen, Heather K.

2006-01-01

The advent of higher power spacecraft makes it desirable to use higher power electric propulsion thrusters such as ion thrusters or Hall thrusters. Higher power thrusters require cathodes that are capable of producing higher currents. One application of these higher power spacecraft is deep-space missions that require tens of thousands of hours of operation. This paper presents the approach used to design a high current, long life hollow cathode assembly for that application, along with test results from the corresponding hollow cathode. The design approach used for the candidate hollow cathode was to reduce the temperature gradient in the insert, yielding a lower peak temperature and allowing current to be produced more uniformly along the insert. The lower temperatures result in a hollow cathode with increased life. The hollow cathode designed was successfully operated at currents from 10 to 60 A with flow rates of 5 to 19 sccm with a maximum orifice temperature measured of 1100 C. Data including discharge voltage, keeper voltage, discharge current, flow rates, and orifice plate temperatures are presented.

Normally-off p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors using hydrogen plasma treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Ronghui; Fu, Kai; Yu, Guohao; Li, Weiyi; Yuan, Jie; Song, Liang; Zhang, Zhili; Sun, Shichuang; Li, Xiajun; Cai, Yong; Zhang, Xinping; Zhang, Baoshun

2016-10-01

In this letter, we report a method by introducing hydrogen plasma treatment to realize normally-off p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN HEMT devices. Instead of using etching technology, hydrogen plasma was adopted to compensate holes in the p-GaN above the two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channel to release electrons in the 2DEG channel and form high-resistivity area to reduce leakage current and increase gate control capability. The fabricated p-GaN/AlGaN/GaN HEMT exhibits normally-off operation with a threshold voltage of 1.75 V, a subthreshold swing of 90 mV/dec, a maximum transconductance of 73.1 mS/mm, an ON/OFF ratio of 1 × 107, a breakdown voltage of 393 V, and a maximum drain current density of 188 mA/mm at a gate bias of 6 V. The comparison of the two processes of hydrogen plasma treatment and p-GaN etching has also been made in this work.

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

Bradshaw, Nathan P.; Severt, Sean Y.; Wang, Zhaoying

Biocompatible materials capable of controlled actuation under biologically relevant conditions are in high demand for use in a number of biomedical applications. Recently, we demonstrated that a composite material composed of silk biopolymer and the conducting polymer poly(pyrrole) can bend under an applied voltage using a simple bilayer device. Here we present further characterization of these bilayer actuators using time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, and provide clarification on the mechanism of actuation and factors affecting device performance and stability. We will discuss the results of this study in the context of strategies for optimization of device performance.

Galactic heavy-ion shielding using electrostatic fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Townsend, L. W.

1984-01-01

The shielding of spacecraft against galactic heavy ions, particularly high-energy Fe(56) nuclei, by electrostatic fields is analyzed for an arrangement of spherical concentric shells. Vacuum breakdown considerations are found to limit the minimum radii of the spheres to over 100 m. This limitation makes it impractical to use the fields for shielding small spacecraft. The voltages necessary to repel these Fe(56) nuclei exceed present electrostatic generating capabilities by over 2 orders of magnitude and render the concept useless as an alternative to traditional bulk-material shielding methods.

Device for generation of pulsed corona discharge

DOEpatents

Gutsol, Alexander F [San Ramon, CA; Fridman, Alexander [Marlton, NJ; Blank, Kenneth [Philadelphia, PA; Korobtsev, Sergey [Moscow, RU; Shiryaevsky, Valery [Moscow, RU; Medvedev, Dmitry [Moscow, RU

2012-05-08

The invention is a method and system for the generation of high voltage, pulsed, periodic corona discharges capable of being used in the presence of conductive liquid droplets. The method and system can be used, for example, in different devices for cleaning of gaseous or liquid media using pulsed corona discharge. Specially designed electrodes and an inductor increase the efficiency of the system, permit the plasma chemical oxidation of detrimental impurities, and increase the range of stable discharge operations in the presence of droplets of water or other conductive liquids in the discharge chamber.

Advanced scanning probe lithography.

PubMed

Garcia, Ricardo; Knoll, Armin W; Riedo, Elisa

2014-08-01

The nanoscale control afforded by scanning probe microscopes has prompted the development of a wide variety of scanning-probe-based patterning methods. Some of these methods have demonstrated a high degree of robustness and patterning capabilities that are unmatched by other lithographic techniques. However, the limited throughput of scanning probe lithography has prevented its exploitation in technological applications. Here, we review the fundamentals of scanning probe lithography and its use in materials science and nanotechnology. We focus on robust methods, such as those based on thermal effects, chemical reactions and voltage-induced processes, that demonstrate a potential for applications.

High voltage electrophoretic deposition for electrochemical energy storage and other applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santhanagopalan, Sunand

High voltage electrophoretic deposition (HVEPD) has been developed as a novel technique to obtain vertically aligned forests of one-dimensional nanomaterials for efficient energy storage. The ability to control and manipulate nanomaterials is critical for their effective usage in a variety of applications. Oriented structures of one-dimensional nanomaterials provide a unique opportunity to take full advantage of their excellent mechanical and electrochemical properties. However, it is still a significant challenge to obtain such oriented structures with great process flexibility, ease of processing under mild conditions and the capability to scale up, especially in context of efficient device fabrication and system packaging. This work presents HVEPD as a simple, versatile and generic technique to obtain vertically aligned forests of different one-dimensional nanomaterials on flexible, transparent and scalable substrates. Improvements on material chemistry and reduction of contact resistance have enabled the fabrication of high power supercapacitor electrodes using the HVEPD method. The investigations have also paved the way for further enhancements of performance by employing hybrid material systems and AC/DC pulsed deposition. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were used as the starting material to demonstrate the HVEPD technique. A comprehensive study of the key parameters was conducted to better understand the working mechanism of the HVEPD process. It has been confirmed that HVEPD was enabled by three key factors: high deposition voltage for alignment, low dispersion concentration to avoid aggregation and simultaneous formation of holding layer by electrodeposition for reinforcement of nanoforests. A set of suitable parameters were found to obtain vertically aligned forests of MWCNTs. Compared with their randomly oriented counterparts, the aligned MWCNT forests showed better electrochemical performance, lower electrical resistance and a capability to achieve superhydrophpbicity, indicating their potential in a broad range of applications. The versatile and generic nature of the HVEPD process has been demonstrated by achieving deposition on flexible and transparent substrates, as well as aligned forests of manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanorods. A continuous roll-printing HVEPD approach was then developed to obtain aligned MWCNT forest with low contact resistance on large, flexible substrates. Such large-scale electrodes showed no deterioration in electrochemical performance and paved the way for practical device fabrication. The effect of a holding layer on the contact resistance between aligned MWCNT forests and the substrate was studied to improve electrochemical performance of such electrodes. It was found that a suitable precursor salt like nickel chloride could be used to achieve a conductive holding layer which helped to significantly reduce the contact resistance. This in turn enhanced the electrochemical performance of the electrodes. High-power scalable redox capacitors were then prepared using HVEPD. Very high power/energy densities and excellent cyclability have been achieved by synergistically combining hydrothermally synthesized, highly crystalline α-MnO 2 nanorods, vertically aligned forests and reduced contact resistance. To further improve the performance, hybrid electrodes have been prepared in the form of vertically aligned forest of MWCNTs with branches of α-MnO 2 nanorods on them. Large- scale electrodes with such hybrid structures were manufactured using continuous HVEPD and characterized, showing further improved power and energy densities. The alignment quality and density of MWCNT forests were also improved by using an AC/DC pulsed deposition technique. In this case, AC voltage was first used to align the MWCNTs, followed by immediate DC voltage to deposit the aligned MWCNTs along with the conductive holding layer. Decoupling of alignment from deposition was proven to result in better alignment quality and higher electrochemical performance.

Manufacturing and application of a fully polymeric electrophoresis chip with integrated polyaniline electrodes.

PubMed

Henderson, Rowan D; Guijt, Rosanne M; Haddad, Paul R; Hilder, Emily F; Lewis, Trevor W; Breadmore, Michael C

2010-07-21

This work describes the development of a fully polymeric microchip with integrated polymeric electrodes suitable for performing microchip electrophoresis. The polymer electrodes were fabricated in a thin film of the conducting polymer, polyaniline (PANI), by flash lithography using a studio camera flash and a transparency mask. During flash welding, exposed regions welded into non-conducting regions forming a conducting polymer circuit in the non-exposed regions. Using a structured layer of dry film photoresist for sealing, a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate containing channels and reservoirs was bound to the PANI film to form an integrated microfluidic device. The conducting regions of the PANI film were shown to be capable of carrying the high voltages of up to 2000 V required for chip electrophoresis, and were stable for up to 30 minutes under these conditions. The PANI electrodes were used for the electrophoretic separation of three sugars labelled with 8-amino-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid (APTS) in the dry film resist-PDMS hybrid device. Highly efficient separations comparable to those achieved in similar microchips using platinum electrodes confirm the potential of polyaniline as a new material suitable for high voltage electrodes in Lab-on-a-chip devices.

A Highly Active Low Voltage Redox Mediator for Enhanced Rechargeability of Lithium-Oxygen Batteries.

PubMed

Kundu, Dipan; Black, Robert; Adams, Brian; Nazar, Linda F

2015-12-23

Owing to its high theoretical specific energy, the Li-oxygen battery is one of the fundamentally most promising energy storage systems, but also one of the most challenging. Poor rechargeability, involving the oxidation of insoluble and insulating lithium peroxide (Li2O2), has remained the "Achilles' heel" of this electrochemical energy storage system. We report here on a new redox mediator tris[4-(diethylamino)phenyl]amine (TDPA), that-at 3.1 V-exhibits the lowest and closest potential redox couple compared to the equilibrium voltage of the Li-oxygen cell of those reported to date, with a second couple also at a low potential of 3.5 V. We show it is a soluble "catalyst" capable of lowering the Li2O2 charging potential by >0.8 V without requiring direct electrical contact of the peroxide and that it also facilitates high discharge capacities. Its chemical and electrochemical stability, fast diffusion kinetics, and two dynamic redox potentials represent a significant advance in oxygen-evolution catalysis. It enables Li-O2 cells that can be recharged more than 100 cycles with average round-trip efficiencies >80%, opening a new avenue for practical Li-oxygen batteries.

DS-2 Mars Microprobe Battery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, H.; Kindler, A.; Deligiannis, F.; Davies, E.; Blankevoort, J.; Ratnakumar, B. V.; Surampudi, S.

1999-01-01

In January of 1999 the NM DS-2 Mars microprobe will be launched to impact on Mars in December. The technical objectives of the missions are to demonstrate: key technologies, a passive atmospheric entry, highly integrated microelectronics which can withstand both low temperatures and high decelerations, and the capability to conduct in-situ, surface and subsurface science data acquisition. The scientific objectives are to determine if ice is present below the Martian surface, measure the local atmospheric pressure, characterize the thermal properties of the martian subsurface soil, and to estimate the vertical temperature gradient of the Martian soil. The battery requirements are 2-4 cell batteries, with voltage of 6-14 volts, capacity of 550 mAh at 80C, and 2Ah at 25C, shelf life of 2.5 years, an operating temperature of 60C and below, and the ability to withstand shock impact of 80,000 g's. The technical challenges and the approach is reviewed. The Li-SOCL2 system is reviewed, and graphs showing the current and voltage is displayed, along with the voltage over discharge time. The problems encountered during the testing were: (1) impact sensitivity, (2) cracking of the seals, and (3) delay in voltage. A new design resulted in no problems in the impact testing phase. The corrective actions for the seal problems involved: (1) pre weld fill tube, (2) an improved heat sink during case to cover weld and (3) change the seal dimensions to reduce stress. To correct the voltage delay problem the solutions involved: (1) drying the electrodes to reduce contamination by water, (2) assemblage of the cells within a week of electrode manufacture, (3) ensure electrolyte purity, and (4) provide second depassivation pulse after landing. The conclusions on further testing were that the battery can: (1) withstand anticipated shock of up to 80,000 g, (2) meet the discharge profile post shock at Mars temperatures, (3) meet the required self discharge rate and (4) meet environmental requirements.

Effects of RTV coating on the electrical performance of polymer insulator under lightning impulse voltage condition.

PubMed

Jamaludin, Farah Adilah; Ab-Kadir, Mohd Zainal Abidin; Izadi, Mahdi; Azis, Norhafiz; Jasni, Jasronita; Abd-Rahman, Muhammad Syahmi

2017-01-01

Located near the equator, Malaysia is a country with one of the highest lightning densities in the world. Lightning contributes to 70% of the power outages in Malaysia and affects power equipment, automated network systems, causes data losses and monetary losses in the nation. Therefore, consideration of insulator evaluation under lightning impulses can be crucial to evaluate and attempt to overcome this issue. This paper presents a new approach to increase the electrical performance of polymer insulators using a Room Temperature Vulcanisation (RTV) coating. The evaluation involves three different settings of polymer insulator, namely uncoated, RTV type 1, and RTV type 2 upper surface coatings. All the insulators were tested under three different conditions as dry, clean wet and salty under different impulse polarities using the even-rising test method. The voltage breakdown for each test was recorded. From the experiment, it was found that the effectiveness of the RTV coating application became apparent when tested under salty or polluted conditions. It increased the voltage withstand capabilities of the polymer insulator up to 50% from the basic uncoated insulator. Under dry and clean conditions, the RTV coating provided just a slight increase of the breakdown voltage. The increase in voltage breakdown capability decreased the probability of surface discharge and dry band arcing that could cause degradation of the polymeric material housing. The RTV type 1 coating was found to be more effective when performing under a lightning impulse. The findings might help the utility companies improve the performance of their insulators in order to increase power system reliability.

Effects of RTV coating on the electrical performance of polymer insulator under lightning impulse voltage condition

PubMed Central

Jamaludin, Farah Adilah; Ab-Kadir, Mohd Zainal Abidin; Izadi, Mahdi; Azis, Norhafiz; Jasni, Jasronita; Abd-Rahman, Muhammad Syahmi

2017-01-01

Located near the equator, Malaysia is a country with one of the highest lightning densities in the world. Lightning contributes to 70% of the power outages in Malaysia and affects power equipment, automated network systems, causes data losses and monetary losses in the nation. Therefore, consideration of insulator evaluation under lightning impulses can be crucial to evaluate and attempt to overcome this issue. This paper presents a new approach to increase the electrical performance of polymer insulators using a Room Temperature Vulcanisation (RTV) coating. The evaluation involves three different settings of polymer insulator, namely uncoated, RTV type 1, and RTV type 2 upper surface coatings. All the insulators were tested under three different conditions as dry, clean wet and salty under different impulse polarities using the even-rising test method. The voltage breakdown for each test was recorded. From the experiment, it was found that the effectiveness of the RTV coating application became apparent when tested under salty or polluted conditions. It increased the voltage withstand capabilities of the polymer insulator up to 50% from the basic uncoated insulator. Under dry and clean conditions, the RTV coating provided just a slight increase of the breakdown voltage. The increase in voltage breakdown capability decreased the probability of surface discharge and dry band arcing that could cause degradation of the polymeric material housing. The RTV type 1 coating was found to be more effective when performing under a lightning impulse. The findings might help the utility companies improve the performance of their insulators in order to increase power system reliability. PMID:29136025

60 V tolerance full symmetrical switch for battery monitor IC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qidong; Yang, Yintang; Chai, Changchun

2017-06-01

For stacked battery monitoring IC high speed and high precision voltage acquisition requirements, this paper introduces a kind of symmetrical type high voltage switch circuit. This kind of switch circuit uses the voltage following structure, which eliminates the leakage path of input signals. At the same time, this circuit adopts a high speed charge pump structure, in any case the input signal voltage is higher than the supply voltage, it can fast and accurately turn on high voltage MOS devices, and convert the battery voltage to an analog to digital converter. The proposed high voltage full symmetry switch has been implemented in a 0.18 μm BCD process; simulated and measured results show that the proposed switch can always work properly regardless of the polarity of the voltage difference between the input signal ports and an input signal higher than the power supply. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61334003).

Using Micro-Synchrophasor Data for Advanced Distribution Grid Planning and Operations Analysis

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

Stewart, Emma; Kiliccote, Sila; McParland, Charles

2014-07-01

This report reviews the potential for distribution-grid phase-angle data that will be available from new micro-synchrophasors (µPMUs) to be utilized in existing distribution-grid planning and operations analysis. This data could augment the current diagnostic capabilities of grid analysis software, used in both planning and operations for applications such as fault location, and provide data for more accurate modeling of the distribution system. µPMUs are new distribution-grid sensors that will advance measurement and diagnostic capabilities and provide improved visibility of the distribution grid, enabling analysis of the grid’s increasingly complex loads that include features such as large volumes of distributed generation.more » Large volumes of DG leads to concerns on continued reliable operation of the grid, due to changing power flow characteristics and active generation, with its own protection and control capabilities. Using µPMU data on change in voltage phase angle between two points in conjunction with new and existing distribution-grid planning and operational tools is expected to enable model validation, state estimation, fault location, and renewable resource/load characterization. Our findings include: data measurement is outstripping the processing capabilities of planning and operational tools; not every tool can visualize a voltage phase-angle measurement to the degree of accuracy measured by advanced sensors, and the degree of accuracy in measurement required for the distribution grid is not defined; solving methods cannot handle the high volumes of data generated by modern sensors, so new models and solving methods (such as graph trace analysis) are needed; standardization of sensor-data communications platforms in planning and applications tools would allow integration of different vendors’ sensors and advanced measurement devices. In addition, data from advanced sources such as µPMUs could be used to validate models to improve/ensure accuracy, providing information on normally estimated values such as underground conductor impedance, and characterization of complex loads. Although the input of high-fidelity data to existing tools will be challenging, µPMU data on phase angle (as well as other data from advanced sensors) will be useful for basic operational decisions that are based on a trend of changing data.« less

30 CFR 77.704-2 - Repairs to energized high-voltage lines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Repairs to energized high-voltage lines. 77.704... UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Grounding § 77.704-2 Repairs to energized high-voltage lines. An energized high-voltage... repairs will be performed on power circuits with a phase-to-phase nominal voltage no greater than 15,000...

30 CFR 75.705-2 - Repairs to energized surface high-voltage lines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Repairs to energized surface high-voltage lines... Repairs to energized surface high-voltage lines. An energized high-voltage surface line may be repaired... on power circuits with a phase-to-phase nominal voltage no greater than 15,000 volts; (3) Such...

Investigating Electrochemical Processes in Secondary Batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cama, Christina A.

For the past twenty-six years, the lithium-ion battery has been the most popular recharge- able battery for portable devices and electric vehicles. Despite its success, the energy storage capability of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is significantly limited by both the electrodes and electrolytes employed. Typical LIBs rely on intercalation-type electrodes, that are not capable of storing more than 1 Li+ per formula unit. The energy storage capability of LIBs can be improved through the application of conversion-type materials and beyond lithium chemistries. This research involves multiple projects which explore the electrochemistry of conversion electrodes, magnesium-ion chemistry, and lithium-sulfur chemistry. Application of conversion-electrodes like copper ferrite, CuFe2O4, and magnetite, Fe3O4, are capable of lithium storage over five times greater than that achieved by electrodes used in commercial LIBs. The drawback to utilizing the conversion mechanism is that significant energy storage capability is lost during charge. In this research, X- ray characterization methods, including X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) are used to elucidate the lithiation and delithiation mechanism for CuFe2O4 and to understand the source of the irreversibility. These experiments provide significant insight into the reduction processes and cation migration within the structure. During lithiation, CuFe2O4 undergoes a three-step reduction mechanism involving (1) lithiation of CuFe2O4, (2) extrusion of copper metal nanoparticles and formation of rock- salt LiFeO2, followed by the (3) formation of iron metal nanoparticles. Upon delithiation, XAS spectra clearly demonstrate the feasibility of Fe0 oxidation to a rock-salt iron oxide; however, Cu0 oxidation is not observed. Additional experiments explored the kinetic limitations of lithiating Fe3O4 nanoparticles, with different crystallite sizes. The experiments demonstrate that the kinetics of the lithiation mechanism are influenced by the electroactive material’s agglomerate and crystallite size. The rate of lithiation involving small crystallites is dependent on diffusion within the agglomerates; however, as the crystallite size increases, the lithiation rate is inhibited by diffusion within both the agglomerate and the crystallite. Battery chemistries beyond lithium can also lead to energy storage capabilities an order of magnitude higher than LIBs. Both magnesium-ion and lithium-sulfur battery chemistries are investigated in this dissertation. The properties of ionic liquid electrolytes are explored as safer alternatives to harmful Grignard-reagent electrolytes commonly used for magnesium chemistries. Electrochemical evaluation of the ionic liquid electrolytes found that although better conductivity can be achieved with unsaturated electrolytes like imidizolium based electrolytes, greater oxidative voltages are possible with saturated electrolytes like the piperidinium and pyridinium based electrolytes. The higher oxidative voltage is a promising attribute for high voltage applications. Cathode additives, including FeS2 and microporous carbon, are studied to inhibit polysulfide dissolution within the electrolyte of Li|S batteries. Although FeS2 exhibited promising electrochemistry as its own cathode, it was found to be an ineffective additive within sulfur cathodes. Instead, the properties of microporous carbons are explored to identify an appropriate carbon additive to both increase conductivity and impede polysulfide dissolution. A wood based carbon exhibited high capacity and long cycle life at low rate compared to conventional microporous carbons. As a whole, this research has provided valuable insight into the electrochemical processes taking place within a battery, as well as the factors which affect these processes. Electrochemical, spectroscopic, and various scattering methods are used to probe processes which span from the reactions occurring within the electrode to the redox reactions which define the voltage limitations of the electrolyte. These studies demonstrate the impact of each battery component on the overall electrochemical performance and provide fundamental insight into battery operation.

Excellent rate capability and cycling stability in Li+-conductive Li2SnO3-coated LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

PubMed

Mou, Jirong; Deng, Yunlong; Song, Zhicui; Zheng, Qiaoji; Lam, Kwok Ho; Lin, Dunmin

2018-05-22

High-voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 is a promising cathode candidate for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its considerable energy density and power density, but the material generally undergoes serious capacity fading caused by side reactions between the active material and organic electrolyte. In this work, Li+-conductive Li2SnO3 was coated on the surface of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 to protect the cathode against the attack of HF, mitigate the dissolution of Mn ions during cycling and improve the Li+ diffusion coefficient of the materials. Remarkable improvement in cycling stability and rate performance has been achieved in Li2SnO3-coated LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4. The 1.0 wt% Li2SnO3-coated LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode exhibits excellent cycling stability with a capacity retention of 88.2% after 150 cycles at 0.1 C and rate capability at high discharge rates of 5 C and 10 C, presenting discharge capacities of 119.5 and 112.2 mAh g-1, respectively. In particular, a significant improvement in cycling stability at 55 °C is obtained after the coating of 1.0 wt% Li2SnO3, giving a capacity retention of 86.8% after 150 cycles at 1 C and 55 °C. The present study provides a significant insight into the effective protection of Li-conductive coating materials for a high-voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode material.