Engineering Papers⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Moore, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Moore, A..

At least 37 records · Page 2

X-ray shadow imprint of hydrodynamic instabilities on the surface of inertial confinement fusion capsules by the fuel fill tube

Measurements of hydrodynamic instability growth for a high-density carbon ablator for indirectly driven inertial confinement fusion implosions on the National Ignition Facility are reported. We observe significant unexpected features on the capsule surface created by shadows of the capsule fill tube, as illuminated by laser-irradiated x-ray spots on the hohlraum wall. These shadows increase the spatial size and shape of the fill tube perturbation in a way that can significantly degrade performance in layered implosions compared to previous expectations. The measurements were performed at a convergence ratio of ~2 using in-flight x-ray radiography. The initial seed due to shadow imprint is estimated to be equivalent to ~50–100 nm of solid ablator material. As a result, this discovery has prompted the need for a mitigation strategy for future inertial confinement fusion designs as proposed here.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Using Diffusion-Reaction Simulation to Study the Formation and Self-Compensation Mechanism of Cu Doping in CdTe

An improved model of copper p-type doping in CdTe absorbers is proposed that accounts for the mechanisms related to tightly bound Cu(i)-Cu(Cd) and Cd(i)-Cu(Cd) complexes that both limit diffusion and cause self-compensation of Cu species. The new model explains apparent discrepancy between DFT-calculated and fitted diffusion parameters of Cu reported in our previous work, and allows for better understanding of performance and metastabilities in CdTe PV devices.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗

Understanding reconstructed Dante spectra using high resolution spectroscopy

The Dante is an 18 channel filtered diode array used at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) to measure the spectrally and temporally resolved radiation flux between 50 eV and 20 keV from various targets. The absolute flux is determined from the radiometric calibration of the x-ray diodes, filters, and mirrors and a reconstruction algorithm applied to the recorded voltages from each channel. The reconstructed spectra are very low resolution with features consistent with the instrument response and are not necessarily consistent with the spectral emission features from the plasma. Errors may exist between the reconstructed spectra and the actual emission features due to assumptions in the algorithm. Recently, a high resolution convex crystal spectrometer, VIRGIL, has been installed at NIF with the same line of sight as the Dante. Spectra from L-shell Ag and Xe have been recorded by both VIRGIL and Dante. Comparisons of these two spectroscopic measurements yield insights into the accuracy of the Dante reconstructions.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

The New Modular High-Energy X-ray Source Facility Shielding Design

Several new research facilities will soon be constructed as part of the creation of a new engineering complex on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK). As part of this renovation, a state of the art nuclear engineering building will be constructed. This building will include a critical experiment facility, a graphite pile, and a modular high-energy X-ray source (or accelerator facility). The proximity of these new facilities to UTK's football stadium brings heightened attention to their design and safety. An important aspect of this specific design is that shielding is required to contain the new radiation sources. The work completed will reflect the specific project planning and novel two-story facility design of the modular high-energy X-ray source. It will also provide a detailed shielding and dose analysis of the facility as a whole. The end design places an accelerator into a well-shielded room; it will then direct the x-ray beam through a collimating hole in the shielding wall into the next room. The x-ray beam is to be used as a part of a materials irradiation and imaging laboratory in the adjoining room. The design satisfies all regulatory requirements, and it will serve as the preliminary facility layout design and shielding analysis for a novel two-story modular high energy X-ray source facility. The dose rates calculated by the Monte Carlo models using the NCRP shielding thickness values are well below the dose limitations set by the State of Tennessee, which leaves room for optimization. Further work could be done to complete the optimization by reducing the shielding thickness while maintaining a dose below dose regulations by using a less conservative method for calculating the initial thicknesses. (authors)

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Inertially confined fusion plasmas dominated by alpha-particle self-heating [Alpha-particle self-heating dominated inertially confined fusion plasmas]

Alpha-particle self-heating, the process of deuterium–tritium fusion reaction products depositing their kinetic energy locally within a fusion reaction region and thus increasing the temperature in the reacting region, is essential for achieving ignition in a fusion system. Here, we report new inertial confinement fusion experiments where the alpha-particle heating of the plasma is dominant with the fusion yield produced exceeding the fusion yield from the work done on the fuel (pressure times volume change) by a factor of two or more. These experiments have achieved the highest yield (26 ± 0.5 kJ) and stagnation pressures ( &#8781 220 ± 40 Gbar) of any facility-based inertial confinement fusion experiments, although they are still short of the pressures required for ignition on the National Ignition Facility (~300–400 Gbar). Finally, these experiments put us in a new part of parameter space that has not been extensively studied so far because it lies between the no-alpha-particle-deposition regime and ignition.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

NIF S600D Snout Final Design Review (FDR) Report

The S600D is a one or two channel mirror spectrometer which will provide temporal and spatial soft x-ray data in a single NIF shot. It mounts to the existing DIM Imaging Streak Camera (DISC) using the standard NIF kinematic mount design. LLE and LLNL each have responsibilities for the snout. The Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) is subcontracted to design, fabricate, and align the S600D Snout at the OMEGA Laser facility in Rochester, NY before delivery to LLNL. The Snout consists of the Mirror Mount, Kinematic interface to DISC, Slit mount, and filter pack mount. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is responsible to fabricate and deliver the Mirror substrates and coatings, Pinhole slits and collimators, Filter material, and Image plates. LLNL is also responsible for the Requirements Definition, Concept of Operations, Debris and Shrapnel analysis, Stakeholder reviews and Integration in the NIF Facility.

42 ENGINEERING↗

FY14 LLNL OMEGA Experimental Programs

In FY14, LLNL’s High-Energy-Density Physics (HED) and Indirect Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF-ID) programs conducted several campaigns on the OMEGA laser system and on the EP laser system, as well as campaigns that used the OMEGA and EP beams jointly. Overall these LLNL programs led 324 target shots in FY14, with 246 shots using just the OMEGA laser system, 62 shots using just the EP laser system, and 16 Joint shots using Omega and EP together. Approximately 31% of the total number of shots (62 OMEGA shots, 42 EP shots) shots supported the Indirect Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Campaign (ICF-ID). The remaining 69% (200 OMEGA shots and 36 EP shots, including the 16 Joint shots) were dedicated to experiments for High- Energy-Density Physics (HED). Highlights of the various HED and ICF campaigns are summarized in the following reports.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Development of the CD Symcap platform to study gas-shell mix in implosions at the National Ignition Facility

Surrogate implosions play an important role at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) for isolating aspects of the complex physical processes associated with fully integrated ignition experiments. The newly developed CD Symcap platform has been designed to study gas-shell mix in indirectly driven, pure T{sub 2}-gas filled CH-shell implosions equipped with 4 μm thick CD layers. This configuration provides a direct nuclear signature of mix as the DT yield (above a characterized D contamination background) is produced by D from the CD layer in the shell, mixing into the T-gas core. The CD layer can be placed at different locations within the CH shell to probe the depth and extent of mix. CD layers placed flush with the gas-shell interface and recessed up to 8 μm have shown that most of the mix occurs at the inner-shell surface. In addition, time-gated x-ray images of the hotspot show large brightly radiating objects traversing through the hotspot around bang-time, which are likely chunks of CH/CD plastic. This platform is a powerful new capability at the NIF for understanding mix, one of the key performance issues for ignition experiments.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program, Version 6.0

The Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP) is a finite-volume based general-purpose computer program for analyzing steady state and time-dependant flow rates, pressures, temperatures, and concentrations in a complex flow network. The program is capable of modeling real fluids with phase changes, compressibility, mixture thermodynamics, conjugate heat transfer between solid and fluid, fluid transients, pumps, compressors and external body forces such as gravity and centrifugal. The thermo-fluid system to be analyzed is discretized into nodes, branches, and conductors. The scalar properties such as pressure, temperature, and concentrations are calculated at nodes. Mass flow rates and heat transfer rates are computed in branches and conductors. The graphical user interface allows users to build their models using the 'point, drag, and click' method; the users can also run their models and post-process the results in the same environment. The integrated fluid library supplies thermodynamic and thermo-physical properties of 36 fluids, and 24 different resistance/source options are provided for modeling momentum sources or sinks in the branches. This Technical Memorandum illustrates the application and verification of the code through 25 demonstrated example problems.

Majumdar, A. K.↗

Estimation and Bias Correction of Aerosol Abundance using Data-driven Machine Learning and Remote Sensing

Air quality information is increasingly becoming a public health concern, since some of the aerosol particles pose harmful effects to peoples health. One widely available metric of aerosol abundance is the aerosol optical depth (AOD). The AOD is the integrated light extinction coefficient over a vertical atmospheric column of unit cross section, which represents the extent to which the aerosols in that vertical profile prevent the transmission of light by absorption or scattering. The comparison between the AOD measured from the ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) system and the satellite MODIS instruments at 550 nm shows that there is a bias between the two data products. We performed a comprehensive analysis exploring possible factors which may be contributing to the inter-instrumental bias between MODIS and AERONET. The analysis used several measured variables, including the MODIS AOD, as input in order to train a neural network in regression mode to predict the AERONET AOD values. This not only allowed us to obtain an estimate, but also allowed us to infer the optimal sets of variables that played an important role in the prediction. In addition, we applied machine learning to infer the global abundance of ground level PM2.5 from the AOD data and other ancillary satellite and meteorology products. This research is part of our goal to provide air quality information, which can also be useful for global epidemiology studies.

Malakar, Nabin K.↗

GGOS working group on ground networks and communications

Activities of this Working Group include the investigation of the status quo and the development of a plan for full network integration to support improvements in terrestrial reference frame establishment and maintenance, Earth orientation and gravity field monitoring, precision orbit determination, and other geodetic and gravimetric applications required for the long-term observation of global change. This integration process includes the development of a network of fundamental stations with as many co-located techniques as possible, with precisely determined intersystem vectors. This network would exploit the strengths of each technique and minimize the weaknesses where possible. This paper discusses the organization of the working group, the work done to date, and future tasks.

VLBI↗

International GPS Service : 2001-2002 technical reports

Applications of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to Earth Science are numerous. The International GPS Service (IGS), a federation of government agencies and universities, plays an increasingly critical role in support of GPS-related research and engineering activities. Contributions from the IGS Governing Board and Central Bureau, analysis and data centers, station operators, and others constitute the 2001 / 2002 Technical Reports.

Feltens, J.↗

Network issues position paper

In this paper we examine several topics currently warranting attention. These issues will be discussed at the conclusion of the Network Issues sesson at the Berne Workshop, leading to recomendations for future directions. We have identified (1) effective notification of station status within the IGS framework of electronic communication, (2) the multiple sources of IGS station configuration metadata available to and used by analysts, and (3) the new suite of IGS station operation guidelines.

GPS↗

Status of the international GPS service in terms of co-location and local ties

The IGS network today consists of 364 stations managed by about, 100 different agencies worldwide. The RINEX observations are contributed to the IGS Data Centers, which permanently archive the data and make it freely available to all users. The primary customer of the data set is the IGS Analysis Centers, which acquire the data for generation of precise GPS products such as ephemerides, clocks, earth orientation parameters, and station position and velocities.

reference frame↗