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At least 757 records · Page 42

Electric-field-induced paraelectric to ferroelectric phase transformation in prototypical polycrystalline BaTiO{sub 3}

An electric-field-induced paraelectric cubic to ferroelectric tetragonal phase transformation has been directly observed in prototypical polycrystalline BaTiO{sub 3} at temperatures above the Curie point (T{sub C}) using in situ high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The transformation persisted to a maximum temperature of 4 °C above T{sub C}. The nature of the observed field-induced transformation and the resulting development of domain texture within the induced phase were dependent on the proximity to the transition temperature, corresponding well to previous macroscopic measurements. The transition electric field increased with increasing temperature above T{sub C}, while the magnitude of the resultant tetragonal domain texture at the maximum electric field (4 kV mm{sup −1}) decreased at higher temperatures. These results provide insights into the phase transformation behavior of a prototypical ferroelectric and have important implications for the development of future large-strain phase-change actuator materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Modification of Lie's transform perturbation theory for charged particle motion in a magnetic field

It is pointed out that the conventional Lie transform perturbation theory for the guiding center motion of charged particles in a magnetic field needs to be modified for ordering inconsistency. There are two reasons. First, the ordering difference between the temporal variation of gyrophase and that of the other phase space coordinates needs to be taken into account. Second, it is also important to note that the parametric limit of the derivative of a function is not equivalent to the derivative of the limit function. When these facts are taken into account, the near identity transformation rule for one form related to the Lagrangian is modified. With the modified near identity transformation rule, the drift motion of charged particles can be described in the first order, instead of the second order and beyond through a tedious expansion process as in the conventional formulation. Here, this resolves the discrepancy between the direct and Lie transform treatments in the Lagrangian perturbation theory for charged particle motion in a magnetic field.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Composition-dependent ordering transformations in Pt–Fe nanoalloys

Significance Dynamically understanding the microscopic processes governing ordering transformations has rarely been attained. The situation becomes even more challenging for nanoscale alloys, where the significantly increased surface-area-to-volume ratio not only opens up a variety of additional freedoms to initiate an ordering transformation but also allows for kinetic interplay between the surface and bulk due to their close proximity. We provide direct evidence of the microscopic processes controlling the ordering transformation through the surface–bulk interplay in Pt–Fe nanoalloys and new features rendered by variations in alloy composition and chemical stimuli. These results provide a mechanistic detail of ordering transformation phenomena which are widely relevant to nanoalloys as chemical ordering occurs in most multicomponent materials under suitable environmental bias.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Simplifying the EFT of Inflation: generalized disformal transformations and redundant couplings

We study generalized disformal transformations, including derivatives of the metric, in the context of the Effective Field Theory of Inflation. All these transformations do not change the late-time cosmological observables but change the coefficients of the operators in the action: some couplings are effectively redundant. At leading order in derivatives and up to cubic order in perturbations, one has 6 free functions that can be used to set to zero 6 of the 17 operators at this order. This is used to show that the tensor three-point function cannot be modified at leading order in derivatives, while the scalar-tensor-tensor correlator can only be modified by changing the scalar dynamics. At higher order in derivatives there are transformations that do not affect the Einstein-Hilbert action: one can find 6 additional transformations that can be used to simplify the inflaton action, at least when the dynamics is dominated by the lowest derivative terms. We also identify the leading higher-derivative corrections to the tensor power spectrum and bispectrum.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

A Rotational Control in Medium-Voltage Modular Solid-State Transformer-Based Converter System

This article presents a novel control strategy to significantly reduce the high-frequency transformer loss in a modular solid-state transformer (SST) based converter system. The modular SST design is based on an ac-dc power-electronic building block comprised of an H-bridge at the ac input and a bidirectional soft-switching isolated dc-dc converter with a medium-voltage insulated high-frequency transformer. The ac terminals of input H-bridges are connected in series and directly coupled to the medium-voltage ac line, while the output dc terminals are all connected in parallel at a low voltage. The key innovation described in this paper, without sacrificing the output performance, is the control scheme that reduces core and winding losses associated with the dc-dc resonant stage by turning off the selected dc-dc converters in synchronism with the line voltage. The prototype for the test described in this paper is based on a modular SST where each module is rated at 50 kVA, with a 200 kHz transformer using 1.7 kV silicon carbide discrete mosfets, but the described control concepts are more broadly applicable to similar topologies.

42 ENGINEERING↗

SiC-Based 5-kV Universal Modular Soft-Switching Solid-State Transformer (M-S4T) for Medium-Voltage DC Microgrids and Distribution Grids

Medium-voltage DC (MVDC) grids are attractive for electric aircraft and ship power systems, battery energy storage system (BESS), fast charging electric vehicle (EV), etc. Such EV or BESS applications need isolated bidirectional MVDC to LVDC or LVAC converters. However, the existing Si-based solutions cannot fulfill the requirements of a high-efficiency and robust converter for MVDC grids. This paper presents a 5 kV SiC-based universal modular solid-state transformer (SST). This universal current-source SST can interface either a LVAC or LVDC grid with a MVDC grid in single-stage power conversion, while the conventional dual active bridge (DAB) converter needs an additional inverter. The proposed SST module using 3.3 kV SiC MOSFETs and diodes is bidirectional and can serve as a building block in series or parallel for higher-voltage higher-power systems. The topology of each module is based on the soft-switching solid-state transformer (S4T) with reduced conduction loss, which features reduced EMI through controlled dv/dt, and high efficiency with full-range ZVS for main devices and ZCS for auxiliary devices. Operation principle of the modular S4T (M-S4T), capacitor voltage balancing control between the cascaded modules, design of components including a medium-voltage (MV) medium-frequency transformer (MFT) to realize a 50 kVA 5 kV DC to 600 V DC or 480 V AC M-S4T are presented. Importantly, the MV MFT prototype achieves very low leakage inductance (0.13%) and 15 kV insulation with coaxial cables and nanocrystalline cores. Here, the proposed universal modular SST is compared against the DAB solution and verified with DC-DC and DC-AC simulation and 4 kV experimental results. Significantly, the MV experimental results of a modular DC transformer with each module at MVDC are rarely covered in the literature and reported for the first time.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Atomic Dynamics of Multi‐Interfacial Migration and Transformations

Redox-induced interconversions of metal oxidation states typically result in multiple phase boundaries that separate chemically and structurally distinct oxides and suboxides. Directly probing such multi-interfacial reactions is challenging because of the difficulty in simultaneously resolving the multiple reaction fronts at the atomic scale. Using the example of CuO reduction in H 2 gas, a reaction pathway of CuO → monoclinic m-Cu 4 O 3 → Cu 2 O is demonstrated and identifies interfacial reaction fronts at the atomic scale, where the Cu 2 O/m-Cu 4 O 3 interface shows a diffuse-type interfacial transformation; while the lateral flow of interfacial ledges appears to control the m-Cu 4 O 3 /CuO transformation. Together with atomistic modeling, it is shown that such a multi-interface transformation results from the surface-reaction-induced formation of oxygen vacancies that diffuse into deeper atomic layers, thereby resulting in the formation of the lower oxides of Cu 2 O and m-Cu 4 O 3 , and activate the interfacial transformations. In conclusion, these results demonstrate the lively dynamics at the reaction fronts of the multiple interfaces and have substantial implications for controlling the microstructure and interphase boundaries by coupling the interplay between the surface reaction dynamics and the resulting mass transport and phase evolution in the subsurface and bulk.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Convexity Conditions and the Legendre-Fenchel Transform for the Product of Finitely Many Positive Definite Quadratic Forms

While the product of finitely many convex functions has been investigated in the field of global optimization, some fundamental issues such as the convexity condition and the Legendre-Fenchel transform for the product function remain unresolved. Focusing on quadratic forms, this paper is aimed at addressing the question: When is the product of finitely many positive definite quadratic forms convex, and what is the Legendre-Fenchel transform for it? First, we show that the convexity of the product is determined intrinsically by the condition number of so-called 'scaled matrices' associated with quadratic forms involved. The main result claims that if the condition number of these scaled matrices are bounded above by an explicit constant (which depends only on the number of quadratic forms involved), then the product function is convex. Second, we prove that the Legendre-Fenchel transform for the product of positive definite quadratic forms can be expressed, and the computation of the transform amounts to finding the solution to a system of equations (or equally, finding a Brouwer's fixed point of a mapping) with a special structure. Thus, a broader question than the open 'Question 11' in Hiriart-Urruty (SIAM Rev. 49, 225-273, 2007) is addressed in this paper.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Development of a shuttle plasmid without host restriction sites for efficient transformation and heterologous gene expression in Clostridium cellulovorans

Clostridium cellulovorans capable of producing large amounts of acetate and butyrate from cellulose is a promising candidate for biofuels and biochemicals production from lignocellulosic biomass. However, the restriction modification (RM) systems of C. cellulovorans hindered the application of existing shuttle plasmids for metabolic engineering of this organism. To overcome the hurdle of plasmid digestion by host, a new shuttle plasmid (pYL001) was developed to remove all restriction sites of two major RM systems of C. cellulovorans , Cce 743 I and Cce 743 II. The pYL001 plasmid remained intact after challenge by C. cellulovorans cell extract. Post-electroporation treatments and culturing conditions were also modified to improve cell growth and colony formation on agar plates. With the improvements, the pYL001 plasmid, without in-vivo methylation, was readily transformed into C. cellulovorans with colonies of recombinant cells formed on agar plates within 24 h. Three pYL001-derived recombinant plasmids free of Cce 743 I/ Cce 743 II restriction sites, after synonymous mutation of the heterologous genes, were constructed and transformed into C. cellulovorans . Functional expression of these genes was confirmed with butanol and ethanol production from glucose in batch fermentations by the transformants. In conclusion, the pYL001 plasmid and improved transformation method can facilitate further metabolic engineering of C. cellulovorans for cellulosic butanol production.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

The enigma of post-perovskite anisotropy: deformation versus transformation textures

The D'' region that lies just above the core mantle boundary exhibits complex anisotropy that this is likely due to preferred orientation (texturing) of the constituent minerals. (Mg,Fe)SiO{sub 3} post-perovskite is widely thought to be the major mineral phase of the D''. Texture development has been studied in various post-perovskite phases (MgSiO{sub 3}, MgGeO{sub 3}, and CaIrO{sub 3}), and different results were obtained. To clarify this controversy, we report on transformation and deformation textures in MgGeO{sub 3} post-perovskite synthesized and deformed at room temperature in the diamond anvil cell. Transformed from the enstatite phase, MgGeO{sub 3} post-perovskite exhibits a transformation texture characterized by (100) planes at high angles to the direction of compression. Upon subsequent deformation, this texture changes and (001) lattice planes become oriented nearly perpendicular to compression, consistent with dominant (001)[100] slip. When MgGeO{sub 3} post-perovskite is synthesized from the perovskite phase, a different transformation texture is observed. This texture has (001) planes at high angle to compression and becomes slightly stronger upon compression. We also find that the yield strength of MgGeO{sub 3} post-perovskite is dependent on grain size and texture. Finer-grained samples exhibit higher yield strength and are harder to induce plastic deformation. Strong textures also affect the yield strength and can result in higher differential stresses. The inferred dominant (001) slip for pPv is significant for geophysics, because, when applied to geodynamic convection models, it predicts the observed anisotropies of S-waves as well as an anti-correlation between P- and S-waves.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

The development of coil short circuits when transformer windings become contaminated with metal-containing colloidal particles

The radiational-thermal development of coil short circuits due to the action of partial discharges of the first kind when the windings of transformers, autotransformers and shunting reactors become contaminated with metal-containing colloidal particles, formed in the transformer oil as a result of the interaction of the oil with the constructional materials (the copper of the windings, the iron of the tank, the core etc.) is considered. Acriterion of dangerous contamination of the coil insulation of the windings by metal-containing colloidal particles is proposed, namely, 3% of the mass content of copper and iron in it, which, if exceeded, may serve as a basis for recognizing the state of transformers, autotransformers and shunting reactors at a voltage of 110 kV and above the limit. It is shown that filters for continuously cleaning the oil play a considerable role in prolonging the life of transformer equipment.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

On Eigenfunctions of the Fourier Transform

A nontrivial example of an eigenfunction in the sense of the theory of distributions for the planar Fourier transform was described by the authors in their previous work. In this paper, a method for obtaining other eigenfunctions is proposed. Positive homogeneous distributions in ℝ{sup n} of order −n/2 are considered, and it is shown that F(ω)|x|{sup −n/2}, |ω| = 1, is an eigenfunction in the sense of the theory of distributions of the Fourier transform if and only if F(ω) is an eigenfunction of a certain singular integral operator on the unit sphere of ℝ{sup n}. Since Y{sub m,n}{sup (k)}(ω)|x|{sup −n/2}, where Y{sub m,n}{sup (k)} denote the spherical functions of order m in ℝ{sup n}, are eigenfunctions of the Fourier transform, it follows that Y{sub m,n}{sup (k)} are eigenfunctions of the above-mentioned singular integral operator. In the planar case, all eigenfunctions of the Fourier transform of the form F(ω)|x|{sup −1} are described by means of the Fourier coefficients of F(ω).

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Phase transformation dependence on initial plastic deformation mode in Si via nanoindentation

Silicon in its diamond-cubic phase is known to phase transform to a technologically interesting mixture of the body-centred cubic and rhombohedral phases under nanoindentation pressure. In this study, we demonstrate that during plastic deformation the sample can traverse two distinct pathways, one that initially nucleates a phase transformation while the other initially nucleates crystalline defects. These two pathways remain distinct even after sufficient pressure is applied such that both deformation mechanisms are present within the sample. Here, it is further shown that the indents that initially nucleate a phase transformation generate larger, more uniform volumes of the phase transformed material than indents that initially nucleate crystalline defects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Stability of Phase Transformation Temperatures During Cycling of Ti-15.8Nb-4.94Al-0.06Sc Shape Memory Alloy

The active ω phase formation decreases the martensitic transformation temperatures sharply and can even suppress the martensitic transformation during thermal cycling in Ti-Nb-based alloys. No ω phase is observed in the present Ti-15.8Nb-4.94Al-0.06Sc alloy when it is annealed at 650 °C for 4 h or subsequently aged at 200 and 250 °C for 2 h. The exclusion of ω phase remarkably improves the stability of phase transformation temperatures during thermal cycling. The martensitic transformation start temperature of the present alloy decreases by 30 °C but tends to be stable gradually during the 20 thermal cycles, owing to the saturation of lattice defects.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Numerical Simulation of Residual Stress for Laser Welding of Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Considering Solid-State Phase Transformation

In the present work, a thermal-metallurgical-mechanical model which considered the influence of phase transformation was used to predict the residual stress field of Ti-6Al-4V after laser welding. In this model, the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami equation was used to predict diffusional solid-state phase transformations: α phase to β phase during heating and β phase to α phase during cooling. The Koistinen–Marburger equation was used to predict diffusionless solid-state phase transformation of β phase to martensite during cooling. The properties of material were obtained using a mixing rule based on the phase fraction and the property of each pure phase. By applying this model, the effect of solid-state phase transformations of Ti-6Al-4V alloy on temperature field and stress field during laser welding was considered in the simulation. In addition, experiments were carried out for comparison, which significantly verified the accuracy of the applied model.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Dissimilar Repair Welding Residual Stress in P91 Steel Considering Solid-State Phase Transformation

Repair welding is a popular method to repair the cracked zones of pipes in power plants. However, residual stresses induced by repair welding are inevitably generated and have a significant effect on the performance of repair-welded components during service. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of solid-state phase transformation (SSPT) on the repair welding residual stress distribution of multi-layer and multi-pass welding in P91 steel. Based on thermal elastic-plastic theory, a three-dimensional thermal–metallurgical–mechanical finite element model considering the SSPT is established, and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) heat input is modelled as one double elliptical heat source. The effect of phase transformation on residual stress is investigated by considering effects with and without phase transformation in the database of materials. The results show that transverse compressive stress and a low longitudinal stress area are generated in the final pass due to martensite transformation. Compared with different zones along the thickness direction, the effect of SSPT is greater around the outer surface than around the internal fusion zone. The rationality of the developed finite element model is verified by the experimental method, and good agreement is obtained between those results from the numerical analysis and experimental methods.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Natural transformation as a tool in Acinetobacter baylyi : Streamlined engineering and mutational analysis

Natural transformation and homologous recombination in a soil bacterium, Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1, occur with exceptionally high efficiency. These genetic features can be harnessed to address a wide variety of fundamental and applied scientific topics. Recent advances in synthetic biology and laboratory evolution have led to renewed appreciation for the use of A. baylyi as a model organism. To complement several review articles that highlight new tool sets, this chapter focuses on simple protocols and examples of transformation assays that facilitate genetic analysis and engineering. Whole genome sequencing often reveals extensive genetic variation among closely related isolates that can confound the association of genotypic and phenotypic changes. In A. baylyi, such associations can be deciphered in unique ways by directly transforming cells with linear DNA fragments. The resulting allelic replacement, which occurs at high frequency, rapidly generates desired mutants via targeted chromosomal editing. Diverse screening and selection methods can be used to test hypotheses and streamline experimental strategies to reveal the significance of specific DNA sequences. Moreover, large procedural variations are well tolerated, and techniques can be readily adapted for new purposes. Furthermore, one goal of highlighting natural transformation methodology in A. baylyi is to expand the community of researchers using this versatile bacterial host.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

The role of deviatoric stress and dislocations on the α to ω phase transformation in Ti

Under extreme conditions, α-Ti becomes unstable and transforms either into β-Ti at high temperature or into ω-Ti at high pressure. In what concerns the α to ω phase transformation (PT), there has been a wide range of experimentally reported transition pressures from approximately 2 to 15 GPa at room temperature. Deviatoric stresses and internal defects are often assumed to be the root cause of this variation. Here, in this study, these postulates are revisited using both continuum mechanics and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. First, a simple continuum model, assuming linear elasticity and isotropic plasticity, is developed to describe the effects of applied stress and dislocations on the stability of an ω nucleus in an infinite α domain. Second, a new MD simulation method is developed to generate an ω nucleus in the α domain utilizing the displacement field identified from the topological analysis. Results from MD simulations show that despite the fact that phase diagrams typically delineate the limits between two phases in terms of only P and T, deviatoric stress promotes the α to ω phase transformation by reducing the critical radius above which an ω nucleus is stable. Furthermore, the required deviatoric stress to nucleate and stabilize a nanoscale ω nucleus is likely emanating from the internal stress of defects such as dislocations. The MD-informed micromechanics models are used to identify favorable configurations where dislocations help favor the α to ω transformation. These configurations show that the interaction with a basal or prismatic dislocation reduces the critical radius of a ω nucleus by about 10 or 16 %, respectively. In addition, prismatic edge dislocations are found to promote the growth of ω nucleus when interacting with the ($\bar{1}$$\bar{1}$20) α //(0001) ω interface. Importantly, a simple model of the arrival of dislocation at an ω nucleus suggests that PT does not necessarily require a pile-up to be present but could alternatively be mediated by a constant rapid flow of dislocations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗