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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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59 records · Page 4

A Threshold Helium Leakage Detection Switch with Ultra Low Power Operation

Detecting helium leakage is important in many applications, such as in dry cask nuclear waste storage systems. This work develops a helium detection system based on the relative permittivity (dielectric constant) difference between air and helium. This difference changes the status of an electrostatic microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch. The switch is a capacitive-based device and requires a very negligible amount of power. Exciting the switch’s electrical resonance enhances the MEMS switch sensitivity to detect low helium concentration. This work simulates two different MEMS switch configurations: a cantilever-based MEMS modeled as a single-degree-freedom model and a clamped-clamped beam MEMS molded using the COMSOL Multiphysics finite-element software. While both configurations demonstrate the switch’s simple operation concept, the clamped-clamped beam was selected for detailed parametric characterization due to its comprehensive modeling approach. The beam detects at least 5% helium concentration levels when excited at 3.8 MHz, near electrical resonance. The switch performance decreases at lower excitation frequencies or increases the circuit resistance. The MEMS sensor detection level was relatively immune to beam thickness and parasitic capacitance changes. However, higher parasitic capacitance increases the switch’s susceptibility to errors, fluctuations, and uncertainties.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Truncated Nonlinear Interferometry for Quantum-Enhanced Atomic Force Microscopy

Nonlinear interferometers that replace beam splitters in Mach-Zehnder interferometers with nonlinear amplifiers for quantum-enhanced phase measurements have drawn increasing interest in recent years, but practical quantum sensors based on nonlinear interferometry remain an outstanding challenge. Here, we demonstrate the first practical application of nonlinear interferometry by measuring the displacement of an atomic force microscope microcantilever with quantum noise reduction of up to 3 dB below the standard quantum limit, corresponding to a quantum-enhanced measurement of beam displacement of 1.7 fm/√Hz. Further, we minimize photon backaction noise while taking advantage of quantum noise reduction by transducing the cantilever displacement signal with a weak squeezed state while using dual homodyne detection with a higher power local oscillator. This approach may enable quantum-enhanced broadband, high-speed scanning probe microscopy.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Residual Dose Rates Analyses from Vent Lines Shield Block on the Target Cart at Spallation Neutron Source

The target carriage supports the mercury target vessel in the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) in a cantilevered fashion and supplies the liquid mercury flowing to and from the target vessel. The target carriage is designed to move the target vessel into its target monolith position to receive the proton beam and then remove it horizontally back into an adjacent service cell, where the target vessel can be exchanged about 2-3 times per calendar year. At the time of the performed studies, the SNS mercury target can accept a proton beam at 1 GeV energy and 1.4 MW power; however, it will be upgraded to receive 1.3 GeV energy at 2 MW by the end of 2024 year [1]. The cart is practically a shield block on wheels to minimize fluxes and dose rates in the service cell downstream of the carriage. There are vent lines located inside a passage on top of the target carriage, and they are covered by a stepping-up steel shield block (vent lines shield block). Vent lines are permanently attached to the shield block. New vent lines with a different design are going to be installed. These lines are shielded by the new steel block to which the vent lines are attached. The estimate of the residual dose rates from the block after it is extracted from the target carriage is performed to estimate the radiation fields and to decide on the type of storage container to be used.

Popova, Irina I↗

Rotordynamic Analysis and Comparative Study of High-Speed Outer Rotor Permanent Magnet Motor Designs

High–power density electric motor designs are a requirement in aerospace and automotive applications. Outer rotor permanent magnet motors can offer high power density but have mechanical challenges such as structural stability and rotodynamic issues. In this work, a rotodynamic study was performed for two outer rotor permanent magnet motor designs. The first design was a cantilever design in which the rotor was suspended at one end, supported by four bearings; in the second design, the rotor was simply supported by two bearings in each end. Two different finite element method–based approaches, solid rotor and beam rotor methods, were used to extract the critical speed.

Barua, Himel↗

Configurable luminaire with light sources variably oriented with respect to an array of concave mirrors

An array of LEDs is supported by a support mechanism that both supports conductors leading to the LEDs and sinks heat from the LEDs. The support mechanism may be a transparent heat-conducting sheet or an array of cantilevered arms at different angles that support the LEDs and sink heat. This reduces the blockage of light. The LEDs are positioned generally in the focal plane of an array of concave mirrors that collimate the light. The LEDs and array of mirrors are translatable with respect to one another to steer the aggregate light beam to customize the emission. The LEDs may be variably oriented with respect to the associated mirror apertures so as to create different light beams emitted from different ones of the mirrors.

42 ENGINEERING↗