Calculating Interval Uncertainties for Calibration Standards That Drift with Time.
Abstract not provided.
Delker, Collin James↗
SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Results for “CALIBRATION STANDARDS”
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Liquidus Temperature: Assessing Standard Glasses for Furnace Calibration
Standard glasses are used to ensure accurate liquidus temperature measurements and furnace temperatures. The supply of the standard glasses used at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Standard Reference Material 773 [SRM-773]) has been depleted. Replacement standard glasses for furnace temperature verification and liquidus temperature measurement validation were fabricated and tested. Two glasses-ARG-1 and AmCm2-19-were fabricated in roughly 5 kg batches. The liquidus temperature of the glasses was measured and found to be consistent with those reported in literature.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
Absolute solar spectral irradiance 120 nm-400 nm (Results from the Solar Ultraviolet Spectral Irradiance Monitor-SUSIM-Experiment on board Spacelab 2)
The Solar UV Spectral Irradiance Monitor experiment flown on the Spacelab-2 mission measured the absolute solar spectral irradiance in the ultraviolet spectral range 120 nm-400 nm with two spectral passbands, 0.15 and 5 nm. The photometric error was + or - 5.0 percent relative to three different absolute calibration standards. Calibration procedures and error budget are discussed. The results are reported and compared with other measurements.
Vanhoosier, Michael E.↗
Analysis of the calibration tests for the Apollo Varian Rubidium Frequency Standards
Calibration analysis of rubidium frequency standard - Apollo project
FREQUENCY STANDARD↗
An automated secondary standard for calibrating liquid flowmeters
A secondary working standard of flow calibration has been developed to be used in place of a primary weight-time standard, and which can thereby effect a 75 percent reduction in calibration time while maintaining acceptable accuracies. The secondary standard uses six previously calibrated turbine-type flowmeters built into two manifold systems containing automatically switched flow valves. The pair of systems is capable of covering the flow range of 0.0004 to 19 l/s (0.007 to 300 gpm) with the uncertainty in volume flow rate not exceeding + or - 0.25 percent over the range of 0.06 to 19 l/s and not exceeding + or - 0.5 percent over the range 0.0004 to 0.06 1/s. Data reduction and plotting of results are by computer.
Hobart, H. F.↗
An automated secondary standard for calibrating liquid flowmeters
A secondary working standard of flow calibration has been developed to be used in place of a primary weight-time standard, and which can thereby effect a 75 percent reduction in calibration time while maintaining acceptable accuracies. The secondary standard uses six previously calibrated turbine-type flowmeters built into two manifold systems containing automatically switched flow valves. The pair of systems is capable of covering the flow range of 0.0004 to 19 1/s (0.007 to 300 gpm) with the uncertainty in volume flow rate not exceeding plus or minus 0.25 percent over the range 0.06 to 19 1/s and not exceeding plus or minus 0.5 percent over the range 0.0004 to 0.06 1/s. Data reduction and plotting of results are by computer.
Hobart, H. F.↗
The space calibration of standard solar cells using high-altitude balloon flights
Space calibration of standard solar cells using high altitude balloon flights
BALLOON FLIGHT↗
Calibrating Laser Gas Measurements by Use of Natural CO2
An improved method of calibration has been devised for instruments that utilize tunable lasers to measure the absorption spectra of atmospheric gases in order to determine the relative abundances of the gases. In this method, CO2 in the atmosphere is used as a natural calibration standard. Unlike in one prior calibration method, it is not necessary to perform calibration measurements in advance of use of the instrument and to risk deterioration of accuracy with time during use. Unlike in another prior calibration method, it is not necessary to include a calibration gas standard (and the attendant additional hardware) in the instrument and to interrupt the acquisition of atmospheric data to perform calibration measurements. In the operation of an instrument of this type, the beam from a tunable diode laser or a tunable quantum-cascade laser is directed along a path through the atmosphere, the laser is made to scan in wavelength over an infrared spectral region that contains one or two absorption spectral lines of a gas of interest, and the transmission (and, thereby, the absorption) of the beam is measured. The concentration of the gas of interest can then be calculated from the observed depth of the absorption line(s), given the temperature, pressure, and path length. CO2 is nearly ideal as a natural calibration gas for the following reasons: CO2 has numerous rotation/vibration infrared spectral lines, many of which are near absorption lines of other gases. The concentration of CO2 relative to the concentrations of the major constituents of the atmosphere is well known and varies slowly and by a small enough amount to be considered constant for calibration in the present context. Hence, absorption-spectral measurements of the concentrations of gases of interest can be normalized to the concentrations of CO2. Because at least one CO2 calibration line is present in every spectral scan of the laser during absorption measurements, the atmospheric CO2 serves continuously as a calibration standard for every measurement point. Figure 1 depicts simulated spectral transmission measurements in a wavenumber range that contains two absorption lines of N2O and one of CO2. The simulations were performed for two different upper-atmospheric pressures for an airborne instrument that has a path length of 80 m. The relative abundance of CO2 in air was assumed to be 360 parts per million by volume (approximately its natural level in terrestrial air). In applying the present method to measurements like these, one could average the signals from the two N2O absorption lines and normalize their magnitudes to that of the CO2 absorption line. Other gases with which this calibration method can be used include H2O, CH4, CO, NO, NO2, HOCl, C2H2, NH3, O3, and HCN. One can also take advantage of this method to eliminate an atmospheric-pressure gauge and thereby reduce the mass of the instrument: The atmospheric pressure can be calculated from the temperature, the known relative abundance of CO2, and the concentration of CO2 as measured by spectral absorption. Natural CO2 levels on Mars provide an ideal calibration standard. Figure 2 shows a second example of the application of this method to Mars atmospheric gas measurements. For sticky gases like H2O, the method is particularly powerful, since water is notoriously difficult to handle at low concentrations in pre-flight calibration procedures.
Webster, Chris↗
SU-C-202-07: Protocol and Hardware for Improved Flood Field Calibration of TrueBeam FFF Cine Imaging
Purpose: Flattening filter free photon energies are commonly used for high dose treatments such as SBRT, where localization accuracy is essential. Often, MV cine imaging may be employed to verify correct localization. TrueBeam Electronic Portal Imaging Devices (EPIDs) equipped with the 40×30cm{sup 2} Image Detection Unit (IDU) are prone to image saturation at the image center especially for higher dose rates. While saturation often does not occur for cine imaging during treatment because the beam is attenuated by the patient, the flood field calibration is affected when the standard calibration procedure is followed. Here we describe the hardware and protocol to achieve improved image quality for this model of TrueBeam EPID. Methods: A stainless steel filter of uniform thickness was designed to have sufficient attenuation to avoid panel saturation for both 6XFFF and 10XFFF at the maximum dose rates (1400 MU/min & 2400 MU/min, respectively). The cine imaging flood field calibration was then acquired with the filter in place for the FFF energies under the standard calibration geometry (SDD=150cm). Image quality during MV cine was assessed with & without the modified flood field calibration using a low contrast resolution phantom and an anthropomorphic phantom. Results: When the flood field is acquired using the standard procedure (no filter in place), a pixel gain artifact is clearly present in the image center (r=3cm for 10XFFF at 2400 MU/min) which appears similar to and may be mis-attributed to panel saturation in the subject image. The artifact obscured all low contrast inserts at the image center and was also visible on the anthropomorphic phantom. Using the filter for flood field calibration eliminated the artifact. Conclusion: Use of a modified flood field calibration procedure improves image quality for cine MV imaging with TrueBeams equipped with the 40×30cm{sup 2} IDU.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Commissioning optically stimulated luminescence in vivo dosimeters for fast neutron therapy
Purpose: Clinical in vivo dosimeters intended for use with photon and electron therapies have not been utilized for fast neutron therapy because they are highly susceptible to neutron damage. The objective of this work was to determine if a commercial optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) in vivo dosimetry system could be adapted for use in fast neutron therapy. Methods: A 50.5 MeV fast neutron beam generated by a clinical neutron therapy cyclotron was used to irradiate carbon doped aluminum oxide (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}:C) optically simulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) in a solid water phantom under standard calibration conditions, 150 cm SAD, 1.7 cm depth, and 10.3 × 10.0 cm field size. OSLD fading and electron trap depletion studies were performed with the OSLDs irradiated with 20 and 50 cGy and monitored over a 24-h period to determine the optimal time for reading the dosimeters during calibration. Four OSLDs per group were calibrated over a clinical dose range of 0–150 cGy. Results: OSLD measurement uncertainties were lowered to within ±2%–3% of the expected dose by minimizing the effect of transient fading that occurs with neutron irradiation and maintaining individual calibration factors for each dosimeter. Dose dependent luminescence fading extended beyond the manufacturer’s recommended 10 min period for irradiation with photon or electron beams. To minimize OSL variances caused by inconsistent fading among dosimeters, the observed optimal time for reading the OSLDs postirradiation was between 30 and 90 min. No field size, wedge factor, or gantry angle dependencies were observed in the OSLDs irradiated by the studied fast neutron beam. Conclusions: Measurements demonstrated that uncertainties less than ±3% were attainable in OSLDs irradiated with fast neutrons under clinical conditions. Accuracy and precision comparable to clinical OSL measurements observed with photons can be achieved by maintaining individual OSLD calibration factors and minimizing transient fading effects.
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
SU-F-T-610: Comparison of Output Factors for Small Radiation Fields Used in SBRT Treatment
Purpose: In order to fundamentally understand our previous dose verification results between measurements and calculations from treatment planning system (TPS) for SBRT plans for different sized targets, the goal of the present work was to compare output factors for small fields measured using EDR2 films with TPS and Monet Carlo (MC) simulations. Methods: 6MV beam was delivered to EDR2 films for each of the following field sizes; 1×1 cm{sup 2}, 1.5×1.5 cm{sup 2}, 2×2 cm{sup 2}, 3×3 cm{sup 2}, 4×4 cm{sup 2}, 5×5 cm{sup 2} and 10×10 cm{sup 2}. The films were developed in a film processer, then scanned with a Vidar VXR-16 scanner and analyzed using RIT113 version 6.1. A standard calibration curve was obtained with the 6MV beam and was used to get absolute dose for measured field sizes. Similar plans for all fields sizes mentioned above were generated using Eclipse with the Analytical Anisotropic Algorithm. Similarly, MC simulations were carried out using the MCSIM, an in-house MC code for different field sizes. Output factors normalized to 10×10 cm{sup 2} reference field were calculated for different field sizes in all the three cases and compared. Results: For field sizes ranging from 1×1 cm{sup 2} to 2×2 cm{sup 2}, the differences in output factors between measurements (films), TPS and MC simulations were within 0.22%. For field sizes ranging from 3×3cm{sup 2} to 5×5cm{sup 2}, differences in output factors were within 0.10%. Conclusion: No clinically significant difference was obtained in output factors for different field sizes acquired from films, TPS and MC simulations. Our results showed that the output factors are predicted accurately from TPS when compared to the actual measurements and superior dose calculation Monte Carlo method. This study would help us in understanding our previously obtained dose verification results for small fields used in the SBRT treatment.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Artifacts for Calibration of Submicron Width Measurements
Artifacts that are fabricated with the help of molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) are undergoing development for use as dimensional calibration standards with submicron widths. Such standards are needed for calibrating instruments (principally, scanning electron microscopes and scanning probe microscopes) for measuring the widths of features in advanced integrated circuits. Dimensional calibration standards fabricated by an older process that involves lithography and etching of trenches in (110) surfaces of single-crystal silicon are generally reproducible to within dimensional tolerances of about 15 nm. It is anticipated that when the artifacts of the present type are fully developed, their critical dimensions will be reproducible to within 1 nm. These artifacts are expected to find increasing use in the semiconductor-device and integrated- circuit industries as the width tolerances on semiconductor devices shrink to a few nanometers during the next few years. Unlike in the older process, one does not rely on lithography and etching to define the critical dimensions. Instead, one relies on the inherent smoothness and flatness of MBE layers deposited under controlled conditions and defines the critical dimensions as the thicknesses of such layers. An artifact of the present type is fabricated in two stages (see figure): In the first stage, a multilayer epitaxial wafer is grown on a very flat substrate. In the second stage, the wafer is cleaved to expose the layers, then the exposed layers are differentially etched (taking advantage of large differences between the etch rates of the different epitaxial layer materials). The resulting structure includes narrow and well-defined trenches and a shelf with thicknesses determined by the thicknesses of the epitaxial layers from which they were etched. Eventually, it should be possible to add a third fabrication stage in which durable, electronically inert artifacts could be replicated in diamondlike carbon from a master made by MBE and etching as described above.
Grunthaner, Frank↗
Reevaluation of the NOAA/CMDL carbon monoxide reference scale and comparisons with CO reference gases at NASA-Langley and the Fraunhofer Institut
The carbon monoxide (CO) reference scale created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory (NOAA/CMDL) is used to quantify measurements of CO in the atmosphere, calibrate standards of other laboratories and to otherwise provide reference gases to the community measuring atmospheric CO. This reference scale was created based upon a set of primary standards prepared by gravimetric methods at CMDL and has been propagated to a set of working standards. In this paper we compare CO mixing ratios assigned to the working standards by three approaches: (1) calibration against the original gravimetric standards, (2) calibration using only working standards as the reference gas, and (3) calibration against three new gravimetric standards prepared to CMDL. The agreement between these values was typically better than 1%. The calibration histories of CMDL working standards are reviewed with respect to expected rates of CO change in the atmosphere. Using a Monte Carlo approach to simulate the effect of drifting standards on calculated mixing ratios, we conclude that the error solely associated with the maintenance of standards will limit the ability to detect small CO changes in the atmosphere. We also report results of intercalibration experiments conducted between CMDL and the Diode Laser Sensor Group (DACOM) at the NASA Langley Research Center (Hampton, Virginia), and CMDL and the Fraunhofer-Institut (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany). Each laboratory calibrated several working standards for CO using their reference gases, and these results were compared to calibrations conducted by CMDL. The intercomparison of eight standards (CO concentrations between approximately 100 and approximately 165 ppb) by CMDL and NASA agreed to better than +/- 2%. The calibration of six standards (CO concentrations between approximately 50 and approximately 210 ppb) by CMDL and the Fraunhofer-Institut agreed to within +/- 2% for four standards, and to within +/- 5% for all six standards.
Novelli, P. C.↗
A report from the AVS Standards Committee - Comparison of ion gauge calibrations by several standards laboratories
Calibrations by four U.S. laboratories of four hot-cathode ion gauges, in the range 0.07-13 mPa, showed systematic differences among laboratories that were much larger than the expected error of any one calibration. They also suggested that any of the four gauges tested, if properly packaged and shipped, was able to serve as a transfer standard with probable error of 2%. A second comparison was made of the calibrations by two U.S. laboratories of some other gauges that had also been calibrated by the National Physical Laboratory, England. Results did not permit conclusive determination of whether differences were due to the laboratories or to changes in the gauges.
Warshawsky, I.↗
Uncertainty Analysis of Instrument Calibration and Application
Experimental aerodynamic researchers require estimated precision and bias uncertainties of measured physical quantities, typically at 95 percent confidence levels. Uncertainties of final computed aerodynamic parameters are obtained by propagation of individual measurement uncertainties through the defining functional expressions. In this paper, rigorous mathematical techniques are extended to determine precision and bias uncertainties of any instrument-sensor system. Through this analysis, instrument uncertainties determined through calibration are now expressed as functions of the corresponding measurement for linear and nonlinear univariate and multivariate processes. Treatment of correlated measurement precision error is developed. During laboratory calibration, calibration standard uncertainties are assumed to be an order of magnitude less than those of the instrument being calibrated. Often calibration standards do not satisfy this assumption. This paper applies rigorous statistical methods for inclusion of calibration standard uncertainty and covariance due to the order of their application. The effects of mathematical modeling error on calibration bias uncertainty are quantified. The effects of experimental design on uncertainty are analyzed. The importance of replication is emphasized, techniques for estimation of both bias and precision uncertainties using replication are developed. Statistical tests for stationarity of calibration parameters over time are obtained.
Tripp, John S.↗
Binary pseudo-random array standards for calibration of 3D optical surface profilers used for metrology with significantly curved x-ray optics
High-accuracy metrology is vitally important in manufacturing ultra-high-quality free-form mirrors designed to manipulate X-ray light with nanometer-scale wavelengths. The current capabilities and possibility for improvements in X-ray mirror manufacturing are limited by inherent imperfections of the integrated metrology tools. In the case of Fizeau interferometry, metrology tools are currently calibrated with super-polished flat test-standard/reference mirrors. This is acceptable for measuring slightly curved X-ray optics. However, for even moderately curved aspherical X-ray mirrors the flat-reference calibration is not sufficiently accurate and stitching Fizeau interferometer-based surface metrology is used to mitigate the problem. But still, the retrace and aberration errors, as well as the limited spatial resolution, described with the instrument transfer function (ITF), can be transferred into the optical surface topography of X-ray mirrors obtained in stitching metrology. For ITF calibration, we have developed an original technique, based on test standards structured as two-dimensional (2D) highly-randomized (HR) binary pseudo-random arrays (BPRAs). The technique employs the unique properties of the HR BPRA patterns in the spatial frequency domain., i.e. the inherent 2D power spectral density of the HR BPRA pattern has a deterministic white-noise-like character that allows direct determination of the ITF with uniform sensitivity over the entire spatial frequency range and field-of-view of an instrument. Here, we explore technological, metrological, and analytical aspects essential for calibration of the retrace and aberration errors of Fizeau interferometers using different types of tilted test samples, including a super-polished reference mirror for the re-trace calibration and the uniformly redundant array (URA) BPRA standards for the geometrical distortion (aberration) calibration. While the first method was previously demonstrated by researchers at DIAMOND Light Source, a method based on the URA BPRA is described and demonstrated here for the first time. We outline the design and fabrication process used in fabrication of URA BPRA test standards, and present the results of application of the URA BPRA standards demonstrating the high efficacy of our approach to geometrical distortion calibration of Fizeau interferometers. We also discuss the possible sources of unexpected peculiarities of the systematic errors, including an astigmatic character of the retrace error, observed with Fizeau interferometers at the Advanced Light Source X-Ray Optics Laboratory.
Munechika, Keiko↗
A Tool Measuring Remaining Thickness of Notched Acoustic Cavities in Primary Reaction Control Thruster NDI Standards
Stress corrosion cracking in the relief radius area of a space shuttle primary reaction control thruster is an issue of concern. The current approach for monitoring of potential crack growth is nondestructive inspection (NDI) of remaining thickness (RT) to the acoustic cavities using an eddy current or remote field eddy current probe. EDM manufacturers have difficulty in providing accurate RT calibration standards. Significant error in the RT values of NDI calibration standards could lead to a mistaken judgment of cracking condition of a thruster under inspection. A tool based on eddy current principle has been developed to measure the RT at each acoustic cavity of a calibration standard in order to validate that the standard meets the sample design criteria.
Sun, Yushi↗
Binary pseudo-random array standards for calibration of 3D optical surface profilers used for metrology with aspheric x-ray optics
High-accuracy surface metrology is vitally important in manufacturing ultra-high-quality free-form mirrors designed to manipulate x-ray light with nanometer-scale wavelengths. The current and potential capabilities of x˗ray mirror manufacturing are limited by inherent imperfections of the integrated metrology tools. Metrology tools are currently calibrated with super-polished flat test-standard/reference mirrors. This is acceptable for fabrication of slightly curved x-ray optics. However, for even moderately curved aspherical x-ray mirrors the flat-reference calibration is not sufficiently accurate. For micro-stitching interferometry developed for surface measurements with curved x-ray mirrors, the tool aberration errors are known to be transferred into the optical surface topography of x-ray mirrors. Our approach to improving metrology is to thoroughly calibrate the measuring tool and apply the results of the calibration to deconvolution of the measured data. Here we explore the application of a recently developed technique for calibrating the instrument transfer function (ITF) of 3D optical surface profilers to metrology with significantly curved x-ray optics. The technique, based on test standards patterned with two-dimensional (2D) binary pseudo-random arrays (BPRAs), employs the unique properties of the BPRA patterns in the spatial frequency domain. The inherent 2D power spectral density of the pattern has a deterministic white-noise-like character that allows direct determination of the ITF with uniform sensitivity over the entire spatial frequency range and field of view of an instrument. The high efficacy of the technique has been previously demonstrated in application to metrology with flat and slightly curved optics. Here, we concentrate on development of an efficient fabrication process for production of highly randomized (HR) BPRA test standards on flat and 500-mm spherical optical substrates. We also compare and discuss the results of the ITF calibration of an interferometric microscope when using the HR BPRA standards on flat and curved substrates.
Munechika, Keiko↗