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At least 1,351 records · Page 75

The Effect of Carbon–Carbon Double Bonds on the Combustion Chemistry of Small Fatty Acid Esters

Environmentally friendly biodiesel is a mixture of saturated and unsaturated methyl (or ethyl) esters of long-chain fatty acids. To experimentally examine the effect of C=C double bonds on the combustion chemistry of fatty acid esters, low-pressure premixed laminar flames of four small esters have been studied using flame-sampling molecular-beam mass spectrometry. Mole fraction profiles of reactants, products, and well-identified stable and reactive combustion intermediates in flames of the saturated species methyl propanoate (CH3CH3COOCH3) and its isomer ethyl acetate (CH3COOCH2CH3) have been compared with results from flames of the unsaturated fuels methyl propenoate (CH2CHCOOCH3) and vinyl acetate (CH3COOCHCH2) flames. A total of eight flames have been studied, with two fuel-rich flame conditions investigated (fuel-equivalence ratios phi = 1.2 and 1.56) for each fuel. In addition, the underlying oxidation chemistry at these premixed flame conditions has been investigated using a detailed chemical kinetic reaction mechanism, which is largely based on a previously proposed model for saturated esters [B. Yang et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 13 (2011) 7205]. The combined results provide a detailed understanding of the similarities and differences between the combustion of saturated vs. unsaturated esters. Meanwhile, the isomeric and stoichiometric effects on their combustion chemistry are also addressed. In this paper, experimental and modeling details are discussed with a special focus on the different reaction pathways.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Thin electrostatically self-focusing electron streams.

Study of 30 to 380 microampere, 50 to 550 V, 1 to 2 mm, electrostatically self-focusing electron streams (50 cm long) drifting through mercury vapor (at 50 microtorr to 2 millitorr) in a tube with a radius of 6.6 cm. The inside surface of the tube is coated with a transparent layer whose resistivity is 50 ohm-cm per centimeter. In order to determine the charged-particle densities and the potential profile in and around the beam without disturbing the system, a multigrid electrostatic charged particle energy analyzer was used to study separately the energy distributions of both ions and electrons ejected radially from the beam. The results show two energy groupings for electrons. The energy distribution of the high-energy group is produced by ionizing collisions between beam electrons and neutral gas atoms; a group of flow-energy electrons becomes trapped in the potential well within and around the beam, subsequently escaping by collisional mechanisms.

Mccorkle, R. A.↗

Evaluation of urethane for feasibility of use in wind turbine blade design

A preliminary evaluation was conducted of the use of cast urethane as a possible material for low-cost blades for wind turbines. Specimen test data are presented for ultimate tensile strength, elastic modulus, flexural strain, creep, and fatigue properties of a number of urethane formulations. Data are also included for a large-scale urethane blade section composed of cast symmetrical half-profiles tested as a cantilever beam. Based on these results, an analysis was conducted of a full-scale blade design of cast urethane that meets the design specifications of the rotor blades for the NASA/DOE experimental 100-kW MOD-0 wind turbine. Because of the low value of elastic modulus for urethane (around 457 000 psi), the design loads would have to be carried by metal reinforcement. Considerations for further evaluation are noted.

Lieblein, S.↗

Study program for design improvements of the X-3060 klystron. Phase 3: Electron gun fabrication and beam analyzer evaluation. Phase 4: Klystron prototype fabrication and testing

A full scale model was produced to verify suggested design changes. Through beam analyzer study, the correct electron beam diameter and cross sectional profile were established in conjunction with the desired confining magnetic field. Comparative data on the performance of the X-3060 klystron, design predictions for the improved klystron, and performance data taken during acceptance testing of the prototype VKS-8274 JPL are presented.

Goldfinger, A.↗

Time dependent temperature distribution in pulsed Ti:sapphire lasers

An expression is derived for the time dependent temperature distribution in a finite solid state laser rod for an end-pumped beam of arbitrary shape. The specific case of end pumping by circular (constant) or Gaussian beam is described. The temperature profile for a single pump pulse and for repetitive pulse operation is discussed. The particular case of the temperature distribution in a pulsed titanium:sapphire rod is considered.

Buoncristiani, A. Martin↗

Scaling and applied field studies of MPD thrusters with laser diagnostics

The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: self-field magnetoplasmadynamics; 1/4-scale applied-field MPD; scaling of arcs and MPD-arcs; magnetic nozzle studies; advanced diagnostic techniques needed for obtaining particle velocity, temperature, and current distributions in plasma thrusters; nonintrusive laser diagnostics for arcs and MPD-arcs; and schematic of multi-beam interferometer for electron density profile determination.

York, Thomas M.↗

Simultaneous in situ Optical Monitoring Techniques during Crystal Growth of ZnSe by Physical Vapor Transport

ZnSe crystals grown in sealed ampoules by the physical vapor transport method were monitored in situ using three techniques, simultaneously. A Michelson interferometer was set-up to observe the growth rate and surface morphological evolution. An interference pattern (interferogram) is formed by the interaction between the reflection of a HeNe laser (632.8 nm wavelength) off the crystal-vapor interface and a reference beam from the same laser. Preliminary results indicate that the rate of growth/thermal-etching can be calculated using analog data acquisition and simple fringe counting techniques. Gross surface features may also be observed using a digital frame grabber and fringe analysis software. The second in situ technique uses optical absorption to determine the partial pressures of the vapor species. The Se2 and Zn vapor species present in the sealed ampoule absorb light at characteristic wavelengths. The optical absorption is determined by monitoring the light intensity difference between the sample and reference beams. The Se2 Partial pressure profile along the length of the ampoule was estimated from the vibronic absorption peaks at 340.5, 350.8, 361.3 and 379.2 nm using the Beer's law constants established in the calibration runs of pure Se. Finally, because the high temperature crystal growth furnace contains windows, in situ visual observation of the growing crystal is also possible. The use of these techniques not only permits in situ investigation of high temperature vapor growth of semiconductors, but also offers the potential for real time feed back on the growing crystal and allows the possibility of actively controlling the growth process.

Su, C.- H.↗

Microstrip Yagi Antenna with Dual Aperture-Coupled Feed

A proposed microstrip Yagi antenna would operate at a frequency of 8.4 GHz (which is in the X band) and would feature a mechanically simpler, more elegant design, relative to a prior L-band microstrip Yagi antenna. In general, the purpose of designing a microstrip Yagi antenna is to combine features of a Yagi antenna with those of a microstrip patch to obtain an antenna that can be manufactured at low cost, has a low profile, and radiates a directive beam that, as plotted on an elevation plane perpendicular to the antenna plane, appears tilted away from the broadside. Such antennas are suitable for flush mounting on surfaces of diverse objects, including spacecraft, aircraft, land vehicles, and computers. Stated somewhat more precisely, what has been proposed is a microstrip antenna comprising an array of three Yagi elements. Each element would include four microstrip-patch Yagi subelements: one reflector patch, one driven patch, and two director patches. To obtain circular polarization, each driven patch would be fed by use of a dual offset aperture-coupled feed featuring bow-tie-shaped apertures. The selection of the dual offset bow-tie aperture geometry is supported by results found in published literature that show that this geometry would enable matching of the impedances of the driven patches to the 50-Omega impedance of the microstrip feedline while maintaining a desirably large front-to-back lobe ratio.

Pogorzelski, Ronald↗

ICESat Lidar and Global Digital Elevation Models: Application to DESDynI

Geodetic control is extremely important in the production and quality control of topographic data sets, enabling elevation results to be referenced to an absolute vertical datum. Global topographic data with improved geodetic accuracy achieved using global Ground Control Point (GCP) databases enable more accurate characterization of land topography and its change related to solid Earth processes, natural hazards and climate change. The multiple-beam lidar instrument that will be part of the NASA Deformation, Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics of Ice (DESDynI) mission will provide a comprehensive, global data set that can be used for geodetic control purposes. Here we illustrate that potential using data acquired by NASA's Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICEsat) that has acquired single-beam, globally distributed laser altimeter profiles (+/-86deg) since February of 2003 [1, 2]. The profiles provide a consistently referenced elevation data set with unprecedented accuracy and quantified measurement errors that can be used to generate GCPs with sub-decimeter vertical accuracy and better than 10 m horizontal accuracy. Like the planned capability for DESDynI, ICESat records a waveform that is the elevation distribution of energy reflected within the laser footprint from vegetation, where present, and the ground where illuminated through gaps in any vegetation cover [3]. The waveform enables assessment of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) with respect to the highest, centroid, and lowest elevations observed by ICESat and in some cases with respect to the ground identified beneath vegetation cover. Using the ICESat altimetry data we are developing a comprehensive database of consistent, global, geodetic ground control that will enhance the quality of a variety of regional to global DEMs. Here we illustrate the accuracy assessment of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DEM produced for Australia, documenting spatially varying elevation biases of several meters in magnitude.

Carabajal, Claudia C.↗

Efficient Coupling of Lasers to Telescopes with Obscuration

Two techniques have been proposed to increase the efficiency of coupling of light from lasers to Cassegrain telescopes and, in general, telescopes with secondary or tertiary mirror obscuration. The need to increase the efficiency of coupling arises in laser transmitters of lidar and freespace optical communication systems that utilize Cassegrain telescopes. The vignetting caused by the secondary reflector and baffle in such a telescope reduces the transmitted power by a large fraction because (1) the obscured area is central and is a significant fraction of the telescope aperture and (2) the cross-sectional intensity profile of a typical laser beam is Gaussian, so that intensity is greatest in the obscured central area. In a technique proposed previously for increasing the efficiency of coupling, an optical assembly comprising an axicon device and a folding mirror that would render the solid laser beam annular - in effect, turning the laser beam inside out - so that the laser light would be concentrated into an annular cross section that would not be obscured by the secondary reflector and baffle. Hence, most or all of the light would be coupled into the output beam. Another prior efficiency-enhancing technique is denoted subaperture illumination. In this technique, the laser beam is displaced laterally with respect to the optical axis of the secondary reflector, such that the beam impinges on an off-axis subaperture of the primary reflector that is not obscured by the secondary reflector and baffle.

Hemmati, Hamid↗

Simultaneous Convective and Radiative Heating of Materials with the 200 kW Laser Enhanced Arc Jet Facility (LEAF)

Recent installation of the 200-kW Laser Enhanced Arc Jet Facility (LEAF) at the Interaction Heating Facility (IHF) arc jet at NASA Ames Research Center has enabled combined heating of material samples. The LEAF system is permanently located adjacent to IHF. During LEAF operation, IHF can convectively heat material samples with heat fluxes up to 0.16 kW/cm 2 using the 22.86-cm nozzle or up to 0.07 kW/cm 2 using the truncated semi-elliptic nozzle. LEAF can deliver radiant heating with various profiles and sizes to a material sample. In flat-top square configuration, irradiance levels of nearly 0.1 kW/cm 2 have been demonstrated over a 43.2 x 43.2 cm area, and irradiance levels up to 0.39 kW/cm 2 have been demonstrated over a 15.2 x 15.2 cm area. LEAF can also be configured to deliver a super-Gaussian profile over a variety of beam diameters (1.8 to 5.6 cm). This configuration has been demonstrated up to peak irradiance levels of 25.7 kW/cm 2 per laser at the smallest, 1.8 cm, diameter setting. The LEAF system is composed of four 50-kW lasers, so it can also be configured to simultaneously deliver two different beam shapes (e.g., one square beam and one super-Gaussian beam).

Megan MacDonald↗

Electron Lenses and Cooling for the Fermilab Integrable Optics Test Accelerator

Recently, the study of integrable Hamiltonian systems has led to nonlinear accelerator lattices with one or two transverse invariants and wide stable tune spreads. These lattices may drastically improve the performance of high-intensity machines, providing Landau damping to protect the beam from instabilities, while preserving dynamic aperture. The Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) is being built at Fermilab to study these concepts with 150-MeV pencil electron beams (single-particle dynamics) and 2.5-MeV protons (dynamics with self fields). One way to obtain a nonlinear integrable lattice is by using the fields generated by a magnetically confined electron beam (electron lens) overlapping with the circulating beam. The required parameters are similar to the ones of existing devices. In addition, the electron lens will be used in cooling mode to control the brightness of the proton beam and to measure transverse profiles through recombination. More generally, it is of great interest to investigate whether nonlinear integrable optics allows electron coolers to exceed limitations set by both coherent or incoherent instabilities excited by space charge.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Computed Tomography of Transverse Phase Space

Two computed tomography techniques are explored to reconstruct beam transverse phase space using both simulated beam and multi-wire profile data in the Fermilab Muon Test Area ("MTA") beamline. Both Filtered Back-Projection ("FBP") and Simultaneous Algebraic Reconstruction Technique ("SART") algorithms [2] are considered and compared. Errors and artifacts are compared as a function of each algorithm’s free parameters, and it is shown through simulation and MTA beamline profiles that SART is advantageous for reconstructions with limited profile data.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Estimated SAGE II ozone mixing ratios in early 1993 and comparisons with Stratospheric Photochemistry, Aerosols and Dynamic Expedition measurements

An empirical time-series model for estimating ozone mixing ratios based on Stratospheric Aerosols and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) monthly mean ozone data for the period October 1984 through June 1991 has been developed. The modeling results for ozone mixing ratios in the 10- to 30- km region in early months of 1993 are presented. In situ ozone profiles obtained by a dual-beam UV-absorption ozone photometer during the Stratospheric Photochemistry, Aerosols and Dynamics Expedition (SPADE) campaign, May 1-14, 1993, are compared with the model results. With the exception of two profiles at altitudes below 16 km, ozone mixing ratios derived by the model and measured by the ozone photometer are in relatively good agreement within their individual uncertainties. The identified discrepancies in the two profiles are discussed.

Yue, G. K.↗

Plasma chemistry study of PLAD processes

Plasma doping (PLAD) shows very different impurity profiles compared to the conventional beam-line-based ion implantations due to its non-mass separation property and plasma environment. There is no simulation for PLAD process so far due to a lack of a dopant profile model. Several factors determine impurity profiles of PLAD process. The most significant factors are: plasma chemistry and deposition/etching characteristics of multi-ion species plasmas. In this paper, we present plasma chemistry and deposition/etching characteristics of PLAD processes versus co-gas dilutions. Four dopant plasmas including B{sub 2}H{sub 6}, BF{sub 3}, AsH{sub 3}, and PH{sub 3}, and two non-dopant plasmas including CH{sub 4} and GeH{sub 4} are studied and demonstrated.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Emittance and Phase Space Tomography for the Fermilab Linac

The Fermilab Linac delivers a variable intensity, 400-MeV beam to the MuCool Test Area experimental hall via a beam line specifically designed to facilitate measurements of the Linac beam emittance and properties. A 10 m, dispersion-free and magnet-free straight utilizes an upstream quadrupole focusing triplet in combination with the necessary in-straight beam diagnostics to fully characterize the transverse beam properties. Since the Linac does not produce a strictly elliptical phase space, tomography must be performed on the profile data to retrieve the actual particle distribution in phase space. This is achieved by rotating the phase space distribution using different waist focusing conditions of the upstream triplet and performing a deconvolution of the profile data. Preliminary measurements using this diagnostic section are reported here. These data represent a first-pass measurement of the Linac emittance based on various techniques. It is clear that the most accurate representation of the emittance is given by the 3-profile approach. Future work will entail minimizing the beam spot size on MW5 to test and possibly improve the accuracy of the 2-profile approach. The 95% emittance is {approx} 18{pi} in the vertical and {approx} 13{pi} in the horizontal, which is especially larger than anticipated - 8-10{pi} was expected. One possible explanation is that the entire Linac pulse is extracted into the MTA beamline and during the first few microseconds, the feed forward and RF regulation are not stable. This may result in a larger net emittance observed versus beam injected into Booster, where the leading part of the Linac beam pulse is chopped. Future studies will clearly entail a measurement of the emittance vs. pulse length. One additional concern is that the Linac phase space is most likely aperture-defined and non-elliptical in nature. A non-elliptical phase-space determination would require a more elaborate analysis and provide another explanation of the large emittance measured.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Performance and data analysis aspects of the new DIII-D monostatic profile reflectometer system

A new frequency-modulated profile reflectometer system, featuring a monostatic antenna geometry (using one microwave antenna for both launch and receive), has been installed on the DIII-D tokamak, providing a first experimental test of this measurement approach for profile reflectometry. Significant features of the new system are briefly described in this paper, including the new monostatic arrangement, use of overmoded, broadband transmission waveguide, and dual-polarization combination/demultiplexing. Updated data processing and analysis, and in-service performance aspects of the new monostatic profile reflectometer system are also presented. By using a raytracing code (GENRAY) to determine the approximate trajectory of the probe beam, the electron density (n{sub e}) profile can be successfully reconstructed with L-mode plasmas vertically shifted by more than 10 cm off the vessel midplane. Specifically, it is demonstrated that the new system has a capability to measure n{sub e} profiles with plasma vertical offsets of up to ±17 cm. Examples are also presented of accurate, high time and spatial resolution density profile measurements made over a wide range of DIII-D conditions, e.g., the measured temporal evolution of the density profile across a L-H transition.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Calculation of the Non-Inductive Current Profile in High-Performance NSTX Plasmas

The constituents of the current profile have been computed for a wide range of high-performance plasmas in NSTX [M. Ono, et al., Nuclear Fusion 40, 557 (2000)]; these include cases designed to maximize the non-inductive fraction, pulse length, toroidal-β, or stored energy. In the absence of low-frequency MHD activity, good agreement is found between the reconstructed current profile and that predicted by summing the independently calculated inductive, pressure-driven, and neutral beam currents, without the need to invoke any anomalous beam ion diffusion. Exceptions occur, for instance, when there are toroidal Alfven eigenmode avalanches or coupled m/n=1/1+2/1 kink-tearing modes. In these cases, the addition of a spatially and temporally dependent fast ion diffusivity can reduce the core beam current drive, restoring agreement between the reconstructed profile and the summed constituents, as well as bringing better agreement between the simulated and measured neutron emission rate. An upper bound on the fast ion diffusivity of ~0.5-1 m2/sec is found in “MHD-free” discharges, based on the neutron emission, time rate of change of the neutron signal when a neutral beam is stepped, and reconstructed on-axis current density.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗