Science.gov (United States)

This paper presents a systematic study on the stability of a two-dimensional vibration isolation floating raft system with a time-delayed feedback control. Based on the generalized Sturm criterion, the critical control gain for the delay-independent stability region and critical time delays for the stability switches are derived. The critical conditions can provide a theoretical guidance of chaotification design for line spectra reduction. Numerical simulations verify the correctness of the approach. Bifurcation analyses reveal that chaotification is more likely to occur in unstable region defined by these critical conditions, and the stiffness of the floating raft and mass ratio are the sensitive parameters to reduce critical control gain.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A mathematical model of multichannel radiometric inspection system was developed, in which the measurement results are reproduced in the form of a half-tone image equivalent to the radiation image of the irradiated object. The model makes the following assumptions: the beam of radiation is fan-shaped; the object of inspection is scanned discretely; the focal spot of the source is rectangular; the apertures of the detector are round, and the detectors themselves are equidistant from the sources, aimed at it, and form a close-packed array; the signals from the detectors are processed according to a time scheme; and the measurement results are corrected in a computer for normalizing the gains of the channels of the system. The mathematical model can serve as the basis for developing a method of calculating the optimal parameters of a multichannel radiometric system with visualization ...

KoreaScience (Korea)

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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The article focusses on operational experience gained with the following items: scrubbing system with oxidation, regenerative gas preheater, blower/fan, aerosol filter, and product processing. (orig./PW).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mechanisms and associated energetics for adatom diffusion on the (100) and (110) surfaces of Ni, Cu, Rh, Pd, and Ag are investigated. Self-diffusion was studied on (100) and (I 10) surfaces of Ni, Cu, Pd and Ag using corrected effective medium method (CEM) and approximation to CEM used for molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo studies (MD/MC-CEM). Self-diffusion on Pd(100), Ag(100), Ni(110), Cu(110), Pd(110), and Ag(110) is accomplished by classical diffusion: the adatom hops from its equilibrium adsorption site over an intervening bridge site to an adjacent equilibrium site. Self-diffusion on Ni(100) and Cu(100) proceeds by atomic-exchange diffusion: the adatom on the surface displaces an atom in the first surface layer. Aside from explicit inclusion of the kinetic-exchange-correlation energy, it is critical to include enough movable atoms in the calculation to insure correct energetics. Distortions induced by these diffusion mechanisms, ...

Science.gov (United States)

The advanced technologies of Ka-Band systems such as high gain spot .... sometimes used based on link requirements for a specific application. .... received at NASA LeRC from a Ku-band satellite and retransmitted to the USAT at Ka-Band. .... and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The polarization characteristics of spontaneous radiation from relativistic electrons moving through helical and planar wiggler fields are evaluated for imperfect beam injection. Maximum coherent gain in free-electron laser systems are seen to occur in optical fields having these polarization characteristics rather than those of the wiggler magnets. Coupling coefficients for an electron beam skewed at an angle to the optical mode are presented.

Science.gov (United States)

The report gives a comprehensive summary of the experience gained and the problems encountered during the Cat-Ox demonstration program. The report outlines the process design and construction, as well as operating experience and problems. Test results and conclusions derived from...

CERN Document Server

In this paper, we extend the diversity and multiplexing tradeoff (DMT) analysis from point-to-point channels to cellular systems to evaluate the impact of inter-cell interference on the system reliability and efficiency. Fundamental tradeoff among diversity order, multiplexing gain and inter-cell interference intensity is characterized to reveal the capability of multiple antennas in cellular systems. And the detrimental effects of the inter-cell interference on the system performance of diversity and multiplexing is presented and analyzed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laser gain of the NIJI-IV compact storage-ring-based Free Electron Laser (FEL) system at AIST reached #approx#9% at 200 nm for an average beam current of 16.3 mA. In addition to such a drastic gain enhancement, improvement of the laser-cavity performance has led to successful FEL lasing in the vacuum ultraviolet below 200 nm even in a compact system. Temporal and spectral characteristics of the NIJI-IV FEL were examined around 200 nm. FEL performance will be briefly discussed from the application point of view.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cell voltage monitoring (CVM) systems are essential for the operation of fuel cell stacks and some battery systems, in the field as well as in the laboratory, because they allow the diagnosis and correction of problems that would otherwise go unnoticed and cause impaired performance or even permanent damage. A robust, safe, and low-cost design for a CVM unit is presented, using electromechanical relays as multiplexing switches. Some examples from the application of the unit on the University of Delaware's fuel cell battery hybrid buses are presented, including its use in automatically correcting anode flooding and diagnosing air channel blockage. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phenomenological accountancy of quanta-electrodynamic corrections by means of introduction into multielectron theory of short-term potential, the parameters whereof are calibrated in such a way that provides for correct reproduction of the Lamb shift of the 1s-orbital energy for a correspondingly selected effective charge is developed by example of d-line of Na-like multicharged ions.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

For a system of noninteracting electrons scattered by resonant levels of neutral impurities, we show that virial and quasiparticle corrections have nearly equal magnitudes. We propose a modification of the Boltzmann equation that includes quasiparticle and virial corrections and discuss their interplay on a dielectric function. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Project W-320 Acceptance Test Report for tank 241-C-106, 296-C-006 Ventilation System Acceptance Test Procedure (ATP) HNF-SD-W320-012, C-106 Tank Process Ventilation Test, was an in depth test of the 296-C-006 ventilation system and ventilation support systems required to perform the sluicing of tank C-106. Systems involved included electrical, instrumentation, chiller and HVAC. Tests began at component level, moved to loop level, up to system level and finally to an integrated systems level test. One criteria was to perform the test with the least amount of risk from a radioactive contamination potential stand point. To accomplish this a temporary configuration was designed that would simulate operation of the systems, without being connected directly to the waste tank air space. This was done by blanking off ducting to the tank and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A self-tuning PID (proportional-integral-derivative) power system stabilizer (PSS) is presented for improving the dynamic stability of a multimachine power system over a wide range of operating conditions. In order to maintain good damping characteristic when there is a drastic change in system operating condition, the gain settings are adapted in real time based on the continuously measured system inputs and outputs. The proposed self-tuning stabilizer has a decentralized structure and only local measurements within each generating units are required for the adaptation process. The effectiveness of the proposed stabilizer is demonstrated by an example.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this paper, a neural networks (NN) based adaptive sliding mode controller (SMC) is introduced. The selection of SMC feedback gains is normally based on one operating point and thus the performance of the controller away from the design operating point is, of necessity, a compromise. The adaptive SMC is proposed to overcome the limitations imposed on the effectiveness of the SMC under different operating conditions. Neural networks are used for online prediction of the optimal SMC gains when the operating point changes. The proposed method has been applied to a power system stabilizer (PSS) of a single machine power system. Simulation results are included to demonstrate the performance of the proposed control scheme.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adjustment of the rf phase in a linear accelerator is crucial for maintaining optimal performance. If phasing is incorrect, the beam will in general have an energy error and increased energy spread. While an energy error can be readily detected and corrected using position readings from beam position monitors at dispersion locations, this is not helpful for correcting energy spread in a system with many possible phase errors. Uncorrected energy spread results in poor capture efficiency in downstream accelerators, such as the Advanced Photon Source's (APS's) particle accumulator ring (PAR) or booster synchrotron. To address this issue, APS has implemented beam-to-rf phase detectors in the linac, along with software for automatic correction of phase errors. We discuss the design, implementation, and performance of these detectors and how they improved APS top-up operations.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The simplest high gain free electron laser (FEL) amplifier concept is proposed. A klystron amplifier has the useful property that the various electronic processes take place in separate portions of the amplifier, rather than overlapping as in FEL amplifier with an uniform undulator. The klystron consists of two fundamental parts: succession of 2-3 cascades (modulator), and an output undulator (radiator) in which the modulated electron beam coherently radiates. Each cascade consists of uniform undulator and dispersion section. Unlike distributed optical klystrons, we have a high gain per cascade pass. This has a few consequences. First, klystron gain does not depend on the bunch compression in the injector linac, i.e. maximum gain per cascade pass at high peak beam current is the same at low peak beam current, without compression. Conventional, short-wavelength FEL amplifier and distributed optical ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Motivation: High-throughput transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics methods have revolutionized our knowledge of biological systems. To gain knowledge from comparative omics studies, strong data integration and visualization features are required. Knowledge gained from these studies is often available in the form of graphs, and their visualization is especially useful in a wide range of systems biology topics, including pathway analysis, interaction networks or gene models. Especially, it is necessary to compare biological models with measured data. This allows the identification of new models and new insights into existing ones. Results: We present MGV, a versatile generic graph viewer for multiomics data. MGV is integrated into Mayday (Battke et al., 2010). It extends Maydays visual...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A new power system stabilizer (PSS) design method for single-machine infinite-bus systems is developed. This design method not only assigns the poles corresponding to the electro-mechanical oscillation modes in the system, but also located other system poles in suitable places in the s-plane. The design procedure is used first to translate a PSS design problem to an equivalent constant output feedback controller design problem for a single-input multi-output (SIMO) system. Then, a new algorithm developed in this paper is applied to design a constant output feedback controller to achieve the desired closed-loop system pole locations. Finally, the controller gains are transferred back to the parameters in the PSS. The extension of the method to multi-machine power systems is also illustrated. (Author).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The purpose of this research was to: a) evaluate variations in sensitivity and uniformity of SPECT detectors during 360"0 rotation, b) explore the causes of the variations and c) to discuss a correction procedure. A flood source consisting of a lucite disc 47.7 cm in diameter containing 3 microcuries of Co-57 was constructed. This source can be firmly attached to the uncollimated detector guaranteeing no detector-source geometry change during rotation. Four different SPECT cameras were tested. Measurements were obtained at 45"0 intervals throughout a 360"0 rotation, and repeated in 3 different orientations with respect to the earth's magnetic field. In one camera the effects of the direction and strength of induced magnetic fields were studied. All detectors showed cyclic rotational variations in sensitivity; in three cameras 6%, in one 3%. The amplitude and phase of the sensitivity variation curves and the variations in uniformity were unique for each camera. The ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Any mine that uses haultrucks has a dispatching system of some sort, even if it is only a very basic and simple arrangement. The larger, more complex operations have found that, if properly applied, automated computerised dispatching improves the productivity of the equipment as well as improving overall control and reporting. However, not every mine can justify going this far; in these cases a computerised monitoring and reporting system with manual dispatching can still give considerable benefits. Wenco International Mining Systems of Vancouver supplies its computerised system to three different specification levels to suit most open pit mining operations. The article describes the 3 PMCSs (Production Monitoring and Control System) available: PMCS 1000, for monitoring and reporting only; PMCS 2000, for dispatching to maximise production; and PMCS 3000, for dispatching with ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper mainly considers the asymptotic stability of interval neutral delay-differential systems, which corrects a technical error in the proof given in [Applied Math. Letters, 16(2003) 1063-1068] by a linear fractional transformation of an interconnection matrix with structured real parametric uncertainties. In addition, a new condition, in terms of the structured singular value, is provided to ensure the stability of the interval system. Finally, an example is given to demonstrate the validity of our criteria.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this paper, we have designed power system stabilizer (PSS) using object-oriented method. There are several types of power system stabilizer, A proportional-integral (PI) controller is very simple for practical implementation. Therefore it has been widely employed by the industry. The methods of obtaining the gains (Ki,Kp) of PI controller are root-locus method and sub-optimal regulator approach. But these methods are cannot be applicable to nonlinear system and faulted power system. So we proposed a new method which can be applied to nonlinear system by numerical analysis method. The method of dynamic system simulation by numerical method is very difficult and complex. We proposed flexible simulation method for complex power system analysis using object-oriented programming (OOP) and applied to PI controller design. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Electron energy loss (EEL) spectroscopy and high angle annular dark field (HAADF) imaging in aberration-corrected electron microscopes are powerful techniques to determine the chemical composition and structure of materials at atomic resolution. We have implemented Smart Acquisition, a flexible system of scanning transmission electron microsocpy (STEM) beam position control and EELS collection, on two aberration-corrected dedicated cold field emission gun (FEG) STEMs located at SuperSTEM, Daresbury Laboratory. This allows the collection of EEL spectra from spatially defined areas with a much lower electron dose possible than existing techniques such as spectrum imaging.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Research highlights: ? Mathematical model represents a power system which consists of synchronous machine connected to infinite bus through transmission line. ? Power system stabilizer was designed based on optimal pole shifting controller. ? The system performances was tested through load disturbances at different operating conditions. ? The system performance with the proposed optimal pole shifting controller is compared with the conventional pole placement controller. ? The digital simulation results indicated that the proposed controller has a superior performance. -- Abstract: Power system stabilizer based on optimal pole shifting is proposed. An approach for shifting the real parts of the open-loop poles to any desired positions while preserving the imaginary parts is presented. In each step of this approach, it is required to solve a first-order or a second-order linear ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This book provides the information required to design and prepare construction drawings, and to install, inspect, test, and commission buried piping. Both pressure and gravity piping are covered, including water, steam, gases, and sewers. Directed primarily toward underground industrial piping systems, this is a succinct, well-organized compilation of practical knowledge. Checklists, examples, tables, charts, nomographs, short cuts, and helpful hints gained through years of experience complete this timely and useful ''how to'' book.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper will describe the application of power generation by the use of microturbine technology by Capstone Turbine Corporation throughout South America. The purpose of this paper is to describe the technology and the experience gained over the last six years. The microturbines are power generation systems that produce energy from a diverse range of liquid or gaseous fuels. The generator is driven by a small gas turbine with a common shaft for the rotors of the generator and the engine. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This 2001 edition of the guide to UK renewable energy companies examines the geothermal heat pump sector, and discusses the technology involved, installations of geothermal heat pumps, the activity in the UK market with increased interest in UK geothermal heat pump products from abroad, and developments in the building sector. The UK government's increased support for the industry including its sponsorship of the Affordable Warmth programme, and the future potential of ground source systems are discussed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A centralized, automatic monitoring system for coal mines has been developed. The system consists of newly-developed and improved sensors, transmission equipment, a minicomputer designed for scientific and technical calculations, and accompanying software (MOLES). MOLES performs six functions: input, computation, decision, memory, output and correction. Previously, centralized monitoring has been limited to single dimensional monitoring of the 'time and point' type. The present system carries out data analysis and processing with respect to time, space and item. It is also capable of simple automatic diagnosis of abnormalities. (In Japanese)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper describes the effects of motion of beam components (quads, rf cavities and dipoles) on the beam and considers the properties of a compensation system from the perspective of users. The system departs from standard practice in considering active perturbation of the electron beam to verify beam corrections. The effects of local closed orbit perturbations to direct undulator beams at different experimental setups are also considered.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This thesis deals with the reduced-order modeling of electrical machines and interconnected power systems in the medium time scale using integral manifold techniques. First, an improved model for power system stabilizer design that captures the damping due to the amortisseur windings while retaining the simplicity of the DeMello-Concordia model is presented. Second, time scales of the regulated synchronous machine are analyzed using the linearized models, and the well-known effects of the high-gain regulator on the system are explained. A reduced-order model that captures the damping due to the power-system stabilizer is presented. Third, speed-damping terms are obtained in the swing equation in a multimachine environment by approximating the integral manifold associated with fast damper windings. This provides a theoretical basis for the practice of adding cross-damping terms to ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

There are many applications that necessitate reliable and permanent power supply, e.g. power stations, airports, computer centers or hospitals. The stationary battery systems must be monitored by efficient systems, e.g. Batlog. (orig.) [Deutsch] Viele Anwendungen verlangen eine permanent verfuegbare und zuverlaessige Stromversorgung. Kraftwerke, Flughaefen, Rechenzentren oder Krankenhaeuser muessen ihre Prozesse auch bei einem Netzausfall oder einer Versorgungsunterbrechung weiterbetreiben. Dies gelingt nur, wenn sich der entsprechende Energiespeicher in einsatzbereitem Zustand befindet. Die Ueberwachung der stationaeren Batterieanlagen erfordert leistungsfaehige Systeme wie Batlog. (orig.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abstract: The Hanford Tanks Initiative (HTI) is a five-year project resulting from the technical and financial partnership of the U.S. Department of Energy`s Office of Waste Management (EM-30) and Office of Science and Technology Development (EM-50). The HTI project accelerates activities to gain key technical, cost performance, and regulatory information on two high-level waste tanks. The HTI will provide a basis for design and regulatory decisions affecting the remainder of the Tank Waste Remediation System`s tank waste retrieval Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Readout integrated circuits (ROICs) for focal plane arrays (FPAs) have become increasingly complex to meet the needs of modern infrared systems. BAE Systems has pioneered a number of advanced signal processing architectures for FPA ROICs. Demonstrated signal processing capabilities of BAE Systems FPAs include analog-to-digital conversion, offset subtraction, individual pixel automatic gain compensation, transient noise suppression, on-FPA defect deselection, reconfigurable pixels, spatial neural network processing and subframe noise averaging. BAE Systems FPA advanced signal processing is not just for demonstrations, but is used in many of their deliverable FPAs, improving real system performance.

CERN Document Server

Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) is an effective technique for reliable transmission of packets in wireless networks. In ARQ, however, only a few erroneous bits in a packet will cause the entire packet to be discarded at the receiver. In this case, it's wasteful to retransmit the correct bit in the received packet. The partial packet recovery only retransmits the unreliable decoded bits in order to increase the throughput of network. In addition, the cooperative transmission based on Interleave-division multiple-access (IDMA) can obtain diversity gains with multiple relays with different locations for multiple sources simultaneously. By exploring the diversity from the channel between relay and destination, we propose a relay-assisted partial packet recovery in CDMA wireless network to improve the performance of throughput. In the proposed scheme, asynchronous IDMA iterative chip-by-chip multiuser detection is utilized as a method of multiple ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Obtaining precise values of the undulator parameter, K, is critical for producing high-gain FEL radiation. At the LCLS [1], where the FEL wavelength reaches down to 1.5 {angstrom}, the relative precision of K must satisfy ({Delta}K/K){sub rms} {approx}< 0.015% over the full length of the undulator. Transverse misalignments, construction errors, radiation damage, and temperature variations all contribute to errors in the mean K values among the undulator segments. It is therefore important to develop some means to measure relative K values, after installation and alignment. We propose a method using the angle-integrated spontaneous radiation spectrum of two nearby undulator segments, and the natural shot-to-shot energy jitter of the electron beam. Simulation of this scheme is presented using both ideal and measured undulator fields. By ''leap-frogging'' to different pairs of segments with extended separations we hope to ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We describe in a comprehensive fashion the Los Alamos second-generation system for passive and active neutron assays of drum-size containers. The developmental history of this 7-year project is presented with emphasis on the pulsed active neutron technique (differential dieaway), which has achieved milligram levels of assay sensitivity for both plutonium and uranium wastes. We describe in detail the matrix effects for both passive and active neutron assays. We present in a thorough fashion our novel approach to achieving comprehensive corrections for these matrix effects using measurements made during the assays. We develop a matrix correction formalism based on separate neutron absorption and moderator indices determined from these measurements. These are presented as a series of analytic functions fitted to the data. Absolute calibrations and calibration standards are discussed, as is a practical means (pink drum ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A new approach for the selection of best PSS locations in multimachine power systems is proposed in this paper. Study shows that the right-eigenvector measures the activity of state variables and the left-eigenvector measures the control effect of control signals. Based on the right and left eigenvector the concept of sensitivity of PSS effect (SPE) is presented and used to identify the best PSS locations. The proposed method is used to identify the best PSS location in a 13-machine system to increase the damping of an interarea mode. The time-domain simulation results confirm that the prediction of best PSS location by SPE method is correct and accurate.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

CIRNAT, a one-dimensional code for natural circulation analysis, was described. The homogeneous approach was adopted for the two-phase flow regime and different heat transfer regimes were considered. The code was exhaustively tested for one-phase flow systems. For two phase flows a boiling/condensing system was simulated. The results are qualitatively correct but the oscillations observed at the system were not captured by the model. Other two-phase flow tests must be done to show the limits of the homogeneous approach before the introduction of a more complex model. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Since 1985 the operating sections of the 1200 kV AC Ekibastuz-Urals transmission system were used for a variety of field studies on a wide range of technological problems associated to high voltage transmission lines. The tests performed confirmed correctness of the main engineering and design decision made at development stage and demonstrated that such transmission lines are reliable and efficient. 3 figs.

Science.gov (United States)

In order to increase the speed of photoelectric conversion, a linear CCD is applied as the photoelectric converter instead of the traditional photodiode. A white LED is used as the light source of the system. The color information of the urine test strip is transferred into the CCD through a reflecting optical system. It is then converted to digital signals by an A/D converter. The test results of urine analysis are obtained by a data processing system. An ARM microprocessor is selected as the CPU of the system and a CPLD is employed to provide a driving timing for the CCD drive and the A/D converter. Active HDL7.2 and Verilog HDL are used to simulate the driving timing of the CPLD. Experimental results show that the correctness rate of the test results is better than 90%. The system satisfies the requirements of the color information collection of urine ...

CERN Document Server

Positronium is an ideal system for the research of the bound state QED. New precise measurement of orthopositronium decay rate has been performed with an accuracy of 150 ppm, and the result combined with the last three is 7.0401 +- 0.0007 mu s^-1. It is the first result to validate the 2nd order correction. The Hyper Fine Splitting of positronium is sensitive to the higher order corrections of the QED prediction and also to the new physics beyond Standard Model via the quantum oscillation into virtual photon. The discrepancy of 3.5 sigma is found recently between the measured values and the QED prediction (O(alpha^3)). It might be due to the contribution of the new physics or the systematic problems in the previous measurements: (non-thermalized Ps and non-uniformity of the magnetic field). We propose new methods to measure HFS precisely without the these uncertainties.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A detailed discussion of airborne CO{sub 2}, DIAL measurements obtained from the first joint N-ABLE field campaign at INEL is presented. System performance characteristics, including return signal strength, averaging statistics, and temporal correlation as well as multi-line DIAL spectral data are discussed. In particular, we review data acquisition and analysis strategies pertinent to chemical detection from a moving platform, such as range determination and correction, and return signal processing (waveform vs. box-car integration, baseline correction). We also report observed effects and variations due to near-field light scattering, pointing and tracking stability, and stack-release plume dynamics.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The thesis gives an overview of the validation process for thermal-hydraulic system codes and it presents in more detail the assessment and validation of the French code CATHARE for VVER calculations. Three assessment cases are presented: loop seal clearing, core reflooding and flow in a horizontal steam generator. The experience gained during these assessment and validation calculations has been used to analyze the behavior of the horizontal steam generator and the natural circulation in the geometry of the Loviisa nuclear power plant. Large part of the work has been performed in cooperation with the CATHARE-team in Grenoble, France. (41 refs., 11 figs., 8 tabs.).

Science.gov (United States)

An experimental realization of the focusing of an atomic beam by a spontaneous radiation pressure force is reported. A simple light field configuration for focusing an atomic beam is described which is formed by four divergent Gaussian laser beams propagating along the + or - x and + or - y directions of a Cartesian coordinate system. An experimental arrangement for the laser focusing is shown, and the experimental procedure is described. The resulting atomic beam profiles are shown and discussed. It is concluded that the experiments open up the possibility of gaining control over such parameters of atomic beams as their density and divergence. 7 references.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper deals with conversions of solar energy efficiently into electricity and into gas laser radiation. In the first section, a review study of the possibility of a solar-electric thermophotovoltaic (TPV) device has been done. In a proposed extension of the TPV concept, a Cassagranian optical system concentrates solar radiation to heat a blackbody cavity to 2400/sup 0/K. A double-layer solar cell, GaAs and Si, forming the cylindrical surface concentric to the blackbody cavity, receives the blackbody radiation and converts it into electricity efficiently. A cell conversion efficiency of 50% or more would be possible with the TPV system. The second section explores the concept of blackbody radiation pumping of gas laser media as a step toward utilization of solar energy as a laser pumping source. To demonstrate this concept, an experiment was performed in which various gas mixtures of CO/sub 2/ and He were exposed to 1500/sup 0/K thermal ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beginning with an overview of renewable energy sources including biomass, hydroelectricity, geothermal, tidal, wind and solar power, this book explores the fundamentals of different renewable energy systems. The main focus is on technologies with high development potential such as solar thermal systems, photovoltaics and wind power. This text not only describes technological aspects, but also deals consciously with problems of the energy industry. In this way, the topics are treated in a holistic manner, bringing together maths, engineering, climate studies and economics, and enabling readers to gain a broad understanding of renewable energy technologies and their potential. The book also contains a free CD-ROM resource, which includes a variety of specialist simulation software and detailed figures from the book. (Author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This book applies the Los Alamos Solar Load Ratio (SLR) method to the design of passive solar heating systems, with an emphasis on the average annual heating energy consumption. Recommendations are given on minimizing heating energy consumption by appropriate choices of conservation level and solar system parameters. Analytical methods and supporting tables are presented which enable simple, fast estimates of the heating energy consumption as part of the design process. Topics considered include SLR correlations, the load collector ratio (LCR) method, sensitivity data, cooling considerations, conservation formulas, design procedure, life-cycle costs, high-mass direct gain buildings, low-mass sun-tempered buildings, sunspaces, off-reference night insulation, correlation equations, and mixed systems.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the PV system with storage batteries, as a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) device is used to enhance battery charging, the enhancement must be greater than the internal loss of the device itself, or there will be no net gain at all. To evaluate the MPPT device benefits under different climate, the theoretical calculation models have been constructed. By simulation, a comparative study between two types of PV charge controllers with and without a MPPT device under different atmospheric conditions was presented. The comparison was made by means of the energy production obtained from the PV generator of each system. The climatic conditions of Beijing and Guangzhou in China have been regarded. From the results obtained it can be concluded that the effectiveness of the MPPT device in Guangzhou is not very obvious, however the MPPT device did greatly enhance the output in Beijing in the winter. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper presents a systematic approach for designing a self-tuning power system stabilizer (PSS) based on artificial neural network (ANN). An ANN is used for self-tuning the parameters of PSS in real-time. The nodes in the input layer of the ANN receive generator terminal active power (P), reactive power (Q), and voltage (V{sub t}), while the nodes in the output layer provide the optimum PSS parameters, e.g. stabilizing gain (K{sub STAB}), time constants (T{sub 1} and T{sub 2}). A new approach for the selection of number of neurons in the hidden layer has been proposed. Investigations reveal that the dynamic performance of the system with self-tuning PSS based on ANN (ST-ANNPSS) is quite robust over a wide range of loading conditions and equivalent reactance, X{sub e}. (Author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An availability assessment of the principal systems of the Heber Geothermal Power Plant has been carried out based on the final issue of the process descriptions, process flow diagrams, and the approved for design P and IDs prepared by Fluor Power Services, Inc. (FPS). The principal systems are those which contribute most to plant unavailability. The plant equivalent availability, considering forced and deferred corrective maintenance outages, was computed using a 91 state Markov model to represent the 29 principal system failure configurations and their significant combinations. The failure configurations and associated failure and repair rates were defined from system/subsystem availability assessments that were conducted using the availability assessments based on the EPRI GO methodology and availability block diagram models. The availability and unavailability ranking of the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We describe a position-sensitive event-counting microchannel plate detector with a quadrant anode readout system that combines the advantages of several centroid-finding readout techniques. The relative amount of charge collected by each quadrant of the anode mounted behind the output side of the microchannel plate is used to localize each event. The position-sensitive area is about 80% of the active microchannel plate surface. By changing a single voltage a remote-controlled image magnification can be achieved. Due to a correction function that minimizes image distortions the imaging characteristics of this low-cost readout system are similar to those of expensive resistive anodes.

Science.gov (United States)

We describe a position-sensitive event-counting microchannel plate detector with a quadrant anode readout system that combines the advantages of several centroid-finding readout techniques. The relative amount of charge collected by each quadrant of the anode mounted behind the output side of the microchannel plate is used to localize each event. The position-sensitive area is about 80% of the active microchannel plate surface. By changing a single voltage a remote-controlled image magnification can be achieved. Due to a correction function that minimizes image distortions the imaging characteristics of this low-cost readout system are similar to those of expensive resistive anodes.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The simulation of the Auxiliary Charcoal Bed (ACB) Vacuum System was performed to evaluate the original vacuum system design, detect and identify design deficiencies, investigate the effects of proposed corrections on system performance, and generally aid in refining the system design before construction and mockup testing. The simulation was performed by using the Advanced Continuous Simulation Language (ACSL). The vacuum system design goals are to provide approximately 20 SCFM of both booster gas and purge gas through the system and maintain a flow of approximately 40 SCFM with a velocity of 50 to 75 f/sec at the entrance to the cyclone separator. The model results showed that the original system design was incapable of meeting the system performance goals. Further simulations showed that the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The use of excitation system controls, specifically the Power System Stabilizer (PSS), to improve damping of power system oscillations and thus extend steady-state stability limits has been a subject of great interest in recent years. The desire to more fully utilize transmission capacity led to the installation of PSS controls on greater numbers of generating units to maintain stability margins. This paper addresses the tuning and adjustment of PSS controls in a two unit power plant. Both analytical studies and field test confirmations are presented. The practical difficulties of verifying the PSS control loop gain margin by testing are explored. A simplified procedure is outlined. The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA), Fayette Power Project (FPP) consists of two 683.7 MVA tandem compound steam turbine driven generators. The excitation systems are of the alternator rectifier ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper introduces an indirect adaptive fuzzy controller as a power system stabilizer used to damp inter-area modes of oscillation following disturbances in power systems. Compared to the IEEE standard multi-band power system stabilizer (MB-PSS), indirect adaptive fuzzy-based stabilizers are more efficient because they can cope with oscillations at different operating points. A nominal model of the power system is identified on-line using a variable structure identifier. A feedback linearization-based control law is implemented using the identified model. The gains of the controller are tuned via a particle swarm optimization routine to ensure system stability and minimum sum of the squares of the speed deviations. A bench-mark problem of a 4-machine 2-area power system is used to demonstrate the performance of the proposed controller and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Certain innovative coke-oven repair techniques are reviewed that represent an engineered approach to a successful rehabilitation of all types of coke-oven batteries. These techniques have been developed during the last 10 years and experience gained on a number of repair projects has shown that these techniques operate as a cohesive and comprehensive method of end flue and through-wall repairs to gain additional years of operating life to coke-oven batteries. Extended operations approaching 10 to 15 additional years of service at lower costs than a pad-up rebuild and, while meeting the environmental emission regulations, are attainable using the techniques of: Proper tie-in joint preparation; Improved bricking up methodology; Preheating refractory during bricking up; Installation of spring-loaded bracing system; and installation of flexible coke-oven doors. Repair methods that do not incorporate the above techniques are ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarapur Atomic Power Station Unit-3 and 4 (TAPS -3 and 4) are the 540 MWe reactors. Unit-4 attained first criticality on 06th March 2005 and operated for about 230 effective full power days (EFPD). Unit-3 attained first criticality on 21st May 2006 and operated for about 20 EFPD. With the reactor operation radiation field increases on the Primary Heat Transport system equipments, Moderator system equipments and auxiliary system equipments due to deposition of fission products and activation products in different reactor systems. These dose rates significantly contributes to the external exposure and stations collective dose during reactor operation, refueling operation and maintenance activities. A study was undertaken at TAPS 3 and 4 to identify the system equipments showing the significant dose rates and identify the radionuclides present in the primary heat transport ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The developed system is intended for use at a collimated thermal neutron beam with a flux of about 10{sup 6} n/cm{sup 2} s. The system works with a cooled CCD array (192 x 165 pixels) and an intensifier for light from a NE426 scintillator with traditional optical coupling. A fine mechanical regulation system allows an accurate positioning of the tomographer, also ensuring the alignment of the CCD array with the rotation and translation axes. The acquisition of 200 projections is carried out in about 30 min with a reconstruction time (40 min max) depending on the reconstruction-matrix order. Radiography and tomography of significant objects are illustrated. The reconstruction algorithm, including spatial and temporal inhomogeneity corrections and filters, was tested with good results for projections up to 512 x 512 pixels. (orig.)

CERN Document Server

RFID technology is gaining adoption on an increasing scale for tracking and monitoring purposes. Wide deployments of RFID devices will soon generate an unprecedented volume of data. Emerging applications require the RFID data to be filtered and correlated for complex pattern detection and transformed to events that provide meaningful, actionable information to end applications. In this work, we design and develop SASE, a com-plex event processing system that performs such data-information transformation over real-time streams. We design a complex event language for specifying application logic for such transformation, devise new query processing techniques to effi-ciently implement the language, and develop a comprehensive system that collects, cleans, and processes RFID data for deliv-ery of relevant, timely information as well as storing necessary data for future querying. We demonstrate an initial prototype of SASE ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The use of Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels to develop UK offshore oil fields looks certain to increase. Of the 64 new offshore fields due for development in the next few years, 15 are expected to use FPSO vessels for their production. Most of these are small, short-life fields in the central North Sea which would not justify investment in a fixed platform. Three, however, are large fields west of Shetland, and one, the Foinaven field, is scheduled to be the first commercial development in this area, perhaps setting a precedent. Floating production systems with substantial storage capacity can be the best option in deepwater locations which are remote from existing infrastructure, where the cost of an export pipeline would be prohibitive. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A number of difficult technical challenges need to be solved in the fields of accelerator and free-electron laser (FEL) technologies in order to build an X-ray FEL. One of the tasks well suited to the Advanced Photon Source Low Energy Undulator Test Line (LEUTL) is to take the intermediate step of solving some of the problems of single-pass FEL operation in the ultraviolet range. The existing Advanced Photon Source (APS) linac, in addition to its role of supply positrons for the APS storage ring, will also be used to generate the particle beam for the LEUTL. Here, the design of the magnetic system for the high gain soft x-ray free electron laser is described.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper presents a hybrid solar desalination process of the multi-effect humidification dehumidification and the basin-type unit. The sketch of the hybrid solar desalination process is given. The solar vacuated tube collector is employed in the desalination system, multi-effect humidification dehumidification desalination (HDD) process is plotted according to pinch technology, and then the water rejected from multi-effect HDD process is reused to desalinate in a basin-type unit further. The gain output ratio (GOR) of this system will rise by 2?3 at least through reusing the rejected water. The research proves that the multi-effect HDD has much room to be improved. A hybrid solar desalination process of the multi-effect humidification dehumidification and the basin-type unit should be no...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Recent developments in heat pump technology have made geothermal-based heat exchange systems particularly well-suited for the heating and cooling needs of buildings even in cold climates. The principles of geothermally-coupled heat pump heating and cooling systems were presented. Results of an in-situ study conducted by Hydro-Quebec on the efficiency of the geothermal heat pump system installed at the Saint-Hyacinthe professional school were summarized. This investigation was meant to be a case study of the applicability of these new technologies to the needs of the Quebec market. After the first year of service, the Saint-Hyacinthe system clearly demonstrated its cost effectiveness over conventional systems. It was predicted that geothermal heat pump systems will gain in popularity in Quebec because they can fully meet the heating and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarapur Atomic Power Station Unit-4 is first 540 MWe pressurized heavy water reactor in India. It achieved criticality on 06th March 2005 and then operated at full power i.e 500 MWe. Radiation workers during the normal operation and reactor shutdown are exposed to radiation field. The control of dose rates and the collective dose of the radiation workers is most important for the best performance of the reactor. Experience gained during the operation of the 220 MWe reactors has shown that the Moderator system, primary heat transport system, annulus gas system and moderator cover gas system are the main systems contributing to the dose rate and collective dose. In order to identify the radio nuclides contributing to the radiation field, study was undertaken at TAPS Unit-4. Various samples from the Moderator, primary heat transport system, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

ICP emission analyses are prone to errors due to changes in power level, nebulization rate, plasma temperature, and sample matrix. As a result, accurate analyses of complex samples often require frequent bracketing with matrix matched standards. Information needed to track and correct the matrix errors is contained in the emission spectrum. But most commercial software packages use only the analyte line emission to determine concentrations. Changes in plasma temperature and the nebulization rate are reflected by changes in the hydrogen line widths, the oxygen emission, and neutral ion line ratios. Argon and off-line emissions provide a measure to correct the power level and the background scattering occurring in the polychromator. The authors` studies indicated that changes in the intensity of the Ar 404.4 nm line readily flag most matrix and plasma condition modifications. Carbon lines can be used to monitor the impact of organics on the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A beta microprobe was successfully applied to monitor arterial input function for quantification of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the monkey brain with {sup 15}O-water and positron emission tomography (PET). The sensitivity of the probe was approximately 0.83 to 1.67 cps/kBq/ml depending on the studies. A preliminary study was performed to find a suitable use and to evaluate the performance of the system and data analysis procedure. The results showed that dispersion correction of measured input function was unnecessary if microprobes were connected directly to the arterial catheter. Then multiple CBF measurements were done in three monkeys under anesthesia. Identical regions of interest were placed with the aid of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of each monkey and rCBF values were estimated. Estimated rCBFs were reproducible for several measurements. The mean CBF value for a pentobarbital anesthetized monkey was 46.0 ml/min/100 g ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Within the framework of the German Federal-State 1000 Roofs Photovoltaic Programme monthly measuring data and verbal comments on the PV system operation (reports on failures and defects) have been collected, stored in a databank and evaluated for the period 1991 to 1997 for a differing number of PV systems. In addition to this came along data of initially 100, then 40 intensively measured systems. The results of the measuring data evaluation as well as the results of further accompanying research projects to the Federal-State 1000 Roofs Photovoltaic Programme (e.g. low energy yield analysis, on-site inspections and measuring of nominal powers) are summarised. Starting from the gained results, conclusions and recommendations are given for the design, installation and operation for future grid-connected PV-systems. Also it is pointed to the remaining need for optimisation and R and D. ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Development of renewable energy systems for remote communities is gaining interest among government, utilities, NGOs and the communities themselves as a means of improving lifestyles of community members and showcasing renewable energy systems. The Huu-ay-aht First Nation, whose traditional territory is located on the west side of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, is a community which has energy related problems and energy related opportunities. The objective of this study is to assess possible energy options for the Huu-ay-aht First Nation traditional territory. Current and future energy services within the territory were used as the starting point for developing energy system options. Extensive consultation with community members was instrumental in clearly defining the objectives of the study and understanding the territory's energy demand. The energy demand assessment included an estimation of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We report on the collision of 1.5 ps (FWHM) laser pulses traversing at 17 a short similar 7 ps (FWHM) 46.6 GeV electron bunch. The phase-locked system used to maintain the correct timing of the laser pulses and the appropriate diagnostics are described. The jitter between the laser and electron pulses is determined from the stability of the observed rate of Compton scatters and can be described by a Gaussian distribution with #sigma#_j#approx =#2.2 ps. (orig.).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The experimental maturation of an immature kerogen from the Toarcian of the Paris basin has been carried out in a confined system under pressure. The evolution of various thermal maturity parameters was plotted against the corrected organic carbon percentage chosen as a common maturity indicator and compared with data extracted from a natural series. Results show the occurrence of three distinct stages respectively characterized by the removal of oxygenated compounds, the genesis of liquid hydrocarbons and the production of gaseous hydrocarbons.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The DNA Wideband satellite experiment provided extensive data on scintillation produced in high-altitude structured plasmas. A computer program, WBMOD, is being developed to summarize those data in an applications-oriented way. The program contains the phase-screen scattering theory of Rino and a morphological description of ionospheric irregularities (thus far only at auroral latitudes) based on Wideband observations. It permits a user to compute scintillation indices for both phase and intensity as a function of system operating parameters and solar-ionospheric disturbance level. Correction is made for multiple scatter, and the user may choose either one-way (communication) or two-way (radar) propagation.

CERN Document Server

As an International Organization, one the most important issues that CERN has to respect and guarantee is the protection of the environment. Several of ST activities and operations have a direct impact on the environment: civil engineering works, electrical (transformers) and air-cooling operation, chemical products storage, various waste disposal etc.... Important measures, taken in the past, have to be kept and new ones should be applied in order to insure the conformity of the infrastructure with existing legislation, the correct operation of equipment and systems, the constant monitoring of the different situations and the traceability of the events. Moreover good management of the environment would bring large savings to CERN.

CERN Document Server

Liquid-liquid wetting failure is investigated in a two-dimensional Couette system with two immiscible fluids of arbitrary viscosity. The problem is solved exactly using a sharp interface treatment of hydrodynamics (lubrication theory) as a function of the capillary number, viscous ratio and separation of scale, i.e. slip length versus macroscopic scale of the system. The existence of critical velocities, above which no stationary solutions are found, is analyzed in detail in terms of the relevant parameters of the system. Comparisons with existing analysis for other geometries are also carried out. A numerical method of analysis is also presented, based on diffuse interface models obtained from multiphase extensions of the lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE). Sharp interface and diffuse interface models are quantitatively compared face to face indicating the correct limit of applicability of the diffuse ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper describes a study of a security method of protecting inside network computers against outside miscreants and unwelcome visitors and a control method when these computers are connected with the Internet. In the present Internet, a method to encipher all data cannot be used, so that it is necessary to utilize PEM (Privacy Enhanced Mail) capable of the encipherment and conversion of secret information. For preventing miscreant access by eavesdropping password, one-time password is effective. The most cost-effective method is a firewall system. This system lies between the outside and inside network. By limiting computers that directly communicate with the Internet, control is centralized and inside network Security is protected. If the security of firewall systems is strictly controlled under correct setting, security within the network can be secured even in open networks such as the Internet. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The present conference on lens design encompasses physical and geometrical optics, diffractive optics, the optimization of optical design, software packages, ray tracing, the use of artificial intelligence, the achromatization of materials, zoom optics, microoptics and GRIN lenses, and IR lens design. Specific issues addressed include diffraction-performance calculations in lens design, the optimization of the optical transfer function, a rank-down method for automatic lens design, applications of quadric surfaces, the correction of aberrations by using HOEs in UV and visible imaging systems, and an all-refractive telescope for intersatellite communications. Also addressed are automation techniques for optics manufacturing, all-reflective phased-array imaging telescopes, the thermal aberration analysis of a Nd:YAG laser, the analysis of illumination systems, athermalized FLIR optics, and the design of array ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The implementation of a three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy facility in the radiotherapy department of the Heinrich Heine University is described. Complex radiotherapy techniques with commercially available networked systems are introduced to improve clinical work. Over 18 month we have gained clinical experience with a PHILIPS Multileaf Collimator (MLC) mounted on a SL 25 linear accelerator. For a limited period the MLC was used as a conventional blocking device. The standard MLC-shapes are controlled with a stand-alone computer system. In addition, a three-dimensional treatment planning system (3-D-TPS / TMS-Radix, Helax AB) based on convolution/superposition algorithms was recently installed. Treatment optimization is achieved using static field arrangements with complete volumetric computerized tomographic patient data for 3-D-TPS. Conformal adaptation of the 95%-isodose to the Planning Target ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the 150 kV power system of the Dutch energy utility MEGA Limburg cross-country faults have caused problems in the protection of high voltage transmission lines. A cross-country fault is the simultaneous presence of two single-phase earth connections in different phases and places within the grid. These cross-country faults can lead to the incorrect operation of a number of distance relays, which could result in the faulty disconnection of high voltage transmission lines. To gain an insight into these problems, the transient phenomenon in the power system during cross-country faults were studied. For this purpose, the simulation program EMTP (ElectroMagnetic Transients Program) has been used. Simulation models of the 150 kV power system and the measuring system of a distance relay were developed within EMTP. 7 figs., 1 ill.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Increasingly stringent safety requirements governing the nuclear industry have made it essential to gain in-depth knowledge of the injuriousness of cracking phenomena in auxiliary and secondary nuclear power plant systems, and to devise methods of rapidly evaluating potentially injurious flaws. The Defect Injuriousness Diagnosis and Treatment Package (DIDTP) discussed in this paper was developed by Framatome, a French-based PWR builder, with this goal in mind. A general description is given of the DIDTP, which is made up of tables and nomographs illustrating the injuriousness of flaws liable to be encountered in the most severely loaded regions of plant systems. The basic principles underlying the DIDTP, together with computational methods and application procedure, are detailed. Two practical examples illustrating the use of the diagnostic system are presented, one applied to the main steam line, the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We have determined the actual RNA sequence of four mitochondrial genes: pcf, nad3, rps12, and coxII. Because plant mitochondrial proteins cannot be predicted from DNA sequences, the actual primary structures of the encoded proteins were unknown. We have gained information concerning the process of RNA editing. Editing can occur before splicing. Our data is consistent with the hypothesis that RNA editing is not simultaneous with transcription. Unlike other systems, the process of editing in plant does not exhibit a discernable direction. As a result of our RNA editing studies, we have produced a number of clones of the proper coding regions tube used for incorporating these mitochondrial genes into the nucleus. 6 refs., 4 figs.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This document presents a summary of the work performed in support of the Buried Waste Robotics Program Subsurface Mapping Project. The project objective was to demonstrate the feasibility of remotely characterizing buried waste sites. To fulfill this objective, a remotely-operated vehicle, equipped with several sensors, was deployed at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Descriptions of the equipment and areas involved in the project are included in this report. Additionally, this document provides data that was obtained during characterization operations at the Cold Test Pit and the Subsurface Disposal Area, both at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory's Radioactive Waste Management Complex, and at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant. The knowledge gained from the experience, that can be applied to the next generation remote-characterization system, is extensive and is presented in this report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The effects of exposure to sublethal levels of microwaves were studied. Young albino rats of both sexes were exposed for 60 days to 7.5-GHz microwaves (1.0-KHz square wave modulation, average power 0.6 mW/cm2) for 3 h daily. During and after microwave exposure several physiological parameters were measured in both control and exposed animals. It was found that the animals exposed to microwaves tended to eat and drink less and thus showed a smaller gain in body weight. Some of the hematological parameters and organ weights were also significantly different. It is proposed that a nonspecific stress response due to microwave exposure and mediated through the central nervous system is responsible for the observed physiological changes.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A range of new nanomaterials to replace the active materials in lithium ion batteries are currently being studied and employed in an attempt to overcome various performance limitations of previous technologies. Nanomaterial production and manufacturing techniques appear to fit into a general trend towards more energy intensive production methods for high-tech goods. This does not necessarily imply an increase in lifecycle energy use; artefacts that consume or transform energy during use could possibly regain this increased initial input via increased efficiency in use. In particular, this paper highlights that larger gains could be possible if the artefact in question allows a given service to be provided via an alternative and more efficient system entirely.The lifecycle energy efficienci...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

To gain in efficiency, lightness and volume, the hybrid and electric-powered cars will certainly follow the cellular phone path. The key of success of todays hybrid cars is the Ni-MH battery developed by Matsushita (87.5% of the market in 2004). The lithium-ion batteries will be the next step and would allow to supply 80 to 100% of the energy of the vehicle, the thermal engine becoming just an auxiliary system for additional power, autonomy and air-conditioning. Prototypes can reach today 200 to 450 km of autonomy and 130 km/h speeds with batteries of about 200 kg. If most of the safety problems linked with the Li technology have been solved, the main drawback remains the cost of the Li-ion technology. Short paper. (J.S.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The effects of orthovanadate on the uptake of sucrose by Ricinus cotyledons and on sucrose-coupled proton influx were measured in order to gain insight into the relationship to the plasma membrane proton pump. Vanadate had no effect on short-term sucrose uptake. In long-term experiments (> 30 min) sucrose uptake was progressively inhibited, but only at high external sucrose concentrations. Vanadate did not affect proton efflux pumping in the absence of sucrose and neither did it change the initial rate of sucrose-coupled proton influx. However, it enhanced the maximal level of sucrose-induced alkalization of the medium at all sucrose concentrations tested. This is interpreted as an inhibiting effect of vanadate on the proton pump that recycles protons during sucrose-proton cotransport. The sensitivity towards vanadate indicates that this proton pump is an ATPase. A second proton-translocating system, that is insensitive to vanadate, is ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Scatter correction is crucial to the quality of reconstructed images in x-ray cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Most of existing scatter correction methods assume smooth scatter distributions. The...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A divergence correction is conventionally applied to zero-offset data in an effort to preserved amplitude information. The conventional divergence correction compensates for the geometrical spreading of a point source in a horizontally layered medium where velocity varies with depth only. The dip-dependent divergence correction extends the conventional correction for improved amplitude processing of dipping beds. The dip-dependent divergence correction is computed by dynamic ray tracing, and applied to stacked data using a dip decomposition technique. This correction decreases amplitudes relative to the conventional correction for steep dips and late times. In a data example from the Gulf of Mexico, the conventional correction over- amplified the reflection off a salt dome flank by a factor of 1.6. High amplitudes near ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A 36-year-old woman underwent amniocentesis for advanced maternal age. The fetal karyotype had an extra dark staining G band on the long arm of chromosome 11 with no other identifiable abnormalities. FISH studies using a chromosome 11 paint probe confirmed the origin of the extra band. The abnormality was identified as a partial duplication of 11q: 46,XX dir dup (11)(q13.5q21) or (q21q23.1). The specific duplicated band could not be identified with certainty. Detailed fetal sonograms were normal. Family studies revealed the identical duplication in the mother but normal karyotypes in both maternal grandparents. The mother had strabismus and a short tongue frenulum which required surgical correction. Menses occurred late in adolescence and complete development of secondary sexual characteristics was delayed until adulthood. An infertility evaluation revealed duplication of the uterus, cervix, and vagina. An evaluation for metorrhagia identified a pituitary adenoma ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Critical properties of a fluid or fluid mixtures are important for describing fluid phase behavior, predicting physical properties, developing equations of state, and designing supercritical-fluid extraction processes, and compression and refrigeration units. The predictive capability of the Peng-Robinson-Styjek-Vera (PRSV-2) equation of state (1986) for critical properties of binary mixtures was investigated. The procedure adopted by Heidemann and Khalil (1980) and discussed by Abu-Eishah et al. (1998) was followed. An optimized value for the binary interaction parameter based on minimization of error between experimental and predicted critical temperatures was used. The standard and the average of the absolute relative deviations in critical properties are included. The predicted critical temperature and pressure for several nonpolar and polar systems agree well with experimental data and are always better than those predicted by the group-contribution method. A ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A method of the correction for sample self attenuation used in segmented gamma scanner (SGS) is described. The method of calibration for assaying the uranium and plutonium contents of each category of heterogeneous process residues and wastes in nuclear facilities is studied. The effect of variable measurement parameter on measurement results is also studied. The measurement results of SGS assay is compared with that of the destructive assay (DA), which is aimed at evaluating SGS method for assaying uranium and plutonium content in process residues and wastes. The deviation of two assay results is 3.6%. The SGS assay results and DA assay results both are coincided well in error limits. Four category of heterogeneous process residues and wastes in nuclear facilities have assayed successfully in physical inventory. The uncertainty of measurement results for uranium and plutonium content in process residues and wastes is 5% with 68.3% of confidence level

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The author introduces a multiprocessor system which has been specially developed to enable mechanical devices to interpret pictures presented in real time. The separate processors within this system operate simultaneously and independently. By means of freely moveable windows the processors can concentrate on those parts of the picture that are relevant to the control problem. If a machine is to make a correct response to its observation of a picture of moving objects, it must be able to follow the picture sequence, step by step, in real time. As the usual serially operating processors are too slow for such a task, the author describes three models of a special picture processing computer which it has been necessary to develop. 3 references.

CERN Document Server

The fast rotating wire scanners installed in the PS and the PS booster are used for the precise transversal profile measurements in horizontal and vertical planes. The scanners may show large position measurement errors if no special treatment is applied to the acquired data. The aim of the calibration is to obtain a correction algorithm for the systematic position measurement error due to mechanical and electronic offsets. A new calibration system has been developed and introduced at CERN for the scanners implementing position feedback control. The calibration method is based on a substitution of a particle beam by a laser one where the laser beam position is well known. According to the previous experience the following crucial requirements to the system have been taking into consideration: heavy and mechanically stable design of the calibration bench to reduce mechanical oscillations of scanner parts; automation of the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A consideration is given to the problem of selecting optimized methods of radionuclide radiation registration during the control of the objects with essential changes in thickness. Adequate model of information signal formation is developed and analyzed for the case of the existence of an inertial link of the system with the dead time of a noncontinued type. The boundary values of radiation thickness and radiation flux intensity that divide the priority of using either digital or analog registration modes are revealed. The method is found for the full correction of a systematic error of flux intensity measurement because of the dead time of the apparatus. To control the objects with essential variation of thickness the method of selective measurement of radiation intensity is proposed

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Until recently, the wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) transmission system has reached record capacities and distances due to innovations such as FEC (Forward Error Correction), distributed Raman amplification, new transmission fiber and advanced optical format. Optical-communication systems exclusively employed conventional On-Off Keying signals in either Non-Return-To-Zero (NRZ) or Return-To-Zero (RZ) format. Recently a number of advanced modulation formats have attracted attention. Some of these formats carry information through On-Off-Keying but also modulate the optical phase in order to enhance the robustness of signal to chromatic dispersion, optical filtering and non-linearities. Through extensive sets of simulation results, we showed that it is possible to replace a channel wit...

CERN Document Server

The pair-specific ground state energy of Newtonian N-body systems grows monotonically in N. This furnishes a whole family of simple new tests for minimality of putative ground state energies obtained through computer experiments. Inspection of several publically available lists of such computer-experimentally obtained putative ground state energies has yielded several dozen instances which failed (at least) one of these tests. Although the correct ground state energy is not revealed by this method, it does yield a better upper bound on it than the experimentally found value whenever the latter fails a monotonicity test. The surveyed N-body systems include in particular N point charges with 2- or 3-dimensional Coulomb pair interactions, placed either on the unit 2-sphere or on a 2-torus (a.k.a. Thomson, Fekete, or Riesz problems).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this paper, a relatively high gain (#approx =# 25 to 40 percent) free-electron laser (FEL) with an optical ring resonator is simulated using the code FELEX. The laser system corresponds to the ''burst mode'' FEL scheduled for operation at Boeing Aerospace Company in 1988. The ring consists of paraboloids, grazing incidence by hyperboloids, and a grating rhomb. The wiggler is 5 m in length and has an adjustable taper, while the electron beam is produced by an RF linac. The optical elements of the ring together with the FEL interaction in the wiggler are modeled in three spatial dimensions to investigate the system from start-up to saturation. Both single frequency and finite pulse simulations are performed. The study illustrates the necessity of mode matching the loaded resonator to maximize the extraction efficiency. The mode matching is necessary because the FEL interaction significantly alters the optical beam focus ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nike is a recently completed multi-kilojoule krypton fluoride (KrF) laser that has been built to study the physics of direct drive inertial confinement fusion. This paper describes in detail both the pulsed power and optical performance of the largest amplifier in the Nike laser, the 60 cm amplifier. This is a double pass, double sided, electron beam-pumped system that amplifies the laser beam from an input of 50 J to an output of up to 5 kJ. It has an optical aperture of 60 cm x 60 cm and a gain length of 200 cm. The two electron beams are 60 cm high x 200 cm wide, have a voltage of 640 kV, a current of 540 kA, and a flat top power pulse duration of 250 ns. A 2 kG magnetic field is used to guide the beams and prevent self-pinching. Each electron beam is produced by its own Marx/pulse forming line system. The amplifier has been fully integrated into the Nike system and is used on a daily basis for ...

CERN Document Server

In this paper, we propose an antenna selection method in a wireless cognitive radio (CR) system, namely difference selection, whereby a single transmit antenna is selected at the secondary transmitter out of $M$ possible antennas such that the weighted difference between the channel gains of the data link and the interference link is maximized. We analyze mutual information and outage probability of the secondary transmission in a CR system with difference antenna selection, and propose a method of optimizing these performance metrics of the secondary data link subject to practical constraints on the peak secondary transmit power and the average interference power as seen by the primary receiver. The optimization is performed over two parameters: the peak secondary transmit power and the difference selection weight $\\delta\\in [0, 1]$. We show that, difference selection using the optimized parameters determined by the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This guide teaches the basic fundamentals of cavitation to provide the reader with an understanding of what causes cavitation, when it occurs, and the potential problems cavitation can cause to a valve and piping system. The document provides guidelines for understanding how to reduce the cavitation and/or select control valves for a cavitating system. The guide provides a method for predicting the cavitation intensity of control valves, and how the effect of cavitation on a system will vary with valve type, valve function, valve size, operating pressure, duration of operation and details of the piping installation. The guide defines six cavitation limits identifying cavitation intensities ranging from inception to the maximum intensity possible. The intensity of the cavitation at each limit Is described, including a brief discussion of how each level of cavitation influences the valve and system. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Lincoln Public School District, in Lincoln, Nebraska, recently installed vertical-bore geothermal heat pump systems in four, new, elementary schools. Because the district has consistent maintenance records and procedures, it was possible to study repair, service and corrective maintenance requests for 20 schools in the district. Each school studied provides cooling to over 70% of its total floor area and uses one of the following heating and cooling systems: vertical-bore geothermal heat pumps (GHPs), air-cooled chiller with gas-fired hot water boiler (ACUGHWB), water-cooled chiller with gas-fired hot water boiler (WCCYGHWB), or water-cooled chiller with gas-fired steam boiler (WCUGSB). Preventative maintenance and capital renewal activities were not included in the available database. GHP schools reported average total costs at 2.13 cents/ft{sup 2}-yr, followed by ACC/GHWB schools at 2.88 cents/ft{sup 2}-yr, WCC/GSB ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Synaptic gain control and information storage in neural networks are mediated by alterations in synaptic transmission, such as in long-term potentiation (LTP). Here, we show using both in...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

This study compared the effectiveness of collaborative group composition and instructional method on reasoning gains and achievement in college biology. Based on initial student reasoning ability (i.e.,...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

The effect of 50 Hz and 60 Hz (frequencies of current distribution) and 20 kHz to 50 kHz (frequencies of induction cooktop) magnetic interference on implanted pacemakers have been assessed with the present generation of device technology. Sixty patients implanted in 1998 and 1999 with dual chamber pacemakers from 9 different manufacturers were monitored with telemetry while passing through, and standing between a system of two coils. They generated a 50 Hz or a 60 Hz magnetic field at 50 microT. Then, patients used a cooktop at different power. The recordings were made with the standard setting of "medically correct" sensing parameters chosen for the patients. Then pacemakers were reprogrammed to the unipolar mode, with the highest atrial (A) and ventricular (V) sensitivity that did not induce muscular inhibition while moving. Between each exposure (50 Hz, 60 Hz or 20 kHz to 50 kHz), the pacemaker programmation was controlled. At the end of the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Background and purpose: A series of phase I/II clinical trials are being initiated in several UK centres to explore the use of dose-escalated schedules for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Among them the IDEAL-CRT trial (ISRCTN12155469) will investigate the introduction of individualised 'isotoxic' treatment schedules based on the relative mean lung normalised total dose (rNTDmean), an estimator related to lung toxicity. Since treatment planning will be performed using different treatment planning systems (TPSs), for the quality assurance of the trial we have carried out work to quantify the influence of dose calculation algorithms based on the determination of rNTDmean and on the choice of individualised prescription doses. Material and methods: Twenty-five patient plans with stage I, II and III NSCLC were calculated, with the same prescription dose, using the Adaptive Convolve (AC) and Collapsed Cone (CC) algorithms of the Pinnacle TPS, the ...

Science.gov (United States)

PMID:21540757

Science.gov (United States)

PMID:4447072

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We consider electromagnetic corrections at finite temperature and their effect on the nucleosynthesis in the standard Big Bang scenario. This requires discussing the finite, temperature dependent correction to the neutron-proton mass difference as well as making use of a previous result on the temperature correction to the mass of the electron. We find that these corrections do not affect the conventional results of e.g. the helium abundance to any appreciable extent.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

(15 Aug 1973). Canada Prakash, VR Indian Inst. of Tech., Kanpur. Dept.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The ALICE heavy-ion particle physics experiment is currently being built at CERN near Geneva. It will use a PC cluster of 900 dual-processor machines for the last stages of the data readout process and a network of 400 microcomputers for the configuration and control of the cluster nodes. One of the most important objectives to be achieved in such experiments is to guarantee the utilized devices are running correctly during the experiment life-time. A second aspect is the extremely high availability and reliability requirements of the applications being run, the so called high level trigger (HLT). The SysMES framework is a scalable, decentralized, fault tolerant, dynamic, rule based tool set for the monitoring of networks of target systems and applications. The management algorithms consist of the following steps: system and application monitoring, recognition of undesirable states, event (message) generation, local event ...

Science.gov (United States)

The PSDE/SAT-2 multimission satellite designed to offer a flight opportunity to different experimental communication payloads and verify the feasibility of advanced space technologies is described. It was conceived for expriment in the framework of the European DRS (Data Relay Satellite) program thus providing intersatellite and interorbit communication links, but also experimental and preoperative services. Payloads include optical communication single access payload (LSA); S-Band single access payload; S-Band multiple access payload; land mobile experimental payload; navigation payload; 40/50 GHz communication payload; and millimeter wave propagation payload. The orbital slot and interference analysis identified a limited number of orbital positions for the mission interleaved between Eutelsat satellites (i.e., 14 deg 30 min E and 17 deg 30 min E). A coordination is required in Ku-Band with Eutelsat satellites and in Ka-Band with ITALSAT (Italy) and TOR-12 (USSR) ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Technology developments in semiconductor fabrication along with a rapid expansion of the market for portable devices, such as PDAs and mobile phones, make the energy consumption of embedded systems a major problem. Indeed the need to provide an increasing number of computational intensive applications and at the same time to maximize the battery life of portable devices can be seen as incompatible trends. System simulation is a flexible and convenient method for analyzinging and exploring the performance of a system or sub-system. At the same time, the increasing use of computational intensive applications strengthens the need to maximize the battery life of portable devices. As a consequence, the simulation of embedded systems for energy consumption estimation is becoming essential in order to study and explore the influence of system design choices on the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The introduction of positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) systems into medical practice in the foreseeable future may not only lead to a gain in clinical diagnosis compared to PET/computed tomography (CT) imaging due to the superior soft-tissue contrast of the MR technology but can also substantially reduce exposure of patients to ionizing radiation. On the other hand, there are also risks and health effects associated with the use of diagnostic MR devices that have to be considered carefully. This review article summarizes biophysical and biological aspects, which are of relevance for the assessment of health effects related to the exposure of patients to both ionizing radiation in PET and magnetic and electromagnetic fields in MR. On this basis, some considerations concerning the justification and optimization of PET/MR examinations are presented - as far as this is possible at this very early stage. Current safety ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

On June 19, 1998, after the first annual outage, Wolsung Unit 2 was shutdown at a controlled rate due to the continuous instability of Liquid Zone Control level. Investigation revealed that the Liquid Zone Control level instability was caused by water condensed inside the helium lines, generated from the moistened helium flow, especially, inside the helium balance header feed and bleed valve lines. It was found that improper installation of the diaphragm type isolation valves and the drain valve tap could easily contain the water inside the lines and be destined to form water traps causing the balance header pressure oscillation. After the lines were dried, Liquid Zone Control level instability was almost vanished, and approached the allowable equilibrium state. As the reactor power was increased, however, the zone level instability increased again. In order to compensate for the excessive, the Bulk Power Control Gain (Kp) was reduced to provide a more stable ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this paper the authors present some final results from a research project focused on introducing automatic control to the operation of cupola iron furnaces. The main aim of this research is to improve the operational efficiency and performance of the cupola furnace, an important foundry process used to melt iron. Previous papers have described the development of appropriate control system architectures for the cupola. In this paper experimental data is used to calibrate the model, which is taken as a first-order multivariable system with time delay. Then relative gain analysis is used to select loop pairings to be used in a multiloop controller. The resulting controller pairs melt rate with blast volume, iron temperature with oxygen addition, and carbon composition with metal-to-coke ratio. Special (nonlinear) filters are used to compute melt rate from actual scale readings of the amount of iron produced and to smooth ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inco Ltd., a primary producer of nickel and an important producer of copper, cobalt, precious metals and sulphur products, initiated a project in 1997 to conduct eco-profiles of its worldwide metal production in an effort to improve its internal processing, marketing and environmental management. The study made it possible to recognize some internal and external benefits including the opportunity to gain operating efficiencies and improved process/product design, the development of better environmental performance indicators to guide decision making, and the availability of comprehensive product related environmental data to meet the informational needs of customers, designers, engineers and governments. This paper described the life cycle assessment (LCA) process used by Inco to conduct the study. A life cycle inventory (LCI) was used to quantitatively calculate resource requirements and environmental burdens associated with a product system ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The procedure and operation-by-operation methods of the quality control of structural and fuel materials, mixed fuel pellets of UO/sub 2/-PuO/sub 2/, fuel element cans made of the AISI-316 steel and ready fuel elements are described as well as spacer wires (steel AISI-316), cases of fuel assemblies (FA) and completed FAs. The methods are used in manifacturing fuel elements and FAs for the FFTF reactor. The RDT standards that regulate the structure and functioning of the system of fuel element and FA production management are outlined. Destructive analytical methods characterized by sufficient accuracy but low productivity are noted to represent a considerable share of operations. Some specialized means of nondestructive testing are developed, such as the gauge to measure the total plutonium content in a fuel element, neutron radiography deVice and a laser gauge to measure the FA dimensions. The experience gained served as a basis for designing ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This work presents a digital adaptive Power System Stabilizer (PSS) which operates in a gain scheduling scheme. It`s parameters are designed for a lot of different operating regions in a P x Q plane (active and reactive powers), and saved in a microcomputer real time control. During working, the PSS identifies the present region of operation, and synthesizes its damping signal in accordance with the parameters for that region. As an extension of the method, a neural PSS, which uses the set of parameters of each region as a standard set to train a neural network to form this PSS, is also proposed. The tests presented show good performance for both PSS, when compared to a conventional (non adaptive) one. (author) 10 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.; e-mail: jalb at guama.cpgee.ufpa.br

CERN Document Server

In the insurance industry, spreadsheets have emerged as an invaluable tool to for product pricing, because it is relatively straightforward to create and maintain complex pricing models using Excel. In fact, Excel is often preferred to "hard-code" whenever there are frequent changes to the calculations and business logic which under-pin the pricing of an insurance product. However, problems arise as soon as spreadsheets are deployed to end-users: version control, security of intellectual property, and ensuring correct usage are obvious issues; frequently, integration with other systems is also a requirement. Zurich Financial Services Group is a leading financial services provider; several possible solutions to these problems have been evaluated, and EASA has been selected as the preferred technology. Other spreadsheet collaboration approaches which were considered include Excel Services, and/or custom-built software; however, EASA has provided ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Energy savings from the use of daylighting in commercial buildings are realized through implementation of photoelectric lighting controls that dim electric lights when sufficient daylight is available to provide adequate workplane illumination. The dimming level of electric lighting is based on the signal of a photosensor. Current simulation approaches for such systems are based on the questionable assumption that the signal of the photosensor is proportional to the task illuminance. This paper presents a method that simulates the performance of photosensor controls considering the acceptance angle, angular sensitivity, placement of the photosensor within a space, and color correction filter. The method is based on the multiplication of two fisheye images: one generated from the angular sensitivity of the photosensor and the other from a 180- or 360-degree fisheye image of the space as ''seen'' by the photosensor. The paper includes a detailed ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We introduce a novel scheme for one-way quantum computing (QC) based on the use of information encoded qubits in an effective cluster state resource. With the correct encoding structure, we show that it is possible to protect the entangled resource from phase damping decoherence, where the effective cluster state can be described as residing in a decoherence-free subspace (DFS) of its supporting quantum system. One-way QC then requires either single or two-qubit adaptive measurements. As an example where this proposal can be realized, we describe an optical lattice set-up where the scheme provides robust quantum information processing. We also outline how one can adapt the model to provide protection from other types of decoherence.

CERN Document Server

We review various field theory approaches to the description of neutrino oscillations in vacuum and external fields. First we discuss a relativistic quantum mechanics based approach which involves the temporal evolution of massive neutrinos. To describe the dynamics of the neutrinos system we use exact solutions of wave equations in presence of an external field. It allows one to exactly take into account both the characteristics of neutrinos and the properties of an external field. In particular, we examine flavor oscillations an vacuum and in background matter as well as spin flavor oscillations in matter under the influence of an external electromagnetic field. Moreover we consider the situation of hypothetical nonstandard neutrino interactions with background fermions. In the case of ultrarelativistic particles we reproduce an effective Hamiltonian which is used in the standard quantum mechanical approach for the description of neutrino oscillations. The ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The Environmental Management System (EMS) is an instrument to manage the interaction between the organization and the environment. The scope od EMS is to reduce the environmental impact and to achieve improvements in overall performances. In particular, the focus point of EMS implementation is the method for identifying and assessing significant environmental aspects. The results of the literature and regulation reviews (Perotto 2006) have shown that rigourous repeatable and transparent methodologies do not exist. This paper presents a proposal method for identifying and assessing significant environmental aspects, that has all three of these important characteristics. In particular, the proposal methodology for assessing aspects is based on some criteria that are combined in a specific algorithm. It is important to specify that to make a correct application of the method a preliminary rigorous approach to investigating the environment and the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A technique for the measurement of the total hemispherical emittance of pipe surfaces is described, and design and operational details are given. The technique is conceptually simple. A long test pipe (e.g., 3.4 m) is mounted concentrically inside a Pyrex glass pipe. The system is evacuated, and the test pipe is heated by means of an electrical resistance heater. Heat transfer from the test pipe to the enclosure is almost solely radiative, allowing an average emittance for the test pipe and the Pyrex pipe and the electrical power input to the heater. By varying the electrical power level, one can measure the test pipe emittance as a function of temperature. By using a simple correction to account for the finite length of the test pipe, one can calculate the results using the simple expression for infinite, concentric cylinders. Results agree with measurements by reflectance techniques and have a nominal relative error of less than 10%.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Energy flows in deep inelastic electron-proton scattering are investigated at a centre-of-mass energy of 296 GeV for the range Q{sup 2}{>=}10 GeV{sup 2} using the ZEUS detector. A comparison is made between events with and without a large rapidity gap between the hadronic system and the proton direction. The energy flows, corrected for detector acceptance and resolution, are shown for these two classes of events in both the HERA laboratory frame and the Breit frame. From the differences in the shapes of these energy flows we conclude that QCD radiation is suppressed in the large-rapidity-gap events compared to the events without a large rapidity gap. (orig.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the present scenario of market driven business, power supply has become more like a commodity. Reliable and quality power need to be ensured to meet customer requirements. In such a situation, it is extremely important that transmission line faults be identified accurately, reliably and in quick time. Advanced signal processing tools such as discrete wavelet transform (DWT) can be used very effectively for parameterisation and characterization of the fault signals. On the other hand, properly configured neural network (NN) can be utilized for classification of the faults based on the DWT signal. The present contribution uses electromagnetic transient program (EMTP) for modeling of a real transmission system and MATLAB for DWT and NN. Various types of faults have been simulated at different locations along the transmission line and an attempt has been made to correctly identify and locate the fault. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turret moored Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) systems are considered suitable for a wide range of environmental conditions but experience of designing moorings for these units in harsh environments is limited. Furthermore, each floating production system has its own requirements as to the way the riser system is operated because of its dependence on both reservoir and site specific conditions. The current mooring codes do not have a consistent set of requirements; for example, the intact mooring system safety factors range from 1.5 to 2.3. Such vastly differing requirements result in wide variability in the intrinsic safety, reliability and cost. This paper describes a reliability analysis carried out for the first North Atlantic FPSO (Foinaven), to address the acceptance criteria for moorings by returning to the fundamentals. Although the analysis deals with FPSO`s, the approach is ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

For InAs-GaAs based quantum dot lasers emitting at 1300 nm, digital modulation showing an open eye pattern up to 12 Gb s{sup -1} at room temperature is demonstrated, at 10 Gb s{sup -1} the bit error rate is below 10{sup -12} at -2 dB m receiver power. Cut-off frequencies up to 20 GHz are realised for lasers emitting at 1.1 {mu}m. Passively mode-locked QD lasers generate optical pulses with repetition frequencies between 5 and 50 GHz, with a minimum Fourier limited pulse length of 3 ps. The uncorrelated jitter is below 1 ps. We use here deeply etched narrow ridge waveguide structures which show excellent performance similar to shallow mesa structures, but a circular far field at a ridge width of 1 {mu}m, improving coupling efficiency into fibres. No beam filamentation of the fundamental mode, low a-factors and strongly reduced sensitivity to optical feedback are observed. QD lasers are thus superior to QW lasers for any system or network. Quantum dot semiconductor ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

It needs accurate estimation of radiation level for verifying machinery and cable in Nuclear Power Plant. Therefore, in this study, we used ESR(Electron Spin Resonance) system for estimate dose of Alanine dosimeter. Alanine/ESR dosimetry, already known as a dosimetric method in medical and industrial field, was applied to estimate dose quantity at cable locations within a nuclear power plant as a part of equipment qualification program. Alanine/ESR dosimetry of absorbed dose range is 1 - 100 KGy. The alanine dosimeter is not significantly affected by temperature and fading is limited to 1% per year. The alanine dosimeters were fixed on the targeted cable or nearest position to measure dose quantity to get accurate value. Alanine dosimeters were scanned by commercially used two different ESR systems, e-scan and EMX series for alanine dosimeters. To estimate more accurate dose, two environmental correction factors, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper summarizes results of reviews on the safety, critical software performed during the licensing process for the new Wolsung units. Each of these CANDU-type nuclear power plants has two micro-computerized shutdown systems. The SDS No. 1 program is graphically programmed in such a manner that its development process does not essentially differ from the design process of the conventional analog counterpart. This approach is understandable even to a reviewer in the regulatory agency without additional training in software engineering. The confidence in the reliability of this system is strengthened by the reverse verification and increased by extensive testing such as the reliability test. Concerning SDS No. 2, the development process is significantly influenced by the software cost reduction project of the U.S. naval research laboratory, and is, as a whole, clear and well structured except for the modules related to the operation of the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The thermal performance monitoring and optimization system TEMPO is developed at the OECD Halden Reactor Project. The system supports staff of nuclear power plants in identification and correction of problems, which cause small decreases in plant efficiency but which may lead to significant economical losses. The system-wide physical model consists of mathematical description of individual components, such as the reactor, the pumps, the heat exchangers, or the turbines, etc. TEMPO code has recently been extended with new steam generator (SG) models. The present paper summarizes the thermal-hydraulic modelling aspects of the vertical and the horizontal SG. The heat balance equations and their solution are shown with the appropriate initial and boundary conditions. The method of the calculation of the pressure losses are also introduced. The vertical SG model is based on a U-tube structure and treated as ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Among others, one of the main activities in the Nuclear Engineering and Fluid Mechanics Department of the Engineering School in Bilbao, is the study of liquid metals behavior. And for this purpose the CFD code FLUENT is being used. Currently, the code is being applied to the use of Lead-Bismuth eutectic (LBE) as the coolant of an accelerator driven system (ADS) and also as the target for a neutron source. In this paper, ANSALDO's Energy Amplifier Demonstration Facility is simulated, paying attention only on the coolant. As it will be later explained, natural convection is a very important issue, because the philosophy for safety systems in nuclear devices tends to consider passive technologies. The purpose is to avoid electrical machines like pumps, so the core should remain coolable, even if there is a blackout. To get this natural circulation, heat transfer plays a main role, and as turbulence enhances the heat transfer, it is important to ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

For the step-and-shoot intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) technique, the combination of high dose rate, multiple beam segments and low dose per segment can lead to significant differences between the planned dose and the dose delivered to the patient. In this technique, a dose delivery inaccuracy known as the 'overshoot' effect is caused by the dose servo control system. This typically occurs in the first and last beam segments and causes an over- and underdose, respectively. Some dose positional error in the segment sequence is also possible there. Commercial ionization chambers (RK-type) and radiographic Kodak films were used for the measurements. The reported results were obtained using the Pinnacle{sup 3}-V6.2 treatment planning system and a Varian Clinac 21 EX linear accelerator equipped with a 120-leaf Millennium MLC. The dose inaccuracy measurements were based on the comparison of the dose and profiles for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of visualization and void fraction measurement of air-water two-phase flow in a small diameter tube (I.D.: 4.08 mm) by using the real-time neutron radiography and image processing techniques. Video images of two-phase flow were taken by using the real-time neutron radiography system (thermal neutron radiography facility No.2) installed at the Japan Research Reactor 3M of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. The shape of bubbles and its moving behavior were clearly observed from the video images. The image corrections for dark current, shading, field intensity fluctuation and electrical system drift were examined in order to measure the void fraction from the video images. Though, generally speaking, the effect of the scattered neutron could not be ignored for quantification of the images taken by the neutron radiography, the scattered neutron could not ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of visualization and void fraction measurement of air-water two-phase flow in a small diameter tube (I.D.: 4.08 mm) by using the real-time neutron radiography and image processing techniques. Video images of two-phase flow were taken by using the real-time neutron radiography system (thermal neutron radiography facility No.2) installed at the Japan Research Reactor 3M of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. The shape of bubbles and its moving behavior were clearly observed from the video images. The image corrections for dark current, shading, field intensity fluctuation and electrical system drift were examined in order to measure the void fraction from the video images. Though, generally speaking, the effect of the scattered neutron could not be ignored for quantification of the images taken by the neutron radiography, the scattered neutron could not ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Studies on the multivariate autoregressive (MAR) analysis are carried out for the choice of the parameters for modelling the data obtained from various sensors optimally. Accordingly, the roles of the parameters on the analysis results are identified and the related ambiguities are reduced. Experimental investigations are carried out by means of synthesized reactor noise-like data obtained from a digital simulator providing simulated stochastic signals of an operating nuclear reactor so that the simulator constitutes a favourable tool for the present studies aimed. As the system is well defined with its known structure, precise comparison of the MAR analysis results with the true values is performed. With the help of the information gained through the studies carried out, conditions to be taken care of for optimal signal processing in MAR modelling are determined. Although the parameters involved are related among themselves and they have to be ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Properly quantified performance of a solar-thermal cavity receiver must not only account for the energy gains and losses as dictated by the First Law of thermodynamics, but it must also account for the quality of that energy. However, energy quality can only be determined from the Second Law. In this paper an equation for the Second-Law efficiency of a cavity receiver is derived from the definition of available energy or availability (occassionally called exergy), which is a thermodynamic property that measures the maximum amount of work obtainable when a system is allowed to come into unrestrained equilibrium with the surrounding environment. The fundamental concepts of the entropy and availability of radiation are explored from which a convenient relationship among the reflected cone half angle, the insolation, and the concentrator geometric characteristics is developed as part of the derivation of the Second-Law efficiency. A comparison is ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A submerged nuclear power station has been proposed as an alternative power station with a relatively low environmental impact for use by both industrialized and developing countries. The station would be placed 10 m above the seabed at a depth of 30--100 m and a distance of 10--30 km from shore. The submerged nuclear power station would be manufactured and refueled in a central facility, thus gaining the economies of factoryfabrication and the flexibility of short-lead-time deployment. To minimize the size of the submerged hull, horizontal steam generators are proposed for the primary-to-secondary heat transfer, instead of the more traditional vertical steam generators. The horizontal steam generators for SNPS would be similar in design to the horizontal steam generators used in the N-Reactors except the tube orientation is horizontal (the tube's inlet and outlet connection points on the tubesheet are at the same elevation). Previous RELAP5 input decks ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A submerged nuclear power station has been proposed as an alternative power station with a relatively low environmental impact for use by both industrialized and developing countries. The station would be placed 10 m above the seabed at a depth of 30--100 m and a distance of 10--30 km from shore. The submerged nuclear power station would be manufactured and refueled in a central facility, thus gaining the economies of factoryfabrication and the flexibility of short-lead-time deployment. To minimize the size of the submerged hull, horizontal steam generators are proposed for the primary-to-secondary heat transfer, instead of the more traditional vertical steam generators. The horizontal steam generators for SNPS would be similar in design to the horizontal steam generators used in the N-Reactors except the tube orientation is horizontal (the tube's inlet and outlet connection points on the tubesheet are at the same elevation). Previous RELAP5 input decks for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A detailed kinetic study of the epoxidation of 1-octene with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by Pt(II) complexes is reported. The two systems analyzed were (diphoe)Pt(CF/sub 3/)(OH)/1-octene/H/sub 2/O/sub 2//THF and ((diphoe)Pt(CF/sub 3/)(CH/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/))BF/sub 4//1-octene/H/sub 2/O/sub 2//H/sub 2/O/CH/sub 2/Cl/sub 2/. Rate data were determined with GLC from epoxide formed vs time plots. Evidence for many of the organometallic intermediates and the individual steps involved was gained from IR studies, /sup 19/F NMR studies, and especially designed experiments including studies of the acidity effect. In both cases the kinetic analysis suggests a mechanism in which the actual oxidant is a PtOOH species that interacts with a Pt-olefin complex in the oxygen-transfer step (second-order dependence on platinum). 29 references, 12 figures, 3 tables.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper examines the global impacts of a policy that internalizes the external costs (related to air pollution damage, excluding climate costs) of electricity generation using a combined energy systems and macroeconomic model. Starting point are estimates of the monetary damage costs for SO{sub 2}, NOX, and PM per kWh electricity generated, taking into account the fuel type, sulfur content, removal technology, generation efficiency, and population density. Internalizing these externalities implies that clean and advanced technologies increase their share in global electricity production. Particularly, advanced coal power plants, natural gas combined cycles, natural gas fuel cells, wind and biomass technologies gain significant market shares at the expense of traditional coal- and gas-fired plants. Global carbon dioxide emissions are lowered by 3% to 5%. Sulfur dioxide emissions drop significantly below the already low level. The policy ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This is the eighth part of a ten-part final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) on a project that looked into potential problems relating to the Swiss electricity distribution grid with respect to the increasing number of distributed power generation facilities being put into service. The identification of special conditions for the grid's operation and future development that take increasing decentralised power production into account are discussed. The results of the project activities encompass the analysis and evaluation of various problem areas associated with planning and management of the grid during normal operation and periods of malfunction, as well as required modifications to safety systems and grid configurations. This seventh appendix to the main report summarises and discusses the knowledge gained during the project and attempts to provide answers to various questions posed by the use of distributed ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Video images of laser beams imprinted with distinguishable features are used for alignment of 192 laser beams at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Algorithms designed to determine the position of these beams enable the control system to perform the task of alignment. Centroiding is a common approach used for determining the position of beams. However, real world beam images suffer from intensity fluctuation or other distortions which make such an approach susceptible to higher position measurement variability. Matched filtering used for identifying the beam position results in greater stability of position measurement compared to that obtained using the centroiding technique. However, this gain is achieved at the expense of extra processing time required for each beam image. In this work we explore the possibility of using a field programmable logic array (FPGA) to speed up these computations. The results indicate a performance improvement ...

CERN Document Server

Binary mass transfer via Roche-lobe overflow (RLOF) is a key channel for producing stripped-envelope Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars and may be critical to account for SN Ib/c progenitors. RY Scuti is an extremely rare example of a massive binary star caught in this brief but important phase. Its toroidal nebula indicates equatorial mass loss during RLOF, while the mass-gaining star is apparently embedded in an opaque accretion disk. RY Scuti's toroidal nebula has two components: an inner ionised double-ring system, and an outer dust torus that is twice the size of the ionised rings. We present two epochs of Lband Keck NGS-AO images of the dust torus, plus three epochs of HST images of the ionised gas rings. Proper motions show that the inner ionised rings and the outer dust torus came from two separate ejection events roughly 130 and 250 yr ago. This suggests that RLOF in massive contact binaries can be accompanied by eruptive and episodic burst of mass ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In order to gain a wider knowledge of corrosion phenomena in OFHC (oxygen free high conductivity) copper pipes of the stator cooling circuit of a power plant turboalternator, a research program was laid out which is based on the use of an experimental loop simulating real operating conditions as closely as possible. The samples examined were either copper foils or hollow conductors of the type that is normally used in the stator cooling system, and the circulating fluid was high purity water with controlled O/sub 2/, H/sub 2/ and C0/sub 2/ contents. Investigations were focused on the kinetics of O/sub 2/ removal through catalytic resins covered with metallic palladium (at different temperatures and pressures) and on the kinetics of CO/sub 2/ removal through mixed bed resins. Subsequently, attention was directed to the corrosion of copper (in the form of foils or hollow conductors) under different experimental conditions simulating either ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In large samples, the {gamma}-ray count rate of a prompt gamma neutron activation analysis system is a multi-variable function of the elemental dry composition, density, water content and thickness of the material. The experimental calibration curves require tremendous laboratory work, using a great number of standards with well-known compositions. Although a Monte Carlo simulation study does not avoid the experimental calibration work, it reduces the number of experimental calibration standards. This paper is part of a feasibility study for a PGNAA system for on-line continuous characterisation of cement raw material conveyed on a belt (Oliveira, C., Salgado, J. and Carvalho, F. G. (1997) Optimisation of PGNAA instrument design for cement raw materials using the MCNP code. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem. 216(2), 191-198; Oliveira, C., Salgado, J., Goncalves, I. F., Carvalho, F. G. and Leitao, F. (1997a) A Monte Carlo study of the influence of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A lower energy efficiency standard for buildings (EPC) can have a negative impact on thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Cooperation and integrated design are preconditions for a correct use, installation and maintenance of heating and ventilation systems in buildings. [Dutch] Er komt steeds meer kritiek op de wijze waarop in ons land woningen en gebouwen worden gebouwd. Op dit moment is het vooral woonhuisventilatie waar veel om te doen is. Van beleidsmakers tot aannemers en van Consumentenbond tot gezondheidsdiensten; iedereen vraagt zich af of we met vergaande isolatie onze woningen en gebouwen nog wel leefbaar houden. In dit artikel wordt een pleidooi gehouden voor onderlinge samenwerking en integraal ontwerp als randvoorwaarden voor een goede toepassing, installatie en onderhoud van verwarmings- en ventilatiesystemen in gebouwen.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the ALICE experiment at CERN, the Detector Control System (DCS) employs several interacting software components to accomplish its task of ensuring the correct operation and monitoring of the experiment. This paper describes the Front-End-Electronics Communication (FeeCommunication) software and its role within the DCS. The FeeCommunication software's central task is passing configuration and monitoring data between the top level DCS process control and the field devices of several detectors within ALICE. The lowest level of the FeeCommunication software runs on the DCS boards, specialized embedded systems which are in direct contact with the field devices and are physically located within the detector. The middle and upper layers run on standard PC hardware located in the counting room or other external locations. This paper focuses on the design and implementation of the FeeCommunication software and the steps ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Accurate dose calculation in radiation treatment planning is most important for successful treatment. Since human body is composed of various materials and not an ideal shape, it is not easy to calculate the accurate effective dose in the patients. Many methods have been proposed to solve inhomogeneity and surface contour problems. Monte Carlo simulations are regarded as the most accurate method, but it is not appropriate for routine planning because it takes so much time. Pencil beam kernel based convolution/superposition methods were also proposed to correct those effects. Nowadays, many commercial treatment planning systems have adopted this algorithm as a dose calculation engine. The purpose of this study is to verify the accuracy of the dose calculated from pencil beam kernel based treatment planning system comparing to Monte Carlo simulations and measurements especially in inhomogeneous region. Home-made inhomogeneous ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Experimental techniques are presented that can be used to assay and correct for differential light scattering effects in circular dichroism spectra of biological macrostructures. The assay is based...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A self-seeded free electron laser (FEL) provides a high gain and extraction efficiency for the emitted light. An accelerator outputs a beam of electron pulses to a permanent magnet wiggler having an input end for receiving the electron pulses and an output end for outputting light and the electron pulses. An optical feedback loop collects low power light in a small signal gain regime at the output end of said wiggler and returns the low power light to the input end of the wiggler while outputting high power light in a high signal gain regime.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We present a recent study of the QCD corrections to dilepton production near partonic threshold in transversely polarized {bar p}p scattering, We analyze the role of the higher-order perturbative QCD corrections in terms of the available fixed-order contributions as well as of all-order soft-gluon resummations for the kinematical regime of proposed experiments at GSI-FAIR. We find that perturbative corrections are large for both unpolarized and polarized cross sections, but that the spin asymmetries are stable. The role of the far infrared region of the momentum integral in the resummed exponent and the effect of the NNLL resummation are briefly discussed.

Science.gov (United States)

Based on a collisional-radiative model, an atomic-kinetic calculation of the gains on the 41.8-nm transitions of Pd-like xenon was performed for the plasma produced due to the interaction of a femtosecond laser pulse with gaseous xenon. The gains g(z,{tau}) averaged over the spatial and temporal coordinates were compared with the known gains which had been measured experimentally in Xe{sup 8+}. The amplification was shown to occur under the conditions of ionisation of the working ions, and the time of output radiation saturation depends on the time of Xe{sup 8+} transformation to higher-ionised ions. Our theoretical investigation enables determining the optimal pump parameters, at which the product of the gain g by the active medium length L is about 20, which exceeds the experimental gL value. (active media)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Previous analyses of binary cycles for conversion of geothermal energy from moderate temperature resources to electrical energy have shown potential gains in net geofluid effectiveness of on the order of 8%, resulting from selection of turbine-expansion processes whose equilibrium states pass through the two-phase region (assuming major condensation does not occur). If condensation occurs, this gain could be reduced or eliminated by the resulting loss in turbine efficiency. Experience with many fluids, however, indicates that vapor supersaturation (or subcooling) permits metastable pure-vapor states to exist at temperatures considerably below the saturation temperature at a given pressure; thus, by better understanding the condensation process, and properly structuring the cycle, substantial performance gains may be achievable. The present study assessed, qualitatively, the probability for attaining this performance ...

Science.gov (United States)

... Except for isolated radiation accidents over the ensuing years, little practical experience has been gained in the treatment of thermal injuries ...

Science.gov (United States)

We report the characteristics of visible vertical cavity surface emitting laser diodes. Wafers are grown such that the Fabry--Perot resonance wavelength changes with position from 690 to 620 nm, overlapping to varying degrees with the [ital n]=1 and [ital n]=2 quantum well gain peaks at [similar to]670 and 650 nm. Gain guided devices are tested across the entire wafer, and pulsed room temperature lasing is observed from 634.6 to 663.2 nm. Our results suggest that gain contributions from the second quantized state are required to overcome high cavity losses in order to achieve lasing.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A new multigrid algorithm based on the method of self-correction for the solution of elliptic problems is described. The method exploits information contained in the residual to dynamically modify the source term (right-hand side) of the elliptic problem. It is shown that the self-correcting solver is more efficient at damping the short wavelength modes of the algebraic error than its standard equivalent. When used in conjunction with a multigrid method, the resulting solver displays an improved convergence rate with no additional computational work.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beach rocks are observed frequently on the tropical and subtropical sandy beaches where they express thin beds dipping seaward at less than 15 degrees. They consist of beach sediments including fossil shells, fragments of corals, diatoms and other biocarbonates, and are well cemented within the inter-tidal zone with calcium carbonate originated in sea water. Therefore, they are not only good indicators which show the past sea level, but also provide good sample material for radiocarbon dating. The locations of beach rocks give us an optimum condition studying a carbon cycle between land and marine environment by analyzing their isotope fractionations. In order to estimate the origin of calcium carbonate which worked as an adhesive when beach rocks were formed and to estimate the formative ages of beach rocks, a total of 330 fossil corals, fossil shells and calcarenite or calcirdite samples were collected from 128 sites of 16 islands consisting of the Nansei Islands, southwest of Japan. ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy was selected by NASA as part of the ChemCam instrument package for the Mars Science Laboratory rover to be launched in 2009. ChemCam's Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy instrument will ablate surface coatings from materials and measure the elemental composition of underlying rocks and soils at distances from 1 up to 10 m. The purpose of our studies is to develop an analytical methodology enabling identification and quantitative analysis of these geological materials in the context of the ChemCam's Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy instrument performance. The study presented here focuses on several terrestrial rock samples which were analyzed by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy at an intermediate stand-off distance (3 m) and in an atmosphere similar to the Martian one (9 mbar CO2). The experimental results highlight the matrix effects and the measurement inaccuracies due to the noise accumulated when low signals are collected with a ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In an ignition timing control apparatus for controlling the ignition timing of each cylinder in order to reduce knock generation in a multi-cylinder engine, a lag-angle correction is made for the ignition timing of a cylinder in which a knock is generated and at the same time, a slight lag-angle correction is made for the ignition timing of the other cylinders in which no knock is generated. When the operating condition of engine is rapidly changed for example, under the condition in which knock is liable to occur in all cylinders as at rapid acceleration time, a lag-angle correction is made by the same amount as in the knock generating cylinder, for the ignition timing of cylinders in which no knock is generated. When no knock is generated for a predetermined time, a lead-angle correction is made for the ignition timing subjected to the lag-angle correction of each cylinder at ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Development in Instrumentation and Control (I and C) technology provides more convenience and better performance, thus, adopted in many fields. To adopt newly developed technology, nuclear industry requires rigorous V and V procedure and tests to assure reliable operation. Adoption of digital system requires verification and testing of the OS for licensing. Commercial real-time operating system (RTOS) is targeted to apply to various, unpredictable needs, which makes it difficult to verify. For this reason, simple, application-oriented realtime OS is developed for the nuclear application. In this work, we show how to verify the developed RTOS at each development lifecycle. Commercial formal tool is used in specification and verification of the system. Based on the developed model, software in C language is automatically generated. Tests are performed for two purposes; one is to identify consistency between the verified model ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In order to achieve micro-wound, intelligence and high efficiency for fracture setting, intelligent setting system for fracture is proposed in accordance with biomechanics and fracture therapy theory. In the comprehensive medical system based on C-shape-arm X-machine, image processing and analysis is the core, programmable logical controller and stepping motor are important driving parts controlling mechanical parts. Six degree of freedom dynamics sensor ensures to control accurately force and moment. On the foundation of analyzing X-ray image peculiarities, method of processing and analysis is put forward, combining time domain with frequency domain. After mining domain knowledge in depth, setting actions is quantized into three non-continuous steps and is parameterized into two angles and one distance aiming at femoral-neck fracture. Objective features are extracted by virtue of three power polymerization curved surface fitting. Master-slave ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The O({alpha}) electroweak radiative corrections to {gamma}{gamma}{yields}WW{yields}4f within the electroweak standard model are calculated in double-pole approximation (DPA). Virtual corrections are treated in DPA, leading to a classification into factorizable and non-factorizable contributions, and real-photonic corrections are based on complete lowest-order matrix elements for {gamma}{gamma}{yields}4f+{gamma}. Soft and collinear singularities appearing in the virtual and real corrections are combined alternatively in two different ways, namely by using the dipole subtraction method or by applying phase-space slicing. The radiative corrections are implemented in a Monte Carlo generator called Coffer {gamma}{gamma} - the computer code can be obtained from the authors upon request - which optionally includes anomalous triple and quartic gauge-boson couplings in addition and performs ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This was a university-based research project in support of distributed reforming production technologies for hydrogen. Our objective was to examine the steam reforming of bio-ethanol and other related bio-derived liquids over non-precious metal catalyst systems to enable small-scale distributed hydrogen production technologies from renewable sources. The study targeted development of a catalytic system that does not rely on precious metals and that can be active in the 350-550 C temperature range, with high selectivity and high stability. To this end, we adopted a multi-prong research strategy, that included catalyst formulation and synthesis, detailed catalyst characterization, reaction kinetics and reaction engineering, molecular modeling and economic analysis studies. Our approach was an iterative one, where the knowledge gained in one aspect of the study was utilized to modify and fine-tune catalyst development. The ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An original evaluating method of gain degradation has been found for neutron irradiated transistors. It establishes a correlation between degradation and the product of two coefficients: spectra factor and an electrical parameter which is measured or directly deduced from manufacturer's data. Equivalence for several type of spectra (fission, 14MeV and degradation sensitivity to electrical parameters values of individual components of a batch are obtained.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Previous analyses of binary cycles for conversion of geothermal energy from moderate temperature resources to electrical energy have shown potential gains in net geofluid effectiveness on the order of 8%, resulting from selection of turbine-expansion processes whose equilibrium states pass through the two-phase region. If condensation occurs, this gain could be reduced or eliminated by the resulting loss in turbine efficiency. Experience with many fluids, however, indicates that vapor supersaturation permits metastable pure-vapor states to exist at temperatures considerably below the saturation temperature at a given pressure; thus, by better understanding the condensation process, and properly structuring the cycle, substantial performance gains may be possible. The purpose of the present study was to assess the probability for attaining this performance gain by estimating the extent of condensation ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

To assure quality of safety critical software, software should be developed in accordance with software development procedures and rigorous software verification and validation should be performed. Software verification is the formal act of reviewing, testing of checking, and documenting whether software components comply with the specified requirements for a particular stage of the development phase[1]. New software verification methodology was developed and was applied to the Shutdown System No. 1 and 2 (SDS1,2) for Wolsung 2,3 and 4 nuclear power plants by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI) and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited(AECL) in order to satisfy new regulation requirements of Atomic Energy Control Boars(AECB). Software verification methodology applied to SDS1 for Wolsung 2,3 and 4 project will be described in this paper. Some errors were found by this methodology during the software development for SDS1 and were corrected by ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Portal verification images were generated from the photon contamination in electron beams produced by a linear accelerator during treatment of patients receiving high-energy electron radiation therapy (8-14 MeV). An experimental storage phosphor system was used to record the images and display them on laser-printed film. Images were obtained from four or more treatment fractions from 21 cases of head and neck cancer. Precision in field placement was estimated by determining the position of a selected anatomic landmark relative to the center of the field for each series of images. The average standard deviation in the field-position measurements was 3.8 mm. Several procedural problems were also detected and corrected after review of the verification images. The results indicate that the emphasis placed on monitoring and control of field-positioning error in high-energy electron treatments should be similar to the emphasis placed on this aspect ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This study evaluates the degree to which surface impoundments at licensed facilities comply with significant changes in NRC requirements initiated by enactment of EPA's final environmental standards for uranium recovery facilities (40 CFR Part 192). Impoundment liner requirements, ground-water protection standards, ground-water monitoring and corrective action programs, and site closure standards are the most significant regulatory modifications. The compliance status of 30 conventional mills and 31 in-situ mines is determined from a review of Nuclear Regulatory Commission and agreement state docket files through November, 1983. Results of this review show that a majority of conventional uranium mill tailings management systems are deficient with respect to liner requirements for new impoundments or proposed expansions to existing impoundments, as well as with respect to some aspects of ground-water monitoring and compliance programs. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An original device and a method of its application for restoring of the function of relatively incompetent valves (both patented) are elaborated. Application of the new device allows to lower the difficulty of surgical treatment, to decrease the duration of operation and post-operative period. The long-term results of six-year long experience of its application are presented. The patients examination after 2,5-3,0-year post-operation period shows perfect vein valve correction. A device for stone extraction from tubular organs (patented) fabricated with titanium nickelide superelastic alloy is presented. The new suggested design is free of the drawback inherent in the previous one. The working element of the device is formed as a truncated cone or a truncated cone coaxial with the cylinder (the previous design was formed as a full cone) that prevents overstraining and residual strain accumulation during the manipulation process. Since the first publication the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The minimum cardiac transit times (MTT's) at rest and following sub-maximum stresses were measured in 97 individual examinations of untrained persons and high performance athletes. It turned out that there is a strong dependence on cardiac frequency of the MTT's. This relation can be described quite satisfactorily by a hyperbolic function and in this way allows a frequency correction to be made of the MTT's. The MTT's standardized in this way (MTT.f values) represent the quotient of the end diastolic segment volume/beat volume. In the whole lesser circulatory system almost identical MTT.f values were found for the two groups under comparison at rest and following stress. In the ventricles, however, and especially so in the left ventricle, the MTT.f values were clearly higher with athletes than with untrained persons, but they strongly decreased after stresses, while the respective values remained almost constant in ordinary persons. (orig./RF).

CERN Document Server

Inter-symbol interference (ISI) channels with data dependent Gauss Markov noise have been used to model read channels in magnetic recording and other data storage systems. The Viterbi algorithm can be adapted for performing maximum likelihood sequence detection in such channels. However, the problem of finding an analytical upper bound on the bit error rate of the Viterbi detector in this case has not been fully investigated. Current techniques rely on an exhaustive enumeration of short error events and determine the BER using a union bound. In this work, we consider a subset of the class of ISI channels with data dependent Gauss-Markov noise. We derive an upper bound on the pairwise error probability (PEP) between the transmitted bit sequence and the decoded bit sequence that can be expressed as a product of functions depending on current and previous states in the (incorrect) decoded sequence and the (correct) transmitted sequence. In ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

It is well known that the lightning protection of transmission lines is exclusively relying on their correct initial design. Although detailed engineering studies are usually performed by electric power utilities for the design of new transmission lines, there are reported cases where the design is based simply on tradition or on utilities' standardization policy. In this paper, the lightning protection of high-voltage transmission lines is faced as an optimization problem where optimum design parameters are calculated for the lines, relating their cost with the lightning failures' cost, aiming to reduce or even eliminate lightning failures. The optimization method considers all the available protection means, i.e. ground wires and surge arresters. In order to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, it is applied on several operating Hellenic transmission lines of 150 kV carefully selected among others due to their high failure rates ...

Science.gov (United States)

This report is an assessment of emission-control costs for municipal-waste combustors (MWCs). The details of the cost estimates, including their development, components, and cost premises, are addressed. A model-plant approach was used in the sizing and costing of the emission control systems. Due to differences in the feed-waste characteristics, combustion parameters, and emissions, separate cost estimates were required for mass burning (MB), modular (MOD), refuse-derived fuel (RDF), and fluid-bed combustion (FBC) type furnaces. Cost estimates were developed for control of particulate matter (PM) emissions only and for control of both acid gas and PM emissions from the MWC model plants. Controlled PM emission levels of 0.03, 0.02, and 0.01 gr/dscf, corrected to 12% CO/sub 2/, and 90 and 70% reductions of HC1 and SO2, respectively, were used to develop the control cost estimates. Costs were developed using the cost information received from a ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The fundamental tasks of the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant maintenance operations are planning, scheduling, executing, postmaintenance testing, completing the maintenance job, and supporting these activities with administrative and technical assistance. The Department of Energy (DOE) ``Maintenance Management Program`` guidelines require that we use a graded approach for applying formality and documentation to these maintenance operations. The most-rigorous controls should be placed on maintaining the most-vital systems, structures, and components (SSCs). We must understand risk assessments in order to evaluate which SSCs are most vital. The product of this assessment process is a well-developed understanding of where to apply the most rigor, formality, and documentation. Once we have determined where, we must determine how to apply maintenance so as to mitigate risk. Fundamental to determining how to apply it is an understanding of the main difference between proactive and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The information reported is for the period October I to December 31, 1993. During this quarter, activities were undertaken in Task 2. Oxygen concentrations were measured in the post-flame region of the entrained flow reactor. The sampling probe was used for the hot gas tests to sample the gas stream. Samples were injected into a gas chromatograph to determine the oxygen concentration. Results agreed with thermoequilibrium calculations that yield equilibrium compositions based on the stoichiometry of the feed gases. The axial temperature distribution along the reactor centerline was measured using a silica-coated platinum-rhodium thermocouple. Two coating techniques were tested and it was found that flame-plating silica to the thermocouple wires produced a thinner coating than a ceramic adhesive technique and therefore a smaller radiation correction. Other activities this quarter included the fabrication of a solids sampling probe support assembly and thermocouple ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

To obtain reactor physics parameters for high-moderation mixed-oxide (MOX) cores, Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NPEC), the French Atomic Commission (CEA), and their industrial partners have conducted a MOX core physics experimental program called MISTRAL with the EOLE critical facility of the Cadarache research center. This program consists of four high-moderation cores and was successfully completed in July 2000. This paper describes the analysis results of MISTRAL-3 that is a homogeneous full MOX cylindrical core (H/HM = 6.2) with an 80-cm height and a 59-cm diameter consisting of 1388 standard pressurized water reactor-type MOX fuel rods of 7.0 wt% plutonium-enrichment in a square pitch of 1.39 cm. NPEC has been analyzing the experimental results by using the SRAC and MVP code systems. SRAC and MVP calculate the nuclear core characteristics correctly for the high-moderation MOX core MISTRAL-3. No apparent trend with the moderation ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

As part of a comprehensive simulation of a prototype locomotive propulsion system, a detailed model has been developed which predicts the dynamic response of an experimental 2-stroke, turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine. Engine fueling and brake torque are computed from regression equations derived from an extensive data base. Corrections are applied to the calculated steady-state torque to account for dynamic deviations of in-cylinder trapped air-fuel ratio from the steady-state value. The engine simulation accurately represents the operation of the turbo-charger, which is gear-driven at low turbocharger speeds, and freewheels through an overrunning clutch when exhaust energy accelerates the turbocharger beyond its geared speed. Engine fueling level, ie, rack, is determined from a dynamic simulation of an electrohydraulic governor which responds to the difference between the desired and the actual engine speeds. The governor ...

Science.gov (United States)

A comparative analysis between conventional passive twin tube dampers and skyhook-controlled magneto-rheological fluid (MRF) dampers for motorcycle front suspensions is provided, based on single axis testing in a damper test rig and suspension performance testing in road trials. Performance motorcycles, while boasting extremely light suspension components and competition-ready performance, have an inherent weakness in comfort, as the suspension systems are designed primarily for racing purposes. Front suspension acceleration and shock loading transmit directly through the front suspension triple clamp into the rider's arms and shoulders, causing rapid fatigue in shoulder muscles. Magneto-rheological fluid dampers and skyhook control systems offer an alternative to conventional sport motorcycle suspensions - both performance and comfort can be combined in the same package. Prototype MRF dampers designed and manufactured specifically for this ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Objective: To investigate the relationship between endothelial vasoactive factors and development of systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods: Blood circulating endothelial cell count (CEC, with density gradient precipitation method); plasma endothelin (ET), thromboxane B2 (TXB2 ), 6-keto-prostaglandin F1? concentrations (all above three with RIA); nitric oxide (NO) contents (with Griss method) and plasma intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), p-selectin (P-S) contents (with ELISA) were measured in 52 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) both before and after treatment with prostaglandin E1 and 30 controls. Results: Plasma ET, TXB2, ICAM-1, P-S contents and CEC were significantly higher and plasma NO, 6-K-PGF1? contents were significantly lower in all the patients with SSc before treatment than those in the controls, After treatment, the patients with satisfactory responses (n=33) had the abnormal plasma values of these parameters greatly ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of the Isotopes Facilities Deactivation Project (IFDP) is to place former isotopes production facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in a safe, stable, and environmentally sound condition; suitable for an extended period of minimum surveillance and maintenance (S&M) and as quickly and economical as possible. Implementation and completion of the deactivation project will further reduce the risks to the environment and to public safety and health. Furthermore, completion of the project will result in significant S&M cost savings in future years. The IFDP work plan defines the project schedule, the cost estimate, and the technical approach for the project. A companion document, the IFDP management plan, has been prepared to document the project objectives, define organizational relationships and responsibilities, and outline the management control systems to be employed in the management of the project. The project has adopted the strategy ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Asia-Pacific region will see tremendous growth in demand for electricity in the next few decades and will be an important market for generation equipment and associated services. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries alone anticipate additional power demand of more than 37,000 NM by the year 2000, with an estimated total expenditure of US $85 billion. Trends in recent years show natural gas-fired combined cycle in plants to be fast gaining in popularity over conventional thermal plants. The advantages include increased primary energy conversion efficiency coupled with significant reduction in pollutant emissions, shorter construction times, faster loading rates and reduced staffing requirements. In the computer model used for generation capacity expansion planning in Tenaga Nasional Berhad, clean coal technology models are not used as candidate plants. In the opinion of the authors, this results from a lack of comprehensive data regarding ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report covers the technical effort through February, 1989. This effort was directed towards the technology associated with the development of a large scale, long pulse DF-CO{sub 2} chemical laser. Optics damage studies performed under Task 1 assessed damage thresholds for diamond-turned salt windows. Task 2 is a multi-faceted task involving the use of PHOCL-50 for laser gain measurements, LTI experiments, and detector testing by LANL personnel. To support these latter tests, PHOCL-50 was upgraded with Boeing funding to incorporate a full aperture outcoupler that increased its energy output by over a factor of 3, to a full kilojoule. The PHOCL-50 carbon block calorimeter was also recalibrated and compared with the LANL Scientech meter. Cloud clearing studies under Task 3 initially concentrated on delivering a Boeing built Cloud Simulation Facility to LANL, and currently involves design of a Cold Cloud Simulation Facility. A Boeing IRAD funded theoretical study ...