Micro-Tubular Fuel Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimble, Michael C.; Anderson, Everett B.; Jayne, Karen D.; Woodman, Alan S.

2004-01-01

Micro-tubular fuel cells that would operate at power levels on the order of hundreds of watts or less are under development as alternatives to batteries in numerous products - portable power tools, cellular telephones, laptop computers, portable television receivers, and small robotic vehicles, to name a few examples. Micro-tubular fuel cells exploit advances in the art of proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells. The main advantage of the micro-tubular fuel cells over the plate-and-frame fuel cells would be higher power densities: Whereas the mass and volume power densities of low-pressure hydrogen-and-oxygen-fuel plate-and-frame fuel cells designed to operate in the targeted power range are typically less than 0.1 W/g and 0.1 kW/L, micro-tubular fuel cells are expected to reach power densities much greater than 1 W/g and 1 kW/L. Because of their higher power densities, micro-tubular fuel cells would be better for powering portable equipment, and would be better suited to applications in which there are requirements for modularity to simplify maintenance or to facilitate scaling to higher power levels. The development of PEMFCs has conventionally focused on producing large stacks of cells that operate at typical power levels >5 kW. The usual approach taken to developing lower-power PEMFCs for applications like those listed above has been to simply shrink the basic plate-and-frame configuration to smaller dimensions. A conventional plate-and-frame fuel cell contains a membrane/electrode assembly in the form of a flat membrane with electrodes of the same active area bonded to both faces. In order to provide reactants to both electrodes, bipolar plates that contain flow passages are placed on both electrodes. The mass and volume overhead of the bipolar plates amounts to about 75 percent of the total mass and volume of a fuel-cell stack. Removing these bipolar plates in the micro-tubular fuel cell significantly increases the power density.

Advanced electron cyclotron heating and current drive experiments on the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stange, Torsten; Laqua, Heinrich Peter; Beurskens, Marc; Bosch, Hans-Stephan; Bozhenkov, Sergey; Brakel, Rudolf; Braune, Harald; Brunner, Kai Jakob; Cappa, Alvaro; Dinklage, Andreas; Erckmann, Volker; Fuchert, Golo; Gantenbein, Gerd; Gellert, Florian; Grulke, Olaf; Hartmann, Dirk; Hirsch, Matthias; Höfel, Udo; Kasparek, Walter; Knauer, Jens; Langenberg, Andreas; Marsen, Stefan; Marushchenko, Nikolai; Moseev, Dmitry; Pablant, Novomir; Pasch, Ekkehard; Rahbarnia, Kian; Mora, Humberto Trimino; Tsujimura, Toru; Turkin, Yuriy; Wauters, Tom; Wolf, Robert

2017-10-01

During the first operational phase (OP 1.1) of Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) was the exclusive heating method and provided plasma start-up, wall conditioning, heating and current drive. Six gyrotrons were commissioned for OP1.1 and used in parallel for plasma operation with a power of up to 4.3 MW. During standard X2-heating the spatially localized power deposition with high power density allowed controlling the radial profiles of the electron temperature and the rotational transform. Even though W7-X was not fully equipped with first wall tiles and operated with a graphite limiter instead of a divertor, electron densities of n e > 3·1019 m-3 could be achieved at electron temperatures of several keV and ion temperatures above 2 keV. These plasma parameters allowed the first demonstration of a multipath O2-heating scenario, which is envisaged for safe operation near the X-cutoff-density of 1.2·1020 m-3 after full commissioning of the ECRH system in the next operation phase OP1.2.

Advanced Power Electronics Components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwarze, Gene E.

2004-01-01

This paper will give a description and status of the Advanced Power Electronics Materials and Components Technology program being conducted by the NASA Glenn Research Center for future aerospace power applications. The focus of this research program is on the following: 1) New and/or significantly improved dielectric materials for the development of power capacitors with increased volumetric efficiency, energy density, and operating temperature. Materials being investigated include nanocrystalline and composite ceramic dielectrics and diamond-like carbon films; 2) New and/or significantly improved high frequency, high temperature, low loss soft magnetic materials for the development of transformers/inductors with increased power/energy density, electrical efficiency, and operating temperature. Materials being investigated include nanocrystalline and nanocomposite soft magnetic materials; 3) Packaged high temperature, high power density, high voltage, and low loss SiC diodes and switches. Development of high quality 4H- and 6H- SiC atomically smooth substrates to significantly improve device performance is a major emphasis of the SiC materials program; 4) Demonstration of high temperature (> 200 C) circuits using the components developed above.

High power density dc-to-dc converters for aerospace applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Divan, Deepakraj M.

1990-01-01

Three dc-to-dc converter topologies aimed at high-power high-frequency applications are introduced. Major system parasitics, namely, the leakage inductance of the transformer and the device output capacitance are efficiently utilized. Of the three circuits, the single-phase and three-phase versions of the dual active bridge topology demonstrate minimal stresses, better utilization of the transformer, bidirectional, and buck-boost modes of operation. All circuits operate at a constant switching frequency, thus simplifying design of the reactive elements. The power transfer characteristics and soft-switching regions on the Vout-Iout plane are identified. Two coaxial transformers with different cross-sections were built for a rating of 50 kVA. Based on the single-phase dual active bridge topology, a 50 kW, 50 kHz converter operating at an input voltage of 200 Vdc and an output voltage of 1600 Vdc was fabricated. Characteristics of current-fed output make the dual active bridge topologies amenable to paralleling and hence extension to megawatt power levels. Projections to a 1 MW system operating from a 500 Vdc input, at an output voltage of 10 kVdc and a switching frequency of 50 kHz, using MOS-controlled thyristors, coaxially wound transformers operating at three times the present current density with cooling, and multilayer ceramic capacitors, suggests an overall power density of 0.075 to 0.08 kg/kW and an overall efficiency of 96 percent.

Polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis: Restraining degradation in the presence of fluctuating power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakousky, Christoph; Reimer, Uwe; Wippermann, Klaus; Kuhri, Susanne; Carmo, Marcelo; Lueke, Wiebke; Stolten, Detlef

2017-02-01

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis generates 'green' hydrogen when conducted with electricity from renewable - but fluctuating - sources like wind or solar photovoltaic. Unfortunately, the long-term stability of the electrolyzer performance is still not fully understood under these input power profiles. In this study, we contrast the degradation behavior of our PEM water electrolysis single cells that occurs under operation with constant and intermittent power and derive preferable operating states. For this purpose, five different current density profiles are used, of which two were constant and three dynamic. Cells operated at 1 A cm-2 show no degradation. However, degradation was observed for the remaining four profiles, all of which underwent periods of high current density (2 A cm-2). Hereby, constant operation at 2 A cm-2 led to the highest degradation rate (194 μV h-1). Degradation can be greatly reduced when the cells are operated with an intermittent profile. Current density switching has a positive effect on durability, as it causes reversible parts of degradation to recover and results in a substantially reduced degradation per mole of hydrogen produced. Two general degradation phenomena were identified, a decreased anode exchange current density and an increased contact resistance at the titanium porous transport layer (Ti-PTL).

A pulser-sustainer carbon monoxide electric-discharge supersonic laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monson, D. J.; Srinivasan, G.

1977-01-01

Operation of a CW CO electric-discharge supersonic laser with a pulser-sustainer discharge is described. High-power operation as well as independent control over electron energy and density are demonstrated. Maximum input power achieved to date is 100 kW. The maximum output power is 6 kW or 10% of the sustainer positive-column power. Much improved performance appears possible.

Direct thermal to electrical energy conversion using 9.5/65/35 PLZT ceramics in the ergodic relaxor phase.

PubMed

Chin, Thomas K; Lee, Felix Y; McKinley, Ian M; Goljahi, Sam; Lynch, Christopher S; Pilon, Laurent

2012-11-01

This paper reports on direct thermal to electrical energy conversion by performing the Olsen cycle on 9.5/65/35 lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT). The Olsen cycle consists of two isothermal and two isoelectric field processes in the electric displacement versus electric field diagram. It was performed by alternatively dipping the material in hot and cold dielectric fluid baths under specified electric fields. The effects of applied electric field, sample thickness, electrode material, operating temperature, and cycle frequency on the energy and power densities were investigated. A maximum energy density of 637 ± 20 J/L/cycle was achieved at 0.054 Hz with a 250-μm-thick sample featuring Pt electrodes and coated with a silicone conformal coating. The operating temperatures varied between 3°C and 140°C and the electric field was cycled between 0.2 and 6.0 MV/m. A maximum power density of 55 ± 8 W/L was obtained at 0.125 Hz under the same operating temperatures and electric fields. The dielectric strength of the material, and therefore the energy and power densities generated, increased when the sample thickness decreased from 500 to 250 μm. Furthermore, the electrode material was found to have no significant effect on the energy and power densities for samples subject to the same operating temperatures and electric fields. However, samples with electrode material possessing thermal expansion coefficients similar to that of PLZT were capable of withstanding larger temperature swings. Finally, a fatigue test showed that the power generation gradually degraded when the sample was subject to repeated thermoelectrical loading.

Formation of novel hydrogel bio-anode by immobilization of biocatalyst in alginate/polyaniline/titanium-dioxide/graphite composites and its electrical performance.

PubMed

Szöllősi, Attila; Hoschke, Ágoston; Rezessy-Szabó, Judit M; Bujna, Erika; Kun, Szilárd; Nguyen, Quang D

2017-05-01

A new bio-anode containing gel-entrapped bacteria in alginate/polyaniline/TiO 2 /graphite composites was constructed and electrically investigated. Alginate as dopant and template as well as entrapped gel was used for immobilization of microorganism cells. Increase of polyaniline concentration resulted an increase in the conductivity in gels. Addition of 0.01 and 0.02 g/mL polyaniline caused 6-fold and 10-fold higher conductivity, respectively. Furthermore, addition of 0.05 g/mL graphite powder caused 10-fold higher conductivity and 4-fold higher power density, respectively. The combination of polyaniline and graphite resulted 105-fold higher conductivity and 7-fold higher power-density output. Optimized concentrations of polyaniline and graphite powder were determined to be 0.02 g/mL and 0.05 g/mL, respectively. Modified hydrogel anode was successfully used in microbial fuel cell systems both in semi- and continuous operations modes. In semi-continuous mode, about 7.88 W/m 3 power density was obtained after 13 h of fermentation. The glucose consumption rate was calculated to be about 7 mg glucose/h/1.2·10 7  CFU immobilized cells. Similar power density was observed in the continuous operation mode of the microbial fuel cell, and it was operated stably for more than 7 days. Our results are very promising for development of an improved microbial fuel cell with new type of bio-anode that have higher power density and can operate for long term. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear Burn Control and Operating Point Optimization in ITER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyer, Mark; Schuster, Eugenio

2013-10-01

Control of the fusion power through regulation of the plasma density and temperature will be essential for achieving and maintaining desired operating points in fusion reactors and burning plasma experiments like ITER. In this work, a volume averaged model for the evolution of the density of energy, deuterium and tritium fuel ions, alpha-particles, and impurity ions is used to synthesize a multi-input multi-output nonlinear feedback controller for stabilizing and modulating the burn condition. Adaptive control techniques are used to account for uncertainty in model parameters, including particle confinement times and recycling rates. The control approach makes use of the different possible methods for altering the fusion power, including adjusting the temperature through auxiliary heating, modulating the density and isotopic mix through fueling, and altering the impurity density through impurity injection. Furthermore, a model-based optimization scheme is proposed to drive the system as close as possible to desired fusion power and temperature references. Constraints are considered in the optimization scheme to ensure that, for example, density and beta limits are avoided, and that optimal operation is achieved even when actuators reach saturation. Supported by the NSF CAREER award program (ECCS-0645086).

Advanced space power PEM fuel cell systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanderborgh, N. E.; Hedstrom, J.; Huff, J. R.

1989-01-01

A model showing mass and heat transfer in proton exchange membrane (PEM) single cells is presented. For space applications, stack operation requiring combined water and thermal management is needed. Advanced hardware designs able to combine these two techniques are available. Test results are shown for membrane materials which can operate with sufficiently fast diffusive water transport to sustain current densities of 300 ma per square centimeter. Higher power density levels are predicted to require active water removal.

High energy density propulsion systems and small engine dynamometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hays, Thomas

2009-07-01

Scope and Method of Study. This study investigates all possible methods of powering small unmanned vehicles, provides reasoning for the propulsion system down select, and covers in detail the design and production of a dynamometer to confirm theoretical energy density calculations for small engines. Initial energy density calculations are based upon manufacturer data, pressure vessel theory, and ideal thermodynamic cycle efficiencies. Engine tests are conducted with a braking type dynamometer for constant load energy density tests, and show true energy densities in excess of 1400 WH/lb of fuel. Findings and Conclusions. Theory predicts lithium polymer, the present unmanned system energy storage device of choice, to have much lower energy densities than other conversion energy sources. Small engines designed for efficiency, instead of maximum power, would provide the most advantageous method for powering small unmanned vehicles because these engines have widely variable power output, loss of mass during flight, and generate rotational power directly. Theoretical predictions for the energy density of small engines has been verified through testing. Tested values up to 1400 WH/lb can be seen under proper operating conditions. The implementation of such a high energy density system will require a significant amount of follow-on design work to enable the engines to tolerate the higher temperatures of lean operation. Suggestions are proposed to enable a reliable, small-engine propulsion system in future work. Performance calculations show that a mature system is capable of month long flight times, and unrefueled circumnavigation of the globe.

Investigation of key parameters for the development of reliable ITER baseline operation scenarios using CORSICA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, S. H.; Casper, T. A.; Snipes, J. A.

2018-05-01

ITER will demonstrate the feasibility of burning plasma operation by operating DT plasmas in the ELMy H-mode regime with a high ratio of fusion power gain Q ~ 10. 15 MA ITER baseline operation scenario has been studied using CORSICA, focusing on the entry to burn, flat-top burning plasma operation and exit from burn. The burning plasma operation for about 400 s of the current flat-top was achieved in H-mode within the various engineering constraints imposed by the poloidal field coil and power supply systems. The target fusion gain (Q ~ 10) was achievable in the 15 MA ITER baseline operation with a moderate amount of the total auxiliary heating power (~50 MW). It has been observed that the tungsten (W) concentration needs to be maintained low level (n w/n e up to the order of 1.0  ×  10-5) to avoid the radiative collapse and uncontrolled early termination of the discharge. The dynamic evolution of the density can modify the H-mode access unless the applied auxiliary heating power is significantly higher than the H-mode threshold power. Several qualitative sensitivity studies have been performed to provide guidance for further optimizing the plasma operation and performance. Increasing the density profile peaking factor was quite effective in increasing the alpha particle self-heating power and fusion power multiplication factor. Varying the combination of auxiliary heating power has shown that the fusion power multiplication factor can be reduced along with the increase in the total auxiliary heating power. As the 15 MA ITER baseline operation scenario requires full capacity of the coil and power supply systems, the operation window for H-mode access and shape modification was narrow. The updated ITER baseline operation scenarios developed in this work will become a basis for further optimization studies necessary along with the improvement in understanding the burning plasma physics.

Microcombustor-thermoelectric power generator for 10-50 watt applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Daniel S.; Cho, Steve T.

2010-04-01

Fuel-based portable power systems, including combustion and fuel cell systems, take advantage of the 80x higher energy density of fuel over lithium battery technologies and offer the potential for much higher energy density power sources - especially for long-duration applications, such as unattended sensors. Miniaturization of fuel-based systems poses significant challenges, including processing of fuel in small channels, catalyst poisoning, and coke and soot formation. Recent advances in micro-miniature combustors in the 200Watt thermal range have enabled the development of small power sources that use the chemical energy of heavy fuel to drive thermal-to-electric converters for portable applications. CUBE Technology has developed compact Micro-Furnace combustors that efficiently deliver high-quality heat to optimized thermal-to-electric power converters, such as advanced thermoelectric power modules and Stirling motors, for portable power generation at the 10-50Watt scale. Key innovations include a compact gas-gas recuperator, innovative heavy fuel processing, coke- & soot-free operation, and combustor optimization for low balance-of-plant power use while operating at full throttle. This combustor enables the development of robust, high energy density, miniature power sources for portable applications.

Unleashing the Power and Energy of LiFePO4-Based Redox Flow Lithium Battery with a Bifunctional Redox Mediator.

PubMed

Zhu, Yun Guang; Du, Yonghua; Jia, Chuankun; Zhou, Mingyue; Fan, Li; Wang, Xingzhu; Wang, Qing

2017-05-10

Redox flow batteries, despite great operation flexibility and scalability for large-scale energy storage, suffer from low energy density and relatively high cost as compared to the state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries. Here we report a redox flow lithium battery, which operates via the redox targeting reactions of LiFePO 4 with a bifunctional redox mediator, 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine, and presents superb energy density as the Li-ion battery and system flexibility as the redox flow battery. The battery has achieved a tank energy density as high as 1023 Wh/L, power density of 61 mW/cm 2 , and voltage efficiency of 91%. Operando X-ray absorption near-edge structure measurements were conducted to monitor the evolution of LiFePO 4 , which provides insightful information on the redox targeting process, critical to the device operation and optimization.

The impact of hybrid energy storage on power quality, when high power pulsed DC loads are operated on a microgrid testbed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelley, Jay Paul

As the Navy's demands for high power transient loads evolves, so too does the need for alternative energy sources to back-up the more traditional power generation. Such applications in need of support include electrical grid backup and directed energy weapon systems such as electromagnetic launchers, laser systems, and high power microwave generators, among others. Among the alternative generation sources receiving considerable attention are energy storage devices such as rechargeable electrochemical batteries and capacitors. In such applications as those mentioned above, these energy storage devices offer the ability to serve a dual role as both a power source to the various loads as well high power loads themselves to the continual generation when the high power transient loads are in periods of downtime. With the recent developments in electrochemical energy storage, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) seem like the obvious choice, but previous research has shown that the elevated rates of charging can be detrimental to both the cycle life and the operational life span of the device. In order to preserve the batteries, their charge rate must be limited. One proposed method to accomplish the dual role task mentioned above, while preserving the life of the batteries, is by combining high energy density LIBs with high power density electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) or lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) using controllable power electronics to adjust the flow of power to and from each device. Such a configuration is typically referred to as hybrid energy storage module (HESM). While shipboard generators start up, the combined high energy density and high power density of the HESM provides the capability to source critical loads for an extended period of time at the high rates they demand. Once the generator is operationally efficient, the HESM can act as a high energy reservoir to harvest the energy from the generator while the loads are in short periods of inactivity. This enables the generator to maintain its operation at levels of high efficiency thereby increasing the power quality of the AC bus. The work discussed here is aimed at evaluating how the use of energy storage impacts the power quality on MicroGrid's AC bus when high rate DC and AC loads are sourced simultaneously. Also HESM has been developed and evaluated as a mean to optimizing both the power and energy density of the energy storage installed.

Characterization of wastewater treatment by two microbial fuel cells in continuous flow operation.

PubMed

Kubota, Keiichi; Watanabe, Tomohide; Yamaguchi, Takashi; Syutsubo, Kazuaki

2016-01-01

A two serially connected single-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) was applied to the treatment of diluted molasses wastewater in a continuous operation mode. In addition, the effect of series and parallel connection between the anodes and the cathode on power generation was investigated experimentally. The two serially connected MFC process achieved 79.8% of chemical oxygen demand removal and 11.6% of Coulombic efficiency when the hydraulic retention time of the whole process was 26 h. The power densities were 0.54, 0.34 and 0.40 W m(-3) when electrodes were in individual connection, serial connection and parallel connection modes, respectively. A high open circuit voltage was obtained in the serial connection. Power density decreased at low organic loading rates (OLR) due to the shortage of organic matter. Power generation efficiency tended to decrease as a result of enhancement of methane fermentation at high OLRs. Therefore, high power density and efficiency can be achieved by using a suitable OLR range.

Energy consumption of agitators in activated sludge tanks - actual state and optimization potential.

PubMed

Füreder, K; Svardal, K; Frey, W; Kroiss, H; Krampe, J

2018-02-01

Depending on design capacity, agitators consume about 5 to 20% of the total energy consumption of a wastewater treatment plant. Based on inhabitant-specific energy consumption (kWh PE 120 -1 a -1 ; PE 120 is population equivalent, assuming 120 g chemical oxygen demand per PE per day), power density (W m -3 ) and volume-specific energy consumption (Wh m -3 d -1 ) as evaluation indicators, this paper provides a sound contribution to understanding energy consumption and energy optimization potentials of agitators. Basically, there are two ways to optimize agitator operation: the reduction of the power density and the reduction of the daily operating time. Energy saving options range from continuous mixing with low power densities of 1 W m -3 to mixing by means of short, intense energy pulses (impulse aeration, impulse stirring). However, the following correlation applies: the shorter the duration of energy input, the higher the power density on the respective volume-specific energy consumption isoline. Under favourable conditions with respect to tank volume, tank geometry, aeration and agitator position, mixing energy can be reduced to 24 Wh m -3 d -1 and below. Additionally, it could be verified that power density of agitators stands in inverse relation to tank volume.

Plasma characteristics of argon glow discharge produced by AC power supply operating at low frequencies

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

Kongpiboolkid, Watcharapon; Mongkolnavin, Rattachat; Plasma Technology and Nuclear Fusion Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok

2015-04-24

Non-thermal properties of Argon glow discharge operating with various operating pressures were measured and presented in this work. The Argon plasma is produced by a parallel conducting electrodes coupling with a high voltage AC power supply. The power supply can generate high AC voltage at various frequencies. The frequencies for the operation are in the range of a few kHz. The system is capable of generating electric field between the two metal electrodes discharge system. The characteristics of plasma produced were measured by optical emission spectroscopy (OES) technique where electron temperature (T{sub e}) and electron number density (n{sub e}) canmore » be determined by line intensity ratio method. The value of electron number density was then determined from the Saha-Eggert equation. Our results show that the electron number density of the discharge obtained is of the order of 10{sup −17} − 10{sup −18} m{sup −3} where the electron temperature is between 1.00−2.00 eV for various operating frequencies used which are in good agreement with similar results published earlier.« less

Energy storage options for space power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, H. W.; Martin, J. F.; Olszewski, M.

Including energy storage in a space power supply enhances the feasibility of using thermal power cycles (Rankine or Brayton) and providing high-power pulses. Superconducting magnets, capacitors, electrochemical batteries, thermal phase-change materials (PCM), and flywheels are assessed; the results obtained suggest that flywheels and phase-change devices hold the most promise. Latent heat storage using inorganic salts and metallic eutectics offers thermal energy storage densities of 1500 kJ/kg to 2000 kJ/kg at temperatures to 1675 K. Innovative techniques allow these media to operate in direct contact with the heat engine working fluid. Enhancing thermal conductivity and/or modifying PCM crystallization habit provide other options. Flywheels of low-strain graphite and Kevlar fibers have achieved mechanical energy storage densities of 300 kJ/kg. With high-strain graphite fibers, storage densities appropriate to space power needs (about 500 kJ/kg) seem feasible. Coupling advanced flywheels with emerging high power density homopolar generators and compulsators could result in electric pulse-power storage modules of significantly higher energy density.

The vertical pattern of microwave radiation around BTS (Base Transceiver Station) antennae in Hashtgerd township.

PubMed

Nasseri, Simin; Monazzam, Mohammadreza; Beheshti, Meisam; Zare, Sajad; Mahvi, Amirhosein

2013-12-20

New environmental pollutants interfere with the environment and human life along with technology development. One of these pollutants is electromagnetic field. This study determines the vertical microwave radiation pattern of different types of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) antennae in the Hashtgerd city as the capital of Savojbolagh County, Alborz Province of Iran. The basic data including the geographical location of the BTS antennae in the city, brand, operator type, installation and its height was collected from radio communication office, and then the measurements were carried out according to IEEE STD 95. 1 by the SPECTRAN 4060. The statistical analyses were carried out by SPSS16 using Kolmogorov Smirnov test and multiple regression method. Results indicated that in both operators of Irancell and Hamrah-e-Aval (First Operator), the power density rose with an increase in measurement height or decrease in the vertical distance of broadcaster antenna. With mix model test, a significant statistical relationship was observed between measurement height and the average power density in both types of the operators. With increasing measuring height, power density increased in both operators. The study showed installing antennae in a crowded area needs more care because of higher radiation emission. More rigid surfaces and mobile users are two important factors in crowded area that can increase wave density and hence raise public microwave exposure.

The vertical pattern of microwave radiation around BTS (Base Transceiver Station) antennae in Hashtgerd township

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

New environmental pollutants interfere with the environment and human life along with technology development. One of these pollutants is electromagnetic field. This study determines the vertical microwave radiation pattern of different types of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) antennae in the Hashtgerd city as the capital of Savojbolagh County, Alborz Province of Iran. The basic data including the geographical location of the BTS antennae in the city, brand, operator type, installation and its height was collected from radio communication office, and then the measurements were carried out according to IEEE STD 95. 1 by the SPECTRAN 4060. The statistical analyses were carried out by SPSS16 using Kolmogorov Smirnov test and multiple regression method. Results indicated that in both operators of Irancell and Hamrah-e-Aval (First Operator), the power density rose with an increase in measurement height or decrease in the vertical distance of broadcaster antenna. With mix model test, a significant statistical relationship was observed between measurement height and the average power density in both types of the operators. With increasing measuring height, power density increased in both operators. The study showed installing antennae in a crowded area needs more care because of higher radiation emission. More rigid surfaces and mobile users are two important factors in crowded area that can increase wave density and hence raise public microwave exposure. PMID:24359870

Electrodeposited Nanolaminated CoNiFe Cores for Ultracompact DC-DC Power Conversion

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

Kim, J; Kim, M; Herrault, F

2015-09-01

Laminated metallic alloy cores (i.e., alternating layers of thin film metallic alloy and insulating material) of appropriate lamination thickness enable suppression of eddy current losses at high frequencies. Magnetic cores comprised of many such laminations yield substantial overall magnetic volume, thereby enabling high-power operation. Previously, we reported nanolaminated permalloy (Ni-80 Fe-20) cores based on a sequential electrodeposition technique, demonstrating negligible eddy current losses at peak flux densities up to 0.5 T and operating at megahertz frequencies. This paper demonstrates improved performance of nanolaminated cores comprising tens to hundreds of layers of 300-500-nm-thick CoNiFe films that exhibit superior magnetic properties (e.g.,more » higher saturation flux density and lower coercivity) than permalloy. Nanolaminated CoNiFe cores can be operated up to a peak flux density of 0.9 T, demonstrating improved power handling capacity and exhibiting 30% reduced volumetric core loss, attributed to lowered hysteresis losses compared to the nanolaminated permalloy core of the same geometry. Operating these cores in a buck dc-dc power converter at a switching frequency of 1 MHz, the nanolaminated CoNiFe cores achieved a conversion efficiency exceeding 90% at output power levels up to 7 W, compared to an achieved permalloy core conversion efficiency below 86% at 6 W.« less

Achieving high power factor and output power density in p-type half-Heuslers Nb1-xTixFeSb.

PubMed

He, Ran; Kraemer, Daniel; Mao, Jun; Zeng, Lingping; Jie, Qing; Lan, Yucheng; Li, Chunhua; Shuai, Jing; Kim, Hee Seok; Liu, Yuan; Broido, David; Chu, Ching-Wu; Chen, Gang; Ren, Zhifeng

2016-11-29

Improvements in thermoelectric material performance over the past two decades have largely been based on decreasing the phonon thermal conductivity. Enhancing the power factor has been less successful in comparison. In this work, a peak power factor of ∼106 μW⋅cm -1 ⋅K -2 is achieved by increasing the hot pressing temperature up to 1,373 K in the p-type half-Heusler Nb 0.95 Ti 0.05 FeSb. The high power factor subsequently yields a record output power density of ∼22 W⋅cm -2 based on a single-leg device operating at between 293 K and 868 K. Such a high-output power density can be beneficial for large-scale power generation applications.

Achieving high power factor and output power density in p-type half-Heuslers Nb1-xTixFeSb

PubMed Central

He, Ran; Kraemer, Daniel; Mao, Jun; Zeng, Lingping; Jie, Qing; Lan, Yucheng; Li, Chunhua; Shuai, Jing; Kim, Hee Seok; Liu, Yuan; Broido, David; Chu, Ching-Wu; Chen, Gang; Ren, Zhifeng

2016-01-01

Improvements in thermoelectric material performance over the past two decades have largely been based on decreasing the phonon thermal conductivity. Enhancing the power factor has been less successful in comparison. In this work, a peak power factor of ∼106 μW⋅cm−1⋅K−2 is achieved by increasing the hot pressing temperature up to 1,373 K in the p-type half-Heusler Nb0.95Ti0.05FeSb. The high power factor subsequently yields a record output power density of ∼22 W⋅cm−2 based on a single-leg device operating at between 293 K and 868 K. Such a high-output power density can be beneficial for large-scale power generation applications. PMID:27856743

Titanium Disulfide Coated Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Electrodes Enable High Energy Density Symmetric Pseudocapacitors.

PubMed

Zang, Xining; Shen, Caiwei; Kao, Emmeline; Warren, Roseanne; Zhang, Ruopeng; Teh, Kwok Siong; Zhong, Junwen; Wei, Minsong; Li, Buxuan; Chu, Yao; Sanghadasa, Mohan; Schwartzberg, Adam; Lin, Liwei

2018-02-01

While electrochemical supercapacitors often show high power density and long operation lifetimes, they are plagued by limited energy density. Pseudocapacitive materials, in contrast, operate by fast surface redox reactions and are shown to enhance energy storage of supercapacitors. Furthermore, several reported systems exhibit high capacitance but restricted electrochemical voltage windows, usually no more than 1 V in aqueous electrolytes. Here, it is demonstrated that vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) with uniformly coated, pseudocapacitive titanium disulfide (TiS 2 ) composite electrodes can extend the stable working range to over 3 V to achieve a high capacitance of 195 F g -1 in an Li-rich electrolyte. A symmetric cell demonstrates an energy density of 60.9 Wh kg -1 -the highest among symmetric pseudocapacitors using metal oxides, conducting polymers, 2D transition metal carbides (MXene), and other transition metal dichalcogenides. Nanostructures prepared by an atomic layer deposition/sulfurization process facilitate ion transportation and surface reactions to result in a high power density of 1250 W kg -1 with stable operation over 10 000 cycles. A flexible solid-state supercapacitor prepared by transferring the TiS 2 -VACNT composite film onto Kapton tape is demonstrated to power a 2.2 V light emitting diode (LED) for 1 min. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Helicon normal modes in Proto-MPEX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piotrowicz, P. A.; Caneses, J. F.; Green, D. L.; Goulding, R. H.; Lau, C.; Caughman, J. B. O.; Rapp, J.; Ruzic, D. N.

2018-05-01

The Proto-MPEX helicon source has been operating in a high electron density ‘helicon-mode’. Establishing plasma densities and magnetic field strengths under the antenna that allow for the formation of normal modes of the fast-wave are believed to be responsible for the ‘helicon-mode’. A 2D finite-element full-wave model of the helicon antenna on Proto-MPEX is used to identify the fast-wave normal modes responsible for the steady-state electron density profile produced by the source. We also show through the simulation that in the regions of operation in which core power deposition is maximum the slow-wave does not deposit significant power besides directly under the antenna. In the case of a simulation where a normal mode is not excited significant edge power is deposited in the mirror region. ).

Helicon normal modes in Proto-MPEX

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

Piotrowicz, Pawel A.; Caneses, Juan F.; Green, David L.

Here, the Proto-MPEX helicon source has been operating in a high electron density 'helicon-mode'. Establishing plasma densities and magnetic field strengths under the antenna that allow for the formation of normal modes of the fast-wave are believed to be responsible for the 'helicon-mode'. A 2D finite-element full-wave model of the helicon antenna on Proto-MPEX is used to identify the fast-wave normal modes responsible for the steady-state electron density profile produced by the source. We also show through the simulation that in the regions of operation in which core power deposition is maximum the slow-wave does not deposit significant power besidesmore » directly under the antenna. In the case of a simulation where a normal mode is not excited significant edge power is deposited in the mirror region.« less

Helicon normal modes in Proto-MPEX

DOE PAGES

Piotrowicz, Pawel A.; Caneses, Juan F.; Green, David L.; ...

2018-05-22

Here, the Proto-MPEX helicon source has been operating in a high electron density 'helicon-mode'. Establishing plasma densities and magnetic field strengths under the antenna that allow for the formation of normal modes of the fast-wave are believed to be responsible for the 'helicon-mode'. A 2D finite-element full-wave model of the helicon antenna on Proto-MPEX is used to identify the fast-wave normal modes responsible for the steady-state electron density profile produced by the source. We also show through the simulation that in the regions of operation in which core power deposition is maximum the slow-wave does not deposit significant power besidesmore » directly under the antenna. In the case of a simulation where a normal mode is not excited significant edge power is deposited in the mirror region.« less

Thermodynamic analysis of energy density in pressure retarded osmosis: The impact of solution volumes and costs

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

Reimund, Kevin K.; McCutcheon, Jeffrey R.; Wilson, Aaron D.

A general method was developed for estimating the volumetric energy efficiency of pressure retarded osmosis via pressure-volume analysis of a membrane process. The resulting model requires only the osmotic pressure, π, and mass fraction, w, of water in the concentrated and dilute feed solutions to estimate the maximum achievable specific energy density, uu, as a function of operating pressure. The model is independent of any membrane or module properties. This method utilizes equilibrium analysis to specify the volumetric mixing fraction of concentrated and dilute solution as a function of operating pressure, and provides results for the total volumetric energy densitymore » of similar order to more complex models for the mixing of seawater and riverwater. Within the framework of this analysis, the total volumetric energy density is maximized, for an idealized case, when the operating pressure is π/(1+√w⁻¹), which is lower than the maximum power density operating pressure, Δπ/2, derived elsewhere, and is a function of the solute osmotic pressure at a given mass fraction. It was also found that a minimum 1.45 kmol of ideal solute is required to produce 1 kWh of energy while a system operating at “maximum power density operating pressure” requires at least 2.9 kmol. Utilizing this methodology, it is possible to examine the effects of volumetric solution cost, operation of a module at various pressure, and operation of a constant pressure module with various feed.« less

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

Wierer, Jonathan J.; Tsao, Jeffrey Y.; Sizov, Dmitry S.

Solid-state lighting (SSL) is now the most efficient source of high color quality white light ever created. Nevertheless, the blue InGaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that are the light engine of SSL still have significant performance limitations. Foremost among these is the decrease in efficiency at high input current densities widely known as “efficiency droop.” Efficiency droop limits input power densities, contrary to the desire to produce more photons per unit LED chip area and to make SSL more affordable. Pending a solution to efficiency droop, an alternative device could be a blue laser diode (LD). LDs, operated in stimulated emission,more » can have high efficiencies at much higher input power densities than LEDs can. In this article, LEDs and LDs for future SSL are explored by comparing: their current state-of-the-art input-power-density-dependent power-conversion efficiencies; potential improvements both in their peak power-conversion efficiencies and in the input power densities at which those efficiencies peak; and their economics for practical SSL.« less

47 CFR 25.204 - Power limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

.... density of emissions from any earth station in the FSS operating with a space station in geostationary... emissions from any earth station in the FSS operating with a space station in non-geostationary-satellite... service to geostationary satellites in the 17/24 GHz BSS, shall employ uplink adaptive power control or...

Highly-Ordered 3D Vertical Resistive Switching Memory Arrays with Ultralow Power Consumption and Ultrahigh Density.

PubMed

Al-Haddad, Ahmed; Wang, Chengliang; Qi, Haoyuan; Grote, Fabian; Wen, Liaoyong; Bernhard, Jörg; Vellacheri, Ranjith; Tarish, Samar; Nabi, Ghulam; Kaiser, Ute; Lei, Yong

2016-09-07

Resistive switching random access memories (RRAM) have attracted great scientific and industrial attention for next generation data storage because of their advantages of nonvolatile properties, high density, low power consumption, fast writing/erasing speed, good endurance, and simple and small operation system. Here, by using a template-assisted technique, we demonstrate a three-dimensional highly ordered vertical RRAM device array with density as high as that of the nanopores of the template (10(8)-10(9) cm(-2)), which can also be fabricated in large area. The high crystallinity of the materials, the large contact area and the intimate semiconductor/electrode interface (3 nm interfacial layer) make the ultralow voltage operation (millivolt magnitude) and ultralow power consumption (picowatt) possible. Our procedure for fabrication of the nanodevice arrays in large area can be used for producing many other different materials and such three-dimensional electronic device arrays with the capability to adjust the device densities can be extended to other applications of the next generation nanodevice technology.

A self-powered glucose biosensing system.

PubMed

Slaughter, Gymama; Kulkarni, Tanmay

2016-04-15

A self-powered glucose biosensor (SPGS) system is fabricated and in vitro characterization of the power generation and charging frequency characteristics in glucose analyte are described. The bioelectrodes consist of compressed network of three-dimensional multi-walled carbon nanotubes with redox enzymes, pyroquinoline quinone glucose dehydrogenase (PQQ-GDH) and laccase functioning as the anodic and cathodic catalyst, respectively. When operated in 45 mM glucose, the biofuel cell exhibited an open circuit voltage and power density of 681.8 mV and 67.86 µW/cm(2) at 335 mV, respectively, with a current density of 202.2 µA/cm(2). Moreover, at physiological glucose concentration (5mM), the biofuel cell exhibits open circuit voltage and power density of 302.1 mV and 15.98 µW/cm(2) at 166.3 mV, respectively, with a current density of 100 µA/cm(2). The biofuel cell assembly produced a linear dynamic range of 0.5-45 mM glucose. These findings show that glucose biofuel cells can be further investigated in the development of a self-powered glucose biosensor by using a capacitor as the transducer element. By monitoring the capacitor charging frequencies, which are influenced by the concentration of the glucose analyte, a linear dynamic range of 0.5-35 mM glucose is observed. The operational stability of SPGS is monitored over a period of 63 days and is found to be stable with 15.38% and 11.76% drop in power density under continuous discharge in 10mM and 20mM glucose, respectively. These results demonstrate that SPGSs can simultaneously generate bioelectricity to power ultra-low powered devices and sense glucose. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid Assemblers for Voxel-Based VLSI Robotics

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-12

relied on coin- cell batteries with high energy density, but low power density. Each of the actuators presented requires relatively high power...The device consists of a low power DC- DC low to high voltage converter operated by 4A cell batteries and an assembler, which is a grid of electrodes...design, simulate and fabricate complex 3D machines, as well as to repair, adapt and recycle existing machines, and to perform rigorous design

High-power AlGaInN lasers for Blu-ray disc system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeya, Motonubu; Ikeda, Shinroh; Sasaki, Tomomi; Fujimoto, Tsuyoshi; Ohfuji, Yoshio; Mizuno, Takashi; Oikawa, Kenji; Yabuki, Yoshifumi; Uchida, Shiro; Ikeda, Masao

2003-07-01

This paper describes an improved laser structure for AlGaInN based blue-violet lasers (BV-LDs). The design realizes a small beam divergence angle perpendicular to the junction plane and high characteristic temperature wihtout significant increase in threshold current density (Jth) by optimizing the position of the Mg-doped layer and introducing an undoped AlGaN layer between the active layer and the Mg-doped electron-blocking layer. The mean time to failure (MTTF) of devices based on this design was found to be closely related to the dislocation density of ELO-GaN basal layer. Under 50 mW CW operation at 70°C, a MTTF of over 5000 h was realized whenthe dark spot density (indicative of dislocation density) is less than ~5×106 cm-2. Power consumption under 50mW CW operation at 70°C was approximately 0.33 W, independent of the dislocation density.

A spin transfer torque magnetoresistance random access memory-based high-density and ultralow-power associative memory for fully data-adaptive nearest neighbor search with current-mode similarity evaluation and time-domain minimum searching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Yitao; Miura, Sadahiko; Honjo, Hiroaki; Ikeda, Shoji; Hanyu, Takahiro; Ohno, Hideo; Endoh, Tetsuo

2017-04-01

A high-density nonvolatile associative memory (NV-AM) based on spin transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory (STT-MRAM), which achieves highly concurrent and ultralow-power nearest neighbor search with full adaptivity of the template data format, has been proposed and fabricated using the 90 nm CMOS/70 nm perpendicular-magnetic-tunnel-junction hybrid process. A truly compact current-mode circuitry is developed to realize flexibly controllable and high-parallel similarity evaluation, which makes the NV-AM adaptable to any dimensionality and component-bit of template data. A compact dual-stage time-domain minimum searching circuit is also developed, which can freely extend the system for more template data by connecting multiple NM-AM cores without additional circuits for integrated processing. Both the embedded STT-MRAM module and the computing circuit modules in this NV-AM chip are synchronously power-gated to completely eliminate standby power and maximally reduce operation power by only activating the currently accessed circuit blocks. The operations of a prototype chip at 40 MHz are demonstrated by measurement. The average operation power is only 130 µW, and the circuit density is less than 11 µm2/bit. Compared with the latest conventional works in both volatile and nonvolatile approaches, more than 31.3% circuit area reductions and 99.2% power improvements are achieved, respectively. Further power performance analyses are discussed, which verify the special superiority of the proposed NV-AM in low-power and large-memory-based VLSIs.

High-Energy-Density Electrolytic Capacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1993-01-01

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

Low Temperature Performance of High Power Density DC/DC Converter Modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elbuluk, Malik E.; Hammond, Ahmad; Gerber, Scott; Patterson, Richard L.; Overton, Eric

2001-01-01

In this paper, two second-generation high power density DC/DC converter modules have been evaluated at low operating temperatures. The power rating of one converter (Module 1) was specified at 150 W with an input voltage range of 36 to 75 V and output voltage of 12 V. The other converter (Module 2) was specified at 100 W with the same input voltage range and an output voltage of 3.3 V. The converter modules were evaluated in terms of their performance as a function of operating temperature in the range of 25 to -140 C. The experimental procedures along with the experimental data obtained are presented and discussed in this paper.

Estimates of Optimal Operating Conditions for Hydrogen-Oxygen Cesium-Seeded Magnetohydrodynamic Power Generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, J. M.; Nichols, L. D.

1977-01-01

The value of percent seed, oxygen to fuel ratio, combustion pressure, Mach number, and magnetic field strength which maximize either the electrical conductivity or power density at the entrance of an MHD power generator was obtained. The working fluid is the combustion product of H2 and O2 seeded with CsOH. The ideal theoretical segmented Faraday generator along with an empirical form found from correlating the data of many experimenters working with generators of different sizes, electrode configurations, and working fluids, are investigated. The conductivity and power densities optimize at a seed fraction of 3.5 mole percent and an oxygen to hydrogen weight ratio of 7.5. The optimum values of combustion pressure and Mach number depend on the operating magnetic field strength.

Numerical analyses of baseline JT-60SA design concepts with the COREDIV code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zagórski, R.; Gałązka, K.; Ivanova-Stanik, I.; Stępniewski, W.; Garzotti, L.; Giruzzi, G.; Neu, R.; Romanelli, M.

2017-06-01

JT-60SA reference design scenarios at high (#3) and low (#2) density have been analyzed with the help of the self-consistent COREDIV code. Simulations results for a standard C wall and full W wall have been compared in terms of the influence of impurities, both intrinsic (C, W) and seeded (N, Ar, Ne, Kr), on the radiation losses and plasma parameters. For scenario #3 in a C environment, the regime of detachment on divertor plates can be achieved with N or Ne seeding, whereas for the low density and high power scenario (#2), the C and seeding impurity radiation does not effectively reduce power to the targets. In this case, only an increase of either average density or edge density together with Kr seeding might help to develop conditions with strong radiation losses and semi-detached conditions in the divertor. The calculations show that, in the case of a W divertor, the power load to the plate is mitigated by seeding and the central plasma dilution is smaller compared to the C divertor. For the high density case (#3) with Ne seeding, operation in full detachment mode is predicted. Ar seems to be an optimal choice for the low-density high-power scenario #2, showing a wide operating window, whereas Ne leads to high plasma dilution at high seeding levels albeit not achieving semi-detached conditions in the divertor.

Improving performance of MFC by design alteration and adding cathodic electrolytes.

PubMed

Jadhav, G S; Ghangrekar, M M

2008-12-01

Performance of two microbial fuel cells (MFCs) was investigated under batch and continuous mode of operation using different cathodic electrolyte. The wastewater was supplied from the bottom port provided to the anode chamber in both the MFCs and the effluent left the anode chamber from the top port in MFC-1, whereas in MFC-2, the effluent exit was provided close to membrane. Stainless steel (SS) mesh anode was used in both the MFCs with surface area of 167 and 100 cm(2) in MFC-1 and MFC-2, respectively. Under batch mode and continuous mode of operation, these MFCs gave chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency more than 85% and about 68%, respectively. Under batch mode of operation, maximum power density of 39.95 and 56.87 mW/m(2) and maximum current density of 180.83 and 295 mA/m(2) were obtained in MFC-1 and MFC-2, respectively. Under continuous mode of operation, a reduction in power and current density was observed. Even with less surface area of the anode, MFC-2 produced more current (1.77 mA) than MFC-1 (1.40 mA). Among the cathodic electrolyte tested, these can be listed in decreasing order of power density as aerated KMnO(4) solution > KMnO(4) solution without aeration > aerated tap water > aerated tap water with NaCl.

Transport dynamics of a high-power-density matrix-type hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prokopius, P. R.; Hagedorn, N. H.

1974-01-01

Experimental transport dynamics tests were made on a space power fuel cell of current design. Various operating transients were introduced and transport-related response data were recorded with fluidic humidity sensing instruments. Also, sampled data techniques were developed for measuring the cathode-side electrolyte concentration during transient operation.

Dimmable electronic ballasts by variable power density modulation technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borekci, Selim; Kesler, Selami

2014-11-01

Dimming can be accomplished commonly by switching frequency and pulse density modulation techniques and a variable inductor. In this study, a variable power density modulation (VPDM) control technique is proposed for dimming applications. A fluorescent lamp is operated in several states to meet the desired lamp power in a modulation period. The proposed technique has the same advantages of magnetic dimming topologies have. In addition, a unique and flexible control technique can be achieved. A prototype dimmable electronic ballast is built and experiments related to it have been conducted. As a result, a 36WT8 fluorescent lamp can be driven for a desired lamp power from several alternatives without modulating the switching frequency.

Improved Performance of Ionic Liquid Supercapacitors by using Tetracyanoborate Anions.

PubMed

Martins, Vitor L; Rennie, Anthony J R; Sanchez-Ramirez, Nedher; Torresi, Roberto M; Hall, Peter J

2018-02-01

Supercapacitors are energy storage devices designed to operate at higher power densities than conventional batteries, but their energy density is still too low for many applications. Efforts are made to design new electrolytes with wider electrochemical windows than aqueous or conventional organic electrolytes in order to increase energy density. Ionic liquids (ILs) with wide electrochemical stability windows are excellent candidates to be employed as supercapacitor electrolytes. ILs containing tetracyanoborate anions [B(CN) 4 ] offer wider electrochemical stability than conventional electrolytes and maintain a high ionic conductivity (6.9 mS cm -1 ). Herein, we report the use of ILs containing the [B(CN) 4 ] anion for such an application. They presented a high maximum operating voltage of 3.7 V, and two-electrode devices demonstrate high specific capacitances even when operating at relatively high rates (ca. 20 F g -1 @ 15 A g -1 ). This supercapacitor stored more energy and operated at a higher power at all rates studied when compared with cells using a commonly studied ILs.

The 77 K operation of a multi-resonant power converter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Biswajit; Gerber, Scott S.; Patterson, Richard L.; Myers, Ira T.

1995-01-01

The liquid-nitrogen temperature (77 K) operation of a 55 W, 200 kHz, 48/28 V zero-voltage switching multi-resonant dc/dc converter designed with commercially available components is reported. Upon dipping the complete converter (power and control circuits) into liquid-nitrogen, the converter performance improved as compared to the room-temperature operation. The switching frequency, resonant frequency, and the characteristic impedance did not change significantly. Accordingly, the zero-voltage switching was maintained from no-load to full-load for the specified line variations. Cryoelectronics can provide high density power converters, especially for high power applications.

Evaluation of the effect of reactant gases mass flow rates on power density in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahveci, E. E.; Taymaz, I.

2018-03-01

In this study it was experimentally investigated the effect of mass flow rates of reactant gases which is one of the most important operational parameters of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell on power density. The channel type is serpentine and single PEM fuel cell has an active area of 25 cm2. Design-Expert 8.0 (trial version) was used with four variables to investigate the effect of variables on the response using. Cell temperature, hydrogen mass flow rate, oxygen mass flow rate and humidification temperature were selected as independent variables. In addition, the power density was used as response to determine the combined effects of these variables. It was kept constant cell and humidification temperatures while changing mass flow rates of reactant gases. From the results an increase occurred in power density with increasing the hydrogen flow rates. But oxygen flow rate does not have a significant effect on power density within determined mass flow rates.

Operation reliability analysis of independent power plants of gas-transmission system distant production facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piskunov, Maksim V.; Voytkov, Ivan S.; Vysokomornaya, Olga V.; Vysokomorny, Vladimir S.

2015-01-01

The new approach was developed to analyze the failure causes in operation of linear facilities independent power supply sources (mini-CHP-plants) of gas-transmission system in Eastern part of Russia. Triggering conditions of ceiling operation substance temperature at condenser output were determined with mathematical simulation use of unsteady heat and mass transfer processes in condenser of mini-CHP-plants. Under these conditions the failure probability in operation of independent power supply sources is increased. Influence of environmental factors (in particular, ambient temperature) as well as output electric capability values of power plant on mini-CHP-plant operation reliability was analyzed. Values of mean time to failure and power plant failure density during operation in different regions of Eastern Siberia and Far East of Russia were received with use of numerical simulation results of heat and mass transfer processes at operation substance condensation.

Power-Efficient, High-Current-Density, Long-Life Thermionic Cathode Developed for Microwave Amplifier Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wintucky, Edwin G.

2002-01-01

A power-efficient, miniature, easily manufactured, reservoir-type barium-dispenser thermionic cathode has been developed that offers the significant advantages of simultaneous high electron-emission current density (>2 A/sq cm) and very long life (>100,000 hr of continuous operation) when compared with the commonly used impregnated-type barium-dispenser cathodes. Important applications of this cathode are a wide variety of microwave and millimeter-wave vacuum electronic devices, where high output power and reliability (long life) are essential. We also expect it to enable the practical development of higher purveyance electron guns for lower voltage and more reliable device operation. The low cathode heater power and reduced size and mass are expected to be particularly beneficial in traveling-wave-tube amplifiers (TWTA's) for space communications, where future NASA mission requirements include smaller onboard spacecraft systems, higher data transmission rates (high frequency and output power) and greater electrical efficiency.

Maximizing power generation from dark fermentation effluents in microbial fuel cell by selective enrichment of exoelectrogens and optimization of anodic operational parameters.

PubMed

Varanasi, Jhansi L; Sinha, Pallavi; Das, Debabrata

2017-05-01

To selectively enrich an electrogenic mixed consortium capable of utilizing dark fermentative effluents as substrates in microbial fuel cells and to further enhance the power outputs by optimization of influential anodic operational parameters. A maximum power density of 1.4 W/m 3 was obtained by an enriched mixed electrogenic consortium in microbial fuel cells using acetate as substrate. This was further increased to 5.43 W/m 3 by optimization of influential anodic parameters. By utilizing dark fermentative effluents as substrates, the maximum power densities ranged from 5.2 to 6.2 W/m 3 with an average COD removal efficiency of 75% and a columbic efficiency of 10.6%. A simple strategy is provided for selective enrichment of electrogenic bacteria that can be used in microbial fuel cells for generating power from various dark fermentative effluents.

Cost and performance model for redox flow batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, Vilayanur; Crawford, Alasdair; Stephenson, David; Kim, Soowhan; Wang, Wei; Li, Bin; Coffey, Greg; Thomsen, Ed; Graff, Gordon; Balducci, Patrick; Kintner-Meyer, Michael; Sprenkle, Vincent

2014-02-01

A cost model is developed for all vanadium and iron-vanadium redox flow batteries. Electrochemical performance modeling is done to estimate stack performance at various power densities as a function of state of charge and operating conditions. This is supplemented with a shunt current model and a pumping loss model to estimate actual system efficiency. The operating parameters such as power density, flow rates and design parameters such as electrode aspect ratio and flow frame channel dimensions are adjusted to maximize efficiency and minimize capital costs. Detailed cost estimates are obtained from various vendors to calculate cost estimates for present, near-term and optimistic scenarios. The most cost-effective chemistries with optimum operating conditions for power or energy intensive applications are determined, providing a roadmap for battery management systems development for redox flow batteries. The main drivers for cost reduction for various chemistries are identified as a function of the energy to power ratio of the storage system. Levelized cost analysis further guide suitability of various chemistries for different applications.

Miniature Internal Combustion Engine-Generator for High Energy Density Portable Power

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

Operation on JP-8 from cold startup to steady operation has been demonstrated at the 300 W scale. Miniature engine/generators can be acoustically silenced...design that uses a spring for energy storage . MICE is a high Q system, operating at the resonant frequency of the spring-mass system with very low...development • Demonstrated 94% efficiency of 300 W linear alternator • Demonstrated full operation of MICE generator from cold startup to net power output

Low-Temperature Supercapacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandon, Erik J.; West, William C.; Smart, Marshall C.

2008-01-01

An effort to extend the low-temperature operational limit of supercapacitors is currently underway. At present, commercially available non-aqueous supercapacitors are rated for a minimum operating temperature of -40 C. A capability to operate at lower temperatures would be desirable for delivering power to systems that must operate in outer space or in the Polar Regions on Earth. Supercapacitors (also known as double-layer or electrochemical capacitors) offer a high power density (>1,000 W/kg) and moderate energy density (about 5 to 10 Wh/kg) technology for storing energy and delivering power. This combination of properties enables delivery of large currents for pulsed applications, or alternatively, smaller currents for low duty cycle applications. The mechanism of storage of electric charge in a supercapacitor -- at the electrical double-layer formed at a solid-electrode/liquid-electrolyte interface -- differs from that of a primary or secondary electrochemical cell (i.e., a battery) in such a manner as to impart a long cycle life (typically >10(exp 6) charge/discharge cycles).

An Introduction to System-Level, Steady-State and Transient Modeling and Optimization of High-Power-Density Thermoelectric Generator Devices Made of Segmented Thermoelectric Elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crane, D. T.

2011-05-01

High-power-density, segmented, thermoelectric (TE) elements have been intimately integrated into heat exchangers, eliminating many of the loss mechanisms of conventional TE assemblies, including the ceramic electrical isolation layer. Numerical models comprising simultaneously solved, nonlinear, energy balance equations have been created to simulate these novel architectures. Both steady-state and transient models have been created in a MATLAB/Simulink environment. The models predict data from experiments in various configurations and applications over a broad range of temperature, flow, and current conditions for power produced, efficiency, and a variety of other important outputs. Using the validated models, devices and systems are optimized using advanced multiparameter optimization techniques. Devices optimized for particular steady-state operating conditions can then be dynamically simulated in a transient operating model. The transient model can simulate a variety of operating conditions including automotive and truck drive cycles.

Neutral-depletion-induced axially asymmetric density in a helicon source and imparted thrust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Kazunori; Takao, Yoshinori; Ando, Akira

2016-02-01

The high plasma density downstream of the source is observed to be sustained only for a few hundreds of microsecond at the initial phase of the discharge, when pulsing the radiofrequency power of a helicon plasma thruster. Measured relative density of argon neutrals inside the source implies that the neutrals are significantly depleted there. A position giving a maximum plasma density temporally moves to the upstream side of the source due to the neutral depletion and then the exhausted plasma density significantly decreases. The direct thrust measurement demonstrates that the higher thrust-to-power ratio is obtained by using only the initial phase of the high density plasma, compared with the steady-state operation.

Magnetically operated beam dump for dumping high power beams in a neutral beamline

DOEpatents

Dagenhart, W.K.

1984-01-27

It is an object of this invention to provide a beam dump system for a neutral beam generator which lowers the time-averaged power density of the beam dump impingement surface. Another object of this invention is to provide a beam dump system for a neutral particle beam based on reionization and subsequent magnetic beam position modulation of the beam onto a beam dump surface to lower the time-averaged power density of the beam dump ion impingement surface.

Improving Power Density of Free-Piston Stirling Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Briggs, Maxwell H.; Prahl, Joseph M.; Loparo, Kenneth A.

2016-01-01

Analyses and experiments demonstrate the potential benefits of optimizing piston and displacer motion in a free-piston Stirling Engine. Isothermal analysis shows the theoretical limits of power density improvement due to ideal motion in ideal Stirling engines. More realistic models based on nodal analysis show that ideal piston and displacer waveforms are not optimal, often producing less power than engines that use sinusoidal piston and displacer motion. Constrained optimization using nodal analysis predicts that Stirling engine power density can be increased by as much as 58 percent using optimized higher harmonic piston and displacer motion. An experiment is conducted in which an engine designed for sinusoidal motion is forced to operate with both second and third harmonics, resulting in a piston power increase of as much as 14 percent. Analytical predictions are compared to experimental data and show close agreement with indirect thermodynamic power calculations, but poor agreement with direct electrical power measurements.

Improving Power Density of Free-Piston Stirling Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Briggs, Maxwell H.; Prahl, Joseph; Loparo, Kenneth

2016-01-01

Analyses and experiments demonstrate the potential benefits of optimizing piston and displacer motion in a free piston Stirling Engine. Isothermal analysis shows the theoretical limits of power density improvement due to ideal motion in ideal Stirling engines. More realistic models based on nodal analysis show that ideal piston and displacer waveforms are not optimal, often producing less power than engines that use sinusoidal piston and displacer motion. Constrained optimization using nodal analysis predicts that Stirling engine power density can be increased by as much as 58 using optimized higher harmonic piston and displacer motion. An experiment is conducted in which an engine designed for sinusoidal motion is forced to operate with both second and third harmonics, resulting in a maximum piston power increase of 14. Analytical predictions are compared to experimental data showing close agreement with indirect thermodynamic power calculations, but poor agreement with direct electrical power measurements.

Improving Free-Piston Stirling Engine Power Density

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Briggs, Maxwell H.

2016-01-01

Analyses and experiments demonstrate the potential benefits of optimizing piston and displacer motion in a free piston Stirling Engine. Isothermal analysis shows the theoretical limits of power density improvement due to ideal motion in ideal Stirling engines. More realistic models based on nodal analysis show that ideal piston and displacer waveforms are not optimal, often producing less power than engines that use sinusoidal piston and displacer motion. Constrained optimization using nodal analysis predicts that Stirling engine power density can be increased by as much as 58% using optimized higher harmonic piston and displacer motion. An experiment is conducted in which an engine designed for sinusoidal motion is forced to operate with both second and third harmonics, resulting in a maximum piston power increase of 14%. Analytical predictions are compared to experimental data showing close agreement with indirect thermodynamic power calculations, but poor agreement with direct electrical power measurements.

Space nuclear power applied to electric propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vicente, F. A.; Karras, T.; Darooka, D.; Isenberg, L.

1989-01-01

Space reactor power systems with characteristics ideal for advanced spacecraft systems applications are discussed. These characteristics are: high power-to-weight ratio (15 to 33 W/kg); high volume density (high ballistic coefficient); no preferential orientation in orbit; long operational life; high reliability; and total launch and operational safety. These characteristics allow the use of electric propulsion to raise spacecraft from low earth parking orbits to operational orbits, greatly increasing the useful orbit payload for a given launch vehicle by eliminating the need for a separation injection stage. A proposed demonstration mission is described.

Three-Dimensional Expanded Graphene-Metal Oxide Film via Solid-State Microwave Irradiation for Aqueous Asymmetric Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Yang, MinHo; Lee, Kyoung G; Lee, Seok Jae; Lee, Sang Bok; Han, Young-Kyu; Choi, Bong Gill

2015-10-14

Carbon-based electrochemical double-layer capacitors and pseudocapacitors, consisting of a symmetric configuration of electrodes, can deliver much higher power densities than batteries, but they suffer from low energy densities. Herein, we report the development of high energy and power density supercapacitors using an asymmetric configuration of Fe2O3 and MnO2 nanoparticles incorporated into 3D macroporous graphene film electrodes that can be operated in a safe and low-cost aqueous electrolyte. The gap in working potential windows of Fe2O3 and MnO2 enables the stable expansion of the cell voltage up to 1.8 V, which is responsible for the high energy density (41.7 Wh kg(-1)). We employ a household microwave oven to simultaneously create conductivity, porosity, and the deposition of metal oxides on graphene films toward 3D hybrid architectures, which lead to a high power density (13.5 kW kg(-1)). Such high energy and power densities are maintained for over 5000 cycles, even during cycling at a high current density of 16.9 A g(-1).

Benzophenone-3 ultrasound degradation in a multifrequency reactor: Response surface methodology approach.

PubMed

Vega-Garzon, Lina Patricia; Gomez-Miranda, Ingry Natalia; Peñuela, Gustavo A

2018-05-01

Response Surface Methodology was used for optimizing operating variables for a multi-frequency ultrasound reactor using BP-3 as a model compound. The response variable was the Triclosan degradation percent after 10 sonication min. Frequency at levels from 574, 856 and 1134 kHz were used. Power density, pulse time (PT), silent time (ST) and PT/ST ratio effects were also analyzed. 2 2 and 2 3 experimental designs were used for screening purposes and a central composite design was used for optimization. An optimum value of 79.2% was obtained for a frequency of 574 kHz, a power density of 200 W/L, and a PT/ST ratio of 10. Significant variables were frequency and power level, the first having an optimum value after which degradation decreases while power density level had a strong positive effect on the whole operational range. PT, ST, and PT/ST ratio were not significant variables although it was shown that pulsed mode ultrasound has better degradation rates than continuous mode ultrasound; the effect less significant at higher power levels. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Recovery Act: Advanced Direct Methanol Fuel Cell for Mobile Computing

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

Fletcher, James H.; Cox, Philip; Harrington, William J

2013-09-03

ABSTRACT Project Title: Recovery Act: Advanced Direct Methanol Fuel Cell for Mobile Computing PROJECT OBJECTIVE The objective of the project was to advance portable fuel cell system technology towards the commercial targets of power density, energy density and lifetime. These targets were laid out in the DOE’s R&D roadmap to develop an advanced direct methanol fuel cell power supply that meets commercial entry requirements. Such a power supply will enable mobile computers to operate non-stop, unplugged from the wall power outlet, by using the high energy density of methanol fuel contained in a replaceable fuel cartridge. Specifically this project focusedmore » on balance-of-plant component integration and miniaturization, as well as extensive component, subassembly and integrated system durability and validation testing. This design has resulted in a pre-production power supply design and a prototype that meet the rigorous demands of consumer electronic applications. PROJECT TASKS The proposed work plan was designed to meet the project objectives, which corresponded directly with the objectives outlined in the Funding Opportunity Announcement: To engineer the fuel cell balance-of-plant and packaging to meet the needs of consumer electronic systems, specifically at power levels required for mobile computing. UNF used existing balance-of-plant component technologies developed under its current US Army CERDEC project, as well as a previous DOE project completed by PolyFuel, to further refine them to both miniaturize and integrate their functionality to increase the system power density and energy density. Benefits of UNF’s novel passive water recycling MEA (membrane electrode assembly) and the simplified system architecture it enabled formed the foundation of the design approach. The package design was hardened to address orientation independence, shock, vibration, and environmental requirements. Fuel cartridge and fuel subsystems were improved to ensure effective fuel containment. PROJECT OVERVIEW The University of North Florida (UNF), with project partner the University of Florida, recently completed the Department of Energy (DOE) project entitled “Advanced Direct Methanol Fuel Cell for Mobile Computing”. The primary objective of the project was to advance portable fuel cell system technology towards the commercial targets as laid out in the DOE R&D roadmap by developing a 20-watt, direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), portable power supply based on the UNF innovative “passive water recovery” MEA. Extensive component, sub-system, and system development and testing was undertaken to meet the rigorous demands of the consumer electronic application. Numerous brassboard (nonpackaged) systems were developed to optimize the integration process and facilitating control algorithm development. The culmination of the development effort was a fully-integrated, DMFC, power supply (referred to as DP4). The project goals were 40 W/kg for specific power, 55 W/l for power density, and 575 Whr/l for energy density. It should be noted that the specific power and power density were for the power section only, and did not include the hybrid battery. The energy density is based on three, 200 ml, fuel cartridges, and also did not include the hybrid battery. The results show that the DP4 system configured without the methanol concentration sensor exceeded all performance goals, achieving 41.5 W/kg for specific power, 55.3 W/l for power density, and 623 Whr/l for energy density. During the project, the DOE revised its technical targets, and the definition of many of these targets, for the portable power application. With this revision, specific power, power density, specific energy (Whr/kg), and energy density are based on the total system, including fuel tank, fuel, and hybridization battery. Fuel capacity is not defined, but the same value is required for all calculations. Test data showed that the DP4 exceeded all 2011 Technical Status values; for example, the DP4 energy density was 373 Whr/l versus the DOE 2011 status of 200 Whr/l. For the DOE 2013 Technical Goals, the operation time was increased from 10 hours to 14.3 hours. Under these conditions, the DP4 closely approached or surpassed the technical targets; for example, the DP4 achieved 468 Whr/l versus the goal of 500 Whr/l. Thus, UNF has successfully met the project goals. A fully-operational, 20-watt DMFC power supply was developed based on the UNF passive water recovery MEA. The power supply meets the project performance goals and advances portable power technology towards the commercialization targets set by the DOE.« less

A Cryogenic High-Power-Density Bearingless Motor for Future Electric Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, Benjamin; Siebert, Mark

2008-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is developing a high-power-density switched-reluctance cryogenic motor for all-electric and pollution-free flight. However, cryogenic operation at higher rotational speeds markedly shortens the life of mechanical rolling element bearings. Thus, to demonstrate the practical feasibility of using this motor for future flights, a non-contact rotor-bearing system is a crucial technology to circumvent poor bearing life that ordinarily accompanies cryogenic operation. In this paper, a bearingless motor control technology for a 12-8 (12 poles in the stator and 8 poles in the rotor) switched-reluctance motor operating in liquid nitrogen (boiling point, 77 K (-196 C or -321 F)) was presented. We pushed previous disciplinary limits of electromagnetic controller technique by extending the state-of-the-art bearingless motor operating at liquid nitrogen for high-specific-power applications. The motor was levitated even in its nonlinear region of magnetic saturation, which is believed to be a world first for the motor type. Also we used only motoring coils to generate motoring torque and levitation force, which is an important feature for developing a high specific power motor.

A study of increasing radical density and etch rate using remote plasma generator system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jaewon; Kim, Kyunghyun; Cho, Sung-Won; Chung, Chin-Wook

2013-09-01

To improve radical density without changing electron temperature, remote plasma generator (RPG) is applied. Multistep dissociation of the polyatomic molecule was performed using RPG system. RPG is installed to inductively coupled type processing reactor; electrons, positive ions, radicals and polyatomic molecule generated in RPG and they diffused to processing reactor. The processing reactor dissociates the polyatomic molecules with inductively coupled power. The polyatomic molecules are dissociated by the processing reactor that is operated by inductively coupled power. Therefore, the multistep dissociation system generates more radicals than single-step system. The RPG was composed with two cylinder type inductively coupled plasma (ICP) using 400 kHz RF power and nitrogen gas. The processing reactor composed with two turn antenna with 13.56 MHz RF power. Plasma density, electron temperature and radical density were measured with electrical probe and optical methods.

Novel operation and control of an electric vehicle aluminum/air battery system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xin; Yang, Shao Hua; Knickle, Harold

The objective of this paper is to create a method to size battery subsystems for an electric vehicle to optimize battery performance. Optimization of performance includes minimizing corrosion by operating at a constant current density. These subsystems will allow for easy mechanical recharging. A proper choice of battery subsystem will allow for longer battery life, greater range and performance. For longer life, the current density and reaction rate should be nearly constant. The control method requires control of power by controlling electrolyte flow in battery sub modules. As power is increased more sub modules come on line and more electrolyte is needed. Solenoid valves open in a sequence to provide the required power. Corrosion is limited because there is no electrolyte in the modules not being used.

Platinum- and membrane-free swiss-roll mixed-reactant alkaline fuel cell.

PubMed

Aziznia, Amin; Oloman, Colin W; Gyenge, Előd L

2013-05-01

Eliminating the expensive and failure-prone proton exchange membrane (PEM) together with the platinum-based anode and cathode catalysts would significantly reduce the high capital and operating costs of low-temperature (<373 K) fuel cells. We recently introduced the Swiss-roll mixed-reactant fuel cell (SR-MRFC) concept for borohydride-oxygen alkaline fuel cells. We now present advances in anode electrocatalysis for borohydride electrooxidation through the development of osmium nanoparticulate catalysts supported on porous monolithic carbon fiber materials (referred to as an osmium 3D anode). The borohydride-oxygen SR-MRFC operates at 323 K and near atmospheric pressure, generating a peak power density of 1880 W m(-2) in a single-cell configuration by using an osmium-based anode (with an osmium loading of 0.32 mg cm(-2)) and a manganese dioxide gas-diffusion cathode. To the best of our knowledge, 1880 W m(-2) is the highest power density ever reported for a mixed-reactant fuel cell operating under similar conditions. Furthermore, the performance matches the highest reported power densities for conventional dual chamber PEM direct borohydride fuel cells. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Extension of electron cyclotron heating at ASDEX Upgrade with respect to high density operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, Martin; Stober, Jörg; Herrmann, Albrecht; Kasparek, Walter; Leuterer, Fritz; Monaco, Francesco; Petzold, Bernhard; Plaum, Burkhard; Vorbrugg, Stefan; Wagner, Dietmar; Zohm, Hartmut

2017-10-01

The ASDEX Upgrade electron cyclotron resonance heating operates at 105 GHz and 140 GHz with flexible launching geometry and polarization. In 2016 four Gyrotrons with 10 sec pulse length and output power close to 1 MW per unit were available. The system is presently being extended to eight similar units in total. High heating power and high plasma density operation will be a part of the future ASDEX Upgrade experiment program. For the electron cyclotron resonance heating, an O-2 mode scheme is proposed, which is compatible with the expected high plasma densities. It may, however, suffer from incomplete single-pass absorption. The situation can be improved significantly by installing holographic mirrors on the inner column, which allow for a second pass of the unabsorbed fraction of the millimetre wave beam. Since the beam path in the plasma is subject to refraction, the beam position on the holographic mirror has to be controlled. Thermocouples built into the mirror surface are used for this purpose. As a protective measure, the tiles of the heat shield on the inner column were modified in order to increase the shielding against unabsorbed millimetre wave power.

High-temperature, high-power-density thermionic energy conversion for space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, J. F.

1977-01-01

Theoretic converter outputs and efficiencies indicate the need to consider thermionic energy conversion (TEC) with greater power densities and higher temperatures within reasonable limits for space missions. Converter-output power density, voltage, and efficiency as functions of current density were determined for 1400-to-2000 K emitters with 725-to-1000 K collectors. The results encourage utilization of TEC with hotter-than-1650 K emitters and greater-than-6W sq cm outputs to attain better efficiencies, greater voltages, and higher waste-heat-rejection temperatures for multihundred-kilowatt space-power applications. For example, 1800 K, 30 A sq cm TEC operation for NEP compared with the 1650 K, 5 A/sq cm case should allow much lower radiation weights, substantially fewer and/or smaller emitter heat pipes, significantly reduced reactor and shield-related weights, many fewer converters and associated current-collecting bus bars, less power conditioning, and lower transmission losses. Integration of these effects should yield considerably reduced NEP specific weights.

Improved Performance of Ionic Liquid Supercapacitors by using Tetracyanoborate Anions

PubMed Central

Martins, Vitor L.; Rennie, Anthony J. R.; Sanchez‐Ramirez, Nedher; Torresi, Roberto M.; Hall, Peter J.

2018-01-01

Abstract Supercapacitors are energy storage devices designed to operate at higher power densities than conventional batteries, but their energy density is still too low for many applications. Efforts are made to design new electrolytes with wider electrochemical windows than aqueous or conventional organic electrolytes in order to increase energy density. Ionic liquids (ILs) with wide electrochemical stability windows are excellent candidates to be employed as supercapacitor electrolytes. ILs containing tetracyanoborate anions [B(CN)4] offer wider electrochemical stability than conventional electrolytes and maintain a high ionic conductivity (6.9 mS cm−1). Herein, we report the use of ILs containing the [B(CN)4] anion for such an application. They presented a high maximum operating voltage of 3.7 V, and two‐electrode devices demonstrate high specific capacitances even when operating at relatively high rates (ca. 20 F g−1 @ 15 A g−1). This supercapacitor stored more energy and operated at a higher power at all rates studied when compared with cells using a commonly studied ILs. PMID:29577008

Design, construction and long life endurance testing of cathode assemblies for use in microwave high-power transmitting tubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorshe, R.

1982-01-01

The ability of state of the art cathode types to produce current densities of 2A/sq cm, respectively, over a minimum designed life of 30,000 hours of continuous operation without failures was demonstrated. The performance of the state of the art cathode types was evaluated by endurance testing while operating under identical electrical geometrical, and vacuum conditions that realistically duplicate the operating conditions present in a transmitter tube. Although there has been considerable life testing done on high current density types of cathodes, these have beem primarily limited to diodes. A diode and high power microwave tube are grossly different devices. A comparison of these two devices is provided. A diode and high power microwave tube are quite different; one could therefore assume different internal environments, especially in the cathode region. Therefore, in order to establish life capabilities of the cathodes just mentioned, they should be tested in a vehicle which has an internal environment similar to that of a high power microwave tube.

Enhancing power density of biophotovoltaics by decoupling storage and power delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saar, Kadi L.; Bombelli, Paolo; Lea-Smith, David J.; Call, Toby; Aro, Eva-Mari; Müller, Thomas; Howe, Christopher J.; Knowles, Tuomas P. J.

2018-01-01

Biophotovoltaic devices (BPVs), which use photosynthetic organisms as active materials to harvest light, have a range of attractive features relative to synthetic and non-biological photovoltaics, including their environmentally friendly nature and ability to self-repair. However, efficiencies of BPVs are currently lower than those of synthetic analogues. Here, we demonstrate BPVs delivering anodic power densities of over 0.5 W m-2, a value five times that for previously described BPVs. We achieved this through the use of cyanobacterial mutants with increased electron export characteristics together with a microscale flow-based design that allowed independent optimization of the charging and power delivery processes, as well as membrane-free operation by exploiting laminar flow to separate the catholyte and anolyte streams. These results suggest that miniaturization of active elements and flow control for decoupled operation and independent optimization of the core processes involved in BPV design are effective strategies for enhancing power output and thus the potential of BPVs as viable systems for sustainable energy generation.

Measurements of Plasma Power Losses in the C-2 Field-Reversed Configuration Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korepanov, Sergey; Smirnov, Artem; Garate, Eusebio; Donin, Alexandr; Kondakov, Alexey; Singatulin, Shavkat

2013-10-01

A high-confinement operating regime with plasma lifetimes significantly exceeding past empirical scaling laws was recently obtained by combining plasma gun edge biasing and tangential Neutral Beam Injection in the C-2 field-reversed configuration (FRC) experiment. To analyze the power balance in C-2, two new diagnostic instruments - the pyroelectric (PE) and infrared (IR) bolometers - were developed. The PE bolometer, designed to operate in the incident power density range from 0.1-100 W/cm2, is used to measure the radial power loss, which is dominated by charge-exchange neutrals and radiation. The IR bolometer, which measures power irradiated onto a thin metal foil inserted in the plasma, is designed for the power density range from 0.5-5 kW/cm2. The IR bolometer is used to measure the axial power loss from the plasma near the end divertors. The maximum measurable pulse duration of ~ 10 ms is limited by the heat capacitance of the IR detector. Both detectors have time resolution of about 10-100 μs and were calibrated in absolute units using a high power neutral beam. We present the results of first direct measurements of axial and radial plasma power losses in C-2.

High-density magnetoresistive random access memory operating at ultralow voltage at room temperature.

PubMed

Hu, Jia-Mian; Li, Zheng; Chen, Long-Qing; Nan, Ce-Wen

2011-11-22

The main bottlenecks limiting the practical applications of current magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) technology are its low storage density and high writing energy consumption. Although a number of proposals have been reported for voltage-controlled memory device in recent years, none of them simultaneously satisfy the important device attributes: high storage capacity, low power consumption and room temperature operation. Here we present, using phase-field simulations, a simple and new pathway towards high-performance MRAMs that display significant improvements over existing MRAM technologies or proposed concepts. The proposed nanoscale MRAM device simultaneously exhibits ultrahigh storage capacity of up to 88 Gb inch(-2), ultralow power dissipation as low as 0.16 fJ per bit and room temperature high-speed operation below 10 ns.

High-density magnetoresistive random access memory operating at ultralow voltage at room temperature

PubMed Central

Hu, Jia-Mian; Li, Zheng; Chen, Long-Qing; Nan, Ce-Wen

2011-01-01

The main bottlenecks limiting the practical applications of current magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) technology are its low storage density and high writing energy consumption. Although a number of proposals have been reported for voltage-controlled memory device in recent years, none of them simultaneously satisfy the important device attributes: high storage capacity, low power consumption and room temperature operation. Here we present, using phase-field simulations, a simple and new pathway towards high-performance MRAMs that display significant improvements over existing MRAM technologies or proposed concepts. The proposed nanoscale MRAM device simultaneously exhibits ultrahigh storage capacity of up to 88 Gb inch−2, ultralow power dissipation as low as 0.16 fJ per bit and room temperature high-speed operation below 10 ns. PMID:22109527

High Power Density Electrochemical Thermocells for Inexpensively Harvesting Low-Grade Thermal Energy.

PubMed

Zhang, Long; Kim, Taewoo; Li, Na; Kang, Tae June; Chen, Jun; Pringle, Jennifer M; Zhang, Mei; Kazim, Ali H; Fang, Shaoli; Haines, Carter; Al-Masri, Danah; Cola, Baratunde A; Razal, Joselito M; Di, Jiangtao; Beirne, Stephen; MacFarlane, Douglas R; Gonzalez-Martin, Anuncia; Mathew, Sibi; Kim, Yong Hyup; Wallace, Gordon; Baughman, Ray H

2017-03-01

Continuously operating thermo-electrochemical cells (thermocells) are of interest for harvesting low-grade waste thermal energy because of their potentially low cost compared with conventional thermoelectrics. Pt-free thermocells devised here provide an output power of 12 W m -2 for an interelectrode temperature difference (ΔT) of 81 °C, which is sixfold higher power than previously reported for planar thermocells operating at ambient pressure. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Integration of Wind Turbines with Compressed Air Energy Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsie, I.; Marano, V.; Rizzo, G.; Moran, M.

2009-08-01

Some of the major limitations of renewable energy sources are represented by their low power density and intermittent nature, largely depending upon local site and unpredictable weather conditions. These problems concur to increase the unit costs of wind power, so limiting their diffusion. By coupling storage systems with a wind farm, some of the major limitations of wind power, such as a low power density and an unpredictable nature, can be overcome. After an overview on storage systems, the Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) is analyzed, and the state of art on such systems is discussed. A Matlab/Simulink model of a hybrid power plant consisting of a wind farm coupled with CAES is then presented. The model has been successfully validated starting from the operating data of the McIntosh CAES Plant in Alabama. Time-series neural network-based wind speed forecasting are employed to determine the optimal daily operation strategy for the storage system. A detailed economic analysis has been carried out: investment and maintenance costs are estimated based on literature data, while operational costs and revenues are calculated according to energy market prices. As shown in the paper, the knowledge of the expected available energy is a key factor to optimize the management strategies of the proposed hybrid power plant, allowing to obtain environmental and economic benefits.

A High Performance H2-Cl2 Fuel Cell for Space Power Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Everett B.; Taylor, E. Jennings; Wilemski, Gerald; Gelb, Alan

1993-01-01

NASA has numerous airborne/spaceborne applications for which high power and energy density power sources are needed. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is an attractive candidate for such a power source. PEMFC's offer many advantages for airborne/spaceborne applications. They have high power and energy densities, convert fuel to electrical power with high efficiency at both part and full load, and can rapidly startup and shutdown. In addition, PEMFC's are lightweight and operate silently. A significant impediment to the attainment of very high power and energy densities by PEMFC's is their current exclusive reliance on oxygen as the oxidant. Conventional PEMFC's oxidize hydrogen at the anode and reduce oxygen at the cathode. The electrode kinetics of oxygen reduction are known to be highly irreversible, incurring large overpotential losses. In addition, the modest open circuit potential of 1.2V for the H2-O2 fuel cell is unattainable due to mixed potential effects at the oxygen electrode. Because of the high overpotential losses, cells using H2 and O2 are capable of achieving high current densities only at very low cell voltages, greatly curtailing their power output. Based on experimental work on chlorine reduction in a gas diffusion electrode, we believe significant increases in both the energy and power densities of PEMFC systems can be achieved by employing chlorine as an alternative oxidant.

Advances in Electrical Current Collection

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

goal for advanced land or sea pro- wpulsion machiniery. Even higher current densities (18 MA mj 2) and speods (300 in s-1) are required for the...subsecoiid operation of inertial storage pulsed pow-er souirces. Speeds and current densities more than an order of magnitude higher , although for milliseond...ONR-Westinghouse . program has shown that solid or moaolitbic brushes made from relatively conventional materials can be operated up to much higher

Operation of the ORNL High Particle Flux Helicon Plasma Source

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

Goulding, R. H.; Biewer, T. M.; Caughman, J. B. O.

2011-12-23

A high power, high particle flux rf-based helicon plasma source has been constructed at ORNL and operated at power levels up to 30 kW. High-density hydrogen and helium plasmas have been produced. The source has been designed as the basis for a linear plasma materials interaction (PMI) test facility that will generate particle fluxes {Gamma}{sub p}10{sup 23} m{sup -3} s{sup -1}, and utilize additional ion and electron cyclotron heating to produce high parallel (to the magnetic field) heat fluxes of {approx}10 MW/m{sup 2}. An rf-based source for PMI research is of interest because high plasma densities are generated with nomore » internal electrodes, allowing true steady state operation with minimal impurity generation. The ORNL helicon source has a diameter of 15 cm and to-date has operated at a frequency f = 13.56 MHz, with magnetic field strength |B| in the antenna region up to {approx}0.15 T. Maximum densities of 3x10{sup 19} m{sup -3} in He and 2.5x10{sup 19} m{sup -3} in H have been achieved. Radial density profiles have been seen to be dependent on the axial |B| profile.« less

Operation of the ORNL High Particle Flux Helicon Plasma Source

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

Goulding, Richard Howell; Biewer, Theodore M; Caughman, John B

2011-01-01

A high power, high particle flux rf-based helicon plasma source has been constructed at ORNL and operated at power levels up to 30 kW. High-density hydrogen and helium plasmas have been produced. The source has been designed as the basis for a linear plasma materials interaction (PMI) test facility that will generate particle fluxes Gamma(p) > 10(23) M-3 s(-1), and utilize additional ion and electron cyclotron heating to produce high parallel (to the magnetic field) heat fluxes of similar to 10 MW/m(2). An rf-based source for PMI research is of interest because high plasma densities are generated with no internalmore » electrodes, allowing true steady state operation with minimal impurity generation. The ORNL helicon source has a diameter of 15 cm and to-date has operated at a frequency f = 13.56 MHz, with magnetic field strength vertical bar B vertical bar in the antenna region up to similar to 0.15 T. Maximum densities of 3 x 10(19) M-3 in He and 2.5 x 10(19) m(-3) in H have been achieved. Radial density profiles have been seen to be dependent on the axial vertical bar B vertical bar profile.« less

Power Electronic Transformer based Three-Phase PWM AC Drives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu, Kaushik

A Transformer is used to provide galvanic isolation and to connect systems at different voltage levels. It is one of the largest and most expensive component in most of the high voltage and high power systems. Its size is inversely proportional to the operating frequency. The central idea behind a power electronic transformer (PET) also known as solid state transformer is to reduce the size of the transformer by increasing the frequency. Power electronic converters are used to change the frequency of operation. Steady reduction in the cost of the semiconductor switches and the advent of advanced magnetic materials with very low loss density and high saturation flux density implies economic viability and feasibility of a design with high power density. Application of PET is in generation of power from renewable energy sources, especially wind and solar. Other important application include grid tied inverters, UPS e.t.c. In this thesis non-resonant, single stage, bi-directional PET is considered. The main objective of this converter is to generate adjustable speed and magnitude pulse width modulated (PWM) ac waveforms from an ac or dc grid with a high frequency ac link. The windings of a high frequency transformer contains leakage inductance. Any switching transition of the power electronic converter connecting the inductive load and the transformer requires commutation of leakage energy. Commutation by passive means results in power loss, decrease in the frequency of operation, distortion in the output voltage waveform, reduction in reliability and power density. In this work a source based partially loss-less commutation of leakage energy has been proposed. This technique also results in partial soft-switching. A series of converters with novel PWM strategies have been proposed to minimize the frequency of leakage inductance commutation. These PETs achieve most of the important features of modern PWM ac drives including 1) Input power factor correction, 2) Common-mode voltage suppression at the load end, 3) High quality output voltage waveform (comparable to conventional space vector PWM modulated two level inverter) and 4) Minimization of output voltage loss, common-mode voltage switching and distortion of the load current waveform due to leakage inductance commutation. All of the proposed topologies along with the proposed control schemes have been analyzed and simulated in MATLABSimulink. A hardware prototype has been fabricated and tested. The simulation and experimental results verify the operation and advantages of the proposed topologies and their control.

Column densities resulting from shuttle sublimator/evaporator operation. [optical density of nozzle flow containing water vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Naumann, R. J.

1973-01-01

The proposed disposal of H2O from the shuttle fuel cell operation by ejecting it in vapor form through a supersonic nozzle at the rate of 100 lb/day has been investigated from the point of view of the possible interference to astronomical experiments. If the nozzle is located at the tail and directed along the shuttle longitudinal axis, the resulting column density will be less than 10 to th 12th power molecules/sq cm at viewing angles larger than 48 deg above the longitudinal axis. The molecules in the trail will diffuse rapidly. The column density contribution from molecules expelled on the previous orbit is 1.3 x 10 to the 8th power molecules/sq cm. This contribution diminishes by the inverse square root of the number of orbits since the molecules were expelled. The molecular backscatter from atmospheric molecules is also calculated. If the plume is directed into the flight path, the column density along a perpendicular is found to be 1.5 x 10 to the 11th power molecules/sq cm. The return flux is estimated to be of the order of 10 to the 12th power molecules/sq cm/sec at the stagnation point. With reasonable care in design of experiments to protect them from the backscatter flux of water molecules, the expulsion of 100 lb/day does not appear to create an insurmountable difficulty for the shuttle experiments.

High-power operation of highly reliable narrow stripe pseudomorphic single quantum well lasers emitting at 980 nm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larsson, A.; Forouhar, S.; Cody, J.; Lang, R. J.

1990-01-01

Ridge waveguide pseudomorphic InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs single-quantum-well lasers exhibiting record high quantum efficiencies and high output power densities (105 mW per facet from a 6 micron wide stripe) at a lasing wavelength of 980 nm are discussed that were fabricated from a graded index separate confinement heterostructure grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Life testing at an output power of 30 mW per uncoated facet reveals a slow gradual degradation during the initial 500 h of operation after which the operating characteristics of the lasers become stable. The emission wavelength, the high output power, and the fundamental lateral mode operation render these lasers suitable for pumping Er3+-doped fiber amplifiers.

The performance and long-term stability of low-cost separators in single-chamber bottle-type microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Kondaveeti, Sanath; Kakarla, Ramesh; Kim, Hong Suck; Kim, Byung-Goon; Min, Booki

2018-02-01

This study evaluates long-term stability of low-cost separators in single-chamber bottle-type microbial fuel cells with domestic wastewater. Low-cost separators tested in this study were nonwoven fabrics (NWF) of polypropylene (PP80, PP100), textile fabrics of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), sulfonated polyphenylene sulfide (SPPS), and cellulose esters. NWF PP80 separator generated the highest power density of 280 mW/m 2 , which was higher than with ion-exchange membranes (cation exchange membrane; CEM = 271 mW/m 2 , cation exchange membrane; CMI = 196 mW/m 2 , Nafion = 260 mW/m 2 ). MFC operations with other size-selective separators such as SPPS, PPS, and cellulose esters exhibited power densities of 261, 231, and 250 mW/m 2 , respectively. During a 280-day operation, initial power density of PP80 (278 mW/m 2 ) was decreased to 257 mW/m 2 , but this decrease was smaller than with others (Nafion: 265-230 mW/m 2 ; PP100: 220-126 mW/m 2 ). The anode potential of around -430 mV did not change much with all separators in the long-term operation, but the initial cathode potential gradually decreased. Fouling analysis suggested that the presence of carbonaceous substance on Nafion and PP80 after 280 days of operation and Nafion was subject to be more biofouling.

Investigation of physical processes limiting plasma density in H-mode on DIII-D

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

Maingi, R.; Mahdavi, M.A.; Jernigan, T.C.

1996-12-01

A series of experiments was conducted on the DIII-D tokamak to investigate the physical processes which limit density in high confinement mode (H-mode) discharges. The typical H-mode to low confinement mode (L-mode) transition limit at high density near the empirical Greenwald density limit was avoided by divertor pumping, which reduced divertor neutral pressure and prevented formation of a high density, intense radiation zone (MARFE) near the X-point. It was determined that the density decay time after pellet injection was independent of density relative to the Greenwald limit and increased non-linearly with the plasma current. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) activity in pellet-fueled plasmasmore » was observed at all power levels, and often caused unacceptable confinement degradation, except when the neutral beam injected (NBI) power was {le} 3 MW. Formation of MARFEs on closed field lines was avoided with low safety factor (q) operation but was observed at high q, qualitatively consistent with theory. By using pellet fueling and optimizing discharge parameters to avoid each of these limits, an operational space was accessed in which density {approximately} 1.5 {times} Greenwald limit was achieved for 600 ms, and good H-mode confinement was maintained for 300 ms of the density flattop. More significantly, the density was successfully increased to the limit where a central radiative collapse was observed, the most fundamental density limit in tokamaks.« less

High Power Broadband Millimeter Wave TWTs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, Bill G.

1998-04-01

In the early 1980's the requirement for high power broadband millimeter wave sources encouraged the development of microwave vacuum device amplifiers for radar and communication systems. Many government funded programs were implemented for the development of high power broadband millimeter wave amplifiers that would meet the needs of the high power community. The tube design capable of meeting these goals was the slow wave coupled cavity traveling wave device, which had a proven technology base at the lower frequencies (X Band). However scaling this technology to the millimeter frequencies had severe shortcomings in both thermal and manufacturing design. These shortcomings were overcome with the development of the Ladder Circuit technology. In conjunction with the circuit development high power electron beam systems had to be developed for the generation of high rf powers. These beam systems had to be capable of many megawatts of beam power density and high current densities. The cathode technology required to be capable of operating at current densities of 10 amperes per square centimeter at long pulse lengths and high duty cycle. Since the introduction of the Ladder Circuit technology a number of high power broadband millimeter wave amplifiers have been developed and deployed in operating radar and communication systems. Broadband millimeter wave sources have been manufactured in the frequency range from 27 GHz to 100 GHz with power levels ranging from 100 watts CW to 10 kilowatts Peak at W band over a 2 GHz bandwidth. Also a 50 kW peak power and 10 kW average power device at Ka band with 2 GHz bandwidth has been developed. Today the power levels achieved by these devices are nearing the limits of this technology; therefore to gain a significant increase in power at the millimeter wave frequencies, other technologies will have to be considered, particularly fast wave devices. This paper will briefly review the ladder circuit technology and present the designs of a number of broadband high power devices developed at Ka and W band. The discussion will include the beam systems employed in these devices which are the highest power density linear beams generated to date. In conclusion the limits of the power generating capability of this technology will be presented.

The effect of the isotope on the H-mode density limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huber, A.; Wiesen, S.; Bernert, M.; Brezinsek, S.; Chankin, A. V.; Sergienko, G.; Huber, V.; Abreu, P.; Boboc, A.; Brix, M.; Carralero, D.; Delabie, E.; Eich, T.; Esser, H. G.; Guillemaut, C.; Jachmich, S.; Joffrin, E.; Kallenbach, A.; Kruezi, U.; Lang, P.; Linsmeier, Ch.; Lowry, C. G.; Maggi, C. F.; Matthews, G. F.; Meigs, A. G.; Mertens, Ph.; Reimold, F.; Schweinzer, J.; Sips, G.; Stamp, M.; Viezzer, E.; Wischmeier, M.; Zohm, H.; contributors, JET; ASDEX Upgrade Team

2017-08-01

In order to understand the mechanisms for the H-mode density limit in machines with fully metallic walls, systematic investigations of H-mode density limit plasmas in experiments with deuterium and hydrogen external gas fuelling have been performed on JET-ILW. The observed H-mode density limit on JET in D- as well as in H-plasmas demonstrates similar operation phases: the stable H-mode phase, degrading H-mode, breakdown of the H-mode with energy confinement deterioration accompanied by a dithering cycling phase, followed by the L-mode phase. The density limit is not related to an inward collapse of the hot core plasma due to an overcooling of the plasma periphery by radiation. Indeed, independently of the isotopic effect, the total radiated power stay almost constant during the H-mode phase until the H-L back transition. It was observed in D- and H-plasmas that neither detachment, nor the X-point MARFE itself do trigger the H-L transition and that they thus do not present a limit on the plasma density. It is the plasma confinement, most likely determined by edge parameters, which is ultimately responsible for the H-mode DL. By comparing similar discharges but fuelled with either deuterium or hydrogen, we have found that the H-mode density limit exhibits a dependence on the isotope mass: the density limit is up to 35% lower in hydrogen compared to similar deuterium plasma conditions (the obtained density limit is in agreement with the Greenwald limit for D-plasma). In addition, the density limit is nearly independent of the applied power both in deuterium or hydrogen fuelling conditions. The measured Greenwald fractions are consistent with the predictions from a theoretical model based on an MHD instability theory in the near-SOL. The JET operational domains are significantly broadened when increasing the plasma effective mass (e.g. tritium or deuterium-tritium operation), i.e. the L to H power threshold is reduced whereas the density limit for the L-mode back transition is increased.

Operations Studies of the Gyrotrons on DIII-D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storment, Stephen; Lohr, John; Cengher, Mirela; Gorelov, Yuri; Ponce, Dan; Torrezan, Antonio

2017-10-01

The gyrotrons are high power vacuum tubes used in fusion research to provide high power density heating and current drive in precisely localized areas of the plasma. Despite the increasing experience with both the manufacture and operation of these devices, individual gyrotrons with similar design and manufacturing processes can exhibit important operational differences in terms of generated rf power, efficiency and lifetime. This report discusses differences in the performance of several gyrotrons in operation at DIII-D and presents the results of a series of measurements that could lead to improved the performance of single units based on a better understanding of the causes of these differences. The rf power generation efficiency can be different from gyrotron to gyrotron. In addition, the power loading of the collector can feature localized hot spots, where the collector can locally be close to the power deposition limits. Measurements of collector power loading provide maps of the power deposition and can provide understanding of the effect of modulation of the output rf beam on the total loading, leading to improved operational rules increasing the safety margins for the gyrotrons under different operational scenarios. Work supported by US DOE under DE-FC02-04ER54698.

Investigation of Physical Processes Limiting Plasma Density in DIII--D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maingi, R.

1996-11-01

Understanding the physical processes which limit operating density is crucial in achieving peak performance in confined plasmas. Studies from many of the world's tokamaks have indicated the existence(M. Greenwald, et al., Nucl. Fusion 28) (1988) 2199 of an operational density limit (Greenwald limit, n^GW_max) which is proportional to the plasma current and independent of heating power. Several theories have reproduced the current dependence, but the lack of a heating power dependence in the data has presented an enigma. This limit impacts the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) because the nominal operating density for ITER is 1.5 × n^GW_max. In DIII-D, experiments are being conducted to understand the physical processes which limit operating density in H-mode discharges; these processes include X-point MARFE formation, high core recycling and neutral pressure, resistive MHD stability, and core radiative collapse. These processes affect plasma properties, i.e. edge/scrape-off layer conduction and radiation, edge pressure gradient and plasma current density profile, and core radiation, which in turn restrict the accessible density regime. With divertor pumping and D2 pellet fueling, core neutral pressure is reduced and X-point MARFE formation is effectively eliminated. Injection of the largest-sized pellets does cause transient formation of divertor MARFEs which occasionally migrate to the X-point, but these are rapidly extinguished in pumped discharges in the time between pellets. In contrast to Greenwald et al., it is found that the density relaxation time after pellets is largely independent of the density relative to the Greenwald limit. Fourier analysis of Mirnov oscillations indicates the de-stabilization and growth of rotating, tearing-type modes (m/n= 2/1) when the injected pellets cause large density perturbations, and these modes often reduce energy confinement back to L-mode levels. We are examining the mechanisms for de-stabilization of the mode, the primary ones being neo-classical pressure gradient drivers. Discharges with a gradual density increase are often free of large amplitude tearing modes, allowing access to the highest density regimes in which off-axis beam deposition can lead to core radiative collapse, i.e. a central power balance limit. The highest achieved barne was 1.5 × n^GW_max with τ_E/τ_E^JET-DIII-D >= 0.9. The highest density obtained in L-mode discharges was 3 × n^GW_max. Implications of these results for ITER will be discussed.

Investigation of low temperature solid oxide fuel cells for air-independent UUV applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moton, Jennie Mariko

Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) will benefit greatly from high energy density (> 500 Wh/L) power systems utilizing high-energy-density fuels and air-independent oxidizers. Current battery-based systems have limited energy densities (< 400 Wh/L), which motivate development of alternative power systems such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). SOFC-based power systems have the potential to achieve the required UUV energy densities, and the current study explores how SOFCs based on gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) electrolytes with operating temperatures of 650°C and lower may operate in the unique environments of a promising UUV power plant. The plant would contain a H 2O2 decomposition reactor to supply humidified O2 to the SOFC cathode and exothermic aluminum/H2O combustor to provide heated humidified H2 fuel to the anode. To characterize low-temperature SOFC performance with these unique O2 and H2 source, SOFC button cells based on nickel/GDC (Gd0.1Ce0.9O 1.95) anodes, GDC electrolytes, and lanthanum strontium cobalt ferrite (La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ or LSCF)/GDC cathodes were fabricated and tested for performance and stability with humidity on both the anode and the cathode. Cells were also tested with various reactant concentrations of H2 and O2 to simulate gas depletion down the channel of an SOFC stack. Results showed that anode performance depended primarily on fuel concentration and less on the concentration of the associated increase in product H2O. O 2 depletion with humidified cathode flows also caused significant loss in cell current density at a given voltage. With the humidified flows in either the anode or cathode, stability tests of the button cells at 650 °C showed stable voltage is maintained at low operating current (0.17 A/cm2) at up to 50 % by mole H2O, but at higher current densities (0.34 A/cm2), irreversible voltage degradation occurred at rates of 0.8-3.7 mV/hour depending on exposure time. From these button cell results, estimated average current densities over the length of a low-temperature SOFC stack were estimated and used to size a UUV power system based on Al/H 2O oxidation for fuel and H2O2 decomposition for O2. The resulting system design suggested that energy densities above 300 Wh/L may be achieved at neutral buoyancy with seawater if the cell is operated at high reactant utilizations in the SOFC stack for missions longer than 20 hours.

Thermodynamic, energy efficiency, and power density analysis of reverse electrodialysis power generation with natural salinity gradients.

PubMed

Yip, Ngai Yin; Vermaas, David A; Nijmeijer, Kitty; Elimelech, Menachem

2014-05-06

Reverse electrodialysis (RED) can harness the Gibbs free energy of mixing when fresh river water flows into the sea for sustainable power generation. In this study, we carry out a thermodynamic and energy efficiency analysis of RED power generation, and assess the membrane power density. First, we present a reversible thermodynamic model for RED and verify that the theoretical maximum extractable work in a reversible RED process is identical to the Gibbs free energy of mixing. Work extraction in an irreversible process with maximized power density using a constant-resistance load is then examined to assess the energy conversion efficiency and power density. With equal volumes of seawater and river water, energy conversion efficiency of ∼ 33-44% can be obtained in RED, while the rest is lost through dissipation in the internal resistance of the ion-exchange membrane stack. We show that imperfections in the selectivity of typical ion exchange membranes (namely, co-ion transport, osmosis, and electro-osmosis) can detrimentally lower efficiency by up to 26%, with co-ion leakage being the dominant effect. Further inspection of the power density profile during RED revealed inherent ineffectiveness toward the end of the process. By judicious early discontinuation of the controlled mixing process, the overall power density performance can be considerably enhanced by up to 7-fold, without significant compromise to the energy efficiency. Additionally, membrane resistance was found to be an important factor in determining the power densities attainable. Lastly, the performance of an RED stack was examined for different membrane conductivities and intermembrane distances simulating high performance membranes and stack design. By thoughtful selection of the operating parameters, an efficiency of ∼ 37% and an overall gross power density of 3.5 W/m(2) represent the maximum performance that can potentially be achieved in a seawater-river water RED system with low-resistance ion exchange membranes (0.5 Ω cm(2)) at very small spacing intervals (50 μm).

Electrochemistry of the Zinc-Silver Oxide System. Part 2: Practical Measurements of Energy Conversion Using Commercial Miniature Cells.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Michael J.; Vincent, Colin A.

1989-01-01

Summarizes the quantitative relationships pertaining to the operation of electrochemical cells. Energy conversion efficiency, cycle efficiency, battery power, and energy/power density of two types of zinc-silver oxide cells are discussed. (YP)

High level white noise generator

DOEpatents

Borkowski, Casimer J.; Blalock, Theron V.

1979-01-01

A wide band, stable, random noise source with a high and well-defined output power spectral density is provided which may be used for accurate calibration of Johnson Noise Power Thermometers (JNPT) and other applications requiring a stable, wide band, well-defined noise power spectral density. The noise source is based on the fact that the open-circuit thermal noise voltage of a feedback resistor, connecting the output to the input of a special inverting amplifier, is available at the amplifier output from an equivalent low output impedance caused by the feedback mechanism. The noise power spectral density level at the noise source output is equivalent to the density of the open-circuit thermal noise or a 100 ohm resistor at a temperature of approximately 64,000 Kelvins. The noise source has an output power spectral density that is flat to within 0.1% (0.0043 db) in the frequency range of from 1 KHz to 100 KHz which brackets typical passbands of the signal-processing channels of JNPT's. Two embodiments, one of higher accuracy that is suitable for use as a standards instrument and another that is particularly adapted for ambient temperature operation, are illustrated in this application.

Radial growth and wood density of white pine in relation to fossil-fired power plant operations

Treesearch

W. T. Lawhon; F. W. Woods

1976-01-01

The objectives of this study were twofold: (1) to develop a gamma densitometry technique for measuring the relative wood density and radial growth of trees from 12 mm increment cores; and (2) to determine whether changes in the relative wood density and radial growth of "resistant" eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) occurred after...

Prospects for steady-state scenarios on JET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litaudon, X.; Bizarro, J. P. S.; Challis, C. D.; Crisanti, F.; DeVries, P. C.; Lomas, P.; Rimini, F. G.; Tala, T. J. J.; Akers, R.; Andrew, Y.; Arnoux, G.; Artaud, J. F.; Baranov, Yu F.; Beurskens, M.; Brix, M.; Cesario, R.; DeLa Luna, E.; Fundamenski, W.; Giroud, C.; Hawkes, N. C.; Huber, A.; Joffrin, E.; Pitts, R. A.; Rachlew, E.; Reyes-Cortes, S. D. A.; Sharapov, S. E.; Zastrow, K. D.; Zimmermann, O.; JET EFDA contributors, the

2007-09-01

In the 2006 experimental campaign, progress has been made on JET to operate non-inductive scenarios at higher applied powers (31 MW) and density (nl ~ 4 × 1019 m-3), with ITER-relevant safety factor (q95 ~ 5) and plasma shaping, taking advantage of the new divertor capabilities. The extrapolation of the performance using transport modelling benchmarked on the experimental database indicates that the foreseen power upgrade (~45 MW) will allow the development of non-inductive scenarios where the bootstrap current is maximized together with the fusion yield and not, as in present-day experiments, at its expense. The tools for the long-term JET programme are the new ITER-like ICRH antenna (~15 MW), an upgrade of the NB power (35 MW/20 s or 17.5 MW/40 s), a new ITER-like first wall, a new pellet injector for edge localized mode control together with improved diagnostic and control capability. Operation with the new wall will set new constraints on non-inductive scenarios that are already addressed experimentally and in the modelling. The fusion performance and driven current that could be reached at high density and power have been estimated using either 0D or 1-1/2D validated transport models. In the high power case (45 MW), the calculations indicate the potential for the operational space of the non-inductive regime to be extended in terms of current (~2.5 MA) and density (nl > 5 × 1019 m-3), with high βN (βN > 3.0) and a fraction of the bootstrap current within 60-70% at high toroidal field (~3.5 T).

High-temperature passive direct methanol fuel cells operating with concentrated fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Xuxin; Yuan, Wenxiang; Wu, Qixing; Sun, Hongyuan; Luo, Zhongkuan; Fu, Huide

2015-01-01

Conventionally, passive direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) are fed with diluted methanol solutions and can hardly be operated at elevated temperatures (>120 °C) because the ionic conductivity of Nafion-type proton exchange membranes depends strongly on water content. Such a system design would limit its energy density and power density in mobile applications. In this communication, a passive vapor feed DMFC capable of operating with concentrated fuels at high temperatures is reported. The passive DMFC proposed in this work consists of a fuel reservoir, a perforated silicone sheet, a vapor chamber, two current collectors and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) based on a phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane. The experimental results reveal that the methanol crossover through a PBI membrane is substantially low when compared with the Nafion membranes and the PBI-based passive DMFC can yield a peak power density of 37.2 mW cm-2 and 22.1 mW cm-2 at 180 °C when 16 M methanol solutions and neat methanol are used respectively. In addition, the 132 h discharge test indicates that the performance of this new DMFC is quite stable and no obvious performance degradation is observed after activation, showing its promising applications in portable power sources.

High power broadband millimeter wave TWTs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

James, Bill G.

1999-05-01

In the early 1980's the requirement for high power broadband millimeter wave sources encouraged the development of microwave vacuum device amplifiers for radar and communication systems. Many government funded programs were implemented for the development of high power broadband millimeter wave amplifiers that would meet the needs of the high power community. The tube design capable of meeting these goals was the slow wave coupled cavity traveling wave device, which had a proven technology base at the lower frequencies (X Band). However scaling this technology to the millimeter frequencies had severe shortcomings in both thermal and manufacturing design. These shortcomings were overcome with the development of the Ladder Circuit technology. In conjunction with the circuit development high power electron beam systems had to be developed for the generation of high rf powers. These beam systems had to be capable of many megawatts of beam power density and high current densities. The cathode technology required to be capable of operating at current densities of 10 amperes per square centimeter at long pulse lengths and high duty cycle. Since the introduction of the Ladder Circuit technology a number of high power broadband millimeter wave amplifiers have been developed using this technology, and have been deployed in operating radar and communication systems. Broadband millimeter wave sources have been manufactured in the frequency range from 27 GHz to 100 GHz with power levels ranging from 100 watts to 50 kilowatts. Today the power levels achieved by these devices are nearing the limits of this technology; therefore to gain a significant increase in power at the millimeter wave frequencies other technologies will have to be considered particularly fast wave devices. This paper will briefly review the ladder circuit technology and present the designs of a number of broadband high power devices developed at Ka and W band. The discussion will include the beam systems employed in these devices which are the highest power density linear beams generated to date. In conclusion the limits of the power generating capability of this technology will be presented.

Development of a current collection loss management system for SDI homopolar power supplies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, D. W.

1991-04-01

High speed, high power density current collection systems have been identified as an enabling technology required to construct homopolar power supplies to meet SDI missions. This work is part of a three-year effort directed towards the analysis, experimental verification, and prototype construction of a current collection system designed to operate continuously at 2 kA/sq cm, at a rubbing speed of 200 m/s, and with acceptable losses in a space environment. To date, no system has achieved these conditions simultaneously. This is the final report covering the three year period of performance on DOE contract AC03-86SF-16518. Major areas covered include design, construction and operation of a cryogenically cooled brush test rig, design and construction of a high speed brush test rig, optimization study for homopolar machines, loss analysis of the current collection system, and an application study which defines the air-core homopolar construction necessary to achieve the goal of 80 kW/kg generator power density.

[Performance of Electricity Generation and Feasibility of Discontinuous Power Supply of MFC by Using Pretreated Excess Sludge as Fuel].

PubMed

Zhao, Yan-hui; Zhao, Yang-guo; Guo, Liang

2016-03-15

The feasibility of treating pretreated excess sludge and capacity of supplying continuous power of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were investigated. Two-chamber microbial fuel cells were started up and operated by using thermal pretreated excess sludge as the substrate. Potential fluctuations were achieved by changing the cathode electron acceptor. During the changes of electron acceptor, the operational stability of MFCs was assessed. The results indicated that the MFCs started successfully with oxygen as the cathode electron acceptor and reached 0.24 V after 148 hours. When the cathode electron acceptor was replaced by potassium ferricyanide, MFCs could obtain the maximum output voltage and maximum power density of 0.66 V and 4.21 W · m⁻³, respectively. When the cathode electron acceptor was changed from oxygen to potassium ferricyanide or the MFCs were closed circuit, the output power of MFCs recovered rapidly. In addition, changes of electron acceptor showed no effect on the removal of COD and ammonia nitrogen. Their removal efficiencies approached to 70% and 80%, respectively. This study concluded that MFC could treat the pretreated excess sludge and produce electricity simultaneously with a high power density. The MFC could also achieve discontinuous electricity supply during operation.

Thorium Fuel Utilization Analysis on Small Long Life Reactor for Different Coolant Types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Permana, Sidik

2017-07-01

A small power reactor and long operation which can be deployed for less population and remote area has been proposed by the IAEA as a small and medium reactor (SMR) program. Beside uranium utilization, it can be used also thorium fuel resources for SMR as a part of optimalization of nuclear fuel as a “partner” fuel with uranium fuel. A small long-life reactor based on thorium fuel cycle for several reactor coolant types and several power output has been evaluated in the present study for 10 years period of reactor operation. Several key parameters are used to evaluate its effect to the reactor performances such as reactor criticality, excess reactivity, reactor burnup achievement and power density profile. Water-cooled types give higher criticality than liquid metal coolants. Liquid metal coolant for fast reactor system gives less criticality especially at beginning of cycle (BOC), which shows liquid metal coolant system obtains almost stable criticality condition. Liquid metal coolants are relatively less excess reactivity to maintain longer reactor operation than water coolants. In addition, liquid metal coolant gives higher achievable burnup than water coolant types as well as higher power density for liquid metal coolants.

High-Power Growth-Robust InGaAs/InAlAs Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

We report on high-power terahertz quantum cascade lasers based on low effective electron mass InGaAs/InAlAs semiconductor heterostructures with excellent reproducibility. Growth-related asymmetries in the form of interface roughness and dopant migration play a crucial role in this material system. These bias polarity dependent phenomena are studied using a nominally symmetric active region resulting in a preferential electron transport in the growth direction. A structure based on a three-well optical phonon depletion scheme was optimized for this bias direction. Depending on the sheet doping density, the performance of this structure shows a trade-off between high maximum operating temperature and high output power. While the highest operating temperature of 155 K is observed for a moderate sheet doping density of 2 × 1010 cm–2, the highest peak output power of 151 mW is found for 7.3 × 1010 cm–2. Furthermore, by abutting a hyperhemispherical GaAs lens to a device with the highest doping level a record output power of 587 mW is achieved for double-metal waveguide structures. PMID:28470028

High-Power Growth-Robust InGaAs/InAlAs Terahertz Quantum Cascade Lasers.

PubMed

Deutsch, Christoph; Kainz, Martin Alexander; Krall, Michael; Brandstetter, Martin; Bachmann, Dominic; Schönhuber, Sebastian; Detz, Hermann; Zederbauer, Tobias; MacFarland, Donald; Andrews, Aaron Maxwell; Schrenk, Werner; Beck, Mattias; Ohtani, Keita; Faist, Jérôme; Strasser, Gottfried; Unterrainer, Karl

2017-04-19

We report on high-power terahertz quantum cascade lasers based on low effective electron mass InGaAs/InAlAs semiconductor heterostructures with excellent reproducibility. Growth-related asymmetries in the form of interface roughness and dopant migration play a crucial role in this material system. These bias polarity dependent phenomena are studied using a nominally symmetric active region resulting in a preferential electron transport in the growth direction. A structure based on a three-well optical phonon depletion scheme was optimized for this bias direction. Depending on the sheet doping density, the performance of this structure shows a trade-off between high maximum operating temperature and high output power. While the highest operating temperature of 155 K is observed for a moderate sheet doping density of 2 × 10 10 cm -2 , the highest peak output power of 151 mW is found for 7.3 × 10 10 cm -2 . Furthermore, by abutting a hyperhemispherical GaAs lens to a device with the highest doping level a record output power of 587 mW is achieved for double-metal waveguide structures.

CONDENSED MATTER: ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL, MAGNETIC, AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES: A super junction SiGe low-loss fast switching power diode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Li; Gao, Yong

2009-01-01

This paper proposes a novel super junction (SJ) SiGe switching power diode which has a columnar structure of alternating p- and n- doped pillar substituting conventional n- base region and has far thinner strained SiGe p+ layer to overcome the drawbacks of existing Si switching power diode. The SJ SiGe diode can achieve low specific on-resistance, high breakdown voltages and fast switching speed. The results indicate that the forward voltage drop of SJ SiGe diode is much lower than that of conventional Si power diode when the operating current densities do not exceed 1000 A/cm2, which is very good for getting lower operating loss. The forward voltage drop of the Si diode is 0.66 V whereas that of the SJ SiGe diode is only 0.52 V at operating current density of 10 A/cm2. The breakdown voltages are 203 V for the former and 235 V for the latter. Compared with the conventional Si power diode, the reverse recovery time of SJ SiGe diode with 20 per cent Ge content is shortened by above a half and the peak reverse current is reduced by over 15%. The SJ SiGe diode can remarkably improve the characteristics of power diode by combining the merits of both SJ structure and SiGe material.

Probing the density of states of two-level tunneling systems in silicon oxide films using superconducting lumped element resonators

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

Skacel, S. T.; Institut für Mikro- und Nanoelektronische Systeme, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie, Hertzstraße 16, D-76187 Karlsruhe; Kaiser, Ch.

2015-01-12

We have investigated dielectric losses in amorphous silicon oxide (a-SiO) thin films under operating conditions of superconducting qubits (mK temperatures and low microwave powers). For this purpose, we have developed a broadband measurement setup employing multiplexed lumped element resonators using a broadband power combiner and a low-noise amplifier. The measured temperature and power dependences of the dielectric losses are in good agreement with those predicted for atomic two-level tunneling systems (TLS). By measuring the losses at different frequencies, we found that the TLS density of states is energy dependent. This had not been seen previously in loss measurements. These resultsmore » contribute to a better understanding of decoherence effects in superconducting qubits and suggest a possibility to minimize TLS-related decoherence by reducing the qubit operation frequency.« less

Flow instability in particle-bed nuclear reactors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kerrebrock, J. L.; Kalamas, J.

1993-01-01

A three-dimensional model of the stability of the particle-bed reactor is presented, in which the fluid has mobility in three dimensions. The model accurately represents the stability at low Re numbers as well as the effects of the cold and hot frits and of the heat conduction and radiation in the particle bed. The model can be easily extended to apply to the cylindrical geometry of particle-bed reactors. Exemplary calculations are carried out, showing that a particle bed without a cold frit would be subject to instability if operated at the high-temperature ratios used for nuclear rockets and at power densities below about 4 MW/l; since the desired power density for such a reactor is about 40 MW/l, the operation at design exit temperature but at reduced power could be hazardous. Calculations show however that it might be possible to remove the instability problem by appropriate combinations of cold and hot frits.

Operational modal analysis using SVD of power spectral density transmissibility matrices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Araújo, Iván Gómez; Laier, Jose Elias

2014-05-01

This paper proposes the singular value decomposition of power spectrum density transmissibility matrices with different references, (PSDTM-SVD), as an identification method of natural frequencies and mode shapes of a dynamic system subjected to excitations under operational conditions. At the system poles, the rows of the proposed transmissibility matrix converge to the same ratio of amplitudes of vibration modes. As a result, the matrices are linearly dependent on the columns, and their singular values converge to zero. Singular values are used to determine the natural frequencies, and the first left singular vectors are used to estimate mode shapes. A numerical example of the finite element model of a beam subjected to colored noise excitation is analyzed to illustrate the accuracy of the proposed method. Results of the PSDTM-SVD method in the numerical example are compared with obtained using frequency domain decomposition (FDD) and power spectrum density transmissibility (PSDT). It is demonstrated that the proposed method does not depend on the excitation characteristics contrary to the FDD method that assumes white noise excitation, and further reduces the risk to identify extra non-physical poles in comparison to the PSDT method. Furthermore, a case study is performed using data from an operational vibration test of a bridge with a simply supported beam system. The real application of a full-sized bridge has shown that the proposed PSDTM-SVD method is able to identify the operational modal parameter. Operational modal parameters identified by the PSDTM-SVD in the real application agree well those identified by the FDD and PSDT methods.

Overview of ASDEX Upgrade results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zohm, H.; Adamek, J.; Angioni, C.; Antar, G.; Atanasiu, C. V.; Balden, M.; Becker, W.; Behler, K.; Behringer, K.; Bergmann, A.; Bertoncelli, T.; Bilato, R.; Bobkov, V.; Boom, J.; Bottino, A.; Brambilla, M.; Braun, F.; Brüdgam, M.; Buhler, A.; Chankin, A.; Classen, I.; Conway, G. D.; Coster, D. P.; de Marné, P.; D'Inca, R.; Drube, R.; Dux, R.; Eich, T.; Engelhardt, K.; Esposito, B.; Fahrbach, H.-U.; Fattorini, L.; Fink, J.; Fischer, R.; Flaws, A.; Foley, M.; Forest, C.; Fuchs, J. C.; Gál, K.; García Muñoz, M.; Gemisic Adamov, M.; Giannone, L.; Görler, T.; Gori, S.; da Graça, S.; Granucci, G.; Greuner, H.; Gruber, O.; Gude, A.; Günter, S.; Haas, G.; Hahn, D.; Harhausen, J.; Hauff, T.; Heinemann, B.; Herrmann, A.; Hicks, N.; Hobirk, J.; Hölzl, M.; Holtum, D.; Hopf, C.; Horton, L.; Huart, M.; Igochine, V.; Janzer, M.; Jenko, F.; Kallenbach, A.; Kálvin, S.; Kardaun, O.; Kaufmann, M.; Kick, M.; Kirk, A.; Klingshirn, H.-J.; Koscis, G.; Kollotzek, H.; Konz, C.; Krieger, K.; Kurki-Suonio, T.; Kurzan, B.; Lackner, K.; Lang, P. T.; Langer, B.; Lauber, P.; Laux, M.; Leuterer, F.; Likonen, J.; Liu, L.; Lohs, A.; Lunt, T.; Lyssoivan, A.; Maggi, C. F.; Manini, A.; Mank, K.; Manso, M.-E.; Mantsinen, M.; Maraschek, M.; Martin, P.; Mayer, M.; McCarthy, P.; McCormick, K.; Meister, H.; Meo, F.; Merkel, P.; Merkel, R.; Mertens, V.; Merz, F.; Meyer, H.; Mlynek, A.; Monaco, F.; Müller, H.-W.; Münich, M.; Murmann, H.; Neu, G.; Neu, R.; Neuhauser, J.; Nold, B.; Noterdaeme, J.-M.; Pautasso, G.; Pereverzev, G.; Poli, E.; Potzel, S.; Püschel, M.; Pütterich, T.; Pugno, R.; Raupp, G.; Reich, M.; Reiter, B.; Ribeiro, T.; Riedl, R.; Rohde, V.; Roth, J.; Rott, M.; Ryter, F.; Sandmann, W.; Santos, J.; Sassenberg, K.; Sauter, P.; Scarabosio, A.; Schall, G.; Schilling, H.-B.; Schirmer, J.; Schmid, A.; Schmid, K.; Schneider, W.; Schramm, G.; Schrittwieser, R.; Schustereder, W.; Schweinzer, J.; Schweizer, S.; Scott, B.; Seidel, U.; Sempf, M.; Serra, F.; Sertoli, M.; Siccinio, M.; Sigalov, A.; Silva, A.; Sips, A. C. C.; Speth, E.; Stäbler, A.; Stadler, R.; Steuer, K.-H.; Stober, J.; Streibl, B.; Strumberger, E.; Suttrop, W.; Tardini, G.; Tichmann, C.; Treutterer, W.; Tröster, C.; Urso, L.; Vainonen-Ahlgren, E.; Varela, P.; Vermare, L.; Volpe, F.; Wagner, D.; Wigger, C.; Wischmeier, M.; Wolfrum, E.; Würsching, E.; Yadikin, D.; Yu, Q.; Zasche, D.; Zehetbauer, T.; Zilker, M.

2009-10-01

ASDEX Upgrade was operated with a fully W-covered wall in 2007 and 2008. Stationary H-modes at the ITER target values and improved H-modes with H up to 1.2 were run without any boronization. The boundary conditions set by the full W wall (high enough ELM frequency, high enough central heating and low enough power density arriving at the target plates) require significant scenario development, but will apply to ITER as well. D retention has been reduced and stationary operation with saturated wall conditions has been found. Concerning confinement, impurity ion transport across the pedestal is neoclassical, explaining the strong inward pinch of high-Z impurities in between ELMs. In improved H-mode, the width of the temperature pedestal increases with heating power, consistent with a \\beta_{pol,ped}^{1/2} scaling. In the area of MHD instabilities, disruption mitigation experiments using massive Ne injection reach volume averaged values of the total electron density close to those required for runaway suppression in ITER. ECRH at the q = 2 surface was successfully applied to delay density limit disruptions. The characterization of fast particle losses due to MHD has shown the importance of different loss mechanisms for NTMs, TAEs and also beta-induced Alfven eigenmodes (BAEs). Specific studies addressing the first ITER operational phase show that O1 ECRH at the HFS assists reliable low-voltage breakdown. During ramp-up, additional heating can be used to vary li to fit within the ITER range. Confinement and power threshold in He are more favourable than in H, suggesting that He operation could allow us to assess H-mode operation in the non-nuclear phase of ITER operation.

Electrical Impact of SiC Structural Crystal Defects on High Electric Field Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neudeck, Philip G.

1999-01-01

Commercial epilayers are known to contain a variety of crystallographic imperfections. including micropipes, closed core screw dislocations. low-angle boundaries, basal plane dislocations, heteropolytypic inclusions, and non-ideal surface features like step bunching and pits. This paper reviews the limited present understanding of the operational impact of various crystal defects on SiC electrical devices. Aside from micropipes and triangular inclusions whose densities have been shrinking towards manageably small values in recent years, many of these defects appear to have little adverse operational and/or yield impact on SiC-based sensors, high-frequency RF, and signal conditioning electronics. However high-power switching devices used in power management and distribution circuits have historically (in silicon experience) demanded the highest material quality for prolonged safe operation, and are thus more susceptible to operational reliability problems that arise from electrical property nonuniformities likely to occur at extended crystal defects. A particular emphasis is placed on the impact of closed-core screw dislocations on high-power switching devices, because these difficult to observe defects are present in densities of thousands per cm,in commercial SiC epilayers. and their reduction to acceptable levels seems the most problematic at the present time.

Performance of large area xenon ion thrusters for orbit transfer missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rawlin, Vincent K.

1989-01-01

Studies have indicated that xenon ion propulsion systems can enable the use of smaller Earth-launch vehicles for satellite placement which results in significant cost savings. These analyses have assumed the availability of advanced, high power ion thrusters operating at about 10 kW or higher. A program was initiated to explore the viability of operating 50 cm diameter ion thrusters at this power level. Operation with several discharge chamber and ion extraction grid set combinations has been demonstrated and data were obtained at power levels to 16 kW. Fifty cm diameter thrusters using state of the art 30 cm diameter grids or advanced technology 50 cm diameter grids allow discharge power and beam current densities commensurate with long life at power levels up to 10 kW. In addition, 50 cm diameter thrusters are shown to have the potential for growth in thrust and power levels beyond 10 KW.

Overview on the high power excimer laser technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jingru

2013-05-01

High power excimer laser has essential applications in the fields of high energy density physics, inertial fusion energy and industry owing to its advantages such as short wavelength, high gain, wide bandwidth, energy scalable and repetition operating ability. This overview is aimed at an introduction and evaluation of enormous endeavor of the international high power excimer laser community in the last 30 years. The main technologies of high power excimer laser are reviewed, which include the pumping source technology, angular multiplexing and pulse compressing, beam-smoothing and homogenous irradiation, high efficiency and repetitive operation et al. A high power XeCl laser system developed in NINT of China is described in detail.

Surface-to-surface biofilm transfer: a quick and reliable startup strategy for mixed culture microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Vogl, Andreas; Bischof, Franz; Wichern, Marc

2016-01-01

The startup of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is known to be prone to failure or result in erratic performance impeding the research. The aim of this study was to advise a quick launch strategy for laboratory-scale MFCs that ensures steady operation performance in a short period of time. Different startup strategies were investigated and compared with membraneless single chamber MFCs. A direct surface-to-surface biofilm transfer (BFT) in an operating MFC proved to be the most efficient method. It provided steady power densities of 163 ± 13 mWm(-2) 4 days after inoculation compared to 58 ± 15 mWm(-2) after 30 days following a conventional inoculation approach. The in situ BFT eliminates the need for microbial acclimation during startup and reduces performance fluctuations caused by shifts in microbial biodiversity. Anaerobic pretreatment of the substrate and addition of suspended enzymes from an operating MFC into the new MFC proved to have a beneficial effect on startup and subsequent operation. Polarization methods were applied to characterize the startup phase and the steady state operation in terms of power densities, internal resistance and power overshoot during biofilm maturation. Applying this method a well-working MFC can be multiplied into an array of identically performing MFCs.

Frequency-tuning radiofrequency plasma source operated in inductively-coupled mode under a low magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Kazunori; Nakano, Yudai; Ando, Akira

2017-07-01

A radiofrequency (rf) inductively-coupled plasma source is operated with a frequency-tuning impedance matching system, where the rf frequency is variable in the range of 20-50 MHz and the maximum power is 100 W. The source consists of a 45 mm-diameter pyrex glass tube wound by an rf antenna and a solenoid providing a magnetic field strength in the range of 0-200 Gauss. A reflected rf power for no plasma case is minimized at the frequency of ˜25 MHz, whereas the frequency giving the minimum reflection with the high density plasma is about 28 MHz, where the density jump is observed when minimizing the reflection. A high density argon plasma above 1× {{10}12} cm-3 is successfully obtained in the source for the rf power of 50-100 W, where it is observed that an external magnetic field of a few tens of Gauss yields the highest plasma density in the present configuration. The frequency-tuning plasma source is applied to a compact and high-speed silicon etcher in an Ar-SF6 plasma; then the etching rate of 8~μ m min-1 is obtained for no bias voltage to the silicon wafer, i.e. for the case that a physical ion etching process is eliminated.

Advanced chemical hydride-based hydrogen generation/storage system for fuel cell vehicles

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

Breault, R.W.; Rolfe, J.

1998-08-01

Because of the inherent advantages of high efficiency, environmental acceptability, and high modularity, fuel cells are potentially attractive power supplies. Worldwide concerns over clean environments have revitalized research efforts on developing fuel cell vehicles (FCV). As a result of intensive research efforts, most of the subsystem technology for FCV`s are currently well established. These include: high power density PEM fuel cells, control systems, thermal management technology, and secondary power sources for hybrid operation. For mobile applications, however, supply of hydrogen or fuel for fuel cell operation poses a significant logistic problem. To supply high purity hydrogen for FCV operation, Thermomore » Power`s Advanced Technology Group is developing an advanced hydrogen storage technology. In this approach, a metal hydride/organic slurry is used as the hydrogen carrier and storage media. At the point of use, high purity hydrogen will be produced by reacting the metal hydride/organic slurry with water. In addition, Thermo Power has conceived the paths for recovery and regeneration of the spent hydride (practically metal hydroxide). The fluid-like nature of the spent hydride/organic slurry will provide a unique opportunity for pumping, transporting, and storing these materials. The final product of the program will be a user-friendly and relatively high energy storage density hydrogen supply system for fuel cell operation. In addition, the spent hydride can relatively easily be collected at the pumping station and regenerated utilizing renewable sources, such as biomass, natural, or coal, at the central processing plants. Therefore, the entire process will be economically favorable and environmentally friendly.« less

To Demonstrate an Integrated Solution for Plasma-Material Interfaces Compatible with an Optimized Core Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldston, Robert; Brooks, Jeffrey; Hubbard, Amanda; Leonard, Anthony; Lipschultz, Bruce; Maingi, Rajesh; Ulrickson, Michael; Whyte, Dennis

2009-11-01

The plasma facing components in a Demo reactor will face much more extreme boundary plasma conditions and operating requirements than any present or planned experiment. These include 1) Power density a factor of four or more greater than in ITER, 2) Continuous operation resulting in annual energy and particle throughput 100-200 times larger than ITER, 3) Elevated surface operating temperature for efficient electricity production, 4) Tritium fuel cycle control for safety and breeding requirements, and 5) Steady state plasma confinement and control. Consistent with ReNeW Thrust 12, design options are being explored for a new moderate-scale facility to assess core-edge interaction issues and solutions. Key desired features include high power density, sufficient pulse length and duty cycle, elevated wall temperature, steady-state control of an optimized core plasma, and flexibility in changing boundary components as well as access for comprehensive measurements.

Three-dimensional anode engineering for the direct methanol fuel cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, A.; Oloman, C. W.; Gyenge, E. L.

Catalyzed graphite felt three-dimensional anodes were investigated in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) operated with sulfuric acid supporting electrolyte. With a conventional serpentine channel flow field the preferred anode thickness was 100 μm, while a novel flow-by anode showed the best performance with a thickness of 200-300 μm. The effects of altering the methanol concentration, anolyte flow rate and operating temperature on the fuel cell superficial power density were studied by full (2 3 + 1) factorial experiments on a cell with anode area of 5 cm 2 and excess oxidant O 2 at 200 kPa(abs). For operation in the flow-by mode with 2 M methanol at 2 cm 3 min -1 and 353 K the peak power density was 2380 W m -2 with a PtRuMo anode catalyst, while a PtRu catalyst yielded 2240 W m -2 under the same conditions.

Development of Power Supply Management Module for Radio Signal Repeaters of Automatic Metering Reading System in Variable Solar Density Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondratjevs, K.; Zabasta, A.; Selmanovs-Pless, V.

2016-02-01

In recent years, there has been significant research focus that revolves around harvesting and minimising energy consumption by wireless sensor network nodes. When a sensor node is depleted of energy, it becomes unresponsive and disconnected from the network that can significantly influence the performance of the whole network. The purpose of the present research is to create a power supply management module in order to provide stable operating voltage for autonomous operations of radio signal repeaters, sensors or gateways of WSN. The developed management module is composed of a solar panel, lithium battery and power supply management module. The novelty of the research is the management module, which ensures stable and uninterrupted operations of electronic equipment in various power supply modes in different situations, simultaneously ensuring energy protection and sustainability of the module components. The management module is able to provide power supply of 5 V for electronics scheme independently, without power interruption switching between power sources and power flows in different directions.

76 FR 35176 - Operation of Radar Systems in the 76-77 GHz Band

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-16

... vehicular radars decrease power when the vehicle on which the radar is mounted is stopped, or not in motion... believes that the changes in power levels and use suggested by TMC and Era will not result in any increased.... The Commission proposes to modify Sec. 15.253 of its rules to increase the average power density limit...

High current density sheet-like electron beam generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chow-Miller, Cora; Korevaar, Eric; Schuster, John

Sheet electron beams are very desirable for coupling to the evanescent waves in small millimeter wave slow-wave circuits to achieve higher powers. In particular, they are critical for operation of the free-electron-laser-like Orotron. The program was a systematic effort to establish a solid technology base for such a sheet-like electron emitter system that will facilitate the detailed studies of beam propagation stability. Specifically, the effort involved the design and test of a novel electron gun using Lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) as the thermionic cathode material. Three sets of experiments were performed to measure beam propagation as a function of collector current, beam voltage, and heating power. The design demonstrated its reliability by delivering 386.5 hours of operation throughout the weeks of experimentation. In addition, the cathode survived two venting and pump down cycles without being poisoned or losing its emission characteristics. A current density of 10.7 A/sq cm. was measured while operating at 50 W of ohmic heating power. Preliminary results indicate that the nearby presence of a metal plate can stabilize the beam.

Operation of large RF sources for H-: Lessons learned at ELISE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fantz, U.; Wünderlich, D.; Heinemann, B.; Kraus, W.; Riedl, R.

2017-08-01

The goal of the ELISE test facility is to demonstrate that large RF-driven negative ion sources (1 × 1 m2 source area with 360 kW installed RF power) can achieve the parameters required for the ITER beam sources in terms of current densities and beam homogeneity at a filling pressure of 0.3 Pa for pulse lengths of up to one hour. With the experience in operation of the test facility, the beam source inspection and maintenance as well as with the results of the achieved source performance so far, conclusions are drawn for commissioning and operation of the ITER beam sources. Addressed are critical technical RF issues, extrapolations to the required RF power, Cs consumption and Cs ovens, the need of adjusting the magnetic filter field strength as well as the temporal dynamic and spatial asymmetry of the co-extracted electron current. It is proposed to relax the low pressure limit to 0.4 Pa and to replace the fixed electron-to-ion ratio by a power density limit for the extraction grid. This would be highly beneficial for controlling the co-extracted electrons.

Performance of an ion-cyclotron-wave plasma apparatus operated in the radiofrequency sustained mode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swett, C. C.; Woollett, R. R.

1973-01-01

An experimental study has been made of an ion-cyclotron-wave apparatus operated in the RF-sustained mode, that is, a mode in which the Stix RF coil both propagates the waves and maintains the plasma. Problems associated with this method of operation are presented. Some factors that are important to the coupling of RF power are noted. In general, the wave propagation and wave damping data agree with theory. Some irregularities in wave fields are observed. Maximum ion temperature is 870 eV at a density of five times 10 to the 12th power cu cm and RF power of 90 kW. Coupling efficiency is 70 percent.

Operating features of an ion-cyclotron-wave plasma apparatus running in the RF-sustained mode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swett, C. C.

1972-01-01

An experimental study has been made of an ion-cyclotron-wave apparatus operated in the RF-sustained mode. This is a mode in which the Stix RF coil both propagates the waves and maintains the plasma. Problems associated with this method of operation are presented. Some factors that are important to the coupling of RF power are noted. In general, the wave-propagation and wave-damping data agree with theory. Some irregularities in wave fields are observed. Maximum ion temperature is 870 eV at a density of 5 times 10 to the 12th power per cubic centimeter and RF power of 90 kW. Coupling efficiency is 70 percent.

Electricity generation in a membrane-less microbial fuel cell with down-flow feeding onto the cathode.

PubMed

Zhu, Feng; Wang, Wancheng; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Tao, Guanhong

2011-08-01

A novel membrane-less microbial fuel cell (MFC) with down-flow feeding was constructed to generate electricity. Wastewater was fed directly onto the cathode which was horizontally installed in the upper part of the MFC. Oxygen could be utilized readily from the air. The concentration of dissolved oxygen in the influent wastewater had little effect on the power generation. A saturation-type relationship was observed between the initial COD and the power generation. The influent flow rate could affect greatly the power density. Fed by the synthetic glucose wastewater with a COD value of 3500 mg/L at a flow rate of 4.0 mL/min, the developed MFC could produce a maximum power density of 37.4 mW/m(2). Its applicability was further evaluated by the treatment of brewery wastewater. The system could be scaled up readily due to its simple configuration, easy operation and relatively high power density. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison for 1030nm DBR-tapered diode lasers with 10W central lobe output power and different grating layouts for wavelength stabilization and lateral spatial mode filtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, André; Zink, Christof; Fricke, Jörg; Bugge, Frank; Erbert, Götz; Sumpf, Bernd; Tränkle, Günther

2018-02-01

1030 nm DBR tapered diode lasers with different lateral layouts are presented. The layout comparison includes lasers with straight waveguide and grating, tapered waveguide and straight grating, and straight waveguide and tapered grating. The lasers provide narrowband emission and optical output powers up to 15 W. The highest diffraction-limited central lobe output power of 10.5 W is obtained for lasers with tapered gratings only. Small variations in central lobe output power with RW injection current density also indicate the robustness of that layout. For lasers with tapered waveguides, high RW injection current densities up to 150 A/mm2 have to be applied in order to obtain high central lobe output powers. Lasers with straight waveguide and grating operate best at low RW injection current densities, 50 A/mm2 applied in this study. Using the layout optimizations discussed in this study may help to increase the application potential of DBR tapered diode lasers.

Single chamber microbial fuel cell with spiral anode for dairy wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Mardanpour, Mohammad Mahdi; Nasr Esfahany, Mohsen; Behzad, Tayebeh; Sedaqatvand, Ramin

2012-01-01

This study reports on the fabrication of a novel annular single chamber microbial fuel cell (ASCMFC) with spiral anode. The stainless steel mesh anode with graphite coating was used as anode. Dairy wastewater, containing complex organic matter, was used as substrate. ASCMFC had been operated for 450 h and results indicated a high open circuit voltage (about 810 mV) compared with previously published results. The maximum power density of 20.2 W/m(3) obtained in this study is significantly greater than the power densities reported in previous studies. Besides, a maximum coulombic efficiency of 26.87% with 91% COD removal was achieved. Good bacterial adhesion on the spiral anode is clearly shown in SEM micrographs. High power density and a successful performance in wastewater treatment in ASCMFC suggest it as a promising alternative to conventional MFCs for power generation and wastewater treatment. ASCMFC performance as a power generator was characterized based on polarization behavior and cell potentials. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bioelectricity generation in microbial fuel cell using natural microflora and isolated pure culture bacteria from anaerobic palm oil mill effluent sludge.

PubMed

Nor, Muhamad Hanif Md; Mubarak, Mohd Fahmi Muhammad; Elmi, Hassan Sh Abdirahman; Ibrahim, Norahim; Wahab, Mohd Firdaus Abdul; Ibrahim, Zaharah

2015-08-01

A double-chambered membrane microbial fuel cell (MFC) was constructed to investigate the potential use of natural microflora anaerobic palm oil mill effluent (POME) sludge and pure culture bacteria isolated from anaerobic POME sludge as inoculum for electricity generation. Sterilized final discharge POME was used as the substrate with no addition of nutrients. MFC operation using natural microflora anaerobic POME sludge showed a maximum power density and current density of 85.11mW/m(2) and 91.12mA/m(2) respectively. Bacterial identification using 16S rRNA analysis of the pure culture isolated from the biofilm on the anode MFC was identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain ZH1. The electricity generated in MFC using P. aeruginosa strain ZH1 showed maximum power density and current density of 451.26mW/m(2) and 654.90mA/m(2) respectively which were five times higher in power density and seven times higher in current density compared to that of MFC using anaerobic POME sludge. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High Power Light Gas Helicon Plasma Source for VASIMR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Squire, Jared P.; Chang-Diaz, Franklin R.; Glover, Timothy W.; Jacobson, Verlin T.; Baity, F. Wally; Carter, Mark D.; Goulding, Richard H.

2004-01-01

In the Advanced Space Propulsion Laboratory (ASPL) helicon experiment (VX-10) we have measured a plasma flux to input gas rate ratio near 100% for both helium and deuterium at power levels up to 10 kW. Recent results at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) show enhanced efficiency operation with a high power density, over 5 kW in a 5 cm diameter tube. Our helicon is presently 9 cm in diameter and operates up to 10 kW of input power. The data here uses a Boswell double-saddle antenna design with a magnetic cusp just upstream of the antenna. Similar to ORNL, for deuterium at near 10 kW, we find an enhanced performance of operation at magnetic fields above the lower hybrid matching condition.

Cryogenic ultra-low power dissipation operational amplifiers with GaAs JFETs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hibi, Yasunori; Matsuo, Hiroshi; Ikeda, Hirokazu; Fujiwara, Mikio; Kang, Lin; Chen, Jian; Wu, Peiheng

2016-01-01

To realize a multipixel camera for astronomical observation, we developed cryogenic multi-channel readout systems using gallium arsenide junction field-effect transistor (GaAs JFET) integrated circuits (ICs). Based on our experience with these cryogenic ICs, we designed, manufactured, and demonstrated operational amplifiers requiring four power supplies and two voltage sources. The amplifiers operate at 4.2 K with an open-loop gain of 2000. The gain-bandwidth product can expect 400 kHz at a power dissipation of 6 μW. In performance evaluations, the input-referred voltage noise was 4 μVrms/Hz0.5 at 1 Hz and 30 nVrms/Hz0.5 at 10 kHz, respectively. The noise power spectrum density was of type 1/f and extended to 10 kHz.

A High Temperature Silicon Carbide mosfet Power Module With Integrated Silicon-On-Insulator-Based Gate Drive

DOE PAGES

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

2014-04-30

Here we present a board-level integrated silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFET power module for high temperature and high power density application. Specifically, a silicon-on-insulator (SOI)-based gate driver capable of operating at 200°C ambient temperature is designed and fabricated. The sourcing and sinking current capability of the gate driver are tested under various ambient temperatures. Also, a 1200 V/100 A SiC MOSFET phase-leg power module is developed utilizing high temperature packaging technologies. The static characteristics, switching performance, and short-circuit behavior of the fabricated power module are fully evaluated at different temperatures. Moreover, a buck converter prototype composed of the SOI gate drivermore » and SiC power module is built for high temperature continuous operation. The converter is operated at different switching frequencies up to 100 kHz, with its junction temperature monitored by a thermosensitive electrical parameter and compared with thermal simulation results. The experimental results from the continuous operation demonstrate the high temperature capability of the power module at a junction temperature greater than 225°C.« less

Distribution of E/N and N sub e in a cross-flow electric discharge laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunning, J. W., Jr.; Lancashire, R. B.; Manista, E. J.

1976-01-01

The spatial distribution of the ratio of electric field to neutral gas density on a flowing gas, multiple pin-to-plane discharge was measured in a high-power, closed loop laser. The laser was operated at a pressure of 140 torr (1:7:20, CO2, N2, He) with typically a 100 meter/second velocity in the 5 x 8 x 135 centimeter discharge volume. E/N ratios ranged from 2.7 x 10 to the minus 16th power to 1.4 x 10 to the minus 16th power volts/cu cm along the discharge while the electron density ranged from 2.8 x 10 to the 10th power to 1.2 x 10 to the 10th power cm/3.

Baseline Testing of Ultracapacitors for the Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) Project. Revised

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eichenberg, Dennis J.

2005-01-01

The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center initiated baseline testing of ultracapacitors for the Next Generation Launch Transportation (NGLT) project to obtain empirical data for determining the feasibility of using ultracapacitors for the project. There are large transient loads associated with NGLT that require either a very large primary energy source or an energy storage system. The primary power source used for these tests is a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The energy storage system can consist of devices such as batteries, flywheels, or ultracapacitors. Ultracapacitors were used for these tests. Ultracapacitors are ideal for applications such as NGLT where long life, maintenance-free operation, and excellent low-temperature performance is essential. State-of-the-art symmetric ultracapacitors were used for these tests. The ultracapacitors were interconnected in an innovative configuration to minimize interconnection impedance. PEM fuel cells provide excellent energy density, but not good power density. Ultracapacitors provide excellent power density, but not good energy density. The combination of PEM fuel cells and ultracapacitors provides a power source with excellent energy density and power density. The life of PEM fuel cells is shortened significantly by large transient loads. Ultracapacitors used in conjunction with PEM fuel cells reduce the transient loads applied to the fuel cell, and thus appreciably improves its life. PEM fuel cells were tested with and without ultracapacitors, to determine the benefits of ultracapacitors. The report concludes that the implementation of symmetric ultracapacitors in the NGLT power system can provide significant improvements in power system performance and reliability.

Baseline Testing of Ultracapacitors for the Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eichenberg, Dennis J.

2004-01-01

The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center initiated baseline testing of ultracapacitors for the Next Generation Launch Transportation (NGLT) project to obtain empirical data for determining the feasibility of using ultracapacitors for the project. There are large transient loads associated with NGLT that require either a very large primary energy source or an energy storage system. The primary power source used for these tests is a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. The energy storage system can consist of devices such as batteries, flywheels, or ultracapacitors. Ultracapacitors were used for these tests. Ultracapacitors are ideal for applications such as NGLT where long life, maintenance-free operation, and excellent low-temperature performance is essential. State-of-the-art symmetric ultracapacitors were used for these tests. The ultracapacitors were interconnected in an innovative configuration to minimize interconnection impedance. PEM fuel cells provide excellent energy density, but not good power density. Ultracapacitors provide excellent power density, but not good energy density. The combination of PEM fuel cells and ultracapacitors provides a power source with excellent energy density and power density. The life of PEM fuel cells is shortened significantly by large transient loads. Ultracapacitors used in conjunction with PEM fuel cells reduce the transient loads applied to the fuel cell, and thus appreciably improves its life. PEM fuel cells were tested with and without ultracapacitors, to determine the benefits of ultracapacitors. The report concludes that the implementation of symmetric ultracapacitors in the NGLT power system can provide significant improvements in power system performance and reliability.

Ferroelectric Polymers with Ultrahigh Energy Density, Low Loss, and Broad Operation Temperature for Navy Pulse Power Capacitors

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-02-01

by the electron hopping theory in the amorphous material. By further tailoring the molecular structures, meta-aromatic polyurea which possesses a...higher dipolar density than many polyureas reported in the literature has been synthesized. Preliminary experimental results show that an enhanced...dielectric constant and higher energy density can be achieved in the new meta-aromatic polyurea . Technical section; Technical Objective: The objective

High-Temperature, Wirebondless, Ultracompact Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductor Modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elmes, John

2015-01-01

Silicon carbide (SiC) and other wide bandgap semiconductors offer great promise of high power rating, high operating temperature, simple thermal management, and ultrahigh power density for both space and commercial power electronic systems. However, this great potential is seriously limited by the lack of reliable high-temperature device packaging technology. This Phase II project developed an ultracompact hybrid power module packaging technology based on the use of double lead frames and direct lead frame-to-chip transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding that allows device operation up to 450 degC. The new power module will have a very small form factor with 3-5X reduction in size and weight from the prior art, and it will be capable of operating from 450 degC to -125 degC. This technology will have a profound impact on power electronics and energy conversion technologies and help to conserve energy and the environment as well as reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels.

Effect of Discontinuities and Penetrations on the Shielding Efficacy of High Temperature Superconducting Magnetic Shields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatwar, R.; Kvitkovic, J.; Herman, C.; Pamidi, S.

2015-12-01

High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) materials have been demonstrated to be suitable for applications in shielding of both DC and AC magnetic fields. Magnetic shielding is required for protecting sensitive instrumentation from external magnetic fields and for preventing the stray magnetic fields produced by high power density equipment from affecting neighbouring devices. HTS shields have high current densities at relatively high operating temperatures (40-77 K) and can be easily fabricated using commercial HTS conductor. High current densities in HTS materials allow design and fabrication of magnetic shields that are lighter and can be incorporated into the body and skin of high power density devices. HTS shields are particularly attractive for HTS devices because a single cryogenic system can be used for cooling the device and the associated shield. Typical power devices need penetrations for power and signal cabling and the penetrations create discontinuities in HTS shields. Hence it is important to assess the effect of the necessary discontinuities on the efficacy of the shields and the design modifications necessary to accommodate the penetrations.

Graphene-based in-plane micro-supercapacitors with high power and energy densities

PubMed Central

Wu, Zhong–Shuai; Parvez, Khaled; Feng, Xinliang; Müllen, Klaus

2013-01-01

Micro-supercapacitors are important on-chip micro-power sources for miniaturized electronic devices. Although the performance of micro-supercapacitors has been significantly advanced by fabricating nanostructured materials, developing thin-film manufacture technologies and device architectures, their power or energy densities remain far from those of electrolytic capacitors or lithium thin-film batteries. Here we demonstrate graphene-based in-plane interdigital micro-supercapacitors on arbitrary substrates. The resulting micro-supercapacitors deliver an area capacitance of 80.7 μF cm−2 and a stack capacitance of 17.9 F cm−3. Further, they show a power density of 495 W cm−3 that is higher than electrolytic capacitors, and an energy density of 2.5 mWh cm−3 that is comparable to lithium thin-film batteries, in association with superior cycling stability. Such microdevices allow for operations at ultrahigh rate up to 1,000 V s−1, three orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional supercapacitors. Micro-supercapacitors with an in-plane geometry have great promise for numerous miniaturized or flexible electronic applications. PMID:24042088

Graphene-based in-plane micro-supercapacitors with high power and energy densities.

PubMed

Wu, Zhong-Shuai; Parvez, Khaled; Feng, Xinliang; Müllen, Klaus

2013-01-01

Micro-supercapacitors are important on-chip micro-power sources for miniaturized electronic devices. Although the performance of micro-supercapacitors has been significantly advanced by fabricating nanostructured materials, developing thin-film manufacture technologies and device architectures, their power or energy densities remain far from those of electrolytic capacitors or lithium thin-film batteries. Here we demonstrate graphene-based in-plane interdigital micro-supercapacitors on arbitrary substrates. The resulting micro-supercapacitors deliver an area capacitance of 80.7 μF cm⁻² and a stack capacitance of 17.9 F cm⁻³. Further, they show a power density of 495 W cm⁻³ that is higher than electrolytic capacitors, and an energy density of 2.5 mWh cm⁻³ that is comparable to lithium thin-film batteries, in association with superior cycling stability. Such microdevices allow for operations at ultrahigh rate up to 1,000 V s⁻¹, three orders of magnitude higher than that of conventional supercapacitors. Micro-supercapacitors with an in-plane geometry have great promise for numerous miniaturized or flexible electronic applications.

High-power and steady-state operation of ICRF heating in the large helical device

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

Mutoh, T., E-mail: mutoh@nifs.ac.jp; Seki, T.; Saito, K.

2015-12-10

Recent progress in an ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) heating system and experiment results in a Large Helical Device (LHD) are reported. Three kinds of ICRF antenna pairs were installed in the LHD, and the operation power regimes were extended up to 4.5 MW; also, the steady-state operation was extended for more than 45 min in LHD at a MW power level. We studied ICRF heating physics in heliotron configuration using a Hand Shake type (HAS) antenna, Field Aligned Impedance Transforming (FAIT) antenna, and Poloidal Array (PA) antenna, and established the optimum minority-ion heating scenario in an LHD. The FAITmore » antenna having a novel impedance transformer inside the vacuum chamber could reduce the VSWR and successfully injected a higher power to plasma. We tested the PA antennas completely removing the Faraday-shield pipes to avoid breakdown and to increase the plasma coupling. The heating performance was almost the same as other antennas; however, the heating efficiency was degraded when the gap between the antenna and plasma surface was large. Using these three kinds of antennas, ICRF heating could contribute to raising the plasma beta with the second- and third-harmonic cyclotron heating mode, and also to raising the ion temperature as discharge cleaning tools. In 2014, steady-state operation plasma with a line-averaged electron density of 1.2 × 10{sup 19} m{sup −3}, ion and electron temperature of 2 keV, and plasma sustainment time of 48 min was achieved with ICH and ECH heating power of 1.2 MW for majority helium with minority hydrogen. In 2015, the higher-power steady-state operation with a heating power of up to 3 MW was tested with higher density of 3 × 10{sup 19} m{sup −3}.« less

High frequency pressure oscillator for microcryocoolers.

PubMed

Vanapalli, S; ter Brake, H J M; Jansen, H V; Zhao, Y; Holland, H J; Burger, J F; Elwenspoek, M C

2008-04-01

Microminiature pulse tube cryocoolers should operate at a frequency of an order higher than the conventional macro ones because the pulse tube cryocooler operating frequency scales inversely with the square of the pulse tube diameter. In this paper, the design and experiments of a high frequency pressure oscillator is presented with the aim to power a micropulse tube cryocooler operating between 300 and 80 K, delivering a cooling power of 10 mW. Piezoelectric actuators operate efficiently at high frequencies and have high power density making them good candidates as drivers for high frequency pressure oscillator. The pressure oscillator described in this work consists of a membrane driven by a piezoelectric actuator. A pressure ratio of about 1.11 was achieved with a filling pressure of 2.5 MPa and compression volume of about 22.6 mm(3) when operating the actuator with a peak-to-peak sinusoidal voltage of 100 V at a frequency of 1 kHz. The electrical power input was 2.73 W. The high pressure ratio and low electrical input power at high frequencies would herald development of microminiature cryocoolers.

High frequency pressure oscillator for microcryocoolers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanapalli, S.; ter Brake, H. J. M.; Jansen, H. V.; Zhao, Y.; Holland, H. J.; Burger, J. F.; Elwenspoek, M. C.

2008-04-01

Microminiature pulse tube cryocoolers should operate at a frequency of an order higher than the conventional macro ones because the pulse tube cryocooler operating frequency scales inversely with the square of the pulse tube diameter. In this paper, the design and experiments of a high frequency pressure oscillator is presented with the aim to power a micropulse tube cryocooler operating between 300 and 80K, delivering a cooling power of 10mW. Piezoelectric actuators operate efficiently at high frequencies and have high power density making them good candidates as drivers for high frequency pressure oscillator. The pressure oscillator described in this work consists of a membrane driven by a piezoelectric actuator. A pressure ratio of about 1.11 was achieved with a filling pressure of 2.5MPa and compression volume of about 22.6mm3 when operating the actuator with a peak-to-peak sinusoidal voltage of 100V at a frequency of 1kHz. The electrical power input was 2.73W. The high pressure ratio and low electrical input power at high frequencies would herald development of microminiature cryocoolers.

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

Jacobson, Paul T; Hagerman, George; Scott, George

This project estimates the naturally available and technically recoverable U.S. wave energy resources, using a 51-month Wavewatch III hindcast database developed especially for this study by National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) National Centers for Environmental Prediction. For total resource estimation, wave power density in terms of kilowatts per meter is aggregated across a unit diameter circle. This approach is fully consistent with accepted global practice and includes the resource made available by the lateral transfer of wave energy along wave crests, which enables wave diffraction to substantially reestablish wave power densities within a few kilometers of a linear array,more » even for fixed terminator devices. The total available wave energy resource along the U.S. continental shelf edge, based on accumulating unit circle wave power densities, is estimated to be 2,640 TWh/yr, broken down as follows: 590 TWh/yr for the West Coast, 240 TWh/yr for the East Coast, 80 TWh/yr for the Gulf of Mexico, 1570 TWh/yr for Alaska, 130 TWh/yr for Hawaii, and 30 TWh/yr for Puerto Rico. The total recoverable wave energy resource, as constrained by an array capacity packing density of 15 megawatts per kilometer of coastline, with a 100-fold operating range between threshold and maximum operating conditions in terms of input wave power density available to such arrays, yields a total recoverable resource along the U.S. continental shelf edge of 1,170 TWh/yr, broken down as follows: 250 TWh/yr for the West Coast, 160 TWh/yr for the East Coast, 60 TWh/yr for the Gulf of Mexico, 620 TWh/yr for Alaska, 80 TWh/yr for Hawaii, and 20 TWh/yr for Puerto Rico.« less

Investigation of a tubular dual-stator flux-switching permanent-magnet linear generator for free-piston energy converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sui, Yi; Zheng, Ping; Tong, Chengde; Yu, Bin; Zhu, Shaohong; Zhu, Jianguo

2015-05-01

This paper describes a tubular dual-stator flux-switching permanent-magnet (PM) linear generator for free-piston energy converter. The operating principle, topology, and design considerations of the machine are investigated. Combining the motion characteristic of free-piston Stirling engine, a tubular dual-stator PM linear generator is designed by finite element method. Some major structural parameters, such as the outer and inner radii of the mover, PM thickness, mover tooth width, tooth width of the outer and inner stators, etc., are optimized to improve the machine performances like thrust capability and power density. In comparison with conventional single-stator PM machines like moving-magnet linear machine and flux-switching linear machine, the proposed dual-stator flux-switching PM machine shows advantages in higher mass power density, higher volume power density, and lighter mover.

AC Loss Analysis of MgB2-Based Fully Superconducting Machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feddersen, M.; Haran, K. S.; Berg, F.

2017-12-01

Superconducting electric machines have shown potential for significant increase in power density, making them attractive for size and weight sensitive applications such as offshore wind generation, marine propulsion, and hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion. Superconductors exhibit no loss under dc conditions, though ac current and field produce considerable losses due to hysteresis, eddy currents, and coupling mechanisms. For this reason, many present machines are designed to be partially superconducting, meaning that the dc field components are superconducting while the ac armature coils are conventional conductors. Fully superconducting designs can provide increases in power density with significantly higher armature current; however, a good estimate of ac losses is required to determine the feasibility under the machines intended operating conditions. This paper aims to characterize the expected losses in a fully superconducting machine targeted towards aircraft, based on an actively-shielded, partially superconducting machine from prior work. Various factors are examined such as magnet strength, operating frequency, and machine load to produce a model for the loss in the superconducting components of the machine. This model is then used to optimize the design of the machine for minimal ac loss while maximizing power density. Important observations from the study are discussed.

Hydrodynamic and material properties experiments using pulsed power techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinovsky, R. E.; Trainor, R. J.

2000-04-01

Within the last five years, a new approach to the exploration of dynamic material properties and advanced hydrodynamics at extreme conditions has joined the traditional techniques of high velocity guns and explosives. This new application uses electromagnetic energy to accelerate solid density material to produce shocks in a cylindrical target. The principal tool for producing high energy density environments is the high precision, magnetically imploded, near-solid density cylindrical liner. The most attractive pulsed power system for driving such experiments is an ultrahigh current, low impedance, microsecond time scale source that is economical both to build and to operate. Two families of pulsed power systems can be applied to drive such experiments. The 25-MJ Atlas capacitor bank system currently under construction at Los Alamos is the first system of its scale specifically designed to drive high precision solid liners. Delivering 30 MA, Atlas will provide liner velocities 12-15 km/sec and kinetic energies of 1-2 MJ/cm with extensive diagnostics and excellent reproducibility. Explosive flux compressor technology provides access to currents exceeding 100 MA producing liner velocities above 25 km/sec and kinetic energies of 5-20 MJ/cm in single shot operations

Minimizing or eliminating refueling of nuclear reactor

DOEpatents

Doncals, Richard A.; Paik, Nam-Chin; Andre, Sandra V.; Porter, Charles A.; Rathbun, Roy W.; Schwallie, Ambrose L.; Petras, Diane S.

1989-01-01

Demand for refueling of a liquid metal fast nuclear reactor having a life of 30 years is eliminated or reduced to intervals of at least 10 years by operating the reactor at a low linear-power density, typically 2.5 kw/ft of fuel rod, rather than 7.5 or 15 kw/ft, which is the prior art practice. So that power of the same magnitude as for prior art reactors is produced, the volume of the core is increased. In addition, the height of the core and it diameter are dimensioned so that the ratio of the height to the diameter approximates 1 to the extent practicable considering the requirement of control and that the pressure drop in the coolant shall not be excessive. The surface area of a cylinder of given volume is a minimum if the ratio of the height to the diameter is 1. By minimizing the surface area, the leakage of neutrons is reduced. By reducing the linear-power density, increasing core volume, reducing fissile enrichment and optimizing core geometry, internal-core breeding of fissionable fuel is substantially enhanced. As a result, core operational life, limited by control worth requirements and fuel burnup capability, is extended up to 30 years of continuous power operation.

47 CFR 15.253 - Operation within the bands 46.7-46.9 GHz and 76.0-77.0 GHz.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...-77.0 GHz is restricted to vehicle-mounted field disturbance sensors used as vehicle radar systems... operation is as a vehicle-mounted field disturbance sensor. Operation under the provisions of this section...-mounted field disturbance sensors, if the vehicle is in motion the power density of any emission within...

47 CFR 15.253 - Operation within the bands 46.7-46.9 GHz and 76.0-77.0 GHz.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...-77.0 GHz is restricted to vehicle-mounted field disturbance sensors used as vehicle radar systems... the radiating structure. (c) The power density of any emissions outside the operating band shall... GHz shall not exceed the general limits in § 15.209. (2) Radiated emissions outside the operating band...

47 CFR 27.58 - Interference to BRS/EBS receivers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... prior to commencing operations from any new WCS transmission site or with increased power from any... MISCELLANEOUS WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES Technical Standards § 27.58 Interference to BRS/EBS receivers. (a... is located within a WCS transmitter's free space power flux density contour of −34 dBW/m2; and (5...

RF Simulation of the 187 MHz CW Photo-RF Gun Cavity at LBNL

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

Huang, Tong-Ming

2008-12-01

A 187 MHz normal conducting Photo-RF gun cavity is designed for the next generation light sources. The cavity is capable of operating in CW mode. As high as 750 kV gap voltage can be achieved with a 20 MV/m acceleration gradient. The original cavity optimization is conducted using Superfish code (2D) by Staples. 104 vacuum pumping slots are added and evenly spaced over the cavity equator in order to achieve better than 10 -10-Tor of vacuum. Two loop couplers will be used to feed RF power into the cavity. 3D simulations are necessary to study effects from the vacuum pumpingmore » slots, couplers and possible multipactoring. The cavity geometry is optimized to minimize the power density and avoid multipactoring at operating field level. The vacuum slot dimensions are carefully chosen in consideration of both the vacuum conduction, local power density enhancement and the power attenuation at the getter pumps. This technical note gives a summary of 3D RF simulation results, multipactoring simulations (2D) and preliminary electromagnetic-thermal analysis using ANSYS code.« less

Development of a current collection loss management system for SDI homopolar power supplies

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

Brown, D.W.

1989-01-01

High speed, high power density current collection systems have been identified as an enabling technology required to construct homopolar power supplies to meet SDI missions. This work is part of a three-year effort directed towards the analysis, experimental verification, and prototype construction of a current collection system designed to operate continuously at 2 kA/cm{sup 2}, at a rubbing speed of 200 m/s, and with acceptable losses in a space environment. To data, no system has achieved these conditions simultaneously. This is the annual report covering the second year period of performance on DOE contract DE-AC03-86SF16518. Major areas covered include design,more » construction and operation of a cryogenically cooled brush test rig, design and construction of a high speed brush test rig, optimization study for homopolar machines, loss analysis of the current collection system, and an application study which defines the air-core homopolar construction necessary to achieve the goal of 80--90 kW/kg generator power density. 17 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Compatibility of separatrix density scaling for divertor detachment with H-mode pedestal operation in DIII-D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leonard, A. W.; McLean, A. G.; Makowski, M. A.; Stangeby, P. C.

2017-08-01

The midplane separatrix density is characterized in response to variations in upstream parallel heat flux density and central density through deuterium gas injection. The midplane density is determined from a high spatial resolution Thomson scattering diagnostic at the midplane with power balance analysis to determine the separatrix location. The heat flux density is varied by scans of three parameters, auxiliary heating, toroidal field with fixed plasma current, and plasma current with fixed safety factor, q 95. The separatrix density just before divertor detachment onset is found to scale consistent with the two-point model when radiative dissipation is taken into account. The ratio of separatrix to pedestal density, n e,sep/n e,ped varies from  ⩽30% to  ⩾60% over the dataset, helping to resolve the conflicting scaling of core plasma density limit and divertor detachment onset. The scaling of the separatrix density at detachment onset is combined with H-mode power threshold scaling to obtain a scaling ratio of minimum n e,sep/n e,ped expected in future devices.

The role of oxygen in porous molybdenum electrodes for the alkali metal thermoelectric converter

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

Williams, R.M.; Nagasubramanian, G.; Khanna, S.K.

1986-08-01

The alkali metal thermoelectric converter is a direct energy conversion device, utilizing a high alkali metal activity gradient to generate electrical power. Its operation is based on the unique ion conductive properties of beta''-alumina solid electrolyte. The major barrier to application of this device is identification of an electrode which can maintain optimum power densities for operation times of >10,000h. Thin, porous molybdenum electrodes have shown the best performance characteristics, but show a variety of time dependent phenomena, including eventual degradation to power densities 3-5 times lower than initial values. Several Na-Mo-O compounds, including Na/sub 2/MoO/sub 4/ and Na/sub 2/Mo/submore » 3/O/sub 6/, are formed during AMTEC operation. These compounds may be responsible for enhanced Na transport through Mo electrodes via sodium ion conduction, and eventual performance degradation due to their volatilization and decomposition. No decomposition of beta''-alumina has been observed under simulated AMTEC operating conditions up to 1373 K. In this paper, we present a model for chemical reactions occurring in porous molybdenum electrodes. The model is based on thermochemical and kinetic data, known sodium-molybdenum-oxygen chemistry, x-ray diffraction analysis of molybdenum and molybdenum oxide electrodes, and the electrochemical behavior of the cell.« less

Summary and Evaluation of the Strategic Defense Initiative Space Power Architecture Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

coolant as fuel) and operates at high efficiency . It was also lower in vibration and dynamic effects than the combustion turbine. The fuel cell ...achievable with development. The main question with fuel cells is — can both high power density and high efficiency be achieved simultaneously? In...energy in a flywheel, fuel cell (power an electrolyzer) or battery. High power for weapon burst is obtained by discharging the storage device over a

Heart Rate Variability Can Be Used to Estimate Sleepiness-related Decrements in Psychomotor Vigilance during Total Sleep Deprivation

PubMed Central

Chua, Eric Chern-Pin; Tan, Wen-Qi; Yeo, Sing-Chen; Lau, Pauline; Lee, Ivan; Mien, Ivan Ho; Puvanendran, Kathiravelu; Gooley, Joshua J.

2012-01-01

Study Objectives: To assess whether changes in psychomotor vigilance during sleep deprivation can be estimated using heart rate variability (HRV). Design: HRV, ocular, and electroencephalogram (EEG) measures were compared for their ability to predict lapses on the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT). Setting: Chronobiology and Sleep Laboratory, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore. Participants: Twenty-four healthy Chinese men (mean age ± SD = 25.9 ± 2.8 years). Interventions: Subjects were kept awake continuously for 40 hours under constant environmental conditions. Every 2 hours, subjects completed a 10-minute PVT to assess their ability to sustain visual attention. Measurements and Results: During each PVT, we examined the electrocardiogram (ECG), EEG, and percentage of time that the eyes were closed (PERCLOS). Similar to EEG power density and PERCLOS measures, the time course of ECG RR-interval power density in the 0.02- 0.08-Hz range correlated with the 40-hour profile of PVT lapses. Based on receiver operating characteristic curves, RR-interval power density performed as well as EEG power density at identifying a sleepiness-related increase in PVT lapses above threshold. RR-interval power density (0.02-0.08 Hz) also classified subject performance with sensitivity and specificity similar to that of PERCLOS. Conclusions: The ECG carries information about a person's vigilance state. Hence, HRV measures could potentially be used to predict when an individual is at increased risk of attentional failure. Our results suggest that HRV monitoring, either alone or in combination with other physiologic measures, could be incorporated into safety devices to warn drowsy operators when their performance is impaired. Citation: Chua ECP; Tan WQ; Yeo SC; Lau P; Lee I; Mien IH; Puvanendran K; Gooley JJ. Heart rate variability can be used to estimate sleepiness-related decrements in psychomotor vigilance during total sleep deprivation. SLEEP 2012;35(3):325-334. PMID:22379238

High Temperature Polymers for use in Fuel Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peplowski, Katherine M.

2004-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is currently working on polymers for fuel cell and lithium battery applications. The desire for more efficient, higher power density, and a lower environmental impact power sources has led to interest in proton exchanges membrane fuels cells (PEMFC) and lithium batteries. A PEMFC has many advantages as a power source. The fuel cell uses oxygen and hydrogen as reactants. The resulting products are electricity, heat, and water. The PEMFC consists of electrodes with a catalyst, and an electrolyte. The electrolyte is an ion-conducting polymer that transports protons from the anode to the cathode. Typically, a PEMFC is operated at a temperature of about 80 C. There is intense interest in developing a fuel cell membrane that can operate at higher temperatures in the range of 80 C- 120 C. Operating the he1 cell at higher temperatures increases the kinetics of the fuel cell reaction as well as decreasing the susceptibility of the catalyst to be poisoned by impurities. Currently, Nafion made by Dupont is the most widely used polymer membrane in PEMFC. Nafion does not function well above 80 C due to a significant decrease in the conductivity of the membrane from a loss of hydration. In addition to the loss of conductivity at high temperatures, the long term stability and relatively high cost of Nafion have stimulated many researches to find a substitute for Nafion. Lithium ion batteries are popular for use in portable electronic devices, such as laptop computers and mobile phones. The high power density of lithium batteries makes them ideal for the high power demand of today s advanced electronics. NASA is developing a solid polymer electrolyte that can be used for lithium batteries. Solid polymer electrolytes have many advantages over the current gel or liquid based systems that are used currently. Among these advantages are the potential for increased power density and design flexibility. Automobiles, computers, and cell phones require highly efficient power density for lowering emissions and meeting increasing consumer demands. Many of the solutions can be provided by proton exchange membrane fuel cells and lithium batteries. NASA Glenn Research Center has recognized this need, and is presently engaged in a solution. The goals for the summer include mastering synthesis techniques, understanding the reactions occurring during the synthesis, and characterizing the resulting polymer membranes using NMR, DSC, and TGA for the PEMFC and lithium batteries.

Ultracompliant Heterogeneous Copper-Tin Nanowire Arrays Making a Supersolder.

PubMed

Gong, Wei; Li, Pengfei; Zhang, Yunheng; Feng, Xuhui; Major, Joshua; DeVoto, Douglas; Paret, Paul; King, Charles; Narumanchi, Sreekant; Shen, Sheng

2018-06-13

Due to the substantial increase in power density, thermal interface resistance that can constitute more than 50% of the total thermal resistance has generally become a bottleneck for thermal management in electronics. However, conventional thermal interface materials (TIMs) such as solder, epoxy, gel, and grease cannot fulfill the requirements of electronics for high-power and long-term operation. Here, we demonstrate a high-performance TIM consisting of a heterogeneous copper-tin nanowire array, which we term "supersolder" to emulate the role of conventional solders in bonding various surfaces. The supersolder is ultracompliant with a shear modulus 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than traditional solders and can reduce the thermal resistance by two times as compared with the state-of-the-art TIMs. This supersolder also exhibits excellent long-term reliability with >1200 thermal cycles over a wide temperature range. By resolving this critical thermal bottleneck, the supersolder enables electronic systems, ranging from microelectronics and portable electronics to massive data centers, to operate at lower temperatures with higher power density and reliability.

Task Force on Energy Systems for Forward/Remote Operating Bases

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-01

military use While potentially beneficial, concerns with small wind turbines include reliability, visibility, and interference with...Power density is also sometimes used to refer to power per unit area (e.g., W/m2) of an antenna, solar panel, or cross-section of a wind turbine . A...GE Power & Water plans to implement additive manufacturing to create parts used in gas and wind turbines . Additive manufacturing techniques have

Mechanisms of anode power deposition in a low pressure free burning arc

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soulas, George C.; Myers, Roger M.

1994-01-01

Anode power deposition is a dominant power loss mechanism for arc jets and MPD thrusters. In this study, a free burning arc experiment was operated at pressures and current densities similar to those in arc jets and MPD thrusters in an attempt to identify the physics controlling this loss mechanism. Use of a free burning arc allowed for the isolation of independent variables controlling anode power deposition and provided a convenient and flexible way to cover a broad range of currents, anode surface pressures, and applied magnetic field strengths and orientations using an argon gas. Test results showed that anode power deposition decreased with increasing anode surface pressure up to 6.7 Pa (0.05 torr) and then became insensitive to pressure. Anode power increased with increasing arc current while the electron number density near the anode surface increased linearity. Anode power also increased with increasing applied magnetic field strength due to an increasing anode fall voltage. Applied magnetic field orientation had an effect only at high currents and low anode surface pressures, where anode power decreased when applied field lines intercepted the anode surface. The results demonstrated that anode power deposition was dominated by the current carrying electrons and that the anode fall voltage was the largest contributor. Furthermore, the results showed that anode power deposition can be reduced by operating at increased anode pressures, reduced arc currents, and applied magnetic field strengths and with magnetic field lines intercepting the anode.

The Stretched Lens Array (SLA): An Ultra-Light Photovoltaic Concentrator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

ONeill, Mark J.; Pisczor, Michael F.; Eskenazi, Michael I.; McDanal, A. J.; George, Patrick J.; Botke, Matthew M.; Brandhorst, Henry W.; Edwards, David L.; Jaster, Paul A.

2002-01-01

A high-performance, ultralight, photovoltaic concentrator array is being developed for space power. The stretched lens array (SLA) uses stretched-membrane, silicone Fresnel lenses to concentrate sunlight onto triple-junction photovoltaic cells. The cells are mounted to a composite radiator structure. The entire solar array wing, including lenses, photovoltaic cell flex circuits, composite panels, hinges, yoke, wiring harness, and deployment mechanisms, has a mass density of 1.6 kg/sq.m. NASA Glenn has measured 27.4% net SLA panel efficiency, or 375 W/sq.m. power density, at room temperature. At GEO operating cell temperature (80 C), this power density will be 300 W/sq.m., resulting in more than 180 W/kg specific power at the full wing level. SLA is a direct ultralight descendent of the successful SCARLET array on NASA's Deep Space 1 spacecraft. This paper describes the evolution from SCARLET to SLA, summarizes the SLA's key features, and provides performance and mass data for this new concentrator array.

Lightweight Damage Tolerant, High-Temperature Radiators for Nuclear Power and Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craven, Paul D.; SanSoucie, Michael P.

2015-01-01

NASA is increasingly emphasizing exploration to bodies beyond near-Earth orbit. New propulsion systems and new spacecraft are being built for these missions. As the target bodies get further out from Earth, high energy density systems, e.g., nuclear fusion, for propulsion and power will be advantageous. The mass and size of these systems, including supporting systems such as the heat exchange system, including thermal radiators, will need to be as small as possible. Conventional heat exchange systems are a significant portion of the total thermal management mass and size. Nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) is a promising option for high-speed, in-space travel due to the high energy density of nuclear fission power sources and efficient electric thrusters. Heat from the reactor is converted to power for use in propulsion or for system power. The heat not used in the power conversion is then radiated to space as shown in figure 1. Advanced power conversion technologies will require high operating temperatures and would benefit from lightweight radiator materials. Radiator performance dictates power output for nuclear electric propulsion systems. Pitch-based carbon fiber materials have the potential to offer significant improvements in operating temperature, thermal conductivity, and mass. These properties combine to allow significant decreases in the total mass of the radiators and significant increases in the operating temperature of the fins. A Center-funded project at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center has shown that high thermal conductivity, woven carbon fiber fins with no matrix material, can be used to dissipate waste heat from NEP systems and because of high specific power (kW/kg), will require less mass and possibly less total area than standard metal and composite radiator fins for radiating the same amount of heat. This project uses an innovative approach to reduce the mass and size required for the thermal radiators to the point that in-space NEP and power is enabled. High thermal conductivity carbon fibers are lightweight, damage tolerant, and can be heated to high temperature. Areal densities in the NASA set target range of 2 to 4 kg/m2 (for enabling NEP) are achieved and with specific powers (kW/kg) a factor of about 7 greater than conventional metal fins and about 1.5 greater than carbon composite fins. Figure 2 shows one fin under test. All tests were done under vacuum conditions.

Overcoming the black body limit in plasmonic and graphene near-field thermophotovoltaic systems.

PubMed

Ilic, Ognjen; Jablan, Marinko; Joannopoulos, John D; Celanovic, Ivan; Soljacić, Marin

2012-05-07

Near-field thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems with carefully tailored emitter-PV properties show large promise for a new temperature range (600 – 1200K) solid state energy conversion, where conventional thermoelectric (TE) devices cannot operate due to high temperatures and far-field TPV schemes suffer from low efficiency and power density. We present a detailed theoretical study of several different implementations of thermal emitters using plasmonic materials and graphene. We find that optimal improvements over the black body limit are achieved for low bandgap semiconductors and properly matched plasmonic frequencies. For a pure plasmonic emitter, theoretically predicted generated power density of 14 W/cm2 and efficiency of 36% can be achieved at 600K (hot-side), for 0.17eV bandgap (InSb). Developing insightful approximations, we argue that large plasmonic losses can, contrary to intuition, be helpful in enhancing the overall near-field transfer. We discuss and quantify the properties of an optimal near-field photovoltaic (PV) diode. In addition, we study plasmons in graphene and show that doping can be used to tune the plasmonic dispersion relation to match the PV cell bangap. In case of graphene, theoretically predicted generated power density of 6(120) W/cm2 and efficiency of 35(40)% can be achieved at 600(1200)K, for 0.17eV bandgap. With the ability to operate in intermediate temperature range, as well as high efficiency and power density, near-field TPV systems have the potential to complement conventional TE and TPV solid state heat-to-electricity conversion devices.

Low-temperature operation of a Buck DC/DC converter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ray, Biswajit; Gerber, Scott S.; Patterson, Richard L.; Myers, Ira T.

1995-01-01

Low-temperature (77 K) operation of a 42/28 V, 175 W, 50 kHz PWM Buck DC/DC converter designed with commercially available components is reported. Overall, the converter losses decreased at 77 K compared to room temperature operation. A full-load efficiency of 97 percent was recorded at liquid-nitrogen temperature, compared to 95.8 percent at room temperature. Power MOSFET operation improved significantly where as the output rectifier operation deteriorated at low-temperature. The performance of the output filter inductor and capacitor did not change significantly at 77 K compared to room temperature performance. It is possible to achieve high-density and high efficiency power conversion at low-temperatures due to improved electronic, electrical and thermal properties of materials.

Mobile electric power. Final report

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

Bloomfield, D.P.; Bloomfield, V.J.; Grosjean, P.D.

1995-12-01

The objective of this program was to develop a mobile fuel cell power supply for use by soldiers. The Century Series of 100 through 500 watt fuel cell power supplies was developed. The Century Series fuel cell power supplies are made up of a fuel cell stack, chemical hydride hydrogen supply, a fan and a controller. The FC-200, the 200 watt Century Series power supply, weighs 8.8 ib. and has a volume of 322 in.3. The operating point is 0.7 volt/cell at 125 ASF; a power density of 22.7 watts/lb. or 0.62 watts/in.3 and an energy density of 110 whr/lb.more » The prototype 750 whr hydrogen supply weighs 7 lbs. and has a volume of 193 in.3. The fuel elements weigh 0.45 lb. and require 0.79 lbs. of water. The FC-200 has powered a scooter requiring a starting current of three times the rated current of the stack. It has also powered a microclimate cooler. (KAR) P. 1.« less

Mobile electric power

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloomfield, David P.; Bloomfield, Valerie J.; Grosjean, Paul D.; Kelland, James W.

1995-02-01

The objective of this program was to develop a mobile fuel cell power supply for use by soldiers. The Century Series of 100 through 500 watt fuel cell power supplies was developed. The Century Series fuel cell power supplies are made up of a fuel cell stack, chemical hydride hydrogen supply, a fan and a controller. The FC-200, the 200 watt Century Series power supply, weighs 8.8 lb. and has a volume of 322 cu in. The operating point is 0.7 volt/cell at 125 ASF; a power density of 22.7 watts/cu in. or 0.62 watts/cu in. and an energy density of 110 whr/lb. The prototype 750 whr hydrogen supply weighs 7 lbs. and has a volume of 193 cu in. The fuel elements weigh 0.45 lb. and require 0.79 lbs. of water. The FC-200 has powered a scooter requiring a starting current of three times the rated current of the stack. It has also powered a microclimate cooler.

Electric energy production by particle thermionic-thermoelectric power generators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oettinger, P. E.

1980-01-01

Thermionic-thermoelectric power generators, composed of a thin layer of porous, low work function material separating a heated emitter electrode and a cooler collector electrode, have extremely large Seebeck coefficients of over 2 mV/K and can provide significant output power. Preliminary experiments with 20-micron thick (Ba Sr Ca)O coatings, limited by evaporative loss to temperatures below 1400 K, have yielded short circuit current densities of 500 mA/sq cm and power densities of 60 mW/ sq cm. Substantially more output is expected with cesium-coated refractory oxide particle coatings operating at higher temperatures. Practical generators will have thermal-to-electrical efficiencies of 10 to 20%. Further increases can be gained by cascading these high-temperature devices with lower temperature conventional thermoelectric generators.

Lithium Iron Phosphate Cell Performance Evaluations for Lunar Extravehicular Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, Concha

2007-01-01

Lithium-ion battery cells are being evaluated for their ability to provide primary power and energy storage for NASA s future Exploration missions. These missions include the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, the Ares Crew Launch Vehicle Upper Stage, Extravehicular Activities (EVA, the advanced space suit), the Lunar Surface Ascent Module (LSAM), and the Lunar Precursor and Robotic Program (LPRP), among others. Each of these missions will have different battery requirements. Some missions may require high specific energy and high energy density, while others may require high specific power, wide operating temperature ranges, or a combination of several of these attributes. EVA is one type of mission that presents particular challenges for today s existing power sources. The Portable Life Support System (PLSS) for the advanced Lunar surface suit will be carried on an astronaut s back during eight hour long sorties, requiring a lightweight power source. Lunar sorties are also expected to occur during varying environmental conditions, requiring a power source that can operate over a wide range of temperatures. Concepts for Lunar EVAs include a primary power source for the PLSS that can recharge rapidly. A power source that can charge quickly could enable a lighter weight system that can be recharged while an astronaut is taking a short break. Preliminary results of Al23 Ml 26650 lithium iron phosphate cell performance evaluations for an advanced Lunar surface space suit application are discussed in this paper. These cells exhibit excellent recharge rate capability, however, their specific energy and energy density is lower than typical lithium-ion cell chemistries. The cells were evaluated for their ability to provide primary power in a lightweight battery system while operating at multiple temperatures.

Electron density modulation in a pulsed dual-frequency (2/13.56 MHz) dual-antenna inductively coupled plasma discharge

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

Sirse, Nishant, E-mail: nishant.sirse@dcu.ie; Mishra, Anurag; Yeom, Geun Y.

The electron density, n{sub e}, modulation is measured experimentally using a resonance hairpin probe in a pulsed, dual-frequency (2/13.56 MHz), dual-antenna, inductively coupled plasma discharge produced in argon-C{sub 4}F{sub 8} (90–10) gas mixtures. The 2 MHz power is pulsed at a frequency of 1 kHz, whereas 13.56 MHz power is applied in continuous wave mode. The discharge is operated at a range of conditions covering 3–50 mTorr, 100–600 W 13.56 MHz power level, 300–600 W 2 MHz peak power level, and duty ratio of 10%–90%. The experimental results reveal that the quasisteady state n{sub e} is greatly affected by the 2 MHz power levels and slightly affected by 13.56 MHzmore » power levels. It is observed that the electron density increases by a factor of 2–2.5 on increasing 2 MHz power level from 300 to 600 W, whereas n{sub e} increases by only ∼20% for 13.56 MHz power levels of 100–600 W. The rise time and decay time constant of n{sub e} monotonically decrease with an increase in either 2 or 13.56 MHz power level. This effect is stronger at low values of 2 MHz power level. For all the operating conditions, it is observed that the n{sub e} overshoots at the beginning of the on-phase before relaxing to a quasisteady state value. The relative overshoot density (in percent) depends on 2 and 13.56 MHz power levels. On increasing gas pressure, the n{sub e} at first increases, reaching to a maximum value, and then decreases with a further increase in gas pressure. The decay time constant of n{sub e} increases monotonically with pressure, increasing rapidly up to 10 mTorr gas pressure and at a slower rate of rise to 50 mTorr. At a fixed 2/13.56 MHz power level and 10 mTorr gas pressure, the quasisteady state n{sub e} shows maximum for 30%–40% duty ratio and decreases with a further increase in duty ratio.« less

Cadmium recovery by coupling double microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Choi, Chansoo; Hu, Naixu; Lim, Bongsu

2014-10-01

Cr(VI)-MFC of the double microbial fuel cell (d-MFC) arrangement could successfully complement the insufficient voltage and power needed to recover cadmium metal from Cd(II)-MFC, which operated as a redox-flow battery. It was also possible to drain electrical energy from the d-MFC by an additional passage. The highest maximum utilization power density (22.5Wm(-2)) of Cr(VI)-MFC, with the cathode optimized with sulfate buffer, was 11.3times higher than the highest power density directly supplied to Cd(II)-MFC (2.0Wm(-2)). Cr(VI)-MFC could generate 3times higher power with the additional passage than without it; and the current density for the former was 4.2times higher than the latter at the same maximum power point (38.0Am(-2) vs. 9.0Am(-2)). This boosting phenomenon could be explained by the Le Chatelier's principle, which addresses the rate of electron-hole pair formation that can be accelerated by quickly removing electrons generated by microorganisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Laminar composite structures for high power actuators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hobosyan, M. A.; Martinez, P. M.; Zakhidov, A. A.; Haines, C. S.; Baughman, R. H.; Martirosyan, K. S.

2017-05-01

Twisted laminar composite structures for high power and large-stroke actuators based on coiled Multi Wall Carbon Nanotube (MWNT) composite yarns were crafted by integrating high-density Nanoenergetic Gas Generators (NGGs) into carbon nanotube sheets. The linear actuation force, resulting from the pneumatic force caused by expanding gases confined within the pores of laminar structures and twisted carbon nanotube yarns, can be further amplified by increasing NGG loading and yarns twist density, as well as selecting NGG compositions with high energy density and large-volume gas generation. Moreover, the actuation force and power can be tuned by the surrounding environment, such as to increase the actuation by combustion in ambient air. A single 300-μm-diameter integrated MWNT/NGG coiled yarn produced 0.7 MPa stress and a contractile specific work power of up to 4.7 kW/kg, while combustion front propagated along the yarn at a velocity up to 10 m/s. Such powerful yarn actuators can also be operated in a vacuum, enabling their potential use for deploying heavy loads in outer space, such as to unfold solar panels and solar sails.

Continuous-wave operation of InAsSb/InP quantum - dot lasers near 2 (mu)m at room temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Qiu, Yueming; Uhl, David; Keo, Sam

2004-01-01

InAsSb quantum-dot lasers near 2 pm were demonstrated in cw operation at room temperature with a threshold current density of below 1 kA/cm, output power of 3 mW/facet and a differential quantum efficiency of 13%.

Improved confinement in highly powered high performance scenarios on DIII-D

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

Petrie, Thomas W.; Osborne, Thomas; Fenstermacher, Max E.

DIII-D has recently demonstrated improved energy confinement by injecting neutral deuterium gas into high performance near-double null divertor (DND) plasmas during high power operation. Representative parameters for these plasmas are: q 95 = 6, P IN up to 15 MW, H 98 = 1.4–1.8, and β N = 2.5–4.0. The ion B xmore » $$\\triangledown$$B direction is away from the primary X-point. While plasma conditions at lower to moderate power input (e.g., 11 MW) are shown to be favorable to successful puff-and-pump radiating divertor applications, particularly when using argon seeds, plasma behavior at higher powers (e.g., ≥14 MW) may make successful puff-and-pump operation more problematic. In contrast to lower powered high performance plasmas, both $$\\tau$$ E and β N in the high power cases (≥14 MW) increased and ELM frequency decreased, as density was raised by deuterium gas injection. Improved performance in the higher power plasmas was tied to higher pedestal pressure, which according to peeling-ballooning mode stability analysis using the ELITE code could increase with density along the kink/peeling stability threshold, while the pedestal pressure gradient in the lower power discharges were limited by the ballooning threshold. This resulted in improved fueling efficiency and ≈10% higher $$\\tau$$ E and β N than is normally observed in comparable high performance plasmas on DIII-D. Applying the puff-and-pump radiating divertor approach at moderate versus high power input is shown to result in a much different evolution in core and pedestal plasma behavior. In conclusion, we find that injecting deuterium gas into these highly powered DND plasmas may open up a new avenue for achieving elevated plasma performance, including better fueling, but the resulting higher density may also complicate application of a radiating divertor approach to heat flux reduction in present-day tokamaks, if scenarios involving second-harmonic electron cyclotron heating are used.« less

Improved confinement in highly powered high performance scenarios on DIII-D

DOE PAGES

Petrie, Thomas W.; Osborne, Thomas; Fenstermacher, Max E.; ...

2017-06-09

DIII-D has recently demonstrated improved energy confinement by injecting neutral deuterium gas into high performance near-double null divertor (DND) plasmas during high power operation. Representative parameters for these plasmas are: q 95 = 6, P IN up to 15 MW, H 98 = 1.4–1.8, and β N = 2.5–4.0. The ion B xmore » $$\\triangledown$$B direction is away from the primary X-point. While plasma conditions at lower to moderate power input (e.g., 11 MW) are shown to be favorable to successful puff-and-pump radiating divertor applications, particularly when using argon seeds, plasma behavior at higher powers (e.g., ≥14 MW) may make successful puff-and-pump operation more problematic. In contrast to lower powered high performance plasmas, both $$\\tau$$ E and β N in the high power cases (≥14 MW) increased and ELM frequency decreased, as density was raised by deuterium gas injection. Improved performance in the higher power plasmas was tied to higher pedestal pressure, which according to peeling-ballooning mode stability analysis using the ELITE code could increase with density along the kink/peeling stability threshold, while the pedestal pressure gradient in the lower power discharges were limited by the ballooning threshold. This resulted in improved fueling efficiency and ≈10% higher $$\\tau$$ E and β N than is normally observed in comparable high performance plasmas on DIII-D. Applying the puff-and-pump radiating divertor approach at moderate versus high power input is shown to result in a much different evolution in core and pedestal plasma behavior. In conclusion, we find that injecting deuterium gas into these highly powered DND plasmas may open up a new avenue for achieving elevated plasma performance, including better fueling, but the resulting higher density may also complicate application of a radiating divertor approach to heat flux reduction in present-day tokamaks, if scenarios involving second-harmonic electron cyclotron heating are used.« less

Hydrogen storage with trilithium aluminum hexahydride

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

Nathaniel, T.A.

1998-05-14

Fuel cells have good potential to replace batteries for many applications requiring moderate, portable electric power. Applications being researched can range from cellular telephones and radios to power generators for large camps. The primary advantages of fuel cells include high power density, low temperature operation, silent operation, no poisonous exhausts, high electric efficiency, and fast start-up capability. While many commercial industries are just beginning to look at the opportunities fuel cells present, the space program has driven the development of fuel cell technology. The paper discusses the status of the fuel cell and in particular, the technology for hydrogen storagemore » for fuel cell use.« less

High-performance supercapacitors based on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Byungwoo; Chung, Haegeun; Kim, Woong

2012-04-01

We demonstrate the high performance of supercapacitors fabricated with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes such as ionic liquids and conventional organic electrolytes. Specific capacitance, maximum power and energy density of the supercapacitor measured in ionic liquid were ˜75 F g-1, ˜987 kW kg-1 and ˜27 W h kg-1, respectively. The high power performance was consistently indicated by a fast relaxation time constant of 0.2 s. In addition, electrochemical oxidation of the carbon nanotubes improved the specific capacitance (˜158 F g-1) and energy density (˜53 W h kg-1). Both high power and energy density could be attributed to the fast ion transport realized by the alignment of carbon nanotubes and the wide operational voltage defined by the ionic liquid. The demonstrated carbon-nanotube- and nonaqueous-electrolyte-based supercapacitors show great potential for the development of high-performance energy storage devices.

Electrochemical Supercapacitor Electrodes from Sponge-like Graphene Nanoarchitectures with Ultrahigh Power Density.

PubMed

Xu, Zhanwei; Li, Zhi; Holt, Chris M B; Tan, Xuehai; Wang, Huanlei; Amirkhiz, Babak Shalchi; Stephenson, Tyler; Mitlin, David

2012-10-18

We employed a microwave synthesis process of cobalt phthalocyanine molecules templated by acid-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes to create three-dimensional sponge-like graphene nanoarchitectures suited for ionic liquid-based electrochemical capacitor electrodes that operate at very high scan rates. The sequential "bottom-up" molecular synthesis and subsequent carbonization process took less than 20 min to complete. The 3D nanoarchitectures are able to deliver an energy density of 7.1 W·h kg(-1) even at an extra high power density of 48 000 W kg(-1). In addition, the ionic liquid supercapacitor based on this material works very well at room temperature due to its fully opened structures, which is ideal for the high-power energy application requiring more tolerance to temperature variation. Moreover, the structures are stable in both ionic liquids and 1 M H2SO4, retaining 90 and 98% capacitance after 10 000 cycles, respectively.

High-performance supercapacitors based on vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes.

PubMed

Kim, Byungwoo; Chung, Haegeun; Kim, Woong

2012-04-20

We demonstrate the high performance of supercapacitors fabricated with vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and nonaqueous electrolytes such as ionic liquids and conventional organic electrolytes. Specific capacitance, maximum power and energy density of the supercapacitor measured in ionic liquid were ~75 F g(-1), ~987 kW kg(-1) and ~27 W h kg(-1), respectively. The high power performance was consistently indicated by a fast relaxation time constant of 0.2 s. In addition, electrochemical oxidation of the carbon nanotubes improved the specific capacitance (~158 F g(-1)) and energy density (~53 W h kg(-1)). Both high power and energy density could be attributed to the fast ion transport realized by the alignment of carbon nanotubes and the wide operational voltage defined by the ionic liquid. The demonstrated carbon-nanotube- and nonaqueous-electrolyte-based supercapacitors show great potential for the development of high-performance energy storage devices. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd

Vapor feed direct methanol fuel cells with passive thermal-fluids management system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Zhen; Faghri, Amir

The present paper describes a novel technology that can be used to manage methanol and water in miniature direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) without the need for a complex micro-fluidics subsystem. At the core of this new technology is a unique passive fuel delivery system that allows for fuel delivery at an adjustable rate from a reservoir to the anode. Furthermore, the fuel cell is designed for both passive water management and effective carbon dioxide removal. The innovative thermal management mechanism is the key for effective operation of the fuel cell system. The vapor feed DMFC reached a power density of 16.5 mW cm -2 at current density of 60 mA cm -2. A series of fuel cell prototypes in the 0.5 W range have been successfully developed. The prototypes have demonstrated long-term stable operation, easy fuel delivery control and are scalable to larger power systems. A two-cell stack has successfully operated for 6 months with negligible degradation.

Novel packaging for CW and QCW diode laser modules for operation with high power and duty cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fassbender, Wilhelm; Lotz, Jens; Kissel, Heiko; Biesenbach, Jens

2018-02-01

Continuous wave (CW) and quasi-continuous wave (QCW) operated diode laser bars and arrays have found a wide range of industrial, medical, scientific, military and space applications with a broad variety in wavelength, pulse energy, pulse duration and beam quality. Recent applications require even higher power, duty cycles and power density. The heat loss will be dissipated by conductive cooling or liquid cooling close to the bars. We present the latest performance and reliability data of two novel high-brightness CW and QCW arrays of customized and mass-production modules, in compact and robust industry design for operation with high power and high duty cycles. All designs are based on single diode packages consisting of 10mm laser bars, soft or hard soldered between expansion matched submounts. The modular components cover a wide span of designs which differ basically in water/conduction (active/passive) cooled, single, linear (horizontal and vertical) arranged designs, as well as housed and unhoused modules. The different assembling technologies of active and passive cooled base plates affect the heat dissipation and therefore the reachable power at different QCW operating conditions, as well as the lifetime. As an example, a package consisting of 8 laser diodes, connected to a 28.8*13.5*7.0mm3 DCB (direct copper bonded) submount, passively or actively cooled is considered. This design is of particular interest for mobile applications seamless module to module building system, with an infinite number of laser bars at 1.7mm pitch. Using 940nm bars we can reach an optical output power per bar of 450W at 25°C base plate temperature with 10Hz, 1.2% duty cycle and 1.2ms pulse duration. As an additional example, micro channel coolers can be vertically stacked up to 50 diodes with a 1,15mm pitch. This design is suitable for all applications, demanding also compactness and light weight and high power density. Using near infrared bars and others, we can reach an optical output power of 250W per bar at 25°C coolant temperature at CW operation.

A flat microbial fuel cell for decentralized wastewater valorization: process performance and optimization potential.

PubMed

Peixoto, Luciana; Rodrigues, Alexandrina L; Martins, Gilberto; Nicolau, Ana; Brito, António G; Silva, M Manuela; Parpot, Pier; Nogueira, Regina

2013-01-01

A very compact flat microbial fuel cell (MFC), with 64 cm2 each for the anode surface and the cathode surface and 1 cm3 each for the anode and cathode chambers, was tested for wastewater treatment with simultaneous electricity production with the ultimate goal of implementing an autonomous service in decentralized wastewater treatment systems. The MFC was operated with municipal wastewater in sequencing batch reactor mode with re-circulation. Current densities up to 407 W/m3 and a carbon removal of 83% were obtained. Interruption in the operation slightly decreased power density, while the re-circulation ratio did not influence power generation. The anode biofilm presented high conductivity, activity and diversity. The denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis band-pattern of the DNA showed the presence of several ribotypes with different species of Shewanellaceae and Geobacteraceae families.

Benchmarking the expected stack manufacturing cost of next generation, intermediate-temperature protonic ceramic fuel cells with solid oxide fuel cell technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubois, Alexis; Ricote, Sandrine; Braun, Robert J.

2017-11-01

Recent progress in the performance of intermediate temperature (500-600 °C) protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) has demonstrated both fuel flexibility and increasing power density that approach commercial application requirements. These developments may eventually position the technology as a viable alternative to solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs). The PCFCs investigated in this work are based on a BaZr0.8Y0.2O3-δ (BZY20) thin electrolyte supported by BZY20/Ni porous anodes, and a triple conducting cathode material comprised of BaCo0.4Fe0.4Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ (BCFZY0.1). These cells are prepared using a low-cost solid-state reactive sintering (SSRS) process, and are capable of power densities of 0.156 W cm-2 at 500 °C operating directly from methane fuel. We develop a manufacturing cost model to estimate the Nth generation production costs of PCFC stack technology using high volume manufacturing processes and compare them to the state-of-the-art in SOFC technology. The low-cost cell manufacturing enabled by the SSRS technique compensates for the lower PCFC power density and the trade-off between operating temperature and efficiency enables the use of lower-cost stainless steel materials. PCFC stack production cost estimates are found to be as much as 27-37% lower at 550 °C than SOFCs operating at 800 °C.

Experimental study of ELM-like heat loading on beryllium under ITER operational conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spilker, B.; Linke, J.; Pintsuk, G.; Wirtz, M.

2016-02-01

The experimental fusion reactor ITER, currently under construction in Cadarache, France, is transferring the nuclear fusion research to the power plant scale. ITER’s first wall (FW), armoured by beryllium, is subjected to high steady state and transient power loads. Transient events like edge localized modes not only deposit power densities of up to 1.0 GW m-2 for 0.2-0.5 ms in the divertor of the machine, but also affect the FW to a considerable extent. Therefore, a detailed study was performed, in which transient power loads with absorbed power densities of up to 1.0 GW m-2 were applied by the electron beam facility JUDITH 1 on beryllium specimens at base temperatures of up to 300 °C. The induced damage was evaluated by means of scanning electron microscopy and laser profilometry. As a result, the observed damage was highly dependent on the base temperatures and absorbed power densities. In addition, five different classes of damage, ranging from ‘no damage’ to ‘crack network plus melting’, were defined and used to locate the damage, cracking, and melting thresholds within the tested parameter space.

Disruption avoidance by means of electron cyclotron waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esposito, B.; Granucci, G.; Maraschek, M.; Nowak, S.; Lazzaro, E.; Giannone, L.; Gude, A.; Igochine, V.; McDermott, R.; Poli, E.; Reich, M.; Sommer, F.; Stober, J.; Suttrop, W.; Treutterer, W.; Zohm, H.; ASDEX Upgrade, the; FTU Teams

2011-12-01

Disruptions are very challenging to ITER operation as they may cause damage to plasma facing components due to direct plasma heating, forces on structural components due to halo and eddy currents and the production of runaway electrons. Electron cyclotron (EC) waves have been demonstrated as a tool for disruption avoidance by a large set of recent experiments performed in ASDEX Upgrade and FTU using various disruption types, plasma operating scenarios and power deposition locations. The technique is based on the stabilization of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modes (mainly m/n = 2/1) through the localized injection of EC power on the resonant surface. This paper presents new results obtained in ASDEX Upgrade regarding stable operation above the Greenwald density achieved after avoidance of density limit disruptions by means of ECRH and suitable density feedback control (L-mode ohmic plasmas, Ip = 0.6 MA, Bt = 2.5 T) and NTM-driven disruptions at high-β limit delayed/avoided by means of both co-current drive (co-ECCD) and pure heating (ECRH) with power <=1.7 MW (H-mode NBI-heated plasmas, PNBI ~ 7.5 MW, Ip = 1 MA, Bt = 2.1 T, q95 ~ 3.6). The localized perpendicular injection of ECRH/ECCD onto a resonant surface leads to the delay and/or complete avoidance of disruptions. The experiments indicate the existence of a power threshold for mode stabilization to occur. An analysis of the MHD mode evolution using the generalized Rutherford equation coupled to the frequency and phase evolution equations shows that control of the modes is due to EC heating close to the resonant surface. The ECRH contribution (Δ'H term) is larger than the co-ECCD one in the initial and more important phase when the discharge is 'saved'. Future research and developments of the disruption avoidance technique are also discussed.

Nonhumidified High-Temperature Membranes Developed for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kinder, James D.

2005-01-01

Fuel cells are being considered for a wide variety of aerospace applications. One of the most versatile types of fuel cells is the proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) fuel cell. PEM fuel cells can be easily scaled to meet the power and space requirements of a specific application. For example, small 100-W PEM fuel cells are being considered for personal power for extravehicular activity suit applications, whereas larger PEM fuel cells are being designed for primary power in airplanes and in uninhabited air vehicles. Typically, PEM fuel cells operate at temperatures up to 80 C. To increase the efficiency and power density of the fuel cell system, researchers are pursuing methods to extend the operating temperature of the PEM fuel cell to 180 C. The most widely used membranes in PEM fuel cells are Nafion 112 and Nafion 117--sulfonated perfluorinated polyethers that were developed by DuPont. In addition to their relatively high cost, the properties of these membranes limit their use in a PEM fuel cell to around 80 C. The proton conductivity of Nafion membranes significantly decreases above 80 C because the membrane dehydrates. The useful operating range of Nafion-based PEM fuel cells can be extended to over 100 C if ancillary equipment, such as compressors and humidifiers, is added to maintain moisture levels within the membrane. However, the addition of these components reduces the power density and increases the complexity of the fuel cell system.

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

Zúñiga-Segundo, Arturo; Juárez-Amaro, Raúl; Aguilar-Loreto, Omar

We study the atom–field interaction when the field is in a mixture of coherent states. We show that in this case it is possible to calculate analytically the field entropy for times of the order of twice the collapse time. Such analytical results are done with the help of numerical analysis. We also give an expression in terms of Chebyshev polynomials for power of density matrices. - Highlights: • We calculate the field entropy for times of the order of twice the collapse time. • We give a relation between powers of the density matrices of the subsystems. • Entropymore » operators for both subsystems are obtained.« less

A New Hybrid Proton-Exchange-Membrane Fuel Cells-Battery Power System with Efficiencies Considered

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, Chung-Hsing; Shieh, Jenn-Jong

Hybrid systems, based on lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries and proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), give the possibility of combining the benefit of both technologies. The merits of high energy density and power density for different applications are discussed in this paper in recognition of the practical realization of such hybrid power systems. Furthermore, experimental data for such a hybrid system is described and the results are shown and discussed. The results show that the combination of lead-acid batteries or lithium-ion batteries and PEMFCs shows advantages in cases of applications with high peak power requirements, such as electric scooters and applications where the fuel cell (FC) is used as an auxiliary power-supply to recharge the battery. The high efficiency of FCs operating with a partial load results in a good fuel economy for the purpose of recharging batteries within a FC system.

Application of the monolithic solid oxide fuel cell to space power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myles, Kevin M.; Bhattacharyya, Samit K.

1991-01-01

The monolithic solid-oxide fuel cell (MSOFC) is a promising electrochemical power generation device that is currently under development at Argonne National Laboratory. The extremely high power density of the MSOFC leads to MSOFC systems that have sufficiently high energy densities that they are excellent candidates for a number of space missions. The fuel cell can also be operated in reverse, if it can be coupled to an external power source, to regenerate the fuel and oxidant from the water product. This feature further enhances the potential mission applications of the MSOFC. In this paper, the current status of the fuel cell development is presented—the focus being on fabrication and currently achievable performance. In addition, a specific example of a space power system, featuring a liquid metal cooled fast spectrum nuclear reactor and a monolithic solid oxide fuel cell, is presented to demonstrate the features of an integrated system.

Optimization of Design Parameters and Operating Conditions of Electrochemical Capacitors for High Energy and Power Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ike, Innocent S.; Sigalas, Iakovos; Iyuke, Sunny E.

2017-03-01

Theoretical expressions for performance parameters of different electrochemical capacitors (ECs) have been optimized by solving them using MATLAB scripts as well as via the MATLAB R2014a optimization toolbox. The performance of the different kinds of ECs under given conditions was compared using theoretical equations and simulations of various models based on the conditions of device components, using optimal values for the coefficient associated with the battery-kind material ( K BMopt) and the constant associated with the electrolyte material ( K Eopt), as well as our symmetric electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC) experimental data. Estimation of performance parameters was possible based on values for the mass ratio of electrodes, operating potential range ratio, and specific capacitance of electrolyte. The performance of asymmetric ECs with suitable electrode mass and operating potential range ratios using aqueous or organic electrolyte at appropriate operating potential range and specific capacitance was 2.2 and 5.56 times greater, respectively, than for the symmetric EDLC and asymmetric EC using the same aqueous electrolyte, respectively. This enhancement was accompanied by reduced cell mass and volume. Also, the storable and deliverable energies of the asymmetric EC with suitable electrode mass and operating potential range ratios using the proper organic electrolyte were 12.9 times greater than those of the symmetric EDLC using aqueous electrolyte, again with reduced cell mass and volume. The storable energy, energy density, and power density of the asymmetric EDLC with suitable electrode mass and operating potential range ratios using the proper organic electrolyte were 5.56 times higher than for a similar symmetric EDLC using aqueous electrolyte, with cell mass and volume reduced by a factor of 1.77. Also, the asymmetric EDLC with the same type of electrode and suitable electrode mass ratio, working potential range ratio, and proper organic electrolyte showed enhanced performance compared with the conventional symmetric EDLC using aqueous electrolyte, with reduced cell mass and volume. These results can obviously reduce the number of experiments required to determine the optimum manufacturing design for ECs and also demonstrate that use of an asymmetric electrode and organic electrolyte was very successful for improving the performance of the EC, with reduced cell mass and volume. These results can also act as guidelines for design, fabrication, and operation of electrochemical capacitors with outstanding storable energy, energy density, and power density.

Hybrid Power Management-Based Vehicle Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eichenberg, Dennis J.

2011-01-01

Hybrid Power Management (HPM) is the integration of diverse, state-of-the-art power devices in an optimal configuration for space and terrestrial applications (s ee figure). The appropriate application and control of the various power devices significantly improves overall system performance and efficiency. The basic vehicle architecture consists of a primary power source, and possibly other power sources, that provides all power to a common energy storage system that is used to power the drive motors and vehicle accessory systems. This architecture also provides power as an emergency power system. Each component is independent, permitting it to be optimized for its intended purpose. The key element of HPM is the energy storage system. All generated power is sent to the energy storage system, and all loads derive their power from that system. This can significantly reduce the power requirement of the primary power source, while increasing the vehicle reliability. Ultracapacitors are ideal for an HPM-based energy storage system due to their exceptionally long cycle life, high reliability, high efficiency, high power density, and excellent low-temperature performance. Multiple power sources and multiple loads are easily incorporated into an HPM-based vehicle. A gas turbine is a good primary power source because of its high efficiency, high power density, long life, high reliability, and ability to operate on a wide range of fuels. An HPM controller maintains optimal control over each vehicle component. This flexible operating system can be applied to all vehicles to considerably improve vehicle efficiency, reliability, safety, security, and performance. The HPM-based vehicle architecture has many advantages over conventional vehicle architectures. Ultracapacitors have a much longer cycle life than batteries, which greatly improves system reliability, reduces life-of-system costs, and reduces environmental impact as ultracapacitors will probably never need to be replaced and disposed of. The environmentally safe ultracapacitor components reduce disposal concerns, and their recyclable nature reduces the environmental impact. High ultracapacitor power density provides high power during surges, and the ability to absorb high power during recharging. Ultracapacitors are extremely efficient in capturing recharging energy, are rugged, reliable, maintenance-free, have excellent lowtemperature characteristic, provide consistent performance over time, and promote safety as they can be left indefinitely in a safe, discharged state whereas batteries cannot.

High-power and highly reliable 638-nm band BA-LD for CW operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishida, Takehiro; Kuramoto, Kyosuke; Abe, Shinji; Kusunoki, Masatsugu; Miyashita, Motoharu; Yagi, Tetsuya

2018-02-01

High-power laser diodes (LDs) are strongly demanded as light sources of display applications. In multiple spatial light modulator-type projectors or liquid crystal displays, the light source LDs are operated under CW condition. The high-power 638-nm band broad-area LD for CW operation was newly developed. The LD consisted of two stripes with each width of 75 μm to reduce both an optical power density at a front facet and a threshold current. The newly improved epitaxial technology was also applied to the LD to suppress an electron overflow from an active layer. The LD showed superior output characteristics, such as output of 1.77 W at case temperature of 55 °C with wall plug efficiency (WPE) of 23%, which was improved by 40% compared with the current product. The peak WPE at 25 °C reached 40.6% under the output power of 2.37 W, CW, world highest.

Delayed Neutrons Effect on Power Reactor with Variation of Fluid Fuel Velocity at MSR Fuji-12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuncoro Aji, Indarta; Pramuditya, Syeilendra; Novitrian; Irwanto, Dwi; Waris, Abdul

2017-01-01

As the nuclear reactor operate with liquid fuel, controlling velocity of the fuel flow on the Molten salt reactor very influence on the neutron kinetics in that reactor system. The effect of the pace fuel changes to the populations number of neutrons and power density on vertical direction (1 dimension) from the first until fifth year reactor operating had been analyzed on this research. This research had been conducted on MSR Fuji-12 with a two meters core high, and LiF-BeF2-ThF4-233UF4 as fuel composition respectively 71.78%-16%-11.86%-0.36%. Data of reactivity, neutron flux, and the macroscopic fission cross section obtained from ouput of SRAC (neutronic calculation code has been developed by JAEA, with JENDL-4.0 as data library on the SRAC calculation) was being used for the calculation process of this research. The calculation process of this research had been performed numerically by SOR (successive over relaxation) and finite difference methode, as well as using C programing language. From the calculation, regarding to the value of power density resulting from delayed neutrons, concluded that 20 m/s is the optimum fuel flow velocity in all the years reactor had operated. Where the increases number of power are inversely proportional with the fuel flow speed.

Twenty Years of Research on the Alcator C-Mod Tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenwald, Martin

2013-10-01

Alcator C-Mod is a compact, high-field tokamak, whose unique design and operating parameters have produced a wealth of new and important results since its start in 1993, contributing data that extended tests of critical physical models into new parameter ranges and into new regimes. Using only RF for heating and current drive with innovative launching structures, C-Mod operates routinely at very high power densities. Research highlights include direct experimental observation of ICRF mode-conversion, ICRF flow drive, demonstration of Lower-Hybrid current drive at ITER-like densities and fields and, using a set of powerful new diagnostics, extensive validation of advanced RF codes. C-Mod spearheaded the development of the vertical-target divertor and has always operated with high-Z metal plasma facing components--an approach adopted for ITER. C-Mod has made ground-breaking discoveries in divertor physics and plasma-material interactions at reactor-like power and particle fluxes and elucidated the critical role of cross-field transport in divertor operation, edge flows and the tokamak density limit. C-Mod developed the I-mode and EDA H-mode regimes which have high performance without large ELMs and with pedestal transport self-regulated by short-wavelength electromagnetic waves. C-Mod has carried out pioneering studies of intrinsic rotation and found that self-generated flow shear can be strong enough to significantly modify transport. C-Mod made the first quantitative link between pedestal temperature and H-mode performance, showing that the observed self-similar temperature profiles were consistent with critical-gradient-length theories and followed up with quantitative tests of nonlinear gyrokinetic models. Disruption studies on C-Mod provided the first observation of non-axisymmetric halo currents and non-axisymmetric radiation in mitigated disruptions. Work supported by U.S. DoE

Recent advances in solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell technology with low platinum loading electrodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srinivasan, Supramaniam; Manko, David J.; Enayatullah, Mohammad; Appleby, A. John

1989-01-01

High power density fuel cell systems for defense and civilian applications are being developed. Taking into consideration the main causes for efficiency losses (activation, mass transport and ohmic overpotentials) the only fuel cell systems capable of achieving high power densities are the ones with alkaline and solid polymer electrolyte. High power densities (0.8 W/sq cm at 0.8 V and 1 A/sq cm with H2 and O2 as reactants), were already used in NASA's Apollo and Space Shuttle flights as auxiliary power sources. Even higher power densities (4 W/sq cm - i.e., 8 A sq cm at 0.5 V) were reported by the USAF/International Fuel Cells in advanced versions of the alkaline system. High power densities (approximately 1 watt/sq cm) in solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells with ten times lower platinum loading in the electrodes (i.e., 0.4 mg/sq cm) were attained. It is now possible to reach a cell potential of 0.620 V at a current density of 2 A/sq cm and at a temperature of 95 C and pressure of 4/5 atm with H2/O2 as reactants. The slope of the linear region of the potential-current density plot for this case is 0.15 ohm-sq cm. With H2/air as reactants and under the same operating conditions, mass transport limitations are encountered at current densities above 1.4 A/sq cm. Thus, the cell potential at 1 A/sq cm with H2/air as reactants is less than that with H2/O2 as reactants by 40 mV, which is the expected value based on electrode kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction, and at 2 A/sq cm with H2/air as reactant is less than the corresponding value with H2/O2 as reactants by 250 mV, which is due to the considerably greater mass transport limitations in the former case.

Control of particle and power exhaust in pellet fuelled ITER DT scenarios employing integrated models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiesen, S.; Köchl, F.; Belo, P.; Kotov, V.; Loarte, A.; Parail, V.; Corrigan, G.; Garzotti, L.; Harting, D.

2017-07-01

The integrated model JINTRAC is employed to assess the dynamic density evolution of the ITER baseline scenario when fuelled by discrete pellets. The consequences on the core confinement properties, α-particle heating due to fusion and the effect on the ITER divertor operation, taking into account the material limitations on the target heat loads, are discussed within the integrated model. Using the model one can observe that stable but cyclical operational regimes can be achieved for a pellet-fuelled ITER ELMy H-mode scenario with Q  =  10 maintaining partially detached conditions in the divertor. It is shown that the level of divertor detachment is inversely correlated with the core plasma density due to α-particle heating, and thus depends on the density evolution cycle imposed by pellet ablations. The power crossing the separatrix to be dissipated depends on the enhancement of the transport in the pedestal region being linked with the pressure gradient evolution after pellet injection. The fuelling efficacy of the deposited pellet material is strongly dependent on the E  ×  B plasmoid drift. It is concluded that integrated models like JINTRAC, if validated and supported by realistic physics constraints, may help to establish suitable control schemes of particle and power exhaust in burning ITER DT-plasma scenarios.

Design of Iron(II) Phthalocyanine-Derived Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts for High-Power-Density Microbial Fuel Cells.

PubMed

Santoro, Carlo; Gokhale, Rohan; Mecheri, Barbara; D'Epifanio, Alessandra; Licoccia, Silvia; Serov, Alexey; Artyushkova, Kateryna; Atanassov, Plamen

2017-08-24

Iron(II) phthalocyanine (FePc) deposited onto two different carbonaceous supports was synthesized through an unconventional pyrolysis-free method. The obtained materials were studied in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in neutral media through incorporation in an air-breathing cathode structure and tested in an operating microbial fuel cell (MFC) configuration. Rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) analysis revealed high performances of the Fe-based catalysts compared with that of activated carbon (AC). The FePc supported on Black-Pearl carbon black [Fe-BP(N)] exhibits the highest performance in terms of its more positive onset potential, positive shift of the half-wave potential, and higher limiting current as well as the highest power density in the operating MFC of (243±7) μW cm -2 , which was 33 % higher than that of FePc supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (Fe-CNT(N); 182±5 μW cm -2 ). The power density generated by Fe-BP(N) was 92 % higher than that of the MFC utilizing AC; therefore, the utilization of platinum group metal-free catalysts can boost the performances of MFCs significantly. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Optimization of hydrostatic pressure at varied sonication conditions--power density, intensity, very low frequency--for isothermal ultrasonic sludge treatment.

PubMed

Delmas, Henri; Le, Ngoc Tuan; Barthe, Laurie; Julcour-Lebigue, Carine

2015-07-01

This work aims at investigating for the first time the key sonication (US) parameters: power density (DUS), intensity (IUS), and frequency (FS) - down to audible range, under varied hydrostatic pressure (Ph) and low temperature isothermal conditions (to avoid any thermal effect). The selected application was activated sludge disintegration, a major industrial US process. For a rational approach all comparisons were made at same specific energy input (ES, US energy per solid weight) which is also the relevant economic criterion. The decoupling of power density and intensity was obtained by either changing the sludge volume or most often by changing probe diameter, all other characteristics being unchanged. Comprehensive results were obtained by varying the hydrostatic pressure at given power density and intensity. In all cases marked maxima of sludge disintegration appeared at optimum pressures, which values increased at increasing power intensity and density. Such optimum was expected due to opposite effects of increasing hydrostatic pressure: higher cavitation threshold then smaller and fewer bubbles, but higher temperature and pressure at the end of collapse. In addition the first attempt to lower US frequency down to audible range was very successful: at any operation condition (DUS, IUS, Ph, sludge concentration and type) higher sludge disintegration was obtained at 12 kHz than at 20 kHz. The same values of optimum pressure were observed at 12 and 20 kHz. At same energy consumption the best conditions - obtained at 12 kHz, maximum power density 720 W/L and 3.25 bar - provided about 100% improvement with respect to usual conditions (1 bar, 20 kHz). Important energy savings and equipment size reduction may then be expected. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling of laser cladding with application to fuel cell manufacturing.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-01-01

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells have many advantages such as compactness, : lightweight, high power density, low temperature operation and near zero emissions. Although : many research organizations have intensified their efforts toward...

Photothermal effect of infrared lasers on ex vivo lamb brain tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özgürün, Baturay; Gülsoy, Murat

2018-02-01

Here, the most suitable infrared laser for a neurosurgery operation is suggested, among 1940-nm thulium fiber, 1470-nm diode, 1070-nm ytterbium fiber and 980-nm diode lasers. Cortical and subcortical ex-vivo lamb brain tissues are exposed to the laser light with the combinations of some laser parameters such as output power, energy density, operation mode (continuous and pulsed-modulated) and operation time. In this way, the greatest ablation efficiency associated with the best neurosurgical laser type can be defined. The research can be divided into two parts; pre-dosimetry and dosimetry studies. The former is used to determine safe operation zones for the dosimetry study by defining coagulation and carbonization onset times for each of the brain tissues. The latter is the main part of this research, and both tissues are exposed to laser irradiation with various energy density levels associated with the output power and operation time. In addition, photo-thermal effects are compared for two laser operation modes, and then coagulation and ablation diameters to calculate the ablation efficiency are measured under a light microscope. Consequently, results are compared graphically and statistically, and it is found that thulium and 1470-nm diode lasers can be utilized as subcortical and cortical tissue ablator devices, respectively.

77 FR 68196 - Orders Limiting Operations at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-15

... to an extratropical storm that caused widespread power outages, severe flooding, and severe... storm. FAA Analysis Under the FAA's High Density Rule at DCA and Orders limiting operations at LGA, JFK... area or northeastern U.S. affected by the storm. These circumstances may have created a unique hardship...

All-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitors based on Fe-doped mesoporous Co3O4 and three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide electrodes with high energy and power densities.

PubMed

Zhang, Cheng; Wei, Jun; Chen, Leiyi; Tang, Shaolong; Deng, Mingsen; Du, Youwei

2017-10-19

An asymmetric supercapacitor offers opportunities to effectively utilize the full potential of the different potential windows of the two electrodes for a higher operating voltage, resulting in an enhanced specific capacitance and significantly improved energy without sacrificing the power delivery and cycle life. To achieve high energy and power densities, we have synthesized an all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor with a wider voltage range using Fe-doped Co 3 O 4 and three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide (3DrGO) as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively. In contrast to undoped Co 3 O 4 , the increased density of states and modified charge spatial separation endow the Fe-doped Co 3 O 4 electrode with greatly improved electrochemical capacitive performance, including high specific capacitance (1997 F g -1 and 1757 F g -1 at current densities of 1 and 20 A g -1 , respectively), excellent rate capability, and superior cycling stability. Remarkably, the optimized all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor can be cycled reversibly in a wide range of 0-1.8 V, thus delivering a high energy density (270.3 W h kg -1 ), high power density (9.0 kW kg -1 at 224.2 W h kg -1 ), and excellent cycling stability (91.8% capacitance retention after 10 000 charge-discharge cycles at a constant current density of 10 A g -1 ). The superior capacitive performance suggests that such an all-solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor shows great potential for developing energy storage systems with high levels of energy and power delivery.

Piezohydraulic Pump Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lynch, Christopher S.

2005-01-01

Reciprocating piston piezohydraulic pumps were developed originally under the Smart Wing Phase II program (Lynch) and later under the CHAP program (CSA, Kinetic Ceramics). These pumps focused on 10 cm scale stack actuators operating below resonance and, more recently, at resonance. A survey of commercially available linear actuators indicates that obtaining power density and specific power greater than electromagnetic linear actuators requires driving the stacks at frequencies greater than 1 KHz at high fields. In the case of 10 cm scale actuators the power supply signal conditioning becomes large and heavy and the soft PZT stack actuators generate a lot of heat due to internal losses. Reciprocation frequencies can be increased and material losses significantly decreased through use of millimeter scale single crystal stack actuators. We are presently targeting the design of pumps that utilize stacks at the 1-10 mm length scale and run at reciprocating frequencies of 20kHz or greater. This offers significant advantages over current approaches including eliminating audible noise and significantly increasing the power density and specific power of the system (including electronics). The pump currently under development will comprise an LC resonant drive of a resonant crystal and head mass operating against a resonant fluid column. Each of these resonant systems are high Q and together should produce a single high Q second order system.

Simulation Study of Single-Event Burnout in Power Trench ACCUFETs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Cheng-Hao; Wang, Ying; Fei, Xin-Xing; Cao, Fei

2016-10-01

This paper presents 2-D numerical simulation results of single-event burnout (SEB) in power trench accumulation mode field effect transistor (ACCUFET) for the first time. In this device, a p+ base region is used to deplete the n- base region to achieve a low leakage current density, and the blocking voltage is supported by the n- drift region. We find that the depth of the p+ base region determines both the leakage current density and SEB performance, as a result, there is a tradeoff relationship between the two characteristics. The 60 V hardened power ACCUFET shown in this paper could demonstrate much better SEB performance without sacrificing the current handling capability compared with the standard UMOSFET. The hardened structure mentioned in this paper indicates that an n buffer layer is added between the epitaxial layer and substrate layer based on a basic power device. As a result, the safe operating area (SOA) of the 60 V, 80 V and 100 V hardened ACCUFET discussed in this paper could reach the value of breakdown voltage when the buffer layer is over a certain value, that can realize safety operation throughout entire LET range.

Biofuel cell operating on activated THP-1 cells: A fuel and substrate study.

PubMed

Javor, Kristina; Tisserant, Jean-Nicolas; Stemmer, Andreas

2017-01-15

It is known that electrochemical energy can be harvested from mammalian cells, more specifically from white blood cells (WBC). This study focuses on an improved biofuel cell operating on phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) activated THP-1 human monocytic cells. Electrochemical investigation showed strong evidence pointing towards hydrogen peroxide being the primary current source, confirming that the current originates from NADPH oxidase activity. Moreover, an adequate substrate for differentiation and activation of THP-1 cells was examined. ITO, gold, platinum and glass were tested and the amount of superoxide anion produced by NADPH oxidase was measured by spectrophotometry through WST-1 reduction at 450nm and used as an indicator of cellular activity and viability. These substrates were subsequently used in a conventional two-compartment biofuel cell where the power density output was recorded. The material showing the highest cell activity compared to the reference cell culture plate and the highest power output was ITO. Under our experimental conditions, a power density of 4.5μW/cm 2 was reached. To the best of our knowledge, this is a threefold higher power output than other leukocyte biofuel cells. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new multipurpose CO2 laser therapy instrument.

PubMed

Peng, X

1995-02-01

A new multipurpose CO2 laser therapy instrument has been developed. It is a highly efficient medical instrument. By use of high laser power density to coagulate, evaporate, and cut body tissue on the nidus, the operation can be controlled and has obvious curative effects. Unlike other kinds of CO2 laser therapy instruments, this device has an advanced switching power supply (SPS) and red guiding light system. With an overcurrent protective device, an overvoltage protective device, and a high-voltage shield device, it provides efficiency, stability, reliability, and low loss. The plastic casing does not leak electricity and the film switches are designed for clinical practice convenience. Additionally, the laser power is numerically displayed and can be set prior to the procedure. The distinct visible guiding light of the laser output makes the operation more convenient and accurate. Because of this unique design and properties, it is a leading model in China. The instrument can be widely used for surgery, gynecology, dermatology, and otolaryngology. The radiation therapy of low laser power density has the effect of being antiinflamatory, analgesic, and antipruritic, and promotes cure of the epithelium. Moreover, it is effective to treat all sorts of sprains, scapulohumeral periarthritis, arthritis, sciatica, and surface ulcers.

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

McKegg, A.

On February 6, 1987, Westinghouse Industry Services Queensland and Integrated Power Corporation (IPC) of Rockville, Maryland began their joint effort to design, build and install a hybrid photovoltaic/diesel power generation station. Installation began on June 1, 1987 and the system was operational on October 30, 1987. The system combines the quality, reliability and low operating costs of photovoltaics with the lower capital cost, high energy density and high efficiency at full load of diesel generators. The performance of the Coconut Island power system has been an unquestioned success. Power availability has exceeded 99 percent, a level comparable with local utilities.more » Energy capacity has not only met projections, but the system's flexibility has allowed energy output to be increased 40 percent beyond design level to accommodate the Islanders' enthusiastic demand for power. The power describes the design, performance, installation, and acceptance of the hybrid system. A table lists technical applications.« less

Implementation and Initial Validation of a 100-Kilowatt Class Nested-Channel Hall Thruster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Scott J.; Florenz, Roland E.; Gallimore, Alec D.; Kamhawi, Hani; Brown, Daniel L.; Polk, James E.; Goebel, Dan; Hofer, Richard R.

2014-01-01

The X3 is a 100-kilowatt class nested-channel Hall thruster developed by the Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Laboratory at the University of Michigan in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA. The cathode, magnetic circuit, boron nitride channel rings, and anodes all required specific design considerations during thruster development, and thermal modeling was used to properly account for thermal growth in material selection and component design. A number of facility upgrades were required at the University of Michigan to facilitate operation of the X3. These upgrades included a re-worked propellant feed system, a completely redesigned power and telemetry break-out box, and numerous updates to thruster handling equipment. The X3 was tested on xenon propellant at two current densities, 37% and 73% of the nominal design value. It was operated to a maximum steady-state discharge power of 60.8 kilowatts. The tests presented here served as an initial validation of thruster operation. Thruster behavior was monitored with telemetry, photography and high-speed current probes. The photography showed a uniform plume throughout testing. At constant current density, reductions in mass flow rate of 18% and 26% were observed in the three-channel operating configuration as compared to the superposition of each channel running individually. The high-speed current probes showed that the thruster was stable at all operating points and that the channels influence each other when more than one is operating simultaneously. Additionally, the ratio of peak-to-peak AC-coupled discharge current oscillations to mean discharge current did not exceed 51% for any operating points reported here, and did not exceed 17% at the higher current density.

Power flattening on modified CANDLE small long life gas-cooled fast reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monado, Fiber; Su'ud, Zaki; Waris, Abdul; Basar, Khairul; Ariani, Menik; Sekimoto, Hiroshi

2014-09-01

Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) is one of the candidates of next generation Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) that expected to be operated commercially after 2030. In this research conceptual design study of long life 350 MWt GFR with natural uranium metallic fuel as fuel cycle input has been performed. Modified CANDLE burn-up strategy with first and second regions located near the last region (type B) has been applied. This reactor can be operated for 10 years without refuelling and fuel shuffling. Power peaking reduction is conducted by arranging the core radial direction into three regions with respectively uses fuel volume fraction 62.5%, 64% and 67.5%. The average power density in the modified core is about 82 Watt/cc and the power peaking factor decreased from 4.03 to 3.43.

Tokamak power reactor ignition and time dependent fractional power operation

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

Vold, E.L.; Mau, T.K.; Conn, R.W.

1986-06-01

A flexible time-dependent and zero-dimensional plasma burn code with radial profiles was developed and employed to study the fractional power operation and the thermal burn control options for an INTOR-sized tokamak reactor. The code includes alpha thermalization and a time-dependent transport loss which can be represented by any one of several currently popular scaling laws for energy confinement time. Ignition parameters were found to vary widely in density-temperature (n-T) space for the range of scaling laws examined. Critical ignition issues were found to include the extent of confinement time degradation by alpha heating, the ratio of ion to electron transportmore » power loss, and effect of auxiliary heating on confinement. Feedback control of the auxiliary power and ion fuel sources are shown to provide thermal stability near the ignition curve.« less

Fuel Cells for Space Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, Kenneth A.

2003-01-01

Fuel cell technology has been receiving more attention recently as a possible alternative to the internal combustion engine for our automobile. Improvements in fuel cell designs as well as improvements in lightweight high-pressure gas storage tank technology make fuel cell technology worth a look to see if fuel cells can play a more expanded role in space missions. This study looks at the specific weight density and specific volume density of potential fuel cell systems as an alternative to primary and secondary batteries that have traditionally been used for space missions. This preliminary study indicates that fuel cell systems have the potential for energy densities of greater than 500 W-hr/kg, greater than 500W/kg and greater than 400 W-hr/liter, greater than 200 W/liter. This level of performance makes fuel cells attractive as high-power density, high-energy density sources for space science probes, planetary rovers and other payloads. The power requirements for these space missions are, in general, much lower than the power levels where fuel cells have been used in the past. Adaptation of fuel cells for space science missions will require down-sizing the fuel cell stack and making the fuel cell operate without significant amounts of ancillary equipment.

High Packing Density Unidirectional Arrays of Vertically Aligned Graphene with Enhanced Areal Capacitance for High-Power Micro-Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Zheng, Shuanghao; Li, Zhilin; Wu, Zhong-Shuai; Dong, Yanfeng; Zhou, Feng; Wang, Sen; Fu, Qiang; Sun, Chenglin; Guo, Liwei; Bao, Xinhe

2017-04-25

Interfacial integration of a shape-engineered electrode with a strongly bonded current collector is the key for minimizing both ionic and electronic resistance and then developing high-power supercapacitors. Herein, we demonstrated the construction of high-power micro-supercapacitors (VG-MSCs) based on high-density unidirectional arrays of vertically aligned graphene (VG) nanosheets, derived from a thermally decomposed SiC substrate. The as-grown VG arrays showed a standing basal plane orientation grown on a (0001̅) SiC substrate, tailored thickness (3.5-28 μm), high-density structurally ordering alignment of graphene consisting of 1-5 layers, vertically oriented edges, open intersheet channels, high electrical conductivity (192 S cm -1 ), and strong bonding of the VG edges to the SiC substrate. As a result, the demonstrated VG-MSCs displayed a high areal capacitance of ∼7.3 mF cm -2 and a fast frequency response with a short time constant of 9 ms. Furthermore, VG-MSCs in both an aqueous polymer gel electrolyte and nonaqueous ionic liquid of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate operated well at high scan rates of up to 200 V s -1 . More importantly, VG-MSCs offered a high power density of ∼15 W cm -3 in gel electrolyte and ∼61 W cm -3 in ionic liquid. Therefore, this strategy of producing high-density unidirectional VG nanosheets directly bonded on a SiC current collector demonstrated the feasibility of manufacturing high-power compact supercapacitors.

Characterization of wind power resource and its intermittency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunturu, U. B.; Schlosser, C. A.

2011-12-01

Wind resource in the continental and offshore United States has been calculated and characterized using metrics that describe - apart from abundance - its availability, persistence and intermittency. The Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) boundary layer flux data has been used to construct wind power density profiles at 50, 80, 100 and 120 m turbine hub heights. The wind power density estimates at 50 m are qualitatively similar to those in the US wind atlas developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), but quantitatively a class less in some regions, but are within the limits of uncertainty. We also show that for long tailed distributions like those of the wind power density, the mean is an overestimation and median is a more robust metric for summary representation of wind power resource.Generally speaking, the largest and most available wind power density resources are found in off-shore regions of the Atlantic and Pacific coastline, and the largest on-shore resource potential lies in the central United States. However, the intermittency and widespread synchronicity of on-shore wind power density are substantial, and highlights areas where considerable back-up generation technologies will be required. Generation-duration curves are also presented for the independent systems operator (ISO) zones of the U.S. to highlight the regions with the largest capacity factor (MISO, ERCOT, and SWPP) as well as the periods and extent to which all ISOs contain no wind power and the potential benefits of aggregation on wind power intermittency in each region. The impact of raising the wind turbine hub height on metrics of abundance, persistence, variability and intermittency is analyzed. There is a general increase in availability and abundance of wind resource but there is also an increase in intermittency with respect to a 'usable wind power' crossing level in low resource regions. A similar perspective of wind resource for other regions of the world such as, Europe, India and China is also summarized and notable features highlighted.

Plasma density behavior with new graphite limiters in the Hefei Tokamak-7

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

Asif, M.; Gao, X.; Li, J.

A new set of actively cooled toroidal double-ring graphite limiters has been developed in the Hefei Tokamak-7 (HT-7) [X. Gao et al., Phys. Plasmas 7, 2933 (2000)] for long pulse operation. The extension of operational region and density behavior with graphite (C) limiters have been studied in this paper. Extended high-density region at the high plasma current low-q{sub a} was obtained. The density profile with the C limiter was studied to compare with the previous molybdenum (Mo) limiter. The critical density of multifaceted asymmetric radiation from the edge (MARFE) onset is observed in the region of Z{sub eff}{sup 1/2}f{sub GW}=0.9{approx}1.2,more » where f{sub GW}=n{sub e}/n{sub GW}. (Here n{sub e} is the maximum line average electron density and n{sub GW} is the Greenwald density.) Under the same injected power, the critical density of MARFE onset with the new C limiter is much higher than the previous Mo limiter.« less

A miniature microbial fuel cell operating with an aerobic anode chamber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ringeisen, Bradley R.; Ray, Ricky; Little, Brenda

A miniature microbial fuel cell (mini-MFC) is described that utilizes an aerobic culture of Shewanella oneidensis DSP10 as the active electrochemical species in the anode chamber. We find that the maximum aerobic mini-MFC power without the addition of exogenous mediators was 0.40 mW, a 33% decrease when compared with an anaerobic DSP10 culture (0.6 mW) operating in the mini-MFC. This decrease is most likely due to the presence of dissolved oxygen in the anode chamber that scavenges electrons to form water, thereby reducing the number of electrons donated to the anode. Aerobic power and current density at maximum power using the true surface area of the anode (611 cm 2) were calculated to be 6.5 mW m -2 and 13 mA m -2. The power density rises to 2.0 W m -2 and 330 W m -3 when calculated using the cross-sectional area and volume of the device (2 cm 2, 1.2 cm 3). The Coulombic efficiency was also reduced from 11 to 5% when using the aerobic versus anaerobic culture. Similar results were found when the external mediator anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS) was added to the aerobic culture, resulting in a maximum power of 0.54 mW, a 37% drop in power when compared to the anaerobic mediated system.

Density Convection near Radiating ICRF Antennas and its Effect on the Coupling of Lower Hybrid Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekedahl, A.; Colas, L.; Mayoral, M.-L.; Beaumont, B.; Bibet, Ph.; Brémond, S.; Kazarian, F.; Mailloux, J.; Noterdaeme, J.-M.; Efda-Jet Contributors

2003-12-01

Combined operation of Lower Hybrid (LH) and Ion Cyclotron Resonance Frequency (ICRF) waves can result in a degradation of the LH wave coupling, as observed both in the Tore Supra and JET tokamaks. The reflection coefficient on the part of the LH launcher magnetically connected to the powered ICRF antenna increases, suggesting a local decrease in the electron density in the connecting flux tubes. This has been confirmed by Langmuir probe measurements on the LH launchers in the latest Tore Supra experiments. Moreover, recent experiments in JET indicate that the LH coupling degradation depends on the ICRF power and its launched k//-spectrum. The 2D density distribution around the Tore Supra ICRF antennas has been modelled with the CELLS-code, balancing parallel losses with diffusive transport and sheath induced E×B convection, obtained from RF field mapping using the ICANT-code. The calculations are in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations, i.e. density depletion is obtained, localised mainly in the antenna shadow, and dependent on ICRF power and antenna spectrum.

A novel pilot-scale stacked microbial fuel cell for efficient electricity generation and wastewater treatment.

PubMed

Wu, Shijia; Li, Hui; Zhou, Xuechen; Liang, Peng; Zhang, Xiaoyuan; Jiang, Yong; Huang, Xia

2016-07-01

A novel stacked microbial fuel cell (MFC) which had a total volume of 72 L with granular activated carbon (GAC) packed bed electrodes was constructed and verified to present remarkable power generation and COD removal performance due to its advantageous design of stack and electrode configuration. During the fed-batch operation period, a power density of 50.9 ± 1.7 W/m(3) and a COD removal efficiency of 97% were achieved within 48 h. Because of the differences among MFC modules in the stack, reversal current occurred in parallel circuit connection with high external resistances (>100 Ω). This reversal current consequently reduced the electrochemical performance of some MFC modules and led to a lower power density in parallel circuit connection than that in independent circuit connection. While increasing the influent COD concentrations from 200 to 800 mg/L at hydraulic retention time of 1.25 h in continuous operation mode, the power density of stacked MFC increased from 25.6 ± 2.5 to 42.1 ± 1.2 W/m(3) and the COD removal rates increased from 1.3 to 5.2 kg COD/(m(3) d). This study demonstrated that this novel MFC stack configuration coupling with GAC packed bed electrode could be a feasible strategy to effectively scale up MFC systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increased heat dissipation with the X-divertor geometry facilitating detachment onset at lower density in DIII-D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Covele, B.; Kotschenreuther, M.; Mahajan, S.; Valanju, P.; Leonard, A.; Watkins, J.; Makowski, M.; Fenstermacher, M.; Si, H.

2017-08-01

The X-divertor geometry on DIII-D has demonstrated reduced particle and heat fluxes to the target, facilitating detachment onset at 10-20% lower upstream density and higher H-mode pedestal pressure than a standard divertor. SOLPS modeling suggests that this effect cannot be explained by an increase in total connection length alone, but rather by the addition of connection length specifically in the power-dissipating volume near the target, via poloidal flux expansion and flaring. However, poloidal flaring must work synergistically with divertor closure to most effectively reduce the detachment density threshold. The model also points to carbon radiation as the primary driver of power dissipation in divertors on the DIII-D floor, which is consistent with experimental observations. Sustainable divertor detachment at lower density has beneficial consequences for energy confinement and current drive efficiency for core operation, while simultaneously satisfying the exhaust requirements of the plasma-facing components.

Advances in long pulse operation at high radio frequency power in Tore Supra

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

Goniche, M.; Dumont, R.; Bourdelle, C.

2014-06-15

The lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) system of Tore Supra has been upgraded for long pulse operation at higher power (7–8 MW). The two launchers have coupled on plasma 3.8 MW and 2.7 MW separately. This new power capability allows extending the operational domain of Tore Supra for long pulses at higher current and density. 38 long (20 s –155 s) discharges with very low loop voltage (V{sub L} = 30-60 mV) were performed with combined LHCD (5-5.7 MW) and ICRH (1–3 MW) powers, with up to 1 GJ of injected energy. Higher LHCD efficiency, with respect to the previous long discharges, is reported. MHD stability of these discharges ismore » very sensitive to the LHCD power and parallel wave index, in particular in the preforming phase. For theses evanescent loop voltage plasmas, the ICRH power, in excess of 1 MW, is found to have a beneficial effect on the MHD stability.« less

Modelling of mitigation of the power divertor loading for the EU DEMO through Ar injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subba, Fabio; Aho-Mantila, Leena; Coster, David; Maddaluno, Giorgio; Nallo, Giuseppe F.; Sieglin, Bernard; Wenninger, Ronald; Zanino, Roberto

2018-03-01

In this paper we present a computational study on the divertor heat load mitigation through impurity injection for the EU DEMO. The study is performed by means of the SOLPS5.1 code. The power crossing the separatrix is considered fixed and corresponding to H-mode operation, whereas the machine operating condition is defined by the outboard mid-plane upstream electron density and the impurity level. The selected impurity for this study is Ar, based on its high radiation efficiency at SOL characteristic temperatures. We consider a conventional vertical target geometry for the EU DEMO and monitor target conditions for different operational points, considering as acceptability criteria the target electron temperature (≤5 eV to provide sufficiently low W sputtering rate) and the peak heat flux (below 5-10 MW m-2 to guarantee safe steady-state cooling conditions). Our simulations suggest that, neglecting the radiated power deposition on the plate, it is possible to satisfy the desired constraints. However, this requires an upstream density of the order of at least 50% of the Greenwald limit and a sufficiently high argon fraction. Furthermore, if the radiated power deposition is taken into account, the peak heat flux on the outer plate could not be reduced below 15 MW m-2 in these simulations. As these simulations do not take into account neutron loading, they strongly indicate that the vertical target divertor solution with a radiative front distributed along the divertor leg has a very marginal operational space in an EU DEMO sized reactor.

Lithium thionyl chloride high rate discharge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klinedinst, K. A.

1980-01-01

Improvements in high rate lithium thionyl chloride power technology achieved by varying the electrolyte composition, operating temperature, cathode design, and cathode composition are discussed. Discharge capacities are plotted as a function of current density, cell voltage, and temperature.

Mechanical Computing Redux: Limitations at the Nanoscale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Tsu-Jae King

2014-03-01

Technology solutions for overcoming the energy efficiency limits of nanoscale complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology ultimately will be needed in order to address the growing issue of integrated-circuit chip power density. Off-state leakage current sets a fundamental lower limit in energy per operation for any voltage-level-based digital logic implemented with transistors (CMOS and beyond), which leads to practical limits for device density (i.e. cost) and operating frequency (i.e. system performance). Mechanical switches have zero off-state leakag and hence can overcome this fundamental limit. Contact adhesive force sets a lower limit for the switching energy of a mechanical switch, however, and also directly impacts its performance. This paper will review recent progress toward the development of nano-electro-mechanical relay technology and discuss remaining challenges for realizing the promise of mechanical computing for ultra-low-power computing. Supported by the Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science (NSF Award 0939514).

Investigating the origin of efficiency droop by profiling the temperature across the multi-quantum well of an operating light-emitting diode

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

Jung, Euihan; Hwang, Gwangseok; Chung, Jaehun

2015-01-26

Performance degradation resulting from efficiency droop during high-power operation is a critical problem in the development of high-efficiency light-emitting diodes (LEDs). In order to resolve the efficiency droop and increase the external quantum efficiency of LEDs, the droop's origin should be identified first. To experimentally investigate the cause of efficiency droop, we used null-point scanning thermal microscopy to quantitatively profile the temperature distribution on the cross section of the epi-layers of an operating GaN-based vertical LED with nanoscale spatial resolution at four different current densities. The movement of temperature peak towards the p-GaN side as the current density increases suggestsmore » that more heat is generated by leakage current than by Auger recombination. We therefore suspect that at higher current densities, current leakage becomes the dominant cause of the droop problem.« less

High performance asymmetric supercapacitor based on polypyrrole/graphene composite and its derived nitrogen-doped carbon nano-sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jianbo; Feng, Tianyu; Du, Xianfeng; Wang, Jingping; Hu, Jun; Wei, LiPing

2017-04-01

Neutral aqueous medium is a promising electrolyte for supercapacitors because it is low-cost, environmental-friendly and can achieve rapid charging/discharging with high power density. However, the energy density of such supercapacitor is significantly limited by its narrow operational voltage window. Herein, we demonstrated an effective approach to broaden the operational voltage window by fabricating an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) with polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide (PPy/rGO) composite and its derived Nitrogen-doped carbon nano-sheets (NCs) as positive and negative electrode material, respectively. The homogeneous nano-sheet and mesoporous structure of PPy/rGO and NCs can facilitate rapid charge/ion migration and provide more active sites for ions adsorption/exchange to improve their electrochemical performance. Benefiting from high capacitance and good rate performance of PPy/rGO and NCs electrodes, the as-fabricated ASCs devices in a polyvinyl alcohol/LiCl gel electrolyte can realize a wide operational voltage of 1.6 V and deliver high energy density of 15.8 wh kg-1 (1.01 mWh cm-3) at 0.14 kW kg-1 (19.3 mW cm-3), which still remains 9.5 wh kg-1as power density increases to 6.56 kW kg-1, as well as excellent long-term cycling stability with about 88.7% capacitance retention after 10000 cycles. The remarkable performances suggest that the ASCs devices are promising for future energy storage applications.

Development Status of High-Thrust Density Electrostatic Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, Michael J.; Haag, Thomas W.; Foster, John E.; Young, Jason A.; Crofton, Mark W.

2017-01-01

Ion thruster technology offers the highest performance and efficiency of any mature electric propulsion thruster. It has by far the highest demonstrated total impulse of any technology option, demonstrated at input power levels appropriate for primary propulsion. It has also been successfully implemented for primary propulsion in both geocentric and heliocentric environments, with excellent ground/in-space correlation of both its performance and life. Based on these attributes there is compelling reasoning to continue the development of this technology: it is a leading candidate for high power applications; and it provides risk reduction for as-yet unproven alternatives. As such it is important that the operational limitations of ion thruster technology be critically examined and in particular for its application to primary propulsion its capabilities relative to thrust the density and thrust-to-power ratio be understood. This publication briefly addresses some of the considerations relative to achieving high thrust density and maximizing thrust-to-power ratio with ion thruster technology, and discusses the status of development work in this area being executed under a collaborative effort among NASA Glenn Research Center, the Aerospace Corporation, and the University of Michigan.

Comparison of high-voltage ac and pulsed operation of a surface dielectric barrier discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williamson, James M.; Trump, Darryl D.; Bletzinger, Peter; Ganguly, Biswa N.

2006-10-01

A surface dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in atmospheric pressure air was excited either by low frequency (0.3-2 kHz) high-voltage ac or by short, high-voltage pulses at repetition rates from 50 to 600 pulses s-1. The short-pulse excited discharge was more diffuse and did not have the pronounced bright multiple cathode spots observed in the ac excited discharge. The discharge voltage, current and average power deposited into the discharge were calculated for both types of excitation. As a measure of plasma-chemical efficiency, the ozone number density was measured by UV absorption as a function of average deposited power. The density of ozone produced by ac excitation did not increase so rapidly as that produced by short-pulse excitation as a function of average power, with a maximum measured density of ~3 × 1015 cm-3 at 25 W. The maximum ozone production achieved by short-pulse excitation was ~8.5 × 1015 cm-3 at 20 W, which was four times greater than that achieved by ac excitation at the same power level.

Nanolaminated Permalloy Core for High-Flux, High-Frequency Ultracompact Power Conversion

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

Kim, J; Kim, M; Galle, P

2013-09-01

Metallic magnetic materials have desirable magnetic properties, including high permeability, and high saturation flux density, when compared with their ferrite counterparts. However, eddy-current losses preclude their use in many switching converter applications, due to the challenge of simultaneously achieving sufficiently thin laminations such that eddy currents are suppressed (e.g., 500 nm-1 mu m for megahertz frequencies), while simultaneously achieving overall core thicknesses such that substantial power can be handled. A CMOS-compatible fabrication process based on robot-assisted sequential electrodeposition followed by selective chemical etching has been developed for the realization of a core of substantial overall thickness (tens to hundreds ofmore » micrometers) comprised of multiple, stacked permalloy (Ni80Fe20) nanolaminations. Tests of toroidal inductors with nanolaminated cores showed negligible eddy-current loss relative to total core loss even at a peak flux density of 0.5 T in the megahertz frequency range. To illustrate the use of these cores, a buck power converter topology is implemented with switching frequencies of 1-2 MHz. Power conversion efficiency greater than 85% with peak operating flux density of 0.3-0.5 T in the core and converter output power level exceeding 5 W was achieved.« less

High voltage series resonant inverter ion engine screen supply. [SCR series resonant inverter for space applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biess, J. J.; Inouye, L. Y.; Shank, J. H.

1974-01-01

A high-voltage, high-power LC series resonant inverter using SCRs has been developed for an Ion Engine Power Processor. The inverter operates within 200-400Vdc with a maximum output power of 2.5kW. The inverter control logic, the screen supply electrical and mechanical characteristics, the efficiency and losses in power components, regulation on the dual feedback principle, the SCR waveforms and the component weight are analyzed. Efficiency of 90.5% and weight density of 4.1kg/kW are obtained.

Ultracompliant Heterogeneous Copper-Tin Nanowire Arrays Making a Supersolder

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

Narumanchi, Sreekant V; Feng, Xuhui; Major, Joshua

Due to the substantial increase in power density, thermal interface resistance that can constitute more than 50% of the total thermal resistance has generally become a bottleneck for thermal management in electronics. However, conventional thermal interface materials (TIMs) such as solder, epoxy, gel, and grease cannot fulfill the requirements of electronics for high-power and long-term operation. Here, we demonstrate a high-performance TIM consisting of a heterogeneous copper-tin nanowire array, which we term 'supersolder' to emulate the role of conventional solders in bonding various surfaces. The supersolder is ultracompliant with a shear modulus 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than traditional soldersmore » and can reduce the thermal resistance by two times as compared with the state-of-the-art TIMs. This supersolder also exhibits excellent long-term reliability with >1200 thermal cycles over a wide temperature range. By resolving this critical thermal bottleneck, the supersolder enables electronic systems, ranging from microelectronics and portable electronics to massive data centers, to operate at lower temperatures with higher power density and reliability.« less

Flexible and Self-Healing Aqueous Supercapacitors for Low Temperature Applications: Polyampholyte Gel Electrolytes with Biochar Electrodes.

PubMed

Li, Xinda; Liu, Li; Wang, Xianzong; Ok, Yong Sik; Elliott, Janet A W; Chang, Scott X; Chung, Hyun-Joong

2017-05-10

A flexible and self-healing supercapacitor with high energy density in low temperature operation was fabricated using a combination of biochar-based composite electrodes and a polyampholyte hydrogel electrolyte. Polyampholytes, a novel class of tough hydrogel, provide self-healing ability and mechanical flexibility, as well as low temperature operation for the aqueous electrolyte. Biochar is a carbon material produced from the low-temperature pyrolysis of biological wastes; the incorporation of reduced graphene oxide conferred mechanical integrity and electrical conductivity and hence the electrodes are called biochar-reduced-graphene-oxide (BC-RGO) electrodes. The fabricated supercapacitor showed high energy density of 30 Wh/kg with ~90% capacitance retention after 5000 charge-discharge cycles at room temperature at a power density of 50 W/kg. At -30 °C, the supercapacitor exhibited an energy density of 10.5 Wh/kg at a power density of 500 W/kg. The mechanism of the low-temperature performance excellence is likely to be associated with the concept of non-freezable water near the hydrophilic polymer chains, which can motivate future researches on the phase behaviour of water near polyampholyte chains. We conclude that the combination of the BC-RGO electrode and the polyampholyte hydrogel electrolyte is promising for supercapacitors for flexible electronics and for low temperature environments.

Helium experiments on Alcator C-Mod in support of ITER early operations

DOE PAGES

Kessel, C. E.; Wolfe, S. M.; Reinke, M. L.; ...

2018-03-13

Helium majority experiments on Alcator C-Mod were performed to compare with deuterium discharges, and inform ITER early operations. ELMy H-modes were produced with a special plasma shape at B T = 5.3 T, I P = 0.9 MA, at q 95 ~ 3.8. The He fraction ranged over, n He,L/n L = 0.2–0.4, with n D,L/n L = 0.15–0.26, compared to D plasmas with n D,L/n L = 0.85–0.97. The power to enter the H-mode in He was found to be greater than ~2 times that for D discharges, in the low density region <1.4 × 10 20/m 3. However, it appears to follow the D threshold for higher densities. The stored energies in the He discharges were about 80% of those in D, and about 40% higher net power was required to sustain them compared to D. Global particle confinement times for tungsten ofmore » $$\\tau _{{\\rm W}}^{{\\rm *}}$$ /τ E ~ 4 were obtained with ELMy H-modes in He, however accumulation occurred when the ELMs were irregular and infrequent. The electron temperatures and densities in the pedestal were similar between D and He discharges, and the ΔT e/T e and Δn e/n e values were similar or larger in He than D. The higher net power required to access the H-mode, and sustain it in flattop, for He discharges in C-Mod, imply some limitations for He operation in ITER.« less

Helium experiments on Alcator C-Mod in support of ITER early operations

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

Kessel, C. E.; Wolfe, S. M.; Reinke, M. L.

Helium majority experiments on Alcator C-Mod were performed to compare with deuterium discharges, and inform ITER early operations. ELMy H-modes were produced with a special plasma shape at B T = 5.3 T, I P = 0.9 MA, at q 95 ~ 3.8. The He fraction ranged over, n He,L/n L = 0.2–0.4, with n D,L/n L = 0.15–0.26, compared to D plasmas with n D,L/n L = 0.85–0.97. The power to enter the H-mode in He was found to be greater than ~2 times that for D discharges, in the low density region <1.4 × 10 20/m 3. However, it appears to follow the D threshold for higher densities. The stored energies in the He discharges were about 80% of those in D, and about 40% higher net power was required to sustain them compared to D. Global particle confinement times for tungsten ofmore » $$\\tau _{{\\rm W}}^{{\\rm *}}$$ /τ E ~ 4 were obtained with ELMy H-modes in He, however accumulation occurred when the ELMs were irregular and infrequent. The electron temperatures and densities in the pedestal were similar between D and He discharges, and the ΔT e/T e and Δn e/n e values were similar or larger in He than D. The higher net power required to access the H-mode, and sustain it in flattop, for He discharges in C-Mod, imply some limitations for He operation in ITER.« less

High/variable mixture ratio O2/H2 engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, A.; Parsley, R. C.

1988-01-01

Vehicle/engine analysis studies have identified the High/Dual Mixture Ratio O2/H2 Engine cycle as a leading candidate for an advanced Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) propulsion system. This cycle is designed to allow operation at a higher than normal O/F ratio of 12 during liftoff and then transition to a more optimum O/F ratio of 6 at altitude. While operation at high mixture ratios lowers specific impulse, the resultant high propellant bulk density and high power density combine to minimize the influence of atmospheric drag and low altitude gravitational forces. Transition to a lower mixture ratio at altitude then provides improved specific impulse relative to a single mixture ratio engine that must select a mixture ratio that is balanced for both low and high altitude operation. This combination of increased altitude specific impulse and high propellant bulk density more than offsets the compromised low altitude performance and results in an overall mission benefit. Two areas of technical concern relative to the execution of this dual mixture ratio cycle concept are addressed. First, actions required to transition from high to low mixture ratio are examined, including an assessment of the main chamber environment as the main chamber mixture ratio passes through stoichiometric. Secondly, two approaches to meet a requirement for high turbine power at high mixture ratio condition are examined. One approach uses high turbine temperature to produce the power and requires cooled turbines. The other approach incorporates an oxidizer-rich preburner to increase turbine work capability via increased turbine mass flow.

Development program on a cold cathode electron gun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spindt, C. A.; Holland, C. E.

1985-01-01

During this phase of the cathode development program, SRI improved the multiple electron beam exposure system used to print hole patterns for the cathode arrays, studied anisotropic etch processes, conducted cathode investigations using an emission microscope, reviewed possible alternate materials for cathode fabrication, studied cathode storage techniques, conducted high power operation experiments, and demonstrated high-current-density operation with small arrays of tips.

Barium-Dispenser Thermionic Cathode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wintucky, Edwin G.; Green, M.; Feinleib, M.

1989-01-01

Improved reservoir cathode serves as intense source of electrons required for high-frequency and often high-output-power, linear-beam tubes, for which long operating lifetime important consideration. High emission-current densities obtained through use of emitting surface of relatively-low effective work function and narrow work-function distribution, consisting of coat of W/Os deposited by sputtering. Lower operating temperatures and enhanced electron emission consequently possible.

High Temperature Silicon Carbide (SiC) Traction Motor Drive

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-09

UNCLASSIFIED Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. UNCLASSIFIED HIGH TEMPERATURE SILICON CARBIDE...be modular and conveniently distributed. Small component size and operation with high - temperature liquid coolant are essential factors in the...these densities, power modules capable of high - temperature operation were developed using SiC normally-off JFETs. This paper will discuss the unique

Bearing failure detection of micro wind turbine via power spectral density analysis for stator current signals spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmood, Faleh H.; Kadhim, Hussein T.; Resen, Ali K.; Shaban, Auday H.

2018-05-01

The failure such as air gap weirdness, rubbing, and scrapping between stator and rotor generator arise unavoidably and may cause extremely terrible results for a wind turbine. Therefore, we should pay more attention to detect and identify its cause-bearing failure in wind turbine to improve the operational reliability. The current paper tends to use of power spectral density analysis method of detecting internal race and external race bearing failure in micro wind turbine by estimation stator current signal of the generator. The failure detector method shows that it is well suited and effective for bearing failure detection.

Study, selection, and preparation of solid cationic conductors. [characteristics of solid electrolytes for rechargeable high energy and high power density batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, W. L.; Muller, O.

1974-01-01

Crystal chemical principles and transport theory have been used to predict structures and specific compounds which might find application as solid electrolytes in rechargeable high energy and high power density batteries operating at temperatures less than 200 C. Structures with 1-, 2-, and 3-dimensional channels were synthesized and screened by nuclear magnetic resonance, dielectric loss, and conductivity. There is significant conductivity at room temperature in some of the materials but none attain a level that is comparable to beta-alumina. Microwave and fast pulse methods were developed to measure conductivity in powders and in small crystals.

High power densities from high-temperature material interactions. [in thermionic energy conversion and metallic fluid heat pipes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, J. F.

1981-01-01

Thermionic energy conversion (TEC) and metallic-fluid heat pipes (MFHPs), offering unique advantages in terrestrial and space energy processing by virtue of operating on working-fluid vaporization/condensation cycles that accept great thermal power densities at high temperatures, share complex materials problems. Simplified equations are presented that verify and solve such problems, suggesting the possibility of cost-effective applications in the near term for TEC and MFHP devices. Among the problems discussed are: the limitation of alkali-metal corrosion, protection against hot external gases, external and internal vaporization, interfacial reactions and diffusion, expansion coefficient matching, and creep deformation.

Variation of power generation at different buffer types and conductivities in single chamber microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Nam, Joo-Youn; Kim, Hyun-Woo; Lim, Kyeong-Ho; Shin, Hang-Sik; Logan, Bruce E

2010-01-15

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are operated with solutions containing various chemical species required for the growth of electrochemically active microorganisms including nutrients and vitamins, substrates, and chemical buffers. Many different buffers are used in laboratory media, but the effects of these buffers and their inherent electrolyte conductivities have not been examined relative to current generation in MFCs. We investigated the effect of several common buffers (phosphate, MES, HEPES, and PIPES) on power production in single chambered MFCs compared to a non-buffered control. At the same concentrations the buffers produced different solution conductivities which resulted in different ohmic resistances and power densities. Increasing the solution conductivities to the same values using NaCl produced comparable power densities for all buffers. Very large increases in conductivity resulted in a rapid voltage drop at high current densities. Our results suggest that solution conductivity at a specific pH for each buffer is more important in MFC studies than the buffer itself given relatively constant pH conditions. Based on our analysis of internal resistance and a set neutral pH, phosphate and PIPES are the most useful buffers of those examined here because pH was maintained close to the pK(a) of the buffer, maximizing the ability of the buffer to contribute to increase current generation at high power densities. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The role of plasma chemistry on functional silicon nitride film properties deposited at low-temperature by mixing two frequency powers using PECVD.

PubMed

Sahu, B B; Yin, Y Y; Tsutsumi, T; Hori, M; Han, Jeon G

2016-05-14

Control of the plasma densities and energies of the principal plasma species is crucial to induce modification of the plasma reactivity, chemistry, and film properties. This work presents a systematic and integrated approach to the low-temperature deposition of hydrogenated amorphous silicon nitride films looking into optimization and control of the plasma processes. Radiofrequency (RF) and ultrahigh frequency (UHF) power are combined to enhance significantly the nitrogen plasma and atomic-radical density to enforce their effect on film properties. This study presents an extensive investigation of the influence of combining radiofrequency (RF) and ultrahigh frequency (UHF) power as a power ratio (PR = RF : UHF), ranging from 4 : 0 to 0 : 4, on the compositional, structural, and optical properties of the synthesized films. The data reveal that DF power with a characteristic bi-Maxwellian electron energy distribution function (EEDF) is effectively useful for enhancing the ionization and dissociation of neutrals, which in turn helps in enabling high rate deposition with better film properties than that of SF operations. Utilizing DF PECVD, a wide-bandgap of ∼3.5 eV with strong photoluminescence features can be achieved only by using a high-density plasma and high nitrogen atom density at room temperature. The present work also proposes the suitability of the DF PECVD approach for industrial applications.

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting Solutions

PubMed Central

Caliò, Renato; Rongala, Udaya Bhaskar; Camboni, Domenico; Milazzo, Mario; Stefanini, Cesare; de Petris, Gianluca; Oddo, Calogero Maria

2014-01-01

This paper reviews the state of the art in piezoelectric energy harvesting. It presents the basics of piezoelectricity and discusses materials choice. The work places emphasis on material operating modes and device configurations, from resonant to non-resonant devices and also to rotational solutions. The reviewed literature is compared based on power density and bandwidth. Lastly, the question of power conversion is addressed by reviewing various circuit solutions. PMID:24618725

Battery-powered pulsed high density inductively coupled plasma source for pre-ionization in laboratory astrophysics experiments.

PubMed

Chaplin, Vernon H; Bellan, Paul M

2015-07-01

An electrically floating radiofrequency (RF) pre-ionization plasma source has been developed to enable neutral gas breakdown at lower pressures and to access new experimental regimes in the Caltech laboratory astrophysics experiments. The source uses a customized 13.56 MHz class D RF power amplifier that is powered by AA batteries, allowing it to safely float at 3-6 kV with the electrodes of the high voltage pulsed power experiments. The amplifier, which is capable of 3 kW output power in pulsed (<1 ms) operation, couples electrical energy to the plasma through an antenna external to the 1.1 cm radius discharge tube. By comparing the predictions of a global equilibrium discharge model with the measured scalings of plasma density with RF power input and axial magnetic field strength, we demonstrate that inductive coupling (rather than capacitive coupling or wave damping) is the dominant energy transfer mechanism. Peak ion densities exceeding 5 × 10(19) m(-3) in argon gas at 30 mTorr have been achieved with and without a background field. Installation of the pre-ionization source on a magnetohydrodynamically driven jet experiment reduced the breakdown time and jitter and allowed for the creation of hotter, faster argon plasma jets than was previously possible.

Liquid-fueled SOFC power sources for transportation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myles, K. M.; Doshi, R.; Kumar, R.; Krumpelt, M.

Traditionally, fuel cells have been developed for space or stationary terrestrial applications. As the first commercial 200-kW systems were being introduced by ONSI and Fuji Electric, the potentially much larger, but also more challenging, application in transportation was beginning to be addressed. As a result, fuel cell-powered buses have been designed and built, and R&D programs for fuel cell-powered passenger cars have been initiated. The engineering challenge of eventually replacing the internal combustion engine in buses, trucks, and passenger cars with fuel cell systems is to achieve much higher power densities and much lower costs than obtainable in systems designed for stationary applications. At present, the leading fuel cell candidate for transportation applications is, without question, the polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC). Offering ambient temperature start-up and the potential for a relatively high power density, the polymer technology has attracted the interest of automotive manufacturers worldwide. But the difficulties of fuel handling for the PEFC have led to a growing interest in exploring the prospects for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operating on liquid fuels for transportation applications. Solid oxide fuel cells are much more compatible with liquid fuels (methanol or other hydrocarbons) and are potentially capable of power densities high enough for vehicular use. Two SOFC options for such use are discussed in this report.

Impact of Reactor Operating Parameters on Cask Reactivity in BWR Burnup Credit

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

Ilas, Germina; Betzler, Benjamin R; Ade, Brian J

This paper discusses the effect of reactor operating parameters used in fuel depletion calculations on spent fuel cask reactivity, with relevance for boiling-water reactor (BWR) burnup credit (BUC) applications. Assessments that used generic BWR fuel assembly and spent fuel cask configurations are presented. The considered operating parameters, which were independently varied in the depletion simulations for the assembly, included fuel temperature, bypass water density, specific power, and operating history. Different operating history scenarios were considered for the assembly depletion to determine the effect of relative power distribution during the irradiation cycles, as well as the downtime between cycles. Depletion, decay,more » and criticality simulations were performed using computer codes and associated nuclear data within the SCALE code system. Results quantifying the dependence of cask reactivity on the assembly depletion parameters are presented herein.« less

JET DT Scenario Extrapolation and Optimization with METIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urban, Jakub; Jaulmes, Fabien; Artaud, Jean-Francois

2017-10-01

Prospective JET (Joint European Torus) DT operation scenarios are modelled by the fast integrated code METIS. METIS combines scaling laws, e.g. for global and pedestal energy or density peaking, with simplified transport and source models, while retaining fundamental nonlinear couplings, in particular in the fusion power. We have tuned METIS parameters to match JET-ILW high performance experiments, including baseline and hybrid. Based on recent observations, we assume a weaker input power scaling than IPB98 and a 10% confinement improvement due to the higher ion mass. The rapidity of METIS is utilized to scan the performance of JET DT scenarios with respect to fundamental parameters, such as plasma current, magnetic field, density or heating power. Simplified, easily parameterized waveforms are used to study the effect the ramp-up speed or heating timing. Finally, an efficient Bayesian optimizer is employed to seek the most performant scenarios in terms of the fusion power or gain.

Design of experiments with four-factors for a PEM fuel cell optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olteanu, V.; Pǎtularu, L.; Popescu, C. L.; Popescu, M. O.; Crǎciunescu, A.

2017-07-01

Nowadays, many research efforts are allocated for the development of fuel cells, since they constitute a carbon-free electrical energy generator which can be used for stationary, mobile and portable applications. The maximum value of the delivered power of a fuel cell depends on many factors as: the height of plates' channels, the stoichiometry level of the air flow, the air pressure for the cathode, and of the actual operating electric current density. In this paper, two levels, full four-factors factorial experiment has been designed in order to obtain the appropriate response surface which approximates the maximum delivered power dependence of the above-mentioned factors. The optimum set of the fuel-cell factors which determine the maximum value of the delivered power was determined and a comparison between simulated and measured optimal Power versus Current Density characteristics is given.

Beam alignment based on two-dimensional power spectral density of a near-field image.

PubMed

Wang, Shenzhen; Yuan, Qiang; Zeng, Fa; Zhang, Xin; Zhao, Junpu; Li, Kehong; Zhang, Xiaolu; Xue, Qiao; Yang, Ying; Dai, Wanjun; Zhou, Wei; Wang, Yuanchen; Zheng, Kuixing; Su, Jingqin; Hu, Dongxia; Zhu, Qihua

2017-10-30

Beam alignment is crucial to high-power laser facilities and is used to adjust the laser beams quickly and accurately to meet stringent requirements of pointing and centering. In this paper, a novel alignment method is presented, which employs data processing of the two-dimensional power spectral density (2D-PSD) for a near-field image and resolves the beam pointing error relative to the spatial filter pinhole directly. Combining this with a near-field fiducial mark, the operation of beam alignment is achieved. It is experimentally demonstrated that this scheme realizes a far-field alignment precision of approximately 3% of the pinhole size. This scheme adopts only one near-field camera to construct the alignment system, which provides a simple, efficient, and low-cost way to align lasers.

Discharge Characterization of 40 cm-Microwave ECR Ion Source and Neutralizer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, John E.; Patterson, Michael J.; Britton, Melissa

2003-01-01

Discharge characteristics of a 40 cm, 2.45 GHz Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion thruster discharge chamber and neutralizer were acquired. Thruster bulk discharge plasma characteristics were assessed using a single Langmuir probe. Total extractable ion current was measured as a function of input microwave power and flow rate. Additionally, radial ion current density profiles at the thruster.s exit plane were characterized using five equally spaced Faraday probes. Distinct low and high density operating modes were observed as discharge input power was varied from 0 to 200 W. In the high mode, extractable ion currents as high as 0.82 A were measured. Neutralizer emission current was characterized as a function of flow rate and microwave power. Neutralizer extraction currents as high as 0.6 A were measured.

Close-Spaced High Temperature Knudsen Flow.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-07-15

work~was a study of discharge processes in Knudsen mode (collisionless), thermionic energy converters. Areas of research involve’mechanisms for reducing ...power densities. The mechanisms/we have chosen to study are: reduction of space-charge through a very close interelectrode gap (less than 10 microns...In order to operate at practical current densities, the effect of electron space charge must be reduced . This can be done through very close

High temperature, high intensity solar array. [for Venus Radar Mapper mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, B. S.; Brooks, G. R.; Pinkerton, R.

1985-01-01

The solar array for the Venus Radar Mapper mission will operate in the high temperature, high intensity conditions of a low Venus orbit environment. To fulfill the performance requirements in this environment at minimum cost and mass while maximizing power density and packing factor on the panel surface, several features were introduced into the design. These features included the use of optical surface reflectors (OSR's) to reduce the operating temperature; new adhesives for conductive bonding of OSR's to avoid electrostatic discharges; custom-designed large area cells and novel shunt diode circuit and panel power harness configurations.

Feasibility of supersonic diode pumped alkali lasers: Model calculations

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

Barmashenko, B. D.; Rosenwaks, S.

The feasibility of supersonic operation of diode pumped alkali lasers (DPALs) is studied for Cs and K atoms applying model calculations, based on a semi-analytical model previously used for studying static and subsonic flow DPALs. The operation of supersonic lasers is compared with that measured and modeled in subsonic lasers. The maximum power of supersonic Cs and K lasers is found to be higher than that of subsonic lasers with the same resonator and alkali density at the laser inlet by 25% and 70%, respectively. These results indicate that for scaling-up the power of DPALs, supersonic expansion should be considered.

Solar power satellite system sizing tradeoffs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arndt, G. D.; Monford, L. G.

1981-01-01

Technical and economic tradeoffs of smaller solar power satellite systems configured with larger antennas, reduced output power, and smaller rectennas, are considered. The differential costs in electricity for seven antenna/rectenna configurations operating at 2.45 GHz and five satellite systems operating at 5.8 GHz are calculated. Two 2.45 GHz configurations dependent upon the ionospheric power density limit are chosen as examples. If the ionospheric limit could be increased to 54 mW sq/cm from the present 23 mW sq/cm level, a 1.53 km antenna satellite operating at 2.45 GHz would provide 5.05 GW of output power from a 6.8 km diameter rectenna. This system gives a 54 percent reduction in rectenna area relative to the reference solar power satellite system at a modest 17 percent increase in electricity costs. At 5.8 GHz, an 0.75 km antenna providing 2.72 GW of power from a 5.8 km diameter rectenna is selected for analysis. This configuration would have a 67 percent reduction in rectenna area at a 36 percent increase in electricity costs. Ionospheric, atmospheric, and thermal limitations are discussed. Antenna patterns for three configurations to show the relative main beam and sidelobe characteristics are included.

System integration of RF based negative ion experimental facility at IPR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bansal, G.; Bandyopadhyay, M.; Singh, M. J.; Gahlaut, A.; Soni, J.; Pandya, K.; Parmar, K. G.; Sonara, J.; Chakraborty, A.

2010-02-01

The setting up of RF based negative ion experimental facility shall witness the beginning of experiments on the negative ion source fusion applications in India. A 1 MHz RF generator shall launch 100 kW RF power into a single driver on the plasma source to produce a plasma of density ~5 × 1012 cm-3. The source can deliver a negative ion beam of ~10 A with a current density of ~30 mA/cm2 and accelerated to 35 kV through an electrostatic ion accelerator. The experimental system is similar to a RF based negative ion source, BATMAN, presently operating at IPP. The subsystems for source operation are designed and procured principally from indigenous resources, keeping the IPP configuration as a base line. The operation of negative ion source is supported by many subsystems e.g. vacuum pumping system with gate valves, cooling water system, gas feed system, cesium delivery system, RF generator, high voltage power supplies, data acquisition and control system, and different diagnostics. The first experiments of negative ion source are expected to start at IPR from the middle of 2009.

Design and cost analysis for an ammonia-based solar thermochemical cavity absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, O. M.

1980-01-01

A design and cost analysis is introduced for a solar thermochemical cavity absorber operated at the focus of a tracking paraboloidal concentrator and based on the ammonia dissociation reaction. The absorber design consists of a catalyst-filled nickel alloy tube wound into a spiral forming the inner cavity wall and shaped to match the incident power density profile to the reactor heat requirements. The reactor tube is welded to a coaxial counterflow heat exchanger. The relationships among the power density profile, the reaction thermodynamics and kinetics, and the heat transfer characteristics are examined in detail and it is shown that an installed cost goal of typically 10 U.S. dollars per square meter of solar collector area can be achieved through use of high activity ammonia dissociation catalyst. The optimum absorber size for a given paraboloidal dish area is calculated for a system pressure of 20 MPa and it is shown that a cost effective absorber suitable for 100,000-hr operation would operate at 90% efficiency at 750 C wall temperature.

Induced bioelectrochemical metabolism for bioremediation of petroleum refinery wastewater: Optimization of applied potential and flow of wastewater.

PubMed

Mohanakrishna, Gunda; Al-Raoush, Riyadh I; Abu-Reesh, Ibrahim M

2018-07-01

Hybrid based bioelectrochemical system (BES) configured with embedded anode and cathode electrodes in soil was tested for the bioelectrochemical degradation of petroleum refinery wastewater (PRW). Four applied potentials were studied to optimize under batch mode operation, among which 2 V resulted in higher COD degradation (69.2%) and power density (725 mW/m 2 ) during 7 days of operation. Further studies with continuous mode of operation at optimized potential (2 V) showed that hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 19 h achieved the highest COD removal (37%) and highest power density (561 mW/m 2 ). BES function with respect to treatment efficiencies of other pollutants of PRW was also identified with respect to oil and grease (batch mode, 91%; continuous mode, 34%), total dissolved salts (batch mode, 53%; continuous mode, 24%) and sulfates (batch mode, 59%; continuous mode, 42%). Soil microenvironment in association with BES forms complex processes, providing suitable conditions for efficient treatment of PRW. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Universal MOSFET parameter analyzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klekachev, A. V.; Kuznetsov, S. N.; Pikulev, V. B.; Gurtov, V. A.

2006-05-01

MOSFET analyzer is developed to extract most important parameters of transistors. Instead of routine DC transfer and output characteristics, analyzer provides an evaluation of interface states density by applying charge pumping technique. There are two features that outperform the analyzer among similar products of other vendors. It is compact (100 × 80 × 50 mm 3 in dimensions) and lightweight (< 200 gram) instrument with ultra low power supply (< 2.5 W). The analyzer operates under control of IBM PC by means of USB interface that simultaneously provides power supply. Owing to the USB-compatible microcontroller as the basic element, designed analyzer offers cost-effective solution for diverse applications. The enclosed software runs under Windows 98/2000/XP operating systems, it has convenient graphical interface simplifying measurements for untrained user. Operational characteristics of analyzer are as follows: gate and drain output voltage within limits of +/-10V measuring current range of 1pA ÷ 10 mA; lowest limit of interface states density characterization of ~10 9 cm -2 • eV -1. The instrument was designed on the base of component parts from CYPRESS and ANALOG DEVICES (USA).

Probability density function characterization for aggregated large-scale wind power based on Weibull mixtures

DOE PAGES

Gomez-Lazaro, Emilio; Bueso, Maria C.; Kessler, Mathieu; ...

2016-02-02

Here, the Weibull probability distribution has been widely applied to characterize wind speeds for wind energy resources. Wind power generation modeling is different, however, due in particular to power curve limitations, wind turbine control methods, and transmission system operation requirements. These differences are even greater for aggregated wind power generation in power systems with high wind penetration. Consequently, models based on one-Weibull component can provide poor characterizations for aggregated wind power generation. With this aim, the present paper focuses on discussing Weibull mixtures to characterize the probability density function (PDF) for aggregated wind power generation. PDFs of wind power datamore » are firstly classified attending to hourly and seasonal patterns. The selection of the number of components in the mixture is analyzed through two well-known different criteria: the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Finally, the optimal number of Weibull components for maximum likelihood is explored for the defined patterns, including the estimated weight, scale, and shape parameters. Results show that multi-Weibull models are more suitable to characterize aggregated wind power data due to the impact of distributed generation, variety of wind speed values and wind power curtailment.« less

Scalable Fabrication of Photochemically Reduced Graphene-Based Monolithic Micro-Supercapacitors with Superior Energy and Power Densities.

PubMed

Wang, Sen; Wu, Zhong-Shuai; Zheng, Shuanghao; Zhou, Feng; Sun, Chenglin; Cheng, Hui-Ming; Bao, Xinhe

2017-04-25

Micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) hold great promise as highly competitive miniaturized power sources satisfying the increased demand of smart integrated electronics. However, single-step scalable fabrication of MSCs with both high energy and power densities is still challenging. Here we demonstrate the scalable fabrication of graphene-based monolithic MSCs with diverse planar geometries and capable of superior integration by photochemical reduction of graphene oxide/TiO 2 nanoparticle hybrid films. The resulting MSCs exhibit high volumetric capacitance of 233.0 F cm -3 , exceptional flexibility, and remarkable capacity of modular serial and parallel integration in aqueous gel electrolyte. Furthermore, by precisely engineering the interface of electrode with electrolyte, these monolithic MSCs can operate well in a hydrophobic electrolyte of ionic liquid (3.0 V) at a high scan rate of 200 V s -1 , two orders of magnitude higher than those of conventional supercapacitors. More notably, the MSCs show landmark volumetric power density of 312 W cm -3 and energy density of 7.7 mWh cm -3 , both of which are among the highest values attained for carbon-based MSCs. Therefore, such monolithic MSC devices based on photochemically reduced, compact graphene films possess enormous potential for numerous miniaturized, flexible electronic applications.

Supercapacitors based on self-assembled graphene organogel.

PubMed

Sun, Yiqing; Wu, Qiong; Shi, Gaoquan

2011-10-14

Self-assembled graphene organogel (SGO) with 3-dimensional (3D) macrostructure was prepared by solvothermal reduction of a graphene oxide (GO) dispersion in propylene carbonate (PC). This SGO was used as an electrode material for fabricating supercapacitors with a PC electrolyte. The supercapacitor can be operated in a wide voltage range of 0-3 V and exhibits a high specific capacitance of 140 F g(-1) at a discharge current density of 1 A g(-1). Furthermore, it can still keep a specific capacitance of 90 F g(-1) at a high current density of 30 A g(-1). The maximum energy density of the SGO based supercapacitor was tested to be 43.5 Wh kg(-1), and this value is higher than those of the graphene based supercapacitors with aqueous or PC electrolytes reported previously. Furthermore, at a high discharge current density of 30 A g(-1), the energy and power densities of the supercapacitor were measured to be 15.4 Wh kg(-1) and 16,300 W kg(-1), respectively. These results indicate that the supercapacitor has a high specific capacitance and power density, and excellent rate capability.

Powerloads on the front end components and the duct of the heating and diagnostic neutral beam lines at ITER

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

Singh, M. J.; Boilson, D.; Hemsworth, R. S.

2015-04-08

The heating and current drive beam lines (HNB) at ITER are expected to deliver ∼16.7 MW power per beam line for H beams at 870 keV and D beams at 1 MeV during the H-He and the DD/DT phases of ITER operation respectively. On the other hand the diagnostic neutral beam (DNB) line shall deliver ∼2 MW power for H beams at 100 keV during both the phases. The path lengths over which the beams from the HNB and DNB beam lines need to be transported are 25.6 m and 20.7 m respectively. The transport of the beams over these path lengths resultsmore » in beam losses, mainly by the direct interception of the beam with the beam line components and reionisation. The lost power is deposited on the surfaces of the various components of the beam line. In order to ensure the survival of these components over the operational life time of ITER, it is important to determine to the best possible extent the operational power loads and power densities on the various surfaces which are impacted by the beam in one way or the other during its transport. The main factors contributing to these are the divergence of the beamlets and the halo fraction in the beam, the beam aiming, the horizontal and vertical misalignment of the beam, and the gas profile along the beam path, which determines the re-ionisation loss, and the re-ionisation cross sections. The estimations have been made using a combination of the modified version of the Monte Carlo Gas Flow code (MCGF) and the BTR code. The MCGF is used to determine the gas profile in the beam line and takes into account the active gas feed into the ion source and neutraliser, the HNB-DNB cross over, the gas entering the beamline from the ITER machine, the additional gas atoms generated in the beam line due to impacting ions and the pumping speed of the cryopumps. The BTR code has been used to obtain the power loads and the power densities on the various surfaces of the front end components and the duct modules for different scenarios of ITER operation. The gas profile and the magnetic field distribution for each scenario has been considered in these evaluations. The worst case power loads and power densities for each surface have been used to study their thermo-mechanical behaviour and manufacturing feasibility. The details of these calculations and results obtained are presented and discussed.« less

Development of miniature, high frequency pulse tube cryocoolers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radebaugh, Ray; Garaway, Isaac; Veprik, Alexander M.

2010-04-01

Because acoustic power density is proportional to frequency, the size of pulse tube cryocoolers for a given refrigeration power can be reduced by operating them at higher frequencies. A frequency of about 60 Hz had been considered the maximum frequency that could be used while maintaining high efficiency. Recently, we have shown through modeling that by decreasing the volume and hydraulic diameter of the regenerator and increasing the average pressure, it is possible to maintain high efficiency even for frequencies of several hundred hertz. Subsequent experimental results have demonstrated high efficiencies for frequencies of 100 to 140 Hz. The very high power density achieved at higher pressures and higher frequencies leads to very short cooldown times and very compact devices. The use of even higher frequencies requires the development of special compressors designed for such conditions and the development of regenerator matrices with hydraulic diameters less than about 30 Μm. To demonstrate the advantages of higher frequency operation, we discuss here the development of a miniature pulse tube cryocooler designed to operate at 80 K with a frequency of 150 Hz and an average pressure of 5.0 MPa. The regenerator diameter and length are 4.4 mm and 27 mm, respectively. The lowest temperature achieved to date has been 97 K, but a net refrigeration power of 530 mW was achieved at 120 K. Acoustic mismatches with existing compressors significantly limit the efficiency, but necessary modifications to improve the acoustic impedance match between the compressor and the cold head are discussed briefly.

Preventing Raman Lasing in High-Q WGM Resonators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savchenkov, Anatoliy; Matsko, Andrey; Strekalov, Dmitry; Maleki, Lute

2007-01-01

A generic design has been conceived to suppress the Raman effect in whispering- gallery-mode (WGM) optical resonators that have high values of the resonance quality factor (Q). Although it is possible to exploit the Raman effect (even striving to maximize the Raman gain to obtain Raman lasing), the present innovation is intended to satisfy a need that arises in applications in which the Raman effect inhibits the realization of the full potential of WGM resonators as frequency-selection components. Heretofore, in such applications, it has been necessary to operate high-Q WGM resonators at unattractively low power levels to prevent Raman lasing. (The Raman-lasing thresholds of WGM optical resonators are very low and are approximately proportional to Q(sup -2)). Heretofore, two ways of preventing Raman lasting at high power levels have been known, but both entail significant disadvantages: A resonator can be designed so that the optical field is spread over a relatively large mode volume to bring the power density below the threshold. For any given combination of Q and power level, there is certain mode volume wherein Raman lasing does not start. Unfortunately, a resonator that has a large mode volume also has a high spectral density, which is undesirable in a typical photonic application. A resonator can be cooled to the temperature of liquid helium, where the Raman spectrum is narrower and, therefore, the Raman gain is lower. However, liquid-helium cooling is inconvenient. The present design overcomes these disadvantages, making it possible to operate a low-spectral-density (even a single-mode) WGM resonator at a relatively high power level at room temperature, without risk of Raman lasing.

Inertial electrostatic confinement as a power source for electric propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miley, G. H.; Burton, R.; Javedani, J.; Yamamoto, Y.; Satsangi, A; Gu, Y.; Heck, P.; Nebel, R.; Schulze, N.; Christensen, J.

1993-01-01

The potential use of an INERTIAL ELECTROSTATIC CONFINEMENT (IEC) power source for space propulsion has previously been suggested by the authors and others. In the past, these discussions have generally followed the charged-particle electric-discharge engine (QED) concept proposed by Bussard, in which the IEC is used to generate an electron beam which vaporizes liquid hydrogen for use as a propellant. However, an alternate approach is considered, using the IEC to drive a 'conventional' electric thruster unit. This has the advantage of building on the rapidly developing technology for such thrusters, which operate at higher specific impulse. Key issues related to this approach include the continued successful development of the physics and engineering of the IEC unit, as well as the development of efficient step-down dc voltage transformers. The IEC operates by radial injection of energetic ions into a spherical vessel. A very high ion density is created in a small core region at the center of the vessel, resulting in extremely high fusion power density in the core. Experiments at the U. of Illinois in small IEC devices (is less than 60 cm. dia.) demonstrated much of the basic physics underlying this concept, e.g. producing 10(exp 6) D-D neutrons/sec steady-state with deuterium gas flow injection. The ultimate goal is to increase the power densities by several orders of magnitude and to convert to D-He-3 injection. If successful, such an experiment would represent a milestone proof-of-principle device for eventual space power use. Further discussion of IEC physics and status are presented with a description of the overall propulsion system and estimated performance.

Inertial electrostatic confinement as a power source for electric propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miley, George H.; Burton, R.; Javedani, J.; Yamamoto, Y.; Satsangi, A.; Gu, Y.; Heck, P.; Nebel, R.; Schulze, N.; Christensen, J.

1993-01-01

The potential use of an Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) power source for space propulsion has previously been suggested by the authors and others. In the past, these discussions have generally followed the charged-particle electric-discharge engine (QED) concept proposed by Bussard, in which the IEC is used to generate an electron beam which vaporizes liquid hydrogen for use as a propellant. However, in the present study, we consider an alternate approach, using the IEC to drive a conventional electric thruster unit. This has the advantage of building on the rapidly developing technology for such thrusters, which operate at higher specific impulse. Key issues related to this approach include the continued successful development of the physics and engineering of the IEC unit, as well as the development of efficient step-down dc voltage transformers. The IEC operates by radial injection of energetic ions into a spherical vessel. A very high ion density is created in a small core region at the center of the vessel, resulting in extremely high fusion power density in the core. Present experiments at the U. of Illinois in small IEC devices (less than 60-cm. dia.) have demonstrated much of the basic physics underlying this concept, e.g. producing approximately 10(exp 6) D-D neutrons/sec steady-state with deuterium gas flow injection. The ultimate goal is to increase the power densities by several orders of magnitude and to convert to D-He-3 injection. If successful, such an experiment would represent a milestone proof-of-principle device for eventual space power use. Further discussion of IEC physics and status will be presented with a description of the overall propulsion system and estimated performance.

Ethnic Density Effects on Physical Morbidity, Mortality, and Health Behaviors: A Systematic Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Shaw, Richard; Nazroo, James; Stafford, Mai; Albor, Christo; Atkin, Karl; Kiernan, Kathleen; Wilkinson, Richard; Pickett, Kate

2012-01-01

It has been suggested that people in racial/ethnic minority groups are healthier when they live in areas with a higher concentration of people from their own ethnic group, a so-called ethnic density effect. Ethnic density effects are still contested, and the pathways by which ethnic density operates are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature examining the ethnic density effect on physical health, mortality, and health behaviors. Most studies report a null association between ethnic density and health. Protective ethnic density effects are more common than adverse associations, particularly for health behaviors and among Hispanic people. Limitations of the literature include inadequate adjustment for area deprivation and limited statistical power across ethnic density measures and study samples. PMID:23078507

The kinetics, current efficiency, and power consumption of electrochemical dye decolorization by BD-NCD film electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurhayati, Ervin; Juang, Yaju; Huang, Chihpin

2017-06-01

Diamond film electrode has been known as a material with very wide potential window for water electrolysis which leads to its applicability in numerous electrochemical processes. Its capability to produce hydroxyl radicals, a very strong oxidants, prompts its popular application in wastewater treatment. Batch and batch recirculation reactor were applied to perform bulk electrolysis experiments to investigate the kinetics of dye decolorization under different operation conditions, such as pH, active species, and current density. Furthermore, COD degradation data from batch recirculation reactor operation was used as the basis for the calculation of current efficiency and power consumption in the decolorization process. The kinetics of decolorization process using boron-doped nanocrystalline diamond (BD-NCD) film electrode revealed that acidic condition is favored for the dye degradation, and the presence of chloride ion in the solution was found to be more advantageous than sulfate active species, as evidenced by the higher reaction rate constants. Applying different current density of 10, 20 and 30 mA cm-2, it was found that the higher the current density the faster the decolorization rate. General current efficiency achieved after nearly total decolorization and 80% COD removal in batch recirculation reactor was around 74%, with specific power consumption of 4.4 kWh m-3 (in terms of volume of solution treated) or 145 kWh kg-1(in terms of kg COD treated).

Extremely fine structured cathode for solid oxide fuel cells using Sr-doped LaMnO3 and Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 nano-composite powder synthesized by spray pyrolysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimada, Hiroyuki; Yamaguchi, Toshiaki; Sumi, Hirofumi; Nomura, Katsuhiro; Yamaguchi, Yuki; Fujishiro, Yoshinobu

2017-02-01

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) for high power density operation was developed with a microstructure-controlled cathode using a nano-composite powder of Sr-doped LaMnO3 (LSM) and Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) synthesized by spray pyrolysis. The individual LSM-YSZ nano-composite particles, formed by crystalline and amorphous nano-size LSM and YSZ particles, showed spherical morphology with uniform particle size. The use of this powder for cathode material led to an extremely fine microstructure, in which all the LSM and YSZ grains (approximately 100-200 nm) were highly dispersed and formed their own network structures. This microstructure was due to the two phase electrode structure control using the powder, namely, nano-order level in each particle and micro-order level between particles. An anode-supported SOFC with the LSM-YSZ cathode using humidified H2 as fuel and ambient air as oxidant exhibited high power densities, such as 1.29 W cm-2 under a voltage of 0.75 V and a maximum power density of 2.65 W cm-2 at 800 °C. Also, the SOFC could be stably operated for 250 h with no degradation, even at a high temperature of 800 °C.

Control of plasma stored energy for burn control using DIII-D in-vessel coils

DOE PAGES

Hawryluk, Richard J.; Eidietis, Nicholas W.; Grierson, Brian A.; ...

2015-04-09

A new approach has been experimentally demonstrated to control the stored energy by applying a non-axisymmetric magnetic field using the DIII-D in-vessel coils to modify the energy confinement time. In future burning plasma experiments as well as magnetic fusion energy power plants, various concepts have been proposed to control the fusion power. The fusion power in a power plant operating at high gain can be related to the plasma stored energy and hence, is a strong function of the energy confinement time. Thus, an actuator that modifies the confinement time can be used to adjust the fusion power. In relativelymore » low collisionality DIII-D discharges, the application of nonaxisymmetric magnetic fields results in a decrease in confinement time and density pumpout. Furthermore, gas puffing was used to compensate the density pumpout in the pedestal while control of the stored energy was demonstrated by the application of non-axisymmetric fields.« less

A Miniaturized 0.78-mW/cm2 Autonomous Thermoelectric Energy-Harvesting Platform for Biomedical Sensors.

PubMed

Rozgic, Dejan; Markovic, Dejan

2017-08-01

In order to use thermoelectric energy harvesters (TEHs) as a truly autonomous energy source for size-limited sensing applications, it is essential to improve the power conversion efficiency and energy density. This study presents a thin-film, array-based TEH with a surface area of 0.83 cm 2 . The TEH autonomously supplies a power management IC fabricated in a 65-nm CMOS technology. The IC utilizes a single-inductor topology with integrated analog maximum power point tracking (MPPT), resulting in a 68% peak end-to-end efficiency (92% converter efficiency) and less than 20-ms MPPT. In an in-vivo test, a 645-μW regulated output power (effective 3.5 K of temperature gradient) was harvested from a rat implanted with our TEH, demonstrating true energy independence in a real environment while showing a 7.9 × improvement in regulated power density compared to the state-of-the-art. The system showed autonomous operation down to 65-mV TEH input.

A single-phase axially-magnetized permanent-magnet oscillating machine for miniature aerospace power sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sui, Yi; Zheng, Ping; Cheng, Luming; Wang, Weinan; Liu, Jiaqi

2017-05-01

A single-phase axially-magnetized permanent-magnet (PM) oscillating machine which can be integrated with a free-piston Stirling engine to generate electric power, is investigated for miniature aerospace power sources. Machine structure, operating principle and detent force characteristic are elaborately studied. With the sinusoidal speed characteristic of the mover considered, the proposed machine is designed by 2D finite-element analysis (FEA), and some main structural parameters such as air gap diameter, dimensions of PMs, pole pitches of both stator and mover, and the pole-pitch combinations, etc., are optimized to improve both the power density and force capability. Compared with the three-phase PM linear machines, the proposed single-phase machine features less PM use, simple control and low controller cost. The power density of the proposed machine is higher than that of the three-phase radially-magnetized PM linear machine, but lower than the three-phase axially-magnetized PM linear machine.

47 CFR 15.257 - Operation within the band 92-95 GHz.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... meters from the radiating structure, and the peak power density of any emission shall not exceed 18 uW/sq... an RF detector that has a detection bandwidth that encompasses the band being used and has a video...

47 CFR 15.257 - Operation within the band 92-95 GHz.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... meters from the radiating structure, and the peak power density of any emission shall not exceed 18 uW/sq... an RF detector that has a detection bandwidth that encompasses the band being used and has a video...

47 CFR 15.257 - Operation within the band 92-95 GHz.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... meters from the radiating structure, and the peak power density of any emission shall not exceed 18 uW/sq... an RF detector that has a detection bandwidth that encompasses the band being used and has a video...

47 CFR 15.257 - Operation within the band 92-95 GHz.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... meters from the radiating structure, and the peak power density of any emission shall not exceed 18 uW/sq... an RF detector that has a detection bandwidth that encompasses the band being used and has a video...

47 CFR 15.257 - Operation within the band 92-95 GHz.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... meters from the radiating structure, and the peak power density of any emission shall not exceed 18 uW/sq... an RF detector that has a detection bandwidth that encompasses the band being used and has a video...

Dosimetry of typical transcranial magnetic stimulation devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Mai; Ueno, Shoogo

2010-05-01

The therapeutic staff using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) devices could be exposed to magnetic pulses. In this paper, dependence of induced currents in real human man model on different coil shapes, distance between the coil and man model as well as the rotation of the coil in space have been investigated by employing impedance method. It was found that the figure-of-eight coil has less leakage magnetic field and low current density induced in the body compared with the round coil. The TMS power supply cables play an important role in the induced current density in human body. The induced current density in TMS operator decreased as the coil rotates from parallel position to perpendicular position. Our present study shows that TMS operator should stand at least 110 cm apart from the coil.

Laser for high frequency modulated interferometry

DOEpatents

Mansfield, D.K.; Vocaturo, M.; Guttadora, L.J.

1991-07-23

A Stark-tuned laser operating in the 119 micron line of CH[sub 3]OH has an output power of several tens of milliwatts at 30 Watts of pump power while exhibiting a doublet splitting of about ten MHz with the application of a Stark field on the order of 500 volts/cm. This output power allows for use of the laser in a multi-channel interferometer, while its high operating frequency permits the interferometer to measure rapid electron density changes in a pellet injected or otherwise fueled plasma such as encountered in magnetic fusion devices. The laser includes a long far-infrared (FIR) pyrex resonator tube disposed within a cylindrical water jacket and incorporating charged electrodes for applying the Stark field to a gas confined therein. With the electrodes located within the resonator tube, the resonator tube walls are cooled by a flowing coolant without electrical breakdown in the coolant liquid during application of the Stark field. Wall cooling allows for substantially increased FIR output powers. Provision is made for introducing a buffer gas into the resonator tube for increasing laser output power and its operating bandwidth. 10 figures.

Laser for high frequency modulated interferometry

DOEpatents

Mansfield, Dennis K.; Vocaturo, Michael; Guttadora, Lawrence J.

1991-01-01

A Stark-tuned laser operating in the 119 micron line of CH.sub.3 OH has an output power of several tens of milliwatts at 30 Watts of pump power while exhibiting a doublet splitting of about ten MHz with the application of a Stark field on the order of 500 volts/cm. This output power allows for use of the laser in a multi-channel interferometer, while its high operating frequency permits the interferometer to measure rapid electron density changes in a pellet injected or otherwise fueled plasma such as encountered in magnetic fusion devices. The laser includes a long far-infrared (FIR) pyrex resonator tube disposed within a cylindrical water jacket and incorporating charged electrodes for applying the Stark field to a gas confined therein. With the electrodes located within the resonator tube, the resonator tube walls are cooled by a flowing coolant without electrical breakdown in the coolant liquid during application of the Stark field. Wall cooling allows for substantially increased FIR output powers. Provision is made for introducing a buffer gas into the resonator tube for increasing laser output power and its operating bandwidth.

Lightweight Radiator for in Space Nuclear Electric Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craven, Paul; Tomboulian, Briana; SanSoucie, Michael

2014-01-01

Nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) is a promising option for high-speed in-space travel due to the high energy density of nuclear fission power sources and efficient electric thrusters. Advanced power conversion technologies may require high operating temperatures and would benefit from lightweight radiator materials. Radiator performance dictates power output for nuclear electric propulsion systems. Game-changing propulsion systems are often enabled by novel designs using advanced materials. Pitch-based carbon fiber materials have the potential to offer significant improvements in operating temperature, thermal conductivity, and mass. These properties combine to allow advances in operational efficiency and high temperature feasibility. An effort at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center to show that woven high thermal conductivity carbon fiber mats can be used to replace standard metal and composite radiator fins to dissipate waste heat from NEP systems is ongoing. The goals of this effort are to demonstrate a proof of concept, to show that a significant improvement of specific power (power/mass) can be achieved, and to develop a thermal model with predictive capabilities making use of constrained input parameter space. A description of this effort is presented.

An innovative demonstration of high power density in a compact MDH (magnetohydrodynamic) generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, H. J.; Lineberry, J. T.; Chapman, J. N.

1990-06-01

The present program was conducted by the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI). It was by its nature a high risk experimental program to demonstrate the feasibility of high power density operation in a laboratory scale combustion driven MHD generator. Maximization of specific energy was not a consideration for the present program, but the results have implications in this regard by virtue of high energy fuel used. The power density is the ratio of the electrical energy output to the internal volume of the generator channel. The MHD process is a volumetric process and the power density is therefore a direct measure of the compactness of the system. Specific energy, is the ratio of the electrical energy output to consumable energy used for its production. The two parameters are conceptually interrelated. To achieve high power density and implied commensurate low system volume and weight, it was necessary to use an energetic fuel. The high energy fuel of choice was a mixture of powdered aluminum and carbon seeded with potassium carbonate and burned with gaseous oxygen. The solid fuel was burned in a hybrid combustion scheme wherein the fuel was cast within a cylindrical combustor in analogy with a solid propellant rocket motor. Experimental data is limited to gross channel output current and voltage, magnetic field strength, fuel and oxidizer flow rates, flow train external temperatures and combustor pressure. Similarly, while instantaneous oxidizer flow rates were measured, only average fuel consumption based on pre and post test component weights and dimensions was possible.

Advanced nickel-hydrogen cell configuration study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

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

Pulsed and CW adjustable 1942 nm single-mode all-fiber Tm-doped fiber laser system for surgical laser soft tissue ablation applications.

PubMed

Huang, Yize; Jivraj, Jamil; Zhou, Jiaqi; Ramjist, Joel; Wong, Ronnie; Gu, Xijia; Yang, Victor X D

2016-07-25

A surgical laser soft tissue ablation system based on an adjustable 1942 nm single-mode all-fiber Tm-doped fiber laser operating in pulsed or CW mode with nitrogen assistance is demonstrated. Ex vivo ablation on soft tissue targets such as muscle (chicken breast) and spinal cord (porcine) with intact dura are performed at different ablation conditions to examine the relationship between the system parameters and ablation outcomes. The maximum laser average power is 14.4 W, and its maximum peak power is 133.1 W with 21.3 μJ pulse energy. The maximum CW power density is 2.33 × 10⁶ W/cm² and the maximum pulsed peak power density is 2.16 × 10⁷ W/cm². The system parameters examined include the average laser power in CW or pulsed operation mode, gain-switching frequency, total ablation exposure time, and the input gas flow rate. The ablation effects were measured by microscopy and optical coherence tomography (OCT) to evaluate the ablation depth, superficial heat-affected zone diameter (HAZD) and charring diameter (CD). Our results conclude that the system parameters can be tailored to meet different clinical requirements such as ablation for soft tissue cutting or thermal coagulation for future applications of hemostasis.

Diamond encapsulated photovoltaics for transdermal power delivery.

PubMed

Ahnood, A; Fox, K E; Apollo, N V; Lohrmann, A; Garrett, D J; Nayagam, D A X; Karle, T; Stacey, A; Abberton, K M; Morrison, W A; Blakers, A; Prawer, S

2016-03-15

A safe, compact and robust means of wireless energy transfer across the skin barrier is a key requirement for implantable electronic devices. One possible approach is photovoltaic (PV) energy delivery using optical illumination at near infrared (NIR) wavelengths, to which the skin is highly transparent. In the work presented here, a subcutaneously implantable silicon PV cell, operated in conjunction with an external NIR laser diode, is developed as a power delivery system. The biocompatibility and long-term biostability of the implantable PV is ensured through the use of an hermetic container, comprising a transparent diamond capsule and platinum wire feedthroughs. A wavelength of 980 nm is identified as the optimum operating point based on the PV cell's external quantum efficiency, the skin's transmission spectrum, and the wavelength dependent safe exposure limit of the skin. In bench-top experiments using an external illumination intensity of 0.7 W/cm(2), a peak output power of 2.7 mW is delivered to the implant with an active PV cell dimension of 1.5 × 1.5 × 0.06 mm(3). This corresponds to a volumetric power output density of ~20 mW/mm(3), significantly higher than power densities achievable using inductively coupled coil-based approaches used in other medical implant systems. This approach paves the way for further ministration of bionic implants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Direct hydrocarbon fuel cells

DOEpatents

Barnett, Scott A.; Lai, Tammy; Liu, Jiang

2010-05-04

The direct electrochemical oxidation of hydrocarbons in solid oxide fuel cells, to generate greater power densities at lower temperatures without carbon deposition. The performance obtained is comparable to that of fuel cells used for hydrogen, and is achieved by using novel anode composites at low operating temperatures. Such solid oxide fuel cells, regardless of fuel source or operation, can be configured advantageously using the structural geometries of this invention.

Caracterisation des mecanismes d'usure en cavitation de revetements HVOF a base de CaviTec

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavigne, Sebastien

The increasing demand for high performance power conversion systems continuously pushes for improvement in efficiency and power density. This dissertation focuses on a topological effort to efficiently utilize the active and passive devices. In particular, a hybrid approach is adopted, where both capacitors and inductors are used in the voltage conversion and power transfer process. Conventional capacitor-based converters, called switched-capacitor (SC) converters, suffer from poor efficiency due to the inevitable charge redistribution process. With a strategic placement of one or more inductors, the charge redistribution loss can be eliminated by inductively charging/discharging the capacitors, a process called soft-charging operation. As a result, the capacitor size can be greatly reduced without reducing the efficiency. A general analytical framework is presented, which determines whether an arbitrary SC topology is able to achieve full soft-charging operation with a single inductor. For topologies that cannot, a split-phase control technique is introduced, which amends existing two-phase controls to completely eliminate the charge redistribution loss. In addition, alternative placements of inductors are explored to extend the family of hybrid converters. The hybrid converters can have two modes of operation, the fixed-ratio mode and pulse width modulated (PWM) mode. The fixed-conversion-ratio hybrid converters operate in a similar manner to that of a conventional SC converter, with the addition of a soft-charging inductor. The switching frequency of such converters can be adjusted to operate in either zero current switching (ZCS) mode or continuous conduction mode (CCM), which allows for the trade-off of switching loss and conduction loss. It is shown that the capacitor and inductor values can be selected to achieve a minimal passive component volume, which can be significantly smaller than that of a conventional SC converter or a magnetic-based converter. On the other hand, PWM-based hybrid converters generate a PWM rectangular wave as the terminal voltage to the inductor, similar to the operation of a buck converter. In contrast to conventional SC converters, such hybrid converters can achieve lossless and continuous regulation of the output voltage. Compared to buck converters, the required inductor is greatly reduced, as well as the switch stress. A 80-170 V input, 12-24 V output prototype PWM Dickson converter is implemented using GaN switches. The measured peak efficiency is 97%, and high efficiency can be maintained over the entire input and output operating range. In addition, the similarity between multilevel converters (for example, flying capacitor multilevel (FCML) converters) and the PWM-based hybrid SC converters is discussed. Both types of converters can be seen as a hybrid converter which uses both capacitors and inductors for energy transfer. A general framework to compare these converters, along with conventional buck converters, is proposed. In this framework, the power losses (including conduction loss and switching loss) are kept constant, while the total passive component volume is used as the figure of merit. Based on the principle of maximizing energy utilization of passive components, a 7-level FCML converter and an active energy buffer are designed and implemented for single phase dc-ac applications. In addition, the stand-alone system includes a start-up circuitry, EMC filter and auxiliary power supply. The enclosed box achieves a combined power density of 216 W/in3 and an efficiency of 97.4%, and compares favorably against the state-of-the-art designs under the same specification. To further improve the efficiency and power density, soft-switching techniques are investigated and applied on the hybrid converters. A zero voltage switching (ZVS) technique is introduced for both the fixed-ratio mode and the PWM mode operated hybrid converters. The previous hardware prototypes are modified for ZVS operation, and prove the feasibility of simultaneous soft-charging and soft-switching operation. Last but not the least, some of the practical issues associated with the hybrid converter are discussed, such as practical capacitor selection, capacitor voltage balancing and other circuit implementation challenges. Future work based on these topics is given. In summary, these hybrid converters are suited for applications where extreme efficiency and power density are critical. Through efficient utilization of active and passive devices, the hybrid topologies can offer a greater optimization opportunity and ability to take advantage of technology improvement than is possible with conventional designs.

Thermo electronic laser energy conversion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hansen, L. K.; Rasor, N. S.

1976-01-01

The thermo electronic laser energy converter (TELEC) is described and compared to the Waymouth converter and the conventional thermionic converter. The electrical output characteristics and efficiency of TELEC operation are calculated for a variety of design variables. Calculations and results are briefly outlined. It is shown that the TELEC concept can potentially convert 25 to 50 percent of incident laser radiation into electric power at high power densities and high waste heat rejection temperatures.

Comparison of ultrasonic energy expenditures and corneal endothelial cell density reductions during modulated and non-modulated phacoemulsification.

PubMed

Davison, James A

2007-01-01

To compare the Legacy 20000 Advantec continuous and Infiniti hyperpulse modes (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, TX) with respect to average power, machine-measured phacoemulsification time, total stopwatch real time spent within the phacoemulsification process, balanced salt solution (BSS) volume, and corneal endothelial cell density losses. A background study was done of consecutive patients operated on with the Legacy (n = 60) and Infiniti (n = 40) machines programmed with identical parameters and using the continuous mode only. A primary study of another set of consecutive cases was operated on using the Legacy (n = 87) and Infiniti (n = 94) with the same parameters, but using the hyperpulse mode during quadrant removal with the Infiniti. Measurements for each set included average power and phacoemulsification time with corneal endothelial cell densities, BSS volume, and time spent in the phacoemulsification process. Similarities were found in the background study for average power percent and average minutes of phacoemulsification time. In the primary study, similarities were found for total minutes in the phacoemulsification process, BSS usage, and ECD losses, and differences were found for average power percent (P< .001) and machine-measured phacoemulsification minutes (P< .001). The Legacy and Infiniti performed similarly in continuous mode. With the Infiniti hyperpulse mode, a total ultrasonic energy reduction of 66% was noted. The machines required the same amount of total stopwatch measured time to accomplish phacoemulsification and produced the same 5% corneal endothelial cell loss. Therefore, clinically, these two machines behave in a comparable manner relative to safety and effectiveness.

Power Reduction of the Air-Breathing Hall-Effect Thruster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sungrae

Electric propulsion system is spotlighted as the next generation space propulsion system due to its benefits; one of them is specific impulse. While there are a lot of types in electric propulsion system, Hall-Effect Thruster, one of electric propulsion system, has higher thrust-to-power ratio and requires fewer power supplies for operation in comparison to other electric propulsion systems, which means it is optimal for long space voyage. The usual propellant for Hall-Effect Thruster is Xenon and it is used to be stored in the tank, which may increase the weight of the thruster. Therefore, one theory that uses the ambient air as a propellant has been proposed and it is introduced as Air-Breathing Hall-Effect Thruster. Referring to the analysis on Air-Breathing Hall-Effect Thruster, the goal of this paper is to reduce the power of the thruster so that it can be applied to real mission such as satellite orbit adjustment. To reduce the power of the thruster, two assumptions are considered. First one is changing the altitude for the operation, while another one is assuming the alpha value that is electron density to ambient air density. With assumptions above, the analysis was done and the results are represented. The power could be decreased to 10s˜1000s with the assumptions. However, some parameters that do not satisfy the expectation, which would be the question for future work, and it will be introduced at the end of the thesis.

All-solid state symmetric supercapacitors based on compressible and flexible free-standing 3D carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) sponge electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Xin; Yang, Wenyao; Mao, Xiling; Xu, Lu; Zhou, Yujiu; Chen, Yan; Zhao, Yuetao; Yang, Yajie; Xu, Jianhua

2018-02-01

Flexible supercapacitors that maintain electrochemical performance under deformation have attracted much attention for the potential application in the flexible electronics market. A compressible and flexible free-standing electrodes sponge and all-solid-state symmetric supercapacitors based on as-prepared electrodes are presented. The carbon nanotubes (CNTs) framework is synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, and then composited with poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) PEDOT by the electrodeposition. This CNTs/PEDOT sponge electrode shows highest mass-specific capacitance of 147 Fg-1 at 0.5 A g-1, tuned by the PEDOT mass loading, and exhibits good cyclic stability with the evidence that more than 95% of capacitance is remained after 3000 cycles. Furthermore, the symmetric supercapacitor shows the highest energy density of 12.6 Wh kg-1 under the power density of 1 kW kg-1 and highest power density of 10.2 kW kg-1 with energy density of 8 Wh kg-1, which exhibits both high energy density and power density. The electrochemical performance of composite electrode also indicates that the operate voltage of device could be extend to 1.4 V by the n-doping and p-doping process in different potential of PEDOT component. This flexible supercapacitor maintains stable electrochemical performance working on different bending condition, which shows promising prospect for wearable energy storage applications.

A magnesium–sodium hybrid battery with high operating voltage

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

Dong, Hui; Li, Yifei; Liang, Yanliang

2016-06-10

We report a high performance magnesium-sodium hybrid battery utilizing a magnesium-sodium dual-salt electrolyte, a magnesium anode, and a Berlin green cathode. The cell delivers an average discharge voltage of 2.2 V and a reversible capacity of 143 mAh g -1. We also demonstrate the cell with an energy density of 135 Wh kg -1 and a high power density of up to 1.67 kW kg -1.

Bio-Nanobattery Development and Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

King, Glen C.; Choi, Sang H.; Chu, Sang-Hyon; Kim, Jae-Woo; Watt, Gerald D.; Lillehei, Peter T.; Park, Yeonjoon; Elliott, James R.

2005-01-01

A bio-nanobattery is an electrical energy storage device that utilizes organic materials and processes on an atomic, or nanometer-scale. The bio-nanobattery under development at NASA s Langley Research Center provides new capabilities for electrical power generation, storage, and distribution as compared to conventional power storage systems. Most currently available electronic systems and devices rely on a single, centralized power source to supply electrical power to a specified location in the circuit. As electronic devices and associated components continue to shrink in size towards the nanometer-scale, a single centralized power source becomes impractical. Small systems, such as these, will require distributed power elements to reduce Joule heating, to minimize wiring quantities, and to allow autonomous operation of the various functions performed by the circuit. Our research involves the development and characterization of a bio-nanobattery using ferritins reconstituted with both an iron core (Fe-ferritin) and a cobalt core (Co-ferritin). Synthesis and characterization of the Co-ferritin and Fe-ferritin electrodes were performed, including reducing capability and the half-cell electrical potentials. Electrical output of nearly 0.5 V for the battery cell was measured. Ferritin utilizing other metallic cores were also considered to increase the overall electrical output. Two dimensional ferritin arrays were produced on various substrates to demonstrate the feasibility of a thin-film nano-scaled power storage system for distributed power storage applications. The bio-nanobattery will be ideal for nanometerscaled electronic applications, due to the small size, high energy density, and flexible thin-film structure. A five-cell demonstration article was produced for concept verification and bio-nanobattery characterization. Challenges to be addressed include the development of a multi-layered thin-film, increasing the energy density, dry-cell bionanobattery development, and selection of ferritin core materials to allow the broadest range of applications. The potential applications for the distributed power system include autonomously-operating intelligent chips, flexible thin-film electronic circuits, nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS), ultra-high density data storage devices, nanoelectromagnetics, quantum electronic devices, biochips, nanorobots for medical applications and mechanical nano-fabrication, etc.

Optimization of properties and operating parameters of a passive DMFC mini-stack at ambient temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baglio, V.; Stassi, A.; Matera, F. V.; Di Blasi, A.; Antonucci, V.; Aricò, A. S.

An investigation of properties and operating parameters of a passive DMFC monopolar mini-stack, such as catalyst loading and methanol concentration, was carried out. From this analysis, it was derived that a proper Pt loading is necessary to achieve the best compromise between electrode thickness and number of catalytic sites for the anode and cathode reactions to occur at suitable rates. Methanol concentrations ranging from 1 M up to 10 M and an air-breathing operation mode were investigated. A maximum power of 225 mW was obtained at ambient conditions for a three-cell stack, with an active single cell area of 4 cm 2, corresponding to a power density of about 20 mW cm -2.

A Nuclear Cryogenic Propulsion Stage for Near-Term Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houts, Michael G.; Kim, Tony; Emrich, William J.; Hickman, Robert R.; Broadway, Jeramie W.; Gerrish, Harold P.; Doughty, Glen E.; Adams, Robert B.; Bechtel, Ryan D.; Borowski, Stanley K.;

Simulation of electric vehicles with hybrid power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burke, A. F.; Cole, G. H.

Computer programs for the simulation of the operation of electric vehicles with hybrid power systems are described. These programs treat cases in which high energy density ultracapacitors or high power density pulse batteries are used to load level the main energy storage battery in the vehicle. A generalized control strategy for splitting the power between the main battery and the pulse power devices is implemented such that the user can specify the nominal battery power as a function of the state-of-charge of the ultracapacitor or pulse power battery. The programs display graphically on the screen, as they run, the power from both the main battery and the pulse power device and the state-of-charge of the pulse power device. After each run is completed, a summary is printed out from which the effect of load leveling the battery on vehicle range and energy consumption can be determined. Default input files are provided with the programs so various combinations of vehicles, driveline components, and batteries of special current interest to the EV community can be run with either type of pulse power device. Typical simulation results are shown including cases in which the pulse power devices are connected in parallel with the main battery without interface electronics.

High-efficiency and high-reliability 9xx-nm bars and fiber-coupled devices at Coherent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Hailong; Kennedy, Keith; Weiss, Eli; Li, Jun; Anikitchev, Serguei; Reichert, Patrick; Du, Jihua; Schleuning, David; Nabors, David; Reed, Murray; Toivonen, Mika; Lehkonen, Sami; Haapamaa, Jouko

2006-02-01

Ongoing optimization of epitaxial design within Coherent device engineering has led to a family of high power-conversion-efficiency (PCE) products on conductively cooled packages (CCP) and fiber array packages (FAP). At a 25°C heat sink temperature, the PCE was measured at 71.5% with 75W CW output power on 30% fill-factor (FF) bars with passive cooling. At heat sink temperatures as high as 60°C the PCE of these bars is still maintained above 60%. Powered by such high efficiency 9xx nm diodes, Coherent FAP products have consistently exceeded 55% PCE up to 50W power levels, with 62% PCE demonstrated out of the fiber. High linear-power-density (LPD) operation of 100μm x 7-emitter bars at LPD = 80 mW/μm was also demonstrated. Bars with 7-emitter were measured up to 140W QCW power before catastrophic optical mirror damage (COMD) occurred, which corresponds to a COMD value of 200mW/μm or 2D facet power density of 29.4 MW/cm2. Leveraging these improvements has enabled high power FAPs with >90W CW from an 800μm-diameter fiber bundle. Extensive reliability testing has already accumulated 400,000 total real-time device hours at a variety of accelerated and non-accelerated operating conditions. A random failure rate <0.5% per kilo-hours and gradual degradation rate <0.4% per kilo-hours have been observed. For a 30% FF 50W CW 9xx nm bar, this equates to >30,000 hours of median lifetime at a 90% confidence level. More optimized 30% FF 9xx nm bars are under development for power outputs up to 80W CW with extrapolated median lifetimes greater than 20,000 hours.

2 Micrometers InAsSb Quantum-dot Lasers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Qiu, Yueming; Uhl, David; Keo, Sam

2004-01-01

InAsSb quantum-dot lasers near 2 micrometers were demonstrated in cw operation at room temperature with a threshold current density of 733 A,/cm(sup 2), output power of 3 mW/facet and a differential quantum efficiency of 13%.

Novel Superdielectric Materials: Aqueous Salt Solution Saturated Fabric

PubMed Central

Phillips, Jonathan

2016-01-01

The dielectric constants of nylon fabrics saturated with aqueous NaCl solutions, Fabric-Superdielectric Materials (F-SDM), were measured to be >105 even at the shortest discharge times (>0.001 s) for which reliable data could be obtained using the constant current method, thus demonstrating the existence of a third class of SDM. Hence, the present results support the general theoretical SDM hypothesis, which is also supported by earlier experimental work with powder and anodized foil matrices: Any material composed of liquid containing dissolved, mobile ions, confined in an electrically insulating matrix, will have a very high dielectric constant. Five capacitors, each composed of a different number of layers of salt solution saturated nylon fabric, were studied, using a galvanostat operated in constant current mode. Capacitance, dielectric constant, energy density and power density as a function of discharge time, for discharge times from ~100 s to nearly 0.001 s were recorded. The roll-off rate of the first three parameters was found to be nearly identical for all five capacitors tested. The power density increased in all cases with decreasing discharge time, but again the observed frequency response was nearly identical for all five capacitors. Operational limitations found for F-SDM are the same as those for other aqueous solution SDM, particularly a low maximum operating voltage (~2.3 V), and dielectric “constants” that are a function of voltage, decreasing for voltages higher than ~0.8 V. Extrapolations of the present data set suggest F-SDM could be the key to inexpensive, high energy density (>75 J/cm3) capacitors. PMID:28774037

Lightweight Damage Tolerant Radiators for In-Space Nuclear Electric Power and Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Craven, Paul; SanSoucie, Michael P.; Tomboulian, Briana; Rogers, Jan; Hyers, Robert

2014-01-01

Nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) is a promising option for high-speed in-space travel due to the high energy density of nuclear power sources and efficient electric thrusters. Advanced power conversion technologies for converting thermal energy from the reactor to electrical energy at high operating temperatures would benefit from lightweight, high temperature radiator materials. Radiator performance dictates power output for nuclear electric propulsion systems. Pitch-based carbon fiber materials have the potential to offer significant improvements in operating temperature and mass. An effort at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center to show that woven high thermal conductivity carbon fiber mats can be used to replace standard metal and composite radiator fins to dissipate waste heat from NEP systems is ongoing. The goals of this effort are to demonstrate a proof of concept, to show that a significant improvement of specific power (power/mass) can be achieved, and to develop a thermal model with predictive capabilities. A description of this effort is presented.

Temporally resolved ozone distribution of a time modulated RF atmospheric pressure argon plasma jet: flow, chemical reaction, and transient vortex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, S.; Sobota, A.; van Veldhuizen, E. M.; Bruggeman, P. J.

2015-08-01

The ozone density distribution in the effluent of a time modulated RF atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) is investigated by time and spatially resolved by UV absorption spectroscopy. The plasma jet is operated with an averaged dissipated power of 6.5 W and gas flow rate 2 slm argon  +2% O2. The modulation frequency of the RF power is 50 Hz with a duty cycle of 50%. To investigate the production and destruction mechanism of ozone in the plasma effluent, the atomic oxygen and gas temperature is also obtained by TALIF and Rayleigh scattering, respectively. A temporal increase in ozone density is observed close to the quartz tube exit when the plasma is switched off due to the decrease in O density and gas temperature. Ozone absorption at different axial positions indicates that the ozone distribution is dominated by the convection induced by the gas flow and allows estimating the on-axis local gas velocity in the jet effluent. Transient vortex structures occurring during the switch on and off of the RF power also significantly affect the ozone density in the far effluent.

Development and validation of chemistry agnostic flow battery cost performance model and application to nonaqueous electrolyte systems: Chemistry agnostic flow battery cost performance model

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

Crawford, Alasdair; Thomsen, Edwin; Reed, David

2016-04-20

A chemistry agnostic cost performance model is described for a nonaqueous flow battery. The model predicts flow battery performance by estimating the active reaction zone thickness at each electrode as a function of current density, state of charge, and flow rate using measured data for electrode kinetics, electrolyte conductivity, and electrode-specific surface area. Validation of the model is conducted using a 4kW stack data at various current densities and flow rates. This model is used to estimate the performance of a nonaqueous flow battery with electrode and electrolyte properties used from the literature. The optimized cost for this system ismore » estimated for various power and energy levels using component costs provided by vendors. The model allows optimization of design parameters such as electrode thickness, area, flow path design, and operating parameters such as power density, flow rate, and operating SOC range for various application duty cycles. A parametric analysis is done to identify components and electrode/electrolyte properties with the highest impact on system cost for various application durations. A pathway to 100$kWh -1 for the storage system is identified.« less

Spectroscopic imaging of metal halide high-intensity discharge lamps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonvallet, Geoffrey A.

The body of this work consists of three main research projects. An optical- and near-ultraviolet-wavelength absorption study sought to determine absolute densities of ground and excited level Sc atoms, ground level Sc + ions, and ground level Na atoms in a commercial 250 W metal halide high intensity discharge lamp during operation. These measurements also allowed the determination of the arc temperature and absolute electron density as functions of radius. Through infrared emission spectroscopy, relative densities of sodium and scandium were determined as functions of radius. Using the absolute densities gained from the optical experiment, these relative densities were calibrated. In addition, direct observation of the infrared emission allowed us to characterize the infrared power losses of the lamp. When considered as a fraction of the overall power consumption, the near-infrared spectral power losses were not substantial enough to warrant thorough investigation of their reduction in these lamps. The third project was an attempt to develop a portable x-ray diagnostic experiment. Two-dimensional spatial maps of the lamps were analyzed to determine absolute elemental mercury densities and the arc temperature as a function of radius. Two methods were used to improve the calibration of the density measurements and to correct for the spread in x-ray energy: known solutions of mercury in nitric acid, and an arc lamp which was uniformly heated to evaporate the mercury content. Although many complexities arose in this experiment, its goal was successfully completed.

Update on Development of SiC Multi-Chip Power Modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lostetter, Alexander; Cilio, Edgar; Mitchell, Gavin; Schupbach, Roberto

2008-01-01

Progress has been made in a continuing effort to develop multi-chip power modules (SiC MCPMs). This effort at an earlier stage was reported in 'SiC Multi-Chip Power Modules as Power-System Building Blocks' (LEW-18008-1), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 31, No. 2 (February 2007), page 28. The following recapitulation of information from the cited prior article is prerequisite to a meaningful summary of the progress made since then: 1) SiC MCPMs are, more specifically, electronic power-supply modules containing multiple silicon carbide power integrated-circuit chips and silicon-on-insulator (SOI) control integrated-circuit chips. SiC MCPMs are being developed as building blocks of advanced expandable, reconfigurable, fault-tolerant power-supply systems. Exploiting the ability of SiC semiconductor devices to operate at temperatures, breakdown voltages, and current densities significantly greater than those of conventional Si devices, the designs of SiC MCPMs and of systems comprising multiple SiC MCPMs are expected to afford a greater degree of miniaturization through stacking of modules with reduced requirements for heat sinking; 2) The stacked SiC MCPMs in a given system can be electrically connected in series, parallel, or a series/parallel combination to increase the overall power-handling capability of the system. In addition to power connections, the modules have communication connections. The SOI controllers in the modules communicate with each other as nodes of a decentralized control network, in which no single controller exerts overall command of the system. Control functions effected via the network include synchronization of switching of power devices and rapid reconfiguration of power connections to enable the power system to continue to supply power to a load in the event of failure of one of the modules; and, 3) In addition to serving as building blocks of reliable power-supply systems, SiC MCPMs could be augmented with external control circuitry to make them perform additional power-handling functions as needed for specific applications. Because identical SiC MCPM building blocks could be utilized in such a variety of ways, the cost and difficulty of designing new, highly reliable power systems would be reduced considerably. This concludes the information from the cited prior article. The main activity since the previously reported stage of development was the design, fabrication, and testing a 120- VDC-to-28-VDC modular power-converter system composed of eight SiC MCPMs in a 4 (parallel)-by-2 (series) matrix configuration, with normally-off controllable power switches. The SiC MCPM power modules include closed-loop control subsystems and are capable of operating at high power density or high temperature. The system was tested under various configurations, load conditions, load-transient conditions, and failure-recovery conditions. Planned future work includes refinement of the demonstrated modular system concept and development of a new converter hardware topology that would enable sharing of currents without the need for communication among modules. Toward these ends, it is also planned to develop a new converter control algorithm that would provide for improved sharing of current and power under all conditions, and to implement advanced packaging concepts that would enable operation at higher power density.

Uncooled pulsed zinc oxide semiconductor laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogdankevich, O. V.; Darznek, S. A.; Zverev, M. M.; Kostin, N. N.; Krasavina, E. M.

1985-02-01

An optimized ZnO laser which operates at ambient temperature without cooling is reported, along with extension of the design to form a multielement high-power laser. ZnO single crystal plane-parallel wafers 0.22 mm thick, covered with total and semi-transparent coatings, were exposed to a 200 keV electron beam with a 10 nsec pulse and a current density up to 1 kA/sq cm. No damage was observed in the crystals at saturation. A 7 percent maximum efficiency at a reflection coefficient (RC) of 0.4 was associated with a maximum output of 25 kW and a light power density of 3 MW/sq cm. Cementing a ZnO wafer to a sapphire substrate, applying the same type of coatings and working with a RC of 0.6 yielded a maximum power of 300 kW/sq cm.

A low-power reversible alkali atom source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Songbai; Mott, Russell P.; Gilmore, Kevin A.; Sorenson, Logan D.; Rakher, Matthew T.; Donley, Elizabeth A.; Kitching, John; Roper, Christopher S.

2017-06-01

An electrically controllable, solid-state, reversible device for sourcing and sinking alkali vapor is presented. When placed inside an alkali vapor cell, both an increase and decrease in the rubidium vapor density by a factor of two are demonstrated through laser absorption spectroscopy on 10-15 s time scales. The device requires low voltage (5 V), low power (<3.4 mW peak power), and low energy (<10.7 mJ per 10 s pulse). The absence of oxygen emission during operation is shown through residual gas analysis, indicating that Rb is not lost through chemical reaction but rather by ion transport through the designed channel. This device is of interest for atomic physics experiments and, in particular, for portable cold-atom systems where dynamic control of alkali vapor density can enable advances in science and technology.

Polybenzimidazole membranes for direct methanol fuel cell: Acid-doped or alkali-doped?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Long-Yun; Yu, Bor-Chern; Shih, Chao-Ming; Lue, Shingjiang Jessie

2015-08-01

Polybenzimidazole (PBI) films immersed in 2 M phosphoric acid (H3PO4) or 6 M potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution form electrolytes for conducting proton or hydroxide, respectively. A direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) with the alkali-KOH doped PBI gives 117.9 mW cm-2 of power output which is more than 2 times greater than the power density of 46.5 mW cm-2 with the H3PO4-doped PBI (vs.) when both of the DMFCs use a micro porous layer (MPL) in a gas-fed cathode and a MPL-free anode and are operated at 90 °C. When the MPL-free anode and cathode are used and the fuel flow rate is tripled, the peak power density of alkaline DMFC reaches 158.9 mW cm-2.

A tubular hybrid Halbach/axially-magnetized permanent-magnet linear machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sui, Yi; Liu, Yong; Cheng, Luming; Liu, Jiaqi; Zheng, Ping

2017-05-01

A single-phase tubular permanent-magnet linear machine (PMLM) with hybrid Halbach/axially-magnetized PM arrays is proposed for free-piston Stirling power generation system. Machine topology and operating principle are elaborately illustrated. With the sinusoidal speed characteristic of the free-piston Stirling engine considered, the proposed machine is designed and calculated by finite-element analysis (FEA). The main structural parameters, such as outer radius of the mover, radial length of both the axially-magnetized PMs and ferromagnetic poles, axial length of both the middle and end radially-magnetized PMs, etc., are optimized to improve both the force capability and power density. Compared with the conventional PMLMs, the proposed machine features high mass and volume power density, and has the advantages of simple control and low converter cost. The proposed machine topology is applicable to tubular PMLMs with any phases.

Rich-burn, flame-assisted fuel cell, quick-mix, lean-burn (RFQL) combustor and power generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milcarek, Ryan J.; Ahn, Jeongmin

2018-03-01

Micro-tubular flame-assisted fuel cells (mT-FFC) were recently proposed as a modified version of the direct flame fuel cell (DFFC) operating in a dual chamber configuration. In this work, a rich-burn, quick-mix, lean-burn (RQL) combustor is combined with a micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell (mT-SOFC) stack to create a rich-burn, flame-assisted fuel cell, quick-mix, lean-burn (RFQL) combustor and power generation system. The system is tested for rapid startup and achieves peak power densities after only 35 min of testing. The mT-FFC power density and voltage are affected by changes in the fuel-lean and fuel-rich combustion equivalence ratio. Optimal mT-FFC performance favors high fuel-rich equivalence ratios and a fuel-lean combustion equivalence ratio around 0.80. The electrical efficiency increases by 150% by using an intermediate temperature cathode material and improving the insulation. The RFQL combustor and power generation system achieves rapid startup, a simplified balance of plant and may have applications for reduced NOx formation and combined heat and power.

Particle-In-Cell Simulations of Asymmetric Dual Frequency Capacitive Discharge Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Alan; Lichtenberg, A. J.; Lieberman, M. A.; Verboncoeur, J. P.

2003-10-01

Dual frequency capacitive discharges are finding increasing use for etching in the microelectronics industry. In the ideal case, the high frequency power (typically 27.1-160 MHz) controls the plasma density and the low frequency power (typically 2-13.56 MHz) controls the ion energy. The electron power deposition and the dynamics of dual frequency rf sheaths are not well understood. We report on particle-in-cell computer simulations of an asymmetric dual frequency argon discharge. The simulations are performed in 1D (radial) geometry using the bounded electrostatic code XPDP1. Operating parameters are 27.1/2 MHz high/low frequencies, 10/13 cm inner/outer radii, 3-200 mTorr pressures, and 10^9-10^11 cm-3 densities. We determine the power deposition and sheath dynamics for the high frequency power alone, and with various added low frequency powers. We compare the simulation results to simple global models of dual frequency discharges. Support provided by Lam Research, NSF Grant ECS-0139956, California industries, and UC-SMART Contract SM99-10051.

Turbulence and sheared flow structures behind the isotopic dependence of the L-H power threshold on DIII-D

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

Yan, Zheng; Gohil, Punit; McKee, George R.

Measurements of long wavelength (kmore » $$\\perp$$p i < 1) density fluctuation characteristics in the edge of both Deuterium (D) and Hydrogen (H) plasmas across the L-H transition on DIII-D demonstrate the existence of single or double bands of low-wavenumber turbulence observed near the edge of H and D plasmas. These are strongly correlated with the L to H-mode transition power threshold (P LH) and can help explain the isotopic and density dependence of P LH, and how the P LH difference is reduced at higher density. Understanding and accurately predicting the L-H power threshold is critical to accessing to H-mode, and operating and achieving high confinement in burning plasmas such as ITER. Above about n e ~ 4 × 10 19 m -3, P LH is seen to converge for H and D, and increases for both with higher density. Surprisingly, the P LH increases significantly at low density in H but not in D plasmas. Two distinct frequency bands of density fluctuations are observed in the D plasmas at low density, n e ~ 1.2-1.5 × 10 19 m -3, but not in H plasmas with similar density, which appears to be correlated to the much lower power threshold in D at low density. Consistently, E × B shear in the region of r/a ~ 0.95-1.0 is larger in D plasmas than in H plasmas at low density; as the P LH increases with increasing density, the dual mode structure disappears while E × B shear becomes similar and small for both D and H plasmas at higher density, n e ~ 5 × 10 19 m -3, where P LH is similar for both D and H plasmas. Lastly, the increased edge fluctuations, increased flow shear, and the dualband nature of edge turbulence correlating with lower P LH may account for the strong isotope and density dependencies of PLH and support current L-H transition theories but suggest a complex behavior that can inform a more complete model of the L-H transition threshold.« less

Turbulence and sheared flow structures behind the isotopic dependence of the L-H power threshold on DIII-D

DOE PAGES

Yan, Zheng; Gohil, Punit; McKee, George R.; ...

2017-09-18

Measurements of long wavelength (kmore » $$\\perp$$p i < 1) density fluctuation characteristics in the edge of both Deuterium (D) and Hydrogen (H) plasmas across the L-H transition on DIII-D demonstrate the existence of single or double bands of low-wavenumber turbulence observed near the edge of H and D plasmas. These are strongly correlated with the L to H-mode transition power threshold (P LH) and can help explain the isotopic and density dependence of P LH, and how the P LH difference is reduced at higher density. Understanding and accurately predicting the L-H power threshold is critical to accessing to H-mode, and operating and achieving high confinement in burning plasmas such as ITER. Above about n e ~ 4 × 10 19 m -3, P LH is seen to converge for H and D, and increases for both with higher density. Surprisingly, the P LH increases significantly at low density in H but not in D plasmas. Two distinct frequency bands of density fluctuations are observed in the D plasmas at low density, n e ~ 1.2-1.5 × 10 19 m -3, but not in H plasmas with similar density, which appears to be correlated to the much lower power threshold in D at low density. Consistently, E × B shear in the region of r/a ~ 0.95-1.0 is larger in D plasmas than in H plasmas at low density; as the P LH increases with increasing density, the dual mode structure disappears while E × B shear becomes similar and small for both D and H plasmas at higher density, n e ~ 5 × 10 19 m -3, where P LH is similar for both D and H plasmas. Lastly, the increased edge fluctuations, increased flow shear, and the dualband nature of edge turbulence correlating with lower P LH may account for the strong isotope and density dependencies of PLH and support current L-H transition theories but suggest a complex behavior that can inform a more complete model of the L-H transition threshold.« less

Helium experiments on Alcator C-Mod in support of ITER early operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kessel, C. E.; Wolfe, S. M.; Reinke, M. L.; Hughes, J. W.; Lin, Y.; Wukitch, S. J.; Baek, S. G.; Bonoli, P. T.; Chilenski, M.; Diallo, A.; the Alcator C-Mod Team

2018-05-01

Helium majority experiments on Alcator C-Mod were performed to compare with deuterium discharges, and inform ITER early operations. ELMy H-modes were produced with a special plasma shape at B T  =  5.3 T, I P  =  0.9 MA, at q 95 ~ 3.8. The He fraction ranged over, n He,L/n L  =  0.2-0.4, with n D,L/n L  =  0.15-0.26, compared to D plasmas with n D,L/n L  =  0.85-0.97. The power to enter the H-mode in He was found to be greater than ~2 times that for D discharges, in the low density region  <1.4  ×  1020/m3. However, it appears to follow the D threshold for higher densities. The stored energies in the He discharges were about 80% of those in D, and about 40% higher net power was required to sustain them compared to D. Global particle confinement times for tungsten of τ W* /τ E ~ 4 were obtained with ELMy H-modes in He, however accumulation occurred when the ELMs were irregular and infrequent. The electron temperatures and densities in the pedestal were similar between D and He discharges, and the ΔT e/T e and Δn e/n e values were similar or larger in He than D. The higher net power required to access the H-mode, and sustain it in flattop, for He discharges in C-Mod, imply some limitations for He operation in ITER.

Non-boronized compared with boronized operation of ASDEX Upgrade with full-tungsten plasma facing components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallenbach, A.; Dux, R.; Mayer, M.; Neu, R.; Pütterich, T.; Bobkov, V.; Fuchs, J. C.; Eich, T.; Giannone, L.; Gruber, O.; Herrmann, A.; Horton, L. D.; Maggi, C. F.; Meister, H.; Müller, H. W.; Rohde, V.; Sips, A.; Stäbler, A.; Stober, J.; ASDEX Upgrade Team

2009-04-01

After completion of the tungsten coating of all plasma facing components, ASDEX Upgrade has been operated without boronization for 1 1/2 experimental campaigns. This has allowed the study of fuel retention under conditions of relatively low D co-deposition with low-Z impurities as well as the operational space of a full-tungsten device for the unfavourable condition of a relatively high intrinsic impurity level. Restrictions in operation were caused by the central accumulation of tungsten in combination with density peaking, resulting in H-L backtransitions induced by too low separatrix power flux. Most important control parameters have been found to be the central heating power, as delivered predominantly by ECRH, and the ELM frequency, most easily controlled by gas puffing. Generally, ELMs exhibit a positive impact, with the effect of impurity flushing out of the pedestal region overbalancing the ELM-induced W source. The restrictions of plasma operation in the unboronized W machine occurred predominantly under low or medium power conditions. Under medium-high power conditions, stable operation with virtually no difference between boronized and unboronized discharges was achieved. Due to the reduced intrinsic radiation with boronization and the limited power handling capability of VPS coated divertor tiles (≈10 MW m-2), boronized operation at high heating powers was possible only with radiative cooling. To enable this, a previously developed feedback system using (thermo-)electric current measurements as approximate sensor for the divertor power flux was introduced into the standard AUG operation. To avoid the problems with reduced ELM frequency due to core plasma radiation, nitrogen was selected as radiating species since its radiative characteristic peaks at lower electron temperatures in comparison with Ne and Ar, favouring SOL and divertor radiative losses. Nitrogen seeding resulted not only in the desired divertor power load reduction but also in improved energy confinement, as well as in smaller ELMs.

Electrical power production from low-grade waste heat using a thermally regenerative ethylenediamine battery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahimi, Mohammad; D'Angelo, Adriana; Gorski, Christopher A.; Scialdone, Onofrio; Logan, Bruce E.

2017-05-01

Thermally regenerative ammonia-based batteries (TRABs) have been developed to harvest low-grade waste heat as electricity. To improve the power production and anodic coulombic efficiency, the use of ethylenediamine as an alternative ligand to ammonia was explored here. The power density of the ethylenediamine-based battery (TRENB) was 85 ± 3 W m-2-electrode area with 2 M ethylenediamine, and 119 ± 4 W m-2 with 3 M ethylenediamine. This power density was 68% higher than that of TRAB. The energy density was 478 Wh m-3-anolyte, which was ∼50% higher than that produced by TRAB. The anodic coulombic efficiency of the TRENB was 77 ± 2%, which was more than twice that obtained using ammonia in a TRAB (35%). The higher anodic efficiency reduced the difference between the anode dissolution and cathode deposition rates, resulting in a process more suitable for closed loop operation. The thermal-electric efficiency based on ethylenediamine separation using waste heat was estimated to be 0.52%, which was lower than that of TRAB (0.86%), mainly due to the more complex separation process. However, this energy recovery could likely be improved through optimization of the ethylenediamine separation process.

First operation with the JET International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor-like walla)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neu, R.; Arnoux, G.; Beurskens, M.; Bobkov, V.; Brezinsek, S.; Bucalossi, J.; Calabro, G.; Challis, C.; Coenen, J. W.; de la Luna, E.; de Vries, P. C.; Dux, R.; Frassinetti, L.; Giroud, C.; Groth, M.; Hobirk, J.; Joffrin, E.; Lang, P.; Lehnen, M.; Lerche, E.; Loarer, T.; Lomas, P.; Maddison, G.; Maggi, C.; Matthews, G.; Marsen, S.; Mayoral, M.-L.; Meigs, A.; Mertens, Ph.; Nunes, I.; Philipps, V.; Pütterich, T.; Rimini, F.; Sertoli, M.; Sieglin, B.; Sips, A. C. C.; van Eester, D.; van Rooij, G.; JET-EFDA Contributors

2013-05-01

To consolidate International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) design choices and prepare for its operation, Joint European Torus (JET) has implemented ITER's plasma facing materials, namely, Be for the main wall and W in the divertor. In addition, protection systems, diagnostics, and the vertical stability control were upgraded and the heating capability of the neutral beams was increased to over 30 MW. First results confirm the expected benefits and the limitations of all metal plasma facing components (PFCs) but also yield understanding of operational issues directly relating to ITER. H-retention is lower by at least a factor of 10 in all operational scenarios compared to that with C PFCs. The lower C content (≈ factor 10) has led to much lower radiation during the plasma burn-through phase eliminating breakdown failures. Similarly, the intrinsic radiation observed during disruptions is very low, leading to high power loads and to a slow current quench. Massive gas injection using a D2/Ar mixture restores levels of radiation and vessel forces similar to those of mitigated disruptions with the C wall. Dedicated L-H transition experiments indicate a 30% power threshold reduction, a distinct minimum density, and a pronounced shape dependence. The L-mode density limit was found to be up to 30% higher than for C allowing stable detached divertor operation over a larger density range. Stable H-modes as well as the hybrid scenario could be re-established only when using gas puff levels of a few 1021 es-1. On average, the confinement is lower with the new PFCs, but nevertheless, H factors up to 1 (H-Mode) and 1.3 (at βN≈3, hybrids) have been achieved with W concentrations well below the maximum acceptable level.

First Operation with the JET ITER-Like Wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neu, Rudolf

2012-10-01

To consolidate ITER design choices and prepare for its operation, JET has implemented ITER's plasma facing materials, namely Be at the main wall and W in the divertor. In addition, protection systems, diagnostics and the vertical stability control were upgraded and the heating capability of the neutral beams was increased to over 30 MW. First results confirm the expected benefits and the limitations of all metal plasma facing components (PFCs), but also yield understanding of operational issues directly relating to ITER. H-retention is lower by at least a factor of 10 in all operational scenarios compared to that with C PFCs. The lower C content (˜ factor 10) have led to much lower radiation during the plasma burn-through phase eliminating breakdown failures. Similarly, the intrinsic radiation observed during disruptions is very low, leading to high power loads and to a slow current quench. Massive gas injection using a D2/Ar mixture restores levels of radiation and vessel forces similar to those of mitigated disruptions with the C wall. Dedicated L-H transition experiments indicate a reduced power threshold by 30%, a distinct minimum density and pronounced shape dependence. The L-mode density limit was found up to 30% higher than for C allowing stable detached divertor operation over a larger density range. Stable H-modes as well as the hybrid scenario could be only re-established when using gas puff levels of a few 10^21e/s. On average the confinement is lower with the new PFCs, but nevertheless, H factors around 1 (H-Mode) and 1.2 (at βN˜3, Hybrids) have been achieved with W concentrations well below the maximum acceptable level (<10-5).

Increased heat dissipation with the X-divertor geometry facilitating detachment onset at lower density in DIII-D

DOE PAGES

Covele, Brent; Kotschenreuther, M.; Mahajan, S.; ...

2017-06-23

The X-Divertor geometry on DIII-D has demonstrated reduced particle and heat fluxes to the target, facilitating detachment onset at ~20% lower upstream density and higher H-mode pedestal pressure than a standard divertor. SOLPS modeling suggests that this effect cannot be explained by an increase in total connection length alone, but rather by the addition of connection length specifically in the power-dissipating volume near the target, via poloidal flux expansion and flaring. But, poloidal flaring must work synergistically with divertor closure to most effectively reduce the detachment density threshold. Furthermore, the model also points to carbon radiation as the primary drivermore » of power dissipation in divertors on the DIII-D floor, which is consistent with experimental observations. Sustainable divertor detachment at lower density has beneficial consequences for energy confinement and current drive efficiency in the core for advanced tokamak (AT) operation, while simultaneously satisfying the exhaust requirements of the plasma-facing components.« less

Increased heat dissipation with the X-divertor geometry facilitating detachment onset at lower density in DIII-D

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

Covele, Brent; Kotschenreuther, M.; Mahajan, S.

The X-Divertor geometry on DIII-D has demonstrated reduced particle and heat fluxes to the target, facilitating detachment onset at ~20% lower upstream density and higher H-mode pedestal pressure than a standard divertor. SOLPS modeling suggests that this effect cannot be explained by an increase in total connection length alone, but rather by the addition of connection length specifically in the power-dissipating volume near the target, via poloidal flux expansion and flaring. But, poloidal flaring must work synergistically with divertor closure to most effectively reduce the detachment density threshold. Furthermore, the model also points to carbon radiation as the primary drivermore » of power dissipation in divertors on the DIII-D floor, which is consistent with experimental observations. Sustainable divertor detachment at lower density has beneficial consequences for energy confinement and current drive efficiency in the core for advanced tokamak (AT) operation, while simultaneously satisfying the exhaust requirements of the plasma-facing components.« less

Asymmetric Supercapacitor Electrodes and Devices.

PubMed

Choudhary, Nitin; Li, Chao; Moore, Julian; Nagaiah, Narasimha; Zhai, Lei; Jung, Yeonwoong; Thomas, Jayan

2017-06-01

The world is recently witnessing an explosive development of novel electronic and optoelectronic devices that demand more-reliable power sources that combine higher energy density and longer-term durability. Supercapacitors have become one of the most promising energy-storage systems, as they present multifold advantages of high power density, fast charging-discharging, and long cyclic stability. However, the intrinsically low energy density inherent to traditional supercapacitors severely limits their widespread applications, triggering researchers to explore new types of supercapacitors with improved performance. Asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) assembled using two dissimilar electrode materials offer a distinct advantage of wide operational voltage window, and thereby significantly enhance the energy density. Recent progress made in the field of ASCs is critically reviewed, with the main focus on an extensive survey of the materials developed for ASC electrodes, as well as covering the progress made in the fabrication of ASC devices over the last few decades. Current challenges and a future outlook of the field of ASCs are also discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Ion accelerator systems for high power 30 cm thruster operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aston, G.

1982-01-01

Two and three-grid accelerator systems for high power ion thruster operation were investigated. Two-grid translation tests show that over compensation of the 30 cm thruster SHAG grid set spacing the 30 cm thruster radial plasma density variation and by incorporating grid compensation only sufficient to maintain grid hole axial alignment, it is shown that beam current gains as large as 50% can be realized. Three-grid translation tests performed with a simulated 30 cm thruster discharge chamber show that substantial beamlet steering can be reliably affected by decelerator grid translation only, at net-to-total voltage ratios as low as 0.05.

Regenerative Performance of the NASA Symmetrical Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cable, Thomas L.; Setlock, John A.; Farmer, Serene C.; Eckel, Andy J.

2009-01-01

The NASA Glenn Research Center is developing both a novel cell design (BSC) and a novel ceramic fabrication technique to produce fuel cells predicted to exceed a specific power density of 1.0 kW/kg. The NASA Glenn cell design has taken a completely different approach among planar designs by removing the metal interconnect and returning to the use of a thin, doped LaCrO3 interconnect. The cell is structurally symmetrical. Both electrodes support the thin electrolyte and contain micro-channels for gas flow-- a geometry referred to as a bi-electrode supported cell or BSC. The cell characteristics have been demonstrated under both SOFC and SOE conditions. Electrolysis tests verify that this cell design operates at very high electrochemical voltage efficiencies (EVE) and high H2O conversion percentages, even at the low flow rates predicted for closed loop systems encountered in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications. For UAVs the volume, weight and the efficiency are critical as they determine the size of the water tank, the solar panel size, and other system requirements. For UAVs, regenerative solid oxide fuel cell stacks (RSOFC) use solar panels during daylight to generate power for electrolysis and then operate in fuel cell mode during the night to power the UAV and electronics. Recent studies, performed by NASA for a more electric commercial aircraft, evaluated SOFCs for auxiliary power units (APUs). System studies were also conducted for regenerative RSOFC systems. One common requirement for aerospace SOFCs and RSOFCs, determined independently in each application study, was the need for high specific power density and volume density, on the order of 1.0 kW/kg and greater than 1.0 kW/L. Until recently the best reported performance for SOFCs was 0.2 kW/kg or less for stacks. NASA Glenn is working to prototype the light weight, low volume BSC design for such high specific power aerospace applications.

Wearable Solid-State Supercapacitors Operating at High Working Voltage with a Flexible Nanocomposite Electrode.

PubMed

Li, Xiaoyan; Wang, Jun; Zhao, Yaping; Ge, Fengyan; Komarneni, Sridhar; Cai, Zaisheng

2016-10-05

The proposed approach for fabricating ultralight self-sustained electrodes facilitates the structural integration of highly flexible carbon nanofibers, amino-modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (AM-MWNT), and MnO 2 nanoflakes for potential use in wearable supercapacitors. Because of the higher orientation of AM-MWNT and the sublimation of terephthalic acid (PTA) in the carbonization process, freestanding electrodes could be realized with high porosity and flexibility and could possess remarkable electrochemical properties without using polymer substrates. Wearable symmetric solid-state supercapacitors were further assembled using a LiCl/PVA gel electrolyte, which exhibit a maximum energy density of 44.57 Wh/kg (at a power density of 337.1 W/kg) and a power density of 13330 W/kg (at an energy density of 19.64 Wh/kg) with a working voltage as high as 1.8 V. Due to the combination of several favorable traits such as flexibility, high energy density, and excellent electrochemical cyclability, the presently developed wearable supercapacitors with wide potential windows are expected to be useful for new kinds of portable electric devices.

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

Gleicher, Frederick; Ortensi, Javier; DeHart, Mark

Accurate calculation of desired quantities to predict fuel behavior requires the solution of interlinked equations representing different physics. Traditional fuels performance codes often rely on internal empirical models for the pin power density and a simplified boundary condition on the cladding edge. These simplifications are performed because of the difficulty of coupling applications or codes on differing domains and mapping the required data. To demonstrate an approach closer to first principles, the neutronics application Rattlesnake and the thermal hydraulics application RELAP-7 were coupled to the fuels performance application BISON under the master application MAMMOTH. A single fuel pin was modeledmore » based on the dimensions of a Westinghouse 17x17 fuel rod. The simulation consisted of a depletion period of 1343 days, roughly equal to three full operating cycles, followed by a station blackout (SBO) event. The fuel rod was depleted for 1343 days for a near constant total power loading of 65.81 kW. After 1343 days the fission power was reduced to zero (simulating a reactor shut-down). Decay heat calculations provided the time-varying energy source after this time. For this problem, Rattlesnake, BISON, and RELAP-7 are coupled under MAMMOTH in a split operator approach. Each system solves its physics on a separate mesh and, for RELAP-7 and BISON, on only a subset of the full problem domain. Rattlesnake solves the neutronics over the whole domain that includes the fuel, cladding, gaps, water, and top and bottom rod holders. Here BISON is applied to the fuel and cladding with a 2D axi-symmetric domain, and RELAP-7 is applied to the flow of the circular outer water channel with a set of 1D flow equations. The mesh on the Rattlesnake side can either be 3D (for low order transport) or 2D (for diffusion). BISON has a matching ring structure mesh for the fuel so both the power density and local burn up are copied accurately from Rattlesnake. At each depletion time step, Rattlesnake calculates a power density, fission density rate, burn-up distribution and fast flux based on the current water density and fuel temperature. These are then mapped to the BISON mesh for a fuels performance solve. BISON calculates the fuel temperature and cladding surface temperature based upon the current power density and bulk fluid temperature. RELAP-7 then calculates the fluid temperature, water density fraction and water phase velocity based upon the cladding surface temperature. The fuel temperature and the fluid density are then passed back to Rattlesnake for another neutronics calculation. Six Picard or fixed-point style iterations are preformed in this manner to obtain consistent tightly coupled and stable results. For this paper a set of results from the detailed calculation are provided for both during depletion and the SBO event. We demonstrate that a detailed calculation closer to first principles can be done under MAMMOTH between different applications on differing domains.« less

Miniature Electron Sources for Tomorrow’s Vacuum THz Devices (MiPRI)

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

Microwaves, Proceedings of the Fourth Workshop on High Power RF, 22 V. L. Bratman, N. S . Ginzburg, N. F. Kovalev, G. S . Nusinovich, and M. edited by R. M...3Po Kalynov, N. G. Kolganov, V. N. Manuilov, F. S . Rusin, S . V. Samsonov, and A. V. Savilov, in High Energy Density and High Power RF: 7th When this...showed that this will enable the design of future THz sources operating with relatively high efficiency at high power levels. 15. SUBJECT TERMS THz

Bioelectricity generation in continuously-fed microbial fuel cell: effects of anode electrode material and hydraulic retention time.

PubMed

Akman, Dilek; Cirik, Kevser; Ozdemir, Sebnem; Ozkaya, Bestamin; Cinar, Ozer

2013-12-01

The main aim of this study is to investigate the bioelectricity production in continuously-fed dual chambered microbial fuel cell (MFC). Initially, MFC was operated with different anode electrode material at constant hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2d to evaluate the effect of electrode material on electricity production. Pt electrode yielded about 642 mW/m(2) power density, which was 4 times higher than that of the MFC with the mixed metal oxide titanium (Ti-TiO2). Further, MFC equipped with Pt electrode was operated at varying HRT (2-0.5d). The power density generation increased with decreasing HRT, corresponding to 1313 mW/m(2) which was maximum value obtained during this study. Additionally, decreasing HRT from 2 to 0.5d resulted in increasing effluent dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration from 1.92 g/L to 2.23 g/L, corresponding to DOC removal efficiencies of 46% and 38%, respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of refractory-metal-clad uranium nitride and uranium dioxide fuel pins after irradiation for times up to 10 450 hours at 990 C

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowles, K. J.; Gluyas, R. E.

1975-01-01

The effects of some materials variables on the irradiation performance of fuel pins for a lithium-cooled space power reactor design concept were examined. The variables studied were UN fuel density, fuel composition, and cladding alloy. All pins were irradiated at about 990 C in a thermal neutron environment to the design fuel burnup. An 85-percent dense UN fuel gave the best overall results in meeting the operational goals. The T-111 cladding on all specimens was embrittled, possibly by hydrogen in the case of the UN fuel and by uranium and oxygen in the case of the UO2 fuel. Tests with Cb-1Zr cladding indicate potential use of this cladding material. The UO2 fueled specimens met the operational goals of less than 1 percent cladding strain, but other factors make UO2 less attractive than low-density UN for the contemplated space power reactor use.

The density matrix renormalization group algorithm on kilo-processor architectures: Implementation and trade-offs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemes, Csaba; Barcza, Gergely; Nagy, Zoltán; Legeza, Örs; Szolgay, Péter

2014-06-01

In the numerical analysis of strongly correlated quantum lattice models one of the leading algorithms developed to balance the size of the effective Hilbert space and the accuracy of the simulation is the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) algorithm, in which the run-time is dominated by the iterative diagonalization of the Hamilton operator. As the most time-dominant step of the diagonalization can be expressed as a list of dense matrix operations, the DMRG is an appealing candidate to fully utilize the computing power residing in novel kilo-processor architectures. In the paper a smart hybrid CPU-GPU implementation is presented, which exploits the power of both CPU and GPU and tolerates problems exceeding the GPU memory size. Furthermore, a new CUDA kernel has been designed for asymmetric matrix-vector multiplication to accelerate the rest of the diagonalization. Besides the evaluation of the GPU implementation, the practical limits of an FPGA implementation are also discussed.

Measurements of crossed-field demagnetisation rate of trapped field magnets at high frequencies and below 77 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baskys, A.; Patel, A.; Glowacki, B. A.

2018-06-01

Design requirements of the next generation of electric aircraft place stringent requirements on the power density required from electric motors. A future prototype planned in the scope of the European project ‘Advanced Superconducting Motor Experimental Demonstrator’ (ASuMED) considers a permanent magnet synchronous motor, where the conventional ferromagnets are replaced with superconducting trapped field magnets, which promise higher flux densities and thus higher output power without adding weight. Previous work has indicated that stacks of tape show lower cross-field demagnetisation rates to bulk (RE)BCO whilst retaining similar performance for their size, however the crossed-field demagnetisation rate has not been studied in the temperature, the magnetic field and frequency range that are relevant for the operational prototype motor. This work investigates crossed-field demagnetisation in 2G high temperature superconducting stacks at temperatures below 77 K and a frequency range above 10 Hz. This information is crucial in developing designs and determining operational time before re-magnetisation could be required.

Pt-Bi decorated nanoporous gold for high performance direct glucose fuel cell

PubMed Central

Guo, Hong; Yin, Huiming; Yan, Xiuling; Shi, Shuai; Yu, Qingyang; Cao, Zhen; Li, Jian

2016-01-01

Binary PtBi decorated nanoporous gold (NPG-PtBi) electrocatalyst is specially designed and prepared for the anode in direct glucose fuel cells (DGFCs). By using electroless and electrochemical plating methods, a dense Pt layer and scattered Bi particles are sequentially coated on NPG. A simple DGFC with NPG-PtBi as anode and commercial Pt/C as cathode is constructed and operated to study the effect of operating temperatures and concentrations of glucose and NaOH. With an anode noble metal loading of only 0.45 mg cm−2 (Au 0.3 mg and Pt 0.15 mg), an open circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.9 V is obtained with a maximum power density of 8 mW cm−2. Furthermore, the maximum gravimetric power density of NPG-PtBi is 18 mW mg−1, about 4.5 times higher than that of commercial Pt/C. PMID:27966629

Short Haul Civil Tiltrotor Contingency Power System Preliminary Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eames, David J. H.

2006-01-01

Single Langmuir probe measurements are presented over a two-dimensional array of locations in the near Discharge Cathode Assembly (DCA) region of a 30-cm diameter ring cusp ion thruster over a range of thruster operating conditions encompassing the high-power half of the NASA throttling table. The Langmuir probe data were analyzed with two separate methods. All data were analyzed initially assuming an electron population consisting of Maxwellian electrons only. The on-axis data were then analyzed assuming both Maxwellian and primary electrons. Discharge plasma data taken with beam extraction exhibit a broadening of the higher electron temperature plume boundary compared to similar discharge conditions without beam extraction. The opposite effect is evident with the electron/ion number density as the data without began, extraction appears to be more collimated than the corresponding data with beam extraction. Primary electron energy and number densities are presented for one operating condition giving an order of magnitude of their value and the error associated with this calculation.

High Current Density Cathodes for Future Vacuum Electronics Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-30

Tube - device for generating high levels of RF power DARPA Defense Advanced Research Agency PBG Photonic band gap W- Band 75-111 GHz dB Decibels GHz...Extended interaction klystron 1. Introduction All RF vacuum electron sources require a high quality electron beam for efficient operation. Research on...with long life. Pres- ently, only thermionic dispenser cathodes are practical for high power RF sources. Typical thermi- onic cathodes consists of a

Assessment of Li/SOCL2 Battery Technology; Reserve, Thin-Cell Design. Volume 3

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

power density and efficiency of an operating electrochemical system . The method is general - the examples to illustrate the selected points pertain to... System : Design, Manufacturing and QC Considerations), S. Szpak, P. A. Mosier-Boss, and J. J. Smith, 34th International Power Sources Symposium, Cherry...I) the computer time required to evaluate the integral in Eqn. Ill, and (iii the lack of generality in the attainable lineshapes. However, since this

Ultra-wide-range measurements of thin-film filter optical density over the visible and near-infrared spectrum.

PubMed

Lequime, Michel; Liukaityte, Simona; Zerrad, Myriam; Amra, Claude

2015-10-05

We present the improved structure and operating principle of a spectrophotometric mean that allows us for the recording of the transmittance of a thin-film filter over an ultra-wide range of optical densities (from 0 to 11) between 400 and 1000 nm. The operation of this apparatus is based on the combined use of a high power supercontinuum laser source, a tunable volume hologram filter, a standard monochromator and a scientific grade CCD camera. The experimentally recorded noise floor is in good accordance with the optical density values given by the theoretical approach. A demonstration of the sensitivity gain provided by this new set-up with respect to standard spectrophotometric means is performed via the characterization of various types of filters (band-pass, long-pass, short-pass, and notch).

Wireless technologies for closed-loop retinal prostheses.

PubMed

Ng, David C; Bai, Shun; Yang, Jiawei; Tran, Nhan; Skafidas, Efstratios

2009-12-01

In this paper, we discuss various technologies needed to develop retinal prostheses with wireless power and data telemetry operation. In addition to the need to communicate with the implanted device, supply of power to the retinal prosthesis is especially difficult. This is because, in the implanted state, the device is not fixed in position due to constant motion of the eye. Furthermore, a retinal prosthesis incorporating a high density electrode array of more than 1000 electrodes is expected to consume approximately 45 mW of power and require 300 kbps of image and stimulation data. The front end of the wireless power and data transmission, the antenna, needs to be small compared to the size of the eye. Also, the wireless module is expected to operate in the reactive near-field region due to small separation between the transmit and receive antennas compared to their size and corresponding operating wavelength. An inductive link is studied as a means to transfer power and for data telemetry between the implant and external unit. In this work, the use of integrated circuit and microfabrication technologies for implementing inductive links is discussed. A closed-loop approach is taken to improve performance and reach optimum operation condition. Design and simulation data are presented as the basis for development of viable wireless module prototypes.

Wireless technologies for closed-loop retinal prostheses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ng, David C.; Bai, Shun; Yang, Jiawei; Tran, Nhan; Skafidas, Efstratios

2009-12-01

In this paper, we discuss various technologies needed to develop retinal prostheses with wireless power and data telemetry operation. In addition to the need to communicate with the implanted device, supply of power to the retinal prosthesis is especially difficult. This is because, in the implanted state, the device is not fixed in position due to constant motion of the eye. Furthermore, a retinal prosthesis incorporating a high density electrode array of more than 1000 electrodes is expected to consume approximately 45 mW of power and require 300 kbps of image and stimulation data. The front end of the wireless power and data transmission, the antenna, needs to be small compared to the size of the eye. Also, the wireless module is expected to operate in the reactive near-field region due to small separation between the transmit and receive antennas compared to their size and corresponding operating wavelength. An inductive link is studied as a means to transfer power and for data telemetry between the implant and external unit. In this work, the use of integrated circuit and microfabrication technologies for implementing inductive links is discussed. A closed-loop approach is taken to improve performance and reach optimum operation condition. Design and simulation data are presented as the basis for development of viable wireless module prototypes.

Compact microwave re-entrant cavity applicator for plasma-assisted combustion.

PubMed

Hemawan, Kadek W; Wichman, Indrek S; Lee, Tonghun; Grotjohn, Timothy A; Asmussen, Jes

2009-05-01

The design and experimental operation of a compact microwave/rf applicator is described. This applicator operates at atmospheric pressure and couples electromagnetic energy into a premixed CH(4)/O(2) flame. The addition of only 2-15 W of microwave power to a premixed combustion flame with a flame power of 10-40 W serves to extend the flammability limits for fuel lean conditions, increases the flame length and intensity, and increases the number density and mixture of excited radical species in the flame vicinity. The downstream gas temperature also increases. Optical emission spectroscopy measurements show gas rotational temperatures in the range of 2500-3600 K. At the higher input power of > or = 10 W microplasma discharges can be produced in the high electric field region of the applicator.

Compact microwave re-entrant cavity applicator for plasma-assisted combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemawan, Kadek W.; Wichman, Indrek S.; Lee, Tonghun; Grotjohn, Timothy A.; Asmussen, Jes

2009-05-01

The design and experimental operation of a compact microwave/rf applicator is described. This applicator operates at atmospheric pressure and couples electromagnetic energy into a premixed CH4/O2 flame. The addition of only 2-15 W of microwave power to a premixed combustion flame with a flame power of 10-40 W serves to extend the flammability limits for fuel lean conditions, increases the flame length and intensity, and increases the number density and mixture of excited radical species in the flame vicinity. The downstream gas temperature also increases. Optical emission spectroscopy measurements show gas rotational temperatures in the range of 2500-3600 K. At the higher input power of ≥10 W microplasma discharges can be produced in the high electric field region of the applicator.

Advances in direct oxidation methanol fuel cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Surampudi, S.; Narayanan, S. R.; Vamos, E.; Frank, H.; Halpert, G.; Laconti, Anthony B.; Kosek, J.; Prakash, G. K. Surya; Olah, G. A.

1993-01-01

Fuel cells that can operate directly on fuels such as methanol are attractive for low to medium power applications in view of their low weight and volume relative to other power sources. A liquid feed direct methanol fuel cell has been developed based on a proton exchange membrane electrolyte and Pt/Ru and Pt catalyzed fuel and air/O2 electrodes, respectively. The cell has been shown to deliver significant power outputs at temperatures of 60 to 90 C. The cell voltage is near 0.5 V at 300 mA/cm(exp 2) current density and an operating temperature of 90 C. A deterrent to performance appears to be methanol crossover through the membrane to the oxygen electrode. Further improvements in performance appear possible by minimizing the methanol crossover rate.

Production of high transient heat and particle fluxes in a linear plasma device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Temmerman, G.; Zielinski, J. J.; van der Meiden, H.; Melissen, W.; Rapp, J.

2010-08-01

We report on the generation of high transient heat and particle fluxes in a linear plasma device by pulsed operation of the plasma source. A capacitor bank is discharged into the source to transiently increase the discharge current up to 1.7 kA, allowing peak densities and temperature of 70×1020 m-3 and 6 eV corresponding to a surface power density of about 400 MW m-2.

Fission Systems for Mars Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houts, Michael G.; Kim, T.; Dorney, D. J.; Swint, Marion Shayne

2012-01-01

Fission systems are used extensively on earth, and 34 such systems have flown in space. The energy density of fission is over 10 million times that of chemical reactions, giving fission the potential to eliminate energy density constraints for many space missions. Potential safety and operational concerns with fission systems are well understood, and strategies exist for affordably developing such systems. By enabling a power-rich environment and highly efficient propulsion, fission systems could enable affordable, sustainable exploration of Mars.

Advanced Current Collection Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-04-19

GoPDId Goal Current Density (HA/M3) 7.8 b4. Collector Surface Velocity (m/s) 15-75 25-75 Brush Material Life (uax, 1400 1400 velocity) (hr/in...net power loss and longest life for brush operation. The development of a multi-fiber shunt was continued through two iterations in preparation fnr... life . Neither energy loss density nor wear were degraded as the number of test brushes was increased to the full complement level. Over one year average

Metal-Air Batteries: (Latest citations from the Aerospace Database)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The bibliography contains citations concerning applications of metal-air batteries. Topics include systems that possess different practical energy densities at specific powers. Coverage includes the operation of air electrodes at different densities and performance results. The systems are used in electric vehicles as a cost-effective method to achieve reliability and efficiency. Zinc-air batteries are covered more thoroughly in a separate bibliography. (Contains 50-250 citations and includes a subject term index and title list.)

Power degradation and reliability study of high-power laser bars at quasi-CW operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Haoyu; Fan, Yong; Liu, Hui; Wang, Jingwei; Zah, Chungen; Liu, Xingsheng

2017-02-01

The solid state laser relies on the laser diode (LD) pumping array. Typically for high peak power quasi-CW (QCW) operation, both energy output per pulse and long term reliability are critical. With the improved bonding technique, specially Indium-free bonded diode laser bars, most of the device failures were caused by failure within laser diode itself (wearout failure), which are induced from dark line defect (DLD), bulk failure, point defect generation, facet mirror damage and etc. Measuring the reliability of LD under QCW condition will take a rather long time. Alternatively, an accelerating model could be a quicker way to estimate the LD life time under QCW operation. In this report, diode laser bars were mounted on micro channel cooler (MCC) and operated under QCW condition with different current densities and junction temperature (Tj ). The junction temperature is varied by modulating pulse width and repetition frequency. The major concern here is the power degradation due to the facet failure. Reliability models of QCW and its corresponding failures are studied. In conclusion, QCW accelerated life-time model is discussed, with a few variable parameters. The model is compared with CW model to find their relationship.

Perchlorate remediation using packed-bed bioreactors and electricity generation in microbial fuel cells (MFCs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Min, Booki

Two pilot-scale fixed bed bioreactors were operated in continuous mode in order to treat groundwater contaminated by perchlorate. The bioreactors were constructed and operated side-by-side at the Texas Street Well Facility in Redlands, California. Each reactor was packed with either sand or plastic media. A perchlorate-reducing bacterium, Dechlorosoma sp. KJ, was used to inoculate the bioreactors. Perchlorate was successfully removed down to a non-detectable level (<4mug/L) in both bioreactors with acetate as a carbon source and nutrients at loading rates less than 0.063 L/s (1 gpm; 0.34 L/m2s). The sand medium bioreactor could achieve complete-perchlorate removal up to flow rate of 0.126 L/s. A regular backwashing cycle (once a week) was an important factor for completely removing perchlorate in groundwater. Power generation directly from pure or mixed organic matter was examined using microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which were run either in batch or continuous mode. In batch experiments, both a pure culture (Geobactor metallireducens) and a mixed culture (wastewater inoculum) were used as the biocatalyst, and acetate was added as substrate in the anode chamber of the MFC. Power output in a membrane MFC with either inoculum was essentially the same, with 40 +/- 1 mW/m2 for G. metallireducens and 38 +/- 1 mW/m2 for mixed culture. A different type of the MFC containing a salt bridge instead of a membrane system was examined to generate power using the same substrate and pure culture as used in the membrane MFC. Power output in the salt bridge MFC was 2.2 mW/m 2. It was found that the lower power output was directly attributed to the higher internal resistance of the salt bridge system (19920 +/- 50 O) in comparison with that of the membrane system (1286 +/- 1 O). Continuous electricity generation was examined in a flat plate microbial fuel cell (FPMFC) using domestic wastewater and specific organic substrates. The FPMFC, containing a combined electrode/proton exchange membrane (PEM), was initially acclimated for one month to domestic wastewater, and then was operated as a plug flow reactor system. Power density using domestic wastewater as a substrate was 72 +/- 1 mW/m2 at a liquid flow rate of 0.39 mL/min (1.1 hr hydraulic retention time, HRT), and COD removal was 42%. At a longer HRT of 4.0 hr, the COD removal increased to 79%, and power density was 43 mW/m2. Several organic compounds (about 1000 mg-COD/L) also generated high power densities including: glucose (212 +/- 2 mW/m2), acetate (286 +/- 3 mW/m2), butyrate (220 +/- 1 mW/m2), dextran (150 +/- 1 mW/m 2), and starch (242 +/- 3 mW/m2). Therefore, it was shown that power could be successfully generated in a continuous-mode MFC with a variety of organic substrates. Animal wastewater was also tested as substrate to generate power in an air-cathode single chamber MFC operated in batch mode. This preliminary experiment demonstrated that power generation could be sustained with animal wastewater and that wastewater strength and odors were substantially reduced in the reactor after only one day of operation.

Electricity production from municipal solid waste using microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Chiu, H Y; Pai, T Y; Liu, M H; Chang, C A; Lo, F C; Chang, T C; Lo, H M; Chiang, C F; Chao, K P; Lo, W Y; Lo, S W; Chu, Y L

2016-07-01

The organic content of municipal solid waste has long been an attractive source of renewable energy, mainly as a solid fuel in waste-to-energy plants. This study focuses on the potential to use microbial fuel cells to convert municipal solid waste organics into energy using various operational conditions. The results showed that two-chamber microbial fuel cells with carbon felt and carbon felt allocation had a higher maximal power density (20.12 and 30.47 mW m(-2) for 1.5 and 4 L, respectively) than those of other electrode plate allocations. Most two-chamber microbial fuel cells (1.5 and 4 L) had a higher maximal power density than single-chamber ones with corresponding electrode plate allocations. Municipal solid waste with alkali hydrolysis pre-treatment and K3Fe(CN)6 as an electron acceptor improved the maximal power density to 1817.88 mW m(-2) (~0.49% coulomb efficiency, from 0.05-0.49%). The maximal power density from experiments using individual 1.5 and 4 L two-chamber microbial fuel cells, and serial and parallel connections of 1.5 and 4 L two-chamber microbial fuel cells, was found to be in the order of individual 4 L (30.47 mW m(-2)) > serial connection of 1.5 and 4 L (27.75) > individual 1.5 L (20.12) > parallel connection of 1.5 and 4 L (17.04) two-chamber microbial fuel cells . The power density using municipal solid waste microbial fuel cells was compared with information in the literature and discussed. © The Author(s) 2016.

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

Covele, Brent; Kotschenreuther, M.; Mahajan, S.

The X-Divertor geometry on DIII-D has demonstrated reduced particle and heat fluxes to the target, facilitating detachment onset at ~20% lower upstream density and higher H-mode pedestal pressure than a standard divertor. SOLPS modeling suggests that this effect cannot be explained by an increase in total connection length alone, but rather by the addition of connection length specifically in the power-dissipating volume near the target, via poloidal flux expansion and flaring. But, poloidal flaring must work synergistically with divertor closure to most effectively reduce the detachment density threshold. Furthermore, the model also points to carbon radiation as the primary drivermore » of power dissipation in divertors on the DIII-D floor, which is consistent with experimental observations. Sustainable divertor detachment at lower density has beneficial consequences for energy confinement and current drive efficiency in the core for advanced tokamak (AT) operation, while simultaneously satisfying the exhaust requirements of the plasma-facing components.« less

Designing Carbon Based Supercapacitors with High Energy Density: A Summary of Recent Progress.

PubMed

Han, Yi; Lai, Zhengzhe; Wang, Zifan; Yu, Minghao; Tong, Yexiang; Lu, Xihong

2018-05-23

Carbon based supercapacitors (CSCs), with high output power and long lifespan, are considered as promising power sources for modern electronic devices. The rush to find new approaches for optimizing their electrochemical behaviors is still vibrant, and particularly, widespread enthusiasm was focused on improving the energy density of CSCs through improving the specific capacitance and expanding the operating voltage. In this regard, this article provides a brief review about recent progress and new understanding about the assembly of CSCs with high energy density. Novel applied strategies were highlighted and discussed from the aspects of electrolyte, electrodes, and device modulation. Dynamic and mechanism factors associated with the energy storage process of CSCs are particularly emphasized. Finally, the opportunities and challenges are elaborated in the hope of guiding the promising direction for the design of high-energy CSCs. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

An analytic model for limiting high density LH transition by the onset of the tertiary instability

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

Singh, Raghvendra, E-mail: rsingh129@gmail.com; Jhang, Hogun; Kaang, Helen H.

2016-07-15

We perform an analytic study of the tertiary instability driven by a strong excitation of zonal flows during high density low to high (LH) mode transition. The drift resistive ballooning mode is assumed to be a dominant edge turbulence driver. The analysis reproduces main qualitative features of early computational results [Rogers and Drake, Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 4396 (1998); Guzdar et al., Phys. Plasmas 14, 020701 (2007)], as well as new characteristics of the maximum edge density due to the onset of the tertiary instability. An analytical scaling indicates that the density scaling of LH transition power may be determinedmore » by the onset condition of the tertiary instability when the operating density approaches to the Greenwald density.« less

First results of the SOL reflectometer on Alcator C-Mod.

PubMed

Lau, C; Hanson, G; Lin, Y; Wilgen, J; Wukitch, S; Labombard, B; Wallace, G

2012-10-01

A swept-frequency X-mode reflectometer has been built on Alcator C-Mod to measure the scrape-off layer (SOL) density profiles adjacent to the lower hybrid launcher. The reflectometer system operates between 100 and 146 GHz at sweep rates from 10 μs to 1 ms and covers a density range of ∼10(16)-10(20) m(-3) at B(0) = 5-5.4 T. This paper discusses the analysis of reflectometer density profiles and presents first experimental results of SOL density profile modifications due to the application of lower hybrid range-of-frequencies power to L-mode discharges. Comparison between density profiles measured by the X-mode reflectometer and scanning Langmuir probes is also shown.

All-graphene-battery: bridging the gap between supercapacitors and lithium ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Haegyeom; Park, Kyu-Young; Hong, Jihyun; Kang, Kisuk

2014-06-01

Herein, we propose an advanced energy-storage system: all-graphene-battery. It operates based on fast surface-reactions in both electrodes, thus delivering a remarkably high power density of 6,450 W kg-1total electrode while also retaining a high energy density of 225 Wh kg-1total electrode, which is comparable to that of conventional lithium ion battery. The performance and operating mechanism of all-graphene-battery resemble those of both supercapacitors and batteries, thereby blurring the conventional distinction between supercapacitors and batteries. This work demonstrates that the energy storage system made with carbonaceous materials in both the anode and cathode are promising alternative energy-storage devices.

All-graphene-battery: bridging the gap between supercapacitors and lithium ion batteries.

PubMed

Kim, Haegyeom; Park, Kyu-Young; Hong, Jihyun; Kang, Kisuk

2014-06-13

Herein, we propose an advanced energy-storage system: all-graphene-battery. It operates based on fast surface-reactions in both electrodes, thus delivering a remarkably high power density of 6,450 W kg(-1)(total electrode) while also retaining a high energy density of 225 Wh kg(-1)(total electrode), which is comparable to that of conventional lithium ion battery. The performance and operating mechanism of all-graphene-battery resemble those of both supercapacitors and batteries, thereby blurring the conventional distinction between supercapacitors and batteries. This work demonstrates that the energy storage system made with carbonaceous materials in both the anode and cathode are promising alternative energy-storage devices.

Development of an engineering model traveling wave tube amplifier for space communication systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eallonardo, C. M.; Songli, J.; Basiulis, A.

1972-01-01

A design has been made of a 100 watt traveling-wave tube amplifier for use in space communication applications. The features of very high overall efficiency and heat rejection of waste heat at low thermal densities were predominant in the design concept. The design concept was proven by building a series of tubes, operating at efficiencies up to 50%. These tubes utilized heat pipe cooling and heat distribution such that 150 watts of waste heat was rejected at a density of less than 1.5 watts per square inch. A power supply to convert a 28 volt primary line of the needs of the TWT was built and operated at 85% efficiency.

All-graphene-battery: bridging the gap between supercapacitors and lithium ion batteries

PubMed Central

Kim, Haegyeom; Park, Kyu-Young; Hong, Jihyun; Kang, Kisuk

2014-01-01

Herein, we propose an advanced energy-storage system: all-graphene-battery. It operates based on fast surface-reactions in both electrodes, thus delivering a remarkably high power density of 6,450 W kg−1total electrode while also retaining a high energy density of 225 Wh kg−1total electrode, which is comparable to that of conventional lithium ion battery. The performance and operating mechanism of all-graphene-battery resemble those of both supercapacitors and batteries, thereby blurring the conventional distinction between supercapacitors and batteries. This work demonstrates that the energy storage system made with carbonaceous materials in both the anode and cathode are promising alternative energy-storage devices. PMID:24923290

CORSICA modelling of ITER hybrid operation scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, S. H.; Bulmer, R. H.; Campbell, D. J.; Casper, T. A.; LoDestro, L. L.; Meyer, W. H.; Pearlstein, L. D.; Snipes, J. A.

2016-12-01

The hybrid operating mode observed in several tokamaks is characterized by further enhancement over the high plasma confinement (H-mode) associated with reduced magneto-hydro-dynamic (MHD) instabilities linked to a stationary flat safety factor (q ) profile in the core region. The proposed ITER hybrid operation is currently aiming at operating for a long burn duration (>1000 s) with a moderate fusion power multiplication factor, Q , of at least 5. This paper presents candidate ITER hybrid operation scenarios developed using a free-boundary transport modelling code, CORSICA, taking all relevant physics and engineering constraints into account. The ITER hybrid operation scenarios have been developed by tailoring the 15 MA baseline ITER inductive H-mode scenario. Accessible operation conditions for ITER hybrid operation and achievable range of plasma parameters have been investigated considering uncertainties on the plasma confinement and transport. ITER operation capability for avoiding the poloidal field coil current, field and force limits has been examined by applying different current ramp rates, flat-top plasma currents and densities, and pre-magnetization of the poloidal field coils. Various combinations of heating and current drive (H&CD) schemes have been applied to study several physics issues, such as the plasma current density profile tailoring, enhancement of the plasma energy confinement and fusion power generation. A parameterized edge pedestal model based on EPED1 added to the CORSICA code has been applied to hybrid operation scenarios. Finally, fully self-consistent free-boundary transport simulations have been performed to provide information on the poloidal field coil voltage demands and to study the controllability with the ITER controllers. Extended from Proc. 24th Int. Conf. on Fusion Energy (San Diego, 2012) IT/P1-13.

High-Performance Chemically Regenerative Redox Fuel Cells Using a NO3- /NO Regeneration Reaction.

PubMed

Han, Sang-Beom; Kwak, Da-Hee; Park, Hyun Suk; Choi, In-Ae; Park, Jin-Young; Kim, Si-Jin; Kim, Min-Cheol; Hong, Seongho; Park, Kyung-Won

2017-03-06

In this study, we proposed high-performance chemically regenerative redox fuel cells (CRRFCs) using NO 3 - /NO with a nitrogen-doped carbon-felt electrode and a chemical regeneration reaction of NO to NO 3 - via O 2 . The electrochemical cell using the nitrate reduction to NO at the cathode on the carbon felt and oxidation of H 2 as a fuel at the anode showed a maximal power density of 730 mW cm -2 at 80 °C and twofold higher power density of 512 mW cm -2 at 0.8 V, than the target power density of 250 mW cm -2 at 0.8 V in the H 2 /O 2 proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). During the operation of the CRRFCs with the chemical regeneration reactor for 30 days, the CRRFCs maintained 60 % of the initial performance with a regeneration efficiency of about 92.9 % and immediately returned to the initial value when supplied with fresh HNO 3 . © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Optimization lighting layout based on gene density improved genetic algorithm for indoor visible light communications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Huanlin; Wang, Xin; Chen, Yong; Kong, Deqian; Xia, Peijie

2017-05-01

For indoor visible light communication system, the layout of LED lamps affects the uniformity of the received power on communication plane. In order to find an optimized lighting layout that meets both the lighting needs and communication needs, a gene density genetic algorithm (GDGA) is proposed. In GDGA, a gene indicates a pair of abscissa and ordinate of a LED, and an individual represents a LED layout in the room. The segmented crossover operation and gene mutation strategy based on gene density are put forward to make the received power on communication plane more uniform and increase the population's diversity. A weighted differences function between individuals is designed as the fitness function of GDGA for reserving the population having the useful LED layout genetic information and ensuring the global convergence of GDGA. Comparing square layout and circular layout, with the optimized layout achieved by the GDGA, the power uniformity increases by 83.3%, 83.1% and 55.4%, respectively. Furthermore, the convergence of GDGA is verified compared with evolutionary algorithm (EA). Experimental results show that GDGA can quickly find an approximation of optimal layout.

Neutron detection of the Triga Mark III reactor, using nuclear track methodology

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

Espinosa, G., E-mail: espinosa@fisica.unam.mx; Golzarri, J. I.; Raya-Arredondo, R.

Nuclear Track Methodology (NTM), based on the neutron-proton interaction is one often employed alternative for neutron detection. In this paper we apply NTM to determine the Triga Mark III reactor operating power and neutron flux. The facility nuclear core, loaded with 85 Highly Enriched Uranium as fuel with control rods in a demineralized water pool, provide a neutron flux around 2 × 10{sup 12} n cm{sup −2} s{sup −1}, at the irradiation channel TO-2. The neutron field is measured at this channel, using Landauer{sup ®} PADC as neutron detection material, covered by 3 mm Plexiglas{sup ®} as converter. After exposure, plasticmore » detectors were chemically etched to make observable the formed latent tracks induced by proton recoils. The track density was determined by a custom made Digital Image Analysis System. The resulting average nuclear track density shows a direct proportionality response for reactor power in the range 0.1-7 kW. We indicate several advantages of the technique including the possibility to calibrate the neutron flux density measured at low reactor power.« less

Molecular Electronic Angular Motion Transducer Broad Band Self-Noise.

PubMed

Zaitsev, Dmitry; Agafonov, Vadim; Egorov, Egor; Antonov, Alexander; Shabalina, Anna

2015-11-20

Modern molecular electronic transfer (MET) angular motion sensors combine high technical characteristics with low cost. Self-noise is one of the key characteristics which determine applications for MET sensors. However, until the present there has not been a model describing the sensor noise in the complete operating frequency range. The present work reports the results of an experimental study of the self-noise level of such sensors in the frequency range of 0.01-200 Hz. Based on the experimental data, a theoretical model is developed. According to the model, self-noise is conditioned by thermal hydrodynamic fluctuations of the operating fluid flow in the frequency range of 0.01-2 Hz. At the frequency range of 2-100 Hz, the noise power spectral density has a specific inversely proportional dependence of the power spectral density on the frequency that could be attributed to convective processes. In the high frequency range of 100-200 Hz, the noise is conditioned by the voltage noise of the electronics module input stage operational amplifiers and is heavily reliant to the sensor electrical impedance. The presented results allow a deeper understanding of the molecular electronic sensor noise nature to suggest the ways to reduce it.

Integrated anode structure for passive direct methanol fuel cells with neat methanol operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Huijuan; Zhang, Haifeng; Chen, Peng; Guo, Jing; Yuan, Ting; Zheng, Junwei; Yang, Hui

2014-02-01

A microporous titanium plate based integrated anode structure (Ti-IAS) suitable for passive direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) fueled with neat methanol is reported. This anode structure incorporates a porous titanium plate as a methanol mass transfer barrier and current collector, pervaporation film for passively vaporizing methanol, vaporous methanol cavity for evenly distributing fuel, and channels for carbon dioxide venting. With the effective control of methanol delivery rate, the Ti-IAS based DMFC allows the direct use of neat methanol as the fuel source. In the meantime, the required water for methanol-oxidation reaction at the anode can also be fully recovered from the cathode with the help of the highly hydrophobic microporous layer in the cathode. DMFCs incorporating this new anode structure exhibit a power density as high as 40 mW cm-2 and a high volumetric energy density of 489 Wh L-1 operating with neat methanol and at 25 °C. Importantly, no obvious performance degradation of the passive DMFC system is observed after more than 90 h of continuous operation. The experimental results reveal that the compact DMFC based on the Ti-IAS exhibits a substantial potential as power sources for portable applications.

Evaluation of single and stack membraneless enzymatic fuel cells based on ethanol in simulated body fluids.

PubMed

Galindo-de-la-Rosa, J; Arjona, N; Moreno-Zuria, A; Ortiz-Ortega, E; Guerra-Balcázar, M; Ledesma-García, J; Arriaga, L G

2017-06-15

The purpose of this work is to evaluate single and double-cell membraneless microfluidic fuel cells (MMFCs) that operate in the presence of simulated body fluids SBF, human serum and blood enriched with ethanol as fuels. The study was performed using the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme immobilised by covalent binding through an array composed of carbon Toray paper as support and a layer of poly(methylene blue)/tetrabutylammonium bromide/Nafion and glutaraldehyde (3D bioanode electrode). The single MMFC was tested in a hybrid microfluidic fuel cell using Pt/C as the cathode. A cell voltage of 1.035V and power density of 3.154mWcm -2 were observed, which is the highest performance reported to date. The stability and durability were tested through chronoamperometry and polarisation/performance curves obtained at different days, which demonstrated a slow decrease in the power density on day 10 (14%) and day 20 (26%). Additionally, the cell was tested for ethanol oxidation in simulated body fluid (SBF) with ionic composition similar to human blood plasma. Those tests resulted in 0.93V of cell voltage and a power density close to 1.237mWcm -2 . The double cell MMFC (Stack) was tested using serum and human blood enriched with ethanol. The stack operated with blood in a serial connection showed an excellent cell performance (0.716mWcm -2 ), demonstrating the feasibility of employing human blood as energy source. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A High-Performing Direct Carbon Fuel Cell with a 3D Architectured Anode Operated Below 600 °C.

PubMed

Wu, Wei; Zhang, Yunya; Ding, Dong; He, Ting

2018-01-01

Direct carbon fuel cells (DCFCs) are highly efficient power generators fueled by abundant and cheap solid carbons. However, the limited triple-phase boundaries (TPBs) in the fuel electrode, due to the lack of direct contact among carbon, electrode, and electrolyte, inhibit the performance and result in poor fuel utilization. To address the challenges of low carbon oxidation activity and low carbon utilization, a highly efficient, 3D solid-state architected anode is developed to enhance the performance of DCFCs below 600 °C. The cell with the 3D textile anode framework, Gd:CeO 2 -Li/Na 2 CO 3 composite electrolyte, and Sm 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3 cathode demonstrates excellent performance with maximum power densities of 143, 196, and 325 mW cm -2 at 500, 550, and 600 °C, respectively. At 500 °C, the cells can be operated steadily with a rated power density of ≈0.13 W cm -2 at a constant current density of 0.15 A cm -2 with a carbon utilization over 85.5%. These results, for the first time, demonstrate the feasibility of directly electrochemical oxidation of solid carbon at 500-600 °C, representing a promising strategy in developing high-performing fuel cells and other electrochemical systems via the integration of 3D architected electrodes. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Assessment of quasi-linear effect of RF power spectrum for enabling lower hybrid current drive in reactor plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cesario, Roberto; Cardinali, Alessandro; Castaldo, Carmine; Amicucci, Luca; Ceccuzzi, Silvio; Galli, Alessandro; Napoli, Francesco; Panaccione, Luigi; Santini, Franco; Schettini, Giuseppe; Tuccillo, Angelo Antonio

2017-10-01

The main research on the energy from thermonuclear fusion uses deuterium plasmas magnetically trapped in toroidal devices. To suppress the turbulent eddies that impair thermal insulation and pressure tight of the plasma, current drive (CD) is necessary, but tools envisaged so far are unable accomplishing this task while efficiently and flexibly matching the natural current profiles self-generated at large radii of the plasma column [1-5]. The lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) [6] can satisfy this important need of a reactor [1], but the LHCD system has been unexpectedly mothballed on JET. The problematic extrapolation of the LHCD tool at reactor graded high values of, respectively, density and temperatures of plasma has been now solved. The high density problem is solved by the FTU (Frascati Tokamak Upgrade) method [7], and solution of the high temperature one is presented here. Model results based on quasi-linear (QL) theory evidence the capability, w.r.t linear theory, of suitable operating parameters of reducing the wave damping in hot reactor plasmas. Namely, using higher RF power densities [8], or a narrower antenna power spectrum in refractive index [9,10], the obstacle for LHCD represented by too high temperature of reactor plasmas should be overcome. The former method cannot be used for routinely, safe antenna operations, Thus, only the latter key is really exploitable in a reactor. The proposed solutions are ultimately necessary for viability of an economic reactor.

Thermal Management and Reliability of Power Electronics and Electric Machines

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

Narumanchi, Sreekant

2016-09-19

Increasing the number of electric-drive vehicles (EDVs) on America's roads has been identified as a strategy with near-term potential for dramatically decreasing the nation's dependence on oil - by the U.S. Department of Energy, the federal cross-agency EV-Everywhere Challenge, and the automotive industry. Mass-market deployment will rely on meeting aggressive technical targets, including improved efficiency and reduced size, weight, and cost. Many of these advances will depend on optimization of thermal management. Effective thermal management is critical to improving the performance and ensuring the reliability of EDVs. Efficient heat removal makes higher power densities and lower operating temperatures possible, andmore » in turn enables cost and size reductions. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with DOE and industry partners is working to develop cost-effective thermal management solutions to increase device and component power densities. In this presentation, the activities in recent years related to thermal management and reliability of automotive power electronics and electric machines are presented.« less

Rebalancing of internally generated carriers for mid-infrared interband cascade lasers with very low power consumption.

PubMed

Vurgaftman, I; Bewley, W W; Canedy, C L; Kim, C S; Kim, M; Merritt, C D; Abell, J; Lindle, J R; Meyer, J R

2011-12-13

The interband cascade laser differs from any other class of semiconductor laser, conventional or cascaded, in that most of the carriers producing population inversion are generated internally, at semimetallic interfaces within each stage of the active region. Here we present simulations demonstrating that all previous interband cascade laser performance has suffered from a significant imbalance of electron and hole densities in the active wells. We further confirm experimentally that correcting this imbalance with relatively heavy n-type doping in the electron injectors substantially reduces the threshold current and power densities relative to all earlier devices. At room temperature, the redesigned devices require nearly two orders of magnitude less input power to operate in continuous-wave mode than the quantum cascade laser. The interband cascade laser is consequently the most attractive option for gas sensing and other spectroscopic applications requiring low output power and minimum heat dissipation at wavelengths extending from 3 μm to beyond 6 μm.

Thermal management methods for compact high power LED arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, Adam; Ha, Minseok; Graham, Samuel

2007-09-01

The package and system level temperature distributions of a high power (>1W) light emitting diode (LED) array has been investigated using numerical heat flow models. For this analysis, a thermal resistor network model was combined with a 3D finite element submodel of an LED structure to predict system and die level temperatures. The impact of LED array density, LED power density, and active versus passive cooling methods on device operation were calculated. In order to help understand the role of various thermal resistances in cooling such compact arrays, the thermal resistance network was analyzed in order to estimate the contributions from materials as well as active and passive cooling schemes. An analysis of thermal stresses and residual stresses in the die are also calculated based on power dissipation and convection heat transfer coefficients. Results show that the thermal stress in the GaN layer are compressive which can impact the band gap and performance of the LEDs.

Selection of high temperature thermal energy storage materials for advanced solar dynamic space power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lacy, Dovie E.; Coles-Hamilton, Carolyn; Juhasz, Albert

1987-01-01

Under the direction of NASA's Office of Aeronautics and Technology (OAST), the NASA Lewis Research Center has initiated an in-house thermal energy storage program to identify combinations of phase change thermal energy storage media for use with a Brayton and Stirling Advanced Solar Dynamic (ASD) space power system operating between 1070 and 1400 K. A study has been initiated to determine suitable combinations of thermal energy storage (TES) phase change materials (PCM) that result in the smallest and lightest weight ASD power system possible. To date the heats of fusion of several fluoride salt mixtures with melting points greater than 1025 K have been verified experimentally. The study has indicated that these salt systems produce large ASD systems because of their inherent low thermal conductivity and low density. It is desirable to have PCMs with high densities and high thermal conductivities. Therefore, alternate phase change materials based on metallic alloy systems are also being considered as possible TES candidates for future ASD space power systems.

47 CFR 25.208 - Power flux density limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... from all co-frequency space stations of a single non-geostationary-satellite orbit (NGSO) system... geostationary satellite orbit (GSO) by the emissions from all co-frequency earth stations in a non-geostationary... single non-geostationary-satellite orbit (NGSO) system operating in the Fixed-Satellite Service (FSS...

A Nuclear Cryogenic Propulsion Stage for Near-Term Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houts, Michael G.; Kim, Tony; Emrich, William J.; Hickman, Robert R.; Broadway, Jeramie W.; Gerrish, Harold P.; Adams, Robert B.; Bechtel, Ryan D.; Borowski, Stanley K.; George, Jeffrey A.

2013-01-01

Development efforts in the United States have demonstrated the viability and performance potential of NTP systems. For example, Project Rover (1955 - 1973) completed 22 high power rocket reactor tests. Peak performances included operating at an average hydrogen exhaust temperature of 2550 K and a peak fuel power density of 5200 MW/m3 (Pewee test), operating at a thrust of 930 kN (Phoebus-2A test), and operating for 62.7 minutes on a single burn (NRXA6 test). Results from Project Rover indicated that an NTP system with a high thrust-toweight ratio and a specific impulse greater than 900 s would be feasible. Excellent results have also been obtained by Russia. Ternary carbide fuels developed in Russia may have the potential for providing even higher specific impulses.

Primary and secondary electrical space power based on advanced PEM systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanderborgh, N. E.; Hedstrom, J. C.; Stroh, K. R.; Huff, J. R.

1993-01-01

For new space ventures, power continues to be a pacing function for mission planning and experiment endurance. Although electrochemical power is a well demonstrated space power technology, current hardware limitations impact future mission viability. In order to document and augment electrochemical technology, a series of experiments for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lewis Research Center (NASA LeRC) are underway at the Los Alamos National Laboratory that define operational parameters on contemporary proton exchange membrane (PEM) hardware operating with hydrogen and oxygen reactants. Because of the high efficiency possible for water electrolysis, this hardware is also thought part of a secondary battery design built around stored reactants - the so-called regenerative fuel cell. An overview of stack testing at Los Alamos and of analyses related to regenerative fuel cell systems are provided in this paper. Finally, this paper describes work looking at innovative concepts that remove complexity from stack hardware with the specific intent of higher system reliability. This new concept offers the potential for unprecedented electrochemical power system energy densities.

High performance terahertz metasurface quantum-cascade VECSEL with an intra-cryostat cavity

DOE PAGES

Xu, Luyao; Curwen, Christopher A.; Reno, John L.; ...

2017-09-04

A terahertz quantum-cascade (QC) vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting-laser (VECSEL) is demonstrated with over 5 mW power in continuous-wave and single-mode operation above 77 K, in combination with a near-Gaussian beam pattern with full-width half-max divergence as narrow as ~5° × 5°, with no evidence of thermal lensing. This is realized by creating an intra-cryostat VECSEL cavity to reduce the cavity loss and designing an active focusing metasurface reflector with low power dissipation for efficient heat removal. Compared with a conventional quantumcascade laser based on a metal-metal waveguide, the intra-cryostat QC-VECSEL exhibits significant improvements in both output power level and beam pattern. Also,more » the intra-cryostat configuration newly allows evaluation of QC-VECSEL operation vs. temperature, showing a maximum pulsed mode operating temperature of 129 K. While the threshold current density in the QC-VECSEL is worse in comparison to a conventional edge-emitting metal-metal waveguide QClaser, the beam quality, slope efficiency, maximum power, and thermal resistance are all significantly improved.« less

Spatial distribution of the RF power absorbed in a helicon plasma source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleksenko, O. V.; Miroshnichenko, V. I.; Mordik, S. N.

2014-08-01

The spatial distributions of the RF power absorbed by plasma electrons in an ion source operating in the helicon mode (ω ci < ω < ω ce < ω pe ) are studied numerically by using a simplified model of an RF plasma source in an external uniform magnetic field. The parameters of the source used in numerical simulations are determined by the necessity of the simultaneous excitation of two types of waves, helicons and Trivelpiece-Gould modes, for which the corresponding transparency diagrams are used. The numerical simulations are carried out for two values of the working gas (helium) pressure and two values of the discharge chamber length under the assumption that symmetric modes are excited. The parameters of the source correspond to those of the injector of the nuclear scanning microprobe operating at the Institute of Applied Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. It is assumed that the mechanism of RF power absorption is based on the acceleration of plasma electrons in the field of a Trivelpiece-Gould mode, which is interrupted by pair collisions of plasma electrons with neutral atoms and ions of the working gas. The simulation results show that the total absorbed RF power at a fixed plasma density depends in a resonant manner on the magnetic field. The resonance is found to become smoother with increasing working gas pressure. The distributions of the absorbed RF power in the discharge chamber are presented. The achievable density of the extracted current is estimated using the Bohm criterion.

Airborne reconnaissance in the civilian sector - Agricultural monitoring from high-altitude powered platforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Youngblood, J. W.; Jackson, R. D.

1983-01-01

Design concepts and mission applications for unmanned high-altitude powered platforms (HAPPs) are discussed. A chemically powered HAPP (operating altitude 18-21 km, wingspan 26 m, payload 91 kg, endurance 2-3 days) would use current turboprop technology. A microwave-powered HAPP (operating altitude around 21 km, wingspan 57.9 m, payload 500 kg, endurance weeks or months) would circle within or perform boost-glide maneuvers around a microwave beam of density 1.1 kw/sq m. Of two solar-powered-HAPP designs presented, the more promising uses five vertical solar-panel-bearing fins, two of which can be made horizontal at night, (wingspan 57.8/98.3 m, payload 113 kg, endurance weeks or months). The operating altitude depends on the latitude and season: this HAPP design is shown to be capable of year-round 20-km-altitude flights over the San Joaquin Valley in California, where an agricultural-monitoring mission using Landsat-like remote sensors is proposed. Other applications may be better served by the characteristics of the other HAPPs. The primary advantage of HAPPs over satellites is found to be their ability to provide rapidly available high-resolution continuous or repetitive coverage of specific areas at relatively low cost.

Performance and properties of the first plasmas of Wendelstein 7-X

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klinger, T.; Alonso, A.; Bozhenkov, S.; Burhenn, R.; Dinklage, A.; Fuchert, G.; Geiger, J.; Grulke, O.; Langenberg, A.; Hirsch, M.; Kocsis, G.; Knauer, J.; Krämer-Flecken, A.; Laqua, H.; Lazerson, S.; Landreman, M.; Maaßberg, H.; Marsen, S.; Otte, M.; Pablant, N.; Pasch, E.; Rahbarnia, K.; Stange, T.; Szepesi, T.; Thomsen, H.; Traverso, P.; Velasco, J. L.; Wauters, T.; Weir, G.; Windisch, T.; The Wendelstein 7-X Team

2017-01-01

The optimized, superconducting stellarator Wendelstein 7-X went into operation and delivered first measurement data after 15 years of construction and one year commissioning. Errors in the magnet assembly were confirmend to be small. Plasma operation was started with 5 MW electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) power and five inboard limiters. Core plasma values of {{T}\\text{e}}>8 keV, {{T}\\text{i}}>2 keV at line-integrated densities n≈ 3\\centerdot {{10}19}~{{\\text{m}}-2} were achieved, exceeding the original expectations by about a factor of two. Indications for a core-electron-root were found. The energy confinement times are in line with the international stellarator scaling, despite unfavourable wall conditions, i.e. large areas of metal surfaces and particle sources from the limiter close to the plasma volume. Well controlled shorter hydrogen discharges at higher power (4 MW ECRH power for 1 s) and longer discharges at lower power (0.7 MW ECRH power for 6 s) could be routinely established after proper wall conditioning. The fairly large set of diagnostic systems running in the end of the 10 weeks operation campaign provided first insights into expected and unexpected physics of optimized stellarators.

Evaluation of power transfer efficiency for a high power inductively coupled radio-frequency hydrogen ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, P.; Recchia, M.; Cavenago, M.; Fantz, U.; Gaio, E.; Kraus, W.; Maistrello, A.; Veltri, P.

2018-04-01

Neutral beam injection (NBI) for plasma heating and current drive is necessary for International Thermonuclear Experimental reactor (ITER) tokamak. Due to its various advantages, a radio frequency (RF) driven plasma source type was selected as a reference ion source for the ITER heating NBI. The ITER relevant RF negative ion sources are inductively coupled (IC) devices whose operational working frequency has been chosen to be 1 MHz and are characterized by high RF power density (˜9.4 W cm-3) and low operational pressure (around 0.3 Pa). The RF field is produced by a coil in a cylindrical chamber leading to a plasma generation followed by its expansion inside the chamber. This paper recalls different concepts based on which a methodology is developed to evaluate the efficiency of the RF power transfer to hydrogen plasma. This efficiency is then analyzed as a function of the working frequency and in dependence of other operating source and plasma parameters. The study is applied to a high power IC RF hydrogen ion source which is similar to one simplified driver of the ELISE source (half the size of the ITER NBI source).

Final Technical Report: Affordable, High-Performance, Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

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

Blackburn, Bryan M.; Bishop, Sean; Gore, Colin

In this project, we improved the power output and voltage efficiency of our intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) with a focus on ~600 °C operation. At these temperatures and with the increased power density (i.e., fewer cells for same power output), the stack cost should be greatly reduced while extending durability. Most SOFC stacks operate at temperatures greater than 800 °C. This can greatly increase the cost of the system (stacks and BOP) as well as maintenance costs since the most common degradation mechanisms are thermally driven. Our approach uses no platinum group metal (PGM) materials and themore » lower operating temperature allows use of simple stainless steel interconnects and commercial off-the-shelf gaskets in the stack. Furthermore, for combined heating and power (CHP) applications the stack exhaust still provides “high quality” waste heat that can be recovered and used in a chiller or boiler. The anticipated performance, durability, and resulting cost improvements (< $700/kWe) will also move us closer to reaching the full potential of this technology for distributed generation (DG) and residential/commercial CHP. This includes eventual extension to cleaner, more efficient portable generators, auxiliary power units (APUs), and range extenders for transportation. The research added to the understanding of the area investigated by exploring various methods for increasing power density (Watts/square centimeter of active area in each cell) and increasing cell efficiency (increasing the open circuit voltage, or cell voltage with zero external electrical current). The results from this work demonstrated an optimized cell that had greater than 1 W/cm2 at 600 °C and greater than 1.6 W/cm2 at 650 °C. This was demonstrated in large format sizes using both 5 cm by 5 cm and 10 cm by 10 cm cells. Furthermore, this work demonstrated that high stability (no degradation over > 500 hours) can be achieved together with high performance in large format cells as large as 10 cm by 10 cm when operated at ~600 °C. The project culminated in the demonstration of a 12-cell stack using the porous anode-based SOFC technology.« less

ELM suppression in helium plasmas with 3D magnetic fields

DOE PAGES

Evans, T. E.; Loarte, A.; Orlov, D. M.; ...

2017-06-21

Experiments in DIII-D, using non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbation fields in high-purity low toroidal rotation, 4He plasmas have resulted in Type-I edge localized mode (ELM) suppression and mitigation. Suppression is obtained in plasmas with zero net input torque near the L–H power threshold using either electron cyclotron resonant heating (ECRH) or balanced co- and counter-I p neutral beam injection (NBI) resulting in conditions equivalent to those expected in ITER's non-active operating phase. In low-power ECRH H-modes, periods with uncontrolled density and impurity radiation excursions are prevented by applying n = 3 non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbation fields. ELM suppression results from a reduction andmore » an outward shift of the electron pressure gradient peak compared to that in the high-power ELMing phase. Here, the change in the electron pressure gradient peak is primarily due to a drop in the pedestal temperature rather than the pedestal density.« less

ELM suppression in helium plasmas with 3D magnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, T. E.; Loarte, A.; Orlov, D. M.; Grierson, B. A.; Knölker, M. M.; Lyons, B. C.; Cui, L.; Gohil, P.; Groebner, R. J.; Moyer, R. A.; Nazikian, R.; Osborne, T. H.; Unterberg, E. A.

2017-08-01

Experiments in DIII-D, using non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbation fields in high-purity low toroidal rotation, 4He plasmas have resulted in Type-I edge localized mode (ELM) suppression and mitigation. Suppression is obtained in plasmas with zero net input torque near the L-H power threshold using either electron cyclotron resonant heating (ECRH) or balanced co- and counter-I p neutral beam injection (NBI) resulting in conditions equivalent to those expected in ITER’s non-active operating phase. In low-power ECRH H-modes, periods with uncontrolled density and impurity radiation excursions are prevented by applying n  =  3 non-axisymmetric magnetic perturbation fields. ELM suppression results from a reduction and an outward shift of the electron pressure gradient peak compared to that in the high-power ELMing phase. The change in the electron pressure gradient peak is primarily due to a drop in the pedestal temperature rather than the pedestal density.

High Energy Density Regenerative Fuel Cell Systems for Terrestrial Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, Kenneth A.

1999-01-01

Regenerative Fuel Cell System (RFCS) technology for energy storage has been a NASA power system concept for many years. Compared to battery-based energy storage systems, RFCS has received relatively little attention or resources for development because the energy density and electrical efficiency were not sufficiently attractive relative to advanced battery systems. Even today, RFCS remains at a very low technology readiness level (TRL of about 2 indicating feasibility has been demonstrated). Commercial development of the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells for automobiles and other terrestrial applications and improvements in lightweight pressure vessel design to reduce weight and improve performance make possible a high energy density RFCS energy storage system. The results from this study of a lightweight RFCS energy storage system for a remotely piloted, solar-powered, high altitude aircraft indicate an energy density up to 790 w-h/kg with electrical efficiency of 53.4% is attainable. Such an energy storage system would allow a solar-powered aircraft to carry hundreds of kilograms of payload and remain in flight indefinitely for use in atmospheric research, earth observation, resource mapping. and telecommunications. Future developments in the areas of hydrogen and oxygen storage, pressure vessel design, higher temperature and higher- pressure fuel cell operation, unitized regenerative fuel cells, and commercial development of fuel cell technology will improve both the energy density and electrical efficiency of the RFCS.

Operation of Thin-Film Electrolyte Metal-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cells in Lightweight and Stationary Stacks: Material and Microstructural Aspects

PubMed Central

Roehrens, Daniel; Packbier, Ute; Fang, Qingping; Blum, Ludger; Sebold, Doris; Bram, Martin; Menzler, Norbert

2016-01-01

In this study we report on the development and operational data of a metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell with a thin film electrolyte under varying conditions. The metal-ceramic structure was developed for a mobile auxiliary power unit and offers power densities of 1 W/cm2 at 800 °C, as well as robustness under mechanical, thermal and chemical stresses. A dense and thin yttria-doped zirconia layer was applied to a nanoporous nickel/zirconia anode using a scalable adapted gas-flow sputter process, which allowed the homogeneous coating of areas up to 100 cm2. The cell performance is presented for single cells and for stack operation, both in lightweight and stationary stack designs. The results from short-term operation indicate that this cell technology may be a very suitable alternative for mobile applications. PMID:28773883

CROSS-DISCIPLINARY PHYSICS AND RELATED AREAS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: Simulation of SET Operation in Phase-Change Random Access Memories with Heater Addition and Ring-Type Contactor for Low-Power Consumption by Finite Element Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Yue-Feng; Song, Zhi-Tang; Ling, Yun; Liu, Yan; Feng, Song-Lin

2009-11-01

A three-dimensional finite element model for phase change random access memory (PCRAM) is established for comprehensive electrical and thermal analysis during SET operation. The SET behaviours of the heater addition structure (HS) and the ring-type contact in bottom electrode (RIB) structure are compared with each other. There are two ways to reduce the RESET current, applying a high resistivity interfacial layer and building a new device structure. The simulation results indicate that the variation of SET current with different power reduction ways is little. This study takes the RESET and SET operation current into consideration, showing that the RIB structure PCRAM cell is suitable for future devices with high heat efficiency and high-density, due to its high heat efficiency in RESET operation.

Surface tension confined liquid cryogen cooler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castles, Stephen H. (Inventor); Schein, Michael E. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

A cryogenic cooler is provided for use in craft such as launch, orbital, and space vehicles subject to substantial vibration, changes in orientation, and weightlessness. The cooler contains a small pore, large free volume, low density material to restrain a cryogen through surface tension effects during launch and zero-g operations and maintains instrumentation within the temperature range of 10 to 140 K. The cooler operation is completely passive, with no inherent vibration or power requirements.

Monolithic microchannel heatsink

DOEpatents

Benett, W.J.; Beach, R.J.; Ciarlo, D.R.

1996-08-20

A silicon wafer has slots sawn in it that allow diode laser bars to be mounted in contact with the silicon. Microchannels are etched into the back of the wafer to provide cooling of the diode bars. To facilitate getting the channels close to the diode bars, the channels are rotated from an angle perpendicular to the diode bars which allows increased penetration between the mounted diode bars. This invention enables the fabrication of monolithic silicon microchannel heatsinks for laser diodes. The heatsinks have low thermal resistance because of the close proximity of the microchannels to the laser diode being cooled. This allows high average power operation of two-dimensional laser diode arrays that have a high density of laser diode bars and therefore high optical power density. 9 figs.

Monolithic microchannel heatsink

DOEpatents

Benett, William J.; Beach, Raymond J.; Ciarlo, Dino R.

1996-01-01

A silicon wafer has slots sawn in it that allow diode laser bars to be mounted in contact with the silicon. Microchannels are etched into the back of the wafer to provide cooling of the diode bars. To facilitate getting the channels close to the diode bars, the channels are rotated from an angle perpendicular to the diode bars which allows increased penetration between the mounted diode bars. This invention enables the fabrication of monolithic silicon microchannel heatsinks for laser diodes. The heatsinks have low thermal resistance because of the close proximity of the microchannels to the laser diode being cooled. This allows high average power operation of two-dimensional laser diode arrays that have a high density of laser diode bars and therefore high optical power density.

Physics and performance of the I-mode regime over an expanded operating space on Alcator C-Mod

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbard, A. E.; Baek, S.-G.; Brunner, D.; Creely, A. J.; Cziegler, I.; Edlund, E.; Hughes, J. W.; LaBombard, B.; Lin, Y.; Liu, Z.; Marmar, E. S.; Reinke, M. L.; Rice, J. E.; Sorbom, B.; Sung, C.; Terry, J.; Theiler, C.; Tolman, E. A.; Walk, J. R.; White, A. E.; Whyte, D.; Wolfe, S. M.; Wukitch, S.; Xu, X. Q.; the Alcator C-Mod Team

2017-12-01

New results on the I-mode regime of operation on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak are reported. This ELM-free regime features high energy confinement and a steep temperature pedestal, while particle confinement remains at L-mode levels, giving stationary density and avoiding impurity accumulation. I-mode has now been obtained over nearly all of the magnetic fields and currents possible in this high field tokamak (I p 0.55-1.7 MA, B T 2.8-8 T) using a configuration with B  ×  ∇ B drift away from the X-point. Results at 8 T confirm that the L-I power threshold varies only weakly with B T, and that the power range for I-mode increases with B T; no 8 T discharges transitioned to H-mode. Parameter dependences of energy confinement are investigated. Core transport simulations are giving insight into the observed turbulence reduction, profile stiffness and confinement improvement. Pedestal models explain the observed stability to ELMs, and can simulate the observed weakly coherent mode. Conditions for I-H transitions have complex dependences on density as well as power. I-modes have now been maintained in near-DN configurations, leading to improved divertor power flux sharing. Prospects for I-mode on future fusion devices such as ITER and ARC are encouraging. Further experiments on other tokamaks are needed to improve confidence in extrapolation.

Current drive for stability of thermonuclear plasma reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amicucci, L.; Cardinali, A.; Castaldo, C.; Cesario, R.; Galli, A.; Panaccione, L.; Paoletti, F.; Schettini, G.; Spigler, R.; Tuccillo, A.

2016-01-01

To produce in a thermonuclear fusion reactor based on the tokamak concept a sufficiently high fusion gain together stability necessary for operations represent a major challenge, which depends on the capability of driving non-inductive current in the hydrogen plasma. This request should be satisfied by radio-frequency (RF) power suitable for producing the lower hybrid current drive (LHCD) effect, recently demonstrated successfully occurring also at reactor-graded high plasma densities. An LHCD-based tool should be in principle capable of tailoring the plasma current density in the outer radial half of plasma column, where other methods are much less effective, in order to ensure operations in the presence of unpredictably changes of the plasma pressure profiles. In the presence of too high electron temperatures even at the periphery of the plasma column, as envisaged in DEMO reactor, the penetration of the coupled RF power into the plasma core was believed for long time problematic and, only recently, numerical modelling results based on standard plasma wave theory, have shown that this problem should be solved by using suitable parameter of the antenna power spectrum. We show here further information on the new understanding of the RF power deposition profile dependence on antenna parameters, which supports the conclusion that current can be actively driven over a broad layer of the outer radial half of plasma column, thus enabling current profile control necessary for the stability of a reactor.

Negative hydrogen ion production in a helicon plasma source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santoso, J.; Manoharan, R.; O'Byrne, S.; Corr, C. S.

2015-09-01

In order to develop very high energy (>1 MeV) neutral beam injection systems for applications, such as plasma heating in fusion devices, it is necessary first to develop high throughput negative ion sources. For the ITER reference source, this will be realised using caesiated inductively coupled plasma devices, containing either hydrogen or deuterium discharges, operated with high rf input powers (up to 90 kW per driver). It has been suggested that due to their high power coupling efficiency, helicon devices may be able to reduce power requirements and potentially obviate the need for caesiation due to the high plasma densities achievable. Here, we present measurements of negative ion densities in a hydrogen discharge produced by a helicon device, with externally applied DC magnetic fields ranging from 0 to 8.5 mT at 5 and 10 mTorr fill pressures. These measurements were taken in the magnetised plasma interaction experiment at the Australian National University and were performed using the probe-based laser photodetachment technique, modified for the use in the afterglow of the plasma discharge. A peak in the electron density is observed at ˜3 mT and is correlated with changes in the rf power transfer efficiency. With increasing magnetic field, an increase in the negative ion fraction from 0.04 to 0.10 and negative ion densities from 8 × 1014 m-3 to 7 × 1015 m-3 is observed. It is also shown that the negative ion densities can be increased by a factor of 8 with the application of an external DC magnetic field.

A magnesium–sodium hybrid battery with high operating voltage

DOE PAGES

Dong, Hui; Li, Yifei; Liang, Yanliang; ...

2016-06-10

Here, we report a high performance magnesium-sodium hybrid battery utilizing a magnesium-sodium dual-salt electrolyte, a magnesium anode, and a Berlin green cathode. The cell delivers an average discharge voltage of 2.2 V and a reversible capacity of 143 mA h g –1. We also demonstrate the cell with an energy density of 135 W h kg –1 and a high power density of up to 1.67 kW kg –1.

Bio-energy generation in an affordable, single-chamber microbial fuel cell integrated with adsorption hybrid system: effects of temperature and comparison study.

PubMed

Tee, Pei-Fang; Abdullah, Mohammad Omar; Tan, Ivy A W; Amin, Mohamed A M; Nolasco-Hipolito, Cirilo; Bujang, Kopli

2018-04-01

A microbial fuel cell (MFC) integrated with adsorption system (MFC-AHS) is tested under various operating temperatures with palm oil mill effluent as the substrate. The optimum operating temperature for such system is found to be at ∼35°C with current, power density, internal resistance (R in ), Coulombic efficiency (CE) and maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 2.51 ± 0.2 mA, 74 ± 6 mW m -3 , 25.4 Ω, 10.65 ± 0.5% and 93.57 ± 1.2%, respectively. Maximum current density increases linearly with temperature at a rate of 0.1772 mA m -2  °C -1 , whereas maximum power density was in a polynomial function. The temperature coefficient (Q 10 ) is found to be 1.20 between 15°C and 35°C. Present studies have demonstrated better CE performance when compared to other MFC-AHSs. Generally, MFC-AHS has demonstrated higher COD removals when compared to standalone MFC regardless of operating temperatures. ACFF: activated carbon fiber felt; APHA: American Public Health Association; CE: Coulombic efficiency; COD: chemical oxygen demand; ECG: electrocardiogram; GAC: granular activated carbon; GFB: graphite fiber brush; MFC: microbial fuel cell; MFC-AHS: microbial fuel cell integrated with adsorption hybrid system; MFC-GG: microbial fuel cell integrated with graphite granules; POME: palm oil mill effluent; PTFE: polytetrafluoroethylene; SEM: scanning electron microscope.

Pressed boride cathodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wolski, W.

1985-01-01

Results of experimental studies of emission cathodes made from lanthanum, yttrium, and gadolinium hexaborides are presented. Maximum thermal emission was obtained from lanthanum hexaboride electrodes. The hexaboride cathodes operated stably under conditions of large current density power draw, at high voltages and poor vacuum. A microtron electron gun with a lanthanum hexaboride cathode is described.

30 CFR 285.112 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... determined by the density function of the system. For example, in the case of a project area shaped as a... designated by or under State law to exercise the powers granted to a Governor. Grant means a right-of-way... plant life. Operator means the individual, corporation, or association having control or management of...

Low Temperature Double-layer Capacitors with Improved Energy Density: An Overview of Recent Development Efforts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brandon, Erik J.; West, William C.; Smart, Marshall C.; Korenblit, Yair; Kajdos, Adam; Kvit, Alexander; Jagiello, Jacek; Yushin, Gleb

2012-01-01

Electrochemical double-layer capacitors are finding increased use in a wide range of energy storage applications, particularly where high pulse power capabilities are required. Double-layer capacitors store charge at a liquid/solid interface, making them ideal for low temperature power applications, due to the facile kinetic processes associated with the rearrangement of the electrochemical double-layer at these temperatures. Potential low temperature applications include hybrid and electric vehicles, operations in polar regions, high altitude aircraft and aerospace avionics, and distributed environmental and structural health monitoring. State-of-the-art capacitors can typically operate to -40 C, with a subsequent degradation in power performance below room temperature. However, recent efforts focused on advanced electrolyte and electrode systems can enable operation to temperatures as low as -70 C, with capacities similar to room temperature values accompanied by reasonably low equivalent series resistances. This presentation will provide an overview of recent development efforts to extend and improve the wide temperature performance of these devices.

Initial Operation and Shakedown of the Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator (NTREES)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Emrich, William J., Jr.

2014-01-01

To support the on-going nuclear thermal propulsion effort, a state-of-the-art non nuclear experimental test setup has been constructed to evaluate the performance characteristics of candidate fuel element materials and geometries in representative environments. The facility to perform this testing is referred to as the Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environment Simulator (NTREES). This device can simulate the environmental conditions (minus the radiation) to which nuclear rocket fuel components will be subjected during reactor operation. Prototypical fuel elements mounted in the simulator are inductively heated in such a manner so as to accurately reproduce the temperatures and heat fluxes which would normally occur as a result of nuclear fission in addition to being exposed to flowing hydrogen. Recent upgrades to NTREES now allow power levels 24 times greater than those achievable in the previous facility configuration. This higher power operation will allow near prototypical power densities and flows to finally be achieved in most prototypical fuel elements.

Measured density of copper atoms in the ground and metastable states in argon magnetron discharge correlated with the deposition rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naghshara, H.; Sobhanian, S.; Khorram, S.; Sadeghi, N.

2011-01-01

In a dc-magnetron discharge with argon feed gas, densities of copper atoms in the ground state Cu(2S1/2) and metastable state Cu*(2D5/2) were measured by the resonance absorption technique, using a commercial hollow cathode lamp as light source. The operating conditions were 0.3-14 µbar argon pressure and 10-200 W magnetron discharge power. The deposition rate of copper in a substrate positioned at 18 cm from the target was also measured with a quartz microbalance. The gas temperature, in the range 300-380 K, was deduced from the emission spectral profile of N2(C 3Πu - B 3Πg) 0-0 band at 337 nm when trace of nitrogen was added to the argon feed gas. The isotope-shifts and hyperfine structures of electronic states of Cu have been taken into account to deduce the emission and absorption line profiles, and hence for the determination of atoms' densities from the measured absorption rates. To prevent error in the evaluation of Cu density, attributed to the line profile distortion by auto-absorption inside the lamp, the lamp current was limited to 5 mA. Density of Cu(2S1/2) atoms and deposition rate both increased with the enhanced magnetron discharge power. But at fixed power, the copper density augmented with argon pressure whereas the deposition rate followed the opposite trend. Whatever the gas pressure, the density of Cu*(2D5/2) metastable atoms remained below the detection limit of 1 × 1010 cm-3 for magnetron discharge powers below 50 W and hence increased much more rapidly than the density of Cu(2S1/2) atoms, over passing this later at some discharge power, whose value decreases with increasing argon pressure. This behaviour is believed to result from the enhancement of plasma density with increasing discharge power and argon pressure, which would increase the excitation rate of copper into metastable states. At fixed pressure, the deposition rate followed the same trend as the total density of copper atoms in the ground and metastable states. Two important conclusions of this work are (i) copper atoms sputtered from the target under ion bombardment are almost all in the ground state Cu(2S1/2) and hence in the plasma volume they can be excited into the metastable states; (ii) all atoms in the long-lived ground and metastable states contribute to the deposition of copper layer on the substrate.

High density fuel qualification for a gas turbine engine

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

Macleod, J.D.; Orbanski, B.; Hastings, P.R.

1992-01-01

A program for the evaluation of gas turbine engine performance, carried out in the Engine Laboratory of the National Research Council of Canada, is described. Problems under consideration include performance alteration between JP-4 fuel and a high energy density fuel, called strategic military fuel (SMF); performance deterioration during the accelerated endurance test; and emission analysis. The T56 fuel control system is found to be capable of operation on the higher energy density fuel with no detrimental effects regarding control of the engine's normal operating regime. The deterioration of the engine performance during 150-hour endurance tests on SMF was very high,more » which was caused by an increase in turbine nozzle effective flow area and turbine blade untwist. The most significant performance losses during the endurance tests were on corrected output power, fuel flow, specific fuel consumption and compressor and turbine presure ratio. 9 refs.« less

Plasma Flow During RF Discharges in VASIMR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, V. T.; Chang Diaz, F. R.; Squire, J. P.; Ilin, A. V.; Bengtson, R. D.; Carter, M. D.; Goulding, R. H.

1999-01-01

The Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) plasma source consists of a helical antenna, driven at frequencies of 4 to 19 MHz with powers up to 1 kW, in a magnetic field up to 3 kG. Helium is the current test gas, and future experiments with hydrogen are planned. Plasma density and temperature profiles were measured by a reciprocating Langmuir probe, and plasma flow profiles were measured with a reciprocating Mach probe. Both probes were located about 0.5 m downstream from the helical antenna. The plasma source operated in capacitive and inductive modes in addition to a helicon mode. During capacitive and inductive modes, densities were low and plasma flow was < 0.5 Cs. When the plasma operated in a helicon mode, the densities measured downstream from the source were higher [10(exp 12) / cubic cm ] and plasma flow along the magnetic field was of the order Mach 1. Details of the measurements will be shown.

High-power terahertz quantum cascade lasers with ∼0.23 W in continuous wave mode

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

Wang, Xuemin; Shen, Changle; Jiang, Tao

2016-07-15

Terahertz quantum cascade lasers with a record output power up to ∼0.23 W in continuous wave mode were obtained. We show that the optimal 2.9-mm-long device operating at 3.11 THz has a low threshold current density of 270 A/cm{sup 2} at ∼15 K. The maximum operating temperature arrived at ∼65 K in continuous wave mode and the internal quantum efficiencies decreased from 0.53 to 0.19 for the devices with different cavity lengths. By using one convex lens with the effective focal length of 13 mm, the beam profile was collimated to be a quasi Gaussian distribution.

High power operation of a nitrogen doped, vanadium compensated, 6H-SiC extrinsic photoconductive switch

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

Sullivan, J. S.

2014-04-28

We report the high power operation of nitrogen doped, vanadium compensated, 6H-SiC, extrinsic photoconductive switches with improved vanadium and nitrogen dopant density. Photoconductive switching tests are performed on 1 mm thick, m-plane, switch substrates at switch voltage and currents up to 17 kV and 1.5 kA, respectively. Sub-ohm minimum switch on resistance is achieved for peak optical intensities ≥35 MW/cm{sup 2} at 532 nm applied to the switch facet. A reduction of greater than nine orders of magnitude is observed in switch material resistivity between dark and illuminated states.

WaterTransport in PEM Fuel Cells: Advanced Modeling, Material Selection, Testing and Design Optimization

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

J. Vernon Cole; Abhra Roy; Ashok Damle

2012-10-02

Water management in Proton Exchange Membrane, PEM, Fuel Cells is challenging because of the inherent conflicts between the requirements for efficient low and high power operation. Particularly at low powers, adequate water must be supplied to sufficiently humidify the membrane or protons will not move through it adequately and resistance losses will decrease the cell efficiency. At high power density operation, more water is produced at the cathode than is necessary for membrane hydration. This excess water must be removed effectively or it will accumulate in the Gas Diffusion Layers, GDLs, between the gas channels and catalysts, blocking diffusion pathsmore » for reactants to reach the catalysts and potentially flooding the electrode. As power density of the cells is increased, the challenges arising from water management are expected to become more difficult to overcome simply due to the increased rate of liquid water generation relative to fuel cell volume. Thus, effectively addressing water management based issues is a key challenge in successful application of PEMFC systems. In this project, CFDRC and our partners used a combination of experimental characterization, controlled experimental studies of important processes governing how water moves through the fuel cell materials, and detailed models and simulations to improve understanding of water management in operating hydrogen PEM fuel cells. The characterization studies provided key data that is used as inputs to all state-of-the-art models for commercially important GDL materials. Experimental studies and microscopic scale models of how water moves through the GDLs showed that the water follows preferential paths, not branching like a river, as it moves toward the surface of the material. Experimental studies and detailed models of water and airflow in fuel cells channels demonstrated that such models can be used as an effective design tool to reduce operating pressure drop in the channels and the associated costs and weight of blowers and pumps to force air and hydrogen gas through the fuel cell. Promising improvements to materials structure and surface treatments that can potentially aid in managing the distribution and removal of liquid water were developed; and improved steady-state and freeze-thaw performance was demonstrated for a fuel cell stack under the self-humidified operating conditions that are promising for stationary power generation with reduced operating costs.« less

Hydrogen Research for Spaceport and Space-Based Applications: Fuel Cell Projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Tim; Balaban, Canan

2008-01-01

The activities presented are a broad based approach to advancing key hydrogen related technologies in areas such as fuel cells, hydrogen production, and distributed sensors for hydrogen-leak detection, laser instrumentation for hydrogen-leak detection, and cryogenic transport and storage. Presented are the results from research projects, education and outreach activities, system and trade studies. The work will aid in advancing the state-of-the-art for several critical technologies related to the implementation of a hydrogen infrastructure. Activities conducted are relevant to a number of propulsion and power systems for terrestrial, aeronautics and aerospace applications. Fuel cell research focused on proton exchange membranes (PEM), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). Specific technologies included aircraft fuel cell reformers, new and improved electrodes, electrolytes, interconnect, and seals, modeling of fuel cells including CFD coupled with impedance spectroscopy. Research was conducted on new materials and designs for fuel cells, along with using embedded sensors with power management electronics to improve the power density delivered by fuel cells. Fuel cell applications considered were in-space operations, aviation, and ground-based fuel cells such as; powering auxiliary power units (APUs) in aircraft; high power density, long duration power supplies for interplanetary missions (space science probes and planetary rovers); regenerative capabilities for high altitude aircraft; and power supplies for reusable launch vehicles.

Miniature solid-state lasers for pointing, illumination, and warning devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, D. C.; Singley, J. M.; Yager, E.; Kowalewski, K.; Lotito, B.; Guelzow, J.; Hildreth, J.; Kuper, J. W.

2008-04-01

In this paper we review the current status of and progress towards higher power and more wavelength diverse diode-pumped solid-state miniature lasers. Snake Creek Lasers now offers unprecedented continuous wave (CW) output power from 9.0 mm and 5.6 mm TO type packages, including the smallest green laser in the world, the MicroGreen TM laser, and the highest density green laser in the world, the MiniGreen TM laser. In addition we offer an infrared laser, the MiniIR TM, operating at 1064 nm, and have just introduced a blue Mini laser operating at 473 nm in a 9.0 mm package. Recently we demonstrated over 1 W of output power at 1064 nm from a 12 mm TO type package, and green output power from 300-500 mW from the same 12 mm package. In addition, the company is developing a number of other innovative new miniature CW solid-state lasers operating at 750 nm, 820 nm, 458 nm, and an eye-safe Q-switched laser operating at 1550 nm. We also review recently demonstrated combining volume Bragg grating (VBG) technology has been combined with automatic power control (APC) to produce high power MiniGreen TM lasers whose output is constant to +/- 10 % over a wide temperature range, without the use of a thermoelectric cooler (TEC). This technology is expected to find widespread application in military and commercial applications where wide temperature operation is particularly important. It has immediate applications in laser pointers, illuminators, and laser flashlights, and displays.

Generation of electrical power under human skin by subdermal solar cell arrays for implantable bioelectronic devices.

PubMed

Song, Kwangsun; Han, Jung Hyun; Yang, Hyung Chae; Nam, Kwang Il; Lee, Jongho

2017-06-15

Medical electronic implants can significantly improve people's health and quality of life. These implants are typically powered by batteries, which usually have a finite lifetime and therefore must be replaced periodically using surgical procedures. Recently, subdermal solar cells that can generate electricity by absorbing light transmitted through skin have been proposed as a sustainable electricity source to power medical electronic implants in bodies. However, the results to date have been obtained with animal models. To apply the technology to human beings, electrical performance should be characterized using human skin covering the subdermal solar cells. In this paper, we present electrical performance results (up to 9.05mW/cm 2 ) of the implantable solar cell array under 59 human skin samples isolated from 10 cadavers. The results indicate that the power densities depend on the thickness and tone of the human skin, e.g., higher power was generated under thinner and brighter skin. The generated power density is high enough to operate currently available medical electronic implants such as pacemakers that require tens of microwatt. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Compact atmospheric pressure plasma self-resonant drive circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Law, V. J.; Anghel, S. D.

2012-02-01

This paper reports on compact solid-state self-resonant drive circuits that are specifically designed to drive an atmospheric pressure plasma jet and a parallel-plate dielectric barrier discharge of small volume (0.5 cm3). The atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) device can be operated with helium, argon or a mixture of both. Equivalent electrical models of the self-resonant drive circuits and discharge are developed and used to estimate the plasma impedance, plasma power density, current density or electron number density of three APP devices. These parameters and the kinetic gas temperature are dependent on the self-resonant frequency of the APP device. For a fixed switching frequency and APP device geometry, the plasma parameters are controlled by adjusting the dc voltage at the primary coil and the gas flow rate. The resonant frequency is controlled by the selection of the switching power transistor and means of step-up voltage transformation (ferrite core, flyback transformer, or Tesla coil). The flyback transformer operates in the tens of kHz, the ferrite core in the hundreds of kHz and Tesla coil in the MHz range. Embedded within this work is the principle of frequency pulling which is exemplified in the flyback transformer circuit that utilizes a pickup coil for feedback control of the switching frequency.

High Specific Power Motors in LN2 and LH2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Gerald V.; Jansen, Ralph H.; Trudell, Jeffrey J.

2007-01-01

A switched reluctance motor has been operated in liquid nitrogen (LN2) with a power density as high as that reported for any motor or generator. The high performance stems from the low resistivity of Cu at LN2 temperature and from the geometry of the windings, the combination of which permits steady-state rms current density up to 7000 A/cm2, about 10 times that possible in coils cooled by natural convection at room temperature. The Joule heating in the coils is conducted to the end turns for rejection to the LN2 bath. Minimal heat rejection occurs in the motor slots, preserving that region for conductor. In the end turns, the conductor layers are spaced to form a heat-exchanger-like structure that permits nucleate boiling over a large surface area. Although tests were performed in LN2 for convenience, this motor was designed as a prototype for use with liquid hydrogen (LH2) as the coolant. End-cooled coils would perform even better in LH2 because of further increases in copper electrical and thermal conductivities. Thermal analyses comparing LN2 and LH2 cooling are presented verifying that end-cooled coils in LH2 could be either much longer or could operate at higher current density without thermal runaway than in LN2.

High Specific Power Motors in LN2 and LH2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Gerald V.; Jansen, Ralph H.; Trudell, Jeffrey J.

2007-01-01

A switched reluctance motor has been operated in liquid nitrogen (LN2) with a power density as high as that reported for any motor or generator. The high performance stems from the low resistivity of Cu at LN2 temperature and from the geometry of the windings, the combination of which permits steady-state rms current density up to 7000 A/sq cm, about 10 times that possible in coils cooled by natural convection at room temperature. The Joule heating in the coils is conducted to the end turns for rejection to the LN2 bath. Minimal heat rejection occurs in the motor slots, preserving that region for conductor. In the end turns, the conductor layers are spaced to form a heat-exchanger-like structure that permits nucleate boiling over a large surface area. Although tests were performed in LN2 for convenience, this motor was designed as a prototype for use with liquid hydrogen (LH2) as the coolant. End-cooled coils would perform even better in LH2 because of further increases in copper electrical and thermal conductivities. Thermal analyses comparing LN2 and LH2 cooling are presented verifying that end-cooled coils in LH2 could be either much longer or could operate at higher current density without thermal runaway than in LN2.

Cathodic and anodic biofilms in Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells.

PubMed

Cristiani, P; Carvalho, M L; Guerrini, E; Daghio, M; Santoro, C; Li, B

2013-08-01

The oxygen reduction due to microaerophilic biofilms grown on graphite cathodes (biocathodes) in Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cells (SCMFCs) is proved and analysed in this paper. Pt-free cathode performances are compared with those of different platinum-loaded cathodes, before and after the biofilm growth. Membraneless SCMFCs were operating in batch-mode, filled with wastewater. A substrate (fuel) of sodium acetate (0.03 M) was periodically added and the experiment lasted more than six months. A maximum of power densities, up to 0.5 W m(-2), were reached when biofilms developed on the electrodes and the cathodic potential decreased (open circuit potential of 50-200 mV vs. SHE). The power output was almost constant with an acetate concentration of 0.01-0.05 M and it fell down when the pH of the media exceeded 9.5, independently of the Pt-free/Pt-loading at the cathodes. Current densities varied in the range of 1-5 Am(-2) (cathode area of 5 cm(2)). Quasi-stationary polarization curves performed with a three-electrode configuration on cathodic and anodic electrodes showed that the anodic overpotential, more than the cathodic one, may limit the current density in the SCMFCs for a long-term operation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A microfabricated low cost enzyme-free glucose fuel cell for powering low-power implantable devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oncescu, Vlad; Erickson, David

In the past decade the scientific community has showed considerable interest in the development of implantable medical devices such as muscle stimulators, neuroprosthetic devices, and biosensors. Those devices have low power requirements and can potentially be operated through fuel cells using reactants present in the body such as glucose and oxygen instead of non-rechargeable lithium batteries. In this paper, we present a thin, enzyme-free fuel cell with high current density and good stability at a current density of 10 μA cm -2. A non-enzymatic approach is preferred because of higher long term stability. The fuel cell uses a stacked electrode design in order to achieve glucose and oxygen separation. An important characteristic of the fuel cell is that it has no membrane separating the electrodes, which results in low ohmic losses and small fuel cell volume. In addition, it uses a porous carbon paper support for the anodic catalyst layer which reduces the amount of platinum or other noble metal catalysts required for fabricating high surface area electrodes with good reactivity. The peak power output of the fuel cell is approximately 2 μW cm -2 and has a sustainable power density of 1.5 μW cm -2 at 10 μA cm -2. An analysis on the effects of electrode thickness and inter electrode gap on the maximum power output of the fuel cell is also performed.

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

Zubov, F. I.; Kryzhanovskaya, N. V.; Moiseev, E. I.

The spectral, threshold, and power characteristics of a microdisk laser 31 μm in diameter with an active region based on InAs/InGaAs quantum dots, operating in the continuous-wave (cw) mode at room temperature are studied. The minimum threshold current density is 0.58 kA/cm{sup 2}, the subthreshold linewidth of the whispering-gallery mode is 50 pm at a wavelength lying in the range of 1.26–1.27 μm. The total power emitted into free space reaches ~0.1 mW in the cw mode, whereas the radiation power of the whispering-gallery modes is ~2.8%.

Performance limitations of a white light extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric displacement sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moro, Erik A.; Todd, Michael D.; Puckett, Anthony D.

2012-06-01

Non-contacting interferometric fiber optic sensors offer a minimally invasive, high-accuracy means of measuring a structure's kinematic response to loading. The performance of interferometric sensors is often dictated by the technique employed for demodulating the kinematic measurand of interest from phase in the observed optical signal. In this paper a white-light extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer is implemented, offering robust displacement sensing performance. Displacement data is extracted from an estimate of the power spectral density, calculated from the interferometer's received optical power measured as a function of optical transmission frequency, and the sensor's performance is dictated by the details surrounding the implementation of this power spectral density estimation. One advantage of this particular type of interferometric sensor is that many of its control parameters (e.g., frequency range, frequency sampling density, sampling rate, etc.) may be chosen to so that the sensor satisfies application-specific performance needs in metrics such as bandwidth, axial displacement range, displacement resolution, and accuracy. A suite of user-controlled input values is investigated for estimating the spectrum of power versus wavelength data, and the relationships between performance metrics and input parameters are described in an effort to characterize the sensor's operational performance limitations. This work has been approved by Los Alamos National Laboratory for unlimited public release (LA-UR 12-01512).

Turbulence and sheared flow structures behind the isotopic dependence of the L-H power threshold on DIII-D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Z.; Gohil, P.; McKee, G. R.; Eldon, D.; Grierson, B.; Rhodes, T.; Petty, C. C.

2017-12-01

Measurements of long wavelength ({{k}\\bot }{{ρ }i}   <  1) density fluctuation characteristics in the edge of both Deuterium (D) and Hydrogen (H) plasmas across the L-H transition on DIII-D demonstrate the existence of single or double bands of low-wavenumber turbulence observed near the edge of H and D plasmas. These are strongly correlated with the L to H-mode transition power threshold (P LH) and can help explain the isotopic and density dependence of P LH, and how the P LH difference is reduced at higher density. Understanding and accurately predicting the L-H power threshold is critical to accessing to H-mode, and operating and achieving high confinement in burning plasmas such as ITER. Above about n e ~ 4  ×  1019 m-3, P LH is seen to converge for H and D, and increases for both with higher density. Surprisingly, the P LH increases significantly at low density in H but not in D plasmas. Two distinct frequency bands of density fluctuations are observed in the D plasmas at low density, n e ~ 1.2-1.5  ×  1019 m-3, but not in H plasmas with similar density, which appears to be correlated to the much lower power threshold in D at low density. Consistently, E  ×  B shear in the region of r/a ~ 0.95-1.0 is larger in D plasmas than in H plasmas at low density; as the P LH increases with increasing density, the dual mode structure disappears while E  ×  B shear becomes similar and small for both D and H plasmas at higher density, n e ~ 5  ×  1019 m-3, where P LH is similar for both D and H plasmas. The increased edge fluctuations, increased flow shear, and the dual-band nature of edge turbulence correlating with lower P LH may account for the strong isotope and density dependencies of P LH and support current L-H transition theories but suggest a complex behavior that can inform a more complete model of the L-H transition threshold.

42GHz ECRH assisted Plasma Breakdown in tokamak SST-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukla, B. K.; Pradhan, S.; Patel, Paresh; Babu, Rajan; Patel, Jatin; Patel, Harshida; Dhorajia, Pragnesh; Tanna, V.; Atrey, P. K.; Manchanda, R.; Gupta, Manoj; Joisa, Shankar; Gupta, C. N.; Danial, Raju; Singh, Prashant; Jha, R.; Bora, D.

2015-03-01

In SST-1, 42GHz ECRH system has been commissioned to carry out breakdown and heating experiments at 0.75T and 1.5T operating toroidal magnetic fields. The 42GHz ECRH system consists of high power microwave source Gyrotron capable to deliver 500kW microwave power for 500ms duration, approximately 20 meter long transmission line and a mirror based launcher. The ECRH power in fundamental O-mode & second harmonic X-mode is launched from low field side (radial port) of the tokamak. At 0.75T operation, approximately 300 kW ECH power is launched in second harmonic X-mode and successful ECRH assisted breakdown is achieved at low loop_voltage ~ 3V. The ECRH power is launched around 45ms prior to loop voltage. The hydrogen pressure in tokamak is maintained ~ 1×10-5mbar and the pre-ionized density is ~ 4×1012/cc. At 1.5T operating toroidal magnetic field, the ECH power is launched in fundamental O-mode. The ECH power at fundamental harmonic is varied from 100 kW to 250 kW and successful breakdown is achieved in all ECRH shots. In fundamental harmonic there is no delay in breakdown while at second harmonic ~ 40ms delay is observed, which is normal in case of second harmonic ECRH assisted breakdown.

Scientific Research Program for Power, Energy, and Thermal Technologies. Task Order 0001: Power, Thermal and Control Technologies and Processes Experimental Research

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

and (b) physical property data collection Following film deposition (via PLD or radio frequency magnetron sputtering), to prevent unwanted...carried out using an in-house radio frequency induction hot press under vacuum at ~1 mTorr and temperatures of 650, 750 and 850 °C. Sintering time was 2...tape thickness 23 µm, lamination stack thickness 11 mm). Simulated magnetic flux density inside the core was ~0.1 T, and operating frequency was

Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Indirect Energy Conversion Isotope (IDEC) Design Structure and Power Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) December 2014 2. REPORT TYPE Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 4. TITLE AND...must last the lifetime of the sensor. Unlike chemical batteries, the higher energy densities of radioisotopes allow the sensors to operate for...because they are self-contained energy sources using radioisotope decay. The minimum power needed to fully accomplish a wide range of duties would be

Materials compatibility issues related to thermal energy storage for a space solar dynamic power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faget, N. M.

1986-01-01

Attention is given to results obtained to date in developmental investigations of a thermal energy storage (TES) system for the projected NASA Space Station's solar dynamic power system; these tests have concentrated on issues related to materials compatibility for phase change materials (PCMs) and their containment vessels' materials. The five PCMs tested have melting temperatures that correspond to the operating temperatures of either the Brayton or Rankine heat engines, which were independently chosen for their high energy densities.

Frequency Rectification Applied to Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting and Improving Available Power of Piezoelectric Motors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuroda, Kazuaki; LCGT Collaboration

Piezoelectric materials are just now, within the last decade, coming into their own as a commercial material. Capable of converting energy from the mechanical domain to the electrical domain; piezos are ideal sensors, vibration dampers, energy harvesters, and actuators. Frequency rectification, or the conversion of small, high frequency piezoelectric vibrations into useful low frequency actuation, is required to obtain widespread industrial use of piezoelectric devices. This work examines three manifestations of piezoelectric frequency rectification: energy harvesting, a hydraulic motor, and friction based commercial-off-the-shelf motors. An energy harvesting device is developed, manufactured, and tested in this work, resulting in the development of a high Energy Density (J/m 3), high Power Density (W/m3) energy harvester. The device is shown to have an Energy Density nearly twice that of a similar conventional energy harvesting device. The result of this work is the development of an energy harvesting system that generates more energy in a given volume of piezoelectric material, opening the possibility of miniaturization of energy harvesting devices. Also presented is an effort to integrate a high frequency, high flow rate micromachined valve array into a PiezoHydraulic Pump (PHP), enabling resonant operation of the PHP. Currently, the device is limited by the resonant frequency of the proprietary passive check valves. The PHP is fully characterized, and the microvalve array is tested to determine its resonant frequency in a fluid medium. The valve testing resulted in a resonant frequency of 6.9 kHz, slightly lower than the target operating frequency of 10 kHz. Finally, the results of an examination of frequency rectification as applied to COTS piezoelectric motors are presented. Currently, motors are almost universally characterized based upon their available mechanical power. A better comparison is one based upon the actual Energy Density of the piezoelectric material utilized in the motor compared to the theoretical maximum Energy Density under the motor operating conditions (i.e., frequency, applied electric field). The result of this work is a more descriptive metric to evaluate piezoelectric motors that provides information on the effectiveness of the motor drive train; that is, how effectively the motion of the piezoelectric is transferred to the outside world.

Correlation Decay in Fermionic Lattice Systems with Power-Law Interactions at Nonzero Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández-Santana, Senaida; Gogolin, Christian; Cirac, J. Ignacio; Acín, Antonio

2017-09-01

We study correlations in fermionic lattice systems with long-range interactions in thermal equilibrium. We prove a bound on the correlation decay between anticommuting operators and generalize a long-range Lieb-Robinson-type bound. Our results show that in these systems of spatial dimension D with, not necessarily translation invariant, two-site interactions decaying algebraically with the distance with an exponent α ≥2 D , correlations between such operators decay at least algebraically to 0 with an exponent arbitrarily close to α at any nonzero temperature. Our bound is asymptotically tight, which we demonstrate by a high temperature expansion and by numerically analyzing density-density correlations in the one-dimensional quadratic (free, exactly solvable) Kitaev chain with long-range pairing.

Reliable high-power diode lasers: thermo-mechanical fatigue aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klumel, Genady; Gridish, Yaakov; Szafranek, Igor; Karni, Yoram

2006-02-01

High power water-cooled diode lasers are finding increasing demand in biomedical, cosmetic and industrial applications, where repetitive cw (continuous wave) and pulsed cw operation modes are required. When operating in such modes, the lasers experience numerous complete thermal cycles between "cold" heat sink temperature and the "hot" temperature typical of thermally equilibrated cw operation. It is clearly demonstrated that the main failure mechanism directly linked to repetitive cw operation is thermo-mechanical fatigue of the solder joints adjacent to the laser bars, especially when "soft" solders are used. Analyses of the bonding interfaces were carried out using scanning electron microscopy. It was observed that intermetallic compounds, formed already during the bonding process, lead to the solders fatigue both on the p- and n-side of the laser bar. Fatigue failure of solder joints in repetitive cw operation reduces useful lifetime of the stacks to hundreds hours, in comparison with more than 10,000 hours lifetime typically demonstrated in commonly adopted non-stop cw reliability testing programs. It is shown, that proper selection of package materials and solders, careful design of fatigue sensitive parts and burn-in screening in the hard pulse operation mode allow considerable increase of lifetime and reliability, without compromising the device efficiency, optical power density and compactness.

Effect of aqueous electrolytes on the electrochemical behaviors of supercapacitors based on hierarchically porous carbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaoyan; Wang, Xianyou; Jiang, Lanlan; Wu, Hao; Wu, Chun; Su, Jingcang

2012-10-01

Hierarchically porous carbons (HPCs) have been prepared by sol-gel self-assembly technology with nickel oxide and surfactant as the dual template. The porous carbons are further activated by nitric acid. The electrochemical behaviors of supercapacitors using HPCs as electrode material in different aqueous electrolytes, e.g., (NH4)2SO4, Na2SO4, H2SO4 and KOH are studied by cyclic voltametry, galvanostatic charge/discharge, cyclic life, leakage current, self-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the supercapacitors in various electrolytes perform definitely capacitive behaviors; especially in 6 M KOH electrolyte the supercapacitor represents the best electrochemical performance, the shortest relaxation time, and nearly ideal polarisability. The energy density of 8.42 Wh kg-1 and power density of 17.22 kW kg-1 are obtained at the operated voltage window of 1.0 V. Especially, the energy density of 11.54 Wh kg-1 and power density of 10.58 kW kg-1 can be achieved when the voltage is up to 1.2 V.

Numerical analysis of thermal stress and dislocation density distributions in large size multi-crystalline silicon ingots during the seeded growth process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Thi Hoai Thu; Chen, Jyh-Chen; Hu, Chieh; Chen, Chun-Hung; Huang, Yen-Hao; Lin, Huang-Wei; Yu, Andy; Hsu, Bruce

2017-06-01

In this study, a global transient numerical simulation of silicon growth from the beginning of the solidification process until the end of the cooling process is carried out modeling the growth of an 800 kg ingot in an industrial seeded directional solidification furnace. The standard furnace is modified by the addition of insulating blocks in the hot zone. The simulation results show that there is a significant decrease in the thermal stress and dislocation density in the modified model as compared to the standard one (a maximal decrease of 23% and 75% along the center line of ingot for thermal stress and dislocation density, respectively). This modification reduces the heating power consumption for solidification of the silicon melt by about 17% and shortens the growth time by about 2.5 h. Moreover, it is found that adjusting the operating conditions of modified model to obtain the lower growth rate during the early stages of the solidification process can lower dislocation density and total heater power.

Nitrogen oxide emission calculation for post-Panamax container ships by using engine operation power probability as weighting factor: A slow-steaming case.

PubMed

Cheng, Chih-Wen; Hua, Jian; Hwang, Daw-Shang

2018-06-01

In this study, the nitrogen oxide (NO x ) emission factors and total NO x emissions of two groups of post-Panamax container ships operating on a long-term slow-steaming basis along Euro-Asian routes were calculated using both the probability density function of engine power levels and the NO x emission function. The main engines of the five sister ships in Group I satisfied the Tier I emission limit stipulated in MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Annex VI, and those in Group II satisfied the Tier II limit. The calculated NO x emission factors of the Group I and Group II ships were 14.73 and 17.85 g/kWhr, respectively. The total NO x emissions of the Group II ships were determined to be 4.4% greater than those of the Group I ships. When the Tier II certification value was used to calculate the average total NO x emissions of Group II engines, the result was lower than the actual value by 21.9%. Although fuel consumption and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions were increased by 1.76% because of slow steaming, the NO x emissions were markedly reduced by 17.2%. The proposed method is more effective and accurate than the NO x Technical Code 2008. Furthermore, it can be more appropriately applied to determine the NO x emissions of international shipping inventory. The usage of operating power probability density function of diesel engines as the weighting factor and the NO x emission function obtained from test bed for calculating NO x emissions is more accurate and practical. The proposed method is suitable for all types and purposes of diesel engines, irrespective of their operating power level. The method can be used to effectively determine the NO x emissions of international shipping and inventory applications and should be considered in determining the carbon tax to be imposed in the future.

Density and beta limits in the Madison Symmetric Torus Reversed-Field Pinch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caspary, Kyle Jonathan

Operational limits and the underlying physics are explored on the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) Reversed-Field Pinch (RFP) using deuterium pellet fueling. The injection of a fast pellet provides a large source of fuel in the plasma edge upon impact with the vessel wall, capable of triggering density limit terminations for the full range of plasma current, up to 600 kA. As the pellet size and plasma density increase, approaching the empirical Greenwald limit, plasma degradation is observed in the form of current decay, increased magnetic activity in the edge and core, increased radiation and plasma cooling. The complete termination of the plasma is consistent with the Greenwald limit; however, a slightly smaller maximum density is observed in discharges without toroidal field reversal. The plasma beta is the ratio of the plasma pressure to the confining magnetic pressure. Beta limits are known to constrain other magnetic confinement devices, but no beta limit has yet been established on the RFP. On MST, the highest beta values are obtained in improved confinement discharges with pellet fueling. By using pellet injection to scan the plasma density during PPCD, we also achieve a scan of Ohmic input power due to the increase in plasma resistivity. We observe a factor of 3 or more increase in Ohmic power as we increase the density from 1*1019 to 3*10 19 m-3. Despite this increased Ohmic power, the electron contribution to beta is constant, suggesting a confinement limited beta for the RFP. The electrons and ions are classically well coupled in these cold, dense pellet fueled plasmas, so the increase in total beta at higher density is primarily due to the increased ion contribution. The interaction of pellet fueling and NBI heating is explored. Modeling of MST's neutral heating beam suggests an optimal density for beam power deposition of 2-3*1019 m-3. Low current, NBI heated discharges show evidence of an increased electron beta in this density range. Additionally, the fast ion population can enhance ablation as well as cause pellet deflection. Other exploratory experiments with the pellet injection system explore additional injection scenarios and expand the injector capabilities.

Technical challenges and future direction for high-efficiency metal hydride thermal energy storage systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Patrick A.; Corgnale, Claudio; Teprovich, Joseph A.; Motyka, Theodore; Hardy, Bruce; Sheppard, Drew; Buckley, Craig; Zidan, Ragaiy

2016-04-01

Recently, there has been increasing interest in thermal energy storage (TES) systems for concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, which allow for continuous operation when sunlight is unavailable. Thermochemical energy storage materials have the advantage of much higher energy densities than latent or sensible heat materials. Furthermore, thermochemical energy storage systems based on metal hydrides have been gaining great interest for having the advantage of higher energy densities, better reversibility, and high enthalpies. However, in order to achieve higher efficiencies desired of a thermal storage system by the US Department of Energy, the system is required to operate at temperatures >600 °C. Operation at temperatures >600 °C presents challenges including material selection, hydrogen embrittlement and permeation of containment vessels, appropriate selection of heat transfer fluids, and cost. Herein, the technical difficulties and proposed solutions associated with the use of metal hydrides as TES materials in CSP applications are discussed and evaluated.

A Plasma Ultraviolet Source for Short Wavelength Lasers.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-10

A high power blue-green laser was pumped with an array of the dense plasma focus . As the result of optimizing the operating conditions of the dense... plasma focus and laser system, the maximum untuned laser output exceeded 2.lmJ corresponding to the energy density 3J/cu cm which is much higher than

Low threshold interband cascade lasers operating above room temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, C. J.; Yang, B.; Yang, R. Q.

2003-01-01

Mid-IR type-II interband cascade lasers were demonstrated in pulsed mode at temperatures up to 325 K and in continuous mode up to 200 K. At 80 K, the threshold current density was 8.9 A/cm2 and a cw outpout power of 140 mW/facet was obtained.

Design of Z-Pinch and Dense Plasma Focus Powered Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polsgrove, Tara; Fincher, Sharon; Adams, Robert B.; Cassibry, Jason; Cortez, Ross; Turner, Matthew; Maples, C. Daphne; Miermik, Janie N.; Statham, Geoffrey N.; Fabisinski, Leo;

PASOTRON high-energy microwave source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goebel, Dan M.; Schumacher, Robert W.; Butler, Jennifer M.; Hyman, Jay, Jr.; Santoru, Joseph; Watkins, Ron M.; Harvey, Robin J.; Dolezal, Franklin A.; Eisenhart, Robert L.; Schneider, Authur J.

1992-04-01

A unique, high-energy microwave source, called PASOTRON (Plasma-Assisted Slow-wave Oscillator), has been developed. The PASOTRON utilizes a long-pulse E-gun and plasma- filled slow-wave structure (SWS) to produce high-energy pulses from a simple, lightweight device that utilizes no externally produced magnetic fields. Long pulses are obtained from a novel E-gun that employs a low-pressure glow discharge to provide a stable, high current- density electron source. The electron accelerator consists of a high-perveance, multi-aperture array. The E-beam is operated in the ion-focused regime where the plasma filling the SWS space-charge neutralizes the beam, and the self-pinch force compresses the beamlets and increases the beam current density. A scale-model PASOTRON, operating as a backward- wave oscillator in C-band with a 100-kV E-beam, has produced output powers in the 3 to 5 MW range and pulse lengths of over 100 microsecond(s) ec, corresponding to an integrated energy per pulse of up to 500 J. The E-beam to microwave-radiation power conversion efficiency is about 20%.

Alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells stably working at 80 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Hanqing; Li, Qihao; Hu, Meixue; Xiao, Li; Lu, Juntao; Zhuang, Lin

2018-06-01

Alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cells are a new class of polymer electrolyte fuel cells that fundamentally enables the use of nonprecious metal catalysts. The cell performance mostly relies on the quality of alkaline polymer electrolytes, including the ionic conductivity and the chemical/mechanical stability. For a long time, alkaline polymer electrolytes are thought to be too weak in stability to allow the fuel cell to be operated at elevated temperatures, e.g., above 60 °C. In the present work, we report a progress in the state-of-the-art alkaline polymer electrolyte fuel cell technology. By using a newly developed alkaline polymer electrolyte, quaternary ammonia poly (N-methyl-piperidine-co-p-terphenyl), which simultaneously possesses high ionic conductivity and excellent chemical/mechanical stability, the fuel cell can now be stably operated at 80 °C with high power density. The peak power density reaches ca. 1.5 W/cm2 at 80 °C with Pt/C catalysts used in both the anode and the cathode. The cell works stably in a period of study over 100 h.

The development of a power spectral density processor for C and L band airborne radar scatterometer sensor systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrison, D. A., III; Chladek, J. T.

1983-01-01

A real-time signal processor was developed for the NASA/JSC L-and C-band airborne radar scatterometer sensor systems. The purpose of the effort was to reduce ground data processing costs. Conversion of two quadrature channels of data (like and cross polarized) was made to obtain Power Spectral Density (PSD) values. A chirp-z transform (CZT) approach was used to filter the Doppler return signal and improved high frequency and angular resolution was realized. The processors have been tested with record signals and excellent results were obtained. CZT filtering can be readily applied to scatterometers operating at other wavelengths by altering the sample frequency. The design of the hardware and software and the results of the performance tests are described in detail.

An optimal design of coreless direct-drive axial flux permanent magnet generator for wind turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmed, D.; Ahmad, A.

2013-06-01

Different types of generators are currently being used in wind power technology. The commonly used are induction generator (IG), doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG), electrically excited synchronous generator (EESG) and permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG). However, the use of PMSG is rapidly increasing because of advantages such as higher power density, better controllability and higher reliability. This paper presents an innovative design of a low-speed modular, direct-drive axial flux permanent magnet (AFPM) generator with coreless stator and rotor for a wind turbine power generation system that is developed using mathematical and analytical methods. This innovative design is implemented in MATLAB / Simulink environment using dynamic modelling techniques. The main focus of this research is to improve efficiency of the wind power generation system by investigating electromagnetic and structural features of AFPM generator during its operation in wind turbine. The design is validated by comparing its performance with standard models of existing wind power generators. The comparison results demonstrate that the proposed model for the wind power generator exhibits number of advantages such as improved efficiency with variable speed operation, higher energy yield, lighter weight and better wind power utilization.

Rotating-Disk-Based Hybridized Electromagnetic-Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Sustainably Powering Wireless Traffic Volume Sensors.

PubMed

Zhang, Binbin; Chen, Jun; Jin, Long; Deng, Weili; Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Haitao; Zhu, Minhao; Yang, Weiqing; Wang, Zhong Lin

2016-06-28

Wireless traffic volume detectors play a critical role for measuring the traffic-flow in a real-time for current Intelligent Traffic System. However, as a battery-operated electronic device, regularly replacing battery remains a great challenge, especially in the remote area and wide distribution. Here, we report a self-powered active wireless traffic volume sensor by using a rotating-disk-based hybridized nanogenerator of triboelectric nanogenerator and electromagnetic generator as the sustainable power source. Operated at a rotating rate of 1000 rpm, the device delivered an output power of 17.5 mW, corresponding to a volume power density of 55.7 W/m(3) (Pd = P/V, see Supporting Information for detailed calculation) at a loading resistance of 700 Ω. The hybridized nanogenerator was demonstrated to effectively harvest energy from wind generated by a moving vehicle through the tunnel. And the delivered power is capable of triggering a counter via a wireless transmitter for real-time monitoring the traffic volume in the tunnel. This study further expands the applications of triboelectric nanogenerators for high-performance ambient mechanical energy harvesting and as sustainable power sources for driving wireless traffic volume sensors.

Limitations of the Conventional Phase Advance Method for Constant Power Operation of the Brushless DC Motor

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

Lawler, J.S.

2001-10-29

The brushless dc motor (BDCM) has high-power density and efficiency relative to other motor types. These properties make the BDCM well suited for applications in electric vehicles provided a method can be developed for driving the motor over the 4 to 6:1 constant power speed range (CPSR) required by such applications. The present state of the art for constant power operation of the BDCM is conventional phase advance (CPA) [1]. In this paper, we identify key limitations of CPA. It is shown that the CPA has effective control over the developed power but that the current magnitude is relatively insensitivemore » to power output and is inversely proportional to motor inductance. If the motor inductance is low, then the rms current at rated power and high speed may be several times larger than the current rating. The inductance required to maintain rms current within rating is derived analytically and is found to be large relative to that of BDCM designs using high-strength rare earth magnets. Th us, the CPA requires a BDCM with a large equivalent inductance.« less

Effects of evolving quality of landfill leachate on microbial fuel cell performance.

PubMed

Li, Simeng; Chen, Gang

2018-01-01

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a novel technology for landfill leachate treatment with simultaneous electric power generation. In recent years, more and more modern landfills are operating as bioreactors to shorten the time required for landfill stabilization and improve the leachate quality. For landfills to operate as biofilters, leachate is recirculated back to the landfill, during which time the organics of the leachate can be decomposed. Continuous recirculation typically results in evolving leachate quality, which chronologically corresponds to evolution stages such as hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, methanogenesis, and maturation. In this research, variable power generation (160 to 230 mW m -2 ) by MFC was observed when leachate of various evolutionary stages was used as the feed. The power density followed a Monod-type kinetic model with the chemical oxygen demand (COD) equivalent of the volatile fatty acids (VFAs) ( p < 0.001). The coulombic efficiency decreased from 20% to 14% as the leachate evolved towards maturation. The maximum power density linearly decreased with the increase of internal resistance, resulting from the change of the conductivity of the solution. The decreased conductivity boosted the internal resistance and consequently limited the power generation. COD removal as high as 90% could be achieved with leachate extracted from appropriate evolutionary stages, with a maximum energy yield of 0.9 kWh m -3 of leachate. This study demonstrated the importance of the evolving leachate quality in different evolutionary stages for the performance of leachate-fed MFCs. The leachate extracted from acidogenesis and acetogenesis were optimal for both COD reduction and energy production in MFCs.

An optimal design of magnetostrictive material (MsM) based energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Jingzhen; Yuan, Fuh-Gwo; Xu, Fujun; Huang, Alex Q.

2010-04-01

In this study, an optimal vibration-based energy harvesting system using magnetostrictive material (MsM) has been designed to power the Wireless Intelligent Sensor Platform (WISP), developed at North Carolina State University. A linear MsM energy harvesting device has been modeled and optimized to maximize the power output. The effects of number of MsM layers and glue layers, and load matching on the output power of the MsM energy harvester have been analyzed. From the measurement, the open circuit voltage can reach 1.5 V when the MsM cantilever beam operates at the 2nd natural frequency 324 Hz. The AC output power is 0.97 mW, giving power density 279 μW/cm3. Since the MsM device has low open circuit output voltage characteristics, a full-wave quadrupler has been designed to boost the rectified output voltage. To deliver the maximum output power to the load, a complex conjugate impedance matching between the load and the MsM device has been implemented using a discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) buck-boost converter. The maximum output power after the voltage quadrupler is now 705 μW and power density reduces to 202.4 μW/cm3, which is comparable to the piezoelectric energy harvesters given in the literature. The output power delivered to a lithium rechargeable battery is around 630 μW, independent of the load resistance.

Application of a hazard and operability study method to hazard evaluation of a chemical unit of the power station.

PubMed

Habibi, E; Zare, M; Barkhordari, A; Mirmohammadi, Sj; Halvani, Ghh

2008-12-28

The aim of this study was to identify the hazards, evaluate their risk factors and determine the measure for promotion of the process and reduction of accidents in the chemical unit of the power station. In this case and qualitative study, HAZOP technique was used to recognize the hazards and problems of operations on the chemical section at power station. Totally, 126 deviations were documented with various causes and consequences. Ranking and evaluation of identified risks indicate that the majority of deviations were categorized as "acceptable" and less than half of that were "unacceptable". The highest calculated risk level (1B) related to both the interruption of acid entry to the discharge pumps and an increased density of the acid. About 27% of the deviations had the lowest risk level (4B). The identification of hazards by HAZOP indicates that it could, systemically, assess and criticize the process of consumption or production of acid and alkali in the chemical unit of power plant.

Modelling of cantilever based on piezoelectric energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahim, N. F.; Ong, N. R.; Aziz, M. H. A.; Alcain, J. B.; Haimi, W. M. W. N.; Sauli, Z.

2017-09-01

Recent technology allows devices to become smaller and with more functions. However, the battery size remained the same and for some devices, the battery must be larger in order to accommodate the greater power demands by the portable device. Piezoelectric energy harvester has been suggested as a substitute for the batteries in coming future. In this paper, a cantilever based piezoelectric energy harvester was modelled and simulated using COMSOL software. The analysis focused on the mechanical part of the harvesting system such as output power, output voltage and vibration frequency. Results of the simulations proved that flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters using nano-materials had remarkable strength under the large strain. However, although the large strain was induced on the flexible energy harvesters, the output power was still lower than the bulk and MEMS piezoelectric energy harvesters that operated at the resonance frequency. The off-resonance operation and very lower packing density of the active piezoelectric materials of the flexible energy harvesters resulted in a low output power.

Negative hydrogen ion production in a helicon plasma source

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

Santoso, J., E-mail: Jesse.Santoso@anu.edu.au; Corr, C. S.; Manoharan, R.

2015-09-15

In order to develop very high energy (>1 MeV) neutral beam injection systems for applications, such as plasma heating in fusion devices, it is necessary first to develop high throughput negative ion sources. For the ITER reference source, this will be realised using caesiated inductively coupled plasma devices, containing either hydrogen or deuterium discharges, operated with high rf input powers (up to 90 kW per driver). It has been suggested that due to their high power coupling efficiency, helicon devices may be able to reduce power requirements and potentially obviate the need for caesiation due to the high plasma densities achievable. Here,more » we present measurements of negative ion densities in a hydrogen discharge produced by a helicon device, with externally applied DC magnetic fields ranging from 0 to 8.5 mT at 5 and 10 mTorr fill pressures. These measurements were taken in the magnetised plasma interaction experiment at the Australian National University and were performed using the probe-based laser photodetachment technique, modified for the use in the afterglow of the plasma discharge. A peak in the electron density is observed at ∼3 mT and is correlated with changes in the rf power transfer efficiency. With increasing magnetic field, an increase in the negative ion fraction from 0.04 to 0.10 and negative ion densities from 8 × 10{sup 14 }m{sup −3} to 7 × 10{sup 15 }m{sup −3} is observed. It is also shown that the negative ion densities can be increased by a factor of 8 with the application of an external DC magnetic field.« less

Generic construction of efficient matrix product operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubig, C.; McCulloch, I. P.; Schollwöck, U.

2017-01-01

Matrix product operators (MPOs) are at the heart of the second-generation density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) algorithm formulated in matrix product state language. We first summarize the widely known facts on MPO arithmetic and representations of single-site operators. Second, we introduce three compression methods (rescaled SVD, deparallelization, and delinearization) for MPOs and show that it is possible to construct efficient representations of arbitrary operators using MPO arithmetic and compression. As examples, we construct powers of a short-ranged spin-chain Hamiltonian, a complicated Hamiltonian of a two-dimensional system and, as proof of principle, the long-range four-body Hamiltonian from quantum chemistry.

Molecular Electronic Angular Motion Transducer Broad Band Self-Noise

PubMed Central

Zaitsev, Dmitry; Agafonov, Vadim; Egorov, Egor; Antonov, Alexander; Shabalina, Anna

2015-01-01

Modern molecular electronic transfer (MET) angular motion sensors combine high technical characteristics with low cost. Self-noise is one of the key characteristics which determine applications for MET sensors. However, until the present there has not been a model describing the sensor noise in the complete operating frequency range. The present work reports the results of an experimental study of the self-noise level of such sensors in the frequency range of 0.01–200 Hz. Based on the experimental data, a theoretical model is developed. According to the model, self-noise is conditioned by thermal hydrodynamic fluctuations of the operating fluid flow in the frequency range of 0.01–2 Hz. At the frequency range of 2–100 Hz, the noise power spectral density has a specific inversely proportional dependence of the power spectral density on the frequency that could be attributed to convective processes. In the high frequency range of 100–200 Hz, the noise is conditioned by the voltage noise of the electronics module input stage operational amplifiers and is heavily reliant to the sensor electrical impedance. The presented results allow a deeper understanding of the molecular electronic sensor noise nature to suggest the ways to reduce it. PMID:26610502

Characterization of Macrophage/Microglial Activation and Effect of Photobiomodulation in the Spared Nerve Injury Model of Neuropathic Pain.

PubMed

Kobiela Ketz, Ann; Byrnes, Kimberly R; Grunberg, Neil E; Kasper, Christine E; Osborne, Lisa; Pryor, Brian; Tosini, Nicholas L; Wu, Xingjia; Anders, Juanita J

2017-05-01

Neuropathic pain is common and debilitating with limited effective treatments. Macrophage/microglial activation along ascending somatosensory pathways following peripheral nerve injury facilitates neuropathic pain. However, polarization of macrophages/microglia in neuropathic pain is not well understood. Photobiomodulation treatment has been used to decrease neuropathic pain, has anti-inflammatory effects in spinal injury and wound healing models, and modulates microglial polarization in vitro. Our aim was to characterize macrophage/microglia response after peripheral nerve injury and modulate the response with photobiomodulation. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to sham (N = 13), spared nerve injury (N = 13), or injury + photobiomodulation treatment groups (N = 7). Mechanical hypersensitivity was assessed with electronic von Frey. Photobiomodulation (980 nm) was applied to affected hind paw (output power 1 W, 20 s, 41cm above skin, power density 43.25 mW/cm 2 , dose 20 J), dorsal root ganglia (output power 4.5W, 19s, in skin contact, power density 43.25 mW/cm 2 , dose 85.5 J), and spinal cord regions (output power 1.5 W, 19s, in skin contact, power density 43.25 mW/cm 2 , dose 28.5 J) every other day from day 7-30 post-operatively. Immunohistochemistry characterized macrophage/microglial activation. Injured groups demonstrated mechanical hypersensitivity 1-30 days post-operatively. Photobiomodulation-treated animals began to recover after two treatments; at day 26, mechanical sensitivity reached baseline. Peripheral nerve injury caused region-specific macrophages/microglia activation along spinothalamic and dorsal-column medial lemniscus pathways. A pro-inflammatory microglial marker was expressed in the spinal cord of injured rats compared to photobiomodulation-treated and sham group. Photobiomodulation-treated dorsal root ganglion macrophages expressed anti-inflammatory markers. Photobiomodulation effectively reduced mechanical hypersensitivity, potentially through modulating macrophage/microglial activation to an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. 2016. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Performance and properties of the first plasmas of Wendelstein 7-X

DOE PAGES

Klinger, Thomas; Alonso, A.; Bozhenkov, S.; ...

2016-10-18

The optimized, superconducting stellarator Wendelstein 7-X went into operation and delivered first measurement data after 15 years of construction and one year commissioning. Errors in the magnet assembly were confirmend to be small. Plasma operation was started with 5 MW electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) power and five inboard limiters. Core plasma values ofmore » $${{T}_{\\text{e}}}>8$$ keV, $${{T}_{\\text{i}}}>2$$ keV at line-integrated densities $$n\\approx 3\\centerdot {{10}^{19}}~{{\\text{m}}^{-2}}$$ were achieved, exceeding the original expectations by about a factor of two. Indications for a core-electron-root were found. The energy confinement times are in line with the international stellarator scaling, despite unfavourable wall conditions, i.e. large areas of metal surfaces and particle sources from the limiter close to the plasma volume. Well controlled shorter hydrogen discharges at higher power (4 MW ECRH power for 1 s) and longer discharges at lower power (0.7 MW ECRH power for 6 s) could be routinely established after proper wall conditioning. Lastly, the fairly large set of diagnostic systems running in the end of the 10 weeks operation campaign provided first insights into expected and unexpected physics of optimized stellarators.« less

Modeling Ionosphere Environments: Creating an ISS Electron Density Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurgew, Danielle N.; Minow, Joseph I.

2011-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) maintains an altitude typically between 300 km and 400 km in low Earth orbit (LEO) which itself is situated in the Earth's ionosphere. The ionosphere is a region of partially ionized gas (plasma) formed by the photoionization of neutral atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere of Earth. It is important to understand what electron density the spacecraft is/will be operating in because the ionized gas along the ISS orbit interacts with the electrical power system resulting in charging of the vehicle. One instrument that is already operational onboard the ISS with a goal of monitoring electron density, electron temperature, and ISS floating potential is the Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU). Although this tool is a valuable addition to the ISS, there are limitations concerning the data collection periods. The FPMU uses the Ku band communication frequency to transmit data from orbit. Use of this band for FPMU data runs is often terminated due to necessary observation of higher priority Extravehicular Activities (EVAs) and other operations on ISS. Thus, large gaps are present in FPMU data. The purpose of this study is to solve the issue of missing environmental data by implementing a secondary electron density data source, derived from the COSMIC satellite constellation, to create a model of ISS orbital environments. Extrapolating data specific to ISS orbital altitudes, we model the ionospheric electron density along the ISS orbit track to supply a set of data when the FPMU is unavailable. This computer model also provides an additional new source of electron density data that is used to confirm FPMU is operating correctly and supplements the original environmental data taken by FPMU.

Current density and catalyst-coated membrane resistance distribution of hydro-formed metallic bipolar plate fuel cell short stack with 250 cm2 active area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haase, S.; Moser, M.; Hirschfeld, J. A.; Jozwiak, K.

2016-01-01

An automotive fuel cell with an active area of 250 cm2 is investigated in a 4-cell short stack with a current and temperature distribution device next to the bipolar plate with 560 current and 140 temperature segments. The electrical conductivities of the bipolar plate and gas diffusion layer assembly are determined ex-situ with this current scan shunt module. The applied fuel cell consists of bipolar plates constructed of 75-μm-thick, welded stainless-steel foils and a graphitic coating. The electrical conductivities of the bipolar plate and gas diffusion layer assembly are determined ex-situ with this module with a 6% deviation in in-plane conductivity. The current density distribution is evaluated up to 2.4 A cm-2. The entire cell's investigated volumetric power density is 4.7 kW l-1, and its gravimetric power density is 4.3 kW kg-1 at an average cell voltage of 0.5 V. The current density distribution is determined without influencing the operating cell. In addition, the current density distribution in the catalyst-coated membrane and its effective resistivity distribution with a finite volume discretisation of Ohm's law are evaluated. The deviation between the current density distributions in the catalyst-coated membrane and the bipolar plate is determined.

Observation of low magnetic field density peaks in helicon plasma

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

Barada, Kshitish K.; Chattopadhyay, P. K.; Ghosh, J.

2013-04-15

Single density peak has been commonly observed in low magnetic field (<100 G) helicon discharges. In this paper, we report the observations of multiple density peaks in low magnetic field (<100 G) helicon discharges produced in the linear helicon plasma device [Barada et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 063501 (2012)]. Experiments are carried out using argon gas with m = +1 right helical antenna operating at 13.56 MHz by varying the magnetic field from 0 G to 100 G. The plasma density varies with varying the magnetic field at constant input power and gas pressure and reaches to its peakmore » value at a magnetic field value of {approx}25 G. Another peak of smaller magnitude in density has been observed near 50 G. Measurement of amplitude and phase of the axial component of the wave using magnetic probes for two magnetic field values corresponding to the observed density peaks indicated the existence of radial modes. Measured parallel wave number together with the estimated perpendicular wave number suggests oblique mode propagation of helicon waves along the resonance cone boundary for these magnetic field values. Further, the observations of larger floating potential fluctuations measured with Langmuir probes at those magnetic field values indicate that near resonance cone boundary; these electrostatic fluctuations take energy from helicon wave and dump power to the plasma causing density peaks.« less

Development of an operation strategy for hydrogen production using solar PV energy based on fluid dynamic aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amores, Ernesto; Rodríguez, Jesús; Oviedo, José; de Lucas-Consuegra, Antonio

2017-06-01

Alkaline water electrolysis powered by renewable energy sources is one of the most promising strategies for environmentally friendly hydrogen production. However, wind and solar energy sources are highly dependent on weather conditions. As a result, power fluctuations affect the electrolyzer and cause several negative effects. Considering these limiting effects which reduce the water electrolysis efficiency, a novel operation strategy is proposed in this study. It is based on pumping the electrolyte according to the current density supplied by a solar PV module, in order to achieve the suitable fluid dynamics conditions in an electrolysis cell. To this aim, a mathematical model including the influence of electrode-membrane distance, temperature and electrolyte flow rate has been developed and used as optimization tool. The obtained results confirm the convenience of the selected strategy, especially when the electrolyzer is powered by renewable energies.

Engineering aspects and hardware verification of a volume producable solid oxide fuel cell stack design for diesel auxiliary power units

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stelter, Michael; Reinert, Andreas; Mai, Björn Erik; Kuznecov, Mihail

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack module is presented that is designed for operation on diesel reformate in an auxiliary power unit (APU). The stack was designed using a top-down approach, based on a specification of an APU system that is installed on board of vehicles. The stack design is planar, modular and scalable with stamped sheet metal interconnectors. It features thin membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs), such as electrolyte supported cells (ESC) and operates at elevated temperatures around 800 °C. The stack has a low pressure drop in both the anode and the cathode to facilitate a simple system layout. An overview of the technical targets met so far is given. A stack power density of 0.2 kW l -1 has been demonstrated in a fully integrated, thermally self-sustaining APU prototype running with diesel and without an external water supply.

Heating performances of a IC in-blanket ring array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosia, G.; Ragona, R.

2015-12-01

An important limiting factor to the use of ICRF as candidate heating method in a commercial reactor is due to the evanescence of the fast wave in vacuum and in most of the SOL layer, imposing proximity of the launching structure to the plasma boundary and causing, at the highest power level, high RF standing and DC rectified voltages at the plasma periphery, with frequent voltage breakdowns and enhanced local wall loading. In a previous work [1] the concept for an Ion Cyclotron Heating & Current Drive array (and using a different wave guide technology, a Lower Hybrid array) based on the use of periodic ring structure, integrated in the reactor blanket first wall and operating at high input power and low power density, was introduced. Based on the above concept, the heating performance of such array operating on a commercial fusion reactor is estimated.

Heating performances of a IC in-blanket ring array

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

Bosia, G., E-mail: gbosia@to.infn.it; Ragona, R.

2015-12-10

An important limiting factor to the use of ICRF as candidate heating method in a commercial reactor is due to the evanescence of the fast wave in vacuum and in most of the SOL layer, imposing proximity of the launching structure to the plasma boundary and causing, at the highest power level, high RF standing and DC rectified voltages at the plasma periphery, with frequent voltage breakdowns and enhanced local wall loading. In a previous work [1] the concept for an Ion Cyclotron Heating & Current Drive array (and using a different wave guide technology, a Lower Hybrid array) basedmore » on the use of periodic ring structure, integrated in the reactor blanket first wall and operating at high input power and low power density, was introduced. Based on the above concept, the heating performance of such array operating on a commercial fusion reactor is estimated.« less

Vapor-fed bio-hybrid fuel cell.

PubMed

Benyamin, Marcus S; Jahnke, Justin P; Mackie, David M

2017-01-01

Concentration and purification of ethanol and other biofuels from fermentations are energy-intensive processes, with amplified costs at smaller scales. To circumvent the need for these processes, and to potentially reduce transportation costs as well, we have previously investigated bio-hybrid fuel cells (FCs), in which a fermentation and FC are closely coupled. However, long-term operation requires strictly preventing the fermentation and FC from harming each other. We introduce here the concept of the vapor-fed bio-hybrid FC as a means of continuously extracting power from ongoing fermentations at ambient conditions. By bubbling a carrier gas (N 2 ) through a yeast fermentation and then through a direct ethanol FC, we protect the FC anode from the catalyst poisons in the fermentation (which are non-volatile), and also protect the yeast from harmful FC products (notably acetic acid) and from build-up of ethanol. Since vapor-fed direct ethanol FCs at ambient conditions have never been systematically characterized (in contrast to vapor-fed direct methanol FCs), we first assess the effects on output power and conversion efficiency of ethanol concentration, vapor flow rate, and FC voltage. The results fit a continuous stirred-tank reactor model. Over a wide range of ethanol partial pressures (2-8 mmHg), power densities are comparable to those for liquid-fed direct ethanol FCs at the same temperature, with power densities >2 mW/cm 2 obtained. We then demonstrate the continuous operation of a vapor-fed bio-hybrid FC with fermentation for 5 months, with no indication of performance degradation due to poisoning (of either the FC or the fermentation). It is further shown that the system is stable, recovering quickly from disturbances or from interruptions in maintenance. The vapor-fed bio-hybrid FC enables extraction of power from dilute bio-ethanol streams without costly concentration and purification steps. The concept should be scalable to both large and small operations and should be generalizable to other biofuels and waste-to-energy systems.

High energy density aluminum-oxygen cell

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rudd, E. J.; Gibbons, D. W.

1993-01-01

An alternative to a secondary battery as the power source for vehicle propulsion is a fuel cell. An example of this is the metal-air fuel cell using metals such as aluminum, zinc, or iron. Aluminum is a particularly attractive candidate, having high energy and power densities, being environmentally acceptable, and having a large, established industrial base for production and distribution. An aluminum-oxygen system is currently under development for a UUV test vehicle, and recent work has focussed upon low corrosion aluminum alloys and an electrolyte management system for processing the by-products of the energy-producing reactions. This paper summarizes the progress made in both areas. Anode materials capable of providing high utilization factors over current densities ranging from S to 150 mA/sq cm have been identified. These materials are essential to realizing an acceptable mission life for the UUV. With respect to the electrolyte management system, a filter/precipitator unit has been successfully operated for over 250 hours in a large scale, half-cell system.

Investigation on the electron flux to the wall in the VENUS ion source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thuillier, T.; Angot, J.; Benitez, J. Y.; Hodgkinson, A.; Lyneis, C. M.; Todd, D. S.; Xie, D. Z.

2016-02-01

The long-term operation of high charge state electron cyclotron resonance ion sources fed with high microwave power has caused damage to the plasma chamber wall in several laboratories. Porosity, or a small hole, can be progressively created in the chamber wall which can destroy the plasma chamber over a few year time scale. A burnout of the VENUS plasma chamber is investigated in which the hole formation in relation to the local hot electron power density is studied. First, the results of a simple model assuming that hot electrons are fully magnetized and strictly following magnetic field lines are presented. The model qualitatively reproduces the experimental traces left by the plasma on the wall. However, it is too crude to reproduce the localized electron power density for creating a hole in the chamber wall. Second, the results of a Monte Carlo simulation, following a population of scattering hot electrons, indicate a localized high power deposited to the chamber wall consistent with the hole formation process. Finally, a hypervapotron cooling scheme is proposed to mitigate the hole formation in electron cyclotron resonance plasma chamber wall.

Enhancing photovoltaic output power by 3-band spectrum-splitting and concentration using a diffractive micro-optic

DOE PAGES

Mohammad, Nabil; Wang, Peng; Friedman, Daniel J.; ...

2014-09-17

We report the enhancement of photovoltaic output power by separating the incident spectrum into 3 bands, and concentrating these bands onto 3 different photovoltaic cells. The spectrum-splitting and concentration is achieved via a thin, planar micro-optical element that demonstrates high optical efficiency over the entire spectrum of interest. The optic (which we call a polychromat) was designed using a modified version of the direct-binary-search algorithm. The polychromat was fabricated using grayscale lithography. Rigorous optical characterization demonstrates excellent agreement with simulation results. Electrical characterization of the solar cells made from GaInP, GaAs and Si indicate increase in the peak output powermore » density of 43.63%, 30.84% and 30.86%, respectively when compared to normal operation without the polychromat. This represents an overall increase of 35.52% in output power density. As a result, the potential for cost-effective large-area manufacturing and for high system efficiencies makes our approach a strong candidate for low cost solar power.« less

Damage in Monolithic Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules Due to Partial Shade

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

Silverman, Timothy J.; Mansfield, Lorelle; Repins, Ingrid

2016-09-01

The typical configuration of monolithic thin-film photovoltaic modules makes it possible for partial shade to place one or more cells in such a module in reverse bias. Reverse bias operation leads to high voltage, current density, and power density conditions, which can act as driving forces for failure. We showed that a brief outdoor shadow event can cause a 7% permanent loss in power. We applied an indoor partial shade durability test that moves beyond the standard hot spot endurance test by using more realistic mask and bias conditions and by carefully quantifying the permanent change in performance due tomore » the stress. With the addition of a pass criterion based on change in maximum power, this procedure will soon be proposed as a part of the module-type qualification test. All six commercial copper indium gallium diselenide and cadmium telluride modules we tested experienced permanent damage due to the indoor partial shade test, ranging from 4% to 14% loss in maximum power. We conclude by summarizing ways to mitigate partial shade stress at the cell, module, and system levels.« less

Quantitative Analysis Method of Output Loss due to Restriction for Grid-connected PV Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueda, Yuzuru; Oozeki, Takashi; Kurokawa, Kosuke; Itou, Takamitsu; Kitamura, Kiyoyuki; Miyamoto, Yusuke; Yokota, Masaharu; Sugihara, Hiroyuki

Voltage of power distribution line will be increased due to reverse power flow from grid-connected PV systems. In the case of high density grid connection, amount of voltage increasing will be higher than the stand-alone grid connection system. To prevent the over voltage of power distribution line, PV system's output will be restricted if the voltage of power distribution line is close to the upper limit of the control range. Because of this interaction, amount of output loss will be larger in high density case. This research developed a quantitative analysis method for PV systems output and losses to clarify the behavior of grid connected PV systems. All the measured data are classified into the loss factors using 1 minute average of 1 second data instead of typical 1 hour average. Operation point on the I-V curve is estimated to quantify the loss due to the output restriction using module temperature, array output voltage, array output current and solar irradiance. As a result, loss due to output restriction is successfully quantified and behavior of output restriction is clarified.

Compendium of Phase-I Mini-SHINE Experiments

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

Youker, Amanda J.; Chemerisov, Sergey D.; Tkac, Peter

Argonne National Laboratory is assisting SHINE Medical Technologies in their efforts to develop the technology to become a domestic Mo-99 producer using low-enriched uranium (LEU). Mini-SHINE experiments are being performed with the high-current electron linear accelerator (linac) at Argonne. The target solution is a 90-150 g-U/L LEU uranyl sulfate at pH 1. In Phase 1, the convertor was tantalum with a maximum beam power on the convertor of 10 kW, and the target solution was limited to 5 L. This configuration generated a peak fission power density of 0.05 W/mL. Nine experiments were performed between February and October 2015. Resultsmore » are reported and discussed for each experiment regarding the off-gas analysis system, the sampling and Mo-recovery operation, and the Mo-product concentration and purification system. In Phase 2, the convertor will be depleted uranium; beam power will increase to 20 kW; and the solution volume will be 18 L. This configuration will generate a fission power density of up to 1 W/mL.« less

Silicon-Based Lithium-Ion Capacitor for High Energy and High Power Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, James J.; Demattia, Brianne; Loyselle, Patricia; Reid, Concha; Kohout, Lisa

2017-01-01

Si-based Li-ion capacitor has been developed and demonstrated. The results show it is feasible to improve both power density and energy density in this configuration. The applied current density impacts the power and energy density: low current favors energy density while high current favors power density. Active carbon has a better rate capability than Si. Next StepsFuture Directions. Si electrode needs to be further studied and improved. Further optimization of SiAC ratio and evaluation of its impact on energy density and power density.

Design and experimental study of a velocity amplified electromagnetic vibration energy harvester

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Jackson A.; Zuo, Lei

2017-04-01

Dedicated sensors are widely used throughout many industries to monitor everyday operations, maintain safety and report performance characteristics. In order to adopt a more sustainable solution, intensive research is being conducted for self-powered sensing. To enable sensors to power themselves, harvesting energy from environmental vibration has been widely studied, however, its overall effectiveness remains questionable due to small vibration amplitudes and thus limited harvestable energy density. This paper addresses the issue by proposing a novel vibration energy harvester in which a metal compliant mechanism frame is used to house both a linear electromagnetic generator and proof mass. Due to the compliant mechanism, the proposed energy harvester is capable of amplifying machine vibration velocity for a dedicated electromagnetic generator, largely increasing the energy density. The harvester prototype is also fabricated and experimentally characterized to verify its effectiveness. When operating at its natural frequency in a low base amplitude, 0.001 in (25.4μm) at 19.4 Hz, during lab tests, the harvester has been shown to produce up to 0.91 V AC open voltage, and a maximum power of 2 mW, amplifying the relative proof mass velocity by approximately 5.4 times. In addition, a mathematical model is created based on the pseudo-rigid-body dynamics and the analysis matches closely with experiments. The proposed harvester was designed using vibration data from nuclear power plants. Further steps for improving such a design are given for broader applications.

Preliminary scaling laws for plasma current, ion kinetic temperature, and plasma number density in the NASA Lewis bumpy torus plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, J. R.

1976-01-01

Parametric variation of independent variables which may affect the characteristics of bumpy torus plasma have identified those which have a significant effect on the plasma current, ion kinetic temperature, and plasma number density, and those which do not. Empirical power law correlations of the plasma current, and the ion kinetic temperature and number density were obtained as functions of potential applied to the midplane electrode rings, the background neutral gas pressure, and the magnetic field strength. Additional parameters studied included the type of gas, the polarity of the midplane electrode rings, the mode of plasma operation, and the method of measuring the plasma number density. No significant departures from the scaling laws appear to occur at the highest ion kinetic temperatures or number densities obtained to date.

Nanoscale triboelectric-effect-enabled energy conversion for sustainably powering portable electronics.

PubMed

Wang, Sihong; Lin, Long; Wang, Zhong Lin

2012-12-12

Harvesting energy from our living environment is an effective approach for sustainable, maintenance-free, and green power source for wireless, portable, or implanted electronics. Mechanical energy scavenging based on triboelectric effect has been proven to be simple, cost-effective, and robust. However, its output is still insufficient for sustainably driving electronic devices/systems. Here, we demonstrated a rationally designed arch-shaped triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) by utilizing the contact electrification between a polymer thin film and a metal thin foil. The working mechanism of the TENG was studied by finite element simulation. The output voltage, current density, and energy volume density reached 230 V, 15.5 μA/cm(2), and 128 mW/cm(3), respectively, and an energy conversion efficiency as high as 10-39% has been demonstrated. The TENG was systematically studied and demonstrated as a sustainable power source that can not only drive instantaneous operation of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) but also charge a lithium ion battery as a regulated power module for powering a wireless sensor system and a commercial cell phone, which is the first demonstration of the nanogenerator for driving personal mobile electronics, opening the chapter of impacting general people's life by nanogenerators.

Toward high-energy-density, high-efficiency, and moderate-temperature chip-scale thermophotovoltaics

PubMed Central

Chan, Walker R.; Bermel, Peter; Pilawa-Podgurski, Robert C. N.; Marton, Christopher H.; Jensen, Klavs F.; Senkevich, Jay J.; Joannopoulos, John D.; Soljačić, Marin; Celanovic, Ivan

2013-01-01

The challenging problem of ultra-high-energy-density, high-efficiency, and small-scale portable power generation is addressed here using a distinctive thermophotovoltaic energy conversion mechanism and chip-based system design, which we name the microthermophotovoltaic (μTPV) generator. The approach is predicted to be capable of up to 32% efficient heat-to-electricity conversion within a millimeter-scale form factor. Although considerable technological barriers need to be overcome to reach full performance, we have performed a robust experimental demonstration that validates the theoretical framework and the key system components. Even with a much-simplified μTPV system design with theoretical efficiency prediction of 2.7%, we experimentally demonstrate 2.5% efficiency. The μTPV experimental system that was built and tested comprises a silicon propane microcombustor, an integrated high-temperature photonic crystal selective thermal emitter, four 0.55-eV GaInAsSb thermophotovoltaic diodes, and an ultra-high-efficiency maximum power-point tracking power electronics converter. The system was demonstrated to operate up to 800 °C (silicon microcombustor temperature) with an input thermal power of 13.7 W, generating 344 mW of electric power over a 1-cm2 area. PMID:23440220

Burn Control in Fusion Reactors via Isotopic Fuel Tailoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyer, Mark D.; Schuster, Eugenio

2011-10-01

The control of plasma density and temperature are among the most fundamental problems in fusion reactors and will be critical to the success of burning plasma experiments like ITER. Economic and technological constraints may require future commercial reactors to operate with low temperature, high-density plasma, for which the burn condition may be unstable. An active control system will be essential for stabilizing such operating points. In this work, a volume-averaged transport model for the energy and the densities of deuterium and tritium fuel ions, as well as the alpha particles, is used to synthesize a nonlinear feedback controller for stabilizing the burn condition. The controller makes use of ITER's planned isotopic fueling capability and controls the densities of these ions separately. The ability to modulate the DT fuel mix is exploited in order to reduce the fusion power during thermal excursions without the need for impurity injection. By moving the isotopic mix in the plasma away from the optimal 50:50 mix, the reaction rate is slowed and the alpha-particle heating is reduced to desired levels. Supported by the NSF CAREER award program (ECCS-0645086).

Lift and Power Required for Flapping Wing Hovering Flight on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohly, Jeremy; Sridhar, Madhu; Bluman, James; Kang, Chang-Kwon; Landrum, D. Brian; Fahimi, Farbod; Aono, Hikaru; Liu, Hao

2017-11-01

Achieving flight on Mars is challenging due to the ultra-low density atmosphere. Bio-inspired flapping motion can generate sufficient lift if bumblebee-inspired wings are scaled up between 2 and 4 times their nominal size. However, due to this scaling, the inertial power required to sustain hover increases and dominates over the aerodynamic power. Our results show that a torsional spring placed at the wing root can reduce the flapping power required for hover by efficiently storing and releasing energy while operating at its resonance frequency. The spring assisted reduction in flapping power is demonstrated with a well-validated, coupled Navier-Stokes and flight dynamics solver. The total power is reduced by 79%, whereas the flapping power is reduced by 98%. Such a reduction in power paves the way for an efficient, realizable micro air vehicle capable of vertical takeoff and landing as well as sustained flight on Mars. Alabama Space Grant Consortium Fellowship.

An amplitude modulated radio frequency plasma generator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Fan; Li, Xiaoping; Liu, Yanming; Liu, Donglin; Yang, Min; Xie, Kai; Yao, Bo

2017-04-01

A glow discharge plasma generator and diagnostic system has been developed to study the effects of rapidly variable plasmas on electromagnetic wave propagation, mimicking the plasma sheath conditions encountered in space vehicle reentry. The plasma chamber is 400 mm in diameter and 240 mm in length, with a 300-mm-diameter unobstructed clear aperture. Electron densities produced are in the mid 1010 electrons/cm3. An 800 W radio frequency (RF) generator is capacitively coupled through an RF matcher to an internally cooled stainless steel electrode to form the plasma. The RF power is amplitude modulated by a waveform generator that operates at different frequencies. The resulting plasma contains electron density modulations caused by the varying power levels. A 10 GHz microwave horn antenna pair situated on opposite sides of the chamber serves as the source and detector of probe radiation. The microwave power feed to the source horn is split and one portion is sent directly to a high-speed recording oscilloscope. On mixing this with the signal from the pickup horn antenna, the plasma-induced phase shift between the two signals gives the path-integrated electron density with its complete time dependent variation. Care is taken to avoid microwave reflections and extensive shielding is in place to minimize electronic pickup. Data clearly show the low frequency modulation of the electron density as well as higher harmonics and plasma fluctuations.

Phase-locked, high power, mid-infrared quantum cascade laser arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, W.; Slivken, S.; Razeghi, M.

2018-04-01

We demonstrate phase-locked, high power quantum cascade laser arrays, which are combined using a monolithic, tree array multimode interferometer, with emission wavelengths around 4.8 μm. A maximum output power of 15 W was achieved from an eight-element laser array, which has only a slightly higher threshold current density and a similar slope efficiency compared to a Fabry-Perot laser of the same length. Calculated multimode interferometer splitting loss is on the order of 0.27 dB for the in-phase supermode. In-phase supermode operation with nearly ideal behavior is demonstrated over the working current range of the array.

Device and method for noresonantly Raman shifting ultraviolet radiation

DOEpatents

Loree, Thomas R.; Barker, Dean L.

1979-01-01

A device and method for nonresonantly Raman shifting broad band uv excimer laser radiation, which enhances preselected Stokes signals by varying the pressure of the Raman scattering medium, the focal interaction length of the incident radiation within the Raman scattering medium and its power density level. Gaseous molecular H.sub.2, D.sub.2, CH.sub.4 (methane), HD and mixes thereof, and liquid N.sub.2 are used as the Raman scattering medium to frequency shift the outputs of high power KrF and ArF lasers. A cable fed discharge with an unstable resonant cavity configuration is utilized to produce the output laser power levels required for operation.

Recent Advances in Metal Chalcogenides (MX; X = S, Se) Nanostructures for Electrochemical Supercapacitor Applications: A Brief Review

PubMed Central

Theerthagiri, Jayaraman; Durai, Govindarajan; Rana, Abu ul Hassan Sarwar; Sangeetha, Kirubanandam; Kuppusami, Parasuraman; Kim, Hyun-Seok

2018-01-01

Supercapacitors (SCs) have received a great deal of attention and play an important role for future self-powered devices, mainly owing to their higher power density. Among all types of electrical energy storage devices, electrochemical supercapacitors are considered to be the most promising because of their superior performance characteristics, including short charging time, high power density, safety, easy fabrication procedures, and long operational life. An SC consists of two foremost components, namely electrode materials, and electrolyte. The selection of appropriate electrode materials with rational nanostructured designs has resulted in improved electrochemical properties for high performance and has reduced the cost of SCs. In this review, we mainly spotlight the non-metallic oxide, especially metal chalcogenides (MX; X = S, Se) based nanostructured electrode materials for electrochemical SCs. Different non-metallic oxide materials are highlighted in various categories, such as transition metal sulfides and selenides materials. Finally, the designing strategy and future improvements on metal chalcogenide materials for the application of electrochemical SCs are also discussed. PMID:29671823

Evaluation of localized muscle fatigue using power spectral density analysis of the electromyogram

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lafevers, E. V.

1974-01-01

Surface electromyograms (EMGs) taken from three upper torso muscles during a push-pull task were analyzed by a power spectral density technique to determine the operational feasibility of the technique for identifying changes in the EMGs resulting from muscular fatigue. The EMGs were taken from four subjects under two conditions (1) in shirtsleeves and (2) in a pressurized space suit. This study confirmed that frequency analysis of dynamic muscle activity is capable of providing reliable data for many industrial applications where fatigue may be of practical interest. The results showed significant effects of the pressurized space suit on the pattern of shirtsleeve fatigue responses of the muscles. The data also revealed (1) reliable differences between muscles in fatigue-induced responses to various locations in the reach envelope at which the subjects were required to perform the push-pull exercise and (2) the differential sensitivity of muscles to the various reach positions in terms of fatigue-related shifts in EMG power.

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

Narumanchi, Sreekant

Increasing the number of electric-drive vehicles (EDVs) on America's roads has been identified as a strategy with near-term potential for dramatically decreasing the nation's dependence on oil - by the U.S. Department of Energy, the federal cross-agency EV-Everywhere Challenge, and the automotive industry. Mass-market deployment will rely on meeting aggressive technical targets, including improved efficiency and reduced size, weight, and cost. Many of these advances will depend on optimization of thermal management. Effective thermal management is critical to improving the performance and ensuring the reliability of EDVs. Efficient heat removal makes higher power densities and lower operating temperatures possible, andmore » in turn enables cost and size reductions. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with DOE and industry partners is working to develop cost-effective thermal management solutions to increase device and component power densities. In this presentation, the activities in recent years related to thermal management and reliability of automotive power electronics and electric machines are presented.« less

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

Narumanchi, Sreekant

Increasing the number of electric-drive vehicles (EDVs) on America's roads has been identified as a strategy with near-term potential for dramatically decreasing the nation's dependence on oil -- by the U.S. Department of Energy, the federal cross-agency EV-Everywhere Challenge, and the automotive industry. Mass-market deployment will rely on meeting aggressive technical targets, including improved efficiency and reduced size, weight, and cost. Many of these advances will depend on optimization of thermal management. Effective thermal management is critical to improving the performance and ensuring the reliability of EDVs. Efficient heat removal makes higher power densities and lower operating temperatures possible, andmore » in turn enables cost and size reductions. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), along with DOE and industry partners is working to develop cost-effective thermal management solutions to increase device and component power densities. In this presentation, the activities in recent years related to thermal management and reliability of automotive power electronics and electric machines will be presented.« less

20 years of research on the Alcator C-Mod tokamaka)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenwald, M.; Bader, A.; Baek, S.; Bakhtiari, M.; Barnard, H.; Beck, W.; Bergerson, W.; Bespamyatnov, I.; Bonoli, P.; Brower, D.; Brunner, D.; Burke, W.; Candy, J.; Churchill, M.; Cziegler, I.; Diallo, A.; Dominguez, A.; Duval, B.; Edlund, E.; Ennever, P.; Ernst, D.; Faust, I.; Fiore, C.; Fredian, T.; Garcia, O.; Gao, C.; Goetz, J.; Golfinopoulos, T.; Granetz, R.; Grulke, O.; Hartwig, Z.; Horne, S.; Howard, N.; Hubbard, A.; Hughes, J.; Hutchinson, I.; Irby, J.; Izzo, V.; Kessel, C.; LaBombard, B.; Lau, C.; Li, C.; Lin, Y.; Lipschultz, B.; Loarte, A.; Marmar, E.; Mazurenko, A.; McCracken, G.; McDermott, R.; Meneghini, O.; Mikkelsen, D.; Mossessian, D.; Mumgaard, R.; Myra, J.; Nelson-Melby, E.; Ochoukov, R.; Olynyk, G.; Parker, R.; Pitcher, S.; Podpaly, Y.; Porkolab, M.; Reinke, M.; Rice, J.; Rowan, W.; Schmidt, A.; Scott, S.; Shiraiwa, S.; Sierchio, J.; Smick, N.; Snipes, J. A.; Snyder, P.; Sorbom, B.; Stillerman, J.; Sung, C.; Takase, Y.; Tang, V.; Terry, J.; Terry, D.; Theiler, C.; Tronchin-James, A.; Tsujii, N.; Vieira, R.; Walk, J.; Wallace, G.; White, A.; Whyte, D.; Wilson, J.; Wolfe, S.; Wright, G.; Wright, J.; Wukitch, S.; Zweben, S.

2014-11-01

The object of this review is to summarize the achievements of research on the Alcator C-Mod tokamak [Hutchinson et al., Phys. Plasmas 1, 1511 (1994) and Marmar, Fusion Sci. Technol. 51, 261 (2007)] and to place that research in the context of the quest for practical fusion energy. C-Mod is a compact, high-field tokamak, whose unique design and operating parameters have produced a wealth of new and important results since it began operation in 1993, contributing data that extends tests of critical physical models into new parameter ranges and into new regimes. Using only high-power radio frequency (RF) waves for heating and current drive with innovative launching structures, C-Mod operates routinely at reactor level power densities and achieves plasma pressures higher than any other toroidal confinement device. C-Mod spearheaded the development of the vertical-target divertor and has always operated with high-Z metal plasma facing components—approaches subsequently adopted for ITER. C-Mod has made ground-breaking discoveries in divertor physics and plasma-material interactions at reactor-like power and particle fluxes and elucidated the critical role of cross-field transport in divertor operation, edge flows and the tokamak density limit. C-Mod developed the I-mode and the Enhanced Dα H-mode regimes, which have high performance without large edge localized modes and with pedestal transport self-regulated by short-wavelength electromagnetic waves. C-Mod has carried out pioneering studies of intrinsic rotation and demonstrated that self-generated flow shear can be strong enough in some cases to significantly modify transport. C-Mod made the first quantitative link between the pedestal temperature and the H-mode's performance, showing that the observed self-similar temperature profiles were consistent with critical-gradient-length theories and followed up with quantitative tests of nonlinear gyrokinetic models. RF research highlights include direct experimental observation of ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) mode-conversion, ICRF flow drive, demonstration of lower-hybrid current drive at ITER-like densities and fields and, using a set of novel diagnostics, extensive validation of advanced RF codes. Disruption studies on C-Mod provided the first observation of non-axisymmetric halo currents and non-axisymmetric radiation in mitigated disruptions. A summary of important achievements and discoveries are included.

High power density microbial fuel cell with flexible 3D graphene-nickel foam as anode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hanyu; Wang, Gongming; Ling, Yichuan; Qian, Fang; Song, Yang; Lu, Xihong; Chen, Shaowei; Tong, Yexiang; Li, Yat

2013-10-01

The structure and electrical conductivity of anode play a significant role in the power generation of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this study, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) reduced graphene oxide-nickel (denoted as rGO-Ni) foam as an anode for MFC through controlled deposition of rGO sheets onto the nickel foam substrate. The loading amount of rGO sheets and electrode surface area can be controlled by the number of rGO loading cycles. 3D rGO-Ni foam anode provides not only a large accessible surface area for microbial colonization and electron mediators, but also a uniform macro-porous scaffold for effective mass diffusion of the culture medium. Significantly, at a steady state of the power generation, the MFC device with flexible rGO-Ni electrodes produced an optimal volumetric power density of 661 W m-3 calculated based on the volume of anode material, or 27 W m-3 based on the volume of the anode chamber. These values are substantially higher than that of plain nickel foam, and other conventional carbon based electrodes (e.g., carbon cloth, carbon felt, and carbon paper) measured in the same conditions. To our knowledge, this is the highest volumetric power density reported for mL-scale MFC device with a pure strain of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. We also demonstrated that the MFC device can be operated effectively in a batch-mode at least for a week. These new 3D rGO-Ni electrodes show great promise for improving the power generation of MFC devices.The structure and electrical conductivity of anode play a significant role in the power generation of microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this study, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) reduced graphene oxide-nickel (denoted as rGO-Ni) foam as an anode for MFC through controlled deposition of rGO sheets onto the nickel foam substrate. The loading amount of rGO sheets and electrode surface area can be controlled by the number of rGO loading cycles. 3D rGO-Ni foam anode provides not only a large accessible surface area for microbial colonization and electron mediators, but also a uniform macro-porous scaffold for effective mass diffusion of the culture medium. Significantly, at a steady state of the power generation, the MFC device with flexible rGO-Ni electrodes produced an optimal volumetric power density of 661 W m-3 calculated based on the volume of anode material, or 27 W m-3 based on the volume of the anode chamber. These values are substantially higher than that of plain nickel foam, and other conventional carbon based electrodes (e.g., carbon cloth, carbon felt, and carbon paper) measured in the same conditions. To our knowledge, this is the highest volumetric power density reported for mL-scale MFC device with a pure strain of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. We also demonstrated that the MFC device can be operated effectively in a batch-mode at least for a week. These new 3D rGO-Ni electrodes show great promise for improving the power generation of MFC devices. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr03487a

Double-cavity radiometer for high-flux density solar radiation measurements.

PubMed

Parretta, A; Antonini, A; Armani, M; Nenna, G; Flaminio, G; Pellegrino, M

2007-04-20

A radiometric method has been developed, suitable for both total power and flux density profile measurement of concentrated solar radiation. The high-flux density radiation is collected by a first optical cavity, integrated, and driven to a second optical cavity, where, attenuated, it is measured by a conventional radiometer operating under a stationary irradiation regime. The attenuation factor is regulated by properly selecting the aperture areas in the two cavities. The radiometer has been calibrated by a pulsed solar simulator at concentration levels of hundreds of suns. An optical model and a ray-tracing study have also been developed and validated, by which the potentialities of the radiometer have been largely explored.

The major results from W7-AS stellarator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, Friedrich

2002-11-01

W7-AS has terminated operation this summer. In the last phase, W7-AS was equipped with an island divertor using the natural edge islands of the low-shear, n=5 design. NBI heating has been done with co-injection (3 MW), ECRH was successfully extended to high density with the OXB scheme, and ICRH was applied in all standard modes but also in beach wave heating. The island divertor allowed high β and provided excellent exhaust conditions thanks to the accessibility to high densities (ne <= 4 × 10^20 m-3). 3D edge modelling with the EMC3-EIRENE code predicted and explained the absence of the high-recycling regime and the low-density high-temperature momentum losses associated with the prominent role of the cross-field transport. The confinement of W7-AS is determined by two concept dependent features low shear and 3D geometry: τE depends strongly on low-order rationals; in the plasma core the neo-classical bifurcation between ion and electron roots is observed. A distinct difference to tokamaks is the lack of Te - profile resilience. The H-mode operational range is governed by poloidal flow damping. At high density, a further bifurcation appears into a regime characterised by good energy and low impurity confinement (HDH). Because of its appealing features, this regime will be described in detail. The most visible MHD are beam driven global Alfven modes and ELMs. The operational limits are set by NBI power: The balance of heating and edge radiation determines the density limit; the maximal β is limited to 3.1%. The operation at high densities and high β is quiescent and quasi-steady state. The intrinsic stellarator features - steady state and no disruptions - remain close to operational limits. The results of W7-AS confirm the design criteria of W7-X and contribute to establish the stellarator line as independent route to a reactor.

Airfoil-based electromagnetic energy harvester containing parallel array motion between moving coil and multi-pole magnets towards enhanced power density.

PubMed

Leung, Chung Ming; Wang, Ya; Chen, Wusi

2016-11-01

In this letter, the airfoil-based electromagnetic energy harvester containing parallel array motion between moving coil and trajectory matching multi-pole magnets was investigated. The magnets were aligned in an alternatively magnetized formation of 6 magnets to explore enhanced power density. In particular, the magnet array was positioned in parallel to the trajectory of the tip coil within its tip deflection span. The finite element simulations of the magnetic flux density and induced voltages at an open circuit condition were studied to find the maximum number of alternatively magnetized magnets that was required for the proposed energy harvester. Experimental results showed that the energy harvester with a pair of 6 alternatively magnetized linear magnet arrays was able to generate an induced voltage (V o ) of 20 V, with an open circuit condition, and 475 mW, under a 30 Ω optimal resistance load operating with the wind speed (U) at 7 m/s and a natural bending frequency of 3.54 Hz. Compared to the traditional electromagnetic energy harvester with a single magnet moving through a coil, the proposed energy harvester, containing multi-pole magnets and parallel array motion, enables the moving coil to accumulate a stronger magnetic flux in each period of the swinging motion. In addition to the comparison made with the airfoil-based piezoelectric energy harvester of the same size, our proposed electromagnetic energy harvester generates 11 times more power output, which is more suitable for high-power-density energy harvesting applications at regions with low environmental frequency.

A Study of a Two Stage Maximum Power Point Tracking Control of a Photovoltaic System under Partially Shaded Insolation Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Kenji; Takano, Ichiro; Sawada, Yoshio

A photovoltaic array shows relatively low output power density, and has a greatly drooping Current-Voltage (I-V) characteristic. Therefore, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) control is used to maximize the output power of the array. Many papers have been reported in relation to MPPT. However, the Current-Power (I-P) curve sometimes shows multi-local maximum points mode under non-uniform insolation conditions. The operating point of the PV system tends to converge to a local maximum output point which is not the real maximal output point on the I-P curve. Some papers have been also reported, trying to avoid this difficulty. However most of those control systems become rather complicated. Then, the two stage MPPT control method is proposed in this paper to realize a relatively simple control system which can track the real maximum power point even under non-uniform insolation conditions. The feasibility of this control concept is confirmed for steady insolation as well as for rapidly changing insolation by simulation study using software PSIM and LabVIEW. In addition, simulated experiment confirms fundament al operation of the two stage MPPT control.

Experiments on H2-O2MHD power generation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, J. M.

1980-01-01

Magnetohydrodynamic power generation experiments utilizing a cesium-seeded H2-O2 working fluid were carried out using a diverging area Hall duct having an entrance Mach number of 2. The experiments were conducted in a high-field strength cryomagnet facility at field strengths up to 5 tesla. The effects of power takeoff location, axial duct location within the magnetic field, generator loading, B-field strength, and electrode breakdown voltage were investigated. For the operating conditions of these experiments, it is found that the power output increases with the square of the B-field and can be limited by choking of the channel or interelectrode voltage breakdown which occurs at Hall fields greater than 50 volts/insulator. Peak power densities of greater than 100 MW/cu M were achieved.

Asymmetric carbon nanotube-MnO2 two-ply yarn supercapacitors for wearable electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Fenghua; Miao, Menghe

2014-04-01

Strong and flexible two-ply carbon nanotube yarn supercapacitors are electrical double layer capacitors that possess relatively low energy storage capacity. Pseudocapacitance metal oxides such as MnO2 are well known for their high electrochemical performance and can be coated on carbon nanotube yarns to significantly improve the performance of two-ply carbon nanotube yarn supercapacitors. We produced a high performance asymmetric two-ply yarn supercapacitor from as-spun CNT yarn and CNT@MnO2 composite yarn in aqueous electrolyte. The as-spun CNT yarn serves as negative electrode and the CNT@MnO2 composite yarn as positive electrode. This asymmetric architecture allows the operating potential window to be extended from 1.0 to 2.0 V and results in much higher energy and power densities than the reference symmetric two-ply yarn supercapacitors, reaching 42.0 Wh kg-1 at a lower power density of 483.7 W kg-1, and 28.02 Wh kg-1 at a higher power density of 19 250 W kg-1. The asymmetric supercapacitor can sustain cyclic charge-discharge and repeated folding/unfolding actions without suffering significant deterioration of specific capacitance. The combination of high strength, flexibility and electrochemical performance makes the asymmetric two-ply yarn supercapacitor a suitable power source for flexible electronic devices for applications that require high durability and wearer comfort.

In Situ High-Level Nitrogen Doping into Carbon Nanospheres and Boosting of Capacitive Charge Storage in Both Anode and Cathode for a High-Energy 4.5 V Full-Carbon Lithium-Ion Capacitor.

PubMed

Sun, Fei; Liu, Xiaoyan; Wu, Hao Bin; Wang, Lijie; Gao, Jihui; Li, Hexing; Lu, Yunfeng

2018-05-02

To circumvent the imbalances of electrochemical kinetics and capacity between Li + storage anodes and capacitive cathodes for lithium-ion capacitors (LICs), we herein demonstrate an efficient solution by boosting the capacitive charge-storage contributions of carbon electrodes to construct a high-performance LIC. Such a strategy is achieved by the in situ and high-level doping of nitrogen atoms into carbon nanospheres (ANCS), which increases the carbon defects and active sites, inducing more rapidly capacitive charge-storage contributions for both Li + storage anodes and PF 6 - storage cathodes. High-level nitrogen-doping-induced capacitive enhancement is successfully evidenced by the construction of a symmetric supercapacitor using commercial organic electrolytes. Coupling a pre-lithiated ANCS anode with a fresh ANCS cathode enables a full-carbon LIC with a high operating voltage of 4.5 V and high energy and power densities thereof. The assembled LIC device delivers high energy densities of 206.7 and 115.4 Wh kg -1 at power densities of 0.225 and 22.5 kW kg -1 , respectively, as well as an unprecedented high-power cycling stability with only 0.0013% capacitance decay per cycle within 10 000 cycles at a high power output of 9 kW kg -1 .

Assessment of the 3He pressure inside the CABRI transient rods - Development of a surrogate model based on measurements and complementary CFD calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clamens, Olivier; Lecerf, Johann; Hudelot, Jean-Pascal; Duc, Bertrand; Cadiou, Thierry; Blaise, Patrick; Biard, Bruno

2018-01-01

CABRI is an experimental pulse reactor, funded by the French Nuclear Safety and Radioprotection Institute (IRSN) and operated by CEA at the Cadarache research center. It is designed to study fuel behavior under RIA conditions. In order to produce the power transients, reactivity is injected by depressurization of a neutron absorber (3He) situated in transient rods inside the reactor core. The shapes of power transients depend on the total amount of reactivity injected and on the injection speed. The injected reactivity can be calculated by conversion of the 3He gas density into units of reactivity. So, it is of upmost importance to properly master gas density evolution in transient rods during a power transient. The 3He depressurization was studied by CFD calculations and completed with measurements using pressure transducers. The CFD calculations show that the density evolution is slower than the pressure drop. Surrogate models were built based on CFD calculations and validated against preliminary tests in the CABRI transient system. Studies also show that it is harder to predict the depressurization during the power transients because of neutron/3He capture reactions that induce a gas heating. This phenomenon can be studied by a multiphysics approach based on reaction rate calculation thanks to Monte Carlo code and study the resulting heating effect with the validated CFD simulation.

Asymmetric carbon nanotube-MnO₂ two-ply yarn supercapacitors for wearable electronics.

PubMed

Su, Fenghua; Miao, Menghe

2014-04-04

Strong and flexible two-ply carbon nanotube yarn supercapacitors are electrical double layer capacitors that possess relatively low energy storage capacity. Pseudocapacitance metal oxides such as MnO₂ are well known for their high electrochemical performance and can be coated on carbon nanotube yarns to significantly improve the performance of two-ply carbon nanotube yarn supercapacitors. We produced a high performance asymmetric two-ply yarn supercapacitor from as-spun CNT yarn and CNT@Mn₂2 composite yarn in aqueous electrolyte. The as-spun CNT yarn serves as negative electrode and the CNT@MnO₂ composite yarn as positive electrode. This asymmetric architecture allows the operating potential window to be extended from 1.0 to 2.0 V and results in much higher energy and power densities than the reference symmetric two-ply yarn supercapacitors, reaching 42.0 Wh kg(-1) at a lower power density of 483.7 W kg(-1), and 28.02 Wh kg(-1) at a higher power density of 19,250 W kg(-1). The asymmetric supercapacitor can sustain cyclic charge-discharge and repeated folding/unfolding actions without suffering significant deterioration of specific capacitance. The combination of high strength, flexibility and electrochemical performance makes the asymmetric two-ply yarn supercapacitor a suitable power source for flexible electronic devices for applications that require high durability and wearer comfort.

VHF radar measurements over Andoya (Northern Norway)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Czechowsky, P.; Reid, I. M.; Ruester, R.; Schmidt, G.

1989-01-01

The Mobile SOUSY Radar was operated during the MAP/WINE, the MAC/SINE, and MAC/Epsilon campaigns at Andoya in Northern Norway. A comparison between summer and winter results is presented, in particular the generation and development of the scattering regions, the different power spectral densities and the aspect sensitivities which were derived from six different beam directions.

Direct coupling of pulsed radio frequency and pulsed high power in novel pulsed power system for plasma immersion ion implantation.

PubMed

Gong, Chunzhi; Tian, Xiubo; Yang, Shiqin; Fu, Ricky K Y; Chu, Paul K

2008-04-01

A novel power supply system that directly couples pulsed high voltage (HV) pulses and pulsed 13.56 MHz radio frequency (rf) has been developed for plasma processes. In this system, the sample holder is connected to both the rf generator and HV modulator. The coupling circuit in the hybrid system is composed of individual matching units, low pass filters, and voltage clamping units. This ensures the safe operation of the rf system even when the HV is on. The PSPICE software is utilized to optimize the design of circuits. The system can be operated in two modes. The pulsed rf discharge may serve as either the seed plasma source for glow discharge or high-density plasma source for plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII). The pulsed high-voltage glow discharge is induced when a rf pulse with a short duration or a larger time interval between the rf and HV pulses is used. Conventional PIII can also be achieved. Experiments conducted on the new system confirm steady and safe operation.

High frequency, high power capacitor development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, C. W.; Hoffman, P. S.

1983-03-01

A program to develop a special high energy density, high power transfer capacitor to operate at frequency of 40 kHz, 600 V rms at 125 A rms plus 600 V dc bias for space operation. The program included material evaluation and selection, a capacitor design was prepared, a thermal analysis performed on the design. Fifty capacitors were manufactured for testing at 10 kHz and 40 kHz for 50 hours at Industrial Electric Heating Co. of Columbus, Ohio. The vacuum endurance test used on environmental chamber and temperature plate furnished by Maxwell. The capacitors were energized with a special power conditioning apparatus developed by Industrial Electric Heating Co. Temperature conditions of the capacitors were monitored by IEHCo test equipment. Successful completion of the vacuum endurance test series confirmed achievement of the main goal of producing a capacitor or reliable operation at high frequency in an environment normally not hospitable to electrical and electronic components. The capacitor developed compared to a typical commercial capacitor at the 40 kHz level represents a decrease in size and weight by a factor of seven.

High frequency, high power capacitor development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, C. W.; Hoffman, P. S.

1983-01-01

A program to develop a special high energy density, high power transfer capacitor to operate at frequency of 40 kHz, 600 V rms at 125 A rms plus 600 V dc bias for space operation. The program included material evaluation and selection, a capacitor design was prepared, a thermal analysis performed on the design. Fifty capacitors were manufactured for testing at 10 kHz and 40 kHz for 50 hours at Industrial Electric Heating Co. of Columbus, Ohio. The vacuum endurance test used on environmental chamber and temperature plate furnished by Maxwell. The capacitors were energized with a special power conditioning apparatus developed by Industrial Electric Heating Co. Temperature conditions of the capacitors were monitored by IEHCo test equipment. Successful completion of the vacuum endurance test series confirmed achievement of the main goal of producing a capacitor or reliable operation at high frequency in an environment normally not hospitable to electrical and electronic components. The capacitor developed compared to a typical commercial capacitor at the 40 kHz level represents a decrease in size and weight by a factor of seven.

A fully spray-coated fuel cell membrane electrode assembly using Aquivion ionomer with a graphene oxide/cerium oxide interlayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breitwieser, Matthias; Bayer, Thomas; Büchler, Andreas; Zengerle, Roland; Lyth, Stephen M.; Thiele, Simon

2017-05-01

A novel multilayer membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is fabricated in this work, within a single spray-coating device. For the first time, direct membrane deposition is used to fabricate a PEMFC by spraying the short-side-chain ionomer Aquivion directly onto the gas diffusion electrodes. The fully sprayed MEA, with an Aquivion membrane 10 μm in thickness, achieved a high power density of 1.6 W/cm2 for H2/air operation at 300 kPaabs. This is one of the highest reported values for thin composite membranes operated in H2/air atmosphere. By the means of confocal laser scanning microscopy, individual carbon fibers from the gas diffusion layer are identified to penetrate through the micro porous layer (MPL), likely causing a low electrical cell resistance in the range of 150 Ω cm2 through the thin sprayed membranes. By spraying a 200 nm graphene oxide/cerium oxide (GO/CeO2) interlayer between two layers of Aquivion ionomer, the impact of the electrical short is eliminated and the hydrogen crossover current density is reduced to about 1 mA/cm2. The peak power density of the interlayer-containing MEA drops only by 10% compared to a pure Aquivion membrane of similar thickness.

Discharge runaway in high power impulse magnetron sputtering of carbon: the effect of gas pressure, composition and target peak voltage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitelaru, Catalin; Aijaz, Asim; Constantina Parau, Anca; Kiss, Adrian Emil; Sobetkii, Arcadie; Kubart, Tomas

2018-04-01

Pressure and target voltage driven discharge runaway from low to high discharge current density regimes in high power impulse magnetron sputtering of carbon is investigated. The main purpose is to provide a meaningful insight of the discharge dynamics, with the ultimate goal to establish a correlation between discharge properties and process parameters to control the film growth. This is achieved by examining a wide range of pressures (2–20 mTorr) and target voltages (700–850 V) and measuring ion saturation current density at the substrate position. We show that the minimum plasma impedance is an important parameter identifying the discharge transition as well as establishing a stable operating condition. Using the formalism of generalized recycling model, we introduce a new parameter, ‘recycling ratio’, to quantify the process gas recycling for specific process conditions. The model takes into account the ion flux to the target, the amount of gas available, and the amount of gas required for sustaining the discharge. We show that this parameter describes the relation between the gas recycling and the discharge current density. As a test case, we discuss the pressure and voltage driven transitions by changing the gas composition when adding Ne into the discharge. We propose that standard Ar HiPIMS discharges operated with significant gas recycling do not require Ne to increase the carbon ionization.