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At least 1,585 records · Page 88

A novel approach to the modelling and control of flexible robot arms

A general dynamic model of a two-link Euler-Bernoulli beam flexible robot arm is presented in the form of partial-differential-integral equations. Observations are made on important properties of the dynamic model. The resulting infinite-dimensional system is then input-output decoupled and partially linearized by a diffeomorphic state transformation and nonlinear state feedback. The local stability issue is addressed for a one-link flexible robot arm.

Ding, Xuru↗

On the Localized Nature of the Structural Transformations of Li2MnO 3 Following Electrochemical Cycling

Although the Li-excess layered-oxide Li2MnO3 has a high theoretical capacity, structural transformations within the oxide during electrochemical cycling lead to relatively low experimental capacities, hindering its use in practical applications. Here, aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy/electron energy loss spectroscopy and high-resolution X-ray diffraction are used to characterize the oxide following electrochemical cycling. Microscopy reveals the coexistence of regions with local monoclinic, spinel, and rock-salt symmetries, indicating localized and inhomogeneous structural evolutions. Crystal structure transformations are observed both at the particle surface and in the bulk. At the surface, these transformed regions resemble spinel Mn3O4 or rock-salt MnO, consistent with oxygen loss. In the bulk, the regions resemble defect spinels, such as the layered-spinel LixMn4/3O4, which suggest a partial phase transformation consistent with oxygen retention. Both microscopy and diffraction data of the cycled sample indicate areas of pristine Li2MnO3; the presence of such areas, in close proximity to LixMn4/3O4 areas, suggests that the layered to spinel structure transformation is partially reversible. Spinel, disordered rock salt, and pristine areas are also observed in Li2MnO3 samples intentionally damaged by electron beam irradiation. This observation indicates that the dynamic processes resulting in phase transformations can be studied for a variety of oxide systems by a judicious selection of irradiation conditions.

aberration-corrected scanning transmission electro↗

Image processing methods for Rayleigh scattering measurements of diesel spray mixing at high repetition rate

This work describes the diagnostic implementation and image processing methods to quantitatively measure diesel spray mixing injected into a high-pressure, high-temperature environment. We used a high-repetition-rate pulse-burst laser developed in-house, a high-speed CMOS camera, and optimized the optical configuration to capture Rayleigh scattering images of the vaporized fuel jets inside a constant volume chamber. The experimental installation was modified to reduce reflections and flare levels to maximize the images’ signal-to-noise ratios by anti-reflection coatings on windows and surfaces, as well as series of optical baffles. Because of the specificities of the high-speed system, several image processing techniques had to be developed and implemented to provide quantitative fuel concentration measurements. We find that these methods involve various correction procedures such as camera linearity, laser intensity fluctuation, dynamic background flare, as well as beam-steering effects. Image inpainting was also applied to correct the Rayleigh scattering signal from large scatterers (e.g. particulates). The experiments demonstrate that applying planar laser Rayleigh scattering at high repetition rate to quantitatively resolve the mixing of fuel and ambient gases in diesel jets is challenging, but possible. The thorough analysis of the experimental uncertainty and comparisons to past data prove that such measurements can be accurate, whilst providing valuable information about the mixing processes of high-pressure diesel jets.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

In-situ TEM/heavy ion irradiation on ultrafine-and nanocrystalline-grained tungsten: Effect of 3 MeV Si, Cu and W ions

Plasma facing components for future fusion applications will experience helium- and neutron-induced structural damage. Direct observation of the in-situ dynamic response of such components during particle beam exposure assists in fundamental understanding of the physical phenomena that give rise to their irradiation resistance. We investigated the response of ultrafine and nanocrystalline-grained tungsten to 3 MeV heavy ion irradiations (Si{sup 2} {sup +}, Cu{sup 3} {sup +} and W{sup 4} {sup +}) for the simulation of neutron-induced damage through transmutation reactions via in-situ ion irradiation–transmission electron microscopy experiments. Defect densities as a function of irradiation dose (displacement per atom) and fluence were studied. Four stages of defect densities evolution were observed, as a function of irradiation dose: 1) increase in defect density at lower doses, 2) higher defect production rate at the intermediate doses (before saturation), 3) reaching the maximum value, and 4) drop of the defect density in the case of W{sup 4} {sup +}, possibly due to defect coalescence and grain boundary absorption of small defect clusters. The effect of grain size on defect densities was investigated and found that defect densities were independent of grain size in the ultrafine and nanocrystalline region (60–400 nm). These results were compared to other heavy ion irradiation studies of structural materials. - Graphical abstract: Bright-field TEM micrographs and defect densities of UF and NC tungsten grains irradiated with a) Si{sup +} {sup 2} at 1.03 dpa: 1) 140 nm — 7.2 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}, 2) 122 nm — 6.9 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}, 3) 63 nm — 4.7 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}, and 4) 367 nm — 6.4 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}; b) Cu{sup +} {sup 3} to 3.79 dpa: 1) 228 nm — 4.3 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}; 2) 202 nm — 5.9 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}; and 3) 137 nm — 6.1 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}; and c) W{sup +} {sup 4} to 5.72 dpa: 1) 372 nm — 2.3 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2} and 2) 128 nm — 4.5 × 10{sup −} {sup 3} defects/nm{sup 2}. - Highlights: • Heavy ion irradiations were performed on UF and NC grained tungsten. • Irradiations were performed with 3 MeV (Si{sup 2} {sup +}, Cu{sup 3} {sup +} and W{sup 4} {sup +}) ions at RT. • Defect density vs. dpa demonstrated four different stages in the case of W{sup 4} {sup +} irradiation. • Defect coalescence and absorption by the grain boundaries were observed after a dose of 3 dpa during W{sup 4} {sup +} irradiation. • No correlation existed between the grain width and the defect density for the UF and NC region.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Out-of-resonance vibration modulation of ultrasound with a nonlinear oscillator for microcrack detection in a cantilever beam

This Letter reports an out-of-resonance vibro-acoustic modulation (VAM) effect in nonlinear ultrasonic evaluation of a microcracked cantilever beam. We design a model to involve the microcracked cantilever beam in a nonlinear oscillator system whose dynamics is introduced to extend the operating vibration excitation band of the VAM out of resonance. The prototype model exhibits an effective bandwidth four times that of the traditional linear model. The reported VAM effect allows efficiently enhancing the detection, localization, and imaging of various types of microcracks in solid materials at out-of-resonance vibration excitation frequencies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Fracture dynamics in implanted silicon

Crack propagation in implanted silicon for thin layer transfer is experimentally studied. The crack propagation velocity as a function of split temperature is measured using a designed optical setup. Interferometric measurement of the gap opening is performed dynamically and shows an oscillatory crack “wake” with a typical wavelength in the centimetre range. The dynamics of this motion is modelled using beam elasticity and thermodynamics. The modelling demonstrates the key role of external atmospheric pressure during crack propagation. A quantification of the amount of gas trapped inside pre-existing microcracks and released during the fracture is made possible, with results consistent with previous studies.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Preface to the JPCM special issue on intense radiation sources in condensed matter and materials physics

This special issue is designed to honour the contributions of our colleague Neville Greaves who was among the first to apply newly-available synchrotron x-ray techniques to study the synthesis, structures and properties of advanced materials [1, 2]. His wide ranging work on ceramics, glasses and nanomaterials was celebrated in a recent issue of the J. Non-Cryst. Solids [3]. Neville's contributions to synchrotron research, highlighted here, focussed on design and construction of new beamline capabilities and sample environments to probe materials under different physical and chemical conditions, integrating various techniques to obtain complementary data on structure and bonding. The innovative nature of his work is illustrated by his studies of liquids and glasses, where he incorporated aerodynamic levitation into these experimental techniques, using both synchrotron x-ray and neutron beams to probe the structural transformations and dynamics combined with molecular dynamics simulations to study atomic scale organisation. His work has had a major impact on fundamental condensed matter physics and chemistry as well as applied materials science; and in this issue, we present contributions from colleagues using and developing new experimental techniques at current and next-generation synchrotron, neutron and free-electron laser sources and in their own laboratories, that probe the fundamental physics, chemistry and functional properties of novel materials and processes.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Use of diamond sensors for a high-flux, high-rate X-ray pass-through diagnostic

X-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) deliver pulses of coherent X-rays on the femtosecond time scale, with potentially high repetition rates. While XFELs provide high peak intensities, both the intensity and the centroid of the beam fluctuate strongly on a pulse-to-pulse basis, motivating high-rate beam diagnostics that operate over a large dynamic range. The fast drift velocity, low X-ray absorption and high radiation tolerance properties of chemical vapour deposition diamonds make these crystals a promising candidate material for developing a fast (multi-GHz) pass-through diagnostic for the next generation of XFELs. A new approach to the design of a diamond sensor signal path is presented, along with associated characterization studies performed in the XPP endstation of the LINAC Coherent Light Source (LCLS) at SLAC. Qualitative charge collection profiles (collected charge versus time) are presented and compared with those from a commercially available detector. Quantitative results on the charge collection efficiency and signal collection times are presented over a range of approximately four orders of magnitude in the generated electron–hole plasma density.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Spatiotemporal filtering of MR-temperature artifacts arising from bowel motion during transurethral MR-HIFU

Purpose: Transurethral MR-HIFU is a minimally invasive image-guided treatment for localized prostate cancer that enables precise targeting of tissue within the gland. The treatment is performed within a clinical MRI to obtain real-time MR thermometry used as an active feedback to control the spatial heating pattern in the prostate and to monitor for potential damage to surrounding tissues. This requires that the MR thermometry measurements are an accurate representation of the true tissue temperature. The proton resonance frequency shift thermometry method used is sensitive to tissue motion and changes in the local magnetic susceptibility that can be caused by the motion of air bubbles in the rectum, which can impact the performance of transurethral MR-HIFU in these regions of the gland. Methods: A method is proposed for filtering of temperature artifacts based on the temporal variance of the temperature, using empirical and dynamic positional knowledge of the ultrasonic heating beam, and an estimation of the measurement noise. A two-step correction strategy is introduced which eliminates artifact-detected temperature variations while keeping the noise level low through spatial averaging. Results: The filter has been evaluated by postprocessing data from five human transurethral ultrasound treatments. The two-step correction process led to reduced final temperature standard deviation in the prostate and rectum areas where the artifact was located, without negatively affecting areas distal to the artifact. The performance of the filter was also found to be consistent across all six of the data sets evaluated. The evaluation of the detection criterion parameter M determined that a value of M = 3 achieves a conservative filter with minimal loss of spatial resolution during the process. Conclusions: The filter was able to remove most artifacts due to the presence of moving air bubbles in the rectum during transurethral MR-HIFU. A quantitative estimation of the filter capabilities shows a systematic improvement in the standard deviation of the corrected temperature maps in the rectum zone as well as in the entire acquired slice.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

SU-F-T-560: Measurement of Dose Blurring Effect Due to Respiratory Motion for Lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) Using Monte Carlo Based Calculation Algorithm

Purpose: Intra-fractional tumor motion due to respiration may potentially compromise dose delivery for SBRT of lung tumors. Even sufficient margins are used to ensure there is no geometric miss of target volume, there is potential dose blurring effect may present due to motion and could impact the tumor coverage if motions are larger. In this study we investigated dose blurring effect of open fields as well as Lung SBRT patients planned using 2 non-coplanar dynamic conformal arcs(NCDCA) and few conformal beams(CB) calculated with Monte Carlo (MC) based algorithm utilizing phantom with 2D-diode array(MapCheck) and ion-chamber. Methods: SBRT lung patients were planned on Brainlab-iPlan system using 4D-CT scan and ITV were contoured on MIP image set and verified on all breathing phase image sets to account for breathing motion and then 5mm margin was applied to generate PTV. Plans were created using two NCDCA and 4-5 CB 6MV photon calculated using XVMC MC-algorithm. 3 SBRT patients plans were transferred to phantom with MapCheck and 0.125cc ion-chamber inserted in the middle of phantom to calculate dose. Also open field 3×3, 5×5 and 10×10 were calculated on this phantom. Phantom was placed on motion platform with varying motion from 5, 10, 20 and 30 mm with duty cycle of 4 second. Measurements were carried out for open fields as well 3 patients plans at static and various degree of motions. MapCheck planar dose and ion-chamber reading were collected and compared with static measurements and computed values to evaluate the dosimetric effect on tumor coverage due to motion. Results: To eliminate complexity of patients plan 3 simple open fields were also measured to see the dose blurring effect with the introduction of motion. All motion measured ionchamber values were normalized to corresponding static value. For open fields 5×5 and 10×10 normalized central axis ion-chamber values were 1.00 for all motions but for 3×3 they were 1 up to 10mm motion and 0.97 and 0.87 for 20 and 30mm motion respectively. For SBRT plans central axis dose values were within 1% upto 10mm motions but decreased to average of 5% for 20mm and 8% for 30mm motion. Mapcheck comparison with static showed penumbra enlargement due to motion blurring at the edges of the field for 3×3,5×5,10×10 pass rates were 88% to 12%, 100% to 43% and 100% to 63% respectively as motion increased from 5 to 30mm. For SBRT plans MapCheck mean pass rate were decreased from 73.8% to 39.5% as motion increased from 5mm to 30mm. Conclusion: Dose blurring effect has been seen in open fields as well as SBRT lung plans using NCDCA with CB which worsens with increasing respiratory motion and decreasing field size(tumor size). To reduce this effect larger margins and appropriate motion reduction techniques should be utilized.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

V&V Of CFD Modeling Of The Argonne Bubble Experiment: FY15 Summary Report

In support of the development of accelerator-driven production of the fission product Mo 99, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of an electron-beam irradiated, experimental-scale bubble chamber have been conducted in order to aid in interpretation of existing experimental results, provide additional insights into the physical phenomena, and develop predictive thermal hydraulic capabilities that can be applied to full-scale target solution vessels. Toward that end, a custom hybrid Eulerian-Eulerian-Lagrangian multiphase solver was developed, and simulations have been performed on high-resolution meshes. Good agreement between experiments and simulations has been achieved, especially with respect to the prediction of the maximum temperature of the uranyl sulfate solution in the experimental vessel. These positive results suggest that the simulation methodology that has been developed will prove to be suitable to assist in the development of full-scale production hardware.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

Ion beam sputter etching and deposition of fluoropolymers

Fluoropolymer etching and deposition techniques including thermal evaporation, RF sputtering, plasma polymerization, and ion beam sputtering are reviewed. Etching and deposition mechanism and material characteristics are discussed. Ion beam sputter etch rates for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were determined as a function of ion energy, current density and ion beam power density. Peel strengths were measured for epoxy bonds to various ion beam sputtered fluoropolymers. Coefficients of static and dynamic friction were measured for fluoropolymers deposited from ion bombarded PTFE.

Banks, B. A.↗

Ion beam sputter etching and deposition of fluoropolymers

Fluoropolymer etching and deposition techniques including thermal evaporation, RF sputtering, plasma polymerization, and ion beam sputtering are reviewed. Etching and deposition mechanisms and material characteristics are discussed. Ion beam sputter etch rates for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were determined as a function of ion energy, current density and ion beam power density. Peel strengths were measured for epoxy bonds to various ion beam sputtered fluoropolymers. Coefficients of static and dynamic friction were measured for fluoropolymers deposited from ion bombarded PTFE.

Banks, B. A.↗

Radiation energy conversion in space; Conference, 3rd, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., January 26-28, 1978, Technical Papers

Concepts for space-based conversion of space radiation energy into useful energy for man's needs are developed and supported by studies of costs, material and size requirements, efficiency, and available technology. Besides the more studied solar power satellite system using microwave transmission, a number of alternative space energy concepts are considered. Topics covered include orbiting mirrors for terrestrial energy supply, energy conversion at a lunar polar site, ultralightweight structures for space power, radiatively sustained cesium plasmas for solar electric conversion, solar pumped CW CO2 laser, superelastic laser energy conversion, laser-enhanced dynamics in molecular rate processes, and electron beams in space for energy storage.

Billman, K. W.↗

The dynamics and control of large flexible space structures. Volume 3, part B: The modelling, dynamics, and stability of large Earth pointing orbiting structures

The dynamics and stability of large orbiting flexible beams, and platforms and dish type structures oriented along the local horizontal are treated both analytically and numerically. It is assumed that such structures could be gravitationally stabilized by attaching a rigid light-weight dumbbell at the center of mass by a spring loaded hinge which also could provide viscous damping. For the beam, the small amplitude inplane pitch motion, dumbbell librational motion, and the anti-symmetric elastic modes are all coupled. The three dimensional equations of motion for a circular flat plate and shallow spherical shell in orbit with a two-degree-of freedom gimballed dumbbell are also developed and show that only those elastic modes described by a single nodal diameter line are influenced by the dumbbell motion. Stability criteria are developed for all the examples and a sensitivity study of the system response characteristics to the key system parameters is carried out.

Bainum, P. M.↗

Ultrasonic scanning system for imaging flaw growth in composites

A system for measuring and visually representing damage in composite specimens while they are being loaded was demonstrated. It uses a hobbiest grade microcomputer system to control data taking and image processing. The system scans operator selected regions of the specimen while it is under load in a tensile test machine and measures internal damage by the attenuation of a 2.5 MHz ultrasonic beam passed through the specimen. The microcomputer dynamically controls the position of ultrasonic transducers mounted on a two axis motor driven carriage. As many as 65,536 samples can be taken and filed on a floppy disk system in less than four minutes.

Kiraly, L. J.↗

Adaptive identification for the dynamics of large space structures

A new approach for identifying the dynamics of large space structures using noisy measurements is presented. In this approach, a modal system description is avoided and, hence, the a priori specification of model order. Instead, the system's order is recursively determined on-line, along with its parameters, using recursive lattice filters which are widely used in adaptive signal processing. The order determination is carried out based on statistical hypothesis testing theory. The approach is illustrated for the problem of identifying the structural dynamic characteristics of a free-free beam. Results on the effectiveness and accuracy of the identification scheme with respect to noise levels, sampling rates, and data window sizes are presented

Sundararajan, N.↗