Nondissipative dc to dc regulator-converter study, phase I Final project report, 15 Jun. 1964 - 31 Dec. 1965
Breadboard testing of chopper and booster regulators for application to DC-to-DC regulator-converter
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Breadboard testing of chopper and booster regulators for application to DC-to-DC regulator-converter
Airborne and ground-based IR telescopes have oscillating secondary mirrors to permit subtraction of background emission from the sky and telescope. These chopping mirrors are synchronized to a clock which may originate in the data acquisition system. For laboratory testing of detecting instruments with such data systems, externally synchronized chopped IR sources are required. We describe a laboratory chopper in which a synchronous motor is driven by 2-phase sinusoidal currents in sync with an external clock at frequencies from 5 to 50 Hz. This design is used with the KAO's facility sources, the Chopped Hotplate and the Portable Chopped Light Source (PCLS).
Dynamometer performance of a South Coast Technology electric conversion of a Volkswagen (VW) Rabbit designated SCT-8 was tested. The SCT-8 vehicle was fitted with a transistorized chopper in the motor armature circuit to supplement the standard motor speed control via field weakening. The armature chopper allowed speed control below the motor base speed. This low speed control was intended to reduce energy loss at idle during stop-and-go traffic; to eliminate the need for using the clutch below base motor speed; and to improve the drivability. Test results indicate an improvement of about 3.5% in battery energy economy for the SAE J227a-D driving cycle and 6% for the C-cycle with only a minor reduction in acceleration performance. A further reduction of about 6% would be possible if provision were made for shutting down field power during the idle phases of the driving cycles. Drivability of the vehicle equipped with the armature chopper was significantly improved compared with the standard SCT Electric Rabbit.
An ac motor controller for an induction motor electric vehicle drive system was designed, fabricated, tested, evaluated, and cost analyzed. A vehicle performance analysis was done to establish the vehicle tractive effort-speed requirements. These requirements were then converted into a set of ac motor and ac controller requirements. The power inverter is a three-phase bridge using power Darlington transistors. The induction motor was optimized for use with an inverter power source. The drive system has a constant torque output to base motor speed and a constant horsepower output to maximum speed. A gear shifting transmission is not required. The ac controller was scaled from the base 20 hp (41 hp peak) at 108 volts dec to an expanded horsepower and battery voltage range. Motor reversal was accomplished by electronic reversal of the inverter phase sequence. The ac controller can also be used as a boost chopper battery charger. The drive system was tested on a dynamometer and results are presented. The current-controlled pulse width modulation control scheme yielded improved motor current waveforms. The ac controller favors a higher system voltage.
A modification to a commercial FT-Raman spectrometer is presented for the elimination of thermal backgrounds in FT-Raman spectra. The modification involves the use of a mechanical chopper to modulate the CW laser, remote collection of the signal via fiber optics, and connection of a dual-phase digital signal processor lock-in amplifier between the detector and the spectrometer's collection electronics to demodulate and filter the optical signals. The resulting modulated FT-Raman fiber-optic spectrometer is capable of completely eliminating thermal backgrounds at temperatures exceeding 370 C. In addition, the signal/noise of generated Raman spectra is greater than for spectra collected with the conventional FT-Raman under identical conditions and incident laser power. This is true for both room-temperature and hot samples. The method allows collection of data using preexisting spectrometer software. The total cost of the modification (excluding fiber optics) is approximately $3000 and requires less than 2 h to implement. This is the first report of Fr-Raman spectra collected at temperatures in excess of 300 C in the absence of thermal backgrounds.
A modification to a commercial Fourier Transform (FT) Raman spectrometer is presented for the elimination of thermal backgrounds in the FT Raman spectra. The modification involves the use of a mechanical optical chopper to modulate the continuous wave laser, remote collection of the signal via fiber optics, and connection of a dual-phase digital-signal-processor (DSP) lock-in amplifier between the detector and the spectrometer's collection electronics to demodulate and filter the optical signals. The resulting Modulated Fourier Transform Raman Fiber-Optic Spectrometer is capable of completely eliminating thermal backgrounds at temperatures exceeding 300 C.
Recent computational work evaluated the phase stability of UCo 2 and UNi 2 in the C14, C15, and C36 Laves phases and reported their computationally determined phonon density of states. To corroborate these computational findings, we report the experimentally determined phonon density of states for UCo 2 and UNi 2 using inelastic neutron scattering at the wide angular-range chopper spectrometer at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. We found excellent agreement between experimental and computational results for UNi 2 and noted that some differences were observed for UCo 2 . Furthermore, by comparing the phonon density of states of UCo 2 with that of other U-bearing Laves phases, we found that UCo 2 showed distinct vibrational properties. From the one-phonon density of states, we calculated the lattice contribution to the specific heat of UNi 2 and UCo 2 . Finally, we bound the electronic contribution to the specific heat in UNi 2 .
The seasonal variations in ozone and temperature inferred from the Nimbus-4 BUV (Backscatter Ultraviolet Spectrometer) and the SCR (Selective Chopper Radiometer) experiments are compared with predictions based on a simplified radiative photochemical model. It is shown that the observations, in agreement with the model calculations, show a systematic phase shift from a summer maximum at 10 mb to a winter maximum at 1 mb with equinoctial maxima at intermediate heights. In contrast, the temperature between these pressure levels shows no appreciable phase shift and the summer maximum prevails at all heights. The observed phase differences in ozone and temperature are shown to be a manifestation of the radiative feedback on the photochemistry of the upper stratosphere.
The design methodology, the design decision rationale, the vehicle preliminary design summary, and the advanced technology developments are presented. The detailed vehicle design, the vehicle ride and handling and front structural crashworthiness analysis, the microcomputer control of the propulsion system, the design study of the battery switching circuit, the field chopper, and the battery charger, and the recent program refinements and computer results are presented.
The application of pulse modulation control (choppers) to dc motors creates unique instrumentation problems. In particular, the high harmonic components contained in the current waveforms require frequency response accommodations not normally considered in dc instrumentation. In addition to current sensing, accurate power measurement requires not only adequate frequency response but must also address phase errors caused by the finite bandwidths and component characteristics involved. The implications of these problems are assessed.
The application of pulse modulation control (choppers) to dc motors creates unique instrumentation problems. In particular, the high-harmonic components contained in the current waveforms require frequency-response accommodations not normally considered in dc instrumentation. In addition to current sensing, accurate power measurement not only requires adequate frequency response but also must address phase errors caused by the finite bandwidths and component characteristics involved. This paper discusses the implications of these problems and reports on the degree to which they have been solved at Lewis Research Center.
Hard and soft switching test results conducted with one of the samples of first generation MOS-controlled thyristor (MCTs) and similar test results with several different samples of second generation MCT's are reported. A simple chopper circuit is used to investigate the basic switching characteristics of MCT under hard switching and various types of resonant circuits are used to determine soft switching characteristics of MCT under both zero voltage and zero current switching. Next, operation principles of a pulse density modulated converter (PDMC) for three phase (3F) to 3F two-step power conversion via parallel resonant high frequency (HF) AC link are reviewed. The details for the selection of power switches and other power components required for the construction of the power circuit for the second generation 3F to 3F converter system are discussed. The problems encountered in the first generation system are considered. Design and performance of the first generation 3F to 3F power converter system and field oriented induction moter drive based upon a 3 kVA, 20 kHz parallel resonant HF AC link are described. Low harmonic current at the input and output, unity power factor operation of input, and bidirectional flow capability of the system are shown via both computer and experimental results. The work completed on the construction and testing of the second generation converter and field oriented induction motor drive based upon specifications for a 10 hp squirrel cage dynamometer and a 20 kHz parallel resonant HF AC link is discussed. The induction machine is designed to deliver 10 hp or 7.46 kW when operated as an AC-dynamo with power fed back to the source through the converter. Results presented reveal that the proposed power level requires additional energy storage elements to overcome difficulties with a peak link voltage variation problem that limits reaching to the desired power level. The power level test of the second generation converter after the addition of extra energy storage elements to the HF link are described. The importance of the source voltage level to achieve a better current regulation for the source side PDMC is also briefly discussed. The power levels achieved in the motoring mode of operation show that the proposed power levels achieved in the generating mode of operation can also be easily achieved provided that no mechanical speed limitation were present to drive the induction machine at the proposed power level.
Stratospheric radiance and temperature data obtained in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres during 1971 and 1972 are analyzed in order to compare planetary-wave behavior in both hemispheres. The data sources include the reduced radiance data of the Nimbus 4 selective chopper radiometer, National Meteorological Center gridded data, and Eole constant-level balloon data. Large-amplitude wave oscillations with energy in the period range from 20 to 30 days are observed along with the eastward propagation of planetary wave 2 in the Southern Hemisphere and a strong vertical coherence in wave phase at all levels between 200 mb and the upper stratosphere. The results show that: (1) despite stationary forcing, eastward phase progression occurs for wave 2 in the south as well as during the amplification phase of wave 1 in both hemispheres; (2) the upper stratosphere in midwinter contains regions of apparent barotropic instability, especially in the south; (3) wave number 2 amplitudes grow from very low values in early winter to high values in late winter; (4) the meridional amplitude structure is similar in the upper stratosphere in both hemispheres; and (5) the equatorward extent of waves is directly related to zonal wind speed in the upper stratosphere.
We present an inelastic neutron scattering study of liquid and solid hydrogen carried out using the wide Angular Range Chopper Spectrometer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. From the observed dynamic structure factor, we obtained empirical estimates of the molecular mean-squared displacement and average translational kinetic energy. Here we find that the former quantity increases with temperature, indicating that a combination of thermal and quantum effects is important near the liquid-solid phase transition, contrary to previous measurements. We also find that the kinetic energy drops dramatically on melting of the crystals, a consequence of the large increase in molar volume together with the Heisenberg indeterminacy principle. Our results are compared with quantum Monte Carlo simulations based on different model potentials. In general, there is good agreement between our findings and theoretical predictions based on the Silvera-Goldman and Buck potentials.
Focal plane wave front sensing and control is a critical approach to reducing noncommon path errors between a conventional astronomical adaptive optics (AO) wave front sensor (WFS) detector and a science camera. However, in addition to mitigating noncommon path errors, recent focal plane wave front sensing techniques have been developed to operate at speeds fast enough to enable "multi-WFS" AO, where residual atmospheric errors are further corrected by a focal plane WFS. Although a number of such techniques have been recently developed for coronagraphic imaging, here we present one designed for noncoronagraphic imaging. Utilizing conventional AO system components, this concept additionally requires (1) a detector imaging the focal plane of the WFS light source and (2) a pupil plane optical chopper device that is the noncommon path to the first WFS and is synchronized to the focal plane imager readout. These minimal hardware requirements enable the temporal amplitude modulation to resolve the sine ambiguity of even wave-front modes for low, mid, and high wave front spatial frequencies. Similar capabilities have been demonstrated with classical phase diversity by defocusing the detector, but such techniques are incompatible with simultaneous science observations. This optical chopping technique, however, enables science imaging at up to 50% duty cycle. In conclusion, we present both simulations and laboratory validation of this concept on SEAL, the Santa Cruz Extreme AO Laboratory testbed.
The PIP2 IT Beam Pattern Generator is the system that synchronizes beam injection and the RF systems between the PIP2 LINAC to the Booster. The RF frequencies of these two accelerator systems are not harmonically related. Synchronization is accomplished by controlling two MEBT Beam Choppers, which select 162.5MHz beam bunches from the LEBT and RFQ to produce an appropriate reduced beam bunch pattern that enables bucket-to-bucket transfer to the Booster RF at 46.46MHz (84th harmonic). This chopping pattern also reduces the beam current to an average of 2mA over the Booster injection, matching the Linac nominal beam current. The BPG also generates the RF frequency/phase reference which the Booster will phase lock to during injection. The BPG is fully programmable, allowing for arbitrary beam patterns with adjustable timing parameters, having a fine adjustment resolution of 38ps. The latter is accomplished using digital signal processing techniques. This paper discusses the design of the BPG, its construction, test results, and operational experience after being integrated into the PIP2 IT test accelerator and concludes with a discussion of the system’s performance and future plans.
A complete redesign of the LANSCE front-end is currently under development for the Los Alamos Modernization Project (LAMP). This includes the replacement of the traditional Cockroft-Walton injection system to the newer radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ) standard. LANSCE accelerates both H- and H+ beams and therefore requires an unconventional application for RFQ systems. A new facility could consider using an independent RFQ for each beam species. However, with the tight space of the LANSCE injector facility, it would prove difficult to instrument. Our initial studies have shown that a single RFQ could be used. The negatively- and positively-charged direct current (DC) beams are shaped, bunched, and accelerated out of phase to each other, with very little interaction. This would work for all possible H+ beam gates and most H- Beam gates. However, a challenge arises with the Weapons Neutron Research (WNR) beam structure that requires the acceleration of bunched beams at higher charge density per pulse. The Long Bunch Enable Gate (LBEG) used for the Lujan center is the best example of a standard injector beam gate. The beam gate, or Macro-Pulse (MP), is 625-us long, separated by at least 8.3 ms. A chopper is used to dice the MP into 1750 mini-Pulses (mP), which are 290-ns wide. After chopping, the MP contains 100,000 micro-Pulses (uP), which are generated by the linac acceleration structure modulated at 201.25 MHz; that is, the micro-Pulses are separated 5 ns apart from each other. The H+ beam structure will be very similar once a chopper is added to its transport. However, the Multi-Pulse Enable Gate (MPEG) used for WNR is significantly different in structure. In this case, the mP is chopped to be only 35-ns wide. This width is then rotated into a single 201.25 MHz RF bucket using the Low Frequency Buncher (LFB). This is proving difficult for the RFQ design in the LAMP upgrade. We began investigating the amount of current sent to WNR for two reasons. Firstly, we wanted to find a solution to avoid using the Low Frequency Buncher to simplify the LAMP RFQ design. It is simple to inject and accelerate a 35 mA DC beam in the LAMP RFQ (this is done in numerous accelerator facilities). However, injecting a short bunch with a larger current (once compressed to 5 ns to meet the RFQ frequency) may be difficult. Second, we have a technique called PSR2WNR in which we do not employ the Low Frequency Buncher, but rather accumulate 5 LBEG uP (5 ns) in the PSR and deliver the accumulated beam to WNR every 1.8 us. As a result, we could provide to WNR with five accumulated LBEG uPs every shot. The goal here is to create a rapid kicker with a frequency response of 555 kHz. DARHT-II and other accelerator facilities have constructed kickers of this type for other uses, and our engineers consider this technology as feasible.
Zonal indices, momentum flux, and mean and perturbation kinetic energies of the Southern Hemisphere upper troposphere, derived from the EOLE constant density balloon data set, are found to possess strong 18-23 day variations which are statistically significant to a posteriori levels. Cross-spectra and phase relationships suggest that the variation appears as a barotropic interaction between the middle latitude mean westerlies and ultra large-scale perturbations. Long-period and high-amplitude variations in energy conversion between eddy and mean kinetic energies are found which average out in the long term mean to be very small and positive, consistent with previously measured average hemispheric energetics. Furthermore, the variation is shown to possess an ultra-long wave preference. Examination of two independent data sources, time series of total ozone and stratospheric thickness data from the Selective Chopper Radiometer, suggests that the periodicity is a property of general hemispheric motion rather than just a property of the EOLE data set.