Results for “pulse power systems” — Page 27

DOE OSTI2025

Experimental investigation of longitudinal scraping of H- bunches via photo-detachment

Longitudinal emittance growth is a significant challenge in RF linacs, especially for poorly bunched beams. This stems from particles occupying outer synchrotron oscillation orbits in the LBET, causing unwanted bunch-bunch interactions and degraded beam quality. To address this, we proposed using temporally spaced laser pulses to selectively photo-detach electrons from the longitudinal head and tail regions of H- ion bunches. This approach aims to reduce particle density in extreme orbits, enhancing beam uniformity and limiting emittance growth. Our experiments employed Fermilab's 'LaserNotcher' system at the font end of the linac, delivering 1.6 MW peak power with sub-nanosecond precision. By neutralizing the first and last half-nanosecond of several H- bunches, we measured their propagation injection into the booster. Measurements of pulse width, average height, and temporal spacing over booster cycles were compared between the scraped and unscraped bunches. Statistical analysis evaluated the results’ significance, highlighting the feasibility of laser-based scraping for future linac designs to achieve higher beam energies with improved emittance control.

Landon, Parker [Boston U.]↗

DOE OSTI2025

Experimental investigation of longitudinal scraping of $H-$ bunches via photo-detachment

Longitudinal emittance growth is a significant challenge in RF linacs, especially for poorly bunched beams. This stems from particles occupying outer synchrotron oscillation orbits in the LBET, causing unwanted bunch-bunch interactions and degraded beam quality. To address this, we proposed using temporally spaced laser pulses to selectively photo-detach electrons from the longitudinal head and tail regions of H- ion bunches. This approach aims to reduce particle density in extreme orbits, enhancing beam uniformity and limiting emittance growth. Our experiments employed Fermilab's 'LaserNotcher' system at the font end of the linac, delivering 1.6 MW peak power with sub-nanosecond precision. By neutralizing the first and last half-nanosecond of several H- bunches, we measured their propagation injection into the booster. Measurements of pulse width, average height, and temporal spacing over booster cycles were compared between the scraped and unscraped bunches. Statistical analysis evaluated the results’ significance, highlighting the feasibility of laser-based scraping for future linac designs to achieve higher beam energies with improved emittance control.

Landon, P. [Boston U.; Fermilab]↗

NASA NTRS2003

High Power Laser Diode Arrays for 2-Micron Solid State Coherent Lidars Applications

Laser diode arrays are critical components of any diode-pumped solid state laser systems, constraining their performance and reliability. Laser diode arrays (LDAs) are used as the pump source for energizing the solid state lasing media to generate an intense coherent laser beam with a high spatial and spectral quality. The solid state laser design and the characteristics of its lasing materials define the operating wavelength, pulse duration, and power of the laser diodes. The pump requirements for high pulse energy 2-micron solid state lasers are substantially different from those of more widely used 1-micron lasers and in many aspects more challenging [1]. Furthermore, the reliability and lifetime demanded by many coherent lidar applications, such as global wind profiling from space and long-range clear air turbulence detection from aircraft, are beyond the capability of currently available LDAs. In addition to the need for more reliable LDAs with longer lifetime, further improvement in the operational parameters of high power quasi-cw LDAs, such as electrical efficiency, brightness, and duty cycle, are also necessary for developing cost-effective 2-micron coherent lidar systems for applications that impose stringent size, heat dissipation, and power constraints. Global wind sounding from space is one of such applications, which is the main driver for this work as part of NASA s Laser Risk Reduction Program. This paper discusses the current state of the 792 nm LDA technology and the technology areas being pursued toward improving their performance. The design and development of a unique characterization facility for addressing the specific issues associated with the LDAs for pumping 2-micron coherent lidar transmitters and identifying areas of technological improvement will be described. Finally, the results of measurements to date on various standard laser diode packages, as well as custom-designed packages with potentially longer lifetime, will be reported.

Amzajerdian, Farzin↗

DOE OSTI2024

Interleaved Cuk Converter Wave Energy System With Advanced Control and Grid Support Functions for Seamless Integration: Preprint

This paper presents an innovative wave energy conversion system employing an interleaved Cuk converter and advanced nonlinear control for seamless integration with the grid. The proposed system utilizes the interleaved Cuk converter for efficient power extraction on the DC side, while an inverter facilitates power transfer to the grid or load on the AC side. A sophisticated nonlinear control architecture based on Lyapunov energy functions ensures stable and optimal operation under varying wave conditions. Case study results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system, highlighting its ability to efficiently harness wave energy and seamlessly integrate with the grid, thus paving the way for sustainable and reliable renewable energy generation. The overall system is verified via computer simulations based on MATLAB/Simulink and various case study results are presented.

HYDRO ENERGY,TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

NASA NTRS1986

Time-domain sensitivity enhancement in pulsed Pb-TDL gas monitors

A Pb-salt tunable diode laser (TDL) has found many applications in the field of atmospheric gas analysis. Its continuous tunablility and fine spectral purity in the mid infrared region are outstanding from other lasers. The only shortcoming is that it requires cryogenic operating temperatures, though, it is improved year by year towards the room temperature operation. A repeated pulse operation of Pb salt diode lasers is possible with a thermoelectric cooling device, which allows an instrument a portable geometry disusing a heavy, bulky and power consuming mechanical refrigerator. A derivative spectrometry was exploiting the quick tunability of Pb salt diode lasers, though they are continuous wave (cw) operated with refrigerator or liquid nitrogen so far. A new system for derivative spectrometry with a pulsed diode laser will extend its field of applications because of reduced weights and size of measuring instruments. A preliminary results is shown that demonstrates the feasibility of an attempt to implement the derivative spectrmetry with repeatedly pulse driven diode lasers. Atmospheric methane was measured with 8 ppm/m sensitivity. Further results of parametric optimization for the best signal to noise ratios under any given device characteristics as well as for available real devices is given.

Koga, R.↗

DOE OSTI2024

Limiting current in a collisional crossed-field gap

Crossed-field devices are often used in pulsed power and high-power microwave applications. Previous studies derived closed-form solutions for the limiting current of a vacuum crossed-field system, corresponding to the maximum permissible current for laminar flow, below and above the Hull cutoff B H for magnetic insulation. We extend these studies by introducing collision frequency into the electron force law as a friction term to derive the limiting current in a collisional crossed-field gap. The resulting solution recovers the vacuum crossed-field case in the limit of no collisions and the collisional space-charge limited current with general initial velocity for magnetic field B → 0. In the limit of infinite collisions, we obtain a crossed-field equivalent to the Mott–Gurney law for the maximum current permissible in a collisional, nonmagnetic diode. When the collision frequency ν is less than the electron cyclotron frequency Ω, increasing initial velocity makes the critical current nonmonotonic with increasing ν with the critical current higher at B = B H for ν = Ω. As for a misaligned crossed-field gap where a component of the magnetic field was introduced parallel to the electric field across the gap, magnetic insulation is eliminated and the discontinuity at B = B H for limiting current observed in a vacuum crossed-field gap vanishes. As B → ∞, the limiting current approaches a constant that depends on the initial velocity and the collision frequency.

Breen, Lorin I.↗

DOE OSTI2022

Port Impedance Measurement and Current Injection Response Analysis for PLCs

Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are used to control devices throughout the power system since they have fast control capabilities and can utilize multiple types of communication interfaces. Therefore, studying and mitigating their vulnerabilities to electromagnetic pulse is important for the reliability of PLC operations. Here, in this paper, an effective impedance measurement scheme is proposed and demonstrated for three PLCs to estimate their susceptibility to an electromagnetic pulse. The equivalent non-uniform transmission line model is established to eliminate the impact of the fixture in the de-embedding process. Then different parameters of the impedance measurement setup are explored. Based on the measured impedance, the equivalent circuit is established to calculate the response of the device when subjected to the electromagnetic pulse. The voltage and current responses of different interfaces are compared utilizing the developed pulsed Current Injection (CI) method. Finally, the impedance measurement scheme is verified through testing using three measuring instruments. And the CI simulation experiments reveal the characteristics and susceptibilities of different PLCs interfaces, indicating that some protection measures are required for the reliable operation of the PLC.

42 ENGINEERING↗

DOE OSTI2020

Beam Losses for the PIP-III Linac to Recycler/Main Injector

The PIP-III linac produces 8 GeV H - beam for injection into the Recycler or Main Injector (MI). Beam losses throughout the system must remain low to ensure high intensity in the MI cycle and to manage radiation effects to acceptable levels, including enabling practical maintenance of the facility. Beam loss mechanisms in the system mageable maintStripping to H+ is needed, in a system that is vulnerable to magnetic stripping of H- in magnetic fields. The High power beam will heat stripping foils, perhaps unacceptably. The injection pulse is much longer than the MI circumference, so multiturn pulses with resulting heating and beam diffusion are required. We discuss beam loss related design considerations for the Linac-based scenario.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

NASA NTRS1983

500-Watt, 10-GHz Solid State Amplifier

X-band system amplifies low-duty-cycle pulses. Amplifier chain consists of driver-amplifier section using GaAs FET's with hybrid couplers, and power-amplifier section using IMPATT diodes with circulators for input/output coupling and for isolation between stages. Solid-state X-band amplifier package constitutes reliable, lightweight, compact, RF source. Used for many applications involving low-and variable-duty-cycle operation as well as fixed and high-duty-cycle operation.

Russell, K. J.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Doppler lidar atmospheric wind sensors - A comparative performance evaluation for global measurement applications from earth orbit

A comparison is made of four prominent Doppler lidar systems, ranging in wavelength from the near UV to the middle IR, which are presently being studied for their potential in an earth-orbiting global tropospheric wind field measurement application. The comparison is restricted to relative photon efficiencies, i.e., the required number of transmitted photons per pulse is calculated for each system for midtropospheric velocity estimate uncertainties ranging from + or - 1 to + or - 4 m/s. The results are converted to laser transmitter pulse energy and power requirements. The analysis indicates that a coherent CO2 Doppler lidar operating at 9.11-micron wavelength is the most efficient.

Menzies, R. T.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Laser production and heating of plasma for MHD application

Experiments have been made on the production and heating of plasmas by the absorption of laser radiation. These experiments were performed to ascertain the feasibility of using laser-produced or laser-heated plasmas as the input for a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator. Such a system would have a broad application as a laser-to-electricity energy converter for space power transmission. Experiments with a 100-J-pulsed CO2 laser were conducted to investigate the breakdown of argon gas by a high-intensity laser beam, the parameters (electron density and temperature) of the plasma produced, and the formation and propagation of laser-supported detonation (LSD) waves. Experiments were also carried out using a 1-J-pulsed CO2 laser to heat the plasma produced in a shock tube. The shock-tube hydrogen plasma reached electron densities of approximately 10 to the 17th/cu cm and electron temperatures of approximately 1 eV. Absorption of the CO2 laser beam by the plasma was measured, and up to approximately 100 percent absorption was observed. Measurements with a small MHD generator showed that the energy extraction efficiency could be very large with values up to 56 percent being measured.

Jalufka, N. W.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Noncontact Measurement Of Shaft Speed, Torque, And Power

Noncontact fiber-optic sensor and associated electronic equipment measure twist and speed of rotation of shaft. Measurements determine torque and power. Response of sensor remains linear even at cryogenic temperatures. Reflective strips on rotating shaft reflect two series of light pulses back into optical system. Bidirectional coupler in each of two optical fiber paths separates reflected light from incident light, sending it to photodiode for output to analog-to-digital converter and computer. Sensor requires no slip rings or telemetry to transfer signals from shaft. Well suited for providing data on performances of turbopumps for such cryogenic fluids as liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.

Madzsar, George C.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Pulse Shaped Constant Envelope 8-PSK Modulation Study

This report provides simulation results for constant envelope pulse shaped 8 Level Phase Shift Keying (8 PSK) modulation for end to end system performance. In order to increase bandwidth utilization, pulse shaping is applied to signals before they are modulated. This report provides simulation results of power spectra and measurement of bit errors produced by pulse shaping in a non-linear channel with Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN). The pulse shaping filters can placed before (Type B) or after (Type A) signals are modulated. Three kinds of baseband filters, 5th order Butterworth, 3rd order Bessel and Square-Root Raised Cosine with different BTs or roll off factors, are utilized in the simulations. The simulations were performed on a Signal Processing Worksystem (SPW).

Tao, Jianping↗

NASA NTRS2013

Single and Multi-Pulse Low-Energy Conical Theta Pinch Inductive Pulsed Plasma Thruster Performance

Impulse bits produced by conical theta-pinch inductive pulsed plasma thrusters possessing cone angles of 20deg, 38deg, and 60deg, were quantified for 500J/pulse operation by direct measurement using a hanging-pendulum thrust stand. All three cone angles were tested in single-pulse mode, with the 38deg model producing the highest impulse bits at roughly 1 mN-s operating on both argon and xenon propellants. A capacitor charging system, assembled to support repetitively-pulsed thruster operation, permitted testing of the 38deg thruster at a repetition-rate of 5 Hz at power levels of 0.9, 1.6, and 2.5 kW. The average thrust measured during multiple-pulse operation exceeded the value obtained when the single-pulse impulse bit is multiplied by the repetition rate.

Hallock, A. K.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Real Time Photon-Counting Receiver for High Photon Efficiency Optical Communications

We present a scalable design for a photon-counting ground receiver based on superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) and field programmable gate array (FPGA) real-time processing for applications to space-to-ground photon starved links, such as the Orion EM-2 Optical Communication Demonstration (O2O), and future deep space or low transmitter power missions. The receiver is designed to receive a serially concatenated pulse position modulation (SCPPM) waveform, which follows the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Optical Communications Coding and Synchronization Red Book standard. The receiver design uses multiple individually fiber coupled, 80% detection efficiency commercial SNSPDs in parallel to scale to a required data rate, and is capable of achieving data rates up to 528 Mbps. For efficient fiber coupling from the telescope to the array of parallel detectors that can be scaled both to telescope aperture size and the number of detectors, we use either a single mode fiber (SMF) photonic lantern or a few-mode fiber (FMF) photonic lantern. In this paper we give an overview of the receiver system design, the characteristics of the photonic lanterns, the performance of the SNSPDs, and system level tests. We show that 40 Mbps can be received using a single SNSPD, and discuss aspects for scaling to higher data rates.

Vyhnalek, Brian E.↗

NASA NTRS2019

Real Time Photon-Counting Receiver for High Photon Efficiency Optical Communications

We present a scalable design for a photon-counting ground receiver based on superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) and field programmable gate array (FPGA) real-time processing for applications to space-to-ground photon starved links, such as the Orion EM-2 Optical Communication Demonstration (O2O), and future deep space or low transmitter power missions. The receiver is designed to receive a serially concatenated pulse position modulation (SCPPM) waveform, which follows the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Optical Communications Coding and Synchronization Red Book standard. The receiver design uses multiple individually fiber coupled, 80% detection efficiency commercial SNSPDs in parallel to scale to a required data rate, and is capable of achieving data rates up to 528 Mbps. For efficient fiber coupling from the telescope to the array of parallel detectors that can be scaled both to telescope aperture size and the number of detectors, we use either a single mode fiber (SMF) photonic lantern or a few-mode fiber (FMF) photonic lantern. In this paper we give an overview of the receiver system design, the characteristics of the photonic lanterns, the performance of the SNSPDs, and system level tests. We show that 40 Mbps can be received using a single SNSPD, and discuss aspects for scaling to higher data rates.

Vyhnalek, Brian E.↗

DOE OSTI2020

Anomaly Detection and Mitigation for Wide-Area Damping Control using Machine Learning

In an interconnected multi-area power system, wide-area measurement based damping controllers are used to damp out inter-area oscillations, which jeopardize grid stability and constrain the power flows below to their transmission capacity. The effect of wide-area damping control (WADC) significantly depends on both power and cyber systems. At the cyber system layer, an adversary can inflict the WADC process by compromising either measurement signals, control signals or both. Stealthy and coordinated cyber-attacks may bypass the conventional cybersecurity measures to disrupt the seamless operation of WADC. This paper proposes an anomaly detection (AD) algorithm using supervised Machine Learning and a model-based logic for mitigation. The proposed AD algorithm considers measurement signals (input of WADC) and control signals (output of WADC) as input to evaluate the type of activity such as normal, perturbation (small or large signal faults), attack and perturbation-and-attack. Upon anomaly detection, the mitigation module tunes the WADC signal and sets the control status mode as either wide-area mode or local mode. The proposed anomaly detection and mitigation (ADM) module works inline with the WADC at the control center for attack detection on both measurement and control signals and eliminates the need for ADMs at the geographically distributed actuators. Here, we consider coordinated and primitive data-integrity attack vectors such as pulse, ramp, relay-trip and replay attacks. The performance of the proposed ADM algorithms was evaluated under these attack vector scenarios on a testbed environment for 2-area 4-machine power system. The ADM module shows effective performance with 96:5% accuracy to detect anomalies.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

NASA NTRS1987

Experimental evaluation of the performance of pulsed two-color laser-ranging systems

Two-color laser-ranging systems can be used to estimate the atmospheric delay by measuring the difference in propagation times between two optical pulses transmitted at different wavelengths. This paper describes horizontal-path ranging experiments that were conducted using flat diffuse targets and cube-corner reflector arrays. Measurements of the timing accuracy of the cross-correlation estimator, atmospheric delay, received pulse shapes, and signal power spectra are presented. The results are in general agreement with theory and indicate that target speckle can be the dominant noise source when the target is small and is located far from the ranging system or when the target consists of a small number of cube-corner reflectors.

Im, Kwaifong E.↗