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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 523 records · Page 29

Turbulent Statistics From Time-Resolved PIV Measurements of a Jet Using Empirical Mode Decomposition

Empirical mode decomposition is an adaptive signal processing method that when applied to a broadband signal, such as that generated by turbulence, acts as a set of band-pass filters. This process was applied to data from time-resolved, particle image velocimetry measurements of subsonic jets prior to computing the second-order, two-point, space-time correlations from which turbulent phase velocities and length and time scales could be determined. The application of this method to large sets of simultaneous time histories is new. In this initial study, the results are relevant to acoustic analogy source models for jet noise prediction. The high frequency portion of the results could provide the turbulent values for subgrid scale models for noise that is missed in large-eddy simulations. The results are also used to infer that the cross-correlations between different components of the decomposed signals at two points in space, neglected in this initial study, are important.

Dahl, Milo D.↗

Image processing analysis of nuclear track parameters for CR-39 detector irradiated by thermal neutron

CR-39 detector which covered with boric acid (H{sub 3}Bo{sub 3}) pellet was irradiated by thermal neutrons from ({sup 241}Am - {sup 9}Be) source with activity 12Ci and neutron flux 10{sup 5} n. cm{sup −2}. s{sup −1}. The irradiation times -T{sub D} for detector were 4h, 8h, 16h and 24h. Chemical etching solution for detector was sodium hydroxide NaOH, 6.25N with 45 min etching time and 60 C° temperature. Images of CR-39 detector after chemical etching were taken from digital camera which connected from optical microscope. MATLAB software version 7.0 was used to image processing. The outputs of image processing of MATLAB software were analyzed and found the following relationships: (a) The irradiation time -T{sub D} has behavior linear relationships with following nuclear track parameters: i) total track number - N{sub T} ii) maximum track number - MRD (relative to track diameter - D{sub T}) at response region range 2.5 µm to 4 µm iii) maximum track number - M{sub D} (without depending on track diameter - D{sub T}). (b) The irradiation time -T{sub D} has behavior logarithmic relationship with maximum track number - M{sub A} (without depending on track area - A{sub T}). The image processing technique principally track diameter - D{sub T} can be take into account to classification of α-particle emitters, In addition to the contribution of these technique in preparation of nano- filters and nano-membrane in nanotechnology fields.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Development and Characterization of Cementitious Waste Forms for Immobilization of Granular Activated Carbon, Silver Mordenite, and HEPA Filter Media Solid Secondary Waste

Solid secondary waste materials expected to be generated during Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) operations were characterized (using representative materials) with respect to their ability to retain technetium-99 (Tc), iodine-129 (I), and mercury (Hg) as input to future updates to the Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) performance assessments (PAs). The waste materials included granular activated carbon (GAC), silver mordenite (AgM), and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter media; all are used for removal of contaminants and radionuclides from the gaseous effluent treatment systems within the WTP. It is expected that the GAC and AgM will be mixed into a cementitious waste form in which the GAC and AgM particles will be blended/stabilized into the cementitious material. It is also expected that the HEPA filter media will be compacted and placed in a container that is then backfilled with a grout to macroencapsulate the medium. Here we report Kds for all waste materials of interest, examine the physical properties of grout specimens containing the waste materials, and provide solid-state characterization information to further understand the interaction of the waste materials with the encapsulating grout. The Kds are used in PA calculations that estimate contaminant release from the disposal site. Monolithic test specimens were prepared with the GAC and AgM mixed in either a Cast Stone grout formulation (8 weight percent [wt%] ordinary Portland cement [OPC], 45 wt% fly ash [FA], 47 wt% blast furnace slag [BFS]) or a Hanford grout mix 5 (HGM-5) formulation (25 wt% OPC, 75 wt% FA). As the specimens were being prepared, the fluid grout mixes were characterized for processing properties including flowability, set time, and the presence of free liquids during curing. After curing, compressive strengths of the waste forms were measured; the compressive strengths were above 2000 psi, easily exceeding the 500 psi minimum requirement. The cured waste forms were also characterized for their density, porosity, hydraulic conductivity, and water characteristic curve—all properties needed in PA calculations of radionuclide release from the waste forms in the IDF. Finally, EPA Method 1315 leach tests were conducted on the GAC and AgM waste materials encapsulated in the Cast Stone and HGM-5 grouts to determine the rate of release of contaminants from the waste forms. Effective diffusivities are provided, which can be used in future PA analyses of the disposal of these solid secondary waste materials.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Development of an Indexing Media Filtration System for Long Duration Space Missions

The effective maintenance of air quality aboard spacecraft cabins will be vital to future human exploration missions. A key component will be the air cleaning filtration system which will need to remove a broad size range of particles derived from multiple biological and material sources. In addition, during surface missions any extraterrestrial planetary dust, including dust generated by near-by ISRU equipment, which is tracked into the habitat will also need to be managed by the filtration system inside the pressurized habitat compartments. An indexing media filter system is being developed to meet the demand for long-duration missions that will result in dramatic increases in filter service life and loading capacity, and will require minimal crew involvement. The filtration system consists of three stages: an inertial impactor stage, an indexing media stage, and a high-efficiency filter stage, packaged in a stacked modular cartridge configuration. Each stage will target a specific range of particle sizes that optimize the filtration and regeneration performance of the system. An 1/8th scale and full-scale prototype of the filter system have been fabricated and have been tested in the laboratory and reduced gravity environments that simulate conditions on spacecrafts, landers and habitats. Results from recent laboratory and reduce-gravity flight tests data will be presented. The features of the new filter system may also benefit other closed systems, such as submarines, and remote location terrestrial installations where servicing and replacement of filter units is not practical.

Filtration↗

Laboratory and field studies of ice-nucleating particles from open-lot livestock facilities in Texas

Abstract. In this work, an abundance of ice-nucleating particles (INPs) from livestock facilities was studied through laboratory measurements from cloud-simulation chamber experiments and field investigation in the Texas Panhandle. Surface materials from two livestock facilities, one in the Texas Panhandle and another from McGregor, Texas, were selected as dust proxies for laboratory analyses. These two samples possessed different chemical and biological properties. A combination of aerosol interaction and dynamics in the atmosphere (AIDA) measurements and offline ice spectrometry was used to assess the immersion freezing mode ice nucleation ability and efficiency of these proxy samples at temperatures above −29 ∘C. A dynamic filter processing chamber was also used to complement the freezing efficiencies of submicron and supermicron particles collected from the AIDA chamber. For the field survey, periodic ambient particle sampling took place at four commercial livestock facilities from July 2017 to July 2019. INP concentrations of collected particles were measured using an offline freezing test system, and the data were acquired for temperatures between −5 and −25 ∘C. Our AIDA laboratory results showed that the freezing spectra of two livestock dust proxies exhibited higher freezing efficiency than previously studied soil dust samples at temperatures below −25 ∘C. Despite their differences in composition, the freezing efficiencies of both proxy livestock dust samples were comparable to each other. Our dynamic filter processing chamber results showed on average approximately 50 % supermicron size dominance in the INPs of both dust proxies. Thus, our laboratory findings suggest the importance of particle size in immersion freezing for these samples and that the size might be a more important factor for immersion freezing of livestock dust than the composition. From a 3-year field survey, we measured a high concentration of ambient INPs of 1171.6 ± 691.6 L−1 (average ± standard error) at −25 ∘C for aerosol particles collected at the downwind edges of livestock facilities. An obvious seasonal variation in INP concentration, peaking in summer, was observed, with the maximum at the same temperature exceeding 10 000 L−1 on 23 July 2018. The observed high INP concentrations suggest that a livestock facility is a substantial source of INPs. The INP concentration values from our field survey showed a strong correlation with measured particulate matter mass concentration, which supports the importance of size in ice nucleation of particles from livestock facilities.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

NASA Tech Briefs, August 2004

Topics covered include: Data Relay Board with Protocol for High-Speed, Free-Space Optical Communications; Software and Algorithms for Biomedical Image Data Processing and Visualization; Rapid Chemometric Filtering of Spectral Data; Prioritizing Scientific Data for Transmission; Determining Sizes of Particles in a Flow from DPIV Data; Faster Processing for Inverting GPS Occultation Data; FPGA-Based, Self-Checking, Fault-Tolerant Computers; Ultralow-Power Digital Correlator for Microwave Polarimetry; Grounding Headphones for Protection Against ESD; Lightweight Stacks of Direct Methanol Fuel Cells; Highly Efficient Vector-Inversion Pulse Generators; Estimating Basic Preliminary Design Performances of Aerospace Vehicles; Framework for Development of Object-Oriented Software; Analyzing Spacecraft Telecommunication Systems; Collaborative Planning of Robotic Exploration; Tools for Administration of a UNIX-Based Network; Preparing and Analyzing Iced Airfoils; Evaluating Performance of Components; Fuels Containing Methane of Natural Gas in Solution; Direct Electrolytic Deposition of Mats of MnxOy Nanowires; Bubble Eliminator Based on Centrifugal Flow; Inflatable Emergency Atmospheric-Entry Vehicles; Lightweight Deployable Mirrors with Tensegrity Supports; Centrifugal Adsorption Cartridge System; Ultrasonic Apparatus for Pulverizing Brittle Material; Transplanting Retinal Cells using Bucky Paper for Support; Using an Ultrasonic Instrument to Size Extravascular Bubbles; Coronagraphic Notch Filter for Raman Spectroscopy; On-the-Fly Mapping for Calibrating Directional Antennas; Working Fluids for Increasing Capacities of Heat Pipes; Computationally-Efficient Minimum-Time Aircraft Routes in the Presence of Winds; Liquid-Metal-Fed Pulsed Plasma Thrusters; Personal Radiation Protection System; and Attitude Control for a Solar-Sail Spacecraft.

Source record↗

Study of the filter method for neutron pulse-height distributions measured with organic scintillators

Identification of neutron sources is of interest in several fields, such as homeland security or basic nu-clear physics. Organic scintillators offer the possibility to unfold fast-neutron energy spectra. Since organic scintillators are sensitive to neutrons and gamma-rays, a method to discriminate these two types of particles is required. This paper is focused on investigation of the discrimination properties of the filter method by using a new procedure. We compare the results of an experimental filter method to a digital pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) method based on charge integration. In addition, these methods are compared to the simulation results obtained with the MCNPX-PoliMi code. The experimental and nu-merical investigations were performed with a 252Cf spontaneous-fission neutron source. The integration of the number of counts gave the relative differences between the experimental filter and digital PSD neutron pulse-height distributions (PHDs) and simulated PHDs less than approximately 5% in the range between 60 keVee and 1.715 MeVee of light output. Above 1.715 MeVee, the PSD method has advantages over the filter method, due to the filter method having significantly worse counting statistics. The results show that the filter method has potential for robust neutron measurements when the PSD method cannot be applied, such as for ‘old’ organic plastic scintillators without PSD capability.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

An EPIC Tale of the Quiescent Particle Background

Extended Source Analysis Software Use Based Empirical Investigation: (1) Builds quiescent particle background (QPB) spectra and images for observations of extended sources that fill (or mostly fill) the FOV i.e., annular background subtraction won't work. (2) Uses a combination of Filter Wheel Closed (FWC) and corner data to capture the spectral, spatial, and temporal variation of the quiescent particle background. New Work: (1) Improved understanding of the QPB (aided by adding a whole lot of data since 2008). (2) Significantly improved statistics (did I mention a LOT more data?). (3) Better characterization and identification of anomalous states. (4) Builds backgrounds for some anomalous state. (5) New efficient method for non-anomalous states.

Snowden, S.L.↗

Preparing for Planetary Surface Exploration by Measuring Habitat Dust Intrusion with Filter Tests During an Analogue Mars Mission

As humans venture deeper into space more issues related to operations will become apparent. While the perils ofdust particles may not be widely recognized, it is one of the major issues astronauts will face on the surface of theMoon and Mars. Dust particles present a problem for both astronaut health and equipment as revealed during theApollo era lunar surface missions. Dust particles cling to spacesuits and field gear, which upon ingress would begincirculating throughout the spacecraft or habitat. An astronaut's health is compromised by the dust particle's potentialto embed in the lungs and cause respiratory illnesses. The extreme abrasiveness and granularity of the particles makeit near impossible to completely shield a spacecraft or habitat from dust related damage. NASA's Glenn ResearchCenter collaborated with Crew 188 at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah to measure how much dustentered the habitat during a series of extravehicular activities (EVAs), or surface excursions. A NASA GRCdeveloped multistage filter system, coined the Scroll Filter System, was tested, for its effectiveness in removing dustthat entered the airlock and habitat after the EVAs. An optical particle counter measured the ambient airlockparticulates five times including: before the start of operations; after the crew left for EVA; in the middle of the EVAwith the settled air; before the crew entered the airlock after EVA; and finally, after the crew simulated repressurizationand suit brushing off in the airlock. Data was also collected in several of the working environmentlocations around MDRS and outside the habitat in the wind. Data collected from this research will help establishfilter equipment for life support systems and prescribed operations for astronaut transition from a planetary surfaceinto a desired clean habitat. Measurements may aid in updating a baseline expected dust load for a surface habitatand further facilitate the mitigation of astronaut's exposure to dust particles on the surface of celestial bodies.

Kobrick, Ryan L.↗

Compact and multi-view solid state neutral particle analyzer arrays on National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade

A compact and multi-view solid state neutral particle analyzer (SSNPA) diagnostic based on silicon photodiode arrays has been successfully tested on the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade. The SSNPA diagnostic provides spatially, temporally, and pitch-angle resolved measurements of fast-ion distribution by detecting fast neutral flux resulting from the charge exchange (CX) reactions. The system consists of three 16-channel subsystems: t-SSNPA viewing the plasma mid-radius and neutral beam (NB) line #2 tangentially, r-SSNPA viewing the plasma core and NB line #1 radially, and p-SSNPA with no intersection with any NB lines. Due to the setup geometry, the active CX signals of t-SSNPA and r-SSNPA are mainly sensitive to passing and trapped particles, respectively. In addition, both t-SSNPA and r-SSNPA utilize three vertically stacked arrays with different filter thicknesses to obtain coarse energy information. The experimental data show that all channels are operational. The signal to noise ratio is typically larger than 10, and the main noise is x-ray induced signal. The active and passive CX signals are clearly observed on t-SSNPA and r-SSNPA during NB modulation. The SSNPA data also indicate significant losses of passing particles during sawteeth, while trapped particles are weakly affected. Fluctuations up to 120 kHz have been observed on SSNPA, and they are strongly correlated with magnetohydrodynamics instabilities.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Estimating mass-absorption cross-section of ambient black carbon aerosols: theoretical, empirical, and machine learning models

The mass-absorption cross-section of black carbon (MAC BC ) is an essential parameter to link the atmospheric concentration of black carbon (BC) with its radiative forcing. When a direct calculation of MAC BC based on observations of aerosol light absorption and BC mass concentration is impossible, we rely on modeling and simulations to estimate MAC BC , but currently, there is no consensus model that can be relied on for accurate predictions across all atmospheric environments when BC particles have different coating thicknesses. Here, we applied five MAC BC prediction models (including three light scattering theories, an empirical model based on observations of particle mass concentrations, and a machine learning model developed in our previous work) to aerosols from three Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) field campaigns. While many studies have found that increasing the complexity of the models helps to constrain biases of the estimated MAC BC , our effort is to evaluate the models based on the criteria of simplicity and accuracy. We find that our machine learning model (support vector machine for regression, SVM) generally performs well across all DOE ARM field campaign data, while the accuracy of core-shell Mie theory depends on the bias correction algorithm applied to filter-based light absorption data. Generally, the empirical model for internally-mixed particles that we considered tends to over-predict MAC BC , while Mie theory for externally-mixed particles tends to under-predict MAC BC . An examination of the influence of coating material on BC cores suggests that the performance of our current SVM model is degraded when the BC is thickly-coated (e.g., it has undergone aging and mixing with other materials in the atmosphere).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Development of an Indexing Media Filtration System for Long Duration Space Missions

The effective maintenance of air quality aboard spacecraft cabins will be vital to future human exploration missions. A key component will be the air cleaning filtration system which will need to remove a broad size range of particles including skin flakes, hair and clothing fibers, other biological matter, and particulate matter derived from material and equipment wear. In addition, during surface missions any extraterrestrial planetary dust, including dust generated by near-by ISRU equipment, which is tracked into the habitat will also need to be managed by the filtration system inside the pressurized habitat compartments. An indexing media filter system is being developed to meet the demand for long-duration missions that will result in dramatic increases in filter service life and loading capacity, and will require minimal crew involvement. These features may also benefit other closed systems, such as submarines, and remote location terrestrial installations where servicing and replacement of filter units is not practical. The filtration system consists of three stages: an inertial impactor stage, an indexing media stage, and a high-efficiency filter stage, packaged in a stacked modular cartridge configuration. Each stage will target a specific range of particle sizes that optimize the filtration and regeneration performance of the system. An 1/8th scale and full-scale prototype of the filter system have been fabricated and have been tested in the laboratory and reduced gravity environments that simulate conditions on spacecrafts, landers and habitats. Results from recent laboratory and reducegravity flight tests data will be presented.

Filtration↗

Classification of Cloud Particle Imagery from Aircraft Platforms Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Abstract A vast amount of ice crystal imagery exists from a variety of field campaign initiatives that can be utilized for cloud microphysical research. Here, nine convolutional neural networks are used to classify particles into nine regimes on over 10 million images from the Cloud Particle Imager probe, including liquid and frozen states and particles with evidence of riming. A transfer learning approach proves that the Visual Geometry Group (VGG-16) network best classifies imagery with respect to multiple performance metrics. Classification accuracies on a validation dataset reach 97% and surpass traditional automated classification. Furthermore, after initial model training and preprocessing, 10 000 images can be classified in approximately 35 s using 20 central processing unit cores and two graphics processing units, which reaches real-time classification capabilities. Statistical analysis of the classified images indicates that a large portion (57%) of the dataset is unusable, meaning the images are too blurry or represent indistinguishable small fragments. In addition, 19% of the dataset is classified as liquid drops. After removal of fragments, blurry images, and cloud drops, 38% of the remaining ice particles are largely intersecting the image border (≥10% cutoff) and therefore are considered unusable because of the inability to properly classify and dimensionalize. After this filtering, an unprecedented database of 1 560 364 images across all campaigns is available for parameter extraction and bulk statistics on specific particle types in a wide variety of storm systems, which can act to improve the current state of microphysical parameterizations.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

EUTERPE: A global gyrokinetic code for stellarator geometry

The current state of the EUTERPE code is described with emphasis on the implemented models and their numerical implementation. The code solves the multi-species electromagnetic gyrokinetic equations in the full volume of a three-dimensional domain. Noise reduction of the particle-in-cell method is achieved by using a δf-method and Fourier filters. The field equations are discretized with B-splines and the resulting system of equations is solved iteratively. For linear simulations a phase-factor transformation is applied in order to strongly reduce the necessary grid resolution. Apart from the full gyrokinetic model, other numerically less expensive hybrid models are also implemented. They are mainly tailored for comparison with fluid theory and for studying the interaction of the bulk plasma with fast particles. The code is parallelized for CPUs by particle and domain decomposition. Good scalability up to several thousand nodes is demonstrated.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Evolution of deep-bed filtration of engine exhaust particulates with trapped mass

Micro-scale filtration experiments were performed on cordierite filter samples using particulate matter (PM) generated by a spark-ignition direct-injection (SIDI) engine fueled with tier II EEE certification gasoline. Size-resolved mass and number concentrations were obtained from several engine operating conditions. The resultant mass-mobility relationships showed weak dependence on the operating condition. An integrated particle size distribution (IPSD) method was used estimate the PM mass concentration in the exhaust stream from the SIDI engine and a heavy duty diesel (HDD) engine. The average estimated mass concentration between all conditions was ~77****** % of the gravimetric measurements performed on Teflon filters. Despite the relatively low elemental carbon fraction (~0.4 to 0.7), the IPSD mass for stoichiometric SIDI exhaust was ~83±38 % of the gravimetric measurement. Identical cordierite filter samples with properties representative of diesel particulate filters were sequentially loaded with PM from the different SIDI engine operating conditions, in order of increasing PM mass concentration. Simultaneous particle size distribution measurements upstream and downstream of the filter sample were used to evaluate filter performance evolution and the instantaneous trapped mass within the filter for two different filter face velocities. The evolution of filtration performance for the different samples was sensitive only to trapped mass, despite using PM from a wide range of operating conditions. Higher filtration velocity resulted in a more rapid shift in the most penetrating particle size towards smaller mobility diameters.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Online and Offline Identification of False Data Injection Attacks in Battery Sensors Using a Single Particle Model

The cells in battery energy storage systems are monitored, protected, and controlled by battery management systems whose sensors are susceptible to cyberattacks. False data injection attacks (FDIAs) targeting batteries’ voltage sensors affect cell protection functions and the estimation of critical battery states like the state of charge (SoC). Inaccurate SoC estimation could result in battery overcharging and over discharging, which can have disastrous consequences on grid operations. This paper proposes a three-pronged online and offline method to detect, identify, and classify FDIAs corrupting the voltage sensors of a battery stack. To accurately model the dynamics of the series-connected cells a single particle model is used and to estimate the SoC, the unscented Kalman filter is employed. FDIA detection, identification, and classification was accomplished using a tuned cumulative sum (CUSUM) algorithm, which was compared with a baseline method, the chi-squared error detector. Online simulations and offline batch simulations were performed to determine the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Throughout the batch simulations, the CUSUM algorithm detected attacks, with no false positives, in 99.83% of cases, identified the corrupted sensor in 97% of cases, and determined if the attack was positively or negatively biased in 97% of cases.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

MO-FG-CAMPUS-IeP1-04: Kerma Area Product Calculation for Non-Uniform X-Ray Fields Using a Skin Dose Tracking System

Purpose: The functionality of the Dose-Tracking System (DTS) has been expanded to include the calculation of the Kerma-Area Product (KAP) for non-uniform x-ray fields such as result from the use of compensation filters during fluoroscopic procedures Methods: The DTS calculates skin dose during fluoroscopic interventions and provides a color-coded dose map on a patient-graphic model. The KAP is the integral of air kerma over the x-ray field and is usually measured with a transmission-ionization chamber that intercepts the entire x-ray beam. The DTS has been modified to determine KAP when there are beam non-uniformities that can be modeled. For example, the DTS includes models of the three compensation filters with tapered edges located in the collimator assembly of the Toshiba Infinix fluoroscopic C-Arm and can track their movement. To determine the air kerma after the filters, DTS includes transmission factors for the compensation filters as a function of kVp and beam filtration. A virtual KAP dosimeter is simulated in the DTS by an array of graphic vertices; the air kerma at each vertex is corrected by the field non-uniformity, which in this case is the attenuation factor for those rays which pass through the filter. The products of individual vertex air-kerma values for all vertices within the beam times the effective-area-per-vertex are summed for each x-ray pulse to yield the KAP per pulse and the cumulative KAP for the procedure is then calculated. Results: The KAP values estimated by DTS with the compensation filter inserted into the x-ray field agree within ± 6% with the values displayed on the fluoroscopy unit monitor, which are measured with a transmission chamber. Conclusion: The DTS can account for field non-uniformities such as result from the use of compensation filters in calculating KAP and can obviate the need for a KAP transmission ionization chamber. Partial support from NIH Grant R01-EB002873 and Toshiba Medical Systems Corp.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Excerpt from Oxygen Monitor Clean Testing Report Performed in 2010

The Rosemount X-STREAM Series X2GP is a paramagnetic oxygen analyzer with a 0-25% oxygen measurement range. It claims a drift less than 2% of span (0.10% volume oxygen) per week, and a response time of less than 5 seconds (for the analyzer to report 90% of a step change). Our test equipment was set-up such that the same gas was running through each oxygen analyzer at the same time. This allowed Calibration Error, Calibration Drift, and Loss of Power Testing to be run on all monitors at the same time, eliminating any variability between the analyzers from tolerances in the gas cylinder, ambient temperature, ambient pressure, test duration, etc. An APTech pressure regulator was placed on the gas cylinder manifold and a 23 psia Paroscientific pressure transducer measured the regulator’s outlet pressure. This did not give the inlet pressure on any one analyzer but outlet pressure from the manifold before the stream was split. The APTech pressure regulator was used to keep operating conditions consistent. A DWYER rotameter was installed on each oxygen monitor’s outlet piping. With the exception of Variation of Flow Rate Testing, the rotameter was left fully open for all testing. The flow rate through each oxygen monitor was controlled by a Swagelok needle valve that was installed on each analyzer’s inlet piping. Additionally, a filter was installed in the each monitor’s inlet piping to keep particles from the measurement cells and a Swagelok ball valve was installed on each monitor’s outlet piping to isolate each monitor between tests. No pumps were installed. Each of the cylinders used was at a pressure greater than ambient room barometric pressure. This pressure differential was used to move gas through the testing equipment. The flow rate through each analyzer was controlled by the Swagelok needle valve installed on each analyzer’s inlet piping. Finally, for all tests, a Paroscientific Digiquartz Barometer was used to measure ambient room barometric pressure and a Fluke Thermo-hygrometer was used to measure ambient room temperature.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗