Engineering topics

Wilgen, John B.

Publications and source records attributed to Wilgen, John B..

10 records

DOE OSTI2017

Apparatus and method for materials processing utilizing a rotating magnetic field

An apparatus for materials processing utilizing a rotating magnetic field comprises a platform for supporting a specimen, and a plurality of magnets underlying the platform. The plurality of magnets are configured for rotation about an axis of rotation intersecting the platform. A heat source is disposed above the platform for heating the specimen during the rotation of the plurality of magnets. A method for materials processing utilizing a rotating magnetic field comprises providing a specimen on a platform overlying a plurality of magnets; rotating the plurality of magnets about an axis of rotation intersecting the platform, thereby applying a rotating magnetic field to the specimen; and, while rotating the plurality of magnets, heating the specimen to a desired temperature.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2016

EMAT enhanced dispersion of particles in liquid

Particulate matter is dispersed in a fluid material. A sample including a first material in a fluid state and second material comprising particulate matter are placed into a chamber. The second material is spatially dispersed in the first material utilizing EMAT force. The dispersion process continues until spatial distribution of the second material enables the sample to meet a specified criterion. The chamber and/or the sample is electrically conductive. The EMAT force is generated by placing the chamber coaxially within an induction coil driven by an applied alternating current and placing the chamber and induction coil coaxially within a high field magnetic. The EMAT force is coupled to the sample without physical contact to the sample or to the chamber, by another physical object. Batch and continuous processing are utilized. The chamber may be folded within the bore of the magnet. Acoustic force frequency and/or temperature may be controlled.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2016

Remote actuated valve implant

Valve implant systems positionable within a flow passage, the systems having an inlet, an outlet, and a remotely activatable valve between the inlet and outlet, with the valves being operable to provide intermittent occlusion of the flow path. A remote field is applied to provide thermal or magnetic activation of the valves.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2016

Iron-based composition for magnetocaloric effect (MCE) applications and method of making a single crystal

A method of making a single crystal comprises heating a material comprising magnetic anisotropy to a temperature T sufficient to form a melt of the material. A magnetic field of at least about 1 Tesla is applied to the melt at the temperature T, where a magnetic free energy difference .DELTA.G.sub.m between different crystallographic axes is greater than a thermal energy kT. While applying the magnetic field, the melt is cooled at a rate of about 30.degree. C./min or higher, and the melt solidifies to form a single crystal of the material.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2015

Disruption Mitigation System Developments and Design for ITER

A disruption mitigation system (DMS) is under design for ITER to inject sufficient material deeply into the plasma for rapid plasma thermal shutdown and collisional suppression of any resulting runaway electrons. Progress on the development and design of both a shattered pellet injector (SPI) that produces large solid cryogenic pellets to provide reliable deep penetration of material and a fast opening high flow rate gas valve for massive gas injection (MGI) is presented. Cryogenic pellets of deuterium and neon up to 25 mm in size have been formed and accelerated with a prototype injector and a full scale prototype MGI valve is now in testing. Implications of the design with respect to response time and reliability at the proposed injector locations on ITER are discussed.

Baylor, Larry↗

DOE OSTI2015

Mitigated-force carriage for high magnetic field environments

A carriage for high magnetic field environments includes a plurality of work-piece separators disposed in an operable relationship with a work-piece processing magnet having a magnetic field strength of at least 1 Tesla for supporting and separating a plurality of work-pieces by a preselected, essentially equal spacing, so that, as a first work-piece is inserted into the magnetic field, a second work-piece is simultaneously withdrawn from the magnetic field, so that an attractive magnetic force imparted on the first work-piece offsets a resistive magnetic force imparted on the second work-piece.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2014

Method of and apparatus for thermomagnetically processing a workpiece

A method of thermomagnetically processing a material includes disposing a workpiece within a bore of a magnet; exposing the workpiece to a magnetic field of at least about 1 Tesla generated by the magnet; and, while exposing the workpiece to the magnetic field, applying heat energy to the workpiece at a plurality of frequencies to achieve spatially-controlled heating of the workpiece. An apparatus for thermomagnetically processing a material comprises: a high field strength magnet having a bore extending therethrough for insertion of a workpiece therein; and an energy source disposed adjacent to an entrance to the bore. The energy source is an emitter of variable frequency heat energy, and the bore comprises a waveguide for propagation of the variable frequency heat energy from the energy source to the workpiece.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DOE OSTI2013

Magnetic Processing of Steel Strip and Next Generation Alloys

High magnetic field processing was applied in two separate process configurations. In the first configuration, a laboratory-scale continuous razor blade processing line incorporating ORNL’s ambient temperature high magnetic field technology for increased energy efficiency and material performance enhancement was successfully demonstrated during the project. This facility simulated a critical portion of a high temperature heat-treatment razor blade material processing line and demonstrated that a costly and energy inefficient cryogenic cooling processing to control retained austenite (RA) could be eliminated with an ambient temperature magnetic process. Magnetic processing resulted in improved process energy efficiency, reduced microstructural variability in the final product, and higher hardness for better performance than currently employed cryogenic commercial processing. Therefore, from both a technical and cost benefit perspective, high magnetic field processing incorporated into a razor strip production line was shown to be a technically-feasible, commercially-viable approach to making a superior blade razor product.

Ludtka, Gerard Michael↗

DOE OSTI2012

Embedded Sensors and Controls to Improve Component Performance and Reliability: Conceptual Design Report

The overall project objective is to demonstrate improved reliability and increased performance made possible by deeply embedding instrumentation and controls (I&C) in nuclear power plant components. The project is employing a highly instrumented canned rotor, magnetic bearing, fluoride salt pump as its I&C technology demonstration vehicle. The project s focus is not primarily on pump design, but instead is on methods to deeply embed I&C within a pump system. However, because the I&C is intimately part of the basic millisecond-by-millisecond functioning of the pump, the I&C design cannot proceed in isolation from the other aspects of the pump. The pump will not function if the characteristics of the I&C are not embedded within the design because the I&C enables performance of the basic function rather than merely monitoring quasi-stable performance. Traditionally, I&C has been incorporated in nuclear power plant (NPP) components after their design is nearly complete; adequate performance was obtained through over-design. This report describes the progress and status of the project and provides a conceptual design overview for the embedded I&C pump.

Embedded Controls↗

DOE OSTI2012

High Magnetic Field Processing - A Heat-Free Heat Treating Method

The High and Thermal Magnetic Processing/Electro-magnetic Acoustic Transducer (HTMP/EMAT) technology has been shown to be an enabling disruptive materials processing technology, that can achieve significant improvements in microstructure and consequently material performance beyond that achievable through conventional processing, and will lead to the next generation of advanced performance structural and functional materials. HTMP exposure increased the reaction kinetics enabling refinement of microstructural features such as finer martensite lath size, and finer, more copious, homogeneous dispersions of strengthening carbides leading to combined strength and toughness improvements in bainitic steels. When induction heating is applied in a high magnetic field environment, the induction heating coil is configured so that high intensity acoustic/ultrasonic treatment occurs naturally. The configuration results in a highly effective electromagnetic acoustical transducer (EMAT).

Electron Microscopy↗