Changing paradigms from paper laboratory notebooks to electronic creates challenges. Meeting regulatory requirements in an R&D environment drives thorough documentation. Creating complete experimental records is easier using electronic laboratory notebooks. Supporting investigations through re-creating experimental conditions is greatly facilitated using an ELN.

Microcomputer-based laboratories (MBLs) have been defined as software that uses an electronic probe to collect information about a physical system and then converts that information into graphical systems in real-time. Realtime Physics Laboratories (RTP) are an example of laboratories that combine the use of MBLs with collaboration and guided-inquiry. RTP Mechanics Laboratories include both laboratory activities and laboratory homework for the first semester of college freshman physics courses. Prior research has investigated the effectiveness of the RTP laboratories as a package (laboratory activities with laboratory homework). In this study, an experimental-treatment had students complete both the RTP laboratory activity and the associated laboratory homework during the same laboratory period. Observations of this treatment indicated that students primarily consulted the laboratory instructor and referred to their completed laboratory activity while completing the homework in their collaborative groups. In the control-treatment, students completed the laboratory homework outside the laboratory period. Measures of force and motion conceptual understanding included the Force and Motion Conceptual Understanding (FMCE), a 47 multiple-choice question test. Analyses of the FMCE indicated that it is both a reliable and a valid measure of force and motion conceptual understanding. A distinct, five-factor structure for the FMCE post-test answers reflected specific concepts related to force and motion. However, the three FMCE pretest factors were less distinct. Analysis of the experimental-treatment, compared to a control-treatment, included multiple regression analysis with covariates of age, prior physics-classroom experience, and the three FMCE pretest factors. Criterion variables included each of the five post-test factors, the total laboratory homework score, and a group of seven exam questions. The results were all positive, in favor of the experimental-treatment. However, the results were significant only with the criterions of the FMCE post-test factor "Concepts Regarding Newton's First and Second Laws" and the laboratory homework score. The interaction between the treatments and prior physics-classroom experience was not significant. Implications of the qualitative and quantitative findings are discussed.

The performance of a commercial, compact and portable laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system and a constructed laboratory LIBS system with different experimental approaches were investigated in order to make improvements in the qualitative results. One of the experimental studies pertained to the investigation of the different crystal surfaces of silicon. The second experimental study involved the polarization effects by which the polarization dependency was demonstrated. The third and final experimental study was an unconventional orthogonal double pulse configuration with a 45^o angle of incidence for both lasers in opposite directions. By means of these experimental approaches reliable, reproducible results were obtained, relative intensities of the emission lines were enhan...

Environmental regulatory standards for cadmium (EPA 1980), like those for most pollutants, are based on acute, laboratory toxicity tests of single species. Such tests can be conducted rapidly and inexpensively in comparison to acute or chronic field studies, but their validity has often been questioned. Laboratory-based criteria are subject to two criticisms: (1) chemical and physical conditions differ greatly in degree and variability from laboratory to field, and (2) species are not isolated, but live in an ecosystem of interacting taxa and biofeedback. To investigate the validity of basing field toxicity standards on laboratory data, the authors subjected the freshwater crayfish Orconectes immunis for 96 h to various levels of cadmium in laboratory aquaria and experimental ponds. The study was designed to evaluate in part the first criticism of lab-based criteria. The studies were conducted concurrently with similar short-term experiments on the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas, and coincided with studies of chronic cadmium stress on fathead minnows in experimental ponds.

Site-directed mutagenesis is frequently used by scientists to investigate the functional impact of amino acid mutations in the laboratory. Over 10,000 such laboratory-induced mutations have been reported in the UniProt database along with the outcomes of functional assays. Here, we explore the performance of state-of-the-art computational tools (Condel, PolyPhen-2 and SIFT) in correctly annotating the function-altering potential of 10,913 laboratory-induced mutations from 2372 proteins. We find that computational tools are very successful in diagnosing laboratory-induced mutations that elicit significant functional change in the laboratory (up to 92% accuracy). But, these tools consistently fail in correctly annotating laboratory-induced mutations that show no functional impact in the laboratory assays. Therefore, the overall accuracy of computational tools for laboratory-induced mutations is much lower than that observed for the naturally occurring human variants. We tested and rejected the possibilities that the preponderance of changes to alanine and the presence of multiple base-pair mutations in the laboratory were the reasons for the observed discordance between the performance of computational tools for natural and laboratory mutations. Instead, we discover that the laboratory-induced mutations occur predominately at the highly conserved positions in proteins, where the computational tools have the lowest accuracy of correct prediction for variants that do not impact function (neutral). Therefore, the comparisons of experimental-profiling results with those from computational predictions need to be sensitive to the evolutionary conservation of the positions harboring the amino acid change. PMID:22685075

The impact of alkaline solutions (pH = 13.2) on the clay mineralogy of the CallovoOxfordian formation hosting the French underground laboratory for nuclear waste disposal investigation (Meuse-Haute Marne site) has been studied experimentally. Initially, each of the four samples selected as represent...

This paper investigates the use of two-dimensional radial column experiments to estimate longitudinal, and transverse dispersivity at the laboratory scale. The experimental device is an "annulus-and-core" device: it is based on a classical column system, of which the inlet reservoir is divided into ...

Laboratory-scale batch experiments (semicontinuously fed) were conducted using a two-level factorial experimental design to investigate principal factors and interactions affecting microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) of carbon (C) steel. Factors considered included the C source as chemical oxygen demand (COD), sulfate (SO[sup 2[minus

The dissertation employs laboratory experimental methodology to study decision-making when people face trade-offs between ethical and economic values. More explicitly, the three chapters investigate 1) consumer behaviour when a substantially equivalent version of a product is more expensive because ...

Females of a widespread species of the rock-dwelling haplochromine cichlids of Lake Malawi, Maylandia zebra, show preference for males that successfully evict intruding males from their territory. This behaviour, experimentally induced by the investigators in a laboratory setting, was also preferred over males that were not permitted to interact with any other individual.

Stimulated emission was observed from solutions of derivatives of aza-1,2,4-triazine excited with nitrogen laser (lambda=337.1 nm) nanosecond pulses. The active substances were synthesized by an experimental laboratory technology. Preliminary luminescence spectra as well as energy, time, and other characteristics of the radiation were obtained for the compound designated as SKh-10, typical of several investigated dyes. The experimental methods used to observe stimulated emission are described.

A detailed review by Santos Ltd. of all its laboratory activities has revealed that nearly all laboratory work must be very closely tailored to the needs of the reservoir in question in order to produce meaningful results. Intensive preparation of procedures is required which may involve months of discussion with the laboratory, development of new procedures tuned to the particular reservoir, testing of the these procedures and modification, etc. Often the preparation for the laboratory work will begin long before the rock or liquid samples arrive at the laboratory. An investigation of laboratory prescribed procedures used for the Eromanga Basin, Queensland, oil fields is described with examples of the analyses produced as a result of new procedures adopted. Several experimental techniques are outlined. The new laboratory procedures imply that most of the oil reservoirs are being very well swept, at least on a microscopic scale. This may have significant implications for the Eromanga Basin oil reservoirs (EOR). The extension of new procedures to all laboratory work has led to improvements in the ability to analyse oils, water, muds, clays and in the ability to conduct `multi-disciplinary experiments`, i.e. experiments extending across more than one laboratory. The results have been the achievement of better log analysis, better estimates of original hydrocarbons in place and better estimates of oil remaining after primary production. (author). 5 tabs., 1 fig., 10 refs.

The 'Microstructure Testing and Analysis Laboratory' is a new facility for the mechanical testing of small specimens, soft material, and small structures. The main components of the laboratory are a low force electrodynamically actuated test frame for axial/torsion and combined loading, a digital image correlation system for the measurement of displacement fields, and a stereovision system for investigations of fracture surface. The facilities have been used successfully in research projects on carbon-carbon composites, and in investigations of porous polymeric materials, as well as for projects in a graduate course on 'Micromechanics of Materials.' In all experiments performed so far the experimental facilities have performed satisfactory.

"Two Energy Department laboratories, along with a number of universities, tested a grid network that will eventually distribute experimental data from the CERN particle physics laboratory in Geneva to multiple research laboratories around the globe."

This paper presents experimental and computational comparisons of three active damping control laws applied to a complex laboratory structure. Two reduced structural models were used with one model being corrected on the basis of measured mode shapes and frequencies. Three control laws were investigated, a time-invariant linear quadratic regulator with state estimation and two direct rate feedback control laws. Experimental results for all designs were obtained with digital implementation. It was found that model correction improved the agreement between analytical and experimental results. The best agreement was obtained with the simplest direct rate feedback control.

As described in "How People Learn," "Developing Biological Literacy," and by the Commission on Undergraduate Education in the Biological Sciences during the 1960s and early 1970s, laboratories should promote guided-inquiries or investigations, and not simply consist of cookbook or verification activities. However, the only word that could describe the curriculum followed in the laboratory course that the author was soon scheduled to teach was "cookbook." This article describes the transformation of this biology laboratory course at an urban university from one based on a traditional cookbook style curriculum to one incorporating inquiry-based methodologies. The author concluded that the transformed biology laboratory course provided rigorous content and also promoted students' critical thinking, scientific writing, experimental, and speaking skills. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

At the frontier of most areas in science, computer simulations play a central role. The traditional division of natural science into experimental and theoretical investigations is now completely outdated. Instead, theory, simulation, and experimentation form three equally essential aspects, each with its own unique flavor and challenges. Yet, education in computational science is still lagging far behind, and the number of text books in this area is minuscule compared to the many text books on theoretical and experimental science. As a result, many researchers still carry out simulations in a haphazard way, without properly setting up the computational equivalent of a well equipped laboratory. The art of creating such a virtual laboratory, while providing proper extensibility and documentation, is still in its infancy. A new approach is described here, Open Knowledge, as an extension of the notion of Open Source software. Besides open source code, manuals, and primers, an open knowledge project provides simul...

A vertical axis turbine is designed and tested experimentally in the hydraulics laboratory of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech. Experimental parameters investigated are solidity, blade number, blade shape for different ambient current speeds. A test rig is constructed which allows for fairly accurate measurements of torque an turbine rotational speed. The experimental program aims at obtaining turbine characteristic curves for each flow rate and for each design variation together with resulting turbine efficiency curves. It is shown that design parameters can influence the turbine efficiency significantly and that the maximum power curve follows an exponential function. Based on the laboratory experiments an up-scaled field prototype is designed and the power extraction estimated.

The paper includes automated modeling and experimental verification of corrosion in reinforced concrete construction under the effect of varying oxygen concentration. Various construction corrosion cells with different concrete compositions under four different environmental conditions (air dry, submerged, 95% R.H and alternate wetting-drying) have been investigated under controlled laboratory conditions. Using the results (half-cell potential and gravimetric corrosion mass loss) of these laboratory tests and an automated computer-aided simulation model based on mass and energy transfer through the porous construction media for the corrosion process, it was possible to predict, maintain and manage the influence of oxygen concentration on the corrosion rate of the reinforcement in concrete ...

Stable isotope ratio measurements for carbon (C) and chlorine (Cl) can be used to elucidate the processes affecting transformation and transportation of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) in the environment. Methods recently developed in our laboratory for isotopic analysis of CAHs have been applied to laboratory measurements of the kinetic isotope effects associated with aerobic degradation of dichloromethane (DCM) and with both anaerobic and aerobic cometabolic degradation of trichlomethene (TCE) in batch and column microbial cultures. These experimental determinations of fractionation factors are crucial for understanding the behavior of CAHs in complex natural systems, where the extent of biotransformation can be masked by dispersion and volatilization. We have also performed laboratory investigations of kinetic isotope effects accompanying evaporation of CAHs, as well as field investigations of natural attenuation and in situ remediation of CAHs in a number of contaminated shallow aquifers at sites operated by the federal government and the private sector.

The importance and contribution of the inherent flammability of polymeric materials to problems of fire safety is well recognized. This study was undertaken to provide a better understanding and interpretation of previous experimental investigations of polymer flammability. The structure of opposed flow diffusion flames has been measured by several investigators using both gaseous and solid fuels. The opposed flow diffusion flame is a convenient geometry for the study of the flammability of polymers because it allows both steady, diffusion controlled burning and extinction to be observed under well-controlled laboratory conditions. Conveniently available experimental parameters include fuel composition, oxidizer composition, and oxidizer blowing rate. Reported experiments generally have not included the variation of pressure or temperature. Radiation effects, which are important in fires, remain to be well-characterized in laboratory studies of opposed flow diffusion flames where radiation generally is of minor importance.

The Colorado State University Solar Energy Applications Laboratory is currently testing several solar domestic hot water heating systems. The experimental systems are fully instrumented to yield data appropriate for in-depth analyses of performance. Indoor testing of the horizontal-tank thermosyphon system under investigation has been completed. Current work involves outdoor testing of the system and further analysis of the heat exchanger calculations used in the TRNSYS model of the system.

The $^{58}Ni+^{58}Ni$ reaction at 30 MeV/nucleon has been experimentally investigated at the Superconducting Cyclotron of the INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud. In midperipheral collisions the production of massive fragments (4$\\le$Z$\\le$12), consistent with the statistical fragmentation of the projectile-like residue and the contemporary dynamical formation of a neck, joining projectile-like and target-like residues, has been observed.

The state of the art of laboratory aerobiological research is briefly reviewed. Experiments are described in which the biological behavior of microbes in or on aerosol particles is investigated in a stirred settling chamber and a rotating drum. Experimental findings are summarized which indicate that airborne bacteria can maintain metabolic functions in a suitable atmosphere. These studies have been undertaken in consideration of the possibility that Jupiter's atmosphere might be contaminated if a space probe enters a biological stratum.

A method for analyzing the sintering process in ceramic materials in an isothermal regime using a multifactor evaluation parameter n, which can be one of the main control parameters of the sintered system, is suggested. The results of experimental investigations of sintering processes in clays and mixtures used in the production of various ceramic pieces are presented. The method is simple and can be used in laboratory and industrial conditions.

This research is carried out as part of the Gas-Phase Molecular Dynamics program in the Chemistry Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory. High-resolution spectroscopy, augmented by theoretical and computational methods, is used to investigate the structure and collision dynamics of chemical intermediates in the elementary gas-phase reactions involved in combustion chemistry. Applications and methods development are equally important experimental components of this work.

The work presented has concentrated on the investigation of ultrasonic methods for gas detection in a fluid. The experimental work has been done in the laboratory. However, the methods are developed with the special applications of downhole measurements on drilling fluids in mind. The work shows that ultrasonic measurement techniques can be used to detect free gas in fluids with very high sensitivity, and a new method has been developed for using ultrasonic techniques to detect dissolved gas in fluids. (orig.).

The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of horizontal GSHP by considering various system parameters for winter climatic condition of Bursa, Turkey. For this purpose, a previously used experimental facility on cooling cycle [Coskun S, Pulat E, Unlu K, Yamankaradeniz R. Experimental performance investigation of a horizontal ground source compression refrigeration machine. International Journal of Energy Research 2008; 32: 44-56] was modified for the heating cycle. Soil thermal conductivity estimation was expanded and discussed. Preliminary numerical temperature distribution around GHE pipes was obtained. Tests were performed under laboratory conditions for space heating from December 2004 to March 2005. Variations of entering and leaving antifreeze solution temperatures, extract...

Emerging from Bandura's Social Learning Theory, this study of in-service elementary school teachers examined the effects of sustained Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) on self-efficacy in science teaching. Based on mixed research methods, and a non-equivalent control group experimental design, the investigation explored changes in personal self-efficacy and outcome expectancy among teachers engaged in PLCs that featured Demonstration Laboratories, Lesson Study, and annual Summer Institutes. Significant changes favoring the experimental group were found on all quantitative measures of self-efficacy. Structured clinical interviews revealed that observed changes were largely attributable to a wide range of direct (mastery) and vicarious experiences, as well as emotional reinforcement and social persuasion.

This report describes the Underground Energy Storage Program's efforts to characterize physicochemical processes at DOE's ATES Field Test Facility (FTF) located on the University of Minnesota campus at St. Paul, Minnesota. Experimental efforts include: field tests at the St. Paul FTF to characterize fluid injectability and to evaluate the effectiveness of fluid-conditioning equipment, geochemical studies to investigate chemical reactions resulting from alterations to the aquifer's thermal regime, and laboratory tests on sandstone core from the site. Each experimental area is discussed and results obtained thus far are reported. 23 refs., 39 figs., 12 tabs.

In order to assess the effects of condensation on the radiation transmittance of greenhouse cladding materials, controlled laboratory conditions were developed. The experimental unit consisted of two climate rooms (hot room/cold room) separated by a partition wall containing a sample of the cladding material under investigation. Climatic apparatus in both rooms were used to create condensation on the inner surface of the cladding. An HeNe-laser was used as a monochromatic radiation source in the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) range, while a large integrating sphere with a photodetector measured the transmitted radiation flux. The measuring method included a calibration factor and a correction factor for the internal reflection fault. This arrangement enabled investigation of the relationship between the incidence angle and the transmittance of monochromatic radiation during a complete condensation cycle (dry phase; condensation without run-off; condensation with run-off; and evaporation phase) on different cladding materials. The performance of the climate and the optical apparatus of the laboratory unit for determining the transmittance of greenhouse cladding materials was assessed. To this end, climate factors inside the laboratory unit were measured and analysed during a complete condensation cycle. The reliability and the accuracy of the optical apparatus and the transmittance measuring method were ascertained by comparing the experimental angular transmittance results of a dry glass plate with simulation values, for perpendicular and parallel polarized radiation. The results demonstrated the reliable performance of the entire laboratory unit. (author)

An FN tandem laboratory, cofounded by several Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Divisions, Sandia Livermore, and the University of California Regents, is now operational at Livermore. The accelerator, formerly the University of Washington injector, has been upgraded with SF/sub 6/, Dowlish tubes, and a NEC pelletron charging system. A conventional duoplasmatron, a tritium source, and two Cs sputtering sources will be fielded on the accelerator. Pulsed beams will be available from two source positions. The laboratory has been designed to accommodate up to 19 experimental positions with excellent optics and working vacuum. The facility is unshielded with both accelerator and radiological systems under the control of a distributed microprocessor system. Research activities at the tandem include nuclear physics and astrophysics, materials science and characterization programs, and accelerator mass spectrometry for archaeology, biomedical, environmental and geoscience investigators. 3 refs., 1 fig.

ObjectiveTo investigate the dispersion of transferred matter within a uterine laboratory model during and after embryo transfer (ET) as a function of uterine position, catheter placement, and injection speed.DesignExperimental setup.SettingReproductive bioengineering laboratory.Patient(s)N/AIntervention(s)N/AMain Outcome Measure(s)Laboratory simulations of ET into a rigid transparent uterine model. The catheter was loaded with sequences of liquid and air as in the clinical setting. Experiments were conducted for different inclinations of the uterine model, various transfer speeds of the catheter load, and placement of the catheter tip near and remote from the fundus.Result(s)Dispersion of the transferred matter depended on the position of sagittal cross-section of the uterine cavity with r...

The advent of an experimental approach to volcanology has its roots in decades-old laboratory based approaches to characterising the properties of magmas and analog materials, together with the attempts at simulating volcanic processes in the lab. A little over ten years ago many new thrusts of experimental advance led to a new dawn for experimental science applied to volcanic eruptions. Along with that, new expectations, new goals and new strategies emerged about ten years ago. Ten years later, in 2010, many fruits have been born of this labour, and new frontiers are being unfolded as we meet here. Here are some of the youngest captivating themes being explored in experimental programs today: 1) interfacing volcanic monitoring systems to experimentally generated eruptions. 2) elucidating the physicochemical behavior of experimentally generated volcanic ash as an agent in the earth system. 3) blending experimental rock deformation and magmatology studies to understand the strength and stability of volcanic materials and volcanic structures 4) exploiting the kinematics of experimentally-generated versus natural volcanic products to understand flow style and strain history. The past ten years of experimental developments in volcanology have prepared us for great advances in the future, most of which were not perceived as likely avenues of investigation as little as ten years ago! The situation is likely to repeat itself in 2020.

Dust particles immersed within a plasma environment, such as those found in planetary rings or comets, will acquire an electric charge. If the ratio of the inter-particle potential energy to average kinetic energy is large enough the particles will form either a "liquid" structure with short-range ordering or a crystalline structure with long-range ordering. Since their discovery in laboratory environments in 1994, such crystals have been the subject of a variety of experimental, theoretical and numerical investigations. Most numerical and theoretical investigations have examined infinite systems assuming periodic boundary conditions. Since experimentally observed crystals can be comprised of a few hundred particles, this often leads to discrepancies between predicted theoretical results and experimental data. In addition, recent studies have concentrated on the importance of random charge variations between individual dust particles, but very little on the importance of size variations between the grains. Su...

In vitro methods are commonly used in order to estimate the extent of systemic absorption of chemicals through skin. Due to the wide variability of experimental procedures, types of skin and data analytical methods, the resulting permeation measures varies significantly between laboratories and individuals. Inter-laboratory and inter-individual variations with the in vitro measures of skin permeation lead to unreliable extrapolations to in vivo situations. This investigation aimed at a comprehensive assessment of the available data and development of validated models for in vitro skin flux of chemicals under various experimental and vehicle conditions. Following an exhaustive literature review, the human skin flux data were collated and combined with those from EDETOX database resulting in...

Removal of sludges from Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) represents a serious worldwide environmental problem for which alternatives other than their simple incineration are investigated. In this work the treatment of raw sludge from urban WWTP by means of a minimization process through spray-drying is analyzed as well as some proposals for revaluating the resulting dry product. Analysis is supported by some experimental results obtained with a laboratory spray dryer. The experimental procedure at laboratory scale is extrapolated to an industrial plant scale. An economic analysis of the proposal in relation to other possible sludge treatments is presented, taking into account in this case the comparison between the costs of the processes of sludge thickening, stabilization and dehydratat...

Four years after the initial proposal of the Plasma Wake-field Accelerator (PWFA), it continues to be the object of much investigation, due to the promise of the ultra-high accelerating gradients that can exist in relativistic plasma waves driven in the wake of charged particle beams. These wake-fields are of interest both in the laboratory, for acceleration and focusing of electrons and positrons in future linear colliders, and in nature as a possible cosmic ray acceleration mechanism. The purpose of the present work is to review the recent experimental advances made in PWFA research at Argonne National Laboratory. Some of the topics discussed are: the Argonne Advanced Accelerator Test Facility; linear plasma wake-field theory; measurement of linear plasma wake-fields; review of nonlinear plasma wave theory; and experimental measurement of nonlinear plasma wake-fields. 25 refs., 11 figs.

In the present study, wave interaction with a fixed, partially immersed breakwater of box type with a plate attached (impermeable?permeable) at the front part of the structure is investigated numerically and experimentally. The large scale laboratory experiments on the interaction of regular waves with the special breakwater were conducted in the wave flume of Laboratori d?Enginyeria Mar?tima (LIM) at Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona. Experimental results are compared with numerical results obtained with the use of the Cornell breaking Wave and Structures (COBRAS) wave model. The effects of an impermeable as well as a permeable plate attached to the bottom of the breakwater on its hydrodynamic characteristics (wave transmission, reflection, dissipation, velocity and ...

... medical technology with the increased use of screening laboratory panels and more liberal use of cross-sectional ... experiment models that we actually use in the laboratory. And we use experimental models that are basically ...

Fornusek C, Davis GM, Baek I. Stimulation of shank muscles during functional electrical stimulation cycling increases ankle excursion in individuals with spinal cord injury. Objective To investigate the effect of shank muscle stimulation on ankle joint excursion during passive and functional electrical stimulation (FES) leg cycling. Design Within-subject comparisons. Setting Laboratory setting. Participants Well-trained FES cyclists (N=7) with chronic spinal cord injuries. Interventions Two experimental sessions were performed on an isokinetic FES cycle ergometer with a pedal boot that allowed the ankle to plantarflex and dorsiflex during cycling. During the first session, the optimal stimulation timings to induce plantarflexion and dorsiflexion were investigated by systematically altering...

World-wide efforts to use solid-vapour adsorption technology for heat pumps have been intensified since the imposition of international restrictions on production and use of chlorofluorocarbons. Yet, to this date solid-vapour refrigeration and heat pump systems are still under laboratory testing stages. Promising recent developments in Japan, Europe and the U.S.A. include the use of porous metal hydrides and composite adsorbents. A review of adsorbents and adsorbates used in various investigations on solid-vapour adsorption heat pumps are presented in this paper, with an aim of initiating a novel concept experimental investigation. (author)

We report the results of our combined experimental and theoretical investigation on the dynamics of dissociative electron attachment to the triatomic molecule CO2. The experiments employ a 4? momentum spectrometer to collect kinematically complete data for this 2-body dissociation reaction. The angular dependence of the attachment entrance amplitudes, calculated by ab initio methods, connect the laboratory frame to the molecular frame. Preliminary results from our ongoing investigations of DEA to larger molecules, including formic acid and the nucleobases uracil and and thymine, will also be presented.

The past year has been an exciting and productive one for particle physics research at Abilene Christian University. The thrust of our experimental investigations is the study of the nucleon and its excited states. Laboratories where these investigations are presently being conducted are the AGS at Brookhaven, Fermilab and LAMPF. Some analysis of the data for experiments at the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (Gatchina, Russia) is still in progress. Scheduling of activities at different laboratories inevitably leads to occasional conflicts. This likelihood is increased by the present budget uncertainties at the laboratories that make long-term scheduling difficult. For the most part, the investigators have been able to avoid such conflicts. Only one experiment received beam time in 1994 (E890 at the AGS). The situation for 1995-1996 also appears manageable at this point. E890 and another AGS experiment (E909) will run through May, 1995. El 178 at LAMPF is presently scheduled for August/September 1995. E866 at Fermilab is scheduled to start in Spring/Summer 1996. Undergraduate student involvement has been a key element in this research contract since its inception. Summer students participated at all of the above laboratories in 1994 and the same is planned in 1995. A transition to greater involvement by graduate students will provide cohesiveness to ACU involvement at a given laboratory and full-time on-site involvement in the longer running experiments at FNAL and BNL. Funds to support a full-time graduate student are requested this year. Finally, collaboration by Russian, Croatian and Bosnian scientists has proven to be mutually beneficial to these experimental programs and to the overall programs at the institutions involved. Past support has been augmented by other grants from government agencies and from the Research Council at Abilene Christian University. Additional funds are requested in this renewal to enable more programmatic support for these efforts, so that long-range plans can be made to carry out the experiments and to perform the analysis.

The 192-beam National Ignition Facility (NIF) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore, CA, is now operational and conducting experiments. NIF, the flagship facility of the U.S. Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Program, will achieve high-energy-density conditions never previously obtained in the laboratory - temperatures over 100 million K, densities of 1,000 g/cm3, and pressures exceeding 100 billion atmospheres. Such conditions exist naturally only in the interiors of the stars and during thermonuclear burn. Demonstration of ignition and thermonuclear burn in the laboratory is a major NIF goal. To date, the NIF laser has demonstrated all pulse shape, beam quality, energy, and other specifications required to meet the ignition challenge. On March 10, 2009, the NIF laser delivered 1.1 MJ of ultraviolet laser energy to target chamber center, approximately 30 times more energy than any previous facility. The ignition program at NIF is the National Ignition Campaign (NIC), a national collaboration for ignition experimentation with participation from General Atomics, LLNL, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and the University of Rochester Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE). The achievement of ignition at NIF will demonstrate the scientific feasibility of ICF and focus worldwide attention on fusion as a viable energy option. A particular energy concept under investigation is the LIFE (Laser Inertial Fusion Energy) scheme. The LIFE engine is inherently safe, minimizes proliferation concerns associated with the nuclear fuel cycle, and can provide a sustainable carbon-free energy generation solution in the 21st century. This talk will describe NIF and its potential as a user facility and an experimental platform for high-energy-density science, NIC, and the LIFE approach for clean, sustainable energy.

In this paper, three classes of laboratory plasma experiments are investigated in terms of global energy balance relations. The three types of experiment considered are rotating plasmas with radial geometry, typically plasma centrifuges, rotating plasmas with axial geometry, or vacuum arc centrifuges, and linear plasma-neutral gas collision experiments. All three experiments yield plasma velocities close to the Alfven critical velocity for a range of experimental conditions. To explain the experimental observations, it has been postulated that a special interaction occurs whenever the relative velocity between neutral gas and plasma reaches the critical velocity {nu}{sub a} = (2{epsilon}{sub 1}/m){sup 1/2}, where {epsilon}{sub 1} is the first ionization potential of the neutral particles and m is their mass. Here, we look at the experiments from the energy balance point of view and conclude that it is not necessary to postulate any special interaction occurring at the critical velocity to explain the experimental data.

This study investigates, experimentally, the use of thermoelectric generators with phase change materials (PCM) to harvest micro-renewable energy. Experimental results in the laboratory and in real loading conditions show that the coupled effects of heat flux (solar radiation), external temperature and convection (wind) significantly influence the micro-energy harvest. Unlike other approaches, the proposed system is able to produce micro-energy by day and by night, thanks to the release of solar heat stored in the PCM during the day. With optimized thermal loading, power generation of 0.8mW was achieved by one work unit. The experimental results also show the sensitivity of the proposed work unit to variations in solar radiation and wind, and this indicates that the system (consisting of m...

In inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experimental researches, especially in direct drive ICF experimental researches, energy of the incident high power laser beam must be focused onto the target surface very uniformly. To achieve high illumination uniformity for target, several techniques have been developed, such as random phase plate, induced spatial incoherence, smoothing by spectral dispersion, lenslet array, etc. Although these techniques have proven valuable in ICF applications, all of them have some limitations and can`t meet all of the requirements of the applications. Recently, the authors have been investigating the possibility of introducing the diffractive optical technology into their uniform illumination for ICF applications. Using a modified Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm, a kind of pure-phase elements are designed. The results show it is a very promising method. Meanwhile, scientists in Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory developed a kind of kinoform phase plate for ICF uniform illumination. In this paper the authors present their fabrication and experimental results for pure-phase elements.

In a laboratory scale 10 cm id. fluidised bed two lignites are burned and agglomeration behaviour under different experimental conditions is investigated. During the combustion particle sizes of the lignites, particle size of the bed material (quartz sand), fluidisation velocity and temperature are investigated. The coal particle sizes were 1.0-1.9, 1.9-2.7 and 2.7-3.3 mm and the bed material sizes were 0.6-1.0 mm and 1.0-1.4 mm. The segregation and agglomeration behaviour of Baypazari and Can lignites differed considerably which was attributed to attrition and elutriation. The extent of defluidisation was limited by the relatively high fluidisation velocities used in the experimental configuration. (orig.)

This paper describes results of an ongoing experimental investigation at the U.S. EPA into the waste properties and kiln parameters that determine both the instantaneous intensity and the total magnitude of transient puffs leaving the kiln. (NOTE: The batch introduction of waste-filled drums or containers into practical rotary-kiln incinerators can lead to transient overcharging conditions which, for brevity, are here denoted as 'puffs.') The experimental apparatus utilized was a 73-kW laboratory rotary-kiln simulator. Surrogate solid wastes (plastic rods) and surrogate liquid wastes (on corncob sorbent in cardboard containers) were investigated. A statistically designed parametric study was used to determine the extent to which waste and kiln variables (e.g., charge mass, charge surface area, charge composition, kiln temperature, and kiln rotation speed) affected the intensity (hydrocarbon peak height) and magnitude (hydrocarbon peak area) of puffs.

A previous experimental study dedicated to radiological characterization of an experimental chamber and surrounding areas of an high intensity laser facility (100-Terawatt regime) revealed significant levels of X ray, gamma and neutrons radiations under particular experimental conditions which can significantly increase while upgrading of the intensity and regime of the laser. In order to improve the knowledge of radiations produced by the new generation of peta watt lasers ( {approx_equal}1021 W/cm{sup 2}) and the associated radiation protection safety devices and shielding in these facilities, a numerical study has been performed using the parameters of the future peta watt laser facility in the Laboratory for the Use of Intense Lasers at Ecole Polytechnique (L.U.L.I. - Palaiseau - France). Based on simulations with the Monte Carlo code M.C.N.P.X., an analysis of doses induced by ionising radiations produced by Bremsstrahlung reactions and secondary reactions, respectively in the laser interaction target and in the vacuum chamber, has been investigated on different positions of the facility, in order to define and size the appropriate materials for protection against external exposure in this new type of plant. These results are benchmarked with previous numerical and experimental results obtained with similar input parameters of the V.U.L.C.A.N. facility at the C.L.R.C. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (R.A.L. - Oxon - England). This benchmark shows good agreement between these different results. The aim of the present publication is to present and discuss these numerical results. (authors)

To evaluate HIV-2 RNA quantification assays used in nine laboratories of the ACHIEV2E group. In a blinded experimental design, laboratories quantified three series of aliquots of HIV-2 subtype A strain, each at a different theoretical viral load. Quantification varied between laboratories and intern...

SummaryBackground Previous laboratory studies have found a relationship between experimentally manipulated emotion regulation strategies such as suppression and reappraisal and cardiovascular reactivity. However, these studies have not examined trait forms of these strategies and cortisol responses. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between trait suppression, reappraisal, and cortisol reactivity to a social-evaluative speech task. Methods Participants completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire [ERQ; Gross, J.J., John, O.P., 2003. Individual differences in two emotion regulation processes: implications for affect, relationships, and well-being. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 85, 348-362] to assess trait suppression and reappraisal and were asked to complete a speec...

The ISOL facility, TRISTAN, is a user facility located at Brookhaven National Laboratory's High Flux Beam Reactor. Short-lived, neutron-rich nuclei, far from stability, are produced by thermal neutron fission of /sup 235/U. An extensive array of experimental end stations are available for nuclear structure studies. These studies are augmented by a variety of long-lived ion sources suitable for use at a reactor facility. Some recent results at TRISTAN are presented as examples of using an ISOL facility to study series of nuclei, whereby an effective means of conducting nuclear structure investigations is available.

The nonlinearity characteristics of photoconductive and photovoltaic HgCdTe detectors were experimentally investigated in the infrared wavelength region by use of the National Physical Laboratory detector linearity measurement facility. The nonlinearity of photoconductive HgCdTe detectors was shown to be a function of irradiance rather than the total radiant power incident on the detector. Photoconductive HgCdTe detectors supplied by different vendors were shown to have similar linearity characteristics for wavelengths around 10 microm. However, the nonlinearity of response of a photovoltaic HgCdTe detector was shown to be significantly lower than the corresponding value for photoconductive HgCdTe detectors at the same wavelength. PMID:15291062

This research focuses on applying computational and mathematical techniques to problems in biology, and more specifically to problems in protein folding. Significant progress has been made in the following areas relating to virus shell assembly: the local rules theory has been further developed; development has begun on a second-generation simulator which provides a more physically realistic model of assembly, collaborative efforts have continued with an experimental biologist to verify and inspire the local rules theory; an investigation has been initiated into the mechanics of virus shell assembly; laboratory experiments have been conducted on bacteriophage T4 which verify that the previously believed structure for the core may be incorrect.

Motivated by recent experimental advances in creating polar molecular gases in the laboratory, we theoretically investigate the many body effects of two-dimensional dipolar systems with the anisotropic and $1/r^3$ dipole-dipole interactions. We calculate collective modes of 2D dipolar systems, and also consider spatially separated bilayer and multilayer superlattice dipolar systems. We obtain the characteristic features of collective modes in quantum dipolar gases. We quantitatively compare the modes of these dipolar systems with the modes of the extensively studied usual two-dimensional electron systems, where the inter-particle interaction is Coulombic.

This work deals with the optimization of combustion and of the emission of SO{sub 2}, NO and N{sub 2}O from commercial coal-fired circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers. Particularly, a new method of reducing N{sub 2}O without negatively affecting the other conditions investigated. In the present project CTH is involved in task 1 and task 4. The purpose of task 1 is to provide experimental data by performing measurements in the 12 MW CFB boiler at CTH, and in the laboratory scale CFBC unit at TUHH. The purpose of task 4 is to make an interpretation of the results.

ObjectiveTo investigate the hormones participating in early follicular development and hypothalamic neurotransmitters in rats during adulthood. DesignExperimental basic study. SettingUniversity animal laboratory. Animal(s)Twenty-three neonatal rats injected with single subcutaneous injection of estradiol valerate (EV), testosterone propionate (TP), or dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and killed by decapitation at 60 days of age. Intervention(s)Measurements of neurotransmitter in ventromedial hypothalamus-arcuate nucleus (VMH-AN) and ovarian morphometry in the adult rat. Main Outcome Measure(s)Noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), glutamic acid (Glu), and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content by high performance liquid chromatography medial basal hypothalamus and ovarian morphology...

A fast response piezo-fluidic gaseous fuel injector system designed for natural gas fuelled internal combustion (IC) engines is described in this paper. The system consists mainly of no moving part fluidic gas injector and piezo controlling interface. It can be arranged as a multi-point injection (MPI) system for IC engine fuel control. Both steady state and dynamic characteristics were investigated on a laboratory test rig. A comprehensive jet attachment and switching simulation model was also developed and reported. The agreement between predicted and experimental results is shown to be good.   

Electrochemical investigations on aluminium alloy corrosion in a sodium chloride solution have been performed by potentiostatic and potentiodynamic (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) methods. Measurements have been obtained after mechanical polishing or electrochemical stripping in deaerated or not solution. All the results are strongly depending on the pretreatments that are undergone in the laboratory before the experimental measurements. Mechanical polishing induces huge effects on the surface of the analysed samples and a long time is necessary to avoid the effects of this treatment; instead, an electrochemical cleaning does not modify the surface and results can be regarded more rapidly as significant of the surface with higher reproducibility.

The contribution is focused on chemical, geochemical and mineralogical research of bentonite stability with the aim to determine the effect of saturation medium composition and loading by heat on bentonite stability. The main part of the research is directed to the experimental results of bentonite and bentonite leachate samples obtained for the bentonite interaction under laboratory experiments. Computer-modeling methods were used to calculate equilibrium thermodynamic principles, the distributions of predominant aqueous species, and potential solubility controls for the environmentally important oxidation states of each investigated radioactive contaminants. The Eh?pH diagrams of individual chemical species of the tested radionuclides were calculated by the geochemical software tool Geoc...

The programme of the Research Unit of the Fusion Association Euratom - Risoe National Laboratory, Technical University of Denmark, covers work in fusion plasma physics and in fusion technology. The fusion plasma physics research focuses on turbulence and transport, and its interaction with the plasma equilibrium and particles. The effort includes both first principles based modelling, and experimental observations of turbulence and of fast ion dynamics by collective Thomson scattering. The activities in technology cover investigations of radiation damage of fusion reactor materials. These activities contribute to the Next Step, the Long-term and the Underlying Fusion Technology programme. A summary is presented of the results obtained in the Research Unit during 2006. (au)

The effects of entomopathogenic Lecanicillium spp. (Zare and Gams) on Aphidius colemani (Viereck) adult longevity and ovipositional behavior and on the emergence rate and longevity of the F1 generation of this parasitoid insect were evaluated under laboratory conditions. Moreover, the ability of three strains of Lecanicillium spp. to penetrate the cuticle of aphids parasitized by A. colemani at different larval stages was investigated. Although fungal treatments at high concentrations (107?conidia/ml) reduced adult longevity, no significant effects were observed at lower concentrations. The number of ovipositional probings, sting failure rate of the ovipositor, and time intervals between periods of ovipositional behavior were not significantly different between the experimental groups and ...

Nine entries were received for a voluntary test to which computer modelers of castings agreed to be subjected. The test consisted of the modeling of a simple plate, but connected to a narrow and tall filling system. The geometry was investigated experimentally in the laboratory using a real time x-ray radiographic unit to visualize the flow of liquid aluminum in the sand mould cavity. Thermocouples were also arranged in the mould to determine temperatures. The experiment was repeated a number of times to determine the reproducibility of the test, which was interesting in both similarities and differences, and illustrates the degree to which agreement between computation and experiment is to be expected.

A laboratory evaluation of steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) method for in-situ heavy oil recovery has been conducted since 1994. An experimental apparatus (a two-dimensional and scaled physical model) was designed and constructed so as to facilitate visualization of generation and propagation of a steam chamber. In this fiscal year, effectiveness of newly invented enhanced SAGD processes, SAGD-ISSLW(Intermittent Steam flow Single SAGD by Lower Well) and Dual Single SAGD, was investigated. Also microscopic visualization of fluid behavior at the interface of a steam chamber was attempted using a bore scope and an optical fiber scope. (author)

After detailed laboratory and experimental investigations, polyvinyl alcohol-glucose citrate leukocytic mass was used in the treatment of patients with malignant neoplasms after the development of leukopenia following radiation and chemotherapy. Observations demonstrated the effectiveness of the treatment in patients suffering from leukopenia of radiation and medicinal origin. The leukocytic mass is recommended for use in the complex of therapeutic measures in radiation treatment and chemotherapy of malignant neoformations attended by the development of leukopenia. However, special attention shouid be paid to the prevention of radiation and medicinal leukopenias occurring as the resuit of radium and chemotherapy. (auth)

This yearly report for 2004 presents a review of work being done on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) at the Laboratory for Aero-thermochemistry and Combustion Systems at the Federal Institute of Technology ETH in Zurich, Switzerland, on the development of basic principles for innovative combustion and work processes. A successfully-used approach involving reaction-path analysis, heat-release analysis and the optimisation of bio-inspired algorithms is discussed. Experimental investigations made using the high-pressure, high-temperature cell at the ETH are described and initial results are discussed. The commissioning of a one-stroke Rapid Compression Machine EHT and the results of initial experiments are presented.

This annotated bibliography lists 10,676 works on atomic and molecular processes reported in publications dated 1978-1981. Sources include scientific journals, conference proceedings, and books. Each entry is designated by one or more of the 114 categories of atomic and molecular processes used by the Controlled Fusion Atomic Data Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory to classify data. Also indicated is whether the work was experimental or theoretical, what energy range was covered, what reactants were investigated, and the county of origin of the first author. Following the bibliographical listing, the entries are indexed according to the categories and according to reactants within each subcategory.

The Fuel Conditioning Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory processes spent nuclear fuel from the Experimental Breeder Reactor II using electro-metallurgical treatment. To process fuel without waiting for periodic sample analyses to assess process conditions, an electrorefiner process model predicts the composition of the electrorefiner inventory and effluent streams. For the chemical equilibrium portion of the model, the two common methods for solving chemical equilibrium problems, stoichiometric and non stoichiometric, were investigated. In conclusion, the stoichiometric method produced equilibrium compositions close to the measured results whereas the non stoichiometric method did not.

In order to investigate the Stirling engine implementation technology, a Solo Stirling Engine V161 cogeneration module has been installed at the Laboratory of Applied Thermodynamics of National Technical University of Athens. A special thermodynamic analysis of the engines performance has been conducted introducing and utilizing specially designed computing codes along with the thermal balance study of the unit. Measurements were conducted under different operational conditions concerning various heat load stages of the engine, working pressure, as well as electric power production. Analysis of the experimental results has shown that the overall performance of the Stirling unit proved very promising and quite adequate for various areal applications, equally competing with other CHP systems...

This annotated bibliography includes papers on atomic and molecular processes published during 1984. Sources include scientific journals, conference proceedings, and books. Each entry is designated by one or more of the 114 categories of atomic and molecular processes used by the Controlled Fusion Atomic Data Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory to classify data. Also indicated is whether the work was experimental or theoretical, what energy range was covered, what reactants were investigated, and the country of origin of the first author. Following the bibliographical listing, the entries are indexed according to the categories and according to reactants within each subcategory.

Batch electrodialysis of aqueous solutions of oxalic acid was investigated using a laboratory electrodialyzer ED-Z mini equipped with ion-exchange membranes Ralex-AMH-PES and Ralex-CMHPES (Mega, Str?? pod Ralskem, Czech Republic). The paper presents a mathematical model which enables to predict changes in the oxalic acid concentrations in the diluate and concentrate compartments during the electrodialysis process under various conditions specified by combinations of the initial acid concentrations with current densities. The calculation proved a good agreement between the developed model and the experimental results.

Recent theoretical and experimental investigations of magnetotails (MTs) are examined in reviews and reports based on papers presented at the Chapman Conference on Magnetotail Physics, held at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in October 1985. Topics addressed include the MT configuration, fluid and kinetic aspects of MT dynamics, active diagnosis of the earth MT, and the MTs of celestial objects. Also provided are an overview of the conference findings and summaries of panel discussions on injection-layer and Alfven-layer models, reconnection and viscous-interaction models of solar-wind/magnetosphere energy transfer, and phenomenological models of MT substorms.

This study investigated the effects of training native speakers of Spanish in the perception and production of English vowels in a regular classroom setting, not a laboratory. Thirty-two adult native Spanish speakers were trained to identify and produce English pairs of vowels /i/-/?/, /u/-/?/, and /?/-/?/ over a three-week training period. The experimental design included a pretest-posttest procedure in order to compare the subject's performance before and after training. A significant improvement in the subjects' performance as an effect of training was revealed on perception, but no signifi

The isotope separator facility OASIS, on-line at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory SuperHILAC, was used to investigate proton-rich rare earth nuclei. Single-particle states near the 82-neutron shell were delineated, numerous new isotopes, isomers, and {beta}-delayed proton emitters were discovered and the {alpha}-decay properties of some nuclides with N > 84 were reexamined. In this contribution the experimental program is summarized briefly, the excitation energies of the s{sub 1/2} and h{sub 11/2} proton states in this mass region are discussed, and results on the {beta}-delayed-proton spectra of {sup 145}Dy and {sup 147}Er are presented. 17 refs., 5 figs.

This paper will investigate the use of high peak power, nanosecond laser pulses focused in the posterior chamber of the eye to rupture opacified posterior lens capsule tissue or vitreous strands through the creation of a spark plasma and associated shock wave. The author discusses current theories on the formation of the shock wave and its relation to laser beam parameters along with laboratory experiments designed to create and study shock waves and their effects in pig and human eyes. The experimental procedure will utilize a Q-switched Nd-YAG laser interfaced with an ophthalmic slitlamp to simulate the actual conditions under which the physician would perform the operation.

In this study, the effect of cone ratio (ratio of the vortex finder diameter to the apex diameter, Do/Du) on by-pass was investigated for small diameter hydrocyclones. Experimental studies were carried out in a closed circuit laboratory test rig for a wide range of operational parameters, such as diameter of cyclone, vortex finder and apex, inlet pressure and solids content of feed pulp. In the tests, 25.4mm and 50.8mm diameter cyclones were used with different vortex and apex units. The results showed that the cone ratio is an important design parameter for cyclones.

Understanding the incentives of politicians requires understanding the nature of voting behavior. I conduct a laboratory experiment to investigate whether voters focus on the problem of electoral selection or if they instead focus on electoral sanctioning. If voters are forward-looking but uncertain about politicians- unobservable characteristics, then it is rational to focus on selection. But doing so undermines democratic accountability because selection renders sanctioning an empty threat. In contrast to rational choice predictions, the experimental results indicate a strong behavioral tendency to use a retrospective voting rule. Additional experiments support the interpretation that retrospective voting is a simple heuristic that voters use to cope with a cognitively difficult inferenc...

This paper presents numerical simulations and experimental investigations of the bending process used in automotive industry to form a glass run channel made of aluminum and rubber. Mechanical behavior has been identified by laboratory tests and metal anisotropy has been characterized. Simplified structures have been considered and FEM simulations have been conducted. For the metal behavior, elastoplasticity with isotropic work hardening has been considered with both von Mises and Hill yield criteria. Rubber behavior has been represented by hyperelasticity using Rivlin's law. To validate the simulations, bending experiments have been performed and strains have been measured by the mean of square grids deposited on the surface samples before the tests. (orig.)

We present studies of space-charge-induced beam profile broadening at high intensities in the Proton Storage Ring (PSR) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Previous work has associated the observed broadening in the vertical direction with the coherent half integer resonance. Here, we study the effect of the space charge environment on this resonance; specifically, we investigate the strength of the resonance versus beam intensity, longitudinal bunching factor, transverse lattice tune, and two different beam injection scenarios. For each case, detailed particle-in-cell simulations are combined with experimental results to elucidate the behavior and sensitivity of the beam resonance response.

Several different experimental investigations were carried out during the present report period. These include x-ray studies of semiconductors, high-{Tc} superconductors, and various thin films using synchrotron radiation (especially soft x-ray experiments by means of our new detector) and measurements of some fundamental properties of new superconducting materials made in our laboratory at Buffalo. We have made the first systematic study of electronic structure in the high-{Tc} superconductors La{sub 2-x}Sr{sub x}CuO{sub 4} with x ranging from 0 to 0.15 by x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS).

Purpose To present the current state-of-the-art information regarding the properties, indications, surgical techniques, and toxic effects of current and past applications of vital dyes in chromovitrectomy. Design Critical analysis and surgical perspective of the literature and recent studies. Methods Review, interpretation, and commentary regarding the most relevant experimental as well as clinical studies including the authors' clinical and laboratory research. Results There is a consensus that the application of vital dyes facilitates the delicate removal of intraocular membranes during vitreoretinal surgery. Controversy still remains around various issues, mainly potential toxicity and safety. There is room for further investigation of novel and specific vital dyes. Dyes such as Evans b...

The programme of the Research Unit of the Fusion Association Euratom - Risø National Laboratory, Technical University of Denmark, covers work in fusion plasma physics and in fusion technology. The fusion plasma physics research focuses on turbulence and transport, and its interaction with the plasma equilibrium and particles. The effort includes both first principles based modelling, and experimental observations of turbulence and of fast ion dynamics by collective Thomson scattering. The activities in technology cover investigations of radiation damage of fusion reactor materials. These activities contribute to the Next Step, the Long-term and the Underlying Fusion Technology programme. A summary is presented of the results obtained in the Research Unit during 2006.

A long-term study (1962-1976) of the Pb content of food has been performed using samples of Danish food substances collected annually at the Riso National Laboratory. Samples so far investigated are: 150 samples of dried milk from 7 factories; 500 samples of Danish cereals (spring and winter wheat, Triticum vulgare, and barley) from 10 of the state experimental farms; and 70 samples of total diet collected in 8 areas covering all of Denmark. Pb concn. in the ash of dried milk varied from 13 to

Results from an experimental investigation of the mechanisms governing the ash aerosol size segregated composition resulting from the combustion of pulverized coal in a laboratory scale down-flow combustor are described. The results of modeling activities used to interpret the results of the experiments conducted under his subtask are also described in this section. Although results from the entire program are included, Phase II studies which emphasized: (1) alkali behavior, including a study of the interrelationship between potassium vaporization and sodium vaporization; and (2) iron behavior, including an examination of the extent of iron-aluminosilicate interactions, are highlighted. Idealized combustion determination of ash particle formation and surface stickiness are also described.

This research investigates the effect of classroom explicitation of initial conceptions (CEIC) on conceptual change in the context of learning electricity. Eight hundred and seventy five thirteen year-olds were tested in laboratory conditions to see if CEIC is or is not a productive step toward conceptual change. All students experienced a problem-based pedagogical treatment called "the electronic challenge." The randomly determined experimental group was also exposed to CEIC. Data shows a significant beneficial effect of CEIC and no unwanted "contamination effect", particularly for female subjects.

Research to evaluate formation damage related to drilling fluids used in Mexican geothermal fields was initiated. The initial work has been done on Berea sandstone for two reasons: (1) to save valuable reservoir drill cores while developing and turning experimental techniques, and (2) for comparison with results from other investigations, since Berea sandstone has been extensively studied and used in permeability impairment research. The magnitudes of permeability reductions associated with high-temperature rock/geothermal drilling fluid interactions, the possibility of restoring the unperturbed permeability to reservoir drill cores for its measurement in the laboratory were emphasized.

Numerical data on the heat transfer constants in two-dimensional Yukawa systems were obtained. Numerical study of the thermal conductivity and diffusivity was carried out for the equilibrium systems with parameters close to conditions of laboratory experiments with dusty plasma. For calculations of heat transfer constants the Green-Kubo formulas were used. The influence of dissipation (friction) on the heat transfer processes in nonideal systems was investigated. The approximation of the coefficient of thermal conductivity is proposed. Comparison of the obtained results to the existing experimental and numerical data is discussed.

This research project is investigating the technical feasibility of a high-temperature, high-pressure (HTHP) process for the bulk separation of CO[sub 2] from coal-derived gas. Phase I research, which utilized an electrobalance reactor, was completed during the previous quarter and final experimental results have been reported. Phase II research involves a switch from the electrobalance reactor to a laboratory-scale fixed-bed reactor having feed and product gas analysis capability. Initial effort during Phase II has been limited to project planning including the design and construction of the fixed-bed reactor, developing specifications for gas analysis, and ordering the gas chromatograph system. These activities are described in the present report.

The objectives of this research are to determine the nature, magnitude, and time dependence of the major and trace element releases as functions of the raw shale mineralogy, retorting conditions, and spent shale mineral assemblages. These experimental studies will focus on retorting variable regimes characteristic of most retorting processes. As an adjunct objective, the relation of laboratory results to those obtained from both bench-scale and pilot-scale retorts, when both have been operated under similar retorting conditions, will be defined. The goal is to develop a predictive capability for spent shale chemistry as a function of the raw material feedstock and process parameters. Key accomplishments follow: completed an overview of health, environmental effects, and potential ''show stoppers'' in oil shale development; elucidated the importance of both raw material and process in the identity and behavior of spent shale wastes (Occidental raw and spent shales from the Logan Wash site); completed a balanced factorial design experiment to investigate the influence of shale type, temperature, and atmosphere on spent shale behavior; compared the behavior of spent shales from laboratory experiments with shales generated from MIS retorting by OOSI at Logan Wash, Colorado; completed a study of the partitioning of minerals, inorganics, and organics as a function of particle size in a raw shale from Anvil Points, Colorado; evaluated the application of the Los Alamos nuclear microprobe to the characterization of trace element residences in shale materials; established the use of chemometrics as a major tool for evaluating large data bases in oil shale research and for relating field and laboratory results; conceptualized and evaluated experimentally a multistaged leaching control for abandonment of underground retorts; and coordinated activities with other DOE laboratories, industry laboratories, and universities. 13 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.

Results of prior DOE supported research conducted at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have demonstrated the participation of sedimentary minerals and water as reactants and catalysts in chemical transformations associated with the degradation of oil and the formation of low molecular weight organic compounds. The occurrence of such processes in natural environments can be difficult to recognize because the composition of organic alteration products may not be substantially different than those produced by thermal cracking. The goals of this study were the development of diagnostic tools based on hydrogen and carbon isotopes that can be used to identify geochemical processes responsible for the formation of thermogenic natural gas. In addition, our activities were expanded to include experimental investigation of CO2 reduction in aqueous systems at elevated temperature and pressures and an assessment of microbial activity in relatively low temperature (<70°C) natural gas reservoirs in southeastern Oklahoma. Specific objectives included: ? A laboratory investigation of geochemical processes that regulate the hydrogen isotope composition of low molecular weight hydrocarbons in natural gas at elevated temperatures and pressures. ? A laboratory investigation of factors that regulate the carbon isotope composition of organic acids in basinal brines. ? A laboratory assessment of the role of methanol during reduction of CO2 to CH4 under hydrothermal conditions. ? Characterization of microbial ecosystems in coproduced fluids from the Potato Hills gas field to assess the role of microbes in the generation of natural gas.

Laboratory investigations have been conducted for the past year in the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory in collaboration with Chemical Engineering at Michigan State University on the hydrogen fluoride (HF) saccharification of cellulose and wood. The work is an extension of the work done by Fredenhagen in Germany reported in 1933. The authors produce evidence that HF saccharification of lignocellulosic materials when compared with hydrolysis saccharification techniques has the important features of: (1) high conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose to simple sugars; (2) recycle of HF in the process thereby eliminating the need for major acid neutralization requirements; (3) a valuable lignin by-product for chemical use; and (4) no elaborate pretreatment requirements. High sugar yields and chemically useful lignin are essential in the long term if biomass is to replace petroleum and later coal as sources of chemical raw materials and liquid fuels. There are several laboratory investigations recommended in order to more fully evaluate the potential of HF saccharification of lignocellulosic materials. These investigations include studies on reaction conditions versus yield, removal and recycle methods, post-hydrolysis conditions versus oligomer distribution, sugar separation methods, and basic studies on uses for xylose and lignin. Results of these studies could be utilized to develop a process design and economic evaluation of the HF technology and to identify those processing steps which require pilot scale experimentation. 74 references, 5 figures, 4 tables.

The Light-Water Reactor (LWR) Aerosol Containment Experiments (LACE) are being performed in Richland, Washington, at the Hanford Engineering Development Laboratory (HEDL) under the leadershiop of an international project board and the Electric Power Research Institute. These tests have two objectives: to investigate, at large scale, the inherent aerosol retention behavior in LWR containments under simulated severe accident conditions, and to provide an experimental data base for validating aerosol behavior and thermal-hydraulic computer codes. Aerosol computer-code comparison activities for the LACE tests are being coordinated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. For each of the six experiments, ''pretest'' calculations (for code-to-test data comparisons) are being performed. This paper presents a summary of the pretest aerosol-code results for tests LA1, LA2, and LA3. 7 refs., 11 figs., 2 tabs.

We have used microcalorimeters built by the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Electron Beam Ion Trap to measure X-ray emission produced by charge exchange reactions between highly charged ions colliding with neutral helium, hydrogen, and nitrogen gas. Our measurements show the spectral dependence on neutral species and also show the distinct differences between spectra produced by charge exchange reactions and those produced by direct impact excitation. These results are part of an ongoing experimental investigation at the LLNL EBIT facility of charge exchange spectral signatures and can be used to interpret X-ray spectra produced by a variety of laboratory and celestial sources including cometary and planetary atmospheres, the Earth's magnetosheath, the heliosphere, and tokamaks.

Ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) have been observed but their sources and production mechanisms are yet to be understood. We envision a laboratory astrophysics program that will contribute to the understanding of cosmic accelerators with efforts to: (1) test and calibrate UHECR observational techniques, and (2) elucidate the underlying physics of cosmic acceleration through laboratory experiments and computer simulations. Innovative experiments belonging to the first category have already been done at the SLAC FFTB. Results on air fluorescence yields from the FLASH experiment are reviewed. Proposed future accelerator facilities can provided unprecedented high-energy-densities in a regime relevant to cosmic acceleration studies and accessible in a terrestrial environment for the first time. We review recent simulation studies of nonlinear plasma dynamics that could give rise to cosmic acceleration, and discuss prospects for experimental investigation of the underlying mechanisms.

We present an integrative laboratory investigation incorporating skills from inorganic chemistry, analytical instrumentation, and physical chemistry applied to a laboratory-scale model of the environmental problem of chlorinated ethylenes in groundwater. Perchloroethylene (C[subscript 2]Cl[subscript 4], PCE) a common dry cleaning solvent, undergoes sequential replacement of Cl with H to trichloroethylene (C[subscript 2]HCl[subscript 3]) and subsequently "cis"-dichloroethylene (C[subscript 2]H[subscript 2]Cl[subscript 2]) through catalytic reductive dechlorination with water-soluble cobalt complexes. PCE degradation is monitored by gas chromatography and the first-order rate constants are determined. Experimental conditions may be varied to optimize chlorinated ethylene dechlorination and explore the important parameters governing degradation. Students work with reduction-oxidation active compounds and analyze "real-world" kinetic data sets. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

The ISOLDE facility [1-3] is one of the world-leading laboratories for the production and investigation of radioactive nuclei. ISOLDE belongs to CERN's accelerator complex situated on the border between Switzerland and France (Figure 1). The facility has been in operation since its start in 1967 and is presently receiving protons from the Proton Synchrotron Booster (PSB) of CERN. The success of ISOLDE is due to the continuous development of new radioactive ion beams and improvement of the experimental conditions. With the upcoming high energy and intensity upgrade HIE-ISOLDE the possibilities for experiments with exotic nuclei will be further boosted. This laboratory portrait gives an overview of the present facility that will focus on the status of radioactive ion beam production, the ope...

This is a progress report sumMarizing more than 5 years of a long-range Bureau of Mines research program. The purpose of this program has been to investigate the fire and explosion properties of Green River oil shale in the Bureau's Experimental Mine, in laboratories, and in the field. The lean limits of explosibility of oil shale dust, by small- and large-scale tests, are reported as a function of grade, ignition source, and particle size. A limited number of laboratory tests on the autoignition of oil shale dust layers and the spontaneous combustion tendencies of oil shale are described. Moderate-scale rubble fire tests were conducted to determine flame spread rates as a function of ventilation flow.

Laboratory fretting testing is an appropriate method to investigate the friction and wear behaviors of hard coating materials in vibrating contacts under specified conditions. Such testing can help to select the most suitable coating for a specific application. Furthermore, it can assist in optimizing the coating deposition process. A conceptual framework for modeling laboratory fretting testing is presented together with test equipment and experimental methods for on-line mechanical analysis and off-line material degradation analysis. The application of these concepts is demonstrated for two hard coating types, namely, physical vapor deposition (PVD) TiN and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond coatings. The influence of the fretting conditions on the mechanical contact response as well as on the materials modification induced in the contact is analyzed. The effect of third bodies, tribochemical reactions, and residual stress on the friction and wear behavior of these hard coatings is discussed.

This report summarizes investigations of various pion-nucleus interactions and nucleon-nucleus charge-exchange reactions. The work was carried out with the LAMPF accelerator at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and the cyclotrons at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) near Zurich, Switzerland, and at Indiana University (IUCF), as a collaborative effort among several laboratories and universities. The experimental activity at LAMPF involved measurements of new data on pion double-charge-exchange scattering, some initial work on a new Neutral Meson Spectrometer system, a search for deeply-bound pionic atoms, measurements of elastic scattering, and studies of the (n,p) reaction on various nuclei. At PSI measurements of pion quasielastic scattering were carried out, with detection of the recoil proton. Work on the analysis of data from a previous experiment at PSI on pion absorption in nuclei was continued. This experiment involved using a detector system that covered nearly the full solid angle.

Liquid metal heat pipes operated at power throughputs well below their design point for long durations may fail as a result of the working fluid migrating to a cold region within the pipe, freezing there, and hot returning to the evaporator section. Eventually sufficient working fluid inventory may be lost to the cold region to cause a local dry-out condition in the evaporator. A joint experimental and analytical effort between the Air Force Phillips Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory is underway to investigate the phenomena. Experiments include both high temperature liquid metal and low temperature organic heat pipes. To date, a low temperature working fluid has been selected and its performance in a heat pipe validated. Additionally, a low-temperature heat pipe has been fabricated and is presently being tested.

Objectives To determine whether there are differences in stability between double and triple interlocked intramedullary nails used for the fixation of extraarticular proximal tibial fractures. Design Randomized in vitro biomechanical-experimental laboratory investigation. Setting Biomechanics laboratory of the Clinic for Trauma Surgery at the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz. Intervention A 10-mm defect osteotomy was performed on six paired human tibiae, and the proximal and distal ends were potted in polymethylmethacrylate cement (PMMA). Each pair of bones was randomly stabilized with an intramedullary nail (IM-nail) with two interlocking options (PTN 2s) in one tibia, and with an IM-nail with three interlocking options (PTN 3s) in the corresponding contralateral bone. A biomechanical ...

The aim of the joint research programme is to determine the significance of groundwater colloids in far field radionuclide migration. The characterization, quantification and theoretical interpretation of colloid-borne transport phenomena of radionuclides in selected Gorleben aquifer systems are the main objectives of the present research programme. Gorleben aquifer systems are chosen because they are well characterized in terms of their hydrological and geological properties and because they contain substantial amounts of colloids of different chemical compositions as well as considerable quantities of chemical homologues and natural analogues of radionuclides, e.g. M(III), M(IV), M(VI), and Th and U decay series. The research tasks are investigated jointly by the four laboratories (listed below) in close coordination of experimental capacities of each laboratory. (orig.)

Purpose - Weblabs are an additional resource in the execution of experiments in control engineering education, making learning process more flexible both in time, by allowing extra class laboratory activities, and space, bringing the learning experience to remote locations where experimentation facilities would not be available. The purpose of this paper is to investigate and report on a weblab project where the speed of a DC motor is controlled in closed loop, being the control system parameters set by the remote user (student). Design/methodology/approach - The engine control experiments are run and on-line transmitted by videoconference over the internet, from a didactical plant physically located at the Systems and Automation Laboratory of the Control and Automation Engineering departm...

This work is part of a collaboration project between TPS and LTH for combined numerical modelling/experimental investigation on combustion of pulverised wood. This report presents the experimental work that has been carried out in the TPS laboratory vertical furnace during the second phase of the project (2002-07-01 - 2003-07-01). The experimental work at this stage has been focussed on two selected pulverised woods: 'Haernoesand-Haesselby' and 'Haernoesand-Fransson' which have the same chemical composition but have different particle shapes and size distributions. During the experiments, the physical characteristics of these pulverised woods are studied using different techniques such as standard vibrating sieves, microscopic images and an aerodynamic classifier 'Aeroklass' developed at TPS. The measurements of the pulverised wood flames generated by these selected pulverised woods are carried out in the TPS laboratory vertical furnace. The in-flame gas and solid samplings are carried out at several cross-sections along the furnace using a water-cooled gas and solid sampling probe. The extent of combustion is measured through the analysis of captured gaseous and solid products. The experimental results show that the experimental furnace and measurement techniques applied in this study are capable to capture the important differences in flame properties due to firing two different pulverised woods and provide necessary in-flame measured experimental data to validate the CFD models that can be used for the simulation of pulverised wood combustion in industrial furnace and boilers. This work clearly demonstrates that the physical characteristics of a pulverised wood such as particle size distribution and particle shape have significant impact on its combustion behaviour. Thus appropriate modelling for non-spherical wood particles is necessary in order to achieve successful numerical simulation for pulverised wood flames.

This paper is based on field experiences from two wells and laboratory experiments. Flow-induced abrasion is a considerable problem in the field when ilmenite is used as weight material. In general, field observations are confirmed by laboratory experiments. However, the abrasiveness is highly dependent on the particle size distribution, and experiments clearly show that the abrasiveness of ilmenite can be reduced to that of standard barite by removing the largest ilmenite particles. From experimental results, the authors recommend that the size distribution of ilmenite contain fewer than 3% particles greater than 45 microns (45 ..mu..m). The use of ilmenite also demonstrated problems with dust, dispersion of ilmenite in water, air entrainment, and foaming, which, as found by laboratory investigations, can be eliminated by reducing the concentration of flotation chemicals. On the basis of field experience and subsequent laboratory studies, they conclude that ilmenite is well suited for use as weight material in drilling fluids since the presently observed disadvantages to a large extent can be diminished.

This study focused on laboratory-scaled and real-scaled treatment plant performances and microbiological investigations for the optimum treatment of textile industry wastewater performed with sequencing batch reactor (SBR). As a result of experimental studies of laboratory-scaled SBR treatment unit, optimum treatment efficiency was taken from 0.5 h filling to 1.5 h. reaction to 1.5 h. settlement to 0.5 h. discharge-idle periods. Average chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of SBR of laboratory-scaled textile industry was 75%, whereas average turbidity and color removal (coloration number [RES, m(-1)] 586 nm) efficiencies were 90% and 75%, respectively. Optimum reaction and settlement periods were used in a real-scaled plant, and plant efficiency was examined for parameters such as COD, phenol, pH, mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) and sludge volume index (SVI). In this study, optimum reaction and settlement periods for treatment of textile industry wastewater were determined within a SBR in a laboratory-scaled plant. These reaction and settlement periods were verified with the measurement of COD, color, and turbidity parameters. Floc structure and protozoa-metazoa species of activated sludge in a SBR were also determined. Optimum reaction and settlement times were used in a real-scaled plant, and plant efficiency was examined for COD, Phenol, pH, MLSS, and SVI parameters. The corresponding values were found as appropriate, acceptable, and meaningful because of variance value of statistical analysis. Protozoa and metazoan in the activated sludge in the laboratory-scaled plant were investigated. Peranema sp., Epistylis sp., Didinium sp., Chilodonella sp., Opercularia sp., Vorticella sp. as protozoa species and Habrotrocha sp., Philodina sp. as metazoa species were determined. PMID:22834223

For the Laboratory and staff, 2006 was a year of outstanding achievements. As our many accomplishments in this annual report illustrate, the Laboratory's focus on important problems that affect our nation's security and our researchers breakthroughs in science and technology have led to major successes. As a national laboratory that is part of the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA), Livermore is a key contributor to the Stockpile Stewardship Program for maintaining the safety, security, and reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. The program has been highly successful, and our annual report features some of the Laboratory's significant stockpile stewardship accomplishments in 2006. A notable example is a long-term study with Los Alamos National Laboratory, which found that weapon pit performance will not sharply degrade from the aging effects on plutonium. The conclusion was based on a wide range of nonnuclear experiments, detailed simulations, theoretical advances, and thorough analyses of the results of past nuclear tests. The study was a superb scientific effort. The continuing success of stockpile stewardship enabled NNSA in 2006 to lay out Complex 2030, a vision for a transformed nuclear weapons complex that is more responsive, cost efficient, and highly secure. One of the ways our Laboratory will help lead this transformation is through the design and development of reliable replacement warheads (RRWs). Compared to current designs, these warheads would have enhanced performance margins and security features and would be less costly to manufacture and maintain in a smaller, modernized production complex. In early 2007, NNSA selected Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories-California to develop ''RRW-1'' for the U.S. Navy. Design efforts for the RRW, the plutonium aging work, and many other stockpile stewardship accomplishments rely on computer simulations performed on NNSA's Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Program supercomputers at Livermore. ASC Purple and BlueGene/L, the world's fastest computer, together provide nearly a half petaflop (500 trillion operations per second) of computer power for use by the three NNSA national laboratories. Livermore-led teams were awarded the Gordon Bell Prize for Peak Performance in both 2005 and 2006. The winning simulations, run on BlueGene/L, investigated the properties of materials at the length and time scales of atomic interactions. The computing power that makes possible such detailed simulations provides unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery. Laboratory scientists are meeting the extraordinary challenge of creating experimental capabilities to match the resolution of supercomputer simulations. Working with a wide range of collaborators, we are developing experimental tools that gather better data at the nanometer and subnanosecond scales. Applications range from imaging biomolecules to studying matter at extreme conditions of pressure and temperature. The premier high-energy-density experimental physics facility in the world will be the National Ignition Facility (NIF) when construction is completed in 2009. We are leading the national effort to perform the first fusion ignition experiments using NIF's 192-beam laser and prepare to explore some of the remaining important issues in weapons physics. With scientific colleagues from throughout the nation, we are also designing revolutionary experiments on NIF to advance the fields of astrophysics, planetary physics, and materials science. Mission-directed, multidisciplinary science and technology at Livermore is also focused on reducing the threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction as well as their acquisition and use by terrorists. The Laboratory helps this important national effort by providing its unique expertise, integration analyses, and operational support to the Department of Homeland Security. For this vital facet of the Laboratory's national s

Width of the therapeutic action of a drug model on the basis of aluminum sylphonated phthalocyanine -- photosensitizer of the second generation for PDT -- was investigated on laboratory mice with spontaneous breast tumor. Three general types of tumors were investigated in the process of morphological investigation: pleomorphic adenocarcinomas of type A and B, and monomorphic adenocarcinomas of type C. Different tumors local selectivity to the present photosensitizer was established by the microspectrofluorimetric method. The largest tumor accumulation selectivity, and also photosensitizer distribution uniformity, were revealed in a high-differentiation variant of pleomorphic adenocarcinomas of type B, which is more sensitive to PDT. It was experimentally determined that the combination of surface and interstitial irradiation is necessary in the overwhelming majority of cases.

An analytical and experimental study is conducted to investigate the effect of isolator locations on the effectiveness of vibration isolation systems. The study uses isolators with fixed properties and evaluates potential improvements to the isolation system that can be achieved by optimizing isolator locations. Because the available locations for the isolators are discrete in this application, a Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used as the optimization method. The system is modeled in MATLAB{trademark} and coupled with the GA available in the DAKOTA optimization toolkit under development at Sandia National Laboratories. Design constraints dictated by hardware and experimental limitations are implemented through penalty function techniques. A series of GA runs reveal difficulties in the search on this heavily constrained, multimodal, discrete problem. However, the GA runs provide a variety of optimized designs with predicted performance from 30 to 70 times better than a baseline configuration. An alternate approach is also tested on this problem: it uses continuous optimization, followed by rounding of the solution to neighboring discrete configurations. Results show that this approach leads to either infeasible or poor designs. Finally, a number of optimized designs obtained from the GA searches are tested in the laboratory and compared to the baseline design. These experimental results show a 7 to 46 times improvement in vibration isolation from the baseline configuration.

The use of CO2 as a heat transfer fluid has been proposed as an alternative to water in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). Numerical simulations have shown that under standard EGS operating conditions CO2 would achieve more efficient heat extraction performance compared to water. Modeling has also shown even greater performance at the lower reservoir temperatures found in low grade geothermal systems. In a set of laboratory experiments, we have investigated heat extraction by flowing dry supercritical CO2 through a heated porous core in a laboratory pressure vessel. Experiments were also performed using deionized water to allow a direct performance comparison between the working fluids under similar conditions. Measurements were made at pressures ranging from 77 to 121 bar, temperatures from 20 to 75°C, and a range of mass flow rates. We have implemented a model of the experimental system in TOUGH2 and have obtained reasonable agreement between the laboratory measurements and the predictions of the numerical simulation. While the data collected from the original experimental apparatus is useful for testing, refining, and confirming theoretically-derived heat transfer predictions, it provides little insight into the actual performance of field-scale EGS due to differences in scale and geometry. This makes comparing the efficiencies of water and CO2 as heat transmission fluids in field-scale EGS beyond the current capabilities of our current laboratory system. Field-scale EGS heat transfer is dominated by convection, while lab-scale heat transfer tends to be strongly affected by conduction. In order to bridge the gap between the lab-scale experimental results and field-scale EGS, we are assembling a new, more capable apparatus to explore alternative flow geometries and operating conditions. Numerical studies have shown that laboratory assemblies of several porous cores with different temperatures in series can achieve conditions that can approximate the field-scale interplay between advective heat transport and heat conduction. To this point we are assembling a new laboratory experiment that will allow a wider range of operating conditions as well as increased control of the boundary conditions.

This paper studies experimentally the harmonic absorbed currents by single-phase rectifiers under sinusoidal supply voltage conditions. Laboratory tests have been developed with a rectifier supplied with non-distorted voltages to characterize its absorbed harmonic currents (magnitude and phase angle). From these results, a database that characterizes rectifier harmonic behavior experimentally and allows the rectifier currents to be easily calculated is proposed. The database applicability is experimentally studied in three laboratory tests. (author)

A description is given of two recent expansions of the ECN Hot Cell Laboratory in Petten: a production facility for molybdenum-99 and an actinide laboratory, a special facility to investigate unirradiated alpha-and beta-active samples.

Development of reliable and robust strategies for long-term life support for planetary exploration must be built from real-time experimentation to verify and improve system components. Also critical is incorporating a range of viable options to handle potential short-term life system imbalances. This paper revisits some of the conceptual framework for a Mars base prototype which has been developed by the authors along with others previously advanced ("Mars on Earth") in the light of three years of experimentation in the Laboratory Biosphere, further investigation of system alternatives and the advent of other innovative engineering and agri-ecosystem approaches. Several experiments with candidate space agriculture crops have demonstrated the higher productivity possible with elevated light...

Among the numerous questions that arise concerning the exploitation of petroleum from unconventional reservoirs, lie the questions of the composition of hydrocarbons present in deep seated HP-HT reservoirs or produced during in-situ upgrading steps of heavy oils and oil shales. Our research shows that experimental hydrocarbon cracking results obtained in the laboratory cannot be extrapolated to geological reservoir conditions in a simple manner. Our demonstration is based on two examples: 1) the role of the hydrocarbon mixture composition on reaction kinetics (the "mixing effect") and the effects of pressure (both in relationship to temperature and time). The extrapolation of experimental data to geological conditions requires investigation of the free-radical reaction mechanisms through a computed kinetic model. We propose a model that takes into account 52 reactants as of today, and which can be continuously improved by addition of new reactants as research proceeds. This model is complete and detailed enou...

Experimental and theoretical investigations of mantle tanks for SDHW systems have been carried out. Five differently designed mantle tanks have been tested in a laboratory test facility. A transient three-dimensional CFD-model of one of the tested mantle tanks is made in the CFD-program CFX 4.1. The model is validated against the experimental tests, and good agreement between measured and calculated results is achieved. The results from the CFD-calculations are used to illustrate the thermal behaviour and the fluid dynamics in the mantle and in the hot water tank. With the CFD-calculations, a detailed analysis of the heat transfer from the solar collector fluid to the wall of the hot water tank is performed. The analysis has resulted in a correlation for the heat transfer between the solar collector fluid and the wall of the hot water.

A new approach has been used to explain the experimental data for the $^{16}$O+$^{28}$Si system over a wide energy range in the laboratory system from 29.0 to 142.5 MeV. A number of serious problems has continued to plague the study of this system for a couple of decades. The explanation of anomalous large angle scattering data; the reproduction of the oscillatory structure near the Coulomb barrier; the out-of-phase problem between theoretical predictions and experimental data; the consistent description of angular distributions together with excitation functions data are just some of these problems. These are long standing problems that have persisted over the years and do represent a challenge calling for a consistent framework to resolve these difficulties within a unified approach. Traditional frameworks have failed to describe these phenomena within a single model and have so far only offered different approaches where these difficulties are investigated separately from one another. The present work offe...

This paper describes the results of an experimental, as well as theoretical, analysis of a landslide in a clay slope at the margin of a small town of Southern Italy, whose reactivation of 1998 caused severe damages to some structures. To protect the upslope urban area, an anchored diaphragm wall and a drainage system were constructed in 2001. In the meantime, in order to understand the processes which caused the reactivation, a Department of the Basilicata Administrative Region provided financial support to a geotechnical investigation. Laboratory tests on undisturbed and reconstituted specimens, in situ pore pressure and deep displacement measurements were carried out. Both experimental and theoretical in situ water content (and porosity) profiles were determined. Theoretical analyses of ...

Various research has attempted to determine the proper treatment of sewage sludge, including thermal technologies. Efficient thermal technologies have been focused on because of their energy saving/energy recovery. Gasification technology can be considered one of these approaches. In this study, the characteristics of gasification reactions were investigated with the aim of finding fundamental data for utilizing sewage sludge as an energy source. For the experiments on sewage sludge gasification reaction characteristics, a laboratory-scale experimental apparatus was set up with a fluidizing bed reactor of 70-mm inner diameter and 600-mm total height using an electric muffle furnace. The experimental materials were prepared from a sewage treatment plant located in Seoul. The reaction temper...

This paper describes a model of the compressible flow of cylinder working medium into and out of the regions between the piston, piston rings and cylinder walls, through the ring gaps, during the operating cycle of a reciprocating engine, leading to the calculation of the blowby rate. The flow model incorporates the ring motion in the piston groove, by making a balance of the relevant acting forces. A comprehensive thermodynamic model of the processes of compression and expansion is included in order to yield the pressure and temperature inside the engine cylinder at each instant of time. The results from the computer program implementing the analysis are compared with measured values obtained from a relevant experimental investigation conducted on a Ricardo E-6 motored diesel engine at the laboratory of the authors. The theoretical and experimental results for the blowby rate, for various engine speeds, are compared very favourably, the analysis providing an insight into the mechanisms involved.

The technology of supercritical water gasification can convert coal to hydrogen-rich gaseous product efficiently and cleanly. A novel continuous-flow system for coal gasification in supercritical water was developed successfully in State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering (SKLMF). The experimental device was designed for the temperature up to 800degreeC and the pressure up to 30MPa. The gasification characteristics of coal were investigated within the experimental condition range of temperature at 650-800degreeC, pressure at 23-27MPa and flow rate from 3kgh-1 to 7kgh-1. K2CO3 and Raney-Ni were used as catalyst and H2O2 as oxidant. The effects of main operation parameters (temperature, pressure, flow rate, catalyst, oxidant, concentration of coal slurry) upon gasificatio...

This paper discusses the results obtained from an experimental combustion work undertaken to investigate the behaviour of multicomponent briquettes, prepared by mixing two different particle sizes of coal and two different types of binder species. single briquettes were burned over a wide range of temperatures in a laboratory scale fluidised bed combustor facility. Nitrogen (NO{sub x}, and N{sub 2}O) and Sulphur (SO{sub 2}) oxides emissions resulting from the combustion of these briquettes were constantly monitored during the time of burning. The levels of O{sub 2}, CO{sub 2} and CO were also recorded during the same period. Experimental results showed that coal particle size influenced burn-out times and emissions levels of some of gaseous species. The hinder type was also found to have a major influence on the emissions of different pollutants.The temperature was observed to significantly influence the extent of the effects of the other operating parameters studied.

Recently, climatic changes have caused more extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain falls and droughts. Therefore, climatic changes are expected to produce increased variations in infiltration characteristics and positions of water table in slopes. A physical slope model has been developed to study the effects of climatic changes in an unsaturated slope. The effect of rising water table in an unsaturated slope was investigated experimentally in the physical slope model. In addition, finite element analyses were carried out to simulate infiltration in slopes under steady-state and transient conditions. A comparison between the results of laboratory model measurements and numerical analyses shows good agreement despite the complex unsaturated soil conditions. Both, experimental data an...

Neutron backgrounds are a significant concern to experiments that attempt to directly detect Weakly Interacting Massive Particle (WIMP) dark matter. Recoil nuclei produced by neutron elastic scattering can mimic WIMP signatures. There is insufficient experimental data available for the scattering cross sections of neutrons with noble gases (Ne, Ar, Xe), which are candidate target materials for such experiments. Neutron elastic scattering from argon and neon of natural abundance was investigated at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory at neutron energies relevant to (?,n) and low-energy spallation neutron backgrounds in these experiments. The differential cross sections were measured using a time-of-flight technique. Partial ?-ray production cross sections for (n,xn?) reactions from 1--30 MeV were also measured at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. Details of the experimental techniques and results will be presented.

An unconfined strongly swirled flow is investigated to study the effect of hydrogen addition on upstream flame propagation in a methane-air premixed flame using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) with a Thickened Flame (TF) model. A laboratory-scale swirled premixed combustor operated under atmospheric conditions for which experimental data for validation is available has been chosen for the numerical study. In the LES-TF approach, the flame front is resolved on the computational grid through artificial thickening and the individual species transport equations are directly solved with the reaction rates specified using Arrhenius chemistry. Good agreement is found when comparing predictions with the published experimental data including the predicted RMS fluctuations. Also, the results show that t...

Nuclear fusion reactions at astrophysical energies are enhanced by the electron cloud that surrounds the interacting nuclei. That effect is modelled here by considering the reaction participants hydrogen-like atoms whose electron probability density is used in Poisson's equation in order to derive the corresponding screened Coulomb potential energy. This way atomic excitations and deformations of the fusing atoms can be taken into account. Those potentials are then treated semiclassically in order to obtain the screening (accelerating) factor of the reaction. By means of the proposed model the effect of a superstrong magnetic field on laboratory $pp$ and $dd$ fusion reactions is investigated showing that despite the marked increase in the cross section of the $dd$ reaction, the $pp$ reaction is still too slow to be measured experimentally. The proposed model is finally applied on the $% H^{2}(d,p) H^{3}$ fusion reaction describing satisfactorily the experimental data although some ambiguity remains regarding ...

Objectives of this study in minipigs were the following: 1. What is the value of HBFS in the functional evaluation of biliodigestive anastomoses 2. Are there any qualitative, functional differences between 3 biliodigestive anastomotic techniques, namely the choledochoduodenostomy (CD), choledochojejunostomy Y-en-Roux (YR), and the choledochojejunoduodenostomy with a pedicled conduit (CJ) The experimental investigations were performed on healthy adult minipigs that were assigned to 5 different experimental groups. Results: Every animal was clinically asymptomatic, all laboratory tests were negative. Duodenogastric reflux was slightly elevated following CE, no difference was noted after biliodigestive anastomoses. HBFS, that is IBTT, prove an unphysiological delay of bile flow over the D. choledochus as well as over the small intestite proximal and distal to the anastomosis in the CD, YR and CJ group. This delay is significant on a 1%-level in the CJ group. Moreover, this technique is significantly worse (p<0.05) than YR and CD. The clinical Consequences of these results are discussed. (orig.).

Neutrino physics has been an active and successful research field in recent years, especially experimentally. As a result of a series of great experimental discoveries neutrino oscillations are today a well established phenomenon indicating non-vanishing neutrino masses. If all the existing evidences of oscillation, coming from the atmospheric and the solar neutrino experiments and the laboratory experiment LSND, are described jointly, at least four neutrino flavors are needed. The fourth flavor must be sterile with respect to the Standard Model interactions since experiments show that only three neutrino flavors couple to the Z-boson. In this thesis various phenomenological aspects of sterile neutrinos have been investigated. We have studied the prospects of probing the possible leptonic CP violation in the proposed neutrino factory experiments. We make a comparison of the ordinary three-neutrino case and the four-neutrino case and show that these two cases are quite different in respect to the fake CP-viola...

Previous experimental research has shown that the compactive strains in concrete subjected to a load-then-heat regime exceed those measured in heat-then-load tests under compression. This excess in strain is known as transient thermal creep or load-induced thermal strain (LITS). All previous experimental research on LITS in mature concrete has been conducted in unsealed conditions, mainly under uniaxial compression (with a few biaxial compression tests, but no multiaxial tests) on specimens subjected to monotonic heating to high temperatures (>500??C). This paper presents the findings from a novel laboratory investigation of LITS under uniaxial, biaxial and hydrostatic compression in partially sealed conditions, at transient temperatures of up to 250??C. The results from 49 experiments sho...

While the swelling behavior of laboratory-prepared homoionic montmorillonites has been studied extensively in numerous experimental and simulation works, far less attention has been given to much more abundant natural montmorillonites, containing a mix of monovalent and/or bivalent cations in interlayer spaces. We carried out a series of Monte Carlo simulations in order to investigate the reasons for the remarkable difference of experimental swelling patterns of a natural Na-rich/Mg-poor montmorillonite and a homoionic Na-montmorillonite. The simulations reproduced the swelling pattern of a natural montmorillonite, suggesting a mechanism of its hydration different from that of the homoionic montmorillonite. We also found that the differences in size and hydration energy of Mg2+ and Na+ ions have strong implications for the structure and the internal energy of interlayer water. This leads to a difference in the layer spacings of the simulated Mg- and Na-montmorillonites as large as approximately 2.1 A at lower water contents. PMID:16229609

The concept of the air blast-cryogenic freezing method (ABCF) is based on an innovative hybrid refrigeration system with one common cooling space. The hybrid cooling system consists of a vapor compression refrigeration system and a cryogenic refrigeration system. The prototype experimental setup for this method on the laboratory scale is discussed. The application of the results of experimental investigations and the theoretical-empirical model makes it possible to calculate the cooling capacity as well as the final and primary energy use in the hybrid system. The energetic analysis has been carried out for the operating modes of the refrigerating systems for the required temperatures inside the cooling chamber of -5^oC, -10^oC and -15^oC. For the estimation of the energy efficiency the co...

Patterns of species occurrence and abundance are influenced by abiotic factors and biotic interactions, but these factors are difficult to disentangle without experimental manipulations. In this study, we used observational and experimental approaches to investigate the role of temperature and interspecific competition in controlling the structure of ground-foraging ant communities in forests of the Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon. To assess the potential role of competition, we first used null model analyses to ask whether species partition temporal and/or spatial environments. To understand how thermal tolerances influence the structure of communities, we conducted a laboratory experiment to estimate the maximum thermal tolerance of workers and a field experiment in which we ad...

An extension is described of a numerical model to include the effect of wind shear on upper convective region growth. Laboratory experiments designed to investigate interface motion in salt-gradient ponds are reported, and the numerical model prediction is compared with an experimental result. Numerical model treatment of the double diffusive effects at the interfaces between convecting and nonconvecting regions in solar ponds is reviewed, and an approach is described that incorporates wind-generated turbulent entrainment into the interface treatment. The calculated behavior agrees with observations made on a solar pond. Two kinds of interface experiments are discussed. The first kind consists of tank experiments designed to give information on interface motion, and on salt and heat transport across interfaces. Numerical model predictions are compared with experimental data. The second type of experiments combine flow-visualization techniques with temperature and salinity measurements. These experiments reveal the flow structure in the neighborhood of the interface.

The main objectives of the project are to investigate the fundamental aspects of particle-liquid interaction in fine coal dewatering, to conduct laboratory and pilot plant studies on the applicability of hyperbaric filter systems and to develop process conditions for dewatering of fine clean coal to less than 20 percent moisture. The program consist of three phases: model development; laboratory studies; and field testing. The Pennsylvania State University is leading efforts in Phase I, the University of Kentucky in Phase II, and Consol Inc. in Phase III of the program. All three organizations are involved in all the three phases of the program. The Pennsylvania State University is developing a theoretical model for hyperbaric filtration systems, whereas the University of Kentucky is conducting experimental studies to investigate fundamental aspects of particle-liquid interaction and application of high pressure filter in fine coal dewatering. The optimum filtration conditions identified in phase I and 11 will be tested in a Consol Inc. coal preparation plant using an Andritz Ruthner portable hyperbaric filtration unit. In this report, dewatering model development and laboratory studies are presented.

Results are described of a two-year research effort which has been conducted with the following objectives: (1) investigate analytically and experimentally the intermediate field spreading in a steady ocean current; (2) investigate analytically and experimentally the transient intermediate field spreading in a stagnant ocean; (3) compare the results with other available data on buoyancy driven currents in stratified surroundings, including the concurrent experimental program at MIT Parsons Laboratory; and (4) use the results in the formulation of preliminary siting guidelines for multiple OTEC plant interactions. The theoretical background for the intermediate field spreading is given including both steady-state and transient results. The experiments performed in the Stratified Flow Modeling Basin at Cornell University are described, and the data are compared to the theoretical results and to available experimental data from other sources. The application of the intermediate field results to the OTEC design problem is discussed. Typical intermediate field behavior is predicted for different plant sizes (100 MW/sub e/ and 1 MW/sub e/), designs and ambient ocean conditions. (WHK)

This study evaluated procedures for estimating adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) onto soil from knowledge of soil organic carbon content and physico-chemical properties or structural characteristics of PAH. The study also entailed an experimental investigation to observe the manner in which naphthalene moves through unsaturated soil. It was found that an approximate value for adsorption coefficients for PAH onto soil can be obtained from readily available physico-chemical properties or structural characteristics for PAH, and correlation with information on soil organic carbon content. A laboratory apparatus was assembled in order to observe organic solute transport through unsaturated porous media, and laboratory experiments were performed to evaluate transport of naphthalene in unsaturated soil. Two tests were performed of approximately fifty days duration each. The tests were configured to observe naphthalene adsorption and breakthrough, followed by observations on naphthalene desorption characteristics. Naphthalene breakthrough was observed in tests with sterilized soil, and approximately 60% of naphthalene applied to the column was eventually eluted during desorption. This value of retardation coefficient compared favorably to that which was predicted from determination of naphthalene adsorption coefficient. Hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients were determined for transport of both chloride ion and naphthalene under conditions of both step increase and step decrease in concentration. The experimental portion of this investigation evaluated transport through unsaturated soil because groundwater contamination problems often originate in the unsaturated zone, and because relatively little information exists regarding the manner in which organic solutes are transmitted through this zone to the water table. 115 references, 22 figures, 20 tables.

The literature on microcomputer-based laboratories (MBL) lacks quantitative studies that measure the effect of MBL on student achievement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of MBL systems on the achievement of high school chemistry students. The first research question examined the effect of MBL systems on student achievement in high school chemistry laboratories. The second question analyzed the effect of MBL systems on the academic achievement of students of different genders, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. This quasi-experimental quantitative research study evaluated the effects of MBL on student achievement in high school chemistry. The sample consisted of 124 college preparatory chemistry students at two high schools in a South Carolina school district. There were 42 participants in the experimental group and 82 participants in the control group. Both experimental and groups completed a pre- and post-test with MBL being the independent variable. The mean difference score for the experimental group was compared to that of the control group using an independent-measures t test and an analysis of variance. For the second research question, results were analyzed using a two-factor analysis of variance. Participant scores were broken down by gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status in order to identify potential differences. The results revealed no significant differences between the experimental and control groups, and no significant differences in effects of MBL on different segments of the population. Future studies should examine students using MBL for longer durations than one unit of study. As society continues to make technological advances, the effective assessment and implementation of technology resources for the classroom are becoming increasingly important.

Research has been undertaken into engineering properties of roller compacted concretes containing fluidized bed combustion/pulverized coal combustion (FBC/PCC) by-products as well as FBC/PCC-Portland Cement concrete mixtures prepared using conventional placement technique. This laboratory effort has resulted in identification of a number of potentially viable commercial applications for the FBC by-products residues derived from Illinois high-sulfur coal. One potential and promising application of the FBC/PCC solid waste residues, which also accounts for the large utilization of coal-based by-product materials, is in pavement construction. The proposal presented herein is intended to embark into a new endeavor in order to bring the commercialization aspect of the initial laboratory project a step closer to reality by conducting a field demonstration of the optimized mixtures identified during the two-year laboratory investigation. A total of twenty-three different pavement slabs will be constructed at an identified site located in the Illinois Coal Development Park, Carterville, Illinois, by two construction contractors who are part of the industrial participants of the initial project and have expressed interest in the construction of experimental slabs. Both conventional and roller compacted concrete placement techniques will be utilized. All sections will be subjected to an extensive engineering evaluation and will be monitored for nearly a year for both short and long-term performance. The field results will be compared to that of the equivalent laboratory-prepared mixes in order to ascertain the suitability, of the proposed mixes for field application. During this reporting period, the physico-chemical and preconditioning characteristics of the raw materials were evaluated. Construction of the experimental road consisting of twenty-three surface and base course slab sections was also completed.

This is the final report of work performed by Avco Research Laboratory, Inc. for the US Department of Energy, Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center. The overall objectives of this program were: to contribute, by appropriate systematic experimental and analytical investigations, to the engineering data base necessary for the design and construction of MHD generators at the 50 MW{sub th} and ultimately at commercial sizes; and to design and fabricate specific hardware items to be tested at a site to be specified by DOE. The program consisted of a series of related tasks, which are described in subsequent sections of this report. Section 2.0 summarizes the important results of the entire program. Section 3.0 through 7.0 describe the work in detail, and are organized as follows: Section 3.0, MHD Channel Design and Performance, reports experimental and analytical investigations related to MHD channel design and performance. Section 4.0, MHD Channel Construction and Lifetime, reports experimental investigations related to MHD channel reliability and lifetime, where the principal aim is to improve the constructability, maintainability, and reliability of coal-fired, long-duration MHD channels. Section 5.0, MHD Channel Loading and Control, reports on the analysis, testing and fabrication of channel loading and control circuits. Section 6.0, Facility Operation, describes the facilities and operation and maintenance of the Mk VI and VII test bays. Section 7.0, DOE Test Facility Technical Support, reports on the results of the data reduction and analysis of the CDIF generator test data.

Lugworms Arenicola marina were collected from Arcachon Bay in two summers and winters of consecutive years. The worms were acclimated to different temperatures (5 and 10^oC for winter animals and 15^oC for summer animals). Each group was investigated over an experimental temperature range concerning its optimum in exercise performance, acute growth rate as well as respiration and ventilation activities to reveal seasonal acclimatisation effects, potential inter-annual differences and the influence of laboratory acclimation temperatures on the parameters of interest. The groups investigated at the two consecutive summers yielded nearly identical results for ventilation and respiration activities. A clear seasonal difference developed in exercise performance, with an optimum at lower tempera...

Based on an entrained flow concept, a prototype atmospheric gasification system has been designed and developed in the laboratory for gasification of powdery biomass feedstock such as rice husks, coconut coir dust, saw dust etc. The reactor was developed by adopting L/D (height to diameter) ratio of 10, residence time of about 2s and a turn down ratio (TDR) of 1.5. The experimental investigation was carried out using coconut coir dust as biomass feedstock with a mean operating feed rate of 40 kg/h The effects of equivalence ratio in the range of 0.21-0.3, steam feed at a fixed flow rate of 12 kg/h, preheat on reactor temperature, product gas yield and tar content were investigated. The gasifier could able to attain high temperatures in the range of 976-1100 °C with gas lower heating value (LHV) and peak cold gas efficiency (CGE) of 7.86 MJ/Nm3 and 87.6% respectively. PMID:22613886

Geophysical investigations are discussed, taking into account laboratory measurements, planetary measurements, and structural implications and models. Impact processes are also examined. Experimental studies are considered along with aspects of crater morphology and frequency, and models theory. Volcanic-tectonic processes are investigated and topics related to the study of planetary atmospheres are examined. Attention is given to shallow moonquakes, the focal mechanism of deep moonquakes, lunar polar wandering, the search for an intrinsic magnetic field of Venus, the early global melting of the terrestrial planets, the first few hundred years of evolution of a moon of fission origin, the control of crater morphology by gravity and target type, crater peaks in Mercurian craters, lunar cold traps and their influence on argon-40, and solar wind sputtering effects in the atmospheres of Mars and Venus.

Granular surfaces subjected to forces due to rolling wheels develop ripples above a critical speed. The resulting pattern, known as "washboard" or "corrugated" road, is common on dry, unpaved roads. We investigated this phenomenon theoretically and experimentally, using laboratory-scale apparatus and beds of dry sand. A thick layer of sand on a circular track was forced by a rolling wheel on an arm whose weight and moment of inertia could be varied. No spring and dashpot suspension system was used. We compared the ripples made by the rolling wheel to those made using a simple inclined plow blade. We investigated the dependence of the critical speed on various parameters, and describe a scaling argument which leads to a dimensionless ratio, analogous to the hydrodynamic Froude number, which controls the instability. This represents the crossover between conservative, dynamic forces and dissipative, static forces. Above onset, wheel-driven ripples move in the direction of motion of the wheel, but plow-driven ri...

In this thesis, active noise and vibration control of aircraft cabins is investigated, in which aircraft cabins are modeled as a cylindrical shell with a floor partition. As the first step toward a successful control strategy, a structural acoustic coupling analysis of the investigated structure is carried out. A new method called "Radiation Efficiency Analysis of Structural Modes (REASM)", suitable for enclosures with irregular shapes, is proposed and applied in the current analysis. Then, the optimal design of control systems consisting of PZT actuators and PVDF error sensors is discussed. A novel design method for PVDF error sensors called "GA-based method" is introduced and shown to be very effective when complex structures are involved. Finally, an active control system is implemented on a scaled laboratory aircraft-cabin model. Both the simulation and experimental results show the great potential of using piezoelectric transducers in noise control and the significant performance improvement achieved through optimal design.

A byproduct for the Ames Lime-Soda Sinter Process for recovering alumina from power plant fly ash was investigated as a cement raw material. This investigation dealt with a determination of the best method to utilize the process residue from both a clinker quality and an economic perspective. The experimental work was divided into characterization of the sinter residue, laboratory burnability tests, physical testing of produced residue-cements, and a kinetic study of C/sub 3/S formation. Other important topics were considered such as the effect use of te sinter residue has on the energy requirements of a commercial cement kiln and on the economics of a combined lime-soda sinter, cement plant. (130 refs., 61 figs., 56 tabs

A resolved acceleration control (RAC) and proportional-integral active force control (PIAFC) is proposed as an approach for the robust motion control of a mobile manipulator (MM) comprising a differentially driven wheeled mobile platform with a two-link planar arm mounted on top of the platform. The study emphasizes on the integrated kinematic and dynamic control strategy in which the RAC is used to manipulate the kinematic component while the PIAFC is implemented to compensate the dynamic effects including the bounded known/unknown disturbances and uncertainties. The effectivenss and robustness of the proposed scheme are investigated through a rigorous simulation study and later complemented with experimental results obtained through a number of experiments performed on a fully developed working prototype in a laboratory environment. A number of disturbances in the form of vibratory and impact forces are deliberately introduced into the system to evaluate the system performances. The investigation clearly de...

Tamasevicius et al. proposed a simple 3D chaotic oscillator for educational purpose. In fact the oscillator can be implemented very easily and it shows typical bifurcation scenario so that it is a suitable training object for introductory education for students. However, as far as we know, no concrete studies on bifurcations or applications on this oscillator have been investigated. In this paper, we make a thorough investigation on local bifurcations of periodic solutions in this oscillator by using a shooting method. Based on results of the analysis, we study chaos synchronization phenomena in diffusively coupled oscillators. Both bifurcation sets of periodic solutions and parameter regions of in-phase synchronized solutions are revealed. An experimental laboratory of chaos synchronizati...

Over the past decade there have been consideration efforts to use solid-vapour adsorption technology for refrigeration, but intensified efforts were initiated only since the imposition of international restrictions on the production and use of chlorofluorocarbons. Yet, to this date only the desiccant evaporative cooling system of the open type has achieved commercial use, predominantly in the USA. Closed-type solid-vapour refrigeration and heat-pump systems are still at the laboratory testing stage. Promising recent developments in Japan, Europe and the USA include the use of porous metal hydrides and composite adsorbents. Various analytical investigations relate to devising methods for improving system performance, such as the use of thermal wave concept. They predict considerable improvement in the performance of solid-vapour adsorption systems with cooling COP values of more than unity. This paper presents the status of solid-vapour adsorption-refrigeration and heat-pump technologies investigated by various researchers, with emphasis on salient experimental achievements. (author)

This project was initiated to provide process design information to the Plutonium Recovery Project (PRP). Although direct oxide reduction (DOR) has been operated in a production mode both at the Rocky Flats Plant (now operated by EG G, Inc.) and Los Alamos National Laboratory, many aspects of the process are ill-defined. Because the PRP plans include significant DOR capability, a well-defined process should minimize capital cost and maximize productivity. Reduced radiation exposure may also be realized. A detailed, statistically valid investigation of the direct oxide reduction process was carried out utilizing 100 grams or less of plutonium dioxide per experiment. Conditions were established for obtaining 95% + yields. Conclusions drawn from the results of the experimental work were utilized to make recommendations for future large-scale investigative and confirmative work as well large-scale production demonstration work. 4 refs., 5 figs., 14 tabs.

The performance of a powder-particle spouted bed (PPSB) on the removal of CO{sub 2} is investigated. A laboratory scale PPSB is employed to investigate the effects of operating parameters such as approach to saturation temperature, static bed height, Ca/C molar ratio, inlet CO{sub 2} concentration and type of sorbent on CO{sub 2} removal efficiency. The experimental results show that the CO{sub 2} removal efficiency increases by increasing the static bed height, Ca/C molar ratio and inlet CO{sub 2} concentration, and decreases by increasing the approach to saturation temperature and superficial gas velocity. Also it is concluded that maximum CO{sub 2} removal efficiency could be up to 50% when approach to saturation temperature is 8K, Ca/C molar ratio is 1.4 and the static bed height is 0.225 m.

Few investigations on local scour around circular piers embedded in clay-sand mixed cohesive sediment beds are available in the literature. However, no study has been reported on the local scour around non-circular piers such as round-nosed, square and rectangular piers embedded in clay-sand mixed cohesive beds. In the present investigation, laboratory flume based experimental data on local scour around round-nosed, square and rectangular pier models embedded in clay-sand mixed beds are reported. The effect of clay-content, water content and bed shear strength of the clay-sand mixed sediment bed on the scouring process, the scour hole geometry, the time variation of scour are described. In general, for circular piers embedded in non-cohesive sediment beds, equations are available in the li...

Using 40 and 65 MeV quasi monochrome neutron of the AVF cyclotron installed at Takasaki Laboratory, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, the neutron energy spectra were measured after transmitting the polyethylene shield. Results of the shielding experiments using concrete and iron recognized as main shielding material were proposed previously. As data obtained in the experiments were useful for a bench-mark experiment to investigate for shielding calculation and sectional data set, a shielding calculation simulated with new experiment to compare with and investigate for the previous experimental data. As a result, it was found that calculation result of neutron flux transmitting through the polyethylene shield showed difference with increase of the shield thickness. And, reducing distance of the peak neutron was also found to be over-estimated in its calculation value, such as three and five times on 43 MeV at 120 and 180 cm thick, respectively. (G.K.)

Summary We investigated extraction of the krypton (Kr) radioisotope 85Kr from groundwater having an ultra-low concentration with a Kr extraction system using an external inflow type hollow fiber membrane. Our aim was to develop a system able to effectively extract Kr isotopes from a large volume of groundwater (104 L) in field studies for measurement of 85Kr radioactivity. Before testing our Kr extraction system in the field, we determined experimentally the conditions necessary for effective extraction of Kr isotopes from groundwater. We investigated the efficiency of Kr extraction from water by extracting trace amounts of Kr in the laboratory. With our system, we were able to extract 99% of Kr and O2 dissolved in water at water temperatures ranging from 11 to 29degreeC and with a flow ra...

The drying of middle distillate (MD), from which diesel fuel is made, by Pervaporation (PV) was experimentally investigated in a laboratory plant applying organic membranes. The work was conducted in cooperation with a refinery in which MD is catalytically desulphurized by hydrogenation. The H2S formed is separated by steam stripping. The resulting water content in the MD is removed by decanting and subsequent vacuum drying. The objective was to investigate whether drying to low ppm water content is technically possible by the process of PV and to find out about the feasibility of replacing the vacuum drying by PV to save energy. The drying to low ppm water content was accomplished successfully. Permeate total and pure water fluxes are reported. Economic estimations compared vacuum drying ...

Investigation of the transport of reactive fluids in porous rocks is an intriguing but challenging task and relevant in several areas of science and engineering such as geology, hydrogeology, and petroleum engineering. We designed and constructed an experimental setup to investigate physical and chemical processes caused by the flow of reactive and volatile fluids such as supercritical CO2 and/or H2S in geological formations. Potential applications are geological sequestration of CO2 in the frame of carbon capture and storage and acid-gas injection for sulfur disposal and/or enhanced oil recovery. The present paper outlines the design criteria and the realization of reactive transport experiments on the laboratory scale. We focus on the spatial and time evolution of rock and fluid composition as a result of chemical rock fluid interaction and the coupling of chemistry and fluid flow in porous rocks.

This paper describes investigations of the ChemChar thermal process using radiolabeled compounds. The process uses triple reverse-burn (TRB) char as the waste carrier. Production weight/volume loss and adsorption characteristics of TRB char were investigated. Batch mode laboratory scale gasification systems were developed to study the fate of radiolabeled organic compounds at low and high loadings. The following conclusions were drawn from experimental results: (1) TRB char sorbs pollutants, independent of their being in the aqueous phase or gase phase, (2) TRB char incorporates carbon during cocurrent gasification of hydrocarbons and organohalides, (3) none of the compounds tested (benzoic acid; chlorobenzene; 1,4-dichlorobenzene; hexachlorobenzene; 3,3`,4,4`-tetrachlorobiphenyl; and dibenzofuran) produced oxygenated organic byproducts during cocurrent gasification, (4) strong reductive destruction mechanisms are predominant during cocurrent gasification in a batch mode reactor, and (5) none of the chlorinated compounds tested formed byproducts with a higher number of chlorine atoms than the parent compounds.

Experimental and numerical investigations of vertical mantle heat-exchangers for solar domestic hot-water (SDHW) systems have been carried out. Two different mantle inlet positions are investigated. Experiments based on typical operation conditions are carried out to investigate how the thermal stratification is affected by different positions of the mantle inlet. The heat transfer between the solar collector fluid in the mantle and the domestic water in the tank is analysed by CFD-simulations. Furthermore, side-by-side laboratory tests have been carried out with SDHW systems with different mantle inlet-positions. It is shown that for a high inlet-temperature to the mantle, it is an advantage to have the inlet located at the top and for a low inlet temperature it is an advantage to have the inlet moved down. Marketed tanks have typically the mantle inlet located at the top of the mantle. The side-by-side laboratory tests indicate that it is an advantage to move the inlet down from the top. (Author)

Through this effort, Sandia and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company (LM Aero) sought to assess the feasibility of (1) applying special materials to a defense application; (2) developing a piezoelectric-based micro thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cell; and (3) building and delivering a prototype laboratory emission measurement system. This project supported the Stockpile Research & Development Program by contributing to the development of radio frequency (RF) MEMS- and optical MEMS-based components - such as switches, phase shifters, oscillators, and filters - with improved performance and reduced weight and size. Investigation of failure mechanisms and solutions helped to ensure that MEMS-based technology will meet performance requirements and long term reliability goals in the specified environments dictated by Lockheed Martin's commercial and defense applications. The objectives of this project were to (1) fabricate and test materials for military applications; (2) perform a feasibility study of a piezoelectric-based micro TPV cell; and (3) build and deliver a prototype laboratory emission measurement system. Sandia fabricated and tested properties of materials, studied options for manufacturing scale-up, and delivered a prototype IR Emissometer. LM Aero provided material requirements and designs. Both participated in the investigation of attachment methods and environmental effects on material performance, a feasibility study of piezoelectric TPV cells, an investigation and development of new approaches to implement the required material functionality, and analysis and validation of material performance physics, numerical models, and experimental metrology.

As part of the Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, the DNA Extraction and Staging Laboratory (DESL) located in Frederick, MD, is responsible for the preparation of samples for investigators at NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG). This laboratory extracts DNA when needed and performs a series of quality checks to stage samples at a standard concentration for automated plate creation.

As part of the Department of Energy's Underground Coal Gasification research program, activities at Sandia National Laboratories during FY84 have included cornering water jet drill development, subsidence and cavity growth modeling in support of the Tono PSC field experiments, field testing of the CSAMT remote monitoring technique, and laboratory experimentation and site characterization planning in support of the Eastern bituminous UCG program. Accomplishments for the year include completion of the cornering water jet drill program, including a field proof-of-concept demonstration; comparisons of cavity growth and subsidence model calculations with results of the Tono field experiments, demonstrating the ability of these models to predict cavity/overburden interactions affecting the gasification process; remote CSAMT monitoring of the Tono field experiment and demonstration of the ability of the technique to detect process effects remotely and in real time; development and testing of a laboratory gasification system to investigate early cavity growth and other phenomena in swelling Eastern bituminous coals; and detailed site characterization planning for the upcoming Eastern UCG field program. 40 references.

The MHD Heat and Seed Recovery Technology Project at Argonne National Laboratory is obtaining information for the design and operation of the steam plant downstream from the MHD channel-diffuser. The project goal is to supply the engineering data required in the design of components for prototype and demonstration MHD facilities. The work is being done in close cooperation with the National Heat Recovery-Seed Program, which is supported by the MHD Office of the Department of Energy. The other major contractors are Mississippi State University, University of Tennessee Space Institute, and Babcock and Wilcox. The primary effort of the HSR Technology Project at Argonne comprises experimental investigations of critical problem areas, such as (1) corrosion of metal alloys; (2) NO/sub x/ behavior in the radiant boiler and secondary combustor; (3) radiant boiler design to meet the multiple requirements of steam generation, NO/sub x/ decomposition, and seed-slag separation; (4) effects of solid or liquid seed deposits on heat transfer and gas flow in the steam and air heaters; (5) formation, growth, and deposition of seed-slag particles; and (6) character of the combustion gas effluents. The experiments are performed primarily in a 2-MW test facility, the Fossil Energy Users Laboratory (FEUL). Other project activities include laboratory studies of the corrosion resistance of commercial alloys for the MHD steam plant. Progress is reported. 75 references.

This research project focuses on pollutants from the combustion of mixtures of dried municipal sewage sludge (MSS) and coal. The objective is to determine the relationship between (1) fraction sludge in the sludge/coal mixture, and (2) combustion conditions on (a) NOx concentrations in the exhaust, (b) the size segregated fine and ultra-fine particle composition in the exhaust, and (c) the partitioning of toxic metals between vapor and condenses phases, within the process. To this end work is progress using an existing 17kW downflow laboratory combustor, available with coal and sludge feed capabilities. The proposed study will be conducted in concert with an existing ongoing research on toxic metal partitioning mechanisms for very well characterized pulverized coals alone. Both high NOx and low NOx combustion conditions will be investigated (unstaged and staged combustion). The proposed work uses existing analytical and experimental facilities and draws on 20 years of research on NO{sub x} and fine particles that has been funded by DOE in this laboratory. Four barrels of dried sewage sludge are currently in the laboratory. Insofar as possible pertinent mechanisms will be elucidated. Tradeoffs between CO{sub 2} control, NO{sub x} control, and inorganic fine particle and toxic metal emissions will be determined. For the Third Quarter of this project we present our data on trace metal partitioning obtained from combustion of MSS and Gas, MSS and Coal and Coal and Gas alone.

The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab or LBNL) is a multi-program national research facility operated by the University of California for the Department of Energy (DOE). As an integral element of DOE's National Laboratory System, Berkeley Lab supports DOE's missions in fundamental science, energy resources, and environmental quality. Berkeley Lab programs advance four distinct goals for DOE and the nation: (1) To perform leading multidisciplinary research in the computing sciences, physical sciences, energy sciences, biosciences, and general sciences in a manner that ensures employee and public safety and protection of the environment. (2) To develop and operate unique national experimental facilities for qualified investigators. (3) To educate and train future generations of scientists and engineers to promote national science and education goals. (4) To transfer knowledge and technological innovations and to foster productive relationships among Berkeley Lab's research programs, universities, and industry in order to promote national economic competitiveness. Annual report on Laboratory Directed Research and Development for FY2000.

The sediment-to-air fluxes of two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (phenanthrene and pyrene) and a heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (dibenzofuran) from a laboratory-contaminated sediment and those of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene) from three field sediments were investigated in experimental microcosms. The flux was dependent on the sediment moisture content, air-filled porosity, and the relative humidity of the air flowing over the sediment surface. The mathematical model predictions of flux from the laboratory-spiked sediment agreed with observed values. The fluxes of compounds with higher hydrophobicity were more air-side resistance controlled. Conspicuous differences were observed between the fluxes from the laboratory-spiked and two of the three field sediments. Two field sediments showed dramatic increases in mass-transfer resistances with increasing exposure time and had significant fractions of oil and grease. The proposed mathematical model was inadequate for predicting the flux from the latter field sediments. Sediment reworking enhanced the fluxes from the field sediments due to exposure of fresh solids to the air. Variations in flux from the lab-spiked sediment as a result of change in air relative humidity were due to differences in retardation of chemicals on a dry or wet surface sediment. High moisture in the air over the dry sediment increased the competition for sorption sites between water and contaminant and increased the contaminant flux.

This project is a collaborative effort with Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and a number of universities throughout the country. Field and laboratory tests were proposed to investigate advanced technologies in reservoir characterization, reservoir simulation, and recovery enhancement. Basically, the approach was to acquire an oilfield property for experimental purposes where interdisciplinary testing could be performed. Several researchers, especially in the academic area, would like to have access to field data and have expressed interest in participating in the project. A standardized dataset from a well-characterized site could be made available to anyone who is developing and validating new simulators. The data-gathering phase should be coordinated fully with the principal users of the data, and all data should be stored in an easily accessible form. A database for the New Mexico Improved Oil Recovery Project (NMIORP) could be established which would be designed for access by various computer networks. Initially, this project provided for a planning phase for the NMIORP. A field site, the Sulimar Queen Unit, has been acquired by New Mexico Tech, and the activities specified in the planning phase have been completed. A data acquisition well was drilled, logged, and cored. Geological and reservoir studies for the Sulimar Queen Unit were conducted. Results of these studies indicate that the Sulimar Queen Unit is a suitable field site for the NMIORP. This report describes the results of the studies that were conducted and outlines possible future tests that could be performed at the field site.

In 2000, SKB decided to initiate an international colloid project at the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden. The objectives of the colloid project are to: (i) study the role of bentonite as a colloid source, (ii) verify the background colloid concentration at Aespoe HRL and, (iii) investigate the potential for colloid formation/transport in natural groundwater concentrations. The experimental concepts for the colloid project are: laboratory experiments with bentonite, background field measurements of natural colloids, borehole specific bentonite colloid stability experiments and a fracture specific transport experiment. The activities concerning the laboratory experiments and background field measurements are described in this work; the other activities are ongoing or planned. The following conclusions were made: The bentonite colloid stability is strongly dependent on the groundwater ionic strength. Natural colloids are organic degradation products such as humic and fulvic acids, inorganic colloids (clay, calcite, iron hydroxide) and microbes. Microbes form few but large particles and their concentration increase with increasing organic carbon concentrations. The small organic colloids are present in very low concentrations in deep granitic groundwater. The concentrations can be rather high in shallow waters. The colloid concentration decreases with depth and salinity, since colloids are less stable in saline waters. The colloid content at Aespoe is less than 300 ppb. The colloid content at repository level is less than 50 ppb. The groundwater variability obtained in the boreholes reflects well the natural groundwater variability along the whole HRL tunnel.

In situ bioremediation involves complex interactions between biological, chemical, and physical processes and requires integration of phenomena operating at scales ranging from that of a microbial cell (10{sup {minus}6}) to that of a remediation site (10 to 1000 m). Laboratory investigations of biodegradation are usually performed at a relatively small scale, governed by convenience, cost, and expedience. However, extending the results from a laboratory-scale experimental system to the design and operation of a field-scale system introduces (1) additional mass transport mechanisms and limitations; (2) the presence of multiple phases, contants, and competing microorganisms (3) spatial geologic heterogeneities; and (4) subsurface environmental factors that may inhibit bacterial growth such as temperature, pH, nutrient, or redox conditions. Field bioremediation rates may be limited by the availability of one of the necessary constituents for biotransformation: substrate, contaminant, electron acceptor, nutrients, or microorganisms capable of degrading the target compound. The factor that limits the rate of bioremediation may not be the same in the laboratory as it is in the field, thereby leading, to development of unsuccessful remediation strategies.

This report to the US Department of Energy summarizes research activities for the period from 1 October 1985--30 September 1986 at the Laboratory for Energy-related Health Research (LEHR) which is operated by the University of California, Davis. The laboratory's research objective is to provide new knowledge for an improved understanding of the potential bioenvironmental and occupational health problems associated with energy utilization to contribute to the safe and healthful development of energy resources for the benefit of mankind. This research encompasses several areas of basic investigation that relate to toxicological and biomedical problems associated with potentially toxic chemical and radioactive substances and ionizing radiation, with particular emphasis on carcinogenicity. Studies of systemic injury and nuclear medical diagnostic and therapeutic methods are also involved. This is an interdisciplinary program spanning physics, chemistry, environmental engineering, biophysics and biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, physiology, immunology, toxicology, both human and veterinary medicine, nuclear medicine, pathology, hematology, radiation biology, reproductive biology, oncology, biomathematics, and computer science. The principal themes of the research at LEHR center around the biology, radiobiology, and health status of the skeleton and its blood-forming constituents; the toxicology and properties of airborne materials; the beagle as an experimental animal model; carcinogenesis; and the scaling of the results from laboratory animal studies to man for appropriate assessment of risk.

The Fundamental Research on Explosives (FRE) program was initiated as a five-year program beginning in FY 1982. It was established as a Laboratory-wide coordinated theoretical and experimental effort to gain a fundamental understanding of detonation behavior using state-of-the-art techniques not previously applied to explosives. During the five years a variety of significant scientific achievements was made in both theory and experiment by developing new methods and techniques to study equation-of-state (EOS), shock initiation, and detonation phenomena. The FRE program comprised scientific experimental and theoretical investigations into the chemical and mechanical processes leading to and subsequently sustaining detonation of the simple liquid prototypical explosive, nitric oxide (NO). The goals of the FRE program were to understand the energetics and chemistry of initiation and detonation in liquid NO and to compare experimental results with existing theory. The knowledge gained and the techniques developed have led not only to advances in explosives science but in the theoretical and experimental sciences in general. This report is a brief overview of the FRE achievements during the 5 year program.

Radiation from Cu wire array Z pinches can have photon energies exceeding 8 keV. Experimental investigations of pinches on the Sandia National Laboratories Z machine using Cu arrays have already begun and more are planned for the near future. Diagnostics based on L-shell emissions are inherently more difficult than those for K-shell emissions, but they provide much more information about the L-shell experimental ionization dynamics and the extent to which a Z-pinch plasma approaches temperatures and densities required for significant K-shell x-ray production. We will analyze the ionization dynamics and generate K- and L-shell spectra for Cu using temperature and density conditions obtained from non-LTE radiation hydrodynamics simulations of experimental data. These results will be compared with K- and L-shell experimental spectra of Cu wire arrays imploded on the Sandia Z machine. Our self-consistent atomic model employs an extensive atomic level structure and data for all dominant atomic processes coupled with hydrodynamics and radiation transport to accurately model the spectroscopic details of the emitted radiation.

During the summer of 1988, the coolers operating on the number-one transformer at the Niagara Mohawk New Scotland Substation were unable to maintain the temperature of the transformer oil at an acceptable level during a period of peak power and hot weather conditions. As a result of that incident, the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation requested that the operation performance characteristics of the failed General Electric FOA oil transformer cooler be investigated by the Heat Transfer Laboratory at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. A theoretical and experimental analysis has been performed on the performance of a transformer cooler. The theoretical study involved the formulation of a model of the cooler, which predicted that the performance is extremely sensitive and dependent upon the air-side flow rate/heat transfer coefficient, as well as the available heat transfer area. The experimental work consisted of the design and implementation of a cooling loop, from which experimental data were obtained to confirm the accuracy of the predictions. The experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical predictions; therefore, they confirm the reliability of the analysis.