Packaging Of Control Circuits In A Robot Arm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kast, William

1994-01-01

Packaging system houses and connects control circuitry mounted on circuit boards within shoulder, upper section, and lower section of seven-degree-of-freedom robot arm. Has modular design that incorporates surface-mount technology, multilayer circuit boards, large-scale integrated circuits, and multi-layer flat cables between sections for compactness. Three sections of robot arm contain circuit modules in form of stardardized circuit boards. Each module contains two printed-circuit cards, one of each face.

Characterization of triboelectrically charged particles deposited on dielectric surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nesterov, A.; Löffler, F.; Cheng, Yun-Chien; Torralba, G.; König, K.; Hausmann, M.; Lindenstruth, V.; Stadler, V.; Bischoff, F. R.; Breitling, F.

2010-04-01

A device for the measurement of q/m-values and charge degradation of triboelectrically charged particles deposited on a surface was developed. The setup is based on the integration of currents, which are induced in a Faraday cage by insertion of a solid support covered with charged particles. The conductivity of different particle supports was taken into account. The 'blow-off' method, in which the particles are first deposited, and then blown off using an air stream, can be used for characterization of triboelectric properties of particles relative to different surfaces.

Back-support large laser mirror unit: mounting modeling and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hui; Zhang, Zheng; Long, Kai; Liu, Tianye; Li, Jun; Liu, Changchun; Xiong, Zhao; Yuan, Xiaodong

2018-01-01

In high-power laser system, the surface wavefront of large optics has a close link with its structure design and mounting method. The back-support transport mirror design is presently being investigated as a means in China's high-power laser system to hold the optical component firmly while minimizing the distortion of its reflecting surface. We have proposed a comprehensive analytical framework integrated numerical modeling and precise metrology for the mirror's mounting performance evaluation while treating the surface distortion as a key decision variable. The combination of numerical simulation and field tests demonstrates that the comprehensive analytical framework provides a detailed and accurate approach to evaluate the performance of the transport mirror. It is also verified that the back-support transport mirror is effectively compatible with state-of-the-art optical quality specifications. This study will pave the way for future research to solidify the design of back-support large laser optics in China's next generation inertial confinement fusion facility.

A scanning probe mounted on a field-effect transistor: Characterization of ion damage in Si.

PubMed

Shin, Kumjae; Lee, Hoontaek; Sung, Min; Lee, Sang Hoon; Shin, Hyunjung; Moon, Wonkyu

2017-10-01

We have examined the capabilities of a Tip-On-Gate of Field-Effect Transistor (ToGoFET) probe for characterization of FIB-induced damage in Si surface. A ToGoFET probe is the SPM probe which the Field Effect Transistor(FET) is embedded at the end of a cantilever and a Pt tip was mounted at the gate of FET. The ToGoFET probe can detect the surface electrical properties by measuring source-drain current directly modulated by the charge on the tip. In this study, a Si specimen whose surface was processed with Ga+ ion beam was prepared. Irradiation and implantation with Ga+ ions induce highly localized modifications to the contact potential. The FET embedded on ToGoFET probe detected the surface electric field profile generated by schottky contact between the Pt tip and the sample surface. Experimentally, it was shown that significant differences of electric field due to the contact potential barrier in differently processed specimens were observed using ToGOFET probe. This result shows the potential that the local contact potential difference can be measured by simple working principle with high sensitivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-compensation for trefoil aberration of symmetric dioptric microlithographic lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Wei-Jei; Ho, Cheng-Fang; Hsu, Wei-Yao

2017-08-01

The i-line microlithographic lens with unity magnification can be applied for the 3D integrated circuit steppers. The configuration of the microlithographic lens can be divided into three types: the dioptric type, the catoptric type, and the mixed catoptric and dioptric type. The dioptric type with unity magnification is typically designed as symmetry about the aperture stop on both image and object sides to counterbalance aberrations effectively. The lens mounting is substantially critical for the diffraction-limit microlithographic lens, because mounting stresses and gravity degrade image quality severely. The surface deformation of the kinematic mounting is ultimately low, but the disadvantage is high cost and complicated structures. The three-point mounting belongs to the semi-kinematic mounting without over constrain to decrease the surface deformation significantly instead of the ring mounting; however, the disadvantage is the trefoil aberration caused from large-aperture lenses due to gravity. Clocking lenses is a practical method of compensating the surface figure error for optimum wavefront aberration during pre-assembly phase, and then the time and cost spent on the post-assembly for fine alignment reduce much. The self-compensation by two pairs of symmetric lenses on both sides with 60-degree angle difference is beneficial to compensate the trefoil aberration effectively, and it is a costeffective method to achieve the wavefront error close to the design value. In this study, the self-compensation method for the trefoil deformation of large-aperture lenses employed in the symmetric dioptric microlithographic lens is successfully verified in simulation.

Hamiltonian surface charges using external sources

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

Troessaert, Cédric, E-mail: troessaert@cecs.cl

2016-05-15

In this work, we interpret part of the boundary conditions as external sources in order to partially solve the integrability problem present in the computation of surface charges associated to gauge symmetries in the hamiltonian formalism. We start by describing the hamiltonian structure of external symmetries preserving the action up to a transformation of the external sources of the theory. We then extend these results to the computation of surface charges for field theories with non-trivial boundary conditions.

Multi-Channel Capacitive Sensor Arrays

PubMed Central

Wang, Bingnan; Long, Jiang; Teo, Koon Hoo

2016-01-01

In this paper, multi-channel capacitive sensor arrays based on microstrip band-stop filters are studied. The sensor arrays can be used to detect the proximity of objects at different positions and directions. Each capacitive sensing structure in the array is connected to an inductive element to form resonance at different frequencies. The resonances are designed to be isolated in the frequency spectrum, such that the change in one channel does not affect resonances at other channels. The inductive element associated with each capacitive sensor can be surface-mounted inductors, integrated microstrip inductors or metamaterial-inspired structures. We show that by using metamaterial split-ring structures coupled to a microstrip line, the quality factor of each resonance can be greatly improved compared to conventional surface-mounted or microstrip meander inductors. With such a microstrip-coupled split-ring design, more sensing elements can be integrated in the same frequency spectrum, and the sensitivity can be greatly improved. PMID:26821023

Ignitor with stable low-energy thermite igniting system

DOEpatents

Kelly, Michael D.; Munger, Alan C.

1991-02-05

A stable compact low-energy igniting system in an ignitor utilizes two components, an initiating charge and an output charge. The initiating charge is a thermite in ultra-fine powder form compacted to 50-70% of theoretical maximum density and disposed in a cavity of a header of the ignitor adjacent to an electrical ignition device, or bridgewire, mounted in the header cavity. The initiating charge is ignitable by operation of the ignition device in a hot-wire mode. The output charge is a thermite in high-density consoladated form compacted to 90-99% of theoretical maximum density and disposed adjacent to the initiating charge on an opposite end thereof from the electrical ignition device and ignitable by the initiating charge. A sleeve is provided for mounting the output charge to the ignitor header with the initiating charge confined therebetween in the cavity.

Holographic charged Rényi entropies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belin, Alexandre; Hung, Ling-Yan; Maloney, Alexander; Matsuura, Shunji; Myers, Robert C.; Sierens, Todd

2013-12-01

We construct a new class of entanglement measures by extending the usual definition of Rényi entropy to include a chemical potential. These charged Rényi entropies measure the degree of entanglement in different charge sectors of the theory and are given by Euclidean path integrals with the insertion of a Wilson line encircling the entangling surface. We compute these entropies for a spherical entangling surface in CFT's with holographic duals, where they are related to entropies of charged black holes with hyperbolic horizons. We also compute charged Rényi entropies in free field theories.

Temperature compensated sleeve type mirror mount

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The primary mirror of a large (26-inch diameter aperture) solar telescope was made of glass ceramic and designed with an integral hub on the back of the center of the mirror. This permits heat from the mirror to radiate off its back to a nearby cold plate. To permit mounting without high stresses, the hub was ground down to a smooth cylindrical surface 3.5 inch in diameter. The ground surface was then acid-etched to remove 0.007 inch (on the diameter) by immersion for five minutes in a mixture of four parts 92% sulfuric acid and three parts 50% hydrofluoric acid. The acid etching removes microcracks from the ground Cer-Vit surface. An Invar sleeve was fabricated to fit over the hub with about 0.010 inch radial (0.020 inch diametral) clearance.

Entropic effects in the electric double layer of model colloids with size-asymmetric monovalent ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerrero-García, Guillermo Iván; González-Tovar, Enrique; Olvera de la Cruz, Mónica

2011-08-01

The structure of the electric double layer of charged nanoparticles and colloids in monovalent salts is crucial to determine their thermodynamics, solubility, and polyion adsorption. In this work, we explore the double layer structure and the possibility of charge reversal in relation to the size of both counterions and coions. We examine systems with various size-ratios between counterions and coions (ion size asymmetries) as well as different total ion volume fractions. Using Monte Carlo simulations and integral equations of a primitive-model electric double layer, we determine the highest charge neutralization and electrostatic screening near the electrified surface. Specifically, for two binary monovalent electrolytes with the same counterion properties but differing only in the coion's size surrounding a charged nanoparticle, the one with largest coion size is found to have the largest charge neutralization and screening. That is, in size-asymmetric double layers with a given counterion's size the excluded volume of the coions dictates the adsorption of the ionic charge close to the colloidal surface for monovalent salts. Furthermore, we demonstrate that charge reversal can occur at low surface charge densities, given a large enough total ion concentration, for systems of monovalent salts in a wide range of ion size asymmetries. In addition, we find a non-monotonic behavior for the corresponding maximum charge reversal, as a function of the colloidal bare charge. We also find that the reversal effect disappears for binary salts with large-size counterions and small-size coions at high surface charge densities. Lastly, we observe a good agreement between results from both Monte Carlo simulations and the integral equation theory across different colloidal charge densities and 1:1-elec-trolytes with different ion sizes.

Laser housing having integral mounts and method of manufacturing same

DOEpatents

Herron, Michael Alan; Brickeen, Brian Keith

2004-10-19

A housing adapted to position, support, and facilitate aligning various components, including an optical path assembly, of a laser. In a preferred embodiment, the housing is constructed from a single piece of material and broadly comprises one or more through-holes; one or more cavities; and one or more integral mounts, wherein the through-holes and the cavities cooperate to define the integral mounts. Securement holes machined into the integral mounts facilitate securing components within the integral mounts using set screws, adhesive, or a combination thereof. In a preferred method of making the housing, the through-holes and cavities are first machined into the single piece of material, with at least some of the remaining material forming the integral mounts.

Polyelectrolyte adsorption onto like-charged surfaces mediated by trivalent counterions: A Monte Carlo simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luque-Caballero, Germán; Martín-Molina, Alberto; Quesada-Pérez, Manuel

2014-05-01

Both experiments and theory have evidenced that multivalent cations can mediate the interaction between negatively charged polyelectrolytes and like-charged objects, such as anionic lipoplexes (DNA-cation-anionic liposome complexes). In this paper, we use Monte Carlo simulations to study the electrostatic interaction responsible for the trivalent-counterion-mediated adsorption of polyelectrolytes onto a like-charged planar surface. The evaluation of the Helmholtz free energy allows us to characterize both the magnitude and the range of the interaction as a function of the polyelectrolyte charge, surface charge density, [3:1] electrolyte concentration, and cation size. Both polyelectrolyte and surface charge favor the adsorption. It should be stressed, however, that the adsorption will be negligible if the surface charge density does not exceed a threshold value. The effect of the [3:1] electrolyte concentration has also been analyzed. In certain range of concentrations, the counterion-mediated attraction seems to be independent of this parameter, whereas very high concentrations of salt weaken the adsorption. If the trivalent cation diameter is doubled the adsorption moderates due to the excluded volume effects. The analysis of the integrated charge density and ionic distributions suggests that a delicate balance between charge inversion and screening effects governs the polyelectrolyte adsorption onto like-charged surfaces mediated by trivalent cations.

Resistive anode image converter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lampton, M. L.; Paresce, F. (Inventor)

1976-01-01

The invention of an apparatus for imaging soft X-ray and ultraviolet electromagnetic radiation and charged particles was described. The apparatus includes a pair of microchannel electron multiplier plates connected in a cascaded chevron configuration which intercepts an incident beam of radiation or charged particles. Incident photons or charged particles strike the front surface of the chevron configuration causing emission of electrons. The electrons are accelerated by a voltage gradient and strike the inner side walls of the individual channels, causing emission of secondary electrons. Accelerated and multiplied secondary electrons impinge upon a resistive anode after they transverse the chevron configuration. A pulse position circuit converts the magnitude or transit time of the currents flowing from the point of impact of the electrons on the resistive anode to four contact electrodes mounted on their periphery of the resistive anode into the spatial coordinates of electron impact.

Electronic interconnects and devices with topological surface states and methods for fabricating same

DOEpatents

Yazdani, Ali; Ong, N. Phuan; Cava, Robert J.

2017-04-04

An interconnect is disclosed with enhanced immunity of electrical conductivity to defects. The interconnect includes a material with charge carriers having topological surface states. Also disclosed is a method for fabricating such interconnects. Also disclosed is an integrated circuit including such interconnects. Also disclosed is a gated electronic device including a material with charge carriers having topological surface states.

Electronic interconnects and devices with topological surface states and methods for fabricating same

DOEpatents

Yazdani, Ali; Ong, N. Phuan; Cava, Robert J.

2016-05-03

An interconnect is disclosed with enhanced immunity of electrical conductivity to defects. The interconnect includes a material with charge carriers having topological surface states. Also disclosed is a method for fabricating such interconnects. Also disclosed is an integrated circuit including such interconnects. Also disclosed is a gated electronic device including a material with charge carriers having topological surface states.

GPS compound eye attitude and navigation sensor and method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quinn, David A. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

The present invention is a GPS system for navigation and attitude determination, comprising a sensor array including a convex hemispherical mounting structure having a plurality of mounting surfaces, and a plurality of antennas mounted to the mounting surfaces for receiving signals from space vehicles of a GPS constellation. The present invention also includes a receiver for collecting the signals and making navigation and attitude determinations. In an alternate embodiment the present invention may include two opposing convex hemispherical mounting structures, each of the mounting structures having a plurality of mounting surfaces, and a plurality of antennas mounted to the mounting surfaces.

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

Scott, Jeffrey Wayne

An RFID backscatter interrogator for transmitting data to an RFID tag, generating a carrier for the tag, and receiving data from the tag modulated onto the carrier, the interrogator including a single grounded-coplanar wave-guide circuit board and at least one surface mount integrated circuit supported by the circuit board.

Fourier decomposition of segmented magnets with radial magnetization in surface-mounted PM machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiang, Tow Leong; Ishak, Dahaman; Lim, Chee Peng

2017-11-01

This paper presents a generic field model of radial magnetization (RM) pattern produced by multiple segmented magnets per rotor pole in surface-mounted permanent magnet (PM) machines. The magnetization vectors from either odd- or even-number of magnet blocks per pole are described. Fourier decomposition is first employed to derive the field model, and later integrated with the exact 2D analytical subdomain method to predict the magnetic field distributions and other motor global quantities. For the assessment purpose, a 12-slot/8-pole surface-mounted PM motor with two segmented magnets per pole is investigated by using the proposed field model. The electromagnetic performances of the PM machines are intensively predicted by the proposed magnet field model which include the magnetic field distributions, airgap flux density, phase back-EMF, cogging torque, and output torque during either open-circuit or on-load operating conditions. The analytical results are evaluated and compared with those obtained from both 2D and 3D finite element analyses (FEA) where an excellent agreement has been achieved.

Comparison of Classical and Charge Storage Methods for Determining Conductivity of Thin Film Insulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swaminathan, Prasanna; Dennison, J. R.; Sim, Alec; Brunson, Jerilyn; Crapo, Eric; Frederickson, A. R.

2004-01-01

Conductivity of insulating materials is a key parameter to determine how accumulated charge will distribute across the spacecraft and how rapidly charge imbalance will dissipate. Classical ASTM and IEC methods to measure thin film insulator conductivity apply a constant voltage to two electrodes around the sample and measure the resulting current for tens of minutes. However, conductivity is more appropriately measured for spacecraft charging applications as the "decay" of charge deposited on the surface of an insulator. Charge decay methods expose one side of the insulator in vacuum to sequences of charged particles, light, and plasma, with a metal electrode attached to the other side of the insulator. Data are obtained by capacitive coupling to measure both the resulting voltage on the open surface and emission of electrons from the exposed surface, as well monitoring currents to the electrode. Instrumentation for both classical and charge storage decay methods has been developed and tested at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and at Utah State University (USU). Details of the apparatus, test methods and data analysis are given here. The JPL charge storage decay chamber is a first-generation instrument, designed to make detailed measurements on only three to five samples at a time. Because samples must typically be tested for over a month, a second-generation high sample throughput charge storage decay chamber was developed at USU with the capability of testing up to 32 samples simultaneously. Details are provided about the instrumentation to measure surface charge and current; for charge deposition apparatus and control; the sample holders to properly isolate the mounted samples; the sample carousel to rotate samples into place; the control of the sample environment including sample vacuum, ambient gas, and sample temperature; and the computer control and data acquisition systems. Measurements are compared here for a number of thin film insulators using both methods at both facilities. We have found that conductivity determined from charge storage decay methods is 102 to 104 larger than values obtained from classical methods. Another Spacecraft Charging Conference presentation describes more extensive measurements made with these apparatus. This work is supported through funding from the NASA Space Environments and Effects Program and the USU Space Dynamics Laboratory Enabling Technologies Program.

Compact Circuit Preprocesses Accelerometer Output

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bozeman, Richard J., Jr.

1993-01-01

Compact electronic circuit transfers dc power to, and preprocesses ac output of, accelerometer and associated preamplifier. Incorporated into accelerometer case during initial fabrication or retrofit onto commercial accelerometer. Made of commercial integrated circuits and other conventional components; made smaller by use of micrologic and surface-mount technology.

Physics Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

School Science Review, 1972

1972-01-01

Short articles describe the use of a lever to transfer energy between pucks on a frictionless surface, a demonstration of the principle of conservation of linear momentum, the construction of an inexpensive joulemeter, the design and construction of a simple logic demonstration board using integrated circuits, mounting of Geiger-counters to…

Filter for a drill string

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Pixton, David S.; Briscoe, Michael; McPherson, James

2007-12-04

A filter for a drill string comprises a perforated receptacle having an open end and a perforated end and first and second mounting surfaces are adjacent the open end. A transmission element is disposed within each of the first and second mounting surfaces. A capacitor may modify electrical characteristics of an LC circuit that comprises the transmission elements. The respective transmission elements are in communication with each other and with a transmission network integrated into the drill string. The transmission elements may be inductive couplers, direct electrical contacts, or optical couplers. In some embodiments of the present invention, the filter comprises an electronic component. The electronic component may be selected from the group consisting of a sensor, a router, a power source, a clock source, a repeater, and an amplifier.

Direct correlation between potentiometric and impedance biosensing of antibody-antigen interactions using an integrated system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Meng-Yen; Creedon, Niamh; Brightbill, Eleanor; Pavlidis, Spyridon; Brown, Billyde; Gray, Darren W.; Shields, Niall; Sayers, Ríona; Mooney, Mark H.; O'Riordan, Alan; Vogel, Eric M.

2017-08-01

A fully integrated system that combines extended gate field-effect transistor (EGFET)-based potentiometric biosensors and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)-based biosensors has been demonstrated. This integrated configuration enables the sequential measurement of the same immunological binding event on the same sensing surface and consequently sheds light on the fundamental origins of sensing signals produced by FET and EIS biosensors, as well as the correlation between the two. Detection of both the bovine serum albumin (BSA)/anti-BSA model system in buffer solution and bovine parainfluenza antibodies in complex blood plasma samples was demonstrated using the integrated biosensors. Comparison of the EGFET and EIS sensor responses reveals similar dynamic ranges, while equivalent circuit modeling of the EIS response shows that the commonly reported total impedance change (ΔZtotal) is dominated by the change in charge transfer resistance (Rct) rather than surface capacitance (Csurface). Using electrochemical kinetics and the Butler-Volmer equation, we unveil that the surface potential and charge transfer resistance, measured by potentiometric and impedance biosensors, respectively, are, in fact, intrinsically linked. This observation suggests that there is no significant gain in using the FET/EIS integrated system and leads to the demonstration that low-cost EGFET biosensors are sufficient as a detection tool to resolve the charge information of biomolecules for practical sensing applications.

Adsorption of insulin peptide on charged single-walled carbon nanotubes: significant role of ordered water molecules.

PubMed

Shen, Jia-Wei; Wu, Tao; Wang, Qi; Kang, Yu; Chen, Xin

2009-06-02

Ordered hydration shells: The more ordered hydration shells outside the charged CNT surfaces prevent more compact adsorption of the peptide in the charged CNT systems [picture: see text], but peptide binding strengths on the charged CNT surfaces are stronger due to the electrostatic interaction.Studies of adsorption dynamics and stability for peptides/proteins on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are of great importance for a better understanding of the properties and nature of nanotube-based biosystems. Herein, the dynamics and mechanism of the adsorption of the insulin chain B peptide on different charged SWNTs are investigated by explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that all types of surfaces effectively attract the model peptide. Water molecules play a significant role in peptide adsorption on the surfaces of charged carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Compared to peptide adsorption on neutral CNT surfaces, the more ordered hydration shells outside the tube prevent more compact adsorption of the peptide in charged CNT systems. This shield effect leads to a smaller conformational change and van der Waals interaction between the peptide and surfaces, but peptide binding strengths on charged CNT surfaces are stronger than those on the neutral CNT surface due to the strong electrostatic interaction. The result of these simulations implies the possibility of improving the binding strength of peptides/proteins on CNT surfaces, as well as keeping the integrity of the peptide/protein conformation in peptide/protein-CNT complexes by charging the CNTs.

Integrated residential photovoltaic array development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shepard, N. F., Jr.

1981-01-01

The design details of an optimized integrated residential photovoltaic module/array are presented. This selected design features a waterproofing and mounting scheme which was devised to simplify the installation procedures by the avoidance of complex gasketed or caulked joints, while still maintaining a high confidence that the watertight integrity of the integral roofing surface will be achieved for the design lifetime of the system. The production and installation costs for the selected module/array design are reported for a range of annual production rates as a function of the cost of solar cells.

Automatic thermocouple positioner for use in vacuum furnaces

DOEpatents

Mee, D.K.; Stephens, A.E.

1980-06-06

The invention is a simple and reliable mechanical arrangement for automatically positioning a thermocouple-carrying rod in a vacuum-furnace assembly of the kind including a casing, a furnace mounted in the casing, and a charge-containing crucible mounted in the furnace for vertical movement between a lower (loading) position and a raised (charge-melting) position. In a preferred embodiment, a welded-diaphragm metal bellows is mounted above the furnace, the upper end of the bellows being fixed against movement and the lower end of the bellows being affixed to support means for a thermocouple-carrying rod which is vertically oriented and extends freely through the furnace lid toward the mouth of the crucible. The support means and rod are mounted for relative vertical movement. Before pumpdown of the furnace, the differential pressure acting on the bellows causes it to contract and lift the thermocouple rod to a position where it will not be contacted by the crucible charge when the crucible is elevated to its raised position. During pumpdown, the bellows expands downward, lowering the thermocouple rod and its support. The bellows expands downward beyond a point where downward movement of the thermocouple rod is arrested by contact with the crucible charge and to a point where the upper end of the thermocouple extends well above the thermocouple support. During subsequent melting of the charge, the thermocouple sinks into the melt to provide an accurate measurement of melt temperatures.

Automatic thermocouple positioner for use in vacuum furnaces

DOEpatents

Mee, David K.; Stephens, Albert E.

1981-01-01

The invention is a simple and reliable mechanical arrangement for automatically positioning a thermocouple-carrying rod in a vacuum-furnace assembly of the kind including a casing, a furnace mounted in the casing, and a charge-containing crucible mounted in the furnace for vertical movement between a lower (loading) position and a raised (charge-melting) position. In a preferred embodiment, a welded-diaphragm metal bellows is mounted above the furnace, the upper end of the bellows being fixed against movement and the lower end of the bellows being affixed to support means for a thermocouple-carrying rod which is vertically oriented and extends freely through the furnace lid toward the mouth of the crucible. The support means and rod are mounted for relative vertical movement. Before pumpdown of the furnace, the differential pressure acting on the bellows causes it to contract and lift the thermocouple rod to a position where it will not be contacted by the crucible charge when the crucible is elevated to its raised position. During pumpdown, the bellows expands downward, lowering the thermocouple rod and its support. The bellows expands downward beyond a point where downward movement of the thermocouple rod is arrested by contact with the crucible charge and to a point where the upper end of the thermocouple extends well above the thermocouple support. During subsequent melting of the charge, the thermocouple sinks into the melt to provide an accurate measurement of melt temperatures.

Probing surface charge potentials of clay basal planes and edges by direct force measurements.

PubMed

Zhao, Hongying; Bhattacharjee, Subir; Chow, Ross; Wallace, Dean; Masliyah, Jacob H; Xu, Zhenghe

2008-11-18

The dispersion and gelation of clay suspensions have major impact on a number of industries, such as ceramic and composite materials processing, paper making, cement production, and consumer product formulation. To fundamentally understand controlling mechanisms of clay dispersion and gelation, it is necessary to study anisotropic surface charge properties and colloidal interactions of clay particles. In this study, a colloidal probe technique was employed to study the interaction forces between a silica probe and clay basal plane/edge surfaces. A muscovite mica was used as a representative of 2:1 phyllosilicate clay minerals. The muscovite basal plane was prepared by cleavage, while the edge surface was obtained by a microtome cutting technique. Direct force measurements demonstrated the anisotropic surface charge properties of the basal plane and edge surface. For the basal plane, the long-range forces were monotonically repulsive within pH 6-10 and the measured forces were pH-independent, thereby confirming that clay basal planes have permanent surface charge from isomorphic substitution of lattice elements. The measured interaction forces were fitted well with the classical DLVO theory. The surface potentials of muscovite basal plane derived from the measured force profiles were in good agreement with those reported in the literature. In the case of edge surfaces, the measured forces were monotonically repulsive at pH 10, decreasing with pH, and changed to be attractive at pH 5.6, strongly suggesting that the charge on the clay edge surfaces is pH-dependent. The measured force profiles could not be reasonably fitted with the classical DLVO theory, even with very small surface potential values, unless the surface roughness was considered. The surface element integration (SEI) method was used to calculate the DLVO forces to account for the surface roughness. The surface potentials of the muscovite edges were derived by fitting the measured force profiles with the surface element integrated DLVO model. The point of zero charge of the muscovite edge surface was estimated to be pH 7-8.

Miniaturized, on-head, invasive electrode connector integrated EEG data acquisition system.

PubMed

Ives, John R; Mirsattari, Seyed M; Jones, D

2007-07-01

Intracranial electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring involves recording multi-contact electrodes. The current systems require separate wires from each recording contact to the data acquisition unit resulting in many connectors and cables. To overcome limitations of such systems such as noise, restrictions in patient mobility and compliance, we developed a miniaturized EEG monitoring system with the amplifiers and multiplexers integrated into the electrode connectors and mounted on the head. Small, surface-mounted instrumentation amplifiers, coupled with 8:1 analog multiplexers, were assembled into 8-channel modular units to connect to 16:1 analog multiplexer manifold to create a small (55 cm(3)) head-mounted 128-channel system. A 6-conductor, 30 m long cable was used to transmit the EEG signals from the patient to the remote data acquisition system. Miniaturized EEG amplifiers and analog multiplexers were integrated directly into the electrode connectors. Up to 128-channels of EEG were amplified and analog multiplexed directly on the patient's head. The amplified EEG data were obtained over one long wire. A miniaturized system of invasive EEG recording has the potential to reduce artefact, simplify trouble-shooting, lower nursing care and increase patient compliance. Miniaturization technology improves intracranial EEG monitoring and leads to >128-channel capacity.

Electro-optic component mounting device

DOEpatents

Gruchalla, M.E.

1994-09-13

A technique is provided for integrally mounting a device such as an electro-optic device in a transmission line to avoid series resonant effects. A center conductor of the transmission line has an aperture formed therein for receiving the device. The aperture splits the center conductor into two parallel sections on opposite sides of the device. For a waveguide application, the center conductor is surrounded by a conductive ground surface which is spaced apart from the center conductor with a dielectric material. One set of electrodes formed on the surface of the electro-optic device is directly connected to the center conductor and an electrode formed on the surface of the electro-optic device is directly connected to the conductive ground surface. The electrodes formed on the surface of the electro-optic device are formed on curved sections of the surface of the device to mate with correspondingly shaped electrodes on the conductor and ground surface to provide a uniform electric field across the electro-optic device. The center conductor includes a passage formed therein for passage of optical signals to an electro-optic device. 10 figs.

Hall Current Plasma Source Having a Center-Mounted or a Surface-Mounted Cathode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martinez, Rafael A. (Inventor); Moritz, Jr., Joel A. (Inventor); Williams, John D. (Inventor); Farnell, Casey C. (Inventor)

2018-01-01

A miniature Hall current plasma source apparatus having magnetic shielding of the walls from ionized plasma, an integrated discharge channel and gas distributor, an instant-start hollow cathode mounted to the plasma source, and an externally mounted keeper, is described. The apparatus offers advantages over other Hall current plasma sources having similar power levels, including: lower mass, longer lifetime, lower part count including fewer power supplies, and the ability to be continuously adjustable to lower average power levels using pulsed operation and adjustment of the pulse duty cycle. The Hall current plasma source can provide propulsion for small spacecraft that either do not have sufficient power to accommodate a propulsion system or do not have available volume to incorporate the larger propulsion systems currently available. The present low-power Hall current plasma source can be used to provide energetic ions to assist the deposition of thin films in plasma processing applications.

Downhole well log and core montages from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collett, T.S.; Lewis, R.E.; Winters, W.J.; Lee, M.W.; Rose, K.K.; Boswell, R.M.

2011-01-01

The BPXA-DOE-USGS Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well was an integral part of an ongoing project to determine the future energy resource potential of gas hydrates on the Alaska North Slope. As part of this effort, the Mount Elbert well included an advanced downhole geophysical logging program. Because gas hydrate is unstable at ground surface pressure and temperature conditions, a major emphasis was placed on the downhole-logging program to determine the occurrence of gas hydrates and the in-situ physical properties of the sediments. In support of this effort, well-log and core data montages have been compiled which include downhole log and core-data obtained from the gas-hydrate-bearing sedimentary section in the Mount Elbert well. Also shown are numerous reservoir parameters, including gas-hydrate saturation and sediment porosity log traces calculated from available downhole well log and core data. ?? 2010.

Effects of Transducer Installation on Unsteady Pressure Measurements on Oscillating Blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lepicovsky, Jan

2006-01-01

Unsteady pressures were measured above the suction side of a blade that was oscillated to simulate blade stall flutter. Measurements were made at blade oscillation frequencies up to 500 Hz. Two types of miniature pressure transducers were used: surface-mounted flat custom-made, and conventional miniature, body-mounted transducers. The signals of the surface-mounted transducers are significantly affected by blade acceleration, whereas the signals of body-mounted transducers are practically free of this distortion. A procedure was introduced to correct the signals of surface-mounted transducers to rectify the signal distortion due to blade acceleration. The signals from body-mounted transducers, and corrected signals from surface-mounted transducers represent true unsteady pressure signals on the surface of a blade subjected to forced oscillations. However, the use of body-mounted conventional transducers is preferred for the following reasons: no signal corrections are needed for blade acceleration, the conventional transducers are noticeably less expensive than custom-made flat transducers, the survival rate of body-mounted transducers is much higher, and finally installation of body-mounted transducers does not disturb the blade surface of interest.

Orbital Winch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoyt, Robert (Inventor); Slostad, Jeffrey T. (Inventor); Frank, Scott (Inventor); Barnes, Ian M. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

Orbital winch having: lower and upper frames; spool having upper and lower flanges with lower flange attached to lower frame; axial tether guide mounted to upper frame; secondary slewing ring coaxial with spool and rotatably mounted to upper frame, wherein secondary slewing ring's outer surface has gearing; upper tether guide mounted to inner surface of secondary slewing ring; linear translation means having upper end mounted to upper frame and lower end mounted on lower frame; primary slewing ring rotatably mounted within linear translation means allowing translation axially between flanges, wherein primary slewing ring's outer surface has gearing; lower tether guide mounted on primary slewing ring's inner surface; pinion rod having upper end mounted to upper frame and lower end mounted to lower frame, wherein pinion rod's teeth engage primary and secondary slewing rings' outer surface teeth; and tether passing through axial, upper, and lower tether guides and winding around spool.

Modified modular imaging system designed for a sounding rocket experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veach, Todd J.; Scowen, Paul A.; Beasley, Matthew; Nikzad, Shouleh

2012-09-01

We present the design and system calibration results from the fabrication of a charge-coupled device (CCD) based imaging system designed using a modified modular imager cell (MIC) used in an ultraviolet sounding rocket mission. The heart of the imaging system is the MIC, which provides the video pre-amplifier circuitry and CCD clock level filtering. The MIC is designed with standard four-layer FR4 printed circuit board (PCB) with surface mount and through-hole components for ease of testing and lower fabrication cost. The imager is a 3.5k by 3.5k LBNL p-channel CCD with enhanced quantum efficiency response in the UV using delta-doping technology at JPL. The recently released PCIe/104 Small-Cam CCD controller from Astronomical Research Cameras, Inc (ARC) performs readout of the detector. The PCIe/104 Small-Cam system has the same capabilities as its larger PCI brethren, but in a smaller form factor, which makes it ideally suited for sub-orbital ballistic missions. The overall control is then accomplished using a PCIe/104 computer from RTD Embedded Technologies, Inc. The design, fabrication, and testing was done at the Laboratory for Astronomical and Space Instrumentation (LASI) at Arizona State University. Integration and flight calibration are to be completed at the University of Colorado Boulder before integration into CHESS.

A stretchable electrode array for non-invasive, skin-mounted measurement of electrocardiography (ECG), electromyography (EMG) and electroencephalography (EEG).

PubMed

Ma, Rui; Kim, Dae-Hyeong; McCormick, Martin; Coleman, Todd; Rogers, John

2010-01-01

This paper reports a class of stretchable electrode array capable of intimate, conformal integration onto the curvilinear surfaces of skin on the human body. The designs employ conventional metallic conductors but in optimized mechanical layouts, on soft, thin elastomeric substrates. These devices exhibit an ability to record spontaneous EEG activity even without conductive electrolyte gels, with recorded alpha rhythm responses that are 40% stronger than those collected using conventional tin electrodes and gels under otherwise similar conditions. The same type of device can also measure high quality ECG and EMG signals. The results suggest broad utility for skin-mounted measurements of electrical activity in the body, with advantages in signal levels, wearability and modes of integration compared to alternatives.

Three-Dimensional Thermal Boundary Layer Corrections for Circular Heat Flux Gauges Mounted in a Flat Plate with a Surface Temperature Discontinuity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kandula, M.; Haddad, G. F.; Chen, R.-H.

2006-01-01

Three-dimensional Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis has been performed in an effort to determine thermal boundary layer correction factors for circular convective heat flux gauges (such as Schmidt-Boelter and plug type)mounted flush in a flat plate subjected to a stepwise surface temperature discontinuity. Turbulent flow solutions with temperature-dependent properties are obtained for a free stream Reynolds number of 1E6, and freestream Mach numbers of 2 and 4. The effect of gauge diameter and the plate surface temperature have been investigated. The 3-D CFD results for the heat flux correction factors are compared to quasi-21) results deduced from constant property integral solutions and also 2-D CFD analysis with both constant and variable properties. The role of three-dimensionality and of property variations on the heat flux correction factors has been demonstrated.

The QWIP Focal Plane Assembly for NASA's Landsat Data Continuity Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jhabvala, M; Choi, K.; Reuter, D.; Sundaram, M.; Jhabvala, C; La, Anh; Waczynski, Augustyn; Bundas, Jason

2010-01-01

The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) is a QWIP based instrument intended to supplement the Operational Land Imager (OLI) for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). The TIRS instrument is a dual channel far infrared imager with the two bands centered at 10.8[mu]m and 12.0[mu]m. The focal plane assembly (FPA) consists of three 640x512 GaAs Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP) arrays precisely mounted to a silicon carrier substrate that is mounted on an invar baseplate. The two spectral bands are defined by bandpass filters mounted in close proximity to the detector surfaces. The focal plane operating temperature is 43K. The QWIP arrays are hybridized to Indigo ISC9803 readout integrated circuits (ROICs). Two varieties of QWIP detector arrays are being developed for this project, a corrugated surface structure QWIP and a grating surface structure QWIP. This paper will describe the TIRS system noise equivalent temperature difference sensitivity as it affects the QWIP focal plane performance requirements: spectral response, dark current, conversion efficiency, read noise, temperature stability, pixel uniformity, optical crosstalk and pixel yield. Additional mechanical constraints as well as qualification through Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL 6) will also be discussed.

The QWIP Focal Plane Assembly for NASA's Landsat Data Continuity Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jhabvala, M.; Reuter, D.; Choi, K.; Sundaram, M.; Jhabvala, C.; La, A.; Waczynski, A.; Bundas, J.

2011-01-01

The Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) is a QWIP based instrument intended to supplement the Operational Land Imager (OLI) for the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). The TIRS instrument is a dual channel far infrared imager with the two bands centered at 10.8 m and 12.0 m. The focal plane assembly (FPA) consists of three 640x512 GaAs Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP) arrays precisely mounted to a silicon carrier substrate that is mounted on an invar baseplate. The two spectral bands are defined by bandpass filters mounted in close proximity to the detector surfaces. The focal plane operating temperature is 43K. The QWIP arrays are hybridized to Indigo ISC9803 readout integrated circuits (ROICs). Two varieties of QWIP detector arrays are being developed for this project, a corrugated surface structure QWIP and a grating surface structure QWIP. This paper will describe the TIRS system noise equivalent temperature difference sensitivity as it affects the QWIP focal plane performance requirements: spectral response, dark current, conversion efficiency, read noise, temperature stability, pixel uniformity, optical crosstalk and pixel yield. Additional mechanical constraints as well as qualification through Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL 6) will also be discussed.

Transparent Flexible Electronics By Directed Integration of Inorganic Micro and Nanomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cole, Jesse J.

This thesis focuses on nanomanufacturing processes for the heterogeneous integration of nanomaterials. Our approaches involved local adjustment of electrostatics at the surfaces to control material flux. Templating of surface electrostatics was implemented differently for three broad concepts resulting in control over nanomaterial synthesis, deposition, and printing. These three general concepts are: (A) Tailored ZnO nanowire synthesis and integration out of the liquid phase; (B) Arc discharge synthesis and continuous nanocluster deposition from the gas phase; (C) Contact electrification and xerographic printing of nanoparticles from the gas phase. Concept (A): We report a method to fabricate and transfer crystalline ZnO with control over location, orientation, size, and shape. The process uses an oxygen plasma treatment in combination with a photoresist pattern on Magnesium-doped GaN substrates to define narrow nucleation regions and attachment points with 100 nanometer scale dimensions. Lateral epitaxial overgrowth follows nucleation to produce single crystalline ZnO which were fabricated into LEDs and photovoltaic cells. Concept (B): We report a gas phase nanoparticle deposition system which shares characteristics with liquid phase electrodeposition. Clusters of charged nanoparticles selectively deposit onto electrically grounded surfaces. Similar to electroplating, the continued deposition of Au nanoparticles onto underlying resistive traces increased overall line conductivity. Alternatively, semiconducting ZnO and Ge nanomaterial sequentially deposited between interdigitated electrodes and served as addressable sensor active areas. Concept (C): We report patterned transfer of charge between conformal material interfaces through a concept referred to as nanocontact electrification. Nanocontacts of different size and shape are formed between surface functionalized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamps and other dielectric materials (PMMA, SiO 2). Forced delamination and cleavage of the interface yields a well defined charge pattern with a minimal feature size of 100 nm. The process produces charged surfaces and associated fields that exceed the breakdown strength of air leading to strong long range adhesive forces and force distance curves which are recorded over macroscopic distances. The process is applied to fabricate charge patterned surfaces for nanoxerography demonstrating 200 nm resolution nanoparticle prints and applied to thin film electronics where the patterned charges are used to shift the threshold voltages of underlying transistors by over 500 mV.

Integrated testing system FiTest for diagnosis of PCBA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogdan, Arkadiusz; Lesniak, Adam

2016-12-01

This article presents the innovative integrated testing system FiTest for automatic, quick inspection of printed circuit board assemblies (PCBA) manufactured in Surface Mount Technology (SMT). Integration of Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI), In-Circuit Tests (ICT) and Functional Circuit Tests (FCT) resulted in universal hardware platform for testing variety of electronic circuits. The platform provides increased test coverage, decreased level of false calls and optimization of test duration. The platform is equipped with powerful algorithms performing tests in a stable and repetitive way and providing effective management of diagnosis.

Surface charge method for molecular surfaces with curved areal elements I. Spherical triangles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yi-Kuo

2018-03-01

Parametrizing a curved surface with flat triangles in electrostatics problems creates a diverging electric field. One way to avoid this is to have curved areal elements. However, charge density integration over curved patches appears difficult. This paper, dealing with spherical triangles, is the first in a series aiming to solve this problem. Here, we lay the ground work for employing curved patches for applying the surface charge method to electrostatics. We show analytically how one may control the accuracy by expanding in powers of the the arc length (multiplied by the curvature). To accommodate not extremely small curved areal elements, we have provided enough details to include higher order corrections that are needed for better accuracy when slightly larger surface elements are used.

Strong coupling electrostatics for randomly charged surfaces: antifragility and effective interactions.

PubMed

Ghodrat, Malihe; Naji, Ali; Komaie-Moghaddam, Haniyeh; Podgornik, Rudolf

2015-05-07

We study the effective interaction mediated by strongly coupled Coulomb fluids between dielectric surfaces carrying quenched, random monopolar charges with equal mean and variance, both when the Coulomb fluid consists only of mobile multivalent counterions and when it consists of an asymmetric ionic mixture containing multivalent and monovalent (salt) ions in equilibrium with an aqueous bulk reservoir. We analyze the consequences that follow from the interplay between surface charge disorder, dielectric and salt image effects, and the strong electrostatic coupling that results from multivalent counterions on the distribution of these ions and the effective interaction pressure they mediate between the surfaces. In a dielectrically homogeneous system, we show that the multivalent counterions are attracted towards the surfaces with a singular, disorder-induced potential that diverges logarithmically on approach to the surfaces, creating a singular but integrable counterion density profile that exhibits an algebraic divergence at the surfaces with an exponent that depends on the surface charge (disorder) variance. This effect drives the system towards a state of lower thermal 'disorder', one that can be described by a renormalized temperature, exhibiting thus a remarkable antifragility. In the presence of an interfacial dielectric discontinuity, the singular behavior of counterion density at the surfaces is removed but multivalent counterions are still accumulated much more strongly close to randomly charged surfaces as compared with uniformly charged ones. The interaction pressure acting on the surfaces displays in general a highly non-monotonic behavior as a function of the inter-surface separation with a prominent regime of attraction at small to intermediate separations. This attraction is caused directly by the combined effects from charge disorder and strong coupling electrostatics of multivalent counterions, which dominate the surface-surface repulsion due to the (equal) mean charges on the two surfaces and the osmotic pressure of monovalent ions residing between them. These effects can be quite significant even with a small degree of surface charge disorder relative to the mean surface charge. The strong coupling, disorder-induced attraction is typically much stronger than the van der Waals interaction between the surfaces, especially within a range of several nanometers for the inter-surface separation, where such effects are predicted to be most pronounced.

Flexture plate motion-transfer mechanism, beam-splitter assembly, and interferometer incorporating the same

DOEpatents

Carangelo, R.M.; Dettori, M.D.; Grigely, L.J.; Murray, T.C.; Solomon, P.R.; Dine, C.P. Van; Wright, D.D.

1996-01-23

A multiplicity of one-piece flexure plates are assembled in pairs to provide a support system on which a retroreflector may be mounted for reciprocal motion. Combined with balance bodies, the flexure plates provide a support system having portions that are dynamically and statically balanced with one another, irrespective of orientation, so as to thereby immunize the unit against extraneous forces. The motion transfer assembly is especially adapted for use to support a moving retroreflector in a two-arm interferometer that may further include a beamsplitter assembly constructed from a one-piece, integrally formed body, the body having convergent, optically flat planar surfaces of specular reflectance, and means for adjustably mounting a beamsplitter therein. The spectrometer is of modular construction, and employs an integrated clocking sub-assembly as well as a light-weight voice-coil motor. 15 figs.

Flexture plate motion-transfer mechanism, beam-splitter assembly, and interferometer incorporating the same

DOEpatents

Carangelo, Robert M.; Dettori, Mark D.; Grigely, Lawrence J.; Murray, Terence C.; Solomon, Peter R.; Van Dine, C. Peter; Wright, David D.

1996-01-01

A multiplicity of one-piece flexure plates are assembled in pairs to provide a support system on which a retroreflector may be mounted for reciprocal motion. Combined with balance bodies, the flexure plates provide a support system having portions that are dynamically and statically balanced with one another, irrespective of orientation, so as to thereby immunize the unit against extraneous forces. The motion transfer assembly is especially adapted for use to support a moving retroreflector in a two-arm interferometer that may further include a beamsplitter assembly constructed from a one-piece, integrally formed body, the body having convergent, optically flat planar surfaces of specular reflectance, and means for adjustably mounting a beamsplitter therein. The spectrometer is of modular construction, and employs an integrated clocking sub-assembly as well as a light-weight voice-coil motor.

Electro-optic component mounting device

DOEpatents

Gruchalla, Michael E.

1994-01-01

A technique is provided for integrally mounting a device such as an electro-optic device (50) in a transmission line to avoid series resonant effects. A center conductor (52) of the transmission line has an aperture (58) formed therein for receiving the device (50). The aperture (58) splits the center conductor into two parallel sections on opposite sides of the device. For a waveguide application, the center conductor is surrounded by a conductive ground surface (54), which is spaced apart from the center conductor with a dielectric material (56). One set of electrodes formed on the surface of the electro-optic device (50) is directly connected to the center conductor 52 and an electrode formed on the surface of the electro-optic device is directly connected to the conductive ground surface (54). The electrodes formed on the surface of the electro-optic device are formed on curved sections of the surface of the device to mate with correspondingly shaped electrodes on the conductor and ground surface to provide a uniform electric field across the electro-optic device. The center conductor includes a passage ( 60) formed therein for passage of optical signals to an electro-optic device.

The Effect of a Monocular Helmet-Mounted Display on Aircrew Health: A Cohort Study of Apache AH Mk 1 Pilots Four-Year Review

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

forward-looking infrared FOV field-of-view HDU helmet display unit HMD helmet-mounted display IHADSS Integrated Helmet and Display...monocular Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting System (IHADSS) helmet-mounted display ( HMD ) in the British Army’s Apache AH Mk 1 attack helicopter has any...Integrated Helmet and Display Sighting System, IHADSS, Helmet-mounted display, HMD , Apache helicopter, Visual performance UNCLAS UNCLAS UNCLAS SAR 96

Geothermal Potential Analysis Using Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 (Case Study: Mount Ijen)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukojo, B. M.; Mardiana, R.

2017-12-01

Geothermal energy is also a heat energy contained in the earth’s internal. Indonesia has a total geothermal potential of around 27 GWe. The government is eager for the development of geothermal in Indonesia can run well so that geothermal can act as one of the pillars of national energy. However, the geothermal potential has not been fully utilized. One of the geothermal potention is Mount Ijen. Mount Ijen is a strato volcano that has a crater lake with a depth of about 190 m and has a very high degree of acidity and the volume of lake water is very large. With the abundance of potential geothermal potential in Indonesia, it is necessary to have an activity in the form of integrated geoscience studies to be able to maximize the potential content that exists in a geothermal area. One of the studies conducted is to do potential mapping. This research performs image data processing of Landsat 8, Sentinel 2, RBI Map, and preliminary survey data. This research carried out the Vegetation Index, surface temperature and altitude. The equipment used in this research includes image processing software, number processing software, GPS Handheld and Laptop. Surface Temperatures in the Mount Ijen have anomalies with large temperatures ranging between 18° C to 38° C. The best correlation value of altitude and ground surface temperature is -0.89 ie the correlation of January surface temperature. While the correlation value of Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 vegetation index was 0.81. The land cover confidence matrix scored 80%. Land cover in the research area is dominated by forests by 35% of the research area. There is a potential area of geothermal potential is very high on Mount Ijen with an area of 39.43 hectares located in Wongsorejo District and adjacent to District Sempol.

A preliminary assessment of the impact of 2-D exhaust-nozzle geometry on the cruise range of a hypersonic aircraft with top-mounted ramjet propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vahl, W. A.; Weidner, J. P.

1980-01-01

A theoretical study of full length and shortened, two dimensional, isentropic, exhaust nozzles integrated with top mounted ramjet propulsion nacelles were conducted. Both symmetric and asymmetric contoured nozzles with a range of angular orientations were considered. Performance comparisons to determine optimum installations for a representative hypersonic vehicle at Mach 5 cruise conditions are presented on the basis of cruise range, propulsive specific impulse, inlet area requirements, and overall lift drag ratio. The effect of approximating the nozzle internal contours with planar surfaces and the determination of viscous and frozen flow effects are also presented.

Superconducting energy storage magnet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boom, Roger W. (Inventor); Eyssa, Yehia M. (Inventor); Abdelsalam, Mostafa K. (Inventor); Huang, Xianrui (Inventor)

1993-01-01

A superconducting magnet is formed having composite conductors arrayed in coils having turns which lie on a surface defining substantially a frustum of a cone. The conical angle with respect to the central axis is preferably selected such that the magnetic pressure on the coil at the widest portion of the cone is substantially zero. The magnet structure is adapted for use as an energy storage magnet mounted in an earthen trench or tunnel where the strength the surrounding soil is lower at the top of the trench or tunnel than at the bottom. The composite conductor may be formed having a ripple shape to minimize stresses during charge up and discharge and has a shape for each ripple selected such that the conductor undergoes a minimum amount of bending during the charge and discharge cycle. By minimizing bending, the working of the normal conductor in the composite conductor is minimized, thereby reducing the increase in resistance of the normal conductor that occurs over time as the conductor undergoes bending during numerous charge and discharge cycles.

Proton transfer to charged platinum electrodes. A molecular dynamics trajectory study.

PubMed

Wilhelm, Florian; Schmickler, Wolfgang; Spohr, Eckhard

2010-05-05

A recently developed empirical valence bond (EVB) model for proton transfer on Pt(111) electrodes (Wilhelm et al 2008 J. Phys. Chem. C 112 10814) has been applied in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of a water film in contact with a charged Pt surface. A total of seven negative surface charge densities σ between -7.5 and -18.9 µC cm(-2) were investigated. For each value of σ, between 30 and 84 initial conditions of a solvated proton within a water slab were sampled, and the trajectories were integrated until discharge of a proton occurred on the charged surfaces. We have calculated the mean rates for discharge and for adsorption of solvated protons within the adsorbed water layer in contact with the metal electrode as a function of surface charge density. For the less negative values of σ we observe a Tafel-like exponential increase of discharge rate with decreasing σ. At the more negative values this exponential increase levels off and the discharge process is apparently transport limited. Mechanistically, the Tafel regime corresponds to a stepwise proton transfer: first, a proton is transferred from the bulk into the contact water layer, which is followed by transfer of a proton to the charged surface and concomitant discharge. At the more negative surface charge densities the proton transfer into the contact water layer and the transfer of another proton to the surface and its discharge occur almost simultaneously.

Integrated LTCC pressure/flow/temperature multisensor for compressed air diagnostics.

PubMed

Fournier, Yannick; Maeder, Thomas; Boutinard-Rouelle, Grégoire; Barras, Aurélie; Craquelin, Nicolas; Ryser, Peter

2010-01-01

We present a multisensor designed for industrial compressed air diagnostics and combining the measurement of pressure, flow, and temperature, integrated with the corresponding signal conditioning electronics in a single low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) package. The developed sensor may be soldered onto an integrated electro-fluidic platform by using standard surface mount device (SMD) technology, e.g., as a standard electronic component would be on a printed circuit board, obviating the need for both wires and tubes and thus paving the road towards low-cost integrated electro-fluidic systems. Several performance aspects of this device are presented and discussed, together with electronics design issues.

Integrated LTCC Pressure/Flow/Temperature Multisensor for Compressed Air Diagnostics†

PubMed Central

Fournier, Yannick; Maeder, Thomas; Boutinard-Rouelle, Grégoire; Barras, Aurélie; Craquelin, Nicolas; Ryser, Peter

2010-01-01

We present a multisensor designed for industrial compressed air diagnostics and combining the measurement of pressure, flow, and temperature, integrated with the corresponding signal conditioning electronics in a single low-temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) package. The developed sensor may be soldered onto an integrated electro-fluidic platform by using standard surface mount device (SMD) technology, e.g., as a standard electronic component would be on a printed circuit board, obviating the need for both wires and tubes and thus paving the road towards low-cost integrated electro-fluidic systems. Several performance aspects of this device are presented and discussed, together with electronics design issues. PMID:22163518

Low-Energy Charged Particle Instrument Assembly

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-03

This image shows the low-energy charged particle instrument before it was installed on one of NASA Voyager spacecraft in 1977. The instrument includes a stepper motor that turns the platform on which the sensors are mounted.

Mariner Mars 1971 battery design, test, and flight performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bogner, R. S.

1973-01-01

The design, integration, fabrication, test results, and flight performance of the battery system for the Mariner Mars spacecraft launched in May 1971 are presented. The battery consists of 26 20-Ah hermetically sealed nickel-cadmium cells housed in a machined magnesium chassis. The battery package weighs 29.5 kg and is unique in that the chassis also serves as part of the spacecraft structure. Active thermal control is accomplished by louvers mounted to the battery baseplate. Battery charge is accomplished by C/10 and C/30 constant current chargers. The switch from the high-rate to low-rate charge is automatic, based on terminal voltage. Additional control is possible by ground command or onboard computer. The performance data from the flight battery is compared to the data from various battery tests in the laboratory. Flight battery data was predictable based on ground test data.

Processing of Lewisite munitions in the explosive destruction system.

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

Shepodd, Timothy J.; Didlake, John E., Jr.; Bradshaw, Robert W., PhD

2005-03-01

The Explosive Destruction System (EDS) is a transportable system designed to treat chemical munitions. The EDS is transported on an open trailer that provides a mounting surface for major system components and an operator's work platform. The trailer is towed by a prime mover. An explosive containment vessel contains the shock, munition fragments, and the chemical agent during the munition opening process, and then provides a vessel for the subsequent chemical treatment of the agent. A fragmentation suppression system houses the chemical munition and protects the containment vessel from high velocity fragments. An explosive accessing system uses shaped charges tomore » cut the munition open and attack the burster. A firing system detonates the shaped charges. A chemical feed system supplies neutralizing reagents and water to the containment vessel. A waste handling system drains the treated effluent.« less

Drag Reduction Control for Flow over a Hump with Surface-Mounted Thermoacoustic Actuator

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-06

integrating qwall over the actuator stripe and taking the average over one oscillation period. This gives Q̇ = 2σq̂/π. Now we can define the drag...itself to produce acoustic waves, the input AC current sinusoidally heats this membrane due to Joule heating and creates surface pressure...such that its heat ca- pacity per unit area (HCPUA) is at least two orders of magnitude smaller than that of the metal . Since the output acoustic power

Die-target for dynamic powder consolidation

DOEpatents

Flinn, J.E.; Korth, G.E.

1985-06-27

A die/target is disclosed for consolidation of a powder, especially an atomized rapidly solidified metal powder, to produce monoliths by the dynamic action of a shock wave, especially a shock wave produced by the detonation of an explosive charge. The die/target comprises a rectangular metal block having a square primary surface with four rectangular mold cavities formed therein to receive the powder. The cavities are located away from the geometrical center of the primary surface and are distributed around such center while also being located away from the geometrical diagonals of the primary surface to reduce the action of reflected waves so as to avoid tensile cracking of the monoliths. The primary surface is covered by a powder retention plate which is engaged by a flyer plate to transmit the shock wave to the primary surface and the powder. Spawl plates are adhesively mounted on other surfaces of the block to act as momentum traps so as to reduce reflected waves in the block. 4 figs.

Die-target for dynamic powder consolidation

DOEpatents

Flinn, John E.; Korth, Gary E.

1986-01-01

A die/target is disclosed for consolidation of a powder, especially an atomized rapidly solidified metal powder, to produce monoliths by the dynamic action of a shock wave, especially a shock wave produced by the detonation of an explosive charge. The die/target comprises a rectangular metal block having a square primary surface with four rectangular mold cavities formed therein to receive the powder. The cavities are located away from the geometrical center of the primary surface and are distributed around such center while also being located away from the geometrical diagonals of the primary surface to reduce the action of reflected waves so as to avoid tensile cracking of the monoliths. The primary surface is covered by a powder retention plate which is engaged by a flyer plate to transmit the shock wave to the primary surface and the powder. Spawl plates are adhesively mounted on other surfaces of the block to act as momentum traps so as to reduce reflected waves in the block.

Electrical activity during the 2006 Mount St. Augustine volcanic eruptions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Ronald J.; Krehbiel, Paul R.; Rison, William; Edens, H. E.; Aulich, G. D.; McNutt, S.R.; Tytgat, Guy; Clark, E.

2007-01-01

By using a combination of radio frequency time-of-arrival and interferometer measurements, we observed a sequence of lightning and electrical activity during one of Mount St. Augustine's eruptions. The observations indicate that the electrical activity had two modes or phases. First, there was an explosive phase in which the ejecta from the explosion appeared to be highly charged upon exiting the volcano, resulting in numerous apparently disorganized discharges and some simple lightning. The net charge exiting the volcano appears to have been positive. The second phase, which followed the most energetic explosion, produced conventional-type discharges that occurred within plume. Although the plume cloud was undoubtedly charged as a result of the explosion itself, the fact that the lightning onset was delayed and continued after and well downwind of the eruption indicates that in situ charging of some kind was occurring, presumably similar in some respects to that which occurs in normal thunderstorms.

Transient digitizer with displacement current samplers

DOEpatents

McEwan, T.E.

1996-05-21

A low component count, high speed sample gate, and digitizer architecture using the sample gates is based on use of a signal transmission line, a strobe transmission line and a plurality of sample gates connected to the sample transmission line at a plurality of positions. The sample gates include a strobe pickoff structure near the strobe transmission line which generates a charge displacement current in response to propagation of the strobe signal on the strobe transmission line sufficient to trigger the sample gate. The sample gate comprises a two-diode sampling bridge and is connected to a meandered signal transmission line at one end and to a charge-holding cap at the other. The common cathodes are reverse biased. A voltage step is propagated down the strobe transmission line. As the step propagates past a capacitive pickoff, displacement current i=c(dv/dT), flows into the cathodes, driving the bridge into conduction and thereby charging the charge-holding capacitor to a value related to the signal. A charge amplifier converts the charge on the charge-holding capacitor to an output voltage. The sampler is mounted on a printed circuit board, and the sample transmission line and strobe transmission line comprise coplanar microstrips formed on a surface of the substrate. Also, the strobe pickoff structure may comprise a planar pad adjacent the strobe transmission line on the printed circuit board. 16 figs.

Transient digitizer with displacement current samplers

DOEpatents

McEwan, Thomas E.

1996-01-01

A low component count, high speed sample gate, and digitizer architecture using the sample gates is based on use of a signal transmission line, a strobe transmission line and a plurality of sample gates connected to the sample transmission line at a plurality of positions. The sample gates include a strobe pickoff structure near the strobe transmission line which generates a charge displacement current in response to propagation of the strobe signal on the strobe transmission line sufficient to trigger the sample gate. The sample gate comprises a two-diode sampling bridge and is connected to a meandered signal transmission line at one end and to a charge-holding cap at the other. The common cathodes are reverse biased. A voltage step is propagated down the strobe transmission line. As the step propagates past a capacitive pickoff, displacement current i=c(dv/dT), flows into the cathodes, driving the bridge into conduction and thereby charging the charge-holding capacitor to a value related to the signal. A charge amplifier converts the charge on the charge-holding capacitor to an output voltage. The sampler is mounted on a printed circuit board, and the sample transmission line and strobe transmission line comprise coplanar microstrips formed on a surface of the substrate. Also, the strobe pickoff structure may comprise a planar pad adjacent the strobe transmission line on the printed circuit board.

Merging parallel optics packaging and surface mount technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kopp, Christophe; Volpert, Marion; Routin, Julien; Bernabé, Stéphane; Rossat, Cyrille; Tournaire, Myriam; Hamelin, Régis

2008-02-01

Optical links are well known to present significant advantages over electrical links for very high-speed data rate at 10Gpbs and above per channel. However, the transition towards optical interconnects solutions for short and very short reach applications requires the development of innovative packaging solutions that would deal with very high volume production capability and very low cost per unit. Moreover, the optoelectronic transceiver components must be able to move from the edge to anywhere on the printed circuit board, for instance close to integrated circuits with high speed IO. In this paper, we present an original packaging design to manufacture parallel optic transceivers that are surface mount devices. The package combines highly integrated Multi-Chip-Module on glass and usual IC ceramics packaging. The use of ceramic and the development of sealing technologies achieve hermetic requirements. Moreover, thanks to a chip scale package approach the final device exhibits a much minimized footprint. One of the main advantages of the package is its flexibility to be soldered or plugged anywhere on the printed circuit board as any other electronic device. As a demonstrator we present a 2 by 4 10Gbps transceiver operating at 850nm.

Taking Charge: Walter Sydney Adams and the Mount Wilson Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brashear, R.

2004-12-01

The growing preeminence of American observational astronomy in the first half of the 20th century is a well-known story and much credit is given to George Ellery Hale and his skill as an observatory-building entrepreneur. But a key figure who has yet to be discussed in great detail is Walter Sydney Adams (1876-1956), Hale's Assistant Director at Mount Wilson Observatory. Due to Hale's illnesses, Adams was Acting Director for much of Hale's tenure, and he became the second Director of Mount Wilson from 1923 to 1946. Behind his New England reserve Adams was instrumental in the growth of Mount Wilson and thus American astronomy in general. Adams was hand-picked by Hale to take charge of stellar spectroscopy work at Yerkes and Mount Wilson and the younger astronomer showed tremendous loyalty to Hale and Hale's vision throughout his career. As Adams assumed the leadership role at Mount Wilson he concentrated on making the observatory a place where researchers worked with great freedom but maintain a high level of cooperation. This paper will concentrate on Adams's early years and look at his growing relationship with Hale and how he came to be the central figure in the early history of Mount Wilson as both a solar and stellar observatory. His education, his years at Dartmouth and Yerkes (including his unfortunate encounter with epsilon Leonis), and his formative years on Mount Wilson are all important in learning how he shaped the direction of Mount Wilson and the development of American astronomy in the first half of the 20th century. This latter history cannot be complete until we bring Adams into better focus.

Microbial Attachment Inhibition through Low-Voltage Electrochemical Reactions on Electrically Conducting Membranes.

PubMed

Ronen, Avner; Duan, Wenyan; Wheeldon, Ian; Walker, Sharon; Jassby, David

2015-11-03

Bacterial biofilm formation on membrane surfaces remains a serious challenge in water treatment systems. The impact of low voltages on microbial attachment to electrically conducting ultrafiltration membranes was investigated using a direct observation cross-flow membrane system mounted on a fluorescence microscope. Escherichia coli and microparticle deposition and detachment rates were measured as a function of the applied electrical potential to the membrane surface. Selecting bacteria and particles with low surface charge minimized electrostatic interactions between the bacteria and charged membrane surface. Application of an electrical potential had a significant impact on the detachment of live bacteria in comparison to dead bacteria and particles. Image analysis indicated that when a potential of 1.5 V was applied to the membrane/counter electrode pair, the percent of dead bacteria was 32±2.1 and 67±3.6% when the membrane was used as a cathode or anode, respectively, while at a potential of 1 V, 92±2.4% were alive. The application of low electrical potentials resulted in the production of low (μM) concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (HP) through the electroreduction of oxygen. The electrochemically produced HP reduced microbial cell viability and increased cellular permeability. Exposure to low concentrations of electrochemically produced HP on the membrane surface prevents bacterial attachment, thus ensuring biofilm-free conditions during membrane filtration operations.

Convective transport of electric charge within the planetary boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicoll, Keri; Harrison, Giles; Silva, Hugo; Silgado, Rui; Melgao, Marta

2017-04-01

Turbulent and convective processes within the planetary boundary layer are responsible for the transport of moisture, momentum and particulate matter, but are also of major importance in determining the electrical charge structure of the lower atmosphere. This paper presents rare experimental measurements of vertical profiles of charge measured during fair weather conditions by specially instrumented radiosonde balloons over Alqueva, Portugal during the summer of 2014. Space charge was measured directly using a sensitive electrometer, rather than the conventional method of deriving it from electric field measurements. The high frequency of balloon flights enabled the diurnal variation in the vertical profile of charge within the boundary layer to be examined in detail, with much smaller levels of charge (up to 20pC m-3) observed during stable night time periods than during the day. Following sunrise, the evolution of the charge profile was much more complex, showing a dependence on lofting of surface aerosol due to daytime convection. This produced charge up to 92pC m-3 up to 500m above the surface. The diurnal variation in the integrated column of charge above the measurement site was also found to track closely with the diurnal variation in near surface charge as measured by an electric field mill at the same site, confirming the importance of the link between surface charge generation processes and aloft. Co-located lidar backscatter measurements were also made during the measurement campaign and will be discussed here in the context of the effect of aerosol on the vertical charge profile.

The Situational Awareness Sensor Suite for the ISS (SASSI): A Mission Concept to Investigate ISS Charging and Wake Effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krause, L. Habash; Minow, J. I.; Coffey, V. N.; Gilchrist, Brian E.; Hoegy, W. R.

2014-01-01

The complex interaction between the International Space Station (ISS) and the surrounding plasma environment often generates unpredictable environmental situations that affect operations. Examples of affected systems include extravehicular activity (EVA) safety, solar panel efficiency, and scientific instrument integrity. Models and heuristically-derived best practices are well-suited for routine operations, but when it comes to unusual or anomalous events or situations, especially those driven by space weather, there is no substitute for real-time monitoring. Space environment data collected in real-time (or near-real time) can be used operationally for both real-time alarms and data sources in assimilative models to predict environmental conditions important for operational planning. Fixed space weather instruments mounted to the ISS can be used for monitoring the ambient space environment, but knowing whether or not (or to what extent) the ISS affects the measurements themselves requires adequate space situational awareness (SSA) local to the ISS. This paper presents a mission concept to use a suite of plasma instruments mounted at the end of the ISS robotic arm to systematically explore the interaction between the Space Station structure and its surrounding environment. The Situational Awareness Sensor Suite for the ISS (SASSI) would be deployed and operated on the ISS Express Logistics Carrier (ELC) for long-term "survey mode" observations and the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) for short-term "campaign mode" observations. Specific areas of investigation include: 1) ISS frame and surface charging during perturbations of the local ISS space environment, 2) calibration of the ISS Floating Point Measurement Unit (FPMU), 3) long baseline measurements of ambient ionospheric electric potential structures, 4) electromotive force-induced currents within large structures moving through a magnetized plasma, and 5) wake-induced ion waves in both electrostatic (i.e. particles) and electromagnetic modes. SASSI will advance the understanding of plasma-boundary interaction phenomena, demonstrate a suite a sensors acting in concert to provide effective SSA, and validate and/or calibrate existing ISS space environment instruments and models.

Average-passage simulation of counter-rotating propfan propulsion systems as applied to cruise missiles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulac, Richard A.; Schneider, Jon C.; Adamczyk, John J.

1989-01-01

Counter-rotating propfan (CRP) propulsion technologies are currently being evaluated as cruise missile propulsion systems. The aerodynamic integration concerns associated with this application are being addressed through the computational modeling of the missile body-propfan flowfield interactions. The work described in this paper consists of a detailed analysis of the aerodynamic interactions between the control surfaces and the propfan blades through the solution of the average-passage equation system. Two baseline configurations were studied, the control fins mounted forward of the counter-rotating propeller and the control fins mounted aft of the counter-rotating propeller. In both cases, control fin-propfan separation distance and control fin deflection angle were varied.

Tool calibration system for micromachining system

DOEpatents

Miller, Donald M.

1979-03-06

A tool calibration system including a tool calibration fixture and a tool height and offset calibration insert for calibrating the position of a tool bit in a micromachining tool system. The tool calibration fixture comprises a yokelike structure having a triangular head, a cavity in the triangular head, and a port which communicates a side of the triangular head with the cavity. Yoke arms integral with the triangular head extend along each side of a tool bar and a tool head of the micromachining tool system. The yoke arms are secured to the tool bar to place the cavity around a tool bit which may be mounted to the end of the tool head. Three linear variable differential transformer's (LVDT) are adjustably mounted in the triangular head along an X axis, a Y axis, and a Z axis. The calibration insert comprises a main base which can be mounted in the tool head of the micromachining tool system in place of a tool holder and a reference projection extending from a front surface of the main base. Reference surfaces of the calibration insert and a reference surface on a tool bar standard length are used to set the three LVDT's of the calibration fixture to the tool reference position. These positions are transferred permanently to a mastering station. The tool calibration fixture is then used to transfer the tool reference position of the mastering station to the tool bit.

Inducer Hydrodynamic Load Measurement Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skelley, Stephen E.; Zoladz, Thomas F.

2002-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has demonstrated two measurement devices for sensing and resolving the hydrodynamic loads on fluid machinery. The first - a derivative of the six component wind tunnel balance - senses the forces and moments on the rotating device through a weakened shaft section instrumented with a series of strain gauges. This "rotating balance" was designed to directly measure the steady and unsteady hydrodynamic loads on an inducer, thereby defining both the amplitude and frequency content associated with operating in various cavitation modes. The second device - a high frequency response pressure transducer surface mounted on a rotating component - was merely an extension of existing technology for application in water. MSFC has recently completed experimental evaluations of both the rotating balance and surface-mount transducers in a water test loop. The measurement bandwidth of the rotating balance was severely limited by the relative flexibility of the device itself, resulting in an unexpectedly low structural bending mode and invalidating the higher frequency response data. Despite these limitations, measurements confirmed that the integrated loads on the four-bladed inducer respond to both cavitation intensity and cavitation phenomena. Likewise, the surface-mount pressure transducers were subjected to a range of temperatures and flow conditions in a non-rotating environment to record bias shifts and transfer functions between the transducers and a reference device. The pressure transducer static performance was within manufacturer's specifications and dynamic response accurately followed that of the reference.

Inducer Hydrodynamic Load Measurement Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skelley, Stephen E.; Zoladz, Thomas F.; Turner, Jim (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has demonstrated two measurement devices for sensing and resolving the hydrodynamic loads on fluid machinery. The first - a derivative of the six-component wind tunnel balance - senses the forces and moments on the rotating device through a weakened shaft section instrumented with a series of strain gauges. This rotating balance was designed to directly measure the steady and unsteady hydrodynamic loads on an inducer, thereby defining both the amplitude and frequency content associated with operating in various cavitation modes. The second device - a high frequency response pressure transducer surface mounted on a rotating component - was merely an extension of existing technology for application in water. MSFC has recently completed experimental evaluations of both the rotating balance and surface-mount transducers in a water test loop. The measurement bandwidth of the rotating balance was severely limited by the relative flexibility of the device itself, resulting in an unexpectedly low structural bending mode and invalidating the higher-frequency response data. Despite these limitations, measurements confirmed that the integrated loads on the four-bladed inducer respond to both cavitation intensity and cavitation phenomena. Likewise, the surface-mount pressure transducers were subjected to a range of temperatures and flow conditions in a non-rotating environment to record bias shifts and transfer functions between the transducers and a reference device. The pressure transducer static performance was within manufacturer's specifications and dynamic response accurately followed that of the reference.

Quasi-local gravitational angular momentum and centre of mass from generalised Witten equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieland, Wolfgang

2017-03-01

Witten's proof for the positivity of the ADM mass gives a definition of energy in terms of three-surface spinors. In this paper, we give a generalisation for the remaining six Poincaré charges at spacelike infinity, which are the angular momentum and centre of mass. The construction improves on certain three-surface spinor equations introduced by Shaw. We solve these equations asymptotically obtaining the ten Poincaré charges as integrals over the Nester-Witten two-form. We point out that the defining differential equations can be extended to three-surfaces of arbitrary signature and we study them on the entire boundary of a compact four-dimensional region of spacetime. The resulting quasi-local expressions for energy and angular momentum are integrals over a two-dimensional cross-section of the boundary. For any two consecutive such cross-sections, conservation laws are derived that determine the influx (outflow) of matter and gravitational radiation.

Superior electric storage on an amorphous perfluorinated polymer surface

PubMed Central

Fukuhara, Mikio; Kuroda, Tomoyuki; Hasegawa, Fumihiko; Sueyoshi, Takashi

2016-01-01

Amorphous perfluoroalkenyl vinyl ether polymer devices can store a remarkably powerful electric charge because their surface contains nanometre-sized cavities that are sensitive to the so-called quantum-size effect. With a work function of approximately 10 eV, the devices show a near-vertical line in the Nyquist diagram and a horizontal line near the −90° phase angle in the Bode diagram. Moreover, they have an integrated effect on the surface area for constant current discharging. This effect can be explained by the distributed constant electric circuit with a parallel assembly of nanometre-sized capacitors on a highly insulating polymer. The device can illuminate a red LED light for 3 ms after charging it with 1 mA at 10 V. Further gains might be attained by integrating polymer sheets with a micro-electro mechanical system. PMID:26902953

Flush Mounting Of Thin-Film Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Thomas C., Sr.

1992-01-01

Technique developed for mounting thin-film sensors flush with surfaces like aerodynamic surfaces of aircraft, which often have compound curvatures. Sensor mounted in recess by use of vacuum pad and materials selected for specific application. Technique involves use of materials tailored to thermal properties of substrate in which sensor mounted. Together with customized materials, enables flush mounting of thin-film sensors in most situations in which recesses for sensors provided. Useful in both aircraft and automotive industries.

Holding fixture for metallographic mount polishing

DOEpatents

Barth, Clyde H.; Cramer, Charles E.

1997-01-01

A fixture for holding mounted specimens for polishing, having an arm; a body attached to one end of the arm, the body having at least one flange having an opening to accommodate a mounted specimen; and a means applying pressure against the outer surface of the mounted specimen to hold the specimen in contact with the polishing surface.

Adapter for mounting a microphone flush with the external surface of the skin of a pressurized aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohn, R. B. (Inventor)

1983-01-01

A mounting device for securing a microphone pick up head flush with respect to the external surfaces of the skin of an aircraft for detecting shock waves passing thereover is described. The mount includes a sleeve mounted internally of the aircraft for capturing and supporting an electronics package having the microphone pick up head attached thereto in a manner such that the head is flush with the external surface of the aircraft skin and a pressure seal is established between the internal and external surfaces of the aircraft skin.

Vibrational inelastic and charge transfer processes in H++H2 system: An ab initio study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amaran, Saieswari; Kumar, Sanjay

2007-12-01

State-resolved differential cross sections, total and integral cross sections, average vibrational energy transfer, and the relative probabilities are computed for the H++H2 system using the newly obtained ab initio potential energy surfaces at the full CI/cc-pVQZ level of accuracy which allow for both the direct vibrational inelastic and the charge transfer processes. The quantum dynamics is treated within the vibrational close-coupling infinite-order-sudden approximation approach using the two ab initio quasidiabatic potential energy surfaces. The computed collision attributes for both the processes are compared with the available state-to-state scattering experiments at Ec.m.=20eV. The results are in overall good agreement with most of the observed scattering features such as rainbow positions, integral cross sections, and relative vibrational energy transfers. A comparison with the earlier theoretical study carried out on the semiempirical surfaces (diatomics in molecules) is also made to illustrate the reliability of the potential energy surfaces used in the present work.

A Comprehensive Surface Mount Technology Solution for Integrated Circuits onto Flexible Screen Printed Electrical Interconnects

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-19

their acceptable thermal stability, Polyimides have established as a conventional substrate material for flexible interconnects, which can be...of the silver flake ink for the screen-printed interconnects, the assembled unit fulfills biocompatibility requirements in a limited manner ([29...30]). Even though biocompatibility of substrate [31] is fulfilled, toxicity of the insulating mask [32] and encapsulation need to be considered

Development of an Automated Impact Hammer for Modal Analysis of Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-01

6 3.5 Integration with FBG interrogation system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 4 Experimental...distributed Fibre Bragg Gratings ( FBGs ) in optical fibres. The modified approach to SIDER has been given the name iSIDER or inverse SIDER to reflect the...response is measured at many locations using a large array of surface mounted FBG strain sensors [2]. FBGs are ideally suited to the roving response approach

Electronically controllable spoof localized surface plasmons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yong Jin; Zhang, Chao; Yang, Liu; Xun Xiao, Qian

2017-10-01

Electronically controllable multipolar spoof localized surface plasmons (LSPs) are experimentally demonstrated in the microwave frequencies. It has been shown that half integer order LSPs modes exist on the corrugated ring loaded with a slit, which actually arise from the Fabry-Perot-like resonances. By mounting active components across the slit in the corrugated rings, electronic switchability and tunability of spoof LSPs modes have been accomplished. Both simulated and measured results demonstrate efficient dynamic control of the spoof LSPs. These elements may form the basis of highly integrated programmable plasmonic circuits in microwave and terahertz regimes.

Bracket for photovoltaic modules

DOEpatents

Ciasulli, John; Jones, Jason

2014-06-24

Brackets for photovoltaic ("PV") modules are described. In one embodiment, a saddle bracket has a mounting surface to support one or more PV modules over a tube, a gusset coupled to the mounting surface, and a mounting feature coupled to the gusset to couple to the tube. The gusset can have a first leg and a second leg extending at an angle relative to the mounting surface. Saddle brackets can be coupled to a torque tube at predetermined locations. PV modules can be coupled to the saddle brackets. The mounting feature can be coupled to the first gusset and configured to stand the one or more PV modules off the tube.

Surface charge- and space-dependent transport of proteins in crowded environments of nanotailored posts.

PubMed

Choi, Chang Kyoung; Fowlkes, Jason D; Retterer, Scott T; Siuti, Piro; Iyer, Sukanya; Doktycz, Mitchel J

2010-06-22

The reaction and diffusion of molecules across barriers and through crowded environments is integral to biological system function and to separation technologies. Ordered, microfabricated post arrays are a promising route to creating synthetic barriers with controlled chemical and physical characteristics. They can be used to create crowded environments, to mimic aspects of cellular membranes, and to serve as engineered replacements of polymer-based separation media. Here, the translational diffusion of fluorescein isothiocyante and various forms of green fluorescent protein (GFP), including "supercharged" variants, are examined in a silicon-based post array environment. The technique of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is combined with analytical approximations and numerical simulations to assess the relative effects of reaction and diffusion on molecular transport, respectively. FRAP experiments were conducted for 64 different cases where the molecular species, the density of the posts, and the chemical surface charge of the posts were varied. In all cases, the dense packing of the posts hindered the diffusive transport of the fluorescent species. The supercharged GFPs strongly interacted with oppositely charged surfaces. With similar molecular and surface charges, transport is primarily limited by hindered diffusion. For conventional, enhanced GFP in a positively charged surface environment, transport was limited by the coupled action of hindered diffusion and surface interaction with the posts. Quantification of the size-, space-, time-, and charge-dependent translational diffusion in the post array environments can provide insight into natural processes and guide the design and development of selective membrane systems.

Freeform correction polishing for optics with semi-kinematic mounting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Chien-Yao; Kuo, Ching-Hsiang; Peng, Wei-Jei; Yu, Zong-Ru; Ho, Cheng-Fang; Hsu, Ming-Ying; Hsu, Wei-Yao

2015-10-01

Several mounting configurations could be applied to opto-mechanical design for achieving high precise optical system. The retaining ring mounting is simple and cost effective. However, it would deform the optics due to its unpredictable over-constraint forces. The retaining ring can be modified to three small contact areas becoming a semi-kinematic mounting. The semi-kinematic mounting can give a fully constrained in lens assembly and avoid the unpredictable surface deformation. However, there would be still a deformation due to self-weight in large optics especially in vertical setup applications. The self-weight deformation with a semi-kinematic mounting is a stable, repeatable and predictable combination of power and trefoil aberrations. This predictable deformation can be pre-compensated onto the design surface and be corrected by using CNC polisher. Thus it is a freeform surface before mounting to the lens cell. In this study, the freeform correction polishing is demonstrated in a Φ150 lens with semi-kinematic mounting. The clear aperture of the lens is Φ143 mm. We utilize ANSYS simulation software to analyze the lens deformation due to selfweight deformation with semi-kinematic mounting. The simulation results of the self-weight deformation are compared with the measurement results of the assembled lens cell using QED aspheric stitching interferometer (ASI). Then, a freeform surface of a lens with semi-kinematic mounting due to self-weight deformation is verified. This deformation would be corrected by using QED Magnetorheological Finishing (MRF® ) Q-flex 300 polishing machine. The final surface form error of the assembled lens cell after MRF figuring is 0.042 λ in peak to valley (PV).

On deriving the Maxwell stress tensor method for calculating the optical force and torque on an object in harmonic electromagnetic fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, Qian; Lin, Haoze

2017-07-01

Though extensively used in calculating optical force and torque acting on a material object illuminated by laser, the Maxwell stress tensor (MST) method follows the electromagnetic linear and angular momentum balance that is usually derived in most textbooks for a continuous volume charge distribution in free space, if not resorting to the application of Noether’s theorem in electrodynamics. To cast the conservation laws into a physically appealing form involving the current densities of linear and angular momentum, on which the MST method is based, the divergence theorem is employed to transform a volume integral into a surface integral. When a material object of finite volume is put into the field, it brings about a discontinuity of field across its surface, due to the presence of induced surface charge and surface current. Ambiguity arises among students in whether the divergence theorem can still be directly used without any justification. By taking into account the effect of the induced surface charge and current, we present a simple pedagogical derivation for the MST method for calculating the optical force and torque on an object immersed in monochromatic optical field, without resorting to Noether’s theorem. Although the results turn out to be identical to those given in the standard textbooks, our derivation avoids the direct use of the divergence theorem on a discontinuous function.

Holding fixture for metallographic mount polishing

DOEpatents

Barth, C.H.; Cramer, C.E.

1997-12-30

A fixture is described for holding mounted specimens for polishing, having an arm; a body attached to one end of the arm, the body having at least one flange having an opening to accommodate a mounted specimen; and a means applying pressure against the outer surface of the mounted specimen to hold the specimen in contact with the polishing surface. 3 figs.

Athermal fading of luminescence in Al2 O3 ceramic substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terry, Ian; Kouroukla, Eftychia; Bailiff, Ian K.

2015-03-01

Retrospective dosimetry aims to reconstruct ionising radiation dose to populations following a radiological incident using materials not designed for that purpose. Sintered alumina ceramic can function as a dosimeter with its luminescence properties and related trapped charge storage mechanism. Its widespread use as a substrate in surface mount devices and incorporation in devices such as mobile phones make it a ubiquitous potential dosimeter. We investigated the optically (OSL) and thermally (TL) stimulated luminescence properties of sintered alumina substrates. In contrast to their single crystal analogue developed for personal dosimetry, Al2O3:C, the substrates exhibit a significant loss of trapped charge (fading) within hours following irradiation at RT that seriously limits their utility for dosimetry over an extended timescale. The fading rates of OSL and TL signals of 0402 resistors were analysed under various storage conditions (time and temperature), complemented by a study of their microstructure. The results support a model of athermal loss of trapped charge due to electron tunnelling from trapping states; this contrasting behaviour is attributed to a physical modification of the trap environment arising from the manufacturing process.

Single-Shot Charge Readout Using a Cryogenic Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor Preamplifier Inline with a Silicon Single Electron Transistor at Millikelvin Temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curry, Matthew; England, Troy; Wendt, Joel; Pluym, Tammy; Lilly, Michael; Carr, Stephen; Carroll, Malcolm

Single-shot readout is a requirement for many implementations of quantum information processing. The single-shot readout fidelity is dependent on the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and bandwidth of the readout detection technique. Several different approaches are being pursued to enhance read-out including RF-reflectometry, RF-transmission, parametric amplification, and transistor-based cryogenic preamplification. The transistor-based cryogenic preamplifier is attractive in part because of the reduced experimental complexity compared with the RF techniques. Here we present single-shot charge readout using a cryogenic Heterojunction-Bipolar-Transistor (HBT) inline with a silicon SET charge-sensor at millikelvin temperatures. For the relevant range of HBT DC-biasing, the current gain is 100 to 2000 and the power dissipation is 50 nW to 5 μW, with the microfabricated SET and discrete HBT in an integrated package mounted to the mixing chamber stage of a dilution refrigerator. We experimentally demonstrate a SNR of up to 10 with a bandwidth of 1 MHz, corresponding to a single-shot time-domain charge-sensitivity of approximately 10-4 e / √Hz. This measured charge-sensitivity is comparable to the values reported using the RF techniques. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed-Martin Company, for the U. S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Mounting Systems for Structural Members, Fastening Assemblies Thereof, and Vibration Isolation Systems Including the Same

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Ken (Inventor); Hindle, Timothy (Inventor); Barber, Tim Daniel (Inventor)

2016-01-01

Mounting systems for structural members, fastening assemblies thereof, and vibration isolation systems including the same are provided. Mounting systems comprise a pair of mounting brackets, each clamped against a fastening assembly forming a mounting assembly. Fastening assemblies comprise a spherical rod end comprising a spherical member having a through opening and an integrally threaded shaft, first and second seating members on opposite sides of the spherical member and each having a through opening that is substantially coaxial with the spherical member through opening, and a partially threaded fastener that threadably engages each mounting bracket forming the mounting assembly. Structural members have axial end portions, each releasably coupled to a mounting bracket by the integrally threaded shaft. Axial end portions are threaded in opposite directions for permitting structural member rotation to adjust a length thereof to a substantially zero strain position. Structural members may be vibration isolator struts in vibration isolation systems.

Nickel hydrogen cell tests. [recharging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, V. C.

1981-01-01

Some parametric tests followed by cycling tests are described for the characterization of the service life of nickel hydrogen cells. Three cells were automatically cycled in simulated low Earth orbit in 35 minute discharge, 55 minute charge, with charging voltage limited, temperature compensated. The cells were mounted in a fixture that conducts heat to an aluminum baseplate. The baseplate in turn, is bounded in a temperature controlled bath to remove the heat from the mounted fixture. One cell was tested with a zircar separator, which failed after 2473 cyles. Two other cells were tested one with a zircar separator; the other with asbestos. More than 400 cycles were achieved.

Three-point spherical mirror mount

DOEpatents

Cutburth, Ronald W.

1990-01-01

A three-point spherical mirror mount for use with lasers is disclosed. The improved mirror mount is adapted to provide a pivot ring having an outer surface with at least three spaced apart mating points to engage an inner spherical surface of a support housing.

Three-point spherical mirror mount

DOEpatents

Cutburth, R.W.

1984-01-23

A three-point spherical mirror mount for use with lasers is disclosed. The improved mirror mount is adapted to provide a pivot ring having an outer surface with at least three spaced apart mating points to engage an inner spherical surface of a support housing.

A family of neuromuscular stimulators with optical transcutaneous control.

PubMed

Jarvis, J C; Salmons, S

1991-01-01

A family of miniature implantable neuromuscular stimulators has been developed using surface-mounted Philips 4000-series integrated circuits. The electronic components are mounted by hand on printed circuits (platinum/gold on alumina) and the electrical connections are made by reflow soldering. The plastic integrated-circuit packages, ceramic resistors and metal interconnections are protected from the body fluids by a coating of biocompatible silicone rubber. This simple technology provides reliable function for at least 4 months under implanted conditions. The circuits have in common a single lithium cell power-supply (3.2 V) and an optical sensor which can be used to detect light flashes through the skin after the device has been implanted. This information channel may be used to switch the output of a device on or off, or to cycle through a series of pre-set programs. The devices are currently finding application in studies which provide an experimental basis for the clinical exploitation of electrically stimulated skeletal muscle in cardiac assistance, sphincter reconstruction or functional electrical stimulation of paralysed limbs.

Photovoltaic module mounting system

DOEpatents

Miros, Robert H. J.; Mittan, Margaret Birmingham; Seery, Martin N; Holland, Rodney H

2012-09-18

A solar array mounting system having unique installation, load distribution, and grounding features, and which is adaptable for mounting solar panels having no external frame. The solar array mounting system includes flexible, pedestal-style feet and structural links connected in a grid formation on the mounting surface. The photovoltaic modules are secured in place via the use of attachment clamps that grip the edge of the typically glass substrate. The panel mounting clamps are then held in place by tilt brackets and/or mid-link brackets that provide fixation for the clamps and align the solar panels at a tilt to the horizontal mounting surface. The tilt brackets are held in place atop the flexible feet and connected link members thus creating a complete mounting structure.

Photovoltaic module mounting system

DOEpatents

Miros, Robert H. J. [Fairfax, CA; Mittan, Margaret Birmingham [Oakland, CA; Seery, Martin N [San Rafael, CA; Holland, Rodney H [Novato, CA

2012-04-17

A solar array mounting system having unique installation, load distribution, and grounding features, and which is adaptable for mounting solar panels having no external frame. The solar array mounting system includes flexible, pedestal-style feet and structural links connected in a grid formation on the mounting surface. The photovoltaic modules are secured in place via the use of attachment clamps that grip the edge of the typically glass substrate. The panel mounting clamps are then held in place by tilt brackets and/or mid-link brackets that provide fixation for the clamps and align the solar panels at a tilt to the horizontal mounting surface. The tilt brackets are held in place atop the flexible feet and connected link members thus creating a complete mounting structure.

Autonomous Rover Traverse and Precise Arm Placement on Remotely Designated Targets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Felder, Michael; Nesnas, Issa A.; Pivtoraiko, Mihail; Kelly, Alonzo; Volpe, Richard

2011-01-01

Exploring planetary surfaces typically involves traversing challenging and unknown terrain and acquiring in-situ measurements at designated locations using arm-mounted instruments. We present field results for a new implementation of an autonomous capability that enables a rover to traverse and precisely place an arm-mounted instrument on remote targets. Using point-and-click mouse commands, a scientist designates targets in the initial imagery acquired from the rover's mast cameras. The rover then autonomously traverse the rocky terrain for a distance of 10 - 15 m, tracks the target(s) of interest during the traverse, positions itself for approaching the target, and then precisely places an arm-mounted instrument within 2-3 cm from the originally designated target. The rover proceeds to acquire science measurements with the instrument. This work advances what has been previously developed and integrated on the Mars Exploration Rovers by using algorithms that are capable of traversing more rock-dense terrains, enabling tight thread-the-needle maneuvers. We integrated these algorithms on the newly refurbished Athena Mars research rover and fielded them in the JPL Mars Yard. We conducted 43 runs with targets at distances ranging from 5 m to 15 m and achieved a success rate of 93% for placement of the instrument within 2-3 cm.

Quantifying the thickness of the electrical double layer neutralizing a planar electrode: the capacitive compactness.

PubMed

Guerrero-García, Guillermo Iván; González-Tovar, Enrique; Chávez-Páez, Martín; Kłos, Jacek; Lamperski, Stanisław

2017-12-20

The spatial extension of the ionic cloud neutralizing a charged colloid or an electrode is usually characterized by the Debye length associated with the supporting charged fluid in the bulk. This spatial length arises naturally in the linear Poisson-Boltzmann theory of point charges, which is the cornerstone of the widely used Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek formalism describing the colloidal stability of electrified macroparticles. By definition, the Debye length is independent of important physical features of charged solutions such as the colloidal charge, electrostatic ion correlations, ionic excluded volume effects, or specific short-range interactions, just to mention a few. In order to include consistently these features to describe more accurately the thickness of the electrical double layer of an inhomogeneous charged fluid in planar geometry, we propose here the use of the capacitive compactness concept as a generalization of the compactness of the spherical electrical double layer around a small macroion (González-Tovar et al., J. Chem. Phys. 2004, 120, 9782). To exemplify the usefulness of the capacitive compactness to characterize strongly coupled charged fluids in external electric fields, we use integral equations theory and Monte Carlo simulations to analyze the electrical properties of a model molten salt near a planar electrode. In particular, we study the electrode's charge neutralization, and the maximum inversion of the net charge per unit area of the electrode-molten salt system as a function of the ionic concentration, and the electrode's charge. The behaviour of the associated capacitive compactness is interpreted in terms of the charge neutralization capacity of the highly correlated charged fluid, which evidences a shrinking/expansion of the electrical double layer at a microscopic level. The capacitive compactness and its first two derivatives are expressed in terms of experimentally measurable macroscopic properties such as the differential and integral capacity, the electrode's surface charge density, and the mean electrostatic potential at the electrode's surface.

Navy Lasers, Railgun, and Hypervelocity Projectile: Background and Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-27

surface ships to defend themselves against enemy missiles—solid state lasers (SSLs), the electromagnetic railgun (EMRG), and the hypervelocity... electromagnetic railgun (EMRG), and the hypervelocity projectile (HVP). 1 Any one of these new weapon technologies, if successfully developed and deployed...Number: N00024-15-R-4132, FedBizOpps.gov, July 29, 2015. See also Justin Doubleday, “Navy Developing Integrated Mount For Electromagnetic Railgun

Navy Lasers, Railgun, and Hypervelocity Projectile: Background and Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-21

surface ships to defend themselves against enemy missiles—solid state lasers (SSLs), the electromagnetic railgun (EMRG), and the hypervelocity...SSLs), the electromagnetic railgun (EMRG), and the hypervelocity projectile (HVP). 1 Any one of these new weapon technologies, if successfully...Integrated Mount For Electromagnetic Railgun,” Inside the Navy, July 31, 2015.) 12 Sources for cost of HVP: David Martin, “Navy’s Newest Weapon Kills at

Soft, curved electrode systems capable of integration on the auricle as a persistent brain–computer interface

PubMed Central

Norton, James J. S.; Lee, Dong Sup; Lee, Jung Woo; Lee, Woosik; Kwon, Ohjin; Won, Phillip; Jung, Sung-Young; Cheng, Huanyu; Jeong, Jae-Woong; Akce, Abdullah; Umunna, Stephen; Na, Ilyoun; Kwon, Yong Ho; Wang, Xiao-Qi; Liu, ZhuangJian; Paik, Ungyu; Huang, Yonggang; Bretl, Timothy; Yeo, Woon-Hong; Rogers, John A.

2015-01-01

Recent advances in electrodes for noninvasive recording of electroencephalograms expand opportunities collecting such data for diagnosis of neurological disorders and brain–computer interfaces. Existing technologies, however, cannot be used effectively in continuous, uninterrupted modes for more than a few days due to irritation and irreversible degradation in the electrical and mechanical properties of the skin interface. Here we introduce a soft, foldable collection of electrodes in open, fractal mesh geometries that can mount directly and chronically on the complex surface topology of the auricle and the mastoid, to provide high-fidelity and long-term capture of electroencephalograms in ways that avoid any significant thermal, electrical, or mechanical loading of the skin. Experimental and computational studies establish the fundamental aspects of the bending and stretching mechanics that enable this type of intimate integration on the highly irregular and textured surfaces of the auricle. Cell level tests and thermal imaging studies establish the biocompatibility and wearability of such systems, with examples of high-quality measurements over periods of 2 wk with devices that remain mounted throughout daily activities including vigorous exercise, swimming, sleeping, and bathing. Demonstrations include a text speller with a steady-state visually evoked potential-based brain–computer interface and elicitation of an event-related potential (P300 wave). PMID:25775550

Soft, curved electrode systems capable of integration on the auricle as a persistent brain-computer interface.

PubMed

Norton, James J S; Lee, Dong Sup; Lee, Jung Woo; Lee, Woosik; Kwon, Ohjin; Won, Phillip; Jung, Sung-Young; Cheng, Huanyu; Jeong, Jae-Woong; Akce, Abdullah; Umunna, Stephen; Na, Ilyoun; Kwon, Yong Ho; Wang, Xiao-Qi; Liu, ZhuangJian; Paik, Ungyu; Huang, Yonggang; Bretl, Timothy; Yeo, Woon-Hong; Rogers, John A

2015-03-31

Recent advances in electrodes for noninvasive recording of electroencephalograms expand opportunities collecting such data for diagnosis of neurological disorders and brain-computer interfaces. Existing technologies, however, cannot be used effectively in continuous, uninterrupted modes for more than a few days due to irritation and irreversible degradation in the electrical and mechanical properties of the skin interface. Here we introduce a soft, foldable collection of electrodes in open, fractal mesh geometries that can mount directly and chronically on the complex surface topology of the auricle and the mastoid, to provide high-fidelity and long-term capture of electroencephalograms in ways that avoid any significant thermal, electrical, or mechanical loading of the skin. Experimental and computational studies establish the fundamental aspects of the bending and stretching mechanics that enable this type of intimate integration on the highly irregular and textured surfaces of the auricle. Cell level tests and thermal imaging studies establish the biocompatibility and wearability of such systems, with examples of high-quality measurements over periods of 2 wk with devices that remain mounted throughout daily activities including vigorous exercise, swimming, sleeping, and bathing. Demonstrations include a text speller with a steady-state visually evoked potential-based brain-computer interface and elicitation of an event-related potential (P300 wave).

Soft, curved electrode systems capable of integration on the auricle as a persistent brain–computer interface

DOE PAGES

Norton, James J. S.; Lee, Dong Sup; Lee, Jung Woo; ...

2015-03-16

Some recent advances in electrodes for noninvasive recording of electroencephalograms expand opportunities collecting such data for diagnosis of neurological disorders and brain–computer interfaces. Existing technologies, but, cannot be used effectively in continuous, uninterrupted modes for more than a few days due to irritation and irreversible degradation in the electrical and mechanical properties of the skin interface. We introduce a soft, foldable collection of electrodes in open, fractal mesh geometries that can mount directly and chronically on the complex surface topology of the auricle and the mastoid, to provide high-fidelity and long-term capture of electroencephalograms in ways that avoid any significantmore » thermal, electrical, or mechanical loading of the skin. Experimental and computational studies establish the fundamental aspects of the bending and stretching mechanics that enable this type of intimate integration on the highly irregular and textured surfaces of the auricle. Furthermore, cell level tests and thermal imaging studies establish the biocompatibility and wearability of such systems, with examples of high-quality measurements over periods of 2 wk with devices that remain mounted throughout daily activities including vigorous exercise, swimming, sleeping, and bathing. Demonstrations include a text speller with a steady-state visually evoked potential-based brain–computer interface and elicitation of an event-related potential (P300 wave).« less

New virtual sonar and wireless sensor system concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houston, B. H.; Bucaro, J. A.; Romano, A. J.

2004-05-01

Recently, exciting new sensor array concepts have been proposed which, if realized, could revolutionize how we approach surface mounted acoustic sensor systems for underwater vehicles. Two such schemes are so-called ``virtual sonar'' which is formulated around Helmholtz integral processing and ``wireless'' systems which transfer sensor information through radiated RF signals. The ``virtual sonar'' concept provides an interesting framework through which to combat the dilatory effects of the structure on surface mounted sensor systems including structure-borne vibration and variations in structure-backing impedance. The ``wireless'' concept would eliminate the necessity of a complex wiring or fiber-optic external network while minimizing vehicle penetrations. Such systems, however, would require a number of advances in sensor and RF waveguide technologies. In this presentation, we will discuss those sensor and sensor-related developments which are desired or required in order to make practical such new sensor system concepts, and we will present several underwater applications from the perspective of exploiting these new sonar concepts. [Work supported by ONR.

Electrical sensing of the dynamical structure of the planetary boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicoll, K. A.; Harrison, R. G.; Silva, H. G.; Salgado, R.; Melgâo, M.; Bortoli, D.

2018-04-01

Turbulent and convective processes within the planetary boundary layer are responsible for the transport of moisture, momentum and particulate matter, but are also important in determining the electrical charge transport of the lower atmosphere. This paper presents the first high resolution vertical charge profiles during fair weather conditions, obtained with instrumented radiosonde balloons over Alqueva, Portugal during the summer of 2014. The short intervals (4 h) between balloon flights enabled the diurnal variation in the vertical profile of charge within the boundary layer to be examined in detail, with much smaller charges (up to 20 pC m- 3) observed during stable night time periods than during the day. Following sunrise, the evolution of the charge profile was complex, demonstrating charged ultrafine aerosol, lofted upwards by daytime convection. This produced charge up to 92 pC m- 3 up to 500 m above the surface. The diurnal variation in the integrated column of charge above the site tracked closely with the diurnal variation in near surface charge as derived from a nearby electric field sensor, confirming the importance of the link between surface charge generation processes and aloft. The local aerosol vertical profiles were estimated using backscatter measurements from a collocated ceilometer. These were utilised in a simple model to calculate the charge expected due to vertical conduction current flow in the global electric circuit through aerosol layers. The analysis presented here demonstrates that charge can provide detailed information about boundary layer transport, particularly in regard to the ultrafine aerosol structure, that conventional thermodynamic and ceilometer measurements do not.

Observation of Iron Specific Interaction with a Charge Neutral Phospholipid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wenjie; Zhang, Honghu; Feng, Shuren; San Emeterio, Josue; Kuzmenko, Ivan; Nilsen-Hamilton, Marit; Mallapragada, Surya; Vaknin, David

2015-03-01

Using surface sensitive X-ray scattering and spectroscopic techniques we show that phosphatidyl choline (PC) head groups attract positively charged iron ions and complexes even at pH values that are lower than 3. DPPC (1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) is a zwitterionic lipid typically used as a model system for cell membranes. Within a large pH range (3 -11), it carries a negative charge on the phosphate group and a positive charge on the quaternary ammonium cation, thus appears charge neutral. Further lowering the pH, i.e. adding a proton to the phosphate group, results in a positively charged headgroup. Surprisingly, we detect significant enrichment of iron at the interface of the DPPC monolayer and the aqueous subphase with the pH maintained at 3 or even lower. With a supposedly charge neutral or even positive surface, the observation of surface bound, charge positive iron ions or iron hydroxides is counter-intuitive and suggests iron-specific interaction with the phospholipid headgroup, which is not governed by electrostatic interaction. The effect of the integration of Mms6, a membrane protein that promotes the formation of magnetic nanocrystals, into the DPPC monolayer will also be discussed. Research supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11358 and DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Design and Calibration of a Raman Spectrometer for use in a Laser Spectroscopy Instrument Intended to Analyze Martian Surface and Atmospheric Characteristics for NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucas, John F.; Hornef, James

2016-01-01

This project's goal is the design of a Raman spectroscopy instrument to be utilized by NASA in an integrated spectroscopy strategy that will include Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Laser-Induced Florescence Spectroscopy (LIFS) for molecule and element identification on Mars Europa, and various asteroids. The instrument is to be down scaled from a dedicated rover mounted instrument into a compact unit with the same capabilities and accuracy as the larger instrument. The focus for this design is a spectrometer that utilizes Raman spectroscopy. The spectrometer has a calculated range of 218 nm wavelength spectrum with a resolution of 1.23 nm. To filter out the laser source wavelength of 532 nm the spectrometer design utilizes a 532 nm wavelength dichroic mirror and a 532 nm wavelength notch filter. The remaining scatter signal is concentrated by a 20 x microscopic objective through a 25-micron vertical slit into a 5mm diameter, 1cm focal length double concave focusing lens. The light is then diffracted by a 1600 Lines per Millimeter (L/mm) dual holographic transmission grating. This spectrum signal is captured by a 1-inch diameter double convex 3 cm focal length capture lens. An Intensified Charge Couple Device (ICCD) is placed within the initial focal cone of the capture lens and the Raman signal captured is to be analyzed through spectroscopy imaging software. This combination allows for accurate Raman spectroscopy to be achieved. The components for the spectrometer have been bench tested in a series of prototype developments based on theoretical calculations, alignment, and scaling strategies. The mounting platform is 2.5 cm wide by 8.8 cm long by 7 cm height. This platform has been tested and calibrated with various sources such as a neon light source and ruby crystal. This platform is intended to be enclosed in a ruggedized enclosure for mounting on a rover platform. The size and functionality of the Raman spectrometer allows for the rover to carry other mission critical devices. This project will be continued at NASA until the requirements are met for the expected initial 2020 launch date.

Flexible circuits with integrated switches for robotic shape sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harnett, C. K.

2016-05-01

Digital switches are commonly used for detecting surface contact and limb-position limits in robotics. The typical momentary-contact digital switch is a mechanical device made from metal springs, designed to connect with a rigid printed circuit board (PCB). However, flexible printed circuits are taking over from the rigid PCB in robotics because the circuits can bend while carrying signals and power through moving joints. This project is motivated by a previous work where an array of surface-mount momentary contact switches on a flexible circuit acted as an all-digital shape sensor compatible with the power resources of energy harvesting systems. Without a rigid segment, the smallest commercially-available surface-mount switches would detach from the flexible circuit after several bending cycles, sometimes violently. This report describes a low-cost, conductive fiber based method to integrate electromechanical switches into flexible circuits and other soft, bendable materials. Because the switches are digital (on/off), they differ from commercially-available continuous-valued bend/flex sensors. No amplification or analog-to-digital conversion is needed to read the signal, but the tradeoff is that the digital switches only give a threshold curvature value. Boundary conditions on the edges of the flexible circuit are key to setting the threshold curvature value for switching. This presentation will discuss threshold-setting, size scaling of the design, automation for inserting a digital switch into the flexible circuit fabrication process, and methods for reconstructing a shape from an array of digital switch states.

Varactor with integrated micro-discharge source

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

Elizondo-Decanini, Juan M.; Manginell, Ronald P.; Moorman, Matthew W.

2016-10-18

An apparatus that includes a varactor element and an integrated micro-discharge source is disclosed herein. In a general embodiment, the apparatus includes at least one np junction and at least one voltage source that is configured to apply voltage across the np junction. The apparatus further includes an aperture that extends through the np junction. When the voltage is applied across the np junction, gas in the aperture is ionized, forming a plasma, in turn causing a micro-discharge (of light, charge particles, and space charge) to occur. The light (charge particles, and space charge) impinges upon the surface of themore » np junction exposed in the aperture, thereby altering capacitance of the np junction. When used within an oscillator circuit, the effect of the plasma on the np-junction extends the capacitance changes of the np-junction and extends the oscillator frequency range in ways not possible by a conventional voltage controlled oscillator (VCO).« less

Gated charged-particle trap

DOEpatents

Benner, W.H.

1999-03-09

The design and operation of a new type of charged-particle trap provides simultaneous measurements of mass, charge, and velocity of large electrospray ions. The trap consists of a detector tube mounted between two sets of center-bored trapping plates. Voltages applied to the trapping plates define symmetrically-opposing potential valleys which guide axially-injected ions to cycle back and forth through the charge-detection tube. A low noise charge-sensitive amplifier, connected to the tube, reproduces the image charge of individual ions as they pass through the detector tube. Ion mass is calculated from measurement of ion charge and velocity following each passage through the detector. 5 figs.

Off-axis reflective optical apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ames, Lawrence L. (Inventor); Leary, David F. (Inventor); Mammini, Paul V. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a simple apparatus and a convenient and accurate method of mounting the components to form an off-axis reflective optical apparatus such as a collimator. In one embodiment, an off-axis reflective optical apparatus comprises a mounting block having a ferrule holder support surface and an off-axis reflector support surface which is generally perpendicular to the ferrule holder support surface. An optical reflector is mounted on the off-axis reflector support surface and has a reflected beam centerline. The optical reflector has a conic reflective surface and a conic center. A ferrule holder is mounted on the ferrule holder support surface. The ferrule holder provides a ferrule for coupling to an optical fiber and orienting a fiber tip of the optical fiber along a fiber axis toward the optical reflector. The fiber axis is nonparallel to the reflected beam centerline. Prior to mounting the optical reflector to the off-axis reflector support surface and prior to mounting the ferrule holder to the ferrule holder support surface, the optical reflector is movable on the off-axis reflector surface and the ferrule holder is movable on the ferrule holder support surface to align the conic center of the optical reflector with respect to the fiber tip of the optical fiber, and the apparatus has at least one of the following features: (1) the optical reflector is movable on the off-axis reflector support surface to adjust a focus of the fiber tip with respect to the optical reflector, and (2) the ferrule holder is movable on the ferrule holder support surface to adjust the focus of the fiber tip with respect to the optical reflector.

The Aerostructures Test Wing (ATW), which consisted of an 18-inch carbon fiber test wing with surface-mounted piezoelectric strain actuators, was mounted on a special ventral flight test fixture and flown on Dryden's F-15B Research Testbed aircraft

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-03-28

The Aerostructures Test Wing (ATW), which consisted of an 18-inch carbon fiber test wing with surface-mounted piezoelectric strain actuators, was mounted on a special ventral flight test fixture and flown on Dryden's F-15B Research Testbed aircraft

Brownian dynamics simulations of simplified cytochrome c molecules in the presence of a charged surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorba, C.; Geyer, T.; Helms, V.

2004-07-01

Simulations were performed for up to 150 simplified spherical horse heart cytochrome c molecules in the presence of a charged surface, which serves as an approximate model for a lipid membrane. Screened electrostatic and short-ranged attractive as well as repulsive van der Waals forces for interparticle and particle-membrane interactions are utilized in the simulations. At a distance from the membrane, where particle-membrane interactions are negligible, the simulation is coupled to a noninteraction continuum analogous to a heat bath [Geyer et al., J. Chem. Phys. 120, 4573 (2004)]. From the particles' density profiles perpendicular to the planar surface binding isotherms are derived and compared to experimental results [Heimburg et al. (1999)]. Using a negatively charged structureless membrane surface a saturation effect was found for relatively large particle concentrations. Since biological membranes often contain membrane proteins, we also studied the influence of additional charges on our model membrane mimicking bacterial reaction centers. We find that the onset of the saturation occurs for much lower concentrations and is sensitive to the detailed implementation. Therefore we suggest that local distortion of membrane planarity (undulation), or lipid demixing, or the presence of charged integral membrane proteins create preferential binding sites on the membrane. Only then do we observe saturation at physiological concentrations.

Mounting support for a photovoltaic module

DOEpatents

Brandt, Gregory Michael; Barsun, Stephan K.; Coleman, Nathaniel T.; Zhou, Yin

2013-03-26

A mounting support for a photovoltaic module is described. The mounting support includes a foundation having an integrated wire-way ledge portion. A photovoltaic module support mechanism is coupled with the foundation.

Summary of the CTS Transient Event Counter data after one year of operation. [Communication Technology Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, N. J.; Klinect, V. W.; Gore, J. V.

1977-01-01

The environmental charging of satellite surfaces during geomagnetic substorms is the apparent cause of a significant number of anomalous events occurring on geosynchronous satellites since the early 1970's. Electromagnetic pulses produced in connection with the differential charging of insulators can couple into the spacecraft harness and cause electronic switching anomalies. An investigation conducted to determine the response of the spacecraft surfaces to substorm particle fluxes makes use of a harness transient detector. The harness transient detector, called the Transient Event Counter (TEC) was built and integrated into the Canadian-American Communications Technology Satellite (CTS). A description of the TEC and its operational characteristics is given and the obtained data are discussed. The data show that the satellite surfaces appear to be charged to the point that discharges occur and that the discharge-induced transients couple into the wire harnesses.

Electronically controlled spoof localized surface plasmons on the corrugated ring with a shorting pin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Chao; Zhou, Yong Jin

2018-07-01

We have demonstrated that spoof localized surface plasmons (LSPs) can be controlled by loading a shorting pin into the corrugated ring resonator in the microwave and terahertz (THz) frequencies. Electronical switchability and tunability of spoof LSPs have been achieved by mounting Schottky barrier diodes and varactor diodes across the slit around the shorting pin in the ground plane. An electronically tunable band-pass filter has been demostrated in the microwave frequencies. Such electronically controlled spoof LSPs devices can find more applications for highly integrated plasmonic circuits in microwave and THz frequencies.

Automated inspection of solder joints for surface mount technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savage, Robert M.; Park, Hyun Soo; Fan, Mark S.

1993-01-01

Researchers at NASA/GSFC evaluated various automated inspection systems (AIS) technologies using test boards with known defects in surface mount solder joints. These boards were complex and included almost every type of surface mount device typical of critical assemblies used for space flight applications: X-ray radiography; X-ray laminography; Ultrasonic Imaging; Optical Imaging; Laser Imaging; and Infrared Inspection. Vendors, representative of the different technologies, inspected the test boards with their particular machine. The results of the evaluation showed limitations of AIS. Furthermore, none of the AIS technologies evaluated proved to meet all of the inspection criteria for use in high-reliability applications. It was found that certain inspection systems could supplement but not replace manual inspection for low-volume, high-reliability, surface mount solder joints.

Surface Ship Infrared Signature Model Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-04-01

measurement equipment. Thermal images were collected with an airborne AGA-780 imaging radiometer installed in a Piper Navajo aicraft. The integrated...apply to four large combatants (Ostrowski, 1993) and the R/V Point Sur. (The RV Point Sw’ is a 135-ft research 6 ship, owned by the National Science...system was mounted in a Piper Navajo aircraft that was flown at low altitudes within the proximity of the ship. Stratus clouds were present throughout

All-fabric-based wearable self-charging power cloth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yu; Zhang, Jinxin; Guo, Hang; Chen, Xuexian; Su, Zongming; Chen, Haotian; Cheng, Xiaoliang; Zhang, Haixia

2017-08-01

We present an all-fabric-based self-charging power cloth (SCPC), which integrates a fabric-based single-electrode triboelectric generator (STEG) and a flexible supercapacitor. To effectively scavenge mechanical energy from the human motion, the STEG could be directly woven among the cloth, exhibiting excellent output capability. Meanwhile, taking advantage of fabric structures with a large surface-area and carbon nanotubes with high conductivity, the wearable supercapacitor exhibits high areal capacitance (16.76 mF/cm2) and stable cycling performance. With the fabric configuration and the aim of simultaneously collecting body motion energy by STEG and storing in supercapacitors, such SCPC could be easily integrated with textiles and charged to nearly 100 mV during the running motion within 6 min, showing great potential in self-powered wearable electronics and smart cloths.

Electrolyte effects in a model of proton discharge on charged electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiebe, Johannes; Kravchenko, Kateryna; Spohr, Eckhard

2015-01-01

We report results on the influence of NaCl electrolyte dissolved in water on proton discharge reactions from aqueous solution to charged platinum electrodes. We have extended a recently developed combined proton transfer/proton discharge model on the basis of empirical valence bond theory to include NaCl solutions with several different concentrations of cations and anions, both stoichiometric (1:1) compositions and non-stoichiometric ones with an excess of cations. The latter solutions partially screen the electrostatic potential from the surface charge of the negatively charged electrode. 500-1000 trajectories of a discharging proton were integrated by molecular dynamics simulations until discharge occurred, or for at most 1.5 ns. The results show a strong dependence on ionic strength, but only a weak dependence on the screening behavior, when comparing stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric solutions. Overall, the Na+ cations exert a more dominant effect on the discharge reaction, which we argue is likely due to the very rigid arrangements of the cations on the negatively polarized electrode surface. Thus, our model predicts, for the given and very high negative surface charge densities, the fastest discharge reaction for pure water, but obviously cannot take into account the fact that such high charge densities are even more out of reach experimentally than for higher electrolyte concentrations.

A bi-axial active boring tool for chatter mitigation

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

Redmond, J.M.; Barney, P.S.

This paper summarizes results of metal cutting tests using an actively damped boring bar to suppress regenerative chatter. PZT stack actuators were integrated into a commercially available two-inch diameter boring bar to suppress bending vibrations. Since the modified tool requires no specialized mounting hardware, it can be readily mounted on a variety of machines. A cutting test using the prototype bar to remove metal from a hardened steel workpiece verifies that the authors actively damped tool yields significant vibration reduction and improved surface finish as compared to the open-loop case. In addition, the overall performance of the prototype bar ismore » compared to that of an unmodified bar of pristine geometry, revealing that a significant enlargement of the stable machining envelope is obtained through application of feedback control.« less

Potassium ions in SiO2: electrets for silicon surface passivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonilla, Ruy S.; Wilshaw, Peter R.

2018-01-01

This manuscript reports an experimental and theoretical study of the transport of potassium ions in thin silicon dioxide films. While alkali contamination was largely researched in the context of MOSFET instability, recent reports indicate that potassium ions can be embedded into oxide films to produce dielectric materials with permanent electric charge, also known as electrets. These electrets are integral to a number of applications, including the passivation of silicon surfaces for optoelectronic devices. In this work, electric field assisted migration of ions is used to rapidly drive K+ into SiO2 and produce effective passivation of silicon surfaces. Charge concentrations of up to ~5  ×  1012 e cm-2 have been achieved. This charge was seen to be stable for over 1500 d, with decay time constants as high as 17 000 d, producing an effectively passivated oxide-silicon interface with SRV  <  7 cm s-1, in 1 Ω cm n-type material. This level of charge stability and passivation effectiveness has not been previously reported. Overall, this is a new and promising methodology to enhance surface passivation for the industrial manufacture of silicon optoelectronic devices.

Vibration dissipation mount for motors or the like

DOEpatents

Small, Thomas R.

1987-01-01

A vibration dissipation mount which permits the mounting of a motor, generator, or the like such that the rotatable shaft thereof passes through the mount and the mount permits the dissipation of self-induced and otherwise induced vibrations wherein the mount comprises a pair of plates having complementary concave and convex surfaces, a semi-resilient material being disposed therebetween.

Polarization of gold in nanopores leads to ion current rectification

DOE PAGES

Yang, Crystal; Hinkle, Preston; Menestrina, Justin; ...

2016-10-03

Biomimetic nanopores with rectifying properties are relevant components of ionic switches, ionic circuits, and biological sensors. Rectification indicates that currents for voltages of one polarity are higher than currents for voltages of the opposite polarity. Ion current rectification requires the presence of surface charges on the pore walls, achieved either by the attachment of charged groups or in multielectrode systems by applying voltage to integrated gate electrodes. Here we present a simpler concept for introducing surface charges via polarization of a thin layer of Au present at one entrance of a silicon nitride nanopore. In an electric field applied bymore » two electrodes placed in bulk solution on both sides of the membrane, the Au layer polarizes such that excess positive charge locally concentrates at one end and negative charge concentrates at the other end. Consequently, a junction is formed between zones with enhanced anion and cation concentrations in the solution adjacent to the Au layer. This bipolar double layer together with enhanced cation concentration in a negatively charged silicon nitride nanopore leads to voltage-controlled surface-charge patterns and ion current rectification. The experimental findings are supported by numerical modeling that confirm modulation of ionic concentrations by the Au layer and ion current rectification even in low-aspect ratio nanopores. Lastly, our findings enable a new strategy for creating ionic circuits with diodes and transistors.« less

Spherical mirror mount

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Jay L. (Inventor); Messick, Glenn C. (Inventor); Nardell, Carl A. (Inventor); Hendlin, Martin J. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A spherical mounting assembly for mounting an optical element allows for rotational motion of an optical surface of the optical element only. In that regard, an optical surface of the optical element does not translate in any of the three perpendicular translational axes. More importantly, the assembly provides adjustment that may be independently controlled for each of the three mutually perpendicular rotational axes.

2D Thermoluminescence imaging of dielectric surface long term charge memory of plasma surface interaction in DBD discharges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambrico, Paolo F.; Ambrico, Marianna; Schiavulli, Luigi; De Benedictis, Santolo

2014-07-01

The charge trapping effect due to the exposure of alumina surfaces to plasma has been studied in a volume dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in Ar and He noble gases. The long lasting charge trapping of alumina dielectric plates, used as barriers in DBDs, is evidenced by an ex situ thermoluminescence (TL) experiment performed with a standard and a custom two-dimensional (2D)-TL apparatus. The spatial density of trapped surface charges is found to be strongly correlated to the plasma morphology, and the surface spatial memory lasted for several minutes to hours after plasma exposure. In the case of Ar, the plasma channel impact signature on the surface shows a higher equivalent radiation dose with respect to the surface plasma wave and the post-discharge species signature. As a consequence, for the development of discharges, inside the dielectric surface the availability of lower energy trapped electrons is larger in the first region of plasma impact. The reported spatial memory increases the likelihood of the occurrence of plasma filaments in the same position in different runs. In He plasmas, the dielectric barrier shows an almost uniform distribution of trapped charges, meaning that there is no preferred region for the development of the discharge. In all cases a slight asymmetry was shown in the direction of the gas flow. This can be interpreted as being due to the long-living species moving in the direction of the gas flow, corresponding with the TL side experiment on the sample exposed to the plasma afterglow. The maximum values and the integral of the 2D-TL images showed a linear relation with the total charge per ac cycle, corresponding with findings for the TL glow curve. In conclusion, 2D-TL images allow the retrieval of information regarding the plasma surface interaction such as the plasma morphology, trap sites and their activation temperature.

Modelling of piezoelectric actuator dynamics for active structural control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hagood, Nesbitt W.; Chung, Walter H.; Von Flotow, Andreas

1990-01-01

The paper models the effects of dynamic coupling between a structure and an electrical network through the piezoelectric effect. The coupled equations of motion of an arbitrary elastic structure with piezoelectric elements and passive electronics are derived. State space models are developed for three important cases: direct voltage driven electrodes, direct charge driven electrodes, and an indirect drive case where the piezoelectric electrodes are connected to an arbitrary electrical circuit with embedded voltage and current sources. The equations are applied to the case of a cantilevered beam with surface mounted piezoceramics and indirect voltage and current drive. The theoretical derivations are validated experimentally on an actively controlled cantilevered beam test article with indirect voltage drive.

Toxicity of silver nanoparticles towards tumoral human cell lines U-937 and HL-60.

PubMed

Barbasz, Anna; Oćwieja, Magdalena; Roman, Maciej

2017-08-01

The toxicity of three types of silver nanoparticles towards histiocytic lymphoma (U-937) and human promyelocytic cells (HL-60) was studied. The nanoparticles were synthesized in a chemical reduction method using sodium borohydride. Trisodium citrate and cysteamine hydrochloride were used to generate a negative and positive nanoparticle surface charge. The evaluation of cell viability, membrane integrity, antioxidant activity and the induction of inflammation were used to evaluate the difference in cellular response to the nanoparticle treatment. The results revealed that the cysteamine-stabilized (positively charged) nanoparticles (SBATE) were the least toxic although they exhibited a similar ion release profile as the unmodified (negatively charged) nanoparticles obtained using sodium borohydride (SBNM). Citrate-stabilized nanoparticles (SBTC) induced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the HL-60 cells and total antioxidant activity in the U-937 cells despite their resistance to oxidative dissolution. The toxicity of SBNM nanoparticles was manifested in the disruption of membrane integrity, decrease in the mitochondrial functions of cells and the induction of inflammation. These findings allowed to conclude that mechanism of silver nanoparticle cytotoxicity is the combination of effects coming from the surface charge of nanoparticles, released silver ions and biological activity of stabilizing agent molecules. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Precise Determination of the Zero-Gravity Surface Figure of a Mirror without Gravity-Sag Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloemhof, Eric E.; Lam, Jonathan C.; Feria, V. Alfonso; Chang, Zensheu

2007-01-01

The zero-gravity surface figure of optics used in spaceborne astronomical instruments must be known to high accuracy, but earthbound metrology is typically corrupted by gravity sag. Generally, inference of the zero-gravity surface figure from a measurement made under normal gravity requires finite-element analysis (FEA), and for accurate results the mount forces must be well characterized. We describe how to infer the zero-gravity surface figure very precisely using the alternative classical technique of averaging pairs of measurements made with the direction of gravity reversed. We show that mount forces as well as gravity must be reversed between the two measurements and discuss how the St. Venant principle determines when a reversed mount force may be considered to be applied at the same place in the two orientations. Our approach requires no finite-element modeling and no detailed knowledge of mount forces other than the fact that they reverse and are applied at the same point in each orientation. If mount schemes are suitably chosen, zero-gravity optical surfaces may be inferred much more simply and more accurately than with FEA.

Plane development of lateral surfaces for inspection systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francini, F.; Fontani, D.; Jafrancesco, D.; Mercatelli, L.; Sansoni, P.

2006-08-01

The problem of developing the lateral surfaces of a 3D object can arise in item inspection using automated imaging systems. In an industrial environment, these control systems typically work at high rate and they have to assure a reliable inspection of the single item. For compactness requirements it is not convenient to utilise three or four CCD cameras to control all the lateral surfaces of an object. Moreover it is impossible to mount optical components near the object if it is placed on a conveyor belt. The paper presents a system that integrates on a single CCD picture the images of both the frontal surface and the lateral surface of an object. It consists of a freeform lens mounted in front of a CCD camera with a commercial lens. The aim is to have a good magnification of the lateral surface, maintaining a low aberration level for exploiting the pictures in an image processing software. The freeform lens, made in plastics, redirects the light coming from the object to the camera lens. The final result is to obtain on the CCD: - the frontal and lateral surface images, with a selected magnification (even with two different values for the two images); - a gap between these two images, so an automatic method to analyse the images can be easily applied. A simple method to design the freeform lens is illustrated. The procedure also allows to obtain the imaging system modifying a current inspection system reducing the cost.

Molecular-Scale Investigation of Heavy Metal Ions at a Charged Langmuir Monolayer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rock, William; Qiao, Baofu; Uysal, Ahmet; Bu, Wei; Lin, Binhua

Solvent extraction - the surfactant-aided preferential transfer of a species from an aqueous to an organic phase - is an important technique used in heavy and precious metal refining and reprocessing. Solvent extraction requires transfer through an oil/water interface, and interfacial interactions are expected to control transfer kinetics and phase stability, yet these key interactions are poorly understood. Langmuir monolayers with charged headgroups atop concentrated salt solutions containing heavy metal ions act as a model of solvent extraction interfaces; studies of ions at a charged surface are also fundamentally important to many other phenomena including protein solvation, mineral surface chemistry, and electrochemistry. We probe these charged interfaces using a variety of surface-sensitive techniques - vibrational sum frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy, x-ray reflectivity (XRR), x-ray fluorescence near total reflection (XFNTR), and grazing incidence diffraction (GID). We integrate experiments with Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations to uncover the molecular-level interfacial structure. This work is supported by the U.S. DOE, BES, Contract DE-AC02-06CH11357. ChemMatCARS is supported by NSF/CHE-1346572.

Quasi-Static Electric Field Generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Generazio, Edward R. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

A generator for producing an electric field for with an inspection technology system is provided. The generator provides the required variable magnitude quasi-static electric fields for the "illumination" of objects, areas and volumes to be inspected by the system, and produces human-safe electric fields that are only visible to the system. The generator includes a casing, a driven, non-conducting and triboelectrically neutral rotation shaft mounted therein, an ungrounded electrostatic dipole element which works in the quasi-static range, and a non-conducting support for mounting the dipole element to the shaft. The dipole element has a wireless motor system and a charging system which are wholly contained within the dipole element and the support that uses an electrostatic approach to charge the dipole element.

Nickel-cadium batteries for Apollo telescope mount

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirsch, W. W.; Shikoh, A. E.

1974-01-01

The operational testing and evaluation program is presented which was conducted on 20-ampere-hour nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries for use on the Apollo telescope mount (ATM). The test program was initiated in 1967 to determine if the batteries could meet ATM mission requirements and to determine operating characteristics and methods. The ATM system power and charging power for the Ni-Cd secondary batteries is provided by a solar array during the 58-minute daylight portion of the orbit; during the 36-minute night portion of the orbit, the Ni-Cd secondary batteries will supply ATM system power. The test results reflect battery operating characteristics and parameters relative to simulated ATM orbital test conditions. Maximum voltage, charge requirements, capacity, temperature, and cyclic characteristics are presented.

An improved integrally formed radio frequency quadrupole

DOEpatents

Abbott, S.R.

1987-10-05

An improved radio frequency quadrupole is provided having an elongate housing with an elongate central axis and top, bottom and two side walls symmetrically disposed about the axis, and vanes formed integrally with the walls, the vanes each having a cross-section at right angles to the central axis which tapers inwardly toward the axis to form electrode tips spaced from each other by predetermined distances. Each of the four walls, and the vanes integral therewith, is a separate structural element having a central lengthwise plane passing through the tip of the vane, the walls having flat mounting surfaces at right angles to and parallel to the control plane, respectively, which are butted together to position the walls and vane tips relative to each other. 4 figs.

The Shaped Charge Concept. Part 3. Applications of Shaped Charges

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-10-01

discus.A in Part 2. The MISTEL ( mistletoe ) concept used a fighter aircraft mounted piggyback on the top of a large bomber aircraft The unmanned...Tech. Pub. 2158, p.12. March 1947. Coles, R., and P. L Rickson. ’ Mistletoe - The Deadly Parasite," Air Classics Ouarterly Re’ew. Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 38

Solid state lighting component

DOEpatents

Yuan, Thomas; Keller, Bernd; Ibbetson, James; Tarsa, Eric; Negley, Gerald

2010-10-26

An LED component comprising an array of LED chips mounted on a planar surface of a submount with the LED chips capable of emitting light in response to an electrical signal. The LED chips comprise respective groups emitting at different colors of light, with each of the groups interconnected in a series circuit. A lens is included over the LED chips. Other embodiments can comprise thermal spreading structures included integral to the submount and arranged to dissipate heat from the LED chips.

Solid state lighting component

DOEpatents

Yuan, Thomas; Keller, Bernd; Ibbetson, James; Tarsa, Eric; Negley, Gerald

2015-07-07

An LED component comprising an array of LED chips mounted on a planar surface of a submount with the LED chips capable of emitting light in response to an electrical signal. The LED chips comprise respective groups emitting at different colors of light, with each of the groups interconnected in a series circuit. A lens is included over the LED chips. Other embodiments can comprise thermal spreading structures included integral to the submount and arranged to dissipate heat from the LED chips.

Solid state lighting component

DOEpatents

Keller, Bernd; Ibbetson, James; Tarsa, Eric; Negley, Gerald; Yuan, Thomas

2012-07-10

An LED component comprising an array of LED chips mounted on a planar surface of a submount with the LED chips capable of emitting light in response to an electrical signal. The LED chips comprise respective groups emitting at different colors of light, with each of the groups interconnected in a series circuit. A lens is included over the LED chips. Other embodiments can comprise thermal spreading structures included integral to the submount and arranged to dissipate heat from the LED chips.

Miniaturization of flight deflection measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fodale, Robert (Inventor); Hampton, Herbert R. (Inventor)

1990-01-01

A flight deflection measurement system is disclosed including a hybrid microchip of a receiver/decoder. The hybrid microchip decoder is mounted piggy back on the miniaturized receiver and forms an integral unit therewith. The flight deflection measurement system employing the miniaturized receiver/decoder can be used in a wind tunnel. In particular, the miniaturized receiver/decoder can be employed in a spin measurement system due to its small size and can retain already established control surface actuation functions.

Dispersing Zwitterions into Comb Polymers for Nonviral Transfection: Experiments and Molecular Simulation.

PubMed

Ghobadi, Ahmadreza F; Letteri, Rachel; Parelkar, Sangram S; Zhao, Yue; Chan-Seng, Delphine; Emrick, Todd; Jayaraman, Arthi

2016-02-08

Polymer-based gene delivery vehicles benefit from the presence of hydrophilic groups that mitigate the inherent toxicity of polycations and that provide tunable polymer-DNA binding strength and stable complexes (polyplexes). However, hydrophilic groups screen charge, and as such can reduce cell uptake and transfection efficiency. We report the effect of embedding zwitterionic sulfobetaine (SB) groups in cationic comb polymers, using a combination of experiments and molecular simulations. Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) produced comb polymers with tetralysine (K4) and SB pendent groups. Dynamic light scattering, zeta potential measurements, and fluorescence-based experiments, together with coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, described the effect of SB groups on the size, shape, surface charge, composition, and DNA binding strength of polyplexes formed using these comb polymers. Experiments and simulations showed that increasing SB composition in the comb polymers decreased polymer-DNA binding strength, while simulations indicated that the SB groups distributed throughout the polyplex. This allows polyplexes to maintain a positive surface charge and provide high levels of gene expression in live cells. Notably, comb polymers with nearly 50 mol % SB form polyplexes that exhibit positive surface charge similarly as polyplexes formed from purely cationic comb polymers, indicating the ability to introduce an appreciable amount of SB functionality without screening surface charge. This integrated simulation-experimental study demonstrates the effectiveness of incorporating zwitterions in polyplexes, while guiding the design of new and effective gene delivery vectors.

Jovian Plasma Modeling for Mission Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garrett, Henry B.; Kim, Wousik; Belland, Brent; Evans, Robin

2015-01-01

The purpose of this report is to address uncertainties in the plasma models at Jupiter responsible for surface charging and to update the jovian plasma models using the most recent data available. The updated plasma environment models were then used to evaluate two proposed Europa mission designs for spacecraft charging effects using the Nascap-2k code. The original Divine/Garrett jovian plasma model (or "DG1", T. N. Divine and H. B. Garrett, "Charged particle distributions in Jupiter's magnetosphere," J. Geophys. Res., vol. 88, pp. 6889-6903,1983) has not been updated in 30 years, and there are known errors in the model. As an example, the cold ion plasma temperatures between approx.5 and 10 Jupiter radii (Rj) were found by the experimenters who originally published the data to have been underestimated by approx.2 shortly after publication of the original DG1 model. As knowledge of the plasma environment is critical to any evaluation of the surface charging at Jupiter, the original DG1 model needed to be updated to correct for this and other changes in our interpretation of the data so that charging levels could beproperly estimated using the Nascap-2k charging code. As an additional task, the Nascap-2k spacecraft charging tool has been adapted to incorporate the so-called Kappa plasma distribution function--an important component of the plasma model necessary to compute the particle fluxes between approx.5 keV and 100 keV (at the outset of this study,Nascap-2k did not directly incorporate this common representation of the plasma thus limiting the accuracy of our charging estimates). The updating of the DG1 model and its integration into the Nascap-2k design tool means that charging concerns can now be more efficiently evaluated and mitigated. (We note that, given the subsequent decision by the Europa project to utilize solar arrays for its baseline design, surface charging effects have becomeeven more of an issue for its mission design). The modifications and results of those modifications to the DG1 model to produce the new DG2 model presented here and the steps taken to integrate the DG2 predictions into Nascap-2k are described in this report

Jovian plasma modeling for mission design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garrett, Henry B.; Kim, Wousik; Belland, Brent; Evans, Robin

2015-01-01

The purpose of this report is to address uncertainties in the plasma models at Jupiter responsible for surface charging and to update the jovian plasma models using the most recent data available. The updated plasma environment models were then used to evaluate two proposed Europa mission designs for spacecraft charging effects using the Nascap-2k code. The original Divine/Garrett jovian plasma model (or "DG1", T. N. Divine and H. B. Garrett, "Charged particle distributions in Jupiter's magnetosphere," J. Geophys. Res., vol. 88, pp. 6889-6903,1983) has not been updated in 30 years, and there are known errors in the model. As an example, the cold ion plasma temperatures between approx.5 and 10 Jupiter radii (Rj) were found by the experimenters who originally published the data to have been underestimated by approx.2 shortly after publication of the original DG1 model. As knowledge of the plasma environment is critical to any evaluation of the surface charging at Jupiter, the original DG1 model needed to be updated to correct for this and other changes in our interpretation of the data so that charging levels could beproperly estimated using the Nascap-2k charging code. As an additional task, the Nascap-2k spacecraft charging tool has been adapted to incorporate the so-called Kappa plasma distribution function--an important component of the plasma model necessary to compute the particle fluxes between approx.5 keV and 100 keV (at the outset of this study,Nascap-2k did not directly incorporate this common representation of the plasma thus limiting the accuracy of our charging estimates). The updating of the DG1 model and its integration into the Nascap-2k design tool means that charging concerns can now be more efficiently evaluated and mitigated. (We note that, given the subsequent decision by the Europa project to utilize solar arrays for its baseline design, surface charging effects have becomeeven more of an issue for its mission design). The modifications and results of those modifications to the DG1 model to produce the new DG2 model presented here and the steps taken to integrate the DG2 predictions into Nascap-2k are described in this report.

49 CFR 572.86 - Test conditions and dummy adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... lying on a horizontal surface and the neck assembly mounted and shoulders on the edge of the surface... surface with the shoulders on the edge of the surface, mount the head and tighten the head bolt and nut... upper arm and tighten firmly the adjustment bolts for the shoulder joint with the upper arm placed in a...

49 CFR 572.86 - Test conditions and dummy adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... lying on a horizontal surface and the neck assembly mounted and shoulders on the edge of the surface... surface with the shoulders on the edge of the surface, mount the head and tighten the head bolt and nut... upper arm and tighten firmly the adjustment bolts for the shoulder joint with the upper arm placed in a...

49 CFR 572.86 - Test conditions and dummy adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... lying on a horizontal surface and the neck assembly mounted and shoulders on the edge of the surface... surface with the shoulders on the edge of the surface, mount the head and tighten the head bolt and nut... upper arm and tighten firmly the adjustment bolts for the shoulder joint with the upper arm placed in a...

49 CFR 572.86 - Test conditions and dummy adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... lying on a horizontal surface and the neck assembly mounted and shoulders on the edge of the surface... surface with the shoulders on the edge of the surface, mount the head and tighten the head bolt and nut... upper arm and tighten firmly the adjustment bolts for the shoulder joint with the upper arm placed in a...

49 CFR 572.86 - Test conditions and dummy adjustment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... lying on a horizontal surface and the neck assembly mounted and shoulders on the edge of the surface... surface with the shoulders on the edge of the surface, mount the head and tighten the head bolt and nut... upper arm and tighten firmly the adjustment bolts for the shoulder joint with the upper arm placed in a...

Methods and apparatus for radially compliant component mounting

DOEpatents

Bulman, David Edward [Cincinnati, OH; Darkins, Jr., Toby George; Stumpf, James Anthony [Columbus, IN; Schroder, Mark S [Greenville, SC; Lipinski, John Joseph [Simpsonville, SC

2012-03-27

Methods and apparatus for a mounting assembly for a liner of a gas turbine engine combustor are provided. The combustor includes a combustor liner and a radially outer annular flow sleeve. The mounting assembly includes an inner ring surrounding a radially outer surface of the liner and including a plurality of axially extending fingers. The mounting assembly also includes a radially outer ring coupled to the inner ring through a plurality of spacers that extend radially from a radially outer surface of the inner ring to the outer ring.

Thermal sensors utilizing thin layer technology applied to the analysis of aeronautical thermal exchanges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godefroy, J. C.; Gageant, C.; Francois, D.

Thin film surface thermometers and thermal gradient fluxmeters developed by ONERA to monitor thermal exchanges in aircraft engines to predict the remaining service life of the components are described. The sensors, less than 80 microns thick, with flexible Kapton dielectric layers and metal substrates, are integrated into the shape of the surface being monitored. Features of Cu-n, Ni-, Au-, and Cr-based films, including mounting and circuitry methods that permit calibration and accurate signal analysis, are summarized. Results are discussed from sample applications of the devices on a symmetric NACA 65(1)-012 airfoil and on a turbine blade.

Aluminum heat sink enables power transistors to be mounted integrally with printed circuit board

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seaward, R. C.

1967-01-01

Power transistor is provided with an integral flat plate aluminum heat sink which mounts directly on a printed circuit board containing associated circuitry. Standoff spacers are used to attach the heat sink to the printed circuit board containing the remainder of the circuitry.

Sputtered Pd as hydrogen storage for a chip-integrated microenergy system.

PubMed

Slavcheva, E; Ganske, G; Schnakenberg, U

2014-01-01

The work presents a research on preparation and physical and electrochemical characterisation of dc magnetron sputtered Pd films envisaged for application as hydrogen storage in a chip-integrated hydrogen microenergy system. The influence of the changes in the sputtering pressure on the surface structure, morphology, and roughness was analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AMF). The electrochemical activity towards hydrogen adsorption/desorption and formation of PdH were investigated in 0.5 M H2SO4 using the methods of cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic polarisation. The changes in the electrical properties of the films as a function of the sputtering pressure and the level of hydrogenation were evaluated before and immediately after the electrochemical charging tests, using a four-probe technique. The research resulted in establishment of optimal sputter regime, ensuring fully reproducible Pd layers with highly developed surface, moderate porosity, and mechanical stability. Selected samples were integrated as hydrogen storage in a newly developed unitized microenergy system and tested in charging (water electrolysis) and discharging (fuel cell) operative mode at ambient conditions demonstrating a stable recycling performance.

Soft-Matter Printed Circuit Board with UV Laser Micropatterning.

PubMed

Lu, Tong; Markvicka, Eric J; Jin, Yichu; Majidi, Carmel

2017-07-05

When encapsulated in elastomer, micropatterned traces of Ga-based liquid metal (LM) can function as elastically deformable circuit wiring that provides mechanically robust electrical connectivity between solid-state elements (e.g., transistors, processors, and sensor nodes). However, LM-microelectronics integration is currently limited by challenges in rapid fabrication of LM circuits and the creation of vias between circuit terminals and the I/O pins of packaged electronics. In this study, we address both with a unique layup for soft-matter electronics in which traces of liquid-phase Ga-In eutectic (EGaIn) are patterned with UV laser micromachining (UVLM). The terminals of the elastomer-sealed LM circuit connect to the surface mounted chips through vertically aligned columns of EGaIn-coated Ag-Fe 2 O 3 microparticles that are embedded within an interfacial elastomer layer. The processing technique is compatible with conventional UVLM printed circuit board (PCB) prototyping and exploits the photophysical ablation of EGaIn on an elastomer substrate. Potential applications to wearable computing and biosensing are demonstrated with functional implementations in which soft-matter PCBs are populated with surface-mounted microelectronics.

Water-Stable Nanoporous Polymer Films with Excellent Proton Conductivity.

PubMed

Wang, Zhengbang; Liang, Cong; Tang, Haolin; Grosjean, Sylvain; Shahnas, Artak; Lahann, Joerg; Bräse, Stefan; Wöll, Christof

2018-03-01

Achieving high values for proton conductivity in a material critically depends on providing hopping sites arranged in a regular fashion. Record values reported for regular, molecular crystals cannot yet be reached by technologically relevant systems, and the best values measured for polymer membranes suited for integration into devices are almost two orders of magnitude lower. Here, an alternative polymer membrane synthesis strategy based on the chemical modification of surface-mounted, monolithic, crystalline metal-organic framework thin films is demonstrated. Due to chemical crosslinking and subsequent removal of metal ions, these surface-mounted gels (SURGELs) are found to exhibit high proton conductivity (0.1 S cm -1 at 30 °C and 100% RH (relative humidity). These record values are attributed to the highly ordered polymer network structure containing regularly spaced carboxylic acid side groups. These covalently bound organic frameworks outperform conventional, ion-conductive polymers with regard to ion conductivity and water stability. Pronounced water-induced swelling, which causes severe mechanical instabilities in commercial membranes, is not observed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Swivel assembly

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Pixton, David S.; Briscoe, Michael; Bradford, Kline; Rawle, Michael; Bartholomew, David B.; McPherson, James

2007-03-20

A swivel assembly for a downhole tool string comprises a first and second coaxial housing cooperatively arranged. The first housing comprises a first transmission element in communication with surface equipment. The second housing comprises a second transmission element in communication with the first transmission element. The second housing further comprises a third transmission element adapted for communication with a network integrated into the downhole tool string. The second housing may be rotational and adapted to transmit a signal between the downhole network and the first housing. Electronic circuitry is in communication with at least one of the transmission elements. The electronic circuitry may be externally mounted to the first or second housing. Further, the electronic circuitry may be internally mounted in the second housing. The electronic circuitry may be disposed in a recess in either first or second housing of the swivel.

Ultra heavy cosmic ray experiment (A0178)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, A.; Osullivan, D.; Bosch, J.; Keegan, R.; Wenzel, K. P.; Jansen, F.; Domingo, C.

1992-01-01

The Ultra Heavy Cosmic Ray Experiment (UHCRE) is based on a modular array of 192 side viewing solid state nuclear track detector stacks. These stacks were mounted in sets of four in 48 pressure vessels using 16 peripheral LDEF trays. The geometry factor for high energy cosmic ray nuclei, allowing for Earth shadowing, was 30 sq m sr, giving a total exposure factor of 170 sq m sr y at an orbital inclination of 28.4 degs. Scanning results indicate that about 3000 cosmic ray nuclei in the charge region with Z greater than 65 were collected. This sample is more than ten times the current world data in the field (taken to be the data set from the HEAO-3 mission plus that from the Ariel-6 mission) and is sufficient to provide the world's first statistically significant sample of actinide cosmic rays. Results are presented including a sample of ultra heavy cosmic ray nuclei, analysis of pre-flight and post-flight calibration events and details of track response in the context of detector temperature history. The integrated effect of all temperature and age related latent track variations cause a maximum charge shift of + or - 0.8e for uranium and + or - 0.6e for the platinum-lead group. Astrophysical implications of the UHCRE charge spectrum are discussed.

Iron ion and iron hydroxide adsorption to charge-neutral phosphatidylcholine templates

DOE PAGES

Wang, Wenjie; Zhang, Honghu; Feng, Shuren; ...

2016-07-13

Surface-sensitive X-ray scattering and spectroscopy techniques reveal significant adsorption of iron ions and iron-hydroxide (Fe(III)) complexes to a charge-neutral zwitterionic template of phosphatidylcholine (PC). The PC template is formed by a Langmuir monolayer of dipalmitoyl-PC (DPPC) that is spread on the surface of 2 to 40 μM FeCl 3 solutions at physiological levels of KCl (100 mM). At 40 μM of Fe(III) as many as ~3 iron atoms are associated with each PC group. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements indicate a significant disruption in the in-plane ordering of DPPC molecules upon iron adsorption. The binding of iron-hydroxide complexes to amore » neutral PC surface is yet another example of nonelectrostatic, presumably covalent bonding to a charge-neutral organic template. Furthermore, the strong binding and the disruption of in-plane lipid structure has biological implications on the integrity of PC-derived lipid membranes, including those based on sphingomyelin.« less

The human peripheral subunit-binding domain folds rapidly while overcoming repulsive Coulomb forces

PubMed Central

Arbely, Eyal; Neuweiler, Hannes; Sharpe, Timothy D; Johnson, Christopher M; Fersht, Alan R

2010-01-01

Peripheral subunit binding domains (PSBDs) are integral parts of large multienzyme complexes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. PSBDs facilitate shuttling of prosthetic groups between different catalytic subunits. Their protein surface is characterized by a high density of positive charges required for binding to subunits within the complex. Here, we investigated folding thermodynamics and kinetics of the human PSBD (HSBD) using circular dichroism and tryptophan fluorescence experiments. HSBD was only marginally stable under physiological solvent conditions but folded within microseconds via a barrier-limited apparent two-state transition, analogous to its bacterial homologues. The high positive surface-charge density of HSBD leads to repulsive Coulomb forces that modulate protein stability and folding kinetics, and appear to even induce native-state movement. The electrostatic strain was alleviated at high solution-ionic-strength by Debye-Hückel screening. Differences in ionic-strength dependent characteristics among PSBD homologues could be explained by differences in their surface charge distributions. The findings highlight the trade-off between protein function and stability during protein evolution. PMID:20662005

Hardware and Procedures for Using the Diveair2 Monitor to Test Diving Air Quality in the Field

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

Dive System ( LWDS ), and the Fly- Away Dive System (FADS); b. one pressure-reducing regulator (“reducer”) mounted on the inside of the lid of the...1. compressors and air banks, 6 2. scuba bottles that had already been charged, 3. the Navy’s LWDS , both during and after charging, and...site where the charging whip attaches to that scuba bottle. c. A LWDS adaptor, to allow air from the LWDS to be sampled both during and after

Integration of Directional Antennas in an RSS Fingerprinting-Based Indoor Localization System

PubMed Central

Guzmán-Quirós, Raúl; Martínez-Sala, Alejandro; Gómez-Tornero, José Luis; García-Haro, Joan

2015-01-01

In this paper, the integration of directional antennas in a room-level received signal strength (RSS) fingerprinting-based indoor localization system (ILS) is studied. The sensor reader (SR), which is in charge of capturing the RSS to infer the tag position, can be attached to an omnidirectional or directional antenna. Unlike commonly-employed omnidirectional antennas, directional antennas can receive a stronger signal from the direction in which they are pointed, resulting in a different RSS distributions in space and, hence, more distinguishable fingerprints. A simulation tool and a system management software have been also developed to control the system and assist the initial antenna deployment, reducing time-consuming costs. A prototype was mounted in a real scenario, with a number of SRs with omnidirectional and directional antennas properly positioned. Different antenna configurations have been studied, evidencing a promising capability of directional antennas to enhance the performance of RSS fingerprinting-based ILS, reducing the number of required SRs and also increasing the localization success. PMID:26703620

Spin relaxation measurements of electrostatic bias in intermolecular exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teng, Ching-Ling; Bryant, Robert G.

2006-04-01

We utilize the paramagnetic contribution to proton spin-lattice relaxation rate constants induced by freely diffusing charged paramagnetic centers to investigate the effect of charge on the intermolecular exploration of a protein by the small molecule. The proton NMR spectrum provided 255 resolved resonances that report how the explorer molecule local concentration varies with position on the surface. The measurements integrate over local dielectric constant variations, and, in principle, provide an experimental characterization of the surface free energy sampling biases introduced by the charge distribution on the protein. The experimental results for ribonuclease A obtained using positive, neutral, and negatively charged small nitroxide radicals are qualitatively similar to those expected from electrostatic calculations. However, while systematic electrostatic trends are apparent, the three different combinations of the data sets do not yield internally consistent values for the electrostatic contribution to the intermolecular free energy. We attribute this failure to the weakness of the electrostatic sampling bias for charged nitroxides in water and local variations in effective translational diffusion constant at the water-protein interface, which enters the nuclear spin relaxation equations for the nitroxide-proton dipolar coupling.

Vehicle to wireless power transfer coupling coil alignment sensor

DOEpatents

Miller, John M.; Chambon, Paul H.; Jones, Perry T.; White, Clifford P.

2016-02-16

A non-contacting position sensing apparatus includes at least one vehicle-mounted receiver coil that is configured to detect a net flux null when the vehicle is optimally aligned relative to the primary coil in the charging device. Each of the at least one vehicle-mounted receiver coil includes a clockwise winding loop and a counterclockwise winding loop that are substantially symmetrically configured and serially connected to each other. When the non-contacting position sensing apparatus is located directly above the primary coil of the charging device, the electromotive forces from the clockwise winding loop and the counterclockwise region cancel out to provide a zero electromotive force, i.e., a zero voltage reading across the coil that includes the clockwise winding loop and the counterclockwise winding loop.

Probing the Interaction of Dielectric Nanoparticles with Supported Lipid Membrane Coatings on Nanoplasmonic Arrays

PubMed Central

Ferhan, Abdul Rahim; Ma, Gamaliel Junren; Jackman, Joshua A.; Sut, Tun Naw; Park, Jae Hyeon; Cho, Nam-Joon

2017-01-01

The integration of supported lipid membranes with surface-based nanoplasmonic arrays provides a powerful sensing approach to investigate biointerfacial phenomena at membrane interfaces. While a growing number of lipid vesicles, protein, and nucleic acid systems have been explored with nanoplasmonic sensors, there has been only very limited investigation of the interactions between solution-phase nanomaterials and supported lipid membranes. Herein, we established a surface-based localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensing platform for probing the interaction of dielectric nanoparticles with supported lipid bilayer (SLB)-coated, plasmonic nanodisk arrays. A key emphasis was placed on controlling membrane functionality by tuning the membrane surface charge vis-à-vis lipid composition. The optical sensing properties of the bare and SLB-coated sensor surfaces were quantitatively compared, and provided an experimental approach to evaluate nanoparticle–membrane interactions across different SLB platforms. While the interaction of negatively-charged silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) with a zwitterionic SLB resulted in monotonic adsorption, a stronger interaction with a positively-charged SLB resulted in adsorption and lipid transfer from the SLB to the SiNP surface, in turn influencing the LSPR measurement responses based on the changing spatial proximity of transferred lipids relative to the sensor surface. Precoating SiNPs with bovine serum albumin (BSA) suppressed lipid transfer, resulting in monotonic adsorption onto both zwitterionic and positively-charged SLBs. Collectively, our findings contribute a quantitative understanding of how supported lipid membrane coatings influence the sensing performance of nanoplasmonic arrays, and demonstrate how the high surface sensitivity of nanoplasmonic sensors is well-suited for detecting the complex interactions between nanoparticles and lipid membranes. PMID:28644423

Installation of surface-mounted flat-conductor cable

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carden, J. R.

1976-01-01

Guide describes step-by-step process for installation of interior surface-mounted FCC used in commerical and residential buildings. Photographs illustrate how cable-riser and baseboard covers are installed as well as receptacle assembly and receptacle-cover replacement.

High density electronic circuit and process for making

DOEpatents

Morgan, William P.

1999-01-01

High density circuits with posts that protrude beyond one surface of a substrate to provide easy mounting of devices such as integrated circuits. The posts also provide stress relief to accommodate differential thermal expansion. The process allows high interconnect density with fewer alignment restrictions and less wasted circuit area than previous processes. The resulting substrates can be test platforms for die testing and for multi-chip module substrate testing. The test platform can contain active components and emulate realistic operational conditions, replacing shorts/opens net testing.

GeoCARB design maturity and geostationary heritage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawyer, Kevin; Clark, Charles; Katz, Noah; Kumar, Jack; Nast, Ted; Palmer, Alice

2013-09-01

Our companion paper `Progress in development of Tropospheric Infrared Mapping Spectrometers (TIMS): geostationary greenhouse gas (GHG) application' describes geoCARB performance and science. Here we describe a geoCARB instrument design study leading to near PDR maturity. It is based on heritage geostationary (AIA and HMI on SDO, SBIRS GEO-1 and upcoming GLM on GOES-R as examples) and other (IRIS and NIRcam) flight instrumentation. Heritage work includes experience and well developed specifications for near a-thermal carbon fiber honeycomb composite optical benches and optical element mounting design forms that utilize a "family" of mounts for nearly any type of optical element. The geoCARB approach utilizes composite optical benches and bipod flexures to kinematically mount optics. Tooling for alignment and staking of all elements is integral to the design and is "removed before flight" for mass minimization. GeoCARB requires a cryogenic region for focal planes and spectrometers but front end optics and main structure are designed to run much warmer. A star tracker is used for geoCARB posteriori geolocation including pseudo-diurnal thermal distortion characterization. It is kinematically mounted by low conductance thermal isolators directly on to the low expansion high stiffness composite bench that defines the master optical surfaces including the scanning mirrors. The thermal load from the camera heads is routed away from the bench heat pipes. Use of kinematic mounting is advantageous for low thermal conduction designs. Honeycomb composites enable the design's low thermal mechanical distortions.

A ‘NanoSuit’ surface shield successfully protects organisms in high vacuum: observations on living organisms in an FE-SEM

PubMed Central

Takaku, Yasuharu; Suzuki, Hiroshi; Ohta, Isao; Tsutsui, Takami; Matsumoto, Haruko; Shimomura, Masatsugu; Hariyama, Takahiko

2015-01-01

Although extremely useful for a wide range of investigations, the field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) has not allowed researchers to observe living organisms. However, we have recently reported that a simple surface modification consisting of a thin extra layer, termed ‘NanoSuit’, can keep organisms alive in the high vacuum (10−5 to 10−7 Pa) of the SEM. This paper further explores the protective properties of the NanoSuit surface-shield. We found that a NanoSuit formed with the optimum concentration of Tween 20 faithfully preserves the integrity of an organism's surface without interfering with SEM imaging. We also found that electrostatic charging was absent as long as the organisms were alive, even if they had not been coated with electrically conducting materials. This result suggests that living organisms possess their own electrical conductors and/or rely on certain properties of the surface to inhibit charging. The NanoSuit seems to prolong the charge-free condition and increase survival time under vacuum. These findings should encourage the development of more sophisticated observation methods for studying living organisms in an FE-SEM. PMID:25631998

The dynamical properties of a Rydberg hydrogen atom between two parallel metal surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wei; Li, Hong-Yun; Yang, Shan-Ying; Lin, Sheng-Lu

2011-03-01

This paper presents the dynamical properties of a Rydberg hydrogen atom between two metal surfaces using phase space analysis methods. The dynamical behaviour of the excited hydrogen atom depends sensitively on the atom—surface distance d. There exists a critical atom—surface distance dc = 1586 a.u. When the atom—surface distance d is larger than the critical distance dc, the image charge potential is less important than the Coulomb potential, the system is near-integrable and the electron motion is regular. As the distance d decreases, the system will tend to be non-integrable and unstable, and the electron might be captured by the metal surfaces. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10774093) and the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Grant No. ZR2009FZ006).

Dissolvable films of silk fibroin for ultrathin conformal bio-integrated electronics.

PubMed

Kim, Dae-Hyeong; Viventi, Jonathan; Amsden, Jason J; Xiao, Jianliang; Vigeland, Leif; Kim, Yun-Soung; Blanco, Justin A; Panilaitis, Bruce; Frechette, Eric S; Contreras, Diego; Kaplan, David L; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G; Huang, Yonggang; Hwang, Keh-Chih; Zakin, Mitchell R; Litt, Brian; Rogers, John A

2010-06-01

Electronics that are capable of intimate, non-invasive integration with the soft, curvilinear surfaces of biological tissues offer important opportunities for diagnosing and treating disease and for improving brain/machine interfaces. This article describes a material strategy for a type of bio-interfaced system that relies on ultrathin electronics supported by bioresorbable substrates of silk fibroin. Mounting such devices on tissue and then allowing the silk to dissolve and resorb initiates a spontaneous, conformal wrapping process driven by capillary forces at the biotic/abiotic interface. Specialized mesh designs and ultrathin forms for the electronics ensure minimal stresses on the tissue and highly conformal coverage, even for complex curvilinear surfaces, as confirmed by experimental and theoretical studies. In vivo, neural mapping experiments on feline animal models illustrate one mode of use for this class of technology. These concepts provide new capabilities for implantable and surgical devices.

Dissolvable Films of Silk Fibroin for Ultrathin, Conformal Bio-Integrated Electronics

PubMed Central

Kim, Dae-Hyeong; Viventi, Jonathan; Amsden, Jason J.; Xiao, Jianliang; Vigeland, Leif; Kim, Yun-Soung; Blanco, Justin A.; Panilaitis, Bruce; Frechette, Eric S.; Contreras, Diego; Kaplan, David L.; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G.; Huang, Yonggang; Hwang, Keh-Chih; Zakin, Mitchell R.; Litt, Brian; Rogers, John A.

2011-01-01

Electronics that are capable of intimate, non-invasive integration with the soft, curvilinear surfaces of biological tissues offer important opportunities for diagnosing and treating disease and for improving brain-machine interfaces. This paper describes a material strategy for a type of bio-interfaced system that relies on ultrathin electronics supported by bioresorbable substrates of silk fibroin. Mounting such devices on tissue and then allowing the silk to dissolve and resorb initiates a spontaneous, conformal wrapping process driven by capillary forces at the biotic/abiotic interface. Specialized mesh designs and ultrathin forms for the electronics ensure minimal stresses on the tissue and highly conformal coverage, even for complex curvilinear surfaces, as confirmed by experimental and theoretical studies. In vivo, neural mapping experiments on feline animal models illustrate one mode of use for this class of technology. These concepts provide new capabilities for implantable or surgical devices. PMID:20400953

Investigation of two-dimensional wedge exhaust nozzles for advanced aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maiden, D. L.; Petit, J. E.

1975-01-01

Two-dimensional wedge nozzle performance characteristics were investigated in a series of wind-tunnel tests. An isolated single-engine/nozzle model was used to study the effects of internal expansion area ratio, aftbody cowl boattail angle, and wedge length. An integrated twin-engine/nozzle model, tested with and without empenage surfaces, included cruise, acceleration, thrust vectoring and thrust reversing nozzle operating modes. Results indicate that the thrust-minus-aftbody drag performance of the twin two-dimensional nozzle integration is significantly higher, for speeds greater than Mach 0.8, than the performance achieved with twin axisymmetric nozzle installations. Significant jet-induced lift was obtained on an aft-mounted lifting surface using a cambered wedge center body to vector thrust. The thrust reversing capabilities of reverser panels installed on the two-dimensional wedge center body were very effective for static or in-flight operation.

Comparison of immersed liquid and air cooling of NASA's Airborne Information Management System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoadley, A. W.; Porter, A. J.

1992-01-01

The Airborne Information Management System (AIMS) is currently under development at NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility. The AIMS is designed as a modular system utilizing surface mounted integrated circuits in a high-density configuration. To maintain the temperature of the integrated circuits within manufacturer's specifications, the modules are to be filled with Fluorinert FC-72. Unlike ground based liquid cooled computers, the extreme range of the ambient pressures experienced by the AIMS requires the FC-72 be contained in a closed system. This forces the latent heat absorbed during the boiling to be released during the condensation that must take within the closed module system. Natural convection and/or pumping carries the heat to the outer surface of the AIMS module where the heat transfers to the ambient air. This paper will present an evaluation of the relative effectiveness of immersed liquid cooling and air cooling of the Airborne Information Management System.

Dissolvable films of silk fibroin for ultrathin conformal bio-integrated electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Dae-Hyeong; Viventi, Jonathan; Amsden, Jason J.; Xiao, Jianliang; Vigeland, Leif; Kim, Yun-Soung; Blanco, Justin A.; Panilaitis, Bruce; Frechette, Eric S.; Contreras, Diego; Kaplan, David L.; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G.; Huang, Yonggang; Hwang, Keh-Chih; Zakin, Mitchell R.; Litt, Brian; Rogers, John A.

2010-06-01

Electronics that are capable of intimate, non-invasive integration with the soft, curvilinear surfaces of biological tissues offer important opportunities for diagnosing and treating disease and for improving brain/machine interfaces. This article describes a material strategy for a type of bio-interfaced system that relies on ultrathin electronics supported by bioresorbable substrates of silk fibroin. Mounting such devices on tissue and then allowing the silk to dissolve and resorb initiates a spontaneous, conformal wrapping process driven by capillary forces at the biotic/abiotic interface. Specialized mesh designs and ultrathin forms for the electronics ensure minimal stresses on the tissue and highly conformal coverage, even for complex curvilinear surfaces, as confirmed by experimental and theoretical studies. In vivo, neural mapping experiments on feline animal models illustrate one mode of use for this class of technology. These concepts provide new capabilities for implantable and surgical devices.

Comparison of immersed liquid and air cooling of NASA's Airborne Information Management System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoadley, A. W.; Porter, A. J.

1992-07-01

The Airborne Information Management System (AIMS) is currently under development at NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility. The AIMS is designed as a modular system utilizing surface mounted integrated circuits in a high-density configuration. To maintain the temperature of the integrated circuits within manufacturer's specifications, the modules are to be filled with Fluorinert FC-72. Unlike ground based liquid cooled computers, the extreme range of the ambient pressures experienced by the AIMS requires the FC-72 be contained in a closed system. This forces the latent heat absorbed during the boiling to be released during the condensation that must take within the closed module system. Natural convection and/or pumping carries the heat to the outer surface of the AIMS module where the heat transfers to the ambient air. This paper will present an evaluation of the relative effectiveness of immersed liquid cooling and air cooling of the Airborne Information Management System.

Comparison of three-dimensional poisson solution methods for particle-based simulation and inhomogeneous dielectrics.

PubMed

Berti, Claudio; Gillespie, Dirk; Bardhan, Jaydeep P; Eisenberg, Robert S; Fiegna, Claudio

2012-07-01

Particle-based simulation represents a powerful approach to modeling physical systems in electronics, molecular biology, and chemical physics. Accounting for the interactions occurring among charged particles requires an accurate and efficient solution of Poisson's equation. For a system of discrete charges with inhomogeneous dielectrics, i.e., a system with discontinuities in the permittivity, the boundary element method (BEM) is frequently adopted. It provides the solution of Poisson's equation, accounting for polarization effects due to the discontinuity in the permittivity by computing the induced charges at the dielectric boundaries. In this framework, the total electrostatic potential is then found by superimposing the elemental contributions from both source and induced charges. In this paper, we present a comparison between two BEMs to solve a boundary-integral formulation of Poisson's equation, with emphasis on the BEMs' suitability for particle-based simulations in terms of solution accuracy and computation speed. The two approaches are the collocation and qualocation methods. Collocation is implemented following the induced-charge computation method of D. Boda et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 125, 034901 (2006)]. The qualocation method is described by J. Tausch et al. [IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems 20, 1398 (2001)]. These approaches are studied using both flat and curved surface elements to discretize the dielectric boundary, using two challenging test cases: a dielectric sphere embedded in a different dielectric medium and a toy model of an ion channel. Earlier comparisons of the two BEM approaches did not address curved surface elements or semiatomistic models of ion channels. Our results support the earlier findings that for flat-element calculations, qualocation is always significantly more accurate than collocation. On the other hand, when the dielectric boundary is discretized with curved surface elements, the two methods are essentially equivalent; i.e., they have comparable accuracies for the same number of elements. We find that ions in water--charges embedded in a high-dielectric medium--are harder to compute accurately than charges in a low-dielectric medium.

SP-100 reactor with Brayton conversion for lunar surface applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, Lee S.; Rodriguez, Carlos D.; Mckissock, Barbara I.; Hanlon, James C.; Mansfield, Brian C.

1992-01-01

Examined here is the potential for integrating Brayton-cycle power conversion with the SP-100 reactor for lunar surface power system applications. Two designs were characterized and modeled. The first design integrates a 100-kWe SP-100 Brayton power system with a lunar lander. This system is intended to meet early lunar mission power needs while minimizing on-site installation requirements. Man-rated radiation protection is provided by an integral multilayer, cylindrical lithium hydride/tungsten (LiH/W) shield encircling the reactor vessel. Design emphasis is on ease of deployment, safety, and reliability, while utilizing relatively near-term technology. The second design combines Brayton conversion with the SP-100 reactor in a erectable 550-kWe powerplant concept intended to satisfy later-phase lunar base power requirements. This system capitalizes on experience gained from operating the initial 100-kWe module and incorporates some technology improvements. For this system, the reactor is emplaced in a lunar regolith excavation to provide man-rated shielding, and the Brayton engines and radiators are mounted on the lunar surface and extend radially from the central reactor. Design emphasis is on performance, safety, long life, and operational flexibility.

Diffusion-Driven Charge Transport in Light Emitting Devices

PubMed Central

Oksanen, Jani; Suihkonen, Sami

2017-01-01

Almost all modern inorganic light-emitting diode (LED) designs are based on double heterojunctions (DHJs) whose structure and current injection principle have remained essentially unchanged for decades. Although highly efficient devices based on the DHJ design have been developed and commercialized for energy-efficient general lighting, the conventional DHJ design requires burying the active region (AR) inside a pn-junction. This has hindered the development of emitters utilizing nanostructured ARs located close to device surfaces such as nanowires or surface quantum wells. Modern DHJ III-N LEDs also exhibit resistive losses that arise from the DHJ device geometry. The recently introduced diffusion-driven charge transport (DDCT) emitter design offers a novel way to transport charge carriers to unconventionally placed ARs. In a DDCT device, the AR is located apart from the pn-junction and the charge carriers are injected into the AR by bipolar diffusion. This device design allows the integration of surface ARs to semiconductor LEDs and offers a promising method to reduce resistive losses in high power devices. In this work, we present a review of the recent progress in gallium nitride (GaN) based DDCT devices, and an outlook of potential DDCT has for opto- and microelectronics. PMID:29231900

Mirror mount

DOEpatents

Humpal, H.H.

1987-11-10

A mirror mount is provided that allows free pitch, yaw and roll motion of the mirror while keeping the location of a point on the surface of the mirror fixed in the rest frame of reference of the mount. Yaw movement is provided by two yaw cylinders that are bearing mounted to provide rotation. Pitch and roll motion is provided by a spherically annular shell that is air bearing mounted to move between a clamp and an upper pedestal bearing. The centers of curvature of the spherical surfaces of the shell lie upon the point. Pitch motion and roll motion are separately and independently imparted to mirror by a pair of pitch paddles and a pair of roll paddles that are independently and separately moved by control rods driven by motors. 5 figs.

Mirror mount

DOEpatents

Humpal, H.H.

1986-03-21

A mirror mount is provided that allows free pitch, yaw and roll motion of the mirror while keeping the location of a point on the surface of the mirror fixed in the rest frame of reference of the mount. Yaw movement is provided by two yaw cylinders that are bearing mounted to provide rotation. Pitch and roll motion is provided by a spherically annular shell that is air bearing mounted to move between a clamp and an upper pedestal bearing. The centers of curvature of the spherical surfaces of the shell lie upon the point. Pitch motion and roll motion are separately and independently imparted to mirror by a pair of pitch paddles and a pair of roll paddles that are independently and separately moved by control rods driven by motors.

Microwave Temperature Profiler Mounted in a Standard Airborne Research Canister

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahoney, Michael J.; Denning, Richard F.; Fox, Jack

2009-01-01

Many atmospheric research aircraft use a standard canister design to mount instruments, as this significantly facilitates their electrical and mechanical integration and thereby reduces cost. Based on more than 30 years of airborne science experience with the Microwave Temperature Profiler (MTP), the MTP has been repackaged with state-of-the-art electronics and other design improvements to fly in one of these standard canisters. All of the controlling electronics are integrated on a single 4 5-in. (.10 13- cm) multi-layer PCB (printed circuit board) with surface-mount hardware. Improved circuit design, including a self-calibrating RTD (resistive temperature detector) multiplexer, was implemented in order to reduce the size and mass of the electronics while providing increased capability. A new microcontroller-based temperature controller board was designed, providing better control with fewer components. Five such boards are used to provide local control of the temperature in various areas of the instrument, improving radiometric performance. The new stepper motor has an embedded controller eliminating the need for a separate controller board. The reference target is heated to avoid possible emissivity (and hence calibration) changes due to moisture contamination in humid environments, as well as avoiding issues with ambient targets during ascent and descent. The radiometer is a double-sideband heterodyne receiver tuned sequentially to individual oxygen emission lines near 60 GHz, with the line selection and intermediate frequency bandwidths chosen to accommodate the altitude range of the aircraft and mission.

Smarr formula for Lovelock black holes: A Lagrangian approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liberati, Stefano; Pacilio, Costantino

2016-04-01

The mass formula for black holes can be formally expressed in terms of a Noether charge surface integral plus a suitable volume integral, for any gravitational theory. The integrals can be constructed as an application of Wald's formalism. We apply this formalism to compute the mass and the Smarr formula for static Lovelock black holes. Finally, we propose a new prescription for Wald's entropy in the case of Lovelock black holes, which takes into account topological contributions to the entropy functional.

Seismological Discrimination and Yield Determination Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-02-01

observed short period vertical seismograms for a * Rainier Mesa explosion ....... . .68 iv * LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (continued) Figure Page 33. Comparison... mounted on sides 2 and 4. All signals were recorded on a FM instrumenta- tion tape machine with response from dc to 80 kHz. All the charges in each grout...detail. (Probes * were mounted on an external support and held at a nominal 0.2 mm from the Al disks.) 81 SYSTEMS. SCIENCE’ AND SOFT WARE 5.3 RESULTS

North Seeking Gyrocompass.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

ENVIRONMENTAL TEST SPECIFICATION FOR GIMBAL MOUNT 67 2 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Title Page 1 NFM Mounted on NSG Gimbals 6 2 NSG Family Tree 9 3 NFM...has a rating of .45 ampere-hours and can provide up to 30 northings on one charge. The NSG is designed to operate either on the vehicle batery or the BB...is included in Appendix B. The acceptance test requirements for the NFM are presented in Appendix C. The environmental test specification for the NSG

Operation and maintenance cost data for residential photovoltaic modules/panels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oster, J. R., Jr.; Zaremski, D. R., Jr.; Albert, E. M.; Hawkins, S. L.

1980-01-01

Costs associated with the operation and maintenance of residential photovoltaic modules and arrays are studied. Six basic topics related to operation and maintenance to photovoltaic arrays are investigated: maintenance; cleaning; panel replacement; gasket repair/replacement; wiring repair/replacement; and termination repair/replacement. The effects of the mounting types (rack mount, stand off mount, direct mount and integral mount) and the installation/replacement type (sequential, partial interruption and independent) are identified and described. Methods of reducing maintenance costs are suggested.

Effects of variables upon pyrotechnically induced shock response spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, J. L.

1986-01-01

Throughout the aerospace industry, large variations of 50 percent (6 dB) or more are continually noted for linear shaped charge (LSC) generated shock response spectra (SRS) from flight data (from the exact same location on different flights) and from plate tests (side by side measurements on the same test). A research program was developed to investigate causes of these large SRS variations. A series of ball drop calibration tests to verify calibration of accelerometers and a series of plate tests to investigate charge and assembly variables were performed. The resulting data were analyzed to determine if and to what degree manufacturing and assembly variables, distance from the shock source, data acquisition instrumentation, and shock energy propagation affect the SRS. LSC variables consisted of coreload, standoff, and apex angle. The assembly variable was the torque on the LSC holder. Other variables were distance from source of accelerometers, accelerometer mounting methods, and joint effects. Results indicated that LSC variables did not affect SRS as long as the plate was severed. Accelerometers mounted on mounting blocks showed significantly lower levels above 5000 Hz. Lap joints did not affect SRS levels. The test plate was mounted in an almost free-free state; therefore, distance from the source did not affect the SRS. Several varieties and brands of accelerometers were used, and all but one demonstrated very large variations in SRS.

Sensor mount assemblies and sensor assemblies

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

Miller, David H

2012-04-10

Sensor mount assemblies and sensor assemblies are provided. In an embodiment, by way of example only, a sensor mount assembly includes a busbar, a main body, a backing surface, and a first finger. The busbar has a first end and a second end. The main body is overmolded onto the busbar. The backing surface extends radially outwardly relative to the main body. The first finger extends axially from the backing surface, and the first finger has a first end, a second end, and a tooth. The first end of the first finger is disposed on the backing surface, and themore » tooth is formed on the second end of the first finger.« less

16 CFR 1205.6 - Warning label for reel-type and rotary power mowers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... cutting width of the blade as possible. However, in the absence of a suitable mounting surface near the center of the cutting width, the label shall be placed on the nearest suitable mounting surface to the...

Structural response of near surface mounted CFRP strengthened reinforced concrete bridge deck overhang.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-11-01

This report presents the results from an experimental investigation which explores the change in structural response due to the addition of near-surface-mounted (NSM) carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) reinforcement for increasing the capacity of...

Technology for Range Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-06-01

friction- generated charge transfer between the inner and outer portions of a cable attached to the fence ( triboelectric ), by means of a charge transfer...helpful technical reviews of Paul Loechl, ERDC- CERL, and Joyce Nagle, ERDC-CRREL. This report was prepared under the general supervision of Dr...detection systems (IDSs) are designed to generate alarms when they sense human activity. IDSs attached to a fence (fence-mounted) respond to fence

77 FR 63268 - Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-16

... link bolts, center sway link bolts, and thrust link bolts on the forward engine mounts. This proposed... forward engine mounts. This condition, if left uncorrected, could result in a deterioration of the structural integrity of the front engine mount bolts [and possible damage to an engine or wing]. For the...

In-situ Testing of the EHT High Gain and Frequency Ultra-Stable Integrators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2014-10-01

Eagle Harbor Technologies (EHT) has developed a long-pulse integrator that exceeds the ITER specification for integration error and pulse duration. During the Phase I program, EHT improved the RPPL short-pulse integrators, added a fast digital reset, and demonstrated that the new integrators exceed the ITER integration error and pulse duration requirements. In Phase II, EHT developed Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) software that allows for integrator control and real-time signal digitization and processing. In the second year of Phase II, the EHT integrator will be tested at a validation platform experiment (HIT-SI) and tokamak (DIII-D). In the Phase IIB program, EHT will continue development of the EHT integrator to reduce overall cost per channel. EHT will test lower cost components, move to surface mount components, and add an onboard Field Programmable Gate Array and data acquisition to produce a stand-alone system with lower cost per channel and increased the channel density. EHT will test the Phase IIB integrator at a validation platform experiment (HIT-SI) and tokamak (DIII-D). Work supported by the DOE under Contract Number (DE-SC0006281).

Feasibility study of solid surface subreflector production techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The principal effort was to study technical feasibility and cost aspects of the production technique of spin forming a subreflector reflective surface to a desired surface of revolution, back the surface with fiberglass to stabilize it sufficiently so that it may be machined to the target surface tolerance of .008 inches Root Mean Square (RMS) with a goal of .003 inches RMS. To verify this production technique, analyses was performed to define the production procedure. A price estimate for a 150 inch diameter subreflector for a 34 meter cassegrain antenna. During this feasibility study, numerous production processes were evaluated theoretically as production approaches for single surface, non-welded subreflectors. The first successful was the principal process of spin forming the reflective surface, backing with fiberglass and machining to a final contour. The second successful process was spin forming or bump forming a thicker reflective surface, with an integral (welded in) structure as a backing and machining the mounting pads and reflector to a final configuration.

Development of Tailorable Electrically Conductive Thermal Control Material Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deshpande, M. S.; Harada, Y.

1998-01-01

The optical characteristics of surfaces on spacecraft are fundamental parameters in controlling its temperature. Passive thermal control coatings with designed solar absorptance and infrared emittance properties have been developed and been in use for some time. In this total space environment, the coating must be stable and maintain its desired optical properties for the course of the mission lifetime. The mission lifetimes are increasing and in our quest to save weight, newer substrates are being integrated which limit electrical grounding schemes. All of this has already added to the existing concerns about spacecraft charging and related spacecraft failures or operational failures. The concern is even greater for thermal control surfaces that are very large. One way of alleviating such concerns is to design new thermal control material systems (TCMS) that can help to mitigate charging via providing charge leakage paths. The object of this program was to develop two types of passive electrically conductive TCMS.

Physical condition for elimination of ambiguity in conditionally convergent lattice sums

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, K.

1987-02-01

The conditional convergence of the lattice sum defining the Madelung constant gives rise to an ambiguity in its value. It is shown that this ambiguity is related, through a simple and universal integral, to the average charge density on the crystal surface. The physically correct value is obtained by setting the charge density to zero. A simple and universally applicable formula for the Madelung constant is derived as a consequence. It consists of adding up dipole-dipole energies together with a nontrivial correction term.

Forward scattering and backscattering of solar radiation by the stratospheric limb after Mount St. Helens eruption

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackerman, M.; Lippens, C.

1982-01-01

Stratospheric limb radiance profiles versus altitude of closest approach of the line of sight to the Earth's surface have been measured before and after the Mount St. Helens eruptions by means of photographs taken from a Sun-oriented balloon gondola floating above 35 km altitude over France. Preliminary data were reported for flights in October 1979 and in May and June 1980. The radiance integrated along the line of sight as in-situ radiance (R) can be derived taking into account absorption by ozone and air. The onion peeling inversion method was used to derive the vertical radiance (R) profiles respectively. The values of R were determined in the solar azimuth. The solar elevation angles are chosen larger for the backscattering observation than for the forward scattering observation to deal with as similar illumination conditions as possible despite the Earth's sphericity.

Housing And Mounting Structure

DOEpatents

Anderson, Gene R.; Armendariz, Marcelino G.; Baca, Johnny R.F.; Bryan, Robert P.; Carson, Richard F.; Duckett, III, Edwin B.; McCormick, Frederick B.; Miller, Gregory V.; Peterson, David W.; Smith, Terrance T.

2005-03-08

This invention relates to an optical transmitter, receiver or transceiver module, and more particularly, to an apparatus for connecting a first optical connector to a second optical connector. The apparatus comprises: (1) a housing having at least a first end and at least a second end, the first end of the housing capable of receiving the first optical connector, and the second end of the housing capable of receiving the second optical connector; (2) a longitudinal cavity extending from the first end of the housing to the second end of the housing; and (3) an electromagnetic shield comprising at least a portion of the housing. This invention also relates to an apparatus for housing a flexible printed circuit board, and this apparatus comprises: (1) a mounting structure having at least a first surface and a second surface; (2) alignment ridges along the first and second surfaces of the mounting structure, the alignment ridges functioning to align and secure a flexible printed circuit board that is wrapped around and attached to the first and second surfaces of the mounting structure; and (3) a series of heat sink ridges adapted to the mounting structure, the heat sink ridges functioning to dissipate heat that is generated from the flexible printed circuit board.

Persistent photoconductivity due to trapping of induced charges in Sn/ZnO thin film based UV photodetector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Harish Kumar; Sreenivas, K.; Gupta, Vinay

2010-05-01

Photoconductivity relaxation in rf magnetron sputtered ZnO thin films integrated with ultrathin tin metal overlayer is investigated. Charge carriers induced at the ZnO-metal interface by the tin metal overlayer compensates the surface lying trap centers and leads to the enhanced photoresponse. On termination of ultraviolet radiation, recombination of the photoexcited electrons with the valence band holes leaves the excess carriers deeply trapped at the recombination center and holds the dark conductivity level at a higher value. Equilibrium between the recombination centers and valence band, due to trapped charges, eventually stimulates the persistent photoconductivity in the Sn/ZnO photodetectors.

Antenna with distributed strip and integrated electronic components

DOEpatents

Rodenbeck, Christopher T [Albuquerque, NM; Payne, Jason A [Albuquerque, NM; Ottesen, Cory W [Albuquerque, NM

2008-08-05

An antenna comprises electrical conductors arranged to form a radiating element including a folded line configuration and a distributed strip configuration, where the radiating element can be in proximity to a ground conductor and/or arranged as a dipole. Embodiments of the antenna include conductor patterns formed on a printed wiring board, having a ground plane, spacedly adjacent to and coplanar with the radiating element. An antenna can comprise a distributed strip patterned on a printed wiring board, integrated with electronic components mounted on top of or below the distributed strip, and substantially within the extents of the distributed strip. Mounting of electronic components on top of or below the distributed strip has little effect on the performance of the antenna, and allows for realizing the combination of the antenna and integrated components in a compact form. An embodiment of the invention comprises an antenna including a distributed strip, integrated with a battery mounted on the distributed strip.

Investigations regarding the drag characteristics of flow-disturbing bodies which are arranged in line and attached to the wall

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balkowski, M.; Schollmeyer, H.

1980-01-01

The flow characteristics of rectangular bodies mounted on the base area of a rectangular closed wind tunnel are investigated. As many as four bodies are mounted in line with equal distances between successive bodies. The Mach number of the flowing air is in the range from 0.1 to 0.5. Total and individual drag values could be charged within a wide range by a suitable selection of the distance between successive bodies.

Medical Support for the American Expeditionary Forces in France during the First World War

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-05-08

General and had him court -martialed in 1864 on charges related to the purchase of medical supplies. Stanton pressured the court to find 13Ibid. 72-86...Merritte W. Ireland as his assistant, and Major George P. Peed and Captain Harry Beeuwkes as assistants. Peed, Beeuwkes, and Major J. R. Mount accompanied...general estimates on personnel and equipment. Major Daniel W. Harmon was responsible for sanitation and statistics; Major J. R. Mount , for supplies

Oxide nucleation on thin films of copper during in situ oxidation in an electron microscope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heinemann, K.; Rao, D. B.; Douglass, D. L.

1975-01-01

Single-crystal copper thin films were oxidized at an isothermal temperature of 425 C and at an oxygen partial pressure of 0.005 torr. Specimens were prepared by epitaxial vapor deposition onto polished faces of rocksalt and were mounted in a hot stage inside the ultrahigh-vacuum chamber of a high-resolution electron microscope. An induction period of roughly 30 min was established which was independent of the film thickness but depended strongly on the oxygen partial pressure and to exposure to oxygen prior to oxidation. Neither stacking faults nor dislocations were found to be associated with the Cu2O nucleation sites. The experimental data, including results from oxygen dissolution experiments and from repetitive oxidation-reduction-oxidation sequences, fit well into the framework of an oxidation process involving the formation of a surface charge layer, oxygen saturation of the metal with formation of a supersaturated zone near the surface, and nucleation followed by surface diffusion of oxygen and bulk diffusion of copper for lateral and vertical oxide growth, respectively.

The application of atomic force microscopy in mineral flotation.

PubMed

Xing, Yaowen; Xu, Mengdi; Gui, Xiahui; Cao, Yijun; Babel, Bent; Rudolph, Martin; Weber, Stefan; Kappl, Michael; Butt, Hans-Jürgen

2018-06-01

During the past years, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has matured to an indispensable tool to characterize nanomaterials in colloid and interface science. For imaging, a sharp probe mounted near to the end of a cantilever scans over the sample surface providing a high resolution three-dimensional topographic image. In addition, the AFM tip can be used as a force sensor to detect local properties like adhesion, stiffness, charge etc. After the invention of the colloidal probe technique it has also become a major method to measure surface forces. In this review, we highlight the advances in the application of AFM in the field of mineral flotation, such as mineral morphology imaging, water at mineral surface, reagent adsorption, inter-particle force, and bubble-particle interaction. In the coming years, the complementary characterization of chemical composition such as using infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy for AFM topography imaging and the synchronous measurement of the force and distance involving deformable bubble as a force sensor will further assist the fundamental understanding of flotation mechanism. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Contamination control device

DOEpatents

Clark, Robert M.; Cronin, John C.

1977-01-01

A contamination control device for use in a gas-insulated transmission bus consisting of a cylindrical center conductor coaxially mounted within a grounded cylindrical enclosure. The contamination control device is electrically connected to the interior surface of the grounded outer shell and positioned along an axial line at the lowest vertical position thereon. The contamination control device comprises an elongated metallic member having a generally curved cross-section in a first plane perpendicular to the axis of the bus and having an arcuate cross-section in a second plane lying along the axis of the bus. Each opposed end of the metallic member and its opposing sides are tapered to form a pair of generally converging and downward sloping surfaces to trap randomly moving conductive particles in the relatively field-free region between the metallic member and the interior surface of the grounded outer shell. The device may have projecting legs to enable the device to be spot welded to the interior of the grounded housing. The control device provides a high capture probability and prevents subsequent release of the charged particles after the capture thereof.

Development of a 0.5m clear aperture Cassegrain type collimator telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ekinci, Mustafa; Selimoǧlu, Özgür

2016-07-01

Collimator is an optical instrument used to evaluate performance of high precision instruments, especially space-born high resolution telescopes. Optical quality of the collimator telescope needs to be better than the instrument to be measured. This requirement leads collimator telescope to be a very precise instrument with high quality mirrors and a stable structure to keep it operational under specified conditions. In order to achieve precision requirements and to ensure repeatability of the mounts for polishing and metrology, opto-mechanical principles are applied to mirror mounts. Finite Element Method is utilized to simulate gravity effects, integration errors and temperature variations. Finite element analyses results of deformed optical surfaces are imported to optical domain by using Zernike polynomials to evaluate the design against specified WFE requirements. Both mirrors are aspheric and made from Zerodur for its stability and near zero CTE, M1 is further light-weighted. Optical quality measurements of the mirrors are achieved by using custom made CGHs on an interferometric test setup. Spider of the Cassegrain collimator telescope has a flexural adjustment mechanism driven by precise micrometers to overcome tilt errors originating from finite stiffness of the structure and integration errors. Collimator telescope is assembled and alignment methods are proposed.

Embedding solar cell materials with on-board integrated energy storage for load-leveling and dark power delivery (Presentation Recording)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pint, Cary L.; Westover, Andrew S.; Cohn, Adam P.; Erwin, William R.; Share, Keith; Metke, Thomas; Bardhan, Rizia

2015-10-01

This work will discuss our recent advances focused on integrating high power energy storage directly into the native materials of both conventional photovoltaics (PV) and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In the first case (PV), we demonstrate the ability to etch high surface-area porous silicon charge storage interfaces directly into the backside of a conventional polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic device exhibiting over 14% efficiency. These high surface area materials are then coupled with solid-state ionic liquid-polymer electrolytes to produce solid-state fully integrated devices where the PV device can directly inject charge into an on-board supercapacitor that can be separately discharged under dark conditions with a Coulombic efficiency of 84%. In a similar manner, we further demonstrate that surface engineered silicon materials can be utilized to replace Pt counterelectrodes in conventional DSSC energy conversion devices. As the silicon counterelectrodes rely strictly on surface Faradaic chemical reactions with the electrolyte on one side of the wafer electrode, we demonstrate double-sided processing of electrodes that enables dual-function of the material for simultaneous energy storage and conversion, each on opposing sides. In both of these devices, we demonstrate the ability to produce an all-silicon coupled energy conversion and storage system through the common ability to convert unused silicon in solar cells into high power silicon-based supercapacitors. Beyond the proof-of-concept design and performance of this integrated solar-storage system, this talk will conclude with a brief discussion of the hurdles and challenges that we envision for this emerging area both from a fundamental and technological viewpoint.

Effect of dissolved oxygen on two bacterial pathogens examined using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, microelectrophoresis, and potentiometric titration.

PubMed

Castro, Felipe D; Sedman, Jacqueline; Ismail, Ashraf A; Asadishad, Bahareh; Tufenkji, Nathalie

2010-06-01

The effects of dissolved oxygen tension during bacterial growth and acclimation on the cell surface properties and biochemical composition of the bacterial pathogens Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Yersinia enterocolitica are characterized. Three experimental techniques are used in an effort to understand the influence of bacterial growth and acclimation conditions on cell surface charge and the composition of the bacterial cell: (i) electrophoretic mobility measurements; (ii) potentiometric titration; and (iii) ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Potentiometric titration data analyzed using chemical speciation software are related to measured electrophoretic mobilities at the pH of interest. Titration of bacterial cells is used to identify the major proton-active functional groups and the overall concentration of these cell surface ligands at the cell membrane. Analysis of titration data shows notable differences between strains and conditions, confirming the appropriateness of this tool for an overall charge characterization. ATR-FTIR spectroscopy of whole cells is used to further characterize the bacterial biochemical composition and macromolecular structures that might be involved in the development of the net surficial charge of the organisms examined. The evaluation of the integrated intensities of HPO(2)(-) and carbohydrate absorption bands in the IR spectra reveals clear differences between growth protocols. Taken together, the three techniques seem to indicate that the dissolved oxygen tension during cell growth or acclimation can noticeably influence the expression of cell surface molecules and the measurable cell surface charge, though in a strain-dependent fashion.

Antibacterial Effects and Mode of Action of Selected Essential Oils Components against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

PubMed Central

Lopez-Romero, Julio Cesar; González-Ríos, Humberto; Borges, Anabela; Simões, Manuel

2015-01-01

Bacterial resistance has been increasingly reported worldwide and is one of the major causes of failure in the treatment of infectious diseases. Natural-based products, including plant secondary metabolites (phytochemicals), may be used to surpass or reduce this problem. The objective of this study was to determine the antibacterial effect and mode of action of selected essential oils (EOs) components: carveol, carvone, citronellol, and citronellal, against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were assessed for the selected EOs components. Moreover, physicochemical bacterial surface characterization, bacterial surface charge, membrane integrity, and K + leakage assays were carried out to investigate the antimicrobial mode of action of EOs components. Citronellol was the most effective molecule against both pathogens, followed by citronellal, carveol, and carvone. Changes in the hydrophobicity, surface charge, and membrane integrity with the subsequent K + leakage from E. coli and S. aureus were observed after exposure to EOs. This study demonstrates that the selected EOs have significant antimicrobial activity against the bacteria tested, acting on the cell surface and causing the disruption of the bacterial membrane. Moreover, these molecules are interesting alternatives to conventional antimicrobials for the control of microbial infections. PMID:26221178

Sputtered Pd as Hydrogen Storage for a Chip-Integrated Microenergy System

PubMed Central

Slavcheva, E.; Ganske, G.; Schnakenberg, U.

2014-01-01

The work presents a research on preparation and physical and electrochemical characterisation of dc magnetron sputtered Pd films envisaged for application as hydrogen storage in a chip-integrated hydrogen microenergy system. The influence of the changes in the sputtering pressure on the surface structure, morphology, and roughness was analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AMF). The electrochemical activity towards hydrogen adsorption/desorption and formation of PdH were investigated in 0.5 M H2SO4 using the methods of cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic polarisation. The changes in the electrical properties of the films as a function of the sputtering pressure and the level of hydrogenation were evaluated before and immediately after the electrochemical charging tests, using a four-probe technique. The research resulted in establishment of optimal sputter regime, ensuring fully reproducible Pd layers with highly developed surface, moderate porosity, and mechanical stability. Selected samples were integrated as hydrogen storage in a newly developed unitized microenergy system and tested in charging (water electrolysis) and discharging (fuel cell) operative mode at ambient conditions demonstrating a stable recycling performance. PMID:24516356

Label-free specific detection of femtomolar cardiac troponin using an integrated nanoslit array fluidic diode.

PubMed

Liu, Yifan; Yobas, Levent

2014-12-10

We demonstrate here for the first time the utility of an integrated nanofluidic diode for detecting and quantifying physiologically relevant macromolecules. Troponin T, a key human cardiac protein biomarker, was selectively and rapidly detected free of labels for concentrations down to 10 fg/mL (∼ 0.3 fM) in buffer as well as 10 pg/mL (∼ 300 fM) in untreated human serum. This ultrasensitive detection arises from monolithic integration of a unique nanofluidic diode structure that is highly robust and amenable to site-specific surface modification. The structure features a planar nanoslit array where each nanoslit is defined at a nominal width of 70 nm over a micrometer-scale silicon trench without the use of high-resolution patterning techniques. Through vapor deposition, a glass layer is placed at a nonuniform thickness, tapering the trench profile upward and contributing to the triangular nanoslit structure. This asymmetric profile is essential for ionic current rectification noted here at various pH values, ionic strengths, and captured target species, which modulate the surface-charge density within the sensitive region of the nanoslit. The nanoslit, unlike nanopores, offers only 1D confinement, which appears to be adequate for reasonable rectification. The measurements are found in quantitative agreement with the diode simulations for the first time based on a pH- and salt-dependent surface-charge model.

Optomechanical design and analysis of a self-adaptive mounting method for optimizing phase matching of large potassium dihydrogen phosphate converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zheng; Tian, Menjiya; Quan, Xusong; Pei, Guoqing; Wang, Hui; Liu, Tianye; Long, Kai; Xiong, Zhao; Rong, Yiming

2017-11-01

Surface control and phase matching of large laser conversion optics are urgent requirements and huge challenges in high-power solid-state laser facilities. A self-adaptive, nanocompensating mounting configuration of a large aperture potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) frequency doubler is proposed based on a lever-type surface correction mechanism. A mechanical, numerical, and optical model is developed and employed to evaluate comprehensive performance of this mounting method. The results validate the method's advantages of surface adjustment and phase matching improvement. In addition, the optimal value of the modulation force is figured out through a series of simulations and calculations.

Scanning Tunneling Microscope For Use In Vacuum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abel, Phillip B.

1993-01-01

Scanning tunneling microscope with subangstrom resolution developed to study surface structures. Although instrument used in air, designed especially for use in vacuum. Scanning head is assembly of small, mostly rigid components made of low-outgassing materials. Includes coarse-positioning mechanical-translation stage, on which specimen mounted by use of standard mounting stub. Tunneling tip mounted on piezoelectric fine-positioning tube. Application of suitable voltages to electrodes on piezoelectric tube controls scan of tunneling tip across surface of specimen. Electronic subsystem generates scanning voltages and collects data.

Charging system using solar panels and a highly resonant wireless power transfer model for small UAS applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallman, Sydney N.; Huck, Robert C.; Sluss, James J.

2016-05-01

The use of a wireless charging system for small, unmanned aircraft system applications is useful for both military and commercial consumers. An efficient way to keep the aircraft's batteries charged without interrupting flight would be highly marketable. While the general concepts behind highly resonant wireless power transfer are discussed in a few publications, the details behind the system designs are not available even in academic journals, especially in relation to avionics. Combining a highly resonant charging system with a solar panel charging system can produce enough power to extend the flight time of a small, unmanned aircraft system without interruption. This paper provides an overview of a few of the wireless-charging technologies currently available and outlines a preliminary design for an aircraft-mounted battery charging system.

Design and implementation of the ATLAS TRT front end electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newcomer, Mitch; Atlas TRT Collaboration

2006-07-01

The ATLAS TRT subsystem is comprised of 380,000 4 mm straw tube sensors ranging in length from 30 to 80 cm. Polypropelene plastic layers between straws and a xenon-based gas mixture in the straws allow the straws to be used for both tracking and transition radiation detection. Detector-mounted electronics with data sparsification was chosen to minimize the cable plant inside the super-conducting solenoid of the ATLAS inner tracker. The "on detector" environment required a small footprint, low noise, low power and radiation-tolerant readout capable of triggering at rates up to 20 MHz with an analog signal dynamic range of >300 times the discriminator setting. For tracking, a position resolution better than 150 μm requires leading edge trigger timing with ˜1 ns precision and for transition radiation detection, a charge collection time long enough to integrate the direct and reflected signal from the unterminated straw tube is needed for position-independent energy measurement. These goals have been achieved employing two custom Application-specific integrated circuits (ASICS) and board design techniques that successfully separate analog and digital functionality while providing an integral part of the straw tube shielding.

Development and evaluation of a boat-mounted RFID antenna for monitoring freshwater mussels

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fischer, Jesse R.; Neebling, Travis E.; Quist, Michael C.

2012-01-01

Development of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags has substantially increased the ability of researchers and managers to monitor populations of aquatic organisms. However, use of transportable RFID antenna systems (i.e., backpack-mounted) is currently limited to wadeable aquatic environments (<1.4 m water depth). We describe the design, construction, and evaluation of a boat-mounted RFID antenna to detect individually PIT-tagged benthic aquatic organisms (mussels). We evaluated the effects of tag orientation on detection distances in water with a 32-mm half-duplex PIT tag. Detection distances up to 50 cm from the antenna coils were obtained, but detection distance was dependent on tag orientation. We also evaluated detection distance of PIT tags beneath the sediment to simulate detection of burrowing mussels with 23- and 32-mm tags. In sand substrate, the maximum detection distance varied from 3.5 cm and 4.5 cm (vertical tag orientation) to 24.7 cm and 39.4 cm (45° tag orientation) for the 23- and 32-mm PIT tags, respectively. Our results suggest a 1.4-m total detection width for tagged mussels on the substrate surface by the boat-mounted antenna system regardless of tag orientation. However, burrowed mussels may require multiple passes to increase detection that would be influenced by depth, tag orientation, and tag size. Construction of the boat-mounted antenna was relatively low in cost (<500 USD) and had several advantages (less labor and time intensive, increased safety) over traditional mussel sampling techniques (diving, snorkeling) in nonwadeable habitats.

Structural Assembly for Cold Plate Cooling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zaffetti, Mark A. (Inventor); Taddey, Edmund P. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A device including a structural member having a heat spreader and an electronic device mounted directly to a first surface of the heat spreader of the structural member. The device also includes a cold plate mounted directly to the first surface of the heat spreader of the structural member.

Lunar Lander Offloading Operations Using a Heavy-Lift Lunar Surface Manipulator System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jefferies, Sharon A.; Doggett, William R.; Chrone, Jonathan; Angster, Scott; Dorsey, John T.; Jones, Thomas C.; Haddad, Michael E.; Helton, David A.; Caldwell, Darrell L., Jr.

2010-01-01

This study investigates the feasibility of using a heavy-lift variant of the Lunar Surface Manipulator System (LSMS-H) to lift and handle a 12 metric ton payload. Design challenges and requirements particular to handling heavy cargo were examined. Differences between the previously developed first-generation LSMS and the heavy-lift version are highlighted. An in-depth evaluation of the tip-over risk during LSMS-H operations has been conducted using the Synergistic Engineering Environment and potential methods to mitigate that risk are identified. The study investigated three specific offloading scenarios pertinent to current Lunar Campaign studies. The first involved offloading a large element, such as a habitat or logistics module, onto a mobility chassis with a lander-mounted LSMS-H and offloading that payload from the chassis onto the lunar surface with a surface-mounted LSMS-H. The second scenario involved offloading small pressurized rovers with a lander-mounted LSMS-H. The third scenario involved offloading cargo from a third-party lander, such as the proposed ESA cargo lander, with a chassis-mounted LSMS-H. In all cases, the analyses show that the LSMS-H can perform the required operations safely. However, Chariot-mounted operations require the addition of stabilizing outriggers, and when operating from the Lunar surface, LSMS-H functionality is enhanced by adding a simple ground anchoring system.

Solar photovoltaic charging of lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Thomas L.; Kelly, Nelson A.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) charging of batteries was tested by using high efficiency crystalline and amorphous silicon PV modules to recharge lithium-ion battery modules. This testing was performed as a proof of concept for solar PV charging of batteries for electrically powered vehicles. The iron phosphate type lithium-ion batteries were safely charged to their maximum capacity and the thermal hazards associated with overcharging were avoided by the self-regulating design of the solar charging system. The solar energy to battery charge conversion efficiency reached 14.5%, including a PV system efficiency of nearly 15%, and a battery charging efficiency of approximately 100%. This high system efficiency was achieved by directly charging the battery from the PV system with no intervening electronics, and matching the PV maximum power point voltage to the battery charging voltage at the desired maximum state of charge for the battery. It is envisioned that individual homeowners could charge electric and extended-range electric vehicles from residential, roof-mounted solar arrays, and thus power their daily commuting with clean, renewable solar energy.

Lightweight helmet-mounted eye movement measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnes, J. A.

1978-01-01

The helmet-mounted eye movement measuring system, weighs 1,530 grams; the weight of the present aviators' helmet in standard form with the visor is 1,545 grams. The optical head is standard NAC Eye-Mark. This optical head was mounted on a magnesium yoke which in turn was attached to a slide cam mounted on the flight helmet. The slide cam allows one to adjust the eye-to-optics system distance quite easily and to secure it so that the system will remain in calibration. The design of the yoke and slide cam is such that the subject can, in an emergency, move the optical head forward and upward to the stowed and locked position atop the helmet. This feature was necessary for flight safety. The television camera that is used in the system is a solid state General Electric TN-2000 with a charged induced device imager used as the vidicon.

Front lighted optical tooling method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Stone, W.J.

1983-06-30

An optical tooling method and apparatus uses a front lighted shadowgraphic technique to enhance visual contrast of reflected light. The apparatus includes an optical assembly including a fiducial mark, such as cross hairs, reflecting polarized light with a first polarization, a polarizing element backing the fiducial mark and a reflective surface backing the polarizing element for reflecting polarized light bypassing the fiducial mark and traveling through the polarizing element. The light reflected by the reflecting surface is directed through a second pass of the polarizing element toward the frontal direction with a polarization differing from the polarization of the light reflected by the fiducial mark. When used as a tooling target, the optical assembly may be mounted directly to a reference surface or may be secured in a mounting, such as a magnetic mounting. The optical assembly may also be mounted in a plane defining structure and used as a spherometer in conjunction with an optical depth measuring instrument.

Cleaning of printed circuit assemblies with surface-mounted components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arzigian, J. S.

The need for ever-increasing miniaturization of airborne instrumentation through the use of surface mounted components closely placed on printed circuit boards highlights problems with traditional board cleaning methods. The reliability of assemblies which have been cleaned with vapor degreasing and spray cleaning can be seriously compromised by residual contaminants leading to solder joint failure, board corrosion, and even electrical failure of the mounted parts. In addition, recent government actions to eliminate fully halogenated chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and chlorinated hydrocarbons from the industrial environment require the development of new cleaning materials and techniques. This paper discusses alternative cleaning materials and techniques and results that can be expected with them. Particular emphasis is placed on problems related to surface-mounted parts. These new techniques may lead to improved circuit reliability and, at the same time, be less expensive and less environmentally hazardous than the traditional systems.

High density electronic circuit and process for making

DOEpatents

Morgan, W.P.

1999-06-29

High density circuits with posts that protrude beyond one surface of a substrate to provide easy mounting of devices such as integrated circuits are disclosed. The posts also provide stress relief to accommodate differential thermal expansion. The process allows high interconnect density with fewer alignment restrictions and less wasted circuit area than previous processes. The resulting substrates can be test platforms for die testing and for multi-chip module substrate testing. The test platform can contain active components and emulate realistic operational conditions, replacing shorts/opens net testing. 8 figs.

Progress report on the ultra heavy cosmic ray experiment (AO178)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, A.; Osullivan, D.; Bosch, J.; Keegan, R.; Wenzel, K.-P.; Jansen, F.; Domingo, C.

1993-01-01

The Ultra Heavy Cosmic Ray Experiment (UHCRE) is based on a modular array of 192 side-viewing solid state nuclear track detector stacks. These stacks were mounted in sets of four in 48 pressure vessels employing sixteen peripheral Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) trays. The extended duration of the LDEF mission has resulted in a greatly enhanced scientific yield from the UHCRE. The geometry factor for high energy cosmic ray nuclei, allowing for Earth shadowing, was 30 sq m-sr, giving a total exposure factor of 170 sq m-sr-y at an orbital inclination of 28.4 degrees. Scanning results indicate that about 3000 cosmic ray nuclei in the charge region with Z greater than 65 were collected. This sample is more than ten times the current world data in the field (taken to be the data set from the HEAO-3 mission plus that from the Ariel-6 mission) and is sufficient to provide the world's first statistically significant sample of actinide (Z greater than 88) cosmic rays. Results to date are presented including details of ultra-heavy cosmic ray nuclei, analysis of pre-flight and post-flight calibration events and details of track response in the context of detector temperature history. The integrated effect of all temperature and age related latent track variations cause a maximum charge shift of +/- 0.8 e for uranium and +/- 0.6 e for the platinum-lead group. The precision of charge assignment as a function of energy is derived and evidence for remarkably good charge resolution achieved in the UHCRE is considered. Astrophysical implications of the UHCRE charge spectrum are discussed.

Divergence preserving discrete surface integral methods for Maxwell's curl equations using non-orthogonal unstructured grids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Madsen, Niel K.

1992-01-01

Several new discrete surface integral (DSI) methods for solving Maxwell's equations in the time-domain are presented. These methods, which allow the use of general nonorthogonal mixed-polyhedral unstructured grids, are direct generalizations of the canonical staggered-grid finite difference method. These methods are conservative in that they locally preserve divergence or charge. Employing mixed polyhedral cells, (hexahedral, tetrahedral, etc.) these methods allow more accurate modeling of non-rectangular structures and objects because the traditional stair-stepped boundary approximations associated with the orthogonal grid based finite difference methods can be avoided. Numerical results demonstrating the accuracy of these new methods are presented.

Carbon Redox-Polymer-Gel Hybrid Supercapacitors.

PubMed

Vlad, A; Singh, N; Melinte, S; Gohy, J-F; Ajayan, P M

2016-02-26

Energy storage devices that provide high specific power without compromising on specific energy are highly desirable for many electric-powered applications. Here, we demonstrate that polymer organic radical gel materials support fast bulk-redox charge storage, commensurate to surface double layer ion exchange at carbon electrodes. When integrated with a carbon-based electrical double layer capacitor, nearly ideal electrode properties such as high electrical and ionic conductivity, fast bulk redox and surface charge storage as well as excellent cycling stability are attained. Such hybrid carbon redox-polymer-gel electrodes support unprecedented discharge rate of 1,000C with 50% of the nominal capacity delivered in less than 2 seconds. Devices made with such electrodes hold the potential for battery-scale energy storage while attaining supercapacitor-like power performances.

Systems Maturity Assessment of the Lithium Ion Battery for Extravehicular Mobility Unit Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, Samuel P.

2011-01-01

The Long Life (Lithium Ion) Battery (LLB/LIB) is designed to replace the current Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Silver/Zinc (Ag/Zn) Increased Capacity Battery (ICB), which is used to provide power to the Primary Life Support Subsystem (PLSS) during Extravehicular Activities (EVAs). The LLB (a battery based on commercial lithium ion cell technology) is designed to have the same electrical and mechanical interfaces as the current ICB. The EMU LIB Charger is designed to charge, discharge, and condition the LLB either in a charger-strapped configuration or in an EMU-mounted configuration. This paper will retroactively apply the principles of Systems Maturity Assessment to the LLB project through use of the Integration Readiness Level and Earned Readiness Management. The viability of this methodology will be considered for application to new and existing technology development projects.

An application specific integrated circuit based multi-anode microchannel array readout system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smeins, Larry G.; Stechman, John M.; Cole, Edward H.

1991-01-01

Size reduction of two new multi-anode microchannel array (MAMA) readout systems is described. The systems are based on two analog and one digital application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The new readout systems reduce volume over previous discrete designs by 80 percent while improving electrical performance on virtually every significant parameter. Emphasis is made on the packaging used to achieve the volume reduction. Surface mount technology (SMT) is combined with modular construction for the analog portion of the readout. SMT reliability concerns and the board area impact of MIL SPEC SMT components is addressed. Package selection for the analog ASIC is discussed. Future sytems will require even denser packaging and the volume reduction progression is shown.

Development of Tailorable Electrically Conductive Thermal Control Material Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deshpande, M. S.; Harada, Y.

1997-01-01

The optical characteristics of surfaces on spacecraft are fundamental parameters in controlling its temperature. Passive thermal control coatings with designed solar absorptance and infrared emittance properties have been developed and have been in use for some time. In this total space environment, the coating must be stable and maintain its desired optical properties as well as mechanical properties for the course of the mission lifetime. The mission lifetimes are increasing and in our quest to save weight, newer substrates are being integrated which limit electrical grounding schemes. All of this has added to already existing concerns about spacecraft charging and related spacecraft failures or operational failures. The concern is even greater for thermal control surfaces that are very large. One way of alleviating such concerns is to design new thermal control material systems (TCMS) that can help to mitigate charging via providing charge leakage paths. The objective of this program was to develop two types of passive electrically conductive TCMS. The first was a highly absorbing/emitting black surface and the second was a low (alpha(sub s)/epsilon(sub N)) type white surface. The surface resistance goals for the black absorber was 10(exp 4) to 10(exp 9) Omega/square, and for the white surfaces it was 10(exp 6) to 10(exp 10) Omega/square. Several material system concepts were suggested and evaluated for space environment stability and electrical performance characterization. Our efforts in designing and evaluating these material systems have resulted in several developments. New concepts, pigments and binders have been developed to provide new engineering quality TCMS. Some of these have already found application on space hardware, some are waiting to be recognized by thermal designers, and some require further detailed studies to become state-of-the-art for future space hardware and space structures. Our studies on baseline state-of-the-art materials and conductive concepts have resulted in several important findings that are of interest to all thermal designers and systems integrators.

Experimental investigation into effect of cutting parameters on surface integrity of hardened tool steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bashir, K.; Alkali, A. U.; Elmunafi, M. H. S.; Yusof, N. M.

2018-04-01

Recent trend in turning hardened materials have gained popularity because of its immense machinability benefits. However, several machining processes like thermal assisted machining and cryogenic machining have reveal superior machinability benefits over conventional dry turning of hardened materials. Various engineering materials have been studied. However, investigations on AISI O1 tool steel have not been widely reported. In this paper, surface finish and surface integrity dominant when hard turning AISI O1 tool steel is analysed. The study is focused on the performance of wiper coated ceramic tool with respect to surface roughness and surface integrity of hardened tool steel. Hard turned tool steel was machined at varying cutting speed of 100, 155 and 210 m/min and feed rate of 0.05, 0.125 and 0.20mm/rev. The depth of cut of 0.2mm was maintained constant throughout the machining trials. Machining was conducted using dry turning on 200E-axis CNC lathe. The experimental study revealed that the surface finish is relatively superior at higher cutting speed of 210m/min. The surface finish increases when cutting speed increases whereas surface finish is generally better at lower feed rate of 0.05mm/rev. The experimental study conducted have revealed that phenomena such as work piece vibration due to poor or improper mounting on the spindle also contributed to higher surface roughness value of 0.66Ra during turning at 0.2mm/rev. Traces of white layer was observed when viewed with optical microscope which shows evidence of cutting effects on the turned work material at feed rate of 0.2 rev/min

Extracting Zero-Gravity Surface Figure of a Mirror

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloemhof, Eric E.; Lam, Jonathan C.; Feria, Alfonso; Chang, Zensheu

2011-01-01

The technical innovation involves refinement of the classic optical technique of averaging surface measurements made in different orientations with respect to gravity, so the effects of gravity cancel in the averaged image. Particularly for large, thin mirrors subject to substantial deformation, the further requirement is that mount forces must also cancel when averaged over measurement orientations. The zerogravity surface figure of a mirror in a hexapod mount is obtained by analyzing the summation of mount forces in the frame of the optic as surface metrology is averaged over multiple clockings. This is illustrated with measurements taken from the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) PT-Ml mirror for both twofold and threefold clocking. The positive results of these measurements and analyses indicate that, from this perspective, a lighter mirror could be used; that is, one might place less reliance on the damping effects of the elliptic partial differential equations that describe the propagation of forces through glass. The advantage over prior art is relaxing the need for an otherwise substantial thickness of glass that might be needed to ensure accurate metrology in the absence of a detailed understanding and analysis of the mount forces. The general insights developed here are new, and provide the basic design principles on which mirror mount geometry may be chosen.

Aerodynamic Characteristics and Control Effectiveness of the HL-20 Lifting Body Configuration at Mach 10 in Air

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scallion, William I.

1999-01-01

A 0.0196-scale model of the HL-20 lifting-body, one of several configurations proposed for future crewed spacecraft, was tested in the Langley 31-Inch Mach 10 Tunnel. The purpose of the tests was to determine the effectiveness of fin-mounted elevons, a lower surface flush-mounted body flap, and a flush-mounted yaw controller at hypersonic speeds. The nominal angle-of-attack range, representative of hypersonic entry, was 2 deg to 41 deg, the sideslip angles were 0 deg, 2 deg, and -2 deg, and the test Reynolds number was 1.06 x 10 E6 based on model reference length. The aerodynamic, longitudinal, and lateral control effectiveness along with surface oil flow visualizations are presented and discussed. The configuration was longitudinally and laterally stable at the nominal center of gravity. The primary longitudinal control, the fin-mounted elevons, could not trim the model to the desired entry angle of attack of 30 deg. The lower surface body flaps were effective for roll control and the associated adverse yawing moment was eliminated by skewing the body flap hinge lines. A yaw controller, flush-mounted on the lower surface, was also effective, and the associated small rolling moment was favorable.

Advanced semi-active engine and transmission mounts: tools for modelling, analysis, design, and tuning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farjoud, Alireza; Taylor, Russell; Schumann, Eric; Schlangen, Timothy

2014-02-01

This paper is focused on modelling, design, and testing of semi-active magneto-rheological (MR) engine and transmission mounts used in the automotive industry. The purpose is to develop a complete analysis, synthesis, design, and tuning tool that reduces the need for expensive and time-consuming laboratory and field tests. A detailed mathematical model of such devices is developed using multi-physics modelling techniques for physical systems with various energy domains. The model includes all major features of an MR mount including fluid dynamics, fluid track, elastic components, decoupler, rate-dip, gas-charged chamber, MR fluid rheology, magnetic circuit, electronic driver, and control algorithm. Conventional passive hydraulic mounts can also be studied using the same mathematical model. The model is validated using standard experimental procedures. It is used for design and parametric study of mounts; effects of various geometric and material parameters on dynamic response of mounts can be studied. Additionally, this model can be used to test various control strategies to obtain best vibration isolation performance by tuning control parameters. Another benefit of this work is that nonlinear interactions between sub-components of the mount can be observed and investigated. This is not possible by using simplified linear models currently available.

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

Goto, Tetsuya; Matsuoka, Takaaki; Ohmi, Tadahiro

Novel magnetron-sputtering equipment, called rotation magnet sputtering (ROT-MS), was developed to overcome various disadvantages of current magnetron-sputtering equipment. Disadvantages include (1) very low target utilization of less than 20%, (2) difficulty in obtaining uniform deposition on the substrate, and (3) charge-up damages and ion-bombardment-induced damages resulting from very high electron temperature (>3 eV) and that the substrate is set at the plasma excitation region. In ROT-MS, a number of moving high-density plasma loops are excited on the target surface by rotating helical magnets, resulting in very high target utilization with uniform target erosion and uniform deposition on the substrate. Thismore » excellent performance can be principally maintained even if equipment size increases for very large-substrate deposition. Because strong horizontal magnetic fields (>0.05 T) are produced within a very limited region just at the target surface, very low electron-temperature plasmas (<2.5 eV for Ar plasma and <1 eV for direct-current-excited Xe plasma) are excited at the very limited region adjacent to the target surface with a combination of grounded plate closely mounted on the strong magnetic field region. Consequently, the authors can establish charge-up damage-free and ion-bombardment-induced damage-free processes. ROT-MS has been applied for thin-film formation of LaB{sub 6}, which is well known as a stable, low-work-function bulk-crystal material for electron emissions. The work function of the LaB{sub 6} film decreased to 2.8 eV due to enhanced (100)-orientation crystallinity and reduced resistivity realized by adjusting the flux of low-energy bombarding ions impinging on the depositing surface, which work very efficiently, improving the performance of the electron emission devices.« less

Enhanced Ionization Of Propellant Through Carbon Nanotube Growth On Angled Walls

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

FEEP field emission electric propulsion MUF mass utilization factor NSTAR NASA Solar Technology Application Readiness SCATHA Spacecraft Charging at...Experiments This experiment, Spacecraft Charging at High Altitudes (SCATHA), was developed by the U.S. Air Force along with NASA [5]. A satellite was launched...propulsion system, gimbal mounted and deployed on DS1. Source: [6]. 3. DAWN A more recent use of XIPS is the DAWN Spacecraft from NASA . Orbiting the

Application of semiempirical electronic structure theory to compute the force generated by a single surface-mounted switchable rotaxane.

PubMed

Sohlberg, Karl; Bazargan, Gloria; Angelo, Joseph P; Lee, Choongkeun

2017-01-01

Herein we report a study of the switchable [3]rotaxane reported by Huang et al. (Appl Phys Lett 85(22):5391-5393, 1) that can be mounted to a surface to form a nanomechanical, linear, molecular motor. We demonstrate the application of semiempirical electronic structure theory to predict the average and instantaneous force generated by redox-induced ring shuttling. Detailed analysis of the geometric and electronic structure of the system reveals technical considerations essential to success of the approach. The force is found to be in the 100-200 pN range, consistent with published experimental estimates. Graphical Abstract A single surface-mounted switchable rotaxane.

Mounting apparatus for a nozzle guide vane assembly

DOEpatents

Boyd, G.L.; Shaffer, J.E.

1995-09-12

The present invention provides a ceramic nozzle guide assembly with an apparatus for mounting it to a metal nozzle case that includes an intermediate ceramic mounting ring. The mounting ring includes a plurality of projections that are received within a plurality of receptacles formed in the nozzle case. The projections of the mounting ring are secured within the receptacles by a ceramic retainer that allows contact between the two components only along arcuate surfaces thus eliminating sliding contact between the components. 8 figs.

Mounting apparatus for a nozzle guide vane assembly

DOEpatents

Boyd, Gary L.; Shaffer, James E.

1995-01-01

The present invention provides a ceramic nozzle guide assembly with an apparatus for mounting it to a metal nozzle case that includes an intermediate ceramic mounting ring. The mounting ring includes a plurality of projections that are received within a plurality of receptacles formed in the nozzle case. The projections of the mounting ring are secured within the receptacles by a ceramic retainer that allows contact between the two components only along arcuate surfaces thus eliminating sliding contact between the components.

On the Character of the Zeros of Polynomials Relevant to the Small Curvature Approximation in Asymptotic Diffraction Theory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pogorzelski, Ronald J.

1995-01-01

In dealing with the problem of estimating the high frequency coupling between two antennas mounted on a non-metallic aircraft skin, one is faced with approximation of the spectral integrals representing the propagation of rays along the geodesics of the surface between the antennas. When the antennas are sufficiently separated, the integrals can be conveniently represented as a rapidly convergent residue series. On the other hand, when the antennas are in close proximity, the residue series fails to converge rapidly and a power series representation proves to be efficacious. [Paknys and Wang, IEEE Trans. AP-35(3), 1987, 293-298]. When the effective surface impedance is not small, an intermediate region of separation appears in which neither the residue series nor the power series is effective. Recently, an asymptotic formalism was presented [Pogorzelski, National Radio Science Meeting, Boulder, CO, January 1995] which extends the earlier work of Bremmer [IRE Trans. AP-6, 1958, 267-272] and Wait curvature approximation' to the case of general (non-azimuthal) ray directions on the surface of a cylinder (excluding only axial propagation). Based on the formulation of Pearson [Radio Sci. 21(4), 1986] this asymptotic formalism provided a means of approximating the spectral integrals in the intermediate region of separation.

Extremely pulsatile flow around a surface-mounted hemisphere: synergistic experiments and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Ian A.; Beratlis, Nikolaos; Balaras, Elias; Plesniak, Michael W.

2017-11-01

Extremely pulsatile flow (where the amplitude of oscillation pulsation is of the same order as the mean flow) over a three-dimensional, surface-mounted bluff body gives rise a wealth of fluid dynamics phenomena. In this study, we extend our previous experimental work on extremely pulsatile flow around a surface-mounted hemisphere by performing a complementary direct numerical simulation. Results from the experiment and simulation will be presented and compared. After establishing the agreement between experiment and simulation, we will examine the morphology and dynamics of the vortex structures in the wake of the hemisphere, and the effects of extreme pulsatility. The dynamics of the arch-type recirculation vortex is of primary interest, in particular its upstream propagation due to self-induced velocity in the direction opposite to the freestream during deceleration. In addition to the velocity field, the surface pressure field throughout the pulsatile cycle will be presented. These synergistic experiments and simulations provide a detailed view into the complex flow fields associated with pulsatile flow over a surface-mounted hemisphere. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number CBET-1236351 and the GW Center for Biomimetics and Bioinspired Engineering.

Electromagnetic scattering by impedance structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balanis, Constantine A.; Griesser, Timothy

1987-01-01

The scattering of electromagnetic waves from impedance structures is investigated, and current work on antenna pattern calculation is presented. A general algorithm for determining radiation patterns from antennas mounted near or on polygonal plates is presented. These plates are assumed to be of a material which satisfies the Leontovich (or surface impedance) boundary condition. Calculated patterns including reflection and diffraction terms are presented for numerious geometries, and refinements are included for antennas mounted directly on impedance surfaces. For the case of a monopole mounted on a surface impedance ground plane, computed patterns are compared with experimental measurements. This work in antenna pattern prediction forms the basis of understanding of the complex scattering mechanisms from impedance surfaces. It provides the foundation for the analysis of backscattering patterns which, in general, are more problematic than calculation of antenna patterns. Further proposed study of related topics, including surface waves, corner diffractions, and multiple diffractions, is outlined.

Method of mounting a PC board to a hybrid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Coin, James R. (Inventor)

1999-01-01

A system for mounting a hybrid electronic component to a PC board is disclosed. The system includes a set of brackets for mutually engaging a first surface of the PC board and a cover surface of the hybrid electronic component, wherein the cover surface has an arcuate shape when in a vacuum environment. The brackets are designed with legs having lengths and thicknesses for providing clearance between the cover surface of the hybrid and the first surface of the PC board for use when the hybrid electronic component is in a vacuum environment.

Electronics box having internal circuit cards interconnected to external connectors sans motherboard

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hockett, John E. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

An electronics chassis box includes a pair of opposing sidewalls, a pair of opposing end walls, a bottom surface, a top cover, and ring connectors assemblies mounted in selective ones of the walls of the electronic box. Boss members extend from the bottom surface at different heights upon which circuit cards are mounted in spatial relationship to each other. A flex interconnect substantially reduces and generally eliminates the need of a motherboard by interconnecting the circuit cards to one another and to external connectors mounted within the ring connector assemblies.

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

Wang, Wenjie; Zhang, Honghu; Feng, Shuren

Surface-sensitive X-ray scattering and spectroscopy techniques reveal significant adsorption of iron ions and iron-hydroxide (Fe(III)) complexes to a charge-neutral zwitterionic template of phosphatidylcholine (PC). The PC template is formed by a Langmuir monolayer of dipalmitoyl-PC (DPPC) that is spread on the surface of 2 to 40 μM FeCl 3 solutions at physiological levels of KCl (100 mM). At 40 μM of Fe(III) as many as ~3 iron atoms are associated with each PC group. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction measurements indicate a significant disruption in the in-plane ordering of DPPC molecules upon iron adsorption. The binding of iron-hydroxide complexes to amore » neutral PC surface is yet another example of nonelectrostatic, presumably covalent bonding to a charge-neutral organic template. Furthermore, the strong binding and the disruption of in-plane lipid structure has biological implications on the integrity of PC-derived lipid membranes, including those based on sphingomyelin.« less

Amorphous titanium-oxide supercapacitors.

PubMed

Fukuhara, Mikio; Kuroda, Tomoyuki; Hasegawa, Fumihiko

2016-10-21

The electric capacitance of an amorphous TiO 2-x surface increases proportionally to the negative sixth power of the convex diameter d. This occurs because of the van der Waals attraction on the amorphous surface of up to 7 mF/cm 2 , accompanied by extreme enhanced electron trapping resulting from both the quantum-size effect and an offset effect from positive charges at oxygen-vacancy sites. Here we show that a supercapacitor, constructed with a distributed constant-equipment circuit of large resistance and small capacitance on the amorphous TiO 2-x surface, illuminated a red LED for 37 ms after it was charged with 1 mA at 10 V. The fabricated device showed no dielectric breakdown up to 1,100 V. Based on this approach, further advances in the development of amorphous titanium-dioxide supercapacitors might be attained by integrating oxide ribbons with a micro-electro mechanical system.

Amorphous titanium-oxide supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuhara, Mikio; Kuroda, Tomoyuki; Hasegawa, Fumihiko

2016-10-01

The electric capacitance of an amorphous TiO2-x surface increases proportionally to the negative sixth power of the convex diameter d. This occurs because of the van der Waals attraction on the amorphous surface of up to 7 mF/cm2, accompanied by extreme enhanced electron trapping resulting from both the quantum-size effect and an offset effect from positive charges at oxygen-vacancy sites. Here we show that a supercapacitor, constructed with a distributed constant-equipment circuit of large resistance and small capacitance on the amorphous TiO2-x surface, illuminated a red LED for 37 ms after it was charged with 1 mA at 10 V. The fabricated device showed no dielectric breakdown up to 1,100 V. Based on this approach, further advances in the development of amorphous titanium-dioxide supercapacitors might be attained by integrating oxide ribbons with a micro-electro mechanical system.

Diffusion length measurements in bulk and epitaxially grown 3-5 semiconductors using charge collection microscopy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leon, R. P.

1987-01-01

Diffusion lengths and surface recombination velocities were measured in GaAs diodes and InP finished solar cells. The basic techniques used was charge collection microscopy also known as electron beam induced current (EBIC). The normalized currents and distances from the pn junction were read directly from the calibrated curves obtained while using the line scan mode in an SEM. These values were then equated to integral and infinite series expressions resulting from the solution of the diffusion equation with both extended generation and point generation functions. This expands previous work by examining both thin and thick samples. The surface recombination velocity was either treated as an unknown in a system of two equations, or measured directly using low e(-) beam accelerating voltages. These techniques give accurate results by accounting for the effects of surface recombination and the finite size of the generation volume.

Carbon nanotubes decorated with Pt nanoparticles via electrostatic self-assembly: a highly active oxygen reduction electrocatalyst

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

Zhang, Sheng; Shao, Yuyan; Yin, Geping

2010-03-20

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are noncovalently functionalized with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and then employed as the support of Pt nanoparticles. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the successful functionalization of CNTs with PAH. The negatively charged Pt precursors are adsorbed on positively charged PAH-wrapping CNTs surface via electrostatic self-assembly and then in situ reduced in ethylene glycol. X-Ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope images reveal that Pt nanoparticles with an average size of 2.6 nm are uniformly dispersed on CNT surface. Pt/PAH-CNTs exhibit unexpectedly high activity towards oxygen reduction reaction, which can be attributed to the large electrochemical surface area of Pt nanoparticles.more » It also shows enhanced electrochemical stability due to the structural integrity of PAH-CNTs. This provides a facile approach to synthesize CNTs-based nanoelectrocatalysts.« less

Multi-scale roughness spectra of Mount St. Helens debris flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Austin, Richard T.; England, Anthony W.

1993-01-01

A roughness spectrum allows surface structure to be interpreted as a sum of sinusoidal components with differing wavelengths. Knowledge of the roughness spectrum gives insight into the mechanisms responsible for electromagnetic scattering at a given wavelength. Measured spectra from 10-year-old primary debris flow surfaces at Mount St. Helens conform to a power-law spectral model, suggesting that these surfaces are scaling over the measured range of spatial frequencies. Measured spectra from water-deposited surfaces deviate from this model.

75 FR 8471 - Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A340-200 and A340-300 Series Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-25

... condition as: A review of A340 missions has demonstrated that CFM56-5C forward engine mount thrust links... thrust link would reduce the forward engine mounts' structural integrity and could eventually lead to... products. The MCAI states: A review of A340 missions has demonstrated that CFM56-5C forward engine mount...

The Interplay of Surface Mount Solder Joint Quality and Reliability of Low Volume SMAs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghaffarian, R.

1997-01-01

Spacecraft electronics including those used at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), demand production of highly reliable assemblies. JPL has recently completed an extensive study, funded by NASA's code Q, of the interplay between manufacturing defects and reliability of ball grid array (BGA) and surface mount electronic components.

PC board mount corrosion sensitive sensor

DOEpatents

Robinson, Alex L.; Casias, Adrian L.; Pfeifer, Kent B.; Laguna, George R.

2016-03-22

The present invention relates to surface mount structures including a capacitive element or a resistive element, where the element has a property that is responsive to an environmental condition. In particular examples, the structure can be optionally coupled to a printed circuit board. Other apparatuses, surface mountable structures, and methods of use are described herein.

Mirror mount

DOEpatents

Humpal, Harold H.

1987-01-01

A mirror mount (10) is provided that allows free pitch, yaw and roll motion of the mirror (28) while keeping the location of a point (56) on the surface of the mirror (28) fixed in the rest frame of reference of the mount (10). Yaw movement is provided by two yaw cylinders (30,32) that are bearing (52) mounted to provide rotation. Pitch and roll motion is provided by a spherically annular shell (42) that is air bearing (72,74) mounted to move between a clamp (60) and an upper pedestal bearing (44). The centers of curvature of the spherical surfaces of the shell (42) lie upon the point (56). Pitch motion and roll motion are separately and independently imparted to mirror (28) by a pair of pitch paddles (34) and a pair of roll paddles (36) that are independently and separately moved by control rods (76,80) driven by motors (78,82).

High Fidelity Measurement of Free Space Solar Particle Event and Galactic Cosmic Ray Environments at Intermediate Energies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leitgab, M.

2018-02-01

A charged particle measurement experiment mounted externally to the Deep Space Gateway is proposed, contributing to improving astronaut radiation exposure management during Solar Particle Events and Extra Vehicular Activities.

Loaded transducer for downhole drilling components

DOEpatents

Hall, David R [Provo, UT; Fox, Joe [Spanish Fork, UT; Daly, Jeffery E [Cypress, TX

2009-05-05

A system for transmitting information between downhole components has a first downhole component with a first mating surface and a second downhole component having a second mating surface configured to substantially mate with the first mating surface. The system also has a first transmission element with a first communicating surface and is mounted within a recess in the first mating surface. The first transmission element also has an angled surface. The recess has a side with multiple slopes for interacting with the angled surface, each slope exerting a different spring force on the first transmission element. A second transmission element has a second communicating surface mounted proximate the second mating surface and adapted to communicate with the first communicating surface.

Gravity and magma induces spreading of Mount Etna volcano revealed by satellite radar interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lungren, P.; Casu, F.; Manzo, M.; Pepe, A.; Berardino, P.; Sansosti, E.; Lanari, R.

2004-01-01

Mount Etna underwent a cycle of eruptive activity over the past ten years. Here we compute ground displacement maps and deformation time series from more than 400 radar interferograms to reveal Mount Etna's average and time varying surface deformation from 1992 to 2001.

Front lighted optical tooling method and apparatus

DOEpatents

Stone, William J.

1985-06-18

An optical tooling method and apparatus uses a front lighted shadowgraphic technique to enhance visual contrast of reflected light. The apparatus includes an optical assembly including a fiducial mark, such as cross hairs, reflecting polarized light with a first polarization, a polarizing element backing the fiducial mark and a reflective surface backing the polarizing element for reflecting polarized light bypassing the fiducial mark and traveling through the polarizing element. The light reflected by the reflecting surface is directed through a second pass of the polarizing element toward the frontal direction with a polarization differing from the polarization of the light reflected by the fiducial mark. When used as a tooling target, the optical assembly may be mounted directly to a reference surface or may be secured in a mounting, such as a magnetic mounting. The optical assembly may also be mounted in a plane defining structure and used as a spherometer in conjunction with an optical depth measuring instrument. A method of measuring a radius of curvature of an unknown surface includes positioning the spherometer on a surface between the surface and a depth measuring optical instrument. As the spherometer is frontally illuminated, the distance from the depth measuring instrument to the fiducial mark and the underlying surface are alternately measured and the difference in these measurements is used as the sagittal height to calculate a radius of curvature.

Complexation of lysozyme with adsorbed PtBS-b-SCPI block polyelectrolyte micelles on silver surface.

PubMed

Papagiannopoulos, Aristeidis; Christoulaki, Anastasia; Spiliopoulos, Nikolaos; Vradis, Alexandros; Toprakcioglu, Chris; Pispas, Stergios

2015-01-20

We present a study of the interaction of the positively charged model protein lysozyme with the negatively charged amphiphilic diblock polyelectrolyte micelles of poly(tert-butylstyrene-b-sodium (sulfamate/carboxylate)isoprene) (PtBS-b-SCPI) on the silver/water interface. The adsorption kinetics are monitored by surface plasmon resonance, and the surface morphology is probed by atomic force microscopy. The micellar adsorption is described by stretched-exponential kinetics, and the micellar layer morphology shows that the micelles do not lose their integrity upon adsorption. The complexation of lysozyme with the adsorbed micellar layers depends on the micelles arrangement and density in the underlying layer, and lysozyme follows the local morphology of the underlying roughness. When the micellar adsorbed amount is small, the layers show low capacity in protein complexation and low resistance in loading. When the micellar adsorbed amount is high, the situation is reversed. The adsorbed layers both with or without added protein are found to be irreversibly adsorbed on the Ag surface.

Piezoelectric resonator assembly with thin molybdenum mounting clips

DOEpatents

Peters, R. Donald

1981-01-01

A resonator mounting assembly wherein the resonator blank is mounted agai an essentially planar surface presented by a plurality of peripherally disposed mounting clips and bonded to this surface to provide substantially all the mechanical support for the blank in a direction normal to the major faces of the resonator blank, while being flexible in the directions parallel to said major faces so as to minimize radial stresses on the resonator blank, particularly during thermal cycling of the resonator assembly. The clips are fabricated of a low thermal expansion material, such as molybdenum, which also has considerable yield strength after exposure to processing temperatures; the bonding of the clips to the edges of the resonator blank can be achieved by a polyimide containing electrically conductive particles.

Integrated circuit failure analysis by low-energy charge-induced voltage alteration

DOEpatents

Cole, E.I. Jr.

1996-06-04

A scanning electron microscope apparatus and method are described for detecting and imaging open-circuit defects in an integrated circuit (IC). The invention uses a low-energy high-current focused electron beam that is scanned over a device surface of the IC to generate a charge-induced voltage alteration (CIVA) signal at the location of any open-circuit defects. The low-energy CIVA signal may be used to generate an image of the IC showing the location of any open-circuit defects. A low electron beam energy is used to prevent electrical breakdown in any passivation layers in the IC and to minimize radiation damage to the IC. The invention has uses for IC failure analysis, for production-line inspection of ICs, and for qualification of ICs. 5 figs.

Integrated circuit failure analysis by low-energy charge-induced voltage alteration

DOEpatents

Cole, Jr., Edward I.

1996-01-01

A scanning electron microscope apparatus and method are described for detecting and imaging open-circuit defects in an integrated circuit (IC). The invention uses a low-energy high-current focused electron beam that is scanned over a device surface of the IC to generate a charge-induced voltage alteration (CIVA) signal at the location of any open-circuit defects. The low-energy CIVA signal may be used to generate an image of the IC showing the location of any open-circuit defects. A low electron beam energy is used to prevent electrical breakdown in any passivation layers in the IC and to minimize radiation damage to the IC. The invention has uses for IC failure analysis, for production-line inspection of ICs, and for qualification of ICs.

Review of Variable Generation Integration Charges

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

Porter, K.; Fink, S.; Buckley, M.

2013-03-01

The growth of wind and solar generation in the United States, and the expectation of continued growth of these technologies, dictates that the future power system will be operated in a somewhat different manner because of increased variability and uncertainty. A small number of balancing authorities have attempted to determine an 'integration cost' to account for these changes to their current operating practices. Some balancing authorities directly charge wind and solar generators for integration charges, whereas others add integration charges to projected costs of wind and solar in integrated resource plans or in competitive solicitations for generation. This report reviewsmore » the balancing authorities that have calculated variable generation integration charges and broadly compares and contrasts the methodologies they used to determine their specific integration charges. The report also profiles each balancing authority and how they derived wind and solar integration charges.« less

Analysis of Nonplanar Wing-tip-mounted Lifting Surfaces on Low-speed Airplanes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vandam, C. P.; Roskam, J.

1983-01-01

Nonplanar wing tip mounted lifting surfaces reduce lift induced drag substantially. Winglets, which are small, nearly vertical, winglike surfaces, are an example of these devices. To achieve reduction in lift induced drag, winglets produce significant side forces. Consequently, these surfaces can seriously affect airplane lateral directional aerodynamic characteristics. Therefore, the effects of nonplanar wing tip mounted surfaces on the lateral directional stability and control of low speed general aviation airplanes were studied. The study consists of a theoretical and an experimental, in flight investigation. The experimental investigation involves flight tests of winglets on an agricultural airplane. Results of these tests demonstrate the significant influence of winglets on airplane lateral directional aerodynamic characteristics. It is shown that good correlations exist between experimental data and theoretically predicted results. In addition, a lifting surface method was used to perform a parametric study of the effects of various winglet parameters on lateral directional stability derivatives of general aviation type wings.

Acoustic emission testing of composite vessels under sustained loading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lark, R. F.; Moorhead, P. E.

1978-01-01

Acoustic emissions (AE) generated from Kevlar 49/epoxy composite pressure vessels subjected to sustained load-to-failure tests were studied. Data from two different transducer locations on the vessels were compared. It was found that AE from vessel wall-mounted transducers showed a wide variance from those for identical vessels subjected to the same pressure loading. Emissions from boss-mounted transducers did, however, yield values that were relatively consistent. It appears that the signals from the boss-mounted transducers represent an integrated average of the emissions generated by fibers fracturing during the vessel tests. The AE from boss-mounted transducers were also independent of time for vessel failure. This suggests that a similar number of fiber fractures must occur prior to initiation of vessel failure. These studies indicate a potential for developing an AE test procedure for predicting the residual service life or integrity of composite vessels.

Fully 3D-Integrated Pixel Detectors for X-Rays

DOE PAGES

Deptuch, Grzegorz W.; Gabriella, Carini; Enquist, Paul; ...

2016-01-01

The vertically integrated photon imaging chip (VIPIC1) pixel detector is a stack consisting of a 500-μm-thick silicon sensor, a two-tier 34-μm-thick integrated circuit, and a host printed circuit board (PCB). The integrated circuit tiers were bonded using the direct bonding technology with copper, and each tier features 1-μm-diameter through-silicon vias that were used for connections to the sensor on one side, and to the host PCB on the other side. The 80-μm-pixel-pitch sensor was the direct bonding technology with nickel bonded to the integrated circuit. The stack was mounted on the board using Sn–Pb balls placed on a 320-μm pitch,more » yielding an entirely wire-bond-less structure. The analog front-end features a pulse response peaking at below 250 ns, and the power consumption per pixel is 25 μW. We successful completed the 3-D integration and have reported here. Additionally, all pixels in the matrix of 64 × 64 pixels were responding on well-bonded devices. Correct operation of the sparsified readout, allowing a single 153-ns bunch timing resolution, was confirmed in the tests on a synchrotron beam of 10-keV X-rays. An equivalent noise charge of 36.2 e - rms and a conversion gain of 69.5 μV/e - with 2.6 e - rms and 2.7 μV/e - rms pixel-to-pixel variations, respectively, were measured.« less

Integrally formed radio frequency quadrupole

DOEpatents

Abbott, Steven R.

1989-01-01

An improved radio frequency quadrupole (10) is provided having an elongate housing (11) with an elongate central axis (12) and top, bottom and two side walls (13a-d) symmetrically disposed about the axis, and vanes (14a-d) formed integrally with the walls (13a-d), the vanes (14a-d) each having a cross-section at right angles to the central axis (12) which tapers inwardly toward the axis to form electrode tips (15a-d) spaced from each other by predetermined distances. Each of the four walls (13a-d), and the vanes (14a-d) integral therewith, is a separate structural element having a central lengthwise plane (16) passing through the tip of the vane, the walls (13a-d) having flat mounting surfaces (17, 18) at right angles to and parallel to the control plane (16), respectively, which are butted together to position the walls and vane tips relative to each other.

Solar plants, environmental degradation and local socioeconomic contexts: A case study in a Mediterranean country

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

Delfanti, Lavinia; Colantoni, Andrea, E-mail: colantoni@unitus.it; Recanatesi, Fabio

Photovoltaic plants developed on rural land are becoming a common infrastructure in the Mediterranean region and may contribute, at least indirectly, to various forms of environmental degradation including landscape deterioration, land take, soil degradation and loss in traditional cropland and biodiversity. Our study illustrates a procedure estimating (i) the extension of ground-mounted photovoltaic fields at the municipal scale in Italy and (ii) inferring the socioeconomic profile of the Italian municipalities experiencing different expansion rates of ground-mounted photovoltaic fields over the last years (2007-2014). The procedure was based on diachronic information derived from official data sources integrated into a geographical decisionmore » support system. Our results indicate that the surface area of ground-mounted photovoltaic fields into rural land grew continuously in Italy between 2007 and 2014 with positive and increasing growth rates observed during 2007-2011 and positive but slightly decreasing growth rates over 2012-2014, as a result of market saturation and policies containing the diffusion of solar plants on greenfields. We found important differences in the density of ground-mounted solar plants between northern and southern Italian municipalities. We identified accessible rural municipalities in southern Italy with intermediate population density and large availability of non-urban land as the most exposed to the diffusion of solar plants on greenfields in the last decade. Our approach is a promising tool to estimate changes in the use of land driven by the expansion of photovoltaic fields into rural land.« less

Aligned Carbon Nanotubes for Highly Efficient Energy Generation and Storage Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-24

solution processing methods, including filtration, solution-casting, electrophoretic deposition, and Langmuir - Blodgett deposition. However, most...supercapacitors with environmentally friendly ionic liquid electrolytes. These new nanocomposite electrodes consist of the high-surface-area activated...carbons, carbon nanotubes, and ionic liquids as the integrated constituent components. The resultant composites show significantly improved charge

Top-mounted inlet system feasibility for transonic-supersonic fighter aircraft. [V/STOL aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, T. L.; Hunt, B. L.; Smeltzer, D. B.; Nelms, W. P.

1981-01-01

The more salient findings are presented of recent top inlet performance evaluations aimed at assessing the feasibility of top-mounted inlet systems for transonic-supersonic fighter aircraft applications. Top inlet flow field and engine-inlet performance test data show the influence of key aircraft configuration variables-inlet longitudinal position, wing leading-edge extension planform area, canopy-dorsal integration, and variable incidence canards-on top inlet performance over the Mach range of 0.6 to 2.0. Top inlet performance data are compared with those or more conventional inlet/airframe integrations in an effort to assess the viability of top-mounted inlet systems relative to conventional inlet installations.

Piezoresistive Carbon-based Hybrid Sensor for Body-Mounted Biomedical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnykowycz, M.; Tschudin, M.; Clemens, F.

2017-02-01

For body-mounted sensor applications, the evolution of soft condensed matter sensor (SCMS) materials offer conformability andit enables mechanical compliance between the body surface and the sensing mechanism. A piezoresistive hybrid sensor and compliant meta-material sub-structure provided a way to engineer sensor physical designs through modification of the mechanical properties of the compliant design. A piezoresistive fiber sensor was produced by combining a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) matrix with Carbon Black (CB) particles in 1:1 mass ratio. Feedstock was extruded in monofilament fiber form (diameter of 300 microns), resulting in a highly stretchable sensor (strain sensor range up to 100%) with linear resistance signal response. The soft condensed matter sensor was integrated into a hybrid design including a 3D printed metamaterial structure combined with a soft silicone. An auxetic unit cell was chosen (with negative Poisson’s Ratio) in the design in order to combine with the soft silicon, which exhibits a high Poisson’s Ratio. The hybrid sensor design was subjected to mechanical tensile testing up to 50% strain (with gauge factor calculation for sensor performance), and then utilized for strain-based sensing applications on the body including gesture recognition and vital function monitoring including blood pulse-wave and breath monitoring. A 10 gesture Natural User Interface (NUI) test protocol was utilized to show the effectiveness of a single wrist-mounted sensor to identify discrete gestures including finger and hand motions. These hand motions were chosen specifically for Human Computer Interaction (HCI) applications. The blood pulse-wave signal was monitored with the hand at rest, in a wrist-mounted. In addition different breathing patterns were investigated, including normal breathing and coughing, using a belt and chest-mounted configuration.

Reversible micromachining locator

DOEpatents

Salzer, Leander J.; Foreman, Larry R.

2002-01-01

A locator with a part support is used to hold a part onto the kinematic mount of a tooling machine so that the part can be held in or replaced in exactly the same position relative to the cutting tool for machining different surfaces of the part or for performing different machining operations on the same or different surfaces of the part. The locator has disposed therein a plurality of steel balls placed at equidistant positions around the planar surface of the locator and the kinematic mount has a plurality of magnets which alternate with grooves which accommodate the portions of the steel balls projecting from the locator. The part support holds the part to be machined securely in place in the locator. The locator can be easily detached from the kinematic mount, turned over, and replaced onto the same kinematic mount or another kinematic mount on another tooling machine without removing the part to be machined from the locator so that there is no need to touch or reposition the part within the locator, thereby assuring exact replication of the position of the part in relation to the cutting tool on the tooling machine for each machining operation on the part.

Surface charge accumulation of solid insulator under nanosecond pulse in vacuum: 3D distribution features and mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Bo; Gao, Chunjia; Sun, Zelai; Li, Chengrong

2017-11-01

Surface charge accumulation can incur changes in electric field distribution, involved in the electron propagation process, and result in a significant decrease in the surface flashover voltage. The existing 2D surface charge measurement fails to meet the actual needs in real engineering applications that usually adopt the 45° conical frustum insulators. The present research developed a novel 3D measurement platform to capture surface charge distribution on solid insulation under nanosecond pulse in a vacuum. The results indicate that all surface charges are positive under a positive pulse and negative under a negative pulse. Surface charges tend to accumulate more near the upper electrode. Surface charge density increases significantly with the increase in pulse counts and amplitudes. Accumulation of surface charge results in a certain decrease of flashover voltage. Taking consideration of the secondary electron emission for the surface charge accumulation, four materials were obtained to demonstrate the effects on surface charge. Combining the effect incurred by secondary electron emission and the weighty action taken by surface charge accumulation on the flashover phenomena, the discharge mechanism along the insulator surface under nanosecond pulse voltage was proposed.

Modeling salt-mediated electrostatics of macromolecules: the discrete surface charge optimization algorithm and its application to the nucleosome.

PubMed

Beard, D A; Schlick, T

2001-01-01

Much progress has been achieved on quantitative assessment of electrostatic interactions on the all-atom level by molecular mechanics and dynamics, as well as on the macroscopic level by models of continuum solvation. Bridging of the two representations-an area of active research-is necessary for studying integrated functions of large systems of biological importance. Following perspectives of both discrete (N-body) interaction and continuum solvation, we present a new algorithm, DiSCO (Discrete Surface Charge Optimization), for economically describing the electrostatic field predicted by Poisson-Boltzmann theory using a discrete set of Debye-Hückel charges distributed on a virtual surface enclosing the macromolecule. The procedure in DiSCO relies on the linear behavior of the Poisson-Boltzmann equation in the far zone; thus contributions from a number of molecules may be superimposed, and the electrostatic potential, or equivalently the electrostatic field, may be quickly and efficiently approximated by the summation of contributions from the set of charges. The desired accuracy of this approximation is achieved by minimizing the difference between the Poisson-Boltzmann electrostatic field and that produced by the linearized Debye-Hückel approximation using our truncated Newton optimization package. DiSCO is applied here to describe the salt-dependent electrostatic environment of the nucleosome core particle in terms of several hundred surface charges. This representation forms the basis for modeling-by dynamic simulations (or Monte Carlo)-the folding of chromatin. DiSCO can be applied more generally to many macromolecular systems whose size and complexity warrant a model resolution between the all-atom and macroscopic levels. Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Understanding cross sample talk as a result of triboelectric charging on future mars missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beegle, L. W.; Anderson, R. C.; Fleming, G.

2009-12-01

Proper scientific analysis requires the material that is collected and analyzed by in-situ instruments be as close as possible (chemically and mineralogically) to the initial, unaltered surface material prior to its collection and delivery. However this is not always possible for automated robotic in situ analysis. Therefore it is vital to understanding how the sample has been changed/altered prior to analysis so that analysis can be put in the proper context. We have examined the transport of fines when transferred under ambient martian conditions in hardware analogous to that being developed for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) sample acquisition flight hardware. We will discuss the amount of cross sample contamination when different mineralogy’s are transferred under Martian environmental conditions. Similar issues have been identified as problems within the terrestrial mining, textile, and pharmaceutical research communities that may alter/change the chemical and mineralogical compositions of samples before they are delivered to the MSL Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) and the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) analytical instruments. These cross-sample contamination will affect the overall quality of the science results and each of these processes need to be examined and understood prior to MSL landing on the surface of Mars. There are two forms of triboelectric charging that have been observed to occur on Earth and they are 1) when dissimilar material comes in contact (one material charges positive and the other negative depending on their relative positions on the triboelectric series and the work function of the material) and 2) when two similar materials come in contact, the larger particles can transfer one of their high energy electrons to a smaller particle. During the collisions, the transferred electron tends to lose energy and the charge tends not to move from the smaller particle back to the larger particle in further collisions. This transfer effect can occur multiple times on particles resulting in multiple charge states occurring on particles. While individual particles can have different charge sign, the bulk material can become charged due to contact of different minerals constituents in the sample and through contact of the wall. This results in a very complex system that has yet to be fully understood and characterized. We have begun to develop a characterize a data set which enable scientists to better relate arm and mast mounted measurements made on the surface by the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MALHI), the Chemistry and Microimaging (ChemCam) and the Mast Camera (MastCam) instruments to the measurements made by the two onboard analytical instruments, CheMin and SAM after a sample is acquired, processed, and delivered.

Convenient mounting method for electrical measurements of thin samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matus, L. G.; Summers, R. L.

1986-01-01

A method for mounting thin samples for electrical measurements is described. The technique is based on a vacuum chuck concept in which the vacuum chuck simultaneously holds the sample and established electrical contact. The mounting plate is composed of a glass-ceramic insulating material and the surfaces of the plate and vacuum chuck are polished. The operation of the vacuum chuck is examined. The contacts on the sample and mounting plate, which are sputter-deposited through metal masks, are analyzed. The mounting method was utilized for van der Pauw measurements.

Measuring unsteady pressure on rotating compressor blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Englund, D. R.; Grant, H. P.; Lanati, G. A.

1979-01-01

Miniature semiconductor strain gage pressure transducers mounted in several arrangements were studied. Both surface mountings and recessed flush mountings were tested. Test parameters included mounting arrangement, blade material, temperature, local strain in the acceleration normal to the transducer diaphragm, centripetal acceleration, and pressure. Test results show no failures of transducers or mountings and indicate an uncertainty of unsteady pressure measurement of approximately + or - 6 percent + 0.1 kPa for a typical application. Two configurations were used on a rotating fan flutter program. Examples of transducer data and correction factors are presented.

The effect of charge on the release kinetics from polysaccharide-nanoclay composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Del Buffa, Stefano; Grifoni, Emanuele; Ridi, Francesca; Baglioni, Piero

2015-03-01

The objective of this study was to integrate inorganic halloysite nanotubes (HNT) with chitosan and hyaluronic acid to obtain hybrid nanocomposites with opposing charges and to investigate their potential in the controlled release of drug model probes. Two oppositely charged polysaccharides, chitosan and hyaluronic acid, were selected for their biocompatibility and their importance in biomedical applications. The high surface area and the hollow nanometric-sized lumen of HNT allowed for the efficient loading of rhodamine 110 and carboxyfluorescein, used as models for oppositely charged drugs. In the case of chitosan, the preparation of the nanocomposite was carried out exploiting the electrostatic interaction between the polymer and HNT in water, while with hyaluronic acid, a covalent functionalization strategy was employed to couple the polymer with the clay. Nanocomposites were characterized with thermal, microscopic, and spectroscopic techniques, and the release kinetics of the model compounds was assessed by fluorescence measurements. The release curves were fitted with a model able to account for the desorption process from the external and the internal halloysite surfaces. The results show that both polymeric coatings alter the release of the probes, indicating a key role of both charge and coating composition on the initial and final amount of released dye, as well as on the rate of the desorption process.

Carbon Redox-Polymer-Gel Hybrid Supercapacitors

PubMed Central

Vlad, A.; Singh, N.; Melinte, S.; Gohy, J.-F.; Ajayan, P.M.

2016-01-01

Energy storage devices that provide high specific power without compromising on specific energy are highly desirable for many electric-powered applications. Here, we demonstrate that polymer organic radical gel materials support fast bulk-redox charge storage, commensurate to surface double layer ion exchange at carbon electrodes. When integrated with a carbon-based electrical double layer capacitor, nearly ideal electrode properties such as high electrical and ionic conductivity, fast bulk redox and surface charge storage as well as excellent cycling stability are attained. Such hybrid carbon redox-polymer-gel electrodes support unprecedented discharge rate of 1,000C with 50% of the nominal capacity delivered in less than 2 seconds. Devices made with such electrodes hold the potential for battery-scale energy storage while attaining supercapacitor-like power performances. PMID:26917470

Development of highly accurate approximate scheme for computing the charge transfer integral

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

Pershin, Anton; Szalay, Péter G.

The charge transfer integral is a key parameter required by various theoretical models to describe charge transport properties, e.g., in organic semiconductors. The accuracy of this important property depends on several factors, which include the level of electronic structure theory and internal simplifications of the applied formalism. The goal of this paper is to identify the performance of various approximate approaches of the latter category, while using the high level equation-of-motion coupled cluster theory for the electronic structure. The calculations have been performed on the ethylene dimer as one of the simplest model systems. By studying different spatial perturbations, itmore » was shown that while both energy split in dimer and fragment charge difference methods are equivalent with the exact formulation for symmetrical displacements, they are less efficient when describing transfer integral along the asymmetric alteration coordinate. Since the “exact” scheme was found computationally expensive, we examine the possibility to obtain the asymmetric fluctuation of the transfer integral by a Taylor expansion along the coordinate space. By exploring the efficiency of this novel approach, we show that the Taylor expansion scheme represents an attractive alternative to the “exact” calculations due to a substantial reduction of computational costs, when a considerably large region of the potential energy surface is of interest. Moreover, we show that the Taylor expansion scheme, irrespective of the dimer symmetry, is very accurate for the entire range of geometry fluctuations that cover the space the molecule accesses at room temperature.« less

Nanoporous Microsphere Assembly of Iodine-Functionalised Silver Nanoparticles as a Novel Mini-Substrate for Enriching and Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, X.-L.; Wu, H.; Wang, Z.-M.; Aizawa, H.; Guo, J.; Chu, Y.-H.

2017-04-01

Herein, debris particulates of nanoporous silver (np-Ag) were synthesised by a dealloying method, and their integration behaviour and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties during iodine functionalisation were examined. It was found that the dealloyed np-Ag debris particulates gradually assembled to form rigid nanoporous microspheres comprising Ag nano-ligaments due to mechanical collisions during iodine treatment. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron microscopy clearly showed the iodide surface of np-Ag, which was dotted with iodine or iodide ‘nanoislands’. The exceptional, and unexpected, integration and surface structures result in a highly enhanced localised surface plasmon resonance. Furthermore, the robust nanoporous microspheres can be employed individually as as-produced miniaturised electrodes to electrically enrich target molecules at parts-per-trillion levels, so as to achieve charge selectivity and superior detectability compared with the ordinary SERS effect.

Mars Science Laboratory Engineering Cameras

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maki, Justin N.; Thiessen, David L.; Pourangi, Ali M.; Kobzeff, Peter A.; Lee, Steven W.; Dingizian, Arsham; Schwochert, Mark A.

2012-01-01

NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover, which launched to Mars in 2011, is equipped with a set of 12 engineering cameras. These cameras are build-to-print copies of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) cameras, which were sent to Mars in 2003. The engineering cameras weigh less than 300 grams each and use less than 3 W of power. Images returned from the engineering cameras are used to navigate the rover on the Martian surface, deploy the rover robotic arm, and ingest samples into the rover sample processing system. The navigation cameras (Navcams) are mounted to a pan/tilt mast and have a 45-degree square field of view (FOV) with a pixel scale of 0.82 mrad/pixel. The hazard avoidance cameras (Haz - cams) are body-mounted to the rover chassis in the front and rear of the vehicle and have a 124-degree square FOV with a pixel scale of 2.1 mrad/pixel. All of the cameras utilize a frame-transfer CCD (charge-coupled device) with a 1024x1024 imaging region and red/near IR bandpass filters centered at 650 nm. The MSL engineering cameras are grouped into two sets of six: one set of cameras is connected to rover computer A and the other set is connected to rover computer B. The MSL rover carries 8 Hazcams and 4 Navcams.

Shuttle Experimental Radar for Geological Exploration (SERGE); antenna and integration concept definition study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kierein, J. W.

1977-01-01

The baseline configuration defined has the SERGE antenna panel array mounted on the OFT-2 pallet sufficiently high in the bay that negligible amounts of radiation from the beam are reflected from orbiter surfaces into the shuttle payload bay. The array is symmetrically mounted to the pallet along the array long dimension with the pallet at the center. It utilizes a graphite epoxy trusswork support structure. The antenna panels are of SEASAT engineering model design and construction. The antenna array has 7 panels and a 7-way naturally tapered coax corporate feed system. The performance of the system is predicted to exceed 33 db gain, have -15 db sidelobes in the E-plane and even lower in the H-plane, and have and E-plane beamwidth less than 2.2 deg, all within performance specification. The primary support structure is predicted to exceed the specified greater than 25 hertz fundamental frequency, although individual panels will have hertz fundamental frequency.

In-line charge-trapping characterization of dielectrics for sub-0.5-um CMOS technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Pradip K.; Chacon, Carlos M.; Ma, Yi; Horner, Gregory

1997-09-01

The advent of ultra-large and giga-scale-integration (ULSI/GSI) has placed considerable emphasis on the development of new gate oxides and interlevel dielectrics capable of meeting strict performance and reliability requirements. The costs and demands associated with ULSI fabrication have in turn fueled the need for cost-effective, rapid and accurate in-line characterization techniques for evaluating dielectric quality. The use of non-contact surface photovoltage characterization techniques provides cost-effective rapid feedback on dielectric quality, reducing costs through the reutilization of control wafers and the elimination of processing time. This technology has been applied to characterize most of the relevant C-V parameters, including flatband voltage (Vfb), density of interface traps (Dit), mobile charge density (Qm), oxide thickness (Tox), oxide resistivity (pox) and total charge (Qtot) for gate and interlevel (ILO) oxides. A novel method of measuring tunneling voltage by this technique on various gate oxides is discussed. For ILO, PECVD and high density plasma dielectrics, surface voltage maps are also presented. Measurements of near-surface silicon quality are described, including minority carrier generation lifetime, and examples of their application in diagnosing manufacturing problems.

Quantification of Tribocharging of Pharmaceutical Powders in V-Blenders: Experiments, Multiscale Modeling, and Simulations.

PubMed

Naik, Shivangi; Hancock, Bruno; Abramov, Yuriy; Yu, Weili; Rowland, Martin; Huang, Zhonghui; Chaudhuri, Bodhisattwa

2016-04-01

Pharmaceutical powders are very prone to electrostatic charging by colliding and sliding contacts. In pharmaceutical formulation processes, particle charging is often a nuisance and can cause problems in the manufacture of products, such as affecting powder flow, fill, and dose uniformity. For a fundamental understanding of the powder triboelectrification, it is essential to study charge transfer under well-defined conditions. Hence, all experiments in the present study were conducted in a V-blender located inside a glove box with a controlled humidity of 20%. To understand tribocharging, different contact surfaces, namely aluminum, Teflon, poly methyl methacrylate, and nylon were used along with 2 pharmaceutical excipients and 2 drug substances. For the pharmaceutical materials, the work function values were estimated using MOPAC, a semiempirical molecular orbital package which has been previously used for the solid-state studies and molecular structure predictions. For a mechanistic understanding of tribocharging, a discrete element model incorporating charge transfer and electrostatic forces was developed. An effort was made to correlate tribocharging of pharmaceutical powders to properties such as cohesive energy density and surface energy. The multiscale model used is restricted as it considers only spherical particles with smooth surfaces. It should be used judiciously for other experimental assemblies because it does not represent a full validation of a tightly integrated model. Copyright © 2016 American Pharmacists Association®. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantification of surface charge density and its effect on boundary slip.

PubMed

Jing, Dalei; Bhushan, Bharat

2013-06-11

Reduction of fluid drag is important in the micro-/nanofluidic systems. Surface charge and boundary slip can affect the fluid drag, and surface charge is also believed to affect boundary slip. The quantification of surface charge and boundary slip at a solid-liquid interface has been widely studied, but there is a lack of understanding of the effect of surface charge on boundary slip. In this paper, the surface charge density of borosilicate glass and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) surfaces immersed in saline solutions with two ionic concentrations and deionized (DI) water with different pH values and electric field values is quantified by fitting experimental atomic force microscopy (AFM) electrostatic force data using a theoretical model relating the surface charge density and electrostatic force. Results show that pH and electric field can affect the surface charge density of glass and OTS surfaces immersed in saline solutions and DI water. The mechanisms of the effect of pH and electric field on the surface charge density are discussed. The slip length of the OTS surface immersed in saline solutions with two ionic concentrations and DI water with different pH values and electric field values is measured, and their effects on the slip length are analyzed from the point of surface charge. Results show that a larger absolute value of surface charge density leads to a smaller slip length for the OTS surface.

Design and Prototyping of a High Granularity Scintillator Calorimeter

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

Zutshi, Vishnu

A novel approach for constructing fine-granularity scintillator calorimeters, based on the concept of an Integrated Readout Layer (IRL) was developed. The IRL consists of a printed circuit board inside the detector which supports the directly-coupled scintillator tiles, connects to the surface-mount SiPMs and carries the necessary front-end electronics and signal/bias traces. Prototype IRLs using this concept were designed, prototyped and successfully exposed to test beams. Concepts and implementations of an IRL carried out with funds associated with this contract promise to result in the next generation of scintillator calorimeters.

Testing of an actively damped boring bar featuring structurally integrated PZT stack actuators

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

Redmond, J.; Barney, P.

This paper summarizes the results of cutting tests performed using an actively damped boring bar to minimize chatter in metal cutting. A commercially available 2 inch diameter boring bar was modified to incorporate PZT stack actuators for controlling tool bending vibrations encountered during metal removal. The extensional motion of the actuators induce bending moments in the host structure through a two-point preloaded mounting scheme. Cutting tests performed at various speeds and depths of cuts on a hardened steel workpiece illustrate the bar`s effectiveness toward eliminating chatter vibrations and improving workpiece surface finish.

Electronic locking system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieuwkoop, E.

An electronic locking system was developed to remove the disadvantages of conventional mechanical door locks. The electrolock has to replace existing locks. Therefore, the techniques of Surface Mount Technology and Application Specific Integrated Circuit were applied to overcome the space limitations. The key consists of a metal rod with grip equipped with a contactless chip. When the key is inserted in the lock, a magnetic field is generated in the cylinder which induces a voltage in the chip. Therefore a battery is not required. The chip then emits inductively a code which is unique for each key. The electrolock was successfully tested.

Cooling/grounding mount for hybrid circuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bagstad, B.; Estrada, R.; Mandel, H.

1981-01-01

Extremely short input and output connections, adequate grounding, and efficient heat removal for hybrid integrated circuits are possible with mounting. Rectangular clamp holds hybrid on printed-circuit board, in contact with heat-conductive ground plate. Clamp is attached to ground plane by bolts.

Smart skin technology development for measuring ice accretion, stall, and high AOA aircraft performance. Part 1: Capacitive ice detector development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pruzan, Daniel A.; Khatkhate, Ateen A.; Gerardi, Joseph J.; Hickman, Gail A.

1993-01-01

A reliable way to detect and measure ice accretion during flight is required to reduce the hazards of icing currently threatening present day aircraft. Many of the sensors used for this purpose are invasive (probe) sensors which must be placed in areas of the airframe where ice does not naturally form. Due to the difference in capture efficiency of the exposed surface, difficulties result in correlating the ice accretion on the probe to what is happening on a number of vastly different airfoil sections. Most flush mounted sensors in use must be integrated into the aircraft surface by cutting or drilling the aircraft surface. An alternate type of ice detector which is based on a NASA patent is currently being investigated at Innovative Dynamics, Inc. (IDI). Results of the investigation into the performance of different capacitive type sensor designs, both rigid as well as elastic, are presented.

T-cell receptor revision: friend or foe?

PubMed

Hale, J Scott; Fink, Pamela J

2010-04-01

T-cell receptor (TCR) revision is a process of tolerance induction by which peripheral T cells lose surface expression of an autoreactive TCR, reinduce expression of the recombinase machinery, rearrange genes encoding extrathymically generated TCRs for antigen, and express these new receptors on the cell surface. We discuss the evidence for this controversial tolerance mechanism below. Despite the apparent heresy of post-thymic gene rearrangement, we argue here that TCR revision follows the rules obeyed by maturing thymocytes undergoing gene recombination. Expression of the recombinase is carefully controlled both spatially and temporally, and may be initiated by loss of signals through surface TCRs. The resulting TCR repertoire is characterized by its diversity, self major histocompatibility complex restriction, self tolerance, and ability to mount productive immune responses specific for foreign antigens. Hence, TCR revision is a carefully regulated process of tolerance induction that can contribute to the protection of the individual against invading pathogens while preserving the integrity of self tissue.

Soft microfluidic assemblies of sensors, circuits, and radios for the skin.

PubMed

Xu, Sheng; Zhang, Yihui; Jia, Lin; Mathewson, Kyle E; Jang, Kyung-In; Kim, Jeonghyun; Fu, Haoran; Huang, Xian; Chava, Pranav; Wang, Renhan; Bhole, Sanat; Wang, Lizhe; Na, Yoon Joo; Guan, Yue; Flavin, Matthew; Han, Zheshen; Huang, Yonggang; Rogers, John A

2014-04-04

When mounted on the skin, modern sensors, circuits, radios, and power supply systems have the potential to provide clinical-quality health monitoring capabilities for continuous use, beyond the confines of traditional hospital or laboratory facilities. The most well-developed component technologies are, however, broadly available only in hard, planar formats. As a result, existing options in system design are unable to effectively accommodate integration with the soft, textured, curvilinear, and time-dynamic surfaces of the skin. Here, we describe experimental and theoretical approaches for using ideas in soft microfluidics, structured adhesive surfaces, and controlled mechanical buckling to achieve ultralow modulus, highly stretchable systems that incorporate assemblies of high-modulus, rigid, state-of-the-art functional elements. The outcome is a thin, conformable device technology that can softly laminate onto the surface of the skin to enable advanced, multifunctional operation for physiological monitoring in a wireless mode.

Directly-deposited blocking filters for high-performance silicon x-ray detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bautz, M.; Kissel, S.; Masterson, R.; Ryu, K.; Suntharalingam, V.

2016-07-01

Silicon X-ray detectors often require blocking filters to mitigate noise and out-of-band signal from UV and visible backgrounds. Such filters must be thin to minimize X-ray absorption, so direct deposition of filter material on the detector entrance surface is an attractive approach to fabrication of robust filters. On the other hand, the soft (E < 1 keV) X-ray spectral resolution of the detector is sensitive to the charge collection efficiency in the immediate vicinity of its entrance surface, so it is important that any filter layer is deposited without disturbing the electric field distribution there. We have successfully deposited aluminum blocking filters, ranging in thickness from 70 to 220nm, on back-illuminated CCD X-ray detectors passivated by means of molecular beam epitaxy. Here we report measurements showing that directly deposited filters have little or no effect on soft X-ray spectral resolution. We also find that in applications requiring very large optical density (> OD 6) care must be taken to prevent light from entering the sides and mounting surfaces of the detector. Our methods have been used to deposit filters on the detectors of the REXIS instrument scheduled to fly on OSIRIS-ReX later this year.

Reusable vibration resistant integrated circuit mounting socket

DOEpatents

Evans, Craig N.

1995-01-01

This invention discloses a novel form of socket for integrated circuits to be mounted on printed circuit boards. The socket uses a novel contact which is fabricated out of a bimetallic strip with a shape which makes the end of the strip move laterally as temperature changes. The end of the strip forms a barb which digs into an integrated circuit lead at normal temperatures and holds it firmly in the contact, preventing loosening and open circuits from vibration. By cooling the contact containing the bimetallic strip the barb end can be made to release so that the integrated circuit lead can be removed from the socket without damage either to the lead or to the socket components.

Comparison between field mill and corona point instrumentation at Kennedy Space Center - Use of these data with a model to determine cloudbase electric fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Markson, R.; Anderson, B.; Govaert, J.; Fairall, C. W.

1989-01-01

A novel coronal current-determining instrument is being used at NASA-KSC which overcomes previous difficulties with wind sensitivity and a voltage-threshold 'deadband'. The mounting of the corona needle at an elevated location reduces coronal and electrode layer space-charge influences on electric fields, rendering the measurement of space charge density possible. In conjunction with a space-charge compensation model, these features allow a more realistic estimation of cloud base electric fields and the potential for lightning strike than has previously been possible with ground-based sensors.

EMU helmet mounted display

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marmolejo, Jose (Inventor); Smith, Stephen (Inventor); Plough, Alan (Inventor); Clarke, Robert (Inventor); Mclean, William (Inventor); Fournier, Joseph (Inventor)

1990-01-01

A helmet mounted display device is disclosed for projecting a display on a flat combiner surface located above the line of sight where the display is produced by two independent optical channels with independent LCD image generators. The display has a fully overlapped field of view on the combiner surface and the focus can be adjusted from a near field of four feet to infinity.

BEAM CONTROL PROBE

DOEpatents

Chesterman, A.W.

1959-03-17

A probe is described for intercepting a desired portion of a beam of charged particles and for indicating the spatial disposition of the beam. The disclosed probe assembly includes a pair of pivotally mounted vanes moveable into a single plane with adjacent edges joining and a calibrated mechanical arrangement for pivoting the vancs apart. When the probe is disposed in the path of a charged particle beam, the vanes may be adjusted according to the beam current received in each vane to ascertain the dimension of the beam.

A gain and bandwidth enhanced transimpedance preamplifier for Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Tzu-Yung; Green, Roger J.; O'Connor, Peter B.

2011-12-01

The nature of the ion signal from a 12-T Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer and the electronic noise were studied to further understand the electronic detection limit. At minimal cost, a new transimpedance preamplifier was designed, computer simulated, built, and tested. The preamplifier design pushes the electronic signal-to-noise performance at room temperature to the limit, because of its enhanced tolerance of the capacitance of the detection device, lower intrinsic noise, and larger flat mid-band gain (input current noise spectral density of around 1 pA/sqrt{Hz} when the transimpedance is about 85 dBΩ). The designed preamplifier has a bandwidth of ˜3 kHz to 10 MHz, which corresponds to the mass-to-charge ratio, m/z, of approximately 18 to 61 k at 12 T. The transimpedance and the bandwidth can be easily adjusted by changing the value of passive components. The feedback limitation of the circuit is discussed. With the maximum possible transimpedance of 5.3 MΩ when using an 0402 surface mount resistor, the preamplifier was estimated to be able to detect ˜110 charges in a single scan.

Environmental scanning electron microscope imaging examples related to particle analysis.

PubMed

Wight, S A; Zeissler, C J

1993-08-01

This work provides examples of some of the imaging capabilities of environmental scanning electron microscopy applied to easily charged samples relevant to particle analysis. Environmental SEM (also referred to as high pressure or low vacuum SEM) can address uncoated samples that are known to be difficult to image. Most of these specimens are difficult to image by conventional SEM even when coated with a conductive layer. Another area where environmental SEM is particularly applicable is for specimens not compatible with high vacuum, such as volatile specimens. Samples from which images were obtained that otherwise may not have been possible by conventional methods included fly ash particles on an oiled plastic membrane impactor substrate, a one micrometer diameter fiber mounted on the end of a wire, uranium oxide particles embedded in oil-bearing cellulose nitrate, teflon and polycarbonate filter materials with collected air particulate matter, polystyrene latex spheres on cellulosic filter paper, polystyrene latex spheres "loosely" sitting on a glass slide, and subsurface tracks in an etched nuclear track-etch detector. Surface charging problems experienced in high vacuum SEMs are virtually eliminated in the low vacuum SEM, extending imaging capabilities to samples previously difficult to use or incompatible with conventional methods.

A gain and bandwidth enhanced transimpedance preamplifier for Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

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

Lin, Tzu-Yung; Green, Roger J.; O'Connor, Peter B.

2011-12-15

The nature of the ion signal from a 12-T Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer and the electronic noise were studied to further understand the electronic detection limit. At minimal cost, a new transimpedance preamplifier was designed, computer simulated, built, and tested. The preamplifier design pushes the electronic signal-to-noise performance at room temperature to the limit, because of its enhanced tolerance of the capacitance of the detection device, lower intrinsic noise, and larger flat mid-band gain (input current noise spectral density of around 1 pA/{radical}(Hz) when the transimpedance is about 85 dB{Omega}). The designed preamplifier has a bandwidth of {approx}3more » kHz to 10 MHz, which corresponds to the mass-to-charge ratio, m/z, of approximately 18 to 61 k at 12 T. The transimpedance and the bandwidth can be easily adjusted by changing the value of passive components. The feedback limitation of the circuit is discussed. With the maximum possible transimpedance of 5.3 M{Omega} when using an 0402 surface mount resistor, the preamplifier was estimated to be able to detect {approx}110 charges in a single scan.« less

An equivalent body surface charge model representing three-dimensional bioelectrical activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

He, B.; Chernyak, Y. B.; Cohen, R. J.

1995-01-01

A new surface-source model has been developed to account for the bioelectrical potential on the body surface. A single-layer surface-charge model on the body surface has been developed to equivalently represent bioelectrical sources inside the body. The boundary conditions on the body surface are discussed in relation to the surface-charge in a half-space conductive medium. The equivalent body surface-charge is shown to be proportional to the normal component of the electric field on the body surface just outside the body. The spatial resolution of the equivalent surface-charge distribution appears intermediate between those of the body surface potential distribution and the body surface Laplacian distribution. An analytic relationship between the equivalent surface-charge and the surface Laplacian of the potential was found for a half-space conductive medium. The effects of finite spatial sampling and noise on the reconstruction of the equivalent surface-charge were evaluated by computer simulations. It was found through computer simulations that the reconstruction of the equivalent body surface-charge from the body surface Laplacian distribution is very stable against noise and finite spatial sampling. The present results suggest that the equivalent body surface-charge model may provide an additional insight to our understanding of bioelectric phenomena.

Structure and properties of composite films formed by cellulose nanocrystals and charged latex nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thérien-Aubin, Héloïse; Lukach, Ariella; Pitch, Natalie; Kumacheva, Eugenia

2015-04-01

We report the structural and optical properties of composite films formed from mixed suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and fluorescent latex nanoparticles (NPs). We explored the effect of NP concentration, size, surface charge, glass transition temperature and film processing conditions on film structure and properties. The chiral nematic order, typical of CNC films, was preserved in films with up to 50 wt% of negatively-charged latex NPs. Composite films were characterized by macroscopically close-to-uniform fluorescence, birefringence, and circular dichroism properties. In contrast, addition of positively charged latex NPs led to gelation of CNC-latex suspensions and disruption of the chiral nematic order in the composite films. Large latex NPs disrupted the chiral nematic order to a larger extend than small NPs. Furthermore, the glass transition of latex NPs had a dramatic effect on the structure of CNC-latex films. Latex particles in the rubbery state were easily incorporated in the ordered CNC matrix and improved the structural integrity of its chiral nematic phase.We report the structural and optical properties of composite films formed from mixed suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and fluorescent latex nanoparticles (NPs). We explored the effect of NP concentration, size, surface charge, glass transition temperature and film processing conditions on film structure and properties. The chiral nematic order, typical of CNC films, was preserved in films with up to 50 wt% of negatively-charged latex NPs. Composite films were characterized by macroscopically close-to-uniform fluorescence, birefringence, and circular dichroism properties. In contrast, addition of positively charged latex NPs led to gelation of CNC-latex suspensions and disruption of the chiral nematic order in the composite films. Large latex NPs disrupted the chiral nematic order to a larger extend than small NPs. Furthermore, the glass transition of latex NPs had a dramatic effect on the structure of CNC-latex films. Latex particles in the rubbery state were easily incorporated in the ordered CNC matrix and improved the structural integrity of its chiral nematic phase. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Detailed latex synthesis. Additional characterization of the nanoparticles and films. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr00660k

Integration Assessment of Visiting Vehicle Induced Electrical Charging of the International Space Station Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kramer, Leonard; Kerslake, Thomas W.; Galofaro, Joel T.

2010-01-01

The International Space Station (ISS) undergoes electrical charging in low Earth orbit (LEO) due to positively biased, exposed conductors on solar arrays that collect electrical charges from the space plasma. Exposed solar array conductors predominately collect negatively charged electrons and thus drive the metal ISS structure electrical ground to a negative floating potential (FP) relative to plasma. This FP is variable in location and time as a result of local ionospheric conditions. ISS motion through Earth s magnetic field creates an addition inductive voltage up to 20 positive and negative volts across ISS structure depending on its attitude and location in orbit. ISS Visiting Vehicles (VVs), such as the planned Orion crew exploration vehicle, contribute to the ISS plasma charging processes. Upon physical contact with ISS, the current collection properties of VVs combine with ISS. This is an ISS integration concern as FP must be controlled to minimize arcing of ISS surfaces and ensure proper management of extra vehicular activity crewman shock hazards. This report is an assessment of ISS induced charging from docked Orion vehicles employing negatively grounded, 130 volt class, UltraFlex (ATK Space Systems) solar arrays. To assess plasma electron current collection characteristics, Orion solar cell test coupons were constructed and subjected to plasma chamber current collection measurements. During these tests, coupon solar cells were biased between 0 and 120 V while immersed in a simulated LEO plasma. Tests were performed using several different simulated LEO plasma densities and temperatures. These data and associated theoretical scaling of plasma properties, were combined in a numerical model which was integrated into the Boeing Plasma Interaction Model. It was found that the solar array design for Orion will not affect the ISS FP by more than about 2 V during worst case charging conditions. This assessment also motivated a trade study to determine acceptable plasma electron current levels that can be collected by a single or combined fleet of ISS-docked VVs.

GREGOR Fabry-Pérot interferometer and its companion the blue imaging solar spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puschmann, Klaus G.; Denker, Carsten; Balthasar, Horst; Louis, Rohan E.; Popow, Emil; Woche, Manfred; Beck, Christian; Seelemann, Thomas; Volkmer, Reiner

2013-08-01

The GREGOR Fabry-Pérot Interferometer (GFPI) is one of three first-light instruments of the German 1.5-m GREGOR solar telescope at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain. The GFPI allows fast narrow-band imaging and postfactum image restoration. The retrieved physical parameters will be a fundamental building block for understanding the dynamic sun and its magnetic field at spatial scales down to ˜50 km on the solar surface. The GFPI is a tunable dual-etalon system in a collimated mounting. It is designed for spectrometric and spectropolarimetric observations between 530-860 nm and 580-660 nm, respectively, and possesses a theoretical spectral resolution of R≈250,000. Large-format, high-cadence charged coupled device detectors with sophisticated computer hard- and software enable the scanning of spectral lines in time-spans equivalent to the evolution time of solar features. The field-of-view (FOV) of 50″×38″ covers a significant fraction of the typical area of active regions in the spectroscopic mode. In case of Stokes-vector spectropolarimetry, the FOV reduces to 25″×38″. The main characteristics of the GFPI including advanced and automated calibration and observing procedures are presented. Improvements in the optical design of the instrument are discussed and first observational results are shown. Finally, the first concrete ideas for the integration of a second FPI, the blue imaging solar spectrometer, are laid out, which will explore the blue spectral region below 530 nm.

Simulation of the Interaction Between Flywheel Energy Storage and Battery Energy Storage on the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trouong, Long V.; Wolff, Frederic J.; Dravid, Narayan V.; Li, Ponlee

2000-01-01

Replacement of one module of the battery charge discharge unit (BCDU) of the International Space Station (ISS) by a flywheel energy storage unit (FESU) is under consideration. Integration of these two dissimilar systems is likely to surface difficulties in areas of system stability and fault protection. Other issues that need to be addressed include flywheel charge and discharge profiles and their effect on the ISS power system as well as filter sizing for power Ability purposes. This paper describes a SABER based simulation to study these issues.

Assessing and Mapping of Road Surface Roughness based on GPS and Accelerometer Sensors on Bicycle-Mounted Smartphones

PubMed Central

Shen, Jie; Wan, Mi; Shi, Jiafeng

2018-01-01

The surface roughness of roads is an essential road characteristic. Due to the employed carrying platforms (which are often cars), existing measuring methods can only be used for motorable roads. Until now, there has been no effective method for measuring the surface roughness of un-motorable roads, such as pedestrian and bicycle lanes. This hinders many applications related to pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users. In recognizing these research gaps, this paper proposes a method for measuring the surface roughness of pedestrian and bicycle lanes based on Global Positioning System (GPS) and accelerometer sensors on bicycle-mounted smartphones. We focus on the International Roughness Index (IRI), as it is the most widely used index for measuring road surface roughness. Specifically, we analyzed a computing model of road surface roughness, derived its parameters with GPS and accelerometers on bicycle-mounted smartphones, and proposed an algorithm to recognize potholes/humps on roads. As a proof of concept, we implemented the proposed method in a mobile application. Three experiments were designed to evaluate the proposed method. The results of the experiments show that the IRI values measured by the proposed method were strongly and positively correlated with those measured by professional instruments. Meanwhile, the proposed algorithm was able to recognize the potholes/humps that the bicycle passed. The proposed method is useful for measuring the surface roughness of roads that are not accessible for professional instruments, such as pedestrian and cycle lanes. This work enables us to further study the feasibility of crowdsourcing road surface roughness with bicycle-mounted smartphones. PMID:29562731

Integrated fiducial sample mount and software for correlated microscopy

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

Timothy R McJunkin; Jill R. Scott; Tammy L. Trowbridge

2014-02-01

A novel design sample mount with integrated fiducials and software for assisting operators in easily and efficiently locating points of interest established in previous analytical sessions is described. The sample holder and software were evaluated with experiments to demonstrate the utility and ease of finding the same points of interest in two different microscopy instruments. Also, numerical analysis of expected errors in determining the same position with errors unbiased by a human operator was performed. Based on the results, issues related to acquiring reproducibility and best practices for using the sample mount and software were identified. Overall, the sample mountmore » methodology allows data to be efficiently and easily collected on different instruments for the same sample location.« less

Predicting aerodynamic characteristics of vortical flows on three-dimensional configurations using a surface-singularity panel method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maskew, B.

1983-01-01

A general low-order surface-singularity panel method is used to predict the aerodynamic characteristics of a problem where a wing-tip vortex from one wing closely interacts with an aft mounted wing in a low Reynolds Number flow; i.e., 125,000. Nonlinear effects due to wake roll-up and the influence of the wings on the vortex path are included in the calculation by using a coupled iterative wake relaxation scheme. The interaction also affects the wing pressures and boundary layer characteristics: these effects are also considered using coupled integral boundary layer codes and preliminary calculations using free vortex sheet separation modelling are included. Calculated results are compared with water tunnel experimental data with generally remarkably good agreement.

The Association of Cryptosporidium parvum With Suspended Sediments: Implications for Transport in Surface Waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Searcy, K. E.; Packman, A. I.; Atwill, E. R.; Harter, T.

2003-12-01

Understanding the transport and fate of microorganisms in surface waters is of vital concern in protecting the integrity and safety of municipal water supply systems. The human pathogen Cryptosporidium parvum is a particular public health interest, as it is ubiquitous in the surface waters of the United States, it can persist for long periods in the environment, and it is difficult to disinfect in water treatment plants. Due to its small size (5 um), low specific gravity (1.05 g/cm3), and negative surface charge, C. parvum oocysts are generally considered to move through watersheds from their source to drinking water reservoirs with little attenuation. However, the transport of the oocysts in surface waters may be mediated by interactions with suspended sediments. Batch experiments were conducted to determine the extent of C. parvum oocyst attachment to several inorganic and organic sediments under varying water chemical conditions, and settling column experiments were performed to demonstrate how these associations influence the effective settling velocity of C. parvum oocysts. Results from these experiments showed that C. parvum oocysts do associate with inorganic and organic sediments and often settle at the rate of the suspended sediment. The size and surface charge of the host suspended sediment influenced the extent of oocyst attachment as oocysts preferentially associated with particles greater than 3 um, and fewer oocysts associated with particles having a highly negative surface charge. Background water chemical conditions including ionic strength, ion composition, and pH did not have a significant effect on oocyst attachment to suspended sediments.

Commercial/industrial photovoltaic module and array requirement study. Low-cost solar array project engineering area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Design requirements for photovoltaic modules and arrays used in commercial and industrial applications were identified. Building codes and referenced standards were reviewed for their applicability to commercial and industrial photovoltaic array installation. Four general installation types were identified - integral (replaces roofing), direct (mounted on top of roofing), stand-off (mounted away from roofing), and rack (for flat or low slope roofs, or ground mounted). Each of the generic mounting types can be used in vertical wall mounting systems. This implies eight mounting types exist in the commercial/industrial sector. Installation costs were developed for these mounting types as a function of panel/module size. Cost drivers were identified. Studies were performed to identify optimum module shapes and sizes and operating voltage cost drivers. The general conclusion is that there are no perceived major obstacles to the use of photovoltaic modules in commercial/industrial arrays.

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

Deptuch, Grzegorz W.; Gabriella, Carini; Enquist, Paul

The vertically integrated photon imaging chip (VIPIC1) pixel detector is a stack consisting of a 500-μm-thick silicon sensor, a two-tier 34-μm-thick integrated circuit, and a host printed circuit board (PCB). The integrated circuit tiers were bonded using the direct bonding technology with copper, and each tier features 1-μm-diameter through-silicon vias that were used for connections to the sensor on one side, and to the host PCB on the other side. The 80-μm-pixel-pitch sensor was the direct bonding technology with nickel bonded to the integrated circuit. The stack was mounted on the board using Sn–Pb balls placed on a 320-μm pitch,more » yielding an entirely wire-bond-less structure. The analog front-end features a pulse response peaking at below 250 ns, and the power consumption per pixel is 25 μW. We successful completed the 3-D integration and have reported here. Additionally, all pixels in the matrix of 64 × 64 pixels were responding on well-bonded devices. Correct operation of the sparsified readout, allowing a single 153-ns bunch timing resolution, was confirmed in the tests on a synchrotron beam of 10-keV X-rays. An equivalent noise charge of 36.2 e - rms and a conversion gain of 69.5 μV/e - with 2.6 e - rms and 2.7 μV/e - rms pixel-to-pixel variations, respectively, were measured.« less

75 FR 2132 - Maine Maritime Academy; Notice of Declaration of Intention and Petition for Relief Filing and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-14

... be mounted to floats attached to a concrete superstructure, concrete or stone blocks, and other... listed above, and use the power from the test devices to heat water or charge 3 or 4 batteries which...

(abstract) Satellite Physical Oceanography Data Available From an EOSDIS Archive

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Digby, Susan A.; Collins, Donald J.

1996-01-01

The Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory archives and distributes data as part of the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Products available from JPL are largely satellite derived and include sea-surface height, surface-wind speed and vectors, integrated water vapor, atmospheric liquid water, sea-surface temperature, heat flux, and in-situ data as it pertains to satellite data. Much of the data is global and spans fourteen years.There is email access, a WWW site, product catalogs, and FTP capabilities. Data is free of charge.

Fully redundant mechanical release actuator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucy, Melvin H. (Inventor)

1987-01-01

A system is described for performing a mechanical release function exhibiting low shock. This system includes two pyrotechnic detents fixed mounted in opposing axial alignment within a cylindrical housing having two mechanical bellows. Two mechanical bellow assemblies, each having one end hermetically bonded to the housing and the other to the respective actuator pin extending from either end of the housing, ensure that all outgassing and contamination from the operation of the pyrotechnic devices will be contained within the housing and bellows. The pin on one end of the assembly is fixed mounted and supported, via a bolt or ball-and-socket joint so that when the charge corresponding to that pin ignites, the entire assembly will exhibit rectilinear movement, including the opposing pin providing the unlatching motion. The release detent pin is supported by a linear bearing and when its corresponding pyrotechnic charge ignites the pin is retracted within the housing producing the same unlatching motion without movement of the entire assembly, thus providing complete mechanical, electrical and pyrotechnic redundancy for the unlatching pin.

Density-functional theory of spherical electric double layers and zeta potentials of colloidal particles in restricted-primitive-model electrolyte solutions.

PubMed

Yu, Yang-Xin; Wu, Jianzhong; Gao, Guang-Hua

2004-04-15

A density-functional theory is proposed to describe the density profiles of small ions around an isolated colloidal particle in the framework of the restricted primitive model where the small ions have uniform size and the solvent is represented by a dielectric continuum. The excess Helmholtz energy functional is derived from a modified fundamental measure theory for the hard-sphere repulsion and a quadratic functional Taylor expansion for the electrostatic interactions. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the results from Monte Carlo simulations and from previous investigations using integral-equation theory for the ionic density profiles and the zeta potentials of spherical particles at a variety of solution conditions. Like the integral-equation approaches, the density-functional theory is able to capture the oscillatory density profiles of small ions and the charge inversion (overcharging) phenomena for particles with elevated charge density. In particular, our density-functional theory predicts the formation of a second counterion layer near the surface of highly charged spherical particle. Conversely, the nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann theory and its variations are unable to represent the oscillatory behavior of small ion distributions and charge inversion. Finally, our density-functional theory predicts charge inversion even in a 1:1 electrolyte solution as long as the salt concentration is sufficiently high. (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Miniature modular microwave end-to-end receiver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sukamto, Lin M. (Inventor); Cooley, Thomas W. (Inventor); Janssen, Michael A. (Inventor); Parks, Gary S. (Inventor)

1993-01-01

An end-to-end microwave receiver system contained in a single miniature hybrid package mounted on a single heatsink is presented. It includes an input end connected to a microwave receiver antenna and an output end which produces a digital count proportional to the amplitude of a signal of a selected microwave frequency band received at the antenna and corresponding to one of the water vapor absorption lines near frequencies of 20 GHz or 30 GHz. The hybrid package is on the order of several centimeters in length and a few centimeters in height and width. The package includes an L-shaped carrier having a base surface, a vertical wall extending up from the base surface and forming a corner therewith, and connection pins extending through the vertical wall. Modular blocks rest on the base surface against the vertical wall and support microwave monolithic integrated circuits on top surfaces thereof connected to the external connection pins. The modular blocks lie end-to-end on the base surface so as to be modularly removable by sliding along the base surface beneath the external connection pins away from the vertical wall.

First Gravity Traverse on the Martian Surface from the Curiosity Rover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, K. W.; Peters, S. F.; Gonter, K. A.; Vasavada, A. R.

2016-12-01

Orbital gravity surveys have been a key tool in understanding planetary interiors and shallow crustal structure, exemplified by recent missions such as GRAIL and Juno. However, due to the loss of spatial resolution with altitude, airborne and ground-based survey methods are typically employed on the Earth. Previously, the Lunar Traverse Gravimeter experiment on the Apollo 17 mission has been the only attempt to collect surface gravity measurements on another planetary body. We will describe the results of the first gravity survey on the Martian surface, using data from the Curiosity rover over its >10 km traverse across the floor of Gale crater and lower slopes of Mount Sharp. These results enable us to estimate bulk rock density, and to search for potential subsurface density anomalies. To measure local gravitational acceleration, we use one of the two onboard Rover Inertial Measurement Units (RIMU-A), designed for rover position and fine attitude determination. The IMU contains three-axis micro-electromechanical (MEMS) accelerometers and fiber-optic gyros, and is used for gyrocompassing by integrating data for several minutes on sols with no drive or arm motions (roughly 50% of sols to date). Raw acceleration data are calibrated for biases induced by temperature effects and rover orientation, along with rover elevation over the course of the mission using multiple regression. We use the best fit linear relationship between topographic height and gravitational acceleration to estimate a Bouguer correction for the observed change in magnitude over the mission as the rover has ascended over 100 meters up the lower slopes of Mount Sharp. We find a relatively low best-fit density of 1600 +/- 500 kg/m^3 for the rocks of Mount Sharp, consistent with rover-based measurements of thermal inertial, and potentially indicating pervasive fracturing, high porosity and/or low compaction within the original sediments at least to depths of order 100 meters. Future measurements will further refine this estimate as Curiosity continues to gain elevation. Although not originally intended as a science instrument, these results highlight the scientific potential of surface gravity and topography surveys for future planetary exploration missions.

Correlating ion energies and CF{sub 2} surface production during fluorocarbon plasma processing of silicon

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

Martin, Ina T.; Zhou Jie; Fisher, Ellen R.

2006-07-01

Ion energy distribution (IED) measurements are reported for ions in the plasma molecular beam source of the imaging of radicals interacting with surfaces (IRIS) apparatus. The IEDs and relative intensities of nascent ions in C{sub 3}F{sub 8} and C{sub 4}F{sub 8} plasma molecular beams were measured using a Hiden PSM003 mass spectrometer mounted on the IRIS main chamber. The IEDs are complex and multimodal, with mean ion energies ranging from 29 to 92 eV. Integrated IEDs provided relative ion intensities as a function of applied rf power and source pressure. Generally, higher applied rf powers and lower source pressures resultedmore » in increased ion intensities and mean ion energies. Most significantly, a comparison to CF{sub 2} surface interaction measurements previously made in our laboratories reveals that mean ion energies are directly and linearly correlated to CF{sub 2} surface production in these systems.« less

Multimodal correlation and intraoperative matching of virtual models in neurosurgery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ceresole, Enrico; Dalsasso, Michele; Rossi, Aldo

1994-01-01

The multimodal correlation between different diagnostic exams, the intraoperative calibration of pointing tools and the correlation of the patient's virtual models with the patient himself, are some examples, taken from the biomedical field, of a unique problem: determine the relationship linking representation of the same object in different reference frames. Several methods have been developed in order to determine this relationship, among them, the surface matching method is one that gives the patient minimum discomfort and the errors occurring are compatible with the required precision. The surface matching method has been successfully applied to the multimodal correlation of diagnostic exams such as CT, MR, PET and SPECT. Algorithms for automatic segmentation of diagnostic images have been developed to extract the reference surfaces from the diagnostic exams, whereas the surface of the patient's skull has been monitored, in our approach, by means of a laser sensor mounted on the end effector of an industrial robot. An integrated system for virtual planning and real time execution of surgical procedures has been realized.

Surface analysis monitoring of polyelectrolyte deposition on Ba 0.5Sr 0.5TiO 3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales-Cruz, Angel L.; Fachini, Estevão R.; Miranda, Félix A.; Cabrera, Carlos R.

2007-09-01

Thin films are currently gaining interest in many areas such as integrated optics, sensors, friction, reducing coatings, surface orientation layers, and general industrial applications. Recently, molecular self-assembling techniques have been applied for thin film deposition of electrically conducting polymers, conjugated polymers for light-emitting devices, nanoparticles, and noncentrosymmetric-ordered second order nonlinear optical (NOL) devices. Polyelectrolytes self-assemblies have been used to prepare thin films. The alternate immersion of a charged surface in polyannion and a polycation solution leads usually to the formation of films known as polyelectrolyte multilayers. These polyanion and polycation structures are not neutral. However, charge compensation appears on the surface. This constitutes the building driving force of the polyelectrolyte multilayer films. The present approach consists of two parts: (a) the chemisorption of 11-mercaptoundecylamine (MUA) to construct a self-assembled monolayer with the consequent protonation of the amine, and (b) the deposition of opposite charged polyelectrolytes in a sandwich fashion. The approach has the advantage that ionic attraction between opposite charges is the driving force for the multilayer buildup. For our purposes, the multilayer of polyelectrolytes depends on the quality of the surface needed for the application. In many cases, this approach will be used in a way that the roughness factor defects will be diminished. The polyelectrolytes selected for the study were: polystyrene sulfonate sodium salt (PSS), poly vinylsulfate potassium salt (PVS), and polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH), as shown in Fig. 1. The deposition of polyelectrolytes was carried out by a dipping procedure with the corresponding polyelectrolyte. Monitoring of the alternate deposition of polyelectrolyte bilayers was done by surface analysis techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), specular reflectance infrared (IR), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The surface analysis results are presented through the adsorption steps of the polyelectrolytes layer by layer.

The Aerostructures Test Wing (ATW) experiment, which consisted of an 18-inch carbon fiber test wing with surface-mounted piezoelectric strain actuators, undergoing ground testing prior to flight on Dryden's F-15B Research Testbed aircraft

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-03-28

The Aerostructures Test Wing (ATW) experiment, which consisted of an 18-inch carbon fiber test wing with surface-mounted piezoelectric strain actuators, undergoing ground testing prior to flight on Dryden's F-15B Research Testbed aircraft

Apparatus for checking the direction of polarization of shear-wave ultrasonic transducers

DOEpatents

Karplus, Henry H. B.

1980-01-01

An apparatus for checking the direction of polarization of shear-wave ultrasonic transducers comprises a first planar surface for mounting the shear-wave transducer, a second planar surface inclined at a predetermined angle to the first surface to generate longitudinal waves by mode conversion, and a third planar surface disposed at a second predetermined angle to the first for mounting a longitudinal-wave ultrasonic transducer. In an alternate embodiment, two second planar surfaces at the predetermined angle are placed at an angle to each other. The magnitude of the shear wave is a function of the angle between the direction of polarization of the transducer and the mode-conversion surface.

Apparatus for checking the direction of polarization of shear-wave ultrasonic transducers

DOEpatents

Karplus, H.H.B.; Forster, G.A.

An apparatus for checking the direction of polarization of shear-wave ultrasonic transducers comprises a first planar surface for mounting the shear-wave transducer, a second planar surface inclined at a predetermined angle to the first surface to generate longitudinal waves by mode conversion, and a third planar surface disposed at a second predetermined angle to the first for mounting a longitudinal-wave ultransonic transducer. In an alternate embodiment, two second planar surfaces at the predetermined angle are placed at an angle to each other. The magnitude of the shear wave is a function of the angle between the direction of polarization of the transducer and the mode-conversion surface.

Human Factors Integration Requirements for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs). Part 1: Guidance on Addressing the Human System Integration (HSI) Content of Statements of Operational Requirements (SORs)

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-12-01

based on a systematic analysis of future systems, within the context of future scenarios and operational/support concepts . It is recognized, however...INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION CONCEPTS 2 6 IDENTIFY GAPS IN EXISTING KNOWLEDGE 2 7 DEVEWP FUTURE R&D PROGRAM ····· . 1 1 ...... 2 . . 2...stems Incorporated Annex B. Soldier’s Day Concept Page I ... mounted soldier performance can therefore be improved, and mounted/ dismounted

Upregulation of BMSCs Osteogenesis by Positively-Charged Tertiary Amines on Polymeric Implants via Charge/iNOS Signaling Pathway

PubMed Central

Zhang, Wei; Liu, Na; Shi, Haigang; Liu, Jun; Shi, Lianxin; Zhang, Bo; Wang, Huaiyu; Ji, Junhui; Chu, Paul K.

2015-01-01

Positively-charged surfaces on implants have a similar potential to upregulate osteogenesis of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) as electromagnetic therapy approved for bone regeneration. Generally, their osteogenesis functions are generally considered to stem from the charge-induced adhesion of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins without exploring the underlying surface charge/cell signaling molecule pathways. Herein, a positively-charged surface with controllable tertiary amines is produced on a polymer implant by plasma surface modification. In addition to inhibiting the TNF-α expression, the positively-charged surface with tertiary amines exhibits excellent cytocompatibility as well as remarkably upregulated osteogenesis-related gene/protein expressions and calcification of the contacted BMSCs. Stimulated by the charged surface, these BMSCs display high iNOS expressions among the three NOS isoforms. Meanwhile, downregulation of the iNOS by L-Can or siRNA inhibit osteogenic differentiation in the BMSCs. These findings suggest that a positively-charged surface with tertiary amines induces osteogenesis of BMSCs via the surface charge/iNOS signaling pathway in addition to elevated ECM protein adhesion. Therefore, creating a positively-charged surface with tertiary amines is a promising approach to promote osseointegration with bone tissues. PMID:25791957

Cryogenic-Compatible Winchester Connector Mount and Retaining System for Composite Tubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pontius, James; McGuffey, Douglas

2011-01-01

A connector retainer and mounting system has been designed to replace screw-mounting of Winchester connectors. Countersunk screws are normally used to secure connectors to structures, and to keep them from coming apart. These screws are normally put into threaded or through-holes in metallic structures. This unique retainer is designed such that integral posts keep the connector halves retained, and a groove permits a cable tie to be fastened around the retainer and composite tube, thus securing the connector to the structure. The system is compatible for use on cryogenic (and conventional) bonded composite tube assemblies. Screws and tapped/through-holes needed to retain and mount Winchester connectors cannot be used on blind-access composite tubes. This system allows for rapid installation, removal, low-molecular-outgassing materials, and particulate-free installation and removal. Installation and/or changes late in the integration, and test flow with limited access in a cleanroom environment are possible. No sanding or bonding is needed.

Modulation of protein stability and aggregation properties by surface charge engineering.

PubMed

Raghunathan, Govindan; Sokalingam, Sriram; Soundrarajan, Nagasundarapandian; Madan, Bharat; Munussami, Ganapathiraman; Lee, Sun-Gu

2013-09-01

An attempt to alter protein surface charges through traditional protein engineering approaches often affects the native protein structure significantly and induces misfolding. This limitation is a major hindrance in modulating protein properties through surface charge variations. In this study, as a strategy to overcome such a limitation, we attempted to co-introduce stabilizing mutations that can neutralize the destabilizing effect of protein surface charge variation. Two sets of rational mutations were designed; one to increase the number of surface charged amino acids and the other to decrease the number of surface charged amino acids by mutating surface polar uncharged amino acids and charged amino acids, respectively. These two sets of mutations were introduced into Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) together with or without stabilizing mutations. The co-introduction of stabilizing mutations along with mutations for surface charge modification allowed us to obtain functionally active protein variants (s-GFP(+15-17) and s-GFP(+5-6)). When the protein properties such as fluorescent activity, folding rate and kinetic stability were assessed, we found the possibility that the protein stability can be modulated independently of activity and folding by engineering protein surface charges. The aggregation properties of GFP could also be altered through the surface charge engineering.

Finite element simulation for damage detection of surface rust in steel rebars using elastic waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Qixiang; Yu, Tzuyang

2016-04-01

Steel rebar corrosion reduces the integrity and service life of reinforced concrete (RC) structures and causes their gradual and sudden failures. Early stage detection of steel rebar corrosion can improve the efficiency of routine maintenance and prevent sudden failures from happening. In this paper, detecting the presence of surface rust in steel rebars is investigated by the finite element method (FEM) using surface-generated elastic waves. Simulated wave propagation mimics the sensing scheme of a fiber optic acoustic generator mounted on the surface of steel rebars. Formation of surface rust in steel rebars is modeled by changing material's property at local elements. In this paper, various locations of a fiber optic acoustic transducer and a receiver were considered. Megahertz elastic waves were used and different sizes of surface rust were applied. Transient responses of surface displacement and pressure were studied. It is found that surface rust is most detectable when the rust location is between the transducer and the receiver. Displacement response of intact steel rebar is needed in order to obtain background-subtracted response with a better signal-to-noise ratio. When the size of surface rust increases, reduced amplitude in displacement was obtained by the receiver.

Molecular simulation study of feruloyl esterase adsorption on charged surfaces: effects of surface charge density and ionic strength.

PubMed

Liu, Jie; Peng, Chunwang; Yu, Gaobo; Zhou, Jian

2015-10-06

The surrounding conditions, such as surface charge density and ionic strength, play an important role in enzyme adsorption. The adsorption of a nonmodular type-A feruloyl esterase from Aspergillus niger (AnFaeA) on charged surfaces was investigated by parallel tempering Monte Carlo (PTMC) and all-atom molecular dynamics (AAMD) simulations at different surface charge densities (±0.05 and ±0.16 C·m(-2)) and ionic strengths (0.007 and 0.154 M). The adsorption energy, orientation, and conformational changes were analyzed. Simulation results show that whether AnFaeA can adsorb onto a charged surface is mainly controlled by electrostatic interactions between AnFaeA and the charged surface. The electrostatic interactions between AnFaeA and charged surfaces are weakened when the ionic strength increases. The positively charged surface at low surface charge density and high ionic strength conditions can maximize the utilization of the immobilized AnFaeA. The counterion layer plays a key role in the adsorption of AnFaeA on the negatively charged COOH-SAM. The native conformation of AnFaeA is well preserved under all of these conditions. The results of this work can be used for the controlled immobilization of AnFaeA.

Investigation Of The Effects Of Reflow Profile Parameters On Lead-free Solder Bump Volumes And Joint Integrity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amalu, E. H.; Lui, Y. T.; Ekere, N. N.; Bhatti, R. S.; Takyi, G.

2011-01-01

The electronics manufacturing industry was quick to adopt and use the Surface Mount Technology (SMT) assembly technique on realization of its huge potentials in achieving smaller, lighter and low cost product implementations. Increasing global customer demand for miniaturized electronic products is a key driver in the design, development and wide application of high-density area array package format. Electronic components and their associated solder joints have reduced in size as the miniaturization trend in packaging continues to be challenged by printing through very small stencil apertures required for fine pitch flip-chip applications. At very narrow aperture sizes, solder paste rheology becomes crucial for consistent paste withdrawal. The deposition of consistent volume of solder from pad-to-pad is fundamental to minimizing surface mount assembly defects. This study investigates the relationship between volume of solder paste deposit (VSPD) and the volume of solder bump formed (VSBF) after reflow, and the effect of reflow profile parameters on lead-free solder bump formation and the associated solder joint integrity. The study uses a fractional factorial design (FFD) of 24-1 Ramp-Soak-Spike reflow profile, with all main effects and two-way interactions estimable to determine the optimal factorial combination. The results from the study show that the percentage change in the VSPD depends on the combination of the process parameters and reliability issues could become critical as the size of solder joints soldered on the same board assembly vary greatly. Mathematical models describe the relationships among VSPD, VSBF and theoretical volume of solder paste. Some factors have main effects across the volumes and a number of interactions exist among them. These results would be useful for R&D personnel in designing and implementing newer applications with finer-pitch interconnect.

SOLAR - ASTRONOMY

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-09-09

S73-33788 (10 June 1973) --- The solar eruption of June 10, 1973, is seen in this spectroheliogram obtained during the first manned Skylab mission (Skylab 2), with the SO82A experiment, an Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) component covering the wavelength region from 150 to 650 angstroms (EUV). The solid disk in the center was produced from 304 angstrom ultraviolet light from He + ions. At the top of this image a great eruption is visible extending more than one-third of a solar radius from the sun's surface. This eruption preceded the formation of an enormous coronal bubble which extended a distance of several radii from the sun's surface, and which was observed with the coronagraph aboard Skylab. In contrast, the Fe XV image at 285 angstrom just to the right of the 304 angstrom image does not show this event. Instead, it shows the bright emission from a magnetic region in the lower corona. In this picture, solar north is to the right, and east is up. The wavelength scale increases to the left. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is principal investigator in charge of the SO82 experiment. Photo credit: NASA

The Mars Surveyor '01 Rover and Robotic Arm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bonitz, Robert G.; Nguyen, Tam T.; Kim, Won S.

1999-01-01

The Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander will carry with it both a Robotic Arm and Rover to support various science and technology experiments. The Marie Curie Rover, the twin sister to Sojourner Truth, is expected to explore the surface of Mars in early 2002. Scientific investigations to determine the elemental composition of surface rocks and soil using the Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) will be conducted along with several technology experiments including the Mars Experiment on Electrostatic Charging (MEEC) and the Wheel Abrasion Experiment (WAE). The Rover will follow uplinked operational sequences each day, but will be capable of autonomous reactions to the unpredictable features of the Martian environment. The Mars Surveyor 2001 Robotic Arm will perform rover deployment, and support various positioning, digging, and sample acquiring functions for MECA (Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment) and Mossbauer Spectrometer experiments. The Robotic Arm will also collect its own sensor data for engineering data analysis. The Robotic Arm Camera (RAC) mounted on the forearm of the Robotic Arm will capture various images with a wide range of focal length adjustment during scientific experiments and rover deployment

Alignment positioning mechanism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fantasia, Peter M. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

An alignment positioning mechanism for correcting and compensating for misalignment of structures to be coupled is disclosed. The mechanism comprises a power screw with a base portion and a threaded shank portion. A mounting fixture is provided for rigidly coupling said base portion to the mounting interface of a supporting structure with the axis of the screw perpendicular thereto. A traveling ball nut threaded on the power screw is formed with an external annular arcuate surface configured in the form of a spherical segment and enclosed by a ball nut housing with a conforming arcuate surface for permitting gimballed motion thereon. The ball nut housing is provided with a mounting surface which is positionable in cooperable engagement with the mounting interface of a primary structure to be coupled to the supporting structure. Cooperative means are provided on the ball nut and ball nut housing, respectively, for positioning the ball nut and ball nut housing in relative gimballed position within a predetermined range of relative angular relationship whereby severe structural stresses due to unequal loadings and undesirable bending moments on the mechanism are avoided.

TM surface wave diffraction by a truncated dielectric slab recessed in a perfectly conducting surface. [considering flush mounted space shuttle antenna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pathak, P. H.; Kouyoumjian, R. G.

1974-01-01

The diffraction of a TM sub o surface wave by a terminated dielectric slab which is flush mounted in a perfectly conducting surface is studied. The incident surface wave gives rise to waves reflected and diffracted by the termination; these reflected and diffracted fields may be expressed in terms of the geometrical theory of diffraction by introducing surface wave reflection and diffraction coefficients which are associated with the termination. In this investigation, the surface wave reflection and diffraction coefficients have been deduced from a formally exact solution to this canonical problem. The solution is obtained by a combination of the generalized scattering matrix technique and function theoretic methods.

Transepithelial and endothelial transport of poly (amidoamine) dendrimers.

PubMed

Kitchens, Kelly M; El-Sayed, Mohamed E H; Ghandehari, Hamidreza

2005-12-14

This article summarizes our efforts to evaluate the potential of poly (amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers as carriers for oral drug delivery. Specifically, the permeability of a series of cationic PAMAM-NH2 (G0-G4) dendrimers across Caco-2 cell monolayers was evaluated as a function of dendrimer generation, concentration, and incubation time. The influence of dendrimer surface charge on the integrity, paracellular permeability, and viability of Caco-2 cell monolayers was monitored by measuring the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), 14C-mannitol permeability, and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme, respectively. Microvascular extravasation of PAMAM-NH2 dendrimers in relation to their size, molecular weight, and molecular geometry is also discussed. Results of these studies show that transepithelial transport and microvascular extravasation of PAMAM dendrimers are dependent on their structural features including molecular size, molecular geometry, and surface chemistry. These results suggest that by optimizing the size and surface charge of PAMAM dendrimers, it is possible to develop oral delivery systems based on these carriers for targeted drug delivery.

Reusable vibration resistant integrated circuit mounting socket

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

Evans, C.N.

1993-12-31

This invention discloses a novel form of socket for integrated circuits to be mounted on printed circuit boards. The socket uses a novel contact which is fabricated out of a bimetallic strip with a shape which makes the end of the strip move laterally as temperature changes. The end of the strip forms a barb which digs into an integrated circuit lead at normal temperatures and hold it firmly in the contact, preventing loosening and open circuits from vibration. By cooling the contact containing the bimetallic strip the barb end can be made to release so that the integrated circuitmore » lead can be removed from the socket without damage either to the lead or to the socket components.« less

Reusable vibration resistant integrated circuit mounting socket

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

Evans, C.N.

1995-08-29

This invention discloses a novel form of socket for integrated circuits to be mounted on printed circuit boards. The socket uses a novel contact which is fabricated out of a bimetallic strip with a shape which makes the end of the strip move laterally as temperature changes. The end of the strip forms a barb which digs into an integrated circuit lead at normal temperatures and holds it firmly in the contact, preventing loosening and open circuits from vibration. By cooling the contact containing the bimetallic strip the barb end can be made to release so that the integrated circuitmore » lead can be removed from the socket without damage either to the lead or to the socket components. 11 figs.« less

Effect of Surface Hydration on Antifouling Properties of Mixed Charged Polymers.

PubMed

Leng, Chuan; Huang, Hao; Zhang, Kexin; Hung, Hsiang-Chieh; Xu, Yao; Li, Yaoxin; Jiang, Shaoyi; Chen, Zhan

2018-05-07

Interfacial water structure on a polymer surface in water (or surface hydration) is related to the antifouling activity of the polymer. Zwitterionic polymer materials exhibit excellent antifouling activity due to their strong surface hydration. It was proposed to replace zwitterionic polymers using mixed charged polymers because it is much easier to prepare mixed charged polymer samples with much lower costs. In this study, using sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy, we investigated interfacial water structures on mixed charged polymer surfaces in water, and how such structures change while exposing to salt solutions and protein solutions. The 1:1 mixed charged polymer exhibits excellent antifouling property while other mixed charged polymers with different ratios of the positive/negative charges do not. It was found that on the 1:1 mixed charged polymer surface, SFG water signal is dominated by the contribution of the strongly hydrogen bonded water molecules, indicating strong hydration of the polymer surface. The responses of the 1:1 mixed charged polymer surface to salt solutions are similar to those of zwitterionic polymers. Interestingly, exposure to high concentrations of salt solutions leads to stronger hydration of the 1:1 mixed charged polymer surface after replacing the salt solution with water. Protein molecules do not substantially perturb the interfacial water structure on the 1:1 mixed charged polymer surface and do not adsorb to the surface, showing that this mixed charged polymer is an excellent antifouling material.

Stabilized radio-frequency quadrupole

DOEpatents

Lancaster, H.D.; Fugitt, J.A.; Howard, D.R.

1982-09-29

A long-vane stabilized radio frequency resonator for accelerating charged particles and including means defining a radio frequency resonator cavity, a plurality of long vanes mounted in the defining means for dividing the cavity into sections, and means interconnecting opposing ones of the plurality of vanes for stabilizing the resonator.

Stabilized radio frequency quadrupole

DOEpatents

Lancaster, Henry D.; Fugitt, Jock A.; Howard, Donald R.

1984-01-01

A long-vane stabilized radio frequency resonator for accelerating charged particles and including means defining a radio frequency resonator cavity, a plurality of long vanes mounted in the defining means for dividing the cavity into sections, and means interconnecting opposing ones of the plurality of vanes for stabilizing the resonator.

Molecular dynamics study of salt-solution interface: solubility and surface charge of salt in water.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Kazuya; Liang, Yunfeng; Sakka, Tetsuo; Matsuoka, Toshifumi

2014-04-14

The NaCl salt-solution interface often serves as an example of an uncharged surface. However, recent laser-Doppler electrophoresis has shown some evidence that the NaCl crystal is positively charged in its saturated solution. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we have investigated the NaCl salt-solution interface system, and calculated the solubility of the salt using the direct method and free energy calculations, which are kinetic and thermodynamic approaches, respectively. The direct method calculation uses a salt-solution combined system. When the system is equilibrated, the concentration in the solution area is the solubility. In the free energy calculation, we separately calculate the chemical potential of NaCl in two systems, the solid and the solution, using thermodynamic integration with MD simulations. When the chemical potential of NaCl in the solution phase is equal to the chemical potential of the solid phase, the concentration of the solution system is the solubility. The advantage of using two different methods is that the computational methods can be mutually verified. We found that a relatively good estimate of the solubility of the system can be obtained through comparison of the two methods. Furthermore, we found using microsecond time-scale MD simulations that the positively charged NaCl surface was induced by a combination of a sodium-rich surface and the orientation of the interfacial water molecules.

Molecular dynamics study of salt–solution interface: Solubility and surface charge of salt in water

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

Kobayashi, Kazuya; Liang, Yunfeng, E-mail: y-liang@earth.kumst.kyoto-u.ac.jp, E-mail: matsuoka@earth.kumst.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Matsuoka, Toshifumi, E-mail: y-liang@earth.kumst.kyoto-u.ac.jp, E-mail: matsuoka@earth.kumst.kyoto-u.ac.jp

2014-04-14

The NaCl salt–solution interface often serves as an example of an uncharged surface. However, recent laser-Doppler electrophoresis has shown some evidence that the NaCl crystal is positively charged in its saturated solution. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we have investigated the NaCl salt–solution interface system, and calculated the solubility of the salt using the direct method and free energy calculations, which are kinetic and thermodynamic approaches, respectively. The direct method calculation uses a salt–solution combined system. When the system is equilibrated, the concentration in the solution area is the solubility. In the free energy calculation, we separately calculate the chemicalmore » potential of NaCl in two systems, the solid and the solution, using thermodynamic integration with MD simulations. When the chemical potential of NaCl in the solution phase is equal to the chemical potential of the solid phase, the concentration of the solution system is the solubility. The advantage of using two different methods is that the computational methods can be mutually verified. We found that a relatively good estimate of the solubility of the system can be obtained through comparison of the two methods. Furthermore, we found using microsecond time-scale MD simulations that the positively charged NaCl surface was induced by a combination of a sodium-rich surface and the orientation of the interfacial water molecules.« less

Effects of Discrete Charge Clustering in Simulations of Charged Interfaces.

PubMed

Grime, John M A; Khan, Malek O

2010-10-12

A system of counterions between charged surfaces is investigated, with the surfaces represented by uniform charged planes and three different arrangements of discrete surface charges - an equispaced grid and two different clustered arrangements. The behaviors of a series of systems with identical net surface charge density are examined, with particular emphasis placed on the long ranged corrections via the method of "charged slabs" and the effects of the simulation cell size. Marked differences are observed in counterion distributions and the osmotic pressure dependent on the particular representation of the charged surfaces; the uniformly charged surfaces and equispaced grids of discrete charge behave in a broadly similar manner, but the clustered systems display a pronounced decrease in osmotic pressure as the simulation size is increased. The influence of the long ranged correction is shown to be minimal for all but the very smallest of system sizes.

Selective reinforcement of a 2m-class lightweight mirror for horizontal beam optical testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Besuner, R. W.; Chow, K. P.; Kendrick, S. E.; Streetman, S.

2008-07-01

Optical testing of large mirrors for space telescopes can be challenging and complex. Demanding optical requirements necessitate both precise mirror figure and accurate prediction of zero gravity shape. Mass and packaging constraints require mirrors to be lightweighted and optically fast. Reliability and low mass imply simple mounting schemes, with basic kinematic mounts preferable to active figure control or whiffle trees. Ground testing should introduce as little uncertainty as possible, ideally employing flight mounts without offloaders. Testing mirrors with their optical axes horizontal can result in less distortion than in the vertical orientation, though distortion will increase with mirror speed. Finite element modeling and optimization tools help specify selective reinforcement of the mirror structure to minimize wavefront errors in a one gravity test, while staying within mass budgets and meeting other requirements. While low distortions are necessary, an important additional criterion is that designs are tolerant to imperfect positioning of the mounts relative to the neutral surface of the mirror substrate. In this paper, we explore selective reinforcement of a 2-meter class, f/1.25 primary mirror for the proposed SNAP space telescope. We specify designs optimized for various mount radial locations both with and without backup mount locations. Reinforced designs are predicted to have surface distortions in the horizontal beam test low enough to perform optical testing on the ground, on flight mounts, and without offloaders. Importantly, the required accuracy of mount locations is on the order of millimeters rather than tenths of millimeters.

Enhancement of CNT/PET film adhesion by nano-scale modification for flexible all-solid-state supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Yu Jin; Chung, Haegeun; Kim, Min-Seop; Kim, Woong

2015-11-01

We demonstrate the fabrication of high-integrity flexible supercapacitors using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films, and ion gels. Although both CNTs and PET films are attractive materials for flexible electronics, they have poor adhesion properties. In this work, we significantly improve interfacial adhesion by introducing nanostructures at the interface of the CNT and PET layers. Simple reactive ion etching (RIE) of the PET substrates generates nano-scale roughness on the PET surface. RIE also induces hydrophilicity on the PET surface, which further enhances adhesive strength. The improved adhesion enables high integrity and excellent flexibility of the fabricated supercapacitors, demonstrated over hundreds of bending cycles. Furthermore, the supercapacitors show good cyclability with specific capacitance retention of 87.5% after 10,000 galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) cycles. Our demonstration may be important for understanding interfacial adhesion properties in nanoscale and for producing flexible, high-integrity, high-performance energy storage systems.

R&D Plan for Army Applications of AI/Robotics.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-05-01

Research, Development, and Acquisition (Army) OCE--Office, Chief of Engineers HTTG--High Technology Test Group DNA--Defense Nuclear Agency Contractors...comparison, include both trailer and van-mounted tools and * testing equipment that are generally of sufficient weight and bulk to be mounted and used on a...interactive diagnosis and corrective maintenance information for surface-to-surface missile launching systems beyond the capability of automet’. test equipment

Bucket platform cooling scheme and related method

DOEpatents

Abuaf, Nesim; Barb, Kevin Joseph; Chopra, Sanjay; Kercher, David Max; Kellock, Iain Robertson; Lenahan, Dean Thomas; Nellian, Sankar; Starkweather, John Howard; Lupe, Douglas Arthur

2002-01-01

A turbine bucket includes an airfoil extending from a platform, having high and low pressure sides; a wheel mounting portion; a hollow shank portion located radially between the platform and the wheel mounting portion, the platform having an under surface. An impingement cooling plate is located in the hollow shank portion, spaced from the under surface, and the impingement plate is formed with a plurality of impingement cooling holes therein.

Hybrid 3D Printing of Soft Electronics.

PubMed

Valentine, Alexander D; Busbee, Travis A; Boley, John William; Raney, Jordan R; Chortos, Alex; Kotikian, Arda; Berrigan, John Daniel; Durstock, Michael F; Lewis, Jennifer A

2017-10-01

Hybrid 3D printing is a new method for producing soft electronics that combines direct ink writing of conductive and dielectric elastomeric materials with automated pick-and-place of surface mount electronic components within an integrated additive manufacturing platform. Using this approach, insulating matrix and conductive electrode inks are directly printed in specific layouts. Passive and active electrical components are then integrated to produce the desired electronic circuitry by using an empty nozzle (in vacuum-on mode) to pick up individual components, place them onto the substrate, and then deposit them (in vacuum-off mode) in the desired location. The components are then interconnected via printed conductive traces to yield soft electronic devices that may find potential application in wearable electronics, soft robotics, and biomedical devices. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Fully integrated graphene electronic biosensor for label-free detection of lead (II) ion based on G-quadruplex structure-switching.

PubMed

Li, Yijun; Wang, Cheng; Zhu, Yibo; Zhou, Xiaohong; Xiang, Yu; He, Miao; Zeng, Siyu

2017-03-15

This work presents a fully integrated graphene field-effect transistor (GFET) biosensor for the label-free detection of lead ions (Pb 2+ ) in aqueous-media, which first implements the G-quadruplex structure-switching biosensing principle in graphene nanoelectronics. We experimentally illustrate the biomolecular interplay that G-rich DNA single-strands with one-end confined on graphene surface can specifically interact with Pb 2+ ions and switch into G-quadruplex structures. Since the structure-switching of electrically charged DNA strands can disrupt the charge distribution in the vicinity of graphene surface, the carrier equilibrium in graphene sheet might be altered, and manifested by the conductivity variation of GFET. The experimental data and theoretical analysis show that our devices are capable of the label-free and specific quantification of Pb 2+ with a detection limit down to 163.7ng/L. These results first verify the signaling principle competency of G-quadruplex structure-switching in graphene electronic biosensors. Combining with the advantages of the compact device structure and convenient electrical signal, a label-free GFET biosensor for Pb 2+ monitoring is enabled with promising application potential. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Studies of Surface Charging of Polymers by Indirect Triboelectrification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantovani, James; Calle, Carlos; Groop, Ellen; Buehler, Martin

2001-03-01

Charge is known to develop on the surface of an insulating polymer by frictional charging through direct physical contact with another material. We will present results of recent triboelectrification studies of polymer surfaces that utilized an indirect method of frictional charging. This method first involves placing a grounded thin metal foil in stationary contact over the polymer surface. The exposed metal foil is then rubbed with the surface of the material that generates the triboelectric charge. Data is presented for five types of polymers: fiberglass/epoxy, polycarbonate (Lexan), polytetraflouroethylene (Teflon), Rulon J, and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA, Lucite). The amount of charge that develops on an insulator's surface is measured using the MECA Electrometer, which was developed jointly by NASA Kennedy Space Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to study the electrostatic properties of soil on the surface of Mars. Even though the insulator's surface is electrically shielded from the rubbing material by the grounded metal foil, charge measurements obtained by the MECA Electrometer after the metal foil is separated from the insulator's surface reveal that the insulator's surface does accumulate charge by indirect frictional charging. A possible explanation of the observations will be presented based on a simple contact barrier model.

Current-voltage characteristics influenced by the nanochannel diameter and surface charge density in a fluidic field-effect-transistor.

PubMed

Singh, Kunwar Pal; Guo, Chunlei

2017-06-21

The nanochannel diameter and surface charge density have a significant impact on current-voltage characteristics in a nanofluidic transistor. We have simulated the effect of the channel diameter and surface charge density on current-voltage characteristics of a fluidic nanochannel with positive surface charge on its walls and a gate electrode on its surface. Anion depletion/enrichment leads to a decrease/increase in ion current with gate potential. The ion current tends to increase linearly with gate potential for narrow channels at high surface charge densities and narrow channels are more effective to control the ion current at high surface charge densities. The current-voltage characteristics are highly nonlinear for wide channels at low surface charge densities and they show different regions of current change with gate potential. The ion current decreases with gate potential after attaining a peak value for wide channels at low values of surface charge densities. At low surface charge densities, the ion current can be controlled by a narrow range of gate potentials for wide channels. The current change with source drain voltage shows ohmic, limiting and overlimiting regions.

Effective Charge Carrier Utilization in Photocatalytic Conversions.

PubMed

Zhang, Peng; Wang, Tuo; Chang, Xiaoxia; Gong, Jinlong

2016-05-17

Continuous efforts have been devoted to searching for sustainable energy resources to alleviate the upcoming energy crises. Among various types of new energy resources, solar energy has been considered as one of the most promising choices, since it is clean, sustainable, and safe. Moreover, solar energy is the most abundant renewable energy, with a total power of 173 000 terawatts striking Earth continuously. Conversion of solar energy into chemical energy, which could potentially provide continuous and flexible energy supplies, has been investigated extensively. However, the conversion efficiency is still relatively low since complicated physical, electrical, and chemical processes are involved. Therefore, carefully designed photocatalysts with a wide absorption range of solar illumination, a high conductivity for charge carriers, a small number of recombination centers, and fast surface reaction kinetics are required to achieve a high activity. This Account describes our recent efforts to enhance the utilization of charge carriers for semiconductor photocatalysts toward efficient solar-to-chemical energy conversion. During photocatalytic reactions, photogenerated electrons and holes are involved in complex processes to convert solar energy into chemical energy. The initial step is the generation of charge carriers in semiconductor photocatalysts, which could be enhanced by extending the light absorption range. Integration of plasmonic materials and introduction of self-dopants have been proved to be effective methods to improve the light absorption ability of photocatalysts to produce larger amounts of photogenerated charge carriers. Subsequently, the photogenerated electrons and holes migrate to the surface. Therefore, acceleration of the transport process can result in enhanced solar energy conversion efficiency. Different strategies such as morphology control and conductivity improvement have been demonstrated to achieve this goal. Fine-tuning of the morphology of nanostructured photocatalysts can reduce the migration distance of charge carriers. Improving the conductivity of photocatalysts by using graphitic materials can also improve the transport of charge carriers. Upon charge carrier migration, electrons and holes also tend to recombine. The suppression of recombination can be achieved by constructing heterojunctions that enhance charge separation in the photocatalysts. Surface states acting as recombination centers should also be removed to improve the photocatalytic efficiency. Moreover, surface reactions, which are the core chemical processes during the solar energy conversion, can be enhanced by applying cocatalysts as well as suppressing side reactions. All of these strategies have been proved to be essential for enhancing the activities of semiconductor photocatalysts. It is hoped that delicate manipulation of photogenerated charge carriers in semiconductor photocatalysts will hold the key to effective solar-to-chemical energy conversion.

Effective Electrostatic Interactions Between Two Overall Neutral Surfaces with Quenched Charge Heterogeneity Over Atomic Length Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, S.

2017-12-01

Using Monte Carlo results as a reference, a classical density functional theory ( CDFT) is shown to reliably predict the forces between two heterogeneously charged surfaces immersed in an electrolyte solution, whereas the Poisson-Boltzmann ( PB) theory is demonstrated to deteriorate obviously for the same system even if the system parameters considered fall within the validity range of the PB theory in the homogeneously charged surfaces. By applying the tested CDFT, we study the effective electrostatic potential of mean force ( EPMF) between two face-face planar and hard surfaces of zero net charge on which positive and negative charges are separated and considered to present as discontinuous spots on the inside edges of the two surfaces. Main conclusions are summarized as follows: (i) strength of the EPMF in the surface charge separation case is very sensitively and positively correlated with the surface charge separation level and valency of the salt ion. Particularly, the charge separation level and the salt ion valency have a synergistic effect, which makes high limit of the EPMF strength in the surface charge separation case significantly go beyond that of the ideal homogeneously charged surface counterpart at average surface charge density similar to the average surface positive or negative charge density in the charge separation case. (ii) The surface charge distribution patterns mainly influence sign of the EPMF: symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns induce repulsive and attractive (at small distances) EPMF, respectively; but with low valency salt ions and low charge separation level the opposite may be the case. With simultaneous presence of both higher valency cation and anion, the EPMF can be repulsive at intermediate distances for asymmetrical patterns. (iii) Salt ion size has a significant impact, which makes the EPMF tend to become more and more repulsive with the ion diameter regardless of the surface charge distribution patterns and the valency of the salt ion; whereas if the 1:1 type electrolyte and the symmetrical patterns are considered, then the opposite may be the case. All of these findings can be explained self-consistently from several perspectives: an excess adsorption of the salt ions (induced by the surface charge separation) serving to raise the osmotic pressure between the plates, configuration fine-tuning in the thinner ion adsorption layer driven by the energy decrease principle, direct Coulombic interactions operating between charged objects on the two face-to-face plates involved, and net charge strength in the ion adsorption layer responsible for the net electrostatic repulsion.

Substrate Effects for Atomic Chain Electronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamada, Toshishige; Saini, Subhash (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

A substrate for future atomic chain electronics, where adatoms are placed at designated positions and form atomically precise device components, is studied theoretically. The substrate has to serve as a two-dimensional template for adatom mounting with a reasonable confinement barrier and also provide electronic isolation, preventing unwanted coupling between independent adatom structures. For excellent structural stability, we demand chemical bonding between the adatoms and substrate atoms, but then good electronic isolation may not be guaranteed. Conditions are clarified for good isolation. Because of the chemical bonding, fundamental adatom properties are strongly influenced: a chain with group IV adatoms having two chemical bonds, or a chain with group III adatoms having one chemical bond is semiconducting. Charge transfer from or to the substrate atoms brings about unintentional doping, and the electronic properties have to be considered for the entire combination of the adatom and substrate systems even if the adatom modes are well localized at the surface.

Carbon distribution profiles in lunar fines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hart, R. K.

1977-01-01

Radial distribution profiles of elemental carbon in lunar soils consisting of particles in the size range of 50 to 150 microns were investigated. Initial experiments on specimen preparation and the analysis of prepared specimens by Auger electron spectrometry (AES) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are described. Results from splits of samples 61501,84 and 64421,11, which were mounted various ways in several specimen holders, are presented. A low carbon content was observed in AES spectra from soil particles that were subjected to sputter-ion cleaning with 960eV argon ions for periods of time up to a total exposure for one hour. This ion charge was sufficient to remove approximately 70 nm of material from the surface. All of the physically adsorbed carbon (as well as water vapor, etc.) would normally be removed in the first few minutes, leaving only carbon in the specimen, and metal support structure, to be detected thereafter.

ESS Smelting Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erasmus, L. J.; Fourie, L. J.

2017-02-01

The envirosteel smelter is a rectangular furnace with a large free board volume and multiple channel inductors mounted below the hearth. The raw materials are charged against the back wall forming an inclined heap sloping toward the front long wall. The feed blend is spread in thin layers over the surface of the heap and is heated by exposure to radiation from the free board. Reducing conditions in the top layer of the heap permit gas-solid reduction. Metal, in the hearth of the furnace, flows into the channel inductor where it is heated. The heated metal flows back against the front long wall to under the heap. The bottom of the heap is continuously melted by energy transferred from the metal layer. The two off-gas ducts are located in the short end walls. The combustion air is heated to around 800°C by a furnace gas in an external heat exchanger.

Modeling initiation trains based on HMX and TATB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drake, R. C.; Maisey, M.

2017-01-01

There will always be a requirement to reduce the size of initiation trains. However, as the size is reduced the performance characteristics can be compromised. A detailed science-based understanding of the processes (ignition and growth to detonation) which determine the performance characteristics is required to enable compact and robust initiation trains to be designed. To assess the use of numerical models in the design of initiation trains a modeling study has been undertaken, with the aim of understanding the initiation of TATB and HMX charges by a confined, surface mounted detonator. The effect of detonator diameter and detonator confinement on the formation of dead zones in the acceptor explosives has been studied. The size of dead zones can be reduced by increasing the diameter of the detonator and by increasing the impedance of the confinement. The implications for the design of initiation trains are discussed.

A broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectrometer for aircraft measurements of glyoxal, methylglyoxal, nitrous acid, nitrogen dioxide, and water vapor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Min, K.-E.; Washenfelder, R. A.; Dubé, W. P.; Langford, A. O.; Edwards, P. M.; Zarzana, K. J.; Stutz, J.; Lu, K.; Rohrer, F.; Zhang, Y.; Brown, S. S.

2015-10-01

We describe a two-channel broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectrometer (BBCEAS) for aircraft measurements of glyoxal (CHOCHO), methylglyoxal (CH3COCHO), nitrous acid (HONO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and water (H2O). The instrument spans 361-389 and 438-468 nm, using two light emitting diodes (LEDs) and a grating spectrometer with a charge-coupled device (CCD) detector. Robust performance is achieved using a custom optical mounting system, high power LEDs with electronic on/off modulation, state-of-the-art cavity mirrors, and materials that minimize analyte surface losses. We have successfully deployed this instrument during two aircraft and two ground-based field campaigns to date. The demonstrated precision (2σ) for retrievals of CHOCHO, HONO and NO2 are 34, 350 and 80 pptv in 5 s. The accuracy is 5.8, 9.0 and 5.0 % limited mainly by the available absorption cross sections.

Stabilized radio frequency quadrupole

DOEpatents

Lancaster, H.D.; Fugitt, J.A.; Howard, D.R.

1984-12-25

Disclosed is a long-vane stabilized radio frequency resonator for accelerating charged particles and including means defining a radio frequency resonator cavity, a plurality of long vanes mounted in the defining means for dividing the cavity into sections, and means interconnecting opposing ones of the plurality of vanes for stabilizing the resonator. 5 figs.

Molecular dynamics studies of water deposition on hematite surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kvamme, Bjørn; Kuznetsova, Tatiana; Haynes, Martin

2012-12-01

The interest in carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery is increasing proportional to the decrease in naturally driven oil production and also due to the increasing demand for reduced emission of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Transport of carbon dioxide in offshore pipelines involves high pressure and low temperatures which may lead to the formation of hydrate between residual water dissolved in carbon dioxide. The critical question is whether the water at some condition of temperature and pressure will drop out as liquid droplets or as water adsorbed on the surfaces of the pipeline and then subsequently form hydrates heterogeneously. In this work we have used the 6-311G basis set with B3LYP to estimate the charge distribution of different sizes of hematite crystals. The obtained surface charge distribution were kept unchanged while the inner charge distribution where scaled so as to result in an overall neutral crystal. These rust particles were embedded in water and chemical potential for adsorbed water molecules were estimated through thermodynamic integration and compared to similar estimates for same size water cluster. Estimated values of water chemical potentials indicate that it is thermodynamically favorable for water to adsorb on hematite, and that evaluation of potential carbon dioxide hydrate formation conditions and kinetics should be based this sequence of processes.

Low power arcjet system spacecraft impacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pencil, Eric J.; Sarmiento, Charles J.; Lichtin, D. A.; Palchefsky, J. W.; Bogorad, A. L.

1993-01-01

Application of electrothermal arcjets on communications satellites requires assessment of integration concerns identified by the user community. Perceived risks include plume contamination of spacecraft materials, induced arcing or electrostatic discharges between differentially charged spacecraft surfaces, and conducted and radiated electromagnetic interference (EMI) for both steady state and transient conditions. A Space Act agreement between Martin Marietta Astro Space, the Rocket Research Company, and NASA's Lewis Research Center was established to experimentally examine these issues. Spacecraft materials were exposed to an arcjet plume for 40 hours, representing 40 weeks of actual spacecraft life, and contamination was characterized by changes in surface properties. With the exception of the change in emittance of one sample, all measurable changes in surface properties resulted in acceptable end of life characteristics. Charged spacecraft samples were benignly and consistently reduced to ground potential during exposure to the powered arcjet plume, suggesting that the arcjet could act as a charge control device on spacecraft. Steady state EMI signatures obtained using two different power processing units were similar to emissions measured in a previous test. Emissions measured in UHF, S, C, Ku and Ka bands obtained a null result which verified previous work in the UHF, S, and C bands. Characteristics of conducted and radiated transient emissions appear within standard spacecraft susceptibility criteria.

View of Mount Hadley as photographed by Apollo 15 during EVA

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-07-31

AS15-87-11849 (31 July-2 Aug. 1971) --- An excellent view of Mount Hadley, fully lighted, showing abundant linear features, as photographed during the Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). This view is looking north from the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) site. Mount Hadley rises about 4,500 meters (approximately 14,765 feet) above the plain. While astronauts David R. Scott, commander, and James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, descended in the Apollo 15 Lunar Module (LM) "Falcon" to explore the Hadley-Apennine area of the moon, astronaut Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

Thinning and mounting a Texas Instruments 3-phase CCD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lesser, M. P.; Leach, R. W.; Angel, J. R. P.

1986-01-01

Thin CCDs with precise control of thickness and surface quality allow astronomers to optimize chips for specific applications. A means of mechanically thinning a TI 800 x 800 CCD with an abrasive slurry of aluminum oxide is presented. Using the same techniques, the abrasives can be replaced with a chemical solution to eliminate subsurface damage. A technique of mounting the CCD which retains the high quality surface generated during thinning is also demonstrated. This requires the backside of the chip to be bonded to a glass window which closely matches silicon's thermal expansion properties. Thinned CCDs require backside treatment to enhance blue and UV quantum efficiency. Two methods are discussed which may be effective with this mounting system.

Rectification of nanopores at surfaces

PubMed Central

Sa, Niya

2011-01-01

At the nanoscale, methods to measure surface charge can prove challenging. Herein we describe a general method to report surface charge through the measurement of ion current rectification of a nanopipette brought in close proximity to a charged substrate. This method is able to discriminate between charged cationic and anionic substrates when the nanopipette is brought within distances from ten to hundreds of nanometers from the surface. Further studies of the pH dependence on the observed rectification support a surface-induced mechanism and demonstrate the ability to further discriminate between cationic and nominally uncharged surfaces. This method could find application in measurement and mapping of heterogeneous surface charges and is particularly attractive for future biological measurements, where noninvasive, noncontact probing of surface charge will prove valuable. PMID:21675734

Geophysics of Volcanic Landslide Hazards: The Inside Story

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finn, C.; Deszcz-Pan, M.; Bedrosian, P. A.

2013-05-01

Flank collapses of volcanoes pose significant potential hazards, including triggering lahars, eruptions, and tsunamis. Significant controls on the stability of volcanoes are the distribution of hydrothermal alteration and the location of groundwater. Groundwater position, abundance, and flow rates within a volcano affect the transmission of fluid pressure and the transport of mass and heat. Interaction of groundwater with acid magmatic gases can lead to hydrothermal alteration that mechanically weakens rocks and makes them prone to failure and flank collapse. Therefore, detecting the presence and volume of hydrothermally altered rocks and shallow ground water is critical for evaluating landslide hazards. High-resolution helicopter magnetic and electromagnetic (HEM) data collected over the rugged, ice-covered Mount Adams, Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens (Washington) and Mount Iliamna (Alaska) volcanoes, reveal the distribution of alteration, water and ice thickness essential to evaluating volcanic landslide hazards. These data, combined with geological mapping, other geophysical data and rock property measurements, indicate the presence of appreciable thicknesses (>500 m) of water-saturated hydrothermally altered rock west of the modern summit of Mount Rainier in the Sunset Amphitheater region and in the central core of Mount Adams north of the summit. Water-saturated alteration at Mount Baker is restricted to thinner (<200 m) zones beneath Sherman Crater and the Dorr Fumarole Fields. The HEM data can be used to identify water-saturated fresh volcanic rocks from the surface to the detection limit (~100-200 m) in discreet zones on the summits of Mount Rainier and Mt Adams, in shattered fresh dome rocks under the crater of Mount St. Helens and in the entire summit region at Mount Baker. A 50-100 m thick water saturated layer is imaged within or beneath parts of glaciers on Mount Iliamna. Removal of ice and snow during eruptions and landslide can result in lahars and floods. Ice thickness measurements critical for flood and mudflow hazards studies are very sparse on most volcanoes. The HEM data are used to estimate ice thickness over portions of Mount Baker and Mount Adams volcanoes. The best estimates for ice thickness are obtained over relatively low resistivity (<600 ohm-m) ground for the main ice cap on Mount Adams and over most of the summit of Mount Baker. The modeled distribution of alteration, pore fluids and partial ice volumes on the volcanoes helps identify likely sources for future alteration-related debris flows, including the Sunset Amphitheater region at Mount Rainier, steep cliffs at the western edge of the central altered zone at Mount Adams, south and north flanks of Mount Baker, and central Mount Iliamna. The water saturated shattered fresh dome material in the crater of Mount St. Helens may have served as part of the slip surface for the 1980 debris avalanche.

The electrokinetic behavior of calcium oxalate monohydrate in macromolecular solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curreri, P. A.; Onoda, G. Y., Jr.; Finlayson, B.

1988-01-01

Electrophoretic mobilities were measured for calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) in solutions containing macromolecules. Two mucopolysaccharides (sodium heparin and chrondroitin sulfate) and two proteins (positively charged lysozyme and negatively charged bovine serum albumin) were studied as adsorbates. The effects of pH, calcium oxalate surface charge (varied by calcium or oxalate ion activity), and citrate concentration were investigated. All four macromolecules showed evidence for chemical adsorption. The macromolecule concentrations needed for reversing the surface charge indicated that the mucopopolysacchrides have greater affinity for the COM surface than the proteins. The amount of proteins that can chemically adsorb appears to be limited to approximately one monomolecular layer. When the surface charge is high, an insufficient number of proteins can chemically adsorb to neutralize or reverse the surface charge. The remaining surface charge is balanced by proteins held near the surface by longer range electrostatic forces only. Citrate ions at high concentrations appear to compete effectively with the negative protein for surface sites but show no evidence for competing with the positively charged protein.

Solid state television camera

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The design, fabrication, and tests of a solid state television camera using a new charge-coupled imaging device are reported. An RCA charge-coupled device arranged in a 512 by 320 format and directly compatible with EIA format standards was the sensor selected. This is a three-phase, sealed surface-channel array that has 163,840 sensor elements, which employs a vertical frame transfer system for image readout. Included are test results of the complete camera system, circuit description and changes to such circuits as a result of integration and test, maintenance and operation section, recommendations to improve the camera system, and a complete set of electrical and mechanical drawing sketches.

MSFC/EV44 Natural Environment Capabilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

NeergaardParker, Linda; Willis, Emily M.; Minnow, Joseph I.; Coffey, Vic N.

2014-01-01

The Natural Environments Branch at Marshall Space Flight Center is an integral part of many NASA satellite and launch vehicle programs, providing analyses of the space and terrestrial environments that are used for program development efforts, operational support, and anomaly investigations. These capabilities include model development, instrument build and testing, analysis of space and terrestrial related data, spacecraft charging anomaly investigations, surface and internal charging modeling, space environment definition, and radiation assessments for electronic parts. All aspects of space and terrestrial design are implemented with the goal of devising missions that are successful from launch to operations in the space environment of LEO, polar, GEO, and interplanetary orbits.

ROPEC - ROtary PErcussive Coring Drill for Mars Sample Return

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chu, Philip; Spring, Justin; Zacny, Kris

2014-01-01

The ROtary Percussive Coring Drill is a light weight, flight-like, five-actuator drilling system prototype designed to acquire core material from rock targets for the purposes of Mars Sample Return. In addition to producing rock cores for sample caching, the ROPEC drill can be integrated with a number of end effectors to perform functions such as rock surface abrasion, dust and debris removal, powder and regolith acquisition, and viewing of potential cores prior to caching. The ROPEC drill and its suite of end effectors have been demonstrated with a five degree of freedom Robotic Arm mounted to a mobility system with a prototype sample cache and bit storage station.

Electrical birefringence tuning of VCSELs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pusch, Tobias; Lindemann, Markus; Gerhardt, Nils C.; Hofmann, Martin R.; Michalzik, Rainer

2018-02-01

The birefringence splitting B, which is the frequency difference between the two fundamental linear polarization modes in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), is the key parameter determining the polarization dynamics of spin-VCSELs that can be much faster than the intensity dynamics. For easy handling and control, electrical tuning of B is favored. This was realized in an integrated chip by thermally induced strain via asymmetric heating with a birefringence tuning range of 45 GHz. In this paper we present our work on VCSEL structures mounted on piezoelectric transducers for strain generation. Furthermore we show a combination of both techniques, namely VCSELs with piezo-thermal birefringence tunability.

Excited-state potential-energy surfaces of metal-adsorbed organic molecules from linear expansion Δ-self-consistent field density-functional theory (ΔSCF-DFT).

PubMed

Maurer, Reinhard J; Reuter, Karsten

2013-07-07

Accurate and efficient simulation of excited state properties is an important and much aspired cornerstone in the study of adsorbate dynamics on metal surfaces. To this end, the recently proposed linear expansion Δ-self-consistent field method by Gavnholt et al. [Phys. Rev. B 78, 075441 (2008)] presents an efficient alternative to time consuming quasi-particle calculations. In this method, the standard Kohn-Sham equations of density-functional theory are solved with the constraint of a non-equilibrium occupation in a region of Hilbert-space resembling gas-phase orbitals of the adsorbate. In this work, we discuss the applicability of this method for the excited-state dynamics of metal-surface mounted organic adsorbates, specifically in the context of molecular switching. We present necessary advancements to allow for a consistent quality description of excited-state potential-energy surfaces (PESs), and illustrate the concept with the application to Azobenzene adsorbed on Ag(111) and Au(111) surfaces. We find that the explicit inclusion of substrate electronic states modifies the topologies of intra-molecular excited-state PESs of the molecule due to image charge and hybridization effects. While the molecule in gas phase shows a clear energetic separation of resonances that induce isomerization and backreaction, the surface-adsorbed molecule does not. The concomitant possibly simultaneous induction of both processes would lead to a significantly reduced switching efficiency of such a mechanism.

Protein adsorption at charged surfaces: the role of electrostatic interactions and interfacial charge regulation.

PubMed

Hartvig, Rune A; van de Weert, Marco; Østergaard, Jesper; Jorgensen, Lene; Jensen, Henrik

2011-03-15

The understanding of protein adsorption at charged surfaces is important for a wide range of scientific disciplines including surface engineering, separation sciences and pharmaceutical sciences. Compared to chemical entities having a permanent charge, the adsorption of small ampholytes and proteins is more complicated as the pH near a charged surface can be significantly different from the value in bulk solution. In this work, we have developed a phenomenological adsorption model which takes into account the combined role of interfacial ion distribution, interfacial charge regulation of amino acids in the proximity of the surface, electroneutrality, and mass balance. The model is straightforward to apply to a given set of experimental conditions as most model parameters are obtained from bulk properties and therefore easy to estimate or are directly measurable. The model provides a detailed understanding of the importance of surface charge on adsorption and in particular of how changes in surface charge, concentration, and surface area may affect adsorption behavior. The model is successfully used to explain the experimental adsorption behavior of the two model proteins lysozyme and α-lactalbumin. It is demonstrated that it is possible to predict the pH and surface charge dependent adsorption behavior from experimental or theoretical estimates of a preferred orientation of a protein at a solid charged interface.

Analysis of Radiant Cooling System Configurations Integrated with Cooling Tower for Different Indian Climatic Zones

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

Mathur, Jyotirmay; Bhandari, Mahabir S; Jain, Robin

Radiant cooling system has proven to be a low energy consumption system for building cooling needs. This study describes the use of cooling tower in radiant cooling system to improve the overall system efficiency. A comprehensive simulation feasibility study of the application of cooling tower in radiant cooling system was performed for the fifteen cities in different climatic zones of India. It was found that in summer, the wet bulb temperature (WBT) of the different climatic zones except warm-humid is suitable for the integration of cooling tower with radiant cooling system. In these climates, cooling tower can provide on averagemore » 24 C to 27 C water In order to achieve the energy saving potential, three different configurations of radiant cooling system have been compared in terms of energy consumption. The different configurations of the radiant cooling system integrated with cooling tower are: (1) provide chilled water to the floor, wall and ceiling mounted tubular installation. (2) provide chilled water to the wall and ceiling mounted tabular installation. In this arrangement a separate chiller has also been used to provide chilled water at 16 C to the floor mounted tubular installation. (3) provide chilled water to the wall mounted tabular installation and a separate chiller is used to provide chilled water at 16 C to the floor and ceiling mounted tabular installation. A dedicated outdoor air system is also coupled for dehumidification and ventilation in all three configurations. A conventional all-air system was simulated as a baseline to compare these configurations for assessing the energy saving potential.« less

The Charging Events in Contact-Separation Electrification.

PubMed

Musa, Umar G; Cezan, S Doruk; Baytekin, Bilge; Baytekin, H Tarik

2018-02-06

Contact electrification (CE)-charging of surfaces that are contacted and separated, is a common phenomenon, however it is not completely understood yet. Recent studies using surface imaging techniques and chemical analysis revealed a 'spatial' bipolar distribution of charges at the nano dimension, which made a paradigm shift in the field. However, such analyses can only provide information about the charges that remained on the surface after the separation, providing limited information about the actual course of the CE event. Tapping common polymers and metal surfaces to each other and detecting the electrical potential produced on these surfaces 'in-situ' in individual events of contact and separation, we show that, charges are generated and transferred between the surfaces in both events; the measured potential is bipolar in contact and unipolar in separation. We show, the 'contact-charges' on the surfaces are indeed the net charges that results after the separation process, and a large contribution to tribocharge harvesting comes, in fact, from the electrostatic induction resulting from the generated CE charges. Our results refine the mechanism of CE providing information for rethinking the conventional ranking of materials' charging abilities, charge harvesting, and charge prevention.

Selected technologies for integration of the ALADIN transmitreceive optics (TRO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bittner, Hermann; Mosebach, Herbert; Sang, Bernhard; Erhard, Markus; Hilbrand, Bernhard; Mazuray, Laurent; Thibault, Dominique

2017-11-01

Selected technologies for the integration of the TRANSMIT/RECEIVE OPTICS (TRO) are presented. One of the challenging characteristics of the TRO is its stringent requirement on opto-mechanical stability. The stability performance of the TRO must be ensured for the relevant interface environments (thermal, structural) over the 3 years mission lifetime. Comprehensive analyses have been conducted, which have confirmed the need for the development of special integration technologies. Also, dedicated test equipment has been developed to precisely verify the TRO's optomechanical stability. Another important feature of the TRO is its exposure to the high power laser beam of the ADALIN instrument. The corresponding optical elements and their mounts must survive exposure to light intensities up to the required laser-induced damage thresholds (LIDT). Two types of adhesives for gluing of the TRO optics have been selected. Their qualification w.r.t. outgassing was necessary since LIDT's of optical surfaces are significantly reduced when organic outgassing products are deposited there.

Charged particle detectors with active detector surface for partial energy deposition of the charged particles and related methods

DOEpatents

Gerts, David W; Bean, Robert S; Metcalf, Richard R

2013-02-19

A radiation detector is disclosed. The radiation detector comprises an active detector surface configured to generate charge carriers in response to charged particles associated with incident radiation. The active detector surface is further configured with a sufficient thickness for a partial energy deposition of the charged particles to occur and permit the charged particles to pass through the active detector surface. The radiation detector further comprises a plurality of voltage leads coupled to the active detector surface. The plurality of voltage leads is configured to couple to a voltage source to generate a voltage drop across the active detector surface and to separate the charge carriers into a plurality of electrons and holes for detection. The active detector surface may comprise one or more graphene layers. Timing data between active detector surfaces may be used to determine energy of the incident radiation. Other apparatuses and methods are disclosed herein.

Adsorption of a cationic dye molecule on polystyrene microspheres in colloids: effect of surface charge and composition probed by second harmonic generation.

PubMed

Eckenrode, Heather M; Jen, Shih-Hui; Han, Jun; Yeh, An-Gong; Dai, Hai-Lung

2005-03-17

Nonlinear optical probe, second harmonic generation (SHG), of the adsorption of the dye molecule malachite green (MG), in cationic form at pH < or = 5, on polystyrene microspheres in aqueous solution is used to study the effect of surface charge and composition on molecular adsorption. Three types of polystyrene microspheres with different surface composition are investigated: (1) a sulfate terminated, anionic surface, (2) a neutral surface without any functional group termination, and (3) an amine terminated, cationic surface. The cationic dye was found to adsorb at all three surfaces, regardless of surface charge. The adsorption free energies, DeltaG's, measured for the three surfaces are -12.67, -12.39, and -10.46 kcal/mol, respectively, with the trend as expected from the charge interactions. The adsorption density on the anionic surface, where attractive charge-charge interaction dominates, is determined by the surface negative charge density. The adsorption densities on the neutral and cationic surfaces are on the other hand higher, perhaps as a result of a balance between minimizing repulsive charge interaction and maximizing attractive molecule-substrate and intermolecular interactions. The relative strength of the SH intensity per molecule, in combination of a model calculation, reveals that the C(2) axis of the MG molecule is nearly perpendicular to the surface on the anionic surface and tilts away from the surface norm when the surface is neutral and further away when cationic. Changing the pH of the solution may alter the surface charge and subsequently affect the adsorption configuration and SH intensity.

Alignment and Integration Techniques for Mirror Segment Pairs on the Constellation X Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hadjimichael, Theo; Lehan, John; Olsen, Larry; Owens, Scott; Saha, Timo; Wallace, Tom; Zhang, Will

2007-01-01

We present the concepts behind current alignment and integration techniques for testing a Constellation-X primary-secondary mirror segment pair in an x-ray beam line test. We examine the effects of a passive mount on thin glass x-ray mirror segments, and the issues of mount shape and environment on alignment. We also investigate how bonding and transfer to a permanent housing affects the quality of the final image, comparing predicted results to a full x-ray test on a primary secondary pair.

Conference proceedings of Helmet Mounted Displays and Night Vision Goggles (Visuels Montes sur le Casque et Equipments de Vision Nocturne). Held in Pensacola, Florida, on May 2, 1991

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

integration. Threc papers considered the ergonomics of helmet design and the snugness of fit to the head and the integration of new helmet mounted devices...with existing equipment. Two papers considered the effects of novel helmet designs on the pilot’s ability to control head position and avoid fatigue. Two...the nature of information displayed, including data fused froml multiple sources and design of abstract symbologics that presernt paramcecis of fight

Thin concentrator photovoltaic module with micro-solar cells which are mounted by self-align method using surface tension of melted solder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Nobuhiko; Terauchi, Masaharu; Aya, Youichirou; Kanayama, Shutetsu; Nishitani, Hikaru; Nakagawa, Tohru; Takase, Michihiko

2017-09-01

We are developing a thin and lightweight CPV module using small size lens system made from poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) with a short focal length and micro-solar cells to decrease the transporting and the installing costs of CPV systems. In order to achieve high conversion efficiency in CPV modules using micro-solar cells, the micro-solar cells need to be mounted accurately to the irradiated region of the concentrated sunlight. In this study, we have successfully developed self-align method thanks to the surface tension of the melted solder even utilizing commercially available surface-mounting technology (SMT). Solar cells were self-aligned to the specified positions of the circuit board by this self-align method with accuracy within ±10 µm. We actually fabricated CPV modules using this self-align method and demonstrated high conversion efficiency of our CPV module.

Multilayered Microelectronic Device Package With An Integral Window

DOEpatents

Peterson, Kenneth A.; Watson, Robert D.

2004-10-26

A microelectronic package with an integral window mounted in a recessed lip for housing a microelectronic device. The device can be a semiconductor chip, a CCD chip, a CMOS chip, a VCSEL chip, a laser diode, a MEMS device, or a IMEMS device. The package can be formed of a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) or high temperature cofired ceramic (HTCC) multilayered material, with the integral window being simultaneously joined (e.g. co-fired) to the package body during LTCC or HTCC processing. The microelectronic device can be flip-chip bonded and oriented so that a light-sensitive side is optically accessible through the window. The result is a compact, low profile package, having an integral window mounted in a recessed lip, that can be hermetically sealed.

Partially integrated exhaust manifold

DOEpatents

Hayman, Alan W; Baker, Rodney E

2015-01-20

A partially integrated manifold assembly is disclosed which improves performance, reduces cost and provides efficient packaging of engine components. The partially integrated manifold assembly includes a first leg extending from a first port and terminating at a mounting flange for an exhaust gas control valve. Multiple additional legs (depending on the total number of cylinders) are integrally formed with the cylinder head assembly and extend from the ports of the associated cylinder and terminate at an exit port flange. These additional legs are longer than the first leg such that the exit port flange is spaced apart from the mounting flange. This configuration provides increased packaging space adjacent the first leg for any valving that may be required to control the direction and destination of exhaust flow in recirculation to an EGR valve or downstream to a catalytic converter.

RF rectifiers for EM power harvesting in a Deep Brain Stimulating device.

PubMed

Hosain, Md Kamal; Kouzani, Abbas Z; Tye, Susannah; Kaynak, Akif; Berk, Michael

2015-03-01

A passive deep brain stimulation (DBS) device can be equipped with a rectenna, consisting of an antenna and a rectifier, to harvest energy from electromagnetic fields for its operation. This paper presents optimization of radio frequency rectifier circuits for wireless energy harvesting in a passive head-mountable DBS device. The aim is to achieve a compact size, high conversion efficiency, and high output voltage rectifier. Four different rectifiers based on the Delon doubler, Greinacher voltage tripler, Delon voltage quadrupler, and 2-stage charge pumped architectures are designed, simulated, fabricated, and evaluated. The design and simulation are conducted using Agilent Genesys at operating frequency of 915 MHz. A dielectric substrate of FR-4 with thickness of 1.6 mm, and surface mount devices (SMD) components are used to fabricate the designed rectifiers. The performance of the fabricated rectifiers is evaluated using a 915 MHz radio frequency (RF) energy source. The maximum measured conversion efficiency of the Delon doubler, Greinacher tripler, Delon quadrupler, and 2-stage charge pumped rectifiers are 78, 75, 73, and 76 % at -5 dBm input power and for load resistances of 5-15 kΩ. The conversion efficiency of the rectifiers decreases significantly with the increase in the input power level. The Delon doubler rectifier provides the highest efficiency at both -5 and 5 dBm input power levels, whereas the Delon quadrupler rectifier gives the lowest efficiency for the same inputs. By considering both efficiency and DC output voltage, the charge pump rectifier outperforms the other three rectifiers. Accordingly, the optimised 2-stage charge pumped rectifier is used together with an antenna to harvest energy in our DBS device.

Integrated residential photovoltaic array development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shepard, N. F., Jr.

1981-02-01

An optimum integrated residential photovoltaic array/module is addressed. Nineteen existing or proposed systems intended for residential applications are described. Each of these systems is rated against a comprehensive set of evaluation criteria in an effort to formulate three module design concepts for further study and analysis. This evaluation led to a number of observations which are enumerated and should be considered in future module and array designs. Three module concepts are presented as baseline design approaches to be further analyzed and optimized. These options include: (1) a rectangular, direct mounted, shingle type module; (2) an integrally mounted module with nonconductive exposed elements; and (3) an aluminum framed, stand off module. Preliminary design drawings are presented for each of these module configurations.

Integrated residential photovoltaic array development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shepard, N. F., Jr.

1981-01-01

An optimum integrated residential photovoltaic array/module is addressed. Nineteen existing or proposed systems intended for residential applications are described. Each of these systems is rated against a comprehensive set of evaluation criteria in an effort to formulate three module design concepts for further study and analysis. This evaluation led to a number of observations which are enumerated and should be considered in future module and array designs. Three module concepts are presented as baseline design approaches to be further analyzed and optimized. These options include: (1) a rectangular, direct mounted, shingle type module; (2) an integrally mounted module with nonconductive exposed elements; and (3) an aluminum framed, stand off module. Preliminary design drawings are presented for each of these module configurations.

NASA charging analyzer program: A computer tool that can evaluate electrostatic contamination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, N. J.; Roche, J. C.; Mandell, M. J.

1978-01-01

A computer code, the NASA Charging Analyzer Program (NASCAP), was developed to study the surface charging of bodies subjected to geomagnetic substorm conditions. This program will treat the material properties of a surface in a self-consistent manner and calculate the electric fields in space due to the surface charge. Trajectories of charged particles in this electric field can be computed to determine if these particles enhance surface contamination. A preliminary model of the Spacecraft Charging At The High Altitudes (SCATHA) satellite was developed in the NASCAP code and subjected to a geomagnetic substorm environment to investigate the possibility of electrostatic contamination. The results indicate that differential voltages will exist between the spacecraft ground surfaces and the insulator surfaces. The electric fields from this differential charging can enhance the contamination of spacecraft surfaces.

Sled-Mounted Geophone Arrays for Near-Surface (0-4m) Seismic Profiling in Highly-attenuating Sedimentary Facies: Atchafalaya Basin Indian Bayou, Louisiana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenzo, J. M.; Saanumi, A. A.; Westbrook, C. C.; Egnew, S. F.; Bentley, S. J.

2004-12-01

Towed land-geophone seismic arrays have the potential to increase markedly the efficiency for collecting near-surface (0-100m) high-resolution seismic data, but viable cases are few and have been limited to a narrow range of near-surface sedimentary facies. During November 2003 through June 2004 we conducted extensive seismic tests with traditional geophones mounted on low-cost Π -shaped sleds. We targeted human habitation surfaces within the upper few meters of a crevasse splay complex in the Atchafalaya Basin study area, Indian Bayou Wildlife Management Area, Louisiana, U.S. For seismic-to-core correlation, sealed, continuous test cores were run through a multi-sensor to test for magnetic susceptibility, bulk sediment density and electrical resistivity. We compared 24-channel seismic data using a variety of seismic source-receiver combinations. Sources comprised a 12-gauge pipe-gun, a 0.22 caliber-powered piston gun, an accelerated weight drop, and a small claw hammer. Commercial blanks, 2g-black-powder, and primer-only shells were fired by the pipe gun. Receivers included 100-Hz vertical-, and 14-Hz-horizontal-component geophones. For comparison, both ground-planted and geophones mounted on wooden and iron sleds 0.3 and 1.2m long respectively. Geophones mounted on steel sleds produced data of adequate quality. Whereas traditional ground-planted geophones showed better data quality, time and cost efficiency make mounted phones more feasible for regional studies as traditional arrays are prohibitively expensive. Because of the high seismic attenuation, only horizontal-component geophones mounted on heavy (9-kg) steel sleds provided useful data, although the shallowest reflection observed in the shear wave data came from a boundary at ~ 19m depth, too far below the target depth of 4-5 m. Instead, we forward-modeled refraction traveltime data to derive the acoustic and SH velocity structure.

Rechargeable Li/Li(x)CoO(2) 100 Ah/600 Ah Battery With Integral Smart Charge Control

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-03-01

Rechargeable Li/LixCo02100 Ah/600 Ah Battery with Integral Smart Charge Control By Charles J. Kelly ^ (Alliant Techsystems, Inc., Alliant Power...Rechargeable Li/LixCo02100 Ah/600 Ah Battery with Integral Smart Charge Control By Charles J. Kelly (Alliant Techsystems, Inc., Alliant Power Sources...AND SUBTITLE Rechargeable Li/LixCo02100 Ah/600 Ah Battery with Integral Smart Charge Control 6 AUTHOR(S) C. J. Kelly (Alliant Power Sources Co

Adhesion of osteoblasts to a nanorough titanium implant surface

PubMed Central

Gongadze, Ekaterina; Kabaso, Doron; Bauer, Sebastian; Slivnik, Tomaž; Schmuki, Patrik; van Rienen, Ursula; Iglič, Aleš

2011-01-01

This work considers the adhesion of cells to a nanorough titanium implant surface with sharp edges. The basic assumption was that the attraction between the negatively charged titanium surface and a negatively charged osteoblast is mediated by charged proteins with a distinctive quadrupolar internal charge distribution. Similarly, cation-mediated attraction between fibronectin molecules and the titanium surface is expected to be more efficient for a high surface charge density, resulting in facilitated integrin mediated osteoblast adhesion. We suggest that osteoblasts are most strongly bound along the sharp convex edges or spikes of nanorough titanium surfaces where the magnitude of the negative surface charge density is the highest. It is therefore plausible that nanorough regions of titanium surfaces with sharp edges and spikes promote the adhesion of osteoblasts. PMID:21931478

PV module mounting method and mounting assembly

DOEpatents

Lenox, Carl J.S.; Johnson, Kurt M.

2013-04-23

A method for mounting PV modules to a deck includes selecting PV module layout pattern so that adjacent PV module edges are spaced apart. PV mounting and support assemblies are secured to the deck according to the layout pattern using fasteners extending into the deck. The PV modules are placed on the PV mounting and support assemblies. Retaining elements are located over and secured against the upper peripheral edge surfaces of the PV modules so to secure them to the deck with the peripheral edges of the PV modules spaced apart from the deck. In some examples a PV module mounting assembly, for use on a shingled deck, comprises flashing, a base mountable on the flashing, a deck-penetrating fastener engageable with the base and securable to the deck so to secure the flashing and the base to the shingled deck, and PV module mounting hardware securable to the base.

Enhancing swimming pool safety by the use of range-imaging cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geerardyn, D.; Boulanger, S.; Kuijk, M.

2015-05-01

Drowning is the cause of death of 372.000 people, each year worldwide, according to the report of November 2014 of the World Health Organization.1 Currently, most swimming pools only use lifeguards to detect drowning people. In some modern swimming pools, camera-based detection systems are nowadays being integrated. However, these systems have to be mounted underwater, mostly as a replacement of the underwater lighting. In contrast, we are interested in range imaging cameras mounted on the ceiling of the swimming pool, allowing to distinguish swimmers at the surface from drowning people underwater, while keeping the large field-of-view and minimizing occlusions. However, we have to take into account that the water surface of a swimming pool is not a flat, but mostly rippled surface, and that the water is transparent for visible light, but less transparent for infrared or ultraviolet light. We investigated the use of different types of 3D cameras to detect objects underwater at different depths and with different amplitudes of surface perturbations. Specifically, we performed measurements with a commercial Time-of-Flight camera, a commercial structured-light depth camera and our own Time-of-Flight system. Our own system uses pulsed Time-of-Flight and emits light of 785 nm. The measured distances between the camera and the object are influenced through the perturbations on the water surface. Due to the timing of our Time-of-Flight camera, our system is theoretically able to minimize the influence of the reflections of a partially-reflecting surface. The combination of a post image-acquisition filter compensating for the perturbations and the use of a light source with shorter wavelengths to enlarge the depth range can improve the current commercial cameras. As a result, we can conclude that low-cost range imagers can increase swimming pool safety, by inserting a post-processing filter and the use of another light source.

Protective interior wall and attach8ing means for a fusion reactor vacuum vessel

DOEpatents

Phelps, Richard D.; Upham, Gerald A.; Anderson, Paul M.

1988-01-01

An array of connected plates mounted on the inside wall of the vacuum vessel of a magnetic confinement reactor in order to provide a protective surface for energy deposition inside the vessel. All fasteners are concealed and protected beneath the plates, while the plates themselves share common mounting points. The entire array is installed with torqued nuts on threaded studs; provision also exists for thermal expansion by mounting each plate with two of its four mounts captured in an oversize grooved spool. A spool-washer mounting hardware allows one edge of a protective plate to be torqued while the other side remains loose, by simply inverting the spool-washer hardware.

On the physics of both surface overcharging and charge reversal at heterophase interfaces.

PubMed

Wang, Zhi-Yong; Zhang, Pengli; Ma, Zengwei

2018-02-07

The conventional paradigm for characterizing surface overcharging and charge reversal is based on the so-called Stern layer, in which surface dissociation reaction and specific chemical adsorption are assumed to take place. In this article, a series of Monte Carlo simulations have been applied to obtain useful insights into the underlying physics responsible for these two kinds of anomalous phenomena at the interface of two dielectrics, with special emphasis on the case of divalent counterions that are more relevant in natural and biological environments. At a weakly charged surface, it is found that independent of the type of surface charge distribution and the dielectric response of the solution, the overcharging event is universally driven by the ion size-asymmetric effect. Exceptionally, the overcharging still persists when the surface is highly charged but is only restricted to the case of discrete surface charge in a relatively low dielectric medium. As compared to the adsorption onto the homogeneously smeared charge surface that has the same average affinity for counterions, on the other hand, charge reversal under the action of a dielectric response can be substantially enhanced in the discrete surface charge representation due to strong association of counterions with interfacial groups, and the degree of enhancement depends in a nontrivial way on the reduction of the medium dielectric constant and the steric effects of finite ion size. Rather interestingly, the charge reversal is of high relevance to the overcharging of interfaces because the overwhelming interfacial association forces the coions closer to the surface due to their smaller size than the counterions. Upon the addition of a monovalent salt to the solution, the interfacial association with divalent counterions makes surface overcharging and charge reversal widely unaffected, in contrast to the prevailing notion that screening of surface charge of a homogeneous nature is determined by the competitive effects between size-exclusion effects and energetic contributions. Overall, the present work highlights that the complex interplay between the electrostatic and steric interactions should be coupled to the realistic character of surface charge to establish a faithful description of the overcharging and charge reversal at heterophase interfaces.

Aeroservoelastic Testing of a Sidewall Mounted Free Flying Wind-Tunnel Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, Robert C.; Vetter, Travis K.; Penning, Kevin B.; Coulson, David A.; Heeg, Jennifer

2008-01-01

A team comprised of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and the NASA Langley Research Center conducted three j wind-tunnel tests in the Transonic Dynamics Tunnel to demonstrate active control technologies relevant to large, exible vehicles. In the rst of these three tests, a semispan, aeroelastically scaled, wind-tunnel model of a ying wing SensorCraft vehi- cle was mounted to a force balance to demonstrate gust load alleviation. In the second and third tests, the same wing was mated to a new, multi-degree-of-freedom, sidewall mount. This mount allowed the half-span model to translate vertically and pitch at the wing root, allowing better simulation of the full span vehicle's rigid-body modes. Gust Load Alleviation (GLA) and Body Freedom Flutter (BFF) suppression were successfully demonstrated. The rigid body degrees-of-freedom required that the model be own in the wind tunnel using an active control system. This risky mode of testing necessitated that a model arrestment system be integrated into the new mount. The safe and successful completion of these free-flying tests required the development and integration of custom hardware and software. This paper describes the many systems, software, and procedures that were developed as part of this effort.

On Calculating the Zero-Gravity Surface Figure of a Mirror

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bloemhof, Eric E.

2010-01-01

An analysis of the classical method of calculating the zero-gravity surface figure of a mirror from surface-figure measurements in the presence of gravity has led to improved understanding of conditions under which the calculations are valid. In this method, one measures the surface figure in two or more gravity- reversed configurations, then calculates the zero-gravity surface figure as the average of the surface figures determined from these measurements. It is now understood that gravity reversal is not, by itself, sufficient to ensure validity of the calculations: It is also necessary to reverse mounting forces, for which purpose one must ensure that mountingfixture/ mirror contacts are located either at the same places or else sufficiently close to the same places in both gravity-reversed configurations. It is usually not practical to locate the contacts at the same places, raising the question of how close is sufficiently close. The criterion for sufficient closeness is embodied in the St. Venant principle, which, in the present context, translates to a requirement that the distance between corresponding gravity-reversed mounting positions be small in comparison to their distances to the optical surface of the mirror. The necessity of reversing mount forces is apparent in the behavior of the equations familiar from finite element analysis (FEA) that govern deformation of the mirror.

Integrating financial and strategic planning.

PubMed

Pivnicny, V C

1989-09-01

As hospitals face mounting profitability and liquidity concerns, the need to integrate strategic and financial planning also will continue to grow. This article describes a process for integrating these planning functions and the ideal organizational framework to facilitate the process. Obstacles to the integration of these planning processes also are discussed.

Human impact surveys in Mount Rainier National Park : past, present, and future

Treesearch

Regina M. Rochefort; Darin D. Swinney

2000-01-01

Three survey methods were utilized to describe human impacts in one wilderness management zone of Mount Rainier National Park: wilderness impact cards, social trail and campsite surveys, and condition class surveys. Results were compared with respect to assessment of wilderness condition and ecological integrity. Qualitative wilderness impact cards provided location of...

Nanopipette delivery: influence of surface charge.

PubMed

Shi, Wenqing; Sa, Niya; Thakar, Rahul; Baker, Lane A

2015-07-21

In this report, transport through a nanopipette is studied and the interplay between current rectification and ion delivery for small pipettes is examined. First, surface charge dependence of concentration polarization effects in a quartz nanopipette was investigated. Electrical characterization was performed through current-potential (I-V) measurements. In addition, fluorescein (an anionic fluorescent probe) was utilized to optically map ion enrichment and ion depletion in the nanopipette tip. Bare nanopipettes and polyethylenimine (PEI)-modified nanopipettes were examined. Results confirm that concentration polarization is a surface charge dependent phenomenon and delivery can be controlled through modification of surface charge. The relationship between concentration polarization effects and voltage-driven delivery of charged electroactive species was investigated with a carbon ring/nanopore electrode fabricated from pyrolyzed parylene C (PPC). Factors such as surface charge polarity of the nanopipette, electrolyte pH, and electrolyte concentration were investigated. Results indicate that with modification of surface charge, additional control over delivery of charged species can be achieved.

ASTER measurement of supraglacial lakes in the Mount Everest region of the Himalaya

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wessels, R.L.; Kargel, J.S.; Kieffer, H.H.

2002-01-01

We demonstrate an application of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) images to detect and monitor supraglacial lakes on glaciers in the Mount Everest region in Tibet (Xizang) and Nepal. ASTER offers powerful capabilities to monitor supraglacial lakes in terms of (1) surface area, growth and disappearance (spatial resolution = 15 m), (2) turbidity (15 m resolution), and (3) temperature (90 m resolution). Preliminary results show an overall similarity of supraglacial lakes on three glaciers. Lakes have widely varying turbidity as indicated by color in visible/near-infrared bands 1-3, the largest lakes being bright blue (highly turbid), cold (near 0??C) and hydrautically connected with other lakes and supraglacial streams, while small lakes are mostly dark blue (relatively clear water), warmer (>4??C), and appear hydrautically isolated. High levels of turbidity in supraglacial lakes indicate high rates of meltwater input from streams or erosion of ice cliffs, and thus are an indirect measure relating to the activity and hydraulic integration of the lake with respect to other lakes and streams in the glacier.

Compact Instruments Measure Helium-Leak Rates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stout, Stephen; Immer, Christopher

2003-01-01

Compact, lightweight instruments have been developed for measuring small flows of helium and/or detecting helium leaks in solenoid valves when the valves are nominally closed. These instruments do not impede the flows when the valves are nominally open. They can be integrated into newly fabricated valves or retrofitted to previously fabricated valves. Each instrument includes an upstream and a downstream thermistor separated by a heater, plus associated analog and digital heater-control, signal- conditioning, and data-processing circuits. The thermistors and heater are off-the-shelf surface mount components mounted on a circuit board in the flow path. The operation of the instrument is based on a well-established thermal mass-flow-measurement technique: Convection by the flow that one seeks to measure gives rise to transfer of heat from the heater to the downstream thermistor. The temperature difference measured by the thermistors is directly related to the rate of flow. The calibration curve from temperature gradient to helium flow is closely approximated via fifth-order polynomial. A microprocessor that is part of the electronic circuitry implements the calibration curve to compute the flow rate from the thermistor readings.

Polarization-induced surface charges in hydroxyapatite ceramics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horiuchi, N.; Nakaguki, S.; Wada, N.; Nozaki, K.; Nakamura, M.; Nagai, A.; Katayama, K.; Yamashita, K.

2014-07-01

Calcium hydroxyapatite (HAp; Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) is a well-known biomaterial that is the main inorganic component of bones and teeth. Control over the surface charge on HAp would be a key advance in the development of the material for tissue engineering. We demonstrate here that surface charge can be induced by an electrical poling process using the Kelvin method. Positive and negative charges were induced on the HAp surface in response to the applied electric field in the poling process. The surface charging is attributed to dipole polarization that is homogeneously distributed in HAp. Additionally, the surface charging is considered to originate from the organization of OH- ions into a polar phase in the structure.

Poisson-Boltzmann theory of the charge-induced adsorption of semi-flexible polyelectrolytes.

PubMed

Ubbink, Job; Khokhlov, Alexei R

2004-03-15

A model is suggested for the structure of an adsorbed layer of a highly charged semi-flexible polyelectrolyte on a weakly charged surface of opposite charge sign. The adsorbed phase is thin, owing to the effective reversal of the charge sign of the surface upon adsorption, and ordered, owing to the high surface density of polyelectrolyte strands caused by the generally strong binding between polyelectrolyte and surface. The Poisson-Boltzmann equation for the electrostatic interaction between the array of adsorbed polyelectrolytes and the charged surface is solved for a cylindrical geometry, both numerically, using a finite element method, and analytically within the weak curvature limit under the assumption of excess monovalent salt. For small separations, repulsive surface polarization and counterion osmotic pressure effects dominate over the electrostatic attraction and the resulting electrostatic interaction curve shows a minimum at nonzero separations on the Angstrom scale. The equilibrium density of the adsorbed phase is obtained by minimizing the total free energy under the condition of equality of chemical potential and osmotic pressure of the polyelectrolyte in solution and in the adsorbed phase. For a wide range of ionic conditions and charge densities of the charged surface, the interstrand separation as predicted by the Poisson-Boltzmann model and the analytical theory closely agree. For low to moderate charge densities of the adsorbing surface, the interstrand spacing decreases as a function of the charge density of the charged surface. Above about 0.1 M excess monovalent salt, it is only weakly dependent on the ionic strength. At high charge densities of the adsorbing surface, the interstrand spacing increases with increasing ionic strength, in line with the experiments by Fang and Yang [J. Phys. Chem. B 101, 441 (1997)]. (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Smart sensing of aviation structures with fiber optic Bragg grating sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trutzel, Michael N.; Wauer, Karsten; Betz, Daniel; Staudigel, Lothar; Krumpholz, Oskar; Muehlmann, Hans-Christian; Muellert, Thomas; Gleine, Wolfgang

2000-06-01

We developed a surface mounting technique where fiber-optic Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are glued to the surface of structures and tested the technique on the surface of a CFRP- wing at the DASA Airbus test center Hamburg for over one year. The FBG sensors were interrogated with a measurement system capable of determining the Bragg wavelength in a few seconds over a spectral range of 60 nm (around 1.53 μm) with an absolute accuracy better than 1 pm. A polarization scrambler was used to account for polarization effects. Excellent consistence between the values of electrical strain gauges and the FBG sensors were found during all measurements. However because this method shows drawbacks in a harsher environment such as a flight test, we are currently investigating the possibilities of integrating FBG sensors into the varnish of the structures. For reasons of their better mechanical performance we use FBG sensors produced on the fiber draw-tower with a special UV-curable coating. The sensors are integrated into an original Airbus varnish build- up. We observed linear strain sensitivities in a temperature range between -50 and +100 °C. Furthermore, at negative temperatures we found a vanish- induced polarization dependence which could be used to differentiate between strain and temperature effects.

Surface and Tower Meteorological Instrumentation at NSA Handbook - January 2006

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

MT Ritsche

2006-01-30

The Surface and Tower Meteorological Instrumentation at Atqasuk (METTWR2H) uses mainly conventional in situ sensors to measure wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, dew point and humidity mounted on a 10-m tower. It also obtains barometric pressure, visibility, and precipitation data from sensors at or near the base of the tower. In addition, a Chilled Mirror Hygrometer is located at 1 m for comparison purposes. Temperature and relative humidity probes are mounted at 2 m and 5 m on the tower. For more information, see the Surface and Tower Meteorological Instrumentation at Atqasuk Handbook.

Oxidation of metals and alloys in controlled atmospheres using in situ transmission electron microscopy and Auger spectrography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, D. B.; Heinemann, K.; Douglass, D. L.

1976-01-01

Single-crystalline thin films of copper were oxidized at an isothermal temperature of 425 C and at an oxygen partial pressure of .005 Torr in situ in a high-resolution electron microscope. The specimens were prepared by epitaxial vapor deposition onto polished 100 and 110 faces of rocksalt and mounted in a hot stage inside an ultra-high-vacuum specimen chamber of the microscope. Large amounts of sulfur, carbon, and oxygen were detected by Auger electron spectroscopy on the surface of the as-received films and were removed in situ by ion-sputter etching immediately prior to the oxidation. The nucleation and growth characteristics of Cu2O on Cu were studied. Results show that neither stacking faults nor dislocations are associated with the Cu2O nucleation sites. The growth of Cu2O nuclei is linear with time. The experimental findings, including results from oxygen dissolution experiments and from repetitive oxidation-reduction-oxidation sequences, fit well into the framework of an oxidation process involving (a) the formation of a surface-charge layer, (b) oxygen saturation in the metal and (c) nucleation, followed by surface diffusion of oxygen and bulk diffusion of copper for lateral and vertical oxide growth, respectively.

50 CFR 218.74 - Mitigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) Surface ships or aircraft conducting high-frequency or non-hull-mounted mid-frequency active sonar...) When marine mammals are visually detected, the Navy shall ensure that high-frequency and non-hull... using low-frequency or hull-mounted mid-frequency active sonar sources associated with anti-submarine...

Electromechanical hand incorporates touch sensors and trigger function

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dane, D. H.

1970-01-01

Electromechanical hand incorporates touch sensors, concealed fingers, and a structure that allows the hand to hold a tool on a flat surface. The hands can be mounted on most types of existing manipulators either directly or by means of modified mounting brackets.

Method for Estimating the Charge Density Distribution on a Dielectric Surface.

PubMed

Nakashima, Takuya; Suhara, Hiroyuki; Murata, Hidekazu; Shimoyama, Hiroshi

2017-06-01

High-quality color output from digital photocopiers and laser printers is in strong demand, motivating attempts to achieve fine dot reproducibility and stability. The resolution of a digital photocopier depends on the charge density distribution on the organic photoconductor surface; however, directly measuring the charge density distribution is impossible. In this study, we propose a new electron optical instrument that can rapidly measure the electrostatic latent image on an organic photoconductor surface, which is a dielectric surface, as well as a novel method to quantitatively estimate the charge density distribution on a dielectric surface by combining experimental data obtained from the apparatus via a computer simulation. In the computer simulation, an improved three-dimensional boundary charge density method (BCM) is used for electric field analysis in the vicinity of the dielectric material with a charge density distribution. This method enables us to estimate the profile and quantity of the charge density distribution on a dielectric surface with a resolution of the order of microns. Furthermore, the surface potential on the dielectric surface can be immediately calculated using the obtained charge density. This method enables the relation between the charge pattern on the organic photoconductor surface and toner particle behavior to be studied; an understanding regarding the same may lead to the development of a new generation of higher resolution photocopiers.

Sociology and the Liberal Arts: A Sociohistorical Integration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Christopher B.

1990-01-01

Outlines a newly designed foundations of sociology course at Mount Saint Mary's college (California) that attempts to integrate the course into the College's liberal arts core curriculum. Suggests teaching this integrated, sociohistorical curriculum furthers students understanding and attraction to the discipline. (NL)

Apparatuses to support photovoltaic modules

DOEpatents

Ciasulli, John; Jones, Jason

2017-08-22

Methods and apparatuses to support photovoltaic ("PV") modules are described. A saddle bracket has a mounting surface to support one or more PV modules over a tube, a gusset coupled to the mounting surface, and a mounting feature coupled to the gusset to couple to the tube. A grounding washer has a first portion to couple to a support; and a second portion coupled to the first portion to provide a ground path to a PV module. A PV system has a saddle bracket; a PV module over the saddle bracket; and a grounding washer coupled to the saddle bracket and the PV module. Saddle brackets can be coupled to a torque tube at predetermined locations. PV modules can be coupled to the saddle brackets.

Lunar Surface Charging during Solar Energetic Particle Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halekas, Jasper S.; Delory, G. T.; Mewaldt, R. A.; Lin, R. P.; Fillingim, M. O.; Brain, D. A.; Lee, C. O.; Stubbs, T. J.; Farrell, W. M.; Hudson, M. K.

2006-09-01

The surface of the Moon, not protected by any substantial atmosphere, is directly exposed to the impact of both solar UV and solar wind plasma and energetic particles. This creates a complex lunar electrostatic environment, with the surface typically charging slightly positive in sunlight, and negative in shadow. Observations from the Apollo era and theoretical considerations strongly suggest that surface charging leads to dust electrification and transport, posing a potentially significant hazard for exploration. The most significant charging effects should occur when the Moon is exposed to high-temperature plasmas like those encountered in the terrestrial plasmasheet or in solar storms. We now present evidence for kilovolt-scale negative charging of the shadowed lunar surface during solar energetic particle (SEP) events, utilizing data from the Lunar Prospector Electron Reflectometer (LP ER). We find that SEP events are associated with the most extreme lunar surface charging observed during the LP mission - rivaled only by previously reported charging during traversals of the terrestrial plasmasheet. The largest charging event observed by LP is a 4 kV negative surface potential (as compared to typical values of V) during a SEP event in May 1998. We characterize lunar surface charging during several SEP events, and compare to energetic particle measurements from ACE, Wind, and SOHO in order to determine the relationship between SEP events and extreme lunar surface charging. Space weather events are already considered by NASA to be a significant hazard to lunar exploration, due to high-energy ionizing radiation. Our observations demonstrate that plasma interactions with the lunar surface during SEP events, causing extreme surface charging and potentially significant dust electrification and transport, represent an additional hazard associated with space weather.

Two degree of freedom camera mount

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ambrose, Robert O. (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A two degree of freedom camera mount. The camera mount includes a socket, a ball, a first linkage and a second linkage. The socket includes an interior surface and an opening. The ball is positioned within an interior of the socket. The ball includes a coupling point for rotating the ball relative to the socket and an aperture for mounting a camera. The first and second linkages are rotatably connected to the socket and slidably connected to the coupling point of the ball. Rotation of the linkages with respect to the socket causes the ball to rotate with respect to the socket.

Video photographic considerations for measuring the proximity of a probe aircraft with a smoke seeded trailing vortex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Childers, Brooks A.; Snow, Walter L.

1990-01-01

Considerations for acquiring and analyzing 30 Hz video frames from charge coupled device (CCD) cameras mounted in the wing tips of a Beech T-34 aircraft are described. Particular attention is given to the characterization and correction of optical distortions inherent in the data.

Space capsule mounted in the Full Scale Wind Tunnel

NASA Image and Video Library

1959-01-22

The Mercury space capsule undergoing tests in Full Scale Wind Tunnel, January 1959. Photograph published in Winds of Change, 75th Anniversary NASA publication, page 75, by James Schultz. Also Photograph published in Engineer in Charge: A History of the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, 1917-1958, page 389, by James R. Hansen.

Pay Big to Publish Fast: Academic Journal Rackets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Truth, Frank

2012-01-01

In the context of open-access (OA) academic publishing, the mounting pressure cross global academe to publish or perish has spawned an exponentially growing number of dodgy academic e-journals charging high fees to authors, often US$300-650, and even triple that amount, promising super-fast processing and publication open-access (OA) online.…

A new method for assessing relative dynamic motion of vertebral bodies during cyclic loading in vitro.

PubMed

Dean, J C; Wilcox, C H; Daniels, A U; Goodwin, R R; Van Wagoner, E; Dunn, H K

1991-01-01

A new experimental technique for measuring generalized three-dimensional motion of vertebral bodies during cyclic loading in vitro is presented. The system consists of an orthogonal array of three lasers mounted rigidly to one vertebra, and a set of three mutually orthogonal charge-coupled devices mounted rigidly to an adjacent vertebra. Each laser strikes a corresponding charge-coupled device screen. The mathematical model of the system is reduced to a linear set of equations with consequent matrix algebra allowing fast real-time data reduction during cyclic movements of the spine. The range and accuracy of the system is well suited for studying thoracolumbar motion segments. Distinct advantages of the system include miniaturization of the components, the elimination of the need for mechanical linkages between the bodies, and a high degree of accuracy which is not dependent on viewing volume as found in photogrammetric systems. More generally, the spectrum of potential applications of systems of this type to the real-time measurement of the relative motion of two bodies is extremely broad.

Charge-Spot Model for Electrostatic Forces in Simulation of Fine Particulates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walton, Otis R.; Johnson, Scott M.

2010-01-01

The charge-spot technique for modeling the static electric forces acting between charged fine particles entails treating electric charges on individual particles as small sets of discrete point charges, located near their surfaces. This is in contrast to existing models, which assume a single charge per particle. The charge-spot technique more accurately describes the forces, torques, and moments that act on triboelectrically charged particles, especially image-charge forces acting near conducting surfaces. The discrete element method (DEM) simulation uses a truncation range to limit the number of near-neighbor charge spots via a shifted and truncated potential Coulomb interaction. The model can be readily adapted to account for induced dipoles in uncharged particles (and thus dielectrophoretic forces) by allowing two charge spots of opposite signs to be created in response to an external electric field. To account for virtual overlap during contacts, the model can be set to automatically scale down the effective charge in proportion to the amount of virtual overlap of the charge spots. This can be accomplished by mimicking the behavior of two real overlapping spherical charge clouds, or with other approximate forms. The charge-spot method much more closely resembles real non-uniform surface charge distributions that result from tribocharging than simpler approaches, which just assign a single total charge to a particle. With the charge-spot model, a single particle may have a zero net charge, but still have both positive and negative charge spots, which could produce substantial forces on the particle when it is close to other charges, when it is in an external electric field, or when near a conducting surface. Since the charge-spot model can contain any number of charges per particle, can be used with only one or two charge spots per particle for simulating charging from solar wind bombardment, or with several charge spots for simulating triboelectric charging. Adhesive image-charge forces acting on charged particles touching conducting surfaces can be up to 50 times stronger if the charge is located in discrete spots on the particle surface instead of being distributed uniformly over the surface of the particle, as is assumed by most other models. Besides being useful in modeling particulates in space and distant objects, this modeling technique is useful for electrophotography (used in copiers) and in simulating the effects of static charge in the pulmonary delivery of fine dry powders.

Atomistic and molecular effects in electric double layers at high surface charges

DOE PAGES

Templeton, Jeremy Alan; Lee, Jonathan; Mani, Ali

2015-06-16

Here, the Poisson–Boltzmann theory for electrolytes near a charged surface is known to be invalid due to unaccounted physics associated with high ion concentration regimes. In order to investigate this regime, fluids density functional theory (f-DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to determine electric surface potential as a function of surface charge. Based on these detailed computations, for electrolytes with nonpolar solvent, the surface potential is shown to depend quadratically on the surface charge in the high charge limit. We demonstrate that modified Poisson–Boltzmann theories can model this limit if they are augmented with atomic packing densities providedmore » by MD. However, when the solvent is a highly polar molecule water an intermediate regime is identified in which a constant capacitance is realized. Simulation results demonstrate the mechanism underlying this regime, and for the salt water system studied here, it persists throughout the range of physically realistic surface charge densities so the potential’s quadratic surface charge dependence is not obtained.« less

A gain and bandwidth enhanced transimpedance preamplifier for Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

PubMed Central

Lin, Tzu-Yung; Green, Roger J.; O'Connor, Peter B.

2011-01-01

The nature of the ion signal from a 12-T Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer and the electronic noise were studied to further understand the electronic detection limit. At minimal cost, a new transimpedance preamplifier was designed, computer simulated, built, and tested. The preamplifier design pushes the electronic signal-to-noise performance at room temperature to the limit, because of its enhanced tolerance of the capacitance of the detection device, lower intrinsic noise, and larger flat mid-band gain (input current noise spectral density of around 1 pA/\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\\begin{document}$\\sqrt{\\mbox{Hz}}$\\end{document}Hz when the transimpedance is about 85 dBΩ). The designed preamplifier has a bandwidth of ∼3 kHz to 10 MHz, which corresponds to the mass-to-charge ratio, m/z, of approximately 18 to 61 k at 12 T. The transimpedance and the bandwidth can be easily adjusted by changing the value of passive components. The feedback limitation of the circuit is discussed. With the maximum possible transimpedance of 5.3 MΩ when using an 0402 surface mount resistor, the preamplifier was estimated to be able to detect ∼110 charges in a single scan. PMID:22225232

Design, Construction, and Testing of Lightweight X-ray Mirror Modules

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McClelland, Ryan S.; Biskach, Michael P.; Chan, Kai-Wing; Espina, Rebecca A.; Hohl, Bruce R.; Matson, Elizabeth A.; Saha, Timo C.; Zhang, William W.

2013-01-01

Lightweight and high resolution optics are needed for future space-based X-ray telescopes to achieve advances in high-energy astrophysics. The Next Generation X-ray Optics (NGXO) team at NASA GSFC is nearing mission readiness for a 10 arc-second Half Power Diameter (HPD) slumped glass mirror technology while laying the groundwork for a future 1-2 arc-second technology based on polished silicon mirrors. Technology Development Modules (TDMs) have been designed, fabricated, integrated with mirrors segments, and extensively tested to demonstrate technology readiness. Tests include X-ray performance, thermal vacuum, acoustic load, and random vibration. The thermal vacuum and acoustic load environments have proven relatively benign, while the random vibration environment has proven challenging due to large input amplification at frequencies above 500 Hz. Epoxy selection, surface preparation, and larger bond area have increased bond strength while vibration isolation has decreased vibration amplification allowing for space launch requirements to be met in the near term. The next generation of TDMs, which demonstrates a lightweight structure supporting more mirror segments, is currently being fabricated. Analysis predicts superior performance characteristics due to the use of E-60 Beryllium-Oxide Metal Matrix Composite material, with only a modest cost increase. These TDMs will be larger, lighter, stiffer, and stronger than the current generation. Preliminary steps are being taken to enable mounting and testing of 1-2 arc-second mirror segments expected to be available in the future. A Vertical X-ray Test Facility (VXTF) will minimize module gravity distortion and allow for less constrained mirror mounts, such as fully kinematic mounts. Permanent kinematic mounting into a modified TDM has been demonstrated to achieve 2 arc-second level distortion free alignment.

ATST telescope mount: telescope of machine tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeffers, Paul; Stolz, Günter; Bonomi, Giovanni; Dreyer, Oliver; Kärcher, Hans

2012-09-01

The Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST) will be the largest solar telescope in the world, and will be able to provide the sharpest views ever taken of the solar surface. The telescope has a 4m aperture primary mirror, however due to the off axis nature of the optical layout, the telescope mount has proportions similar to an 8 meter class telescope. The technology normally used in this class of telescope is well understood in the telescope community and has been successfully implemented in numerous projects. The world of large machine tools has developed in a separate realm with similar levels of performance requirement but different boundary conditions. In addition the competitive nature of private industry has encouraged development and usage of more cost effective solutions both in initial capital cost and thru-life operating cost. Telescope mounts move relatively slowly with requirements for high stability under external environmental influences such as wind buffeting. Large machine tools operate under high speed requirements coupled with high application of force through the machine but with little or no external environmental influences. The benefits of these parallel development paths and the ATST system requirements are being combined in the ATST Telescope Mount Assembly (TMA). The process of balancing the system requirements with new technologies is based on the experience of the ATST project team, Ingersoll Machine Tools who are the main contractor for the TMA and MT Mechatronics who are their design subcontractors. This paper highlights a number of these proven technologies from the commercially driven machine tool world that are being introduced to the TMA design. Also the challenges of integrating and ensuring that the differences in application requirements are accounted for in the design are discussed.

Surface charge mapping with a nanopipette.

PubMed

McKelvey, Kim; Kinnear, Sophie L; Perry, David; Momotenko, Dmitry; Unwin, Patrick R

2014-10-01

Nanopipettes are emerging as simple but powerful tools for probing chemistry at the nanoscale. In this contribution the use of nanopipettes for simultaneous surface charge mapping and topographical imaging is demonstrated, using a scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) format. When a nanopipette is positioned close to a surface in electrolyte solution, the direct ion current (DC), driven by an applied bias between a quasi-reference counter electrode (QRCE) in the nanopipette and a second QRCE in the bulk solution, is sensitive to surface charge. The charge sensitivity arises because the diffuse double layers at the nanopipette and the surface interact, creating a perm-selective region which becomes increasingly significant at low ionic strengths (10 mM 1:1 aqueous electrolyte herein). This leads to a polarity-dependent ion current and surface-induced rectification as the bias is varied. Using distance-modulated SICM, which induces an alternating ion current component (AC) by periodically modulating the distance between the nanopipette and the surface, the effect of surface charge on the DC and AC is explored and rationalized. The impact of surface charge on the AC phase (with respect to the driving sinusoidal signal) is highlighted in particular; this quantity shows a shift that is highly sensitive to interfacial charge and provides the basis for visualizing charge simultaneously with topography. The studies herein highlight the use of nanopipettes for functional imaging with applications from cell biology to materials characterization where understanding surface charge is of key importance. They also provide a framework for the design of SICM experiments, which may be convoluted by topographical and surface charge effects, especially for small nanopipettes.

Horizontally opposed trunnion forward engine mount system supported beneath a wing pylon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seaquist, John D. (Inventor); Culbertson, Chris (Inventor)

2000-01-01

The present invention relates to an engine mount assembly for supporting an aircraft engine in aft-cantilevered position beneath the aircraft wing. The assembly includes a pair forward engine mounts positioned on opposite sides of an integrally formed yoke member wrapped about the upper half of the engine casing. Each side of the yoke is preferably configured as an A-shaped frame member with the bottom portions joining each other and the pylon. To prevent backbone bending of the engine trunnion assembly, the forward engine mounts supported at opposite ends of the yoke engage the casing along its centerline. The trunnion assembly is preferably constructed of high strength titanium machined and/or forged.

Geothermal Potential Based on Physical Characteristics of the Region (Case Study: Mount Karang, Pandeglang Regency and Banten Province)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russel, Fhillipo; Damayanti, Astrid; Pin, Tjiong Giok

2018-02-01

This research is about geothermal potential of Mount Karang, Banten Province which is based on the characteristics of the region. This research method used is geochemistry sample of hot springs and integrated with GIS method for spatial of geothermal potential. Based on the geothermal potential, Mount Karang is divided into three regions, ie high potential, normal potential, and low potential. The high geothermal potential region covers an area of 24.16 Km2 and which there are Cisolong and Banjar 2 hot springs. The normal potential covers Kawah hot spring. Index of the fault of Mount Karang region is one of the significant physical characteristics to determine geothermal potential.

Analyzing the importance of wind-blown snow accumulations on Mount

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nestler, Alexander; Huss, Matthias; Ambartsumian, Rouben; Hambarian, Artak; Mohr, Sandra; Santi, Flavio

2013-04-01

Armenia's climate has a predominantly continental character with high amounts of precipitation and low temperatures during wintertime and a lack of precipitation together with high temperatures during summer. On the volcano Mount Aragatz, snow is relocated by strong winds into massive accumulations between 2500 and 4100 m a.s.l. during the winter season. These snow accumulations appear every winter in regular patterns as cornices on the lee side of sharp edges, such as those of ridges and canyons, which are arranged in a radial manner around the central crater. The biggest cornices almost outlast the hot period and provide considerable amounts of melt water until they disappear completely by the end of August. Snow melt water is known to have a high economic importance for agriculture on the slopes of Mount Aragatz and in the surroundings of Armenia's captial Yerewan. The aim of this study is to estimate the quantity of water naturally stored as snow on Mount Aragatz, and to what degree the use of geotextiles can prolong the lives of these snow accumulations. The characteristics and the spatial distribution of snow cornices on Mount Aragatz were determined using classical glaciological methods in June/July 2011 and 2012, involving snow depth soundings, water equivalent measurements and snow melt monitoring using ablation stakes, together with GPS mappings and classifications obtained from satellite images of the snow cornices. The combination of these data with ASTER DEMs and local weather data allows the modelling of the formation of wind-driven snow accumulations. Statistical relationships between the measured extent and volume of the snow cornices and surface parameters such as slope, aspect and curvature are established. In order to analyze the meltdown of the snow accumulations and the consequent impacts on runoff generation and the hydrological regime, a glacio-hydrological model integrating topographic parameters and meteorological data is applied. The combination of in-situ field data and satellite information allows an estimation of the water volume that is stored in the form of snow on Mount Aragatz. Using numerical modelling, we extend these results to other years, and calculate past and future water yields from snow melt from Mount Aragatz. This study is performed in the frame of the Armenian-Swiss project "Freezwater" that aims at an artificial managing of snow melting to better time the release of melt water at low cost. In the past few years, an artificial glacier was built up successfully, and geotextiles were used to reduce the melt rates of snow cornices. In order to estimate the efficiency of geotextiles in delaying the melt-down, ablation rates of protected snow surfaces were compared to those of uncovered areas. This study will contribute to the understanding of aeolian processes within the cryosphere as well as it will help to gain engineering knowledge concerning a new and efficient water storage technique.

Broadband laser ranging precision and accuracy experiments with PDV benchmarking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catenacci, Jared; Daykin, Ed; Howard, Marylesa; Lalone, Brandon; Miller, Kirk

2017-06-01

Broadband laser ranging (BLR) is a developmental diagnostic designed to measure the precise position of surfaces and particle clouds moving at velocities of several kilometers per second. Recent single stage gas gun experiments were conducted to quantify the precision and accuracy possible with a typical BLR system. For these experiments, the position of a mirrored projectile is measured relative to the location of a stationary optical flat (uncoated window) mounted within the gun catch tank. Projectile velocity is constrained to one-dimensional motion within the gun barrel. A collimating probe is aligned to be orthogonal to both the target window and the mirrored impactor surface. The probe is used to simultaneously measure the position and velocity with a BLR and conventional Photonic Doppler Velocimetry (PDV) system. Since there is a negligible lateral component to the target velocity, coupled with strong signal returns from a mirrored surface, integrating the PDV measurement provides a high fidelity distance measurement reference to which the BLR measurement may be compared.

T-cell receptor revision: friend or foe?

PubMed Central

Hale, J Scott; Fink, Pamela J

2010-01-01

T-cell receptor (TCR) revision is a process of tolerance induction by which peripheral T cells lose surface expression of an autoreactive TCR, reinduce expression of the recombinase machinery, rearrange genes encoding extrathymically generated TCRs for antigen, and express these new receptors on the cell surface. We discuss the evidence for this controversial tolerance mechanism below. Despite the apparent heresy of post-thymic gene rearrangement, we argue here that TCR revision follows the rules obeyed by maturing thymocytes undergoing gene recombination. Expression of the recombinase is carefully controlled both spatially and temporally, and may be initiated by loss of signals through surface TCRs. The resulting TCR repertoire is characterized by its diversity, self major histocompatibility complex restriction, self tolerance, and ability to mount productive immune responses specific for foreign antigens. Hence, TCR revision is a carefully regulated process of tolerance induction that can contribute to the protection of the individual against invading pathogens while preserving the integrity of self tissue. PMID:20201984

Electronically controlled rejections of spoof surface plasmons polaritons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yong Jin; Xiao, Qian Xun

2017-03-01

We have proposed and experimentally demonstrated a band-notched surface plasmonic filter, which is composed of an ultra-wide passband plasmonic filter with a simple C-shaped ring on the back of the substrate. Enhanced narrowband or broadband rejections of spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) can be achieved with double C-shaped rings in the propagation or transverse direction. By mounting active components across the slit cut in the C-shaped ring, dynamic control of rejection of spoof SPPs can be accomplished. Both the rejection of spoof SPPs and the rejection bandwidth can be controlled when the Schottky barrier diode is forward-biased or reverse-biased. The frequency spectrum of the rejection band can be electronically adjusted by tuning the applied bias voltage across the varactor diode. Both simulated and measured results agree well and demonstrate dynamic control of propagation of spoof SPPs at the microwave frequencies. Such electronically controllable devices could find more applications in advanced plasmonic integrated functional circuits in microwave and terahertz frequencies.

Monovalve with integrated fuel injector and port control valve, and engine using same

DOEpatents

Milam, David M.

2001-11-06

An engine includes an engine casing that defines a hollow piston cavity separated from an exhaust passage and an intake passage by a valve seat. A gas exchange valve member is positioned adjacent the valve seat and is moveable between an open position and a closed position. The gas exchange valve member also defines an opening that opens into the hollow piston cavity. A needle valve member is positioned in the gas exchange valve member adjacent a nozzle outlet and is moveable between an inject position and a blocked position. A port control valve member, which has a hydraulic surface, is mounted around the gas exchange valve member and moveable between an intake position and an exhaust position. A pilot valve is moveable between a first position at which the port control hydraulic surface is exposed to a source of high pressure fluid, and a second position at which the port control hydraulic surface is exposed to a source of low pressure fluid.

Mount Protects Thin-Walled Glass or Ceramic Tubes from Large Thermal and Vibration Loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amato, Michael; Schmidt, Stephen; Marsh. James; Dahya, Kevin

2011-01-01

The design allows for the low-stress mounting of fragile objects, like thin walled glass, by using particular ways of compensating, isolating, or releasing the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) differences between the mounted object and the mount itself. This mount profile is lower than true full kinematic mounting. Also, this approach enables accurate positioning of the component for electrical and optical interfaces. It avoids the higher and unpredictable stress issues that often result from potting the object. The mount has been built and tested to space-flight specifications, and has been used for fiber-optic, optical, and electrical interfaces for a spaceflight mission. This mount design is often metal and is slightly larger than the object to be mounted. The objects are optical or optical/electrical, and optical and/or electrical interfaces are required from the top and bottom. This requires the mount to be open at both ends, and for the object s position to be controlled. Thin inside inserts at the top and bottom contact the housing at defined lips, or edges, and hold the fragile object in the mount. The inserts can be customized to mimic the outer surface of the object, which further reduces stress. The inserts have the opposite CTE of the housing material, partially compensating for the CTE difference that causes thermal stress. A spring washer is inserted at one end to compensate for more CTE difference and to hold the object against the location edge of the mount for any optical position requirements. The spring also ensures that any fiber-optic or optic interface, which often requires some pressure to ensure a good interface, does not overstress the fragile object. The insert thickness, material, and spring washer size can be traded against each other to optimize the mount and stresses for various thermal and vibration load ranges and other mounting requirements. The alternate design uses two separate, unique features to reduce stress and hold the object. A release agent is applied to the inside surface of the mount just before the binding potting material is injected in the mount. This prevents the potting material from bonding to the mount, and thus prevents stress from being applied, at very low temperatures, to the fragile object being mounted. The potting material mixing and curing is temperature- and humidity-controlled. The mount has radial grooves cut in it that the potting material fills, thus controlling the vertical position of the mounted object. The design can easily be used for long and thin objects, short and wide objects, and any shape in between. The design s advantages are amplified for long and thin fragile objects. The general testing range was 45 to +45 C, but multiple mounts were successfully tested down to 60 and up to 50 C and the design can be adjusted for larger ranges.

Beta particle monitor for surfaces

DOEpatents

MacArthur, Duncan W.

1997-01-01

A beta radiation detector which is capable of reliably detecting beta radiation emitted from a surface. An electrically conductive signal collector is adjustably mounted inside an electrically conductive enclosure which may define a single large opening for placing against a surface. The adjustable mounting of the electrically conductive signal collector can be based on the distance from the surface or on the expected beta energy range. A voltage source is connected to the signal collector through an electrometer or other display means for creating an electric field between the signal collector and the enclosure. Air ions created by the beta radiation are collected and the current produced is indicated on the electrometer or other display means.

Beta particle monitor for surfaces

DOEpatents

MacArthur, D.W.

1997-10-21

A beta radiation detector which is capable of reliably detecting beta radiation emitted from a surface. An electrically conductive signal collector is adjustably mounted inside an electrically conductive enclosure which may define a single large opening for placing against a surface. The adjustable mounting of the electrically conductive signal collector can be based on the distance from the surface or on the expected beta energy range. A voltage source is connected to the signal collector through an electrometer or other display means for creating an electric field between the signal collector and the enclosure. Air ions created by the beta radiation are collected and the current produced is indicated on the electrometer or other display means. 2 figs.

Eddy current probe with foil sensor mounted on flexible probe tip and method of use

DOEpatents

Viertl, John R. M.; Lee, Martin K.

2001-01-01

A pair of copper coils are embedded in the foil strip. A first coil of the pair generates an electromagnetic field that induces eddy currents on the surface, and the second coil carries a current influenced by the eddy currents on the surface. The currents in the second coil are analyzed to obtain information on the surface eddy currents. An eddy current probe has a metal housing having a tip that is covered by a flexible conductive foil strip. The foil strip is mounted on a deformable nose at the probe tip so that the strip and coils will conform to the surface to which they are applied.

Optical instrument employing reticle having preselected visual response pattern formed thereon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haines, R. F. (Inventor)

1977-01-01

An optical instrument for use in locating indicator lights or the like on a work surface is described. It comprises a tubular housing, a lens mounted within the housing and including an inner surface coated with a dichroic material that is capable of reflecting a portion of the light incident thereon, a plate mounted within the housing opposite the lens and having a central aperture, a transparent substrate disposed within the housing intermediate the lens and the plate, the substrate including a first surface disposed in a facing relationship to the dichroic material, and a reticle formed on the first surface and comprised of a material capable of reflecting light.

High resolution printing of charge

DOEpatents

Rogers, John; Park, Jang-Ung

2015-06-16

Provided are methods of printing a pattern of charge on a substrate surface, such as by electrohydrodynamic (e-jet) printing. The methods relate to providing a nozzle containing a printable fluid, providing a substrate having a substrate surface and generating from the nozzle an ejected printable fluid containing net charge. The ejected printable fluid containing net charge is directed to the substrate surface, wherein the net charge does not substantially degrade and the net charge retained on the substrate surface. Also provided are functional devices made by any of the disclosed methods.

Optoelectronic Mounting Structure

DOEpatents

Anderson, Gene R.; Armendariz, Marcelino G.; Baca, Johnny R. F.; Bryan, Robert P.; Carson, Richard F.; Chu, Dahwey; Duckett, III, Edwin B.; McCormick, Frederick B.; Peterson, David W.; Peterson, Gary D.; Reber, Cathleen A.; Reysen, Bill H.

2004-10-05

An optoelectronic mounting structure is provided that may be used in conjunction with an optical transmitter, receiver or transceiver module. The mounting structure may be a flexible printed circuit board. Thermal vias or heat pipes in the head region may transmit heat from the mounting structure to the heat spreader. The heat spreader may provide mechanical rigidity or stiffness to the heat region. In another embodiment, an electrical contact and ground plane may pass along a surface of the head region so as to provide an electrical contact path to the optoelectronic devices and limit electromagnetic interference. In yet another embodiment, a window may be formed in the head region of the mounting structure so as to provide access to the heat spreader. Optoelectronic devices may be adapted to the heat spreader in such a manner that the devices are accessible through the window in the mounting structure.

Fractal design concepts for stretchable electronics.

PubMed

Fan, Jonathan A; Yeo, Woon-Hong; Su, Yewang; Hattori, Yoshiaki; Lee, Woosik; Jung, Sung-Young; Zhang, Yihui; Liu, Zhuangjian; Cheng, Huanyu; Falgout, Leo; Bajema, Mike; Coleman, Todd; Gregoire, Dan; Larsen, Ryan J; Huang, Yonggang; Rogers, John A

2014-01-01

Stretchable electronics provide a foundation for applications that exceed the scope of conventional wafer and circuit board technologies due to their unique capacity to integrate with soft materials and curvilinear surfaces. The range of possibilities is predicated on the development of device architectures that simultaneously offer advanced electronic function and compliant mechanics. Here we report that thin films of hard electronic materials patterned in deterministic fractal motifs and bonded to elastomers enable unusual mechanics with important implications in stretchable device design. In particular, we demonstrate the utility of Peano, Greek cross, Vicsek and other fractal constructs to yield space-filling structures of electronic materials, including monocrystalline silicon, for electrophysiological sensors, precision monitors and actuators, and radio frequency antennas. These devices support conformal mounting on the skin and have unique properties such as invisibility under magnetic resonance imaging. The results suggest that fractal-based layouts represent important strategies for hard-soft materials integration.

Mathematical Simulation for Integrated Linear Fresnel Spectrometer Chip

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Yeonjoon; Yoon, Hargoon; Lee, Uhn; King, Glen C.; Choi, Sang H.

2012-01-01

A miniaturized solid-state optical spectrometer chip was designed with a linear gradient-gap Fresnel grating which was mounted perpendicularly to a sensor array surface and simulated for its performance and functionality. Unlike common spectrometers which are based on Fraunhoffer diffraction with a regular periodic line grating, the new linear gradient grating Fresnel spectrometer chip can be miniaturized to a much smaller form-factor into the Fresnel regime exceeding the limit of conventional spectrometers. This mathematical calculation shows that building a tiny motionless multi-pixel microspectrometer chip which is smaller than 1 cubic millimter of optical path volume is possible. The new Fresnel spectrometer chip is proportional to the energy scale (hc/lambda), while the conventional spectrometers are proportional to the wavelength scale (lambda). We report the theoretical optical working principle and new data collection algorithm of the new Fresnel spectrometer to build a compact integrated optical chip.

Fractal design concepts for stretchable electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Jonathan A.; Yeo, Woon-Hong; Su, Yewang; Hattori, Yoshiaki; Lee, Woosik; Jung, Sung-Young; Zhang, Yihui; Liu, Zhuangjian; Cheng, Huanyu; Falgout, Leo; Bajema, Mike; Coleman, Todd; Gregoire, Dan; Larsen, Ryan J.; Huang, Yonggang; Rogers, John A.

2014-02-01

Stretchable electronics provide a foundation for applications that exceed the scope of conventional wafer and circuit board technologies due to their unique capacity to integrate with soft materials and curvilinear surfaces. The range of possibilities is predicated on the development of device architectures that simultaneously offer advanced electronic function and compliant mechanics. Here we report that thin films of hard electronic materials patterned in deterministic fractal motifs and bonded to elastomers enable unusual mechanics with important implications in stretchable device design. In particular, we demonstrate the utility of Peano, Greek cross, Vicsek and other fractal constructs to yield space-filling structures of electronic materials, including monocrystalline silicon, for electrophysiological sensors, precision monitors and actuators, and radio frequency antennas. These devices support conformal mounting on the skin and have unique properties such as invisibility under magnetic resonance imaging. The results suggest that fractal-based layouts represent important strategies for hard-soft materials integration.

Cherenkov Telescope Array: the next-generation gamma ray observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebr, Jan

2017-08-01

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a project to build the next generation ground-based observatory for gamma-ray astronomy at very-high energies in the range from 20 GeV to 300 TeV, which will both surpass the sensitivity of existing instruments in their energy domains and extend the limits of the observed energy spectrum. It will probe some of the most energetic processes in the Universe and provide insight into topics such as the acceleration of charged cosmic rays and their role in galaxy evolution, processes in relativistic jets, wind and explosions and the nature and distribution of dark matter. The CTA Observatory will consist of more than a hundred imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACT) of three different size classes, installed at two premier astronomical locations, one in each hemisphere. It is foreseen that the telescopes will use a variety of optical designs including parabolic primary mirrors, variations of the Davies-Cotton design and two-mirror setups such as the Schwarzschild-Couder telescope, and several camera designs, using both photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) for detection of the nanosecond-scale Cherenkov flashes. Each telescope will feature a precise but lightweight and agile mount, allowing even the largest telescopes to change targets within 20 seconds, with systems of sensors and actuators actively controlling the shape of the reflecting surfaces. As an integral part, the Observatory will feature extensive calibration facilities, closely monitoring both the detectors themselves and the surrounding atmosphere. Several telescope prototypes already exist and the installation works at the northern site have started.

Photoelectric charging of partially sunlit dielectric surfaces in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

De, B. R.; Criswell, D. R.

1977-01-01

Sunlight-shadow effects may substantially alter the charging situation for a dielectric surface. The sunlight-shadow boundary tends to be the site of intense multipole electric fields. Charges on a sunlit dielectric surface have a finite effective mobility. The charge distribution tends to resemble that on a conducting surface. A boundary between a conducting and a dielectric surface may not represent a conductivity discontinuity when this boundary is sunlit; charges may migrate at a nontrivial rate across the boundary. A contracting or expanding sunlit area may experience a supercharging.

Effect of the surface charge discretization on electric double layers: a Monte Carlo simulation study.

PubMed

Madurga, Sergio; Martín-Molina, Alberto; Vilaseca, Eudald; Mas, Francesc; Quesada-Pérez, Manuel

2007-06-21

The structure of the electric double layer in contact with discrete and continuously charged planar surfaces is studied within the framework of the primitive model through Monte Carlo simulations. Three different discretization models are considered together with the case of uniform distribution. The effect of discreteness is analyzed in terms of charge density profiles. For point surface groups, a complete equivalence with the situation of uniformly distributed charge is found if profiles are exclusively analyzed as a function of the distance to the charged surface. However, some differences are observed moving parallel to the surface. Significant discrepancies with approaches that do not account for discreteness are reported if charge sites of finite size placed on the surface are considered.

Luminescent systems based on the isolation of conjugated PI systems and edge charge compensation with polar molecules on a charged nanostructured surface

DOEpatents

Ivanov, Ilia N.; Puretzky, Alexander A.; Zhao, Bin; Geohegan, David B.; Styers-Barnett, David J.; Hu, Hui

2014-07-15

A photoluminescent or electroluminescent system and method of making a non-luminescent nanostructured material into such a luminescent system is presented. The method of preparing the luminescent system, generally, comprises the steps of modifying the surface of a nanostructured material to create isolated regions to act as luminescent centers and to create a charge imbalance on the surface; applying more than one polar molecule to the charged surface of the nanostructured material; and orienting the polar molecules to compensate for the charge imbalance on the surface of the nanostructured material. The compensation of the surface charge imbalance by the polar molecules allows the isolated regions to exhibit luminescence.

Instrumentation for Studies of Electron Emission and Charging From Insulators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomson, C. D.; Zavyalov, V.; Dennison, J. R.

2004-01-01

Making measurements of electron emission properties of insulators is difficult since insulators can charge either negatively or positively under charge particle bombardment. In addition, high incident energies or high fluences can result in modification of a material s conductivity, bulk and surface charge profile, structural makeup through bond breaking and defect creation, and emission properties. We discuss here some of the charging difficulties associated with making insulator-yield measurements and review the methods used in previous studies of electron emission from insulators. We present work undertaken by our group to make consistent and accurate measurements of the electron/ion yield properties for numerous thin-film and thick insulator materials using innovative instrumentation and techniques. We also summarize some of the necessary instrumentation developed for this purpose including fast response, low-noise, high-sensitivity ammeters; signal isolation and interface to standard computer data acquisition apparatus using opto-isolation, sample-and-hold, and boxcar integration techniques; computer control, automation and timing using Labview software; a multiple sample carousel; a pulsed, compact, low-energy, charge neutralization electron flood gun; and pulsed visible and UV light neutralization sources. This work is supported through funding from the NASA Space Environments and Effects Program and the NASA Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

Scaling of Device Variability and Subthreshold Swing in Ballistic Carbon Nanotube Transistors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Qing; Tersoff, Jerry; Han, Shu-Jen; Penumatcha, Ashish V.

2015-08-01

In field-effect transistors, the inherent randomness of dopants and other charges is a major cause of device-to-device variability. For a quasi-one-dimensional device such as carbon nanotube transistors, even a single charge can drastically change the performance, making this a critical issue for their adoption as a practical technology. Here we calculate the effect of the random charges at the gate-oxide surface in ballistic carbon nanotube transistors, finding good agreement with the variability statistics in recent experiments. A combination of experimental and simulation results further reveals that these random charges are also a major factor limiting the subthreshold swing for nanotube transistors fabricated on thin gate dielectrics. We then establish that the scaling of the nanotube device uniformity with the gate dielectric, fixed-charge density, and device dimension is qualitatively different from conventional silicon transistors, reflecting the very different device physics of a ballistic transistor with a quasi-one-dimensional channel. The combination of gate-oxide scaling and improved control of fixed-charge density should provide the uniformity needed for large-scale integration of such novel one-dimensional transistors even at extremely scaled device dimensions.

Accelerometer Method and Apparatus for Integral Display and Control Functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bozeman, Richard J., Jr. (Inventor)

1996-01-01

Method and apparatus for detecting mechanical vibrations and outputting a signal in response thereto. Art accelerometer package having integral display and control functions is suitable for mounting upon the machinery to be monitored. Display circuitry provides signals to a bar graph display which may be used to monitor machine conditions over a period of time. Control switches may be set which correspond to elements in the bar graph to provide an alert if vibration signals increase in amplitude over a selected trip point. The circuitry is shock mounted within the accelerometer housing. The method provides for outputting a broadband analog accelerometer signal, integrating this signal to produce a velocity signal, integrating and calibrating the velocity signal before application to a display driver, and selecting a trip point at which a digitally compatible output signal is generated.

Accelerometer Method and Apparatus for Integral Display and Control Functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bozeman, Richard J., Jr. (Inventor)

1998-01-01

Method and apparatus for detecting mechanical vibrations and outputting a signal in response thereto is discussed. An accelerometer package having integral display and control functions is suitable for mounting upon the machinery to be monitored. Display circuitry provides signals to a bar graph display which may be used to monitor machine conditions over a period of time. Control switches may be set which correspond to elements in the bar graph to provide an alert if vibration signals increase in amplitude over a selected trip point. The circuitry is shock mounted within the accelerometer housing. The method provides for outputting a broadband analog accelerometer signal, integrating this signal to produce a velocity signal, integrating and calibrating the velocity signal before application to a display driver, and selecting a trip point at which a digitally compatible output signal is generated.

Characterization of the surface charge distribution on kaolinite particles using high resolution atomic force microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Naveen; Zhao, Cunlu; Klaassen, Aram; van den Ende, Dirk; Mugele, Frieder; Siretanu, Igor

2016-02-01

Most solid surfaces, in particular clay minerals and rock surfaces, acquire a surface charge upon exposure to an aqueous environment due to adsorption and/or desorption of ionic species. Macroscopic techniques such as titration and electrokinetic measurements are commonly used to determine the surface charge and ζ -potential of these surfaces. However, because of the macroscopic averaging character these techniques cannot do justice to the role of local heterogeneities on the surfaces. In this work, we use dynamic atomic force microscopy (AFM) to determine the distribution of surface charge on the two (gibbsite-like and silica-like) basal planes of kaolinite nanoparticles immersed in aqueous electrolyte with a lateral resolution of approximately 30 nm. The surface charge density is extracted from force-distance curves using DLVO theory in combination with surface complexation modeling. While the gibbsite-like and the silica-like facet display on average positive and negative surface charge values as expected, our measurements reveal lateral variations of more than a factor of two on seemingly atomically smooth terraces, even if high resolution AFM images clearly reveal the atomic lattice on the surface. These results suggest that simple surface complexation models of clays that attribute a unique surface chemistry and hence homogeneous surface charge densities to basal planes may miss important aspects of real clay surfaces.

Rotary distributor type fuel injection pump

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

Klopfer, K.H.; Dordjevic, I.; Higgins, M.C.

1993-07-20

In a fuel injection pump having a pump body and distributor rotor in coaxial alignment, the pump body is described having a pumping chamber provided by an annular arrangement of pumping plunger bores with axes extending generally radially outwardly from the axis of the distributor rotor, a pumping plunger mounted in each plunger bore for reciprocation, annular cam means surrounding the annular arrangement of plunger bores for reciprocating the pumping plungers to provide alternating intake and pumping strokes thereof for respectively supplying intake charges of fuel to the pumping chamber and delivering high pressure charges of fuel from the pumpingmore » chamber for fuel injection, a distributor head with a plurality of distributor outlets, the distributor rotor being rotatably mounted in the distributor head for distributing the high pressure charges of fuel to the distributor outlets; the improvement wherein the pump body and distributor rotor have a central coaxial bore extending there through and providing a valve bore intersecting the annular arrangement of plunger bores, the pump body providing an annular valve seat around the central bore between one end thereof away from the distributor rotor and the intersection of the valve bore and annular arrangement of plunger bores, an elongated valve member mounted in the valve bore having a sealing head at one end thereof engageable with the annular valve seat and extending from the sealing head toward the other end of the central bore, a fuel supply chamber connected to the one end of the central bore for supplying fuel to the pumping chamber, valve actuating means comprising an electromagnet at the other end of the valve member from the sealing head and operable when energized to shift the valve member in one axial direction thereof to one of its the positions, and means for shifting the valve member in the opposite axial direction thereof to its other position when the electromagnet is deenergized.« less

Proximity charge sensing for semiconductor detectors

DOEpatents

Luke, Paul N; Tindall, Craig S; Amman, Mark

2013-10-08

A non-contact charge sensor includes a semiconductor detector having a first surface and an opposing second surface. The detector includes a high resistivity electrode layer on the first surface and a low resistivity electrode on the high resistivity electrode layer. A portion of the low resistivity first surface electrode is deleted to expose the high resistivity electrode layer in a portion of the area. A low resistivity electrode layer is disposed on the second surface of the semiconductor detector. A voltage applied between the first surface low resistivity electrode and the second surface low resistivity electrode causes a free charge to drift toward the first or second surface according to a polarity of the free charge and the voltage. A charge sensitive preamplifier coupled to a non-contact electrode disposed at a distance from the exposed high resistivity electrode layer outputs a signal in response to movement of free charge within the detector.

Kinetic analysis of the interaction between poly(amidoamine) dendrimers and model lipid membranes.

PubMed

Tiriveedhi, Venkataswarup; Kitchens, Kelly M; Nevels, Kerrick J; Ghandehari, Hamidreza; Butko, Peter

2011-01-01

We used fluorescence spectroscopy and surface tensiometry to study the interaction between low-generation (G1 and G4) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers, potential vehicles for intracellular drug delivery, and model lipid bilayers. Membrane association of fluorescently labeled dendrimers, measured by fluorescence anisotropy, increased with increasing size of the dendrimer and with increasing negative charge density in the membrane, indicating the electrostatic nature of the interaction. When the membrane was doped with pyrene-labeled phosphatidyl glycerol (pyrene-PG), pyrene excimer fluorescence demonstrated a dendrimer-induced selective aggregation of negatively charged lipids when the membrane was in the liquid crystalline state. A nonlinear Stern-Volmer quenching of dendrimer fluorescence with cobalt bromide suggested a dendrimer-induced aggregation of lipid vesicles, which increased with the dendrimer's generation number. Surface tensiometry measurements showed that dendrimers penetrated into the lipid monolayer only at subphysiologic surface pressures (<30mN/m). We conclude that the low-generation PAMAM dendrimers associate with lipid membranes predominantly electrostatically, without significantly compromising the bilayer integrity. They bind stronger to membranes with higher fluidity and lower surface pressure, which are characteristic of rapidly dividing cells. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High Temperature Ultrasonic Probe and Pulse-Echo Probe Mounting Fixture for Testing and Blind Alignment on Steam Pipes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lih, Shyh-Shiuh (Inventor); Takano, Nobuyuki (Inventor); Lee, Hyeong Jae (Inventor); Bao, Xiaoqi (Inventor); Badescu, Mircea (Inventor); Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor); Sherrit, Stewart (Inventor); Ostlund, Patrick N. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

A high temperature ultrasonic probe and a mounting fixture for attaching and aligning the probe to a steam pipe using blind alignment. The high temperature ultrasonic probe includes a piezoelectric transducer having a high temperature. The probe provides both transmitting and receiving functionality. The mounting fixture allows the high temperature ultrasonic probe to be accurately aligned to the bottom external surface of the steam pipe so that the presence of liquid water in the steam pipe can be monitored. The mounting fixture with a mounted high temperature ultrasonic probe are used to conduct health monitoring of steam pipes and to track the height of condensed water through the wall in real-time.

Process and kinetics of bonelike apatite formation on sintered hydroxyapatite in a simulated body fluid.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun-Min; Himeno, Teruyuki; Kokubo, Tadashi; Nakamura, Takashi

2005-07-01

The surfaces of two hydroxyapatites (HA), which have been sintered at different temperatures of 800 and 1200 degrees C, was investigated as a function of soaking time in simulated body fluid (SBF) using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) attached with energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDX) and laser electrophoresis spectroscopy. The TEM-EDX indicated that after soaking in SBF, both the HAs form bonelike apatite by undergoing the same surface structural change, i.e., formations of a Ca-rich amorphous or nano-crystalline calcium phosphate (ACP) and a Ca-poor ACP, which eventually crystallized into bonelike apatite. Zeta potential characterized by the electrophoresis indicated that during exposure to SBF, the HA surfaces reveal negative surface charge, thereby interacting with the positive calcium ions in the fluid to form the Ca-rich ACP, which gains positive surface charge. The Ca-rich ACP on the HAs then interacts with the negative phosphate ions in the fluid to form the Ca-poor ACP, which stabilizes by being crystallized into bonelike apatite with a low solubility in the SBF. The exposure times for formations of these phases of the Ca-rich ACP, the Ca-poor ACP as well as the apatite were, however, all late on HA sintered at 1200 degrees C, compared with the HA sintered at 800 degrees C. This phenomenon was attributed to a lower initial negative surface charge of the HA sintered at 800 degrees C than of that one sintered at 1200 degrees C, owing to poverty in surface hydroxyl and phosphate groups which are responsible for the surface negativity of the HA. These indicate that sintered temperature of HA might influence not in terms of the process but in terms of the rate of formation of biologically active bonelike apatite on its surface, through which the HA integrates with living bone.

Probing the Surface Charge on the Basal Planes of Kaolinite Particles with High-Resolution Atomic Force Microscopy

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

High-resolution atomic force microscopy is used to map the surface charge on the basal planes of kaolinite nanoparticles in an ambient solution of variable pH and NaCl or CaCl2 concentration. Using DLVO theory with charge regulation, we determine from the measured force–distance curves the surface charge distribution on both the silica-like and the gibbsite-like basal plane of the kaolinite particles. We observe that both basal planes do carry charge that varies with pH and salt concentration. The silica facet was found to be negatively charged at pH 4 and above, whereas the gibbsite facet is positively charged at pH below 7 and negatively charged at pH above 7. Investigations in CaCl2 at pH 6 show that the surface charge on the gibbsite facet increases for concentration up to 10 mM CaCl2 and starts to decrease upon further increasing the salt concentration to 50 mM. The increase of surface charge at low concentration is explained by Ca2+ ion adsorption, while Cl– adsorption at higher CaCl2 concentrations partially neutralizes the surface charge. Atomic resolution imaging and density functional theory calculations corroborate these observations. They show that hydrated Ca2+ ions can spontaneously adsorb on the gibbsite facet of the kaolinite particle and form ordered surface structures, while at higher concentrations Cl– ions will co-adsorb, thereby changing the observed ordered surface structure. PMID:29140711

Probing the Surface Charge on the Basal Planes of Kaolinite Particles with High-Resolution Atomic Force Microscopy.

PubMed

Kumar, N; Andersson, M P; van den Ende, D; Mugele, F; Siretanu, I

2017-12-19

High-resolution atomic force microscopy is used to map the surface charge on the basal planes of kaolinite nanoparticles in an ambient solution of variable pH and NaCl or CaCl 2 concentration. Using DLVO theory with charge regulation, we determine from the measured force-distance curves the surface charge distribution on both the silica-like and the gibbsite-like basal plane of the kaolinite particles. We observe that both basal planes do carry charge that varies with pH and salt concentration. The silica facet was found to be negatively charged at pH 4 and above, whereas the gibbsite facet is positively charged at pH below 7 and negatively charged at pH above 7. Investigations in CaCl 2 at pH 6 show that the surface charge on the gibbsite facet increases for concentration up to 10 mM CaCl 2 and starts to decrease upon further increasing the salt concentration to 50 mM. The increase of surface charge at low concentration is explained by Ca 2+ ion adsorption, while Cl - adsorption at higher CaCl 2 concentrations partially neutralizes the surface charge. Atomic resolution imaging and density functional theory calculations corroborate these observations. They show that hydrated Ca 2+ ions can spontaneously adsorb on the gibbsite facet of the kaolinite particle and form ordered surface structures, while at higher concentrations Cl - ions will co-adsorb, thereby changing the observed ordered surface structure.

Probing lipid membrane electrostatics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yi

The electrostatic properties of lipid bilayer membranes play a significant role in many biological processes. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is highly sensitive to membrane surface potential in electrolyte solutions. With fully characterized probe tips, AFM can perform quantitative electrostatic analysis of lipid membranes. Electrostatic interactions between Silicon nitride probes and supported zwitterionic dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) bilayer with a variable fraction of anionic dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) were measured by AFM. Classical Gouy-Chapman theory was used to model the membrane electrostatics. The nonlinear Poisson-Boltzmann equation was numerically solved with finite element method to provide the potential distribution around the AFM tips. Theoretical tip-sample electrostatic interactions were calculated with the surface integral of both Maxwell and osmotic stress tensors on tip surface. The measured forces were interpreted with theoretical forces and the resulting surface charge densities of the membrane surfaces were in quantitative agreement with the Gouy-Chapman-Stern model of membrane charge regulation. It was demonstrated that the AFM can quantitatively detect membrane surface potential at a separation of several screening lengths, and that the AFM probe only perturbs the membrane surface potential by <2%. One important application of this technique is to estimate the dipole density of lipid membrane. Electrostatic analysis of DOPC lipid bilayers with the AFM reveals a repulsive force between the negatively charged probe tips and the zwitterionic lipid bilayers. This unexpected interaction has been analyzed quantitatively to reveal that the repulsion is due to a weak external field created by the internai membrane dipole moment. The analysis yields a dipole moment of 1.5 Debye per lipid with a dipole potential of +275 mV for supported DOPC membranes. This new ability to quantitatively measure the membrane dipole density in a noninvasive manner will be useful in identifying the biological effects of the dipole potential. Finally, heterogeneous model membranes were studied with fluid electric force microscopy (FEFM). Electrostatic mapping was demonstrated with 50 nm resolution. The capabilities of quantitative electrostatic measurement and lateral charge density mapping make AFM a unique and powerful probe of membrane electrostatics.

Effect of silica nanoparticles with variable size and surface functionalization on human endothelial cell viability and angiogenic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guarnieri, Daniela; Malvindi, Maria Ada; Belli, Valentina; Pompa, Pier Paolo; Netti, Paolo

2014-02-01

Silica nanoparticles could be promising delivery vehicles for drug targeting or gene therapy. However, few studies have been undertaken to determine the biological behavior effects of silica nanoparticles on primary endothelial cells. Here we investigated uptake, cytotoxicity and angiogenic properties of silica nanoparticle with positive and negative surface charge and sizes ranging from 25 to 115 nm in primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Dynamic light scattering measurements and nanoparticle tracking analysis were used to estimate the dispersion status of nanoparticles in cell culture media, which was a key aspect to understand the results of the in vitro cellular uptake experiments. Nanoparticles were taken up by primary endothelial cells in a size-dependent manner according to their degree of agglomeration occurring after transfer in cell culture media. Functionalization of the particle surface with positively charged groups enhanced the in vitro cellular uptake, compared to negatively charged nanoparticles. However, this effect was contrasted by the tendency of particles to form agglomerates, leading to lower internalization efficiency. Silica nanoparticle uptake did not affect cell viability and cell membrane integrity. More interestingly, positively and negatively charged 25 nm nanoparticles did not influence capillary-like tube formation and angiogenic sprouting, compared to controls. Considering the increasing interest in nanomaterials for several biomedical applications, a careful study of nanoparticle-endothelial cells interactions is of high relevance to assess possible risks associated to silica nanoparticle exposure and their possible applications in nanomedicine as safe and effective nanocarriers for vascular transport of therapeutic agents.

Characterizing the surface charge of synthetic nanomembranes by the streaming potential method

PubMed Central

Datta, Subhra; Conlisk, A. T.; Kanani, Dharmesh M.; Zydney, Andrew L.; Fissell, William H.; Roy, Shuvo

2010-01-01

The inference of the surface charge of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated and uncoated silicon membranes with nanoscale pore sizes from streaming potential measurements in the presence of finite electric double layer (EDL) effects is studied theoretically and experimentally. The developed theoretical model for inferring the pore wall surface charge density from streaming potential measurements is applicable to arbitrary pore cross-sectional shapes and accounts for the effect of finite salt concentration on the ionic mobilities and the thickness of the deposited layer of PEG. Theoretical interpretation of the streaming potential data collected from silicon membranes having nanoscale pore sizes, with/without pore wall surface modification with PEG, indicates that finite electric double layer (EDL) effects in the pore-confined electrolyte significantly affect the interpretation of the membrane charge and that surface modification with PEG leads to a reduction in the pore wall surface charge density. The theoretical model is also used to study the relative significance of the following uniquely nanoscale factors affecting the interpretation of streaming potential in moderate to strongly charged pores: altered net charge convection by applied pressure differentials, surface-charge effects on ionic conduction, and electroosmotic convection of charges. PMID:20462592

Development and Sizing of the JWST Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) Metering Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, John; Kunt, Cengiz; Bartoszyk, Andrew; Hendricks, Steve; Cofie, Emmanuel

2006-01-01

The JWST Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) includes a large metering structure (approx. 2m x 2m x 1.5m) that houses the science instruments and guider. Stringent dimensional stability and repeatability requirements combined with mass limitations led to the selection of a composite bonded frame design comprised of biased laminate tubes. Even with the superb material specific stiffness, achieving the required frequency for the given mass allocations in conjunction with severe spatial limitations imposed by the instrument complement has proven challenging. In response to the challenge, the ISIM structure team considered literally over 100 primary structure topology and kinematic mount configurations, and settled on a concept comprised of over 70 m of tubes, over 50 bonded joint assemblies, and a "split bi-pod" kinematic mount configuration. In this paper, we review the evolution of the ISIM primary structure topology and kinematic mount configuration to the current baseline concept.

Evolution of integrated panel structural design and interfaces for PV power plants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnett, J. C.; Anderson, A. J.; Robertson, R. E.

1983-01-01

The evolution of integrated photovoltaic (PV) panel design at ARCO Solar is discussed. Historically, framed PV modules of about 1 x 4-ft size were individually mounted in the field on fixed support structures and interconnected electrically with cables to build higher-power arrays. When ARCO Solar saw the opportunity in 1982 to marry its PV modules with state-of-the-art heliostat trackers developed by ARCO Power Systems, it became obvious that mounting individual modules was impractical. For this project, the framed modules were factory-assembled into panels and interconnected with cables before being mounted on the trackers. Since then, ARCO Solar made considerable progress and gained substantial experience in the design and fabrication of large PV panels. Constraints and criteria considered in these design activities included static and dynamic loads; assembly and transportation equipment and logistics, structural and electrical interfaces, and safety and grounding concerns.

Integration Head Mounted Display Device and Hand Motion Gesture Device for Virtual Reality Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rengganis, Y. A.; Safrodin, M.; Sukaridhoto, S.

2018-01-01

Virtual Reality Laboratory (VR Lab) is an innovation for conventional learning media which show us whole learning process in laboratory. There are many tools and materials are needed by user for doing practical in it, so user could feel new learning atmosphere by using this innovation. Nowadays, technologies more sophisticated than before. So it would carry in education and it will be more effective, efficient. The Supported technologies are needed us for making VR Lab such as head mounted display device and hand motion gesture device. The integration among them will be used us for making this research. Head mounted display device for viewing 3D environment of virtual reality laboratory. Hand motion gesture device for catching user real hand and it will be visualized in virtual reality laboratory. Virtual Reality will show us, if using the newest technologies in learning process it could make more interesting and easy to understand.

Electronically shielded solid state charged particle detector

DOEpatents

Balmer, D.K.; Haverty, T.W.; Nordin, C.W.; Tyree, W.H.

1996-08-20

An electronically shielded solid state charged particle detector system having enhanced radio frequency interference immunity includes a detector housing with a detector entrance opening for receiving the charged particles. A charged particle detector having an active surface is disposed within the housing. The active surface faces toward the detector entrance opening for providing electrical signals representative of the received charged particles when the received charged particles are applied to the active surface. A conductive layer is disposed upon the active surface. In a preferred embodiment, a nonconductive layer is disposed between the conductive layer and the active surface. The conductive layer is electrically coupled to the detector housing to provide a substantially continuous conductive electrical shield surrounding the active surface. The inner surface of the detector housing is supplemented with a radio frequency absorbing material such as ferrite. 1 fig.

Electronically shielded solid state charged particle detector

DOEpatents

Balmer, David K.; Haverty, Thomas W.; Nordin, Carl W.; Tyree, William H.

1996-08-20

An electronically shielded solid state charged particle detector system having enhanced radio frequency interference immunity includes a detector housing with a detector entrance opening for receiving the charged particles. A charged particle detector having an active surface is disposed within the housing. The active surface faces toward the detector entrance opening for providing electrical signals representative of the received charged particles when the received charged particles are applied to the active surface. A conductive layer is disposed upon the active surface. In a preferred embodiment, a nonconductive layer is disposed between the conductive layer and the active surface. The conductive layer is electrically coupled to the detector housing to provide a substantially continuous conductive electrical shield surrounding the active surface. The inner surface of the detector housing is supplemented with a radio frequency absorbing material such as ferrite.

Defect mapping system

DOEpatents

Sopori, Bhushan L.

1995-01-01

Apparatus for detecting and mapping defects in the surfaces of polycrystalline materials in a manner that distinguishes dislocation pits from grain boundaries includes a laser for illuminating a wide spot on the surface of the material, a light integrating sphere with apertures for capturing light scattered by etched dislocation pits in an intermediate range away from specular reflection while allowing light scattered by etched grain boundaries in a near range from specular reflection to pass through, and optical detection devices for detecting and measuring intensities of the respective intermediate scattered light and near specular scattered light. A center blocking aperture or filter can be used to screen out specular reflected light, which would be reflected by nondefect portions of the polycrystalline material surface. An X-Y translation stage for mounting the polycrystalline material and signal processing and computer equipment accommodate rastor mapping, recording, and displaying of respective dislocation and grain boundary defect densities. A special etch procedure is included, which prepares the polycrystalline material surface to produce distinguishable intermediate and near specular light scattering in patterns that have statistical relevance to the dislocation and grain boundary defect densities.

Defect mapping system

DOEpatents

Sopori, B.L.

1995-04-11

Apparatus for detecting and mapping defects in the surfaces of polycrystalline materials in a manner that distinguishes dislocation pits from grain boundaries includes a laser for illuminating a wide spot on the surface of the material, a light integrating sphere with apertures for capturing light scattered by etched dislocation pits in an intermediate range away from specular reflection while allowing light scattered by etched grain boundaries in a near range from specular reflection to pass through, and optical detection devices for detecting and measuring intensities of the respective intermediate scattered light and near specular scattered light. A center blocking aperture or filter can be used to screen out specular reflected light, which would be reflected by nondefect portions of the polycrystalline material surface. An X-Y translation stage for mounting the polycrystalline material and signal processing and computer equipment accommodate rastor mapping, recording, and displaying of respective dislocation and grain boundary defect densities. A special etch procedure is included, which prepares the polycrystalline material surface to produce distinguishable intermediate and near specular light scattering in patterns that have statistical relevance to the dislocation and grain boundary defect densities. 20 figures.

Antibacterial action mode of quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan/poly(amidoamine) dendrimer core-shell nanoparticles against Escherichia coli correlated with molecular chain conformation.

PubMed

Wen, Yan; Yao, Fanglian; Sun, Fang; Tan, Zhilei; Tian, Liang; Xie, Lei; Song, Qingchao

2015-03-01

The action mode of quaternized carboxymethyl chitosan/poly(amidoamine) dendrimer core-shell nanoparticles (CM-HTCC/PAMAM) against Escherichia coli (E. coli) was investigated via a combination of approaches including measurements of cell membrane integrity, outer membrane (OM) and inner membrane (IM) permeability, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). CM-HTCC/PAMAM dendrimer nanoparticles likely acted in a sequent event-driven mechanism, beginning with the binding of positively charged groups from nanoparticle surface with negative cell surface, thereby causing the disorganization of cell membrane, and subsequent leakage of intracellular components which might ultimately lead to cell death. Moreover, the chain conformation of polymers was taken into account for a better understanding of the antibacterial action mode by means of viscosity and GPC measurements. High utilization ratio of positive charge and large specific surface area generated from a compacted conformation of CM-HTCC/PAMAM, significantly different from the extended conformation of HTCC, were proposed to be involved in the antibacterial action. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Test probe for surface mounted leadless chip carrier

DOEpatents

Meyer, Kerry L.; Topolewski, John

1989-05-23

A test probe for a surface mounted leadless chip carrier is disclosed. The probed includes specially designed connector pins which allow size reductions in the probe. A thermoplastic housing provides spring action to ensure good mechanical and electrical contact between the pins and the contact strips of a leadless chip carrier. Other features include flexible wires molded into the housing and two different types of pins alternately placed in the housing. These features allow fabrication of a smaller and simpler test probe.

Test probe for surface mounted leadless chip carrier

DOEpatents

Meyer, K.L.; Topolewski, J.

1987-10-02

A test probe for a surface mounted leadless chip carrier is disclosed. The probe includes specially designed connector pins which allow size reductions in the probe. A thermoplastic housing provides spring action to ensure good mechanical and electrical contact between the pins and the contact strips of a leadless chip carrier. Other features include flexible wires molded into the housing and two different types of pins alternately placed in the housing. These features allow fabrication of a smaller and simpler test probe. 1 fig.

Vehicle for carrying an object of interest

DOEpatents

Zollinger, W.T.; Ferrante, T.A.

1998-10-13

A vehicle for carrying an object of interest across a supporting surface including a frame having opposite first and second ends; a first pair of wheels fixedly mounted on the first end of the frame; a second pair of wheels pivotally mounted on the second end of the frame; and a pair of motors borne by the frame, each motor disposed in driving relation relative to one of the pairs of wheels, the motors propelling the vehicle across the supporting surface. 8 figs.

Surface-mounted MOF templated fabrication of homochiral polymer thin film for enantioselective adsorption of drugs.

PubMed

Gu, Zhi-Gang; Fu, Wen-Qiang; Liu, Min; Zhang, Jian

2017-01-26

A self-polymerized chiral monomer 3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine (l-DOPA) has been introduced into the pores of an achiral surface-mounted metal organic framework (SURMOF), and then the homochiral poly(l-DOPA) thin film has been successfully formed after UV light irradiation and etching of the SURMOF. Remarkably, such a poly(l-DOPA) thin film exhibited enantioselective adsorption of naproxen. This study opened a SURMOF-templated approach for preparing porous polymer thin films.

Vehicle for carrying an object of interest

DOEpatents

Zollinger, W. Thor; Ferrante, Todd A.

1998-01-01

A vehicle for carrying an object of interest across a supporting surface including a frame having opposite first and second ends; a first pair of wheels fixedly mounted on the first end of the frame; a second pair of wheels pivotally mounted on the second end of the frame; and a pair of motors borne by the frame, each motor disposed in driving relation relative to one of the pairs of wheels, the motors propelling the vehicle across the supporting surface.

Effect of surface material on electrostatic charging of houseflies (Musca domestica L).

PubMed

McGonigle, Daniel F; Jackson, Chris W

2002-04-01

Houseflies (Musca domestica L) accumulated electrostatic charges when walking over clean, uncharged dielectric surfaces. The charges elicited on a walking housefly by a range of materials were quantified, allowing a triboelectric series to be determined relative to M domestica. This ranged from surfaces that charged individuals positively, e.g. Correx (corrugated polypropylene) [.1 (+/- 4.2)pC], to those that applied a negative charge, e.g. clear cast acrylic [-14.9 (+/- 2.9)pC]. Maximum positive and negative charges accumulated by individual M domestica were +73 and -27 pC. Replicate measurements on the same fly and surface showed little variation. Variation between individuals was not related to sex and was not consistent between surfaces. Different materials charged M domestica significantly differently and individual flies had significantly different charging properties. Variation in temperature between 21.3 degrees C and 24.7 degrees C and humidity between 24% and 41% RH significantly affected charge accumulated by M domestica on some surfaces, although further experimentation is needed to confirm this. The implications of this work are discussed in relation to insect trap design and pollination biology.

An Experimental Investigation of Unsteady Surface Pressure on an Airfoil in Turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mish, Patrick F.; Devenport, William J.

2003-01-01

Measurements of fluctuating surface pressure were made on a NACA 0015 airfoil immersed in grid generated turbulence. The airfoil model has a 2 ft chord and spans the 6 ft Virginia Tech Stability Wind Tunnel test section. Two grids were used to investigate the effects of turbulence length scale on the surface pressure response. A large grid which produced turbulence with an integral scale 13% of the chord and a smaller grid which produced turbulence with an integral scale 1.3% of the chord. Measurements were performed at angles of attack, alpha from 0 to 20 . An array of microphones mounted subsurface was used to measure the unsteady surface pressure. The goal of this measurement was to characterize the effects of angle of attack on the inviscid response. Lift spectra calculated from pressure measurements at each angle of attack revealed two distinct interaction regions; for omega(sub r) = omega b / U(sub infinity) is less than 10 a reduction in unsteady lift of up to 7 decibels (dB) occurs while an increase occurs for omega(sub r) is greater than 10 as the angle of attack is increased. The reduction in unsteady lift at low omega(sub r) with increasing angle of attack is a result that has never before been shown either experimentally or theoretically. The source of the reduction in lift spectral level appears to be closely related to the distortion of inflow turbulence based on analysis of surface pressure spanwise correlation length scales. Furthermore, while the distortion of the inflow appears to be critical in this experiment, this effect does not seem to be significant in larger integral scale (relative to the chord) flows based on the previous experimental work of McKeough suggesting the airfoils size relative to the inflow integral scale is critical in defining how the airfoil will respond under variation of angle of attack. A prediction scheme is developed that correctly accounts for the effects of distortion when the inflow integral scale is small relative to the airfoil chord. This scheme utilizes Rapid Distortion Theory to account for the distortion of the inflow with the distortion field modeled using a circular cylinder.

Coal feed lock

DOEpatents

Pinkel, I. Irving

1978-01-01

A coal feed lock is provided for dispensing coal to a high pressure gas producer with nominal loss of high pressure gas. The coal feed lock comprises a rotor member with a diametral bore therethrough. A hydraulically activated piston is slidably mounted in the bore. With the feed lock in a charging position, coal is delivered to the bore and then the rotor member is rotated to a discharging position so as to communicate with the gas producer. The piston pushes the coal into the gas producer. The rotor member is then rotated to the charging position to receive the next load of coal.

Mount Everest region as seen from the STS-66 orbiter Atlantis

NASA Image and Video Library

1994-11-14

STS066-124-059 (3-14 Nov. 1994) --- Mount Everest region, Nepal and China. Low morning Sun highlights Mount Everest (the highest mountain in the world at 8,848 meters), Cho Oyu (8,153 meters) to the northwest, and other peaks of "The Roof of the World". New snow seems to be confined to the highest peaks. Abundant details of glacier surfaces, including moraines, crevasse fields, and ice falls are displayed for study.

Reducing the Effect of Transducer Mount Induced Noise (XMIN) on Aeroacoustic Wind Tunnel Testing Data with a New Transducer Mount Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herron, Andrew J.; Reed, Darren K.; Nance, Donald K.

2015-01-01

Characterization of flight vehicle unsteady aerodynamics is often studied via large scale wind tunnel testing. Boundary layer noise is measured by miniature pressure transducers installed in a model. Noise levels (2-5 dB ref. 20 µPa) can be induced when transducer is mounted out of flush with model outer surface. This effect must be minimized to accurately determine aerodynamically induced acoustic environments.

Oil Contact Angles in a Water-Decane-Silicon Dioxide System: Effects of Surface Charge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Shijing; Wang, Jingyao; Wu, Jiazhong; Liu, Qingjie; Sun, Chengzhen; Bai, Bofeng

2018-04-01

Oil wettability in the water-oil-rock systems is very sensitive to the evolution of surface charges on the rock surfaces induced by the adsorption of ions and other chemical agents in water flooding. Through a set of large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we reveal the effects of surface charge on the oil contact angles in an ideal water-decane-silicon dioxide system. The results show that the contact angles of oil nano-droplets have a great dependence on the surface charges. As the surface charge density exceeds a critical value of 0.992 e/nm2, the contact angle reaches up to 78.8° and the water-wet state is very apparent. The variation of contact angles can be confirmed from the number density distributions of oil molecules. With increasing the surface charge density, the adsorption of oil molecules weakens and the contact areas between nano-droplets and silicon dioxide surface are reduced. In addition, the number density distributions, RDF distributions, and molecular orientations indicate that the oil molecules are adsorbed on the silicon dioxide surface layer-by-layer with an orientation parallel to the surface. However, the layered structure of oil molecules near the silicon dioxide surface becomes more and more obscure at higher surface charge densities.

Oil Contact Angles in a Water-Decane-Silicon Dioxide System: Effects of Surface Charge.

PubMed

Xu, Shijing; Wang, Jingyao; Wu, Jiazhong; Liu, Qingjie; Sun, Chengzhen; Bai, Bofeng

2018-04-19

Oil wettability in the water-oil-rock systems is very sensitive to the evolution of surface charges on the rock surfaces induced by the adsorption of ions and other chemical agents in water flooding. Through a set of large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we reveal the effects of surface charge on the oil contact angles in an ideal water-decane-silicon dioxide system. The results show that the contact angles of oil nano-droplets have a great dependence on the surface charges. As the surface charge density exceeds a critical value of 0.992 e/nm 2 , the contact angle reaches up to 78.8° and the water-wet state is very apparent. The variation of contact angles can be confirmed from the number density distributions of oil molecules. With increasing the surface charge density, the adsorption of oil molecules weakens and the contact areas between nano-droplets and silicon dioxide surface are reduced. In addition, the number density distributions, RDF distributions, and molecular orientations indicate that the oil molecules are adsorbed on the silicon dioxide surface layer-by-layer with an orientation parallel to the surface. However, the layered structure of oil molecules near the silicon dioxide surface becomes more and more obscure at higher surface charge densities.

The electric field of a uniformly charged cubic shell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCreery, Kaitlin; Greenside, Henry

2018-01-01

As an integrative and insightful example for undergraduates learning about electrostatics, we discuss how to use symmetry, Coulomb's law, superposition, Gauss's law, and visualization to understand the electric field E (x ,y ,z ) produced by a uniformly charged cubic shell. We first discuss how to deduce qualitatively, using freshman-level physics, the perhaps surprising fact that the interior electric field is nonzero and has a complex structure, pointing inwards from the middle of each face of the shell and pointing outwards towards each edge and corner. We then discuss how to understand the quantitative features of the electric field by plotting an analytical expression for E along symmetry lines and on symmetry surfaces of the shell.

The ST environment: Expected charged particle radiation levels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stassinopoulos, E. G.

1978-01-01

The external (surface incident) charged particle radiation, predicted for the ST satellite at the three different mission altitudes, was determined in two ways: (1) by orbital flux-integration and (2) by geographical instantaneous flux-mapping. The latest standard models of the environment were used in this effort. Magnetic field definitions for three nominal circular trajectories and for the geographic mapping positions were obtained from a current field model. Spatial and temporal variations or conditions affecting the static environment models were considered and accounted for, wherever possible. Limited shielding and dose evaluations were performed for a simple geometry. Results, given in tabular and graphical form, are analyzed, explained, and discussed. Conclusions are included.

Power Systems Integration Laboratory | Energy Systems Integration Facility

Science.gov Websites

inverters. Key Infrastructure Grid simulator, load bank, Opal-RT, battery, inverter mounting racks, data , frequency-watt, and grid anomaly ride-through. Key Infrastructure House power, Opal-RT, PV simulator access

Critical Dipole Length for the Wetting Transition Due to Collective Water-dipoles Interactions

PubMed Central

Wang, Chunlei; Zhou, Bo; Tu, Yusong; Duan, Manyi; Xiu, Peng; Li, Jingye; Fang, Haiping

2012-01-01

The wetting behavior of water on the solid surfaces is fundamental to various physical, chemical and biological processes. Conventionally, the surface with charges or charge dipoles is hydrophilic, whereas the non-polar surface is hydrophobic though some exceptions were recently reported. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we show that there is a critical length of the charge dipoles on the solid surface. The solid surface still exhibited hydrophobic behavior when the dipole length was less than the critical value, indicating that the water molecules on the solid surface seemed not “feel” attractive interactions from the charge dipoles on the solid surface. Those unexpected observations result from the collective interactions between the water molecules and charge dipoles on the solid surface, where the steric exclusion effect between water molecules greatly reduces the water-dipole interactions. Remarkably, the steric exclusion effect is also important for surfaces with charge dipole lengths greater than this critical length. PMID:22496954

Determining biological tissue optical properties via integrating sphere spatial measurements

DOEpatents

Baba, Justin S [Knoxville, TN; Letzen, Brian S [Coral Springs, FL

2011-01-11

An optical sample is mounted on a spatial-acquisition apparatus that is placed in or on an enclosure. An incident beam is irradiated on a surface of the sample and the specular reflection is allowed to escape from the enclosure through an opening. The spatial-acquisition apparatus is provided with a light-occluding slider that moves in front of the sample to block portions of diffuse scattering from the sample. As the light-occluding slider moves across the front of the sample, diffuse light scattered into the area of the backside of the light-occluding slider is absorbed by back side surface of the light-occluding slider. By measuring a baseline diffuse reflectance without a light-occluding slider and subtracting measured diffuse reflectance with a light-occluding slider therefrom, diffuse reflectance for the area blocked by the light-occluding slider can be calculated.

Using wintergreen oil for mounting mosquito larvae: a safer alternative to xylene.

PubMed

Koay, J B; Natasya, N N; Nashithatul, Mag; Ihsanuddin, R; Salleh, F M; Azil, A H

2016-01-01

Permanent mounting of fourth instar mosquito larvae is essential for identifying Aedes spp. This procedure requires extensive exposure to xylene, a clearing agent in the mounting process. We investigated wintergreen oil as a substitute for xylene. Five hundred larvae were mounted on slides to evaluate shrinkage or expansion of specimens after clearing using xylene or wintergreen oil. We examined the ventral brush and siphonal hair tufts for species identification and for preservation of morphological characteristics after clearing specimens in xylene or wintergreen oil. Shrinkage of the length of whole larvae and width of the head, thorax and abdomen after mounting was significantly greater after clearing with xylene than with wintergreen oil. The length of the comb scale nearest the ventral brush was similar for both clearing agents. The clarity of the specimens after mounting was improved by clearing with wintergreen oil, but the integrity of the ventral brush and siphonal hair tufts were similar for both clearing agents.