Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Rhim, W. K..
We have determined the densities of Si in the liquid, rho1(T), and solid,rho s(T), states as a function of temperature,T, by employing an image digitizing technique and numerical calculation methods in combination with an electrostatic levitator.
The specific volumes of the Zr 41.2 Ti 13.8 Cu 12.5 Ni 10.0 Be 22.5 alloy as a function of temperature, T, are determined by employing an image digitizing technique and numerical calculation methods applied to the electrostatically levitated spherical alloy.
We are interested in the nucleation and behavior of quantized vorticies and surface excitations in free drops of superfluid helium. We have constructed an apparatus to maintain liquid helium drops isolated from any material container in the Earth's gravitational field, and have investigated two techniques for generating and introducing liquid drops into the region of confinement. The levitation apparatus utilizes the electrostatic force acting upon a charged liquid drop to counteract the gravitational force, with drop position stability provided by a static magnetic field acting upon the helium diamagnetic moment. Electrically neutral superfluid drops have been produced with a miniature thermomechanical pump; for a given configuration the liquid initial velocity has been varied up to several centimeters per second. Liquid drops carrying either net positive or negative charge are produced by an electrode which generates a flow of ionized liquid from the bulk liquid surface. Potentials of less than one thousand volts to several thousand volts are required. The mass flow is controlled by varying duration of the ionizing voltage pulse; drops as small as 30 micrometers diameter, charged to near the Rayleigh limit, have been observed.
High temperature high vacuum electrostatic levitation was combined with DSC experiments to determine the specific heat C(sub p) of the undercooled Zr(sub 41.2)Ti(sub 13.8)Cu(sub 12.5)Ni(sub 10.0)Be(sub 22.5) liquid as a function of temperature. The containerless approach made it possible to undercool the melt to the glass transition temperature without inducing nucleation. Because the cooling process was purely radiative, noncontact temperature measurement techniques could be used to determine the specific heat to total hemispherical emissivity ratio, C(sub p)/epsilon(sub t), for the undercooled liquid region. Using C(sub p) values which were independently obtained by DSC, epsilon(sub t) could be determined. With knowledge of C(sub p) of the undercooled liquid it was possible to determine other thermodynamic properties such as Gibbs free energy and entropy as a function of undercooling.
Bulk glass forming metallic alloys have long been desired for technological applications and for investigation into liquid undercooling, solidification processes, and thermophysical properties. A glass forming alloy Zr(sub 41.2)Ti(sub 13.8)Cu(sub 12.5)Ni(sub 10.0)Be(sub 22.5) was used to investigate the thermal treatments affecting undercooling and vitrification. The experiments were performed using the high temperature high vacuum electrostatic levitator at JPL. A sample approximately 3 mm in diameter was melted, superheated, undercooled, and solidified while levitated in high vacuum. The results show that when the sample was held above its melting temperature for a sufficient period of time to dissolve oxides and then cooled faster than a critical cooling rate, it undercooled to the glass transition temperature, T(sub g), and formed a glassy alloy. The required critical cooling rate for metallic glass formation was obtained to be between 0.9 K per second and 1.2 K per second for the 42.4 mg sample.
High-temperature high-vacuum electrostatic levitation and differential scanning.
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An account is given of the charged drop levitation characteristics of two different devices: (1) a feedback-controlled electrostatic levitator able to lift a several mm-diameter drop in 1g conditions, which is applicable to drop dynamics, crystal growth, and supercooling/solidification experiments; and (2) a linear quadrupole levitator, whose advantages are demonstrated in light of the results obtained for the charged drop instability experiment. The cause of the premature drop burstings observed is suggested to be an electron avalanche in the surrounding gaseous medium rather than the Rayleigh limit.
A containerless method that produces highly uniform microspheres (greater than 50 microns in diameter) from many materials has been developed for biomedical applications. A piezoelectrically vibrated drop generator forms uniform (monodisperse) monomer droplets that are either electrostatistically levitated and polymerized using UV irradiation, or free-radical polymerized. Spheres of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate polymer have been produced with diameters of 155 microns + or - 1.57 percent.
The design and the performance of an electrostatic-acoustic hybrid system and its application to a charge drop rotation experiment are presented. This system can levitate a charged drop electrostatically and induce drop rotation or oscillation by imposing an acoustic torque or an oscillating acoustic pressure. Using this system, the equilibrium shapes and stability of a rotating charged drop were experimentally investigated. A 3 mm size water drop was rotated as a rigid body and its gyrostatic equilibrium shapes were observed. Families of axisymmetric shapes, two-lobed shapes, and eventual fissioning have been observed. With the assumption of 'effective surface tension' in which the surface charge simply modified the surface tension of neutral liquid, the results agree exceptionally well with the Brown and Scriven's (1980) prediction for uncharged drops.
Experimental charge-generating apparatus supplies nanocoulomb charges to small objects. Purpose of experiment to develop contactless charger for solid or liquid spheroids in contactless (levitation) processing. Circuit generates high-voltage RF Pulses, applied between two electrodes in each set. Also applies 60 Hz high accelerating voltage between two sets of electrodes. Two sets of electrodes made of conductive paint on acrylic sheets, placed diametrically opposite each other in supporting cylinder.
An electrostatic levitation system is described, which can closely control the position of objects of appreciable size. A plurality of electrodes surround the desired position of an electrostatically charged object, the position of the objects is monitored, and the voltages applied to the electrodes are varied to hold the object at a desired position. In one system, the object is suspended above a plate-like electrode which has a concave upper face to urge the object toward the vertical axis of the curved plate. An upper electrode that is also curved can be positioned above the object, to assure curvature of the field at any height above the lower plate. In another system, four spherical electrodes are positioned at the points of a tetrahedron, and the voltages applied to the electrodes are varied in accordance with the object position as detected by two sensors.
The objective of this task is to develop the science and technology base required to design and construct a high temperature electric field positioning module that could be used by materials scientists to conduct containerless science experiments in a low gravity environment. Containerless science modules that employ electric fields to position and manipulate samples offer several advantages over acoustic or electromagnetic systems. The electric field system will operate not only at atmospheric pressures but also in a vacuum, in contrast to the acoustic modules which can only operate in atmosphere where the acoustic forces are sufficient. The electric field technique puts minimum energy into the sample, whereas the electromagnetic system can deposit energy into the sample through eddy current heat as well as physical mixing in the sample. Two types of electric field modules have been constructed and tested to date. One employs a charged sample and uses electrostatic forces to position and control the sample. The second type of module induces electrical polarization of the sample and electric field gradients to position and control the sample.
This paper describes an electrostatic positioning instrument which was developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to enable experimenters to conduct containerless material science experiments in space. Samples that are to be studied are electrically charged and controlled by the electrostatic force produced by a set of properly arranged electrodes. Three different types of positioners are described, i.e., the dish type, the ring type, and the tetrahedral type. In all these systems, the positioning and the damping of the sample is accomplished by a feedback control system. The advantage of this electrostatic positioning method, in comparison to the other methods, such as acoustic and electromagnetic, lies in the fact that it can operate in a high vacuum and does not require the material to be electrically conductive as long as the material can carry a certain amount of charge.
Sample position automatically maintained. Object levitated by electrostatic field between two electrodes. Because of particular curved electrode shape, levitation field has stable horizontal position on vertical axis of symmetry. Vertical position of object sensed and compared with preset value. When position error is detected, amplitude of levitating field is increased or decreased to restore zero error. System offers options well to containerless processing.
Dynamic behavior is analyzed for drop within drop within infinite fluid. Report gives theoretical basis for understanding behavior of compound drops. Aids in planning and interpreting experiments in laboratory, spacecraft, and research aircraft. Provides insight into fabrication of target pellets for nuclear fusion.
New pulse generator programmed to produce pulses from several ports at different pulse lengths and intervals and virtually any combination and sequence. Unit contains a 256-word-by-16-bit memory loaded with instructions either manually or by computer. Once loaded, unit operates independently of computer.
The modes are characterized by their frequency, the attendant displacement of fluid boundaries, and the flow pressure fields within the fluids. The drops consist of three fluids; a core fluid, a fluid shell surrounding the core, and a host fluid surrounding the shell. These fluids are assumed to be inviscid and incompressible, and the core and the shell to be concentric. The theory is obtained by linearization of the equations of fluid motion to the lowest order of nonlinearity that yields the normal modes. Numerical values of mode frequencies and the associated relative displacements of the fluid boundaries are presented for several specific systems, and the results compared with observations.