Minimized open-circuit voltage reduction in GaAs/InGaAs quantum well solar cells with bandgap-engineered graded quantum well depths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaohan; Dasika, Vaishno D.; Li, Ping-Chun; Ji, Li; Bank, Seth R.; Yu, Edward T.

2014-09-01

The use of InGaAs quantum wells with composition graded across the intrinsic region to increase open-circuit voltage in p-i-n GaAs/InGaAs quantum well solar cells is demonstrated and analyzed. By engineering the band-edge energy profile to reduce photo-generated carrier concentration in the quantum wells at high forward bias, simultaneous increases in both open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density are achieved, compared to those for a structure with the same average In concentration, but constant rather than graded quantum well composition across the intrinsic region. This approach is combined with light trapping to further increase short-circuit current density.

Understanding and Prevention of Transient Voltages and Dielectric Breakdown in High Voltage Battery Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-31

as it is one faced every day as power systems engineers try to integrate batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines onto the already existing...Amendment-OOO l.ashx. [Accessed 10 Dec 2013] (7) "Copper Wire Resistance and Inductance Calculator", Ampbooks.com, 20 I 7. [Online]. Available: https...ampbooks.com/home/amplifier-calcu lators/ wire -inductance/. [Accessed: 21- May- 2017). (8) "What is Transient Voltage? - E lectronic Products

The New NASA-STD-4005 and NASA-HDBK-4006, Essentials for Direct-Drive Solar Electric Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferguson, Dale C.

2007-01-01

High voltage solar arrays are necessary for direct-drive solar electric propulsion, which has many advantages, including simplicity and high efficiency. Even when direct-drive is not used, the use of high voltage solar arrays leads to power transmission and conversion efficiencies in electric propulsion Power Management and Distribution. Nevertheless, high voltage solar arrays may lead to temporary power disruptions, through the so-called primary electrostatic discharges, and may permanently damage arrays, through the so-called permanent sustained discharges between array strings. Design guidance is needed to prevent these solar array discharges, and to prevent high power drains through coupling between the electric propulsion devices and the high voltage solar arrays. While most electric propulsion systems may operate outside of Low Earth Orbit, the plasmas produced by their thrusters may interact with the high voltage solar arrays in many ways similarly to Low Earth Orbit plasmas. A brief description of previous experiences with high voltage electric propulsion systems will be given in this paper. There are two new official NASA documents available free through the NASA Standards website to help in designing and testing high voltage solar arrays for electric propulsion. They are NASA-STD-4005, the Low Earth Orbit Spacecraft Charging Design Standard, and NASA-HDBK-4006, the Low Earth Orbit Spacecraft Charging Design Handbook. Taken together, they can both educate the high voltage array designer in the engineering and science of spacecraft charging in the presence of dense plasmas and provide techniques for designing and testing high voltage solar arrays to prevent electrical discharges and power drains.

Quantum-engineered interband cascade photovoltaic devices

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

Razeghi, Manijeh; Tournié, Eric; Brown, Gail J.

2013-12-18

Quantum-engineered multiple stage photovoltaic (PV) devices are explored based on InAs/GaSb/AlSb interband cascade (IC) structures. These ICPV devices employ multiple discrete absorbers that are connected in series by widebandgap unipolar barriers using type-II heterostructure interfaces for facilitating carrier transport between cascade stages similar to IC lasers. The discrete architecture is beneficial for improving the collection efficiency and for spectral splitting by utilizing absorbers with different bandgaps. As such, the photo-voltages from each individual cascade stage in an ICPV device add together, creating a high overall open-circuit voltage, similar to conventional multi-junction tandem solar cells. Furthermore, photo-generated carriers can be collectedmore » with nearly 100% efficiency in each stage. This is because the carriers travel over only a single cascade stage, designed to be shorter than a typical diffusion length. The approach is of significant importance for operation at high temperatures where the diffusion length is reduced. Here, we will present our recent progress in the study of ICPV devices, which includes the demonstration of ICPV devices at room temperature and above with narrow bandgaps (e.g. 0.23 eV) and high open-circuit voltages. © (2013) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.« less

Water Electrolysis Propulsion System Testing

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-11-01

3 98 11 Design Characteristics, Flightweight 0. 1 Pound Thrust 112 Engine 12 Steady State Temperature With 0. 1 Lbf. Molybdenum 136 Chamber 13 Run...the cell. This resulted in a local- ized high membrane temperature and softening of the material. The[I observed cratering or indentations at the...data also indicates that the high voltage in Cell No. 1 can- not be attributed entirely to the amubient temperature , because tile voltage is higher than

Charge control microcomputer device for vehicles

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

Morishita, M.; Kouge, S.

1986-10-14

This patent describes a charge control microcomputer device for a vehicle, comprising: speed changing means for transmitting the output torque of an engine. The speed changing means includes a slip clutch means having an output with a variable slippage amount with respect to its input and controlled in accordance with an operating instruction. The speed changing means further includes a speed change gear for changing the rotational speed input thereto at an output thereto, the speed change gear receiving the output of the slip clutch means; a charging generator driven by the output of the speed change gear; a batterymore » charged by an output voltage of the charging generator; a voltage regulator for controlling the output voltage of the charging generator to a predetermined value; an engine controlling microcomputer for receiving data from the engine, to control the engine, the engine data comprising at least an engine speed signal; a charge control microcomputer for processing engine data from the engine controlling microcomputer and charge system data including terminal voltage data from the battery and generated voltage data from the changing generator; and a display unit for displaying detection data, including fault detection data, form the charge control microcomputer.« less

Selective Dirac voltage engineering of individual graphene field-effect transistors for digital inverter and frequency multiplier integrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sul, Onejae; Kim, Kyumin; Jung, Yungwoo; Choi, Eunsuk; Lee, Seung-Beck

2017-09-01

The ambipolar band structure of graphene presents unique opportunities for novel electronic device applications. A cycle of gate voltage sweep in a conventional graphene transistor produces a frequency-doubled output current. To increase the frequency further, we used various graphene doping control techniques to produce Dirac voltage engineered graphene channels. The various surface treatments and substrate conditions produced differently doped graphene channels that were integrated on a single substrate and multiple Dirac voltages were observed by applying a single gate voltage sweep. We applied the Dirac voltage engineering techniques to graphene field-effect transistors on a single chip for the fabrication of a frequency multiplier and a logic inverter demonstrating analog and digital circuit application possibilities.

Selective Dirac voltage engineering of individual graphene field-effect transistors for digital inverter and frequency multiplier integrations.

PubMed

Sul, Onejae; Kim, Kyumin; Jung, Yungwoo; Choi, Eunsuk; Lee, Seung-Beck

2017-09-15

The ambipolar band structure of graphene presents unique opportunities for novel electronic device applications. A cycle of gate voltage sweep in a conventional graphene transistor produces a frequency-doubled output current. To increase the frequency further, we used various graphene doping control techniques to produce Dirac voltage engineered graphene channels. The various surface treatments and substrate conditions produced differently doped graphene channels that were integrated on a single substrate and multiple Dirac voltages were observed by applying a single gate voltage sweep. We applied the Dirac voltage engineering techniques to graphene field-effect transistors on a single chip for the fabrication of a frequency multiplier and a logic inverter demonstrating analog and digital circuit application possibilities.

Quality engineering tools focused on high power LED driver design using boost power stages in switch mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ileana, Ioan; Risteiu, Mircea; Marc, Gheorghe

2016-12-01

This paper is a part of our research dedicated to high power LED lamps designing. The boost-up selected technology wants to meet driver producers' tendency in the frame of efficiency and disturbances constrains. In our work we used modeling and simulation tools for implementing scenarios of the driver work when some controlling functions are executed (output voltage/ current versus input voltage and fixed switching frequency, input and output electric power transfer versus switching frequency, transient inductor voltage analysis, and transient out capacitor analysis). Some electrical and thermal stress conditions are also analyzed. Based on these aspects, a high reliable power LED driver has been designed.

Low-Voltage Continuous Electrospinning Patterning.

PubMed

Li, Xia; Li, Zhaoying; Wang, Liyun; Ma, Guokun; Meng, Fanlong; Pritchard, Robyn H; Gill, Elisabeth L; Liu, Ye; Huang, Yan Yan Shery

2016-11-30

Electrospinning is a versatile technique for the construction of microfibrous and nanofibrous structures with considerable potential in applications ranging from textile manufacturing to tissue engineering scaffolds. In the simplest form, electrospinning uses a high voltage of tens of thousands volts to draw out ultrafine polymer fibers over a large distance. However, the high voltage limits the flexible combination of material selection, deposition substrate, and control of patterns. Prior studies show that by performing electrospinning with a well-defined "near-field" condition, the operation voltage can be decreased to the kilovolt range, and further enable more precise patterning of fibril structures on a planar surface. In this work, by using solution dependent "initiators", we demonstrate a further lowering of voltage with an ultralow voltage continuous electrospinning patterning (LEP) technique, which reduces the applied voltage threshold to as low as 50 V, simultaneously permitting direct fiber patterning. The versatility of LEP is shown using a wide range of combination of polymer and solvent systems for thermoplastics and biopolymers. Novel functionalities are also incorporated when a low voltage mode is used in place of a high voltage mode, such as direct printing of living bacteria; the construction of suspended single fibers and membrane networks. The LEP technique reported here should open up new avenues in the patterning of bioelements and free-form nano- to microscale fibrous structures.

Dendron engineering in self-host blue iridium dendrimers towards low-voltage-driving and power-efficient nondoped electrophosphorescent devices.

PubMed

Wang, Yang; Wang, Shumeng; Ding, Junqiao; Wang, Lixiang; Jing, Xiabin; Wang, Fosong

2016-12-20

Dendron engineering in self-host blue Ir dendrimers is reported to develop power-efficient nondoped electrophosphorescent devices for the first time, which can be operated at low voltage close to the theoretical limit (E g /e: corresponding to the optical bandgap divided by the electron charge). With increasing dendron's HOMO energy levels from B-POCz to B-CzCz and B-CzTA, effective hole injection is favored to promote exciton formation, resulting in a significant reduction of driving voltage and improvement of power efficiency. Consequently, the nondoped device of B-CzTA achieves extremely low driving voltages of 2.7/3.4/4.4 V and record high power efficiencies of 30.3/24.4/16.3 lm W -1 at 1, 100 and 1000 cd m -2 , respectively. We believe that this work will pave the way to the design of novel power-efficient self-host blue phosphorescent dendrimers used for energy-saving displays and solid-state lightings.

Deep Space One High-Voltage Bus Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rachocki, Ken; Nieraeth, Donald

1999-01-01

The design of the High Voltage Power Converter Unit on DS1 allows both the spacecraft avionics and ion propulsion to operate in a stable manner near the PPP of the solar array. This approach relies on a fairly well-defined solar array model to determine the projected PPP. The solar array voltage set-points have to be updated every week to maintain operation near PPP. Stable operation even to the LEFT of the Peak Power Point is achievable so long as you do not change the operating power level of the ion engine. The next step for this technology is to investigate the use of onboard autonomy to determine the optimum SA voltage regulation set-point (i.e. near the PPP); this is for future missions that have one or more ion propulsion subsystems.

NASA's Hall Thruster Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jankovsky, Robert S.; Jacobson, David T.; Rawlin, Vincent K.; Mason, Lee S.; Mantenieks, Maris A.; Manzella, David H.; Hofer, Richard R.; Peterson, Peter Y.

2001-01-01

NASA's Hall thruster program has base research and focused development efforts in support of the Advanced Space Transportation Program, Space-Based Program, and various other programs. The objective of the base research is to gain an improved understanding of the physical processes and engineering constraints of Hall thrusters to enable development of advanced Hall thruster designs. Specific technical questions that are current priorities of the base effort are: (1) How does thruster life vary with operating point? (2) How can thruster lifetime and wear rate be most efficiently evaluated? (3) What are the practical limitations for discharge voltage as it pertains to high specific impulse operation (high discharge voltage) and high thrust operation (low discharge voltage)? (4) What are the practical limits for extending Hall thrusters to very high input powers? and (5) What can be done during thruster design to reduce cost and integration concerns? The objective of the focused development effort is to develop a 50 kW-class Hall propulsion system, with a milestone of a 50 kW engineering model thruster/system by the end of program year 2006. Specific program wear 2001 efforts, along with the corporate and academic participation, are described.

Fundamental Physics and Engineering of Nanosecond-Pulsed Nonequilibrium Microplasma in Liquid Phase without Bubbles

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-04

plane electrode setup. The discharge cell had a point- to-plate geometry with the high-voltage electrode being either stain-less steel needle with...influence of the electrode properties were investigated using 2 different electrodes : a stainless steel needle with a 20μm radius of curvature tip, and an...breakdown phenomena developing around a needle -like high voltage electrode , with a typical radius of curvature r0 ~ 0.01- 0.1mm. The volumetric force

A Bright and Fast Red Fluorescent Protein Voltage Indicator That Reports Neuronal Activity in Organotypic Brain Slices

PubMed Central

Abdelfattah, Ahmed S.; Farhi, Samouil L.; Zhao, Yongxin; Brinks, Daan; Zou, Peng; Ruangkittisakul, Araya; Platisa, Jelena; Pieribone, Vincent A.; Ballanyi, Klaus; Cohen, Adam E.

2016-01-01

Optical imaging of voltage indicators based on green fluorescent proteins (FPs) or archaerhodopsin has emerged as a powerful approach for detecting the activity of many individual neurons with high spatial and temporal resolution. Relative to green FP-based voltage indicators, a bright red-shifted FP-based voltage indicator has the intrinsic advantages of lower phototoxicity, lower autofluorescent background, and compatibility with blue-light-excitable channelrhodopsins. Here, we report a bright red fluorescent voltage indicator (fluorescent indicator for voltage imaging red; FlicR1) with properties that are comparable to the best available green indicators. To develop FlicR1, we used directed protein evolution and rational engineering to screen libraries of thousands of variants. FlicR1 faithfully reports single action potentials (∼3% ΔF/F) and tracks electrically driven voltage oscillations at 100 Hz in dissociated Sprague Dawley rat hippocampal neurons in single trial recordings. Furthermore, FlicR1 can be easily imaged with wide-field fluorescence microscopy. We demonstrate that FlicR1 can be used in conjunction with a blue-shifted channelrhodopsin for all-optical electrophysiology, although blue light photoactivation of the FlicR1 chromophore presents a challenge for applications that require spatially overlapping yellow and blue excitation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Fluorescent-protein-based voltage indicators enable imaging of the electrical activity of many genetically targeted neurons with high spatial and temporal resolution. Here, we describe the engineering of a bright red fluorescent protein-based voltage indicator designated as FlicR1 (fluorescent indicator for voltage imaging red). FlicR1 has sufficient speed and sensitivity to report single action potentials and voltage fluctuations at frequencies up to 100 Hz in single-trial recordings with wide-field microscopy. Because it is excitable with yellow light, FlicR1 can be used in conjunction with blue-light-activated optogenetic actuators. However, spatially distinct patterns of optogenetic activation and voltage imaging are required to avoid fluorescence artifacts due to photoactivation of the FlicR1 chromophore. PMID:26911693

Methods/Labor Standards Application Program - Phase IV

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-01

Engine Platform a. Pressure switch b. Compressor motor c. Voltage regulator d. Open and clean generator exciter and main windings S3 . Main Collector...clean motors b. Slip rings Gantry #3 Annual: S2. Engine Platform a. Pressure switch b. Compressor motor Voltage regulator d. Open and clean generator...Travel Motors Open and clean motorsa. b. Slip rings Gantry #4 S2 . S3. S4 . S5 . Engine Platform a. Pressure switch b. Compressor motor Voltage regulator

Advanced tendencies in development of photovoltaic cells for power engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strebkov, D. S.

2015-01-01

Development of solar power engineering must be based on original innovative Russian and world technologies. It is necessary to develop promising Russian technologies of manufacturing of photovoltaic cells and semiconductor materials: chlorine-free technology for obtaining solar silicon; matrix solar cell technology with an efficiency of 25-30% upon the conversion of concentrated solar, thermal, and laser radiation; encapsulation technology for high-voltage silicon solar modules with a voltage up to 1000 V and a service life up to 50 years; new methods of concentration of solar radiation with the balancing illumination of photovoltaic cells at 50-100-fold concentration; and solar power systems with round-the-clock production of electrical energy that do not require energy storage devices and reserve sources of energy. The advanced tendency in silicon power engineering is the use of high-temperature reactions in heterogeneous modular silicate solutions for long-term (over one year) production of heat and electricity in the autonomous mode.

Study on high breakdown voltage GaN-based vertical field effect transistor with interfacial charge engineering for power applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Jiangfeng; Liu, Dong; Liu, Yong; Bai, Zhiyuan; Jiang, Zhiguang; Liu, Yang; Yu, Qi

2017-11-01

A high voltage GaN-based vertical field effect transistor with interfacial charge engineering (GaN ICE-VFET) is proposed and its breakdown mechanism is presented. This vertical FET features oxide trenches which show a fixed negative charge at the oxide/GaN interface. In the off-state, firstly, the trench oxide layer acts as a field plate; secondly, the n-GaN buffer layer is inverted along the oxide/GaN interface and thus a vertical hole layer is formed, which acts as a virtual p-pillar and laterally depletes the n-buffer pillar. Both of them modulate electric field distribution in the device and significantly increase the breakdown voltage (BV). Compared with a conventional GaN vertical FET, the BV of GaN ICE-VFET is increased from 1148 V to 4153 V with the same buffer thickness of 20 μm. Furthermore, the proposed device achieves a great improvement in the tradeoff between BV and on-resistance; and its figure of merit even exceeds the GaN one-dimensional limit.

Solar array experiments on the Sphinx satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, N. J.

1973-01-01

The Space Plasma, High Voltage Interaction Experiment (SPHINX) is the name given to an auxiliary payload satellite scheduled to be launched in January 1974. The principal experiments carried on this satellite are specifically designed to obtain the engineering data on the interaction of high voltage systems with the space plasma. The classes of experiments are solar array segments, insulators, insulators with pin holes and conductors. The satellite is also carrying experiments to obtain flight data on three new solar array configurations; the edge illuminated-multijunction cells, the Teflon encased cells and the violet cells.

Study of electric field distorted by space charges under positive lightning impulse voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zezhong; Geng, Yinan

2018-03-01

Actually, many insulation problems are related to electric fields. And measuring electric fields is an important research topic of high-voltage engineering. In particular, the electric field distortion caused by space charge is the basis of streamer theory, and thus quantitatively measuring the Poisson electric field caused by space charge is significant to researching the mechanism of air gap discharge. In this paper, we used our photoelectric integrated sensor to measure the electric field distribution in a 1-m rod-plane gap under positive lightning impulse voltage. To verify the reliability of this quantitative measurement, we compared the measured results with calculated results from a numerical simulation. The electric-field time domain waveforms on the axis of the 1-m rod-plane out of the space charge zone were measured with various electrodes. The Poisson electric fields generated by space charge were separated from the Laplace electric field generated by applied voltages, and the amplitudes and variations were measured for various applied voltages and at various locations. This work also supplies the feasible basis for directly measuring strong electric field under high voltage.

High Voltage Hall Accelerator Propulsion System Development for NASA Science Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2013-01-01

NASA Science Mission Directorates In-Space Propulsion Technology Program is sponsoring the development of a 3.8 kW-class engineering development unit Hall thruster for implementation in NASA science and exploration missions. NASA Glenn Research Center and Aerojet are developing a high fidelity high voltage Hall accelerator (HiVHAc) thruster 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 HiVHAc engineering development unit thruster have been performed. In addition, the HiVHAc project is also pursuing the development of a power processing unit (PPU) and xenon feed system (XFS) for integration with the HiVHAc engineering development unit thruster. Colorado Power Electronics and NASA Glenn Research Center have tested a brassboard PPU for more than 1,500 hours in a vacuum environment, and a new brassboard and engineering model PPU units are under development. VACCO Industries developed a xenon flow control module which has undergone qualification testing and will be integrated with the HiVHAc thruster extended duration tests. Finally, recent mission studies have shown that the HiVHAc propulsion system has sufficient performance for four Discovery- and two New Frontiers-class NASA design reference missions.

[The testing system for OCP of the digital X-ray machine].

PubMed

Wang, Yan; Mo, Guoming; Wang, Juru; Zhou, Tao; Yu, Jianguo

2011-09-01

In this paper, we designed a testing system for operator control panel of a high-voltage and high-frequency X-ray machine, and an online testing software for functional components, in order to help the testing engineers to improve their work efficiency.

An Introduction to Electrical Breakdown in Dielectrics

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-04-01

PROJECT TASK WORK UNIT ELEMENT NO. NO. NO. NO. 11TI TL E ’tniclude Security Classification) AN INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRICAL 1PERSONAL AUTHOR(S...find themselves working in the area without the benefit of formal coursework. inAlthough the title of the course was High Voltage Engineer- inI titled...this work , "An Introduction to Electrical Breakdown * Phenomena," because breakdown may occur at low voltages when spacecraft systems are considered

Fuel supply control method for internal combustion engines, with adaptability to various engines and controls therefor having different operating characteristics

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

Otobe, Y.; Chikamatsu, M.

1988-03-08

A method of controlling the fuel supply to an internal combustion engine is described, wherein a quantity of fuel for supply to the engine is determined by correcting a basic value of the quantity of fuel determined as a function of at least one operating parameter of the engine by correction values dependent upon operating conditions of the engine and the determined quantity of fuel is supplied to the engine. The method comprises the steps of: (1) detecting a value of at least one predetermined operating parameter of the engine; (2) manually adjusting a single voltage creating means to setmore » an output voltage therefrom to such a desired value as to compensate for deviation of the air/fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine due to variations in operating characteristics of engines between different production lots or aging changes; (3) determining a value of the predetermined one correction value corresponding to the set desired value of output voltage of the single voltage creating means, and then modifying the thus determined value in response to the detected value of the predetermined at least one operating parameter of the engine during engine operation; and (4) correcting the basic value of the quantity of fuel by the value of the predetermined one correction value having the thus modified value, and the other correction values.« less

Thermoacoustic magnetohydrodynamic electrical generator

DOEpatents

Wheatley, J.C.; Swift, G.W.; Migliori, A.

1984-11-16

A thermoacoustic magnetohydrodynamic electrical generator includes an intrinsically irreversible thermoacoustic heat engine coupled to a magnetohydrodynamic electrical generator. The heat engine includes an electrically conductive liquid metal as the working fluid and includes two heat exchange and thermoacoustic structure assemblies which drive the liquid in a push-pull arrangement to cause the liquid metal to oscillate at a resonant acoustic frequency on the order of 1000 Hz. The engine is positioned in the field of a magnet and is oriented such that the liquid metal oscillates in a direction orthogonal to the field of the magnet, whereby an alternating electrical potential is generated in the liquid metal. Low-loss, low-inductance electrical conductors electrically connected to opposite sides of the liquid metal conduct an output signal to a transformer adapted to convert the low-voltage, high-current output signal to a more usable higher voltage, lower current signal.

Thermoacoustic magnetohydrodynamic electrical generator

DOEpatents

Wheatley, John C.; Swift, Gregory W.; Migliori, Albert

1986-01-01

A thermoacoustic magnetohydrodynamic electrical generator includes an intrinsically irreversible thermoacoustic heat engine coupled to a magnetohydrodynamic electrical generator. The heat engine includes an electrically conductive liquid metal as the working fluid and includes two heat exchange and thermoacoustic structure assemblies which drive the liquid in a push-pull arrangement to cause the liquid metal to oscillate at a resonant acoustic frequency on the order of 1,000 Hz. The engine is positioned in the field of a magnet and is oriented such that the liquid metal oscillates in a direction orthogonal to the field of the magnet, whereby an alternating electrical potential is generated in the liquid metal. Low-loss, low-inductance electrical conductors electrically connected to opposite sides of the liquid metal conduct an output signal to a transformer adapted to convert the low-voltage, high-current output signal to a more usable higher voltage, lower current signal.

Motor Starters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The power factor controller (PFC) was invented by a NASA engineer. It matches voltage with a motor's actual need by sensing shifts in the relationship between voltage and current flow. With the device, power can be trimmed as much as 65%. Intellinet adopted this technology and designed "soft start" and "load-responsive" control modes to start engines gradually and recycle voltage without reducing motor speed. Other features are lower motor heat and faster fault identification.

Breakdown voltage determination of gaseous and near cryogenic fluids with application to rocket engine ignition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nugent, Nicholas Jeremy

Liquid rocket engines extensively use spark-initiated torch igniters for ignition. As the focus shifts to longer missions that require multiple starts of the main engines, there exists a need to solve the significant problems associated with using spark-initiated devices. Improving the fundamental understanding of predicting the required breakdown voltage in rocket environments along with reducing electrical noise is necessary to ensure that missions can be completed successfully. To better understand spark ignition systems and add to the fundamental research on spark development in rocket applications, several parameter categories of interest were hypothesized to affect breakdown voltage: (i) fluid, (ii) electrode, and (iii) electrical. The fluid properties varied were pressure, temperature, density and mass flow rate. Electrode materials, insert electrode angle and spark gap distance were the electrode properties varied. Polarity was the electrical property investigated. Testing how breakdown voltage is affected by each parameter was conducted using three different isolated insert electrodes fabricated from copper and nickel. A spark plug commonly used in torch igniters was the other electrode. A continuous output power source connected to a large impedance source and capacitance provided the pulsing potential. Temperature, pressure and high voltage measurements were recorded for the 418 tests that were successfully completed. Nitrogen, being inert and similar to oxygen, a propellant widely used in torch igniters, was used as the fluid for the majority of testing. There were 68 tests completed with oxygen and 45 with helium. A regression of the nitrogen data produced a correction coefficient to Paschen's Law that predicts the breakdown voltage to within 3000 volts, better than 20%, compared to an over prediction on the order of 100,000 volts using Paschen's Law. The correction coefficient is based on the parameters most influencing breakdown voltage: fluid density, spark gap distance, electrode angles, electrode materials and polarity. The research added to the fundamental knowledge of spark development in rocket ignition applications by determining the parameters that most influence breakdown voltage. Some improvements to the research should include better temperature measurements near the spark gap, additional testing with oxygen and testing with fuels of interest such as hydrogen and methane.

An Inexpensive Source of High Voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saraiva, Carlos

2012-04-01

As a physics teacher I like recycling old apparatus and using them for demonstrations in my classes.1-4 In physics laboratories in schools, sources of high voltage include induction coils or electronic systems that can be bought from companies that sell lab equipment. But these sources can be very expensive. In this article, I will explain how you can use a car ignition coil as a high voltage source. Such a coil can be obtained from an old car found in a car salvage yard and used to power cathode ray tubes and discharge tubes to observe the spectra. It can also be used as a source of ignition to simulate explosive combustion that occurs in car engines, rockets, etc. You can also buy these coils in shops that sell car accessories and they are cheaper than induction coils. In Fig. 1 you can see a coil that I used.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

1996-04-01

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

Physical processes in high field insulating liquid conduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazarakis, Michael; Kiefer, Mark; Leckbee, Joshua; Anderson, Delmar; Wilkins, Frank; Obregon, Robert

2017-10-01

In the power grid transmission where a large amount of energy is transmitted to long distances, High Voltage DC (HVDC) transmission of up to 1MV becomes more attractive since is more efficient than the counterpart AC. However, two of the most difficult problems to solve are the cable connections to the high voltage power sources and their insulation from the ground. The insulating systems are usually composed of transformer oil and solid insulators. The oil behavior under HVDC is similar to that of a weak electrolyte. Its behavior under HVDC is dominated more by conductivity than dielectric constant. Space charge effects in the oil bulk near high voltage electrodes and impeded plastic insulators affect the voltage oil hold-off. We have constructed an experimental facility where we study the oil and plastic insulator behavior in an actual HVDC System. Experimental results will be presented and compared with the present understanding of the physics governing the oil behavior under very high electrical stresses. Sandia National Laboratories managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. D.O.E., NNSA under contract DE-NA-0003525.

The final days of Solar Max - Lessons learned from engineering evaluation tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Donnelly, Michael L.; Croft, John W.; Ward, David K.; Thames, Michael A.

1990-01-01

End-of-life engineering evaluation tests were performed on Solar Max between October and November 1989. The tests included four-wheel control law operation; reaction wheel rundowns; modular power subsystem standard power regulator unit voltage-temperature level tests; battery rundown/2nd plateau determination; high gain antenna retraction and jettison; and solar array jettison. This paper presents these tests, their results, and the lessons learned from them.

Performance of a High-Fidelity 4kW-Class Engineering Model PPU and Integration with HiVHAc System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinero, Luis R.; Kamhawi, Hani; Shilo, Vladislav

2016-01-01

The High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAc) propulsion system consists of a thruster,power processing unit (PPU), and propellant feed system. An engineering model PPU was developed by Colorado Power Electronics, Inc. funded by NASA's Small Business Innovative Research Program. This PPU uses an innovative 3-phase resonant converter to deliver 4 kW of discharge power over a wide range of input and output voltage conditions.The PPU includes a digital control interface unit that automatically controls the PPU and a xenon flow control module (XFCM). It interfaces with a control computer to receive high level commands and relay telemetry through a MIL-STD-1553B interface. The EM PPU was thoroughly tested at GRC for functionality and performance at temperature extremes and demonstrated total efficiencies a high as 95 percent. It was integrated with the HiVHAc thruster and the XFCM to demonstrate closed-loop control of discharge current with anode flow. Initiation of the main discharge and power throttling were also successfully demonstrated and discharge oscillations were characterized.

Phosphorus Enrichment as a New Composition in the Solid Electrolyte Interphase of High-Voltage Cathodes and Its Effects on Battery Cycling

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

Yan, Pengfei; Zheng, Jianming; Kuppan, Saravanan

2015-11-10

Immersion of a solid into liquid often leads to the modification of both the structure and chemistry of surface of the solid, which subsequently affects the chemical and physical properties of the system. For the case of the rechargeable lithium ion battery, such a surface modification is termed as solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer, which has been perceived to play critical role for the stable operation of the batteries. However, the structure and chemical composition of SEI layer and its spatial distribution and dependence on the battery operating condition remain unclear. By using aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy coupledmore » with ultra-high sensitive energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, we probed the structure and chemistry of SEI layer on several high voltage cathodes. We show that layer-structured cathodes, when cycled at a high cut off voltage, can form a P-rich SEI layer on their surface, which is a direct evidence of Li-salt (LiPF6) decomposition. Our systematical investigations indicate such cathode/Li-salt side reaction shows strong dependence on structure of the cathode materials, operating voltage and temperature, indicating the feasibility of SEI engineering. These findings provide us valuable insights into the complex interface between the high-voltage cathode and the electrolyte.« less

Cogging force investigation of a free piston permanent magnet linear generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdalla, I. I.; Zainal, A. E. Z.; Ramlan, N. A.; Firmansyah; Aziz, A. R. A.; Heikal, M. R.

2017-10-01

Better performance and higher efficiency of the vehicles can be achieved by using free piston engine, in which the piston is connected directly to the linear generator and waiving of any mechanical means. The free piston engine has the ability to overcome or reduce many of the challenges, such as the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission and fossil fuel consumption. The cogging force produces undesired vibration and acoustic noise in the generator. However, the cogging force must be minimized as much as possible, in order to have a high performance. This paper studies the effects of ferromagnetic materials on the cogging force of the permanent magnet linear generator (PMLG) to be used in a free piston engine using nonlinear finite-element analysis (FEA) under ANSYS Maxwell. The comparisons have been established for the cogging force of the PMLG under various translator velocities and three different ferromagnetic materials for the stator core, namely, Silicon Steel laminations, Mild Steel and Somaloy. It has been shown that the PMLG with a stator core made of Somaloy has a lower cogging force among them. Furthermore, the induced voltage of the PMLG at different accelerations has been studied. It is found that the PMLG with Mild Steel and Somaloy, respectively give larger induced voltage. Moreover, as the translator speed increase the induced voltage increased.

Experimental investigation of distinguishable and non-distinguishable grayscales applicable in active-matrix organic light-emitting diodes for quality engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Henglong; Chang, Wen-Cheng; Lin, Yu-Hsuan; Chen, Ming-Hong

2017-08-01

The distinguishable and non-distinguishable 6-bit (64) grayscales of green and red organic light-emitting diode (OLED) were experimentally investigated by using high-sensitive photometric instrument. The feasibility of combining external detection system for quality engineering to compensate the grayscale loss based on preset grayscale tables was also investigated by SPICE simulation. The degradation loss of OLED deeply affects image quality as grayscales become inaccurate. The distinguishable grayscales are indicated as those brightness differences and corresponding current increments are differentiable by instrument. The grayscales of OLED in 8-bit (256) or higher may become nondistinguishable as current or voltage increments are in the same order of noise level in circuitry. The distinguishable grayscale tables for individual red, green, blue, and white colors can be experimentally established as preset reference for quality engineering (QE) in which the degradation loss is compensated by corresponding grayscale numbers shown in preset table. The degradation loss of each OLED colors is quantifiable by comparing voltage increments to those in preset grayscale table if precise voltage increments are detectable during operation. The QE of AMOLED can be accomplished by applying updated grayscale tables. Our preliminary simulation result revealed that it is feasible to quantify degradation loss in terms of grayscale numbers by using external detector circuitry.

An improved method for predicting the lightning performance of high and extra-high-voltage substation shielding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinh, T.

1980-08-01

There is a need for better and more effective lightning protection for transmission and switching substations. In the past, a number of empirical methods were utilized to design systems to protect substations and transmission lines from direct lightning strokes. The need exists for convenient analytical lightning models adequate for engineering usage. In this study, analytical lightning models were developed along with a method for improved analysis of the physical properties of lightning through their use. This method of analysis is based upon the most recent statistical field data. The result is an improved method for predicting the occurrence of sheilding failure and for designing more effective protection for high and extra high voltage substations from direct strokes.

[Exposure to electrocution by automotive ignition system in the work environment of car service employees].

PubMed

Fryśkowski, Bernard; Swiatek-Fryśkowska, Dorota

2014-01-01

Automotive ignition system diagnostic procedures involve a specific kind of action due to the presence of high voltage pulses rated of roughly several dozen kilovolts. Therefore, the repairers employed at car service coming into direct contact with electrical equipment of ignition systems are exposed to risk of electric shock. Typically, the electric discharge energy of automotive ignition systems is not high enough to cause fibrillation due to the electric effect on the heart. Nevertheless, there are drivers and car service employees who use electronic cardiac pacemakers susceptible to high voltage pulses. The influence of high-voltage ignition systems on the human body, especially in case of electric injury, has not been comprehensively elucidated. Therefore, relatively few scientific papers address this problem. The aim of this paper is to consider the electrical injury danger from automotive ignition systems, especially in people suffering from cardiac diseases. Some examples of the methods to reduce electric shock probability during diagnostic procedures of spark-ignition combustion engines are presented and discussed.

Engineering of a genetically encodable fluorescent voltage sensor exploiting fast Ci-VSP voltage-sensing movements.

PubMed

Lundby, Alicia; Mutoh, Hiroki; Dimitrov, Dimitar; Akemann, Walther; Knöpfel, Thomas

2008-06-25

Ci-VSP contains a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) homologous to that of voltage-gated potassium channels. Using charge displacement ('gating' current) measurements we show that voltage-sensing movements of this VSD can occur within 1 ms in mammalian membranes. Our analysis lead to development of a genetically encodable fluorescent protein voltage sensor (VSFP) in which the fast, voltage-dependent conformational changes of the Ci-VSP voltage sensor are transduced to similarly fast fluorescence read-outs.

An ion beam facility based on a 3 MV tandetron accelerator in Sichuan University, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jifeng; An, Zhu; Zheng, Gaoqun; Bai, Fan; Li, Zhihui; Wang, Peng; Liao, Xiaodong; Liu, Mantian; Chen, Shunli; Song, Mingjiang; Zhang, Jun

2018-03-01

A new ion beam facility based on a 3 MV tandetron accelerator system has been installed in Sichuan University, China. The facility was developed by High Voltage Engineering Europa and consists of three high-energy beam lines including the ion beam analysis, ion implantation and nuclear physics experiment end stations, respectively. The terminal voltage stability of the accelerator is better than ±30 V, and the brightness of the proton beam is approximately 5.06 A/rad2/m2/eV. The system demonstrates a great application potential in fields such as nuclear, material and environmental studies.

Defect Engineering toward Atomic Co-Nx -C in Hierarchical Graphene for Rechargeable Flexible Solid Zn-Air Batteries.

PubMed

Tang, Cheng; Wang, Bin; Wang, Hao-Fan; Zhang, Qiang

2017-10-01

Rechargeable flexible solid Zn-air battery, with a high theoretical energy density of 1086 Wh kg -1 , is among the most attractive energy technologies for future flexible and wearable electronics; nevertheless, the practical application is greatly hindered by the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction/oxygen evolution reaction (ORR/OER) kinetics on the air electrode. Precious metal-free functionalized carbon materials are widely demonstrated as the most promising candidates, while it still lacks effective synthetic methodology to controllably synthesize carbocatalysts with targeted active sites. This work demonstrates the direct utilization of the intrinsic structural defects in nanocarbon to generate atomically dispersed Co-N x -C active sites via defect engineering. As-fabricated Co/N/O tri-doped graphene catalysts with highly active sites and hierarchical porous scaffolds exhibit superior ORR/OER bifunctional activities and impressive applications in rechargeable Zn-air batteries. Specifically, when integrated into a rechargeable and flexible solid Zn-air battery, a high open-circuit voltage of 1.44 V, a stable discharge voltage of 1.19 V, and a high energy efficiency of 63% at 1.0 mA cm -2 are achieved even under bending. The defect engineering strategy provides a new concept and effective methodology for the full utilization of nanocarbon materials with various structural features and further development of advanced energy materials. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Driving Pockels Cells Using Avalanche Transistor Pulsers

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-06-01

High Voltage Avalanche Transistor Pulsers", 21st International Power Modulator Symposium, Costa Mesa, CA, June 1994 2 CRC Handbook of Applied ... Engineering Science 200 Edition 1976 Table 7-44 Velocity of Sound in Bar-Shaped Solids Longitudinal Direction Potassium chloride (KCl, sylvite) X-cut 1346

All-optical electrophysiology in mammalian neurons using engineered microbial rhodopsins

PubMed Central

Hochbaum, Daniel R.; Zhao, Yongxin; Farhi, Samouil L.; Klapoetke, Nathan; Werley, Christopher A.; Kapoor, Vikrant; Zou, Peng; Kralj, Joel M.; Maclaurin, Dougal; Smedemark-Margulies, Niklas; Saulnier, Jessica L.; Boulting, Gabriella L.; Straub, Christoph; Cho, Yong Ku; Melkonian, Michael; Wong, Gane Ka-Shu; Harrison, D. Jed; Murthy, Venkatesh N.; Sabatini, Bernardo; Boyden, Edward S.; Campbell, Robert E.; Cohen, Adam E.

2014-01-01

All-optical electrophysiology—spatially resolved simultaneous optical perturbation and measurement of membrane voltage—would open new vistas in neuroscience research. We evolved two archaerhodopsin-based voltage indicators, QuasAr1 and 2, which show improved brightness and voltage sensitivity, microsecond response times, and produce no photocurrent. We engineered a novel channelrhodopsin actuator, CheRiff, which shows improved light sensitivity and kinetics, and spectral orthogonality to the QuasArs. A co-expression vector, Optopatch, enabled crosstalk-free genetically targeted all-optical electrophysiology. In cultured neurons, we combined Optopatch with patterned optical excitation to probe back-propagating action potentials in dendritic spines, synaptic transmission, sub-cellular microsecond-timescale details of action potential propagation, and simultaneous firing of many neurons in a network. Optopatch measurements revealed homeostatic tuning of intrinsic excitability in human stem cell-derived neurons. In brain slice, Optopatch induced and reported action potentials and subthreshold events, with high signal-to-noise ratios. The Optopatch platform enables high-throughput, spatially resolved electrophysiology without use of conventional electrodes. PMID:24952910

Free-piston Stirling Engine system considerations for various space power applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dochat, George R.; Dhar, Manmohan

1991-01-01

Free-Piston Stirling Engines (FPSE) have the potential to provide high reliability, long life, and efficient operation. Therefore, they are excellent candidates for the dynamic power conversion module of a space-based, power-generating system. FPSE can be coupled with many potential heat sources (radioisotope, solar, or nuclear reactor), various heat input systems (pumped loop, heat pipe), heat rejection (pumped loop or heat pipe), and various power management and distribution systems (ac, dc, high or low voltage, and fixed or variable load). This paper reviews potential space missions that can be met using free-piston Stirling engines and discusses options of various system integration approaches. This paper briefly outlines the program and recent progress.

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.

An optical fiber Bragg grating and piezoelectric ceramic voltage sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Qing; He, Yanxiao; Sun, Shangpeng; Luo, Mandan; Han, Rui

2017-10-01

Voltage measurement is essential in many fields like power grids, telecommunications, metallurgy, railways, and oil production. A voltage-sensing unit, consisting of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and piezoelectric ceramics, based on which an optical over-voltage sensor was proposed and fabricated in this paper. No demodulation devices like spectrometer or Fabry-Perot filter were needed to gain the voltage signal, and a relatively large sensing frequency range was acquired in this paper; thus, the cost of the sensing system is more acceptable in engineering application. The voltage to be measured was directly applied to the piezoelectric ceramic, and deformation of the ceramics and the grating would be caused because of the inverse piezoelectric effect. With a reference grating, the output light intensity change will be caused by the FBG center wavelength change; thus, the relationship between the applied voltage and the output light intensity was established. Validation of the sensor was accomplished in the frequency range from 50 Hz to 20 kHz and switching impulse waves with a test platform; good linearity of the input-output characteristic was achieved. A temperature validation test was completed, showing that the sensor maintains good temperature stability. Experimental results show that the optical over-voltage sensor can be used for voltage monitoring, and if applied with a voltage divider, the sensor can be used to measure high voltage.

An optical fiber Bragg grating and piezoelectric ceramic voltage sensor.

PubMed

Yang, Qing; He, Yanxiao; Sun, Shangpeng; Luo, Mandan; Han, Rui

2017-10-01

Voltage measurement is essential in many fields like power grids, telecommunications, metallurgy, railways, and oil production. A voltage-sensing unit, consisting of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and piezoelectric ceramics, based on which an optical over-voltage sensor was proposed and fabricated in this paper. No demodulation devices like spectrometer or Fabry-Perot filter were needed to gain the voltage signal, and a relatively large sensing frequency range was acquired in this paper; thus, the cost of the sensing system is more acceptable in engineering application. The voltage to be measured was directly applied to the piezoelectric ceramic, and deformation of the ceramics and the grating would be caused because of the inverse piezoelectric effect. With a reference grating, the output light intensity change will be caused by the FBG center wavelength change; thus, the relationship between the applied voltage and the output light intensity was established. Validation of the sensor was accomplished in the frequency range from 50 Hz to 20 kHz and switching impulse waves with a test platform; good linearity of the input-output characteristic was achieved. A temperature validation test was completed, showing that the sensor maintains good temperature stability. Experimental results show that the optical over-voltage sensor can be used for voltage monitoring, and if applied with a voltage divider, the sensor can be used to measure high voltage.

Performance of a High-Fidelity 4kW-Class Engineering Model PPU and Integration with HiVHAc System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinero, Luis R.; Kamhawi, Hani; Shilo, Vlad

2016-01-01

The High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAc) propulsion system consists of a thruster, power processing unit (PPU), and propellant feed system. An engineering model PPU was developed by Colorado Power Electronics, Inc. funded by NASA's Small Business Innovative Research Program. This PPU uses an innovative 3-phase resonant converter to deliver 4 kW of discharge power over a wide range of input and output voltage conditions. The PPU includes a digital control interface unit that automatically controls the PPU and a xenon flow control module (XFCM). It interfaces with a control computer to receive highlevel commands and relay telemetry through a MIL-STD-1553B interface. The EM PPU was thoroughly tested at GRC for functionality and performance at temperature limits and demonstrated total efficiencies a high as 95 percent. Integrated testing of the unit was performed with the HiVHAc thruster and the XFCM to demonstrate closed-loop control of discharge current with anode flow. Initiation of the main discharge and power throttling were also successfully demonstrated and discharge oscillations were characterized.

Large discharge-volume, silent discharge spark plug

DOEpatents

Kang, Michael

1995-01-01

A large discharge-volume spark plug for providing self-limiting microdischarges. The apparatus includes a generally spark plug-shaped arrangement of a pair of electrodes, where either of the two coaxial electrodes is substantially shielded by a dielectric barrier from a direct discharge from the other electrode, the unshielded electrode and the dielectric barrier forming an annular volume in which self-terminating microdischarges occur when alternating high voltage is applied to the center electrode. The large area over which the discharges occur, and the large number of possible discharges within the period of an engine cycle, make the present silent discharge plasma spark plug suitable for use as an ignition source for engines. In the situation, where a single discharge is effective in causing ignition of the combustible gases, a conventional single-polarity, single-pulse, spark plug voltage supply may be used.

Generator voltage stabilisation for series-hybrid electric vehicles.

PubMed

Stewart, P; Gladwin, D; Stewart, J; Cowley, R

2008-04-01

This paper presents a controller for use in speed control of an internal combustion engine for series-hybrid electric vehicle applications. Particular reference is made to the stability of the rectified DC link voltage under load disturbance. In the system under consideration, the primary power source is a four-cylinder normally aspirated gasoline internal combustion engine, which is mechanically coupled to a three-phase permanent magnet AC generator. The generated AC voltage is subsequently rectified to supply a lead-acid battery, and permanent magnet traction motors via three-phase full bridge power electronic inverters. Two complementary performance objectives exist. Firstly to maintain the internal combustion engine at its optimal operating point, and secondly to supply a stable 42 V supply to the traction drive inverters. Achievement of these goals minimises the transient energy storage requirements at the DC link, with a consequent reduction in both weight and cost. These objectives imply constant velocity operation of the internal combustion engine under external load disturbances and changes in both operating conditions and vehicle speed set-points. An electronically operated throttle allows closed loop engine velocity control. System time delays and nonlinearities render closed loop control design extremely problematic. A model-based controller is designed and shown to be effective in controlling the DC link voltage, resulting in the well-conditioned operation of the hybrid vehicle.

Aircraft Electric Secondary Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

Technologies resulted to aircraft power systems and aircraft in which all secondary power is supplied electrically are discussed. A high-voltage dc power generating system for fighter aircraft, permanent magnet motors and generators for aircraft, lightweight transformers, and the installation of electric generators on turbine engines are among the topics discussed.

Highly Transparent and Conductive Metallized Nanofibers by Electrospinning and Electroplating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Sam S.; Yarin, Alexander L.

2017-11-01

Transparent conducting films (TCFs) and transparent heaters (THs) are of interest for a wide variety of applications, from displays to window defrosters. Here, we demonstrate production of highly flexible, conducting, and transparent copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), platinum (Pt), and silver (Ag) nanofibers suitable for use not only in TCFs and THs but also in some other engineering applications. The merging of fibers at their intersections (i.e. self-junctioning) minimizes contact resistance in these films. These metallized nanofibers exhibited a remarkably low sheet resistance at a high optical transmittance. This low sheet resistance allows them to serve as low-voltage heaters, achieving a high heating temperature at a relatively low applied voltage. These nanofibers are free-standing, flexible, stretchable, and their mechanical reliability was confirmed through various mechanical endurance tests.

High-power and 2.5 kW advanced-technology ion thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poeschel, R. L.

1977-01-01

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

Decomposition of Composite Electric Field in a Three-Phase D-Dot Voltage Transducer Measuring System

PubMed Central

Hu, Xueqi; Wang, Jingang; Wei, Gang; Deng, Xudong

2016-01-01

In line with the wider application of non-contact voltage transducers in the engineering field, transducers are required to have better performance for different measuring environments. In the present study, the D-dot voltage transducer is further improved based on previous research in order to meet the requirements for long-distance measurement of electric transmission lines. When measuring three-phase electric transmission lines, problems such as synchronous data collection and composite electric field need to be resolved. A decomposition method is proposed with respect to the superimposed electric field generated between neighboring phases. The charge simulation method is utilized to deduce the decomposition equation of the composite electric field and the validity of the proposed method is verified by simulation calculation software. With the deduced equation as the algorithm foundation, this paper improves hardware circuits, establishes a measuring system and constructs an experimental platform for examination. Under experimental conditions, a 10 kV electric transmission line was tested for steady-state errors, and the measuring results of the transducer and the high-voltage detection head were compared. Ansoft Maxwell Stimulation Software was adopted to obtain the electric field intensity in different positions under transmission lines; its values and the measuring values of the transducer were also compared. Experimental results show that the three-phase transducer is characterized by a relatively good synchronization for data measurement, measuring results with high precision, and an error ratio within a prescribed limit. Therefore, the proposed three-phase transducer can be broadly applied and popularized in the engineering field. PMID:27754340

Acquisition of a High Voltage/High resolution Transmission Electron Microscope.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-21

microstructural design starts at the nanometer level. One such method is colloidal processing of materials with ultrafine particles in which particle...applications in the colloidal processing of ceramics with ultrafine particles . Aftervards, nanometer-sized particles will be synthesized and...STRUCTURAL CONTROL WITH ULTRAFINE PARTICLES Jun Liu. Mehmet Sarikaya, and I. A. Aksay Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Advanced

SOAC - State-of-the-Art Car Engineering Tests at Department of Transportation High Speed Ground Test Center : Volume 5. Structural, Voltage, and Radio Frequency Interference Tests

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-01-01

The six-volume report presents the technical methodology, data samples, and results of tests conducted on the SOAC on the Rail Transit Test Track at the High Speed Ground Test Center in Pueblo, Colorado during the period April to July 1973. The Test ...

Simultaneous removals of NOx, HC and PM from diesel exhaust emissions by dielectric barrier discharges.

PubMed

Song, Chong-Lin; Bin, Feng; Tao, Ze-Min; Li, Fang-Cheng; Huang, Qi-Fei

2009-07-15

The main target of this work is to characterize the abatements of particulate matter (PM), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NO(x)) from an actual diesel exhaust using dielectric barrier discharge technology (DBD). The effects of several parameters, such as peak voltage, frequency and engine load, on the contaminant removals have been investigated intensively. The present study shows that for a given frequency, the removals of PM and HC are enhanced with the increase of peak voltage and level off at higher voltage, while in the range of higher voltages a decline of NO(x) removal efficiency is observed. For a given voltage, the maximums of specific energy density (SED) and removal efficiency are attained at resonance point. The increase of peak voltage will result in a significant decrease of energy utilization efficiency of DBD at most engine loads. Alkanes in soluble organic fraction (SOF) are more readily subjected to removals than polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Transfer of Kv3.1 voltage sensor features to the isolated Ci-VSP voltage-sensing domain.

PubMed

Mishina, Yukiko; Mutoh, Hiroki; Knöpfel, Thomas

2012-08-22

Membrane proteins that respond to changes in transmembrane voltage are critical in regulating the function of living cells. The voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) of voltage-gated ion channels are extensively studied to elucidate voltage-sensing mechanisms, and yet many aspects of their structure-function relationship remain elusive. Here, we transplanted homologous amino acid motifs from the tetrameric voltage-activated potassium channel Kv3.1 to the monomeric VSD of Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensitive phosphatase (Ci-VSP) to explore which portions of Kv3.1 subunits depend on the tetrameric structure of Kv channels and which properties of Kv3.1 can be transferred to the monomeric Ci-VSP scaffold. By attaching fluorescent proteins to these chimeric VSDs, we obtained an optical readout to establish membrane trafficking and kinetics of voltage-dependent structural rearrangements. We found that motifs extending from 10 to roughly 100 amino acids can be readily transplanted from Kv3.1 into Ci-VSP to form engineered VSDs that efficiently incorporate into the plasma membrane and sense voltage. Some of the functional features of these engineered VSDs are reminiscent of Kv3.1 channels, indicating that these properties do not require interactions between Kv subunits or between the voltage sensing and the pore domains of Kv channels. Copyright © 2012 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Floquet high Chern insulators in periodically driven chirally stacked multilayer graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Si; Liu, Cheng-Cheng; Yao, Yugui

2018-03-01

Chirally stacked N-layer graphene is a semimetal with ±p N band-touching at two nonequivalent corners in its Brillioun zone. We predict that an off-resonant circularly polarized light (CPL) drives chirally stacked N-layer graphene into a Floquet Chern insulators (FCIs), aka quantum anomalous Hall insulators, with tunable high Chern number C F = ±N and large gaps. A topological phase transition between such a FCI and a valley Hall (VH) insulator with high valley Chern number C v = ±N induced by a voltage gate can be engineered by the parameters of the CPL and voltage gate. We propose a topological domain wall between the FCI and VH phases, along which perfectly valley-polarized N-channel edge states propagate unidirectionally without backscattering.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yan-Ming

2008-10-01

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

46 CFR 111.79-13 - Different voltages and power types.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Different voltages and power types. 111.79-13 Section 111.79-13 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Receptacles § 111.79-13 Different voltages and power types. If...

46 CFR 111.12-7 - Voltage regulation and parallel operation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Voltage regulation and parallel operation. 111.12-7 Section 111.12-7 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Generator Construction and Circuits § 111.12-7 Voltage regulation and...

46 CFR 111.79-13 - Different voltages and power types.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Different voltages and power types. 111.79-13 Section 111.79-13 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Receptacles § 111.79-13 Different voltages and power types. If...

46 CFR 111.12-7 - Voltage regulation and parallel operation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Voltage regulation and parallel operation. 111.12-7 Section 111.12-7 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Generator Construction and Circuits § 111.12-7 Voltage regulation and...

46 CFR 111.12-7 - Voltage regulation and parallel operation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Voltage regulation and parallel operation. 111.12-7 Section 111.12-7 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Generator Construction and Circuits § 111.12-7 Voltage regulation and...

46 CFR 111.79-13 - Different voltages and power types.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Different voltages and power types. 111.79-13 Section 111.79-13 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Receptacles § 111.79-13 Different voltages and power types. If...

46 CFR 111.12-7 - Voltage regulation and parallel operation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Voltage regulation and parallel operation. 111.12-7 Section 111.12-7 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Generator Construction and Circuits § 111.12-7 Voltage regulation and...

46 CFR 111.79-13 - Different voltages and power types.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Different voltages and power types. 111.79-13 Section 111.79-13 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Receptacles § 111.79-13 Different voltages and power types. If...

46 CFR 111.79-13 - Different voltages and power types.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Different voltages and power types. 111.79-13 Section 111.79-13 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Receptacles § 111.79-13 Different voltages and power types. If...

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

Study on the streamer inception characteristics under positive lightning impulse voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zezhong; Geng, Yinan

2017-11-01

The streamer is the main process in an air gap discharge, and the inception characteristics of streamers have been widely applied in engineering. Streamer inception characteristics under DC voltage have been studied by many researchers, but the inception characteristics under impulse voltage, and particularly under lightning impulse voltage with a high voltage rise rate have rarely been studied. A measurement system based on integrated optoelectronic technology has been proposed in this paper, and the streamer inception characteristics in a 1-m-long rod-plane air gap that was energized by a positive lightning impulse voltage have been researched. We have also measured the streamer inception electric field using electrodes with different radii of curvature and different voltage rise rates. As a result, a modified empirical criterion for the streamer inception electric field that considers the voltage rise rate has been proposed, and the wide applicability of this criterion has been proved. Based on the streamer inception time-lag obtained, we determined that the field distribution obeys a Rayleigh distribution, which explains the change law of the streamer inception time-lag. The characteristic parameter of the Rayleigh distribution lies in the range from 0.6 to 2.5 when the radius of curvature of the electrode head is in the range from 0.5 cm to 2.5 cm and the voltage rise rate ranges from 80 kV/μs to 240kV/μs under positive lightning impulse voltage.

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.

Quick-disconnect harness system for helmet-mounted displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bapu, P. T.; Aulds, M. J.; Fuchs, Steven P.; McCormick, David M.

1992-10-01

We have designed a pilot's harness-mounted, high voltage quick-disconnect connectors with 62 pins, to transmit voltages up to 13.5 kV and video signals with 70 MHz bandwidth, for a binocular helmet-mounted display system. It connects and disconnects with power off, and disconnects 'hot' without pilot intervention and without producing external sparks or exposing hot embers to the explosive cockpit environment. We have implemented a procedure in which the high voltage pins disconnect inside a hermetically-sealed unit before the physical separation of the connector. The 'hot' separation triggers a crowbar circuit in the high voltage power supplies for additional protection. Conductor locations and shields are designed to reduce capacitance in the circuit and avoid crosstalk among adjacent circuits. The quick- disconnect connector and wiring harness are human-engineered to ensure pilot safety and mobility. The connector backshell is equipped with two hybrid video amplifiers to improve the clarity of the video signals. Shielded wires and coaxial cables are molded as a multi-layered ribbon for maximum flexibility between the pilot's harness and helmet. Stiff cabling is provided between the quick-disconnect connector and the aircraft console to control behavior during seat ejection. The components of the system have been successfully tested for safety, performance, ergonomic considerations, and reliability.

Transport properties of ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7 -δ nanowires: A route to single-photon detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arpaia, Riccardo; Golubev, Dmitri; Baghdadi, Reza; Ciancio, Regina; Dražić, Goran; Orgiani, Pasquale; Montemurro, Domenico; Bauch, Thilo; Lombardi, Floriana

2017-08-01

We report on the growth and characterization of ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7 -δ (YBCO) films on MgO (110) substrates, which exhibit superconducting properties at thicknesses down to 3 nm. YBCO nanowires, with thicknesses down to 10 nm and widths down to 65 nm, have also been successfully fabricated. The nanowires protected by a Au capping layer show superconducting properties close to the as-grown films and critical current densities, which are limited by only vortex dynamics. The 10-nm-thick YBCO nanowires without the Au capping present hysteretic current-voltage characteristics, characterized by a voltage switch which drives the nanowires directly from the superconducting to the normal state. We associate such bistability to the presence of localized normal domains within the superconductor. The presence of the voltage switch in ultrathin YBCO nanostructures, characterized by high sheet resistance values and high critical current values, makes our nanowires very attractive devices to engineer single-photon detectors.

Nano silver diffusion behaviour on conductive polymer during doping process for high voltage application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammad, A.; Mahmood, A.; Chin, K. T.; Danquah, M. K.; van Stratan, S.

2017-06-01

Conductive polymer had opened a new era of engineering for microelectronics and semiconductor applications. However, it is still a challenge for high voltage applications due to lower electrical conductivity compare to metals. This results tremendous energy losses during transmission and restricts its usage. In order to address such problem a novel method was investigated using nano silver particle doped iodothiophene since silver is the highest electrical conductive material. The experiments were carried out to study the organometallic diffusion behaviour of nanosilver doped iodothiophene with different concentration of iodothiophene. Five different mixing ratio between nanosilver and the solution of iodothiophene dissolved in diethyl ether were used which are 1:1.25, 1:1.5, 1:2.5, 1:3 and l:5. It was revealed that there is an effective threshold concentration of which the nano silver evenly distributed and there was no coagulation observed. These parameters laid the foundation of better doping process between the nano silver and the polymer significantly which would contribute developing conductive polymer towards high voltage application for industries that are vulnerable to corrosive environment.

Development and application of network virtual instrument for emission spectrum of pulsed high-voltage direct current discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, X.; Wu, Q.

2017-12-01

Network virtual instrument (VI) is a new development direction in current automated test. Based on LabVIEW, the software and hardware system of VI used for emission spectrum of pulsed high-voltage direct current (DC) discharge is developed and applied to investigate pulsed high-voltage DC discharge of nitrogen. By doing so, various functions are realized including real time collection of emission spectrum of nitrogen, monitoring operation state of instruments and real time analysis and processing of data. By using shared variables and DataSocket technology in LabVIEW, the network VI system based on field VI is established. The system can acquire the emission spectrum of nitrogen in the test site, monitor operation states of field instruments, realize real time face-to-face interchange of two sites, and analyze data in the far-end from the network terminal. By employing the network VI system, the staff in the two sites acquired the same emission spectrum of nitrogen and conducted the real time communication. By comparing with the previous results, it can be seen that the experimental data obtained by using the system are highly precise. This implies that the system shows reliable network stability and safety and satisfies the requirements for studying the emission spectrum of pulsed high-voltage discharge in high-precision fields or network terminals. The proposed architecture system is described and the target group gets the useful enlightenment in many fields including engineering remote users, specifically in control- and automation-related tasks.

Polarization engineered enhancement mode GaN HEMT: Design and investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Sumit; Loan, Sajad A.; Alharbi, Abdullah G.

2018-07-01

In this paper, we propose and perform the experimentally calibrated simulation of a novel structure of a GaN/AlGaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). The novelty of the structure is the realization of enhancement mode operation by employing polarization engineering approach. In the proposed polarization engineered HEMT (PE-HEMT) a buried Aluminum Nitride (AlN) box is employed in the GaN layer just below the gate. The AlN box creates a two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) at the GaN/AlN interface, which creates a conduction band barrier in the path of the already existing two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at GaN/AlGaN. Therefore, there is no direct path between the source and drain regions at zero gate voltage due to the barrier created by AIN and the device is initially OFF, an enhancement mode operation. A two dimensional (2D) calibrated simulation study of proposed PE-HEMT shows that the device has a threshold voltage (Vth) of 2.3 V. The PE-HEMT also reduces the electron spillover and thus improves the breakdown voltage by 108% as compared to conventional HEMT. The thermal analysis of the GaN PE-HEMT shows that a hot zone occurs on the drain side gate edge. It has been observed that the drain current in the PE-HEMT structure can be improved by 157% by using AlN heat sink.

Monitoring means for combustion engine electric storage battery means

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

Miller, G. K.; Rautiola, R. E.; Taylor, R. E.

Disclosed, in combination, are a combustion engine, an electric storage battery, an electrically powered starter motor for at times driving the engine in order to start the engine, and an electrical system monitor; the electrical system monitor has a first monitoring portion which senses the actual voltage across the battery and a second monitoring portion which monitors the current through the battery; an electrical switch controls associated circuitry and is actuatable into open or closed conditions; whenever the first monitoring portion senses a preselected magnitude of the actual voltage across the battery or the second monitoring portion senses a preselectedmore » magnitude of the current flow through the battery, the electrical switch is actuated.« less

Low operation voltage and high thermal stability of a WSi2 nanocrystal memory device using an Al2O3/HfO2/Al2O3 tunnel layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uk Lee, Dong; Jun Lee, Hyo; Kyu Kim, Eun; You, Hee-Wook; Cho, Won-Ju

2012-02-01

A WSi2 nanocrystal nonvolatile memory device was fabricated with an Al2O3/HfO2/Al2O3 (AHA) tunnel layer and its electrical characteristics were evaluated at 25, 50, 70, 100, and 125 °C. The program/erase (P/E) speed at 125 °C was approximately 500 μs under threshold voltage shifts of 1 V during voltage sweeping of 8 V/-8 V. When the applied pulse voltage was ±9 V for 1 s for the P/E conditions, the memory window at 125 °C was approximately 1.25 V after 105 s. The activation energies for the charge losses of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35% were approximately 0.05, 0.11, 0.17, 0.21, 0.23, 0.23, and 0.23 eV, respectively. The charge loss mechanisms were direct tunneling and Pool-Frenkel emission between the WSi2 nanocrystals and the AHA barrier engineered tunneling layer. The WSi2 nanocrystal memory device with multi-stacked high-K tunnel layers showed strong potential for applications in nonvolatile memory devices.

Research on measurement of aviation magneto ignition strength and balance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Feng; He, Zhixiang; Zhang, Dingpeng

2017-12-01

Aviation magneto ignition system failure accounted for two-thirds of the total fault aviation piston engine and above. At present the method used for this failure diagnosis is often depended on the visual inspections in the civil aviation maintenance field. Due to human factors, the visual inspections cannot provide ignition intensity value and ignition equilibrium deviation value among the different spark plugs in the different cylinder of aviation piston engine. So air magneto ignition strength and balance testing has become an aviation piston engine maintenance technical problem needed to resolve. In this paper, the ultraviolet sensor with detection wavelength of 185~260nm and driving voltage of 320V DC is used as the core of ultraviolet detection to detect the ignition intensity of Aviation magneto ignition system and the balance deviation of the ignition intensity of each cylinder. The experimental results show that the rotational speed within the range 0 to 3500 RPM test error less than 0.34%, ignition strength analysis and calculation error is less than 0.13%, and measured the visual inspection is hard to distinguish between high voltage wire leakage failure of deviation value of 200 pulse ignition strength balance/Sec. The method to detect aviation piston engine maintenance of magneto ignition system fault has a certain reference value.

Paramagnetic defects and charge trapping behavior of ZrO2 films deposited on germanium by plasma-enhanced CVD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahata, C.; Bera, M. K.; Bose, P. K.; Maiti, C. K.

2009-02-01

Internal photoemission and magnetic resonance studies have been performed to investigate the charge trapping behavior and chemical nature of defects in ultrathin (~14 nm) high-k ZrO2 dielectric films deposited on p-Ge (1 0 0) substrates at low temperature (<200 °C) by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) in a microwave (700 W, 2.45 GHz) plasma at a pressure of ~65 Pa. Both the band and defect-related electron states have been characterized using electron paramagnetic resonance, internal photoemission, capacitance-voltage and current-voltage measurements under UV illumination. Capacitance-voltage and photocurrent-voltage measurements were used to determine the centroid of oxide charge within the high-k gate stack. The observed shifts in photocurrent response of the Al/ZrO2/GeO2/p-Ge metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors indicate the location of the centroids to be within the ZrO2 dielectric near to the gate electrode. Moreover, the measured flat band voltage and photocurrent shifts also indicate a large density of traps in the dielectric. The impact of plasma nitridation on the interfacial quality of the oxides has been investigated. Different N sources, such as NO and NH3, have been used for nitrogen engineering. Oxynitride samples show a lower defect density and trapping over the non-nitrided samples. The charge trapping and detrapping properties of MIS capacitors under stressing in constant current and voltage modes have been investigated in detail.

SPIKE-2: a Practical Stirling Engine for Kilowatt Level Solar Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beale, W. T.

1984-01-01

Recent advances in the art of free piston Stirling engine design make possible the production of 1-10kW free piston Stirling linear alternator engine, hermetically sealed, efficient, durable and simple in construction and operation. Power output is in the form of single or three phase 60 Hz. AC, or DC. The three phase capability is available from single machines without need of external conditioning. Engine voltage control regains set voltage within 5 cycles in response to any load change. The existing SPIKE-2 design has an engine alternator efficiency of 25% at 650 C heater wall temperature and a service life of over three years in solar service. The same system can be scaled over a range of at least 100 watts to 25kW.

Data Concentrator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willett, Mike

2015-01-01

Orbital Research, Inc., developed, built, and tested three high-temperature components for use in the design of a data concentrator module in distributed turbine engine control. The concentrator receives analog and digital signals related to turbine engine control and communicates with a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) or high-level command processor. This data concentrator follows the Distributed Engine Controls Working Group (DECWG) roadmap for turbine engine distributed controls communication development that operates at temperatures at least up to 225 C. In Phase I, Orbital Research developed detailed specifications for each component needed for the system and defined the total system specifications. This entailed a combination of system design, compiling existing component specifications, laboratory testing, and simulation. The results showed the feasibility of the data concentrator. Phase II of this project focused on three key objectives. The first objective was to update the data concentrator design modifications from DECWG and prime contractors. Secondly, the project defined requirements for the three new high-temperature, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs): one-time programmable (OTP), transient voltage suppression (TVS), and 3.3V. Finally, the project validated each design by testing over temperature and under load.

Validation of High Displacement Piezoelectric Actuator Finite Element Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taleghani, B. K.

2000-01-01

The paper presents the results obtained by using NASTRAN(Registered Trademark) and ANSYS(Regitered Trademark) finite element codes to predict doming of the THUNDER piezoelectric actuators during the manufacturing process and subsequent straining due to an applied input voltage. To effectively use such devices in engineering applications, modeling and characterization are essential. Length, width, dome height, and thickness are important parameters for users of such devices. Therefore, finite element models were used to assess the effects of these parameters. NASTRAN(Registered Trademark) and ANSYS(Registered Trademark) used different methods for modeling piezoelectric effects. In NASTRAN(Registered Trademark), a thermal analogy was used to represent voltage at nodes as equivalent temperatures, while ANSYS(Registered Trademark) processed the voltage directly using piezoelectric finite elements. The results of finite element models were validated by using the experimental results.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-07-01

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

System reliability analysis through corona testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lalli, V. R.; Mueller, L. A.; Koutnik, E. A.

1975-01-01

A corona vacuum test facility for nondestructive testing of power system components was built in the Reliability and Quality Engineering Test Laboratories at the NASA Lewis Research Center. The facility was developed to simulate operating temperature and vacuum while monitoring corona discharges with residual gases. The facility is being used to test various high-voltage power system components.

Ion accelerator system mounting design and operating characteristics for a 5 kW 30-cm xenon ion engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aston, Graeme; Brophy, John R.

1987-01-01

Results from a series of experiments to determine the effect of accelerator grid mount geometry on the performance of the J-series ion optics assembly are described. Three mounting schemes, two flexible and one rigid, are compared for their relative ion extraction capability over a range of total accelerating voltages. The largest ion beam current, for the maximum total voltage investigated, is shown to occur using one of the flexible grid mounting geometries. However, at lower total voltages and reduced engine input power levels, the original rigid J-series ion optics accelerator grid mounts result in marginally better grid system performance at the same cold interelectrode gap.

Transient and Steady-state Tests of the Space Power Research Engine with Resistive and Motor Loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rauch, Jeffrey S.; Kankam, M. David

1995-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) has been testing free-piston Stirling engine/linear alternators (FPSE/LA) to develop advanced power convertors for space-based electrical power generation. Tests reported herein were performed to evaluate the interaction and transient behavior of FPSE/LA-based power systems with typical user loads. Both resistive and small induction motor loads were tested with the space power research engine (SPRE) power system. Tests showed that the control system could maintain constant long term voltage and stable periodic operation over a large range of engine operating parameters and loads. Modest resistive load changes were shown to cause relatively large voltage and, therefore, piston and displacer amplitude excursions. Starting a typical small induction motor was shown to cause large and, in some cases, deleterious voltage transients. The tests identified the need for more effective controls, if FPSE/LAs are to be used for stand-alone power systems. The tests also generated a large body of transient dynamic data useful for analysis code validation.

Transient and steady-state tests of the space power research engine with resistive and motor loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rauch, Jeffrey S.; Kankam, M. David

1995-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) has been testing free-piston Stirling engine/linear alternators (FPSE/LA) to develop advanced power convertors for space-based electrical power generation. Tests reported herein were performed to evaluate the interaction and transient behavior of FPSE/LA-based power systems with typical user loads. Both resistive and small induction motor loads were tested with the space power research engine (SPRE) power system. Tests showed that the control system could maintain constant long term voltage and stable periodic operation over a large range of engine operating parameters and loads. Modest resistive load changes were shown to cause relatively large voltage and, therefore, piston and displacer amplitude excursions. Starting a typical small induction motor was shown to cause large and, in some cases, deleterious voltage transients. The tests identified the need for more effective controls, if FPSE/LAs are to be used for stand-alone power systems. The tests also generated a large body of transient dynamic data useful for analysis code validation.

Avionics Integrity Program (AVIP). Volume 1. Procurement Phase Issues - Design, Manufacturing, and Integration

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-03-01

Engineering initiative to develop an orderly plan and procedure to assure that USAF acquire reliable, high quality, supportable avionics with a higher avail...susceptibility te~t~ (radiated and conducted), and emission of radio frequency energy tests."l6) Other electrical stresses can include over/under voltage...jo ints, poor welds, and dielectric defects. Also, instruments with components unable to endu very high temperatures can be safely tested. 1-19

Energy-band engineering for tunable memory characteristics through controlled doping of reduced graphene oxide.

PubMed

Han, Su-Ting; Zhou, Ye; Yang, Qing Dan; Zhou, Li; Huang, Long-Biao; Yan, Yan; Lee, Chun-Sing; Roy, Vellaisamy A L

2014-02-25

Tunable memory characteristics are used in multioperational mode circuits where memory cells with various functionalities are needed in one combined device. It is always a challenge to obtain control over threshold voltage for multimode operation. On this regard, we use a strategy of shifting the work function of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in a controlled manner through doping gold chloride (AuCl3) and obtained a gradient increase of rGO work function. By inserting doped rGO as floating gate, a controlled threshold voltage (Vth) shift has been achieved in both p- and n-type low voltage flexible memory devices with large memory window (up to 4 times for p-type and 8 times for n-type memory devices) in comparison with pristine rGO floating gate memory devices. By proper energy band engineering, we demonstrated a flexible floating gate memory device with larger memory window and controlled threshold voltage shifts.

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.

Stand alone, low current measurements on possible sensing platforms via Arduino Uno microcontroller with modified commercially available sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanner, Meghan; Henson, Gabriel; Senevirathne, Indrajith

Advent of cost-effective solid-state sensors has spurred an immense interest in microcontrollers, in particular Arduino microcontrollers. These include serious engineering and physical science applications due to their versatility and robustness. An Arduino microcontroller coupled with a commercially available sensor has been used to methodically measure, record, and explore low currents, low voltages, and corresponding dissipated power towards assessing secondary physical properties in a select set of engineered systems. System was assembled via breadboard, wire, and simple soldering with an Arduino Uno with ATmega328P microcontroller connected to a PC. The microcontroller was programmed with Arduino software while the bootloader was used to upload the code. High-side measurement INA169 current shunt monitor was used to measure corresponding low to ultra-low currents and voltages. A collection of measurements was obtained via the sensor and was compared with measurements from standardized devices to assess reliability and uncertainty. Some sensors were modified/hacked to improve the sensitivity of the measurements.

The use of telemetry in testing in high performance racing engines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauser, E.

Telemetry measurement data in mobile application and under difficult environmental conditions were recorded. All relevant racing car and engine parameters were measured: pressure, stress, temperature, acceleration, ignition, number of revolutions, control of electronic injection, and flow measurements on the car body. The difficult measuring conditions due to high voltage ignition, mechanical loads and vibrations impose special requirements on a telemetry system built in racing cars. It has to be compact, flexible, light, and mechanically robust and has to fulfil special sheilding conditions. The measured data are transfered to a stationary measurement car via a radio line, involving RF communication problems. The measured data are directly displayed and evaluated in the measurement car.

Ferroelectric Emission Cathodes for Low-Power Electric Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kovaleski, Scott D.; Burke, Tom (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Low- or no-flow electron emitters are required for low-power electric thrusters, spacecraft plasma contactors, and electrodynamic tether systems to reduce or eliminate the need for propellant/expellant. Expellant-less neutralizers can improve the viability of very low-power colloid thrusters, field emission electric propulsion devices, ion engines, Hall thrusters, and gridded vacuum arc thrusters. The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is evaluating ferroelectric emission (FEE) cathodes as zero expellant flow rate cathode sources for the applications listed above. At GRC, low voltage (100s to approx. 1500 V) operation of FEE cathodes is examined. Initial experiments, with unipolar, bipolar, and RF burst applied voltage, have produced current pulses 250 to 1000 ns in duration with peak currents of up to 2 A at voltages at or below 1500 V. In particular, FEE cathodes driven by RF burst voltages from 1400 to 2000 V peak to peak, at burst frequencies from 70 to 400 kHz, emitted average current densities from 0.1 to 0.7 A/sq cm. Pulse repeatability as a function of input voltage has been initially established. Reliable emission has been achieved in air background at pressures as high as 10(exp -6) Torr.

High-speed wavelength switching of tunable MEMS vertical cavity surface emitting laser by ringing suppression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Shunya; Nishimura, Shun; Nakahama, Masanori; Matsutani, Akihiro; Sakaguchi, Takahiro; Koyama, Fumio

2018-04-01

For use in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) with high-speed wavelength routing functions, the fast wavelength switching of tunable lasers is a key function. A tunable MEMS vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) is a good candidate as a light source for this purpose. The cantilever in MEMS VCSELs has a high mechanical resonance frequency thanks to its small size, but the switching time is limited by the ringing of the cantilever structure. In this paper, we analyzed the mechanical behavior of a cantilever MEMS mirror and demonstrated ringing-free operation with an engineered voltage signal. The applied voltage waveform was optimized in a two-step format and we experimentally obtained ringing free wavelength switching. We measured the transient response of the wavelength by inserting a tunable filter, exhibiting the settling time of less than 2.5 µs, which corresponds to a half period of the cantilever resonance frequency.

Ultralow-voltage-drop GaN/InGaN/GaN tunnel junctions with 12% indium content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akyol, Fatih; Zhang, Yuewei; Krishnamoorthy, Sriram; Rajan, Siddharth

2017-12-01

We report a combination of highly doped layers and polarization engineering that achieves highly efficient blue-transparent GaN/InGaN/GaN tunnel junctions (In content = 12%). NPN diode structures with a low voltage drop of 4.04 V at 5 kA/cm2 and a differential resistance of 6.51 × 10-5 Ω·cm2 at 3 kA/cm2 were obtained. The tunnel junction design with n++-GaN (Si: 5 × 1020 cm-3)/3 nm p++-In0.12Ga0.88N (Mg: 1.5 × 1020 cm-3)/p++-GaN (Mg: 5 × 1020 cm-3) showed the best device performance. Device simulations agree well with the experimentally determined optimal design. The combination of low In composition and high doping can facilitate lower tunneling resistance for blue-transparent light-emitting diodes.

Research on laser detonation pulse circuit with low-power based on super capacitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hao-yu; Hong, Jin; He, Aifeng; Jing, Bo; Cao, Chun-qiang; Ma, Yue; Chu, En-yi; Hu, Ya-dong

2018-03-01

According to the demand of laser initiating device miniaturization and low power consumption of weapon system, research on the low power pulse laser detonation circuit with super capacitor. Established a dynamic model of laser output based on super capacitance storage capacity, discharge voltage and programmable output pulse width. The output performance of the super capacitor under different energy storage capacity and discharge voltage is obtained by simulation. The experimental test system was set up, and the laser diode of low power pulsed laser detonation circuit was tested and the laser output waveform of laser diode in different energy storage capacity and discharge voltage was collected. Experiments show that low power pulse laser detonation based on super capacitor energy storage circuit discharge with high efficiency, good transient performance, for a low power consumption requirement, for laser detonation system and low power consumption and provide reference light miniaturization of engineering practice.

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.

System reliability analysis through corona testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lalli, V. R.; Mueller, L. A.; Koutnik, E. A.

1975-01-01

In the Reliability and Quality Engineering Test Laboratory at the NASA Lewis Research Center a nondestructive, corona-vacuum test facility for testing power system components was developed using commercially available hardware. The test facility was developed to simulate operating temperature and vacuum while monitoring corona discharges with residual gases. This facility is being used to test various high voltage power system components.

Space shuttle engineering and operations support. Orbiter to spacelab electrical power interface. Avionics system engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emmons, T. E.

1976-01-01

The results are presented of an investigation of the factors which affect the determination of Spacelab (S/L) minimum interface main dc voltage and available power from the orbiter. The dedicated fuel cell mode of powering the S/L is examined along with the minimum S/L interface voltage and available power using the predicted fuel cell power plant performance curves. The values obtained are slightly lower than current estimates and represent a more marginal operating condition than previously estimated.

Integration Tests of the 4 kW-class High Voltage Hall Accelerator Power Processing Unit with the HiVHAc and the SPT-140 Hall Effect Thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamhawi, Hani; Pinero, Luis; Haag, Thomas; Huang, Wensheng; Ahern, Drew; Liang, Ray; Shilo, Vlad

2016-01-01

NASAs Science Mission Directorate is sponsoring the development of a 4 kW-class Hall propulsion system for implementation in NASA science and exploration missions. The main components of the system include the High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAc), an engineering model power processing unit (PPU) developed by Colorado Power Electronics, and a xenon flow control module (XFCM) developed by VACCO Industries. NASA Glenn Research Center is performing integrated tests of the Hall thruster propulsion system. This presentation presents results from integrated tests of the PPU and XFCM with the HiVHAc engineering development thruster and a SPT-140 thruster provided by Space System Loral. The results presented in this paper demonstrate thruster discharge initiation, open-loop and closed-loop control of the discharge current with anode flow for both the HiVHAc and the SPT-140 thrusters. Integrated tests with the SPT-140 thruster indicated that the PPU was able to repeatedly initiate the thrusters discharge, achieve steady state operation, and successfully throttle the thruster between 1.5 and 4.5 kW. The measured SPT-140 performance was identical to levels reported by Space Systems Loral.

Cylindrical Asymmetrical Capacitors for Use in Outer Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Jonathan W.

2007-01-01

A report proposes that cylindrical asymmetrical capacitors (CACs) be used to generate small thrusts for precise maneuvering of spacecraft on long missions. The report notes that it has been known for decades that when high voltages are applied to CACs in air, thrusts are generated - most likely as a result of ionization of air molecules and acceleration of the ions by the high electric fields. The report goes on to discuss how to optimize the designs of CACs for operation as thrusters in outer space. Components that could be used to enable outerspace operation include a supply of gas and a shroud, partly surrounding a CAC, into which the gas would flow. Other elements of operation and design discussed in the report include variation of applied voltage and/or of gas flow to vary thrust, effects of CAC and shroud dimensions on thrust and weight, some representative electrode configurations, and several alternative designs, including one in which the basic CAC configuration would be modified into something shaped like a conventional rocket engine with converging/diverging nozzle and an anode with gas feed in the space that, in a conventional rocket engine, would be the combustion chamber.

Magnetic sensor for high temperature using a laminate composite of magnetostrictive material and piezoelectric material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueno, Toshiyuki; Higuchi, Toshiro

2005-05-01

A high sensitive and heat-resistive magnetic sensor using a magnetostrictive/piezoelectric laminate composite is investigated. The sensing principle is based on the magnetostrictive- and piezoelectric effect, whereby a detected yoke displacement is transduced into a voltage on the piezoelectric materials. The sensor is intended to detect the displacement of a ferromagnetic object in a high temperature environment, where conventional magnetic sensors are not useful. Such applications include sensors in engine of automobile and machinery used in material processing. The sensor features combination of a laminate composite of magnetostrictive/piezoelectric materials with high Curie temperatures and an appropriate magnetic circuit to convert mechanical displacement to sensor voltages and suppress temperature fluctuation. This paper describes the sensing principle and shows experimental results using a composite of Terfenol-D and Lithium Niobate to assure high sensitivity of 50V/mm at bias gap of 0.1mm and a temperature operating range over 200 °C.

Characterization of a Honeycomb-Like Scaffold With Dielectrophoresis-Based Patterning for Tissue Engineering.

PubMed

Huan, Zhijie; Chu, Henry K; Yang, Jie; Sun, Dong

2017-04-01

Seeding and patterning of cells with an engineered scaffold is a critical process in artificial tissue construction and regeneration. To date, many engineered scaffolds exhibit simple intrinsic designs, which fail to mimic the geometrical complexity of native tissues. In this study, a novel scaffold that can automatically seed cells into multilayer honeycomb patterns for bone tissue engineering application was designed and examined. The scaffold incorporated dielectrophoresis for noncontact manipulation of cells and intrinsic honeycomb architectures were integrated in each scaffold layer. When a voltage was supplied to the stacked scaffold layers, three-dimensional electric fields were generated, thereby manipulating cells to form into honeycomb-like cellular patterns for subsequent culture. The biocompatibility of the scaffold material was confirmed through the cell viability test. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the cell viability during DEP patterning at different voltage amplitudes, frequencies, and manipulating time. Three different mammalian cells were examined and the effects of the cell size and the cell concentration on the resultant cellular patterns were evaluated. Results showed that the proposed scaffold structure was able to construct multilayer honeycomb cellular patterns in a manner similar to the natural tissue. This honeycomb-like scaffold and the dielectrophoresis-based patterning technique examined in this study could provide the field with a promising tool to enhance seeding and patterning of a wide range of cells for the development of high-quality artificial tissues.

Interface engineering in high-performance low-voltage organic thin-film transistors based on 2,7-dialkyl-[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophenes.

PubMed

Amin, Atefeh Y; Reuter, Knud; Meyer-Friedrichsen, Timo; Halik, Marcus

2011-12-20

We investigated two different (2,7-dialkyl-[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophenes; C(n)-BTBT-C(n), where n = 12 or 13) semiconductors in low-voltage operating thin-film transistors. By choosing functional molecules in nanoscaled hybrid dielectric layers, we were able to tune the surface energy and improve device characteristics, such as leakage current and hysteresis. The dipolar nature of the self-assembled molecules led to a shift in the threshold voltage. All devices exhibited high charge carrier mobilities of 0.6-7.0 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). The thin-film morphology of BTBT was studied by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), presented a dependency upon the surface energy of the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) hybrid dielectrics but not upon the device performance. The use of C(13)-BTBT-C(13) on hybrid dielectrics of AlO(x) and a F(15)C(18)-phosphonic acid monolayer led to devices with a hole mobility of 1.9 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) at 3 V, on/off ratio of 10(5), small device-device variation of mobility, and a threshold voltage of only -0.9 V, thus providing excellent characteristics for further integration. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Evolution of streamer groups in nonthermal plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okubo, M.

2015-12-01

Nonthermal plasmas (NTPs) induced by atmospheric nanosecond pulsed corona discharge have been studied for controlling pollution from combustors, such as boilers, incinerators, and diesel engines. In high-speed short-width high-voltage pulsed corona discharge-induced plasmas, primary streamer evolution is followed by secondary streamer evolution. Though this phenomenon is known experimentally, the details of the structures of the streamers and their evolution mechanisms have not been fully clarified. In this letter, we perform quasi two-dimensional numerical analysis of nonequilibrium NTP induced by a nanosecond positive pulsed corona discharge. The continuum fluid equations for two-temperature nonequilibrium NTP are used as governing equations. In this study, 197 gas phase reactions for 25 chemical species and 21 surface reactions on the inner glass wall surface are considered in an air plasma under atmospheric pressure. The simulated behavior of the streamer groups agrees with experimental observations. Soon after the voltage increases on the reactor, primary streamers are formed, which may transit the complete gap, disappearing near the peak voltage. Next, second streamers appear, disappearing at the end of the applied voltage pulse. The streamer wavelength and the distance between the streamers in the axial direction are determined. Moreover, ozone generation is shown to be more significant in the secondary streamer. This simulation will allow better predictions for nanosecond positive pulsed plasma systems.

1-kV vertical Ga2O3 field-plated Schottky barrier diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konishi, Keita; Goto, Ken; Murakami, Hisashi; Kumagai, Yoshinao; Kuramata, Akito; Yamakoshi, Shigenobu; Higashiwaki, Masataka

2017-03-01

Ga2O3 field-plated Schottky barrier diodes (FP-SBDs) were fabricated on a Si-doped n--Ga2O3 drift layer grown by halide vapor phase epitaxy on a Sn-doped n+-Ga2O3 (001) substrate. The specific on-resistance of the Ga2O3 FP-SBD was estimated to be 5.1 mΩ.cm2. Successful field-plate engineering resulted in a high breakdown voltage of 1076 V. A larger-than-expected effective barrier height of 1.46 eV, which was extracted from the temperature-dependent current-voltage characteristics, could be caused by the effect of fluorine atoms delivered in a hydrofluoric acid solution process.

Engineering the switching dynamics of TiOx-based RRAM with Al doping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trapatseli, Maria; Khiat, Ali; Cortese, Simone; Serb, Alexantrou; Carta, Daniela; Prodromakis, Themistoklis

2016-07-01

Titanium oxide (TiOx) has attracted a lot of attention as an active material for resistive random access memory (RRAM), due to its versatility and variety of possible crystal phases. Although existing RRAM materials have demonstrated impressive characteristics, like ultra-fast switching and high cycling endurance, this technology still encounters challenges like low yields, large variability of switching characteristics, and ultimately device failure. Electroforming has been often considered responsible for introducing irreversible damage to devices, with high switching voltages contributing to device degradation. In this paper, we have employed Al doping for tuning the resistive switching characteristics of titanium oxide RRAM. The resistive switching threshold voltages of undoped and Al-doped TiOx thin films were first assessed by conductive atomic force microscopy. The thin films were then transferred in RRAM devices and tested with voltage pulse sweeping, demonstrating that the Al-doped devices could on average form at lower potentials compared to the undoped ones and could support both analog and binary switching at potentials as low as 0.9 V. This work demonstrates a potential pathway for implementing low-power RRAM systems.

Second NASA Conference on Laser Energy Conversion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billman, K. W. (Editor)

1976-01-01

The possible transmission of high power laser beams over long distances and their conversion to thrust, electricity, or other useful forms of energy is considered. Specific topics discussed include: laser induced chemistry; developments in photovoltaics, including modification of the Schottky barrier devices and generation of high voltage emf'sby laser radiation of piezoelectric ceramics; the thermo electronic laser energy converter and the laser plasmadynamics converters; harmonic conversion of infrared laser radiation in molecular gases; and photon engines.

Design of an Advanced Modular Automated Evaluation System for Experimental High Power SGTOS

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

POWER SGTOS Shelby Lacouture, Kevin Lawson, Stephen Bayne, Michael Giesselmann, Heather O’Brien 1 , Aderinto Ogunniyi 1 , Charles J...Travis T. Vollmer and Michael G. Giesselmann, Rapid Capacitor Charging Power Supply for an 1800J PFN, Proceedings of the 2012 Power Modulator and High Voltage Conference, San Diego, CA, June 3-7, 2012. 1023 ...Scozzie 1 Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering Texas Tech

Voltage-induced Metal-Insulator Transitions in Perovskite Oxide Thin Films Doped with Strongly Correlelated Electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yudi; Gil Kim, Soo; Chen, I.-Wei

2007-03-01

We have observed a reversible metal-insulator transition in perovskite oxide thin films that can be controlled by charge trapping pumped by a bipolar voltage bias. In the as-fabricated state, the thin film is metallic with a very low resistance comparable to that of the metallic bottom electrode, showing decreasing resistance with decreasing temperature. This metallic state switches to a high-resistance state after applying a voltage bias: such state is non-ohmic showing a negative temperature dependence of resistance. Switching at essentially the same voltage bias was observed down to 2K. The metal-insulator transition is attributed to charge trapping that disorders the energy of correlated electron states in the conduction band. By increasing the amount of charge trapped, which increases the disorder relative to the band width, increasingly more insulating states with a stronger temperature dependence of resistivity are accessed. This metal-insulator transition provides a platform to engineer new nonvolatile memory that does not require heat (as in phase transition) or dielectric breakdown (as in most other oxide resistance devices).

Cell voltage versus electrode potential range in aqueous supercapacitors

PubMed Central

Dai, Zengxin; Peng, Chuang; Chae, Jung Hoon; Ng, Kok Chiang; Chen, George Z.

2015-01-01

Supercapacitors with aqueous electrolytes and nanostructured composite electrodes are attractive because of their high charging-discharging speed, long cycle life, low environmental impact and wide commercial affordability. However, the energy capacity of aqueous supercapacitors is limited by the electrochemical window of water. In this paper, a recently reported engineering strategy is further developed and demonstrated to correlate the maximum charging voltage of a supercapacitor with the capacitive potential ranges and the capacitance ratio of the two electrodes. Beyond the maximum charging voltage, a supercapacitor may still operate, but at the expense of a reduced cycle life. In addition, it is shown that the supercapacitor performance is strongly affected by the initial and zero charge potentials of the electrodes. Further, the differences are highlighted and elaborated between freshly prepared, aged under open circuit conditions, and cycled electrodes of composites of conducting polymers and carbon nanotubes. The first voltammetric charging-discharging cycle has an electrode conditioning effect to change the electrodes from their initial potentials to the potential of zero voltage, and reduce the irreversibility. PMID:25897670

Scalability of voltage-controlled filamentary and nanometallic resistance memory devices.

PubMed

Lu, Yang; Lee, Jong Ho; Chen, I-Wei

2017-08-31

Much effort has been devoted to device and materials engineering to realize nanoscale resistance random access memory (RRAM) for practical applications, but a rational physical basis to be relied on to design scalable devices spanning many length scales is still lacking. In particular, there is no clear criterion for switching control in those RRAM devices in which resistance changes are limited to localized nanoscale filaments that experience concentrated heat, electric current and field. Here, we demonstrate voltage-controlled resistance switching, always at a constant characteristic critical voltage, for macro and nanodevices in both filamentary RRAM and nanometallic RRAM, and the latter switches uniformly and does not require a forming process. As a result, area-scalability can be achieved under a device-area-proportional current compliance for the low resistance state of the filamentary RRAM, and for both the low and high resistance states of the nanometallic RRAM. This finding will help design area-scalable RRAM at the nanoscale. It also establishes an analogy between RRAM and synapses, in which signal transmission is also voltage-controlled.

Solar array module plasma interactions experiment (SAMPIE) - Science and technology objectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hillard, G. B.; Ferguson, Dale C.

1993-01-01

The solar array module plasma interactions experiment (SAMPIE) is an approved NASA flight experiment manifested for Shuttle deployment in early 1994. The SAMPIE experiment is designed to investigate the interaction of high voltage space power systems with ionospheric plasma. To study the behavior of solar cells, a number of solar cell coupons (representing design technologies of current interest) will be biased to high voltages to measure both arcing and current collection. Various theories of arc suppression will be tested by including several specially modified cell coupons. Finally, SAMPIE will include experiments to study the basic nature of arcing and current collection. This paper describes the rationale for a space flight experiment, the measurements to be made, and the significance of the expected results. A future paper will present a detailed discussion of the engineering design.

Application of the gas-discharge surge arresters in X-ray devices and low voltage instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, V. A.; Gerasimov, V. A.; Kostrin, D. K.; Lisenkov, A. A.; Selivanov, L. M.; Uhov, A. A.

2018-02-01

Usage of the gas discharge in science and engineering is discussed. Application examples of the compact gas-discharge tubes in the X-ray devices and low voltage instrumentation appliances for the surge protection are presented.

High Voltage Seismic Generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogacz, Adrian; Pala, Damian; Knafel, Marcin

2015-04-01

This contribution describes the preliminary result of annual cooperation of three student research groups from AGH UST in Krakow, Poland. The aim of this cooperation was to develop and construct a high voltage seismic wave generator. Constructed device uses a high-energy electrical discharge to generate seismic wave in ground. This type of device can be applied in several different methods of seismic measurement, but because of its limited power it is mainly dedicated for engineering geophysics. The source operates on a basic physical principles. The energy is stored in capacitor bank, which is charged by two stage low to high voltage converter. Stored energy is then released in very short time through high voltage thyristor in spark gap. The whole appliance is powered from li-ion battery and controlled by ATmega microcontroller. It is possible to construct larger and more powerful device. In this contribution the structure of device with technical specifications is resented. As a part of the investigation the prototype was built and series of experiments conducted. System parameter was measured, on this basis specification of elements for the final device were chosen. First stage of the project was successful. It was possible to efficiently generate seismic waves with constructed device. Then the field test was conducted. Spark gap wasplaced in shallowborehole(0.5 m) filled with salt water. Geophones were placed on the ground in straight line. The comparison of signal registered with hammer source and sparker source was made. The results of the test measurements are presented and discussed. Analysis of the collected data shows that characteristic of generated seismic signal is very promising, thus confirms possibility of practical application of the new high voltage generator. The biggest advantage of presented device after signal characteristics is its size which is 0.5 x 0.25 x 0.2 m and weight approximately 7 kg. This features with small li-ion battery makes constructed device very mobile. The project is still developing.

Modeling of Spark Gap Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

MODELING OF SPARK GAP PERFORMANCE* A. L. Donaldson, R. Ness, M. Hagler, M. Kristiansen Department of Electrical Engineering and L. L. Hatfield...gas pressure, and chaJ:ging rate on the voltage stability of high energy spark gaps is discussed. Implications of the model include changes in...an extremely useful, and physically reasonable framework, from which the properties of spark gaps under a wide variety of experimental conditions

46 CFR 111.01-17 - Voltage and frequency variations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

....01-17 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-17 Voltage and frequency variations. Unless otherwise stated, electrical equipment must function at variations of at least ±5 percent of rated frequency...

46 CFR 111.01-17 - Voltage and frequency variations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

....01-17 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-17 Voltage and frequency variations. Unless otherwise stated, electrical equipment must function at variations of at least ±5 percent of rated frequency...

46 CFR 111.01-17 - Voltage and frequency variations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

....01-17 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-17 Voltage and frequency variations. Unless otherwise stated, electrical equipment must function at variations of at least ±5 percent of rated frequency...

46 CFR 111.01-17 - Voltage and frequency variations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

....01-17 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-17 Voltage and frequency variations. Unless otherwise stated, electrical equipment must function at variations of at least ±5 percent of rated frequency...

46 CFR 111.01-17 - Voltage and frequency variations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

....01-17 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS General § 111.01-17 Voltage and frequency variations. Unless otherwise stated, electrical equipment must function at variations of at least ±5 percent of rated frequency...

46 CFR 111.30-5 - Construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Construction. 111.30-5 Section 111.30-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Switchboards § 111.30-5 Construction. (a) All low voltage and medium voltage switchboards (as low...

46 CFR 111.30-5 - Construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Construction. 111.30-5 Section 111.30-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Switchboards § 111.30-5 Construction. (a) All low voltage and medium voltage switchboards (as low...

46 CFR 111.30-5 - Construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Construction. 111.30-5 Section 111.30-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Switchboards § 111.30-5 Construction. (a) All low voltage and medium voltage switchboards (as low...

46 CFR 111.30-5 - Construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Construction. 111.30-5 Section 111.30-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Switchboards § 111.30-5 Construction. (a) All low voltage and medium voltage switchboards (as low...

46 CFR 111.30-5 - Construction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Construction. 111.30-5 Section 111.30-5 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ELECTRIC SYSTEMS-GENERAL REQUIREMENTS Switchboards § 111.30-5 Construction. (a) All low voltage and medium voltage switchboards (as low...

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.

Thermal and Electrical Effects of Partial Shade in Monolithic Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules: Preprint

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

Silverman, Timothy J.; Deceglie, Michael G.; Sun, Xingshu

2015-09-02

Photovoltaic cells can be damaged by reverse bias stress, which arises during service when a monolithically integrated thin-film module is partially shaded. We introduce a model for describing a module's internal thermal and electrical state, which cannot normally be measured. Using this model and experimental measurements, we present several results with relevance for reliability testing and module engineering: Modules with a small breakdown voltage experience less stress than those with a large breakdown voltage, with some exceptions for modules having light-enhanced reverse breakdown. Masks leaving a small part of the masked cells illuminated can lead to very high temperature andmore » current density compared to masks covering entire cells.« less

Thermal and Electrical Effects of Partial Shade in Monolithic Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules

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

Silverman, Timothy J.; Deceglie, Michael G.; Sun, Xingshu

2015-06-14

Photovoltaic cells can be damaged by reverse bias stress, which arises during service when a monolithically integrated thin-film module is partially shaded. We introduce a model for describing a module's internal thermal and electrical state, which cannot normally be measured. Using this model and experimental measurements, we present several results with relevance for reliability testing and module engineering: Modules with a small breakdown voltage experience less stress than those with a large breakdown voltage, with some exceptions for modules having light-enhanced reverse breakdown. Masks leaving a small part of the masked cells illuminated can lead to very high temperature andmore » current density compared to masks covering entire cells.« less

Oxygen vacancy defect engineering using atomic layer deposited HfAlOx in multi-layered gate stack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhuyian, M. N.; Sengupta, R.; Vurikiti, P.; Misra, D.

2016-05-01

This work evaluates the defects in high quality atomic layer deposited (ALD) HfAlOx with extremely low Al (<3% Al/(Al + Hf)) incorporation in the Hf based high-k dielectrics. The defect activation energy estimated by the high temperature current voltage measurement shows that the charged oxygen vacancies, V+/V2+, are the primary source of defects in these dielectrics. When Al is added in HfO2, the V+ type defects with a defect activation energy of Ea ˜ 0.2 eV modify to V2+ type to Ea ˜ 0.1 eV with reference to the Si conduction band. When devices were stressed in the gate injection mode for 1000 s, more V+ type defects are generated and Ea reverts back to ˜0.2 eV. Since Al has a less number of valence electrons than do Hf, the change in the co-ordination number due to Al incorporation seems to contribute to the defect level modifications. Additionally, the stress induced leakage current behavior observed at 20 °C and at 125 °C demonstrates that the addition of Al in HfO2 contributed to suppressed trap generation process. This further supports the defect engineering model as reduced flat-band voltage shifts were observed at 20 °C and at 125 °C.

Three dimensional finite element methods: Their role in the design of DC accelerator systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podaru, Nicolae C.; Gottdang, A.; Mous, D. J. W.

2013-04-01

High Voltage Engineering has designed, built and tested a 2 MV dual irradiation system that will be applied for radiation damage studies and ion beam material modification. The system consists of two independent accelerators which support simultaneous proton and electron irradiation (energy range 100 keV - 2 MeV) of target sizes of up to 300 × 300 mm2. Three dimensional finite element methods were used in the design of various parts of the system. The electrostatic solver was used to quantify essential parameters of the solid-state power supply generating the DC high voltage. The magnetostatic solver and ray tracing were used to optimize the electron/ion beam transport. Close agreement between design and measurements of the accelerator characteristics as well as beam performance indicate the usefulness of three dimensional finite element methods during accelerator system design.

Langley 8-foot high-temperature tunnel oxygen measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sprinkle, Danny R.; Chen, Tony D.; Chaturvedi, Sushil K.

1991-01-01

In order to ensure that there is a proper amount of oxygen necessary for sustaining test engine operation for hypersonic propulsion systems testing at the NASA Langley 8-foot high-temperature tunnel, a quickly responding real-time measurement system of test section oxygen concentration has been designed and tested at Langley. It is built around a zirconium oxide-based sensor which develops a voltage proportional to the oxygen partial pressure of the test gas. The voltage signal is used to control the amount of oxygen being injected into the combustor air. The physical operation of the oxygen sensor is described, as well as the sampling system used to extract the test gas from the tunnel test section. Results of laboratory tests conducted to verify sensor accuracy and response time performance are discussed, as well as the final configuration of the system to be installed in the tunnel.

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

Deline, Chris; Dann, Geoff

Recent increases in photovoltaic (PV) systems on Department of the Navy (DON) land and potential siting near airfields prompted Commander, Naval Installations Command to fund the Naval Facilities Engineering Command to evaluate the impact of electromagnetic interference (EMI) from PV systems on airfield electronic equipment. Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center tasked Department of Energy National Renewable Energy laboratory (NREL) to conduct the assessment. PV systems often include high-speed switching semiconductor circuits to convert the voltage produced by the PV arrays to the voltage needed by the end user. Switching circuits inherently produce electromagnetic radiation at harmonics of themore » switching frequency. In this report, existing literature is summarized and tests to measure emissions and mitigation methods are discussed. The literature shows that the emissions from typical PV systems are low strength and unlikely to cause interference to most airfield electronic systems. With diligent procurement and siting of PV systems, including specifications for FCC Part 15 Class A compliant equipment and a 250-foot setback from communication equipment, NREL anticipates little to no EMI impact on nearby communications or telemetry equipment.« less

Outdoor Testing Areas | Energy Systems Integration Facility | NREL

Science.gov Websites

of engineers running tests on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles at the Medium-Voltage Outdoor Test large microgrids hub, located in the outdoor low-voltage test yard, includes underground trench access pits for full enclosure of rotating machinery under test. Key Infrastructure Secured underground pits

New Technology Sparks Smoother Engines and Cleaner Air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Automotive Resources, Inc. (ARI) has developed a new device for igniting fuel in engines-the SmartPlug.TM SmartPlug is a self-contained ignition system that may be retrofitted to existing spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines. The SmartPlug needs as little as six watts of power for warm-up, and requires no electricity at all when the engine is running. Unlike traditional spark plugs, once the SmartPlug ignites the engine, and the engine heats up, the power supply for the plug is no longer necessary. In the utility industry, SmartPlugs can be used in tractors, portable generators, compressors, and pumps. In addition to general-purpose applications, such as lawn mowers and chainsaws, SmartPlugs can also be used in the recreational, marine, aviation, and automotive industries. Unlike traditional ignition systems, the SmartPlug system requires no distributor, coil points, or moving parts. SmartPlugs are non-fouling, with a faster and cleaner burn than traditional spark plugs. They prevent detonation and are not sensitive to moisture, allowing them to be used on a variety of engines. Other advantages include no electrical noise, no high voltage, exceptionally high altitude capabilities, and better cold-start statistics than those of standard spark ignition systems. Future applications for the SmartPlug are being evaluated by manufacturers in the snowmobile industry.

Recovery of Li from alloys of Al- Li and Li- Al using engineered scavenger compounds

DOEpatents

Riley, W. D.; Jong, B. W.; Collins, W. K.; Gerdemann, S. J.

1994-01-01

A method of producing lithium of high purity from lithium aluminum alloys using an engineered scavenger compound, comprising: I) preparing an engineered scavenger compound by: a) mixing and heating compounds of TiO2 and Li2CO3 at a temperature sufficient to dry the compounds and convert Li.sub.2 CO.sub.3 to Li.sub.2 O; and b) mixing and heating the compounds at a temperature sufficient to produce a scavenger Li.sub.2 O.3TiO.sub.2 compound; II) loading the scavenger into one of two electrode baskets in a three electrode cell reactor and placing an Al-Li alloy in a second electrode basket of the three electrode cell reactor; III) heating the cell to a temperature sufficient to enable a mixture of KCl-LiCl contained in a crucible in the cell to reach its melting point and become a molten bath; IV) immersing the baskets in the bath until an electrical connection is made between the baskets to charge the scavenger compound with Li until there is an initial current and voltage followed by a fall off ending current and voltage; and V) making a connection between the basket electrode containing engineered scavenger compound and a steel rod electrode disposed between the basket electrodes and applying a current to cause Li to leave the scavenger compound and become electrodeposited on the steel rod electrode.

Evolution of streamer groups in nonthermal plasma

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

Okubo, M., E-mail: mokubo@me.osakafu-u.ac.jp

2015-12-15

Nonthermal plasmas (NTPs) induced by atmospheric nanosecond pulsed corona discharge have been studied for controlling pollution from combustors, such as boilers, incinerators, and diesel engines. In high-speed short-width high-voltage pulsed corona discharge-induced plasmas, primary streamer evolution is followed by secondary streamer evolution. Though this phenomenon is known experimentally, the details of the structures of the streamers and their evolution mechanisms have not been fully clarified. In this letter, we perform quasi two-dimensional numerical analysis of nonequilibrium NTP induced by a nanosecond positive pulsed corona discharge. The continuum fluid equations for two-temperature nonequilibrium NTP are used as governing equations. In thismore » study, 197 gas phase reactions for 25 chemical species and 21 surface reactions on the inner glass wall surface are considered in an air plasma under atmospheric pressure. The simulated behavior of the streamer groups agrees with experimental observations. Soon after the voltage increases on the reactor, primary streamers are formed, which may transit the complete gap, disappearing near the peak voltage. Next, second streamers appear, disappearing at the end of the applied voltage pulse. The streamer wavelength and the distance between the streamers in the axial direction are determined. Moreover, ozone generation is shown to be more significant in the secondary streamer. This simulation will allow better predictions for nanosecond positive pulsed plasma systems.« less

Design of a Single-Cell Positioning Controller Using Electroosmotic Flow and Image Processing

PubMed Central

Ay, Chyung; Young, Chao-Wang; Chen, Jhong-Yin

2013-01-01

The objective of the current research was not only to provide a fast and automatic positioning platform for single cells, but also improved biomolecular manipulation techniques. In this study, an automatic platform for cell positioning using electroosmotic flow and image processing technology was designed. The platform was developed using a PCI image acquisition interface card for capturing images from a microscope and then transferring them to a computer using human-machine interface software. This software was designed by the Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench, a graphical language for finding cell positions and viewing the driving trace, and the fuzzy logic method for controlling the voltage or time of an electric field. After experiments on real human leukemic cells (U-937), the success of the cell positioning rate achieved by controlling the voltage factor reaches 100% within 5 s. A greater precision is obtained when controlling the time factor, whereby the success rate reaches 100% within 28 s. Advantages in both high speed and high precision are attained if these two voltage and time control methods are combined. The control speed with the combined method is about 5.18 times greater than that achieved by the time method, and the control precision with the combined method is more than five times greater than that achieved by the voltage method. PMID:23698272

Direct Torque Control of a Three-Phase Voltage Source Inverter-Fed Induction Machine

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

factors, FOC acquires all advantages of DC machine control and frees itself from the mechanical commutation drawbacks. Furthermore, FOC leads to high...of three-phase induction motor using microcontroller,” S.R.M Engineering College, Tamil Nadu, India , June/July 2006. [5] Texas Instruments Europe...loop. Direct flux control is possible through the constant magnetic field orientation achieved through commutator action. These two primary factors

Integration Tests of the 4 kW-Class High Voltage Hall Accelerator Power Processing Unit with the HiVHAc and the SPT-140 Hall Effect Thrusters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamhawi, Hani; Pinero, Luis; Haag, Thomas; Huang, Wensheng; Ahern, Drew; Liang, Ray; Shilo, Vlad

2016-01-01

NASA's Science Mission Directorate is sponsoring the development of a 4 kW-class Hall propulsion system for implementation in NASA science and exploration missions. The main components of the system include the High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAc), an engineering model power processing unit (PPU) developed by Colorado Power Electronics, and a xenon flow control module (XFCM) developed by VACCO Industries. NASA Glenn Research Center is performing integrated tests of the Hall thruster propulsion system. This paper presents results from integrated tests of the PPU and XFCM with the HiVHAc engineering development thruster and a SPT-140 thruster provided by Space System Loral. The results presented in this paper demonstrate thruster discharge initiation along with open-loop and closed-loop control of the discharge current with anode flow for both the HiVHAc and the SPT-140 thrusters. Integrated tests with the SPT-140 thruster indicated that the PPU was able to repeatedly initiate the thruster's discharge, achieve steady state operation, and successfully throttle the thruster between 1.5 and 4.5 kW. The measured SPT-140 performance was identical to levels reported by Space Systems Loral.

Engineering the surface of LiCoO 2 electrodes using atomic layer deposition for stable high-voltage lithium ion batteries

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

Xie, Jin; Zhao, Jie; Liu, Yayuan

Here, developing advanced technologies to stabilize positive electrodes of lithium ion batteries under high-voltage operation is becoming increasingly important, owing to the potential to achieve substantially enhanced energy density for applications such as portable electronics and electrical vehicles. Here, we deposited chemically inert and ionically conductive LiAlO 2 interfacial layers on LiCoO 2 electrodes using the atomic layer deposition technique. During prolonged cycling at high-voltage, the LiAlO 2 coating not only prevented interfacial reactions between the LiCoO 2 electrode and electrolyte, as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Raman characterizations, but also allowed lithium ions to freely diffuse into LiCoOmore » 2 without sacrificing the power density. As a result, a capacity value close to 200 mA·h·g –1 was achieved for the LiCoO 2 electrodes with commercial level loading densities, cycled at the cut-off potential of 4.6 V vs. Li +/Li for 50 stable cycles; this represents a 40% capacity gain, compared with the values obtained for commercial samples cycled at the cut-off potential of 4.2 V vs. Li +/Li.« less

Engineering the surface of LiCoO 2 electrodes using atomic layer deposition for stable high-voltage lithium ion batteries

DOE PAGES

Xie, Jin; Zhao, Jie; Liu, Yayuan; ...

2017-07-25

Here, developing advanced technologies to stabilize positive electrodes of lithium ion batteries under high-voltage operation is becoming increasingly important, owing to the potential to achieve substantially enhanced energy density for applications such as portable electronics and electrical vehicles. Here, we deposited chemically inert and ionically conductive LiAlO 2 interfacial layers on LiCoO 2 electrodes using the atomic layer deposition technique. During prolonged cycling at high-voltage, the LiAlO 2 coating not only prevented interfacial reactions between the LiCoO 2 electrode and electrolyte, as confirmed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Raman characterizations, but also allowed lithium ions to freely diffuse into LiCoOmore » 2 without sacrificing the power density. As a result, a capacity value close to 200 mA·h·g –1 was achieved for the LiCoO 2 electrodes with commercial level loading densities, cycled at the cut-off potential of 4.6 V vs. Li +/Li for 50 stable cycles; this represents a 40% capacity gain, compared with the values obtained for commercial samples cycled at the cut-off potential of 4.2 V vs. Li +/Li.« less

Gas engine heat pump cycle analysis. Volume 1: Model description and generic analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, R. D.

1986-10-01

The task has prepared performance and cost information to assist in evaluating the selection of high voltage alternating current components, values for component design variables, and system configurations and operating strategy. A steady-state computer model for performance simulation of engine-driven and electrically driven heat pumps was prepared and effectively used for parametric and seasonal performance analyses. Parametric analysis showed the effect of variables associated with design of recuperators, brine coils, domestic hot water heat exchanger, compressor size, engine efficiency, insulation on exhaust and brine piping. Seasonal performance data were prepared for residential and commercial units in six cities with system configurations closely related to existing or contemplated hardware of the five GRI engine contractors. Similar data were prepared for an advanced variable-speed electric unit for comparison purposes. The effect of domestic hot water production on operating costs was determined. Four fan-operating strategies and two brine loop configurations were explored.

Palm Power Free-Piston Stirling Engine Control Electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keiter, Douglas E.; Holliday, Ezekiel

2007-01-01

A prototype 35We, JP-8 fueled, soldier-wearable power system for the DARPA Palm Power program has been developed and tested by Sunpower. A hermetically-sealed 42We Sunpower Free-Piston Stirling Engine (FPSE) with integral linear alternator is the prime mover for this system. To maximize system efficiency over a broad range of output power, a non-dissipative, highly efficient electronic control system which modulates engine output power by varying piston stroke and converts the AC output voltage of the FPSE into 28Vdc for the Palm Power end user, has been designed and demonstrated as an integral component of the Palm Power system. This paper reviews the current status and progress made in developing the control electronics for the Palm Power system, in addition to describing the operation and demonstrated performance of the engine controller in the context of the current JP-8 fueled Palm Power system.

Dynamometer Testing of Planar Mixed-Potential Sensors

DOE PAGES

Kreller, C. R.; Sekhar, P. K.; Prikhodko, V.; ...

2014-09-22

Mixed-potential sensors for vehicle on-board emissions monitoring applications have been fabricated in an automotive planar sensor configuration using high temperature ceramic co-fire methods. The sensing element consists of dense Pt and LaSrCrO electrodes and a porous 3 mol% YSZ electrolyte. This sensor construct exhibits preferential selectivity to NO x (NO+NO 2) when operated at a positive current bias. The performance of the planar sensors under engine-out conditions was recently evaluated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory National Transportation Research Center on a GM 1.9L CIDI diesel engine. The sensor response qualitatively tracked transients in NO x measured via FTIR undermore » transient engine operation. Additionally, quantitative correlation between sensor voltage response and total NO x concentration was obtained under steady-state engine speed and load while varying exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) levels.« less

Accelerator characterization of the new ion beam facility at MTA Atomki in Debrecen, Hungary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajta, I.; Vajda, I.; Gyürky, Gy.; Csedreki, L.; Kiss, Á. Z.; Biri, S.; van Oosterhout, H. A. P.; Podaru, N. C.; Mous, D. J. W.

2018-02-01

In this work we present the 2 MV Tandetron accelerator manufactured by High Voltage Engineering Europa (HVEE), that was installed at MTA Atomki in Debrecen, Hungary in 2015. Furthermore, we report on the first performance test of the whole facility including the calibration of the terminal voltage using accurately known resonance energies of the 27Al(p, γ)28Si and 13C(p, γ)14N reactions, as well as neutron threshold energies of the 7Li(p,n)7Be and 13C(p,n)13N reactions. The accurate energy calibration of the generating voltmeter (GVM), the good energy stability of the accelerator as well as the low energy spread of the ion beam suited the requirements of nuclear astrophysics, resonance PIGE depth profiling and the nanoprobe beamline. We have investigated whether the terminal voltage reading depends on the insulating gas pressure, and how much the stripper gas pressure modifies the beam energy.

Understanding the structure and structural degradation mechanisms in high-voltage lithium-ion battery cathode oxides. A review of materials diagnostics

DOE PAGES

Mohanty, Debasish; Li, Jianlin; Nagpure, Shrikant C; ...

2015-12-21

Materials diagnostic techniques are the principal tools used in the development of low-cost, high-performance electrodes for next-generation lithium-based energy storage technologies. Also, this review highlights the importance of materials diagnostic techniques in unraveling the structure and the structural degradation mechanisms in high-voltage, high-capacity oxides that have the potential to be implemented in high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries for transportation that can use renewable energy and is less-polluting than today. The rise in CO 2 concentration in the earth’s atmosphere due to the use of petroleum products in vehicles and the dramatic increase in the cost of gasoline demand the replacement of currentmore » internal combustion engines in our vehicles with environmentally friendly, carbon free systems. Therefore, vehicles powered fully/partially by electricity are being introduced into today’s transportation fleet. As power requirements in all-electric vehicles become more demanding, lithium-ion battery (LiB) technology is now the potential candidate to provide higher energy density. Moreover, discovery of layered high-voltage lithium-manganese–rich (HV-LMR) oxides has provided a new direction toward developing high-energy-density LiBs because of their ability to deliver high capacity (~250 mA h/g) and to be operated at high operating voltage (~4.7 V). Unfortunately, practical use of HV-LMR electrodes is not viable because of structural changes in the host oxide during operation that can lead to fundamental and practical issues. This article provides the current understanding on the structure and structural degradation pathways in HV-LMR oxides, and manifests the importance of different materials diagnostic tools to unraveling the key mechanism(s). Furthermore, the fundamental insights reported, might become the tools to manipulate the chemical and/or structural aspects of HV-LMR oxides for low cost, high-energy-density LiB applications.« less

The interaction of high voltage systems with the environments of the Moon and Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hillard, G. Barry; Kolecki, Joseph C.

1993-01-01

High voltage systems designed for use on the lunar and Martian surfaces or in orbit will interact with environmental components such as electrically charged dust, low pressure atmospheres, ionospheric plasmas and neutrals, and chemically reactive species. As the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) advances from the realm of feasibility study to that of conceptual design, guidelines will be required to ensure that these effects are properly accounted for. A first step in providing such guidelines is the prioritization of interactions for each of the space or surface environments that will be encountered. For those issues that are identified as high priority, the state of environmental knowledge, emphasizing essential data, must be determined. This report describes possible means of obtaining such information, including ground tests, modeling and analysis, and flight experiments. The development of computational tools which will enable engineers to simulate and thereby quantify the interactions will be especially considered. Our analysis is drawn from various study and workshop activities undertaken within the last two years.

Nickel-hydrogen LEO cycling at 20-50 percent DOD. [depth of discharge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowery, John E.; Mai, Jenny

1991-01-01

Two NiH2 two-cell packs made up of engineering cells built according to the Hubble Space Telescope design (EPI RNH 90-3) are currently being low-earth-orbit (LEO) cycled at 20-50 percent depth of discharge (DOD). The cells were manufactured by Eagle-Picher Industries, Inc., and activated with electrolyte (KOH) concentrations of 26 percent (pack No.1) and 31 percent (pack No.2), for use during evaluation of the HST cell design. The cells have been grouped according to electrolyte concentration but follow the same test schedule for comparison. This test was set up to study the behavior of NiH2 cells having differing electrolyte concentrations, when operated at relatively high DOD (20-50 percent) in a LEO cycling program. The test was designed specifically to allow the cells to pick their own recharge ratio for varying DOD and varying EOC (end of charge) voltages. The cells are being cycled in a simulated 96-min orbit with 60-min charge and 36-min discharge where an EOC cutoff voltage controls high-rate charging. EOC cutoff voltages vary between 1.48 V and 1.56 V.

Electrochemical enhancement of nitric oxide removal from simulated lean-burn engine exhaust via solid oxide fuel cells.

PubMed

Huang, Ta-Jen; Wu, Chung-Ying; Lin, Yu-Hsien

2011-07-01

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) unit is constructed with Ni-YSZ as the anode, YSZ as the electrolyte, and La(0.6)Sr(0.4)CoO(3)-Ce(0.9)Gd(0.1)O(1.95) as the cathode. The SOFC operation is performed at 600 °C with a cathode gas simulating the lean-burn engine exhaust and at various fixed voltage, at open-circuit voltage, and with an inert gas flowing over the anode side, respectively. Electrochemical enhancement of NO decomposition occurs when an operating voltage is generated; higher O(2) concentration leads to higher enhancement. Smaller NO concentration results in larger NO conversion. Higher operating voltage and higher O(2) concentration can lead to both higher NO conversion and lower fuel consumption. The molar rate of the consumption of the anode fuel can be very much smaller than that of NO to N(2) conversion. This makes the anode fuel consumed in the SOFC-DeNO(x) process to be much less than the equivalent amount of ammonia consumed in the urea-based selective catalytic reduction process. Additionally, the NO conversion increases with the addition of propylene and SO(2) into the cathode gas. These are beneficial for the application of the SOFC-DeNO(x) technology on treating diesel and other lean-burn engine exhausts.

Altitude-Wind-Tunnel Investigation of a 4000-Pound-Thrust Axial-Flow Turbojet Engine. II - Operational Characteristics. II; Operational Characteristics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fleming, William A.

1948-01-01

An investigation was conducted in the Cleveland altitude wind tunnel to determine the operational characteristics of an axial flow-type turbojet engine with a 4000-pound-thrust rating over a range of pressure altitudes from 5,000 to 50,OOO feet, ram pressure ratios from 1.00 to 1.86, and temperatures from 60 deg to -50 deg F. The low-flow (standard) compressor with which the engine was originally equipped was replaced by a high-flow compressor for part of the investigation. The effects of altitude and airspeed on such operating characteristics as operating range, stability of combustion, acceleration, starting, operation of fuel-control systems, and bearing cooling were investigated. With the low-flow compressor, the engine could be operated at full speed without serious burner unbalance at altitudes up to 50,000 feet. Increasing the altitude and airspeed greatly reduced the operable speed range of the engine by raising the minimum operating speed of the engine. In several runs with the high-flow compressor the maximum engine speed was limited to less than 7600 rpm by combustion blow-out, high tail-pipe temperatures, and compressor stall. Acceleration of the engine was relatively slow and the time required for acceleration increased with altitude. At maximum engine speed a sudden reduction in jet-nozzle area resulted in an immediate increase in thrust. The engine started normally and easily below 20,000 feet with each configuration. The use of a high-voltage ignition system made possible starts at a pressure altitude of 40,000 feet; but on these starts the tail-pipe temperatures were very high, a great deal of fuel burned in and behind the tail-pipe, and acceleration was very slow. Operation of the engine was similar with both fuel regulators except that the modified fuel regulator restricted the fuel flow in such a manner that the acceleration above 6000 rpm was very slow. The bearings did not cool properly at high altitudes and high engine speeds with a low-flow compressor, and bearing cooling was even poorer with a high-flow compressor.

Flat-panel electronic displays: a triumph of physics, chemistry and engineering

PubMed Central

Hilsum, Cyril

2010-01-01

This paper describes the history and science behind the development of modern flat-panel displays, and assesses future trends. Electronic displays are an important feature of modern life. For many years the cathode ray tube, an engineering marvel, was universal, but its shape was cumbersome and its operating voltage too high. The need for a flat-panel display, working at a low voltage, became imperative, and much research has been applied to this need. Any versatile flat-panel display will exploit an electro-optical effect, a transparent conductor and an addressing system to deliver data locally. The first need is to convert an electrical signal into a visible change. Two methods are available, the first giving emission of light, the second modulating ambient illumination. The most useful light-emitting media are semiconductors, historically exploiting III–V or II–VI compounds, but more recently organic or polymer semiconductors. Another possible effect uses gas plasma discharges. The modulating, or subtractive, effects that have been studied include liquid crystals, electrophoresis, electrowetting and electrochromism. A transparent conductor makes it possible to apply a voltage to an extended area while observing the results. The design is a compromise, since the free electrons that carry current also absorb light. The first materials used were metals, but some semiconductors, when heavily doped, give a better balance, with high transmission for a low resistance. Delivering data unambiguously to a million or so picture elements across the display area is no easy task. The preferred solution is an amorphous silicon thin-film transistor deposited at each cross-point in an X–Y matrix. Success in these endeavours has led to many applications for flat-panel displays, including television, flexible displays, electronic paper, electronic books and advertising signs. PMID:20123746

Flat-panel electronic displays: a triumph of physics, chemistry and engineering.

PubMed

Hilsum, Cyril

2010-03-13

This paper describes the history and science behind the development of modern flat-panel displays, and assesses future trends. Electronic displays are an important feature of modern life. For many years the cathode ray tube, an engineering marvel, was universal, but its shape was cumbersome and its operating voltage too high. The need for a flat-panel display, working at a low voltage, became imperative, and much research has been applied to this need. Any versatile flat-panel display will exploit an electro-optical effect, a transparent conductor and an addressing system to deliver data locally. The first need is to convert an electrical signal into a visible change. Two methods are available, the first giving emission of light, the second modulating ambient illumination. The most useful light-emitting media are semiconductors, historically exploiting III-V or II-VI compounds, but more recently organic or polymer semiconductors. Another possible effect uses gas plasma discharges. The modulating, or subtractive, effects that have been studied include liquid crystals, electrophoresis, electrowetting and electrochromism. A transparent conductor makes it possible to apply a voltage to an extended area while observing the results. The design is a compromise, since the free electrons that carry current also absorb light. The first materials used were metals, but some semiconductors, when heavily doped, give a better balance, with high transmission for a low resistance. Delivering data unambiguously to a million or so picture elements across the display area is no easy task. The preferred solution is an amorphous silicon thin-film transistor deposited at each cross-point in an X-Y matrix. Success in these endeavours has led to many applications for flat-panel displays, including television, flexible displays, electronic paper, electronic books and advertising signs.

"DIANA" - A New, Deep-Underground Accelerator Facility for Astrophysics Experiments

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

Leitner, M.; Leitner, D.; Lemut, A.

2009-05-28

The DIANA project (Dakota Ion Accelerators for Nuclear Astrophysics) is a collaboration between the University of Notre Dame, University of North Carolina, Western Michigan University, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to build a nuclear astrophysics accelerator facility 1.4 km below ground. DIANA is part of the US proposal DUSEL (Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory) to establish a cross-disciplinary underground laboratory in the former gold mine of Homestake in South Dakota, USA. DIANA would consist of two high-current accelerators, a 30 to 400 kV variable, high-voltage platform, and a second, dynamitron accelerator with a voltage range of 350 kV tomore » 3 MV. As a unique feature, both accelerators are planned to be equipped with either high-current microwave ion sources or multi-charged ECR ion sources producing ions from protons to oxygen. Electrostatic quadrupole transport elements will be incorporated in the dynamitron high voltage column. Compared to current astrophysics facilities, DIANA could increase the available beam densities on target by magnitudes: up to 100 mA on the low energy accelerator and several mA on the high energy accelerator. An integral part of the DIANA project is the development of a high-density super-sonic gas-jet target which can handle these anticipated beam powers. The paper will explain the main components of the DIANA accelerators and their beam transport lines and will discuss related technical challenges.« less

Power processor for a 20CM ion thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biess, J. J.; Schoenfeld, A. D.; Cohen, E.

1973-01-01

A power processor breadboard for the JPL 20CM Ion Engine was designed, fabricated, and tested to determine compliance with the electrical specification. The power processor breadboard used the silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) series resonant inverter as the basic power stage to process all the power to the ion engine. The breadboard power processor was integrated with the JPL 20CM ion engine and complete testing was performed. The integration tests were performed without any silicon-controlled rectifier failure. This demonstrated the ruggedness of the series resonant inverter in protecting the switching elements during arcing in the ion engine. A method of fault clearing the ion engine and returning back to normal operation without elaborate sequencing and timing control logic was evolved. In this method, the main vaporizer was turned off and the discharge current limit was reduced when an overload existed on the screen/accelerator supply. After the high voltage returned to normal, both the main vaporizer and the discharge were returned to normal.

Reproducible Growth of High-Quality Cubic-SiC Layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neudeck, Philip G.; Powell, J. Anthony

2004-01-01

Semiconductor electronic devices and circuits based on silicon carbide (SiC) are being developed for use in high-temperature, high-power, and/or high-radiation conditions under which devices made from conventional semiconductors cannot adequately perform. The ability of SiC-based devices to function under such extreme conditions is expected to enable significant improvements in a variety of applications and systems. These include greatly improved high-voltage switching for saving energy in public electric power distribution and electric motor drives; more powerful microwave electronic circuits for radar and communications; and sensors and controls for cleaner-burning, more fuel-efficient jet aircraft and automobile engines.

Organic High Electron Mobility Transistors Realized by 2D Electron Gas.

PubMed

Zhang, Panlong; Wang, Haibo; Yan, Donghang

2017-09-01

A key breakthrough in inorganic modern electronics is the energy-band engineering that plays important role to improve device performance or develop novel functional devices. A typical application is high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), which utilizes 2D electron gas (2DEG) as transport channel and exhibits very high electron mobility over traditional field-effect transistors (FETs). Recently, organic electronics have made very rapid progress and the band transport model is demonstrated to be more suitable for explaining carrier behavior in high-mobility crystalline organic materials. Therefore, there emerges a chance for applying energy-band engineering in organic semiconductors to tailor their optoelectronic properties. Here, the idea of energy-band engineering is introduced and a novel device configuration is constructed, i.e., using quantum well structures as active layers in organic FETs, to realize organic 2DEG. Under the control of gate voltage, electron carriers are accumulated and confined at quantized energy levels, and show efficient 2D transport. The electron mobility is up to 10 cm 2 V -1 s -1 , and the operation mechanisms of organic HEMTs are also argued. Our results demonstrate the validity of tailoring optoelectronic properties of organic semiconductors by energy-band engineering, offering a promising way for the step forward of organic electronics. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Engineering Design Handbook. Electromagnetic Compatibility

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-03-01

sliding action between turns. For more effective shielding, it may be covered with one or more layers of woven metal braid . The hose must be used in...shield. Details on this structure are given in Military Standards MS 51010 and 51011. In addition, flexible metal hoses of both braided and solid...signal cables. Flexible conduits for high- and low-voltage shield- ing usually consist of flexible metal hoses over which are wound one or more

Voltage Stress on Y Capacitors from Indirect Lightning Pulses According to ED-14/DO-160

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, F.

2012-05-01

Transients due to lightning strikes on an aircraft's fuselage impose stress on the input filters of elec- tronic equipment. Permanent damage can occur when exceeding the voltage handling capacity of filter components causing a short circuit to ground. In ED-14/DO-160, section 22, a number of waveforms and levels are defined which are used to check the airworthiness of avionics equipment. Depending on pro- cedure and level, Y-capacitors are stressed by transient voltages which exceed their dielectric strength. The design engineer's task is a properly select the type and voltage rating of capacitors. With moderate simplifications, a LCR-series network is justified to calculate the peak voltage dependent on the capacitance.

Enhancing fire safety at Hydro plants with dry transformers

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

Clemen, D.M.

Hydroelectric plant owners and engineers can use dry-type transformers to reduce fire hazards in auxiliary power systems. The decision to replace a liquid-immersed transformer with a dry-type product has a price: higher unit cost and a need to be more vigilant in detailing transformer specifications. But, whether the change affects only one failed transformer or is part of a plant rehabilitation project, the benefits in safety can be worth it. Voltages on hydroelectric plant auxiliary power systems can range from a 20 kV medium-voltage system to the normal 480-208/120 V low-voltage system. Dry transformers typically are used in such systemsmore » to reduce the fire hazard present with liquid-filled transformers. For a hydro plant owner or engineer seeking alternatives to liquid-filled transformers, there are two main kinds of dry-type transformers to consider: vacuum pressure impregnated (VPI) and cast coil epoxy resin. VPI transformers normally are manufactured in sizes up to 6,000 kVA with primary voltage ratings up to 20 kV. Cast coil transformers can be made in sizes from 75 to 10,000 kVA, with primary voltage ratings up to 34,500 V. Although the same transformer theory applies to dry transformers as to liquid-filled units, the cooling medium, air, required different temperature rise ratings, dielectric tests, and construction techniques to ensure reliability. Consequently, the factory and field tests for dry units are established by a separate set of American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards. Cast coil transformers have several important advantages over VPI units.« less

Issues and status of power distribution options for space exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bercaw, Robert W.; Cull, Ronald C.; Kenny, Barbara H.

1991-01-01

The Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) will need a wide variety of manned systems with requirements significantly different than those for existing systems. The concept of a space power utility is discussed and the impact of this concept on the engineering of space power systems is examined. Almost all existing space power systems use low voltage direct current. Although they have been very succesful, increasing power system requirements in recent years have exposed their inherent limitations and led to the proposal of a number of alternatives including high voltage DC and AC at various frequencies. Drawing on the experience gained from Space Station Freedom and SEI systems studies, factors that may affect the choice of frequency standards on which to build such a space power utility are discussed.

Engineer-able optical properties of trilayer graphene nanoribbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meshginqalam, Bahar; T, Hamid Toloue A.; Taghi Ahmadi, Mohammad; Sabatyan, Arash

2016-03-01

Graphene with a single atomic layer of carbon indicates two-dimensional behavior which plays an important role in sensor application, because of its high surface-to-volume ratio. Its interesting optical properties lead to low-cost and accurate optical devices as well. In the presented work trilayer graphene nanoribbon (TGN) with focus on its optical property for different incident wave lengths in the presence of applied voltage is explored. In low bias condition the optical conductance is modeled and dielectric constant and refractive index based on the estimated conductance are calculated theoretically; finally the obtained results are investigated numerically. Controllable optical properties supported by applied voltage on TGN are proved. Consequently, the proposed model indicates TGN as a possible candidate on surface plasmon based sensors, which needs to be explored.

Harvesting dissipated energy with a mesoscopic ratchet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roche, B.; Roulleau, P.; Jullien, T.; Jompol, Y.; Farrer, I.; Ritchie, D. A.; Glattli, D. C.

2015-04-01

The search for new efficient thermoelectric devices converting waste heat into electrical energy is of major importance. The physics of mesoscopic electronic transport offers the possibility to develop a new generation of nanoengines with high efficiency. Here we describe an all-electrical heat engine harvesting and converting dissipated power into an electrical current. Two capacitively coupled mesoscopic conductors realized in a two-dimensional conductor form the hot source and the cold converter of our device. In the former, controlled Joule heating generated by a voltage-biased quantum point contact results in thermal voltage fluctuations. By capacitive coupling the latter creates electric potential fluctuations in a cold chaotic cavity connected to external leads by two quantum point contacts. For unequal quantum point contact transmissions, a net electrical current is observed proportional to the heat produced.

Development of Augmented Spark Impinging Igniter System for Methane Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, William M.; Osborne, Robin J.; Greene, Sandra E.

2017-01-01

The Lunar Cargo Transportation and Landing by Soft Touchdown (Lunar CATALYST) program is establishing multiple no-funds-exchanged Space Act Agreement (SAA) partnerships with U.S. private sector entities. The purpose of this program is to encourage the development of robotic lunar landers that can be integrated with U.S. commercial launch capabilities to deliver payloads to the lunar surface. As part of the efforts in Lander Technologies, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is developing liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid methane (LCH4) engine technology to share with the Lunar CATALYST partners. Liquid oxygen and liquid methane propellants are attractive owing to their relatively high specific impulse for chemical propulsion systems, modest storage requirements, and adaptability to NASA's Journey to Mars plans. Methane has also been viewed as a possible propellant choice for lunar missions, owing to the performance benefits and as a technology development stepping stone to Martian missions. However, in the development of methane propulsion, methane ignition has historically been viewed as a high risk area in the development of such an engine. A great deal of work has been conducted in the past decade devoted to risk reduction in LOX/CH4 ignition. This paper will review and summarize the history and results of LOX/CH4 ignition programs conducted at NASA. More recently, a NASA-developed Augmented Spark Impinging (ASI) igniter body, which utilizes a conventional spark exciter system, is being tested with LOX/CH4 to help support internal and commercial engine development programs, such as those in Lunar CATALYST. One challenge with spark exciter systems, especially at altitude conditions, is the ignition lead that transmits the high voltage pulse from the exciter to the spark igniter (spark plug). The ignition lead can be prone to corona discharge, reducing the energy delivered by the spark and potentially causing non-ignition events. For the current work, a commercial compact exciter system, which eliminates this high voltage cabling, was tested at altitude conditions. A modified, conventional exciter system with an improved ignition lead was also recently tested at altitude conditions. This test program demonstrated the capability of these exciter systems to operate at altitude. While more extensive testing may be required, these systems or similar ones may be used for future NASA and commercial engine programs.

History of Circuit Breakers and Expectations of Japanese Original Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshioka, Yoshio; Yoshinaga, Kiyoshi; Yanabu, Satoru

This paper studies the history of high voltage circuit breaker engineering. Methods of analysis are (1) to collect facts in regard to its development, (2) to review the history in order to find essential factors and (3) to identify its pros and cons from engineering point of view. The amount of electric power consumption has increased and gradually the circuit breaker concept was developed. At first the oil circuit breakers were developed in Europe and the air circuit breaker and vacuum circuit breaker were developed. Finally the SF6gas circuit breakers are developed together with the gas insulated switchgear and what is next? The future research and development policy is also discussed.

Proceedings of the Flat-Plate Solar Array Project Research Forum on the Design of Flat-Plate Photovoltaic Arrays for Central Stations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

The Flat Plate Solar Array Project, focuses on advancing technologies relevant to the design and construction of megawatt level central station systems. Photovoltaic modules and arrays for flat plate central station or other large scale electric power production facilities require the establishment of a technical base that resolves design issues and results in practical and cost effective configurations. Design, qualification and maintenance issues related to central station arrays derived from the engineering and operating experiences of early applications and parallel laboratory reserch activities are investigated. Technical issues are examined from the viewpoint of the utility engineer, architect/engineer and laboratory researcher. Topics on optimum source circuit designs, module insulation design for high system voltages, array safety, structural interface design, measurements, and array operation and maintenance are discussed.

Low-voltage Organic Thin Film Transistors (OTFTs) with Solution-processed High-k Dielectric cum Interface Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Yaorong

Although impressive progress has been made in improving the performance of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs), the high operation voltage resulting from the low gate areal capacitance of traditional SiO 2 remains a severe limitation that hinders OTFTs' development in practical applications. In this regard, developing new materials with high- k characteristics at low cost is of great scientific and technological importance in the area of both academia and industry. In this thesis, we first describe a simple solution-based method to fabricate a high-k bilayer Al2Oy/TiOx (ATO) dielectric system at low temperature. Then the dielectric properties of the ATO are characterized and discussed in detail. Furthermore, by employing the high-k ATO as gate dielectric, low-voltage copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) based OTFTs are successfully developed. Interestingly, the obtained low-voltage CuPc TFT exhibits outstanding electrical performance, which is even higher than the device fabricated on traditional low-k SiO2. The above results seem to be contradictory to the reported results due to the fact that high-k usually shows adverse effect on the device performance. This abnormal phenomenon is then studied in detail. Characterization on the initial growth shows that the CuPc molecules assemble in a "rod-like" nano crystal with interconnected network on ATO, which probably promotes the charge carrier transport, whereas, they form isolated small islands with amorphous structure on SiO2. In addition, a better metal/organic contact is observed on ATO, which benefits the charge carrier injection. Our studies suggest that the low-temperature, solution-processed high-k ATO is a promising candidate for fabrication of high-performance, low-voltage OTFTs. Furthermore, it is well known that the properties of the dielectric/semiconductor and electrode/semiconductor interfaces are crucial in controlling the electrical properties of OTFTs. Hence, investigation the effects of interfaces engineering on improving the electrical characteristics of OTFTs is of great technological importance. For the dielectric/semiconductor interface, an octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) self-assembled monolayer (SAM) is used to modify the surface of ATO (ODPA/ATO). For the electrode/semiconductor interface, a simple in-situ modified Cu (M-Cu) is employed as source-drain (S/D) electrodes in stead of commonly used Au. The electrical characteristics of pentacene TFT are drastically enhanced upon interfaces modification. Moreover, by encapsulating the M-Cu with a thin layer of Au (Au/ M-Cu), the device performance is further improved. The detailed mechanism is systematically explored. Finally, organic electronic devices on flexible plastic substrates have attracted much attention due to their low-cost, rollability, large-area processability, and so on. One of the most critical issues in realization flexible OTFTs is the integration of gate dielectrics with flexible substrates. We have successfully incorporated the ODPA/ATO with Au coated flexible polyimide (PI) substrate. By using Au/M-Cu as S/D electrode, the flexible pentacene TFTs show outstanding electrical performance. In addition, the mechanical flexibility and reliability of the devices are studied in detail. Our approach demonstrates an effective way to realize low-cost, high-performance flexible OTFTs.

Advanced Materials for High Temperature, High Performance, Wide Bandgap Power Modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Neal, Chad B.; McGee, Brad; McPherson, Brice; Stabach, Jennifer; Lollar, Richard; Liederbach, Ross; Passmore, Brandon

2016-01-01

Advanced packaging materials must be utilized to take full advantage of the benefits of the superior electrical and thermal properties of wide bandgap power devices in the development of next generation power electronics systems. In this manuscript, the use of advanced materials for key packaging processes and components in multi-chip power modules will be discussed. For example, to date, there has been significant development in silver sintering paste as a high temperature die attach material replacement for conventional solder-based attach due to the improved thermal and mechanical characteristics as well as lower processing temperatures. In order to evaluate the bond quality and performance of this material, shear strength, thermal characteristics, and void quality for a number of silver sintering paste materials were analyzed as a die attach alternative to solder. In addition, as high voltage wide bandgap devices shift from engineering samples to commercial components, passivation materials become key in preventing premature breakdown in power modules. High temperature, high dielectric strength potting materials were investigated to be used to encapsulate and passivate components internal to a power module. The breakdown voltage up to 30 kV and corresponding leakage current for these materials as a function of temperature is also presented. Lastly, high temperature plastic housing materials are important for not only discrete devices but also for power modules. As the operational temperature of the device and/or ambient temperature increases, the mechanical strength and dielectric properties are dramatically reduced. Therefore, the electrical characteristics such as breakdown voltage and leakage current as a function of temperature for housing materials are presented.

40 CFR 92.106 - Equipment for loading the engine.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... loading the locomotive engine-alternator/generator assembly electrically, and for measurement of the... angle compensation; meter(s) for measurement of the current through the load bank (a calibrated electrical shunt and voltmeter is allowed for current measurement); meter(s) to measure the voltage across...

40 CFR 92.106 - Equipment for loading the engine.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... loading the locomotive engine-alternator/generator assembly electrically, and for measurement of the... angle compensation; meter(s) for measurement of the current through the load bank (a calibrated electrical shunt and voltmeter is allowed for current measurement); meter(s) to measure the voltage across...

40 CFR 92.106 - Equipment for loading the engine.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... loading the locomotive engine-alternator/generator assembly electrically, and for measurement of the... angle compensation; meter(s) for measurement of the current through the load bank (a calibrated electrical shunt and voltmeter is allowed for current measurement); meter(s) to measure the voltage across...

40 CFR 92.106 - Equipment for loading the engine.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... loading the locomotive engine-alternator/generator assembly electrically, and for measurement of the... angle compensation; meter(s) for measurement of the current through the load bank (a calibrated electrical shunt and voltmeter is allowed for current measurement); meter(s) to measure the voltage across...

Elucidating the Irreversible Mechanism and Voltage Hysteresis in Conversion Reaction for High-Energy Sodium-Metal Sulfide Batteries

DOE PAGES

Wang, Jiajun; Wang, Liguang; Eng, Christopher; ...

2017-03-03

We present that irreversible electrochemical behavior and large voltage hysteresis are commonly observed in battery materials, in particular for materials reacting through conversion reaction, resulting in undesirable round-trip energy loss and low coulombic efficiency. Seeking solutions to these challenges relies on the understanding of the underlying mechanism and physical origins. Here, this study combines in operando 2D transmission X-ray microscopy with X-ray absorption near edge structure, 3D tomography, and galvanostatic intermittent titration techniques to uncover the conversion reaction in sodium–metal sulfide batteries, a promising high-energy battery system. This study shows a high irreversible electrochemistry process predominately occurs at first cycle,more » which can be largely linked to Na ion trapping during the first desodiation process and large interfacial ion mobility resistance. Subsequently, phase transformation evolution and electrochemical reaction show good reversibility at multiple discharge/charge cycles due to materials' microstructural change and equilibrium. The origin of large hysteresis between discharge and charge is investigated and it can be attributed to multiple factors including ion mobility resistance at the two-phase interface, intrinsic slow sodium ion diffusion kinetics, and irreversibility as well as ohmic voltage drop and overpotential. In conclusion, this study expects that such understandings will help pave the way for engineering design and optimization of materials microstructure for future-generation batteries.« less

Molecular Self-Assembly and Interfacial Engineering for Highly Efficient Organic Field Effect Transistors and Solar Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-23

balance between disordered SAMs to promote large pentacene grains and thick SAMs to aid in physically buffering the charge carriers in pentacene from...to 0.76 µF/cm2), and enhanced pentacene OFET device performance such as higher charge carrier mobility, current on/off ratio, and lower threshold...surface charge trap • Tuning of surface energy • Control of surface group orientation SAM/MO ultrathin dielectric: • Low-voltage operation

Materials Challenges and Opportunities of Lithium-ion Batteries for Electrical Energy Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manthiram, Arumugam

2011-03-01

Electrical energy storage has emerged as a topic of national and global importance with respect to establishing a cleaner environment and reducing the dependence on foreign oil. Batteries are the prime candidates for electrical energy storage. They are the most viable near-term option for vehicle applications and the efficient utilization of intermittent energy sources like solar and wind. Lithium-ion batteries are attractive for these applications as they offer much higher energy density than other rechargeable battery systems. However, the adoption of lithium-ion battery technology for vehicle and stationary storage applications is hampered by high cost, safety concerns, and limitations in energy, power, and cycle life, which are in turn linked to severe materials challenges. This presentation, after providing an overview of the current status, will focus on the physics and chemistry of new materials that can address these challenges. Specifically, it will focus on the design and development of (i) high-capacity, high-voltage layered oxide cathodes, (ii) high-voltage, high-power spinel oxide cathodes, (iii) high-capacity silicate cathodes, and (iv) nano-engineered, high-capacity alloy anodes. With high-voltage cathodes, a critical issue is the instability of the electrolyte in contact with the highly oxidized cathode surface and the formation of solid-electrolyte interfacial (SEI) layers that degrade the performance. Accordingly, surface modification of cathodes with nanostructured materials and self-surface segregation during the synthesis process to suppress SEI layer formation and enhance the energy, power, and cycle life will be emphasized. With the high-capacity alloy anodes, a critical issue is the huge volume change occurring during the charge-discharge process and the consequent poor cycle life. Dispersion of the active alloy nanoparticles in an inactive metal oxide-carbon matrix to mitigate this problem and realize long cycle life will be presented.

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...

A trial of ignition innovation of gasoline engine by nanosecond pulsed low temperature plasma ignition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiraishi, Taisuke; Urushihara, Tomonori; Gundersen, Martin

2009-07-01

Application of nanosecond pulsed low temperature plasma as an ignition technique for automotive gasoline engines, which require a discharge under conditions of high back pressure, has been studied experimentally using a single-cylinder engine. The nanosecond pulsed plasma refers to the transient (non-equilibrated) phase of a plasma before the formation of an arc discharge; it was obtained by applying a high voltage with a nanosecond pulse (FWHM of approximately 80 or 25 ns) between coaxial cylindrical electrodes. It was confirmed that nanosecond pulsed plasma can form a volumetric multi-channel streamer discharge at an energy consumption of 60 mJ cycle-1 under a high back pressure of 1400 kPa. It was found that the initial combustion period was shortened compared with the conventional spark ignition. The initial flame visualization suggested that the nanosecond pulsed plasma ignition results in the formation of a spatially dispersed initial flame kernel at a position of high electric field strength around the central electrode. It was observed that the electric field strength in the air gap between the coaxial cylindrical electrodes was increased further by applying a shorter pulse. It was also clarified that the shorter pulse improved ignitability even further.

Ion propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meserole, J. S.; Keefer, Dennis; Ruyten, Wilhelmus; Peng, Xiaohang

1995-01-01

An ion engine is a plasma thruster which produces thrust by extracting ions from the plasma and accelerating them to high velocity with an electrostatic field. The ions are then neutralized and leave the engine as high velocity neutral particles. The advantages of ion engines are high specific impulse and efficiency and their ability to operate over a wide range of input powers. In comparison with other electric thrusters, the ion engine has higher efficiency and specific impulse than thermal electric devices such as the arcjet, microwave, radiofrequency and laser heated thrusters and can operate at much lower current levels than the MPD thruster. However, the thrust level for an ion engine may be lower than a thermal electric thruster of the same operating power, consistent with its higher specific impulse, and therefore ion engines are best suited for missions which can tolerate longer duration propulsive phases. The critical issue for the ion engine is lifetime, since the prospective missions may require operation for several thousands of hours. The critical components of the ion engine, with respect to engine lifetime, are the screen and accelerating grid structures. Typically, these are large metal screens that must support a large voltage difference and maintain a small gap between them. Metallic whisker growth, distortion and vibration can lead to arcing, and over a long period of time ion sputtering will erode the grid structures and change their geometry. In order to study the effects of long time operation of the grid structure, we are developing computer codes based on the Particle-In-Cell (PIC) technique and Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) diagnostic techniques to study the physical processes which control the performance and lifetime of the grid structures.

Engineer Examines Cluster of Ion Engines in the Electric Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Image and Video Library

1963-01-21

New staff member Paul Margosian inspects a cluster of ion engines in the Electric Propulsion Laboratory’s 25-foot diameter vacuum tank at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center. Lewis researchers had been studying different methods of electric rocket propulsion since the mid-1950s. Harold Kaufman created the first successful engine, the electron bombardment ion engine, in the early 1960s. These engines used electric power to create and accelerate small particles of propellant material to high exhaust velocities. Electric engines have a very small thrust, and but can operate for long periods of time. The ion engines are often clustered together to provide higher levels of thrust. The Electric Propulsion Laboratory contained two large vacuum tanks capable of simulating the space environment. The tanks were designed especially for testing ion and plasma thrusters and spacecraft. The larger 25-foot diameter tank was intended for testing electric thrusters with condensable propellants. The tank’s test compartment, seen here, was 10 feet in diameter. Margosian joined Lewis in late 1962 during a major NASA hiring phase. The Agency reorganized in 1961 and began expanding its ranks through a massive recruiting effort. Lewis personnel increased from approximately 2,700 in 1961 to over 4,800 in 1966. Margosian, who worked with Bill Kerslake in the Electromagnetic Propulsion Division’s Propulsion Systems Section, wrote eight technical reports on mercury and electron bombardment thrusters, thermoelectrostatic generators, and a high voltage insulator.

Copper Alloy For High-Temperature Uses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dreshfield, Robert L.; Ellis, David L.; Michal, Gary

1994-01-01

Alloy of Cu/8Cr/4Nb (numbers indicate parts by atom percent) improved over older high-temperature copper-based alloys in that it offers enhanced high temperature strength, resistance to creep, and ductility while retaining most of thermal conductivity of pure copper; in addition, alloy does not become embrittled upon exposure to hydrogen at temperatures as high as 705 degrees C. Designed for use in presence of high heat fluxes and active cooling; for example, in heat exchangers in advanced aircraft and spacecraft engines, and other high-temperature applications in which there is need for such material. High conductivity and hardness of alloy exploited in welding electrodes and in high-voltage and high-current switches and other applications in which wear poses design problem.

Performances of 250 Amp-hr lithium/thionyl chloride cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goualard, Jacques

1991-01-01

A 250 Ah lithium thionyl chloride battery is being developed for a booster rocket engine. Extensive cell testing is running to evaluate functional and safety performances. Some results are presented. The lithium/thionyl chloride batteries were selected for their high energy density (low weight) as compared to other sources. The temperature of a lower weight item will be more sensitive to variations of internal and external heat fluxes than a heavier one. The use of high energy density L/TC batteries is subjected to stringent thermal environments to have benefit of energy density and to stay safe in any conditions. The battery thermal environment and discharge rate have to be adjusted to obtain the right temperature range at cell level, to have the maximum performances. Voltage and capacity are very sensitive to temperature. This temperature is the cell internal actual temperature during discharge. This temperature is directed by external thermal environment and by cell internal heat dissipation, i.e., cell actual voltage.

Comparison of free radicals formation induced by cold atmospheric plasma, ultrasound, and ionizing radiation.

PubMed

Rehman, Mati Ur; Jawaid, Paras; Uchiyama, Hidefumi; Kondo, Takashi

2016-09-01

Plasma medicine is increasingly recognized interdisciplinary field combining engineering, physics, biochemistry and life sciences. Plasma is classified into two categories based on the temperature applied, namely "thermal" and "non-thermal" (i.e., cold atmospheric plasma). Non-thermal or cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is produced by applying high voltage electric field at low pressures and power. The chemical effects of cold atmospheric plasma in aqueous solution are attributed to high voltage discharge and gas flow, which is transported rapidly on the liquid surface. The argon-cold atmospheric plasma (Ar-CAP) induces efficient reactive oxygen species (ROS) in aqueous solutions without thermal decomposition. Their formation has been confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin trapping, which is reviewed here. The similarities and differences between the plasma chemistry, sonochemistry, and radiation chemistry are explained. Further, the evidence for free radical formation in the liquid phase and their role in the biological effects induced by cold atmospheric plasma, ultrasound and ionizing radiation are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reconfigurable Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) Processor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Velev, Miroslav N.

2015-01-01

Future NASA missions will depend on radiation-hardened, power-efficient processing systems-on-a-chip (SOCs) that consist of a range of processor cores custom tailored for space applications. Aries Design Automation, LLC, has developed a processing SOC that is optimized for software-defined radio (SDR) uses. The innovation implements the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) RazorII voltage management technique, a microarchitectural mechanism that allows processor cores to self-monitor, self-analyze, and selfheal after timing errors, regardless of their cause (e.g., radiation; chip aging; variations in the voltage, frequency, temperature, or manufacturing process). This highly automated SOC can also execute legacy PowerPC 750 binary code instruction set architecture (ISA), which is used in the flight-control computers of many previous NASA space missions. In developing this innovation, Aries Design Automation has made significant contributions to the fields of formal verification of complex pipelined microprocessors and Boolean satisfiability (SAT) and has developed highly efficient electronic design automation tools that hold promise for future developments.

Enhancement of reverse transfection efficiency by combining stimulated DNA surface desorption and electroporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creasey, Rhiannon; Hook, Andrew; Thissen, Helmut; Voelcker, Nicolas H.

2007-12-01

Transfection cell microarrays (TCMs) are a high-throughput, miniaturised cell-culture system utilising reverse transfection, in which cells are seeded onto a DNA array resulting in localised regions of transfected cells. TCMs are useful for the analysis of gene expression, and can be used to identify genes involved in many cellular processes. This is of significant interest in fields such as tissue engineering, diagnostic screening, and drug testing [1, 2]. Low transfection efficiency has so far limited the application and utility of this technique. Recently, the transfection efficiency of TCMs was improved by an application of a high voltage for a short period of time to the DNA array resulting in the electroporation of cells attached to the surface [3, 4]. Furthermore, application of a low voltage for a longer period of time to the DNA array was shown to improve the transfection efficiency by stimulating the desorption of attached DNA, increasing the concentration of DNA available for cellular uptake [5]. In the present study, the optimisation of the uptake of adsorbed DNA vectors by adherent cells, utilising a voltage bias without compromising cell viability was investigated. This was achieved by depositing negatively charged DNA plasmids onto a positively charged allylamine plasma polymer (ALAPP) layer deposited on highly doped p-type silicon wafers either using a pipettor or a microarray contact printer. Surface-dependant human embryonic kidney (HEK 293 line) cells were cultured onto the DNA vector loaded ALAPP spots and the plasmid transfection events were detected by fluorescence microscopy. Cell viability assays, including fluorescein diacetate (FDA) / Hoechst DNA labelling, were carried out to determine the number of live adherent cells before and after application of a voltage. A protocol was developed to screen for voltage biases and exposure times in order to optimise transfection efficiency and cell viability. Cross-contamination between the microarray spots carrying different DNA vectors was also investigated. By application of a voltage of 286 V/cm for 10 ms, transfection efficiency was doubled compared to using only transfection reagent, whilst maintaining a cell viability of 60-70% of the positive control.

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.

Reliable Breakdown Obtained in Silicon Carbide Rectifiers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neudeck, Philip G.

1997-01-01

The High Temperature Integrated Electronics and Sensor (HTIES) Program at the NASA Lewis Research Center is currently developing silicon carbide (SiC) for use in harsh conditions where silicon, the semiconductor used in nearly all of today's electronics, cannot function. Silicon carbide's demonstrated ability to function under extreme high-temperature, high-power, and/or high-radiation conditions will enable significant improvements to a far-ranging variety of applications and systems. These range from improved high-voltage switching for energy savings in public electric power distribution and electric vehicles, to more powerful microwave electronics for radar and cellular communications, to sensor and controls for cleaner-burning, more fuel-efficient jet aircraft and automobile engines.

Monolithically Integrated Flexible Black Phosphorus Complementary Inverter Circuits.

PubMed

Liu, Yuanda; Ang, Kah-Wee

2017-07-25

Two-dimensional (2D) inverters are a fundamental building block for flexible logic circuits which have previously been realized by heterogeneously wiring transistors with two discrete channel materials. Here, we demonstrate a monolithically integrated complementary inverter made using a homogeneous black phosphorus (BP) nanosheet on flexible substrates. The digital logic inverter circuit is demonstrated via effective threshold voltage tuning within a single BP material, which offers both electron and hole dominated conducting channels with nearly symmetric pinch-off and current saturation. Controllable electron concentration is achieved by accurately modulating the aluminum (Al) donor doping, which realizes BP n-FET with a room-temperature on/off ratio >10 3 . Simultaneously, work function engineering is employed to obtain a low Schottky barrier contact electrode that facilities hole injection, thus enhancing the current density of the BP p-FET by 9.4 times. The flexible inverter circuit shows a clear digital logic voltage inversion operation along with a larger-than-unity direct current voltage gain, while exhibits alternating current dynamic signal switching at a record high frequency up to 100 kHz and remarkable electrical stability upon mechanical bending with a radii as small as 4 mm. Our study demonstrates a practical monolithic integration strategy for achieving functional logic circuits on one material platform, paving the way for future high-density flexible electronic applications.

Impact of ultra-thin Al2O3-y layers on TiO2-x ReRAM switching characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trapatseli, Maria; Cortese, Simone; Serb, Alexander; Khiat, Ali; Prodromakis, Themistoklis

2017-05-01

Transition metal-oxide resistive random access memory devices have demonstrated excellent performance in switching speed, versatility of switching and low-power operation. However, this technology still faces challenges like poor cycling endurance, degradation due to high electroforming (EF) switching voltages and low yields. Approaches such as engineering of the active layer by doping or addition of thin oxide buffer layers have been often adopted to tackle these problems. Here, we have followed a strategy that combines the two; we have used ultra-thin Al2O3-y buffer layers incorporated between TiO2-x thin films taking into account both 3+/4+ oxidation states of Al/Ti cations. Our devices were tested by DC and pulsed voltage sweeping and in both cases demonstrated improved switching voltages. We believe that the Al2O3-y layers act as reservoirs of oxygen vacancies which are injected during EF, facilitate a filamentary switching mechanism and provide enhanced filament stability, as shown by the cycling endurance measurements.

Engineering Fast Ion Conduction and Selective Cation Channels for a High-Rate and High-Voltage Hybrid Aqueous Battery.

PubMed

Liu, Chunyi; Wang, Xusheng; Deng, Wenjun; Li, Chang; Chen, Jitao; Xue, Mianqi; Li, Rui; Pan, Feng

2018-03-14

The rechargeable aqueous metal-ion battery (RAMB) has attracted considerable attention due to its safety, low costs, and environmental friendliness. Yet the poor-performance electrode materials lead to a low feasibility of practical application. A hybrid aqueous battery (HAB) built from electrode materials with selective cation channels could increase the electrode applicability and thus enlarge the application of RAMB. Herein, we construct a high-voltage K-Na HAB based on K 2 FeFe(CN) 6 cathode and carbon-coated NaTi 2 (PO 4 ) 3 (NTP/C) anode. Due to the unique cation selectivity of both materials and ultrafast ion conduction of NTP/C, the hybrid battery delivers a high capacity of 160 mAh g -1 at a 0.5 C rate. Considerable capacity retention of 94.3 % is also obtained after 1000 cycles at even 60 C rate. Meanwhile, high energy density of 69.6 Wh kg -1 based on the total mass of active electrode materials is obtained, which is comparable and even superior to that of the lead acid, Ni/Cd, and Ni/MH batteries. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Student understanding of first order RC filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coppens, Pieter; Van den Bossche, Johan; De Cock, Mieke

2017-12-01

A series of interviews with second year electronics engineering students showed several problems with understanding first-order RC filters. To better explore how widespread these problems are, a questionnaire was administered to over 150 students in Belgium. One question asked to rank the output voltage of a low-pass filter with an AC or DC input signal while a second asked to rank the output voltages of a high-pass filter with doubled or halved resistor and capacitor values. In addition to a discussion of the rankings and students' consistency, the results are compared to the most common reasoning patterns students used to explain their rankings. Despite lecture and laboratory instruction, students not only rarely recognize the circuits as filters, but also fail to correctly apply Kirchhoff's laws and Ohm's law to arrive at a correct answer.

Primary Electric Propulsion Technology Study. [for thruster wear-out mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poeschel, R. L.; Beattie, J. R.

1979-01-01

An investigation of the 30-cm engineering-model-thruster technology with emphasis placed on the development of models for understanding and predicting the operational characteristics and wear-out mechanisms of the thruster as a function of operating or design parameters is presented. The task studies include: (1) the wear mechanisms and wear rates that determine the useful lifetime of the thruster discharge chamber; (2) cathode lifetime as determined by the depletion of barium from the barium-aluminate-impregnated-porous-tungsten insert that serves as a barium reservoir; (3) accelerator-grid-system technology; (4) a verification of the high-voltage propellant-flow-electrical-isolator design developed under NASA contract NAS3-20395 for operation at 10-kV applied voltage and 10-A equivalent propellant flow with mercury and argon propellants. A model was formulated for predicting performance.

Interarea Oscillation Damping Control Using High Voltage DC Transmission: a Survey

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

Elizondo, Marcelo Anibal; Fan, Rui; Kirkham, Harold

High-voltage, direct current (HVDC) transmission lines are increasingly being installed in power systems around the world, and this trend is expected to continue with advancements in power electronics technology. These advancements are also bringing multi-terminal direct current (MTDC) systems closer to practical application. In addition, the continued deployment of phasor measurement units (PMUs) makes dynamic information about a large power system readily available for highly controllable components, such as HVDC lines. All these trends have increased the appeal of modulating HVDC lines and MTDC systems to provide grid services in addition to bulk power transfers. This paper provides a literaturemore » survey of HVDC and MTDC damping controllers for interarea oscillations in large interconnected power systems. The literature shows a progression from theoretical research to practical applications. Finally, there are already practical implementations of HVDC modulation for lines in point-to-point configuration, although the modulation of MTDC systems is still in the research stage. As a conclusion, this paper identifies and summarizes open questions that remain to be tackled by researchers and engineers.« less

Interarea Oscillation Damping Control Using High Voltage DC Transmission: a Survey

DOE PAGES

Elizondo, Marcelo Anibal; Fan, Rui; Kirkham, Harold; ...

2018-05-02

High-voltage, direct current (HVDC) transmission lines are increasingly being installed in power systems around the world, and this trend is expected to continue with advancements in power electronics technology. These advancements are also bringing multi-terminal direct current (MTDC) systems closer to practical application. In addition, the continued deployment of phasor measurement units (PMUs) makes dynamic information about a large power system readily available for highly controllable components, such as HVDC lines. All these trends have increased the appeal of modulating HVDC lines and MTDC systems to provide grid services in addition to bulk power transfers. This paper provides a literaturemore » survey of HVDC and MTDC damping controllers for interarea oscillations in large interconnected power systems. The literature shows a progression from theoretical research to practical applications. Finally, there are already practical implementations of HVDC modulation for lines in point-to-point configuration, although the modulation of MTDC systems is still in the research stage. As a conclusion, this paper identifies and summarizes open questions that remain to be tackled by researchers and engineers.« less

Protein Self-Assemblies That Can Generate, Hold, and Discharge Electric Potential in Response to Changes in Relative Humidity.

PubMed

Carter, Nathan A; Grove, Tijana Z

2018-05-30

Generation of electric potential upon external stimulus has attracted much attention for the development of highly functional sensors and devices. Herein, we report large-displacement, fast actuation in the self-assembled engineered repeat protein Consensus Tetratricopeptide Repeat protein (CTPR18) materials. The ionic nature of the CTPR18 protein coupled to the long-range alignment upon self-assembly results in the measured conductivity of 7.1 × 10 -2 S cm -1 , one of the highest reported for protein materials. The change of through-thickness morphological gradient in the self-assembled materials provides the means to select between faster, highly water-sensitive actuation or vastly increased mechanical strength. Tuning of the mode of motion, e.g., bending, twisting, and folding, is achieved by changing the morphological director. We further show that the highly ionic character of CTPR18 gives rise to piezo-like behavior in these materials, exemplified by low-voltage, ionically driven actuation and mechanically driven generation/discharge of voltage. This work contributes to our understanding of the emergence of stimuli-responsiveness in biopolymer assemblies.

High-durability surface-discharge flash x-ray tube driven by a two-stage Marx pulser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shikoda, Arimitsu; Sato, Eiichi; Kimura, Shingo; Oizumi, Teiji; Tamakawa, Yoshiharu; Yanagisawa, Toru

1993-02-01

We developed a high-durability flash x-ray tube with a plate-shaped ferrite cathode for the use in the field of biomedical engineering and technology. The surface-discharge cathode was very useful for generating stable flash x rays. This flash x-ray generator consisted of the following essential components: a high-voltage power supply, an energy-storage condenser of 97 nF, a two-stage Marx type pulser, an oil diffusion pump, and a flash x-ray tube. This x-ray tube was of a diode which was connected to the turbo molecular pump and had plate-shaped anode and cathode electrodes. The cathode electrode was made of ferrite, and its edge was covered with a thin gold film by means of the spattering in order to decrease contact resistance. The space between the anode and cathode electrodes could be regulated from the outside of the x-ray rube. The two condensers in Marx circuit were charged from 50 to 70 kV by a power supply, and the condensers were connected in series after closing a gap switch. Thus the maximum output voltages from the pulser were about two times the charged voltages. In this experiment, the maximum tube voltage and the current were about 110 kV and 0.8 kA, respectively. The pulse widths were less than 140 ns, and the maximum x-ray intensity was 1.27 (mu) C/kg at 0.5 m per pulse. The size of the focal spot and the maximum repetition rate were about 2 X 2.5 mm and 50 Hz (fps), respectively.

Optimization design on breakdown voltage of AlGaN/GaN high-electron mobility transistor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Liu; Changchun, Chai; Chunlei, Shi; Qingyang, Fan; Yuqian, Liu

2016-12-01

Simulations are carried out to explore the possibility of achieving high breakdown voltage of GaN HEMT (high-electron mobility transistor). GaN cap layers with gradual increase in the doping concentration from 2 × 1016 to 5 × 1019 cm-3 of N-type and P-type cap are investigated, respectively. Simulation results show that HEMT with P-doped GaN cap layer shows more potential to achieve higher breakdown voltage than N-doped GaN cap layer under the same doping concentration. This is because the ionized net negative space charges in P-GaN cap layer could modulate the surface electric field which makes more contribution to RESURF effect. Furthermore, a novel GaN/AlGaN/GaN HEMT with P-doped GaN buried layer in GaN buffer between gate and drain electrode is proposed. It shows enhanced performance. The breakdown voltage of the proposed structure is 640 V which is increased by 12% in comparison to UID (un-intentionally doped) GaN/AlGaN/GaN HEMT. We calculated and analyzed the distribution of electrons' density. It is found that the depleted region is wider and electric field maximum value is induced at the left edge of buried layer. So the novel structure with P-doped GaN buried layer embedded in GaN buffer has the better improving characteristics of the power devices. Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2014CB339900) and the Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Complex Electromagnetic Environment Science and Technology, China Academy of Engineering Physics (No. 2015-0214.XY.K).

The physics of pulsed streamer discharge in high pressure air and applications to engine techonologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yung-Hsu

The goal of this dissertation is to study high pressure streamers in air and apply it to diesel engine technologies. Nanosecond scale pulsed high voltage discharges in air/fuel mixtures can generate radicals which in turn have been shown to improve combustion efficiency in gasoline fueled internal combustion engines. We are exploring the possibility to extend such transient plasma generation and expected radical species generation to the range of pressures encountered in compression-ignition (diesel) engines having compression ratios of ˜20:1, thereby improving lean burning efficiency and extending the range of lean combustion. At the beginning of this dissertation, research into streamer discharges is reviewed. Then, we conducted experiments of streamer propagation at high pressures, calculated the streamer velocity based on both optical and electrical measurements, and the similarity law was checked by analyzing the streamer velocity as a function of the reduced electric field, E/P. Our results showed that the similarity law is invalid, and an empirical scaling factor, E/√P, is obtained and verified by dimensional analysis. The equation derived from the dimensional analysis will be beneficial to proper electrode and pulse generator design for transient plasma assisted internal engine experiments. Along with the high pressure study, we applied such technique on diesel engine to improve the fuel efficiency and exhaust treatment. We observed a small effect of transient plasma on peak pressure, which implied that transient plasma has the capability to improve the fuel consumption. In addition, the NO can be reduced effectively by the same technique and the energy cost is 30 eV per NO molecule.

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...

Development of TPF-1 plasma focus for education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picha, R.; Promping, J.; Channuie, J.; Poolyarat, N.; Sangaroon, S.; Traikool, T.

2017-09-01

The plasma focus is a device that uses high voltage and electromagnetic force to induce plasma generation and acceleration, in order to cause nuclear reactions. Radiation of various types (X-ray, gamma ray, electrons, ions, neutrons) can be generated using this method during the pinch phase, thus making the plasma focus able to serve as a radiation source. Material testing, modification, and identification are among the current applications of the plasma focus. Other than being an alternative option to isotopic sources, the plasma focus, which requires multidisciplinary team of personnel to design, operate, and troubleshoot, can also serve as an excellent learning device for physics and engineering students in the fields including, but not limited to, plasma physics, nuclear physics, electronics engineering, and mechanical engineering. This work describes the parameters and current status of Thai Plasma Focus 1 (TPF-1) and the characteristics of the plasma being produced in the machine using a Rogowski coil.

A Horizontal Multi-Purpose Microbeam System.

PubMed

Xu, Y; Randers-Pehrson, G; Marino, S A; Garty, G; Harken, A; Brenner, D J

2018-04-21

A horizontal multi-purpose microbeam system with a single electrostatic quadruplet focusing lens has been developed at the Columbia University Radiological Research Accelerator Facility (RARAF). It is coupled with the RARAF 5.5 MV Singleton accelerator (High Voltage Engineering Europa, the Netherlands) and provides micrometer-size beam for single cell irradiation experiments. It is also used as the primary beam for a neutron microbeam and microPIXE (particle induced x-ray emission) experiment because of its high particle fluence. The optimization of this microbeam has been investigated with ray tracing simulations and the beam spot size has been verified by different measurements.

High-Temperature, Oxidation-Resistant Thermocouples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smialek, James L.; Gedwill, Michael A.

1994-01-01

Aluminum substituted for rhodium, which is scarce and expensive. Electromotive force increases with aluminum content in Pt/Al leg of Pt(Pt/Al) thermocouple. Wires baked longer in aluminizing bed produce larger voltages. Thermocouples containing platinum/aluminum legs used instead of thermocouples of type R in furnaces, heat engines, and chemical reactors. Expecially suited to high-velocity oxidizing environments. Constructed as thin-film sensors on turbine blades and vanes, where pre-oxidation provides insulating film needed between thermocouple legs. Because aluminum content slowly depleted by oxidation, long-term use recommended only where maximum temperature is 1,200 degrees C or less.

A horizontal multi-purpose microbeam system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Y.; Randers-Pehrson, G.; Marino, S. A.; Garty, G.; Harken, A.; Brenner, D. J.

2018-04-01

A horizontal multi-purpose microbeam system with a single electrostatic quadruplet focusing lens has been developed at the Columbia University Radiological Research Accelerator Facility (RARAF). It is coupled with the RARAF 5.5 MV Singleton accelerator (High Voltage Engineering Europa, the Netherlands) and provides micrometer-size beam for single cell irradiation experiments. It is also used as the primary beam for a neutron microbeam and microPIXE (particle induced x-ray emission) experiment because of its high particle fluence. The optimization of this microbeam has been investigated with ray tracing simulations and the beam spot size has been verified by different measurements.

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.

Time varying voltage combustion control and diagnostics sensor

DOEpatents

Chorpening, Benjamin T [Morgantown, WV; Thornton, Jimmy D [Morgantown, WV; Huckaby, E David [Morgantown, WV; Fincham, William [Fairmont, WV

2011-04-19

A time-varying voltage is applied to an electrode, or a pair of electrodes, of a sensor installed in a fuel nozzle disposed adjacent the combustion zone of a continuous combustion system, such as of the gas turbine engine type. The time-varying voltage induces a time-varying current in the flame which is measured and used to determine flame capacitance using AC electrical circuit analysis. Flame capacitance is used to accurately determine the position of the flame from the sensor and the fuel/air ratio. The fuel and/or air flow rate (s) is/are then adjusted to provide reduced flame instability problems such as flashback, combustion dynamics and lean blowout, as well as reduced emissions. The time-varying voltage may be an alternating voltage and the time-varying current may be an alternating current.

Continuation of surge life of transient voltage suppressor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, O. M.

1977-01-01

Efforts expended in testing, analyzing and the development of a meaningful definition of the mean number of peak pulses before failure (mp2bf) levels of a family of transient voltage suppressor devices were documented. Tests were done to determine the ability of the transient suppressor to effectively and reliably protect against severe short term, millisecond range, and transient voltages of the types resulting from inductive load switching and induced lightning. Existing pulse testing instrumentation was utilized, interfaced to an automatic sequencing test rack accommodating up to 50 devices. Tests were performed in step stress increments of 25% beginning at 25% and extending thru 100% rated I(pp) for each voltage category. The four voltage types test were the 6.8V, 33V, 91V, and 190V. Engineering efforts addressed the problem of improving the reliability of the 190V types.

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...

High-performance SEGISFET pH Sensor using the structure of double-gate a-IGZO TFTs with engineered gate oxides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pyo, Ju-Young; Cho, Won-Ju

2017-03-01

In this paper, we propose a high-performance separative extended gate ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (SEGISFET) that consists of a tin dioxide (SnO2) SEG sensing part and a double-gate structure amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) with tantalum pentoxide/silicon dioxide (Ta2O5/SiO2)-engineered top-gate oxide. To increase sensitivity, we maximized the capacitive coupling ratio by applying high-k dielectric at the top-gate oxide layer. As an engineered top-gate oxide, a stack of 25 nm-thick Ta2O5 and 10 nm-thick SiO2 layers was found to simultaneously satisfy a small equivalent oxide thickness (˜17.14 nm), a low leakage current, and a stable interfacial property. The threshold-voltage instability, which is a fundamental issue in a-IGZO TFTs, was improved by low-temperature post-deposition annealing (˜87 °C) using microwave irradiation. The double-gate structure a-IGZO TFTs with engineered top-gate oxide exhibited high mobility, small subthreshold swing, high drive current, and larger on/off current ratio. The a-IGZO SEGISFETs with a dual-gate sensing mode showed a pH sensitivity of 649.04 mV pH-1, which is far beyond the Nernst limit. The non-ideal behavior of ISFETs, hysteresis, and drift effect also improved. These results show that the double-gate structure a-IGZO TFTs with engineered top-gate oxide can be a good candidate for cheap and disposable SEGISFET sensors.

Surface Engineering of ITO Substrates to Improve the Memory Performance of an Asymmetric Conjugated Molecule with a Side Chain.

PubMed

Hou, Xiang; Cheng, Xue-Feng; Xiao, Xin; He, Jing-Hui; Xu, Qing-Feng; Li, Hua; Li, Na-Jun; Chen, Dong-Yun; Lu, Jian-Mei

2017-09-05

Organic multilevel random resistive access memory (RRAM) devices with an electrode/organic layer/electrode sandwich-like structure suffer from poor reproducibility, such as low effective ternary device yields and a wide threshold voltage distribution, and improvements through organic material renovation are rather limited. In contrast, engineering of the electrode surfaces rather than molecule design has been demonstrated to boost the performance of organic electronics effectively. Herein, we introduce surface engineering into organic multilevel RRAMs to enhance their ternary memory performance. A new asymmetric conjugated molecule composed of phenothiazine and malononitrile with a side chain (PTZ-PTZO-CN) was fabricated in an indium tin oxide (ITO)/PTZ-PTZO-CN/Al sandwich-like memory device. Modification of the ITO substrate with a phosphonic acid (PA) prior to device fabrication increased the ternary device yield (the ratio of effective ternary device) and narrowed the threshold voltage distribution. The crystallinity analysis revealed that PTZ-PTZO-CN grown on untreated ITO crystallized into two phases. After the surface engineering of ITO, this crystalline ambiguity was eliminated and a sole crystal phase was obtained that was the same as in the powder state. The unified crystal structure and improved grain mosaicity resulted in a lower threshold voltage and, therefore, a higher ternary device yield. Our result demonstrated that PA modification also improved the memory performance of an asymmetric conjugated molecule with a side chain. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Comparison of the Frequency Response and Voltage Tuning Characteristics of a FFP and a MEMS Fiber Optic Tunable Filter

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-05-12

Structural Engineering, La Jolla, CA 92093 14. ABSTRACT Tunable optical filters based on a Fabry - Perot element are a critical component in many...wavelength based fiber optic sensor systems. This report compares the performance of two fiber-pigtailed tunable optical filters, the fiber Fabry - Perot (FFP...both filters suggests that they can operate at frequencies up to 20 kHz and possibly as high as 100 kHz. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Tunable Fabry - Perot filters

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.

Electrical Prototype Power Processor for the 30-cm Mercury electric propulsion engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biess, J. J.; Frye, R. J.

1978-01-01

An Electrical Prototpye Power Processor has been designed to the latest electrical and performance requirements for a flight-type 30-cm ion engine and includes all the necessary power, command, telemetry and control interfaces for a typical electric propulsion subsystem. The power processor was configured into seven separate mechanical modules that would allow subassembly fabrication, test and integration into a complete power processor unit assembly. The conceptual mechanical packaging of the electrical prototype power processor unit demonstrated the relative location of power, high voltage and control electronic components to minimize electrical interactions and to provide adequate thermal control in a vacuum environment. Thermal control was accomplished with a heat pipe simulator attached to the base of the modules.

Voltage directive drive with claw pole motor and control without rotor position indicator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroenisch, Volker Ewald

Design and testing of a voltage directive drive for synchronous variable speed claw pole motor and control without rotor position indicator is described. Economic analysis of the designed regulation is performed. Computations of stationary and dynamic behavior are given and experimental operational behavior is determined. The motors can be used for electric transportation vehicles, diesel motors, and electric railway engines.

Slim Battery Modelling Features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borthomieu, Y.; Prevot, D.

2011-10-01

Saft has developed a life prediction model for VES and MPS cells and batteries. The Saft Li-ion Model (SLIM) is a macroscopic electrochemical model based on energy (global at cell level). The main purpose is to predict the battery performances during the life for GEO, MEO and LEO missions. This model is based on electrochemical characteristics such as Energy, Capacity, EMF, Internal resistance, end of charge voltage. It uses fading and calendar law effects on energy and internal impedance vs. time, temperature, End of Charge voltage. Based on the mission profile, satellite power system characteristics, the model proposes the various battery configurations. For each configuration, the model gives the battery performances using mission figures and profiles: power, duration, DOD, end of charge voltages, temperatures during eclipses and solstices, thermal dissipations and cell failures. For the GEO/MEO missions, eclipse and solstice periods can include specific profile such as plasmic propulsion fires and specific balancing operations. For LEO missions, the model is able to simulate high power peaks to predict radar pulses. Saft's main customers have been using the SLIM model available in house for two years. The purpose is to have the satellite builder power engineers able to perform by themselves in the battery pre-dimensioning activities their own battery simulations. The simulations can be shared with Saft engineers to refine the power system designs. This model has been correlated with existing life and calendar tests performed on all the VES and MPS cells. In comparing with more than 10 year lasting life tests, the accuracy of the model from a voltage point of view is less than 10 mV at end Of Life. In addition, thethe comparison with in-orbit data has been also done. b This paper will present the main features of the SLIM software and outputs comparison with real life tests. b0

A Physics-Based Approach for Power Integrity in Multi-Layered PCBs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Biyao

Developing a power distribution network (PDN) for ASICs and ICs to achieve the low-voltage ripple specifications for current digital designs is challenging with the high-speed and low-voltage ICs. Present methods are typically guided by best engineering practices for low impedance looking into the PDN from the IC. A pre-layout design methodology for power integrity in multi-layered PCB PDN geometry is proposed in the thesis. The PCB PDN geometry is segmented into four parts and every part is modelled using different methods based on the geometry details of the part. Physics-based circuit models are built for every part and the four parts are re-assembled into one model. The influence of geometry details is clearly revealed in this methodology. Based on the physics-based circuit mode, the procedures of using the pre-layout design methodology as a guideline during the PDN design is illustrated. Some common used geometries are used to build design space, and the design curves with the geometry details are provided to be a look up library for engineering use. The pre-layout methodology is based on the resonant cavity model of parallel planes for the cavity structures, and parallel-plane PEEC (PPP) for the irregular shaped plane inductance, and PEEC for the decoupling capacitor connection above the top most or bottom most power-return planes. PCB PDN is analyzed based on the input impedance looking into the PCB from the IC. The pre-layout design methodology can be used to obtain the best possible PCB PDN design. With the switching current profile, the target impedance can be selected to evaluate the PDN performance, and the frequency domain PDN input impedance can be used to obtain the voltage ripple in the time domain to give intuitive insight of the geometry impact on the voltage ripple.

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...

Single crystal diamond membranes for nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Bray, Kerem; Kato, Hiromitsu; Previdi, Rodolfo; Sandstrom, Russell; Ganesan, Kumaravelu; Ogura, Masahiko; Makino, Toshiharu; Yamasaki, Satoshi; Magyar, Andrew P; Toth, Milos; Aharonovich, Igor

2018-02-22

Single crystal, nanoscale diamond membranes are highly sought after for a variety of applications including nanophotonics, nanoelectronics and quantum information science. However, so far, the availability of conductive diamond membranes has remained an unreachable goal. In this work we present a complete nanofabrication methodology for engineering high aspect ratio, electrically active single crystal diamond membranes. The membranes have large lateral directions, exceeding ∼500 × 500 μm 2 and are only several hundreds of nanometers thick. We further realize vertical single crystal p-n junctions made from the diamond membranes that exhibit onset voltages of ∼10 V and a current of several mA. Moreover, we deterministically introduce optically active color centers into the membranes, and demonstrate for the first time a single crystal nanoscale diamond LED. The robust and scalable approach to engineer the electrically active single crystal diamond membranes offers new pathways for advanced nanophotonic, nanoelectronic and optomechanical devices employing diamond.

The inevitable journey to being.

PubMed

Russell, Michael J; Nitschke, Wolfgang; Branscomb, Elbert

2013-07-19

Life is evolutionarily the most complex of the emergent symmetry-breaking, macroscopically organized dynamic structures in the Universe. Members of this cascading series of disequilibria-converting systems, or engines in Cottrell's terminology, become ever more complicated-more chemical and less physical-as each engine extracts, exploits and generates ever lower grades of energy and resources in the service of entropy generation. Each one of these engines emerges spontaneously from order created by a particular mother engine or engines, as the disequilibrated potential daughter is driven beyond a critical point. Exothermic serpentinization of ocean crust is life's mother engine. It drives alkaline hydrothermal convection and thereby the spontaneous production of precipitated submarine hydrothermal mounds. Here, the two chemical disequilibria directly causative in the emergence of life spontaneously arose across the mineral precipitate membranes separating the acidulous, nitrate-bearing CO2-rich, Hadean sea from the alkaline and CH4/H2-rich serpentinization-generated effluents. Essential redox gradients-involving hydrothermal CH4 and H2 as electron donors, CO2 and nitrate, nitrite, and ferric iron from the ambient ocean as acceptors-were imposed which functioned as the original 'carbon-fixing engine'. At the same time, a post-critical-point (milli)voltage pH potential (proton concentration gradient) drove the condensation of orthophosphate to produce a high energy currency: 'the pyrophosphatase engine'.

Single Phase Passive Rectification Versus Active Rectification Applied to High Power Stirling Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santiago, Walter; Birchenough, Arthur G.

2006-01-01

Stirling engine converters are being considered as potential candidates for high power energy conversion systems required by future NASA explorations missions. These types of engines typically contain two major moving parts, the displacer and the piston, in which a linear alternator is attached to the piston to produce a single phase sinusoidal waveform at a specific electric frequency. Since all Stirling engines perform at low electrical frequencies (less or equal to 100 Hz), space explorations missions that will employ these engines will be required to use DC power management and distribution (PMAD) system instead of an AC PMAD system to save on space and weight. Therefore, to supply such DC power an AC to DC converter is connected to the Stirling engine. There are two types of AC to DC converters that can be employed, a passive full bridge diode rectifier and an active switching full bridge rectifier. Due to the inherent line inductance of the Stirling Engine-Linear Alternator (SE-LA), their sinusoidal voltage and current will be phase shifted producing a power factor below 1. In order to keep power the factor close to unity, both AC to DC converters topologies will implement power factor correction. This paper discusses these power factor correction methods as well as their impact on overall mass for exploration applications. Simulation results on both AC to DC converters topologies with power factor correction as a function of output power and SE-LA line inductance impedance are presented and compared.

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

Soer, Wouter

LED luminaires have seen dramatic changes in cost breakdown over the past few years. The LED component cost, which until recently was the dominant portion of luminaire cost, has fallen to a level of the same order as the other luminaire components, such as the driver, housing, optics etc. With the current state of the technology, further luminaire performance improvement and cost reduction is realized most effectively by optimization of the whole system, rather than a single component. This project focuses on improving the integration between LEDs and drivers. Lumileds has developed a light engine platform based on low-cost high-powermore » LEDs and driver topologies optimized for integration with these LEDs on a single substrate. The integration of driver and LEDs enables an estimated luminaire cost reduction of about 25% for targeted applications, mostly due to significant reductions in driver and housing cost. The high-power LEDs are based on Lumileds’ patterned sapphire substrate flip-chip (PSS-FC) technology, affording reduced die fabrication and packaging cost compared to existing technology. Two general versions of PSS-FC die were developed in order to create the desired voltage and flux increments for driver integration: (i) small single-junction die (0.5 mm 2), optimal for distributed lighting applications, and (ii) larger multi-junction die (2 mm 2 and 4 mm 2) for high-power directional applications. Two driver topologies were developed: a tapped linear driver topology and a single-stage switch-mode topology, taking advantage of the flexible voltage configurations of the new PSS-FC die and the simplification opportunities enabled by integration of LEDs and driver on the same board. A prototype light engine was developed for an outdoor “core module” application based on the multi-junction PSS-FC die and the single-stage switch-mode driver. The light engine meets the project efficacy target of 128 lm/W at a luminous flux greater than 4100 lm, a correlated color temperature (CCT) of 4000K and a color rendering index (CRI) greater than 70.« less

Collection of ultrafine diesel particulate matter (DPM) in cylindrical single-stage wet electrostatic precipitators.

PubMed

Saiyasitpanich, Phirun; Keener, Tim C; Lu, Mingming; Khang, Soon-Jai; Evans, Douglas E

2006-12-15

Long-term exposures to diesel particulate matter (DPM) emissions are linked to increasing adverse human health effects due to the potential association of DPM with carcinogenicity. Current diesel vehicular particulate emission regulations are based solely upon total mass concentration, albeit it is the submicrometer particles that are highly respirable and the most detrimental to human health. In this study, experiments were performed with a tubular single-stage wet electrostatic precipitator (wESP) to evaluate its performance for the removal of number-based DPM emissions. A nonroad diesel generator utilizing a low sulfur diesel fuel (500 ppmw) operating under varying load conditions was used as a stationary DPM emission source. An electrical low-pressure impactor (ELPI) was used to quantify the number concentration distributions of diesel particles in the diluted exhaust gas at each tested condition. The wESP was evaluated with respect to different operational control parameters such as applied voltage, gas residence time, etc., to determine their effect on overall collection efficiency, as well as particle size dependent collection efficiency. The results show that the total DPM number concentrations in the untreated diesel exhaust are in the magnitude of approximately108/cm(3) at all engine loads with the particle diameter modes between 20 and 40 nm. The measured collection efficiency of the wESP operating at 70 kV based on total particle numbers was 86% at 0 kW engine load and the efficiency decreased to 67% at 75 kW due to a decrease in gas residence time and an increase in particle concentrations. At a constant wESP voltage of 70 kV and at 75 kW engine load, the variation of gas residence time within the wESP from approximately 0.1 to approximately 0.4 s led to a substantial increase in the collection efficiency from 67% to 96%. In addition, collection efficiency was found to be directly related to the applied voltage, with increasing collection efficiency measured for increases in applied voltage. The collection efficiency based on particle size had a minimum for sizes between 20 and 50 nm, but at optimal wESP operating conditions it was possible to remove over 90% of all particle sizes. A comparison of measured and calculated collection efficiencies reveals that the measured values are significantly higher than the predicted values based on the well-known Deutsch equation.

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

Low-Voltage High-Performance UV Photodetectors: An Interplay between Grain Boundaries and Debye Length.

PubMed

Bo, Renheng; Nasiri, Noushin; Chen, Hongjun; Caputo, Domenico; Fu, Lan; Tricoli, Antonio

2017-01-25

Accurate detection of UV light by wearable low-power devices has many important applications including environmental monitoring, space to space communication, and defense. Here, we report the structural engineering of ultraporous ZnO nanoparticle networks for fabrication of very low-voltage high-performance UV photodetectors. A record high photo- to dark-current ratio of 3.3 × 10 5 and detectivity of 3.2 × 10 12 Jones at an ultralow operation bias of 2 mV and low UV-light intensity of 86 μW·cm -2 are achieved by controlling the interplay between grain boundaries and surface depletion depth of ZnO nanoscale semiconductors. An optimal window of structural properties is determined by varying the particle size of ultraporous nanoparticle networks from 10 to 42 nm. We find that small electron-depleted nanoparticles (≤40 nm) are necessary to minimize the dark-current; however, the rise in photocurrent is tampered with decreasing particle size due to the increasing density of grain boundaries. These findings reveal that nanoparticles with a size close to twice their Debye length are required for high photo- to dark-current ratio and detectivity, while further decreasing their size decreases the photodetector performance.

High gain, low noise, fully complementary logic inverter based on bi-layer WSe{sub 2} field effect transistors

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

Das, Saptarshi; Roelofs, Andreas; Dubey, Madan

2014-08-25

In this article, first, we show that by contact work function engineering, electrostatic doping and proper scaling of both the oxide thickness and the flake thickness, high performance p- and n-type WSe{sub 2} field effect transistors (FETs) can be realized. We report record high drive current of 98 μA/μm for the electron conduction and 110 μA/μm for the hole conduction in Schottky barrier WSe{sub 2} FETs. Then, we combine high performance WSe{sub 2} PFET with WSe{sub 2} NFET in double gated transistor geometry to demonstrate a fully complementary logic inverter. We also show that by adjusting the threshold voltages for themore » NFET and the PFET, the gain and the noise margin of the inverter can be significantly enhanced. The maximum gain of our chemical doping free WSe{sub 2} inverter was found to be ∼25 and the noise margin was close to its ideal value of ∼2.5 V for a supply voltage of V{sub DD} = 5.0 V.« less

Melt Electrospinning Writing of Highly Ordered Large Volume Scaffold Architectures.

PubMed

Wunner, Felix M; Wille, Marie-Luise; Noonan, Thomas G; Bas, Onur; Dalton, Paul D; De-Juan-Pardo, Elena M; Hutmacher, Dietmar W

2018-05-01

The additive manufacturing of highly ordered, micrometer-scale scaffolds is at the forefront of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine research. The fabrication of scaffolds for the regeneration of larger tissue volumes, in particular, remains a major challenge. A technology at the convergence of additive manufacturing and electrospinning-melt electrospinning writing (MEW)-is also limited in thickness/volume due to the accumulation of excess charge from the deposited material repelling and hence, distorting scaffold architectures. The underlying physical principles are studied that constrain MEW of thick, large volume scaffolds. Through computational modeling, numerical values variable working distances are established respectively, which maintain the electrostatic force at a constant level during the printing process. Based on the computational simulations, three voltage profiles are applied to determine the maximum height (exceeding 7 mm) of a highly ordered large volume scaffold. These thick MEW scaffolds have fully interconnected pores and allow cells to migrate and proliferate. To the best of the authors knowledge, this is the first study to report that z-axis adjustment and increasing the voltage during the MEW process allows for the fabrication of high-volume scaffolds with uniform morphologies and fiber diameters. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

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.

Oxygen vacancy defect engineering using atomic layer deposited HfAlO{sub x} in multi-layered gate stack

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

Bhuyian, M. N., E-mail: mnb3@njit.edu; Misra, D.; Sengupta, R.

2016-05-02

This work evaluates the defects in high quality atomic layer deposited (ALD) HfAlO{sub x} with extremely low Al (<3% Al/(Al + Hf)) incorporation in the Hf based high-k dielectrics. The defect activation energy estimated by the high temperature current voltage measurement shows that the charged oxygen vacancies, V{sup +}/V{sup 2+}, are the primary source of defects in these dielectrics. When Al is added in HfO{sub 2}, the V{sup +} type defects with a defect activation energy of E{sub a} ∼ 0.2 eV modify to V{sup 2+} type to E{sub a} ∼ 0.1 eV with reference to the Si conduction band. When devices were stressedmore » in the gate injection mode for 1000 s, more V{sup +} type defects are generated and E{sub a} reverts back to ∼0.2 eV. Since Al has a less number of valence electrons than do Hf, the change in the co-ordination number due to Al incorporation seems to contribute to the defect level modifications. Additionally, the stress induced leakage current behavior observed at 20 °C and at 125 °C demonstrates that the addition of Al in HfO{sub 2} contributed to suppressed trap generation process. This further supports the defect engineering model as reduced flat-band voltage shifts were observed at 20 °C and at 125 °C.« less

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...

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...

Electronics from the Bottom up: Strategies for Teaching Nanoelectronics at the Undergraduate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaidyanathan, M.

2011-01-01

Nanoelectronics is an emerging area of electrical and computer engineering that deals with the current-voltage behavior of atomic-scale electronic devices. As the trend toward ever smaller devices continues, there is a need to update traditional undergraduate curricula to introduce electrical engineers to the fundamentals of the field. These…

Role of interference in the photosynthetic heat engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Y. Y.; Liu, J.

2014-11-01

The observation of quantum coherence in pigment-protein complexes has attracted considerable interest. One such endeavor entails applying a quantum heat engine to model the photosynthetic reaction center, but the definition of work used is inconsistent with that defined in quantum thermodynamics. Using the definition of work proposed in Weimer et al. [Europhys. Lett. 83, 30008 (2008), 10.1209/0295-5075/83/30008], we investigated two proposals for enhancing the performance of the photosynthetic reaction center. In proposal A, which is similar to that in Dorfman et al. [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 110, 2746 (2013), 10.1073/pnas.1212666110], we found that the power and current-voltage characteristic of the heat engine can be increased by Fano interference but the efficiency cannot. In proposal B, which is similar to that in Creatore et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 253601 (2013), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.253601], we found that the mechanism of strengthening the performance of the heat engine is invalid; i.e., the dipole-dipole interaction between two electron donors could not increase the power, efficiency, or current-voltage characteristic.

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.

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...

Modification of Ni-Rich FCG NMC and NCA Cathodes by Atomic Layer Deposition: Preventing Surface Phase Transitions for High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohanty, Debasish; Dahlberg, Kevin; King, David M.; David, Lamuel A.; Sefat, Athena S.; Wood, David L.; Daniel, Claus; Dhar, Subhash; Mahajan, Vishal; Lee, Myongjai; Albano, Fabio

2016-05-01

The energy density of current lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) based on layered LiMO2 cathodes (M = Ni, Mn, Co: NMC; M = Ni, Co, Al: NCA) needs to be improved significantly in order to compete with internal combustion engines and allow for widespread implementation of electric vehicles (EVs). In this report, we show that atomic layer deposition (ALD) of titania (TiO2) and alumina (Al2O3) on Ni-rich FCG NMC and NCA active material particles could substantially improve LIB performance and allow for increased upper cutoff voltage (UCV) during charging, which delivers significantly increased specific energy utilization. Our results show that Al2O3 coating improved the NMC cycling performance by 40% and the NCA cycling performance by 34% at 1 C/-1 C with respectively 4.35 V and 4.4 V UCV in 2 Ah pouch cells. High resolution TEM/SAED structural characterization revealed that Al2O3 coatings prevented surface-initiated layered-to-spinel phase transitions in coated materials which were prevalent in uncoated materials. EIS confirmed that Al2O3-coated materials had significantly lower increase in the charge transfer component of impedance during cycling. The ability to mitigate degradation mechanisms for Ni-rich NMC and NCA illustrated in this report provides insight into a method to enable the performance of high-voltage LIBs.

Modification of Ni-Rich FCG NMC and NCA Cathodes by Atomic Layer Deposition: Preventing Surface Phase Transitions for High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Batteries

PubMed Central

Mohanty, Debasish; Dahlberg, Kevin; King, David M.; David, Lamuel A.; Sefat, Athena S.; Wood, David L.; Daniel, Claus; Dhar, Subhash; Mahajan, Vishal; Lee, Myongjai; Albano, Fabio

2016-01-01

The energy density of current lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) based on layered LiMO2 cathodes (M = Ni, Mn, Co: NMC; M = Ni, Co, Al: NCA) needs to be improved significantly in order to compete with internal combustion engines and allow for widespread implementation of electric vehicles (EVs). In this report, we show that atomic layer deposition (ALD) of titania (TiO2) and alumina (Al2O3) on Ni-rich FCG NMC and NCA active material particles could substantially improve LIB performance and allow for increased upper cutoff voltage (UCV) during charging, which delivers significantly increased specific energy utilization. Our results show that Al2O3 coating improved the NMC cycling performance by 40% and the NCA cycling performance by 34% at 1 C/−1 C with respectively 4.35 V and 4.4 V UCV in 2 Ah pouch cells. High resolution TEM/SAED structural characterization revealed that Al2O3 coatings prevented surface-initiated layered-to-spinel phase transitions in coated materials which were prevalent in uncoated materials. EIS confirmed that Al2O3-coated materials had significantly lower increase in the charge transfer component of impedance during cycling. The ability to mitigate degradation mechanisms for Ni-rich NMC and NCA illustrated in this report provides insight into a method to enable the performance of high-voltage LIBs. PMID:27226071

Modification of Ni-Rich FCG NMC and NCA Cathodes by Atomic Layer Deposition: Preventing Surface Phase Transitions for High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Batteries

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

Mohanty, Debasish; Dahlberg, Kevin; King, David M.

2016-05-26

The energy density of current lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) based on layered LiMO 2 cathodes (M=Ni, Mn, Co: NMC; M=Ni, Co, Al: NCA) needs to be improved significantly in order to compete with internal combustion engines and allow for widespread implementation of electric vehicles (EVs). In this report, we show that atomic layer deposition (ALD) of titania (TiO 2) and alumina (Al 2O 3) on Ni-rich FCG NMC and NCA active material particles could substantially improve LIB performance and allow for increased upper cutoff voltage (UCV) during charging, which delivers significantly increased specific energy utilization. Our results show that Al2O3 coatingmore » improved the NMC cycling performance by 40% and the NCA cycling performance by 34% at 1C/₋1C with respectively 4.35V and 4.4V UCV in 2Ah pouch cells. High resolution TEM/SAED structural characterization revealed that Al 2O 3 coatings prevented surface-initiated layered-to-spinel phase transitions in coated materials which were prevalent in uncoated materials. Lastly, EIS confirmed that Al 2O 3-coated materials had significantly lower increase in the charge transfer component of impedance during cycling. In conclusion, the ability to mitigate degradation mechanisms for Ni-rich NMC and NCA illustrated in this report provides insight into a method to enable the performance of high-voltage LIBs.« less

Analytical model of threshold voltage degradation due to localized charges in gate material engineered Schottky barrier cylindrical GAA MOSFETs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Manoj; Haldar, Subhasis; Gupta, Mridula; Gupta, R. S.

2016-10-01

The threshold voltage degradation due to the hot carrier induced localized charges (LC) is a major reliability concern for nanoscale Schottky barrier (SB) cylindrical gate all around (GAA) metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). The degradation physics of gate material engineered (GME)-SB-GAA MOSFETs due to LC is still unexplored. An explicit threshold voltage degradation model for GME-SB-GAA-MOSFETs with the incorporation of localized charges (N it) is developed. To accurately model the threshold voltage the minimum channel carrier density has been taken into account. The model renders how +/- LC affects the device subthreshold performance. One-dimensional (1D) Poisson’s and 2D Laplace equations have been solved for two different regions (fresh and damaged) with two different gate metal work-functions. LCs are considered at the drain side with low gate metal work-function as N it is more vulnerable towards the drain. For the reduction of carrier mobility degradation, a lightly doped channel has been considered. The proposed model also includes the effect of barrier height lowering at the metal-semiconductor interface. The developed model results have been verified using numerical simulation data obtained by the ATLAS-3D device simulator and excellent agreement is observed between analytical and simulation results.

Preliminary Evaluation of a 10 kW Hall Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jankovsky, Robert S.; McLean, Chris; McVey, John

1999-01-01

A 10 kW Hall thruster was characterized over a range of discharge voltages from 300-500 V and a range of discharge currents from 15-23 A. This corresponds to power levels from a low of 4.6 kW to a high of 10.7 kW. Over this range of discharge powers, thrust varied from 278 mN to 524 mN, specific impulse ranged from 1644 to 2392 seconds, and efficiency peaked at approximately 59%. A continuous 40 hour test was also undertaken in an attempt to gain insight with regard to long term operation of the engine. For this portion of the testing the thruster was operated at a discharge voltage of 500 V and a discharge current of 20 A. Steady-state temperatures were achieved after 3-5 hrs and very little variation in performance was detected.

Development of Tunneling Spectroscopy Apparatus for Kelvin and Sub-Kelvin Measurements of Superconducting Energy Gaps by Multi-disciplinary students at a Liberal Arts University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckhardt, Matt

2014-03-01

Tunneling spectroscopy is an important technique used to measure the superconducting energy gap, a feature that is at the heart of the nature of superconductivity in various materials. In this presentation, we report the progress and results in developing high-resolution tunneling spectroscopy experimental platforms in a helium three cryostat, a 3 Kelvin cryocooler and a helium dip-tester. The experimental team working in a liberal arts university is a multi-disciplinary group consisting of one physics major, chemisty majors and a biology major. Students including non-physics majors learned and implemented current-voltage measurement techniques, vacuum system engineering, built electronic boxes and amplifier circuits from scratch, built custom multi-conductor cables for thermometry and current-voltage measurements, and performed conductance measurements. We report preliminary results. Acknowledgments: We acknowledge support from National Science Foundation Grant # DMR-1206561.

EDMOS in ultrathin FDSOI: Impact of the drift region properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litty, Antoine; Ortolland, Sylvie; Golanski, Dominique; Dutto, Christian; Cristoloveanu, Sorin

2016-11-01

The development of high-voltage MOSFET (HVMOS) is necessary for including power management or radiofrequency functionalities in CMOS technology. In this paper, we investigate the fabrication and optimization of an Extended Drain MOSFET (EDMOS) directly integrated in the ultra-thin SOI film (7 nm) of the 28 nm FDSOI CMOS technology node. Thanks to TCAD simulations, we analyse in detail the device behaviour as a function of the doping level and length of the drift region. The influence of the back-plane doping type and of the back-biasing schemes is discussed. DC measurements of fabricated EDMOS samples reveal promising performances in particular in terms of specific on-resistance versus breakdown voltage trade-off. The experimental results indicate that, even in an ultrathin film, the engineering of the drift region could be a lever to obtain integrated HVMOS (3.3-5 V).

Low power arcjet performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curran, Francis M.; Sarmiento, Charles J.

1990-01-01

An experimental investigation was performed to evaluate arc jet operation at low power. A standard, 1 kW, constricted arc jet was run using nozzles with three different constrictor diameters. Each nozzle was run over a range of current and mass flow rates to explore stability and performance in the low power engine. A standard pulse-width modulated power processor was modified to accommodate the high operating voltages required under certain conditions. Stable, reliable operation at power levels below 0.5 kW was obtained at efficiencies between 30 and 40 percent. The operating range was found to be somewhat dependent on constrictor geometry at low mass flow rates. Quasi-periodic voltage fluctuations were observed at the low power end of the operating envelope, The nozzle insert geometry was found to have little effect on the performance of the device. The observed performance levels show that specific impulse levels above 350 seconds can be obtained at the 0.5 kW power level.

Spin-transfer torque in multiferroic tunnel junctions with composite dielectric/ferroelectric barriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velev, Julian P.; Merodio, Pablo; Pollack, Cesar; Kalitsov, Alan; Chshiev, Mairbek; Kioussis, Nicholas

2017-12-01

Using model calculations, we demonstrate a very high level of control of the spin-transfer torque (STT) by electric field in multiferroic tunnel junctions with composite dielectric/ferroelectric barriers. We find that, for particular device parameters, toggling the polarization direction can switch the voltage-induced part of STT between a finite value and a value close to zero, i.e. quench and release the torque. Additionally, we demonstrate that under certain conditions the zero-voltage STT, i.e. the interlayer exchange coupling, can switch sign with polarization reversal, which is equivalent to reversing the magnetic ground state of the tunnel junction. This bias- and polarization-tunability of the STT could be exploited to engineer novel functionalities such as softening/hardening of the bit or increasing the signal-to-noise ratio in magnetic sensors, which can have important implications for magnetic random access memories or for combined memory and logic devices.

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

Stress-Dependent Voltage Offsets From Polymer Insulators Used in Rock Mechanics and Material Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carlson, G. G.; Dahlgren, Robert; Gray, Amber; Vanderbilt, V. C.; Freund, F.; Johnston, M. J.; Dunson, C.

2013-01-01

Dielectric insulators are used in a variety of laboratory settings when performing experiments in rock mechanics, petrology, and electromagnetic studies of rocks in the fields of geophysics,material science, and civil engineering. These components may be used to electrically isolate geological samples from the experimental equipment, to perform a mechanical compliance function between brittle samples and the loading equipment, to match ultrasonic transducers, or perform other functions. In manyexperimental configurations the insulators bear the full brunt of force applied to the sample but do not need to withstand high voltages, therefore the insulators are often thin sheets of mechanically tough polymers. From an instrument perspective, transduction from various types of mechanical perturbation has beenqualitatively compared for a number of polymers [1, 2] and these error sources are readily apparent duringhigh-impedance measurements if not mitigated. However even when following best practices, a force dependent voltage signal still remains and its behavior is explored in this presentation. In this experimenttwo thin sheets (0.25 mm) of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were set up in a stack, held alternatelybetween three aluminum bars; this stack was placed on the platen of a 60T capacity hydraulic testingmachine. The surface area, A, over which the force is applied to the PE sheets in this sandwich is roughly 40 square cm, each sheet forming a parallel-plate capacitor having roughly 320 pF [3], assuming therelative dielectric permittivity of PE is approximately 2.3. The outer two aluminum bars were connected to the LO input ofthe electrometer and the central aluminum bar was connected to the HI input of a Keithley model 617 electrometer. Once the stack is mechanically well-seated with no air gaps, the voltage offset is observed tobe a linear function of the baseline voltage for a given change in applied force. For a periodically appliedforce of 66.7 kN the voltage offsets were measured as a function of initial voltage, and these data were fitwith a linear function that was constrained to pass through the origin. The best fit solution had a correlation coefficient of R=0.85 and a slope of approximately -0.0228 volts/volt. The voltage offset when normalizedis demonstrated to be constant -2.28% for both positive and negative polarities over nearly 3 orders ofbaseline voltage magnitude. From this, the voltage-force coefficient is derived to be -0.34 ppm/N. Thiscorrelates well to a first-order parallel plate capacitor model that assumes constant area, and smalldeformation such that the polymer may be mechanically modeled by a spring that obeys Hookes law. Thissimple model predicts that the coefficient of proportionality is a function of Youngs modulus E= 0.8 GPaand surface area of the insulator, theoretically -1EA= -0.31 ppm/N. The outcome of this work is animproved insulator made from ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene and other approachestoward the minimization of and compensation for these experimental artifacts.

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).

High voltage variable diameter insulator

DOEpatents

Vanacek, D.L.; Pike, C.D.

1982-07-13

A high voltage feedthrough assembly having a tubular insulator extending between the ground plane ring and the high voltage ring. The insulator is made of Pyrex and decreases in diameter from the ground plane ring to the high voltage ring, producing equipotential lines almost perpendicular to the wall of the insulator to optimize the voltage-holding capability of the feedthrough assembly.

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...

Transient Response of a Second Order System Using State Variables.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LePage, Wilbur R.

This programed booklet is designed for the engineering student who is familiar with the techniques of integral calculus and electrical networks. The booklet teaches how to determine the current and voltages across a resistor, inductor, and capacitor after the switch in a network has been closed. This is a classical problem in engineering, the…

Electrical distribution studies for the 200 Area tank farms

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

Fisler, J.B.

1994-08-26

This is an engineering study providing reliability numbers for various design configurations as well as computer analyses (Captor/Dapper) of the existing distribution system to the 480V side of the unit substations. The objective of the study was to assure the adequacy of the existing electrical system components from the connection at the high voltage supply point through the transformation and distribution equipment to the point where it is reduced to its useful voltage level. It also was to evaluate the reasonableness of proposed solutions of identified deficiencies and recommendations of possible alternate solutions. The electrical utilities are normally considered themore » most vital of the utility systems on a site because all other utility systems depend on electrical power. The system accepts electric power from the external sources, reduces it to a lower voltage, and distributes it to end-use points throughout the site. By classic definition, all utility systems extend to a point 5 feet from the facility perimeter. An exception is made to this definition for the electric utilities at this site. The electrical Utility System ends at the low voltage section of the unit substation, which reduces the voltage from 13.8 kV to 2,400, 480, 277/480 or 120/208 volts. These transformers are located at various distances from existing facilities. The adequacy of the distribution system which transports the power from the main substation to the individual area substations and other load centers is evaluated and factored into the impact of the future load forecast.« less

Superconducting-circuit quantum heat engine with frequency resolved thermal baths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofer, Patrick P.; Souquet, Jean-René; Clerk, Aashish A.

The study of quantum heat engines promises to unravel deep, fundamental concepts in quantum thermodynamics. With this in mind, we propose a novel, realistic device that efficiently converts heat into work while maintaining reasonably large output powers. The key concept in our proposal is a highly peaked spectral density in both the thermal baths as well as the working fluid. This allows for a complete separation of the heat current from the working fluid. In our setup, Cooper pairs tunnelling across a Josephson junction serve as the the working fluid, while two resonant cavities coupled to the junction act as frequency-resolved thermal baths. The device is operated such that a heat flux carried entirely by the photons induces an electrical current against a voltage bias, providing work.

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.

Conceptual definition of a high voltage power supply test facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biess, John J.; Chu, Teh-Ming; Stevens, N. John

1989-01-01

NASA Lewis Research Center is presently developing a 60 GHz traveling wave tube for satellite cross-link communications. The operating voltage for this new tube is - 20 kV. There is concern about the high voltage insulation system and NASA is planning a space station high voltage experiment that will demonstrate both the 60 GHz communications and high voltage electronics technology. The experiment interfaces, requirements, conceptual design, technology issues and safety issues are determined. A block diagram of the high voltage power supply test facility was generated. It includes the high voltage power supply, the 60 GHz traveling wave tube, the communications package, the antenna package, a high voltage diagnostics package and a command and data processor system. The interfaces with the space station and the attached payload accommodations equipment were determined. A brief description of the different subsystems and a discussion of the technology development needs are presented.

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.

Deterministic Line-Shape Programming of Silicon Nanowires for Extremely Stretchable Springs and Electronics.

PubMed

Xue, Zhaoguo; Sun, Mei; Dong, Taige; Tang, Zhiqiang; Zhao, Yaolong; Wang, Junzhuan; Wei, Xianlong; Yu, Linwei; Chen, Qing; Xu, Jun; Shi, Yi; Chen, Kunji; Roca I Cabarrocas, Pere

2017-12-13

Line-shape engineering is a key strategy to endow extra stretchability to 1D silicon nanowires (SiNWs) grown with self-assembly processes. We here demonstrate a deterministic line-shape programming of in-plane SiNWs into extremely stretchable springs or arbitrary 2D patterns with the aid of indium droplets that absorb amorphous Si precursor thin film to produce ultralong c-Si NWs along programmed step edges. A reliable and faithful single run growth of c-SiNWs over turning tracks with different local curvatures has been established, while high resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals a high quality monolike crystallinity in the line-shaped engineered SiNW springs. Excitingly, in situ scanning electron microscopy stretching and current-voltage characterizations also demonstrate a superelastic and robust electric transport carried by the SiNW springs even under large stretching of more than 200%. We suggest that this highly reliable line-shape programming approach holds a strong promise to extend the mature c-Si technology into the development of a new generation of high performance biofriendly and stretchable electronics.

Test Results from a High Power Linear Alternator Test Rig

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birchenough, Arthur G.; Hervol, David S.; Gardner, Brent G.

2010-01-01

Stirling cycle power conversion is an enabling technology that provides high thermodynamic efficiency but also presents unique challenges with regard to electrical power generation, management, and distribution. The High Power Linear Alternator Test Rig (HPLATR) located at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, OH is a demonstration test bed that simulates electrical power generation from a Stirling engine driven alternator. It implements the high power electronics necessary to provide a well regulated DC user load bus. These power electronics use a novel design solution that includes active rectification and power factor control, active ripple suppression, along with a unique building block approach that permits the use of high voltage or high current alternator designs. This presentation describes the HPLATR, the test program, and the operational results.

Test Results From a High Power Linear Alternator Test Rig

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birchenough, Arthur G.; Hervol, David S.; Gardner, Brent G.

2010-01-01

Stirling cycle power conversion is an enabling technology that provides high thermodynamic efficiency but also presents unique challenges with regard to electrical power generation, management, and distribution. The High Power Linear Alternator Test Rig (HPLATR) located at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio is a demonstration test bed that simulates electrical power generation from a Stirling engine driven alternator. It implements the high power electronics necessary to provide a well regulated DC user load bus. These power electronics use a novel design solution that includes active rectification and power factor control, active ripple suppression, along with a unique building block approach that permits the use of high voltage or high current alternator designs. This report describes the HPLATR, the test program, and the operational results.

Enhanced low current, voltage, and power dissipation measurements via Arduino Uno microcontroller with modified commercially available sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanner, Meghan; Eckel, Ryan; Senevirathne, Indrajith

The versatility, simplicity, and robustness of Arduino microcontroller architecture have won a huge following with increasingly serious engineering and physical science applications. Arduino microcontroller environment coupled with commercially available sensors have been used to systematically measure, record, and analyze low currents, low voltages and corresponding dissipated power for assessing secondary physical properties in a diverse array of engineering systems. Setup was assembled via breadboard, wire, and simple soldering with an Arduino Uno with ATmega328P microcontroller connected to a PC. The microcontroller was programmed with Arduino Software while the bootloader was used to upload the code. Commercial Hall effect current sensor modules ACS712 and INA169 current shunt monitor was used to measure corresponding low to ultra-low currents and voltages. Stable measurement data was obtained via sensors and compared with corresponding oscilloscope measurements to assess reliability and uncertainty. Sensor breakout boards were modified to enhance the sensitivity of the measurements and to expand the applicability. Discussion of these measurements will focus on capabilities, capacities and limitations of the systems with examples of possible applications. Lock Haven Nanotechnology Program.

A High-Voltage Molecular-Engineered Organic Sensitizer-Iron Redox Shuttle Pair: 1.4 V DSSC and 3.3 V SSM-DSSC Devices.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Roberta R; Cheema, Hammad; Delcamp, Jared H

2018-05-04

The development of high voltage solar cells is an attractive way to use sunlight for solar-to-fuel devices, multijunction solar-to-electric systems, and to power limited-area consumer electronics. By designing a low-oxidation-potential organic dye (RR9)/redox shuttle (Fe(bpy) 3 3+/2+ ) pair for dye-sensitized solar-cell (DSSC) devices, the highest single device photovoltage (1.42 V) has been realized for a DSSC not relying on doped TiO 2 . Additionally, Fe(bpy) 3 3+/2+ offers a robust, readily tunable ligand platform for redox potential tuning. RR9 can be regenerated with a low driving force (190 mV), and by utilizing the RR9/Fe(bpy) 3 3+/2+ redox shuttle pair in a subcell for a sequential series multijunction (SSM)-DSSC system, one of the highest known three subcell photovoltage was attained for any solar-cell technology (3.34 V, >1.0 V per subcell). © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electrical Characteristics of WSi2 Nanocrystal Capacitors with Barrier-Engineered High-k Tunnel Layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hyo Jun; Lee, Dong Uk; Kim, Eun Kyu; You, Hee-Wook; Cho, Won-Ju

2011-06-01

Nanocrystal-floating gate capacitors with WSi2 nanocrystals and high-k tunnel layers were fabricated to improve the electrical properties such as retention, programming/erasing speed, and endurance. The WSi2 nanocrystals were distributed uniformly between the tunnel and control gate oxide layers. The electrical performance of the tunnel barrier with the SiO2/HfO2/Al2O3 (2/1/3 nm) (OHA) tunnel layer appeared to be better than that with the Al2O3/HfO2/Al2O3 (2/1/3 nm) (AHA) tunnel layer. When ΔVFB is about 1 V after applying voltage at ±8 V, the programming/erasing speeds of AHA and OHA tunnel layers are 300 ms and 500 µs, respectively. In particular, the device with WSi2 nanocrystals and the OHA tunnel barrier showed a large memory window of about 7.76 V when the voltage swept from 10 to -10 V, and it was maintained at about 2.77 V after 104 cycles.

Analysis of a novel autonomous marine hybrid power generation/energy storage system with a high-voltage direct current link

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Li; Lee, Dong-Jing; Lee, Wei-Jen; Chen, Zhe

This paper presents both time-domain and frequency-domain simulated results of a novel marine hybrid renewable-energy power generation/energy storage system (PG/ESS) feeding isolated loads through an high-voltage direct current (HVDC) link. The studied marine PG subsystems comprise both offshore wind turbines and Wells turbines to respectively capture wind energy and wave energy from marine wind and ocean wave. In addition to wind-turbine generators (WTGs) and wave-energy turbine generators (WETGs) employed in the studied system, diesel-engine generators (DEGs) and an aqua electrolyzer (AE) absorbing a part of generated energy from WTGs and WETGs to generate available hydrogen for fuel cells (FCs) are also included in the PG subsystems. The ES subsystems consist of a flywheel energy storage system (FESS) and a compressed air energy storage (CAES) system to balance the required energy in the hybrid PG/ESS. It can be concluded from the simulation results that the proposed hybrid marine PG/ESS feeding isolated loads can stably operate to achieve system power-frequency balance condition.

Power transmission studies for tethered SP-100

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bents, David J.

1988-01-01

The tether and/or transmission line connecting the SP-100 to space station presents some unorthodox challenges in high voltage engineering, power transmission, and distribution. The line, which doubles as a structural element of this unusual spacecraft, will convey HVDC from SP-100 to the platform in low Earth orbit, and environment where the local plasma is sufficient to cause breakdown of exposed conductors at potentials of only a few hundred volts. Its anticipated several years operation, and continuously accumulating exposure to meteoroids and debris, raises an increasing likelihood that mechanical damage, including perforation, will be sustained in service. The present concept employs an array of gas insulated solid wall aluminum coaxial tubes; a conceptual design which showed basic feasibility of the SP-100 powered space station. Practical considerations of launch, deployment and assembly have lead to investigation of reel deployable, dielectric insulated coaxial cables. To be competitive, the dielectric would have to operate reliably in a radiation environment under electrical stresses exceeding 50 kV/cm. The SP-100 transmission line high voltage interfaces are also considered.

Power transmission studies for tethered SP-100

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bents, David J.

1988-01-01

The tether and/or transmission line connecting the SP-100 to Space Station presents some unorthodox challenges in high voltage engineering, power transmission, and distribution. The line, which doubles as a structural element of this unusual spacecraft, will convey HVDC from SP-100 to the platform in low Earth orbit, and environment where the local plasma is sufficient to cause breakdown of exposed conductors at potentials of only a few hundred volts. Its anticipated several years operation, and continuously accumulating exposure to meteoroids and debris, raises an increasing likelihood that mechanical damage, including perforation, will be sustained in service. The present concept employs an array of gas insulated solid wall aluminum coaxial tubes; a conceptual design which showed basic feasibility of the SP-100 powered Space Station. Practical considerations of launch, deployment and assembly have led to investigation of reel deployable, dielectric insulated coaxial cables. To be competitive, the dielectric would have to operate reliably in a radiation environment under electrical stresses exceeding 50 kV/cm. The SP-100 transmission line high voltage interfaces are also considered.

Hybrid electric vehicle power management system

DOEpatents

Bissontz, Jay E.

2015-08-25

Level voltage levels/states of charge are maintained among a plurality of high voltage DC electrical storage devices/traction battery packs that are arrayed in series to support operation of a hybrid electric vehicle drive train. Each high voltage DC electrical storage device supports a high voltage power bus, to which at least one controllable load is connected, and at least a first lower voltage level electrical distribution system. The rate of power transfer from the high voltage DC electrical storage devices to the at least first lower voltage electrical distribution system is controlled by DC-DC converters.

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

Zhang, Z. D.; Wang, J.; Department of Chemistry, SUNY Stony Brook, New York 11794

We established a theoretical framework in terms of the curl flux, population landscape, and coherence for non-equilibrium quantum systems at steady state, through exploring the energy and charge transport in molecular processes. The curl quantum flux plays the key role in determining transport properties and the system reaches equilibrium when flux vanishes. The novel curl quantum flux reflects the degree of non-equilibriumness and the time-irreversibility. We found an analytical expression for the quantum flux and its relationship to the environmental pumping (non-equilibriumness quantified by the voltage away from the equilibrium) and the quantum tunneling. Furthermore, we investigated another quantum signature,more » the coherence, quantitatively measured by the non-zero off diagonal element of the density matrix. Populations of states give the probabilities of individual states and therefore quantify the population landscape. Both curl flux and coherence depend on steady state population landscape. Besides the environment-assistance which can give dramatic enhancement of coherence and quantum flux with high voltage at a fixed tunneling strength, the quantum flux is promoted by the coherence in the regime of small tunneling while reduced by the coherence in the regime of large tunneling, due to the non-monotonic relationship between the coherence and tunneling. This is in contrast to the previously found linear relationship. For the systems coupled to bosonic (photonic and phononic) reservoirs the flux is significantly promoted at large voltage while for fermionic (electronic) reservoirs the flux reaches a saturation after a significant enhancement at large voltage due to the Pauli exclusion principle. In view of the system as a quantum heat engine, we studied the non-equilibrium thermodynamics and established the analytical connections of curl quantum flux to the transport quantities such as energy (charge) transfer efficiency, chemical reaction efficiency, energy dissipation, heat and electric currents observed in the experiments. We observed a perfect transfer efficiency in chemical reactions at high voltage (chemical potential difference). Our theoretical predicted behavior of the electric current with respect to the voltage is in good agreements with the recent experiments on electron transfer in single molecules.« less

High-voltage, high-current, solid-state closing switch

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

Focia, Ronald Jeffrey

2017-08-22

A high-voltage, high-current, solid-state closing switch uses a field-effect transistor (e.g., a MOSFET) to trigger a high-voltage stack of thyristors. The switch can have a high hold-off voltage, high current carrying capacity, and high time-rate-of-change of current, di/dt. The fast closing switch can be used in pulsed power applications.

Scaling of induction-cell transverse impedance: effect on accelerator design

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

Ekdahl, Carl August

2016-08-09

The strength of the dangerous beam breakup (BBU) instability in linear induction accelerators (LIAs) is characterized by the transverse coupling impedance Z ⊥. This note addresses the dimensional scaling of Z ⊥, which is important when comparing new LIA designs to existing accelerators with known i BBU growth. Moreover, it is shown that the scaling of Z ⊥ with the accelerating gap size relates BBU growth directly to high-voltage engineering considerations. It is proposed to firmly establish this scaling though a series of AMOS calculations.

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

PubMed Central

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

2012-01-01

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

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

PubMed

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

2012-01-01

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

Development of 8-hydroxyquinoline metal based organic light-emitting diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xiaodong

Because of its potential application for flat panel displays, solid-state lighting and 1.5 mum emitter for fiber optical communications, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been intensively researched. One of the major problems with current OLED technology relates to inefficient electron injection at the cathode interface, which causes high driving voltage and poor device stability. Making a low resistance cathode contact for electron injection is critical to device performance. This work mainly focuses on cathode interface design and engineering. The Ohmic contact using a structure of C60/LiF/Al has been developed in electron only devices. It is found that application of the C60/LiF/Al contact to Alq based OLEDs leads to a dramatic reduction in driving voltages, a significant improvement in power efficiency, and a much slower aging process. A new cathode structure based on metal-organic-metal (MOM) tri-layer films has been developed. It is found that MOM cathodes reduce reflection by deconstructive optical interference from two metal films. The absolute reflectance from the MOM tr-ilayer films can be reduced to as low as 7% in the visible light spectrum. In actual working devices, the reflectance can be reduced from ˜80% to ˜20%. MOM cathodes provide a potential low-cost solution for high contrast full-color OLED displays. Low voltage Erq based OLEDs at 1.5 mum emission have been developed. The Erq/Ag cathode interface has been found to be efficient for electron injection. Dramatic improvement in driving voltage and power efficiency has been realized by implementing Bphen and C60 into Erq devices as an electron transport layer. Integration of Erq devices on Si wafers has also been demonstrated.

The harmonic impact of electric vehicle battery charging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Staats, Preston Trent

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

A High-Voltage SOI CMOS Exciter Chip for a Programmable Fluidic Processor System.

PubMed

Current, K W; Yuk, K; McConaghy, C; Gascoyne, P R C; Schwartz, J A; Vykoukal, J V; Andrews, C

2007-06-01

A high-voltage (HV) integrated circuit has been demonstrated to transport fluidic droplet samples on programmable paths across the array of driving electrodes on its hydrophobically coated surface. This exciter chip is the engine for dielectrophoresis (DEP)-based micro-fluidic lab-on-a-chip systems, creating field excitations that inject and move fluidic droplets onto and about the manipulation surface. The architecture of this chip is expandable to arrays of N X N identical HV electrode driver circuits and electrodes. The exciter chip is programmable in several senses. The routes of multiple droplets may be set arbitrarily within the bounds of the electrode array. The electrode excitation waveform voltage amplitude, phase, and frequency may be adjusted based on the system configuration and the signal required to manipulate a particular fluid droplet composition. The voltage amplitude of the electrode excitation waveform can be set from the minimum logic level up to the maximum limit of the breakdown voltage of the fabrication technology. The frequency of the electrode excitation waveform can also be set independently of its voltage, up to a maximum depending upon the type of droplets that must be driven. The exciter chip can be coated and its oxide surface used as the droplet manipulation surface or it can be used with a top-mounted, enclosed fluidic chamber consisting of a variety of materials. The HV capability of the exciter chip allows the generated DEP forces to penetrate into the enclosed chamber region and an adjustable voltage amplitude can accommodate a variety of chamber floor thicknesses. This demonstration exciter chip has a 32 x 32 array of nominally 100 V electrode drivers that are individually programmable at each time point in the procedure to either of two phases: 0deg and 180deg with respect to the reference clock. For this demonstration chip, while operating the electrodes with a 100-V peak-to-peak periodic waveform, the maximum HV electrode waveform frequency is about 200 Hz; and standard 5-V CMOS logic data communication rate is variable up to 250 kHz. This HV demonstration chip is fabricated in a 130-V 1.0-mum SOI CMOS fabrication technology, dissipates a maximum of 1.87 W, and is about 10.4 mm x 8.2 mm.

A Novel Series Connected Batteries State of High Voltage Safety Monitor System for Electric Vehicle Application

PubMed Central

Jiaxi, Qiang; Lin, Yang; Jianhui, He; Qisheng, Zhou

2013-01-01

Batteries, as the main or assistant power source of EV (Electric Vehicle), are usually connected in series with high voltage to improve the drivability and energy efficiency. Today, more and more batteries are connected in series with high voltage, if there is any fault in high voltage system (HVS), the consequence is serious and dangerous. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the electric parameters of HVS to ensure the high voltage safety and protect personal safety. In this study, a high voltage safety monitor system is developed to solve this critical issue. Four key electric parameters including precharge, contact resistance, insulation resistance, and remaining capacity are monitored and analyzed based on the equivalent models presented in this study. The high voltage safety controller which integrates the equivalent models and control strategy is developed. By the help of hardware-in-loop system, the equivalent models integrated in the high voltage safety controller are validated, and the online electric parameters monitor strategy is analyzed and discussed. The test results indicate that the high voltage safety monitor system designed in this paper is suitable for EV application. PMID:24194677

A novel series connected batteries state of high voltage safety monitor system for electric vehicle application.

PubMed

Jiaxi, Qiang; Lin, Yang; Jianhui, He; Qisheng, Zhou

2013-01-01

Batteries, as the main or assistant power source of EV (Electric Vehicle), are usually connected in series with high voltage to improve the drivability and energy efficiency. Today, more and more batteries are connected in series with high voltage, if there is any fault in high voltage system (HVS), the consequence is serious and dangerous. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the electric parameters of HVS to ensure the high voltage safety and protect personal safety. In this study, a high voltage safety monitor system is developed to solve this critical issue. Four key electric parameters including precharge, contact resistance, insulation resistance, and remaining capacity are monitored and analyzed based on the equivalent models presented in this study. The high voltage safety controller which integrates the equivalent models and control strategy is developed. By the help of hardware-in-loop system, the equivalent models integrated in the high voltage safety controller are validated, and the online electric parameters monitor strategy is analyzed and discussed. The test results indicate that the high voltage safety monitor system designed in this paper is suitable for EV application.

High voltage variable diameter insulator

DOEpatents

Vanecek, David L.; Pike, Chester D.

1984-01-01

A high voltage feedthrough assembly (10) having a tubular insulator (15) extending between the ground plane ring (16) and the high voltage ring (30). The insulator (15) is made of Pyrex and decreases in diameter from the ground plane ring (16) to the high voltage ring (30), producing equipotential lines almost perpendicular to the wall (27) of the insulator (15) to optimize the voltage-holding capability of the feedthrough assembly (10).

The inevitable journey to being

PubMed Central

Russell, Michael J.; Nitschke, Wolfgang; Branscomb, Elbert

2013-01-01

Life is evolutionarily the most complex of the emergent symmetry-breaking, macroscopically organized dynamic structures in the Universe. Members of this cascading series of disequilibria-converting systems, or engines in Cottrell's terminology, become ever more complicated—more chemical and less physical—as each engine extracts, exploits and generates ever lower grades of energy and resources in the service of entropy generation. Each one of these engines emerges spontaneously from order created by a particular mother engine or engines, as the disequilibrated potential daughter is driven beyond a critical point. Exothermic serpentinization of ocean crust is life's mother engine. It drives alkaline hydrothermal convection and thereby the spontaneous production of precipitated submarine hydrothermal mounds. Here, the two chemical disequilibria directly causative in the emergence of life spontaneously arose across the mineral precipitate membranes separating the acidulous, nitrate-bearing CO2-rich, Hadean sea from the alkaline and CH4/H2-rich serpentinization-generated effluents. Essential redox gradients—involving hydrothermal CH4 and H2 as electron donors, CO2 and nitrate, nitrite, and ferric iron from the ambient ocean as acceptors—were imposed which functioned as the original ‘carbon-fixing engine’. At the same time, a post-critical-point (milli)voltage pH potential (proton concentration gradient) drove the condensation of orthophosphate to produce a high energy currency: ‘the pyrophosphatase engine’. PMID:23754808

Through thick and thin: tuning the threshold voltage in organic field-effect transistors.

PubMed

Martínez Hardigree, Josué F; Katz, Howard E

2014-04-15

Organic semiconductors (OSCs) constitute a class of organic materials containing densely packed, overlapping conjugated molecular moieties that enable charge carrier transport. Their unique optical, electrical, and magnetic properties have been investigated for use in next-generation electronic devices, from roll-up displays and radiofrequency identification (RFID) to biological sensors. The organic field-effect transistor (OFET) is the key active element for many of these applications, but the high values, poor definition, and long-term instability of the threshold voltage (V(T)) in OFETs remain barriers to realization of their full potential because the power and control circuitry necessary to compensate for overvoltages and drifting set points decrease OFET practicality. The drifting phenomenon has been widely observed and generally termed "bias stress." Research on the mechanisms responsible for this poor V(T) control has revealed a strong dependence on the physical order and chemical makeup of the interfaces between OSCs and adjacent materials in the OFET architecture. In this Account, we review the state of the art for tuning OFET performance via chemical designs and physical processes that manipulate V(T). This parameter gets to the heart of OFET operation, as it determines the voltage regimes where OFETs are either ON or OFF, the basis for the logical function of the devices. One obvious way to decrease the magnitude and variability of V(T) is to work with thinner and higher permittivity gate dielectrics. From the perspective of interfacial engineering, we evaluate various methods that we and others have developed, from electrostatic poling of gate dielectrics to molecular design of substituted alkyl chains. Corona charging of dielectric surfaces, a method for charging the surface of an insulating material using a constant high-voltage field, is a brute force means of shifting the effective gate voltage applied to a gate dielectric. A gentler and more direct method is to apply surface voltage to dielectric interfaces by direct contact or postprocess biasing; these methods could also be adapted for high throughput printing sequences. Dielectric hydrophobicity is an important chemical property determining the stability of the surface charges. Functional organic monolayers applied to dielectrics, using the surface attachment chemistry made available from "self-assembled" monolayer chemistry, provide local electric fields without any biasing process at all. To the extent that the monolayer molecules can be printed, these are also suitable for high throughput processes. Finally, we briefly consider V(T) control in the context of device integration and reliability, such as the role of contact resistance in affecting this parameter.

The PIT MkV pulsed inductive thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dailey, C. Lee; Lovberg, Ralph H.

1993-01-01

The pulsed inductive thruster (PIT) is an electrodeless, magnetic rocket engine that can operate with any gaseous propellant. A puff of gas injected against the face of a flat (spiral) coil is ionized and ejected by the magnetic field of a fast-rising current pulse from a capacitor bank discharge. Single shot operation on an impulse balance has provided efficiency and I(sub sp) data that characterize operation at any power level (pulse rate). The 1-m diameter MkV thruster concept offers low estimated engine mass at low powers, together with power capability up to more than 1 MW for the 1-m diameter design. A 20 kW design estimate indicates specific mass comparable to Ion Engine specific mass for 10,000 hour operation, while a 100,000 hour design would have a specific mass 1/3 that of the Ion Engine. Performance data are reported for ammonia and hydrazine. With ammonia, at 32 KV coil voltage, efficiency is a little more than 50 percent from 4000 to more than 8000 seconds I(sub sp). Comparison with data at 24 and 28 kV indicates that a wider I(sub sp) range could be achieved at higher coil voltages, if required for deep space missions.

Influence of Wire Electrical Discharge Machining (WEDM) process parameters on surface roughness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeakub Ali, Mohammad; Banu, Asfana; Abu Bakar, Mazilah

2018-01-01

In obtaining the best quality of engineering components, the quality of machined parts surface plays an important role. It improves the fatigue strength, wear resistance, and corrosion of workpiece. This paper investigates the effects of wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process parameters on surface roughness of stainless steel using distilled water as dielectric fluid and brass wire as tool electrode. The parameters selected are voltage open, wire speed, wire tension, voltage gap, and off time. Empirical model was developed for the estimation of surface roughness. The analysis revealed that off time has a major influence on surface roughness. The optimum machining parameters for minimum surface roughness were found to be at a 10 V open voltage, 2.84 μs off time, 12 m/min wire speed, 6.3 N wire tension, and 54.91 V voltage gap.

30 CFR 75.804 - Underground high-voltage cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Underground high-voltage cables. 75.804 Section... § 75.804 Underground high-voltage cables. (a) Underground high-voltage cables used in resistance grounded systems shall be equipped with metallic shields around each power conductor with one or more...

30 CFR 75.804 - Underground high-voltage cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Underground high-voltage cables. 75.804 Section... § 75.804 Underground high-voltage cables. (a) Underground high-voltage cables used in resistance grounded systems shall be equipped with metallic shields around each power conductor with one or more...

30 CFR 75.804 - Underground high-voltage cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Underground high-voltage cables. 75.804 Section... § 75.804 Underground high-voltage cables. (a) Underground high-voltage cables used in resistance grounded systems shall be equipped with metallic shields around each power conductor with one or more...

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-03-01

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

Silicon Carbide High-Temperature Power Rectifiers Fabricated and Characterized

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

The High Temperature Integrated Electronics and Sensors (HTIES) team at the NASA Lewis Research Center is developing silicon carbide (SiC) for use in harsh conditions where silicon, the semiconductor used in nearly all of today's electronics, cannot function. Silicon carbide's demonstrated ability to function under extreme high-temperature, high power, and/or high-radiation conditions will enable significant improvements to a far ranging variety of applications and systems. These improvements range from improved high-voltage switching for energy savings in public electric power distribution and electric vehicles, to more powerful microwave electronics for radar and cellular communications, to sensors and controls for cleaner-burning, more fuel-efficient jet aircraft and automobile engines. In the case of jet engines, uncooled operation of 300 to 600 C SiC power actuator electronics mounted in key high-temperature areas would greatly enhance system performance and reliability. Because silicon cannot function at these elevated temperatures, the semiconductor device circuit components must be made of SiC. Lewis' HTIES group recently fabricated and characterized high-temperature SiC rectifier diodes whose record-breaking characteristics represent significant progress toward the realization of advanced high-temperature actuator control circuits. The first figure illustrates the 600 C probe-testing of a Lewis SiC pn-junction rectifier diode sitting on top of a glowing red-hot heating element. The second figure shows the current-versus voltage rectifying characteristics recorded at 600 C. At this high temperature, the diodes were able to "turn-on" to conduct 4 A of current when forward biased, and yet block the flow of current ($quot;turn-off") when reverse biases as high as 150 V were applied. This device represents a new record for semiconductor device operation, in that no previous semiconductor electronic device has ever simultaneously demonstrated 600 C functionality, and 4-A turn-on and 150-V rectification. The high operating current was achieved despite severe device size limitations imposed by present-day SiC wafer defect densities. Further substantial increases in device performance can be expected when SiC wafer defect densities decrease as SiC wafer production technology matures.

Packet personal radiation monitor

DOEpatents

Phelps, J.E.

1988-03-31

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

Packet personal radiation monitor

DOEpatents

Phelps, James E.

1989-01-01

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

Design Considerations for Clean QED Fusion Propulsion Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bussard, Robert W.; Jameson, Lorin W.

1994-07-01

The direct production of electric power appears possible from fusion reactions between fuels whose products consist solely of charged particles and thus do not present radiation hazards from energetic neutron production, as do reactions involving deuteron-bearing fuels. Among these are the fuels p, 11B, 3He, and 6Li. All of these can be ``burned'' in inertial-electrostatic-fusion (IEF) devices to power QED fusion-electric rocket engines. These IEF sources provide direct-converted electrical power at high voltage (MeV) to drive e-beams for efficient propellant heating to extreme temperatures, with resulting high specific impulse performance capabilities. IEF/QED engine systems using p11B can outperform all other advanced concepts for controlled fusion propulsion by 2-3 orders of magnitude, while 6Li6Li fusion yields one order of magnitude less advance. Either of these fusion rocket propulsion systems can provide very rapid transit for solar system missions, with high payload fractions in single-stage vehicles. The 3He3He reaction can not be used practically for direct electric conversion because of the wide spread in energy of its fusion products. However, it may eventually prove useful for thermal/electrical power generation in central station power plants, or for direct-fusion-product (DFP) propellant heatingin advanced deep-space rocket engines.

Rational Design of High-Performance Wide-Bandgap (≈2 eV) Polymer Semiconductors as Electron Donors in Organic Photovoltaics Exhibiting High Open Circuit Voltages (≈1 V).

PubMed

Chochos, Christos L; Katsouras, Athanasios; Gasparini, Nicola; Koulogiannis, Chrysanthos; Ameri, Tayebeh; Brabec, Christoph J; Avgeropoulos, Apostolos

2017-01-01

Systematic optimization of the chemical structure of wide-bandgap (≈2.0 eV) "donor-acceptor" copolymers consisting of indacenodithiophene or indacenodithieno[3,2-b]thiophene as the electron-rich unit and thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione as the electron-deficient moiety in terms of alkyl side chain engineering and distance of the electron-rich and electron-deficient monomers within the repeat unit of the polymer chain results in high-performance electron donor materials for organic photovoltaics. Specifically, preliminary results demonstrate extremely high open circuit voltages (V oc s) of ≈1.0 V, reasonable short circuit current density (J sc ) of around 11 mA cm -2 , and moderate fill factors resulting in efficiencies close to 6%. All the devices are fabricated in an inverted architecture with the photoactive layer processed by doctor blade equipment, showing the compatibility with roll-to-roll large-scale manufacturing processes. From the correlation of the chemical structure-optoelectronic properties-photovoltaic performance, a rational guide toward further optimization of the chemical structure in this family of copolymers, has been achieved. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A Self-Powered and Flexible Organometallic Halide Perovskite Photodetector with Very High Detectivity.

PubMed

Leung, Siu-Fung; Ho, Kang-Ting; Kung, Po-Kai; Hsiao, Vincent K S; Alshareef, Husam N; Wang, Zhong Lin; He, Jr-Hau

2018-02-01

Flexible and self-powered photodetectors (PDs) are highly desirable for applications in image sensing, smart building, and optical communications. In this paper, a self-powered and flexible PD based on the methylammonium lead iodide (CH 3 NH 3 PBI 3 ) perovskite is demonstrated. Such a self-powered PD can operate even with irregular motion such as human finger tapping, which enables it to work without a bulky external power source. In addition, with high-quality CH 3 NH 3 PBI 3 perovskite thin film fabricated with solvent engineering, the PD exhibits an impressive detectivity of 1.22 × 10 13 Jones. In the self-powered voltage detection mode, it achieves a large responsivity of up to 79.4 V mW -1 cm -2 and a voltage response of up to ≈90%. Moreover, as the PD is made of flexible and transparent polymer films, it can operate under bending and functions at 360 ° of illumination. As a result, the self-powered, flexible, 360 ° omnidirectional perovskite PD, featuring high detectivity and responsivity along with real-world sensing capability, suggests a new direction for next-generation optical communications, sensing, and imaging applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High voltage holding in the negative ion sources with cesium deposition

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

Belchenko, Yu.; Abdrashitov, G.; Ivanov, A.

High voltage holding of the large surface-plasma negative ion source with cesium deposition was studied. It was found that heating of ion-optical system electrodes to temperature >100 °C facilitates the source conditioning by high voltage pulses in vacuum and by beam shots. The procedure of electrode conditioning and the data on high-voltage holding in the negative ion source with small cesium seed are described. The mechanism of high voltage holding improvement by depletion of cesium coverage is discussed.

Fiber optic sensors and systems at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werneck, Marcelo M.; dos Santos, Paulo A. M.; Ferreira, Aldo P.; Maggi, Luis E.; de Carvalho, Carlos R., Jr.; Ribeiro, R. M.

1998-08-01

As widely known, fiberoptics (FO) are being used in a large variety of sensors and systems particularly for their small dimensions and low cost, large bandwidth and favorable dielectric properties. These properties have allowed us to develop sensors and systems for general applications and, particularly, for biomedical engineering. The intravascular pressure sensor was designed for small dimensions and high bandwidth. The system is based on light-intensity modulation technique and uses a 2 mm-diameter elastomer membrane as the sensor element and a pigtailed laser as a light source. The optical power output curve was linear for pressures within the range of 0 to 300 mmHg. The real time optical biosensor uses the evanescent field technique for monitoring Escherichia coli growth in culture media. The optical biosensor monitors interactions between the analytic (bacteria) and the evanescent field of an optical fiber passing through it. The FO based high voltage and current sensor is a measuring system designed for monitoring voltage and current in high voltage transmission lines. The linearity of the system is better than 2% in both ranges of 0 to 25 kV and 0 to 1000 A. The optical flowmeter uses a cross-correlation technique that analyses two light beams crossing the flow separated by a fixed distance. The x-ray image sensor uses a scintillating FO array, one FO for each image pixel to form an image of the x-ray field. The systems described in these paper use general-purpose components including optical fibers and optoelectronic devices, which are readily available, and of low cost.

Research progress in fiber optic sensors and systems at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werneck, Marcelo M.; Ferreira, Aldo P.; Maggi, Luis E.; De Carvalho, C. C.; Ribeiro, R. M.

1999-02-01

As widely known, fiberoptics (FO) are being used in a large variety of sensor an systems particularly for their small dimensions and low cost, large bandwidth and favorable dielectric properties. These properties have allowed us to develop sensor and systems for general applications and, particularly, for biomedical engineering. The intravasculator pressure sensor was designed for small dimensions and high bandwidth. The system is based on light- intensity modulation technique and use a 2 mm-diameter elastomer membrane as the sensor element and a pigtailed laser as a light source. The optical power out put curve was linear for pressures within the range of 0 to 300 mmHg. The real time optical biosensor uses the evanescent field technique for monitoring Escherichia coli growth in culture media. The optical biosensor monitors interactions between the analytic and the evanescent field of an optical fiber passing through it. The FO based high voltage and current sensor is a measuring system designed for monitoring voltage and current in high voltage transmission lines. The linearity of the system is better than 2 percent in both ranges of 0 to 25 kV and 0 to 1000 A. The optical flowmeter uses a cross-correlation technique that analyzes two light beams crossing the flow separated by a fixed distance. The x-ray image sensor uses a scintillating FO array, one FO for each image pixel to form an image of the x-ray field. The systems described in this paper use general-purpose components including optical fibers and optoelectronic devices, which are readily available, and of low cost.

Synthesis, characterization, and application of cy-dye- and alexa-dye-labeled hongotoxin(1) analogues. The first high affinity fluorescence probes for voltage-gated K+ channels.

PubMed

Pragl, Bernt; Koschak, Alexandra; Trieb, Maria; Obermair, Gerald; Kaufmann, Walter A; Gerster, Uli; Blanc, Eric; Hahn, Christoph; Prinz, Heino; Schütz, Gerhard; Darbon, Herve; Gruber, Hermann J; Knaus, Hans-Günther

2002-01-01

Hongotoxin(1) (HgTX(1)), a 39-residue peptide recently isolated from the venom of Centruroides limbatus, blocks the voltage-gated K+ channels K(v)1.1, K(v)1.2, and K(v)1.3 at picomolar toxin concentrations (Koschak, A., Bugianesi, R. M., Mitterdorfer, J., Kaczorowski, G. J., Garcia, M. L., and Knaus, H. G. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 2639-2644). In this report, we determine the three-dimensional structure of HgTX(1) using NMR spectroscopy (PDB-code: 1HLY). HgTX(1) was found to possess a structure similar to previously characterized K+ channel toxins (e.g. margatoxin) consisting of a three-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet (residues 2-4, 26-30, and 33-37) and a helical conformation (part 3(10) helix and part alpha helix; residues 10-20). Due to the importance of residue Lys-28 for high-affinity interaction with the respective channels, lysine-reactive fluorescence dyes cannot be used to label wild-type HgTX(1). On the basis of previous studies (see above) and our NMR data, a HgTX(1) mutant (HgTX(1)-A19C) was engineered, expressed, and purified. HgTX(1)-A19C-SH was labeled using sulfhydryl-reactive Cy3-, Cy5-, and Alexa-dyes. Pharmacological characterization of fluorescently labeled HgTX(1)-A19C in radioligand binding studies indicated that these hongotoxin(1) analogues retain high-affinity for voltage-gated K+ channels and a respective pharmacological profile. Cy3- and Alexa-dye-labeled hongotoxin(1) analogues were used to investigate the localization of K+ channels in brain sections. The distribution of toxin binding closely follows the distribution of K(v)1.2 immunoreactivity with the highest expression levels in the cerebellar Purkinje cell layer. Taken together, these results demonstrate that fluorescently labeled HgTX(1) analogues comprise novel probes to characterize a subset of voltage-gated K+ channels.

Stress-dependent voltage offsets from polymer insulators used in rock mechanics and material testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carlson, G. G.; Dahlgren, R.; Vanderbilt, V. C.; Johnston, M. J.; Dunson, C.; Gray, A.; Freund, F.

2013-12-01

Dielectric insulators are used in a variety of laboratory settings when performing experiments in rock mechanics, petrology, and electromagnetic studies of rocks in the fields of geophysics, material science, and civil engineering. These components may be used to electrically isolate geological samples from the experimental equipment, to perform a mechanical compliance function between brittle samples and the loading equipment, to match ultrasonic transducers, or perform other functions. In many experimental configurations the insulators bear the full brunt of force applied to the sample but do not need to withstand high voltages, therefore the insulators are often thin sheets of mechanically tough polymers. From an instrument perspective, transduction from various types of mechanical perturbation has been qualitatively compared for a number of polymers [1, 2] and these error sources are readily apparent during high-impedance measurements if not mitigated. However even when following best practices, a force-dependent voltage signal still remains and its behavior is explored in this presentation. In this experiment two thin sheets (0.25 mm) of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were set up in a stack, held alternately between three aluminum bars; this stack was placed on the platen of a 60T capacity hydraulic testing machine. The surface area, A, over which the force is applied to the PE sheets in this sandwich is roughly 40 square cm, each sheet forming a parallel-plate capacitor having roughly 320 pF [3], assuming the relative dielectric permittivity of PE is ~2.3. The outer two aluminum bars were connected to the LO input of the electrometer and the central aluminum bar was connected to the HI input of a Keithley model 617 electrometer. Once the stack is mechanically well-seated with no air gaps, the voltage offset is observed to be a linear function of the baseline voltage for a given change in applied force. For a periodically applied force of 66.7 kN the voltage offsets were measured as a function of initial voltage, and these data were fit with a linear function that was constrained to pass through the origin. The best fit solution had a correlation coefficient of R = 0.85 and a slope of approximately -0.0228 volts/volt. The voltage offset when normalized is demonstrated to be constant -2.28 % for both positive and negative polarities over nearly 3 orders of baseline voltage magnitude. From this, the voltage-force coefficient is derived to be -0.34 ppm/N. This correlates well to a first-order parallel plate capacitor model that assumes constant area, and small deformation such that the polymer may be mechanically modeled by a spring that obeys Hooke's law. This simple model predicts that the coefficient of proportionality is a function of Young's modulus E = 0.8 GPa and surface area of the insulator, theoretically -1/EA = -0.31 ppm/N. The outcome of this work is an improved insulator made from ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene and other approaches toward the minimization of and compensation for these experimental artifacts. References: [1] Keithley Instruments, Low level measurements handbook, 'Choosing the best insulator,' 2-11 (2004). [2] Ibid., 2-26. [3] A. Skumiel, 'How to transform mechanical work into electrical energy using a capacitor,' European Journal of Physics 32, 625-630 (2011).

Surface interactions and high-voltage current collection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mandell, M. J.; Katz, I.

1985-01-01

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

Relating voltage and thermal safety in Li-ion battery cathodes: a high-throughput computational study.

PubMed

Jain, Anubhav; Hautier, Geoffroy; Ong, Shyue Ping; Dacek, Stephen; Ceder, Gerbrand

2015-02-28

High voltage and high thermal safety are desirable characteristics of cathode materials, but difficult to achieve simultaneously. This work uses high-throughput density functional theory computations to evaluate the link between voltage and safety (as estimated by thermodynamic O2 release temperatures) for over 1400 cathode materials. Our study indicates that a strong inverse relationship exists between voltage and safety: just over half the variance in O2 release temperature can be explained by voltage alone. We examine the effect of polyanion group, redox couple, and ratio of oxygen to counter-cation on both voltage and safety. As expected, our data demonstrates that polyanion groups improve safety when comparing compounds with similar voltages. However, a counterintuitive result of our study is that polyanion groups produce either no benefit or reduce safety when comparing compounds with the same redox couple. Using our data set, we tabulate voltages and oxidation potentials for over 105 combinations of redox couple/anion, which can be used towards the design and rationalization of new cathode materials. Overall, only a few compounds in our study, representing limited redox couple/polyanion combinations, exhibit both high voltage and high safety. We discuss these compounds in more detail as well as the opportunities for designing safe, high-voltage cathodes.

A low knee voltage and high breakdown voltage of 4H-SiC TSBS employing poly-Si/Ni Schottky scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Dong Young; Seok, Ogyun; Park, Himchan; Bahng, Wook; Kim, Hyoung Woo; Park, Ki Cheol

2018-02-01

We report a low knee voltage and high breakdown voltage 4H-SiC TSBS employing poly-Si/Ni dual Schottky contacts. A knee voltage was significantly improved from 0.75 to 0.48 V by utilizing an alternative low work-function material of poly-Si as an anode electrode. Also, reverse breakdown voltage was successfully improved from 901 to 1154 V due to a shrunk low-work-function Schottky region by a proposed self-align etching process between poly-Si and SiC. SiC TSBS with poly-Si/Ni dual Schottky scheme is a suitable structure for high-efficiency rectification and high-voltage blocking operation.

30 CFR 75.810 - High-voltage trailing cables; splices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false High-voltage trailing cables; splices. 75.810... § 75.810 High-voltage trailing cables; splices. [Statutory Provisions] In the case of high-voltage cables used as trailing cables, temporary splices shall not be used and all permanent splices shall be...

30 CFR 75.511 - Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution circuits and equipment; repair.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution... Electrical Equipment-General § 75.511 Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution circuits and equipment; repair. [Statutory Provision] No electrical work shall be performed on low-, medium-, or high-voltage...

30 CFR 75.511 - Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution circuits and equipment; repair.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution... Electrical Equipment-General § 75.511 Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution circuits and equipment; repair. [Statutory Provision] No electrical work shall be performed on low-, medium-, or high-voltage...

30 CFR 75.511 - Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution circuits and equipment; repair.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution... Electrical Equipment-General § 75.511 Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution circuits and equipment; repair. [Statutory Provision] No electrical work shall be performed on low-, medium-, or high-voltage...

30 CFR 75.511 - Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution circuits and equipment; repair.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution... Electrical Equipment-General § 75.511 Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution circuits and equipment; repair. [Statutory Provision] No electrical work shall be performed on low-, medium-, or high-voltage...

30 CFR 75.511 - Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution circuits and equipment; repair.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution... Electrical Equipment-General § 75.511 Low-, medium-, or high-voltage distribution circuits and equipment; repair. [Statutory Provision] No electrical work shall be performed on low-, medium-, or high-voltage...

30 CFR 75.705-3 - Work on energized high-voltage surface lines; reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Work on energized high-voltage surface lines... Work on energized high-voltage surface lines; reporting. Any operator designating and assigning qualified persons to perform repairs on energized high-voltage surface lines under the provisions of § 75...

30 CFR 77.704 - 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... OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Grounding § 77.704 Work on high-voltage lines; deenergizing and grounding. High-voltage lines shall be deenergized and grounded before work is performed on them, except that...

76 FR 4575 - Safety Zone; Repair of High Voltage Transmission Lines to Logan International Airport, Saugus...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-26

...-AAOO Safety Zone; Repair of High Voltage Transmission Lines to Logan International Airport, Saugus... the Captain of the Port (COTP) Boston Zone to allow for repair of high voltage transmission lines to... the repair of high voltage transmission lines. Entering into, transiting through, mooring or anchoring...

30 CFR 75.704 - Grounding frames of stationary high-voltage equipment receiving power from ungrounded delta systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Grounding frames of stationary high-voltage...-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Grounding § 75.704 Grounding frames of stationary high-voltage equipment receiving power from ungrounded delta systems. [Statutory Provisions] The frames of all stationary high-voltage...

21 CFR 892.1700 - Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator. 892.1700... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.1700 Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator. (a) Identification. A diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator is a device that is intended to...

21 CFR 892.1700 - Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator. 892.1700... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.1700 Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator. (a) Identification. A diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator is a device that is intended to...

21 CFR 892.1700 - Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator. 892.1700... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.1700 Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator. (a) Identification. A diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator is a device that is intended to...

21 CFR 892.1700 - Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator. 892.1700... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.1700 Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator. (a) Identification. A diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator is a device that is intended to...

21 CFR 892.1700 - Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator. 892.1700... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES RADIOLOGY DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 892.1700 Diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator. (a) Identification. A diagnostic x-ray high voltage generator is a device that is intended to...

Beam efflux measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komatsu, G. K.; Stellen, J. M., Jr.

1976-01-01

Measurements have been made of the high energy thrust ions, (Group I), high angle/high energy ions (Group II), and high angle/low energy ions (Group IV) of a mercury electron bombardment thruster in the angular divergence range from 0 deg to greater than 90 deg. The measurements have been made as a function of thrust ion current, propellant utilization efficiency, bombardment discharge voltage, screen and accelerator grid potential (accel-decel ratio) and neutralizer keeper potential. The shape of the Group IV (charge exchange) ion plume has remained essentially fixed within the range of variation of the engine operation parameters. The magnitude of the charge exchange ion flux scales with thrust ion current, for good propellant utilization conditions. For fixed thrust ion current, charge exchange ion flux increases for diminishing propellant utilization efficiency. Facility effects influence experimental accuracies within the range of propellant utilization efficiency used in the experiments. The flux of high angle/high energy Group II ions is significantly diminished by the use of minimum decel voltages on the accelerator grid. A computer model of charge exchange ion production and motion has been developed. The program allows computation of charge exchange ion volume production rate, total production rate, and charge exchange ion trajectories for "genuine" and "facilities effects" particles. In the computed flux deposition patterns, the Group I and Group IV ion plumes exhibit a counter motion.

CONDENSED MATTER: ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL, MAGNETIC, AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES: Research on reverse recovery characteristics of SiGeC p-i-n diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yong; Liu, Jing; Yang, Yuan

2008-12-01

This paper analyses the reverse recovery characteristics and mechanism of SiGeC p-i-n diodes. Based on the integrated systems engineering (ISE) data, the critical physical models of SiGeC diodes are proposed. Based on hetero-junction band gap engineering, the softness factor increases over six times, reverse recovery time is over 30% short and there is a 20% decrease in peak reverse recovery current for SiGeC diodes with 20% of germanium and 0.5% of carbon, compared to Si diodes. Those advantages of SiGeC p-i-n diodes are more obvious at high temperature. Compared to lifetime control, SiGeC technique is more suitable for improving diode properties and the tradeoff between reverse recovery time and forward voltage drop can be easily achieved in SiGeC diodes. Furthermore, the high thermal-stability of SiGeC diodes reduces the costs of further process steps and offers more freedoms to device design.

The monitoring results of electromagnetic radiation of 110-kV high-voltage lines in one urban location in Chongqing P.R. China.

PubMed

Qin, Qi-Zhong; Chen, Yu; Fu, Ting-Ting; Ding, Li; Han, Ling-Li; Li, Jian-Chao

2012-03-01

To understand electromagnetic radiation field strength and its influencing factors of certain 110-kV high-voltage lines in one urban area of Chongqing by measuring 110-kV high-voltage line's electromagnetic radiation level. According to the methodology as determined by the National Hygienic Standards, we selected certain adjacent residential buildings, high-voltage lines along a specific street and selected different distances around its vertical projection point as monitoring points. The levels of electromagnetic radiations were measured respectively. In this investigation within the frequency of 5-1,000 Hz both the electric field strength and magnetic field strength of each monitoring sites were lower than the public exposure standards as determined by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. However, the electrical field strength on the roof adjacent to the high-voltage lines was significantly higher than that as measured on the other floors in the same buildings (p < 0.05). The electromagnetic radiation measurements of different monitoring points, under the same high-voltage lines, showed the location which is nearer the high-voltage line maintain a consistently higher level of radiation than the more distant locations (p < 0.05). Electromagnetic radiation generated by high-voltage lines decreases proportionally to the distance from the lines. The buildings can to some extent shield (or absorb) the electric fields generated by high-voltage lines nearby. The electromagnetic radiation intensity near high-voltage lines may be mitigated or intensified by the manner in which the high-voltage lines are set up, and it merits attention for the potential impact on human health.

The CARIBU EBIS control and synchronization system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickerson, Clayton; Peters, Christopher

2015-01-01

The Californium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) charge breeder has been built and tested. The bases of the CARIBU EBIS electrical system are four voltage platforms on which both DC and pulsed high voltage outputs are controlled. The high voltage output pulses are created with either a combination of a function generator and a high voltage amplifier, or two high voltage DC power supplies and a high voltage solid state switch. Proper synchronization of the pulsed voltages, fundamental to optimizing the charge breeding performance, is achieved with triggering from a digital delay pulse generator. The control system is based on National Instruments realtime controllers and LabVIEW software implementing Functional Global Variables (FGV) to store and access instrument parameters. Fiber optic converters enable network communication and triggering across the platforms.

30 CFR 75.811 - High-voltage underground equipment; grounding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-voltage equipment supplying power to such equipment receiving power from resistance grounded systems shall... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false High-voltage underground equipment; grounding... COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Underground High-Voltage...

Solid state electro-optic color filter and iris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

A pair of solid state electro-optic filters (SSEF) in a binocular holder were designed and fabricated for evaluation of field sequential stereo TV applications. The electronic circuitry for use with the stereo goggles was designed and fabricated, requiring only an external video input. A polarizing screen suitable for attachment to various size TV monitors for use in conjunction with the stereo goggles was designed and fabricated. An improved engineering model 2 filter was fabricated using the bonded holder technique developed previously and integrated to a GCTA color TV camera. An engineering model color filter was fabricated and assembled using PLZT control elements. In addition, a ruggedized holder assembly was designed, fabricated and tested. This assembly provides electrical contacts, high voltage protection, and support for the fragile PLZT disk, and also permits mounting and optical alignment of the associated polarizers.

Wireless Passive Stimulation of Engineered Cardiac Tissues.

PubMed

Liu, Shiyi; Navaei, Ali; Meng, Xueling; Nikkhah, Mehdi; Chae, Junseok

2017-07-28

We present a battery-free radio frequency (RF) microwave activated wireless stimulator, 25 × 42 × 1.6 mm 3 on a flexible substrate, featuring high current delivery, up to 60 mA, to stimulate engineered cardiac tissues. An external antenna shines 2.4 GHz microwave, which is modulated by an inverted pulse to directly control the stimulating waveform, to the wireless passive stimulator. The stimulator is equipped with an on-board antenna, multistage diode multipliers, and a control transistor. Rat cardiomyocytes, seeded on electrically conductive gelatin-based hydrogels, demonstrate synchronous contractions and Ca 2+ transients immediately upon stimulation. Notably, the stimulator output voltage and current profiles match the tissue contraction frequency within 0.5-2 Hz. Overall, our results indicate the promising potential of the proposed wireless passive stimulator for cardiac stimulation and therapy by induction of precisely controlled and synchronous contractions.

Low-voltage high-speed programming gate-all-around floating gate memory cell with tunnel barrier engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamzah, Afiq; Ezaila Alias, N.; Ismail, Razali

2018-06-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the memory performances of gate-all-around floating gate (GAA-FG) memory cell implementing engineered tunnel barrier concept of variable oxide thickness (VARIOT) of low-k/high-k for several high-k (i.e., Si3N4, Al2O3, HfO2, and ZrO2) with low-k SiO2 using three-dimensional (3D) simulator Silvaco ATLAS. The simulation work is conducted by initially determining the optimized thickness of low-k/high-k barrier-stacked and extracting their Fowler–Nordheim (FN) coefficients. Based on the optimized parameters the device performances of GAA-FG for fast program operation and data retention are assessed using benchmark set by 6 and 8 nm SiO2 tunnel layer respectively. The programming speed has been improved and wide memory window with 30% increment from conventional SiO2 has been obtained using SiO2/Al2O3 tunnel layer due to its thin low-k dielectric thickness. Furthermore, given its high band edges only 1% of charge-loss is expected after 10 years of ‑3.6/3.6 V gate stress.

Engineering of beam direct conversion for a 120-kV, 1-MW ion beam

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barr, W. L.; Doggett, J. N.; Hamilton, G. W.; Kinney, J. D.; Moir, R. W.

1977-01-01

Practical systems for beam direct conversion are required to recover the energy from ion beams at high efficiency and at very high beam power densities in the environment of a high-power neutral-injection system. Such an experiment is now in progress using a 120-kV beam with a maximum total current of 20 A. After neutralization, the H(+) component to be recovered will have a power of approximately 1 MW. A system testing these concepts has been designed and tested at 15 kV, 2 kW in preparation for the full-power tests. The engineering problems involved in the full-power tests affect electron suppression, gas pumping, voltage holding, diagnostics, and measurement conditions. Planning for future experiments at higher power includes the use of cryopumping and electron suppression by a magnetic field rather than by an electrostatic field. Beam direct conversion for large fusion experiments and reactors will save millions of dollars in the cost of power supplies and electricity and will dispose of the charged beam under conditions that may not be possible by other techniques.

Design and demonstration of ultra-wide bandgap AlGaN tunnel junctions

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

Zhang, Yuewei; Krishnamoorthy, Sriram; Akyol, Fatih

Ultra violet light emitting diodes (UV LEDs) face critical limitations in both the injection efficiency and the light extraction efficiency due to the resistive and absorbing p-type contact layers. In this work, we investigate the design and application of polarization engineered tunnel junctions for ultra-wide bandgap AlGaN (Al mole fraction >50%) materials towards highly efficient UV LEDs. We demonstrate that polarization-induced three dimensional charge is beneficial in reducing tunneling barriers especially for high composition AlGaN tunnel junctions. In addition, the design of graded tunnel junction structures could lead to low tunneling resistance below 10 –3 Ω cm 2 and lowmore » voltage consumption below 1 V (at 1 kA/cm 2) for high composition AlGaN tunnel junctions. Experimental demonstration of 292 nm emission was achieved through non-equilibrium hole injection into wide bandgap materials with bandgap energy larger than 4.7 eV, and detailed modeling of tunnel junctions shows that they can be engineered to have low resistance and can enable efficient emitters in the UV-C wavelength range.« less

Design and demonstration of ultra-wide bandgap AlGaN tunnel junctions

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Yuewei; Krishnamoorthy, Sriram; Akyol, Fatih; ...

2016-09-19

Ultra violet light emitting diodes (UV LEDs) face critical limitations in both the injection efficiency and the light extraction efficiency due to the resistive and absorbing p-type contact layers. In this work, we investigate the design and application of polarization engineered tunnel junctions for ultra-wide bandgap AlGaN (Al mole fraction >50%) materials towards highly efficient UV LEDs. We demonstrate that polarization-induced three dimensional charge is beneficial in reducing tunneling barriers especially for high composition AlGaN tunnel junctions. In addition, the design of graded tunnel junction structures could lead to low tunneling resistance below 10 –3 Ω cm 2 and lowmore » voltage consumption below 1 V (at 1 kA/cm 2) for high composition AlGaN tunnel junctions. Experimental demonstration of 292 nm emission was achieved through non-equilibrium hole injection into wide bandgap materials with bandgap energy larger than 4.7 eV, and detailed modeling of tunnel junctions shows that they can be engineered to have low resistance and can enable efficient emitters in the UV-C wavelength range.« less

Efficient Defect Engineering for Solution Combustion Processed In-Zn-O thin films for high performance transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Xiaoci; Wang, Chengcai; Liang, Jun; Liu, Chuan; Pei, Yanli

2017-09-01

The oxygen related defects in the solution combustion-processed InZnO vitally affect the field-effect mobility and on-off characteristics in thin film transistors (TFTs). We use photoelectron spectroscopy to reveal that these defects can be well controlled by adjusting the atmosphere and flow rate during the combustion reaction, but are hardly affected by further post-annealing after the reaction. In device performance, the threshold voltage of the InZnO-TFTs was regulated in a wide range from 3.5 V to 11.0 V. To compromise the high field-effect mobility and good subthreshold properties, we fabricate the TFTs with double active layers of InZnO to achieve vertical gradience in defect distribution. The resulting TFT exhibits much higher field-effect mobility as 17.5 cm2 · V-1 · s-1, a low reversed sub-threshold slope as 0.35 V/decade, and a high on-off ratio as 107. The presented understandings and methods on defect engineering are efficient in improving the device performance of TFTs made from the combustion reaction process.

Sensitivity Testing of the NSTAR Ion Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sengupta, Anita; Anderson, John; Brophy, John

2007-01-01

During the Extended Life Test of the DS1 flight spare ion thruster, the engine was subjected to sensitvity testing in order to characterize the macroscopic dependence of discharge chamber sensitivity to a +\\-3% vatiation in main flow, cathode flow and beam current, and to +\\5% variation in beam and accelerator voltage, was determined for the minimum- (THO), half- (TH8) and full power (TH15) throttle levels. For each power level investigared, 16 high/low operating conditions were chosen to vary the flows, beam current, and grid voltages in in a matrix that mapped out the entire parameter space. The matrix of data generated was used to determine the partial derivative or senitivity of the dependent parameters--discharge voltage, discharge current, discharge loss, double-to-single-ion current ratio, and neutralizer-keeper voltage--to the variation in the independent parameters--main flow, cathode flow, beam current, and beam voltage. The sensititivities of each dependent parameter with respect to each independent parameter were determined using a least-square fit routine. Variation in these sensitivities with thruster runtime was recorded over the duration of the ELT, to detemine if discharge performance changed with thruster wear. Several key findings have been ascertained from the sensitivity testing. Discharge operation is most sensitve to changes in cathode flow and to a lesser degree main flow. The data also confirms that for the NSTAR configuration plasma production is limited by primary electron input due to the fixed neutral population. Key sensitivities along with their change with thruster wear (operating time) will be presented. In addition double ion content measurements with an ExB probe will also be presented to illustrate beam ion production and content sensitivity to the discharge chamber operating parameteres.

High voltage DC power supply

DOEpatents

Droege, T.F.

1989-12-19

A high voltage DC power supply having a first series resistor at the output for limiting current in the event of a short-circuited output, a second series resistor for sensing the magnitude of output current, and a voltage divider circuit for providing a source of feedback voltage for use in voltage regulation is disclosed. The voltage divider circuit is coupled to the second series resistor so as to compensate the feedback voltage for a voltage drop across the first series resistor. The power supply also includes a pulse-width modulated control circuit, having dual clock signals, which is responsive to both the feedback voltage and a command voltage, and also includes voltage and current measuring circuits responsive to the feedback voltage and the voltage developed across the second series resistor respectively. 7 figs.

High voltage DC power supply

DOEpatents

Droege, Thomas F.

1989-01-01

A high voltage DC power supply having a first series resistor at the output for limiting current in the event of a short-circuited output, a second series resistor for sensing the magnitude of output current, and a voltage divider circuit for providing a source of feedback voltage for use in voltage regulation is disclosed. The voltage divider circuit is coupled to the second series resistor so as to compensate the feedback voltage for a voltage drop across the first series resistor. The power supply also includes a pulse-width modulated control circuit, having dual clock signals, which is responsive to both the feedback voltage and a command voltage, and also includes voltage and current measuring circuits responsive to the feedback voltage and the voltage developed across the second series resistor respectively.

30 CFR 75.803 - Fail safe ground check circuits on high-voltage resistance grounded systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fail safe ground check circuits on high-voltage... High-Voltage Distribution § 75.803 Fail safe ground check circuits on high-voltage resistance grounded... shall include a fail safe ground check circuit to monitor continuously the grounding circuit to assure...

30 CFR 75.803 - Fail safe ground check circuits on high-voltage resistance grounded systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Fail safe ground check circuits on high-voltage... High-Voltage Distribution § 75.803 Fail safe ground check circuits on high-voltage resistance grounded... shall include a fail safe ground check circuit to monitor continuously the grounding circuit to assure...

30 CFR 75.803 - Fail safe ground check circuits on high-voltage resistance grounded systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Fail safe ground check circuits on high-voltage... High-Voltage Distribution § 75.803 Fail safe ground check circuits on high-voltage resistance grounded... shall include a fail safe ground check circuit to monitor continuously the grounding circuit to assure...

30 CFR 75.803 - Fail safe ground check circuits on high-voltage resistance grounded systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Fail safe ground check circuits on high-voltage... High-Voltage Distribution § 75.803 Fail safe ground check circuits on high-voltage resistance grounded... shall include a fail safe ground check circuit to monitor continuously the grounding circuit to assure...

30 CFR 77.807-3 - Movement of equipment; minimum distance from high-voltage lines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... high-voltage lines. 77.807-3 Section 77.807-3 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... WORK AREAS OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Surface High-Voltage Distribution § 77.807-3 Movement of equipment; minimum distance from high-voltage lines. When any part of any equipment operated on the surface of any...

30 CFR 75.154 - Repair of energized surface high voltage lines; qualified person.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Repair of energized surface high voltage lines... Certified Persons § 75.154 Repair of energized surface high voltage lines; qualified person. An individual... high voltage lines only if he has had at least 2 years experience in electrical maintenance, and at...

30 CFR 77.104 - Repair of energized surface high-voltage lines; qualified person.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Repair of energized surface high-voltage lines... high-voltage lines; qualified person. An individual is a qualified person within the meaning of § 77.704 of this part for the purpose of repairing energized surface high-voltage lines only if he has had...

30 CFR 75.812-2 - High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination. 75.812-2 Section 75.812-2 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... High-Voltage Distribution § 75.812-2 High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination...

30 CFR 75.812-2 - High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination. 75.812-2 Section 75.812-2 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... High-Voltage Distribution § 75.812-2 High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination...

30 CFR 75.812-2 - High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination. 75.812-2 Section 75.812-2 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... High-Voltage Distribution § 75.812-2 High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination...

30 CFR 75.812-2 - High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination. 75.812-2 Section 75.812-2 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... High-Voltage Distribution § 75.812-2 High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination...

30 CFR 75.812-2 - High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination. 75.812-2 Section 75.812-2 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... High-Voltage Distribution § 75.812-2 High-voltage power centers and transformers; record of examination...

The interaction of spacecraft high voltage power systems with the space plasma environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Domitz, S.; Grier, N. T.

1974-01-01

The development of spacecraft with electrical loads that require high voltage power is discussed. The high voltage solar array has been considered for supplying d.c. power directly to high voltage loads such as ion thrusters and communication tubes without intermediate power processing. Space power stations for transferring solar power to earth are being studied in the 40 kilovolt, multikilowatt regime. Analytical and experimental studies have determined that with the advent of high voltage power, new problems will arise through the interaction of the high voltage surfaces with the charged particle environment of space. The interactive environment has been identified and duplicated to some extent in simulation facilities at NASA-Lewis Research Center and at several contractor locations.

Electrical engineering unit for the reactive power control of the load bus at the voltage instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotenev, A. V.; Kotenev, V. I.; Kochetkov, V. V.; Elkin, D. A.

2018-01-01

For the purpose of reactive power control error reduction and decrease of the voltage sags in the electric power system caused by the asynchronous motors started the mathematical model of the load bus was developed. The model was built up of the sub-models of the following elements: a transformer, a transmission line, a synchronous and an asynchronous loads and a capacitor bank load, and represents the automatic reactive power control system taking into account electromagnetic processes of the asynchronous motors started and reactive power changing of the electric power system elements caused by the voltage fluctuation. The active power/time and reactive power/time characteristics based on the recommended procedure of the equivalent electric circuit parameters calculation were obtained. The derived automatic reactive power control system was shown to eliminate the voltage sags in the electric power system caused by the asynchronous motors started.

Graphene quantum dot (GQD)-induced photovoltaic and photoelectric memory elements in a pentacene/GQD field effect transistor as a probe of functional interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Youngjun; Cho, Seongeun; Kim, Hyeran; Seo, Soonjoo; Lee, Hyun Uk; Lee, Jouhahn; Ko, Hyungduk; Chang, Mincheol; Park, Byoungnam

2017-09-01

Electric field-induced charge trapping and exciton dissociation were demonstrated at a penatcene/grapheme quantum dot (GQD) interface using a bottom contact bi-layer field effect transistor (FET) as an electrical nano-probe. Large threshold voltage shift in a pentacene/GQD FET in the dark arises from field-induced carrier trapping in the GQD layer or GQD-induced trap states at the pentacene/GQD interface. As the gate electric field increases, hysteresis characterized by the threshold voltage shift depending on the direction of the gate voltage scan becomes stronger due to carrier trapping associated with the presence of a GQD layer. Upon illumination, exciton dissociation and gate electric field-induced charge trapping simultaneously contribute to increase the threshold voltage window, which can potentially be exploited for photoelectric memory and/or photovoltaic devices through interface engineering.

Reactive power management and voltage control in deregulated power markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spangler, Robert G.

The research that is the subject of this dissertation is about the management of reactive power and voltage support in the wholesale open access power markets in the United States (US). The purpose of this research is to place decisions about open access market structures, as they relate to reactive power and voltage control, on a logical and consistent economic basis, given the engineering needs of a commercial electric power system. An examination of the electricity markets operating in the US today reveals that current approaches to reactive power management and voltage support are extensions of those based on historical, regulated monopoly electric service. A case for change is built by first looking at the subject of reactive power from an engineering viewpoint and then from an economic perspective. Ultimately, a set of market rules for managing reactive power and voltage support is proposed. The proposal suggests that cost recovery for static and dynamic VARs is appropriately accomplished through the regulated transmission cost of service. Static VAR cost recovery should follow traditional rate recovery methodologies. In the case of dynamic VARs, this work provides a methodology based on the microeconomic theory of the firm for determining such cost. It further suggests that an operational strategy that reduces and limits the use of dynamic VARs, during normal operations, is appropriate. This latter point leads to an increase in the fixed cost of the transmission network but prevents price spikes and short supply situations from affecting, or being affected by, the reactive capability limitations associated with dynamic VARs supplied from synchronous generators. The rules are consistent with a market structure that includes competitive generation and their application will result in the communication of a clear understanding of the responsibilities, related to voltage control, of each type of market entity. In this sense, their application will contribute to the efficient functioning of the wholesale open access markets.

Dynamic Electrochemical Control of Cell Capture-and-Release Based on Redox-Controlled Host-Guest Interactions.

PubMed

Gao, Tao; Li, Liudi; Wang, Bei; Zhi, Jun; Xiang, Yang; Li, Genxi

2016-10-18

Artificial control of cell adhesion on smart surface is an on-demand technique in areas ranging from tissue engineering, stem cell differentiation, to the design of cell-based diagnostic system. In this paper, we report an electrochemical system for dynamic control of cell catch-and-release, which is based on the redox-controlled host-guest interaction. Experimental results reveal that the interaction between guest molecule (ferrocene, Fc) and host molecule (β-cyclodextrin, β-CD) is highly sensitive to electrochemical stimulus. By applying a reduction voltage, the uncharged Fc can bind to β-CD that is immobilized at the electrode surface. Otherwise, it is disassociated from the surface as a result of electrochemical oxidation, thus releasing the captured cells. The catch-and-release process on this voltage-responsive surface is noninvasive with the cell viability over 86%. Moreover, because Fc can act as an electrochemical probe for signal readout, the integration of this property has further extended the ability of this system to cell detection. Electrochemical signal has been greatly enhanced for cell detection by introducing branched polymer scaffold that are carrying large quantities of Fc moieties. Therefore, a minimum of 10 cells can be analyzed. It is anticipated that such redox-controlled system can be an important tool in biological and biomedical research, especially for electrochemical stimulated tissue engineering and cell-based clinical diagnosis.

Radio-frequency-assisted current startup in the fusion engineering device

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

Borowski, S. K.; Peng, Yueng Kay Martin; Kammash, T.

1984-01-01

Auxiliary radio-frequency (RF) heating of electrons before and during the current rise phase of a large tokamak, such as the Fusion Engineering Device (FED) (R{sub 0} = 4.8 m, a = 1.3 m, sigma = 1.6, B(R{sub 0}) = 3.62 T), is examined as a means of reducing both the initiation loop voltage and resistive flux expenditure during startup. Prior to current initiation, 1 to 2 MW of electron cyclotron resonance heating power at about90 GHz is used to create a small volume of high conductivity plasma (T {sub e} approx. = 100 eV, n {sub e} approx. = 10{supmore » 19} m{sup -3}) near the upper hybrid resonance (UHR) region. This plasma conditioning, referred to as preheating, permits a small radius (a{sub 0} approx. = 0.2 to 0.4 m) current channel to be established with a relatively low initial loop voltage (less than or equal to 25 V as opposed to about 100 V without rf assist). During the subsequent plasma expansion and current rise phase, a combination of rf heating (up to 5 MW) and linear current ramping leads to a substantial savings in voltseconds by (a) minimizing the resistive flux consumption and (b) producing broad current density profiles. (With such broad profiles, the internal flux requirements are maintained at or near the flat profile limit.)« less

Radio-frequency-assisted current startup in the Fusion Engineering Device

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

Borowski, S.K.; Kammash, T.; Martin Peng, Y.K.

1984-07-01

Auxiliary radio-frequency (RF) heating of electrons before and during the current rise phase of a large tokamak, such as the Fusion Engineering Device (FED) (R/sub 0/ = 4.8 m, a = 1.3 m, sigma = 1.6, B(R/sub 0/) = 3.62 T), is examined as a means of reducing both the initiation loop voltage and resistive flux expenditure during startup. Prior to current initiation, 1 to 2 MW of electron cyclotron resonance heating power at about90 GHz is used to create a small volume of high conductivity plasma (T /sub e/ approx. = 100 eV, n /sub e/ approx. = 10/supmore » 19/ m/sup -3/) near the upper hybrid resonance (UHR) region. This plasma conditioning, referred to as preheating, permits a small radius (a/sub 0/ approx. = 0.2 to 0.4 m) current channel to be established with a relatively low initial loop voltage (less than or equal to 25 V as opposed to about 100 V without rf assist). During the subsequent plasma expansion and current rise phase, a combination of rf heating (up to 5 MW) and linear current ramping leads to a substantial savings in voltseconds by (a) minimizing the resistive flux consumption and (b) producing broad current density profiles. (With such broad profiles, the internal flux requirements are maintained at or near the flat profile limit.)« less

Design and modelling of high gain DC-DC converters for fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elangovan, D.; Karthigeyan, V.; Subhanu, B.; Ashwin, M.; Arunkumar, G.

2017-11-01

Transportation (Diesel and petrol internal combustion engine vehicles) approximately contributes to 25.5% of total CO2 emission. Thus diesel and petrol engine vehicles are the most dominant contributors of CO2 emission which leads global warming which causes climate change. The problem of CO2 emission and global warming can be reduced by focusing on renewable energy vehicles. Out of the available renewable energy sources fuel cell is the only source which has reasonable efficiency and can be used in vehicles. But the main disadvantage of fuel cell is its slow response time. So energy storage systems like batteries and super capacitors are used in parallel with the fuel cell. Fuel cell is used during steady state vehicle operation while during transient conditions like starting, acceleration and braking batteries and super capacitors can supply or absorb energy. In this paper a unidirectional fuel cell DC-DC converter and bidirectional energy storage system DC-DC converter is proposed, which can interface dc sources at different voltage levels to the dc bus and also it can independently control the power flow from each energy source to the dc bus and vice versa. The proposed converters are designed and simulated using PSIM version 9.1.1 and gate pulse pattern, input and output voltage waveforms of the converters for steady state operation are studied.

The CARIBU EBIS control and synchronization system

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

Dickerson, Clayton, E-mail: cdickerson@anl.gov; Peters, Christopher, E-mail: cdickerson@anl.gov

2015-01-09

The Californium Rare Isotope Breeder Upgrade (CARIBU) Electron Beam Ion Source (EBIS) charge breeder has been built and tested. The bases of the CARIBU EBIS electrical system are four voltage platforms on which both DC and pulsed high voltage outputs are controlled. The high voltage output pulses are created with either a combination of a function generator and a high voltage amplifier, or two high voltage DC power supplies and a high voltage solid state switch. Proper synchronization of the pulsed voltages, fundamental to optimizing the charge breeding performance, is achieved with triggering from a digital delay pulse generator. Themore » control system is based on National Instruments realtime controllers and LabVIEW software implementing Functional Global Variables (FGV) to store and access instrument parameters. Fiber optic converters enable network communication and triggering across the platforms.« less

Ignition study of a petrol/CNG single cylinder engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, N.; Saleem, Z.; Mirza, A. A.

2005-11-01

Benefits of laser ignition over the electrical ignition system for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) engines have fuelled automobile industry and led to an extensive research on basic characteristics to switch over to the emerging technologies. This study was undertaken to determine the electrical and physical characteristics of the electric spark ignition of single cylinder petrol/CNG engine to determine minimum ignition requirements and timeline of ignition events to use in subsequent laser ignition study. This communication briefly reviews the ongoing research activities and reports the results of this experimental study. The premixed petrol and CNG mixtures were tested for variation of current and voltage characteristics of the spark with speed of engine. The current magnitude of discharge circuit was found to vary linearly over a wide range of speed but the stroke to stroke fire time was found to vary nonlinearly. The DC voltage profiles were observed to fluctuate randomly during ignition process and staying constant in rest of the combustion cycle. Fire to fire peaks of current amplitudes fluctuated up to 10% of the peak values at constant speed but increased almost linearly with increase in speed. Technical barriers of laser ignition related to threshold minimum ignition energy, inter-pulse durations and firing sequence are discussed. Present findings provide a basic initiative and background information for designing suitable timeline algorithms for laser ignited leaner direct injected CNG engines.

Pulse Detonation Rocket MHD Power Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litchford, Ron J.; Cook, Stephen (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A pulse detonation research engine (MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) Model PDRE (Pulse Detonation Rocket Engine) G-2) has been developed for the purpose of examining integrated propulsion and magnetohydrodynamic power generation applications. The engine is based on a rectangular cross-section tube coupled to a converging-diverging nozzle, which is in turn attached to a segmented Faraday channel. As part of the shakedown testing activity, the pressure wave was interrogated along the length of the engine while running on hydrogen/oxygen propellants. Rapid transition to detonation wave propagation was insured through the use of a short Schelkin spiral near the head of the engine. The measured detonation wave velocities were in excess of 2500 m/s in agreement with the theoretical C-J velocity. The engine was first tested in a straight tube configuration without a nozzle, and the time resolved thrust was measured simultaneously with the head-end pressure. Similar measurements were made with the converging-diverging nozzle attached. The time correlation of the thrust and head-end pressure data was found to be excellent. The major purpose of the converging-diverging nozzle was to configure the engine for driving an MHD generator for the direct production of electrical power. Additional tests were therefore necessary in which seed (cesium-hydroxide dissolved in methanol) was directly injected into the engine as a spray. The exhaust plume was then interrogated with a microwave interferometer in an attempt to characterize the plasma conditions, and emission spectroscopy measurements were also acquired. Data reduction efforts indicate that the plasma exhaust is very highly ionized, although there is some uncertainty at this time as to the relative abundance of negative OH ions. The emission spectroscopy data provided some indication of the species in the exhaust as well as a measurement of temperature. A 24-electrode-pair segmented Faraday channel and 0.6 Tesla permanent magnet assembly were then installed on Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) rectangular channel pulse detonation research engine. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) electrical power extraction experiments were carried out for a range of load impedances in which cesium hydroxide seed (dissolved in methanol) was sprayed into the gaseous oxygen/hydrogen propellants. Positive power extraction was obtained, but preliminary analysis of the data indicated that the plasma electrical conductivity is lower than anticipated and the near-electrode voltage drop is not negligible. It is believed that the electrical conductivity is reduced due to a large population of negative OH ions. This occurs because OH has a strong affinity for capturing free electrons. The effect of near-electrode voltage drop is associated with the high surface-to-volume ratio of the channel (1-inch by 1-inch cross-section) where surface effects play a dominant role. As usual for MHD devices, higher performance will require larger scale devices. Overall, the gathered data is extremely valuable from the standpoint of understanding plasma behavior and for developing empirical scaling laws.

A Laser Spark Plug Ignition System for a Stationary Lean-Burn Natural Gas Reciprocating Engine

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

McIntyre, D. L.

To meet the ignition system needs of large bore, high pressure, lean burn, natural gas engines a side pumped, passively Q-switched, Nd:YAG laser was developed and tested. The laser was designed to produce the optical intensities needed to initiate ignition in a lean burn, high compression engine. The laser and associated optics were designed with a passive Q-switch to eliminate the need for high voltage signaling and associated equipment. The laser was diode pumped to eliminate the need for high voltage flash lamps which have poor pumping efficiency. The independent and dependent parameters of the laser were identified and exploredmore » in specific combinations that produced consistent robust sparks in laboratory air. Prior research has shown that increasing gas pressure lowers the breakdown threshold for laser initiated ignition. The laser has an overall geometry of 57x57x152 mm with an output beam diameter of approximately 3 mm. The experimentation used a wide range of optical and electrical input parameters that when combined produced ignition in laboratory air. The results show a strong dependence of the output parameters on the output coupler reflectivity, Q-switch initial transmission, and gain media dopant concentration. As these three parameters were lowered the output performance of the laser increased leading to larger more brilliant sparks. The results show peak power levels of up to 3MW and peak focal intensities of up to 560 GW/cm 2. Engine testing was performed on a Ricardo Proteus single cylinder research engine. The goal of the engine testing was to show that the test laser performs identically to the commercially available flashlamp pumped actively Q-switched laser used in previous laser ignition testing. The engine testing consisted of a comparison of the in-cylinder, and emissions behavior of the engine using each of the lasers as an ignition system. All engine parameters were kept as constant as possilbe while the equivalence ratio (fueling), and hence the engine load, was varied between 0.8, 0.9, and 1.0. The test laser was constructed with a 30% output coupler, 32% Q-switch initial transmission, and a 0.5% Nd concentration rod all pumped by approximately 1000 Watts of optical power. The test laser single mode output pulse had an energy of approximately 23 mJ, with a pulsewidth of approximately 10 ns, and an M2 value of 6.55. This output produced focal intensity of approximately 270 GW/cm 2 with the modified on-engine optical arrangement. The commercial laser had similar output parameters and both laser systems operated the engine with similar results. Due to the shortening of the focal length of the on-engine optical setup both laser systems produced a spark well within the optical transfer cavity of the laser optics to spark plug adaptor. This shrouded spark led to a very long ignition delay and retarded combustion timing for all three values of equivalence ratio. This was evidenced by the in-cylinder pressure traces and the HRR waveforms. The emissions data indicate that both lasers produced very similar combustion. The ignition delay caused by the shrouded spark cause most of the combustion to happen after TDC which lead to poor combustion that produced high levels of CO and THC. The novelty of this work lies in the combination of the laser parameters to create a single high peak power laser output pulse for use as a spark ignition source. Similar configurations have been investigated in the literature but for different applications such as multiple output pulse trains for various industrial and communications applications. Another point of novelty is the investigation of the laser medium concentration on the output characteristics of a passively Q-switched laser system. This work has shown that lowering the Neodymium concentration in the active media within a passively Q-switched laser produces higher output energy values. This is significant because an actively Q-switched laser shows the opposite affect when the active ion concentration is varied.« less

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.

Assessment of duration of the drive operation in the mode of kinetic energy recovery under power supply voltage sags in electrical grids of mechanical engineering enterprises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shonin, O. B.; Novozhilov, N. G.

2017-02-01

Voltage sags in electric grids of mechanical engineering enterprises may lead to disconnection of important power consumers with variable frequency drives from the power grid and further interruption of the production process. The paper considers a sensorless V/f control system of еру induction motor drive under normal conditions and under voltage sags on the basis of a computer model of the drive and derivation of a formula for assessment of possible duration of the drive operation in the mode of controlled recovery of kinetic energy accumulated in rotating mass of the drive. Results of simulations have been used to validate results of calculations of the rotor velocity deceleration made in a closed form obtained from the equation reflecting the balance of torques. It is shown that results of calculations practically coincide with results of simulations in the range up to 5% of the velocity initial value. The proposed formula may be useful for estimation of the duration of the drive operation in the mode of recovery of kinetic energy depending on parameters of the motor and driven mechanisms.

Review of adult electrical burn injury outcomes worldwide: An analysis of low- voltage versus high-voltage electrical injury

PubMed Central

Shih, Jessica G; Shahrokhi, Shahriar; Jeschke, Marc G

2016-01-01

Objective To review low-voltage versus high-voltage electrical burn complications in adults, and to identify novel areas that are not recognized to improve outcomes. Methods An extensive literature search on electrical burn injuries was performed using OVID Medline, PubMed and EMBASE databases from 1946–2015. Studies relating to outcomes of electrical injury in the adult population (≥18 years of age) were included in the study. Results Forty-one single-institution publications with a total of 5485 electrical injury patients were identified and included in the present study. 18.0% of these patients were low-voltage injuries (LVI), 38.3% high-voltage injuries (HVI) and 43.7% with voltage not otherwise specified (NOS). Forty-four percent of studies did not characterize outcomes according to low versus high-voltage injuries. Reported outcomes include surgical, medical, post-traumatic, and other (long-term/psychological/rehabilitative), all of which report greater incidence rates in HVI compared to LVI. Only two studies report on psychological outcomes such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Mortality from electrical injuries are 2.6% in LVI, 5.2% in HVI and 3.7% in NOS. Coroner’s reports reveal a ratio of 2.4:1 for deaths caused by low-voltage injury compared to high voltage-injury. Conclusions High-voltage injuries lead to greater morbidity and mortality than low-voltage injuries. However, the results of the coroner’s reports suggest that immediate mortality from low-voltage injury may be underestimated. Furthermore, based on the data of this analysis we conclude that the majority of studies report electrical injury outcomes, however, the majority of them do not analyze complications by low versus high voltage and often lack long-term psychological and rehabilitation outcomes post-electrical injury indicating that a variety of central aspects are not being evaluated or assessed. PMID:27359191

Shift in Chemical Potential of Superconducting Bi2212 Measured by Ultrafast Photoemission Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Tristan; Smallwood, Chris; Zhang, Wentao; Eisaki, Hiroshi; Lee, Dung-Hai; Lanzara, Alessandra

2015-03-01

Time- and Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (tr-ARPES) has been used to directly measure the dynamics of many different properties of high-temperature superconductors, including the quasiparticle relaxation, cooper pair recombination, and many-body interactions. There have also been several intriguing results on several materials showing how laser pulses can manipulate their chemical potential on ultrafast timescales, and it's been suggested that these effects could find applications in optoelectronic devices. Studies on GaAs have also found that laser pulses may induce a surface voltage effect. Here, we extend these studies for the first time to a Bi2212 sample in the superconducting state, and disentangle the shift in chemical potential from surface voltage effects. This work was supported by Berkeley Lab's program on Quantum Materials, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division, under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

Performance Improvement of Diagonal Type MHD Generator by Modification of PTO Electrode Configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Toru; Fujino, Takayasu; Ishikawa, Motoo

Time dependent three-dimensional numerical analysis is carried out in order to clarify causes of voltage loss occurring near power takeoff regions and to suggest how to reduce the voltage loss for the scramjet engine driven MHD generator which was developed under the hypersonic vehicle electric power system program in USA. The numerical results under the experimental condition show that the local positive electric field is induced near the power takeoff electrodes. The phenomenon is due to the electric field loss by the high electric current through the weakly ionized plasma with low temperature and also by the low electromotive force near the power takeoff electrodes. When the configuration of power takeoff electrodes is modified, the current density near the power takeoff electrodes becomes small and the electromotive force becomes strong. The electric power output under the optimum electrode configuration of power takeoff is improved by 22 percent, compared with the value under the experimental condition.

HIGH VOLTAGE GENERATOR

DOEpatents

Zito, G.V.

1959-04-21

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

Extending Ion Engine Technology to NEXT and Beyond

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Domonkos, Matthew T.; Patterson, Michael J.; Foster, John E.; Rawlin, Vince K.; Soulas, George C.; Sovey, James S.; Kovaleski, Scott D.; Roman, Robert F.; Williams, George J., Jr.; Lyons, Valerie J. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Extending ion engine technology beyond the current state-of-the art primary interplanetary electric propulsion system, the 2.3-kW NASA Solar Electric Propulsion Technology and Applications Readiness (NSTAR) system, will require thrusters with improved propellant throughput and total impulse capability. Many of the design choices that culminated in the NSTAR thrusters must be revisited, and their application to next generation ion engine technology must be evaluated. The concept of derating, which was successfully employed in NSTAR, has been applied to the 40 cm NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) currently under development at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). At 5-kW, NEXT operates with the same average beam current density as NSTAR, and at 10-kW, the peak beam current density is only ten percent greater than NSTAR. The result is that similar Ion optics technology is expected to yield comparable lifetime. Thick-accelerator- grid ion optics are also being tested to realize additional lifetime benefits. A 40-A discharge cathode is being developed for NEXT based on scaling the NSTAR design. Nevertheless, the experiences of the NSTAR ground tests and the thruster on the Deep Space One spacecraft indicate that the discharge cathode wear must be studied experimentally and theoretically to ensure that it meets the lifetime requirements. Although NEXT is in its infancy, investigations have already begun to examine possible modifications to engine design for even higher-power and higher-specific impulse engines. Ion optics using alternate materials such as titanium, graphite, or carbon-carbon composite are currently being investigated due to their low sputter yields at high voltage. To avoid the difficulties encountered using electrodes at high-currents, the use of a microwave-based ion thruster is under investigation for potential high-power ion thruster systems requiring long lifetimes. Additionally, alternative propellants are being considered for applications requiring high-specific impulse (>> 5000 s) and extremely long-life (>> 15,000 hr). Testing requirements make condensable propellants attractive for high-power engines. Although the NSTAR ion engine demonstrated the flight maturity of ion thruster technology, many challenges remain for the development of thrusters with improved propellant throughput and power handling capabilities.

Switch contact device for interrupting high current, high voltage, AC and DC circuits

DOEpatents

Via, Lester C.; Witherspoon, F. Douglas; Ryan, John M.

2005-01-04

A high voltage switch contact structure capable of interrupting high voltage, high current AC and DC circuits. The contact structure confines the arc created when contacts open to the thin area between two insulating surfaces in intimate contact. This forces the arc into the shape of a thin sheet which loses heat energy far more rapidly than an arc column having a circular cross-section. These high heat losses require a dramatic increase in the voltage required to maintain the arc, thus extinguishing it when the required voltage exceeds the available voltage. The arc extinguishing process with this invention is not dependent on the occurrence of a current zero crossing and, consequently, is capable of rapidly interrupting both AC and DC circuits. The contact structure achieves its high performance without the use of sulfur hexafluoride.

33 CFR 165.T01-0992 - Safety Zone; repair of high voltage transmission lines to Logan International Airport; Saugus...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... voltage transmission lines to Logan International Airport; Saugus River, Saugus, MA. 165.T01-0992 Section... high voltage transmission lines to Logan International Airport; Saugus River, Saugus, MA. (a) General... high voltage transmission lines to Logan International Airport; Saugus River, Saugus, MA. (i) All...

30 CFR 56.12071 - Movement or operation of equipment near high-voltage power lines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-voltage power lines. 56.12071 Section 56.12071 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... NONMETAL MINES Electricity § 56.12071 Movement or operation of equipment near high-voltage power lines. When equipment must be moved or operated near energized high-voltage powerlines (other than trolley...

76 FR 19698 - Safety Zone; Repair of High Voltage Transmission Lines to Logan International Airport, Saugus...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-08

...-AA00 Safety Zone; Repair of High Voltage Transmission Lines to Logan International Airport, Saugus... (COTP) Boston Zone to allow for repair of high voltage transmission lines to Logan Airport. This safety... voltage transmission lines. Entering into, transiting through, mooring or anchoring within this zone is...

30 CFR 57.12071 - Movement or operation of equipment near high-voltage powerlines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Movement or operation of equipment near high-voltage powerlines. 57.12071 Section 57.12071 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION...-voltage powerlines. When equipment must be moved or operated near energized high-voltage powerlines (other...

Nonpolluting automobiles

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

Hoolboom, G.J.; Szabados, B.

The advantages/disadvantages of energy storage devices, which can provide nonpolluting automobile systems are discussed. Four types of storage devices are identified: electrochemical (batteries); hydrogen; electromechanical (flywheels); and molten salt heat storage. A high-speed flywheel with a small permanent magnet motor/generator has more advantages than any of the other systems and might become a real competitor to the internal combustion engine. A flywheel/motor/generator system for automobiles now becomes practical, because of the technological advances in materials, bearings and solid state control circuits. The motor of choice is the squirrel cage induction motor, specially designed for automobile applications. The preferred controller formore » the induction motor is a forced commutated cycloconverter, which transforms a variable voltage/variable frequency source into a controlled variable-voltage/variable-frequency supply. A modulation strategy of the cycloconverter elements is selected to maintain a unity input displacement factor (power factor) under all conditions of loads voltages and frequencies. The system is similar to that of the existing automobile, if only one motor is used: master controller-controller-motor-gears (fixed)-differential-wheels. In the case of two motors, the mechanical differential is replaced by an electric one: master controller-controller-motor-gears (fixed)-wheel. A four-wheel drive vehicle is obtained when four motors with their own controllers are used. 24 refs.« less

High-frequency high-voltage high-power DC-to-DC converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1982-01-01

A simple analysis of the current and voltage waveshapes associated with the power transistor and the power diode in an example current-or-voltage step-up (buck-boost) converter is presented. The purpose of the analysis is to provide an overview of the problems and design trade-offs which must be addressed as high-power high-voltage converters are operated at switching frequencies in the range of 100 kHz and beyond. Although the analysis focuses on the current-or-voltage step-up converter as the vehicle for discussion, the basic principles presented are applicable to other converter topologies as well.

High-frequency high-voltage high-power DC-to-DC converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

1982-09-01

A simple analysis of the current and voltage waveshapes associated with the power transistor and the power diode in an example current-or-voltage step-up (buck-boost) converter is presented. The purpose of the analysis is to provide an overview of the problems and design trade-offs which must be addressed as high-power high-voltage converters are operated at switching frequencies in the range of 100 kHz and beyond. Although the analysis focuses on the current-or-voltage step-up converter as the vehicle for discussion, the basic principles presented are applicable to other converter topologies as well.

30 CFR 75.816 - Guarding of cables.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Underground High-Voltage Distribution High-Voltage Longwalls § 75.816 Guarding of cables. (a) High-voltage cables must be guarded at the following locations...

Electrical Characterization Laboratory | Energy Systems Integration

Science.gov Websites

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

Low-jitter high-power thyristor array pulse driver and generator

DOEpatents

Hanks, Roy L.

2002-01-01

A method and apparatus for generating low-jitter, high-voltage and high-current pulses for driving low impedance loads such as detonator fuses uses a MOSFET driver which, when triggered, discharges a high-voltage pre-charged capacitor into the primary of a toroidal current-multiplying transformer with multiple isolated secondary windings. The secondary outputs are suitable for driving an array of thyristors that discharge a precharged high-voltage capacitor and thus generating the required high-voltage and high-current pulse.

Engineering Consideration for the Self-Energizing Magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD) - Type Fusion Plasma Thruster

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-02-01

currents can be reached by optimizing the electrode geometry and the charging circuit voltage and that the equivalent circuit modelling provides a realistic basis for analyzing plasma focus pinch dynamics.

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

DOEpatents

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

1994-06-28

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

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

DOEpatents

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

1994-01-01

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

Full system engineering design and operation of an oxygen plant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colvin, James; Schallhorn, Paul; Ramonhalli, Kumar

1992-01-01

The production of oxygen from the indigenous resources on Mars is described. After discussing briefly the project's background and the experimental system design, specific experimental results of the electrolytic cell are presented. At the heart of the oxygen production system is a tubular solid zirconia electrolyte cell that will electrochemically separate oxygen from a high-temperature stream of Coleman grade carbon dioxide. Experimental results are discussed and certain system efficiencies are defined. The parameters varied include (1) the cell operating temperature; (2) the carbon dioxide flow rate; and (3) the voltage applied across the cell. The results confirm our theoretical expectations.

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.

Variation of nanopore diameter along porous anodic alumina channels by multi-step anodization.

PubMed

Lee, Kwang Hong; Lim, Xin Yuan; Wai, Kah Wing; Romanato, Filippo; Wong, Chee Cheong

2011-02-01

In order to form tapered nanocapillaries, we investigated a method to vary the nanopore diameter along the porous anodic alumina (PAA) channels using multi-step anodization. By anodizing the aluminum in either single acid (H3PO4) or multi-acid (H2SO4, oxalic acid and H3PO4) with increasing or decreasing voltage, the diameter of the nanopore along the PAA channel can be varied systematically corresponding to the applied voltages. The pore size along the channel can be enlarged or shrunken in the range of 20 nm to 200 nm. Structural engineering of the template along the film growth direction can be achieved by deliberately designing a suitable voltage and electrolyte together with anodization time.

Oxidatively stable fluorinated sulfone electrolytes for high voltage high energy lithium-ion batteries

DOE PAGES

Su, Chi -Cheung; He, Meinan; Redfern, Paul C.; ...

2017-03-16

New fluorinated sulfones were synthesized and evaluated in high voltage lithium-ion batteries using LiNi 0.5Mn 1.5O 4 (LNMO) cathode. Fluorinated sulfones with an α-trifluoromethyl group exhibit enhanced oxidation stability, reduced viscosity and superior separator wettability as compared to their non-fluorinated counterparts. Finally, the improved performance in high voltage cells makes it a promising high voltage electrolyte for 5-V lithium-ion chemistry.

Synthesis of polymer nanostructures with conductance switching properties

DOEpatents

Su, Kai; Nuraje, Nurxat; Zhang, Lingzhi; Matsui, Hiroshi; Yang, Nan Loh

2015-03-03

The present invention is directed to crystalline organic polymer nanoparticles comprising a conductive organic polymer; wherein the crystalline organic polymer nanoparticles have a size of from 10 nm to 200 nm and exhibits two current-voltage states: (1) a high resistance current-voltage state, and (2) a low resistance current-voltage state, wherein when a first positive threshold voltage (V.sub.th1) or higher positive voltage, or a second negative threshold voltage (V.sub.th2) or higher negative voltage is applied to the nanoparticle, the nanoparticle exhibits the low-resistance current-voltage state, and when a voltage less positive than the first positive threshold voltage or a voltage less negative than the second negative threshold voltage is applied to the nanoparticle, the nanoparticle exhibits the high-resistance current-voltage state. The present invention is also directed methods of manufacturing the nanoparticles using novel interfacial oxidative polymerization techniques.

Charge-pump voltage converter

DOEpatents

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

2009-11-03

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

Automated Sneak Circuit Analysis Technique

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

the OrCAD/SDT module Port facility. 2. The terminals of all in- circuit voltage sources (e , batteries) must be labeled using the OrCAD/SDT module port...ELECTE 1 MAY 2 01994 _- AUTOMATED SNEAK CIRCUIT ANALYSIS TECHNIQUEIt~ w I wtA who RADC 94-14062 Systems Reliability & Engineering Division Rome...Air Develpment Center Best Avai~lable copy AUTOMATED SNEAK CIRCUIT ANALYSIS TECHNIQUE RADC June 1990 Systems Reliability & Engineering Division Rome Air

AUTOMOTIVE DIESEL MAINTENANCE 1. UNIT XXIV, I--MAINTAINING THE FUEL SYSTEM PART III--CATERPILLAR DIESEL ENGINE, II--UNDERSTANDING THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR/ALTERNATOR.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota State Dept. of Education, St. Paul. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education.

THIS MODULE OF A 30-MODULE COURSE IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE DIESEL ENGINE FUEL AND BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM. TOPICS ARE (1) INJECTION TIMING CONTROLS, (2) GOVERNOR, (3) FUEL SYSTEM MAINTENANCE TIPS, (4) THE CHARGING SYSTEM, (5) REGULATING THE GENERATOR/ALTERNATOR, AND (6) CHARGING SYSTEM SERVICE…

13kW Advanced Electric Propulsion Flight System Development and Qualification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jackson, Jerry; Allen, May; Myers, Roger; Soendker, Erich; Welander, Benjamin; Tolentino, Artie; Hablitzel, Sam; Yeatts, Chyrl; Xu, Steven; Sheehan, Chris;

Coordinative Voltage Control Strategy with Multiple Resources for Distribution Systems of High PV Penetration: Preprint

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

Zhu, Xiangqi; Zhang, Yingchen

This paper presents an optimal voltage control methodology with coordination among different voltage-regulating resources, including controllable loads, distributed energy resources such as energy storage and photovoltaics (PV), and utility voltage-regulating devices such as voltage regulators and capacitors. The proposed methodology could effectively tackle the overvoltage and voltage regulation device distortion problems brought by high penetrations of PV to improve grid operation reliability. A voltage-load sensitivity matrix and voltage-regulator sensitivity matrix are used to deploy the resources along the feeder to achieve the control objectives. Mixed-integer nonlinear programming is used to solve the formulated optimization control problem. The methodology has beenmore » tested on the IEEE 123-feeder test system, and the results demonstrate that the proposed approach could actively tackle the voltage problem brought about by high penetrations of PV and improve the reliability of distribution system operation.« less

High-frequency high-voltage high-power DC-to-DC converters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

1981-07-01

The current and voltage waveshapes associated with the power transitor and the power diode in an example current-or-voltage step-up (buck-boost) converter were analyzed to highlight the problems and possible tradeoffs involved in the design of high voltage high power converters operating at switching frequencies in the range of 100 Khz. Although the fast switching speeds of currently available power diodes and transistors permit converter operation at high switching frequencies, the resulting time rates of changes of current coupled with parasitic inductances in series with the semiconductor switches, produce large repetitive voltage transients across the semiconductor switches, potentially far in excess of the device voltage ratings. The need is established for semiconductor switch protection circuitry to control the peak voltages appearing across the semiconductor switches, as well as to provide the waveshaping action require for a given semiconductor device. The possible tradeoffs, as well as the factors affecting the tradeoffs that must be considered in order to maximize the efficiency of the converters are enumerated.

A quick response four decade logarithmic high-voltage stepping supply

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doong, H.

1978-01-01

An improved high-voltage stepping supply, for space instrumentation is described where low power consumption and fast settling time between steps are required. The high-voltage stepping supply, utilizing an average power of 750 milliwatts, delivers a pair of mirror images with 64 level logarithmic outputs. It covers a four decade range of + or - 2500 to + or - 0.29 volts having an output stability of + or - 0.5 percent or + or - 20 millivolts for all line load and temperature variations. The supply provides a typical step setting time of 1 millisecond with 100 microseconds for the lower two decades. The versatile design features of the high-voltage stepping supply provides a quick response staircase generator as described or a fixed voltage with the option to change levels as required over large dynamic ranges without circuit modifications. The concept can be implemented up to + or - 5000 volts. With these design features, the high-voltage stepping supply should find numerous applications where charged particle detection, electro-optical systems, and high voltage scientific instruments are used.

High-frequency high-voltage high-power DC-to-DC converters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1981-01-01

The current and voltage waveshapes associated with the power transitor and the power diode in an example current-or-voltage step-up (buck-boost) converter were analyzed to highlight the problems and possible tradeoffs involved in the design of high voltage high power converters operating at switching frequencies in the range of 100 Khz. Although the fast switching speeds of currently available power diodes and transistors permit converter operation at high switching frequencies, the resulting time rates of changes of current coupled with parasitic inductances in series with the semiconductor switches, produce large repetitive voltage transients across the semiconductor switches, potentially far in excess of the device voltage ratings. The need is established for semiconductor switch protection circuitry to control the peak voltages appearing across the semiconductor switches, as well as to provide the waveshaping action require for a given semiconductor device. The possible tradeoffs, as well as the factors affecting the tradeoffs that must be considered in order to maximize the efficiency of the converters are enumerated.

30 CFR 77.704-3 - Work on energized high-voltage surface lines; reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Work on energized high-voltage surface lines... OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Grounding § 77.704-3 Work on energized high-voltage surface lines...-voltage surface lines under the provisions of § 77.704-2 shall maintain a record of such repairs. Such...

30 CFR 77.807-2 - Booms and masts; minimum distance from high-voltage lines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-voltage lines. 77.807-2 Section 77.807-2 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION... WORK AREAS OF UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Surface High-Voltage Distribution § 77.807-2 Booms and masts; minimum distance from high-voltage lines. The booms and masts of equipment operated on the surface of any...

DC High Voltage Conditioning of Photoemission Guns at Jefferson Lab FEL

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

Hernandez-Garcia, C.; Benson, S. V.; Biallas, G.

2009-08-04

DC high voltage photoemission electron guns with GaAs photocathodes have been used to produce polarized electron beams for nuclear physics experiments for about 3 decades with great success. In the late 1990s, Jefferson Lab adopted this gun technology for a free electron laser (FEL), but to assist with high bunch charge operation, considerably higher bias voltage is required compared to the photoguns used at the Jefferson Lab Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility. The FEL gun has been conditioned above 400 kV several times, albeit encountering non-trivial challenges with ceramic insulators and field emission from electrodes. Recently, high voltage processing withmore » krypton gas was employed to process very stubborn field emitters. This work presents a summary of the high voltage techniques used to high voltage condition the Jefferson Lab FEL photoemission gun.« less

Optimizing ion channel models using a parallel genetic algorithm on graphical processors.

PubMed

Ben-Shalom, Roy; Aviv, Amit; Razon, Benjamin; Korngreen, Alon

2012-01-01

We have recently shown that we can semi-automatically constrain models of voltage-gated ion channels by combining a stochastic search algorithm with ionic currents measured using multiple voltage-clamp protocols. Although numerically successful, this approach is highly demanding computationally, with optimization on a high performance Linux cluster typically lasting several days. To solve this computational bottleneck we converted our optimization algorithm for work on a graphical processing unit (GPU) using NVIDIA's CUDA. Parallelizing the process on a Fermi graphic computing engine from NVIDIA increased the speed ∼180 times over an application running on an 80 node Linux cluster, considerably reducing simulation times. This application allows users to optimize models for ion channel kinetics on a single, inexpensive, desktop "super computer," greatly reducing the time and cost of building models relevant to neuronal physiology. We also demonstrate that the point of algorithm parallelization is crucial to its performance. We substantially reduced computing time by solving the ODEs (Ordinary Differential Equations) so as to massively reduce memory transfers to and from the GPU. This approach may be applied to speed up other data intensive applications requiring iterative solutions of ODEs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Residential exposure from extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF EMF) radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parthasarathy, Shamesh Raj; Tukimin, Roha

2018-01-01

ELF EMF radiation have received considerable attention as a potential threat to the safety and health of people living in the vicinity of high voltage transmission lines, electric distribution substations, power stations and even in close proximity to electronics and electrical household appliances. The paper highlights the study on the ELF EMF safety assessment performed at residences comprising of an owner-occupied house, a completed vacant house and an under construction condominium. The objectives of this study were to determine the ELF EMF radiation exposure level from the high voltage transmission line, electric distribution substation, power station and electrical household appliances in the residences, and to assess the potential exposure received by the occupants at the assessed locations. The results were logged in the electric and magnetic field strength with the units of volt per meter (V/m) and miliGauss (mG) respectively. The instrument setup and measurement protocols during the assessment were adopted from standard measurement method and procedures stipulated under the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard. The results were compared with the standards recommended in the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines.

Melt Electrospinning Writing of Three-dimensional Poly(ε-caprolactone) Scaffolds with Controllable Morphologies for Tissue Engineering Applications.

PubMed

Wunner, Felix M; Bas, Onur; Saidy, Navid T; Dalton, Paul D; Pardo, Elena M De-Juan; Hutmacher, Dietmar W

2017-12-23

This tutorial reflects on the fundamental principles and guidelines for electrospinning writing with polymer melts, an additive manufacturing technology with great potential for biomedical applications. The technique facilitates the direct deposition of biocompatible polymer fibers to fabricate well-ordered scaffolds in the sub-micron to micro scale range. The establishment of a stable, viscoelastic, polymer jet between a spinneret and a collector is achieved using an applied voltage and can be direct-written. A significant benefit of a typical porous scaffold is a high surface-to-volume ratio which provides increased effective adhesion sites for cell attachment and growth. Controlling the printing process by fine-tuning the system parameters enables high reproducibility in the quality of the printed scaffolds. It also provides a flexible manufacturing platform for users to tailor the morphological structures of the scaffolds to their specific requirements. For this purpose, we present a protocol to obtain different fiber diameters using melt electrospinning writing (MEW) with a guided amendment of the parameters, including flow rate, voltage and collection speed. Furthermore, we demonstrate how to optimize the jet, discuss often experienced technical challenges, explain troubleshooting techniques and showcase a wide range of printable scaffold architectures.

Power conditioning system modelling for nuclear electric propulsion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metcalf, Kenneth J.

1993-11-01

NASA LeRC is currently developing a Fortran based model of a complete nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) vehicle that would be used for piloted and cargo missions to the Moon or Mars. The proposed vehicle design will use either a Brayton or K-Rankine power conversion cycle to drive a turbine coupled with a rotary alternator. Two thruster types are also being studied, ion and magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD). In support of this NEP model, Rocketdyne developed a power management and distribution (PMAD) subroutine that provides parametric outputs for selected alternator operating voltages and frequencies, thruster types, system power levels, and electronics coldplate temperatures. The end-to-end PMAD model described is based on the direct use of the alternator voltage and frequency for transmitting power to either ion or MPD thrusters. This low frequency transmission approach was compared with dc and high frequency ac designs, and determined to have the lowest mass, highest efficiency, highest reliability and lowest development costs. While its power quality is not as good as that provided by a high frequency system, it was considered adequate for both ion and MPD engine applications. The low frequency architecture will be used as the reference in future NEP PMAD studies.

Power Conditioning System Modelling for Nuclear Electric Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Metcalf, Kenneth J.

1993-01-01

NASA LeRC is currently developing a Fortran based model of a complete nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) vehicle that would be used for piloted and cargo missions to the Moon or Mars. The proposed vehicle design will use either a Brayton or K-Rankine power conversion cycle to drive a turbine coupled with a rotary alternator. Two thruster types are also being studied, ion and magnetoplasmadynamic (MPD). In support of this NEP model, Rocketdyne developed a power management and distribution (PMAD) subroutine that provides parametric outputs for selected alternator operating voltages and frequencies, thruster types, system power levels, and electronics coldplate temperatures. The end-to-end PMAD model described is based on the direct use of the alternator voltage and frequency for transmitting power to either ion or MPD thrusters. This low frequency transmission approach was compared with dc and high frequency ac designs, and determined to have the lowest mass, highest efficiency, highest reliability and lowest development costs. While its power quality is not as good as that provided by a high frequency system, it was considered adequate for both ion and MPD engine applications. The low frequency architecture will be used as the reference in future NEP PMAD studies.

Ferroelectric domain switching dynamics and memristive behaviors in BiFeO3-based magnetoelectric heterojunctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Weichuan; Liu, Yukuai; Luo, Zhen; Hou, Chuangming; Zhao, Wenbo; Yin, Yuewei; Li, Xiaoguang

2018-06-01

The ferroelectric domain reversal dynamics and the corresponding resistance switching as well as the memristive behaviors in epitaxial BiFeO3 (BFO, ~150 nm) based multiferroic heterojunctions were systematically investigated. The ferroelectric domain reversal dynamics could be described by the nucleation-limited-switching model with the Lorentzian distribution of logarithmic domain-switching times. By engineering the domain states, multi and even continuously tunable resistances states, i.e. memristive states, could be non-volatilely achieved. The resistance switching speed can be as fast as 30 ns in the BFO-based multiferroic heterojunctions with a write voltage of ~20 V. By reducing the thickness of BFO, the La0.6Sr0.4MnO3/BFO (~5 nm)/La0.6Sr0.4MnO3 multiferroic tunnel junction (MFTJ) shows an even a quicker switching speed (20 ns) with a much lower operation voltage (~4 V). Importantly, the MFTJ exhibits a tunable interfacial magnetoelectric coupling related to the ferroelectric domain switching dynamics. These findings enrich the potential applications of multiferroic BFO based devices in high-speed, low-power, and high-density memories as well as future neuromorphic computational architectures.

High voltage dc--dc converter with dynamic voltage regulation and decoupling during load-generated arcs

DOEpatents

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

1995-05-23

A high-power power supply produces a controllable, constant high voltage output under varying and arcing loads. The power supply includes a voltage regulator, an inductor, an inverter for producing a high frequency square wave current of alternating polarity, an improved inverter voltage clamping circuit, a step up transformer, an output rectifier for producing a dc voltage at the output of each module, and a current sensor for sensing output current. The power supply also provides dynamic response to varying loads by controlling the voltage regulator duty cycle and circuitry is provided for sensing incipient arc currents at the output of the power supply to simultaneously decouple the power supply circuitry from the arcing load. The power supply includes a plurality of discrete switching type dc--dc converter modules. 5 Figs.

High voltage dc-dc converter with dynamic voltage regulation and decoupling during load-generated arcs

DOEpatents

Shimer, Daniel W.; Lange, Arnold C.

1995-01-01

A high-power power supply produces a controllable, constant high voltage output under varying and arcing loads. The power supply includes a voltage regulator, an inductor, an inverter for producing a high frequency square wave current of alternating polarity, an improved inverter voltage clamping circuit, a step up transformer, an output rectifier for producing a dc voltage at the output of each module, and a current sensor for sensing output current. The power supply also provides dynamic response to varying loads by controlling the voltage regulator duty cycle and circuitry is provided for sensing incipient arc currents at the output of the power supply to simultaneously decouple the power supply circuitry from the arcing load. The power supply includes a plurality of discrete switching type dc--dc converter modules.

High-voltage supply for neutron tubes in well-logging applications

DOEpatents

Humphreys, D.R.

1982-09-15

A high voltage supply is provided for a neutron tube used in well logging. The biased pulse supply of the invention combines DC and full pulse techniques and produces a target voltage comprising a substantial negative DC bias component on which is superimposed a pulse whose negative peak provides the desired negative voltage level for the neutron tube. The target voltage is preferably generated using voltage doubling techniques and employing a voltage source which generates bipolar pulse pairs having an amplitude corresponding to the DC bias level.

High voltage supply for neutron tubes in well logging applications

DOEpatents

Humphreys, D. Russell

1989-01-01

A high voltage supply is provided for a neutron tube used in well logging. The "biased pulse" supply of the invention combines DC and "full pulse" techniques and produces a target voltage comprising a substantial negative DC bias component on which is superimposed a pulse whose negative peak provides the desired negative voltage level for the neutron tube. The target voltage is preferably generated using voltage doubling techniques and employing a voltage source which generates bipolar pulse pairs having an amplitude corresponding to the DC bias level.

Gating of the designed trimeric/tetrameric voltage-gated H+ channel

PubMed Central

Fujiwara, Yuichiro; Kurokawa, Tatsuki; Takeshita, Kohei; Nakagawa, Atsushi; Larsson, H Peter; Okamura, Yasushi

2013-01-01

The voltage-gated H+ channel functions as a dimer, a configuration that is different from standard tetrameric voltage-gated channels. Each channel protomer has its own permeation pathway. The C-terminal coiled-coil domain has been shown to be necessary for both dimerization and cooperative gating in the two channel protomers. Here we report the gating cooperativity in trimeric and tetrameric Hv channels engineered by altering the hydrophobic core sequence of the coiled-coil assembly domain. Trimeric and tetrameric channels exhibited more rapid and less sigmoidal kinetics of activation of H+ permeation than dimeric channels, suggesting that some channel protomers in trimers and tetramers failed to produce gating cooperativity observed in wild-type dimers. Multimerization of trimer and tetramer channels were confirmed by the biochemical analysis of proteins, including crystallography. These findings indicate that the voltage-gated H+ channel is optimally designed as a dimeric channel on a solid foundation of the sequence pattern of the coiled-coil core, with efficient cooperative gating that ensures sustained and steep voltage-dependent H+ conductance in blood cells. PMID:23165764

Low voltage operation of GaN vertical nanowire MOSFET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Dong-Hyeok; Jo, Young-Woo; Seo, Jae Hwa; Won, Chul-Ho; Im, Ki-Sik; Lee, Yong Soo; Jang, Hwan Soo; Kim, Dae-Hyun; Kang, In Man; Lee, Jung-Hee

2018-07-01

GaN gate-all-around (GAA) vertical nanowire MOSFET (VNWMOSFET) with channel length of 300 nm and diameter of 120 nm, the narrowest GaN-based vertical nanowire transistor ever achieved from the top-down approach, was fabricated by utilizing anisotropic side-wall wet etching in TMAH solution and photoresist etch-back process. The VNWMOSFET exhibited output characteristics with very low saturation drain voltage of less than 0.5 V, which is hardly observed from the wide bandgap-based devices. Simulation results indicated that the narrow diameter of the VNWMOSFET with relatively short channel length is responsible for the low voltage operation. The VNWMOSFET also demonstrated normally-off mode with threshold voltage (VTH) of 0.7 V, extremely low leakage current of ∼10-14 A, low drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) of 125 mV/V, and subthreshold swing (SS) of 66-122 mV/decade. The GaN GAA VNWMOSFET with narrow channel diameter investigated in this work would be promising for new low voltage logic application. He has been a Professor with the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Korea, since 1993

TLBO based Voltage Stable Environment Friendly Economic Dispatch Considering Real and Reactive Power Constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, H. K.; Mafidar, P.

2013-09-01

In view of growing concern towards environment, power system engineers are forced to generate quality green energy. Hence the economic dispatch (ED) aims at the power generation to meet the load demand at minimum fuel cost with environmental and voltage constraints along with essential constraints on real and reactive power. The emission control which reduces the negative impact on environment is achieved by including the additional constraints in ED problem. Presently, the power system mostly operates near its stability limits, therefore with increased demand the system faces voltage problem. The bus voltages are brought within limit in the present work by placement of static var compensator (SVC) at weak bus which is identified from bus participation factor. The optimal size of SVC is determined by univariate search method. This paper presents the use of Teaching Learning based Optimization (TLBO) algorithm for voltage stable environment friendly ED problem with real and reactive power constraints. The computational effectiveness of TLBO is established through test results over particle swarm optimization (PSO) and Big Bang-Big Crunch (BB-BC) algorithms for the ED problem.

Alternating current breakdown voltage of ice electret

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oshika, Y.; Tsuchiya, Y.; Okumura, T.; Muramoto, Y.

2017-09-01

Ice has low environmental impact. Our research objectives are to study the availability of ice as a dielectric insulating material at cryogenic temperatures. We focus on ferroelectric ice (iceXI) at cryogenic temperatures. The properties of iceXI, including its formation, are not clear. We attempted to obtain the polarized ice that was similar to iceXI under the applied voltage and cooling to 77 K. The polarized ice have a wide range of engineering applications as electronic materials at cryogenic temperatures. This polarized ice is called ice electret. The structural difference between ice electret and normal ice is only the positions of protons. The effects of the proton arrangement on the breakdown voltage of ice electret were shown because electrical properties are influenced by the structure of ice. We observed an alternating current (ac) breakdown voltage of ice electret and normal ice at 77 K. The mean and minimum ac breakdown voltage values of ice electret were higher than those of normal ice. We considered that the electrically weak part of the normal ice was improved by applied a direct electric field.

Physicochemical assessment criteria for high-voltage pulse capacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darian, L. A.; Lam, L. Kh.

2016-12-01

In the paper, the applicability of decomposition products of internal insulation of high-voltage pulse capacitors is considered (aging is the reason for decomposition products of internal insulation). Decomposition products of internal insulation of high-voltage pulse capacitors can be used to evaluate their quality when in operation and in service. There have been three generations of markers of aging of insulation as in the case with power transformers. The area of applicability of markers of aging of insulation for power transformers has been studied and the area can be extended to high-voltage pulse capacitors. The research reveals that there is a correlation between the components and quantities of markers of aging of the first generation (gaseous decomposition products of insulation) dissolved in insulating liquid and the remaining life of high-voltage pulse capacitors. The application of markers of aging to evaluate the remaining service life of high-voltage pulse capacitor is a promising direction of research, because the design of high-voltage pulse capacitors keeps stability of markers of aging of insulation in high-voltage pulse capacitors. It is necessary to continue gathering statistical data concerning development of markers of aging of the first generation. One should also carry out research aimed at estimation of the remaining life of capacitors using markers of the second and the third generation.

DC arc weld starter

DOEpatents

Campiotti, Richard H.; Hopwood, James E.

1990-01-01

A system for starting an arc for welding uses three DC power supplies, a high voltage supply for initiating the arc, an intermediate voltage supply for sustaining the arc, and a low voltage welding supply directly connected across the gap after the high voltage supply is disconnected.

[Design of a high-voltage insulation testing system of X-ray high frequency generators].

PubMed

Huang, Yong; Mo, Guo-Ming; Wang, Yan; Wang, Hong-Zhi; Yu, Jie-Ying; Dai, Shu-Guang

2007-09-01

In this paper, we analyze the transformer of X-ray high-voltage high-frequency generators and, have designed and implemented a high-voltage insulation testing system for its oil tank using full-bridge series resonant soft switching PFM DC-DC converter.

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.

APPARATUS FOR REGULATING HIGH VOLTAGE

DOEpatents

Morrison, K.G.

1951-03-20

This patent describes a high-voltage regulator of the r-f type wherein the modulation of the r-f voltage is accomplished at a high level, resulting in good stabilization over a large range of load conditions.

Effect of thermal insulation on the electrical characteristics of NbOx threshold switches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ziwen; Kumar, Suhas; Wong, H.-S. Philip; Nishi, Yoshio

2018-02-01

Threshold switches based on niobium oxide (NbOx) are promising candidates as bidirectional selector devices in crossbar memory arrays and building blocks for neuromorphic computing. Here, it is experimentally demonstrated that the electrical characteristics of NbOx threshold switches can be tuned by engineering the thermal insulation. Increasing the thermal insulation by ˜10× is shown to produce ˜7× reduction in threshold current and ˜45% reduction in threshold voltage. The reduced threshold voltage leads to ˜5× reduction in half-selection leakage, which highlights the effectiveness of reducing half-selection leakage of NbOx selectors by engineering the thermal insulation. A thermal feedback model based on Poole-Frenkel conduction in NbOx can explain the experimental results very well, which also serves as a piece of strong evidence supporting the validity of the Poole-Frenkel based mechanism in NbOx threshold switches.

Series resonance inverter with triggered vacuum gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damstra, Geert C.; Zhang, X.

1994-05-01

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

GaN Initiative for Grid Applications (GIGA)

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

Turner, George

2015-07-03

For nearly 4 ½ years, MIT Lincoln Laboratory (MIT/LL) led a very successful, DoE-funded team effort to develop GaN-on-Si materials and devices, targeting high-voltage (>1 kV), high-power, cost-effective electronics for grid applications. This effort, called the GaN Initiative for Grid Applications (GIGA) program, was initially made up of MIT/LL, the MIT campus group of Prof. Tomas Palacios (MIT), and the industrial partner M/A Com Technology Solutions (MTS). Later in the program a 4th team member was added (IQE MA) to provide commercial-scale GaN-on-Si epitaxial materials. A basic premise of the GIGA program was that power electronics, for ubiquitous utilization -evenmore » for grid applications - should be closer in cost structure to more conventional Si-based power electronics. For a number of reasons, more established GaN-on-SiC or even SiC-based power electronics are not likely to reach theses cost structures, even in higher manufacturing volumes. An additional premise of the GIGA program was that the technical focus would be on materials and devices suitable for operating at voltages > 1 kV, even though there is also significant commercial interest in developing lower voltage (< 1 kV), cost effective GaN-on-Si devices for higher volume applications, like consumer products. Remarkable technical progress was made during the course of this program. Advances in materials included the growth of high-quality, crack-free epitaxial GaN layers on large-diameter Si substrates with thicknesses up to ~5 μm, overcoming significant challenges in lattice mismatch and thermal expansion differences between Si and GaN in the actual epitaxial growth process. Such thick epilayers are crucial for high voltage operation of lateral geometry devices such as Schottky barrier (SB) diodes and high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). New “Normally-Off” device architectures were demonstrated – for safe operation of power electronics circuits. The trade-offs between lateral and vertical devices were explored, with the conclusion that lateral devices are superior for fundamental thermal reasons, as well as for the demonstration of future generations of monolithic power circuits. As part of the materials and device investigations breakdown mechanisms in GaN-on-Si structures were fully characterized and effective electric field engineering was recognized as critical for achieving even higher voltage operation. Improved device contact technology was demonstrated, including the first gold-free metallizations (to enable processing in CMOS foundries) while maintaining low specific contact resistance needed for high-power operation and 5-order-of magnitude improvement in device leakage currents (essential for high power operation). In addition, initial GaN-on-Si epitaxial growth was performed on 8”/200 mm Si starting substrates.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Bor-Ren

2018-04-01

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

Electronics and Software Engineer for Robotics Project Intern

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Teijeiro, Antonio

2017-01-01

I was assigned to mentor high school students for the 2017 First Robotics Competition. Using a team based approach, I worked with the students to program the robot and applied my electrical background to build the robot from start to finish. I worked with students who had an interest in electrical engineering to teach them about voltage, current, pulse width modulation, solenoids, electromagnets, relays, DC motors, DC motor controllers, crimping and soldering electrical components, Java programming, and robotic simulation. For the simulation, we worked together to generate graphics files, write simulator description format code, operate Linux, and operate SOLIDWORKS. Upon completion of the FRC season, I transitioned over to providing full time support for the LCS hardware team. During this phase of my internship I helped my co-intern write test steps for two networking hardware DVTs , as well as run cables and update cable running lists.

Performance Evaluation of a 50kW Hall Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, David T.; Jankovsky, Robert S.

1999-01-01

An experimental investigation was conducted on a laboratory model Hall thruster designed to operate at power levels up to 50 kW. During this investigation the engine's performance was characterized over a range of discharge currents from 10 to 36 A and a range of discharge voltages from 200 to 800 V Operating on the Russian cathode a maximum thrust of 966 mN was measured at 35.6 A and 713.0 V. This corresponded to a specific impulse of 3325 s and an efficiency of 62%. The maximum power the engine was operated at was 25 kW. Additional testing was conducted using a NASA cathode designed for higher current operation. During this testing, thrust over 1 N was measured at 40.2 A and 548.9 V. Several issues related to operation of Hall thrusters at these high powers were encountered.

Development of coin-type cell and engineering of its compartments for rechargeable seawater batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jinhyup; Hwang, Soo Min; Go, Wooseok; Senthilkumar, S. T.; Jeon, Donghoon; Kim, Youngsik

2018-01-01

Cell design and optimization of the components, including active materials and passive components, play an important role in constructing robust, high-performance rechargeable batteries. Seawater batteries, which utilize earth-abundant and natural seawater as the active material in an open-structured cathode, require a new platform for building and testing the cells other than typical Li-ion coin-type or pouch-type cells. Herein, we present new findings based on our optimized cell. Engineering the cathode components-improving the wettability of cathode current collector and seawater catholyte flow-improves the battery performance (voltage efficiency). Optimizing the cell component and design is the key to identifying the electrochemical processes and reactions of active materials. Hence, the outcome of this research can provide a systematic study of potentially active materials used in seawater batteries and their effectiveness on the electrochemical performance.

Hollow Cathode Studies for the Next Generation Ion Engines in JAXA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohkawa, Yasushi; Hayakawa, Yukio; Yoshida, Hideki; Miyazaki, Katsuhiro; Kitamura, Shoji; Kajiwara, Kenichi

The current status of experimental studies of hollow cathodes for the next-generation ion engines in the Aerospace Research and Development Directorate, JAXA is described. One of the topics on the hollow cathode studies is a life test of a discharge cathode. The keeper disk, orifice plate, and cathode tube of this discharge cathode are made of "high density graphite," which possesses much higher tolerance to ion impingement compared with conventional metal materials. The life test had started in March 2006 and the cumulative operation time reached 15,600 hours in April 2008. No severe degradation has been found both in the operation voltages and electrodes so far, and the test is favorably in progress. In addition to the life test of the discharge cathode, some experiments for design optimization of neutralizer cathodes have been performed. A life test of the neutralizer cathode is being started in June 2008.

Observation of Dust Stream Formation Produced by Low Current, High Voltage Cathode Spots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, John E.

2004-01-01

Macro-particle acceleration driven by low current, high voltage cathode spots has been investigated. The phenomenon was observed to occur when nanometer and micrometer-sized particles in the presence of a discharge plasma were exposed to a high voltage pulse. The negative voltage pulse initiates the formation of multiple, high voltage, low current cathode spots which provides the mechanism of actual acceleration of the charged dust particles. Dust streams generated by this process were detected using laser scattering techniques. The particle impact craters observed at the surface of downstream witness badges were documented using SEM and light microscopy.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haller, Julian; Wilkens, Volker

2012-11-01

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

NEXT Ion Engine 2000 Hour Wear Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soulas, George C.; Kamhawi, Hani; Patterson, Michael J.; Britton, Melissa A.; Frandina, Michael M.

2004-01-01

The results of the NEXT 2000 h wear test are presented. This test was conducted with a 40 cm engineering model ion engine, designated EM1, at a 3.52 A beam current and 1800 V beam power supply voltage. Performance tests, which were conducted over a throttling range of 1.1 to 6.9 kW throughout the wear test, demonstrated that EM1 satisfied all thruster performance requirements. The ion engine accumulated 2038 h of operation at a thruster input power of 6.9 kW, processing 43 kg of xenon. Overall ion engine performance, which includes thrust, thruster input power, specific impulse, and thrust efficiency, was steady with no indications of performance degradation. The ion engine was also inspected following the test. This paper presents these findings.

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.

The role of high work-function metallic nanodots on the performance of a-Si:H solar cells: offering ohmic contact to light trapping.

PubMed

Kim, Jeehwan; Abou-Kandil, Ahmed; Fogel, Keith; Hovel, Harold; Sadana, Devendra K

2010-12-28

Addition of carbon into p-type "window" layers in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) solar cells enhances short circuit currents and open circuit voltages by a great deal. However, a-Si:H solar cells with high carbon-doped "window" layers exhibit poor fill factors due to a Schottky barrier-like impedance at the interface between a-SiC:H windows and transparent conducting oxides (TCO), although they show maximized short circuit currents and open circuit voltages. The impedance is caused by an increasing mismatch between the work function of TCO and that of p-type a-SiC:H. Applying ultrathin high-work-function metals at the interface between the two materials results in an effective lowering of the work function mismatch and a consequent ohmic behavior. If the metal layer is sufficiently thin, then it forms nanodots rather than a continuous layer which provides light-scattering effect. We demonstrate 31% efficiency enhancement by using high-work-function materials for engineering the work function at the key interfaces to raise fill factors as well as photocurrents. The use of metallic interface layers in this work is a clear contrast to previous work where attempts were made to enhance the photocurrent using plasmonic metal nanodots on the solar cell surface.

Engineering three-dimensional hybrid supercapacitors and microsupercapacitors for high-performance integrated energy storage

PubMed Central

El-Kady, Maher F.; Ihns, Melanie; Li, Mengping; Hwang, Jee Youn; Mousavi, Mir F.; Chaney, Lindsay; Lech, Andrew T.; Kaner, Richard B.

2015-01-01

Supercapacitors now play an important role in the progress of hybrid and electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and military and space applications. There is a growing demand in developing hybrid supercapacitor systems to overcome the energy density limitations of the current generation of carbon-based supercapacitors. Here, we demonstrate 3D high-performance hybrid supercapacitors and microsupercapacitors based on graphene and MnO2 by rationally designing the electrode microstructure and combining active materials with electrolytes that operate at high voltages. This results in hybrid electrodes with ultrahigh volumetric capacitance of over 1,100 F/cm3. This corresponds to a specific capacitance of the constituent MnO2 of 1,145 F/g, which is close to the theoretical value of 1,380 F/g. The energy density of the full device varies between 22 and 42 Wh/l depending on the device configuration, which is superior to those of commercially available double-layer supercapacitors, pseudocapacitors, lithium-ion capacitors, and hybrid supercapacitors tested under the same conditions and is comparable to that of lead acid batteries. These hybrid supercapacitors use aqueous electrolytes and are assembled in air without the need for expensive “dry rooms” required for building today’s supercapacitors. Furthermore, we demonstrate a simple technique for the fabrication of supercapacitor arrays for high-voltage applications. These arrays can be integrated with solar cells for efficient energy harvesting and storage systems. PMID:25831542

Engineering three-dimensional hybrid supercapacitors and microsupercapacitors for high-performance integrated energy storage.

PubMed

El-Kady, Maher F; Ihns, Melanie; Li, Mengping; Hwang, Jee Youn; Mousavi, Mir F; Chaney, Lindsay; Lech, Andrew T; Kaner, Richard B

2015-04-07

Supercapacitors now play an important role in the progress of hybrid and electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and military and space applications. There is a growing demand in developing hybrid supercapacitor systems to overcome the energy density limitations of the current generation of carbon-based supercapacitors. Here, we demonstrate 3D high-performance hybrid supercapacitors and microsupercapacitors based on graphene and MnO2 by rationally designing the electrode microstructure and combining active materials with electrolytes that operate at high voltages. This results in hybrid electrodes with ultrahigh volumetric capacitance of over 1,100 F/cm(3). This corresponds to a specific capacitance of the constituent MnO2 of 1,145 F/g, which is close to the theoretical value of 1,380 F/g. The energy density of the full device varies between 22 and 42 Wh/l depending on the device configuration, which is superior to those of commercially available double-layer supercapacitors, pseudocapacitors, lithium-ion capacitors, and hybrid supercapacitors tested under the same conditions and is comparable to that of lead acid batteries. These hybrid supercapacitors use aqueous electrolytes and are assembled in air without the need for expensive "dry rooms" required for building today's supercapacitors. Furthermore, we demonstrate a simple technique for the fabrication of supercapacitor arrays for high-voltage applications. These arrays can be integrated with solar cells for efficient energy harvesting and storage systems.

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lizcano, M.

2017-01-01

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

Megawatt Space Power Conditioning, Distribution, and Control Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

also must be given to the design of an ac transmission line for this relatively high frequency . 2.3.2 Medium High Voltage Systems. Figure 2-4 shows a...systems are designed to exploit the use of 2 MW klystrode tubes (see Section 3.1) which require a dc voltage of about 140 kV. This high voltage can be...the concerns is that to date there have been no three-phase high voltage, high frequency transmission lines designed . Figure 5-6. While the previous

Inverters for interfacing of solar cells with the power grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karamanzanis, G. N.; Jackson, R. D.

In this work, based on a research course in the Engineering Dep. Cambridge University, some non-classical inverter circuits are studied. They can be used for interfacing solar cells with the power grid at low voltage (230V) and at low power level. They are based on d.c. choppers which have a fast switching transistor. Their theoretical efficiency is 100 percent and they provide a satisfactory output current waveform in phase to the a.c. line voltage. The problems of control are also studied using a suitable mathematical model.

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.

Applications of Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT): A Short Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanti Bera, Tushar

2018-03-01

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a tomographic imaging method which solves an ill posed inverse problem using the boundary voltage-current data collected from the surface of the object under test. Though the spatial resolution is comparatively low compared to conventional tomographic imaging modalities, due to several advantages EIT has been studied for a number of applications such as medical imaging, material engineering, civil engineering, biotechnology, chemical engineering, MEMS and other fields of engineering and applied sciences. In this paper, the applications of EIT have been reviewed and presented as a short summary. The working principal, instrumentation and advantages are briefly discussed followed by a detail discussion on the applications of EIT technology in different areas of engineering, technology and applied sciences.

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.

High-voltage measurements on the 5 ppm relative uncertainty level with collinear laser spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krämer, J.; König, K.; Geppert, Ch; Imgram, P.; Maaß, B.; Meisner, J.; Otten, E. W.; Passon, S.; Ratajczyk, T.; Ullmann, J.; Nörtershäuser, W.

2018-04-01

We present the results of high-voltage collinear laser spectroscopy measurements on the 5 ppm relative uncertainty level using a pump and probe scheme at the 4s ^2S1/2 → 4p ^2P3/2 transition of {\\hspace{0pt}}40Ca+ involving the 3d ^2D5/2 metastable state. With two-stage laser interaction and a reference measurement we can eliminate systematic effects such as differences in the contact potentials due to different electrode materials and thermoelectric voltages, and the unknown starting potential of the ions in the ion source. Voltage measurements were performed between  -5 kV and  -19 kV and parallel measurements with stable high-voltage dividers calibrated to 5 ppm relative uncertainty were used as a reference. Our measurements are compatible with the uncertainty limits of the high-voltage dividers and demonstrate an unprecedented (factor of 20) increase in the precision of direct laser-based high-voltage measurements.

Opportunities for Utilizing the International Space Station for Studies of F2- Region Plasma Science and High Voltage Solar Array Interactions with the Plasma Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minow, Joseph I.; Coffey, Victoria; Wright, Kenneth; Craven, Paul; Koontz, Steven

2010-01-01

The near circular, 51.6deg inclination orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) is maintained within an altitude range of approximately 300 km to 400 km providing an ideal platform for conducting in-situ studies of space weather effects on the mid and low-latitude F-2 region ionosphere. The Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) is a suite of instruments installed on the ISS in August 2006 which includes a Floating Potential Probe (FPP), a Plasma Impedance Probe (PIP), a Wide-sweep Langmuir Probe (WLP), and a Narrow-sweep Langmuir Probe (NLP). The primary purpose for deploying the FPMU is to characterize ambient plasma temperatures and densities in which the ISS operates and to obtain measurements of the ISS potential relative to the space plasma environment for use in characterizing and mitigating spacecraft charging hazards to the vehicle and crew. In addition to the engineering goals, data from the FPMU instrument package is available for collaborative multi-satellite and ground based instrument studies of the F-region ionosphere during both quiet and disturbed periods. Finally, the FPMU measurements supported by ISS engineering telemetry data provides a unique opportunity to investigate interactions of the ISS high voltage (160 volt) solar array system with the plasma environment. This presentation will provide examples of FPMU measurements along the ISS orbit including night-time equatorial plasma density depletions sampled near the peak electron density in the F2-region ionosphere, charging phenomenon due to interaction of the ISS solar arrays with the plasma environment, and modification of ISS charging due to visiting vehicles demonstrating the capabilities of the FPMU probes for monitoring mid and low latitude plasma processes as well as vehicle interactions with the plasma environment.

Microcontroller based system for electrical breakdown time delay measurement in gas-filled devices.

PubMed

Pejović, Milić M; Denić, Dragan B; Pejović, Momčilo M; Nešić, Nikola T; Vasović, Nikola

2010-10-01

This paper presents realization of a digital embedded system for measuring electrical breakdown time delay. The proposed system consists of three major parts: dc voltage supply, analog subsystem, and a digital subsystem. Any dc power source with the range from 100 to 1000 V can be used in this application. The analog subsystem should provide fast and accurate voltage switching on the testing device as well as transform the signals that represent the voltage pulse on the device and the device breakdown into the form suitable for detection by a digital subsystem. The insulated gate bipolar transistor IRG4PH40KD driven by TC429 MOSFET driver is used for high voltage switching on the device. The aim of a digital subsystem is to detect the signals from the analog subsystem and to measure the elapsed time between their occurrences. Moreover, the digital subsystem controls various parameters that influence time delay and provides fast data storage for a large number of measured data. For this propose, we used the PIC18F4550 microcontroller with a full-speed compatible universal serial bus (USB) engine. Operation of this system is verified on different commercial and custom made gas devices with different structure and breakdown mechanisms. The electrical breakdown time delay measurements have been carried out as a function of several parameters, which dominantly influence electrical breakdown time delay. The obtained results have been verified using statistical methods, and they show good agreement with the theory. The proposed system shows good repeatability, sensitivity, and stability for measuring the electrical breakdown time delay.

Microcontroller based system for electrical breakdown time delay measurement in gas-filled devices

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

Pejovic, Milic M.; Denic, Dragan B.; Pejovic, Momcilo M.

2010-10-15

This paper presents realization of a digital embedded system for measuring electrical breakdown time delay. The proposed system consists of three major parts: dc voltage supply, analog subsystem, and a digital subsystem. Any dc power source with the range from 100 to 1000 V can be used in this application. The analog subsystem should provide fast and accurate voltage switching on the testing device as well as transform the signals that represent the voltage pulse on the device and the device breakdown into the form suitable for detection by a digital subsystem. The insulated gate bipolar transistor IRG4PH40KD driven bymore » TC429 MOSFET driver is used for high voltage switching on the device. The aim of a digital subsystem is to detect the signals from the analog subsystem and to measure the elapsed time between their occurrences. Moreover, the digital subsystem controls various parameters that influence time delay and provides fast data storage for a large number of measured data. For this propose, we used the PIC18F4550 microcontroller with a full-speed compatible universal serial bus (USB) engine. Operation of this system is verified on different commercial and custom made gas devices with different structure and breakdown mechanisms. The electrical breakdown time delay measurements have been carried out as a function of several parameters, which dominantly influence electrical breakdown time delay. The obtained results have been verified using statistical methods, and they show good agreement with the theory. The proposed system shows good repeatability, sensitivity, and stability for measuring the electrical breakdown time delay.« less

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.

Performance Evaluation of 40 cm Ion Optics for the NEXT Ion Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soulas, George C.; Haag, Thomas W.; Patterson, Michael J.

2002-01-01

The results of performance tests with two 40 cm ion optics sets are presented and compared to those of 30 cm ion optics with similar aperture geometries. The 40 cm ion optics utilized both NSTAR and TAG (Thick-Accelerator-Grid) aperture geometries. All 40 cm ion optics tests were conducted on a NEXT (NASA's Evolutionary Xenon Thruster) laboratory model ion engine. Ion optics performance tests were conducted over a beam current range of 1.20 to 3.52 A and an engine input power range of 1.1 to 6.9 kW. Measured ion optics' performance parameters included near-field radial beam current density profiles, impingement-limited total voltages, electron backstreaming limits, screen grid ion transparencies, beam divergence angles, and start-up transients. Impingement-limited total voltages for 40 cm ion optics with the NSTAR aperture geometry were 60 to 90 V lower than those with the TAG aperture geometry. This difference was speculated to be due to an incomplete burn-in of the TAG ion optics. Electron backstreaming limits for the 40 cm ion optics with the TAG aperture geometry were 8 to 19 V higher than those with the NSTAR aperture geometry due to the thicker accelerator grid of the TAG geometry. Because the NEXT ion engine provided beam flatness parameters that were 40 to 63 percent higher than those of the NSTAR ion engine, the 40 cm ion optics outperformed the 30 cm ion optics.

Tunable negative differential resistance in planar graphene superlattice resonant tunneling diode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sattari-Esfahlan, S. M.; Fouladi-Oskuei, J.; Shojaei, S.

2017-04-01

Here, we study the negative differential resistance (NDR) of Dirac electrons in biased planar graphene superlattice (PGSL) and investigate the transport characteristics by adopted transfer matrix method within Landauer-Buttiker formalism. Our model device is based on one-dimensional Kronig-Penney type electrostatic potential in monolayer graphene deposited on a substrate, where the bias voltage is applied by two electrodes in the left and right. At Low bias voltages, we found that NDR appears due to breaking of minibands to Wannier-Stark ladders (WSLs). At the critical bias voltage, delocalization appeared by WS states leads to tunneling peak current in current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. With increasing bias voltage, crossing of rungs from various WSL results in multi-peak NDR. The results demonstrate that the structure parameters like barrier/well thickness and barrier height have remarkable effect on I-V characteristics of PGSL. In addition, Dirac gap enhances peak to valley (PVR) value due to suppressing Klein tunneling. Our results show that the tunable PVR in PGSL resonant tunneling diode can be achievable by structure parameters engineering. NDR at ultra-low bias voltages, such as 100 mV, with giant PVR of 20 is obtained. In our device, the multiple same NDR peaks with ultra-low bias voltage provide promising prospect for multi-valued memories and the low power nanoelectronic tunneling devices.

16 CFR 1505.6 - Performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... horizontal. No spillage of molten material or hot liquids from containers shall occur while the toy is... breakdown for 1 minute a sinusoidal test potential applied between the high-voltage and low-voltage windings... volts plus twice the rated voltage of the high-voltage winding. The test potential shall be supplied...

Electrical power inverter having a phase modulated, twin-inverter, high frequency link and an energy storage module

DOEpatents

Pitel, Ira J.

1987-02-03

The present invention provides an electrical power inverter method and apparatus, which includes a high frequency link, for converting DC power into AC power. Generally stated, the apparatus includes a first high frequency module which produces an AC voltage at a first output frequency, and a second high frequency inverter module which produces an AC voltage at a second output frequency that is substantially the same as the first output frequency. The second AC voltage is out of phase with the first AC voltage by a selected angular phase displacement. A mixer mixes the first and second output voltages to produce a high frequency carrier which has a selected base frequency impressed on the sidebands thereof. A rectifier rectifies the carrier, and a filter filters the rectified carrier. An output inverter inverts the filtered carrier to produce an AC line voltage at the selected base frequency. A phase modulator adjusts the relative angular phase displacement between the outputs of the first and second high frequency modules to control the base frequency and magnitude of the AC line voltage.

Electrical power inverter having a phase modulated, twin-inverter, high frequency link and an energy storage module

DOEpatents

Pitel, I.J.

1987-02-03

The present invention provides an electrical power inverter method and apparatus, which includes a high frequency link, for converting DC power into AC power. Generally stated, the apparatus includes a first high frequency module which produces an AC voltage at a first output frequency, and a second high frequency inverter module which produces an AC voltage at a second output frequency that is substantially the same as the first output frequency. The second AC voltage is out of phase with the first AC voltage by a selected angular phase displacement. A mixer mixes the first and second output voltages to produce a high frequency carrier which has a selected base frequency impressed on the sidebands thereof. A rectifier rectifies the carrier, and a filter filters the rectified carrier. An output inverter inverts the filtered carrier to produce an AC line voltage at the selected base frequency. A phase modulator adjusts the relative angular phase displacement between the outputs of the first and second high frequency modules to control the base frequency and magnitude of the AC line voltage. 19 figs.

Electrochemical capacitance voltage measurements in highly doped silicon and silicon-germanium alloys

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

Sermage, B.; Essa, Z.; Taleb, N.

2016-04-21

The electrochemical capacitance voltage technique has been used on highly boron doped SiGe and Si layers. Although the boron concentration is constant over the space charge depth, the 1/C{sup 2} versus voltage curves are not linear. They indeed present a negative curvature. This can be explained by the existence of deep acceptors which ionise under a high electric field (large inverse voltage) and not at a low inverse voltage. The measured doping concentration in the electrochemical capacitance voltage increases strongly as the inverse voltage increases. Thanks to a comparison with the boron concentration measured by secondary ions mass spectrometry, wemore » show that the relevant doping concentrations in device layers are obtained for small inverse voltage in agreement with the existence of deep acceptors. At the large inverse voltage, the measured doping can be more than twice larger than the boron concentration measured with a secondary ion mass spectroscopy.« less

Physicochemical assessment criteria for high-voltage pulse capacitors

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

Darian, L. A., E-mail: LDarian@rambler.ru; Lam, L. Kh.

In the paper, the applicability of decomposition products of internal insulation of high-voltage pulse capacitors is considered (aging is the reason for decomposition products of internal insulation). Decomposition products of internal insulation of high-voltage pulse capacitors can be used to evaluate their quality when in operation and in service. There have been three generations of markers of aging of insulation as in the case with power transformers. The area of applicability of markers of aging of insulation for power transformers has been studied and the area can be extended to high-voltage pulse capacitors. The research reveals that there is amore » correlation between the components and quantities of markers of aging of the first generation (gaseous decomposition products of insulation) dissolved in insulating liquid and the remaining life of high-voltage pulse capacitors. The application of markers of aging to evaluate the remaining service life of high-voltage pulse capacitor is a promising direction of research, because the design of high-voltage pulse capacitors keeps stability of markers of aging of insulation in high-voltage pulse capacitors. It is necessary to continue gathering statistical data concerning development of markers of aging of the first generation. One should also carry out research aimed at estimation of the remaining life of capacitors using markers of the second and the third generation.« less

Arc lamp power supply using a voltage multiplier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leighty, Bradley D.

1988-01-01

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

Electrolyte for high voltage Li/LiMn 1.9Co 0.1O 4 cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Katsuya; Nemoto, Yasue; Tobishima, Shin-ichi; Yamaki, Jun-ichi

An electrolyte for high voltage lithium metal anode cells must simultaneously satisfy at least the following requirements; (i) high cycling efficiency on the lithium metal anode; (ii) higher oxidation potential than the charging voltage, and (iii) high specific conductivity. We have examined various electrolytes for lithium metal anode cells using a high voltage cathode, LiMn 1.9Co 0.1O 4. Of the electrolytes resistant to high voltage that we used, a system containing 60 to 90 vol.% of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) mixed with ethylene carbonate (EC) and 1.0 M lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF 6) provided the best cycling efficiency on a lithium metal anode, as well as a high specific conductivity around 10 mS cm -1 at 20 °C.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-10-01

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

Ferroresonant flux coupled battery charger

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McLyman, Colonel W. T. (Inventor)

1987-01-01

A battery charger for incorporation into an electric-powered vehicle is disclosed. The charger includes a ferroresonant voltage-regulating circuit for providing an output voltage proportional to the frequency of an input AC voltage. A high frequency converter converts a DC voltage supplied, for example, from a rectifier connected to a standard AC outlet, to a controlled frequency AC voltage which is supplied to the input of the ferroresonant circuit. The ferroresonant circuit includes an output, a saturable core transformer connected across the output, and a first linear inductor and a capacitor connected in series across the saturable core transformer and tuned to resonate at the third harmonic of the AC voltage from the high frequency converter. The ferroresonant circuit further includes a second linear inductor connected between the input of the ferroresonant circuit and the saturable core transformer. The output voltage from the ferroresonant circuit is rectified and applied across a pair of output terminals adapted to be connected to the battery to be charged. A feedback circuit compares the voltage across the output terminals with a reference voltage and controls the frequency of the AC voltage produced by the high frequency converter to maintain the voltage across the output terminals at a predetermined value. The second linear inductor provides a highly reactive load in the event of a fault across the output terminals to render the charger short-circuit proof.

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

R. Camp

Over the past four years, the Electrical Safety Program at PPPL has evolved in addressing changing regulatory requirements and lessons learned from accident events, particularly in regards to arc flash hazards and implementing NFPA 70E requirements. This presentation will discuss PPPL's approaches to the areas of electrical hazards evaluation, both shock and arc flash; engineered solutions for hazards mitigation such as remote racking of medium voltage breakers, operational changes for hazards avoidance, targeted personnel training and hazard appropriate personal protective equipment. Practical solutions for nominal voltage identification and zero voltage checks for lockout/tagout will also be covered. Finally, we willmore » review the value of a comprehensive electrical drawing program, employee attitudes expressed as a personal safety work ethic, integrated safety management, and sustained management support for continuous safety improvement.« less

E-beam high voltage switching power supply

DOEpatents

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

1996-10-15

A high-power power supply produces a controllable, constant high voltage output under varying and arcing loads. The power supply includes a voltage regulator, an inductor, an inverter for producing a high frequency square wave current of alternating polarity, an improved inverter voltage clamping circuit, a step up transformer, an output rectifier for producing a dc voltage at the output of each module, and a current sensor for sensing output current. The power supply also provides dynamic response to varying loads by controlling the voltage regulator duty cycle and circuitry is provided for sensing incipient arc currents at the output of the power supply to simultaneously decouple the power supply circuitry from the arcing load. The power supply includes a plurality of discrete switching type dc--dc converter modules. 5 figs.

E-beam high voltage switching power supply

DOEpatents

Shimer, Daniel W.; Lange, Arnold C.

1996-01-01

A high-power power supply produces a controllable, constant high voltage put under varying and arcing loads. The power supply includes a voltage regulator, an inductor, an inverter for producing a high frequency square wave current of alternating polarity, an improved inverter voltage clamping circuit, a step up transformer, an output rectifier for producing a dc voltage at the output of each module, and a current sensor for sensing output current. The power supply also provides dynamic response to varying loads by controlling the voltage regulator duty cycle and circuitry is provided for sensing incipient arc currents at the output of the power supply to simultaneously decouple the power supply circuitry from the arcing load. The power supply includes a plurality of discrete switching type dc--dc converter modules.

High-Voltage Characterization for the Prototype Induction Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huacen, Wang; Kaizhi, Zhang; Long, Wen; Qinggui, Lai; Linwen, Zhang; Jianjun, Deng

2002-12-01

Two linear induction prototype cells expected to work at 250kV, 3kA,with accelerating voltage flattop (±1%) ⩾ 70ns, have been tested to determine their high-voltage characteristics. Each cell is composed of a ferrite core immersed in oil, a gap with curved stainless steel electrodes, a solenoid magnet, and a insulator. The experiments were carried out with full-scale cells. The high voltage pulses were applied to two cells using a 100ns, 12Ω pulse Blumlein. The tests were performed at various high-voltage levels ranging from -250kV to -350kV. No breakdown was observed during the test at vacuum level (7-10) ṡ10-4 Pa. The cell schematic, the experimental set up, and the measured voltage waveforms are presented in this paper.

30 CFR 18.53 - High-voltage longwall mining systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... and Design Requirements § 18.53 High-voltage longwall mining systems. (a) In each high-voltage motor...-interrupting devices must be designed and installed to prevent automatic reclosure. (d) Transformers with high... “open” position; (iv) When located in an explosion-proof enclosure, the device must be designed and...

30 CFR 18.53 - High-voltage longwall mining systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... and Design Requirements § 18.53 High-voltage longwall mining systems. (a) In each high-voltage motor...-interrupting devices must be designed and installed to prevent automatic reclosure. (d) Transformers with high... “open” position; (iv) When located in an explosion-proof enclosure, the device must be designed and...

30 CFR 18.53 - High-voltage longwall mining systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... and Design Requirements § 18.53 High-voltage longwall mining systems. (a) In each high-voltage motor...-interrupting devices must be designed and installed to prevent automatic reclosure. (d) Transformers with high... “open” position; (iv) When located in an explosion-proof enclosure, the device must be designed and...

30 CFR 18.53 - High-voltage longwall mining systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... and Design Requirements § 18.53 High-voltage longwall mining systems. (a) In each high-voltage motor...-interrupting devices must be designed and installed to prevent automatic reclosure. (d) Transformers with high... “open” position; (iv) When located in an explosion-proof enclosure, the device must be designed and...

30 CFR 18.53 - High-voltage longwall mining systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... and Design Requirements § 18.53 High-voltage longwall mining systems. (a) In each high-voltage motor...-interrupting devices must be designed and installed to prevent automatic reclosure. (d) Transformers with high... “open” position; (iv) When located in an explosion-proof enclosure, the device must be designed and...

Solid electrolyte: The key for high-voltage lithium batteries

DOE PAGES

Li, Juchuan; Ma, Cheng; Chi, Miaofang; ...

2014-10-14

A solid-state high-voltage (5 V) lithium battery is demonstrated to deliver a cycle life of 10 000 with 90% capacity retention. Furthermore, the solid electrolyte enables the use of high-voltage cathodes and Li anodes with minimum side reactions, leading to a high Coulombic efficiency of 99.98+%.

Chloride ions in the pore of glycine and GABA channels shape the time course and voltage dependence of agonist currents

PubMed Central

Moroni, Mirko; Biro, Istvan; Giugliano, Michele; Vijayan, Ranjit; Biggin, Philip C.; Beato, Marco; Sivilotti, Lucia G.

2011-01-01

In the vertebrate CNS, fast synaptic inhibition is mediated by GABA and glycine receptors. We recently reported that the time course of these synaptic currents is slower when intracellular chloride is high. Here we extend these findings to measure the effects of both extracellular and intracellular chloride on the deactivation of glycine and GABA currents at both negative and positive holding potentials. Currents were elicited by fast agonist application to outside-out patches from HEK293 cells expressing rat glycine or GABA receptors. The slowing effect of high extracellular chloride on current decay was detectable only in low intracellular chloride (4 mM). Our main finding is that glycine and GABA receptors “sense” chloride concentrations because of interactions between the M2 pore-lining domain and the permeating ions. This hypothesis is supported by the observation that the sensitivity of channel gating to intracellular chloride is abolished if the channel is engineered to become cation-selective, or if positive charges in the external pore vestibule are eliminated by mutagenesis. The appropriate interaction between permeating ions and channel pore is also necessary to maintain the channel voltage sensitivity of gating, which prolongs current decay at depolarized potentials. Voltage-dependence is abolished by the same mutations that suppress the effect of intracellular chloride and also by replacing chloride with another permeant ion, thiocyanate. These observations suggest that permeant chloride affects gating by a foot-in-the-door effect, binding to a channel site with asymmetrical access from the intracellular and extracellular sides of the membrane. PMID:21976494

Does voltage predict return to work and neuropsychiatric sequelae following electrical burn injury?

PubMed

Chudasama, Shruti; Goverman, Jeremy; Donaldson, Jeffrey H; van Aalst, John; Cairns, Bruce A; Hultman, Charles Scott

2010-05-01

Voltage has historically guided the acute management and long-term prognosis of physical morbidity in electrical injury patients; however, few large studies exist that include neuropsychiatric morbidity in final outcome analysis. This review compares high (>1000 V) to low (<1000 V) voltage injuries, focusing on return to work and neuropsychiatric sequelae following electrical burn injury. Patients with electrical injuries admitted to the University of North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center between 2000 and 2005 were prospectively entered into a trauma database, then retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into 4 cohorts: high voltage (>1000 V), low voltage (<1000 V), flash arc, and lightning. Demographics, hospital course, and follow-up were recorded to determine physical and neuropsychiatric morbidity. Differences among cohorts were tested for statistical significance. Over 5 years, 2548 patients were admitted to the burn center, including 115 patients with electrical injuries. There were 110 males and 5 females, with a mean age of 35 years (range, 0.75-65 years). The cause of the electrical injury was high voltage in 60 cases, low voltage in 25 cases, flash arc in 29 cases and lightning in 1 case. The mean total body surface area burn was 8% (range, 0%-52%). The etiology was work-related electrical injury in 85 patients. Mean follow-up period was 352 days with 13 (11%) patients lost to follow-up. Patients with high voltage injuries had significantly larger total body surface area burn, longer ICU stays, longer hospitalizations, and significantly higher rates of fasciotomy, amputation, nerve decompression and outpatient reconstruction, with 4 cases of renal failure and 2 deaths. In spite of these differences, high and low voltage groups experienced similar rates of neuropsychiatric sequelae, limited return to work and delays in return to work. Final impairment ratings for the high and low voltage groups were 17.5% and 5.3%, respectively. Electrical injuries often incur severe morbidity despite relatively small burn size and/or low voltage. When comparing high and low voltage injuries, similarities in endpoints such as neuropsychiatric sequelae, the need for late reconstruction, and failure to return to work challenge previous notions that voltage predicts outcome.

Dynamic neutral beam current and voltage control to improve beam efficacy in tokamaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pace, D. C.; Austin, M. E.; Bardoczi, L.; Collins, C. S.; Crowley, B.; Davis, E.; Du, X.; Ferron, J.; Grierson, B. A.; Heidbrink, W. W.; Holcomb, C. T.; McKee, G. R.; Pawley, C.; Petty, C. C.; Podestà, M.; Rauch, J.; Scoville, J. T.; Spong, D. A.; Thome, K. E.; Van Zeeland, M. A.; Varela, J.; Victor, B.

2018-05-01

An engineering upgrade to the neutral beam system at the DIII-D tokamak [J. L. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)] enables time-dependent programming of the beam voltage and current. Initial application of this capability involves pre-programmed beam voltage and current injected into plasmas that are known to be susceptible to instabilities that are driven by energetic ( E ≥ 40 keV) beam ions. These instabilities, here all Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs), increase the transport of the beam ions beyond a classical expectation based on particle drifts and collisions. Injecting neutral beam power, P beam ≥ 2 MW, at reduced voltage with increased current reduces the drive for Alfvénic instabilities and results in improved ion confinement. In lower-confinement plasmas, this technique is applied to eliminate the presence of AEs across the mid-radius of the plasmas. Simulations of those plasmas indicate that the mode drive is decreased and the radial extent of the remaining modes is reduced compared to a higher beam voltage case. In higher-confinement plasmas, this technique reduces AE activity in the far edge and results in an interesting scenario of beam current drive improving as the beam voltage reduces from 80 kV to 65 kV.

Dynamic neutral beam current and voltage control to improve beam efficacy in tokamaks

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

Austin, Max E.; Bardoczi, Laszlo; Collins, Cami S.

Here, an engineering upgrade to the neutral beam system at the DIII-D tokamak enables time-dependent programming of the beam voltage and current. Initial application of this capability involves pre-programmed beam voltage and current injected into plasmas that are known to be susceptible to instabilities that are driven by energetic (E ≥ 40 keV) beam ions. These instabilities, here all Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs), increase the transport of the beam ions beyond a classical expectation based on particle drifts and collisions. Injecting neutral beam power, P beam ≥ 2MW, at reduced voltage with increased current reduces the drive for Alfvénic instabilities andmore » results in improved ion confinement. In lower-confinement plasmas, this technique is applied to eliminate the presence of AEs across the mid-radius of the plasmas. Simulations of those plasmas indicate that the mode drive is decreased and the radial extent of the remaining modes is reduced compared to a higher beam voltage case. In higher-confinement plasmas, this technique reduces AE activity in the far edge and results in an interesting scenario of beam current drive improving as the beam voltage reduces from 80 kV to 65 kV.« less

Determination of electrostatic force and its characteristics based on phase difference by amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kesheng; Cheng, Jia; Yao, Shiji; Lu, Yijia; Ji, Linhong; Xu, Dengfeng

2016-12-01

Electrostatic force measurement at the micro/nano scale is of great significance in science and engineering. In this paper, a reasonable way of applying voltage is put forward by taking an electrostatic chuck in a real integrated circuit manufacturing process as a sample, applying voltage in the probe and the sample electrode, respectively, and comparing the measurement effect of the probe oscillation phase difference by amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy. Based on the phase difference obtained from the experiment, the quantitative dependence of the absolute magnitude of the electrostatic force on the tip-sample distance and applied voltage is established by means of theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. The results show that the varying characteristics of the electrostatic force with the distance and voltage at the micro/nano scale are similar to those at the macroscopic scale. Electrostatic force gradually decays with increasing distance. Electrostatic force is basically proportional to the square of applied voltage. Meanwhile, the applicable conditions of the above laws are discussed. In addition, a comparison of the results in this paper with the results of the energy dissipation method shows the two are consistent in general. The error decreases with increasing distance, and the effect of voltage on the error is small.

The effect of electrode temperature on the sparking voltage of short spark gaps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silsbee, F B

1924-01-01

This report presents the results of an investigation to determine what effect the temperature of spark plug electrodes might have on the voltage at which a spark occurred. A spark gap was set up so that one electrode could be heated to temperatures up to 700 degrees C., while the other electrode and the air in the gap were maintained at room temperature. The sparking voltages were measured both with direct voltage and with voltage impulse from ignition coil. It was found that the sparking voltage of the gap decreased materially with increase of temperature. This change was more marked when the hot electrode was of negative polarity. The phenomena observed can be explained by the ionic theory of gaseous conduction, and serve to account for certain hitherto unexplained actions in the operation of internal combustion engines. These results indicate that the ignition spark will pass more readily when the spark-plug design is such as to make the electrodes run hot. This possible gain is, however, very closely limited by the danger of producing preignition. These experiments also show that sparking is somewhat easier when the hot electrode (which is almost always the central electrode) is negative than when the polarity is reversed.

Dynamic neutral beam current and voltage control to improve beam efficacy in tokamaks

DOE PAGES

Austin, Max E.; Bardoczi, Laszlo; Collins, Cami S.; ...

2018-04-20

Here, an engineering upgrade to the neutral beam system at the DIII-D tokamak enables time-dependent programming of the beam voltage and current. Initial application of this capability involves pre-programmed beam voltage and current injected into plasmas that are known to be susceptible to instabilities that are driven by energetic (E ≥ 40 keV) beam ions. These instabilities, here all Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs), increase the transport of the beam ions beyond a classical expectation based on particle drifts and collisions. Injecting neutral beam power, P beam ≥ 2MW, at reduced voltage with increased current reduces the drive for Alfvénic instabilities andmore » results in improved ion confinement. In lower-confinement plasmas, this technique is applied to eliminate the presence of AEs across the mid-radius of the plasmas. Simulations of those plasmas indicate that the mode drive is decreased and the radial extent of the remaining modes is reduced compared to a higher beam voltage case. In higher-confinement plasmas, this technique reduces AE activity in the far edge and results in an interesting scenario of beam current drive improving as the beam voltage reduces from 80 kV to 65 kV.« less

High performance Si nanowire field-effect-transistors based on a CMOS inverter with tunable threshold voltage.

PubMed

Van, Ngoc Huynh; Lee, Jae-Hyun; Sohn, Jung Inn; Cha, Seung Nam; Whang, Dongmok; Kim, Jong Min; Kang, Dae Joon

2014-05-21

We successfully fabricated nanowire-based complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (NWCMOS) inverter devices by utilizing n- and p-type Si nanowire field-effect-transistors (NWFETs) via a low-temperature fabrication processing technique. We demonstrate that NWCMOS inverter devices can be operated at less than 1 V, a significantly lower voltage than that of typical thin-film based complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) inverter devices. This low-voltage operation was accomplished by controlling the threshold voltage of the n-type Si NWFETs through effective management of the nanowire (NW) doping concentration, while realizing high voltage gain (>10) and ultra-low static power dissipation (≤3 pW) for high-performance digital inverter devices. This result offers a viable means of fabricating high-performance, low-operation voltage, and high-density digital logic circuits using a low-temperature fabrication processing technique suitable for next-generation flexible electronics.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okubo, Hitoshi

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

Liquid Nitrogen as Fast High Voltage Switching Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickens, J.; Neuber, A.; Haustein, M.; Krile, J.; Krompholz, H.

2002-12-01

Compact pulsed power systems require new switching technologies. For high voltages, liquid nitrogen seems to be a suitable switching medium, with high hold-off voltage, low dielectric constant, and no need for pressurized systems as in high pressure gas switches. The discharge behavior in liquid nitrogen, such as breakdown voltages, formative times, current rise as function of voltage, recovery, etc. are virtually unknown, however. The phenomenology of breakdown in liquid nitrogen is investigated with high speed (temporal resolution < 1 ns) electrical and optical diagnostics, in a coaxial system with 50-Ohm impedance. Discharge current and voltage are determined with transmission line type current sensors and capacitive voltage dividers. The discharge luminosity is measured with photomultiplier tubes. Preliminary results of self-breakdown investigations (gap 1 mm, breakdown voltage 44 kV, non-boiling supercooled nitrogen) show a fast (2 ns) transition from an unknown current level to several mA, a long-duration (100 ns) phase with constant current superimposed by ns-spikes, and a final fast transition to the impedance limited current during several nanoseconds. The optical measurements will be expanded toward spectroscopy and high speed photography with the aim of clarifying the overall breakdown mechanisms, including electronic initiation, bubble formation, bubble dynamics, and their role in breakdown, for different electrode geometries (different macroscopic field enhancements).

Emission control apparatus for internal combustion engines with a controllably disabled clamping circuit

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

Asano, M.

1979-08-28

The invention discloses an emission control apparatus for internal combustion engine includes an exhaust composition sensor to sense the mixture ratio, a circuit for clamping the mixture ratio to a predetermined constant value to prevent the mixture from becoming too rich or too lean when a failure should occur in the control loop, for example, in the exhaust composition sensor failure and a circuit for interrupting the clamping circuit when the engine operating condition is such that the sensor is caused to produce low voltage signals although the sensor is functioning properly.