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At least 343 records · Page 19

Developments on high temperature fiber optic microphone

A fiber optic microphone, based on the principle of the fiber optic lever, features small size, extended bandwidth, and capability to operate at high temperatures. These are requirements for measurements in hypersonic flow. This paper describes the principles of operation of fiber optic sensors, a discussion of the design of a fiber optic microphone, the functional elements and packaging techniques of the optoelectronic circuitry, and the calibration techniques used in the development of the high temperature fiber optic microphone.

Wright, Kenneth D., II↗

Power Electronics Thermal Management

This project conducts research to develop new power electronics thermal management technologies to increase power density, enable high WBG temperature operation, and decrease cost. One of the main challenges to achieving high power densities is associated with packaging of high-temperature (250°C) WBG devices near lower-temperature-rated components (e.g., electrical boards and capacitors). Additionally, the high junction temperatures of the WBG devices will result in large temperature gradients through the power module layers that will present reliability challenges and require higher-temperature substrates and bonding materials.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Power Electronics Thermal Management

This project conducts research to develop new power electronics thermal management technologies to increase power density, enable high WBG temperature operation, and decrease cost. One of the main challenges to achieving high power densities is associated with packaging of high-temperature (up to 250 degrees C) WBG devices near lower-temperature-rated components (e.g., electrical boards and capacitors). Additionally, the high junction temperatures of the WBG devices will result in large temperature gradients through the power module layers, which will present reliability challenges and require higher-temperature substrates and bonding materials.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

A compact furnace to support in situ neutron imaging of hydrogen dynamics in yttrium hydride moderators

A compact, nuclear microreactor that utilizes low-enriched uranium fuel is a promising solution to meet U.S. energy demands in nonconventional nuclear markets such as remote and decentralized energy grids. Yttrium hydride (YHx) is a potential moderator material for a microreactor design that reduces the amount of required fuel and provides superior retention of hydrogen at high reactor operating temperatures. Hydrogen diffusion properties in YHx are highly sought after for computer model validation and reactor prototyping. To characterize hydrogen diffusion, a compact dual-zone furnace was developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory and analyzed via neutron imaging at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE). The goal of these measurements is to assess hydrogen diffusion in YHx samples as a function of applied temperature gradients. Included herein is recent progress in technique and furnace developments as well as initial results from concentration- and temperature-gradient measurements at LANSCE.

Torres, James↗

Ruggedized Acoustic Tool for High-Temperature Wellbore Integrity Evaluation in Harsh Geothermal Environments [Slides]

This presentation covers the development of a high-temperature well integrity evaluation tool that (1) can operate in high-temperature EGS boreholes to provide consistent, high-resolution evaluation information, (2) can operate without active cooling or substantial mitigation of borehole conditions, and (3) can provide high-fidelity data to adequately characterize conditions that may present safety hazards, risk to the environment, and efficacy of wellbore construction for long-term operation.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

High Temperature Ceramic Guide Vane Temperature and Pressure Distribution Calculation for Flow with Cooling Jets

A ceramic guide vane has been designed and tested for operation under high temperature. Previous efforts have suggested that some cooling flow may be required to alleviate the high temperatures observed near the trailing edge region. The present report describes briefly a three-dimensional viscous analysis carried out to calculate the temperature and pressure distribution on the blade surface and in the flow path with a jet of cooling air exiting from the suction surface near the trailing edge region. The data for analysis was obtained from Dr. Craig Robinson. The surface temperature and pressure distribution along with a flowfield distribution is shown in the results. The surface distribution is also given in a tabular form at the end of the document.

Srivastava, Rakesh↗

Advanced Measurement and Visualization Techniques for High-Temperature Heat Pipe Experiments

This report conducts a preliminary investigation of the available literature and summarizes some potential advanced measurement and visualization techniques for operating high-temperature heat pipe (HP) that can be implemented to support the United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE) Microreactor Program (MRP). The primary objective for the extensive literature research is to investigate the possibilities and feasibility for the design and construction of an advanced experimental test facility with the aim of producing high-fidelity high-resolution heat pipe data during its operation. Based on the existing HP test facilities at Idaho National Laboratory (INL)—including the Single Primary Heat Extraction and Removal Emulator (SPHERE) and the Microreactor Agile Non-Nuclear Experimental Test Bed (MAGNET)—further efforts will be made to examine the technical feasibility to HP measurements and support the research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) process for an HP-cooled microreactor. Continuing collaborations with the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program, other research institutes and universities are considered to be extremely important so that the experimental facility and resultant database can satisfy the validation needs of advanced heat pipe modeling codes being developed under DOE NEAMS program.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Low Frequency High Amplitude Temperature Oscillations in Loop Heat Pipe Operation

This paper presents a theory that explains low frequency, high amplitude temperature oscillations in loop heat pipe (LHP) operation. Oscillations of the CC temperature with amplitudes on the order of tens of degrees Kelvin and periods on the order of hours have been observed in some LHPs during ambient testing. There are presently no satisfactory explanations for such a phenomenon in the literature. It is well-known that the operating temperature of an LHP with a single evaporator is governed by the compensation chamber (CC) temperature, which in turn is a function of the evaporator heat load, sink temperature, and ambient temperature. As the operating condition changes, the CC temperature will change during the transient but eventually reach a new steady temperature. Under certain conditions, however, the LHP never really reaches a true steady state, but instead displays an oscillatory behavior. The proposed new theory describes why low frequency, high amplitude oscillations may occur when the LHP has a low evaporator power, a low heat sink temperature (below ambient temperature), and a large thermal mass attached to the evaporator. When this condition prevails, there are some complex interactions between the CC, condenser, thermal mass and ambient. The temperature oscillation is a result of the large movement of the vapor front inside the condenser, which is caused by a change in the net evaporator power modulated by the large thermal mass through its interaction with the sink and CC. The theory agrees very well with previously published test data. Effects of various parameters on the amplitude and frequency of the temperature oscillation are also discussed.

Ku, Jentung↗

srlife: A Fast Tool for High Temperature Receiver Design and Analysis

This report describes a tool for estimating the structural service life of tubular, panel solar receivers operating at high temperatures. A complete version of the tool is available as open source software at https://github.com/Argonne-National-Laboratory/srlife and can be installed through the PyPi (https://pypi.org) package manager. Given the basic receiver geometry and the thermal loads on the receiver, the tool provides 1D, 2D, or 3D thermal and structural (single tube and simplified system) analysis and creep-fatigue service life prediction for six metallic alloys – 316H, 800H, Alloy 617, Alloy 740H, and Alloy 230. With the exception of Alloy 230 where the material data is preliminary, the software included a detailed set of models for the materials, well-supported by high temperature experimental test data. The tool is designed for easy integration with a software stack, including solar field and thermohydraulic simulations, for optimizing receiver designs to meet service life and economic targets. The report describes several heuristics that can be applied in srlife to reduce the analysis time by several orders of magnitude but with fairly accurate life estimation when compared with full analysis. The report provides several examples demonstrating the utility of srlife in receiver design. Finally, the report discusses high temperature tests on Alloy 282, collected as part of this project, used to develop and support the material model for that alloy.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

High Temperature Steam Electrolysis Process Model

The code models the operation of a high temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) plant coupled with a nuclear power plant, and provides calculations of the process energy requirements; water feed stream flow rate requirements; process cooling requirements; process conditions such as temperature, pressure, and flow rate, throughout the process; product purity and flow rate, as well as data that can be used to determine the sizing, performance, and cost specifications of individual equipment components that comprise the system.

Wendt, DanielS (0000000344914296)↗

LERCIP 2004 Summary

This summer I am continuing my project from the previous two summers. My work involves ohmic contacts to N-type silicon carbide (Sic) devices. My mentor, Dr. Robert Okojie, is developing the technology behind high performance sensors and actuators for harsh environments. Sic is useful because it is able to operate at temperatures up to 600 C and it is resistant to radiation damage. This allows sensors and electronics to be placed in new locations, such as inside a jet engine or in space application without using heavy shielding. Ultimately this results in more efficient, smarter engine technology, reduced launch weights for spacecraft, and high power and high temperature electronics. A fundamental part of Sic devices is the ohmic contact. The contact is the interface between the semiconductor (Sic) and external circuitry. The current flowing in and out the devices is through the contact. Ensuring that these contacts remain ohmic (linear I-V behavior) allows us to fabricate devices that do not waste power at the metallurgical junction. Another key part is maintaining a low contact resistance. It is desired to maintain minimum energy loss by avoiding a rectifying electrical characteristic. My project is to develop and implement a testing procedure for measuring the contact resistance while the device is operating at high temperature. It is important to measure the contacts while simulating the true operating environment as closely as possible. For this reason, measurements are taken while the device is heated at intervals up to 600 C in air. To test the long tern reliability of the devices, the high temperature measurements are repeated after heating the sample for long intervals in air. A new set of data is gathered after heating for a total of 100, 200 and then 400 hours. The current as a function of voltage and the contact resistance was measured using the four point probe technique. The four point probe method is chosen because it measures contact resistance while eliminating error due to wire resistance and calibration issues.

DeAngelis, David↗

Fail-Safe Operation of a High-Temperature Magnetic Bearing Investigated for Gas Turbine Engine Applications

The Structural Mechanics and Dynamics Branch at the NASA Glenn Research Center has developed a three-axis high-temperature magnetic bearing suspension rig to enhance the safety of the bearing system up to 1000 F. This test rig can accommodate thrust and radial bearings up to a 22.84 cm (9 in.) diameter with a maximum axial loading of 22.25 kN (5000 lb) and a maximum radial loading up to 4.45 kN (1000 lb). The test facility was set up to test magnetic bearings under high-temperature (1100 F) and high-speed (20,000 rpm) conditions. The magnetic bearing is located at the center of gravity of the rotor between two high-temperature grease-packed mechanical ball bearings. The drive-end duplex angular contact ball bearing, which is in full contact, acts as a moment release and provides axial stability. The outboard end ball bearing has a 0.015-in. radial clearance between the rotor to act as a backup bearing and to compensate for axial thermal expansion. There is a 0.020-in. radial air gap between the stator pole and the rotor. The stator was wrapped with three 1-kW band heaters to create a localized hot section; the mechanical ball bearings were outside this section. Eight threaded rods supported the stator. These incorporated a plunger and Bellville washers to compensate for radial thermal expansion and provide rotor-to-stator alignment. The stator was instrumented with thermocouples and a current sensor for each coil. Eight air-cooled position sensors were mounted outside the hot section to monitor the rotor. Another sensor monitored this rotation of the outboard backup bearing. Ground fault circuit interrupts were incorporated into all power amplifier loops for personnel safety. All instrumentation was monitored and recorded on a LabView-based data acquisition system. Currently, this 12-pole heteropolar magnetic bearing has 13 thermal cycles and over 26 hr of operation at 1000 F.

Choi, Benjamin B.↗

Dielectric Resonator Design for Low Power and Low Temperature Microwave Plasma

Waveguide-based microwave plasmas generally operate at high temperatures (2000 - 6000K)[1], making it difficult to directly interface solid materials with the plasma without significant thermal damage. Dielectric microwave resonators (DMRs), long studied for wave-based manipulation of electromagnetic radiation for telecom and optics, can focus radiation to extremely small mode volumes, creating intense localized fields with low-power input.[2] This phenomenon can be used for applications ranging from efficient plasma electronics to near-ambient plasma-materials interactions. Such DMR-based plasmas have been demonstrated a handful of times in the literature, but the majority of research towards this utilize the lowest frequency resonance mode.[3], [4], [5] By carefully controlling the geometry of cylindrical resonators, a variety of electromagnetic modes can be excited. In this work, COMSOL Multiphysics simulations are used to study the electric field enhancement and absorption properties of CaTiO3 DMRs as a function of geometry and excitation frequency. Whereas previous studies have utilized the HEM111 resonance frequency to drive low power plasma excitation, we find that higher order resonance frequencies are more effective at field enhancement and result in less power loss within the dielectric material, hence less wasted heating. The effectiveness of these modes is also geometry dependent and can be computationally optimized for plasma generation. Complementing these computational efforts, we demonstrate a new closed-system reactor design built in a WR-650 waveguide and experimentally demonstrate the formation of atmospheric argon microwave plasma using < 30 W input power on DMR dimers. We observe a shifting resonance frequency as the DMRs heat in response to microwave excitation and develop a Python-based lock-in mechanism to effectively track the DMR resonance over time, leading to stable plasma operation. We use infrared thermal imaging to monitor the temperature of the DMR dimers and surrounding quartz chamber, demonstrating thermal temperatures < 60 degreesC. Finally, we utilize optical emission spectroscopy (OES) to probe the plasma properties as a function of the resonance mode.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

High-temperature CW and pulsed operation in constricted double-heterojunction AlGaAs diode lasers

The behavior of constricted double-heterojunction (CDH) diode lasers has been investigated up to 170 C CW and 270 C pulsed. It is found that the temperature-dependent current concentration effect responsible for low threshold-current sensitivity and temperature-invariant external differential quantum efficiency in CDH lasers saturates at about 100 C. It is also found that over a wide temperature interval (180-280 C) the threshold current density has a To value of 40-50 C and that the spontaneous emission becomes increasingly sublinear above 220 C. Both effects are believed to reflect Auger recombination.

Botez, D.↗

High-Performance, Low-Temperature-Operating, Long-Lifetime Aerospace Lubricants

The synthesis and characterization of six new ionic liquids, with fluoroether moeties on the imidazolium ring, each with vapor pressures shown to be <10(exp -7 Torr at 25 C, have been demonstrated. Thermal stability of the ionic liquids up to 250 C was demonstrated. The ionic liquids had no measurable influence upon viscosity upon addition to perfluoropolyether (PFPE) base fluids. They also had no measureable influence upon corrosion on steel substrates upon addition to base fluids. In general, 13 to 34% lower COFs (coefficients of friction), and 30 to 80% higher OK load of base fluids upon addition of the ionic liquids was shown. The compound consists of a 1,3-disubstituted imidazolium cation. The substituents comprise perfluoroether groups. A bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide anion counterbalances the charge. The fluorinated groups are intended to enhance dispersion of the ionic liquid in the PFPE base fluid. The presence of weak Van der Waals forces associated with fluorine atoms will limit interaction of the substituents on adjacent ions. The longer interionic distances will reduce the heat of melting and viscosity, and will increase dispersion capabilities.

Bergeron, Bryan↗

High-Performing, Low-Temperature-Operating, Long-Lifetime Aerospace Lubricants

Long-duration space exploration will require spacecraft systems that can operate effectively over several years with minimal or no maintenance. Aerospace lubricants are key components of spacecraft systems. Physical Sciences Inc., has synthesized and characterized novel ionic liquids for use in aerospace lubricants that contribute to decreased viscosity, friction, and wear in aerospace systems. The resulting formulations offer low vapor pressure and outgassing properties and thermal stability up to 250 C. They are effective for use at temperatures as low as -70 C and provide long-term operational stability in aerospace systems. In Phase II, the company scaled several new ionic liquids and evaluated a novel formulation in a NASA testbed. The resulting lubricant compounds will offer lower volatility, decreased corrosion, and better tribological characteristics than standard liquid lubricants, particularly at lower temperatures.

Joshi, Prakash↗

AGC-4 Disassembly Report

The Advanced Reactor Terminology Graphite Research and Development program is currently measuring irradiated material property changes in several grades of nuclear graphite to predict behavior and operating performance within the core of these new high temperature reactor designs. The Advanced Graphite Creep (AGC) experiment, consisting of six irradiation capsules, will generate the irradiated graphite performance data for the Very High Temperature Reactor operating conditions. All six capsules in the experiment conducted at Idaho National Laboratory will be irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor, disassembled in the Hot Fuel Examination Facility, and examined at the Idaho National Laboratory Research Center. This is the disassembly report describing the disassembly, shipment, post irradiation inspection, and storage of the graphite specimens contained within the AGC 4 irradiation test series capsule (the fourth irradiation capsule of the series). AGC 4 was irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) East Flux Trap (EFT) during ATR Cycle 157D, 158A, 162A, 162B, 164A, 164B, 166A, and Cycle 166B. Approximately 3.6 dpa was achieved. Desired experiment temperatures were exceeded by at least 100C during the second Cycle of irradiation due to the insertion of the KJRR experiment. The capsule was removed from the ATR and transferred to the Hot Fuel Examination Facility on May 15, 2020 and eventually unloaded into the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) Decon Cell through Penetration 2D on February 26, 2021. It was moved to the HFEF Main Cell Window 3M for disassembly on March 15, 2021. Disassembly and specimen extraction began March 18, 2021, and packaging of the graphite specimens was completed on April 16, 2021. Several anomalies were noted, specifically that the radiological dose rates were nominally an order of magnitude higher than that of the previous AGC experiments. This report summarizes the disassembly of the AGC 4 experiment.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

AGC-4 Disassembly Report

The Advanced Reactor Terminology Graphite Research and Development program is currently measuring irradiated material property changes in several grades of nuclear graphite to predict behavior and operating performance within the core of these new high temperature reactor designs. The Advanced Graphite Creep (AGC) experiment, consisting of six irradiation capsules, will generate the irradiated graphite performance data for the Very High Temperature Reactor operating conditions. All six capsules in the experiment conducted at Idaho National Laboratory will be irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor, disassembled in the Hot Fuel Examination Facility, and examined at the Idaho National Laboratory Research Center. This is the disassembly report describing the disassembly, shipment, post irradiation inspection, and storage of the graphite specimens contained within the AGC 4 irradiation test series capsule (the fourth irradiation capsule of the series). AGC 4 was irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) East Flux Trap (EFT) during ATR Cycle 157D, 158A, 162A, 162B, 164A, 164B, 166A, and Cycle 166B. Approximately 3.6 dpa was achieved. Desired experiment temperatures were exceeded by at least 100C during the second Cycle of irradiation due to the insertion of the KJRR experiment. The capsule was removed from the ATR and transferred to the Hot Fuel Examination Facility on May 15, 2020 and eventually unloaded into the Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) Decon Cell through Penetration 2D on February 26, 2021. It was moved to the HFEF Main Cell Window 3M for disassembly on March 15, 2021. Disassembly and specimen extraction began March 18, 2021, and packaging of the graphite specimens was completed on April 16, 2021. Several anomalies were noted, specifically that the radiological dose rates were nominally an order of magnitude higher than that of the previous AGC experiments. This report summarizes the disassembly of the AGC 4 experiment.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗